DENVER, CO - AUGUST 01: Thomas Harrington #40 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Friday, August 1, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are beginning to shrink their spring training roster as Opening Day approaches.
On Monday, the Bucs announced several players being optioned to Triple-A, and others reassigned to minor league camp.
Eight moves were announced, most notably right-handed pitchers Antwone Kelly, Thomas Harrington, and Wilber Dotel sent to Triple-A Indianapolis, signaling they are highly unlikely to make the team.
Kelly was one of the most impressive pitchers in the organization last season, going from unranked in MLB Pipeline’s Pirates Top 30 to ranked No. 9 this season.
In 25 starts between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona, Kelly earned a 3.02 ERA, a .206 opponent batting average, 1.06 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts in 107.1 innings.
Kelly, 22, owns a 65-grade fastball, 50-grade slider, and 55-grade changeup on MLB Pipeline’s 20-80 scale. He is one of 20 pitchers on the Pirates’ 40-man roster.
Harrington made his MLB debut last season but struggled mightily, allowing 15 runs in 8.2 innings in three outings.
In two spring training outings, Harrington allowed a solo home run and struck out two in six innings, earning a 1.50 ERA. He’s a former Pirates top 10 prospect who now ranks No. 14 by MLB Pipeline and will be a key part of the Bucs’ depth this season.
Dotel ranks one spot ahead of Harrington and had a breakout season in Double-A. In 27 starts with the Altoona Curve, Dotel earned a 4.15 ERA with a .234 opponent batting average, 1.23 WHIP, 43 walks, and 131 strikeouts in 125.2 innings.
The Pirates put Dotel on the 40-man roster this winter to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Dotel, 23, owns a 60-grade fastball, 50-grade slider, and 50-grade sweeper.
Pittsburgh also optioned right-handed pitcher Brandan Bidois and outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez. All five are on the 40-man. That’s the reason for the difference between being optioned to Indy or outrighted to minor league spring training.
We have made the following roster moves. There are now 54 players in Major League camp. pic.twitter.com/Wgg9WSQKqn
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 03: New York Yankees Pitcher Max Fried (54) delivers a pitch to the plate during the spring training game between Team Panama and the New York Yankees on March 03, 2026 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Spring training continues tonight for the Yankees, with Pittsburgh coming to George M. Steinbrenner Field to face off with the Bronx Bombers. A considerable chunk of the Yankees’ roster is occupied at the World Baseball Classic—albeit with Jazz Chisholm Jr. and José Caballero now about to head home with their teams eliminated— but the Yanks are still throwing a perfectly cromulent lineup out against Pittsburgh, with ace Max Fried taking the mound for his second start of the spring.
Fried debuted this spring against Caballero and Team Panama on March 3rd, tossing three scoreless innings in the exhibition and throwing 56 pitches. We’ll see to what extent he surpasses that pitch count tonight. Last season, Fried threw seven distinct pitches. With that kind of a repertoire, it will be worth seeing what Fried chooses to work on in his second outing of the spring.
For Pittsburgh, José Urquidy gets the ball, also making his second start of the spring. The veteran right-hander (and former Houston Astro) has missed virtually all of the past two seasons due to injury, so despite having been in the big leagues for several seasons, these are invaluable reps for Urquidy.
The Yankee lineup tonight is replete with legitimate big leaguers to face off with Urquidy and whoever follows him out of the Pirates’ bullpen. The top half of the lineup is really just missing that Judge fellow who is off captaining Team USA. Trent Grisham, Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton form an imposing, albeit lefty-heavy one through four in the lineup. Elsewhere, NRI and fourth outfielder candidate Randal Grichuk makes his spring debut, playing left field. And Oswaldo Cabrera, recently returned from an awful ankle injury, holds down the keystone.
March baseball is still baseball. Go Yankees and stay healthy.
How to Watch:
Location: George M. Steinbrenner Field — Tampa, FL
CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 25: Emilio Pagán #15 and Noelvi Marte #16 of the Cincinnati Reds celebrate after beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 at Great American Ball Park on September 25, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s impossible to land on just one definition of the word ‘success’ in anything, let alone in the world of sports. Success as a concept to the Boston Celtics and New York Yankees is a vastly different bird than success to, say, the Cleveland Browns or Colorado Rockies.
Success to the Cincinnati Reds, at least as the franchise has devolved over the last trio of decades, has limped to meaning just slightly more than not being terrible.
You’ve begun to remember specific seasons and specific rosters who simply finished with a winning record. You recall each and every player brought in on a waiver claim or non-roster deal who actually netted the team more than 0.0 WAR. You don’t have to remind yourselves that Buster Posey’s grand slam and Pirates fans abrasively chanting ‘Cue-to, Cue-to’ were actually the good times of the last 30 years, the times this club dared participate in league-sponsored postseason activity before hibernating again for the winter.
If that run of form continues any longer, we’re going to begin to remember the 2025 Reds the way we recall 2013, 2012, 2010, 1995. They did make the playoffs in a full 162 game season, after all, even if they snuck into a superexpanded megaplayoff bracket with a barely .500 record (and were summarily dismissed immediately). The 2025 Reds made the playoffs, and around these parts that’s damn near tattoo-worthy. As the cobwebs envelope those 2025 memories, it will be hard for anyone to forget the most essential plays that allowed them to sneak into the postseason, since every single one of them mattered when the season’s final day came down to the slimmest of margins in the standings.
The one that stands out most, I think, is Noelvi Marte robbing Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds of a 9th inning homer at home in GABP, bailing out closer Emilio Pagán (who’d left a meatball over the plate to the Pirates lone decent hitter with the game on the line). It preserved a 2-1 victory and moved the Reds to 81-78 on the season with just a series left to play – that’s the bottom line of it – but it also seemed to somewhat validate the odd series of moves the Reds had made in the run-up to that moment.
Marte, of course, came to the Reds in the 2022 blockbuster that saw Luis Castillo head the other way to the Seattle Mariners. He was a shortstop then, a bat-first guy with elite athleticism who seemed to be just about as can’t-miss as they come. His defensive issues moved him to 3B shortly after arriving in the Cincinnati system, however, at the time a move generally considered to have been made thanks to the presence of each of Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and fellow former Mariner Edwin Arroyo at short. His bat then carried him through to the muddled mess that was the hot corner situation at the big league level in late 2023 only for an 80-game PED suspension to torpedohis 2024 season entirely.
Then came 2025, a year where his bat played decently despite an oblique injury that once again put him on the pine. His glovework, though, became a serious issue once again, and barely after having filed Jeimer Candelario into the 3B Sunk Costsof the Reds folder next to Mike Moustakas, Cincinnati splurged, again, on a 3B at the trade deadline by picking up Ke’Bryan Hayes and the long-term contract that came with him. That pushed Noelvi off 3B for good, and despite his complete lack of experience there it’s what put him in RF that day in GABP to be in position to rob Reynolds of a homer and ‘save’ the Reds season.
It worked! The grand plan had worked!
The Reds had picked up a pristine defender at 3B and Marte was going to stick in RF just fine!
Heck, given his offensive upside, he’s a lock to be the RF of both the present and future now!
The catch, while brilliant and ‘season saving,’ put a loose patch over some more significantly glaring issues, however. While Marte was brilliant in August after the initial move, he stumbled terribly down the stretch last season while hitting just .186/.215/.275 (.489 OPS) in 107 PA over his final 25 games. Noelvi, a right-handed hitter, was positively abysmal against LHP all season long, hitting just .232/.288/.274 in 104 PA against them to the point where manager Terry Francona has made note of them in his 2026 season preparation.
Catch against the Pirates aside, the surface info here suggests a guy who’s still very, very raw in RF whose offense – which is supposed to be a calling card – still hasn’t lived up to its billing. On top of that, he’s a guy with pretty glaring reverse platoon splits on a team that a) spent the winter bringing in two more left-handed hitters who could probably use a platoon partner (JJ Bleday and Nate Lowe) alongside the already-rostered Will Benson and b) threw Eugenio Suárez’s bat into the mix in a way that, with Sal Stewart around, will make Spencer Steer’s right-handed bat much more available in outfield corners when needed.
So, when you read things like this from MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon on March 9th, it’s hard not to wonder just how strong Marte’s grip on the ‘everyday RF’ role really is, or should be.
Bleday, Benson, and Lowe have all out-hit Marte this spring. Bleday and Benson both are talented, experienced career outfielders with boatloads of experience in RF. Dane Myers, acquired from the Miami Marlins over the winter, has already been out-hitting Marte, provides plus defense all over the outfield, and came in with a reputation of specifically hitting left-handed pitching with aplomb.
Against RHP, it’s hard to imagine an outfield combo of Steer, TJ Friedl, Bleday, and Benson having the most consistent two-way floor. And against LHP, it’s hard to question an outfield spread of Steer, Friedl (whose .770 career OPS against LHP is actually better than his .754 mark against RHP), and Myers.
And if that’s the case, well, I’m not exactly sure where Marte fits right now in all of this – at least for right now.
He’s still just 24 years old. He’s still just barely played RF, and his speed and arm and athleticism makes you pretty comfortable with the idea that he’ll only get better there with rep after rep after rep. But he’s also a guy with a pair of options left, and 2026 sure does look like one of those rare years where maybe, just maybe, the Reds might win more games than they lose despite already being without Hunter Greene for a time and the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers looking ever-so-potent in the NL Central.
So, it could be another one of those years where every play, every decision could be the difference between sneaking into the playoffs or finishint ever-so-short. With that much on the line, it’s hard not to wonder whether starting Marte in AAA as the team’s everyday RF for a few weeks – or maybe longer – until he begins to wow the way a top prospect seeking a promotion should is anything other than the most prudent decision Cincinnati can make in the next two weeks.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the New York Yankees looking to grab a win.
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David Wright says he was “excited” and “surprised” when new Mets third baseman Bo Bichette asked if he was coming to spring training and if he had a few minutes to talk.
“Good one to reach out to, right?” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Bichette’s overture to the club legend.
Wright, who logged 13,924.1 innings at third base and won two Gold Gloves during his career, isn't sure what direction the meeting will go with many areas to hit on with the offseason signing, including handling the pressures of playing in New York, but he should have something to offer Bichette, who has played all 6,184 innings of his career at shortstop.
“I’m excited to spend some time with him,” Wright said.
Wright said that spring training is "incredibly important" with the Mets having several new faces and players taking on new positions, like Bichette, but also to get to know each other off the field, as well.
"You have a locker room full of veteran guys, All-Star caliber players, guys that are one their way to becoming Hall of Fame-type players, and I think that you use this time in camp to get to know one another, not only on the field," he said. "But you have guys playing new positions, so it is important for Bo to know [Francisco Lindor's] tendencies, it's important for [Jorge] Polanco to learn tendencies of feeling comfortable [with the other infielders]."
Mendoza said all of that represents the “importance of having guys like that” in camp.
“He was elite at the position,” the skipper said of Wright. “And that fact that he’s here around, anything that he can share to Bo is gonna go a long way. Just building that relationship is going to be super important.
“And the fact the’s going to be able to pick his brain, face-to-face instead of over a phone call, David is gonna have an opportunity to watch him take some ground balls and just provide some feedback immediately. That’s gonna go a long way.”
“If I could do it, anybody could do it; it shouldn’t be that hard,” Wright said in January. “But he can pick it and is such a great athlete -- I see it being a seamless transition.”
“To me, that signals that there's a lot of leaders in that clubhouse,” Wright said, adding that while he just arrived in camp on Sunday, he’s known the Mets have “a group of leaders” in the locker room already, knowing Lindor and Juan Soto for a few years.
“That is just as good, if not better, than having a single leader,” he said of the current setup. “To me, times change, it makes sense when you have the veteran group that they have in here, especially with some of these young guys, where that group can get together with these young guys, these top prospects, and say, ‘Hey, this is kinda how we’re gonna do it.’
“And I think that’s what made the success that we had when I played, it seemed like those clubhouses had a group of leaders that would, starting now, let these young players know this how we play the game, this is how we carry ourselves, this is how even you as a younger player can lead by example, and I think that’s what’s going on right now.”
Wright added that it “all starts” with Mendoza, who he thinks does a great job of having his “finger on the pulse” as the manager and collecting the veteran players to “police the clubhouse.”
Cohen said that his view is that “the locker room is unique and let the locker room sort it out, year-in, year-out.”
“There'll never be a captain. I've felt that way all along,” he said at the start of spring training.
Mar 8, 2016; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; New York Mets relief pitcher Zach Thornton (80) stretches the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Atlanta Braves at Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images
Skubal, the Tigers' back-to-back Cy Young winner, is a free agent after the 2026 season and had always planned to return to spring training in Lakeland, Florida after making his start on Saturday against Britain.
But in the days before the tournament, Skubal stressed how much he was loving the experience and hinted at a plan to regroup with the national team in Miami and at least be a cheerleader. And after his scheduled outing on Saturday in Houston, Skubal explicitly said that "things have changed."
"When you get into these environments, when you get this team, it’s hard to walk away from that," Skubal said after tossing three strong innings in the Americans' 9-1 win over Great Britain.
"I didn’t expect these types of emotions to run through my brain or my thoughts to differ. I was pretty committed to making a start and getting back to camp," Skubal said. "Things have changed, obviously, that’s why I’m going to have some conversations to try and figure out a plan for me."
Skubal, 29, is expected to sign the richest contract of any pitcher in MLB history this winter, perhaps approaching $500 million and his USA teammates were more than understanding about his plan.
“He's got the two Cy Young awards, but this guy's about to make half a billion dollars here in the next offseason,’’ three-time MVP and Team USA captain Aaron Judge said. “So, for him to put it all on the line for his country, and come out here and show up for us. ... You know, maybe it is just one game, but you know there's a risk with everything you do, and for him to take that risk and come out here and be with us, the boys love it."
Spring plods along, and we’re now just a few weeks away from Opening Day and the real start of the 2026 season. The World Baseball Classic will cover a good portion of that time, and the tournament is heating up as pool play is wrapping up in the next couple of days. The United States squad has gotten off to a strong start, and seem likely to end up advancing to the quarterfinals — it’s just a question of whether they’ll win out and take the top seed of their pool or not.
While we wait for the eventual champions to be determined, Yankees camp continues to churn out results. The competition within the pitching staff is ongoing, as Ryan Weathers endured his first blowup in spring on Sunday while Paul Blackburn similarly struggled on Thursday. Will there be a race for the fifth starter after all, or will spring results only shift around roles in the bullpen? How will the Yankees returning from the WBC do jumping back to spring action? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.
Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of March 12th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
NORTH PORT, FL - MARCH 04: Drake Baldwin #30 of the Atlanta Braves bats during the game between the Team Columbia and the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Grace Hoppel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Spring Training tends to be silly, and that was perhaps best exemplified by Monday afternoon’s game against the Twins. The Braves won 9-8, but gave up a whopping five homers. I guess a 12/0 K/BB ratio is the saving grace when you give up five homers, but considering the Braves didn’t hit any homers, it just goes down as a meaningless March statistical curiosity.
Even though the game ended at 9-8, the regulars basically kept the line moving off Zebby Matthews to start the game. They sent 12 men to the plate in the first frame, riding a bunch of bloops to a massive eight-run inning (capped by Drake Baldwin actually barreling a ball for his second hit of the frame). Matt Olson made two of the inning’s three outs, but if you ever wanted to see a team and rotation hopeful (Matthews, who can win a spot on the Twins’ staff given Pablo Lopez’ absence) tormented by every bloop finding a hole, this was the game for you.
After that outburst, it was all Twins — albeit, against guys that don’t really factor into Atlanta’s big league future. Carlos Carrasco gave up two dingers in 2 2/3, but at least he didn’t walk anyone. A procession of relievers did a nice job, until the Twins knocked another homer off Hayden Harris, who struck out three in his inning of work. The game only got “close” because of the efforts of undrafted free agent Trent Buchanan, who was the victim of two more Twins homers while collecting just two outs. Eventually, Adam Maier came on and threw a single pitch to end the game.
The Braves had one barrel to the Twins’ eight. Fun times.
Austin Riley went 3-for-3, and Mauricio Dubon went 2-for-3 with a double that got out to the track. Eli White and Drake Baldwin also collected a couple of knocks.
Spring Training continues with the Braves visiting the Jays in Dunedin tomorrow.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 20: RJ Petit #58 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields on Friday, February 20, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper)
The Colorado Rockies provided the following medical updates on Monday morning:
RHP McCade Brown is still dealing with right shoulder inflammation. He is day-to-day and progressing in his throwing program.
INF Blaine Crim is still nursing a left oblique strain. He is day-to-day and continuing treatment.
RHP Jeff Criswell is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. He remains on the 60-day IL, but is continuing his throwing program.
RHP Pierson Ohl suffered a right UCL tear and underwent Tommy John surgery last week.
RHP RJ Petit suffered a right UCL sprain on Wednesday against Team USA. The team is determining next steps.
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Joey Wentz will miss the 2026 season with a torn ACL, according to MLB.com’s Mark Bowman and the AJC’s Chad Bishop. Wentz was injured in a Spring Training game on Sunday, March 8, 2026 when covering first base.
Wentz joins fellow starting pitchers Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep in missing at least a big part of the 2026 season, if all all of it, thinning Atlanta’s starting rotation options greatly.
Wentz, once a top Atlanta Braves prospect, re-joined the organization and found some success after being thrust into starting duty when injuries mounted during the 2025 campaign.
The injury to Wentz leaves Atlanta’s starting rotation thin – with Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez and Grant Holmes in the the top four spots. Bryce Elder is the front-runner for the fifth spot with prospect JR Ritchie a potential option to start the season. Veterans Martin Perez and Carlos Carrasco are both in camp on minor league contracts. Veteran Jose Suarez, who pitched with Atlanta last season, and returned to the team this off-season after being designated for assignment, is another option.
Wentz debuted for the Detroit Tigers in 2022 and has also appeared for the Minnesota Twins and Pittsburgh Pirates during his career. He pitched in 14 games with Atlanta in 2025, making 13 starts.
The Nationals have a stockpile of young infielders. That means 19 year old Ronny Cruz can get lost in the shuffle sometimes. However, he showed off what he can do yesterday in his first at bat of the spring. The youngster launched a home run off of big leaguer JP France, which gave the Nats the lead in their Grapefruit League clash with the Astros.
Hopefully this home run could prove to be a bit of a coming out party for Cruz. He is going to have to stand out because the Nats have so many 18 to 20 year old infielders all coming through the system at the same time. Cruz is more of a project than some of these other guys, but he has a ton of potential if everything clicks.
Despite a slender 6’2 170 pound frame, Cruz has big time raw power, as we saw yesterday. He is also a good athlete and a strong defender. Cruz plays shortstop right now, but with all the young infielders in the system, he is likely to play all over the infield. In the game yesterday, he played second base.
It is clear that Cruz is held in high regard by the organization. When asked about which minor leaguer has impressed him the most, Cruz was Paul Toboni’s answer. With the depth of talent in the Nats system, that tells you a lot.
The other day on the show, we asked Paul Toboni what minor leaguer has impressed most. He named Ronny Cruz.
Cruz just hit a 2-run HR off big league righty JP France. 102 off the bat from the 19-year-old who weighs under 180. Toboni credited Mike Debartolo and last year’s interim…
Cruz is actually an interesting story. He grew up in the Dominican Republic, but after an IFA deal fell through, he moved to the US for his last two years of school. Cruz impressed enough on the field in those two years to be drafted by the Cubs in the third round. That is despite suffering a knee injury in his senior year.
With all of this in mind, it is understandable that Cruz is a bit raw. He has some swing and miss issues, and his swing decisions are not great. However, the raw talent is undeniable. There is also more to dream on once he fills out his frame. That is why the Nats took a flier on him as part of the Michael Soroka deal last deadline.
We have acquired SS Ronny Cruz and OF Christian Franklin from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for RHP Michael Soroka.
They took one safe, lower upside prospect in Christian Franklin and shot for the stars with Cruz. There is a chance that Cruz just does not pan out. His numbers in rookie ball were only average, and his raw power did not translate to games.
However, with all the buzz surrounding him this spring, it is clear that Cruz got a lot better in the offseason. The fact he homered off an experienced arm is a great sign. Cruz is just scratching the surface, but some of his gifts are starting to show.
Seeing guys like him is one of my favorite parts of Spring Training. It gives you a taste of the next generation of players. That home run will stick with me when thinking about Cruz. With guys like Devin Fitz-Gerald, Gavin Fein, Coy James and Eli Willits joining the organization in the last year, Cruz gets a bit overshadowed. However, he has my attention now.
The Nationals have a ridiculous amount of talent in the lower levels on the minor leagues, especially on the infield. Willits, Fien, Fitz-Gerald, Coy James, Marconi German, Luke Dickerson, Angel Feliz and Ronny Cruz are all infielders who are 20 or younger
It will be interesting to see what they do with him this season. With all of these infielders, finding playing time for them could be tough. I think Cruz should start the year in Low-A, but he will have to compete with guys like Fein, Willits, Angel Feliz and potentially Luke Dickerson.
Having all of these mouths to feed forces these guys to be versatile, which could be a good thing in the long run. It also creates healthy competition. If you do not perform, the guy next to you is there to take your spot. There are not going to be enough spots for all of these guys to make it, so only the cream of the crop will rise.
Cruz is behind a lot of these players in the pecking order, but if he continues to perform, he will make it. He has as much raw talent as any of these guys, but he is rough around the edges. If he can refine his game, Mike DeBartolo may have found a diamond in the rough in his only trade deadline as an MLB GM.
With 17 days left until the Mets open the regular season against the Pirates at Citi Field, president of baseball operations David Stearnsis -- unsurprisingly -- not yet prepared to make definitive statements about which players will win the roster battles.
That includesCarson Benge, who has impressed on both sides of the ball as he looks to win the starting right field job.
"I think Carson is having a nice camp, similar to all of our guys," Stearns said Monday during his regular middle of spring training news conference. "He's worked really hard. I think we've had a really work-intensive camp, across the field, and Carson has participated in that.
"In the games, we've seen what we would've expected. He's taken very competitive at-bats. He's a tough out. I think he's played a nice right field. So, he's done what we would expect him to do. We think he's gonna be a really good player, and we'll have a difficult decision as we get toward the end of camp."
Benge, who has spent most of his time in right field and who gets the start in center field for Monday night's game against the Marlins, is coming off a strong game.
He had two hits in three at-bats against the Yankees on Sunday, and made a hard out his final time up.
Benge is hitting .350 with a .381 OBP and .731 OPS in Grapefruit League play -- a stat line that doesn't include the opposite field home run he hit last week against Team Israel.
Since going 0-for-5 in his first two spring training games, Benge has reached base seven times in his last 15 at-bats spanning five games. He has also stolen two bases during that span.
Benge has impressed in right field, showing good range and putting his plus arm on display.
Feb 27, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (93) makes a diving catch to retire St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Nelson Velázquez (not pictured) during the second inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. / Sam Navarro - Imagn Images
In addition to Benge, the competition for the right field job includes Mike Tauchman, MJ Melendez, Tyrone Taylor, and Brett Baty.
Melendez is on a split contract and can be sent to the minors without the Mets running the risk of losing him on waivers.
As far as Taylor, he is guaranteed a spot on the bench if healthy, and is best suited as a fourth outfielder.
When it comes to Baty, he could get plenty of at-bats at designated hitter and first base.
That means the right field job could possibly come down to Benge and Tauchman.
One thing to keep an eye on:
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said earlier Monday that the team hadn't decided yet whether they'll need a backup shortstop on the roster.
If New York opts to not carry a backup shortstop, it could theoretically pave the way for Tauchman to be on the bench with Benge the starter in right.
No matter what, Stearns expects Benge to make a big league impact this season.
"I expect him to contribute to our team this year," Stearns noted. "There's no question about that. I think the way he has developed throughout his professional career indicates that he's reaching that level. Whether that's on Opening Day or not, I don't know."
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 12: Houston shortstop Carlos Correa (1) embraces left fielder Zach Cole (16) after he hit a two-run home run on the first pitch in his MLB debut during the MLB game between the Houston Astros and the Atlanta Braves on September 12th, 2025 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
There’s some interesting decisions that have to be made. Where could the Astros be leaning as of today?
Now, Arrighetti hasn’t been sharp, and his velocity hasn’t been consistent. He’s also only pitched twice, so there’s time.
Weiss went 2.1 IP in his first appearance. He’s also coming off a year where he threw over 170 IP and that durability/reliability should matter. Weiss went 3 innings today in his second appearance of the spring, allowing 1 run on 2 hits, walked 1 and struck out 6. By performance, he should be in the rotation, but we know there’s more to it than that. He will be on the roster in some fashion.
Jury is still out on Lance McCullers Jr. He’s only pitched one time, and he threw all of 8 pitches. The good news was that his velocity was significantly up from last year on his fastball/sinker. It’s the difference between him being a major leaguer or not.
The bad news is he’s only pitched once, and threw all of 8 pitches. Astros are understandably being cautious with Lance considering his injury history, and he has thrown a simulated game for 2 innings, the details of which are not public outside of the fact he threw “about 40 pitches”. That happened March 4, so 5 days ago.
McCullers gets the start tomorrow against Baltimore in an outing that could very much determine his future going forward with the Astros.
A strong outing could put him into a rotation slot, likely bumping Ryan Weiss to the pen even though Arrighetti hasn’t performed well as yet. A tough outing could have the team reevaluating his timeline and his role. Whether or not McCullers can maintain velocity inning to inning is a very big question that needs to be answered.
Considering Lance threw 40 pitches in a simulated game 5 days ago, I would expect he’s looking at something between 50-60 pitches tomorrow.
Now the bullpen:
CL Josh Hader (likely IL)
SU Bryan Abreu
LHP Bryan King
LHP Bennett Sousa
LHP Steven Okert
RHP AJ Blubaugh
RHP Ryan Weiss
RHP Roddery Munoz (last spot if Hader on IL)
The final two spots in the bullpen are the ‘flex spots’. I have included Weiss here as well as the rotation because what happens with McCullers directly impacts Weiss.
With the Astros employing a 6-man rotation, they will need a couple of pitchers who can go multiple innings, which Blubaugh and Weiss can certainly do. Having a short pen and trying to protect Hader and Abreu from multi-inning appearances will require having guys who can go multiple innings all season.
Sam Carlson and Kai-Wei Teng have impressed in camp, but the Astros selected Munoz in the Rule 5 draft and like his power stuff. After a rough start to Spring Training, Munoz has settled in and shown that power stuff racking up 7K in 4 inning. Since the team has to keep Munoz on the roster all season or offer him back to his original team, if Munoz continues to pitch well I think that situation gives him a leg up in being the last man in the pen with Hader sidelined.
Peter Lambert has also impressed in camp, and threw 3 shutout innings today, allowing 2 hits with 2 BB and 3K. He has worked himself into the conversation as a non-roster invitee.
Josh Hader’s situation is still the most tenuous of any Astros player. Hader is one of the most irreplaceable players on the roster, and he is still only throwing bullpens after being shut down last year with a shoulder capsule injury and then biceps tendinitis he developed before Spring Training. Presuming the bullpen session goes well, Hader will throw live BP Friday.
At this current progression, it’s possible Hader doesn’t return to the roster until after April 15, perhaps closer to May 1 to sharpen his stuff and command after the offseason setback.
It’s clear Astros don’t like/trust Cesar Salazar to handle regular backup catching duties, nor do they think he’s capable of being an everyday player if Yainer were to be down for any length of time. They bring back Vazquez for his defense, preparation and leadership. Vazquez can’t hit a lick anymore, but Houston values his veteran leadership presence.
Walker Janek, who has torn it up in spring, still needs another year of minor league ball. He hasn’t played above high A ball. He is expected to start the season at Double-A Corpus Christi, but could be promoted to Triple-A Sugar Land with a strong first half.
IF: Christian Walker, Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena, Carlos Correa, Isaac Paredes, Nick Allen
The first 5 of these players, barring a trade, are going to play a significant amount of time – meaning full time to very close to full time starter reps. How the Astros manage this is debatable, but they will all play the overwhelming majority of games. Allen is the backup SS/defensive replacement.
Yordan is expected to primarily DH, but how much time does he actually get in LF is still to be determined. If he played twice a week in LF, that would be 52 games. That doesn’t seem unreasonable. Three times per week would be 78 games, which would be a new career high and seems unlikely (at least for now).
Cole is a power LH bat with a cannon arm, and the team reacquired Loperfido because they like the adjustments he’s made to his swing and think it will make him more consistent. They always liked Loperfido’s defense.
Cam was the prize oft he Tucker trade and they expect him to take a big step forward this season, but they have the depth if he doesn’t. Meyers will play CF as long as he is an Astro.
Taylor Trammell has really played well this spring. Team loves his grit and hustle, he is a terrific defensive player as well. Trammell has always had the tools to be successful but he’s never hit at the MLB level. With Cam and Jake entrenched as the right handed OFs, there’s just no room for Trammell right now.
Shay Whitcomb and Zach Dezenzo are both playing in the WBC. Whitcomb went 2×4 for Team Korea with 2 HR in a start at 3B, and had a pinch hit double in today’s win over Australia. Dezenzo went 1×3 with a double for Team Italy in a start in RF. He also walked and scored twice.
However, both being right handed bats, neither seems to have a role on the current roster as neither can play SS at the MLB level, and the Astros have corner infield spots covered between Correa, Walker and Paredes. Both could be call ups during the season as injury replacements.
Best projected lineup:
Pena – SS
Alvarez – LF
Altuve – 2B
Correa – 3B
Paredes – DH
Walker – 1B
Diaz – C
Smith/Cole -RF (Smith vs LHP, Cole vs RHP)
Meyers – CF
Paredes has only had a handful of innings at 2B this spring, so whether or not the Astros are comfortable with him at 2B is yet to be determined. However if they are, it would make more sense to DH Altuve, who posted his best offensive numbers last season while DHing. This lineup actually projects to be pretty good.
Now best projected lineup doesn’t equate to most likely projected lineup, as we know Yordan will not play LF often.
Here is what a Yordan at DH lineup looks like:
Pena – SS
Yordan – DH
Altuve – 2B
Correa – 3B
Paredes/Walker – 1B
Diaz – C
Cole – LF
Smith – RF
Meyers – CF
This is still a solid lineup that should produce.
I also think that on days when Paredes spells Altuve or Correa, Paredes should slot into that player’s spot in the lineup and not change the entire lineup as a result. Espada is the King of Lineup Variations, but with a steadier reason for variations instead of playing injury mix-and-match, it may become more uniform in that regard.
Here is a maxed out lefthanded hitting lineup for Astros:
Pena – SS
Yordan – LF
Altuve – 2B
Correa – 3B
Paredes – DH
Cole – CF
Walker – 1B
Loperfido – RF
Diaz – C
or Yordan at DH:
Pena – SS
Yordan – DH
Altuve – 2B
Correa – 3B
Paredes/Walker – 1B
Cole – LF
Diaz – C
Loperfido – RF
Meyers – CF
Lineup Recap:
Regulars: Diaz, Walker, Paredes, Altuve, Pena, Correa, Yordan, Meyers, Smith
Bench: Cole, Loperfido, Allen, Vazquez
This team has a lot more depth than it had last season, and along with better health (how could it be worse than last year?) it should translate to more wins.
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By the end of the night, one Pool B team at the World Baseball Classic will have their unbeaten record snapped.
Both Team USA and Mexico are entering tonight’s matchup 2-0 in pool stage play, but either teams’ hopes of winning the pool wouldn’t be dashed with a loss tonight, as each team is scheduled to play the also-unbeaten Italy over the next two days. A win against Italy would go a long way in determining quarterfinal placement.
USA and Mexico’s baseball rivalry goes back four World Baseball Classics; in 2006, the United States beat Mexico in their first-ever matchup, but Mexico won the next three, including an 11-5 victory in the 2023 WBC.
2026 world baseball classic: what to know
Who: Team USA vs. Team Mexico
When: March 9, 8 p.m. ET
Where: Daikin Park (Houston, Texas)
Channel: FOX
Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)
Mexico is coming off a huge 16-0 win over Brazil — marking the third-largest margin of victory in any World Baseball Classic. The game ended with a walk-off home run that pulled Mexico past the 15-run threshold to end the game in the sixth inning.
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World Baseball Classic 2026: Team USA roster
Pitchers: David Bednar (Yankees), Matthew Boyd (Cubs), Garrett Cleavinger (Rays), Clay Holmes (Mets), Griffin Jax (Rays), Brad Keller (Phillies), Clayton Kershaw, Nolan McLean (Mets), Mason Miller (Padres), Joe Ryan (Twins), Paul Skenes (Pirates), Tarik Skubal (Tigers), Gabe Speier (Mariners), Michael Wacha (Royals), Logan Webb (Giants), Garrett Whitlock (Red Sox)
Catchers: Cal Raleigh (Mariners), Will Smith (Dodgers)
Infielders: Alex Bregman (Cubs), Ernie Clement (Blue Jays), Paul Goldschmidt (Yankees), Bryce Harper (Phillies), Gunnar Henderson (Orioles), Brice Turang (Brewers), Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals)
Outfielders: Roman Anthony (Red Sox), Byron Buxton (Twins), Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs), Aaron Judge (Yankees)
This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
