Category: Baseball

Baseball is finally back as Spring Training has just begun this week and teams are reporting in to lay the groundwork for the upcoming season. In a lot of ways this is a new look Pittsburgh Pirates team on many levels. Even with the new look however I fear there may be some factors that would cause fans to tune out long before the All-Star break.

Poor team defense hampering the pitching rotation

The heart and soul of the Pirates is the pitching staff. The rotation of Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft and Jared Jones (eventually) is going to be what elevates this team in the win department. Pittsburgh’s offense was putrid last year, but luckily the organization has added plenty of pieces to help their lineup and offer some more run support for their pitching core.

The downside of adding to this offense is that the Pirates were not able to address any major defensive concerns. Since the Ke’Bryan Hayes trade there has not been another third baseman acquired by the club, leaving that spot to likely be played by Jared Triolo. However, there’s a chance that Triolo will have to play shortstop if phenom Konnor Griffin is not deemed ready for the majors following Spring Training, leaving a question mark at third if that’s the case. The outfield needed some depth added and the Pirates just didn’t sign anyone that moves the needle defensively.

Will Oneil Cruz put it all together in 2026? #MLBNHotStovepic.twitter.com/Fan5nQCceL

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 6, 2026

Last season the great pitching rotation that the Pirates had was hampered by the lack of offensive output, and regularly lost close games because of the lack of runs. It will be a disaster if all the Pirates did this offseason is flip the equation on its head and causes the pitching staff to again be hampered by a lineup that doesn’t make the required plays to keep opposing runs in check. ESPN projected that the Pirates will win 80 games in 2026, citing that the team defense will hold this club back from reaching its full potential.

A lack of Konnor Griffin

An argument could be made that Konnor Griffin is the most exciting prospect for the Pirates since Barry Bonds. In his lone season of professional baseball he absolutely crushed it in the minor leagues and at just 19-years-old is in a position to be on Pittsburgh’s opening day roster.

Now if Griffin is not a part of the Pirates immediately following Spring Training, it’s not the end of the world. The organization notably did not elevate Paul Skenes past triple-a until May 11 his rookie year. Sometimes it’s just about seeing how a player adapts to the next level and giving them time to adjust. However, if the Pirates give Griffin the Bubba Chandler treatment I will stop tuning in.

Pirates reporter @KevinGormanPGH of the Trib from Bradenton:

"I think Konnor Griffin is the starting shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day"

!!! pic.twitter.com/Ah0m7NwgBJ

— Austin Bechtold (@AustinRBechtold) February 13, 2026

Chandler was infamously not called up until August 22 last season. The top pitching prospect in baseball was stuck in triple-a for most of the year and when he was called up the Pirates were already way out of the playoff race and were obviously not in a position to compete. I understand the idea of maintaining team control as long as possible and earning that extra year of control over a player’s career, but when there is a generational star sulking in the minor leagues it shows that the organization is not serious about winning. Griffin is the real deal, and if he’s not on the Pirates before June 1 I’ll have lost my patience.

Same old same old

For the first time in franchise history, the Pirates are projected to have a payroll over $100 million with FanGraphs projected the team to have a payroll of $105 million. This still puts the team well in the bottom half of the league of total payroll. While the teams with the highest payroll doesn’t always win the World Series, it does at the very least show that the organizations at the top are willing to do whatever it takes to win.

Because of the questionable team culture from previous seasons, the Pirates missed out on marquee free agents like Kyle Schwarber and Eugenio Suarez. Even if the Pirates were willing to pay top dollar, they weren’t going to get top dollar talent because of the preconceived notions surrounding ownership. The same owner that traded away Andrew McCutchen in 2018. The same owner that did not build upon the core of the team that brought the Pirates back to the postseason after 20 straight losing seasons. The same owner that covered up Roberto Clemente’s number with a drink ad. The one constant in this recent history of the Pirates is Bob Nutting, who will be public enemy number one as long as he sits atop his ivory tower as the owner of Pittsburgh’s ball club.

I want to believe in this new era of Pirates’ baseball with Don Kelly at the helm, but having a general manager as average as Ben Cherington and an owner like Nutting makes me fear that nothing has really changed. Groundhog Day just passed, and there’s a real possibility that we will witness the same Pirates’s season that we’ve seen year after year now since the last postseason appearance 2015. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting a different result. I’m already insane enough during the Steelers’ season, and I refuse to be driven insane during the Pirates’ season too.

Bob Nutting has been selling Pirates fans on the same story for almost two decades now pic.twitter.com/uLjcjKpQtU

— Pittsburgh Sports Memories (@PittsburghSpo18) February 12, 2026

What do yinz think? Will there be anything that will make you check out from watching the Pirates early on or will you be around for the full 162 games? Let us know in the comments!

Alex Vesia threw a bullpen session as did many other Dodgers pitchers on the first official day of workouts at Camelback Ranch in Arizona. Then the veteran left-hander spoke to reporters en masse for the first time since the death of his newborn daughter Sterling in October.

Vesia read a prepared statement for six minutes on Friday, the transcript of which you can read here from Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic and can watch the video here courtesy of SportsNet LA.

Alex Vesia speaks publicly for the first time since October, sharing a heartfelt message and encouraging others facing loss to seek help. 💙

“For those out there who have lost a child or are fighting through any struggle… please seek help. Talk to somebody.” pic.twitter.com/8yC9fdmT37

— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) February 13, 2026

“I was not prepared to not bring my baby girl home, but we’re carrying her with us every day,” Vesia said Friday. “It’s been hard, but we’re doing okay.”

“I know his teammates are excited to have him back,” manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Friday. “Our hearts went out to him and Kayla. You don’t wish that on anyone.”

More on Vesia from Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register and from Jack Harris of The California Post.

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Max Muncy’s contract extension signed Thursday has him under contract with the Dodgers through his age-36 season and, if the 2028 club option is exercised, at age 37 as well. He talked to Rowan Kavner at Fox Sports on Friday about staying in Los Angeles.

“I like to be loyal and my relationships mean a lot. I’ve created such a relationship with the staff, the front office, the coaches, the medical and training staff, the clubhouse guys,” Muncy said. I just don’t want to create that somewhere else. Being here for my entire career at this point would mean the world to me, and this gives me the chance to do that.“

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One day after getting traded to the Twins, Anthony Banda penned a thank you to Los Angeles on Instagram for his two years in the Dodgers, thanking the city, his teammates, coaches, and fans.

“The last two seasons changed my career,” Banda wrote. “I’ll always be grateful for my time in LA. This chapter meant a lot to me.”

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The Tulsa Drillers, the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate, unveiled a new alternate uniform for this season, with an oil derrick on the cap and honoring Route 66 on the jersey. From the press release: “A reflection of the infamous Route 66 neons, the blue outline imitates the familiar glow.”

Introducing our Tulsa Connects, where Drillers baseball meets the legacy of Route 66 in its Centennial year. pic.twitter.com/b2E6renBpO

— Tulsa Drillers (@TulsaDrillers) February 13, 2026

We all know Jose Ramirez is the greatest of all-time – but who is your next favorite player on the Guardians?

This is not a question asking you who is next BEST. But, instead, whom does your heart prefer? Who do you like rooting for? Which player matches your personal preferences?

We will have another question about Jose in specific, but for this time, let us know who is your guy outside of Jose.

Let us know why you like that player and help us enjoy their presence on our favorite team in the comments below.

Scottsdale, Ariz. – Ryan Feltner had a forgettable 2025 season.

After a brilliant 2024 campaign, the right-hander made just six starts in 2025 before suffering from back spasms. He went on the 15-day IL on May 2 and was transferred to the 60-day on June 15. He made a few rehab starts in June, but was then optioned to Triple-A on July 4 and never returned to the major league clubhouse. In fact, his injury flared up again in late July, which ended his season. 

But Feltner isn’t letting an injury-plagued 2025 sour his goals for 2026.

“Last year, my body didn’t hold up quite the way I wanted it to,” he said, “but I did a lot of things in the offseason to prepare me for this year. I spent it at Cressey Sports Performance in Jupiter, Florida. It was a good time. I got stronger – that was my main goal. I feel really healthy right now.”

Clearly, a lot has changed since Feltner last set foot in the Rockies clubhouse: Bud Black was fired, and Warren Schaeffer was elevated (and since fully hired) as the manager; Bill Schmidt resigned as general manager and replaced by Josh Byrnes and Paul DePodesta; the entire coaching staff is new; and the whole vibe of the clubhouse is different. 

“I’m super excited (for Schaeffer),” Feltner said.

“I had him in Triple-A as my manager, and I’ve always had great respect for him. I think he’s doing a great job, and he’s already started to move things in the right direction. (And we’d) kept in touch over the offseason and things like that. I’ve known him for a while, so it definitely feels like a positive environment around here right now.”

And as far as the pitching coaches go, Feltner has hit the ground running when he arrived in Arizona.

“I’ve worked closely with the pitching guys for about three weeks now, just being here early, and they were all around,” he said.

“I think they’re excited because I have a very diverse arsenal. I have a lot of pitches that I can throw, and so I think if I’m given the right pitch grip or the right cue or whatever it is, I’m able to throw any pitch.

“We’re kind of shaping my arsenal,” he continued. “It’s going to look very similar, but we’re going to do little tweaks that, I think, shift things in the right direction. So there might be a new pitch coming along. And they’ve been super helpful, even with the mental side as well, just giving me the confidence to be in the zone a lot and attack it.”

Feltner then revealed that he has been working on a cutter. 

“I have a fastball. I have a two-seamer. I’ve always had a short slider, which has also doubled as a cutter to lefties,” he listed, “but there might be a designated cutter. We’re still working on it, but it’s still in the process.”

Something new pitching coach Alon Leichman likes to do is call pitches from the dugout, which has been intriguing to much of the baseball world – players and fans alike. Feltner hasn’t experienced it before, but offered his thoughts.

“I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I think the times when I’ve pitched the best are when I’ve really leaned into what the catcher is calling,” he said. 

“It doesn’t matter to me where the pitch call comes from. I think [Leichman] has a lot of good information that he can go off of, and if he wants to call the pitches when I’m pitching, I would love that. I think for me, it clears up a lot of mental space. It’s just another thing that I don’t have to deal with, and I can just focus on pitching.”

It’s still early in the season, but Feltner is already feeling a new vibe in the clubhouse as they head into 2026.

“I think [I’m most excited for] the new culture around here,” he said. “I think there’s new energy. You walk through the hallways and there’s music playing. I think it’s a little more relaxed, and I think guys are going to have a lot more fun.”

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To Read (Rockpiles)

• Monday (Guest): A Quick Fix for Rockies Starting Pitching: Ditch the Four-Seamers | HC Werner
• Tuesday: The Colorado Rockies and “optionality” | Renee Dechert
• Wednesday (Guest): How the Colorado Rockies can follow the rebuild of another Colorado team | Evan Liu
• Thursday: ‘Super exciting’ new Rockies chapter starts today in spring training | Joelle Milholm
• Friday: Tomoyuki Sugano is ready to bring leadership and experience to the Rockies rotation | Sam Bradfield

To Read (PuRPs)

Full Stream

• No. 14, Roc Riggio
• No. 13, Sterlin Thompson
• No. 12, Gabriel Hughes
• No. 11, Roldy Brito
• No. 10, Griffin Herring

To Read (Other)

• Staff Feature: The Rockies at the 2026 World Baseball Classic | Evan Lang
• Roster News: Rockies sign RHP Tomoyuki Sugano | Evan Lang
• Roster News: According to reports, Colorado Rockies to sign Jose Quintana | Renee Dechert
• Staff Feature: 2026 spring training storylines to watch for pitchers and catchers | Skyler Timmins
• Other News: Colorado Rockies announce 2026 spring training broadcast schedule | Skyler Timmins

Weekend Discussion Topics

Which signing are you more intrigued by — Michael Lorenzen, Tomoyuki Sugano or Jose Quintana? What do you think the starting rotation will look like now? Let us know in the comments!

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Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Good morning baseball fans!

As we approach Spring Training and the beginning of the season, we’re going to be doing some questions for y’all about your thoughts about the San Francisco Giants and baseball in general!

Today’s question: What are your 2026 predictions that you will stand by all season?

I am not great at making predictions. My predictions tend to be more about what I want to see, not necessarily what I think will actually happen. So I’ll try to make one of each.

In terms of what I would like to see happen this season, I predict Jung Hoo Lee will have an absolutely standout season and make the All Star team. I don’t know if that will actually happen, but it is the prediction I would like to see happen so I’m going with it.

In terms of what I think is likely to happen, I’m predicting that the team will have a below .500 season. I think the fact that they ended last year at exactly .500 was mostly due to having an unexpectedly strong start to the year that fizzled out before the All Star break. I don’t know that that will repeat, and I don’t think this team is meaningfully better than the 2025 team, so I think even .500 might be out of reach. But I hope to be wrong!

What are your 2026 prediction that you will stand by all season?

It’s official: the robot overlords have made it to the major leagues. Back in September, MLB announced that the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system would be in place for the 2026 season. More recently, they’ve confirmed this change and provided more clarity to the challenge process and the strike zone itself. The full list of rules and regulations around this can be found here; what follows is a summary of the most important aspects.

Fans of minor league baseball should be familiar with the ABS challenge system. In recent years, MLB has used its affiliates as testing grounds for procedural changes like the pitch clock and the extra innings “ghost runner” before implementing them in the major leagues. They’ve done the same with ABS and challenges, which have been used in the minor leagues in since 2022. The system started gaining more traction lately and was demoed in spring training last year. Now, it will be implemented in full for the 2026 MLB season.

It’s important to note that the ABS and challenge process will not be replacing umpires in full, although this technology is capable of doing so under future rules changes. Instead, the challenge system acts as a corrective process. Umpires call the game as usual, and if a player disagrees, they initiate a challenge. The rules surrounding the challenge process are quite interesting, in a legalese kind of way.

How challenges work

The first main rule is that only three people are ever allowed to challenge a pitch: the batter, catcher, and pitcher. No defender can initiate a challenge and neither can managers or coaches. Additionally, the player must initiate the challenge immediately and cannot receive any signal from a non-eligible player or coach before initiating. In fact, if the umpire suspects the initiating player received any external aid, he can reject the challenge.

The second major rule is that teams are allowed a finite number of challenges, in theory. Teams are allotted 2 challenges for a 9-inning ballgame, and an unsuccessful challenge (where the umpire’s call is confirmed) is lost. This does mean, however, that a successful challenge is retained, meaning an infinite number of correct challenges is theoretically possible. This is meant to encourage players to only challenge in situations where the call is either obviously wrong or so important that it’s worth risking a lost challenge for a slight chance of overturning the call. It will be interesting to see how that balances out. At the Triple-A level, many teams have instructed their players only to challenge in higher leverage situatioons so as not to potentially waste their challenges. Major league hitters may be allowed more leeway.

Furthermore, extra innings throw an extra wrinkle into the operation. If, at the end of 9 innings, a team has used and lost both of their challenges, they will be granted one bonus challenge for the 10th inning. If the team loses their bonus challenge and the game continues to the 11th inning, they will receive another bonus challenge, but they cannot stockpile bonus challenges. This means every team starts every inning after the 9th with at least one challenge. If the team saved both challenges from the original 9 innings, they’d keep both challenges into extras but couldn’t earn a bonus challenge until losing both of the originals. So, functionally, there’s no limit once you hit extra innings.

The rules include a handful of other procedures that are supposed to be exhaustive, but something will inevitably come up that isn’t strictly covered here. Teams are required to show how many challenges are left on the scoreboard, both the scoreboard and the broadcast will display a graphic showing the path of any challenged pitch with the strike zone overlaid, and if there happens to be a technical glitch, the challenge system can simply be prohibited until everything’s working again. It’s worth noting that ABS and challenges will be active in every MLB stadium and thus will be used for the playoffs, but not promotional games like the Field of Dreams game or the Mexico City games. The Tigers aren’t scheduled for any of those games, but it’s good to know.

What is the Automated Ball-Strike zone?

ABS itself is going to take some getting used to, for players and umpires as well as fans. The measurements for the automated strike zone are different than the zone that umpires are currently enforcing in a few ways.

For starters, the ABS zone is defined as a two-dimensional cross section down the middle of home plate, instead of a three-dimensional space like umpires call. The ABS zone is also slightly smaller. The top and bottom of the zone will be player-specific based on pre-season measurements. The lower limit is 27% of a player’s height and the upper limit is 53.5% of their height, standing straight up, without cleats. No more “knees to chest” or anything like that. Previously, umpires were instructed to call a zone that ranged from 24.2% to 55.6% of a player’s height, which is quite a bit larger than the ABS zone. The slightly more compact zone, customized to each players’ dimensions should lead to an adjustment period for veteran players and umpires.

It’s also very different than The Box we see on broadcasts. Almost every broadcast has a strike zone overlaid near home plate, but like the yellow first down marker, it’s just an approximation. Unless the producers adjust, this will be even more true now. The Box is set at the front of the zone and is widely understood to be a one-size-fits-all zone used for every player. Whether that’s updated likely depends on the specific broadcast.

This visualization of the called strike heat map compared to the current strike zone box gives you a pretty good idea how umpire accuracy has improved over the last 15 years. Essentially the middle of the zone used to be quite a bit wider than it should be, though the corners are still not called with much accuracy.

Personally, I’m glad to see the challenge system come to the major leagues. Umpires are quite accurate, having improved significantly with game by game feedback on their accuracy over the past decade. I’d hate to remove them entirely, but they’re still human, and even just sneezing at the wrong time can ruin a call. The actual amount of challenges may be lower than you’d expect. However, if teams do as expected and save them for high leverage scenarios and the late innings, their impact on game outcomes may be fairly signficant. It’s going to take some getting used to, as called strikeouts in big spots in a game will see outsized use of the challenges. No doubt teams are furiously strategizing on how to instruct their players to use them judiciously to maximum effect.

There's no doubt that at least one club MUST be looking at this chart (or better, one that includes the inning/score) to strategize ABS Challenges

The question is how many clubs have dedicated at least one researcher spending at least two weeks doing so?https://t.co/pq18aq4utzpic.twitter.com/NIE5ttGy9z

— Tangotiger 🍁 (@tangotiger) February 14, 2026

The ABS challenge setup should eliminate those obvious mistakes without fundamentally changing how the game is played, and I think that’s a strong positive. Umpires will also be allowed to request in-game feedback from the ABS system to judge how well they’re calling the game. That type of feedback has already increased their accuracy in recent years.

How well it’s implemented won’t be known for a while, but the majority of players seem on board. I expect young players exposed to the system at the Triple-A level to have far more initial success than a veteran seeing this zone for the first time. The system has been tested at both the Single-A and Triple-A levels for several years now and will be active in Grapefruit League play again, so it shouldn’t take too long for everyone to adapt.

The conclusion to the 2025 MLB season wasn’t a particularly satisfactory one for Yankee fans, falling well short of the previous campaign in which they made it all the way to the Fall Classic, this time losing to a division rival in the ALDS—the same rival that stole the AL East crown from right under this team’s nose. In the middle of dropping that best-of-five series against Toronto, the Yankees saw their biggest free agent acquisition of the previous offseason absolutely implode on the road—Max Fried could not handle the Blue Jays in Game 2, one the Yankees desperately needed to win after getting their doors blown off in Game 1.

Postseason narratives are particularly sticky with top-level starting pitchers; we’ve already seen Max Fried talk in advance of the upcoming season about using that moment as fuel to motivate a strong sophomore campaign. As much as we might support using such motivation, it’s important to turn the page and, in particular, avoid singling out Fried as one of the primary reasons why the Yankees lost that series.

Without even getting into Fried’s previous (excellent) postseason outing against the Red Sox and the outstanding work he did during the season, the Yankees gave ample evidence before and after that Game 2 that their list of problems was longer than Fried’s struggles. Sure, it’s possible that had Fried been at the top of his game, the Yankees would’ve gone through. However, when you look at the path of each of those four games, the Blue Jays beat the Yankees handsomely in each of their three wins, while New York had to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat to secure their only win. All seven runs the Yankees scored in a Game 2 loss, the one Fried was involved in, came during garbage time innings. It’s not as simple as pointing out that New York only needed a decent outing to compete in that game.

If you take even a small step back, the idea of there being a question mark about Fried’s abilities in the postseason with the Yankees sounds ludicrous when you account for his performance against Boston. Facing Garrett Crochet in Game 1 of the Wild Card round, Fried outdueled his opponent with 6.1 scoreless innings, only for the bullpen to immediately cough up the lead in what turned out to be a loss. The Yankees obviously came back to win that series, and Cam Schllitler got his moment in the spotlight, which is beyond the point—in a pressure-packed moment against the Red Sox in the playoffs, Fried not only did his job but was able to dominate.

Projecting future postseason performances, when the Yankees inevitably count on Fried again—regardless of how the rest of that playoff rotation looks—the confidence level in giving the ball to him will be as high as it was coming into last season. Yes, his numbers with the Braves in the postseason didn’t instill a great deal of confidence, but that wasn’t a concern when he signed. Furthermore, it’s not like he didn’t have his moments, including tossing six scoreless innings at Minute Maid Park to win Game 6 of the World Series, thus clinching the Braves’ first title in the 21st century.

It’s important to head off these narratives, since they can be sticky. One game shouldn’t outweigh a full season of superlative performance (which came under immense pressure after Gerrit Cole went down), especially when a good game from Fried against the Blue Jays would’ve been far from enough to ensure a game and series win. It’s good that Fried is using the postseason as fuel, but it’s just as good to remember that he wasn’t singularly at fault last fall.

PHOENIX –– Dodgers reliever Brock Stewart described the shoulder surgery that ended his 2025 season last September as a “pretty straightforward procedure.”

But then, while speaking to The California Post on Friday at Camelback Ranch, the right-hander actually explained all that team surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache did to try to remedy his chronic shoulder problems.

“Shaved up a bone spur, kind of took out part of my clavicle, took out the bursa,” Stewart said nonchalantly, hopeful that the rather gory specifics of the operation will finally lead to better health moving forward.

“It just essentially gave me way more room for the head of my humerus to rotate,” Stewart added. “Feels much better. I can tell inherently it’s very much cleaned up. The throw feels good.”

Stewart doesn’t relish the fact he can rattle off such intricate medical details so fluently. He’d rather not be missing his bursa (a fluid sac that is supposed to protect shoulder tendons) and part of his clavicle (aka, his collarbone).

But over a roller-coaster professional career –– which originally began a decade ago as a depth starter with the Dodgers, plummeted to the nadir of independent league ball in 2020 and has since seen him reinvent himself as a high-leverage reliever whom the Dodgers reacquired at last year’s trade deadline –– recurring shoulder problems have left him little other choice.

If it helps pitch pain-free now, so be it.

“I’ve pitched in 13 professional seasons, and it seems like half of those seasons I’ve dealt with something in my shoulder,” he said. “So, it is what it is. Hopefully, this took care of those chronic issues.”

Indeed, Stewart is seeking a new beginning this year.

When the Dodgers traded for him last July, the hope was that he would be able to stabilize the club’s struggling bullpen. Despite having a shoulder scope procedure in 2024, he had returned as one of the better right-on-right relievers in the majors over the first half of 2025, posting a 2.38 ERA in 39 outings with the Twins.

But after just four outings with the Dodgers, Stewart’s shoulder flared up on him again, making every throw feel “like a knife was stabbing me.”

He missed the rest of the year, watching from afar as the Dodgers went on to win the World Series without him.

“Last year sucked, you know, mental warfare,” he said. “The team traded for me, and then I get over here, and I didn’t really help out, especially in the postseason.”

This time, Stewart is hoping to be a key part of the team’s three-peat pursuit.

Though he likely won’t be ready for Opening Day, beginning the spring behind most other Dodgers pitchers as he slowly ramps up and completes his recovery process, he is confident that “I’ll be able to pitch for the majority of the season.”

He said he began a throwing progression at the start of December. He has knocked off many of the “cobwebs” that came with his latest surgical rehab (he also had Tommy John in 2021). And already, he is touching 90 mph in long toss, putting him on track to throw off a mound again within the next two weeks.

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“I think I’m on a good schedule. ElAttrache, talked to him yesterday and he was happy with where I’m at,” he said. “I feel like I can be loose, whippy (with my throws). It just feels clean working through all those ranges.”

The Dodgers won’t count on Stewart the same way they planned to last year. This winter, they signed new closer Edwin Díaz to anchor the back end of their relief corps. They are also banking on fellow right-hander Blake Treinen to have a bounce-back campaign and Brusdar Graterol to make a strong return from his own shoulder surgery (one that sidelined Graterol for all of last season).

Still, Stewart figures to be important. If he returns quickly enough, he would provide right-handed depth while Evan Phillips works his way back from Tommy John surgery. And if more injuries pop up over the course of the year –– as they likely will for a Dodgers pitching staff coming off two extended postseason runs –– his presence would give the club some veteran stability.

“To be part of a team that’s going for a three-peat and hopefully help them out a lot, couldn’t be more excited,” Stewart said. “Hopefully when I look up at the end of the season, I’ll be able to say that I did help out a lot. Hopefully, I’ll be able to hold up the World Series trophy for a three-peat.”

Good morning Birdland,

The Winter Olympics do not have the same appeal as the Summer Games. While nearly all of us can relate to the athletes running, swimming, jumping, and playing various ball sports in the sweltering heat of the summer, far fewer can sympathize with the snow-focused events that required a whole lot more time, gear, and resources than you had as a kid. I don’t know anyone that cross country skis. But everyone raced their friends, or has played some games of pick-up at recess.

That said, I have been enjoying the Winter Games! It’s nice to have some sort of sport to check out throughout the day. I don’t necessarily understand it all, but high-level competition is fun, and it’s filling a gap in the sports schedule that is often devoid of much else. Give me an international curling tournament every February! Maybe they already do that. I will have to check.

Anyway, the point of all of this is to say that baseball’s time to shine is nearly here. This weekend will see anyone that isn’t already in Orioles camp roll in ahead of the first full-squad workout on Monday. The first game of the Grapefruit League season takes place on Friday. Baseball is in the air.

You can tell by the pure volume of links down below that people are getting excited. There are genuinely interesting things to read about the Orioles all over the internet. The time for offseason hypothesizing and projecting is over. The players will be on the field (and then on our TVs and radios) very, very soon.

The final nail in that offseason coffin came on Friday, when the Orioles confirmed their deal with Chris Bassitt. Any lingering hopes for adding an “ace” were officially dashed, although that probably happened in truth quite a while ago. It will be up to the arms they have in-house to carry them through the early part of the season. If the team puts itself in a good enough position come July, they might be back in the trade market for an upgrade.

But let’s get through the spring healthy first. That has already proven difficult for certain parts of the 2026 roster.

Links

Another look at center field, Kjerstad’s long home run and other live batting practice nuggets on Day 3 of Orioles camp | Roch Kubatko
Roch runs through a bunch of outfielders in this one. It sounds like Colton Cowser is the center fielder. That is not a shock to anyone at this point, but it wasn’t always obvious throughout the offseason. Heston Kjerstad is looking strong, which is great news. It’s tough to see a path to playing time for him with the Orioles, but it’s possible. If it doesn’t happen here, maybe he shows enough in the spring to get back onto radars around the league.

Jordan Westburg’s oblique setback starts another frustrating rehab process | The Baltimore Banner
Thankfully, the Orioles are currently setup well to absorb an injury like this. If Westburg can actually get back to 100% (or close to it) before Opening Day, this won’t be a big deal. But obliques are tricky. They can linger and nag. Even if Westburg is cleared for the opener, the O’s may have to handle him with kid gloves early.

Which teams improved the most this winter? | MLB.com
The Orioles are one of the most improved teams, according to bWAR added this offseason. That does not guarantee anything, particularly not in the AL East, but it is a reflection of the work done this offseason. Hopefully it translates onto the playing field.

The Orioles roster needed a lot of help. Like it or not, the front office has provided it. | The Baltimore Banner
In a similar vein to the above MLB article, this lays how all of the things that the Orioles did accomplish these last few months. There is certainly space to criticize the front office’s moves this offseason, but you can’t say they sat on their hands. It was a busy winter. Now we will see if it all pans out.

MLB offseason grades: From A’s for the Dodgers, Cubs, Mariners and Orioles to a handful of D’s, here’s how each team did this winter | Yahoo! Sports
The Céspedes Family BBQ guys have graded every team’s offseason. The Orioles did well!

Veteran RHP Bassitt agrees to 1-year deal with Orioles | MLB.com
What had been reported earlier in the week was confirmed by the Orioles on Friday evening. Chris Bassitt will bolster a starting staff that feels a whole lot better than it did 12 months ago.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Ryan McKenna turns 29 today. The outfielder spent parts of four seasons with the Orioles, often coming on as a late-inning defensive replacement, or used as a right-handed bat to face left-handed pitching. Across those four years he accrued 0.8 bWAR and a 79 OPS+.

This day in O’s history

1959 – The Orioles purchase first baseman Whitey Lockman from the Giants. Lockman will later be traded to the Cincinnati Redlegs.

The above turned out to be controversial as trolls descended upon Taillon’s X-feed, prompting him to sign off for the season, as he put it.

Lots of spring training interviews via Marquee, making up for lost time, I suppose, since they went almost two weeks without any new material. Here’s the playlist.

I don’t see picking up Nick Castellanos. He isn’t what he was in 2019 when he knocked the ball around Wrigley for part of a season. If he was, he’d still be in Philly. Tyler Austin or even Jonathan Long might be better as an RH DH bat. But people gonna talk, and that’s in the zeitgeist.

Shelby Miller is the newest Cub, as reported by Robert Murray originally. Miles Mikolas has landed in Washington, sources say. Jose Quintana is a Rockie.

“Unfinished business” is in the air. The players are in the best shape of their lives and they’ll all pull together as a team. They have already had their hair cut and are after the jewelry. Real games start in a week.

“The work seems different than years past. I know it’s like a Spring Training cliche, but guys show up and it doesn’t seem as rah-rah exciting. It seems more like, ‘Let’s get to work’ exciting, if that makes sense. It should be an exciting year.” — Jameson Taillon

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): As expectations heighten, so does Jed Hoyer’s need to obsess over every detail. “Yeah, it’s a super-healthy mindset,” Hoyer said with a laugh…
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): ‘There’s unfinished business’: Chicago Cubs open camp with high expectations — and embrace the challenge. “The Chicago Cubs are not shying away from lofty goals.”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Shota brings philosophical approach, renewed focus to important spring. “There will be no shortage of motivation for Imanaga this year.“ More from Maddie Lee* {$}.
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): What we learned at Chicago Cubs camp, including starter Cade Horton having ‘a lot to prove’ in Year 2. “I felt like I ended the year in a good spot and so just being able to to go out there and really hammer down my routine and stay in the process, I think that’s the biggest thing for me.” More Horton from Matthew Trueblood.
• Ken Rosenthal (The Athletic {$}): Cubs camp is barely underway – and Alex Bregman is already making his new teammates better. “He really wants to help guys get better,” Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said. “He’s passionate about it.”
• Randy Holt (North Side Baseball*): Can Miguel Amaya ride a smaller role to long-term gains in 2026? Through no fault of his own, Miguel Amaya was one of the Cubs’ most disappointing stories of 2025.
• Seacoastonline*: Winnacunnet High School alum powers Chicago Cubs with baseball science. “… Gyorda has now been working for the Chicago Cubs for nearly two years.”

Food For Thought:

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series. We will not wittingly publish A. I. – driven articles or clickbait, and insist on unimpeachable sources.

What once appeared to be a settled fifth starter spot for the Atlanta Braves has quickly turned into one of the more intriguing storylines of camp. With Spencer Schwellenbach’s elbow inflammation muddying the picture, Atlanta now has a legitimate spring competition on its hands.

Joey Wentz, Bryce Elder, Hurston Waldrep and José Suarez are all in the mix, giving the Braves options and turning what felt like a formality into some competition as Opening Day nears.

More Braves News:

Alex Anthopoulos spoke to the media about the starting rotation, Ha-Seong Kim, and more. 

There will be 15 televised spring training games in the coming weeks, beginning on February 22.

In the final year of his contract, Chris Sale spoke with the media about his future in Atlanta. 

MLB News:

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed starting pitcher Zac Gallen on a one-year, $22.05M deal. The deal is worth the same qualifying offer that he earlier rejected. 

The Chicago Cubs have agreed to a multi-year deal with right-hander Shelby Miller. He is guaranteed $2.5M over two years.

This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.

Which non-roster invitee are you most excited to see in major league spring training games?

We’re back with another daily question, and today’s question is: How will MLB’s new ABS challenge system change baseball?

After an ongoing conversation that has seemingly lasted for a decade, MLB’s automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system is officially here. The new system, which has been tested in the minor leagues since 2022 and made an appearance in MLB spring training last season, was approved last year to make it to the bigs in 2026.

Widely seen as a happy middle ground between so-called “robot umps” and the current human-run system, the ABS Challenge System monitors the exact location of each pitch, relative to the specific batter’s zone.

A few FAQs on the system, helpfully compiled by MLB:

• How many challenges does each team receive?
  • Each team starts the game with two challenges apiece.
• Do teams get an extra challenge in extra innings?
  • Yes, because teams are initially managing their challenges under the assumption that the game will be nine innings, not longer. If a game goes into extra innings, any team that starts the extra inning out of challenges will get one challenge for the 10th inning. If they exhaust that challenge, they will then get another challenge for the 11th, and so on. If a team has challenges remaining at the start of the 10th inning, they will not get an additional challenge for that inning, though they will for any subsequent inning if they are out of challenges at the start of the inning.
• Will the ABS Challenge System be in use for every MLB game at every ballpark?
  • It will be used in every game at an MLB ballpark, however, there are a few exceptions. The Mexico City Series (Diamondbacks vs. Padres, April 25-26), the Field of Dreams game (Twins vs. Phillies, Aug. 13) and the Little League Classic (Brewers vs. Braves, Aug. 23) will all be played in non-MLB stadiums, meaning they don’t have the infrastructure to support the system.
• Will it be in use during the postseason?
  • Yes
• Who can issue a challenge?
  • The batter, the pitcher or the catcher can challenge an umpire’s call. No one else — no, not even the manager — may do so. Challenges must be made immediately after the umpire’s call, without assistance from the dugout or other players. Notably, MLB has reported that some teams have already indicated that they will forbid their pitchers from challenging, preferring they defer to the catcher’s vantage point.
• How is a challenge issued?
  • The player taps his cap or helmet to alert the umpire to his desire to challenge the call. Players are also encouraged to verbalize their challenge, to leave nothing to doubt, but the cap/helmet tap represents the official challenge.
• How is a call reviewed?
  • An animated pitch result graphic is shown to those in attendance via the video board and to home viewers via the broadcast. If you’ve ever watched tennis on TV, it’s similar to the Hawk-Eye technology they use.
• Are successful challenges retained?
  • Yes. A team only loses its challenge if the umpire’s call is confirmed. Because challenges can be lost, it is incumbent upon the player to be judicious about asking for a challenge (i.e., not “wasting” it in a low-leverage spot so that it is available to his team in a high-leverage spot). So in that sense, the ABS Challenge System adds strategy to the sport.
• How long do players have to issue a challenge?
  • Immediately after the pitch (roughly within two seconds). If there is an ensuing play (such as a checked-swing appeal or a play involving a runner), the challenge may be made at the conclusion of the play.
• Can an umpire disallow a challenge?
  • Yes, if the umpire determines that the players’ decision to challenge was aided by other defenders, runners or the dugout, the request will be denied (with the team retaining its challenge). Same goes if the challenge was not requested in a timely manner.
• Are there any scenarios in which a pitch may not be challenged?
  • When a position player is pitching, challenges are not permitted. Also, challenges are not permitted after replay reviews, so as to avoid a complex series of challenges. If there is potential for a replay review after an ABS challenge, umpires will check to see if either manager wants to initiate a replay review before restarting the pitch clock. (If a challenge and a replay review are requested simultaneously, the ABS challenge will be accepted first.)
• How much time does the review add to the game?
  • In 288 games with the ABS Challenge System during Spring Training 2025, there were an average of 4.1 challenges per game, and those challenges took an average of 13.8 seconds. In total, the average game saw about 57 seconds of added time, effectively “giving back” only a small portion of the 26 minutes that the average game time was reduced from 2022 (the last MLB season without the pitch clock) to 2025.
• Does the system lead to more pitches per plate appearance?
  • No, according to the data from testing. In Triple-A, there were an average of 3.92 pitches per plate appearance before ABS and 3.9 afterward. In MLB Spring Training games, the average was static at 3.92.
• Can challenges affect runner placement?
  • Yes. Inevitably, there will be instances in which teams want to challenge a pitch that was called during a play while other things happened on the field. So the umpires will determine whether that call on the field had an impact on the subsequent behavior of the defenders and baserunners. The umpires will let stand any calls unaffected by the incorrect call. As an example, say there is a runner at second with none out, and the batter is in a full count. The 3-2 pitch is thrown and called a ball, while the runner attempts to steal third. The runner beats the throw from the catcher and is called safe at third, but then the catcher challenges the ball call. Upon review, the pitch is revealed to be a strike. Rather than send the runner back to second base, the runner gets to remain at third, because the initial ball/strike call did not impact the catcher’s ability to try to throw him out. The batter is now out, but the runner is still safe. Also note that if a catcher drops a pitch that is initially ruled a ball but is overturned for strike three, the batter is out without requiring the batter or first base to be tagged (as would be required in the event of a traditional dropped third strike).
• How often are challenges successful?
  • During Spring Training, players challenged 2.6% of all called pitches, and the overturn rate was 52.2%. This was higher than the 50% overturn rate at Triple-A last year. Interestingly, during Spring Training, defensive players (pitchers and catchers) were more successful in their challenges (54.4%) than hitters (50.0%). Also, as was the case in MiLB, the overturn rate generally tended to decline as the game went on – from 60% in innings one through three to 51% in innings four through six to 43% in innings seven and eight to 46% in inning nine.
• How is the ABS strike zone measured?
  • Like the plate, it is 17 inches wide. The top end of the zone is at 53.5% of the player’s height, while the bottom is at 27% of the player’s height. The depth of the zone is 8.5 inches from both the front and back of the plate to its center. This means players like Aaron Judge will have a different strike zone than players like Jose Altuve. (Extra note on player heights: All position players in Spring Training camps have their heights measured by a team of independent testers conducting manual measurements and by representatives from a research institute using biomechanical analysis to confirm the manual measurements and safeguard against potential manipulation. Players are measured standing straight up without cleats.)
• How does this compare to the human umpire zone?
  • The umpire-called zone has generally been more rounded and more lenient to pitchers, with a 55.6% max up top and 24.2% minimum at the bottom.
• Will challenge statistics be kept for individual players?
  • Yes. Baseball Savant will add this information to its treasure trove of data. So you’ll be able to see, for instance, which catchers are most successful not just at framing pitches but challenging calls.

Note: This is not the full FAQ list from MLB, as there are several questions on there that I wouldn’t really consider “frequently asked.” That being said, you can view the full list here.

In my view, the new system is ideal for a team like the Brewers. While William Contreras is a pretty good catcher, he’s nowhere near one of the best (he ranked 21 out of 57 in framing among semi-regular catchers last season), and in theory, the ABS system eliminates framing. It’s also a positive for players who have fairly keen eyes at the plate, perhaps most notably Tyler Black, who is Joey Votto-esque in terms of his ability to draw walks.

What do you think? Will the new system be a net positive or net negative for the Brewers and baseball?

Weigh in in the comments, and join us throughout the month as we keep these conversations rolling into spring training. Have a question you’d like to ask in a future BCB Daily Question? Drop one in the comments, and we may use it later this month.

It’s another day removed from the Castellanos release and it’s still by far the biggest news surrounding the team right now. It takes a lot to distract from the Ace’s rib being in a closet.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Castellanos admitted to having beer in the dugout in Miami. Rob Thomson was happy with that final admission.
• Kyle Schwarber talked today about the moves, dodging anything controversial and wishing him the best of luck.

MLB news:

• The details surrounding the Emmanuel Clase case are getting worse and worse for him. Now, he’s accused on throwing pitches for gamblers in the playoffs.
• Shelby Miller won’t throw a pitch this year, but the Cubs gave him a deal in order for him to throw pitches next year.
• MLB has been going around talking about the ABS system that is coming to all of the clubs. Here is an update on the new rules.
• Finally, a survey given to a bunch of executives around the game about the upcoming season ($).

DRaysBay works best as a place for community and conversation. Accordingly, in the lead up to the new season, we are posting “Daily Questions” in the month of February. I look forward to seeing you in the comment section!

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Don’t say a prospect unless they are on the 40-man roster!

But even then, be careful… Prospects will break your heart.