Category: Baseball

The Texas Rangers hitch a ride east for their first road game of the spring where they will take on the Chicago Cubs from Mesa, AZ. It’s days like today where we discover people such as Jonah Bride, Cooper Johnson, and Tyler Wade both exist and are employed by the Rangers.

Right-handed rotation hopeful Kumar Rocker will make the start for Texas opposite LHP Matthew Boyd for Chicago. According to Kennedi Landry, expect to see Cal Quantrill, Patrick Murphy, Luis Curvelo, and Carter Baumler also pitch for Texas in today’s game.

You can listen to the game via 105.3 The Fan, watch the Chicago feed via MLB.TV, or follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Sloan Park is scheduled for 2:05 pm CT.

Go Rangers!

Well, the D-backs are already off to a better spring start than they were in 2025. Last year, they lost their first three games, conceding a total of 32 runs in the process. So it was nice to see them put together a well-pitched game right out of the gate. On the other hand, opening with a victory makes it a little harder to remember that spring training numbers are totally meaningless! We’ll see if the Diamondbacks can run their unbeaten streak to a mighty two games this afternoon!

[Wrestling commentator voice] WHAT IS JORDAN LAWLAR DOING IN CENTER FIELD?!?!? After yesterday saw a fairly convincing facsimile of Arizona’s Opening Day line-up, this afternoon is… not so much. In fact, absent any injuries, Lawlar might be the only one who’ll be trotting out onto the field in Los Angeles next month. Still, we should probably get used to this, because it’s not long before the World Baseball Classic will be sucking away seven of the 40-man Arizona roster from Salt River Fields, and we should get used to seeing replacements for the next few weeks.

Also, Mitch Bratt makes his first appearance in a Diamondback jersey. He was one of the players received by Arizona from Texas, in exchange for Merrill Kelly’s holiday in Arlington, and will hopefully become a useful piece in the D-backs rotation. Perhaps not this year – Kohl Drake is the more advanced prospect we got off the Rangers – but fingers crossed for down the line. After him, we can expect to get some or all of the following pitchers: RHP Alfred Morillo, RHP Hayden Durke, LHP Spencer Giesting and LHP Yu-Min Lin. I don’t believe today’s game has any TV coverage, but it’ll be on the radio through ESPN 620 AM.

For the Dodgers, the Cactus League gets underway today, on the road in Tempe.

Saturday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Angels
• Ballpark: Tempe Diablo Stadium
• Time: 12:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (simulcast), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Can I interest you in an embedded Bluesky post to set the mood?

The Royals are back in action this afternoon, hosting the San Diego Padres in Surprise. They’ll face off against MLB The Show stud but real-life underperformer Matt Waldron, the last known (to me, at least) knuckleballer in MLB. Here’s the lineup they’ll be using:

Kyle Isbel gets to bat fifth in today’s contest, likely to give him a third plate appearance before letting him head off to the golf courses. And don’t worry, that’s not the nearly-87-year-old Cookie Rojas (His birthday is March 6. Happy early birthday, Cookie!) but instead former White Sox infielder Josh Rojas getting the start at third as he tries to reclaim the success from his time with the Diamondbacks of three and four years ago. Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, and Salvador Perez are the only Royals to start a second game in a row. That’s fitting as they are the heart of both the lineup and the team in general.

Ryan Bergert will be taking the mound in a semi-competitive game for the first time since he exited a start against the Cleveland Guardians early in September with forearm tightness. He’s someone we’ll be watching closely to make sure he’s healthy heading into the season. He might not even make the opening day rotation, but he’s likely to be very important as the year goes on.

They announced who all would be pitching after him during yesterday’s broadcast, but like a rookie, I chose not to write it down, assuming I’d be able to find it easily somewhere today. Don’t worry, I’ll have that cleaned up by Opening Day. The Royals do have the following pitchers listed on their game roster for today, and I imagine most of them are going to get an opportunity to pitch:

• Eli Morgan
• Chandler Champlain
• Jonathan Heasley
• Mason Black
• Christian Chamblerain
• Ben Kudrna
• Dennis Colleran Jr.
• Andrew Pérez
• Oscar Rayo

Of that batch, I’m most interested in Morgan and Black as they both seem to have outside shots at making the bullpen out of Spring Training. I had forgotten Heasley had returned on a minor league deal last August, and even if I had remembered, I wouldn’t have realized he was still in the organization this spring. Colleran is another guy to watch closely, even if he’s unlikely to make the Opening Day roster. He had a 1.83 ERA in A+ ball last year, though with a FIP over 4.00 and not nearly enough strikeouts.

(EDIT: Anne Rogers came through!)

The outfield situation should be interesting as well; the Royals have Tyler Gentry, Gavin Cross, Kameron Misner, and Carson Roccaforte on the game roster outside the starters, and all of those guys have something to prove to the team, though only Misner seems remotely likely to break camp with the big club.

Today’s game will only be broadcast in online audio, but it’s free through either the Royals’ site or the MLB App. In the past, during such broadcasts, they haven’t played commercials but have instead allowed us to soak in the sounds of the ballpark between innings. Hopefully, we’ll get to enjoy that again this year.

The undefeated (OK, 1-0, if you insist) Chicago White Sox get home turf at Camelback this afternoon to face the also undefeated (but just 0-0) Sacramento/Las Vegas/You Name It A’s, as they follow the usual early Cactus League procedure of having no starters back from yesterday’s game.

That game was lots of fun slaughtering the Cubs, with a number of batters getting big shots in. The most notable was Munetaka Murakami’s double, because that smash came off a pitch three mph faster than his supposed limit (albeit a grooved one, but we take what we can get), which is a good sign for the future.

The Sox lineup today contains a half-dozen returnees from 2025, with the key addition to watch being Luisangel Acuña, obtained in the trade of Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets. That’s because the plan is apparently to play Acuña in center, which both the Rangers and Mets decided he’s not much good at, despite his speed and excellent infield skills. Another player to watch is Jarred Kelenic in left, a free agent signee getting a chance to show yet again he really is the major-leaguer he was thought to be when the Mets drafted him in the first round in 2018.

They’ll be first facing righty Jack Perkins, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury.

Starting the parade of pitchers for the Sox will be lefty Chris Murphy, picked up in a November trade with the Red Sox. Murphy ostensibly is under consideration for a back-end rotation spot even though he’s never started a major league game. The A’s aren’t putting any of their stars in the lineup against him.

First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. Central on what is for Arizona a downright nippy day with a high of just 70°. This one is on the tube with CHSN, as well as a ESPN 1000 radio broadcast.

This piece was originally planned for the end of January. However, the Diamondbacks were still deep into the offseason rumours, so I gave them until the beginning of spring training to make their final moves before weighing in.

As the 2025 season rolled to a close, the Diamondbacks found themselves in a somewhat unexpected position. They were, despite a massive deadline sell-off, pushing for the final National League Wild Card berth. Alas, they came u just short, despite playing with a deleted roster. One only has to wonder how things might have been different if any of Corbin Burnes, A.J. Puk, Justin Martinez, or Gabriel Moreno had avoided long-term or season-ending injuries. The same can be said about if Zac Gallen had rediscovered his mojo two or three weeks sooner than he did. If anything, this late-season surge complicated the entire offseason for General Manager Mike Hazen.

The players moved at the trade deadline were all out of contract at the end of the season. However, many of them were also primary contributors to the modest success of the first half and some were also fan-favourites. Additionally, of the players to fall by the wayside due to injury, only Gabriel Moreno has yet to return to the roster. The team’s ace starter (a legit top-5 in the league starter), the team’s closer, and the team’s primary lefty and set-up man are all still out and will miss the early portions of the 2026 season.

Trades, injuries, and departures to free agency combined, the Diamondbacks entered the winter down, Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suarez, Corbin Burnes, A.J. Puk, Justin Martinez, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Randal Grichuk, and former franchise disgrace Shelby Miller. In numbers, that is the team losing 60% of its starting rotation, the best 43% of its bullpen, and 37.5% of its everyday lineup. By the time the Diamondbacks were playing ball in September, it was already readily apparent that Mike Hazen was preparing to enter far and away the most difficult offseason of his tenure as Arizona’s general Manager – ecliping even the offseason following the teams disastrous 110-loss season.

So, how did Mike Hazen and Company do this winter? Here’s a quick look at the moves made and how they may or may not pan out for Arizona and how things look for Arizona now that spring training games have begun.

The moves:

Arizona tenders a qualifying offer to long-time starter Zac Gallen. This move was about the biggest no-brainer of the offseason, even if it did not eventually end in the team acquiring an extra draft pick and draft pool money.

The MLB Free Agent Signings:

The following are ranked best-to-worst from this pundit’s vantage point.

Arizona re-sign James McCann to 1-year/2.75 million contract with easy escalators to push the deal up to $3.25 million. This deal is almost without a doubt, the single-best free agent signing or trade made by the franchise this past winter. Not since the early years of Miguel Montero have the Diamondbacks had this level of relative depth behind the plate. Instead of a starter and a borderline AAA/AAAA player behind the dish, the Diamondbacks are running out a top-five backstop whose back-up is a borderline starter for lower-tier teams who has extensive experiences as a top-flight catcher. Given McCann’s reputation as a solid pitch-caller and the fact that, when he gets hot, he can carry a club for a week or two, and bringing back was a no-brainer decision for Arizona, so long as he agreed to a reasonable late-career contract. The deal McCann signed to return to Arizona comes in below market value for many backstops, giving the club and fans even more to appreciate.

Arizona re-signs Zac Gallen to a 1-year/$22.025 million deal. Zac Gallen had an abysmal 2025. It was the worst season of his career. Here’s the thing though, he turned it around post-deadline, in a fairly dramatic way. Also, outside of the disastrous 2021 season where Gallen was injured and missed 8 starts, it is the only season of his career where he did not rate 15% or better than the rest of the league. Last season is also the only season (including the painful 2021 season) in which Gallen did not post a least 2.1 WAR. Back at the deadline I wrote an article where I was getting flack for estimating $9-10 million/WAR. Then the latest number came out and it seems the real cost is now closer to $11 million/WAR, especially for pitching. Suddenly, $22 million seems very reasonable for a pitcher with the pedigree of Gallen. Could Gallen continue his slow, gradual decline into 2026 and end up being below average? Of course he can. Is it likely? Probably not. Yes, he may fall short of his best seasons. But it is not at all a stretch to see even a diminished Gallen being at least a league average, 160+ IP starter. That’s a 2 WAR player. Given that Gallen’s contract is a 1-year deal, there is really not much risk and almost no downside. If he is terrible, he’ll be gone sooner rather than later. If he is good but the team struggles, he’s easily traded. If he is vintage Gallen, not only is he tradeable, but Arizona might just find themselves in contention for October baseball. Additionally, when Gallen was signed just before the start of spring training, the Diamondbacks were still looking at opening the season with fewer than five established starters. With the new finances of MLB contracts in full effect, this is about as close as a deal for a starter comes to being low-cost/low-risk with a potential high reward.

Arizona signs Merrill Kelly to a 2-year/$40 million with a vesting option worth up to $18 million for year three/2028. The return of Merrill Kelly to the Diamondbacks was one of the most anticipated moves of this offseason going all the way back to the trade deadline in 2025. The return of Merrill Kelly to the Valley of the Sun always seemed like a foregone conclusion, even after his abysmal spell with the Texas Rangers and his comments that he would not be returning to Arizona for a hometown discount. Seriously. I have been covering the team since their inception. I cannot for the life of me think of a single instance where a free agent has been more telegraphed and anticipated joining the club than Merrill Kelly. So why do I rank signing him as third on this list? That comes almost entirely down to the length of the deal. While it is true that Merrill Kelly has proven himself the textbook definition of a workhorse starter during his time in Arizona, he has also shown the signs of the ravages of time and use. Frankly, Merrill Kelly for $20 million or less in 2026 seems like a minor bargain. It’s beyond that that I have an issue. While Zac Gallen’s deal may be problematic, it is a one-year deal, mitigating risk. Merrill Kelly is seven years older and starting to show signs of the mileage on his arm. While I feel confident there is little downside to 2026, it is the 2027 and likely 2028 seasons I am concerned with. For one thing, I am not at all convinced there will be meaningful baseball in 2027. In 2028, Kelly will be three years removed from his workhorse seasons and 40 years of age. The number of red flags associated with Merrill Kelly in 2028 is too much for me to ignore. That said, teams like Arizona, if they want premium free agents, often need to be willing to take on a bit more risk than other clubs. Sometimes, that works in marvelous ways (Randy Johnson, Steve Finley, Troy Glaus). Other times, it is a nightmare (Russ Ortiz, Maddison Bumgarner). The jury remains out on Kelly and likely will continue to be out until August or September, unless he simply implodes. Under no circumstances does Kelly ever fall into the same category as the two listed free agent busts. But this contract does not come without real risk for a team with essentially no wiggle-room when it comes to payroll. The likelihood of a 2027 lockout that costs a majority of the games for the year does not help matters.

Arizona signs Carlos Santana to a 1-year/$2 million contract. This deal feels very much like the proverbial making a deal to make a deal. Yes, Santana was marginally above average with the glove at age 39 in 2025. Does that automatically make him a better option than the beleaguered Pavin Smith and Tim Tawa? That’s a pretty tall order for Santana, who will be 40 and coming off a season in which his bat was only good for an OPS+ of 77 for 2025, including a -25 OPS+ for his short stint in Chicago’s north side. While there is reason to appreciate the likes of Smith and Tawa being pushed to e better, it feel a bit rich to be spending $2 million on a player whose biggest contribution to the team is likely to be eating up at-bats that could just as easily go to one of a handful of other players already in the organization. The likelihood of Santana out-performing any of his competitors offensively is quite low.

Arizona signs Paul Sewald to a 1-year/$1.5 million deal. Excuse me, what?!?!?! Are we talking about the same Paul Sewald that might have cost the Diamondbacks the 2023 World Series? Are we talking about the experienced closer who spent the very next season vacillating between injury and ineffectiveness? It would seem that the answer to those questions is, yes, Arizona is reuniting with that Paul Sewald. What’s more is, Sewald was again below average in 2025. As a low-cost reliever add, Sewald is not the worst option. Even some of the best teams have a marginal reliever that throws the middle innings that can flash brilliance from time-to-time. However, comments made by the organization since the signing point toward Sewald being a short-list candidate for closer. That is a far more problematic proposal. While I am not sure if Paul Sewal will turn out to e superior to Arizona’s in-house options for relief pitching, I am downright skeptical as they come to the notion of him ever being a closer again. For a team like Arizona that has pushed its payroll to the point of bursting at the seams, this particular contract seems ill-advised, even at the price. When combined with the salary given to Carlos Santana,

Arizona signs Mike Soroka to a 1-year/$7.5 million deal with escalators that could take the deal up to $9.5 million. Frankly, I am not terribly worried about Soroka ever obtaining the levels of performance for the escalators to kick in. I almost made my take on this signing an entire article all in itself. Mike Soroka has not been an effective starter since 2019. Then, in the COVID-shortened 2020, he started only three games and 13.2 innings before his season was done. He wouldn’t return to the mound until 2023. Since then, across three seasons, he has made a total of 54 appearances (32 starts) . He has been injured again. He has also been considerably below league average. Across all those appearance scattered across three full seasons, Soroka only barely eclipsed 200 innings pitched (201.2). His ERA+ of 85 over that time is worse than Zac Gallen’s terrible single season of 2025. Sure, Soroka has a bit of heat, but nothing special. Yet, despite all this, until the late signing of Zac Gallen, all reports out of Arizona’s camp were that Soroka was expected to be in the team’s rotatin. Now, after the addition of Gallen, the narrative has changed a bit, slotting Kelly, Ryne Nelson, and Gallen into the rotation, with the final two spots up for competition. That is only somewhat reliable though, as Eduardo Rodriguez is all but a shoe-in for the rotation is he is healthy. The signing of Soroka was one of Arizona’s very first decisions of the winter. Dedicating a full $7.5 million to a lottery ticket starter, all the way back when the entire field was still available, feels suspect at best – negligent at worst. Given the price paid to so many established relievers and utility bats, this feels very much like $7.5 million nearly flushed down the drain. Is Soroka truly better than anyone Arizona has in-house, including the trade acquisitions and minor league signings? It is honestly difficult to even give him credit for being better than the aforementioned Paul Sewald. The signing of Mike Soroka back in December was a warning klaxon to the world that Arizona was desperate and tapped out regarding payroll.

The Minor League Signings

Honestly, this category is so fluid, I give up trying to make sure this is accurate to the moment. The number of organizational filler players that come out of this category makes it difficult to grade the entire pool. Instead, I’ll just be highlighting the more notable moves.

Jose Urquidy nearly joined the Diamondbacks as a minor league signing. If he had, his arrival would have ranked among the better moves the organization has made in the last two or three seasons. Unfortunately, the deal fell through. Urquidy will instead be pitching for Pittsburgh, for only $5 million, substantially less than the lesser Mike Soroka. The upside for Urquidy is not terribly special. In fact, it is pretty average. But at least he can eat innings and is likely to give the team more than a small handful of appearances. Let me be clear, neither player is a needle-mover. But when finances are as tight for the club, every MLB move has an out-sized impact.

Joe Ross – Joe Ross looks very much like a potential middle relief swingman. He hasn’t had much success of late and has battled injuries. He was a solid bullpen arm as recently as 2024, but as he is a reliever, volatility goes hand-in-hand with him. In all likelihood, Ross fills in as organizational depth in Reno. However, if he finds a good run of form, he could quickly reinforce the MLB bullpen during the dog days of summer. At the very least, the team is getting some veteran leadership in the Reno bullpen to help mentor the youth upward.

Grant Holman – Holman is a late-inning reliever with solid set-up man upside. Holman was claimed from the Athletics when they needed to make 40-man space for Aaron Civale. Holman’s 2025 was marred by significant injury. Before that he was shaping into a reliable late-inning arm. Holman features mid-90s velocity on his fastball and his slider features roughly 9 mph slower with hard bite. Despite this, he doesn’t miss quite as many bats as one would hope. This is where he may run into trouble in the dessert or Reno. He allows more contact than someone with his stuff probably should. On the other hand, he does a better job than most of Arizona’s pitchers (especially relievers) of limiting walks. If Holman is able to work his way back to his pre-injury form, the Diamondbacks may have found a steal to bridge the gap until the returns of A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez. If he should continue to show rust or a decline in control, he’ll slide into anonymity in Reno before moving on.

Jonathan Loáisiga – Loáisiga is a former Yankee standout whose career has been something of an injury-fueled rollercoaster. Loáisiga’s worst season came in 2022, when he was still essentially league average, pitching in the AL East. If Loáisiga can stay healthy throughout spring and can combine that with throwing as well as he did for the Yankees in 2025, the right-hander has every reason to expect that he will crack the opening day 26-man roster. If he is on top of his game entirely, he is the sort of arm that can anchor a bullpen. Chances are, he’ll be somewhere in between those points. Even if he falls short of making the roster though, he’ll slot nicely into the first call-up from Reno when there is the inevitable injury or ineffectiveness. Loáisiga represents the sort of high upside, solid floor that fans would like to see in more of the waiver and late-winter pick-ups.

The Trades

If there is anything that defines Arizona’s winter, it is probably the trade that wasn’t made. Entering the offseason with a limited budget and a need for controlled starting pitching, Mike Hazen made the aggressive choice to put Ketel Marte on the market. That started the rumour mill swirling and frankly, the rumours still persist to a small degree. No one reached Hazen’s asking price, though it has been reported that Arizona could have had Boston’s Connelly Early. So, Marte was not moved and Arizona was forced to bring back Zac Gallen to create a bridge to next season. Other than Marte, the winter started off with the entire world expecting one of Alek Thomas or Jake McCarthy to be traded.

Jake McCarthy is traded to the Colorado Rockies for minor league pitcher, Josh Grosz
The right-handed Grosz, 23, was acquired by the Rockies last summer in the deal that sent third baseman Ryan McMahon to the New York Yankees. Grosz went 5-14 with a 4.67 ERA in High-A ball with Hudson Valley and Spokane. Grosz was drafted in the 11th round out of East Carolina in 2023. Grosz shows some intriguing upside, but is still a year or two from MLB contribution. He’ll likely open the season in AA, Amarillo, which will certainly not help his attempts to show he can suppress offense. That said, Grosz misses a lot of bats and, if he continues to do that the way he has since being drafted, he could find himself moving to Reno sooner rather than later.

Jack Martinez is traded to St. Louis for Nolan Arenado and cash
This could go down as an amazing steal. Likewise, it could quite easily go down as one of the bigger nothing-burgers out there. Martinez was Arizona’s eighth round selection in the 2025 draft. The right-hander was drafted out of ASU and is pegged to be a quick-moving reliever. He will make his pro debut later this spring. For Arizona, Arenado will hold down third base for 2025 and is still under team control for 2026. With the cash contribution from the Cardinals, the Diamondbacks will be footing only $11 million over the two seasons. While Arenado’s bat has certainly regressed of late, he is still a solid defender and a dangerous mid-to-late lineup bat. If rumours regarding injury impacts to his game in 2025 are true, then there is even more reason to be excited that the veteran third baseman can have a late-career resurgence not unlike Eric Chavez had for the team. The acquisition of Arenado also paved the way for a later move by Arizona and gives the team a bridge player at third while the organization continues to search for an internal long-term candidate.

Blaze Alexander is sent to Baltimore for Kade Strowd, Wellington Aracena, and José Mejia
This is very much a case of selling high on a player, something that Arizona has not always been good at. While Blaze Alexander spent the last season and change establishing himself as something of a fan favourite, the reality of the situation is that he profiles as a utility player with a bat that is something just shy of league average. When Alexander goes on a tear, he can carry a team’s offense for a spell. But, when Alexander’s bat cools, he is a typical utility player bat, decent pop with little impact. With a cannon for an arm and improved glovework at the hot corner, many expected Alexander to open the season for the Snakes at third. The acquisition of Arenado pushed Alexander out from that position though, adding the young man to the mix of players looking for reps in the outfield. In return for the useful Alexander, Arizona received a right-handed reliever in Kade Strowd, who enjoyed an unexpected breakout season in 2025 for Baltimore. In the minors, Strowd’s numbers were very middling. When the Orioles began shipping out their entire roster via trades and the like, Strowd suddenly found himself being called pong to fill some innings. Not only did he do that, he thrived in the role. If Arizona gets that pitcher again in 2026, they have something special on their hands, a quality reliever under control for six seasons. The 27-year-old should be on the shortlist for relievers to open the season on the 26-man roster. Strowd also represents Arizona’s slow shift to adding more velocity to the bullpen, even if it comes with suspect control. This profile is what will make Strowd one to watch in 2026. If the control starts to waver again, he’ll need to be quickly moved back to Reno too find his mojo again. Aracena is a flame-throwing 20-year-old right-hander who will almost certainly open the season in A+ ball and continue development as a starter. At some point, he may well be moved to the bullpen. As a bullpen arm Aracena possesses the profile of a power closer. José Mejia is still a complete lottery ticket who will likely open the season in Hillsboro. There is little to talk about regarding him for now. He’s one to circle back to in about two more years. Overall, the return for a Alexander, if viewed as a utility player with some pop and speed, is fairly hefty. Sure, there are questions regarding the returned players, especially Strowd. But if Arizona can get five or six total seasons of quality relief pitching out of Strowd and Aracena, it is hard to expect much more.

Final Grade

Previous to the signing of Zac Gallen, I was hard-pressed to find reasons to award more than a D+ for the winter. The team still had only four starters and proved themselves unable to make the big move to improve the club’s problematic overall pitching. Additionally, they spent entirely too much time essentially making Marte unwanted at the club before altering course when the desired return did not materialize. The best bit of work the team had done before the 72 hours within which they traded for Arenado and re-signed Zac Gallen was likely either the James McCann re-signing or the Alexander for Strowd trade. While both served the team by improving the team’s quality of depth, neither move did anything to move the needle with regard to the expected season record for Arizona. The addition of Arenado, the return of Gallen as the team’s #3 starter, and later, adding Grant Holman to the bullpen has elevated things significantly.

The loss to injury of Corbin Carroll and Andrew Saalfrank makes grading the winter tougher, as the team is now faced with fresh challenges it did not have while working their way through the winter months. The team is now thin with regard to left-handed pitching. Problematically, there aren’t really any lefties currently openly available that the team could turn to, assuming they have any money whatsoever left to work with. The closest might be Jalen Beeks, who did well for Arizona in 2025, but did so while concealing injury. The fact that no other team has kicked the tires on Beeks suggests that there still might be something there in terms of flags. The injury to Carroll would have created some opportunities for Alexander. Instead, now, it seems that Lawlar, Troy, Robinson, and Waldschmidt will get looks. One can make a strong argument for that being a potential upgrade on Alexander.

Final Grade:D+C- B-

After falling to the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-2 in yesterday’s Cactus League opener, the Colorado Rockies will look to bounce back against the Snakes. Nolan Arenado connected on a home run against former teammate Antonio Senzatela early, and it proved to be the difference late in the game.

It also gave fans their first look at the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) at the MLB level, as five challenges were initiated. The players went 4-1 in those challenges.

Tanner Gordon will take the ball for the Rockies. Gordon had a breakout campaign in 2025, where he was led the team with six wins and finished second in Quality Starts (7). The right-hander will get his first shot to make an impression in spring, as he looks to potentially fill the fifth starter spot that’s up for grabs.

He will face left-hander Mitch Bratt. The 22-year-old Canadian was selected in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers and worked his way up the system. He reached Double-A in 2025 before being traded to the D-backs in the Merrill Kelly trade.

First Pitch: 1:10 MDT

TV: None

Radio: ESPN 620 AM (Phoenix)

Lineups:

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San Diego Padres at Kansas City Royals, February 21, 2026, 12:05 p.m. PST

Watch: None

Location: Surprise Stadium – Surprise, AZ

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.

• Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
• Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
• Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads

GB community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!

BASEBALL IS BACK BABY!!!

Okay, maybe it’s just Spring Training and today’s games will likely feature mostly backups, depth players and prospects, but baseball is baseball damn it. We got a game today against the Chicago White Sox to kick off our spring schedule, the first of 32 exhibition contests including a few split-squad contests (plus a Prospects Breakout Game). Things are about to ramp up quickly and before we know it it’ll be Opening Day in Toronto with our A’s on the first base line listening to the national anthems.

The first game begins just after noon and will see righty Jack Perkins beginning the game for the Athletics. It’s going to be a quick outing for Perkins, who is surely looking to prove that he’s more than a swingman. There’s value in that role but Perk wants to start and his path in that regard begins with a strong outing this afternoon.

After Perkins’ inning of work we can expect Wei-En Lin and Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang to come after. The left-handed Lin is one of the better prospects in the A’s system and could be an option this summer so impressing the coaches today could speed up that promotion a bit. Zhuang is another starter prospect that has shown some promise and could also be an option sooner than later,

The A’s starting lineup for their first game of 2026:

The only sure-fire everyday starter in today’s lineup is center fielder Denzel Clarke, who will bat leadoff this afternoon. We all know about his elite defense in center field, now we need to see some production with his bat. Infielders Max Muncy and Darell Hernaiz are both in today’s lineup as they fight over the right to third base. Muncy seemingly has the edge because he’s getting the nod at the hot corner but Hernaiz could end up being the option because he’s capable of handling shortstop if the worst happened to Jacob Wilson. The battle for the hot corner begins!

Elsewhere in the starting lineup we see speedy/powerful outfielder Junior Perez getting the start in center field this afternoon, alongside fellow top prospect Henry Bolte in right field and Colby Thomas in left. The outfield situation is quickly getting crowded so these starts will be big for Perez to remind the coaching staff not to forget about him. He was, after all, added to the 40-man roster this offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. Time to start showing how smart the front office is.

Here’s how the White Sox will line up for today’s start to Cactus League games:

Here we go everyone. The first of almost 200 games this season. Who else is ready for some baseball?!

Second baseman Marcus Semien, traded to the Mets by the Rangers in November, fields some Spring Training Q&A from Post columnist Steve Serby.

Q: What is the ceiling for you and Francisco Lindor as a second base-shortstop double-play combination?

A: I would say our goal is to be known as the best middle infield in the league … taking away as many base hits and runs as we possibly can to help our team win every single game we can.

Q: Over the years, what impressed you most about Lindor?

A: Just how smooth he is at shortstop. He makes the game look easy over there. You look at him as a hitter, how clutch he is and how he posts every day. I know playing the shortstop position producing on offense like he does and playing platinum glove defense is not an easy thing.

Q: Having been teammates in Toronto in 2021, what is your favorite Bo Bichette memory?

A: I think just watching him as a young kid, having a career year, playing in the All-Star game with Bo — we got to play a couple of times, the coolest one was being to play up the middle with him in the All-Star Game in 2023, although I was a Ranger, he was a Blue Jay. It felt like old times for us.

Q: How is he going to handle third base?

A: He’s looking great over there. He’s a really good athlete who can adjust, he’s got a strong arm, and he’s just working on different angles and different things that he’s gonna see over there that at shortstop he may have a little more time to see the ball come to you, so just reaction time and different things like that are gonna be something he’s working on right now.

Q: What have you observed about Carson Benge?

A: I got to hit in the cage with him. He’s got a powerful bat. He gets everything he has into his swing, but his hand-eye coordination looks really good. So it’s a scary combination.

Q: Nolan McLean?

A: I got to face Nolan my first live at-bats this spring. He’s a guy who’s coming right at you with six different pitches and high velocity and really good stuff, and he’s a competitor on the mound. He’s definitely gonna be a superstar in this league, he’s showing that already.

Q: What makes Freddy Peralta an ace?

A: He’s got that deceptive windup with a very, very, very good fastball. It looks like it’s right down the middle and it just rises right above your barrel. That makes it tough. Then you feel like you have to cheat to his fastball and he’s got a great changeup and great slider off of that.

Q: Would you consider one day being a manager?

A: I don’t know. … I definitely want to give back to the game any way I can. I know I owe it to my family and my kids to at least manage their baseball team first (laugh). If the opportunity ever came, that would be something I would consider for sure, but I haven’t thought too much about it yet.

Q: Describe your new manager, Carlos Mendoza.

A: Seems like a great person, a leader, the way he talks to the group, he really believes that we are going to be a great team and he has us all believe that. That’s a great mentality to have.

Q: Does winning a World Series with the 2023 Rangers whet your appetite to win another one?

A: Every single day. I think when you make it at the top of this game, and that is the top of this game, winning a World Series, every year you show up after that you expect to do that. It’s definitely not that easy and you know how hard it is. I think the biggest thing is understanding that it’s a long season, and it’s about getting hot at the right time and making sure that you’re firing on all cylinders once you get to the postseason.

Q: How critical is clubhouse chemistry?

A: It is critical. I think clubhouse chemistry is a general term, but in terms of knowing your teammates, knowing how they react in certain situations, knowing their background and their family, it makes you care about them even more when you’re out there competing. … Get a runner over so your teammate after you can get a base hit to score a run or a sac fly to get him an RBI, those things matter for everybody.

Q: Juan Soto as your teammate.

A: Juan is as hard a worker as I’ve seen in a superstar. I see dedication to his craft, I see discipline, I see a guy who has fun, and just a guy that is preparing to be a Hall of Famer, what it looks like to me.

Q: Do you miss batting leadoff?

A: Yeah, batting leadoff was fun. You get into the routine of it. You get a lot of plate appearances. I was hitting leadoff for a good offensive team, getting five plate appearances a night. All of a sudden I had 835 total plate appearances in 2023, so that was definitely a fun year.

Q: Any idea where you’ll be batting in the lineup this year?

A: No, I don’t know yet. My goal is to put myself in a position where I’m swinging the bat very well to contribute to this team in a good way offensively.

Q: How dynamic can this Mets lineup be?

A: Very dynamic. We have guys who can run, and we have guys who can hit for power and put the ball in play and make it tough on a defense. We have to do our best to be relentless night in, night out, and any given day there’s somebody in our lineup who can beat you. It’s gonna be fun to be a part of a deep group of talented hitters.

Q: David Stearns talked about your impact will primarily be defensively, but do you have something to prove offensively?

A: I do. I just want to be the best version of myself as a player. Over the years, there’s been some offensive production there that I want to replicate, and I’m working extremely hard to do those things and continue to improve on defense and get as complete a player as I can possibly be.

Q: You hit 45 home runs with Toronto in 2021.

A: I was on time for the fastball. I was able to handle high velocity up in the zone and connect with it over and over. That’s something we always focus on because high-velocity pitching is everywhere in the game now.

Q: Where is your swing and approach now?

A: I’ve been overall happy with how I’ve been competing in the box, and as we get further along and get to, let’s say, 100 plate appearances total, I think we should have a better idea of what we’re doing up here.

Q: What would you tell young players about what it takes to win a Gold Glove?

A: I’ve been fortunate enough to be out there and play a lot of games and play good defense at a high level. I take ground balls every single day, that’s something that’s important to me no matter if it’s a day game or a night game. It’s something I feel like is part of the routine to get you going, get your body in shape and work on your skills, so never stop working on your skills.

Q: Do you miss shortstop, or no?

A: I do, but I found a home at second base. It’s almost even now how many years I’ve played shortstop and second.

Q: What’s your comfort level at second?

A: I’m still learning something new every day, but in terms of the angles, the baseball coming off the bat and turning double plays, and just certain plays you see on the right side of the infield, I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable, for sure.

Q: Were there second basemen you studied when you moved from shortstop?

A: I really just put my head down and tried to work as hard as I could every single day. Guys that I would say I admire now at the position, Ketel Marte, Andrés Giménez, I think he might be playing shortstop again now, but those are some of the smoothest guys I’ve seen over there.

Q: Describe your on-field mentality.

A: I guess grinder. I want to play every single day, I want to give it all I have no matter how I feel. I run the bases hard and I play the game hard.

Q: You can’t be an Iron Man unless you play hurt. What’s the most hurt you ever played?

A: I probably have to say through a fractured wrist for about a month that I didn’t know at the time. That was in Oakland, 2017, just trying to grind through that one. Eventually I had to get a surgery, but I tried my best.

Q: What does it take to be an Iron Man, and how proud are you of being one?

A: It definitely takes a lot of work behind the scenes in the weight room, in the training room, staying consistent with your work so you stay in shape, you want to get in good baseball shape. While we’re here in spring training, you want to maintain that and get even stronger throughout the year. And it takes a lot of mental strength as well. I’d say that just being able to handle the ups and downs of the game, and the pressures of playing at this level, you need to find a release or something that keeps you calm off the field so you can show up with the most positive attitude every day.

Q: What keeps you calm off the field?

A: For me, it’s my family. I get to come home to five kids and my wife, Tarah. It’s definitely been a great journey for my wife and I through baseball and raising kids. They allow me to just get away from the game when I get home and just enjoy them growing up.

Q: Tell me about Tarah.

A: We’ve been together since high school [St. Mary’s in Albany, Calif.], we went to the same high school, the same college [Cal] and we both played sports. Tarah was one of the top volleyball players in the world, she played professionally while I was in the minor leagues. And then she had a knee injury that ended her volleyball career, and we ended up having our first child and getting married while I was in Oakland. And now we have five children, and time flies.

Q: The oldest is Isaiah.

A: Isaiah’s 9, Joshua’s 7, Eli’s 5, Amelie is 2 and Capri is 3 months old.

Q: What is it like being a father of five?

A: It’s fun. Something new every day. There’s a lot of teaching moments, there’s a lot of just helping these little ones grow up to be respectful people. That’s always my wife and I’s goal.

Q: What is the biggest adversity you’ve overcome?

A: I’d probably say my first full season in the major leagues [2015 with the A’s], just having some defensive struggles, trying to play the shortstop position for a new team in my hometown and going through some struggles. It really just took hard work on taking extra ground balls and finding a new routine that made me confident in the game to get me out of that rut.

Q: What is the emotional low point in your major league career?

A: Definitely those early years. … I had some tough games in a White Sox uniform my first September or the next year. You work so hard to get to the major leagues and then you get there and you get punched in the mouth a couple of times, and you face the best of the best and you say, “OK, am I really good enough to stay here?” And the longer you think about it and play, you realize that every young guy goes through that. Now I get to watch a lot of young guys come up, and I know that there could be success early on, but there’s gonna be a lot of ups and downs, and you have to figure out how to adjust from there.

Q: Was there someone you turned to for support?

A: In the baseball world, I think it was Ron Washington in Oakland as my infield coach; Bob Melvin, manager; Darren Bush, hitting coach in Oakland. I grew up in the major leagues with those coaches. In terms of players, Jed Lowrie was a guy who really helped me a lot on defense, and then when those young guys came up behind me, seeing how good they were and how much fun they had really kind of put some life into me to keep it going.

Q: What was it about Derek Jeter you admired so much?

A: Right-handed hitter … I just kind of watched the way he moved, I feel like it reminded me of what I could be one day. He comes from a similar, I guess, ethnic background — his mom being white, his dad Black, similar to me — and he played shortstop. So I kinda looked for somebody who was kinda similar to me background-wise, and he was “the guy” for a while, so he was fun to watch.

Q: A quote from your former manager Bob Melvin: “There’s certain guys you don’t want to see in a different uniform.”

A: When I got traded to Oakland, I got to play for Bob Melvin for six straight years. I felt like Bob was another father figure for me, somebody who believed in me and let me work through my ups and downs. I tried to be the best teammate I could be when I played for him, and I think that’s probably a little bit of what he meant. But he shaped a lot of where I am today.

Q: A quote from Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins: “Marcus is so good for baseball.”

A: He brought me in on a one-year deal after I had a tough 2020 season. They believed in me, they showed a lot of confidence in me. They made me feel welcome when I got there, and I had a lot of fun playing for the Toronto Blue Jays. We had a crazy [COVID] year because Canada was not open and we went through a lot as a team. That’s a really good organization over there, and I’m happy he felt that way about me.

Q: What was it like riding BART to Giants games with your grandmother?

A: My grandma, Carol Phillips, my mom’s mom, I was her first grandson. She had three [grand]daughters, and I was born, and she loved sports. We made that connection very early when I was a young kid, and growing up in the Bay Area, we had San Francisco Giants games, we had Golden State Warriors games, and my grandma loved baseball and basketball. As I got older and continued to play sports, my grandma would be at every single game that I had, she’d also take me to the pro games, and that’s how I learned to love sports.

Q: What was it like watching Barry Bonds’ 700th home run in person?

A: That was great. I think we were in the third deck. I’m pretty sure he hit that ball to like left center, and just the power that he showed in that ballpark, which is a pitcher’s ballpark, he made that park look small. All of us young kids and fans at those games, every Barry Bonds at-bat we were locked in to, and even when they were on TV we were just locked in to his at-bats.

Q: Did you grow up wanting to be a San Francisco Giant?

A: Of course. It’s cool to see young kids now that I’m at this level, the teams that I’ve played for, the young kids in the area just aspiring to be a major league player for their favorite team. That was definitely me.

Q: Who was your favorite Warrior, Curry?

A: [Steph] Curry’s been a fixture for a long, long time. Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, when Kevin Durant was there, like that was a lethal combination. But just watching how that Steve Kerr system has been so good for a long time, and watching Steph Curry shoot the ball with such precision and excellence, you get spoiled as a Warrior fan.

Q: You were a Jason Kidd fan, too.

A: I actually got a chance to connect with Jason this offseason in Texas. He’s a University of California-Berkeley guy, and Dallas Mavericks head coach.

Q: What was it like meeting Rickey Henderson?

A: While I was playing for Oakland, he was the special assistant with the organization. Basically, he came into the clubhouse and he was just one of the guys, he’s playing cards with the guys, he’s talking baseball, talking baserunning, of course, hitting. I got to take ground balls during batting practice, and Rickey Henderson would catch my throws at first base, so every time my dad would come to batting practice he thought that was the craziest thing because that was his favorite player (chuckle). It’s so sad to see him go at such a young age. I think about him all the time.

Q: Alexei Ramirez, tell me about him.

A: He was a shortstop when I got called up to the major leagues, and just watching him play 161, 162 games year after year and grind through a season … whether I was not playing that day, or playing up the middle with him, he was always a guy I looked up to, and he gave it everything he had on the field.

Q: What will it be like playing on the New York stage?

A: It’s something I’ve always wondered about and wanted to do. I think just coming into New York as a road player, you feel that energy immediately, so now I get to do it for 81-plus games. The energy in the ballpark brings the best out of most of us players, and something I’m looking forward to.

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: Martin Luther King [Jr.], Jackie Robinson, Barack Obama.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: “Remember the Titans.”

Q: Favorite actor?

A: Denzel [Washington].

Q: Favorite singer/rapper/entertainer?

A: Lil Wayne.

Q: Favorite meal?

A: Steak.

Q: Your goals for this season?

A: My goal is to be on a World Series championship team. My goal is to stay healthy, play 162 games of good baseball, offensive and defense, score 100 runs, and maybe win another [third] Gold Glove.

Q: What are you most proud of about your career?

A: Getting the 10 years of service time was definitely something I was proud of. Winning a World Series, and just making an impact on my teammates that have been around me.

Q: What is your message to Mets fans about Marcus Semien?

A: I’m a hard-working baseball player, a family man, and somebody who just really loves the game of baseball, and I’m blessed to be able to play in front of these fans.

Q: Your message to fans about this Mets team?

A: This Mets team is a group of hungry players who are ready to do whatever it takes to make it to the World Series and win a ring. That’s everybody’s goal, and that will remain the same throughout the season.

A seasoned center fielder camps under a lazy fly ball, drifting with it as it gets carried by a strong wind. Suddenly blinded by the intense desert sun, at the last moment the center fielder ducks and covers his head with his glove as the ball falls a few feet behind him on the outfield grass. Official scorer ruling: double.

That is just Exhibit A as to why spring training stats should be taken with a grain of salt — and then discarded. Exhibit B is the parade of A and AA players on the field by the 5th inning, Exhibit C the way the ball carries in the desert air, Exhibit D the helpless feeling a pitcher gets watching playable ground balls work their way through a B-squad infield.

Don’t get me wrong: spring training can indeed be a place jobs are won or lost. But not on numbers, by the many eyeballs focused on players who are on the bubble for a position or roster spot. So as the Cactus League opens today, here are some things to watch/listen for in the quest for the starting job at 3B or a bench role filling out the roster:

Max Muncy

Does he look more fluid and comfortable at 3B than when he learned it on the job during the 2025 season?

Can he maintain accuracy with his throws, something which has plagued Muncy whether at 2B, SS, or 3B?

Is he hitting the ball with more authority than the low exit velocities and squared up percentages he showed in 2025?

Is he more relaxed and patient at the plate, rather than jumpy as he was in his first go around with the big league club?

Regardless of what Muncy’s batting average, OBP, slugging percentage, or number or errors look like, the answers to these questions likely will inform whether he wins the 3B job that appears to be his to lose coming in.

Brett Harris & Darell Hernaiz

Muncy’s main competition for 3B, Harris and Hernaiz share the same ‘deadly flaw’ they are hoping to show coaches they have conquered at least to some degree: they simply don’t slug or drive the ball nearly enough.

If either player shows up to the Cactus League truly having adjusted his swing to where he can drive the ball more consistently, suddenly you have a far more legitimately 3B candidate on your hands.

Colby Thomas

Fighting for a bench spot, probably vying with Carlos Cortes for that 4th OFer role, Thomas needs to show that he can hunt strikes and not just “most pitches”. Thomas has the reputation of feeling like he can drive most any pitch, but in order to be successful at the big league level he is going to have to develop more discernment.

Nobody questions that when Thomas makes contact, the ball flies off his bat with impressive authority. But the chase rate, the tendency to put balls in play early in the count — these are qualities you can still thrive with against MiLB pitchers but not so much against MLB arms.

Junior Perez

Perez is starting in CF for the A’s in their opener and he might get a lot of looks with Denzel Clarke soon leaving to represent team Canada in the WBC.

We all know Perez is a gifted CFer, so how he fares against the Arizona sun and wind isn’t all that important. What matters is whether he looks like the hitter who thrived upon being moved up to AAA Las Vegas last year or whether he looks at all like the confuzzled and “in his own head” mess he was at AA Midland prior. A lot of that will be seen in approach and swing decisions as well as the ability to square up pitches in the zone.

There’s a sampling of relevant specifics worth following — it’s only position players leaving room for similar analysis with pitchers another day. Any to add? Or any modifications you would suggest for the areas I have identified for these players?

Play ball! Jack Perkins gets the start at 12:05 PST but I’m guessing he won’t go all 9.

Baseball is back!

The Milwaukee Brewers kick off their Cactus League slate Saturday afternoon in Phoenix as they’ll welcome the Cleveland Guardians in a battle of the two two-time reigning Managers of the Year in Pat Murphy and former Brewer Stephen Vogt.

Today’s game is one filled with non-roster invitees, including a few you may see in the World Baseball Classic in just a few weeks. On the mound, right-hander Garrett Stallings, 28, is slated to start after appearing in 30 games (15 starts) at Triple-A Nashville last season.

Brett Wichrowski, Tyson Hardin, Jaron DeBerry, Will Childers, Blake Holub, Manuel Rodríguez, Mark Manfredi, and Stiven Cruz are all slated to pitch as well. Cruz is among those WBC players, as he’ll represent Nicaragua.

In the lineup, Brice Turang leads off and starts at second base, followed by Jackson Chourio at DH, Akil Baddoo in left, and Joey Ortiz at shortstop batting cleanup. Tyler Black bats fifth at first base, Brandon Lockridge is in center, and new Brewers David Hamilton and Reese McGuire start at third and catcher, respectively. Prospect Luis Lara rounds out the order and starts in right.

A few quick updates from spring camp, courtesy of Adam McCalvy and Todd Rosiak:

Two other quick notes: Jaison Chourio, Jackson’s younger brother and a top prospect for Cleveland, is part of the Guardians’ travel roster today, meaning we may see him go head-to-head with his brother. The Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System is also in play today. Pat Murphy had this to say in a conversation with McCalvy.

First pitch is set for 2:10 p.m. CT, and the game will be broadcast on 620 WTMJ and statewide on the Brewers Radio Network.

And we’re back.

Yesterday we got our first taste of Mariners baseball for 2026 , which is a great milestone to mark off the calendar. The pomp and circumstance may be somewhat lesser today, but we do get our first reminder for the steady rhythm of the season: the Mariners play every Saturday from now until Oct. 10, when the schedule makers offer a rest day before the ALCS. Hopefully it works out that way.

The Mariners roll out a lineup with dueling Emersons: Colt Emerson gets his first at bats of the spring and plays third base, while Emerson Hancock takes the mound for the first time. Both are looking to earn a spot on the Opening Day roster.

For the Giants, it’s these guys:

Game time: 12:10 PM PT

Watch: Mariners.tv

Listen: Seattle Sports 710 AM

Texas Rangers infielder Cody Freeman has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back, the team announced today. He is expected to miss four to six weeks.

Freeman, who the beats say gave the team an injection of energy when he came up last August, was in the mix for a bench spot to start the season. This would seem to lock Ezequiel Duran in for the backup infielder spot, which, barring injury, would mean that one spot is still open among position players, given that Sam Haggerty appears to be a given.

The team also announced that Winston Santos has a fracture in his non-throwing hand, a result of being hit by a comebacker while throwing batting practice. He won’t be facing batters for the next four weeks, but he will be able to throw in that period, so once his left hand heals he should be able to get back into action pretty quick.

Santos missed most of the 2025 season due to injury, making only 6 starts — five for Frisco, one for Round Rock — before throwing 18 innings in the Arizona Fall League. I would expect he’ll start the season in Round Rock, though he could go back to AA Frisco to start the year.