Category: Baseball

The year 2026 has two significant anniversaries for the Cubs:

• The 10th anniversary of the 2016 World Series championship, and
• The 150th anniversary of the official founding of the Cubs National League franchise

Both of these anniversaries will be featured in many promotional giveaways by the team, both gate giveaways and via special ticket offers, the team announced Tuesday.

To celebrate the club’s 150th anniversary as a National League franchise, commemorative bobbleheads spotlighting iconic figures in Cubs history will be available starting in April. Bobbleheads will be distributed on the following dates to the first 10,000 fans to enter Wrigley Field, subject to availability:

• Saturday, April 11 (vs. Pirates): Ben Zobrist bobblehead
• Saturday, April 18 (vs. Mets): Ron Santo bobblehead
• Saturday, May 2 (vs. Diamondbacks): Kerry Wood bobblehead
• Sunday, May 24 (vs. Astros): Ryne Sandberg bobblehead
• Sunday, August 30 (vs. Reds): Harry Caray bobblehead
• Sunday, September 13 (vs. Pirates): Sammy Sosa bobblehead

Those should all be very popular items. Note that they’re all being given away on weekends, days when crowds are generally the largest of the week. I’m not sure if this was done intentionally but I think it’s poetic that the Ron Santo bobblehead is being given away on a day the Cubs are facing the Mets… all of you certainly remember how Santo felt about the Mets.

To continue the anniversary celebrations, #BudFridays will return with a series of replica jerseys modeled after different eras in team history. These retro giveaways are available to the first 5,000 fans 21 years of age or older to enter the Budweiser Bleacher Gate on each #BudFridays date, subject to availability. Check out the jerseys at the page linked below, these are pretty cool.

Other new gate giveaways include a Cubs Puffer Vest, a Cade Horton Graphic Tee and a Wrigley Field Replica Ballpark.

There will also be three celebration dates for anniversaries and for the Cubs Hall of Fame induction:

• Saturday, July 18: 2016 World Series Anniversary Celebration
• Saturday, August 29: Cubs 150th Anniversary Celebration
• Sunday, August 30: Cubs Hall of Fame Induction

The team says there are 35 special ticket dates where various items will be given away if you purchase the special ticket, including the popular Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month and Pride Month.

You can find more information about all the Cubs giveaways here. Cubs single-game tickets go on sale this Friday, Feb. 20. There’s a presale on Thursday, Feb. 19 and you can sign up for that here.

On the eve of Thanksgiving, as families across America were preparing their meals for the upcoming holiday, the Mets made one of the earliest signings of their offseason, picking up Anderson Severino on a minor league deal. In case you were wondering, this is indeed a family affair, as Anderson the cousin of ex-Mets starter (and current A’s pitcher) Luis Severino.

This is hardly the first time Anderson Severino has followed in his cousin’s footsteps. The 31-year-old left-hander originally signed with the Yankees in 2013, 18 months after Luis was signed by the Yankees. Anderson spent parts of seven seasons in the Yankees’ organization, though he never made it higher than High-A ball. The lefty eventually elected free agency following a 2020 season that saw the cancellation of minor league baseball.

He joined the White Sox in 2021 and spent the year bouncing between Double-A and Triple-A before finally getting the call to the show on April 12, 2022. In his debut against the Mariners, he hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings and finished off a 5-1 White Sox loss. Three of his four outs came via the strikeout, and he walked one and hit a batter but did not allow a hit. He followed that up by allowing five earned runs in his next three appearances, but closed out his lone major league stint with two scoreless outings. He made six total appearances for Chicago, posting a 6.14 ERA in 7 1/3 innings, all coming in April of that year. He returned to the minors, where he stayed until he was designated for assignment in September.

Since then, he has spent much of this time in the Mexican League, playing for Guerreros de Oaxaca and Acereros de Monclova. He enjoyed his best success with the latter during the 2025 season, posting a 2.68 ERA over 37 innings in 43 appearances. During his run with the club, he posted a 4.9 BB/9 and an 11.2 K/9. He also threw 18 1/3 innings for Tigres del Licey in the Dominican League, pitching to a 0.98 ERA in his 23 appearances. His recent work, along with his family ties to an ex-Met, likely all played a role in his deal with New York.

Severino, quite frankly, is not likely to see much action, but he’s not a bad option to stash in the minors as a “Break Glass in Case of Emergency” option. The Mets have a lot of names competing for bullpen spots, and they already have a few guaranteed options. With A.J. Minter set to start the year on the injured list, Brooks Raley is the only left-hander with a set spot in the pen. The club recently picked up Bryan Hudson in a trade with the White Sox, and he’s likely to find himself higher up on the depth chart than Severino in terms of securing the coveted second-lefty spot in the pen.

The Severino signing was a pretty standard fare for an early offseason move, and Mets fans are likely to see a lot of him early on in spring training. Barring a really impressive showing, he’s likely to be a name that gets re-assigned to minor league camp early on, but in a long baseball season, you just never know when a player’s name is going to be called. It would take a few injuries for Severino to get his second call up to the majors, but hey, crazier things have happened. For now though, he represents another depth signing that will mostly see action in Triple-A Syracuse.

8. Sean Sullivan (398 points, 19 ballots)

Despite a professional career that has been marred by injuries and an accompanying loss in velocity, Sullivan keeps getting upper-minors hitters out — a lot of them via strikeout. The 6’4”, 23-year-old lefty pitcher was dominant at Wake Forest, pitching 69 2/3 innings with with a 2.45 ERA, 0.92 WHIP (fourth-best in Division 1), a 14.3 K/9 rate (second-best), and a 2.7 BB/9 rate as the Demon Deacons made it all the way to the College World Series semi-finals.

Sullivan (whose delivery reminded the Rockies of Kyle Freeland) rode those numbers to a $1.7 million bonus from the Rockies that was about $187k below slot. The 6’4” southpaw relies mostly on his fastball which, despite velocity that is usually only in the 87-91 MPH range, is an effective pitch due to a low, wide release angle that gives it great carry up in the zone. He pairs that offering with a slider and change-up, but the fastball is the main separator.

In High-A Spokane in 2024, Sullivan threw 83 1⁄3 innings in 14 starts with a 2.16 ERA (2.79 xFIP), 0.84 WHIP, 10.9 K/9 rate, and a minuscule 0.9 BB/9 rate (including a nine-inning complete game). That was enough in the High-A Northwest League to receive their Pitcher of the Year award even though the Rockies promoted Sullivan in August to Double-A Hartford, where Sullivan was 3.5 years younger than league average.

Sullivan maintained his excellent run prevention against Eastern League hitters, throwing 32 innings across seven starts with a 1.97 ERA. Sullivan wasn’t nearly as dominant, striking out only less than a batter per inning (6.8 K/9) and walking a few more (2.0 BB/9) en route to a 4.37 xFIP. Still, a 1.09 WHIP with that ERA was a strong achievement for one of the younger pitchers in Double-A (the batter was older than him 80% of the time).

Recovery related to an offseason surgery for a hip injury delayed Sullivan’s 2025 debut back at Hartford (where he was still 2.7 years younger than average) to mid-May (after a scoreless rehab outing for both the ACL team and Low-A Fresno). In 18 starts and 97 1/3 innings with Hartford, Sullivan posted a 3.14 ERA (3.39 xFIP), 1.09 WHIP, 9.0 K/9 rate, and 2.2 BB/9 rate.

Those numbers were trending better before Sullivan went to the IL briefly in August and was hit hard in his final four starts of the year (allowing 13 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings) after returning. Seven of Sullivan’s Double-A starts were Quality Starts, while Sullivan allowed just a .611 OPS to opposing hitters (with basically no platoon splits). That was enough for Sullivan to get an invite to Major League spring training this year by the Rockies.

Here’s some video of Sullivan striking out a bunch of dudes in 2025, many of them swinging:

Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Sullivan 7th in the system earlier this month:

Sullivan had hip labrum surgery after the 2024 season and started the 2025 season about six weeks late, pitching well enough in Double A even though his fastball wasn’t 100 percent to where it was beforehand. Sullivan has never thrown hard; at his best, his fastball is 89-92 but the pitch misses bats thanks to a very low release point, over seven feet of extension (OK, that hurts my hip just thinking about it) and excellent ride on the pitch. He’s got an above-average slider with good tilt and an average changeup, going right after hitters like he’s throwing 98. Sullivan had a lot of outings last year where he was sitting in the upper 80s, and that won’t play, but if he’s even just 89-92 again, I think he’ll be a back-end starter. Side note: I really like watching this guy pitch.

John Trupin of Baseball Prospectus ranked Sullivan 10th last January with a 50 OFP:

The 6-foot-4 southpaw leans heavily to his arm side as he deals, releasing the ball beyond the mid-point of the left-handed batter’s box at a low 3/4ths angle that is more accurately a high sidearm. The VAA created is subsequently disorienting for hitters, and indeed batters were flummoxed by Sullivan all year, swinging under his four-seam despite its meager velocity. That set up Sullivan’s sweeping slider, a devastating pitch which plays up off Sullivan’s angle and his plus command. Though his changeup is more sparingly utilized, the fastball-slider combination is effective enough to efficiently carve through lineups before they can get too comfortable. The margin for error is so thin for a pitcher with such little velo, but Sullivan’s results continue to outpace the radar gun. His heater and slider are effective enough that a bullpen role will be quite reasonable if he does ultimately hit a wall against big-league bats. He’s close enough to make Albuquerque this year, and polished enough to get a crack in Denver if his schtick keeps playing.

Many command and control arms with bat-missing stuff in the low minors can’t keep it up in the bigs. Sullivan already saw his swings and misses dip at Double-A, but he continued getting awkward swings and weak contact. This either works or it doesn’t, but Sullivan seems unlikely to change it up significantly.

MLB Pipeline slots Sullivan 12th in the system as a 45 FV player thanks to a 60 control grade:

Sullivan uses a lower slot to come at hitters with a kind of upshoot fastball, getting huge carry up in the zone. Even though it only averaged around 88 mph in 2024, the lefty threw it a lot and got decent swing-and-miss on the pitch thanks to that life and his outstanding command of the pitch. There could be a little more velocity in the tank now that he’s had a hip labrum issue fixed, so he might be able to get to 93-94 mph more moving forward. His upper-70s changeup is his best pitch, one that has terrific movement and misses bats in and out of the zone. His sweeping slider can be effective, but he doesn’t locate it as well as his other two offerings.

The Rockies will be sure to bring Sullivan along slowly and manage his workload as he’s coming back from the hip issue, but he’s already defied expectations thanks to confidence in his pitch usage, his unusual mechanics and his extreme strike-throwing ways. He’ll be at the upper levels continuing to show that his unusual profile just might work in a big league rotation. 

Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs is less of a believer due to the low fastball velocity, grading Sullivan as a 40 FV player (with a multi-inning relief role), 19th in the org, albeit with a 70 future command grade:

Sullivan is an ultra-deceptive cross-bodied lefty with 20-grade velocity. He’s done well in the mid-minors despite sitting 87 mph because of a mix of deception, command, and quality secondary stuff. Sullivan’s stride direction takes him toward the first base line at an extreme angle, and this, in concert with his low three-quarters slot, takes hitters a few looks to get comfortable with. Sullivan’s fastball averaged 90 mph in 2023 and 87 mph in 2024, but he still managed a 2.11 ERA, 125 strikeouts and just 15 walks across 115.1 innings, good for a microscopic 3.4% walk rate. In college, Sullivan’s repertoire was fastball-heavy in the extreme at about 75% usage. His usage is still really high (67% in 2024), but he’s been branching out in pro ball and his changeup generated huge rates of chase and miss last year. His slider plays by virtue of Sullivan’s odd release. It’s fair to be skeptical that this will actually work in a starting pitcher capacity — asking a guy who sits 87 to navigate a big league lineup three times feels like too much — but in short relief bursts where hitters have no time to adjust to Sullivan’s funk, he should be fine.

Between Chase Dollander, Sullivan, and Cole Carrigg, Colorado’s first three picks of the 2023 draft all look like hits so far — not to mention Kyle Karros in the fifth round and Seth Halvorsen in the seventh. Sullivan’s college dominance with his fastball has carried over to the minor leagues in a big way, even up to Double-A. The decreased fastball velocity is obviously a concern, though the development of a decent changeup and slider to pair with the fastball are certainly helpful.

The Rockies could use Sullivan in the Major Leagues as soon as this year so long as his health cooperates and his fastball continues to bedevil advanced hitters (I suspect he’ll mostly be at Triple-A Albuquerque). I ranked Sullivan 11th on my list as a 40+ FV player because of the pedigree, statistical dominance, and because I want the Rockies to continue to think more out of the box with their pitching draftees.

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It’s the first week of spring training, pitchers are climbing back onto the mound, hitters are getting their first swings in, and optimism is in the air. And yet, for fans of the Royals, there’s still that lingering feeling that something is missing. All winter long, the expectation has been that the front office would land one more impact bat, an outfielder to lengthen the lineup. So far, that move hasn’t come.

Even though spring training games are about to begin, there is still plenty of time to make a move. J.J. Picollo told Anne Rogers at MLB.com the team could still pursue a right-handed bat.

“I think it’s about how that player fits on our current roster to make it make sense,” Picollo said. “Right-handed is maybe a little bit easier to slide in a piece. Where left-handed, it’s got to be a more prominent move because we have enough left-handed hitters we think can be a part of our 26-man roster and allow us to operate the way we want to.”

With six weeks until the season opener, the question isn’t whether the Royals need another right-handed bat – it’s whether they’re still willing to go get one. Here are some outfielders that could be available in a trade, particularly if their team finds they need to add some pitching.

Jo Adell, Angels

Adell had a breakout season last year, slamming 37 home runs, the ninth-most in baseball. But power is pretty much all he brings to the table – he’s a low-average, low-walk, high-strikeout hitter. Still, the Royals need that kind of pop, and Adell is just 26 years old with two more years until free agency. Adell was one of the worst defenders in baseball in centerfield last year, but he could be a better defender in left field. The Angels would be wise to sell high on Adell and add some pitching with several controllable years. However, he was just a 1.2 rWAR player last year, so they shouldn’t expect top prospects.

Jonny DeLuca, Rays

DeLuca is a young guy you’d have to unlock more from, because he hasn’t produced at the big league level yet. Acquired by the Rays after the 2023 season in the Tyler Glasnow trade, he hit .217/.278/.331 with six home runs and 16 steals in 107 games in 2024, his only extended look in the big leagues. He appeared in just 20 games last year due to shoulder and hamstring injuries. As a minor leaguer, DeLuca had solid pop, good speed, and very low strikeout rates. His defense is good enough that he doesn’t need to hit that much to be valuable, but he may be too unproven to help the Royals.

Jasson Domínguez, Yankees

The Yankees have an outfield of Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Trent Grisham, with Spencer Jones knocking on the door as well, which may leave Domínguez as the odd man out. After being a highly ranked prospect, Domínguez had mixed results in his rookie season last year, hitting .257/.331/.388 with 10 home runs and 23 steals in 123 games and poor defense. But the 23-year-old switch-hitter has sky-high potential as a 30/30 player who has an excellent eye at the plate. The Yankees could option him to the minors and stash him away, but if they have moved on from him and are in need of starting pitching, the Royals could be a match.

Brenton Doyle, Rockies

Doyle is a two-time Gold Glover in centerfield who hit .260/.317/.446 with 23 home runs in 2024 as a 4.0 rWAR player. The problem is he was absolutely dreadful at the plate in 2025, batting .233/.274/.376 with 15 home runs in 138 games. That was with inflated numbers at Coors Field – he hit just .162/.209/.251 on the road! But there is some evidence that Coors messes with hitters on the road, and Doyle was quite good when facing just left-handed hitters. The 27-year-old has three more years of club control, so the Rockies may not be motivated to move him until he resurrects his value, but with a new GM, there may be changes coming to the roster.

Ramón Laureano, Padres

The Padres seem likely to roll with an outfield of Laureano, Jackson Merrill, and Fernando Tatis Jr., with Miguel Andujar and Sung-Mun Song in the mix between the outfield and DH. But they could decide to deal some of their outfield depth to acquire another starting pitcher and make Laureano available in his last year before free agency. The 31-year-old hit .281/.342/.512, tying a career-high with 24 home runs in his time split between Baltimore and San Diego, and his 3.8 rWAR was the best of his career. Laureano has been an inconsistent performer – his numbers tanked in 2022-23, leading the A’s to put him on waivers. He has also had trouble staying on the field and is a poor defender. But he makes just $6.5 million this year, which should make him affordable even for the Royals.

Jake Meyers, Astros

The Royals were reportedly interested in Meyers earlier this offseason, and now that Houston has traded Jesús Sánchez, they may not be looking to move another outfielder. But the Astros need pitching, which could match them up nicely with the Royals. Meyers had a breakout season in 2025, hitting .292/.354/.373 with three home runs in 381 plate appearances. The 29-year-old Nebraska native is a plus defender in center and stole a career-high 16 bases last year. He doesn’t provide the kind of power the Royals are looking for, however, and his numbers benefited from a .351 BABIP.

Coby Mayo, Orioles

Mayo isn’t an outfielder, but he’s taking reps there in spring training, and he may be available in a trade with the logjam the Orioles have in their lineup. Ranked as the #14 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline before the 2025 season, Mayo had an underwhelming start to his MLB career. He hit just .217/.299/.388 with 11 home runs in 85 games, but fared well against lefties. Mayo is hardly a sure thing, but he has a lot of potential if the Royals are willing to take the gamble.

Ryan Mountcastle, Orioles

Mountcastle hasn’t played outfield since his rookie campaign of 2021, but he’s rumored to be available after the Orioles signed free agent first baseman Pete Alonso. Mountcastle hit 33 home runs that first year, but has seen his power slip each year, and he posted a career-worst OPS+ of 83 last season, although he was limited to just 89 games. It was a bit of a surprise he was tendered a contract, and the Orioles could be looking to move him and his $6.7 million salary for next to nothing at this point.

Heliot Ramos, Giants

Ramos was an All-Star in 2024, and has hit 20+ home runs in each of the last two seasons. Last year he hit .256/.328/.400 in 157 games, but was worth just 1.2 rWAR due to dreadful defense in left. He has improved his walk and strikeout numbers and has put up an above-average OPS+ in each of the last two seasons. He is just 26 years old and has three controllable years left. If the Giants feel Drew Gilbert is ready for a starting role, they could look to move Ramos and add a pitcher.

Spencer Steer, Reds

Steer has hit 20+ home runs in each of the last three seasons, but his wRC+ has regressed each season, sinking to 97 last year. He hit just .221/.297/.365 on the road, although his 2024 numbers were quite good. He has had unusually low BABIP numbers the last two seasons, and his 10.1 percent career walk rate is fairly strong. Steer moved from left field to first base in 2025, but his defensive metrics in the outfield, while below average, weren’t awful. The Reds have top prospect Sal Stewart challenging Steer for a job, so he could be expendable soon.

Mark Vientos, Mets

Vientos is not really an outfielder, but he’s so bad defensively as an infielder that a move to the outfield might be what he needs. He smacked 27 home runs in 2024, although that number fell to 17 in 2025. He hit just .233/.289/.413 overall, with a walk rate of just 6.5 percent. He’s just 26 years old with three more years of club control and has a lot of power potential. The Mets could still hang on to Vientos as a right-handed platoon option for first baseman/DH Jorge Polanco, but it could also make sense to move him for more pitching depth.

If you say the name Wally Pipp to a baseball fan, there’s probably one thing that comes to their mind. One day in 1925, Pipp got the day off from his normal role as the Yankees’ starting first baseman. In his place, a youngster named Lou Gehrig got the start instead. Pipp then never got his start back as Gehrig became an all-time great who never took a day off.

However, just boiling Pipp down to that one story is unfair. He was a very good player in his own right, helping the Yankees to three World Series appearances, and the 1923 title. Today also happens to be his birthday, so let’s look back and give him some shine that he deserves.

Walter Clement “Wally” Pipp
Born: February 17, 1893 (Chicago, IL)
Died: January 11, 1965 (Grand Rapids, MI)
Yankees Tenure: 1915-25

Born in Chicago and mostly raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Pipp began to gain prominence in the baseball world while playing college ball at Catholic University in Washington DC. After that, he got his start in the pro ranks back home in Michigan, playing for the delightfully-named Kalamazoo Celery Pickers.

Pipp’s time there got him noticed by the Detroit Tigers, who signed him in 1912. Detroit farmed him out to some minor league teams before giving him his debut in 1913. He didn’t do much of note in his 12 games that year and returned to the minor leagues the following season. Despite an excellent 1914 in the International League, the Tigers sold him to the Yankees the following offseason, probably because they had another first baseman in George Burns, who would go on to have a very nice MLB career himself.

In one of the first moves of new owners Jacob Ruppert and Tillinghast Huston, the Yankees picked up Pipp ahead of the 1915 season. At the point of Pipp’s acquisition, the franchise was somewhat in the doldrums, but they began to show steady improvement over the next couple seasons, with their new first baseman a key part of that. His first year in New York was pretty good, but he really broke out in 1916, putting up a career-best and league-leading 12 home runs and a 123 OPS+.

Two years later, Miller Huggins took over the managerial post, and the Yankees truly began their ascent. Under Huggins, Pipp put up a career best 127 OPS+ in 1918, although his year was cut short after being drafted into the military. He returned for 1919 and was again good. Then in 1920, the Yankees acquired some guy named Babe Ruth.

Ruth took a starring role on the Yankees after that, but Pipp remained a very dependable player for the Yankees, as they won their first AL pennants in 1921 and ‘22. The latter featured arguably Pipp’s best individual season, grading out at 4.3 fWAR and 4.6 rWAR while playing a sterling defensive first base. He took a bit of a step back offensively in 1923, but he was the man who caught the throw on the groundout that clinched the Yankees’ first World Series championship that year.

Also in 1923, a young first baseman named Lou Gehrig made his debut for the Yankees. While he showed some promise, his playing time was limited that year and in ‘24, with Pipp holding things down for the Bombers. Then in 1925, Pipp got off to a very slow start. The legend goes that on June 2, 1925, he came into the clubhouse complaining of a headache and asked the trainer for some aspirin. Huggins overheard him and told Pipp to take it easy and just take the day off. Gehrig got the start and went 3-for-5.

Huggins decided to stick with the youngster for a little while—again, Pipp had been slumping anyway, which is somewhat forgotten in the most common telling of the tale—and a couple weeks later, Pipp was hit in the head in batting practice, which sent him to the hospital. By the time he was back and ready to go, Gehrig was on a heater and had usurped Pipp. The displaced former star spent the rest of the year as a pinch-hitter, but, as you likely know considering “The Iron Horse’s” streak, there weren’t many opportunities for him back at first base.

After 1925, the Yankees decided to move on from Pipp and sold him to the Cincinnati Reds. He played three seasons there and another in the minor leagues before retiring. He returned to his native Michigan after his playing career, and held a number of jobs. Reportedly, he was in attendance at the game in Detroit where Gehrig ended his consecutive games streak at 2,130. Pipp eventually passed away in 1965, a couple months short of the 40th anniversary of his famous day off.

In the case of Wally Pipp, there is a very understandable reason why his playing career gets overshadowed. It’s unfair to the man himself though, as he was hardly just a footnote at the height of his career.

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See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Happy Tuesday, A’s fans! I hope everyone enjoyed the three-day weekend.

Spring training in Arizona is in full swing. Yesterday, the team held its first full-squad workout ahead of Saturday’s opener against the Chicago White Sox.

Manager Mark Kotsay said that the A’s will not name a single closer to start the season, relying on a committee as they did successfully after last year’s trade deadline. Spring games will be key for determining who gets early save opportunities, with relievers like Elvis Alvarado, Scott Barlow and Hogan Harris all in the mix.

Third base is another position to watch. Darrell Hernaiz will leave camp to play for Team Puerto Rico in the WBC, giving Max Muncy, Andy Ibanez and Brett Harris more at-bats to vie for the Opening Day start at the hot corner.

Outfield depth will also be tested. Carlos Cortes and Colby Thomas showed flashes last year in their MLB debuts. Because he bats right-handed, Thomas may have a leg up on the fourth outfielder competition. He could start or pinch-hit for left-handed starters Lawrence Butler or Tyler Soderstrom against left-handed pitching. Could both make the roster? Time will tell.

Finally, keep an eye on young pitchers Mason Barnett, JT Ginn, Gunnar Hoglund and Jack Perkins. With the starting rotation mostly set, assuming Jacob Lopez and Luis Morales nab the two open spots, these four may begin at Triple-A unless they earn bullpen roles. Ginn and Perkins already have MLB relief experience, which could give them an edge. However, injuries always seem to occur in spring training, which is why pitching depth is so imperative.

Which players are you most looking forward to watching as games get underway soon? What goals do you have for the A’s as they get through spring training?

A’s Coverage

• A’s Community Prospect List: Baez Takes 13th spot
• Waiting For Gelof: What Do We Do?
• “Relievers Are Volatile”… But Why?
• A’s Trade Mitch Spence to KC Royals in exchange for minor leaguer
• Diamondbacks Claim Grant Holman
• Darrell Hernaiz to play for Team PR in WBC
• Are The Final Two Rotation Spots Really Up For Grabs?
• Story Lines To Watch As Spring Training Unfolds
• A’s Sign Starter Aaron Civale
• Athletics add developmental leaguer in trade with Yankees
• Little Signings Everywhere
• A’s Non-Roster Invites to Keep an Eye On 
• A’s prospect Jump impressing in first big league camp
• What to know as A’s head to spring camp with high hopes for ‘26
• A’s Claim Andy Ibanez, Add Scott Barlow In Busy Roster Shuffle
• Extensions For Everyone! (Except Kurtz)
• Managers & Top Front Office Executives On Expiring Contract
• De Vries (No. 4 overall) leads Athletics trio on Top 100 Prospects lists

MLB News and Interest:

• Steven Cohen: Mets will never have captain while I own team
• Diamondbacks sign veteran starter Zac Gallen to one-year contract
• Cubs ink reliever Shelby Miller to one-year pact
• Padres signing free-agent pitchers Griffin Canning and Germàn Marquez
• Brewers Sign Luis Rengifo
• Bryce Harper addresses comments Dombrowski made about him
• Machaco embraces Dodgers’ big spending ways
• Rays generating interest in lefty reliever Garrett Cleavinger
• Boone: No restrictions for Judge this spring
• Castellanos embracing move to first base with Padres
• Roki Sasaki working on 3rd pitch
• A.J. Preller agrees to multiyear extension with Padres
• MLB TV strike zone box won’t indicate whether pitch is ball or strike due to ABS system
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X

Out of all the A’s starting pitching options, who do you think will be the team’s most reliable pitcher this season?

Who will be more productive for the A's in 2026?

Luis Morales
Jacob Lopez pic.twitter.com/wrHpH386nJ

— SleeperAthletics (@SleeperAth) February 16, 2026

A’s future looks promising! First glimpse at Leo De Vries (El Mutante) and Jamie Arnold in an A’s uniform.

From today's A's Camp, a glimpse of the future that could come sooner than later.

Leo De Vries took batting practice. Still getting used to seeing him in an A's uniform.

Jamie Arnold, the A's 2025 first-rounder, pitched a bullpen session in front of manager Mark Kotsay. pic.twitter.com/1FfozJDrZK

— Jesús Cano (@Jesus_Cano88) February 17, 2026

Nick Kurtz looks ready for the season to start. How many home runs do you think the A’s first baseman will hit this year?

This ball Nick Kurtz just hit may never come down. pic.twitter.com/ff8Fms9U3O

— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) February 16, 2026

The reports are starting to filter in from Peoria and we’re starting to get some downright tantalizing videos of pitchers throwing bullpens. Before we get too into the buzzy part of spring, or Overreact To Small Sample Size Theaer, take this opportunity to stake your claim: which of the new Mariners arms are you predicting to be a significant contributor to the pitching staff in 2026? This is your chance to latch on to the Eduard Bazardo of 2026 and be feted with glory* when your pick hits months down the road.

*offered grudging praiseby a group of terminally online Mariners baseball sickos

And since I brought up Bazardo, let’s say it can be a fresh new face someone who was in the organization previously who you think could take a Bazardo-sized leap. If there are any Carlos Vargas truthers in the house, now is the time to speak your piece.

Also, you might have noticed I was cagey about not distinguishing between bullpen and starter there. If that strikeout video of Kade Anderson knocked your socks off, feel free to make an argument.

With Alex Bregman’s departure over the offseason, Marcelo Mayer almost immediately assumed the position of Boston’s third baseman of the future and the present. But after trading for Caleb Durbin — who played 131 games at third base for the Brewers last year — last week, the Red Sox have become a bit jammed in the infield.

Granted, this is a much better problem to have than the absolute black hole that existed at second base last year, but it’s still something that will have to be addressed — and should be addressed quickly as the team looks to make up for Bregman’s All-Star level 2025 production through an amalgamation of pieces rather than a clear replacement. 

Mayer’s rookie campaign last season consisted of fewer than 150 plate appearances and left something to be desired, especially with Roman Anthony’s meteoric rise as the closest point of comparison. Specifically, his patience at the plate will have to improve in 2026, and hopefully it will after an extended offseason following his wrist surgery toward the end of August. But on the defensive end, he proved to be nearly everything he was advertised to be, which is really saying something when you have Trevor Story and Bregman closest to you in the field.

Although he came up as a shortstop, Mayer has been projected to have the arm strength of a third baseman, and showed above-average range during his time at third base in the majors last year. This, along with the fact that Story has taken on a much bigger role for this team over the past year and Mayer didn’t start a single game at shortstop, shows Boston’s confidence in his ability to shift defensively to accommodate the roster’s current makeup.

On the other side of the coin, newest Red Sox Caleb Durbin advanced through the minor leagues as a much more versatile piece, splitting time between third, shortstop, and second while spending 18 games in the outfield in Scranton Wilkes-Barre in 2024 (for what reason, I do not know). But once he made his major league debut with the Brewers last year, he spent 13 games — and only started three — away from the hot corner. It was clear, at least in Milwaukee, that he was a designated third baseman, so how does that change with his move to Boston?

While Mayer and Durbin possess similarly graded “plus” arms, their defensive utility diverges sharply when you look at the ground they cover. 

Last season, Mayer posted 3 OAA, albeit in a limited sample size, compared to Durbin’s 0 across a full season of action. This demonstrates the kind of lateral abilities that Mayer possesses that Durbin hasn’t shown yet, which overall makes him a better candidate to fill the hole at second than Durbin or other miscellaneous parts, as the Red Sox have seemingly forgotten about the Kristian Campbell Second Base Experience early in the spring. 

Alex Cora has said he’s ready to work out this positional problem both in the spring and beyond, but he had the same assignment last year, and I can’t say he exactly aced it. A large part of this shortfall is definitely related to the lack of offensive production from the candidates at second base, but there’s not exactly a big degree of difference in that when it comes to this year’s choices, though Durbin has at least shown some relative consistency during his time in the majors.

The problem still remains that neither Durbin nor Mayer makes up for the offensive prowess that Boston should have added this offseason, and both will have to step up their offensive production this year (especially Mayer), but with the team’s makeup right now, it appears obvious that they will both be mainstays in the infield.

As spring training gets underway, one main factor for many players competing for major league jobs is their option status. Having a roster of players with options gives the Brewers’ flexibility on how to build their roster. They can move players between the majors and minors throughout the season, giving them depth for injury replacements as well as a way to get fresh players during the grind of the season. This spring, the Brewers will have a lot of flexibility with options, as many players have at least one available.

Here’s a quick reminder on how options work. When a player is first placed on the 40-man roster, they are given three options. If a player is on the 40-man roster, but not on the 26-man active roster or injured list, they must be sent on an optional assignment to the minors. After they have spent 20 days in the minors, one of their options is used for the year. A player can be recalled and optioned multiple times over the course of a season, but only one option is used in a year. However, they are limited to being optioned five times in a single season. Any more than that requires them to be placed on outright waivers — which allows other teams to claim them — to return to the minors.

If a player is out of options, the only way they can be sent to the minors is by being designated for assignment — which removes them from the 40-man roster — and then placed on outright waivers before being assigned to the minors. Players with more than three years of Major League service, or players who have been outrighted before, can reject being outrighted to the minors and become free agents. This is in addition to players who have five years of Major League service, who must agree to be sent to the minors under any circumstance.

Below are lists of all the players in the Brewers’ major league camp and their current option status. I placed players who are projected to make the major league roster toward the top of each list. Some players are marked with specific symbols; here is what they mean. Option status is based on Roster Resource via FanGraphs.

* – Non-roster invitees (in major league camp, not on 40-man roster)
# – Players who will exceed five years of major league service during the season. These players can only be sent to the minors with their consent after passing five years.
^ – Players with one option who may be eligible for a fourth option. (This will be discussed further in that section.)

Zero Options

• Position Players
  • Greg Jones*
  • Eddys Leonard*
• Pitchers
  • Rob Zastryzny
  • Peter Strzelecki*
  • Jacob Waguespack*

When it comes to camp battles this spring, option status will play a minimum role in most decisions. The list of players without options is very short, meaning most players who do not make the team can simply be optioned. In the above list, four of the five players are in camp as non-roster invitees on minor league deals. Depending on their contracts (and if they include opt-outs), they can be kept in the minors to start the season.

The only player who has to make the roster out of camp or be exposed to waivers is Rob Zastryzny. He is the sole Brewer on the 40-man roster who is under five years of service time and does not have an option available. He is currently projected to be on the roster at the start of the season, but still could use a good spring to secure his spot.

One Option

• Position Players
  • William Contreras#
  • David Hamilton
  • Brice Turang
  • Akil Baddoo
  • Steward Berroa
  • Tyler Black^
  • Jeferson Quero^
• Pitchers
  • Grant Anderson
  • Aaron Ashby
  • DL Hall
  • Trevor Megill
  • Quinn Priester
  • Abner Uribe
  • Angel Zerpa
  • Easton McGee
  • Sammy Peralta
  • Carlos Rodriguez^
  • Gerson Garabito*

There’s not much to see in this list, since most of the players who are projected to be on the opening day roster are established at their positions. For the players who have their minor league option used, this will be an important season for them. Without an option next year, they will need to earn their job at the start of the season. Performing well when they get chances in the majors will be important, so they can build a resume for themselves before next season.

Included in this list are three players who currently on their last option year but may be eligible for a fourth. MLB rules allow players to be granted a fourth option under certain circumstances. Here is the official rule from the MLB website.

Players typically have three option years, but those who have accrued less than five full seasons (including both the Major and Minors) are eligible for a fourth if their three options have been exhausted already. For the purposes of this rule, spending at least 90 days on an active Major League or Minor League roster during a given season counts as one full season. Players also earn a full season if they spend at least 30 days on an active Major League or Minor League roster AND their active-roster and injured-list time amounts to at least 90 days in a given season.

This is not an automatic process. Teams generally have to apply for the extra option year and then MLB will make a ruling on it. Of the above players, Black and Rodriguez were originally drafted in 2021, so this would be their potential fifth full season. Quero is a little more complex since he signed as an international free agent in 2019 but was also impacted by the shortened 2020 season.

Two Options

• Position Players
  • Joey Ortiz
  • Blake Perkins
  • Andrew Vaughn#
  • Brandon Lockridge
• Pitchers
  • Jared Koenig
  • Chad Patrick
  • Logan Henderson
  • Robert Gasser
  • Kyle Harrison
  • Craig Yoho
  • Drew Rom*

These players have used an option already but still have good flexibility with two remaining. Lockridge is the only position player who will likely open the season in the minors but should provide good depth if needed during the season. Meanwhile, Koenig and Patrick are the two pitchers that are near locks to be on the opening day roster. Henderson, Gasser, and Harrison will all be among the starting pitchers fighting for a spot on the roster, but all should see some major league starts this season even if they begin the year in the minors.

Three Options

• Position Players
  • Jackson Chourio
  • Sal Frelick
  • Garrett Mitchell
• Ptichers
  • Jacob Misiorowski
  • Coleman Crow
  • Shane Drohan
  • Brandon Sproat

These players are currently on the 40-man roster but have not used an option. For most of these players, they were added to the 40-man roster when they were brought up to the majors and have not left it. The one exception is Crow, who was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Coleman, Drohan, and Sproat will all likely use their first option at the start of the season. They are currently projected to begin the season in the minors.

Non-Roster Invitees who have not been on 40-man roster

• Position Players
  • Luke Adams*
  • Eduardo Garcia*
  • Luis Lara*
  • Jesús Made*
  • Darrien Miller*
  • Cooper Pratt*
  • Ramón Rodríguez*
  • Brock Wilken*
  • Jett Williams*
  • Matthew Wood*
• Pitchers
  • Tate Kuehner*

This is an extension of the three-option list above. All these players have not been on the 40-man roster before, so they have not used an option. Since they are all NRIs, they do not have to use an option as long as they remain off the 40-man roster. Once they are added, an option would have to be used for them to remain in the minors.

Over five years of Major League experience

• Position Players
  • Jake Bauers
  • Luis Rengifo
  • Gary Sánchez
  • Christian Yelich
  • Reese McGuire*
• Pitchers
  • Brandon Woodruff

The final group are players who have recorded at least five years of major league service. As a result, these players cannot be optioned to the minors without their consent. The one exception on this list is McGuire, who is in camp on a minor league contract. Depending on his contract, he could start the season in the minors, but if he is added to the major league roster, he cannot be sent down without his consent.

The biggest news of the day regarding the San Diego Padres was the multi-year extension for president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller. However, that was not the only news of the day as the Padres agreed to minor league deals with first baseman Ty France and starting pitcher Walker Buehler. San Diego had a quiet offseason leading up to Spring Training, but the news came early and often starting Saturday when the Padres signed Nick Castellanos, Griffin Canning and German Marquez. Preller appears to have addressed all the needs on the San Diego roster and has created a high-level of competition for coveted roster spots that should make for an exciting Spring Training in Peoria, Ariz. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball compared the roster at this point last season to the current roster and believes the overall quality of the team has improved, which could make for a successful 2026.

Padres News:

• Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribunebelieves the extension for Preller is a positive for the general manager and a potential new owner.

• After the announcement of the extension for Preller, Padres Chairman John Seidler and Padres CEO Erik Greupner met with the media. It was the first public comments from Seidler since the announcement of an exploration for a potential sale. He assured the media in attendance the Padres would not be moved out of San Diego and added that there is significant interest in the team from potential buyers.

• The addition of Marquez was made official Monday. In a corresponding move, the Padres moved Jhony Brito to the 60-day injured list.

Baseball News:

• Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez ended his live batting practice session early with elbow soreness. It was reported that he was scheduled to undergo imaging to determine if there is any structural damage.

• There were multiple major league players who signed minor league deals with new teams on Monday. Outfielder Mike Tauchman and the New York Mets agreed to a minor league deal and Adam Frazier and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a minor league deal.

• New San Francisco Giants manager Tony Vitello delivered comments about his departure from the University of Tennessee clarifying when he made his decision, how the team was informed and what needed to happen for him to take the job in San Francisco.

• Angels superstar Mike Trout met with the media and stated he is healthy, feels good and his sights set on a return to centerfield.

• Los Angeles Dodgers utility player Tommy Edman, who is recovering from an ankle surgery, is set to miss Opening Day. The injury creates a hole in the Dodgers’ lineup and could provide an opportunity for Hyeseong Kim to make the roster as a starter out of Spring Training.

Tony Clark, who led the Major League Baseball Players' Association through two collective bargaining agreements and was preparing for what is expected to be a highly contentious CBA battle in 2026-27, is resigning as executive director Feb. 17, according to a baseball official with direct knowledge of the situation.

The official spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because the resignation wasn't yet official.

Clark, who held the post since 2013, brought the credibility of a former player the position, and oversaw significant union solidarity throughout his tenure after he took over for the late Michael Weiner. 

But his reign has not been without conflict. The MLBPA remains under federal investigation due to its role in OneTeam Partners, a licensing company co-owned with the NFLPA and three other sports unions.

MLBPA UPHEAVAL: Tony Clark's poorly-timed exit leaves union without a paddle

A faction within his eight-player executive sub-committee also aimed to oust lead negotiator Bruce Meyer in 2024, an insurgency led by lawyer Harry Marino, a longtime advocate for minor league players who helped integrate them into the MLBPA.  

In December 2024, the three players who aimed to oust Meyer as lead negotiator – Jack Flaherty, Lucas Giolito and Ian Happ – were voted off the executive subcommittee.

The union announced in 2022 - when Clark earned $2.2 million - that Clark's contract had been extended through 2027. 

His resignation comes before the highly-anticipated - or dreaded - showdown between the union and MLB upon the current CBA's expiration on Dec. 1. In 2021, commissioner Rob Manfred locked the players out in the midst of the off-season transaction frenzy, freezing all business as CBA negotiations lurched on. 

The sides finally came to an accord in early March, leaving just enough time for a 162-game schedule to proceed. MLB has not missed games due to a labor dispute since the 1994 strike and subsequent impasse cancelled the World Series. 

Now, one of the central figures to the next negotiation will sit this one out. 

His successor will inherit the job at perhaps its most crucial moment in decades.

MLB lockout looms

Manfred said Feb. 12 at MLB's owners meetings that CBA negotiations typically ramp up around Opening Day, and has said he anticipates using a lockout as a measure to move the talks along come December. A simple accord is not anticipated: MLB owners have strongly signaled, publicly and privately, their desire for a salary cap, a concept that has been a non-starter for the union.

MLB remains the only major professional sports league in North America without a cap, though inequity among ownership groups - most specifically, the huge-spending Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets - has sown discord among other franchises.

Clark, 53, played 15 years in the major leagues and was active in the union at that time. He ascended the ranks in the late 2000s, when Weiner guided the union with a very steady hand. But an inoperable brain tumor claimed Weiner's life, and Clark was elected to take over.

MLB and the union executed an on-time CBA for the 2017 season, yet the following two winters saw declines in salaries and offers for veteran players, priming the union for another fight in 2021-22. Between CBAs, Clark added to his offensive attack, hiring Meyer as deputy executive director and chief negotiator.

It proved a fruitful add: Clark and Meyer seemed to claw back some gains, most notably a modest climb in the luxury tax ceiling and additive components like a pre-arbitration salary pool for high-achieving young players. Yet a moderate rift in membership was exposed when the eight-person subcommittee recommended rejecting MLB's latest offer, only to be overruled by player representatives from each individual team.

That created a divide between highest-earning players and those closer to the rank-and-file, along with a proxy war of sorts among sports agencies, leading the the 2024 attempted removal of Meyer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tony Clark, MLBPA boss, steps down before new CBA war and lockout

Good morning.

Were the vibes just rancid without Austin Hedges? Evan Grant writes about Corey Seager facing the media to discuss the clubhouse culture for the Texas Rangers in recent years.

Kennedi Landry writes that Seager downplayed any bad blood between himself and departed former keystone partner Marcus Semien.

Jeff Wilson writes that Seager is eager to buy into the culture that new manager Skip Schumaker intends to instill.

Shawn McFarland writes that Schumaker has answered one of three questions regarding his outfield with Brandon Nimmo officially moving to right field.

Landry names Kumar Rocker as the Ranger with the most to prove this spring as he tries to graduate from prospect on the cusp to full-fledged big leaguer.

So far so good as Grant notes that Rocker impressed with a new devotion to a changeup during live batting practice in Surprise yesterday.

And, Jacob deGrom cracked the top ten at No. 10 on Buster Olney’s list of top starting pitchers heading into the 2026 season.

Have a nice day!

The current buzz out of Sarasota has seemingly shifted from which players the Orioles may add to the roster to who may soon be heading out the door. MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal recently reported that, after further fortifying the pitching rotation with veteran Chris Bassitt, the O’s have now turned their attention to potential trades for Ryan Mountcastle and Coby Mayo.

On the surface, it’s easy to see the logic behind shipping out one or both of Mayo and Mountcastle. Their ability to coexist on the 2026 Orioles roster always seemed tenuous at best. Both are big, right-handed power bats who offer some positional flexibility, but really fit best at 1B. Getting both of them enough at-bats in Baltimore, while also planning for Samuel Basallo to play some first, was always going to be a tough thing to achieve.

And that was before the front office made the biggest move of their offseason and signed Pete Alonso. The Orioles now have 155 million reasons to justify why Alonso will be their everyday 1B going forward. Over his last four seasons with the Mets, the Polar Bear has averaged 40 HRs per season and steps into the Orioles lineup as Baltimore’s biggest run-producing threat. And sure, he’ll probably see some time at DH this season, but not enough to facilitate significant playing time at first for Mounty, Mayo and Basallo.

With the injury to Jackson Holliday, it’s currently possible to keep all three on the roster without things getting too awkward. The likely Opening Day infield will see Alonso at first, some combination of Blaze Alexander and Jordan Westburg at second and third, with Gunnar Henderson manning short. That leaves Mayo as the backup third baseman and Mountcastle in the Ryan O’Hearn, sometimes 1B/sometimes RF, position. It’s far from a perfectly balanced roster, considering the O’s will also likely carry five outfielders and only three middle infielders.

However, just because keeping Mountcastle and Mayo presents a roster construction problem, it doesn’t mean trading them before the season starts makes the most sense for this team. Mountcastle is coming off the worst season of his MLB career. A hamstring injury limited him to 89 games, and by the time he came back in early August, the Orioles’ season was already lost. Right after coming off the injured list, it looked like Mounty was back to his best self—slashing .305/.348/.463 over 21 games in August. That production completely dried up in September, though, as RMC’s average dropped to .190, his OPS dipped to .522, and he ultimately ceded a lot of his playing time to Mayo.

Trading Mountcastle now seems unlikely to return something that would actually make the Orioles better right now. As someone coming off a down season in the last year of his contract, Mounty is not exactly at the peak of his trade value. The soon-to-be 29-year-old wouldn’t command a starting pitcher better than Dean Kremer, Zach Eflin, or Chris Bassitt. It seems unlikely that he could even get the Orioles back a reliever who would significantly improve their bullpen.

Mountcastle’s biggest asset has always been his ability to mash left-handed pitching. He’s a career .282 hitter against lefties, with a .813 OPS and a 116 OPS+. That production was nowhere to be found in 2025, though. In his limited game time last year, his OPS against lefties dropped to .598 and he failed to register a homer against LHPs for the first time since the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Even with Alonso, Taylor Ward and Tyler O’Neill on the roster, Mounty should still see plenty of opportunities in lineups against LHPs. If he can do damage against southpaws again, he’ll either prove himself valuable enough to stay an Oriole or valuable enough to trade at the deadline for a player that can make a difference in 2026.

With Mayo, much of his value is based on potential rather than actual production. His scouting profile and minor league production show a player with an Alonso-like ceiling. No, he’ll never come close to competing for a batting title, and he’ll always probably strike out more than you’d like, but there’s real 30+/year power in the 24-year-old’s bat as we glimpsed at the end of last season.

In his first meaningful taste of big league action, we got a tale of two Mayo’s in 2025. In 79 ABs before the All-Star break, we saw a player clearly struggling to adapt to the majors while coping with the inconsistent nature of his playing time—all of which culminated in a .203 average, .563 OPS and a 28% strikeout rate.

But as his playing time grew, so did his confidence and production. Mayo got 184 ABs after the break, and turned that opportunity into a .223 average, a .740 OPS and 10 HRs. Strikeouts were still a big problem, as his K rate grew to an alarming 34%, but the signs of a real, Major League contributor were there.

The South Florida native has plenty of things working in his favor that make him a more valuable trade chip than Mountcastle. He’s five years younger, with a higher ceiling and five additional years of team control. That alone could make him attractive to teams who are looking to build for the future, but do those teams really have players who would make the Orioles better right now?

Many have suggested the idea of trading Mayo to his hometown Marlinsto bring back pitching. However, with the recent struggles of Sandy Alcantara and the Miami unlikely to entertain a trade for Eury Pérez, it seems unlikely that Mayo would bring back a pitcher who actually makes Baltimore’s rotation better. The same could be said for teams like the Pirates or Rockies, who could certainly hold interest in Mayo but lack the pitchers to make it worth the Orioles’ while.

For years, we’ve all clamored for Mike Elias & Co. to be more aggressive in using trades to make immediate improvements to the Orioles roster. And now, it seems they have the perfect opportunity with a clear surplus in one position and needs elsewhere on the roster. And yet, if finding the ideal, “win-now” trade partner for Mountcastle or Mayo was so easy, they’d be on other teams by now. Instead, their best place (for now) is still in Baltimore, where they’ll look to carve out a role in one of the AL’s most intriguing lineups.

Prior entries:

• Matt Olson
• Michael Harris II
• Ozzie Albies
• Bryce Elder
• Austin Riley
• Drake Baldwin
• Ronald Acuña Jr.
• Chris Sale
• Spencer Strider
• Jurickson Profar
• Grant Holmes

Ah, Sean Murphy. There’s a long tradition of guys being the guy to draw the most rancor debate-wise in Braves fandom, and, well, Sean Murphy bears that mantle now. No one was complaining about Murphy shortly into the 2023 season, or in the aftermath of that season, but things haven’t gone great for him since.

Murphy got hurt on Opening Day of 2024, and seemed pretty impaired after returning, something that the bat speed data easily confirms. In 2025, Murphy didn’t even wait until Opening Day, suffering a fractured rib in Spring Training. At this point, you all know how that season ended: with Murphy finally calling it quits on trying to play through a hip labrum issue that had apparently been bugging him for much of or all of his entire Braves tenure. Oy. What happens now, with playing time far less guaranteed than before given the emergence of Drake Baldwin, is murky.

Career-to-date, status

Murphy was having a quiet-yet-monstrous career when the Braves traded for him, as he had amassed 10.5 fWAR in 1,260 PAs while playing in Oakland for parts of four seasons, including a massive 5.2 fWAR/612 PA campaign immediately before the trade. He was stellar both offensively (.343 xwOBA) and defensively (basically plus two wins per season, inclusive of positional adjustment), and if anything, his value was actually tamped down relative to his inputs because he substantially underhit his xwOBA in both 2021 and 2022.

After coming to Atlanta, the Braves seemingly gave him carte blanche to do his whole “swing incredibly hard in case you hit it” shtick, and he exploded with a .393 xwOBA while continuing to play elite defense. He earned 5.0 fWAR in just 438 PAs — that’s a nearly 7 WAR/600 rate for those that don’t want to do division and multiplication themselves. Again, Murphy substantially underhit his xwOBA despite dominating on the field.

Even before that new gear of performance in a new uniform, the Braves signed Murphy to a six-year, $73 million extension. Murphy is earning $15 million annual salaries through 2028, with a no-buyout club option for the same in 2029 as well.

Anyway, 2023 was awesome, but then the aforementioned injuries hit. In addition to coming back from those, Murphy turned 31 last October, so he’s likely in the latter half of his career at this point.

Recent performance

Nothing went right for Murphy in 2024, and it seems like he was playing hurt. He also continued to underhit his xwOBA, so while the griping about his circumstances goes beyond whether or not he gets his just deserts, there’s an undercurrent of “maybe we should be discussing if Sean Murphy has a slice or whatever like we did endlessly with Marcell Ozuna” there too. Murphy was still good defensively in 2024, but not as good as in 2023 and before. His bat speed collapsed, and his offensive profile, which was built around doing damage on contact, went with it. He tallied 0.8 fWAR in 264 PAs in 2024, though if you knock the xwOBA underperformance out, that probably would’ve doubled by my very rough math.

2025 was an improvement as he rebounded defensively, and also, he finally stopped being plagued by xwOBA underperformance. Unfortunately, his xwOBA ended up largely the same as 2024, and his bat speed collapsed even further. The rest of the offensive signs were all kind of a jumble — his contact quality actually rebounded, but he started missing pitches. It’s hard to say what was an adjustment to playing hurt, what was an adjustment to new offensive instruction the team received, what was natural variation in a small sample, and so on. It’s easier to note that Murphy had a no-complaints-here .352 wOBA / .332 xwOBA through the end of July, and then basically stopped hitting at all afterwards — even though this story, too, is made more complicated by the fact that he started swinging way harder while flailing. There are mixed signals there, but fundamentally, it was Murphy’s defense keeping him productive and valuable in 2025, especially as hit bat slipped and he called it quits down the stretch.

Forecasting

Boy, this is another toughie. You have to factor in Murphy’s health (whether for good or for ill relative to his 2024-2025 performance) but also, separately, the availability of playing time. Murphy probably shouldn’t be DHing, but he might, and how often he DHes also has meaty implications for his value due to the huge swing between his ability to rack up defensive value and the massive DH penalty to WAR.

IWAG basically thinks that Murphy will, for reasons other than season-ending hip surgery that was probably needed years ago, replicate 2025. The combination of injury-affecting-performance, persistent-ish xwOBA underperformance (look at that career .327/.345 gap in over 2,000 PAs), and the mess of signals that was his 2025 season appears to be pushing towards the system’s version of a “shrug, who knows, just stick with what happened more recently.” That’s fairly consistent with Steamer (albeit with better defense) and comes in well below ZiPS, which sees more of an offensive bounceback.

In some ways, the two humps here on the raw WAR chart are really just “Murphy is worth playing all the time” and “Murphy isn’t worth playing all the time.” It’ll be better for the team if he forces the Braves to make tough decisions about how often Drake Baldwin plays, but there’s a substantial likelihood that the combination of his availability and performance level give him useful backup levels of production and not much else.

Your turn

Alright, I’ve given you the info. Well, some info. You may have your own info. With that, I ask you:

• How confident are you in your choice? Go with a scale from 1-5, where 3 is “I dunno, reasonably confident,” 5 is certain, and 1 is “I am participating but have no confidence in my choice and don’t want the fact that it will likely be incorrect to affect my place in any theoretical standings all that much.”
• Rounded to the nearest fWAR, how much will Sean Murphy produce in 2026?