Category: Baseball

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Elephant Rumblings: Only One Wild Card Series Goes The Distance

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Alec Bohm #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Atlanta Braves during the tenth inning in game two of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Good morning A’s fans!

Three of the four series of the first round ended with sweeps. The Yankees, Padres, and White Sox all vanquished their opponents and have punched their tickets to the divisional round. The Cubs, Red Sox, and Astros (yay) all saw their seasons come to an unceremonious end. None of them were huge favorites to win it all so their fanbases can only be so disappointed, but still never fun to see your team end the year with a loss.

The second round is now mostly set. After their dominance over one division rival, the Yankees now take on the #1 seed in the AL in another rival, the Tampa Bay Rays. This series could go either way and it’ll be one of the best of the second round.

The other matchup in the AL is, again, between two division rivals as the White Sox take on the Guardians. The upstart White Sox beat Houston in convincing fashion but Cleveland is a much better opponent. Can they keep the mojo going, or does their magic finally wear off?

In the NL, the Brewers now know they’ll be facing the Padres in their Division series matchup. Milwaukee was the only team to win 100 games this year and is one of the favorites to win it all. They’ve been here before though and always fall short. Is this the year for them? The same can almost be said exactly the same of the Padres: a great team year in, year out, but always falling just short of expectations. Milwaukee should be favored in this series but San Diego could be the pick if someone wants an upset in the second round.

The only team that couldn’t finish off the sweep was the Atlanta Braves. They were close, coming to within six outs of finishing off the Phillies. Their division rival managed a late comeback with back-to-back homers in the eighth to tie it and then they finished the comeback in extras, forcing one more game to decide the series. Winner-take-all. This is going to be some good baseball, and a mere taste of what’s to come in the later rounds of the playoffs.

Philly hasn’t announced their starter for the must-win game later today. They could turn to Zack Wheeler on short rest, which at this point in the year is kind of why he got that massive contract. Atlanta meanwhile has a bit more of a complicated decision for them on who starts today’s contest. It could end up being former A’s prospect Grant Holmes, who has blossomed with Atlanta. We’ll all just have to wait and stay tuned.

Meanwhile A’s fans are still waiting to find out who the new General Manager will be. There were rumors and reports that the organization wanted their choice installed before the end of the year but that deadline is long gone. The hope now is that they pick their person before the end of the playoffs so the new voice has an entire and full offseason at the helm. News could drop at any moment and any day now.

Phillies-Braves Game 3 first pitch is at 5:15 Pacific. Have a great Friday Junior everyone!

A’s Coverage:

MLB News & Interest:

Best of X:

I’ll say Cortes and Williams:

…why?

And the A’s could have had this guy!

Excellent use of AI:

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Munetaka Murakami’s drunk White Sox interview was beyond incredible

What the Chicago White Sox have done in 2026 is why sports are so great. A perennial punching bag, and Major League Baseball’s biggest laughingstock a year ago has transformed into a baseball powerhouse, and on Wednesday night they proved it. The ChiSox cruised to a 7-3 win over the Astros in the AL Wild Card, clinching 2-0 and moving on.

The locker room broke into a massive party, and nobody was having more fun than Munetaka Murakami, who celebrated with his teammates, partied with his translator, and gave drunken interviews to anyone with a microphone.

“HE’S DRUNK! [gestures to translator] HE’s DRUNK! He’s my classmate [?], but he’s drunk! Yeah! I’m drunk! I’m drunk! Yesterday, maybe hungover. No, not yesterday — tomorrow, hungover. Yeah, sorry, I don’t speak English.”

The unabashed joy pouring out of Mune is contagious, and it happened again later in the evening when CHSN tracked him down for another attempted interview.

There’s just something special about this White Sox team. To lift an entire organization out of the cellar to become one of the best teams in baseball is a sight to behold, and they’re doing it together as a team — Munetaka Murekami is a huge part of that. The man deserves his drunken celebration.

The White Sox will play the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS starting on Saturday, October 3rd at 1 p.m. ET

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What are your raw thoughts on the 2026 Red Sox season?

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Caleb Durbin #5 of the Boston Red Sox looks on against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The season’s been dead for less than 12 hours, but it’s always good to start reflecting on the year that was when the emotions are fresh, because you’ll probably never feel this strongly about the details of 2026 ever again.

So with that, we’ve got a simple question today: How do you feel about the 2026 Red Sox as a whole? It’s a more complicated question than usual at September’s end given the enormous highs and lows and the uncertainty of what will happen next, but we’ve got plenty of time to ponder it now that we don’t know when Red Sox baseball will be returning next.

For me, the 2026 season is a failure, and a big one! Third place for the third year in a row, failure to win at least 90 games for the fifth year in a row, and failure to bring playoff baseball back to Fenway Park for five years and counting. The season was salvaged from being an even bigger disaster by that remarkable 32-5 summer stretch, but when it ended, the September Red Sox once again became the April, May and most of June Red Sox. They had an offense that wasn’t good enough, a slate full of boring and uninspiring games, and a complete inability to execute in key spots.

But what are your emotions right now? Use this space to let us and the rest of the OTM community know. We’ll be here with you all offseason (however long that lasts into 2027), so make yourself comfortable, and as always, be good to one another.

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Former Washington Nationals are already making a big impact in the postseason

BRONX, NY - SEPTEMBER 30: Luis Garcia Jr. #26 of the New York Yankees hits a solo home run in the fourth inning during the New York Yankees game against the Boston Red Sox in game 2 of the American League Wild Card Playoff Series at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2026 in the Borough of the Bronx, New York. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The playoffs have only just begun, but we have already seen former Washington Nationals make an impact. While the Nats missed the postseason for the 7th straight season, there are a lot of familiar faces to watch. There are players who have not been on the Nats for a long time, but there are also guys who were on the 2026 team.

One of those recent Nats is Luis Garcia Jr., who had a huge night in his first career playoff start. Garcia opened the scoring for the Yankees in the bottom of the 4th inning with a towering solo home run to right field. He got all of a Sonny Gray sweeper and knew it right off the bat.

It would not surprise me if Garcia has a big postseason. In October, you see more velocity and nastier stuff. However, Garcia has never had any issues hitting velocity. He also has a flair for the dramatic. I am happy to see Garcia get a taste of playoff baseball, though I wish he could have done it in DC. There is a chance Garcia becomes a Yankees cult hero this October.

With Garcia’s Yankees eliminating the Red Sox, Curtis Mead will not get a chance to play in October. He was actually added to the roster yesterday after Roman Anthony’s injury. Mead did not get into the game though. After a monster year with the Nats, Mead got hurt in his first game with the Red Sox. We will see what he can do next year because that Mead for Early trade is fascinating.

The other 2026 National who is playing in October is Foster Griffin. We have not gotten to see him yet because the Guardians got a bye. I am curious to see what kind of role Griffin plays for Cleveland in October. He was not as sharp after the trade, but I still think he could be their game 3 starter behind Parker Messick and Gavin Williams.

Yesterday, Griffin’s Guardians learned who they will be playing in the ALDS. The White Sox knocked off the Astros with two convincing wins. There is actually a Nats connection on this White Sox team. Erick Fedde was a first rounder by the Nats back in 2014, but did not have a ton of success in DC.

For most of his career, Fedde has struggled. However, it seems like he turns into a different pitcher when he puts on a White Sox uniform. After going to Korea for a year, Fedde came back with the White Sox and had a phenomenal first half. He was actually part of a three team trade at the 2024 deadline which led to the White Sox acquiring Miguel Vargas, one of their best players.

Fedde was not as good after the trade to the Cardinals. In fact, he got released in 2025 and pitched for 3 different teams. This offseason, he returned to Chicago and pitched to a solid 3.83 ERA in 141 innings. Yesterday, Fedde got the last out of the White Sox first playoff series win since 2005 and was fired up in his playoff debut. While he was on the 2019 Nats, he never actually pitched in the playoffs. Now he is getting his shot.

As we all know, the Phillies core group is littered with former Nats. Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper have been at the top of the Phillies lineup together for years now. Of course, all of those guys spent time in DC. With Harper’s exit from DC and the divisional rivalry, I do not suppose many Nats fans will be rooting for them though.

It looked like Nats fans were going to get a successful hate watch. After the Phillies dropped game one, they were on the verge of elimination yesterday. I know a lot of Nats fans chuckled when Bryce Harper misplayed a ball in the outfield, leading to the Braves taking the lead.

As we know, Bryce has a flair for the dramatic though. In the top of the 8th, Harper tied the game after going back to back with Kyle Schwarber. It was a true postseason moment and it honestly made me miss October baseball in DC.

I do not want to be writing this kind of story next year. Hopefully the Nats will be able to knock the Phillies or Braves off their perch and make a playoff run of their own next season. Watching that series, I see two flawed teams who have aging or stale cores. They have enough talent to make a run, but I think the Nats have a window to strike these next couple of years. 

Nationals Park in October is a truly elite atmosphere. I would do anything to get that back. With the way Paul Toboni is building things, I have faith that the Nats can get back to October sooner rather than later. Hopefully I am writing about current Nationals being heroes in the playoffs in 2027, not former ones.

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Padres complete sweep of Cubs, advance to NLDS

SAN DIEGO, CA - SEPTEMBER 30: Gavin Sheets #30 of the San Diego Padres tosses his bat back to the dugout after hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning during Game Two of the National League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

The man the San Diego Padres fanbase dubbed “Dairy Bonds” stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the fourth inning with the Padres leading 2-1 after the Chicago Cubs scored a run in the top of the inning. Xander Bogaerts hit a one-out double off Cubs starter Kevin Gausman and that knocked the right-hander out of the game. Chicago called on right-hander Daniel Palencia and he got the second out of the inning with a strikeout of Ethan Salas. Austin Hays was scheduled to hit, but San Diego manager Craig Stammen called on Gavin Sheets to pinch-hit and he delivered a two-out, two-run home run that was crushed deep into the right field bleachers to give the Padres a three-run lead en route to a 4-1 win and a series sweep at Petco Park on Wednesday night.

The home run from Sheets caused the fans to erupt and seemed to deflate the Cubs, who struggled on offense throughout the two-game series. Nick Pivetta started the game much like Michael King in the Game 1 win on Tuesday night. Pivetta struck out Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman. Pivetta then got Michael Busch to groundout to get the San Diego offense to the plate.

There were no first-inning dramatics for the Padres in Game 2, but they did break open the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. San Diego was unable to add to its lead until the Sheets home run in the fourth and did not score after, but the four runs were all that were needed by the Padres.

Pivetta pitched into the fourth inning, but allowed a run after a single, a walk and a single and Stammen went to the bullpen for Bradgley Rodriguez. The rookie reliever struck out the first batter he faced, then hit the next batter, but left the bases loaded when he got Dansby Swanson to fly out to Jackson Merrill in center field.

The bullpen took over the game after the fourth. Rodriguez returned to the mound and pitched a scoreless fifth inning and Jason Adam pitched a scoreless sixth inning. Adrian Morejon pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth inning before Mason Miller came in for the save to close out the game and the series which allowed the Padres to get the win and advance to the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

San Diego will be off Thursday and Friday and will open the NLDS in Milwaukee at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Padres News:

Baseball News:

The New York Yankees knocked off the Boston Red Sox to advance to the second round of the MLB playoffs.

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How to fix Mets' roster for 2027: A step-by-step plan

This is a prove-it offseason for Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns.

Following a slow collapse in 2025 that resulted in New York being eliminated from postseason contention on the final day of the regular season, the club spun out of control early in 2026 and never recovered.

That the failures of the 2026 Mets came after an offseason of drastic change engineered by Stearns has put even more pressure on him to right the ship this offseason.

Speaking in July, owner Steve Cohendiscussed the future of Stearns, who is about to enter the fourth year of the five-year deal he signed before the 2023-24 offseason. While Cohen said the Mets are going to "live that contract out," he added the caveat that there are "no guarantees."

On the day after the season ended, Stearns was reflective and accountable, explaining that he simply had too many misses last offseason and that he's going to learn from it.

Put everything together and it seems fair to believe that Stearns might be more aggressive than usual this offseason, which would likely mean stepping out of his comfort zone of pragmatism and risk mitigation. 

As Stearns looks to take a 74-88 team and turn it into a group of players who can return to the playoffs in 2027, here's a step-by-step plan forward...

Add two starting pitchers, including an ace

Reading between the lines, the Mets might view their starting rotation like this heading into the offseason:

Nolan McLean is a lock, and Christian Scott should be close to a lock. Beyond that, things are up in the air.

It's easy to see Zac Thornton breaking camp as the No. 5 starter, but it's also possible he opens the year in Triple-A Syracuse as incredibly valuable depth. If Thornton meets his goal of adding two-to-three miles per hour to his fastball this offseason, though, it could be hard to justify keeping him down. 

Aug 25, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Zac Thornton (49) reacts to an inning ending double play in the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field.
Aug 25, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Zac Thornton (49) reacts to an inning ending double play in the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

As far as Jonah Tong, manager Andy Green made it pretty clear toward the end of the season that the young right-hander has to pitch himself into the Mets' plans. That means it will be a surprise if he doesn't begin the season in the minors.

Sean Manaea, who is coming off an up-and-down season, is owed $25 million in 2027 in what is the final season of the three-year deal he signed ahead of the 2025 campaign. So it's fair to believe he'll be in the rotation from the jump if he's healthy.

No matter what, the plan should be to add two legitimate rotation pieces this offseason.

One of them should be Tarik Skubal, and here's why.

As far as the other arm, the Mets could turn to a short-term, relatively low cost free agent like Tyler Mahle. It could also make sense to call a team like the Mariners, who could possibly be open to trading from their relative excess of starting pitching.

Go external at first base

During his end-of-season news conference, Stearns talked up Jared Young and Brett Baty as first base options, but also said the plan was to look externally for help. That's a wise idea.

While Young had an impressive campaign in 2026, he does not hit for enough power to profile as the regular first baseman. He also struggles against left-handed pitching.

Baty, who is not a natural first baseman, finished this past season strong but has yet to find consistency during parts of five years in the majors.

If Bo Bichette opts in (which seems to be the likeliest outcome), the Mets will be set at third base, shortstop, and all three outfield spots, making first base perhaps the most sensible spot to try to upgrade.

The pickings are slim in free agency, with Ty France a decent choice. But he's entering his age-32 season and will be coming off a career year that could jack his price up.

If the Mets want to go bold, a pursuit of Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato makes sense.

Mar 15, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan; Hanshin Tigers right fielder Teruaki Sato (8) gestures during the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome.
Mar 15, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan; Hanshin Tigers right fielder Teruaki Sato (8) gestures during the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome. / Darren Yamashita - Imagn Images

Sato, who will be entering his age-28 season, had a career-best 1.012 OPS this year for the Hanshin Tigers while smacking 37 homers and 39 doubles in 136 games. There is serious swing-and-miss in Sato's game -- he struck out 156 times this season. But if the Mets feel like his bat will translate well in the majors, he could be a lethal option in the middle of New York's lineup.

In a world where the Mets don't go big at first base, it would make sense to instead add a free agent DH option, with Seiya Suzuki standing out.

Go internal at second base

Despite Marcus Semien being set to make $24 million toward the luxury tax payroll each of the next two seasons, he is not a lock to enter 2027 as the starting second baseman.

That's because Semien's offensive slide continued in 2026 and his defense fell off dramatically, creating a potentially untenable situation.

Aside from Semien, the Mets could theoretically turn to Baty at second base. But the long-term plan there is likely one of New York's highly thought of prospects -- Jefferson Rojas, Mitch Voit, or Émilien Pitre.

All three players could possibly make their big league debut in 2027, and Rojas and Voit have serious upside.

Depending on how Semien plays, it's easy to envision one of the Mets' prospects grabbing the second base job during the first half of the season and never looking back.

Aim high for a free agent reliever

Despite dealing two relievers during their trade deadline sell-off who were under team control beyond 2026 (Luke Weaver and Huascar Brazoban), the Mets' bullpen is in decent shape.

As things currently stand, the depth chart looks something like this:

Devin Williams
Kodai Senga
Nate Lavender
Daniel Duarte
Dedniel Núñez
Tobias Myers
Austin Warren
Jefry Yan

New York Mets pitcher Devin Williams (38) reacts to striking out the batter for the final out during the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field
New York Mets pitcher Devin Williams (38) reacts to striking out the batter for the final out during the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field / Gregory Fisher - Imagn Images

Williams is coming off a bumpy season, and might be best suited for a setup role. Meanwhile, Senga showed that his fastball-ghost fork combination can play up in relief, but it's impossible to know if a bullpen role would work for him over a full season given his meticulous routines and past health issues.

So the Mets should be aiming to find a closer this offseason.

Fortunately for them, the electric Adrian Morejon is set to be on the free agent market. Morejon, who will be entering his age-28 season, has a four-seamer and two-seamer that both averaged near 100 mph in 2026, and graded out in the 90th percentile or better in in 10 of 12 key metrics tracked by Baseball Savant.

As is the case with Skubal, Stearns would likely have to come out of his comfort zone to land Morejon, who should command a deal of at least four years.

Adding the trio of Skubal, Sato, and Morejon this offseason would be pricey, but the Mets would do so knowing that there will be lots of money coming off the books after 2027. Specifically, Manaea ($25 million), Jorge Polanco ($20 million), and Senga ($15 million) are entering the final year of their respective deals. If Bichette opts out (either this offseason or next), it would free up an additional $42 million.  

Be selectively bold via trade

Following the Mets' moves at the trade deadline, Stearns was open about the possibility that some of the prospects acquired in those trades could be flipped in deals sooner rather than later.

The Mets shouldn't be actively seeking to move on from any specific prospects. However, if one of their infield prospects can be a headliner in a deal for a difference-maker, they shouldn't hesitate.

Depending on how the starting rotation is addressed, the Mets could also potentially use one of their close-to-the-majors pitching prospects in a trade.

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Trevor Rogers’ strong finish has set him up for a big pay day

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 19: Trevor Rogers #28 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 19, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Despite all of the things that have gone wrong for the Orioles these last two seasons, one player stands out as a resounding success. Trevor Rogers came to Baltimore in a 2024 trade with the Marlins that, at the time, left many fans scratching their heads. Now, as he is on the precipice of free agency, most would give anything to keep him around a while longer.

Rogers’ brilliance in 2025 is well documented at this point. By the time he stood on a big league mound for the first time that season, the Orioles campaign had already gone sideways. The team had tumbled down the standings, and their manager had been canned. But that didn’t stop him from being, arguably, the best pitcher in the league from late May through the end of the year. Across 18 starts he compiled 1.81 ERA over 109.2 innings, even earning some down-ballot Cy Young consideration.

That performance earned Rogers the designation of Orioles Opening Day starter and de facto “staff ace” going into the 2026 season, ahead of a healthy Kyle Bradish and the recently acquired and extended Shane Baz. The hope was that this trio would lead the O’s back to the postseason, where they would be a tough matchup for any offense.

Obviously, the postseason part of the outlook never materialized. And there was certainly room for improvement from Rogers, which will be discussed. But in general, the big, lanky lefty was pretty darn good again for this Orioles team.

Rogers’ top line numbers for the season are pedestrian. Over 169.2 innings he had a 4.03 ERA, 101 ERA+ and went 10-11 across 30 starts. His bWAR for the year sat at just 2.2. Not bad. Not great.

But digging deeper reveals that Rogers’ struggles were almost entirely confined to a six-week span of the season. From April 14 through May 29, he had a 10.01 ERA over 29.2 innings and seven starts. In that span he struck out 14 while walking 13 and allowing eight home runs. He also had an IL stint in that time that ran from April 26 through May 11 for the flu. It’s reasonable to wonder how that sickness had been impacting him in the starts leading up to the IL stay, and then how long it took for him to truly feel like he was 100%.

His first three starts of the year were impressive. He tossed seven shutout innings on Opening Day against the Twins, and then allowed four runs total over his next two outings, which spanned 12 innings. Then came the aforementioned slump. The month of May saw his walk rate spike to 9.2%, his strikeout rate fall to 12.6%, and just about every other metrics you could imagine trended in the wrong direction.

Starting in June through the end of the season, however, Rogers was back to being nearly as good as he was for all of 2025. He tossed 121 innings and made 20 starts in the final four months of the season, pitching to a 2.90 ERA/2.89 FIP over that time with 119 strikeouts, 21 walks, and 11 home runs allowed. He saw batters swing and miss more often month to month, peaking at 28.2% in the month of September. He walked fewer and fewer, giving up free passes just 1.7% of the time in the season’s final month. And gave up weaker and weaker contact, once again reaching his best mark right at the end of the season.

So, what happened? Most noticeable was a change in velocity. Rogers added three ticks to his fastball as the season wore on, from an average of 90.5 mph in April to 93.4 mph in September. Much of that improvement was seen early on, from April to May, but he even added one mph from May through the end of the season.

Other characteristics of his pitches saw improvement throughout the year as well. That includes spin rate. Each of his offerings added spin from the April/May timeframe through the end of the season.

Perhaps because of the added velocity and spin, Rogers felt more confident and got more aggressive throughout the season. In April, just 44.2% of his pitches were in the strike zone. That number crept up throughout the year, peaking at 56.4% in July but staying right about there and finishing at 55.3% in September.

It’s a formula that seems simple on paper. Throw harder. Be more deceptive. Pound the strike zone. But it only works if the pitcher has the right kind of “stuff” to keep opposing hitters off balance. Rogers, when he is on his game, is capable of doing just that.

That is why back in early August, it seemed like Rogers would be one of the most logical Orioles players to get traded at the deadline. The team had failed to live up to expectations again, and had admitted as much when they moved on from Adley Rutschman and Tyler Wells, two players under team control for 2027. They also dealt Taylor Ward, a pending free agent. So it stood to reason that Rogers, a left-handed starter worthy of pitching postseason innings and out of contract in just a few months, would be an easy one to move, and it’s possible that the Orioles would have gotten a decent haul in return.

But the hours ticked away. Rumors connecting him to other teams were almost non-existent. And when the deadline passed, he remained in Baltimore. Rogers himself was surprised, saying at the time “Honestly, I was waiting for the call.” Yeah, join the club, Trevor.

Why exactly the Orioles made that decision remains unclear. Mike Elias has said several times, including at his season-ending press conference, that the team “would love for [Rogers] to stay,” which is the same thing he said about Rutschman just weeks before sending him to a division rival.

Now, it should be said that holding onto Rogers did help the Orioles stay in mathematical contention for a playoff spot right up until the final week of the season. Without him, the final few weeks of the season would have been less interesting. But it would have been more consistent with the team’s overall approach to the deadline to trade Rogers for prospects and then seek him back out in free agency if they love him so much. Instead, they likely have to settle for draft pick compensation if/when he signs elsewhere.

Rogers has been reciprocal in his appreciation of the franchise. He said in late September that he “would love to be back here.” Back in July he said that “[The Orioles] are going to be number one on my list. Whether they’ve heard it or not heard it, they know how much I like it here.”

That is all very nice to hear, and it seems genuine. But what most often happens in these situations is that the player signs with the team that offers the most money. The Orioles were aggressive last offseason, signing Pete Alonso to a big contract and reportedly pushing the Phillies to best their offer to Kyle Schwarber before that. Starting pitching has been something that Elias has preferred to trade for, while free agent arms tend to settle for one-year deals in Baltimore. Pushing to re-sign Rogers would be a deviation of their norms, though it is easy enough to argue that the front office is due for a different approach anyway. And it does seem as though the Orioles were serious about re-signing Corbin Burnes ahead of the 2025 season, though they were never particularly close to a reunion there.

Speculation about what sort of deal Rogers can expect this offseason is difficult at this point. Some of the biggest spenders are still playing games right now, and the ongoing labor discussions add an opacity to what is possible. Last offseason saw 30-year-old Ranger Suárez ink a five-year, $130 million deal with Boston while 32-year-old Framber Valdez got three years, $115 million from the Tigers. Rogers, who will play the entire 2027 season as a 29-year-old, lacks the track record of those two, but is younger and has been great lately, so it is possible ends up in that same neighborhood.

This was an important season for Rogers. Hitting the open market after one solid season is nice, but it looks even better as a follow-up to his 2025 campaign. On top of that, the 169.2 innings he threw were a career high, and it seemed like he was getting stronger as the year went on. The offseason ahead is an uncertain one for everyone associated with Major League Baseball, but regardless Rogers has set himself up to get a nice deal heading into the 2027 campaign, and if he does it will mean the Orioles have a massive void to fill.

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2026 Twins All-System Team

Last week, I released my 2026 Twins Minor League Awards, so go check that out if you haven’t! This week, I am continuing to recognize the top performers in the Twins organization with an all-system team, building a roster of the top minor league performers in the Twins system this season.

In order to qualify for a certain position, the player must have played at least a third of their games at the position this season. Players must still have prospect status and be under the age of 27.

Position Players

Catcher: Khadim Diaw (A+, AA)

476 PA | .306/.417/.452 | 130 wRC+ | 9 HR | 14 SB

First Base:JP Smith II (A, A+)

443 PA | .235/.359/.450 | 112 wRC+ | 22 HR | 8 SB

Second Base: Ramiro Dominguez (A, A+)

450 PA | .239/.351/.413 | 105 wRC+ | 12 HR | 27 SB

Third Base:Brandon Winokur (A+, AA)

575 PA | .252/.337/.427 | 96 wRC+ | 21 HR | 30 SB

Shortstop: Marek Houston (A+, AA)

554 PA | .312/.392/.455 | 120 wRC+ | 12 HR | 50 SB

Outfield: Walker Jenkins (A, A+, AAA, MLB)

324 PA | .323/.417/.559 | 151 wRC+ | 14 HR | 17 SB

Outfield: Luis Fragoza (FCL, A, A+)

339 PA | .313/.408/.542 | 148 wRC+ | 14 HR | 24 SB

Outfield: Caden Kendle (FCL, A+, AA)

349 PA | .330/.407/.572 | 146 wRC+ | 16 HR | 19 SB

Utility: Ben Ross (AA, AAA, MLB)

502 PA | .273/.379/.500 | 125 wRC+ | 20 HR | 20 SB

Many of these guys were talked about constantly throughout the season, but I wanted to highlight 19-year-old Ramiro Dominguez, who was able to hang in Single-A this season after successful rookie ball campaigns in 2024 and 2025. He is a smaller guy at 5’9” who runs well and covers a lot of ground with sound infield defense. There is limited raw power, but Dominguez combines above-average contact rates with elite AirPull rates, allowing him to hit 12 homers and 26 doubles this season as a teenager.

While all of the outfielders played under 100 games, their complete dominance at the plate was impossible to ignore. They are all at different stages of their careers, with Luis Fragoza putting his name on the map in Single-A, Caden Kendle breaking out in Double-A, and Walker Jenkins making the majors and continuing to look like the elite prospect he was drafted as. There was less offensive production from the infield group, but they provide a lot of value in the speed and defense departments. Khadim Diaw continues to look like a big league prospect with potential for a fun catcher/outfield utility profile and a steady, reliable bat.

Pitchers

Starting Pitcher: RHP Merit Jones (A, A+)

112.1 IP | 4.17 ERA | 4.54 FIP | 117 K, 43 BB

Starting Pitcher: RHP Riley Quick (A, A+, AA)

81.2 IP | 4.74 ERA | 4.94 FIP | 110 K, 48 BB

Starting Pitcher: RHP Adrian Bohorquez (FCL, A+, AA)

59.2 IP | 3.02 ERA | 3.92 FIP | 69 K, 32 BB

Starting Pitcher: RHP Justin Mitrovich (A, A+)

73.2 IP | 3.42 ERA | 3.39 FIP | 83 K, 37 BB

Starting Pitcher: RHP Reed Moring (A, A+)

83.0 IP | 3.58 ERA | 4.10 FIP | 86 K, 28 BB

Relief Pitcher: RHP Paulshawn Pasqualotto (A+, AA, AAA)

70.0 IP | 3.73 ERA | 3.62 FIP | 95 K, 26 BB

Relief Pitcher: RHP Michael Hilker (A, A+)

64.1 IP | 2.86 ERA | 4.08 FIP | 73 K, 27 BB

Relief Pitcher: RHP Mitch Mueller (A, A+, AA)

62.2 IP | 4.45 ERA | 4.00 FIP | 79 K, 22 BB

The pitching side of the organization lacked big names as some of the top arms spent most of the season in the majors, while others dealt with injuries. Merit Jones wasn’t talked about much, but he put together a rock solid season on huge volume in his first year as a pro. He led the system in innings pitched at 112.1 and racked up 107 strikeouts, and he is a fastball away from having legitimate MLB starter stuff. Justin Mitrovich and Reed Moring showed plenty of promise in their first professional season, both possessing an intriguing mix of stuff and pitchability. Riley Quick and Adrian Bohorquez have work to do in the command department, but they both showed off some of the most dominant stuff in the organization.

On the reliever side, Paulshawn Pasqualotto was one of the most dominant pitchers in the org, striking out 32.9% of batters. Michael Hilker’s outlier fastball with elite carry in the low 90s carried him to a 2.75 ERA in Single-A. Mitch Mueller ran out of gas in the final weeks, but he previously looked unhittable at High-A and Double-A in his first year of full-season ball. None of these guys came into the pros with expectations, but they are building successful professional careers and all have a real chance to make it to the majors.

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Standing Guard: 32 years of American League Central Dominance

KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 25: José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians looks on during the game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Friday, September 25, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Sydney Schneider/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Ahhh, late September. There’s really nothing like it. The kids are back at school, the Browns aren’t dead yet (sometimes), Tom Hamilton’s voice gives me the chills much like the end of summer breeze does and I’m a week away from dusting off my Fall collection of hoodies and jeans (even though I’ll be ready for sleeves and then get hammered with 85 for a week straight and I sweat my tail off one last time before the season changes). A tradition like no other!

In recent years, we’ve added a tradition to this time of year. A heightened defense system and need for historical accuracy. It hasn’t really come from us though, has it? No this tradition comes from our neighbors. Some right across Lake Eerie, many much further North, but more recently, a thirsty crowd 350 miles West.

That’s right, it’s the time of year when the rest of the AL Central starts to whine about the Cleveland Guardians. “Oh they’re so lucky, they play a disgusting brand of baseball, just look at that run differential, BLARGHAGHRHH”. And while I could write an entire article on why the team thats won this division 4 of the last 5 years including 3 straight is probably more “good team” than just lucky every year, I’d rather actually just look at the history of this division. Because one number has been discovered by our Southside friends in their pursuit to “GOTCHA” us…

“1948”

Congratulations! The ultimate trump card! And what does that win him Johnny?!?! A shorter conversation!

Well done White Sox fans. You’ve discovered the fact that Cleveland is currently riding the longest World Series draught in MLB. And YOU, yes you of all fan bases, think it’s the conversation ender. The Ace up the sleeve. The Triple Dog Dare Ya, if you will. If there’s any talk going on, any smack or trash or linguistics if any kind that you don’t like, the fans of the franchise that has won 3 Playoff series in 100 years (thats right, 2005 is quite literally all you have but we will get to that later) and went through an even longer stretch waiting for their’s can just say “1948” and that should do it. We just have to stop talking on the spot because even though none of us have won recently, ours is further back. Forget all the times with a winning record, making the Playoffs or winning the division. To get Cleveland fans, the ONLY thing that matters is Ring culture. From a White Sox Fan!

Sorry, but I just don’t agree. It’s one thing if you’re the defending Champ and you want to talk the talk. Be my guest! You earned it. But the Royals just left the 10 year threshold and the Sox just passed 20. Hardly a position to be in when telling us to kiss the ring, right?

Now, I don’t make the rules on who is allowed to talk what. Recently I’ve seen people suggest you can’t talk if it didn’t happen in your life. There’s definitely some merit to that, but also a lot of weird crossovers. Like, a 22 year old ChiSox fan can talk trash to a 22 year old Angels fan, but the younger 20 year old ChiSox fan can’t talk that to him, especially when the 30 year old Angels fan is about to enter the chat? Not to mention, if this is being done online (where most of the trash talk exists), there’s rarely any rules or curtesy anyway.

So, what logical argument ~should~ you bring to the table when discussing ball with Neanderthals (note, I’m not calling all these fans Neanderthals, just the ones that won’t carry a conversation or argument past four digits)?… How about facts? The stats? The complete history of the AL Central- the one crown the five* of us fight for every summer for 162** games since 1995***?

(***Note, technically the AL Central began in 1994. But since that season was shortened by a Strike we won’t count that- even if all signs were pointing towards a division title (2nd and charging at the time).***)

(**Twice in this span we did not see 162 games thanks to shortened seasons, 144 in 1995 and 60 in 2020, not to mention any season ending with 161 games thanks to rain outs and no reason to make them up**)

(*Also Note: the Tigers joined the division, taking Milwaukee’s place, 3 years after the others, so they will have less chances to win it, and thus, deserve that one note on the record*)

So, Guardians fans, here are 5 other spoons of sugar you can deliver your divisional friends and foes to help their medicine go down.

5- Identifier of Good vs Bad: a .500 record

This is hardly a show stopper or even conversation starter, but it’s a little tidbit that could help slow the roll of a nasty uneducated youngling. Cleveland has gone .500 or better in the AL Central 22 times in the 32 year history, over 2/3 of the time. Chicago is actually the next closest with 16, Minnesota shortly after with 15 (both .500 or better about half the time) while Detroit and Kansas City bring up the rear at 11 and 7, respectively.

Again, this isn’t the Hammer in the argument. But it’s simply a nice reminder that one of these teams gives their fans winning baseball 2 out of every 3 years, and when you play 162 of these a year and just want to follow a team thats competing all summer, thats a great start.

4- When are we awful?

Let’s face it, a big part of the baseball season is just giving us something to watch. I can’t imagine going into a year like, no offense, the Marlins or Rockies do all the time, where you just know you’re gonna be bad. Seriously, I can’t imagine it because the Guardians have never finished last in the division. In fact, they haven’t even finished in 4th since the Manny Acta days. That’s right, Cleveland has the least amount of both 4th and 5th place finishes in the division. Bottoming out in Cleveland is a few games under .500 and finishing in 3rd place while the next wave of young talent gets their feet wet. It’s a great spot to be in and one no one else can relate to.

Last place finishes;

CLE-0

CWS-3

MIN-8

DET-8

KC-13

Fourth place finishes;

CLE-5

DET-5

MIN-6

CWS-7

KC-8

Bottom line here is that in addition to the success, Guardians are rarely giving you a summer not worth watching. Which, ya know, is pretty cool.

3- The 90 Win season

I think this is a SUPER underrated one. Even though there are a few outliers (2000, 2005 and 2019 Tribe alone) 90 wins is typically the breaking point for a really good team, and back when we had 4 Playoff spots, was typically a must-have for October baseball. Now, things have changed a bit, but the 90 win mark is still one I strive for each year, knowing that it’ll typically mean a really good team from start to finish.

And in the Central, this is one mark the Guardians OWN over everyone else

90 Win Seasons:

CLE-14

MIN-6

DET-4

CWS-4

KC-1

The Guardians at 14 are just one shy of the rest of the division combined, at 15. They even won 100 games in a season that was shortened to 144 games. This is so uncompetitive in the division, that the only real competition for year-in-year-out top success would be the Yankees and Red Sox in the entire American League. Boston has 1 more such season than the Guardians have at 15; Yankees have the most with 23.

2- Playoff appearances & Series won

This one can be a little tricky, as while Cleveland is yet again dominant in this area, this is where you get into the frustrating part of the conversation.

In the 32 years since having at least 3 divisions Winners and a Wild Card make the Playoffs, the Guardians lead the way with 16 Playoff appearances. They’re also ahead in playoff series wins, suggesting not only do they make the playoffs a lot (literally every other year) but they aren’t having empty runs of in-and-out.

Side note- it’s remarkable how the teams with a ring in this division would be the last ones you’d guess mathematically to have one. Credit to the Royals and White Sox, for taking advantage when they did get there. But outside of those very brief windows they have almost no success at all. Like I mentioned earlier, the White Sox 3 series wins all came in 2005, that is, unless they take care of business in Houston tonight…

1- American League Central Titles

Voila, the crowning achievement of the Cleveland Guardians and formerly Indians. They have won this division 14 times when the next closest is Minnesota with 9.

Finishes by team, in order 1st-5th

Cleveland: 14, 7, 6, 5, 0

Minnesota: 9, 5, 4, 6, 8

Chicago: 4, 11, 7, 7, 3

Detroit: 4, 6, 6, 5, 8

Kansas City: 1, 3, 7, 8, 13

Many will probably laugh at this because winning the division is just step one (sometimes an unnecessary step with the wild card) towards the ultimate goal, but you cannot tell me that these things don’t matter. Did you see the faces of those Guardians popping champagne? It’s been 3 years running of this stuff for some of them and it is still not old at all. They put their bodies on the line and their lives on hold so they can play 162 games a summer. It’s a commitment unlike any other in North American sports and they should be rewarded for being the best at it amongst their rivals. I know the other fanbases enjoy it when they finally get the chance! Even if that’s a ways back…

So what does this all mean? I throw a bunch of meaningless stats out there that would suggest this team has somewhere between 2-4 rings in the last 32 years, and yet, we are still without one in probably all of our lifetimes. Is it fair? No, not really, but that’s sports. All it means to me is that, we get to root for a team that is constantly positioning themselves TO win it. So even though it doesn’t or hasn’t worked out for us yet, we are spoiled to have a team that’s always doing what it takes to get to the Dance, even if we still haven’t taken home the date. And when the day comes when it does happen, it’ll be so much sweeter. Hopefully Tom Hamilton will be on that call as well.

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Padres 4, Cubs 1: Farewell to 2026, and on to an uncertain 2027

When the Chicago Cubs began the 2026 season 27-12, a stretch that included two 10-game winning streaks, many of us thought, “Hey — maybe this year can be something special.”

Well. You know what happened after that. A 10-game losing streak. Injuries. Guys not producing. The bullpen imploding multiple times. After 27-12, they were just 62-61 — one game worse than the Marlins over that span. Sheesh.

And then, a Wild Card Series in which the Cubs offense pretty much vanished. That’s the story of Game 2, a 4-1 loss to the Padres that eliminated the Cubs from the 2026 postseason, almost as if they weren’t even there to begin with.

I could end this recap right there, because what more is there to say, really?

Nevertheless, you come here for game recaps and since this was the last Cubs game of 2026, let’s look at what happened.

One pitch into the bottom of the first inning, the Cubs were already ahead of Game 1 because, well, Fernando Tatis Jr. did not hit Kevin Gausman’s first pitch out of the yard. So, progress?

That progress lasted one inning. In the second, Ty France doubled and stopped at third on a single by Jackson Merrill. Xander Bogaerts singled in France, with Merrill stopping at third, where he scored on a sacrifice fly by Ethan Salas. Incidentally, Salas, who won’t turn 21 until next June, became the youngest catcher ever to appear in a MLB postseason game, breaking the record set by Atlanta catcher Bob Didier in 1969.

The 2-0 score is where the game stayed until the top of the fourth, when the Cubs finally broke through onto the board for the first time in this series.

Seiya Suzuki hit a one-out single and Ian Happ walked.

Nico Hoerner’s single up the middle scored Suzuki to make it 2-1 [VIDEO].

So, down by only one run in the fourth inning, with two runners still on base and only one out? Maybe the Cubs offense could get going here?

It was not to be, although after Matt Shaw struck out, Carson Kelly was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Dansby Swanson flied to center to end the inning.

About that single run, from BCB’s JohnW53:

The Cubs did not score for the first 12.1 innings of this series.

That is the longest they ever have gone without scoring from the start of a post-season series. They were shut out in Game 1 of three previous series.

In the 1918 World Series vs. the Red Sox and 2015 Division Series vs. the Cardinals, they scored with one out in the second inning of Game 2.

In the 2016 World Series, they scored with one out in the first inning of Game 2.

The one-run deficit did not last long. Gausman struck out Merrill to start the fourth, but Bogaerts then doubled. Craig Counsell opted to bring in Daniel Palencia, who struck out Salas.

Then the Padres sent up Gavin Sheets to bat for Austin Hays. Sheets entered this game with career numbers of .297/.348/.484 with three home runs in 69 plate appearances against the Cubs during the regular season. You could have seen this coming all the way from San Diego to Chicago [VIDEO].

Palencia then hit Jake Cronenworth with a pitch, and the San Diego crowd booed as if that had been intentional; clearly, it was not — Palencia was just struggling with command.

The score might have been worse if not for this nice grab by Pete Crow-Armstrong off Tatis to end the inning [VIDEO].

So at least we got a nice defensive memory from PCA from this series, even as his offense was silent — 0-for-7 with four strikeouts in the series.

That fourth inning was basically it. Palencia, David Peterson and Ryan Zeferjahn held the Padres scoreless the rest of the way, four combined shutout innings with four strikeouts. Meanwhile, the Cubs had just three more baserunners after the fourth. Michael Busch walked with two out in the fifth. Tyrone Taylor, batting for Busch, singled with one out in the eighth but was erased when Suzuki hit into a double play. Nico Hoerner doubled with one out in the ninth but was stranded. The Cubs went 1-for-8 with RISP in this game. If they’d hit in those situations would the result have been any different? I’m thinking probably not.

These two games in San Diego were a hallmark of this team, just as the offensive outbursts that had the 2026 Cubs lead MLB in runs also were. It was a real feast-or-famine season — long stretches where the offense could do no wrong, and others where the hitters just did not show up at all.

Here’s PCA on the season-ending loss [VIDEO].

Here are some postgame remarks from Alex Bregman [VIDEO].

Bregman, whose previous postseason performance was one of the reasons the Cubs signed him, went 0-for-8 in this series with four strikeouts.

Lastly, here are Craig Counsell’s postgame remarks [VIDEO].

Would the result of this series have been any different if the Cubs had won two more regular-season games and had home field? Probably not; it’s clear by watching these two games that the Padres were on a roll, which began over the last three weeks of the regular season and carried over into this series. Further, it’s very likely that weather would have been a major factor. It rained all day and evening in Chicago Wednesday and it’s still raining here early Thursday morning, which could have thrown scheduling for this series into chaos. In the end, this Cubs team just wasn’t good enough to move on, and you know the reasons, mostly pitching — injuries and ineffectiveness from both starters and relievers. The offense was great — until it wasn’t.

More on the offense from John:

In the two games of this series, the Cubs were 8 for 62, a batting average of .129. That is lower than in any of their 22 previous post-season series since 1901.

They batted .140 in the one-game Wild Card loss in 2018 and .145 in their two-game WC loss in 2020.

Other seasons below .200:
.168 in 2017 (10 games)
.181 in 1998 (3 games)
.194 in 2007 (3 games)
.196 in 1906 (6 games)

They batted .233 in 17 games when they won the World Series in 2016.

These are things that Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer will have to address this offseason, and that brings me to the upcoming uncertainty. Normally when a Cubs season ends, I’d tell you the next date we will see a Chicago Cubs team on the field the following year. They are scheduled to take the field Friday, Feb. 19, 2027 against the A’s at Ho Ho Kam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona. But with a looming owners’ lockout likely happening when the current MLB/MLBPA collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, there’s no guarantee that the 2027 Spring Training schedule — or regular season schedule — will be played as currently listed.

And so we wait. For developments, as is often said here.

In the meantime, stick around. We’ll have game threads here for all the remaining postseason games, including tonight’s decisive Phillies/Braves Game 3, which will begin at 7 p.m. CT (game thread will post at 6 p.m. CT). And of course, we’ll cover all the MLB offseason labor news and other baseball news here.

As is my custom, I will wrap my last game recap of the year by quoting from the late Commissioner Bart Giamatti’s “The Green Fields of the Mind” — quite appropriate today with the Chicago area weather.

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops.

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How would you deploy the Phillies pitching in Game 3?

Sep 30, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) visits the mound in the seventh inning against the Atlanta Braves during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Phillies managed to force a decisive Game 3 in their Wild Card series with the Braves thanks in large part to a Herculean start from Cristopher Sánchez and a downright incredible performance from Andrew Painter out of the bullpen. Thanks to the efforts of those two, the entire Phillies bullpen is likely available for tomorrow’s win or go home Game 3. The use of Painter in relief is also a preview of the type of strategy the Phillies will use today.

Aaron Nola will likely be the Phillies starter, but he won’t be the only one to appear at some point in the game. Zack Wheeler will almost assuredly be available on three days rest and could theoretically even be an option to start, although Nola has never appeared out of the bullpen and Wheeler has postseason experience doing so, making the latter the likely candidate to be used in relief. After those two, the Phillies should have Alex McFarlane and Jhoan Duran available, although the former’s status is uncertain after appearing in both games so far and the length of which the latter can go is unknown after his long appearance in Game 1. They also will have the likes of Tim Mayza and Jonathan Bowlan, although the latter has not pitched since injuring his groin a few weeks ago. They may even have Painter who could possibly face a few batters after throwing 37 pitches yesterday.

There is a path to 27 outs there, but it will call for more creativity like the Phillies showed yesterday. So, how would you deploy the Phillies pitching today in Game 3?

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Uncertainty surrounds the Red Sox a day after disaster

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 30: Wilyer Abreu #52 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after a strike out against the New York Yankees during the fourth inning in game two of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on September 30, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Red Sox may have snuck into the the playoffs in the worst American League of our lifetime, but they never made it to October. As the calendar flips to baseball’s most prestigious month, we now know Fenway Park will once again sit silent for the fifth consecutive postseason. It’s the longest drought we’ve ever seen in the Wild Card era, and the real measuring stick that separates the contenders from the pretenders in the expanded playoff format.

Failing to reach the bar that should be considered the bare minimum for this franchise has sadly become the new norm, but there’s something especially repugnant and appalling about this particular conclusion to the season I’m still trying to wrap my brain around. Everything sucks right now! — Both in the immediate, and on the horizon.

As we pick up the pieces, sadness and anger are sharp and palpable this morning, but the uneasiness and confusion that make up those components are still hard to process. So instead, disgust and uncertainty rule the day; and even before the fog of last night’s disaster has fully lifted, it’s clear these emotions are not going to be temporary. The darkness is rising like menacing mountain in front of us, promising to deliver a period of awful that will define the coming weeks, months, and maybe years.

Normally, when a season ends, it comes with the typical melancholy of needing to wait until spring. But this year, with a lockout looming, we don’t even know when regular season baseball will be played at Fenway Park again. (Let alone postseason baseball, which is the thing we’re truly starving to see and just had ripped away from us again.)

But even if we somehow get good news on the lockout front of this layered cake of crap, are we even sure the Red Sox are going to move heaven and Earth in response to this week’s embarrassment in New York? Historically, this wouldn’t be a question, but last year, the season ended in the Bronx because the Sox didn’t have enough firepower in the lineup, and they somehow ended up right back in the same spot 12 months later with Nate Eaton and his career .601 OPS once again in the starting lineup for Game 2 of the Wild Card series.

It’s not just that this series sucked, it’s the discomfort of knowing the response to it is probably also going to suck. We are living in an entirely different Red Sox universe than we were 20 years ago, and it’s categorically worse in almost every way.

Speaking of which, Willson Contreras had some interesting comments after the game last night:

So, we’ve got a star player criticizing (and correctly I might add) the team’s overreliance on data when it comes to decision making in a do-or-die playoff games, and we’ve got Sonny Gray, who was right in the middle of last night’s questionable decision to remove him after just 4.2 innings saying this:

What an absolute waste of Sonny Gray’s ability to pitch deep into games! Not only did the Sox waste it last night in a game they had to win, but they also kind of screwed up any inside track they might have had to land him with a mutual option before we plunge into the depths of the offseason.

Pretty much the only thing the Red Sox made certain going into the winter is that they extended Craig Breslow and Chad Tracy, which while designed to cerate some stability, also has the potential to backfire in spectacular fashion, particularly after what we saw the last two nights in their first playoff games working together.

And amid all this fog, something else happened this week that might be even worse. Roman Anthony is once again injured.

In many ways, this piece of uncertainty hits the hardest. Something is clearly wrong when a 22-year-old hitting phenom keeps getting hurt swinging a bat. It feels increasingly likely that his elite swing speed is the very thing that breaks him, and I’m not sure how you fix that.

But to cut to the chase, this news on Anthony sours even the most obvious beacon of hope Sox fans can cling to for whenever baseball returns. Roman Anthony is supposed to be the future, the thing we can dream about in future summers, the guy in the middle of the next great run of Red Sox teams, and now, there’s a real chance the injury bug is just going to drag him into its lair and ruin something spectacular. It just sucks for both him and us!

Last night, he was one of the last guys to leave the dugout, just staring into the abyss of the repulsive present and uncertain future confronting both him and the team.

Oh, and to make matters worse, it’s going to be a long, long time before we get an answer on what Anthony’s future health might hold, because not only does he need to play for an extended period of time to prove he can kick this thing, but we don’t know when the next time he’s even going to get a chance to do that.

This series in New York ruined the 2026 season, the looming lockout threatens to ruin the 2027 season, and the Anthony news threatens to already blow an early hole in the 2028 season and beyond.

We are staring at a wall of shit, and I just wish I knew when it was going to get better. It’s October 1st, and I already wish we were on the exact opposite end of the calendar on April 1st, only this time, there’s no guarantee baseball will even begin again when we get back to that date. And from there, the future of the young core looks less certain than ever.

Man, it’s bleak out there!

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Four biggest questions Red Sox face after another early playoff exit

Four biggest questions Red Sox face after another early playoff exit originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Emotions are running high after the Boston Red Sox’ embarrassing Wild Card Series loss to the New York Yankees.

Red Sox fans could only watch with disgust as the offense was outscored 18-2 in the two-game sweep. They were left scratching their heads after manager Chad Tracy’s questionable decisions to pull starters Payton Tolle in Game 1 and Sonny Gray in Game 2. After Wednesday’s season-ending loss, players voiced their frustration with the organization’s approach.

Now, we must turn the page to an offseason of uncertainty. It’s obvious that major moves need to be made if the Red Sox hope to advance past the Wild Card Series for the first time since 2021 and regain their reputation as a perennial contender. So, where does chief baseball officer Craig Breslow begin?

Here are the four biggest questions Breslow and the Red Sox face heading into the offseason:

How can the offense be fixed?

The Red Sox finished the 2026 regular season ranked 23rd in MLB in runs scored, 26th in home runs, and 20th in slugging percentage. They were dead last in runs scored in September, and that lack of production continued in the postseason when they were outscored 18-2 by the New York Yankees in the Wild Card Series.

Suffice it to say, upgrading the lineup should be Breslow’s No. 1 priority this winter, but what are the paths to doing so?

This year’s free agent class doesn’t feature many enticing options. Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena, Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki, and Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe are the top three hitters set to hit free agency. If the Red Sox aren’t going to spend for one of them, they’re better off turning their attention to the trade market.

The problem is that Boston depleted its farm system at the trade deadline, sending four of its top 10 prospects to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman. With much less prospect capital to offer in deals, Breslow will have his work cut out for him in trade discussions this offseason.

Who are the odd men out?

Unless the Red Sox want yet another early playoff exit in 2027, or to miss the postseason altogether, there should be a good amount of roster turnover this winter.

Outfielder Jarren Duran and shortstop Trevor Story are clearly the top candidates to be traded. Duran is coming off a woeful season and still has two years left on his contract. Story struggled through another injury-plagued campaign, and No. 1 prospect Franklin Arias is ready to take his starting shortstop job.

Parting ways with Duran and Story would help clear logjams at their respective positions, but to bring in All-Star-caliber talent via trade, Breslow will have to get bolder. That might mean a willingness to package a key contributor like Wilyer Abreu in a blockbuster deal for an offensive upgrade. And would Boston dare give up on former top prospect Roman Anthony after his disappointing sophomore season? It doesn’t seem all that far-fetched in the immediate aftermath of his latest injury setback.

Left-handed pitchers Payton Tolle, Garrett Crochet, and Ranger Suarez are probably the only Red Sox players safe from being traded this offseason. Everyone else should at least be on the table.

What does an Adley Rutschman extension look like?

The Red Sox didn’t trade top prospects Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, Enddy Azocar, and Harold Rivas to the Orioles for a one-and-a-half-year rental. They acquired Adley Rutschman with the intention of signing him to an extension. The question is, what would such an extension look like given the soon-to-be 29-year-old’s inconsistency and durability issues in recent years?

Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh signed an extension with an average annual value of $17.5 million before the 2025 season. Los Angeles Dodgers backstop Will Smith’s recent extension is worth $14M per year. Rutschman is expected to look for a $20M AAV, such as a five-year deal worth roughly $100M.

Is he worth it? That’s a whole other conversation for a different day.

Who could fill the Sonny Gray void?

The Red Sox couldn’t have asked for more from Gray in 2026. The 36-year-old put up Cy Young-caliber numbers, stepping up as the rotation’s de facto ace while Garrett Crochet missed most of the year due to injury.

Unfortunately for Boston, Gray is scheduled to hit free agency this offseason. And even if he decides to hold off on retirement, his recent remarks suggest he’s probably not re-signing.

Without Gray, the Red Sox’ projected 2027 rotation is still pretty solid…

  1. Garrett Crochet, LHP
  2. Payton Tolle, LHP
  3. Ranger Suarez, LHP
  4. Jake Bennett, LHP
  5. Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, or Johan Oviedo (all RHP)

… but it would look far better with a legitimate Gray replacement.

Free-agent options include righties Michael King, Joe Ryan, Freddy Peralta, Casey Mize, and Kevin Gausman. Or, the Red Sox could trade for an arm, just as they did when they acquired Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals last offseason.

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What MLB teams are left in the playoffs? ALDS, NLDS fields takes form

With only one more wild-card series to wrap up, Major League Baseball's division series is starting to come into focus.

Four division winners secured spots by earning byes as their league's top-two seed, and three teams have since joined them by wining in the wild-card round. Only one spot remains to finish out the full bracket of the division series, which is a best-of-five series that begins Saturday, Oct. 3.

Here's a look at the teams that have clinched division series berths, the clubs still fighting to advance and the latest 2026 MLB playoff bracket.

What teams have clinched spots in ALDS and NLDS?

Which teams can still reach ALDS and NLDS?

  • Braves and Phillies tied 1-1 in NL wild card series

Which teams are in ALDS?

  • Tampa Bay Rays (East winner, No. 1 seed)
  • Cleveland Guardians (Central winner, No. 2 seed)
  • New York Yankees (Wild card, No. 4 seed)
  • Chicago White Sox (Wild card, No. 6 seed)

Which teams are in NLDS?

  • Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central winner, No. 1 seed)
  • Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West winner, No. 2 seed)
  • San Diego Padres (Wild card, No. 4 seed)

2026 MLB playoff bracket

National League wild card round

Best of 3, seeds in parentheses

National League division series

Best of 5

  • Philadelphia/Atlanta winner vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2)
  • San Diego Padres (4) vs. Milwaukee Brewers (1)

National League championship series

Best of 7

  • Philadelphia/Atlanta/Los Angeles vs. San Diego/Milwaukee

American League wild card round

Best of 3, seeds in parentheses

American League division series

Best of 5

American League championship series

Best of 7

  • New York/Tampa Bay vs. Chicago/Cleveland

Print out a bracket and let the games begin!

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What MLB teams are left in the playoffs? ALDS, NLDS fields takes form

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Sonny Gray miffed after early hook in Red Sox wild-card loss: ‘Would have liked to be trusted’

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray is pulled from the game during the fifth inning, Image 2 shows Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray walks off the field after being pulled from the game during the fifth inning

Sonny Gray wanted more of a chance to save the Red Sox season.

When it wasn’t given to him, with Gray being pulled in the fifth inning in a move that backfired in a 9-2 Game 2 wild-card loss to the Yankees on Wednesday night that ended Boston’s season, the ex-Yankee bust made it clear he believed he should have been trusted in that spot.

“I’m the best pitcher in the American League going through the order for a third time. I think that’s a fact,” Gray told reporters after the game. “I would’ve liked to live or die with me in that moment but that’s the competitor I am. Yeah, I think you can probably ask the guys and they felt the same way.

“I felt strong. I felt confident. I felt convicted … but what can you do, you know?”

Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray (54) is pulled from the game in the fifth inning during Game 2 of the Wild Card game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. Robert Sabo for New York Post

Gray only threw 70 pitches when he was pulled after 4⅔ innings with two on and two outs in 1-0 game, having allowed one solo homer to Luis Garcia Jr. at that point.

After Ben Rice singled in the fifth inning to advance Austin Wells to third base with two outs, manager Chad Tracy replaced Gray with lefty reliever Erik Miller.

Bellinger greeted Miller with an RBI single to boost the Yankees lead to 2-0, leaving Gray with two earned runs on his ledger to go along with six hits and five strikeouts.

When asked if he had talked to Tracy since the manager’s polarizing decision, the frustrated 36-year-old shook his head and said “No.”

“I think I got clipped for a solo home run and then some singles, but I felt like I stayed on the attack throughout,” Gray added. “I’m frustrated, for sure. You know, not ready for it to end. A lot of emotions.”

A reporter asked Red Sox fire baseman Willson Contreras about the team’s thoughts on Gray coming out early.

The four-time All-Star made the motion that his lips are sealed, and didn’t provide an answer.

“It’s not enough when you have talent or you have data or you have computers that’s telling you what to do, because this is baseball,” Contreras said in response to another question. “The data is here to help us, but at the end of the day you are going to have to need experience and veteran guys to win games.”

Tracy’s decision-making was also questioned following the Yankees’ 9-0 Game 1 win on Tuesday night when he pulled starter Payton Tolle after 4⅔ innings as well while trailing 1-0.

He was just 83 pitches in when Miller replaced him and allowed a solo homer to Ben Rice.

Both nights it seemed Tracy was eager to get to his bullpen, which was baseball’s best during the regular season with a 3.00 ERA.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Sonny Gray (54) is pulled from the game in the fifth inning during Game 2 of the Wild Card game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, September 30, 2026. Robert Sabo for New York Post

Yet, the bullpen finished this series with a staggering 20.25 ERA after giving up 15 runs, 15 hits and seven walks across 6⅔ innings.

“It’s obviously been an eventful year. In the moment right now you can’t think much more other than anything but the fact that we just lost a playoff series,” Tracy said.

The Red Sox were outscored 18-2 overall and it’s the second consecutive season in which they were sent home by their biggest rivals.

The organization and Tracy will have a lot of questions to answer for an up and down season that included firing Alex Cora in April.