The Dodgers’ signing of Kyle Tucker gave opposing fans all the more reason to hate the Dodgers, and it gave fellow team owners all the more reason to loathe the Dodgers front office.
To win two consecutive championships and continue to add star talent while sporting one of the highest payrolls in baseball is the envy and ire of small market organizations. With the current collective bargaining agreement expiring after the 2026 season, an impending lockout is all but certain. Rather than discuss a salary floor to ensure that owners allocate a fair percentage of revenue towards their roster, the main issue that will be brought up this offseason will be a salary cap, notes Evan Drellich of The Athletic.
Major League Baseball owners are “raging” in the wake of Kyle Tucker’s free agency agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers and it is now “a 100 percent certainty” that the owners will push for a salary cap, one person briefed on ownership conversations who was not authorized to speak publicly told The Athletic. “These guys are going to go for a cap no matter what it takes,” the source said.
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With a four-headed monster that includes Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, the Dodgers starting rotation on paper looks to be one of, if not the best, in baseball entering the 2026 season. What has been a dire issue over the last two seasons has been the health of the rotation, as each of the aforementioned names have missed significant time due to injury since the beginning of the 2024 season.
As a means to potentially shore up the back end of the rotation and add a relatively younger arm, the Dodgers are maintaining their interest in Milwaukee Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, notes Katie Woo of The Athletic.
The Dodgers remain interested in Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta, a two-time All-Star approaching his final season before free agency. Peralta is one of the top starters on the trade market after logging a career-best 2.70 ERA over 33 starts for the National League Central champions. Given the injuries that plagued the rotation last year, trading for Peralta is worth exploring.
Andruw Jones had two more years of Hall of Fame eligibility entering this year, and he made history on Tuesday by becoming the first player from Curacao to be elected into Cooperstown. On making the Hall of Fame in his ninth year of eligibility, here is what Jones had to say on getting the call, per Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com.
“You don’t play this game to be a Hall of Famer. You play to help your team win a championship. And when you go out there and be consistent and put up numbers and then your name starts popping up [as a candidate], it’s a big honor for me, and it’s a big honor for my family.”
Former Dodger Rich Hill isn’t planning on pitching in 2026 despite spending limited time with the Kansas City Royals this past season. He also has his disagreements with Joe Kelly’s definition of retirement, as he explained on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast.
The main rhetorical question of the offseason: Are the Dodgers truly ruining baseball? That is what Huston Mitchell of the Los Angeles Times answers in the latest edition of Dodgers Dugout.
On Tuesday, Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones were elected by the Baseball Writers of America Association as the two latest inductees to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Those of you who have paid some attention know that I’m a Hall junkie, so I thought it would be fun to take a look to the future, to see who is in a good position from this year’s results and who will be joining the ballot next year; we’ll also see if there are any former Brewers coming up for consideration anytime soon.
Who’s in a good position after this year’s results?
Next year’s Hall of Fame ballot will be a really interesting one. There’s one strong newcomer (see below) but there are no slam-dunk first-ballot choices like we saw with Ichiro Suzuki last year, and there are no players coming back to the ballot who just missed—both Beltrán and Jones were over 65% last year and needed to make only small jumps in support to make it.
We aren’t going to see that with returning players next year, and in fact, it’s definitely possible that no returning players get elected.
After Beltrán and Jones, the next highest vote-getter on Tuesday was the former Phillies second baseman Chase Utley at 59%. That’s a big jump for Utley, who got just 39.8% of the vote the year before, but he’d need another leap of almost 20% to make it in next year. It’s not inconceivable: as we saw with the selections of Ichiro, Billy Wagner, and CC Sabathia a year ago and no super-strong first-ballot candidates this year, others will tend to soak up votes from writers who now turn their focus elsewhere.
This could get Utley close. His case is a bit non-traditional—he finished his career with just 1,885 hits and 259 homers, he never won a Gold Glove, and he never finished higher than seventh in MVP voting. 20 years ago, he’d have no chance. But the analytics that have become the most popular tools to evaluate players suggest that we were missing something with Utley, and his WAR-based case does not just make him a borderline candidate; if you believe the WAR numbers, he’s a pretty ironclad Hall of Famer. Not everyone believes those numbers, which is why Utley is still 16 percentage points short after his third appearance on the ballot.
There are a couple of other interesting returning cases: Andy Pettitte, a staple of the late-90s Yankees dynasty and one of the most prolific postseason pitchers of all time, also made a big jump—even bigger than Utley’s, from 27.9% to 48.5%. Pettitte is also reaching the end of his time on the ballot; he’ll have two more chances before his eligibility expires. Pettitte’s case is complicated by his connection to performance-enhancing drugs, a connection which is viewed as far less egregious than some of his contemporaries but is, nonetheless, an issue for many voters.
The other big mover this year was Félix Hernández, who improved by 26.1 percentage points from year one to year two (the largest single-year gain under the modern voting system, according to Ryan Thibodaux, who runs the Hall of Fame tracker) and, at 46.1% after two ballots, is in excellent position. Hernández’s counting stats are far lower than the traditional Hall of Fame starting pitcher, but it looks like he may be the test case for what Hall voters will have to start looking for in an era when starting pitchers do not play the same way as they used to.
Other returners include Alex Rodríguez (who topped 40% this year on his 5th ballot but probably has a hard cap on the number of voters who will vote for him), Bobby Abreu (who made a modest leap to above 30% but is running out of time), Jimmy Rollins (the counting stats support him over his teammate, Utley, but the advanced stats do not), Dustin Pedroia, Cole Hamels, Mark Buehrle, David Wright, Omar Vizquel, Francisco Rodríguez, and Torii Hunter. Vizquel, who got 18.4% on his ninth ballot, will be back for the 10th and final time next winter. The one first-ballot player who will make a second ballot is Hamels, who received 23.8% of the votes on his first ballot. That’s an uphill climb, but it’s better than Hernández did on his first try.
Who’s new to the ballot?
The next big question is who the new players are. This group is headlined by a player who I think has a strong chance at becoming a first-ballot Hall of Famer but has a tricky case: Buster Posey. Posey, from a quality perspective, certainly played at a Hall of Fame level: he won an MVP in 2012, something only two other catchers have done since the 1970s (Iván Rodríguez in 1999 and Joe Mauer in 2009), and by rate stats had one of the best careers of any catcher, ever. FanGraphs’ version of WAR, which includes a player’s pitch framing prowess, is especially fond of Posey.
But Posey had a short career. He played only 1,371 games (that’s almost 150 fewer than Pedroia and over 200 fewer than Wright, both great players who we think of as having careers that were “too short”), and in terms of counting stats, finished with just 1,500 hits and 158 home runs. Even at catcher, where physical demands tend to limit the number of games played per season and shorten careers, that’s low; that’s fewer hits than Thurman Munson, another catcher who some feel played at a Hall of Fame level but isn’t there because his career was cut short when he died in a plane crash not long after turning 32.
Posey’s case will be fascinating. I think the lack of great catchers, historically, will probably work to his advantage, and I think he’ll be recognized for what he was, which was—from a pure peak perspective—probably the best catcher of the 21st century (though Joe Mauer and Cal Raleigh fans will argue, and I’m sure Yadier Molina fans would argue too, though Molina’s case is more about longevity than peak prowess).
There is really only one other new name on the ballot next season who might garner enough support to make it to a second year, and that’s pitcher Jon Lester. Lester probably didn’t do enough to get real Hall support—he has just 43.4 bWAR for his career—but he won 200 games, a rarity in modern times, struck out almost 2,500 batters, had three top-four Cy Young finishes, and was a postseason hero who won an NLCS MVP and three World Series. That should be enough of a resumé to get him to the 5% needed for a second showing.
Other interesting but not exactly compelling first-year players include Brett Gardner, who won a World Series, was one of the best defensive corner outfielders of all time, and was about a league-average hitter; Ryan Zimmerman, one of the great heroes of the Washington Nationals franchise; and Kyle Seager, who has no shot at all at making the Hall of Fame but was a better player than people remember.
Are there any former Brewers debuting on next year’s ballot?
We will not know who the new players on the ballot will be until it’s announced late next fall, but we can make a few guesses at what former Brewers could join Francisco Rodríguez in representing the franchise.
One very notable former Brewer shouldget a spot on next year’s ballot: Jonathan Lucroy. Lucroy, who is the best catcher in Brewers history (though William Contreras is coming for that crown), had a 12-year career that included a couple of All-Star games and a fourth-place MVP finish in 2014, the best season ever by a Brewers catcher. Lucroy was also one of the first players to get extra shine because of the new ways in which pitch framing was being measured, and FanGraphs’ version of WAR viewed him as a legitimate star, with four straight seasons with at least 5.6 WAR. Lucroy’s 17.7 career bWAR is nothing particularly special, but his 35.2 fWAR ranks 38th all time among catchers in that database.
The next former Brewer who should get a spot on this ballot was only in Milwaukee briefly, and that’s reliever Joakim Soria. From 2007-2010, Soria was one of the best relievers in baseball. A lost season in 2012 derailed him a bit but he continued to have solid seasons into the mid 2010s, and in 2018 the first-place Brewers acquired him from the White Sox at the trade deadline to bolster their bullpen for the stretch run (Milwaukee sent Wilber Pérez and former first-round pick Kodi Medeiros to Chicago; neither ever made the majors). Soria pitched 26 times for the Brewers in the regular season and suffered some bad luck (a 2.93 FIP but 4.09 ERA) but had a difficult postseason. He had three scoreless outings (including a win and a hold) in the divisional round against the Rockies, but he gave up multiple earned runs twice in four outings in the NLCS against the Dodgers. Soria became a free agent after the season and left for Oakland, and his brief Brewers career was over. In all, Soria amassed 229 saves and had a 3.11 ERA (137 ERA+) and 3.12 FIP in 763 innings pitched.
The last guess is more borderline, and that’s that Wisconsin native and former Brewer—for all of 5 2/3 innings—Jordan Zimmermann will get an honorary spot. Zimmermann pitched 1,614 innings across 13 years, almost entirely for the Nationals and Tigers, and he had a respectable career that saw him make back-to-back All-Star Games and seventh- and fifth-place Cy Young finishes in the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Zimmermann, who was from Auburndale, Wisconsin and pitched at UW-Stevens Point, made his last two big-league appearances for the Brewers in 2021.
None of these players has any shot at making the Hall of Fame, and I’d be surprised if any got more than a token vote or two, but it’s still fun to see their names.
Brewers fans will need to wait until 2029 before anyone who spent time in Milwaukee will actually make some noise on the ballot. That’s the year when Zack Greinke should become a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But he’s not the only former Brewer with a good chance of getting a little support: Brewers Legend Josh Donaldson also debuts that year. (Let’s go out for a beverage and I’ll tell you why Donaldson should get serious consideration for the Hall of Fame.)
The shortstop is sometimes referred to as “captain of the infield,” and filling that role in a starting big-league lineup is a huge responsibility. There’s an added layer of pressure when assuming the role of New York Yankees Shortstop, following the career of our own Captain, the legendary Hall-of-Famer Derek Jeter. For the past few years, that responsibility has fallen on Anthony Volpe, the former top prospect who was deemed by many to be a storybook successor to Jeter due to his own lifelong Yankee fandom and a photograph he took with The Captain as a little boy.
As great a story as that would be, Volpe is entering his fourth season as the starting shortstop and has never been able to produce enough offensively to be considered a franchise cornerstone. His wRC+ over those three years (83, 87, 83) has been consistently underwhelming, and his defense suffered major regression last season as well following a strong 2024 with the glove. The Yankees have more star potential in their farm system at shortstop than any other position, so 2026 will be a make-or-break year for Volpe.
The Yankees acquired José Caballero from the Rays at the trade deadline in 2025, and he provided an immediate boost during the final two months of the season in the field, on the basepaths, and even at the plate. The team also signed veteran Paul DeJong in free agency. DeJong is another glove-first shortstop who hasn’t posted an above-average season offensively since 2019 and is unlikely to play a major role as a Yankee, but he could realistically make the Opening Day roster while Volpe recovers from shoulder surgery. Amed Rosario, who will likely make most of his appearances at second and third base or in the outfield against left-handed pitching, can also fill in in a pinch at short.
Behind all this major-league depth, there are a number of exciting young shortstops in the minor leagues looking to keep the momentum alive or break out in 2026. Here are the players working their way through the organization at short.
Projected to start the year in Triple-A are three shortstops with modest big-league experience the Yankees have acquired at some point over the last calendar year: Braden Shewmake, Zack Short, and Jonathan Ornelas. Shewmake is entering his age-28 season with just 31 MLB games on his resume, and he’s never been a reliable option at the plate in his career. He played 85 games with the RailRiders in 2025 and slashed .244/.318/.362 with four home runs. Short spent 2021-23 with the Tigers, bounced between the Red Sox, Braves, and Mets in 2024, and was an Astro in 2025. He has 243 games played in his career and has been a below-average option on both sides of the ball. The same can be said for Ornelas, who spent most of his 32 career games with the Rangers and has yet to homer or steal a base in 58 plate appearances.
The Yankees’ top prospect, George Lombard Jr, should take over the starting shortstop role in Triple-A at some point in 2026, but will most likely begin the season where he left off, in Double-A with the Somerset Patriots. The Yankees drafted Lombard in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft, and he quickly ascended to the top of the farm system thanks to his defensive upside, raw power, and advanced plate discipline. He obliterated High-A pitching in 24 games to start the 2025 season before earning a promotion to Somerset, where he underwent an adjustment period but finished strong. Lombard will not turn 21 until early June, at which point he may be with the Triple-A team. A 2026 MLB debut is probably not in the cards for Lombard, but he is Volpe’s most direct competition long-term for the starting role. His upside is through the roof.
Directly behind Lombard on the depth chart are three players from the Yankees’ most recent draft class who will either be in High-A or Low-A to begin 2026: Dax Kilby, Kaeden Kent, and Core Jackson. Kilby was the team’s first-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, and looks to be on a similar trajectory to Lombard as he’s already a consensus top-five player in the farm system. He was drafted out of high school and went directly to Low-A, where he slashed .353/.457/.441 with 16 stolen bases and a 159 wRC+ in 81 plate appearances. Kilby turned 19 in November, and his batted-ball metrics, plate discipline, and power-speed blend indicate star potential. He and Lombard could easily be the team’s two most enticing prospects by midseason.
Kent and Jackson were the Yankees’ third- and fifth-round picks from the same draft class. Kent (the son of recently elected Hall of Famer Jeff Kent) is a well-rounded player with slightly above-average tools across the board. His big-league debut in High-A was underwhelming through 25 games, but the sample size is small enough that it can be considered a footnote on a promising, high-floor profile. Jackson is in the same boat, as he hit .363 and .364 in his last two seasons at Mississippi but also struggled through a subpar 25-game sample with Hudson Valley to begin his big-league career. Both players will look to right the ship in 2026.
Also in the mix for at-bats around these levels is Roderick Arias, who once headlined the team’s international free-agent class in 2022 but has regressed mightily since then. Arias has spent the last two seasons with Low-A Tampa, and last year he slashed .208/.325/.315 with a 88 wRC+. Barring a major and immediate turnaround, it is difficult to be excited about Arias as a future big-leaguer at this point in his career.
The two main rookie ball shortstops to be aware of are Mani Cedeno and Stiven Marinez. Cedeno signed as part of last year’s international free-agent class, and is considered a promising young prospect due to his smooth right-handed swing and advanced plate approach. However, he struggled in his first season of rookie ball with a 35.7% strikeout rate in the Dominican Summer League. While this is certainly a red flag, Cedeno is still just 17-years-old and has time to turn it around. Marinez, who is a year older than Cedeno, has a similar offensive profile but found more success in the DSL in 2025. He posted a 116 wRC+ in 47 games with 22 stolen bases, and speed is considered one of his defining traits. Both players will need to develop physically before reaching their full game-power potential, but that’s to be expected at this point in their careers.
Shortstop is a deeply competitive position within the Yankees organization entering 2026. Those hoping for a Year 3 breakout from Volpe were sorely disappointed, but he’ll have at least one more opportunity to retain his role moving forward after recovering from shoulder surgery. If he’s unable to ever reach his full potential, the Yankees will hopefully be able to look to Lombard and Kilby as long-term options. The duo of first-round draft picks will look to continue developing into future stars this season, and we should hear their names a lot more as their careers continue to play out.
“Nic and I have built a relationship where we’re always bouncing ideas off each other,” Núñez said. “Always trying to keep each other in the loop at what’s going on at every level. Our communication is really good, and we complement each other. And we learn from each other. For us to be able to work together as one unit, it’s exciting.”
Núñez calls Jackson “The Doctor” because of his biomechanical knowledge, and Núñez brings vast playing experience and the ability to connect with young players, especially international signees. Their different backgrounds and perspectives stood out as they led the organization’s instructional league in Arizona last fall, as did the camaraderie and continuity in processes that Núñez, Jackson and Raccuia shared.
Beltrán played for seven teams from 1998 through 2017, collecting 435 home runs and 312 stolen bases while excelling in the postseason, hitting .307/.412/.609 across 65 games. A Rookie of the Year for the Kansas City Royals in 1999, Beltrán won two Silver Slugger awards and three Gold Gloves.
Jones won 10 Gold Gloves, patrolling center field for the Atlanta Braves with such aplomb that Willie Mays once called him the best he ever saw at the position. Mays, Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Schmidt are the only players besides Jones with 10 Gold Gloves and 400 homers, with Jones bashing 434 for five teams from 1996 through 2012.
Kansas City Royals — Moving in the outfield fences might be their biggest move of the offseason. The Royals traded for outfielder Isaac Collins, rolled the dice on outfielder Lane Thomas, and added some relievers (notably, left-hander Matt Strahm) but they haven’t made anything that qualifies as a splash.
Early in the offseason, on the Kauffman Corner podcast, I made a point that the Royals responsibility last winter likely meant they had to be a little irresponsible this winter to fix the issues that plagued them. I still stand by what I said last year in that I totally understood not wanting to overspend on players who probably weren’t good enough to overspend on, but I also disagreed with it. To their credit, I think they were generally right. Anthony Santander had a terrible first season in Toronto that was marred by injury. Jurickson Profar was suspended for 80 games almost immediately for PED use. And what I heard last year was that the Angels had asked for Carter Jensen for Ward. I think if everything went the way it had, we’d all be frustrated by that trade today with Ward approaching free agency.
Under scouting director Brian Bridges, the Royals leaned into versatile athletes in the 2025 draft. Tulane two-way player Michael Lombardi epitomizes this approach. He worked predominantly as a center fielder and reliever for the Green Wave, but Kansas City will develop him as a right-handed starter. “You’re dealing with an athlete who’s highly competitive,” Bridges said. “A two-way player who wants to concentrate on pitching, with limited mileage on his arm. He’s athletic with feel to pitch.”
Owners still have to determine what salary floor and ceiling they’re comfortable proposing, a discussion that’s expected to be a topic at next month’s regularly scheduled owners meeting. The floor, in particular, could be a contentious issue for smaller-market teams, some of which might stand to make more money on an operational basis in the current system. The value of all 30 franchises would instantly rise if a cap is introduced, however.
It would take at least eight owners of 30 to effectively hold up a labor deal, but when it comes to a cap, internal politics will not be the owners’ biggest hurdle. Players have historically been willing to miss many games to avoid a cap system.
“We just completed one of the greatest seasons in MLB history, with unprecedented fan interest and revenues,” union head Tony Clark said in a statement. “While the free-agent market is far from over, it is gratifying to see players at all levels being rewarded for their incredible accomplishments by those clubs that are trying to win without excuses.”
I am on the ship today, so I can’t get a link from YouTube. Instead, take this baseball and toss it at someone out of love. Shoot them a message, a quick call, or something to let them know you care about them.
The Colorado Rockies have been busy lately with the signing of free agent pitcher Michael Lorenzen and the reported signing of utilityman Willi Castro. It’s been clear that the Rockies are hoping to build a team in 2026 that affords them the ability to let the young players of 2025 get more time to develop properly. It’s been about gaining depth with players that can allow them to rebuild a bit more smoothly this season.
The starting rotation remains the main area of focus as the team is interested in adding another starting pitcher in the same vein as Lorenzen. While it’s very unlikely they go after the high-profile, there are still several available free agents that could still be helpful in 2026. Particularly, there is one familiar face that could be an interesting flyer if both sides are willing to take a chance.
Left-handed pitcher Tyler Anderson has settled into a fairly solid arm since his days with the Rockies. The Rockies’ 20th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Anderson turned in three solid years with the organization before an injury took him down in 2019. He became a journeyman over the next few years, once he was healthy, spending stints with the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Los Angeles Angels. In his career, Anderson, now 36, has posted 17.3 WAR per Baseball Reference and owns a career 4.30 ERA through 231 games, including 223 starts, and was an All-Star in 2022 and 2024.
So, why could he be a fit for the new look Rockies?
Well, one of the first things that sticks out is that he is a relatively reliable innings eater. Now, he isn’t going to go out and deal 200 innings, but he can regularly take the ball every five days and throw five or six innings a game. Since 2018, he has worked at least 130 innings in each full season and made at least 25 starts. His career high of 179 1/3 innings came just recently in 2024. In 2025, Anderson made 26 starts and failed to complete at least five innings just seven times. Of those seven starts, he failed to record at least one out in the fifth inning just twice. For a backend veteran starter, that’s the kind of length the Rockies need in 2026 that they have been lacking for several years now.
Giving length is a useful skill, but what about the run prevention? Obviously, Anderson isn’t going to go out and throw up zeros night after night. He only had four scoreless outings on the year, but for a backend starter, that’s not necessarily required. The job of any starter, particularly one in Colorado, is to mitigate damage and keep things from spiraling out of control. Anderson has continued to do that in his career, and last season, he allowed more than four runs in a start just three times. He gave the Angels plenty of chances to win games, but bullpen failures and a rough offense just couldn’t offset some nights.
Still, Anderson can be effective on the mound and give you a chance to win a game if the offense can keep pace with the opposition. But the inner workings of Anderson’s game should still be intriguing for the new age Rockies.
Per Statcast, he finished with the 16th-lowest hard-hit rate in baseball last season. He remains around league average in Whiff rate with 25%, but places in the 68th percentile in Chase rate with 29.8%. He manages to limit hard contact and gets a decent number of ground balls and fly balls. He manages to do this with an arsenal of pitches to work with.
Anderson is the definition of a soft-tossing lefty. Over his 10-year career, nothing has really changed in terms of the overall velocity of usage of his pitches. The fastball roughly sits at 89 mph while he deploys an assortment of offspeed and breaking pitches. His changeup has been a particularly solid offering against right-handed batters. In all, he has roughly six pitches at his disposal that he could tinker with and deploy that could give the new pitching leadership more info to chew on.
There is a sense of familiarity that could also help the combined collaborative effort the Rockies are fostering now. Anderson has the reputation of being a studious pitcher, constantly taking notes and reflecting on his outings. He is a student of the game, a professor continuously trying to hone his craft and perfect his approach. That type of mentality would play well with the Rockies, as he can impart some knowledge not just from his time in other organizations, but also from Colorado. In 46 appearances at Coors Field, a total of 258 2/3 innings, Anderson sports a 4.04 ERA.
Now, of course, it’s worth pointing out some of the concerns. One of the main ones is that Anderson is not a pitcher who will strike out batters. With a career 19.4% strikeout rate, Anderson has at least been consistent in that department, but 2025 saw the lowest rate of his career at 17.4%. His career walk rate does come in under league average, but over the last three years with the Angels, he had at least a 9.5% walk rate.
Additionally, home runs have always been a concern for Anderson. In 2018, he led the league with 30 home runs allowed, but to his credit, he has reigned things in a bit and been more consistent, but last season some a spike in home runs. Coincidentally, his fly ball rates have also increased over the last few years.
It’s always going to be risky picking up a player who is pitch-to-contact, especially at Coors Field. Anderson would need to truly perfect his execution and utilize his defense accordingly. But that’s the type of problem that the new regime is eager to figure out and Anderson could easily fit the mold of what they are trying to do.
The biggest question would concern the price. Per Spotrac, Anderson’s market value is projected to be roughly $6.97 million. That’s not an awful amount for a one-year deal that he might have to settle for, but it’s unclear how much more the Rockies are willing to spend on the big league roster. Still, he’s an affordable free agent that could be worth serious consideration at that price.
Ultimately, the Rockies need another arm. I like Anderson because he is familiar, has carved out a nice career, is relatively cheap, and would add another lefty to the rotation to re-join Kyle Freeland. He’s older and wiser and could be a unique fit to help mentor the young pitchers on the team while bringing back some of the magic of the 2017 and 2018 seasons. 2026 is all about throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks, and Anderson is worthy of joining that discussion.
We’ve heard a lot about how the organization is excited about the new additions to the coaching staff for pitching, but we haven’t heard as much from the players. Well, count Kyle Freeland as someone who bought in and is extremely excited about the new direction for the Rockies. Thomas Harding caught up with Freeland to discuss his thoughts on the team’s new front office.
When the Rockies made the signing of Michael Lorenzen official, Bradley Blalock was designated for assignment. After a few days, the team was able to swing a deal with the Miami Marlins, acquiring minor league pitcher Jake Brooks in return for Blalock.
This week, Evan Lang and I discuss the finalization of Lorenzen’s signing, what Willi Castro’s signing signals for the Rockies and what other moves they may still need to make, while also talking about the return of Nolan Arenado to the NL West alongside the Dodgers spending big on Kyle Tucker.
Bob Nightengale wonders why admitted PED-user Andy Pettitte moved towards induction when other tainted candidates have not. He also says if Pettitte gets into Cooperstown, there is no excuse to not elect the many others connected to PED use. He thinks this is a bad thing.
Sad news as former White Sox knuckleballer Wilbur Wood has passed away at 84. Wood put up some insane innings totals from 1971 to 1975—insane even for the early seventies. I also wonder if the knuckleball isn’t dying out. There aren’t many living knuckleballers left. But our condolences go out to Wood’s family, friends and former teammates. Also to the knuckleball.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.
“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.
Happy Birthday to Mike Krukow*, farewell Hollywood Stars,and other storiesfor the discerning reader.
1953 – The Baseball Writers Association of America passes over Joe DiMaggio in his first year of eligibility and elects pitcher Dizzy Dean and outfielder Al Simmons to the Hall of Fame. Dean gathers 209 votes while Simmons’ total of 199 is one more than needed. The colorful Dean had a .644 career winning percentage and won 120 games from 1932 through 1936, including 30 wins in 1934. Simmons, who drove in 100 runs in each of his first eleven major league seasons, was one of the most feared hitters of his time. Also joining DiMaggio, who finishes eighth in the voting, are in order Bill Terry, Bill Dickey, Rabbit Maranville, Dazzy Vance, Ted Lyons, Charles Bender (ninth) and Gabby Hartnett (tenth). All will eventually make it. DiMaggio’s low total can be explained by the fact that there is no actual ballot, only write-in votes, and it is not clear whether DiMaggio is eligible since he played his last game only two years earlier. (1,2)
1522 – Head Inquisitor Adrian Florisz Boeyens is elected pope.
1793 – Louis XVI of France is executed by guillotine in Paris, following his conviction for “high treason” by the newly created French Parliament (Convention nationale), during the French Revolution.
Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, in order to help correct the record.
Thinking back on those incredibly talented early 00’s Cardinal teams, just a few players come to mind that have stood the test of time in my rapidly aging mind. Two of them are shoe ins as Hall of Famers, but I think there is one more that really stands out besides Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina: Jim Edmonds.
As much as I love Scott Rolen as one of the best Cardinals third basemen ever, Scott could never match Jim Edmonds hitting, who was nearly as good as a defender. It was nice to have two of the best players ever on your team back in 2004 or so! But Edmonds stuck out because of the home runs from center field.
I’m not saying that Rolen shouldn’t have made the Hall of Fame; far from it. I think of Rolen as another favorite player, but much more of a stoic. He made elite defense look easy. I’m not a small hall guy. I find the Hall of Fame more on the Shame side of things, for a variety of reasons, but in the spirit of brevity: it has become oddly selective and biased. It always has been that way, but now the Hall has fought to keep up with the times. Whatever those sports authority HOF voters are up to, I’m not that impressed. I don’t really like the system of electing players to the Hall of Fame, but I also don’t have the answers. Is it that the system cannot keep up with the amount of new players and needs to be changed? Or should it be leaving players on the cusp out of the induction?
Voting will improve now that we are surrounded with new statcast technology that is integrated even into MLB’s website and the stadiums themselves, it’s become about as mainstream as it gets. It remains to be seen how the BBWAA will evaluate the balance of offensive and defensive value going forward, while comparing it to the past. Players like Nolan Arenado will certainly be compelling cases when the time comes.
Just for fun, I am going to compare Jim Edmonds to Scott Rolen via Fangraphs:
Scott Rolen
Right around 70 WAR career
Peak year 2004: 9 WAR, 159 wRC+
4 seasons of 4+ WAR
Over 300 HR, over 1200 RBI
Jim Edmonds
64.5 WAR
Peak year 2004: 8.3 WAR, 168 wRC+
10 seasons of 4+ WAR
Nearly 400 HR, 1 short of 1200 RBI
This is sort of an apples to oranges argument, where it appears that Rolen is a little better of a player, except that Jim runs away with the show with a lot more years at a more premium value. Add to that the fact that Scott Rolen derived more of his value through ridiculously elite defense, while Edmonds was the better hitter by career wRC+.
Maybe it comes down to longevity? Jim Edmonds played in 2011 games, while Scott Rolen played in 2038.
How about 6+ fWAR seasons? Rolen had 4, Edmonds had 6.
Perhaps the argument I’m making might be more to show that Arenado could make the Hall of Fame? I cannot see any reason why Jim Edmonds shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame if Scott Rolen is in. Center field is a premium position, but elite defense at third base is also extremely valuable. If you’re a small Hall guy, maybe neither is in.
Nolan Arenado has some work to do if he’s going to match either of these guy’s WAR totals. He’s just over 50 in total. He has more home runs than Rolen, so his home run total is fine. Arenado is well over 200 games away from 2,000 games. He will need a resurgence in the desert to reach that milestone.
Arenado does have 4 seasons of 6+ WAR though. That might end up being important. During Edmonds’ last five seasons or so, he was no longer himself, so maybe that left a bad taste in the BBWAA writer’s palettes… Arenado’s on-base percentage fell off a cliff after his big career year of 2022 (7.2 WAR), so what people might remember is him losing his abilities at the plate, while his elite defense dwindles. I hope he turns it around, but we no longer need to bank on it.
How about a homer happy comparison? Arenado has had three 40+ HR seasons and seven 30+. Rolen had no 40 home run seasons, and three 30+ seasons. Edmonds had two 40+ HR seasons and four 30+. So of the three, you’d have to argue peak Arenado was the best home run hitter. It’s now when the Coors effect of the Mile High City comes in, and I guess you could say that the three players are pretty similar overall, with Nolan Arenado lacking the longevity career-wise, so far.
It will be an interesting test for Nolan Arenado to play as many games as Scott Rolen, but maybe that’s a goal worth working towards. They are rather similar players in some ways.
If you go by the website Baseball Reference, Scott Rolen retains his WAR total but Edmonds falls behind. BR’s defensive evaluation of Edmonds doesn’t see Jim as valuable as fangraphs. So maybe both players are borderline cases? Maybe I’ll open another can of worms!
So what just happened: Andruw Jones has entered the conversation. He is now a Hall of Famer. How does he compare here? He is between Jim Edmonds and Scott Rolen in career WAR total. He has 6! 6+ fWAR peak seasons. And nine 4+ WAR seasons! But Jim still has that beat with 10. The thing with Andruw Jones though, is that he doesn’t have a monster season, at least not like any of these Cardinal players have had. His wRC+ never peaked past 140, and he derives a lot of his value from defense. But! He had a 50+ home run season, and over 400 HR. He also played in more games than any of these guys. Even more of a power hitter.
In the end, maybe this whole time it was Andruw Jones playing alongside the career trek of Jim Edmonds, while being a little better defender and hitting even more home runs, which ultimately held back Edmonds from the Hall. When using Baseball Reference, Jones also falls back towards a 60 WAR total, but still higher than the Edmonds total. It’s so close though, that Edmonds seems to have gotten jobbed by the voting system, sort of falling through the cracks.
It seems like a good time to mention that ex-Cardinal Carlos Beltran has been inducted into the Hall of Fame! Mostly known for being one of the greatest postseason hitters of all time (and a certain scandal), Beltran certainly had a really damned good career. Beltran and Jones had rather similar WAR totals. Carlos had four 6+ fWAR seasons. Nine 4+ WAR seasons just like Andruw. But again, Edmonds with the ten four plus! It does seem like a snub. Can anyone explain the logistics of the system that lead to Jim not getting the recognition? Was it his annoying broadcasting career? I kid I kid!
One must wonder if Edmonds had played one more season to cross the 400 HR and 1200 RBI barrier, which he fell just short of. He could have used one more extra award, or something, anything, to put him over the top. He just played at a time with a ton of good baseball players. Jim Edmonds had a career OPS of .903! Jones was .823 with a much lower career batting average. They say the elite defenders make it look easy, but Jim Edmonds made it look fun. And his moonshot home runs were a thing to behold. He should be in.
The Bling
Edmonds was a 4 time all star, 8 gold gloves, 1 silver slugger
Rolen was a 7 time all star, also 8 gold gloves and 1 silver slugger
Beltran was a 9 time all star, 3 gold gloves, and 2 silver slugger awards
Jones was a 5 time all star with 10 gold gloves, a silver slugger, and he lead the league in HR and RBI in 2005
Arenado is a bit different by having an incredible amount of platinum gloves, he has the highest MVP career share rank of all 5 players here based on baseball reference, while being another 8 time all star like Edmonds and Rolen, obtaining 5 silver sluggers. So for a while there he was known as the player for top tier defense with a lot of offense thrown in, less of a longevity guy and more of peak guy and an accolades collector, at least so far
Arenado might be showing some wear and tear: he is 7th in at bats among active players. He will be close to #1 in that department in a couple years if he can stay on the field. If he retired today, he would be top 100 all time in slugging percentage with .507! Nolan is 100th all time in career home runs, currently.
One thing that will NOT put Arenado over the top is postseason numbers. He is 1-4 in postseason series with a .385 OPS. That one win was a Rockies win over the Cubs, at least! Andruw Jones on the other hand, went to a lot of postseason games and batted .796 OPS! However, Nolan Arenado does not know what it is like to lose two World Series like Andruw Jones.
Scott Rolen was in 7 postseason series with the Cardinals. He was a .678 OPS postseason hitter, but won most series he was in except the 2004 world series! Of course, he won the trophy in 2006, to make up for that. Rolen’s peak postseason heroics can be summed up in the 2004 NLCS vs Houston where he hit 3 home runs against them! Allowing the Cardinals to advance to the World Series.
Jim Edmonds postseason should be brought up more in regards to his case for the Hall of Fame. He played in 46 postseason games and accrued 263 postseason plate appearances. He hit 13 home runs during that timeframe at an .874 OPS clip! That’s a home run for every 20 or so PA! He was victorious in more postseason series than not, Edmonds best postseason performances being in 2000 vs Atlanta in the NLDS (1.886 OPS), 2002 vs the Giants in the NLCS (1.105 OPS), 7 RBI vs Houston in the 2004 NLCS, and 2005 vs the Padres in the NLDS (1.280 OPS). No wonder they called him Jimmy Baseball.
Like Edmonds and Rolen, Beltran is also 1-1 in World Series play. But to outdo Jim Edmonds really good postseason numbers, Beltran was just on a whole other level than most postseason players. A postseason OPS north of 1.000 is legendary. 1.021 to be exact. He won in 9 postseason series and lost in 6, so he was no stranger to the postseason with 65 games and 256 PA. About the same but not quite as many plate appearances as Edmonds, but in almost 20 more games over the years. Beltran had 16 postseason home runs which is more than Edmonds 13…. but, Jim did it in a lot less postseason games played. And get this: both Edmonds and Beltran have 42 RBI in the postseason. Maybe Edmonds really did get the Hall of Fame snub? He fell just short, or just fell through the cracks in the voting process.
As for Arenado, I think it only fair to remember that he hasn’t been on the right teams at the right time to amass postseason numbers like the other guys. His postseason performance so far could be attributed to small sample size nonsense. He has been stuck on teams that haven’t been nearly so successful.
Speaking of voting, I’m going to give StrawPoll a try! Vote accordingly, I hope the links work.
Today I am going to share with you the results of my last few posts, examining the best songs of 2025 through my own lists and a ton of other people’s year end lists, creating one big mega playlist and then narrowing it down to only 76 songs (just what it turned out to be, wanted to keep it at least under triple digits). I think I started out with 600 songs that I liked and then picked the best ones from that. There’s also a heavy metal version.
Also, I’m going to share with you a few choice cuts, songs that are making me happy at the moment. Which is not so easy to do in the middle of the winter. Sometimes I like dark and heavy, but sometimes I just want chill or downtempo lounge music of some form or other.
That wraps up my 2025 coverage. Thanks for checking it out or for just reading the baseball part. Pitchers and catchers report in less than a month! Just gotta get through the winter. Rock on.
The Orioles aren’t involved in any major rumors right now. Of course, that may change. The team doesn’t usually let much slip, so they could always make a splash out of absolutely nowhere. We shall see.
The big baseball news of the day surrounds the Hall of Fame, where another class of inductees has been announced. Did you know the announcement was coming? I certainly didn’t. As usual, MLB does next-to-nothing to reassert its place in the cultural consciousness. They announce season-end awards in a scattershot manner, long after any non-diehards care. Their draft is crammed in alongside the chaos of All-Star week. Free agency and offseason trades take four months to complete. And the Hall of Fame class gets announced on a seemingly random Tuesday in January, when most people aren’t really paying attention.
Maybe this is truly the best that MLB and baseball can do. As gets said regularly, baseball, more than other sports, is regional. Fans love their team, and probably know a lot about their division rivals, but anything outside of that is fuzzy. The piece meal approach to national broadcasts doesn’t help. In 2026, there will be exclusive games or events on each of FS1, TBS, ESPN, Apple TV, Peacock, and Netflix in addition to NBC and FOX. People just aren’t go to pay for all of those things. So it gets harder for any one player, outside of Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, to be recognizable to casual fans. That will eventually trickle down to Hall of Fame voting, where seemingly anonymous faces will be getting honored one day. But that is a deeper conversation for another day.
The 2026 class of the Baseball Hall of Fame will be Jeff Kent, Carlos Beltrán, and Andruw Jones. Kent was elected last month by the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee. Beltrán and Jones earned their way in the traditional way, garnering more than 75% of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.
The players that finished behind Beltrán and Jones in the voting were Chase Utley (59.1%), Andy Pettitte (48.5%), Félix Hernández (46.1%), and Alex Rodriguez (40%). Two former Orioles earning votes were Francisco Rodríguez (50 votes, 11.8%) and Nick Markakis (1 vote, 0.2%). Because he did not reach the 5% threshold, Markakis will drop off of the ballot in 2027.
Voters have drawn a line of demarcation when it comes to cheating.
Steroids continue to be an issue for them. Pettitte and Rodriguez are yet to pass even 50% and seem unlikely to get anywhere close to 75%. Manny Ramírez got 38.8% of the vote in his 10th and final season of eligibility. And Ryan Braun, who had an incredible peak (MVP, five-time Silver Slugger, over 200 homers in six seasons), won’t even get a second season on the ballot.
But Beltrán, who is reported to have been a central figure of the Astros sign-stealing scandal in 2017, gets in after four years. You can argue that sign stealing has always been part of the game, the Astros were just putting a modern spin on it, but it was egregious enough that the entire sport was furious about it, for a little while anyway. The league fined the Astros, suspended coaches and managers for their role, and it cost Beltrán the Mets manager job at the time. Several years removed from it now, it feels like the sport has moved on entirely.
Links
Orioles Sign Hans Crouse To Minor League Deal | MLB Trade Rumors Unless the Orioles make big league additions to their bullpen, it feels like some random we have never heard of could make the Opening Day roster. Crouse could be the guy. He has big league experience, and was once a top pitching prospect. Let’s see if the Orioles’ pitching lab can work some magic with him between now and Opening Day.
Crouse latest depth signing, some spring training names and storylines | Roch Kubatko Roch touches on the state of the roster, which does not currently include a typical utility player. That may be intentional as the Orioles also still have Coby Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle. If they plan to carry both, they aren’t going to have room for a utility option.
Cardinals Showing Interest In Austin Hays | MLB Trade Rumors That would be a neat landing spot for Hays. The Cardinals are resetting a bit, but it’s a good baseball town and an organization that usually knows what they are doing. Maybe he could rebuild his career a bit.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Keith Shepherd turns 58 today. He pitched in 13 games for the Orioles in 1996, his final season of MLB action.
Bob Reynolds turns 79. The righty was a steady part of the O’s bullpen from 1972 through ‘75, posting a 2.43 ERA over 196 total innings.
The late Johnny Oates (b. 1946, d. 2004) was born on this day. He appeared in two seasons with the Orioles (1970, ‘72) as a backup catcher, and then went on to bounce around the league for a decade. After his playing career ended, he went into coaching, which included a return to the Orioles organization. He rose from their Triple-A team in Rochester in 1988 to become the big league first base coach in 1989. After Frank Robinson was fired as Baltimore manager in 1991, Oates was promoted to the role, sticking around through the 1994 campaign. The team posthumously inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2010.
This day in O’s history
January 21 has been a slow day in Orioles history, according to Baseball Reference. Maybe that will change today! Until then, here are some happenings from beyond Birdland:
1911 – The first Monte Carlo Rally takes place.
1954 – The first nuclear-powered submarine, dubbed USS Nautilus, is launched in Groton, Connecticut.
1976 – Commercial service of Concorde airliners begins with the London-Bahrain and Paris-Rio routes
1981 – Production of the DeLorean sports car begins in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland.
CHICAGO (AP) — The New York Mets acquired Luis Robert Jr. in a trade with the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, filling a hole in center field.
New York sent infielder Luisangel Acuña and minor league pitcher Truman Pauley to Chicago for Robert, who has struggled with injuries and inconsistency since a stellar 2023 season. The Mets had been looking for outfield help since they traded Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien. They were in the mix for Kyle Tucker before he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The trade was announced after New York finalized a $126 million, three-year contract with Bo Bichette , a two-time All-Star shortstop who is moving to third base with the Mets.
Robert hit a career-low .223 with 14 homers, 53 RBIs and a career-best 33 steals in 110 games last year. Despite the shaky performance, the White Sox picked up his $20 million option for 2026. Robert's contract also has a $20 million club option for 2027 with a $2 million buyout. New York is looking to return to the playoffs after it faded to an 83-79 record last year. Popular slugger Pete Alonso and star closer Edwin Díaz departed in free agency, but the Mets signed closer Devin Williams , reliever Luke Weaver and infielder Jorge Polanco .
The 23-year-old Acuña hit .234 with eight RBIs and 16 steals in 95 games with New York last season. Acuña, who can play second base, third base and shortstop, was acquired by the Mets in a July 2023 trade with the Rangers for Max Scherzer. Acuña joins a promising group of young position players that also includes Colson Montgomery, Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth.
The White Sox finished last in the AL Central last year with a 60-102 record, a 19-game improvement from the previous season. Pauley, 22, was a 12th-round pick in the 2025 amateur draft out of Harvard. He had no record and a 2.08 ERA in three starts with Class A St. Lucie last year.
Robert, who turns 29 in August, made his major league debut with Chicago in 2020, winning a Gold Glove and finishing second to Kyle Lewis in balloting for AL Rookie of the Year. He made the AL All-Star team in 2023, when he hit .264 with 38 homers, 80 RBIs and 20 steals in 145 games.
Robert got off to a tough start last year, batting .190 with nine homers, 35 RBIs and 93 strikeouts in his first 79 games. He was believed to be on the market ahead of the trade deadline, but the White Sox opted to keep the slumping slugger.
He was much better after the All-Star break, hitting .298 (34 for 114) with five homers and 18 RBIs in 31 games. He was placed on the 10-day injured list on Aug. 27 with a left hamstring strain , ending his season.
The trade deadline had passed last season and Luis Robert Jr. was making the Mets wish they’d finished off a deal they’d talked about for the Chicago White Sox center fielder, tearing it up at the plate for a month. But then he strained his left hamstring in late August, finishing him for the season.
Call it the Luis Robert conundrum.
"He was really swinging the bat well again last July and August," one scout told me Tuesday night, after the Mets traded for Robert, "making you think, 'OK, he’s going to be that star center fielder we all thought he’d be.' And then, boom, he’s hurt again and you have no idea what to make of him long-term."
Yes, because of injuries and inconsistency at the plate, Robert had disappointing seasons in 2024 and 2025, leaving everyone in baseball wondering if he’ll ever reach the star-like potential he flashed at times during his six seasons in Chicago, hitting 38 home runs as recently as 2023.
David Stearns clearly believes he will, perhaps in part because he’s still only 28, with age always seeming to be a major factor in every move he makes.
In any case, the Mets’ president of baseball ops engaged the White Sox regarding Robert at the trade deadline last summer before deeming the asking price too high and instead dealing for Cedric Mullins, which turned out to be a mistake.
This time the asking price apparently was more reasonable, as Stearns gave up Luisangel Acuña, who was expendable due to the Mets’ glut of infielders, and low-minors pitcher Truman Pauley.
The White Sox probably had little leverage because the Mets might be the only team in baseball willing to gamble $22 million on Robert — $20 million in salary the Sox owed him next season and a $2 million buyout if they choose not to pick up another $20 million club option for 2027.
Jul 18, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) hits a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
That’s where Steve Cohen’s financial muscle pays off. He’s willing to bet the $22 million that Robert will rediscover the form that made him a rising star earlier in his career.
At worst, Robert gives the Mets excellent defense in center field as well as important development time for Carson Benge at Triple-A before he possibly fulfills the Mets’ belief that he’s a star-in-the-making.
At best, meanwhile, Robert rediscovers his offensive form and becomes a force in the lineup as well as a premium center fielder.
In that sense it’s worth the gamble, especially because the Mets have the depth in prospect capital to make such a deal without really feeling any pain. Barring injuries, Acuña had little chance of playing in the big leagues in 2026, with Marcus Semien at second base, Bo Bichette at third, Brett Baty looming as the likely utility infielder, and top prospect Jett Williams on the doorstep as a middle infielder as well.
In addition, the Mets still have the chips to trade for a quality starting pitcher, most likely the Milwaukee Brewers’ Freddy Peralta, if they go that route rather than signing Framber Valdez.
So we’ll see. There is great intrigue regarding Robert, in part simply because of his tools, and in part because of a belief among many in baseball that he’ll benefit from moving out of a losing culture in Chicago to a high-energy environment with the types of star players the Mets have.
As for the tools, noted stats expert Sarah Langs tweeted that last season only three players ranked in the 90th percentile or better of MLB players in both sprint speed and bat speed: Robert, Oneil Cruz, and Julio Rodriguez.
"Oh, he looks the part," was the way the scout put it. "He’ll have some days where he looks like one of the best players in baseball. But he’s got a lot of holes in his swing, and he chases too much, so there are days when he looks overmatched."
Indeed, the last two seasons Robert has ranked as a below-average major league hitter, with OPS+ numbers of 86 and 85, respectively.
Yet he also had that season in 2023 where he had a whopping 75 extra-base hits and a .542 slugging percentage.
Then there was that period last year in July and August over 31 games when Robert slashed .298/.352/.456 with five home runs, 18 RBI, 24 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.
"It was as good as he had looked over any sustained period of time since ’23," the scout said. "He seemed to have a lot of confidence. And then he got hurt again. So who knows what you’ll get next season. But I like what the Mets are doing because it’s a relatively low-risk move.
"If he doesn’t hit or he gets hurt again, they just decline the option for ’27 and move on."
With Robert in center, the Mets could still use a left fielder to replace Brandon Nimmo. If they sign Cody Bellinger their offseason suddenly turns into a home run, presuming they add at least one quality starter. That doesn’t seem likely now, after guaranteeing Bichette and Robert $64 million for next season, but maybe Cohen is in spend mode again.
Most importantly, the Mets still need a front-of-the-rotation pitcher. But in the last few days they’ve made moves to dramatically change the feel of the offseason, making it clear that Stearns and Cohen will spend big to get impact players.
Bichette was a slam dunk, at least in terms of who he is offensively. Robert is quite the opposite, but a chance they can afford to take.
I hope you enjoyed some respite from Cody Bellinger Purgatory yesterday, with the Hall of Fame results released last night. Both Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, a couple of former Yankees, made it in, and notably, Andy Pettitte made some gains as he nears the end of his tenure on the BBWAA ballot. Congrats to Carlos and Andruw!
On the site today, John writes up a great Yankees free-agent signing of this decade, that of Johnny Damon, and Kevin profiles pitcher Andy Hawkins. Also, Nolan analyzes the state of the shortstop position in the Yankee organization, and, we welcome back an old friend! Be sure to say hello to Andrés, who will be returning to PSA with a piece on Jasson Domínguez.
Questions/Prompts:
1. So, does the Mets’ acquisition of Luis Robert Jr. take them out of the Cody Bellinger sweepstakes?
2. Were you surprised to see both Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jons go into the Hall yesterday?
Carlos Beltrán’s involvement in the Astros sign-stealing scandal on their way to the 2017 World Series title tarnished his reputation and cost him the Mets managerial job — but it didn’t ultimately keep him out of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“There’s no doubt the Astros situation has been a topic,” Beltrán said, adding that it wasn’t “positive” for him.
“At the end of the day, when I look at my career, when I look at the things in the game of baseball, there’s no doubt you’re gonna go through ups and downs,” Beltrán said. “You’re gonna make good decisions [and] you’re gonna make so-so decisions, right? And, also, you’re gonna make bad decisions.”
That includes his involvement in Houston’s plan to steal signs in 2017 — which included the banging of trash cans to alert hitters of pitches— including in the playoffs, when they beat the Yankees in the ALCS on their way to a championship in Beltrán’s final season of his playing career.
“When I retired from baseball, I thought everything I built… meaning like relationships and good people, I was able to relate myself with, I thought that was gonna be lost,’’ said Beltrán, who later worked for the Yankees and is currently a special advisor for the Mets. “Being back in the game, I still receive love from the people. I still receive love from the players. The teammates inside the clubhouse know the type of person that I am. At the same time, I understand that’s also a story I have to deal with.”
Now he can tell that story as a Hall of Famer, as Beltrán will be enshrined in July, alongside Andruw Jones and Jeff Kent, another former Met.
Carlos Beltrán’s involvement in the Astros sign-stealing scandal did not end up costing him a spot in the Hall of Fame. Paul J. Bereswill
Beltrán’s rise up the ballot was steady in his four years, beginning at 46.5 percent in his first year of eligibility to 70.3 percent last year.
He’s wrestled with his reputation for years, telling The Post in 2022 that he knew many fans would not be as forgiving as some of his ex-teammates and even opponents.
“That’s a battle I will not win,” Beltrán said then of his standing with many fans. “No matter how much I try to excuse what I did in the whole situation, I will not win. I know that when I’m around [the ballpark] and around the players, they acknowledge me and shake my hand. The perception I had from the fans, I lost some of that.”
He remains respected around the game and said Tuesday he hasn’t given up on his goal of possibly managing.
Beltrán said the fact he’s able to work with the Mets and owner Steve Cohen has allowed him to stay “relevant” in the game and perhaps boosts his chances of getting back in the dugout after his first attempt was derailed by the reports of the scandal in 2019.
“Managing is something I’d love to try at some point if God gave me the opportunity,’’ Beltrán said.
The Phillies made the J.T. Realmuto signing official Tuesday, and the press conference quickly shifted from the contract itself to the fallout from last week.
Last Friday, Philadelphia came up short on free-agent infielder Bo Bichette, who agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal with the Mets. The Phillies were clearly frustrated with how the process ended, with Dave Dombrowski acknowledging the emotional swing that comes with getting close on a deal of that scale.
“It’s a gut punch. I mean, you feel it,” Dombrowski said. “That day, you are very upset… but you have to pick yourself off and shake it off… you need to move forward.”
The Phillies did exactly that. Within the hour, Dombrowski re-engaged Realmuto’s camp and finalized a three-year, $45 million return for their catcher and clubhouse leader.
Realmuto was the priority, but the timing was telling
Dombrowski made it clear Tuesday that bringing Realmuto back remained a priority all offseason, even as the club explored other options when a deal didn’t come together right away.
“We always wanted to bring JT back. That was always a priority for us,” Dombrowski said. “It really became a situation… there was a disagreement as far as dollars were concerned… and we couldn’t bridge that gap to the very end.”
When the Bichette talks collapsed, the Phillies moved quickly.
“I called his agent right away at that point,” Dombrowski said. “I don’t know the number of minutes, but it was very fast.”
After the dust settled, Dombrowski expressed confidence in where the roster stands as they head down to Clearwater soon.
“I like our club,” he said. “When I look at where we are at this point, I feel great about our club going to spring training… I think we’re content where we are at this point.”
Opt-out leverage
As teams around the league have leaned more into short-term, high-AAV deals with opt-outs, the Phillies’ stance has remained consistent. Since Bryce Harper signed his 13-year, $330 million deal in 2019, the organization and Dombrowski has agreed to 10 contracts of three years or longer, with an average annual value hovering around $24.5 million.
The reported offer Philadelphia made to Bichette — seven years and $200 million (over $28.5 million a year) — would have marked the club’s fourth contract of seven years or more. Ultimately, the structure, not the dollars, proved decisive.
Bichette’s deal with New York included player options after each of the first two seasons.
Dombrowski reiterated Tuesday that opt-outs remain a sticking point in negotiations, especially for a club already operating above the luxury-tax threshold.
“I have never felt myself, and still don’t feel, that it’s a wise move to make,” Dombrowski said. “If the player has a bad year, they opt in. If they get hurt, they opt in… if they opt out, it’s generally because they’ve had a good year.”
He added that it’s a philosophy he’s held for a long time, not something specific to Philadelphia.
Thomson pushes back on “run it back”
Rob Thomson didn’t buy the idea that the Phillies are simply running it back, pointing to roster turnover and a youth push that will shape spring training and, potentially, the regular season.
“We’re going to have three new relievers. We’ve got a new right fielder,” Thomson said. “Crawford’s going to get every chance to play. We’ve probably got a rookie starting in Painter. We’ve got Otto Kemp. So we’re turning over 20 to 25 percent of our roster. If you think that’s turning it back — or running it back, whatever they’re saying is — yeah, I can’t help it.”
Thomson also emphasized the internal expectation level remains high entering camp.
“Very high,” he said. “We got a good ball club going in… we’re going to infuse some youth into this lineup… I feel really good about it.”
Update on Wheeler
One of the more relevant updates Tuesday involved Zack Wheeler, whose season ended early last year. The Phillies still didn’t offer a firm timeline, but Dombrowski shared where things stand in the throwing program.
“He’s throwing… up to 90 feet he has,” Dombrowski said. “He’s doing very well… I believe he’s going to come in again on Thursday and throw again, but yeah, no timetable, but so far the reports have been good.”
Thomson echoed that Wheeler is at 90 feet on flat ground and “looks good,” while stopping short of projecting when he’ll be on a mound.
Will Sánchez pitch in the WBC?
Cristopher Sánchez remains a key name to watch as World Baseball Classic decisions come into focus. Thomson acknowledged the balancing act, but also framed it as an honor for players who have earned the opportunity.
“I think it’s a great honor to pitch for your country,” Thomson said. “You’re holding your breath when the guys go, but at the end of it, if they come out of it clean, I think it’s really good.”
Sánchez is coming off his first 200-inning season and enters 2026 as one of the anchors of the staff, especially with Ranger Suárez now out of the picture.
