Category: Baseball

Continuing our February Daily Question series, we’re beginning today’s conversation with the question, “What is the thing you’re afraid to say out loud about this team?”

For the third consecutive offseason, the Brewers have swapped one of their key pitchers (Corbin Burnes in February 2024, Devin Williams in December 2024, Freddy Peralta this January) to reload with young players. This time it came in the form of Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams, two of the team’s top prospects entering the year.

Beyond that obvious major change, this squad isn’t much different from the one that finished in first place in the NL Central with 97 wins last season. Brandon Woodruff is back as is most of the rest of the pitching staff. Isaac Collins and Nick Mears are now with the Royals, but the Brewers added another lefty arm in the form of Ángel Zerpa. Akil Baddoo adds some further depth to the outfield, while catcher Reese McGuire will compete with Jeferson Quero for the backup job.

But what is the thing you’re scared to say about this team?

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.

Welcome to Wednesday. The Yankees’ pitchers and catchers will officially report to spring training a week from today! Hurrah. There’s not much else going on though, so we’ll get into today’s discussion prompt.

The Yankees have won 27 championships of course, but there have still been plenty of seasons that ended with frustrating results. Here’s just a smattering that come to mind:

• The 1960 Yanks bludgeoned the Pirates in the World Series in terms of run differential; it didn’t matter when they lost in seven games on Bill Mazeroski’s walk-off bomb.
• Prior to their long playoff drought, the 1980 and 1981 Yanks saw their seasons ended by two postseason opponents from the previous decade who flipped the script (the Royals and Dodgers).
• The 1985 Yanks won 97 games in Don Mattingly’s MVP season and Rickey Henderson’s superb New York debut, but missed the playoffs since the Wild Card did not yet exist and Toronto beat them out for the AL East.
• No AL team had a better record in mid-August of 1994 than the ascendant Yankees. A labor dispute cut the season short on August 11th and the World Series was cancelled. Fans never got to know if this Mattingly team would have gotten him to that Fall Classic.
• The Yanks did return to the playoffs at last in 1995, but after jumping out to a 2-0 series lead over the Mariners, they lost three in a row in Seattle to get eliminated with Edgar Martinez delivering a dagger of a double for the final walk-off blow. David Cone still curses the Kingdome.
• Can one really complain after a three-peat dynasty finally ends in 2001? Well, despite some downright thrilling playoff heroics in wake of 9/11, it did end in brutal fashion thanks to a shocking Mariano Rivera blown save that featured bad defense, an inexplicable Tony Womack double, and Luis Gonzalez winning the World Series for Arizona on a bloop to shortstop with the infield in.
• The 2003 Yanks might have been the best team in franchise history to not win a World Series. They won a playoff series for the ages too, as an ALCS Game 7 rally off Pedro Martinez and Aaron Boone’s walk-off homer created an all-time moment. Instead of riding that wave to a championship, they got clowned by the Marlins of all teams in a six-game World Series loss that ended in Josh Beckett’s Yankee Stadium shutout.
• 2004. There have been 10,000 sports documentaries about this one, and they’re still being churned out. NEXT.
• Although the Yankees had four deeply frustrating first-round exits during the first decade of this century, 2006 might take the cake. The Tigers had stumbled badly down the stretch to squander their 10-game AL Central lead and fall into a Wild Card spot. The Yankees were “Murderers’ Row and Canó,” in the words of Detroit skipper Jim Leyland. Guess which one of these teams fell apart in the ALDS?
• The Yankees’ post-Derek Jeter youth movement hit the jackpot in 2017 with rookie Aaron Judge suddenly turning into a 50-homer MVP candidate. This popular team went from low preseason expectations all the way to Game 7 of the ALCS, which they lost to an Astros club that soon became infamous.
• Take your pick from the Aaron Boone Era. 2019, when the 103-win “Next Man Up” Yanks went down in the flames to the Astros in the ALCS again, this time in Jose Altuve walk-off fashion? 2022, when another ALCS rematch with Houston ended in a thoroughly uncompetitive sweep? Or perhaps 2024, when one year of Juan Soto got New York back to the Fall Classic, but a previously supernova Judge went cold in October and the World Series against the Dodgers was lost with questionable managing and awful Game 5 defense?

The contenders are fierce. My old colleague Greg Kirkland always pointed to ’94 due to never getting to find out the true ending for what that team deserved. I was too young for that, but I think that’s entirely fair. Among the teams I watched most closely, 2001 was the most heartbreaking and 2004 the most embarrassing — though boy did the very end of 2024 give that a run for its money. What about you?

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Today on the site, we’ll have two particular articles that will work in tandem with each other about a contentious topic at the moment: the Yankees’ bullpen. Andrés will take the optimistic view and argue why this group is being overlooked and could turn out to be quite good, while Jeff will be the opposition and detail why it’s a point of weakness at the moment that should have been improved. Elsewhere, we’ll have our Peter celebrate a forgotten
“Lefty” from Yankees history for our Birthdays series, and Nick will be on double duty for a season preview post on Paul Blackburn and a look book at Andy Pettitte’s shocking-but-welcome unretirement in spring 2012 as part of our 50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agents.

Hello everyone! Welcome to our new Daily Question series for the month of February. With Spring Training around the corner, we want to hear what you think 2026 holds for your Minnesota Twins. Let’s get excited for baseball!

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Yesterday we talked trades, today, let’s talk free agents.

The reason I wanted to hit trades first is that the remaining 2026 free agent options are fairly bleak. There’s some great options on the market if you need starting pitching, but unfortunately for the Twins, that’s the one area of relative strength on this team. Plus, Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen are well out of Tom Pohlad’s price range.

Using FanGraphs’ handy free agent tracker, you can sort by projected 2026 WAR and see there’s very little left for the Twins’ needs. Just like with the trades, the Twins need right-handed relievers, right-handed hitting outfielders, and a utility man who can reasonably play shortstop 2-3 times per week, given Brooks Lee’s injury history.

In my opinion, there’s three players the Twins should be prioritizing.

1. Miguel Andujar, OF: the former Yankees top prospect has carved out a nice career for himself with the A’s over the past few seasons. He doesn’t offer much value defensively or on the base paths, but he crushes lefties and has a strong arm in the outfield. At this point of the offseason, you could do a lot worse.
2. Dauri Moreta, RHP: Moreta looked to be the Pirates’ future closer as recently as 2023 before he missed all of 2024 and most of 2025 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He flashed good stuff in the second half of last season, and would be controllable for two additional seasons if the Twins want to keep him around. Another year removed from surgery, he could be closing games in Minnesota by midseason.
3. Ramon Urias, IF: Urias was one of the league’s better utility men from 2021-2024 with the Orioles, but his offensive production slipped between Baltimore and Houston in 2025. He hasn’t played short since 2022, but that’s more due to ironman Gunnar Henderson taking over in 2023 and never looking back. If the Twins feel he can still handle shortstop, he’s the best option from a very limited remaining selection.

Take a look at FanGraphs’ list and let me know if there’s anyone you think the Twins should still pursue. It’s not great, but there may still be ways to upgrade on the margins.

Framber Valdez should have been wined, dined and extolled at a lavish press conference, signed to a contract with enough zeroes to assure lifetime wealth and picking out furniture for his new home.

Instead, less than one week before the start of spring training, he sits unemployed.

Valdez, 32, the two-time All-Star who has averaged 30 starts a year the past four seasons, with Cy Young votes in three of them, was arguably the best pitcher on the free-agent market.

He was projected to be the highest-paid player this winter outside his former Houston Astros teammate, Kyle Tucker. Yet, three full months have come and gone, and Valdez continues to wait with questions abound throughout the game.

Is he asking for too much money? Are teams concerned about the wear and tear on his arm, pitching 809 innings in the regular season and postseason the past four years?

Do they wonder whether Valdez intentionally hit his own catcher, Cesar Salazar, in the chest with a 93-mph fastball out of frustration in September after giving up a grand slam against the New York Yankees?

Whatever the reason, or if it’s simply a matter of a slow developing market for free agent pitchers, Valdez is easily the best player remaining on the market.

With time running out, in a survey of scouts, executives and agents, here are their predictions for the top six candidates to sign Valdez:

Baltimore Orioles

The Orioles remain the heavy favorite to sign Valdez, and could turn a fabulous winter into a spectacular one. And let’s face it, if they’re going to have a real chance to bounce back and win the AL East, they need another front-line starter.

Valdez would give them a formidable rotation with Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz, Dean Kremer and Zach Eflin already in the mix. And remember, they were aggressive in the bidding for Ranger Suarez before he signed a five-year, $130 million deal with the Boston Red Sox.

The Orioles are clearly the team to beat in the Valdez sweepstakes, executives believe.

Toronto Blue Jays

The Orioles’ biggest threat to signing Valdez is the Blue Jays. They’ve had perhaps the best winter of any team in baseball, spending $337 million to give them every chance for a return trip to the World Series. So why not push it closer to $500 million?

If they signed Valdez, they will have locked up the top two starters on the market, having already signed Dylan Cease to a seven-year, $210 million contract. They would be even further flush with starters with Valdez, Cease, Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, Cody Ponce and Jose Berrios. Considering that Gausman and Bieber are free agents after the 2026 season, the signing of Valdez makes perfect sense.

Besides, if they had $350 million to sign Kyle Tucker before he went to the Dodgers, why not give up a chunk of that to Valdez?

San Diego Padres

They haven’t done anything all winter besides bringing back Michael King and signing Korean infielder Sung-mun Song, and may have trouble enough keeping up with the San Francisco Giants – let alone the Dodgers. The signing of Valdez could save the offseason..

Financial constraints and an impending sale has handicapped them, but if Yu Darvish walks away from the $43 million he’s owed – including $16 million this season – the Padres could use it to find a creative way of bringing in Valdez. It would be similar to their deal a year ago with free agent Nick Pivetta when he was left stranded on the free agent market, giving him an opt-out after two seasons.

The Padres are a longshot compared to the Orioles and Blue Jays chances, but with GM A.J. Preller at the helm, you can never rule anything out.

Chicago Cubs

You want the Cubs’ fans to lose their minds after their fine winter? Go ahead and sign Valdez, giving them a team that could not only run win the NL Central, but peraps challenge the mighty Dodgers.

The Cubs, who already dropped $175 million with the Alex Bregman signing, would have a sensational rotation of Justin Steele (when he returns the second half), Edward Cabrera, Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon in the mix for starts.

The Cubs, who have been engaged in talks with fellow free agent Zac Gallen, will need another front-line starter in a year, anyways, with Boyd, Taillon and Imanaga all free agents after the 2026 season.

Detroit Tigers

Can you imagine a rotation with Tarik Skubal and Valdez as your 1-2 punch? It would bring back memories when Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer were leading their powerful rotation during their glory days.

While it may seem to be far-fetched, the Tigers have to face reality, too. They are not going to fork out $400 million and sign Skubal when he hits free agency in 10 months. They will have a gaping hole in the rotation. So why not be proactive and grab his replacement a year early? This would give them a rotation of Skubal, Valdez, Jack Flaherty, Casey Mize, Reese Olson and Drew Anderson to start 2026.

They would have the team built for a deep October run. Who says no?

Milwaukee Brewers

We get it. If you can’t afford to keep Freddy Peralta, why turn around and spend money for Valdez? Yet, the Peralta trade was simply acknowledging they couldn’t keep him a year from now.

Considering the Brewers have spent only $1.25 million in free agency this winter, and the fans are loudly grumbling about losing Peralta. Why not get them feeling as if you’re giving away free beer and cheese curds at all home games?

The Brewers privately say they still are interested in signing a free-agent pitcher, they could shoot for the sunand leave the Cubs cursing under their breath.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Framber Valdez news and rumors as top MLB free agent remains unsigned

With the transfer window now closed Rangers know exactly what they have to do to overhaul Hearts and Celtic at the top of the table to recapture the league title.

The deadline day signing of Ryan Naderi is an intriguing one. A lot of fans were crying out for another striker, with neither Youssef Chermiti nor Bojan Miovski delivering goals in huge quantities.

But I can't help thinking it was a goal creator, rather than goalscorer, that was most urgently required to aid Danny Rohl's quest for glory.

Take the Hibs game at the weekend as an example: Chermiti led the line well enough but ultimately Rangers didn't create sufficient opportunities either for him or anyone else and Raphael Sallinger was barely troubled in the home goal.

That, for me, is what will be Rangers' undoing this season unless they can solve the conundrum of how to break teams down, regardless of who is playing up front.

They badly need players like Andreas Skov Olsen to start producing the goods if they are to come out on top in the three-way contest for the title.

Olsen's pedigree is unquestionable but in his two games so far there have been no signs of the player Rangers thought they were getting.

Rangers need him to quickly find top form, starting with the game at home to Kilmarnock.

It will be interesting to see if Naderi is thrown straight into the team as Rangers aim to narrow the gap to just three points behind the leaders.

Tuesday made for a slow day on the news front for the Atlanta Braves. Though the offseason feels like it has dragged on, we are now officially less than a week away from pitchers and catchers reporting to camp. The Braves have yet to announce their non-roster invites, but until then, we’ve got a couple of preseason notes to keep you covered.

Braves News:

Ronald Acuña Jr. came in at No. 5 on MLB Network’s list of Top 10 right fielders. He came in at No. 2 after a fan vote. 

This Friday, February 6 at 7:30pm ET, Battery Power will be hosting a live Q&A session, tackling all things minor league. 

Our Top 30 Preseason Prospect List kicks off with numbers 19–30.

MLB News:

Catcher Yainer Diaz won his arbitration case against the Houston Astros and will earn a $4.5M salary. The Astros originally filed for $3M. The club avoided arbitration with Isaac Paredes, after the two agreed to a one-year, $9.35M deal. 

The Arizona Diamondbacks and first baseman Carlos Santana agreed to a one-year, $2M deal. The club has not yet announced the move.

Right-hander Kyle Bradish won his arbitration hearing against the Baltimore Orioles and will make $3.5M this season. The O’s had filed for $2.875M.

New York Post | Joel Sherman ($): The Yankees seem like they’re hunting for one more addition, preferably a right-handed hitter who can play multiple positions. We don’t know much about the status of utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera as he returns from his grisly ankle injury, and the team may prefer a player with a little more of a track record anyway. Sherman lists several possibilities here, including one-time Baby Bomber Miguel Andújar. I’m not sure what kind of fit the 2018 AL Rookie of the Year runner-up provides when the Yankee outfield seems so entrenched, but the Yankees have surprised me before.

FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: Speaking of people the Yankees could add, here’s a useful rundown of the remaining role players on the free agent market. None of these guys will command much in terms of payroll, and I don’t imagine many of them are under illusions that they’ll be full-time starters. While Paul Goldschmidt or Marcell Ozuna make me turn up my nose, if there’s any kind of bounceback in Ramón Urías’ bat, he’s not a bad bench piece.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Every team needs more than five starting pitchers to get through a season, so let’s look at the guys the Yankees will likely call on to shore up the rotation through normal bumps and hurdles. Elmer Rodríguez, the 2025 Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the organization, will almost certainly get time with the big-league club this coming season, and fellow prospect Carlos Lagrange has been spoken of highly within the team’s system. Lastly, new acquisition Angel Chivilli will get a chance to prove himself closer to sea level in the Yankee bullpen.

Tonight, I’d be curious about your thoughts on a ranking published by Bleacher Report over the weekend. Joel Reuter asked this question: “Which MLB team has added the most talent this offseason?” (It kind of follows up some of the discussion we had today in the Rockpile comments.)

He then goes on to rank all 30 teams. (The Rockies come in 23rd.)

Watching a team truly rebuild is a bit disorienting since none of the familiar metrics apply. What constitutes a successful season for the Rockies won’t apply to most MLB teams.

So with that in mind, I’d like to pose Reuter’s question to the Purple Row Night Owls: How would you rank the Rockies’ offseason talent acquisition given that they are in the midst of a rebuild?

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

One of the top remaining pitchers available in free agency wouldn’t mind a reunion with his old club.

Right-hander Zac Gallen, a 2023 All-Star who remains unsigned with pitchers and catchers officially set to report to spring training next week, said it would be “awesome” to re-sign with the Diamondbacks.

“It’s been humbling,” Gallen told reporters Tuesday at the WM Phoenix Open. “That’s kind of been the constant thing the last couple of weeks. People have been like, ‘Hey, we’d really love for you to come back.’ I think people understand what Phoenix means to me.

“My wife is from here, I’m calling this home base now, so for us to be here would be awesome.”

Gallen, 30, developed into Arizona’s ace after being acquired from the Marlins exchange for Jazz Chisholm Jr. in July 2019  — but he’s coming off a disappointing season.

The Somerdale, N.J., native went 13-15 with a 4.83 ERA in 33 starts across a career-high 192 innings in 2025.

While he posted career-worst marks in several categories, Gallen finished strong, pitching to a 3.32 ERA in the second half, right in line with his career 3.58 mark.

Even with that rebound, 2025 was a far cry from his elite form; he went 12-4 with a 2.54 ERA in 2022 and followed it with a National League All-Star selection the next season.

Gallen’s market has been murky this offseason, likely compounded by his decision to decline Arizona’s $22.025 million qualifying offer, which would entitle the Diamondbacks to draft-pick compensation if he signs elsewhere and penalize the team he signs with.

The Diamondbacks discussed a reunion with Gallen while the Cubs, Padres, Angels and others have also expressed interest, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported.

Zac Gallen on possibly re-signing with the D-backs with the start of spring training a week away:

"People have been like, 'Hey, we'd really love for you to come back.' I think people understand what Phoenix means to me…For us to be here would be awesome."@FOX10Phoenixpic.twitter.com/DHyKg8G36m

— Blake Niemann (@Blakes_Take2) February 3, 2026

Retaining Gallen would be a solid way for Arizona to wrap up an offseason in which the team did not trade superstar infielder Ketel Marte and added veteran hitters Carlos Santana and Nolan Arenado.

The Diamondbacks also added former Yankees reliever Jonathan Loaisiga and reunited with fellow righty Merrill Kelly.

Former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes, who signed a franchise-record six-year, $210 million deal last offseason, is expected to return at some point in 2026 after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Despite an uneven year and Arizona’s failure to reach the postseason, Gallen said the support from the fanbase has left a lasting impression.

“It gives you chill that people still want you to come back and be part of the organization and franchise,” Gallen said.

Another American League East squad is in the running for baseball’s top remaining free agent pitcher.

The Blue Jays — among several other clubs — have expressed interest in left-hander Framber Valdez, The Post’s Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman reported on Tuesday.

Heyman reported last week that Valdez, 32, was believed to be patient as he decided on his next team.

The Orioles have previously expressed interest in the former Astros hurler, and the Yankees checked in on him before trading with the Marlins for lefty Ryan Weathers.

Toronto, after falling two outs shy of a World Series, has been active this offseason, particularly in the pitching market. The Blue Jays have already added righty starters Dylan Cease (seven years, $210 million) and Korean Baseball Organization MVP Cody Ponce (three years, $30 million) and submarine reliever Tyler Rogers (three years, $37 million) this offseason.

Valdez was a workhorse for Houston over eight seasons, especially over the past four seasons when he averaged over 191 innings per year.

A two-time All-Star and 2022 World Series champion, Valdez has received Cy Young votes in four separate seasons.

In 2025, he held a 3.66 ERA and 1.245 WHIP over 192 innings. His season wasn’t free of drama, however, as he appeared to intentionally cross up catcher César Salazar, throwing a pitch at the backstop’s chest during a September game against the Yankees. His agent, in the immediate aftermath, called the allegations “preposterous.”

Another one of Valdez’s former catchers, Martin Maldonado, told Chron.com this week that Valdez is reliable pitcher any team would be lucky to have.

“He’s a hard worker, a guy ready to compete, ready to get the ball every five days, even four, if needed,” Maldonado said of Valdez. “He’s developed himself into that guy, too. He’s worked to be that kind of pitcher.

“As a teammate, I never had a problem with him. He’s a guy that, you know, like me, he competes. Everyone knows that about him.”

Valdez turned down a qualifying offer from Houston to hit free agency, so that means any team that signs him will forfeit some form of draft picks in 2026.

It’s Tuesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs friends abroad. Come on in and relax for a while. Get out of the cold. We can check your coat for you. There are still a few tables available. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night, I asked you if you’d be open to trading Matt Shaw to the Red Sox for a top 100 pitching prospect. When you add up the three “Yes” answers, 52 percent of you would make that deal with 32 percent of you willing to accept either Connelly Early or Payton Tolle in return. Another 48 percent of you would refuse to deal Shaw for such a package. So it was a close vote.

I don’t normally do movies on Tuesdays, but you still have time to vote in the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic between 2001: A Space Odyssey and Planet of the Apes. But I always have time for jazz, so those of you who skip that can do so now. You won’t hurt my feelings.

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Tonight I’m featuring South African saxophonist Sisonke Xonti’s tribute to a city that I worked in for four years, “Minneapolis.” (I lived across the river in St. Paul.) This is from 2020.

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Welcome back to everyone who skips all that jazz.

Fangraphs is up with their first standings and playoff predictions and to no one’s surprise, they have the Cubs winning the National League Central with 86 wins.

But the Cubs have only a 44 percent chance of winning the division. As you might expect, the Brewers are given the second-best chance at 24 percent. After all they’re the three-time defending division champs and they’ve won the division four of the past five seasons. The Brew Crew certainly seem to have taken a step backwards with the trades of Freddy Peralta and Isaac Collins, but the Brewers have made trades like that before and not lost a step. So it makes sense that the Brewers would be given the second-best chances of winning the division.

We’d assume that the Reds would have the third-best chance. After all, the Reds finished in third last season and made the Wild Card round. They’ve just signed third baseman Eugenio Suárez, and that’s going to be worth a win or two against the Cubs alone, I would guess. The Reds have four excellent young starters in Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Brady Singer and Andrew Abbott. And while they weren’t able to sign Elly De La Cruz to an extension, he still plays for the Reds in 2026.

But according to the Steamer projections, the Reds are not the team threatening to come up from the outside. Instead, they give the Pirates to finish with 82 wins and a 20 percent chance to win the division. The Reds, on the other hand, are projected for 76 wins and only a nine percent chance at the division crown.

The Cardinals are going into a rebuilding phase and are predicted for just 75 wins. I think that’s generous. I think it was also calculated before the Brendan Donovan trade.

So are the Pirates a team to worry about? Of course, they have the chance to beat you everytime Paul Skenes takes the mound. But that was true last year as well. The Pirates only won 71 games with Skenes in 2025 and he went 10-10. Maybe we don’t put much stock in W-L records for pitchers anymore, but that does indicate that Pittsburgh doesn’t win every time Skenes takes the mound.

So why is the projection so bullish on the Pirates that they have them increasing their win total by 11 and being a legitimate threat to win the division? For one, the Pirates have attempted to improve their anemic offense, which was worst in the majors by run scored, by bringing in three new starters to the lineup. Outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia was acquired in a trade with the Red Sox. Second baseman Brandon Lowe came over from the Rays in a three-way deal. And the Pirates added first baseman Ryan O’Hearn in a free agent deal.

On top of that, the Pirates have two really, really good prospects who may be ready to play this year. Right-handed starter Bubba Chandler has already made his major league debut and he was quite solid over four starts. The ZiPS projection system has Chandler being an above-average starter this year.

Then there’s shortstop Konnor Griffin, who is the number-one prospect in all of baseball. Some are calling him the best prospect since Mike Trout. Keith Law of The Athletic was calling him “Willie Mays except he plays shortstop.” I think Law was being a bit hyperbolic there, but the point is that Griffin could be a superstar as early as this year. He’s only played 21 games at the Double-A level so he’ll probably start the season in the minors, but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Griffin is playing in the majors by May.

Is that enough to make up a 12 game difference from last year over the Reds? I’m not sure. As good as he’s likely to be, Griffin isn’t a 12-win player. Garcia, Lowe and O’Hearn are certainly upgrades on what the Pirates ran out there last year, but none of those three players are what I’d call a star. Garcia is a rookie who played just five games last year. Lowe and O’Hearn had a bWAR last year of 1.9 and 2.4 respectively. Solid everyday starters, but not stars.

So between the Reds and the Pirates, which team is the “dark horse” to watch out for in the NL Central?

Thanks for stopping by tonight. We always enjoy it when you stop by. Please get home safely. Stay warm. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.

This position is an improvement on the 2025 rankings, in which Carroll finished sixth. He was also fourth going into 2024, coming off his unanimous selection as the NL Rookie of the Year, so this ties a career high in these rankings for Corbin. He came ninth in the network’s recent ranking of the top hundred players across all positions. There, Carroll was behind Aaron Judge and Juan Soto, but Corbin also trailed the Dodgers’ Kyle Tucker in this list.

Here is the full top ten:

Top 10 Right Fielders Right Now 

1. Aaron Judge, New York Yankees 
2. Juan Soto, New York Mets 
3. Kyle Tucker, Los Angeles Dodgers 
4. Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks 
5. Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves 
6. Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres 
7. Seiya Suzuki, Chicago Cubs 
8. George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays 
9. Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels 
10. Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox 

The 16^th season of each Top 10 Right Now ranking considers player performance over multiple seasons, offensive and defensive metrics, both advanced Statcast data and traditional numbers, and expert analysis by the MLB Network research team. This might be the end of D-backs getting mentioned. Tomorrow is third basemen, and I suppose it’s just about possible Nolan Arenado could get mentioned, though I would be a little surprised. The other two categories remaining are first base and relief pitchers. Much as I regard Pavin Smith as under-rated (not least by his own fanbase!), I honestly do not expect Arizona to be troubling the list in either department.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The San Diego Padres and president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller have had a relatively quiet offseason. Michael King was re-signed and Sung-Mun Song was added through free agency – those were the “headline moves.” There were pitchers like Kyle Hart, Ty Adcock and Daison Acosta who were added to the major league roster as well, but all the other moves for the Padres have come in the form of minor league contracts.

The offseason started with glaring holes on the San Diego roster. The team lacked starting rotation depth and a first baseman/designated hitter. Those holes are still areas of concern at least among Padres fans, but some clarity was gained after Padres FanFest – kind of.

Manager Craig Stammen said Gavin Sheets is the de facto first baseman as the team prepares for the start of Spring Training. The designated hitter position is potentially going to be used to get regulars like Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts off their feet for a day, meaning the team will not have a true DH.

With Preller at the helm, a signing or a move late in the offseason cannot be discounted, but with pitchers and catchers set to report Feb. 12, time is running out to made additions before camp opens. Preller signed Nick Pivetta after the start of Spring Training last year so by no means is the roster set

The later it gets, it seems the “blockbuster trade” we were teased with during the MLB Winter Meetings is not going to happen. Gaslamp Ball asks you, the Friar Faithful, do you expect Preller and the Padres to make a significant trade or signing prior to the Start of Spring Training?

Results of the Padres Reacts Survey will be revealed later in the week.

Impossible as it might be, imagine a world in which Tanner Scott isn’t booed-by-his-own-fans awful. 

Imagine a world in which the former Shohei Ohtani Stopper resembles the reliever he was in the two seasons before he signed with the Dodgers. Imagine a world in which the $72 million left-hander could be counted on to come out of the bullpen in the late innings of a postseason game to shut down, say, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.

Imagine what that would mean for the Dodgers. 

The defending World Series champions would be transformed if they can have an All-Star version of Scott as a high-leverage option in front of new closer Edwin Díaz. Their bullpen wouldn’t be a fatal flaw requiring minor miracles to remedy. Their bullpen would be a strength.

Dodgers management can picture it.

“Our full belief is that Tanner is going to come back and have a great year for us next year and be right there in the mix to pitch at the back end of games,” general manager Brandon Gomes said.

To anyone who watched Scott pitch last season, Gomes might as well have said he believed there wouldn’t be any traffic around Dodger Stadium on game days. 

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Scott posted a 4.74 ERA. He was charged with nine blown saves. He was sidelined for a month due to elbow inflammation. He returned in time for the postseason, only to be knocked out by an abscess on his posterior that required surgery. Scott himself described his performance as “kind of awful.”

But Gomes’ faith in Scott isn’t entirely unfounded. The velocities and spin rates of his fastball and slider were more or less what they were in 2024, when he was one of the best relievers in baseball. The Dodgers thought the problem was where the pitches were thrown. 

“I threw too many balls in the zone,” Scott said, “and paid for it a lot.”

A comparison of Scott’s heat maps from recent years backs this claim. When he was pitching for the Marlins and Padres in 2024, Scott often elevated his fastball and threw his slider just outside of the lower corner of the strike zone. With the Dodgers last year, he threw his fastball lower. Many of his sliders were inside the strike zone.

In the first two months of the season, close to 60 percent of his pitches were in the strike zone, well above the league average of 49 percent.

“I tried to do something I don’t normally do, and I didn’t play to my strengths like I had the past two years when I was really good,” Scott said. “I kind of got away from that.”

Throwing more strikes resulted in opponents batting .182 against him with two strikes over the entire season, up from .107 the previous year.

The changes he would have to make are small. The difference in results could be huge. But the greatest obstacle he faces could be psychological.

Asked why he strayed from a proven approach last year, Scott replied, “Expectations.”

Expectations changed for the previously anonymous Scott when he moved to the Dodgers last offseason. His four-year, $72 million deal was celebrated by a fan base that just watched him pitch for the Padres and strike out Ohtani four times in four plate appearances in the National League Division Series.

Suddenly, Scott was the closer for the defending World Series champions. The burden crushed him.

There were times, he said, he tried to be perfect. In others, he tried to not be perfect. Nothing worked. Manager Dave Roberts said he thought Scott was dealing with physical problems before he was placed on the injured list in mid-July.

“It was mentally exhausting,” Scott said.

That showed, Scott saying at one point late in the season, “Baseball hates me right now.” About a week later, he wondered whether he was tipping his pitches.

He sounded lost.

The time he spent on the injured list, he said, offered him a chance to regroup.

“It gives you time to reflect on what happened and what you’ve got to change,” he said. “It was a blessing in disguise that it happened. It gave me time to reflect, and I was able to watch and learn.”

Díaz was signed to a three-year, $69 million deal to do the job Scott couldn’t do, but Scott said the addition of a new closer didn’t bother him.

“That was huge,” Scott said. “Anyone that we add is awesome. It’s going to be fun. Our bullpen is stacked.”

Especially if Scott rediscovers himself.

Carlos Santana is headed to the desert. 

The Post’s Jon Heyman reported Tuesday that the veteran slugger and the Diamondbacks were “close to a deal,” although it was “not completely done but progressing toward [a] deal.”

MLB.com reported that he agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal with the team. The Associated Press added that the deal is pending a physical.

The switch-hitter, who turns 40 in April, is expected to split time with the lefty-hitting Pavin Smith at first base with Arizona. 

Santana has spent 16 seasons in the big leagues, debuting back in 2010 with Cleveland. 

He’s built out a long MLB career with his offensive prowess, hitting 335 long balls and leading all active hitters with 1,330 walks. 

But age has appeared to start catching up with him in recent years. 

Last season, Santana struggled at the plate, hitting .219/.308/.325 with 11 home runs in 474 plate appearances during stints with the Guardians and Cubs. 

He has proven to be an excellent fielder at first base even late into his career. 

Since 2016, Santana has ranked second among all first basemen with plus-44 outs above average. 

In 2024, he won the American League Gold Glove at first during his only season with the Twins.

The Santana move continues what has been a busy offseason for Arizona. 

Earlier this month, the D-backs acquired eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado for pitching prospect Jack Martinez.

The franchise also reunited with right-hander Merrill Kelly and signed Michael Soroka to shore up their starting rotation.