Category: Baseball

Major League Baseball is considering becoming the second major American professional team sports league to partner with prediction platforms.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said on Thursday that the league is mulling teaming up with increasingly popular platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket.

Key Takeaways

• The league did not say it was actively engaging in negotiations.
  
  
• MLB is in the middle of an illegal sports betting investigation involving teammates and a three-time All-Star.
  
  
• Partnership with prediction platforms could allow MLB to help with integrity monitoring.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that MLB team owners were informed during their quarterly meetings that the league could ingratiate itself with the prediction industry.

Manfred conceded that he only learned about platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket a few months ago. The NHL is the only other American professional team sports league to have prediction partners, both of which are listed above. 

UFC also has a partnership deal with Polymarket.

“We thought it was important for the owners to be updated on why prediction markets are different than sports betting – why we might want to consider being in business with prediction markets in an effort to protect our integrity, to get the kind of protections we need,” Manfred said. “The regulatory framework, very different. Obviously, state by state on the sports betting side, federal on the other.”

Protecting integrity

One of the primary concerns in the modern era of sports gambling and prediction market trading is the potential for illicit manipulation.

The MLB is currently experiencing that with an ongoing case involving Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, who were charged with manipulating their performances in games for the benefit of sports bettors. Clase specifically was accused of rigging pitches in 48 games, or roughly one-fourth of his appearances in a two-year span.

Despite that precedent, Manfred said that teaming up with prediction platforms would allow the league to be in greater control of threats of nefarious manipulation.

“There's obviously an opportunity to work with the markets themselves to get the kind of integrity protections you want,” he said.

In the interest of preserving integrity, Kalshi announced earlier this month a slew of overhauls designed to increase consumer protection. That included banning insider trading, hiring former Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, as an adviser on market integrity, and integrating responsible trading and iMarket integrity pages on its platform, among others.

What’s the big deal?

Prediction platforms offer similar services to sportsbooks, but their operational and regulatory frameworks are completely different.

Whereas legal sportsbook users compete against the house with pre-determined odds, prediction users buy and sell contracts related to various outcomes. Prices are dictated by real-time consumer demand, influenced by updates and current events.

State gaming regulators are in charge of monitoring sportsbooks. Prediction market apps operate under the watchful eye of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

A growing collection of state regulators have expressed a form of concern related to prediction markets being allowed to operate without their approval. In response, the platforms have claimed that their federal regulation supersedes state-level decisions.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Bring on the robots, tap your helmet if you disagree, and tell your analytic department it better preparing be for a whole new wave of research.

The automated ball/strike system is here for the first time in Major League Baseball, and general managers, managers and coaching staffs have already begun to strategize the best way to capitalize on a new way to challenge authority.

If the pitcher, catcher or batter disagrees with a ball or strike call, they have the right to challenge the umpire, with everyone in the stands able to see who was right with a graphic on full display on the scoreboard.

MLB 2026: Are Dodgers ruining baseball? Rivals refuse to criticize.

Teams get two challenges per nine innings, and as long as you’re proven correct, you can challenge as many times as you wish.

If you’re wrong twice, you’re out of challenges unless the game goes into extra innings.

The only players permitted to challenge are the pitcher, hitter and catcher and pitcher, and it must be issued within two seconds of the pitch being thrown, signaled by tapping your helmet.

If you blow through your challenges early, you won’t have the right to correct an errant call in the ninth inning. If the game goes into extra innings, each team will be provided one challenge in each extra inning.

So, the question for every manager now is who will be permitted to challenge, at what stage of the game, and under which circumstances.

“All I know is that we won’t let our pitchers challenge," Cincinnati Reds manager Terry Francona said. “They think everything is a strike."

Francona laughed, but it’s certainly a sentiment shared by several managers in interviews Thursday, with most saying they would leave that up to their catchers and hitters.

But, of course, not every hitter.

“We’re going to have a lot of conversations about that," Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I do think there’s going to be a strategy that comes with it. What that looks like, I don’t think I know right now, but we’re going to encourage conversations as far as leverage, when you use it, when not to, who should, who shouldn’t.’’

So, who has been told they can’t use it?

“I don’t want to say because they’ve already been sensitive when I brought it up," Roberts said. “So, I’m not going to name-call right now. I’m not going to say any names but I don't think that there’s a self-evaluation on who knows the strike zone, who doesn’t, who gets emotional, and understanding everything.

“I’m in favor of it."

Says Francona: “We don’t have a strategy in place because we want to kind of see how it plays out. I’ve already talked to some of our player development people to ask them how they did it, and then we’ll formulate a strategy and try to do it better than other teams like everything else.

“But I think it’s going to be OK."

In research by MLB, there were four challenges per games at the Triple-A level last season with about a 50% success rate. The most challenges, 3.5%, were utilized in the ninth inning.

“You want to have one late in the game, just in case,” Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “The top of the first inning on a 0-0 fastball, I don’t want to challenge and lose. We’ll most likely rely on catchers first. Pitchers at times get a little emotional. Hitters can be that way sometimes, too. I think we’re going to rely on the catchers.

“But I want to have one in pocket, when I can, when it’s in a critical part of the game.”

It will be a strategy that will be implemented by teams in spring training, and tweaked throughout the year, with plans constantly being modified on when it should be best utilized.

“We’re going to do some experimentation over the course of the spring," said Los Angeles GM Perry Minasian. “We’ve had some staff members that have been more familiar with it than others in the minor leagues, so we’re just going to see how it evolves and how it goes.

“I’m sure every team has had conversations about it and undergone studies. We’re going to get as many different opinions and viewpoints as we can get get. We’ll go through all of the types of things through the course of spring training. I’m not one for a steadfast rule who can use it and who can’t, but I think there will be a certain component of earning the right to do it, who’s capable of doing it and who’s not.

“And I’m sure there will be adjustments made throughout the course of the year. What we may do in April may be different in May, different in June, different in July. It’s going to be one of the unique things about this season."

The ABS will add about one minute per game, according to MLB’s research, with each challenge averaging 13.8 seconds. The strike zone is also expected to slightly shrink, according to Joe Martinez, MLB’s vice president of on-field strategy. Each player will be measured by height this spring, with strike zones starting at 53.5% of a batter’s height at the top and 27% of a batter’s height for the bottom of the zone

There will be some glitches at times. There were 291 pitches that were untracked out of the 88,534 pitches last spring, according to MLB’s research. And if the computer system malfunctions, the umpires will again have the ultimate authority.

There will also be times when a team asks for instant replay on the field at the same time as a challenge. In that case, the umpires will determine the instant replay result before the challenge is assessed and be given discretion on plays that on the bases that could be impacted by challenges.

The challenge system will not be in effect when a position player is pitching in a game.

MLB also announced that the base coaches must remain in their coaching boxes until a pitch is delivered, hoping to eliminate sign stealing. It also tweaked its obstruction rule so that a runner who initiates contact with a fielder trying to draw an obstruction call will now be called out.

Play ball, and keep those computers churning.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB ABS system, 'robot umpires' and new rules are a whole new ballgame

Most baseball analysts believe the San Diego Padres have the best bullpen in MLB. Even with losing All-Star closer Robert Suarez to free agency, the Padres continue to have arguably the best ‘pen in the game in large part due to Mason Miller stepping into the closer role. Adrian Morejon and Jeremiah Estrada are returning and Jason Adam is expected to recover from his ruptured quadriceps tendon in time to make an impact on the season. As Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball reported, the problem for San Diego might be too much bullpen depth. There are possibly six spots available but there are nearly three times as many players fighting for those spots.

Padres News:

• We have seen possible Padres free agent targets such as Justin Verlander, Chris Bassitt and Mile Mikolas leave free agency to join their new teams but Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball identifies possible free agent pitchers who are left to add at various price points.  
• AJ Cassavell of Padres.com believes there are four players who are competing for the fifth spot in the rotation. He names JP Sears, Matt Waldon, Triston McKenzie and Marco Gonzales as pitchers competing for the final rotation spot.
• One of the main topics of the offseason has been the potential for a contract extension for Padres president of baseball operation and general manager A.J. Preller. He met with the media Thursday and stated he believes a contract will get done and that he wants to remain in San Diego. Preller added “We’re either going to do it or not.”
• Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors compiled notes about the Padres that cover multiple topics including the rotation, Randy Vasquez and Luis Campusano.

Baseball News:

• The ABS Challenge Systemwill be utilized in all MLB games starting this season. MLB.com breaks down what the system is and how it will work once the 2026 season begins.
• The Philadelphia Phillies released outfielder Nick Castellanos, but will be responsible for his $20 million salary. Castellanos can sign with any MLB team for the league minimum.
• Kike Henandez announced he is re-signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 2025 season did not end the way the Yankees envisioned.

After making the World Series in 2024, the Yanks were bounced by the Blue Jays in the ALDS. It was a disappointing end for a team that was tied for the most wins in the American League, but New York believes there is unfinished business. That's why GM Brian Cashman is running it back in 2026.

For better or worse, the Yankees are hoping a full season with midseason acquisitions Ryan McMahon, Jose Caballero and David Bednar will help them get back to the World Series. They are also banking on the return of Gerrit Cole, who underwent Tommy John surgery before the 2025 season, to bolster a rotation that was already one of the best in the AL. 

However, Cole won't be back by Opening Day and he's not the only one. Anthony Volpe and Carlos Rodon will miss time and start the season on the IL. That leaves a few spots open on the 26-man roster.

So, as Yankees pitchers and catchers report, here is our first 26-man roster prediction for the 2026 season…

Starting Lineup

Trent Grisham: CF
Aaron Judge: RF
Cody Bellinger: LF
Ben Rice: 1B
Giancarlo Stanton: DH
Jazz Chisholm Jr.: 2B
Ryan McMahon: 3B
Jose Caballero: SS
Austin Wells: C

This is the easy part.

The Yankees are running it back, and the everyday starting lineup will look very similar to what it was in the final months of 2025. Barring any injuries, the usual regulars will play, with McMahon and Rice manning the corners.

A year ago, Paul Goldschmidt was the starting first baseman, but Rice's bat is too important to leave on the bench. 

With Volpe on the shelf, Caballero will be the starting shortstop for now. The Yanks will see if Caballero can make the position his own before Volpe returns. If Caballero struggles, Volpe will regain the starting job and Caballero will be relegated to the bench.

Rotation

Max Fried: LHP
Cam Schlittler: RHP
Luis Gil: RHP}
Ryan Yarbrough: LHP
Will Warren: RHP
Ryan Weathers: RHP

With Cole, Rodon, and Clarke Schmidt on the IL to start the season, it's likely the Yankees will begin the year with a six-man rotation. 

The rationale is two-fold. 

It'll limit the number of innings for the youngsters and Fried, who threw a career high 195.1 innings in 2025. It'll also reduce how many starts are needed by Yarbrough or Paul Blackburn before Cole and Rodon return. I'll say Yarbrough will get the nod to make some spot starts, but manager Aaron Boone said in his news conference on the first day of pitchers and catchers that when those starters return, he could slide an arm or two into the bullpen. 

The Yankees traded for Weathers, so he seems like a lock to make the initial rotation along with Schlittler, Gil, and Warren, who all showed they can pitch in the big leagues. The six-man rotation will also help Weathers stay healthy after making just eight starts a year ago. 

Bullpen

David Bednar: RHP
Camilo Doval: RHP
Jake Bird: RHP
Osvaldo Bido: RHP
Fernando Cruz: RHP
Tim Hill: LHP
Angel Chivilli: RHP

I predict the arms in the bullpen will be asked to do some heavy lifting, at least in the early going. Hopefully, Fried and the rest of the starters give length in March/April to give Bednar, Doval, Cruz and the rest of the high-leverage guys some rest in between outings. But outside of those three, there aren't a lot of locks.

The Yanks picked up Hill's option, so he'll start as the lone lefty in the bullpen. That leaves three more spots to choose from. 

Bird was one of the relievers Cashman picked up at last year's trade deadline, and he did not pan out. He made three appearances in pinstripes and allowed six runs across 2.0 innings. He was sent down to Triple-A, where he remained for the duration of the season. But now, the right-hander has a chance to figure things out under the watchful eye of the Yankees trainers and coaches. 

I believe he'll do enough to earn a spot, and if he struggles, he still has minor league options. 

And for that final spot, Bido is an intriguing option. The Yankees claimed him off waivers from the Athletics after a rough 2025. But Bido had a strong 2024, striking out 63 batters across 63.1 innings and pitching to a 3.41 ERA. Perhaps the Yankees get the 30-year-old back to that point this spring. 

And then there's Chivilli, whom the Yanks acquired from the Rockies in January. The hard-throwing righty has not had success in the majors thus far (6.18 ERA across 73 appearances), but he has the stuff to potentially make him a great fit for the bullpen. Perhaps taking Chivilli out of Coors Field and having the Yankees' pitching lab mold him into a competent reliever could revitalize his career in the same way they made Cruz into a household name.

Bench

Amed Rosario: INF
Paul Goldschmidt: 1B
J.C. Escarra: C
Oswaldo Cabrera: UTIL

And here's where things get kind of interesting.

Rosario, Goldschmidt, and Escarra are locks, but the Yankees need a fourth outfielder. I believe Jasson Dominguez will start the season in Triple-A. He has options, and regular at-bats and playing time are what the young switch-hitter needs right now. 

That opens up the door for Cabrera. And while most of his time has been spent playing the infield, he has appeared in over 100 games in the outfield, including 92 starts. 

Rosario also has experience playing the outfield, but the versatility Cabrera provides, as well as being a switch-hitter, gives him the edge over others like a Spencer Jones. The team is too left-handed as is.

Trades can alter the direction of any team. They could bring a team it’s last piece to win a championship, or a key contributor to turn a team into a real contender, or a trade could signal the beginning of a rebuild. Every year at the end of July we all obsess over the latest trade gossip to see who’s going where and for how much.

But what about the trades that don’t happen? Yes, it may be a hackneyed phrase, but sometimes the best trade you can do is the one you don’t make. Sometimes it’s a blessing in disguise that a proposed trade isn’t accepted.

For the Phillies, there’s at least one trade that never materialized that stands out. In 2004, Jim Thome was in the second year of his groundbreaking (literally and figuratively) six year, $85M free agent deal with the Phillies. Thome, a bona-fide star and future Hall of Famer, was brought to Philadelphia to usher in a new era of Phillies baseball as the team broke ground on their brand-new ballpark. Gone were the days of “small market” talk and perpetual cellar dwelling. The Phillies intended to get better, and Thome was to lead the charge.

But there was a situation brewing by late in the 2004 season. A young first base prospect named Ryan Howard was destroying pitching across the minor leagues, having advanced to Triple-A by the end of the season. It was becoming abundantly clear that Howard was ready for the Big Leagues and possibly had a bright future ahead of him, but there was nowhere on the Phillies for him to play. Both Howard and Thome were locked at first base and seeing that the DH was of course not yet in the National League, the Phillies had to choose between the two.

It appeared in the summer of 2004 they almost did, as Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette later reported in 2007. The Phillies had offered Howard in a trade to the Pirates in exchange for Kris Benson, a 29-year-old starting pitcher. Reportedly, the Pirates turned the trade down because they believed they already had a prospect of Howard’s caliber in Brad Eldred. Instead, the Pirates traded Benson to the Mets in exchange for two future Phillies in Ty Wigginton and Jose Bautista, while the Phillies eventually chose to keep Howard and send Thome to the White Sox before the 2005 season.

As is abundantly obvious by now, that non-trade worked out pretty well for the Phillies. Howard went on to win Rookie of the Year in 2005, MVP in 2006, and a World Series championship in 2008, cementing himself among the Phillies all-time greatest players. Benson meanwhile pitched for four more seasons after 2004, appearing in 69 games with a 4.73 ERA for the Mets, Orioles, Rangers, and Diamondbacks before retiring following the 2010 season. Brad Eldred, the player the Pirates believed was on the same caliber as Howard, meanwhile played 90 total career games in the Majors between 2005 and 2012 and was worth -1.3 WAR.

But this is just one example from Phillies lore of a trade that didn’t happen that turned out to be for the best. In your opinion, what’s the best trade the Phillies never made?

It’s become something of an annual tradition in Birdland: the hot stove season heats up, the rumor mill churns out names of frontline starters, and Orioles fans allow themselves to dream. This year, it was Framber Valdez, the crafty lefty who’s been one of baseball’s most reliable arms. Mike Elias’s comments earlier this offseason suggested the team was ready to swim in the deep end, to finally make the kind of splash that announces championship intentions.

And then, as if on cue, the pivot. Valdez recently announced a $115 million deal with the Detroit Tigers, while the Orioles cashed in all their chips on … a one-year, $18.5M contract for Chris Bassitt.

Look the signing isn’t a disaster. It’s gotten mixed reviews here in Birdland, but nobody’s furious about it. Bassitt is a solid major league pitcher who posted respectable numbers in 2025, including a strong strikeout-to-innings ratio in the postseason. He’s durable, he’s experienced, and he knows how to navigate a lineup the third time through the order. He’s not chopped liver.

But he’s also not what we were promised. And that gap between expectation and reality has become uncomfortably familiar.

Cast your mind back a few offseasons. The names then were Dylan Cease and Max Fried—legitimate top-of-the-rotation arms who would have transformed the Orioles’ pitching staff. Instead, the team zigged when fans expected them to zag, opting for the safer, cheaper, shorter-term solution. Jordan Lyles. Kyle Gibson. Charlie Morton. Tomoyuki Sugano. Bassitt.

The pattern has become so predictable that it’s practically a signature of the Elias era: dream big in December, settle in January.

The question that nags at me isn’t whether Bassitt can help. He can. It’s whether this approach—the perpetual one-year deal, the endless bridge contracts, the faith that everything will break right—is actually a viable path to a championship. Because when you look around the American League East, the Orioles’ division rivals aren’t playing it safe. The Yankees have made moves. The Blue Jays have been aggressive. Even the Red Sox, who’ve had their own organizational soul-searching to do, have shown more willingness to commit.

The Orioles, meanwhile, are still asking us to trust the process.

And it’s true, the process could work. The best-case scenario for Baltimore’s 2025 rotation is genuinely exciting: Kyle Bradish returns to Cy Young form after his injury, Trevor Rogers replicates his magical comeback season, Shane Baz rediscovers his pre-injury stuff, and Zach Eflin’s back holds up. Add a steady Bassitt to that mix, and you’ve got something.

But that’s an awful lot of ifs. It’s a rotation built on the assumption that everyone hits a ceiling they’ve reached, in most cases, exactly once. It’s a plan that requires the baseball gods to smile on Baltimore while frowning on everyone else. It’s hope dressed up as strategy.

Maybe I’m being too harsh. Results have a way of silencing concerns about process, and if the Orioles surprise everyone and make a deep October run, I’ll happily eat these words. Good outcomes quiet the haters, myself potentially included.

But here’s what bothers me: this has become a philosophy, not just a tactic. Don’t draft pitchers high. Avoid the raw high school talent. Squeeze value out of waiver wire pickups and veterans willing to bet on themselves with short-term deals. It’s smart, in its way—analytically defensible, fiscally responsible, low-risk in any individual transaction.

It’s also not inspiring. And it’s not how you build a champion.

The Tampa Bay Rays have been doing this dance for years, finding value in the margins, developing what they have, never quite spending like the big boys. They’ve been to one World Series this century. They lost. At some point, you have to wonder whether the ceiling on this approach is “perpetually competitive” rather than “champion.”

The Orioles have a young core that’s ready to win now. Gunnar Henderson isn’t getting any cheaper. Adley Rutschman’s window is open. The time to push the chips to the center of the table is now, not in some hypothetical future when all the one-year deals finally add up to something.

Chris Bassitt will take the ball every fifth day and give the Orioles a chance to win. That’s valuable. But when you’re chasing a championship, “giving yourself a chance” isn’t the same as “going for it.” And after another offseason of watching the Orioles linked to aces only to settle for something less, it’s hard not to feel like we’re watching the same movie for the third or fourth time.

Plan B can work. Sometimes the backup option turns out to be the right call all along.

But it sure would be nice, just once, to see what Plan A looks like.

I’m not gonna make a case, or talk about how it depends on price. You can do that.

Littell is the only free agent remaining who A) does not require loss of a draft pick, and B) is projected by a blend of Steamer and ZiPS to produce over 1.5 WAR in 2026.

Do with that what you will.

Good morning, LSB.

The Rangers were dealt a fairly devastating blow Thursday as top prospect Sebastian Walcott will miss most or all of the 2026 season due to a UCL tear. Woof.

Walcott will reportedly undergo surgery in the coming days, though there’s still some stuff to be discussed with ol’ Dr. Meister.

There’s also enough injury news elsewhere to warrant an Evan Grant injury update 4 days into camp.

Rangers bullpen hand Chris Martin has the inside track on the closer role.

Jacob deGrom is back on the mound after his stellar 2025 and still looking to get better.

MLB Pipeline takes a guess at each team’s top prospect in 2028.

And Grant did a live Q&A segment here where he answered early spring training questions from Rangers fans.

That’s all for this morning. Happy Friday!

Since our way-too-early Mets 26-man roster prediction last month, plenty of things have changed.

The Mets made some intriguing acquisitions, it was revealed thatJuan Soto is moving from right field to left field, and Francisco Lindor underwent surgery for a stress reaction to his left hamate bone.

In light of all of those moving parts, here is our roster prediction 2.0 for what the team will look like on Opening Day...

REGULAR LINEUP

Francisco Alvarez: C
Jorge Polanco: 1B
Marcus Semien: 2B
Francisco Lindor: SS
Bo Bichette: 3B
Juan Soto: LF
Luis Robert Jr.: CF
Carson Benge: RF
Brett Baty: DH

There are four big questions here: Will Lindor be ready for Opening Day, will Polanco see most of his time at first base, who will the regular right fielder be, and who will get the bulk of the at-bats at designated hitter?

The Mets' expectation is that Lindor, who had surgery for a stress reaction to his left hamate bone, will be ready to go. A surgeon SNY spoke with had similar optimism about Lindor's timeline and prognosis. 

Polanco has been at camp early continuing to get acclimated to first base, including drills on Thursday where he was making scoops on balls in the dirt.

As far as right field, president of baseball operations David Stearns said after breaking the news of Soto's move to left that Benge remains firmly in the mix to win a job. 

Benge has plenty of experience in right field, including 26 games last season in the minors. And he was primarily a right fielder during his college career with Oklahoma State. 

"I think evaluations in spring are always a little bit fraught, and we know that," Stearns noted when asked what the team would factor in while deciding on Benge. "We want to see quality at-bats, we want to see him handle the outfield. It's also gonna depend on what some other guys do, right? It's not all going to be dependent on how Carson looks."

When it comes to DH, that feels like a spot that should be split between Baty and Mark Vientos. Yes, Baty can fill in at third base, second base, right field, and perhaps first base. But his best chance for consistent at-bats could be at DH. 

STARTING ROTATION

Freddy Peralta: RHP
Nolan McLean: RHP
Sean Manaea: LHP
Clay Holmes: RHP
David Peterson: LHP
Kodai Senga: RHP

With the Mets having six legitimate big league starting pitching options, using a six-man rotation is a possibility.

And it's something Stearns said would be a good problem to have.

"I think we'll cross that bridge if we get to it," Stearns explained on Thursday. "We've got six healthy guys feeling really good right now. If we have six healthy guys feeling really good on Opening Day, I will gladly work through that challenge at that point. And we may decide at times to go with a six-man, or we may not. We'll figure that out. That's a really good problem to have if that's where we are on Opening Day."

If the Mets are fully healthy and don't go with a regular six-man rotation from the jump, it's fair to believe that either Peterson or Senga would be ticketed for the bullpen. But Senga doesn't seem like a great fit for the role given his meticulous routine. 

Beyond the main six expected starters is intriguing depth.

Jonah Tong, who showed serious flashes during his debut late last season, figures to open the season with Triple-A Syracuse.

The 22-year-old made only two starts in Triple-A last season before being promoted to the majors, so it's fair to believe he can benefit from the ability to refine his arsenal there for a bit before coming back up.

Then there's Christian Scott, who missed the entire 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery but who should be fully healthy and ready to go. And the recently-acquired Tobias Myers is stretching out as a starter.

Meanwhile, prospects Jonathan Santucci and Jack Wenninger could possibly reach the majors in 2026.

BULLPEN

Devin Williams: CLS
Luke Weaver: RHP
Brooks Raley: LHP
Luis Garcia: RHP
Tobias Myers: RHP
Craig Kimbrel: RHP
Bryan Hudson: LHP

Williams, Weaver, Raley, and Garcia are locks. And A.J. Minter will be in the 'pen once he's fully healthy. But Minter isn't expected to be in big league action until early May.

While Myers can be optioned to the minors, there's really no reason for the Mets to go that route unless they're facing a serious numbers crunch.

Myers was used mainly as a starter in 2024 before transitioning to mostly a relief role in 2025 -- and Stearns suggested after acquiring him that Myers will be used in relief, with the Mets having the ability to stretch him out if needed. 

In 28.1 innings over 16 appearances as a reliever in 2025, Myers had a 1.91 ERA and 0.91 WHIP while posting a strikeout to walk rate of 6.67.

Kimbrel is a bit of a wild card after signing a minor league deal, but it's fair to believe he'll get a shot if his stuff looks good during spring training. While Kimbrel doesn't throw nearly as hard as he did in his heyday, he still misses plenty of bats. 

Then there's Hudson, who was acquired via trade earlier this week. He was tremendous in 2024 for the Brewers, during what was his first full big league season. In 62.1 innings over 43 games, Hudson had a 1.73 ERA (3.60 FIP) and 0.72 WHIP while striking out 62.

Standing at 6'8", Hudson gets elite extension from a low-angle delivery (he was in the 99th percentile last season). He featured mainly a four-seam fastball and sweeper in 2025. In 2024, Hudson also relied heavily on a cutter, which he threw 24 percent of the time (Hudson threw the cutter just three percent of the time last season).

Hudson is out of minor league options, which means the Mets cannot send him to the minors without exposing him to waivers. 

Huascar Brazoban and Adbert Alzolay can both be real contributors, but might be frozen out initially.

Other options include hard-throwing prospects Dylan Ross and Ryan Lambert, as well as Jonathan Pintaro, Alex Carrillo, and Joey Gerber. 

BENCH

Tyrone Taylor: OF
Luis Torrens: C
Mark Vientos: INF
Vidal Brujan: UTIL

Barring a trade, Taylor, Torrens, and Vientos are locks.

And if the Mets go with a six-man rotation, that leaves just one more bench spot.

One option is the recently-signed MJ Melendez, an outfielder with some pop who is coming off a down season. 

But no one can match the positional versatility of Brujan, who is able to play literally every spot except catcher -- and can provide insurance at shortstop. 

The Dodgers didn’t do much at all to add to their starting rotation this offseason, and they didn’t need to.

Boasting one of the most dominant pitching staffs in not just their own division, but all of baseball, the Dodgers enter the 2026 season with a plethora of rotational options. The quartet of All-Stars is cemented at the top, but following is a free-for-all of young talent vying to either get their first real shot as a starter or to make themselves known again after their 2025 seasons were wiped away due to injury, i.e. Gavin Stone and River Ryan.

With Roki Sasaki penciled into the rotation, the team already flaunts a dynamic five-man rotation, but, as Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register tweets, the Dodgers will open up the 2026 season with a six-man rotation. Plunkett notes that this will allow pitchers such as Sasaki, Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto to maintain their one start per week routine.

Dave Roberts confirmed #Dodgers are likely to run with a 6-man rotation again: "I think early, it's hard to say it won't be. How beholden we are to that, for how long, I don't know. …" 1/3

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) February 13, 2026

Links

Old friend Chris Taylor is headed back to the Angels for the 2026 season, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Heyman did not specify whether it was a major league deal or a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.

After being released by the Dodgers during the 2025 season, Taylor played in 30 games with the Angels, slashing .179/.278/.321 with two home runs and 10 RBI while posting -0.1 fWAR.

The Dodgers needed to do one thing before wrapping up their offseason agenda, and that they did on Thursday by bringing back Kiké Hernández for the 2026 season, writes Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

Hernández, like Phillips (Tommy John surgery) and righty reliever Brock Stewart (shoulder surgery), will be an in-season reinforcement for the back-to-back World Series champions once he returns to full health. His signing is one of the finishing touches on a Dodgers roster that kept its core intact while bringing in star power (Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz) to address its biggest holes.

For the first time in 19 years, Clayton Kershaw will not be with the Dodgers in Arizona, and Dave Roberts has already noticed a different vibe without him in the clubhouse, per Plunkett.

“When we get to spring training at Camelback and not seeing his locker where it’s been for 17 years, 18 years, it’s gonna be different,” said Dave Roberts, the Dodgers’ manager for the last 10 years of Kershaw’s career. “The presence, seeing No. 22 out there early, doing sprints, seeing him in the weight room, knowing it’s Kershaw Day (when he pitched), not having that – it’s different.”

Tennessee baseball returns this afternoon in Knoxville with the Volunteers set to kickoff the Josh Elander era. Tony Vitello’s longtime right-hand man takes over at Tennessee, looking to pick up right where they left off. Several key pieces of the roster are back, and some new additions should add both pop to the lineup and stability on the mound.

Tennessee, also set to debut a new-look Lindsey Nelson Stadium this weekend, will roll with Tegan Kuhns on the mound to get things going on Friday afternoon against Nicholls. Elander set his starting rotation earlier this week, naming Landon Mack as the Saturday starter and veteran Evan Blanco as the Sunday starter.

Friday will be the first ever meeting between Tennessee and Nicholls.

The Volunteers enter the 2026 season as a consensus top 15 team across all major polls, with Perfect Game ranking them as high as No. 3 nationally. Without Vitello, will things look and feel the same in Knoxville? We’re about to find out.

Tennessee baseball weekend schedule and projected starters

Game 1 (Friday – 4:30 p.m. ET)

RHP Tegan Kuhns vs. RHP Nuno Parache

Game 2 (Saturday – 1 p.m. ET)

RHP Landon Mack vs. LHP Austin Vargas

Game 3 (Sunday – 1 p.m. ET)

LHP Evan Blanco vs. RHP Haden Luke

TV and streaming information: The games will not be televised, but they will stream on SEC+ on the ESPN App.

Well, I can’t say the off-season moved at a dizzying pace.  More like ambled.  But there was churn and I found myself wanting to do a 360 around the league and get a sense of who did what as the dust settles right before teams’ head to Florida or Arizona.  I worked to keep the article short and digestible, just under 1,500 words (a 7-minute read?), so a few details might have dropped off, but I think I got the essence.

Some writers like to grade out the teams on the traditional high school A-F scale. Personally, I never thought much of that scale even when I was in high school (graduated Parkway West out in fashionable West County, for those that are curious). In my class, everyone graduated. Somehow the distribution was abnormal, like in Lake Wobegon, where all the children were above average. I did however categorize the teams by how they went about the off-season. Their actions tell us how they evaluate themselves. You guys can do the grading. The categories describe teams that are:

• Extending the Competitive Window
• Standing Pat
• Attempting to Make the Next Step
• Retooling
• Indiscernible
• Starting Over

At the end, I’ll go a bit deeper into the NL Central. Just a bit, because we care a bit more about this cadre.

Teams Extending the Competitive Window

Dodgers, Blue Jays, Phillies, Tigers, Mariners

Common features of teams that are looking to remain in their competitive window:

• They were good last season
• They are in a good spot relative to the rest of their division
• They tend to have few but very specific needs

The Phillies re-signed Schwarber and Realmuto and added Adolis Garcia, seegmingly with the intent of moving Castellanos.  Does Keller replace Suarez?   The Blue Jays added Okomoto, Cease and Ponce. Gimenez was added last year, but the impetus behind the move becomes more obvious with the departure of Bichette.  The Dodgers add a closer (Diaz) and an outfielder (Tucker).  The Tigers added Valdez and Verlander late but have Skubal drama hanging over their heads (self-inflicted, no less).

The Mariners re-signed Naylor and added Knizner, but moved out of the Standing Pat division with a late acquisition of Donovan, to many Cardinals’ fans chagrin.

Teams Standing Pat

Guardians, Brewers, Astros, Yankees, Diamondbacks

Common features of teams that are competing with what they have on their roster:

• They were good (enough) last season
• They are in a good spot relative to the rest of their division
• Their approach to the off-season was mostly passive

All good teams, but far from perfect. These teams did little, sometimes to the great consternation of their fans.  The Astros added Iami.  They have the look of a team where their run is nearing the end.  The Brewers traded Peralta for two top prospects, plus Durbin and a host of other players for pitching. Churn is their game, like the Rays. The Diamondbacks were probably good enough last year, but health really derailed their best laid plan. They will run it back and hope for better medical reports.

Everything else represented depth moves, in my view.

Teams Seeking to take the Next Step

Red Sox, Pirates, Reds

Common features of teams that seek to take the next step:

• Young, and adding core veterans
• Currently a step behind the good teams
• Appear to have an opportunity within their division to rise

The Red Sox have made the most noise, acquiring Contreras, Gray, Oviedo and Suarez to add to a heralded core of young players.  That the Pirates are actually doing something is notable.  They have endeavored to add offense to their young pitching core with Magnum, Lowe, O’Hearn, Garcia (he of the alphabet challenged first name Jhostynxon).  Will they raise the Jolly Roger this year at PNC? I might consider a trip to Pittsburgh this year. Never been.

The Reds are unique in this case.  Are they good?  Well, they made the playoffs, albeit with 83 wins (not a typical measure of good).  They re-signed Pagan to close for them has been their most significant move.  Late in the off-season they added Suarez. Does this move the needle? What happens to Hayes?

Retooling Teams

Braves, Mets, Cubs, Padres, Orioles

Common features of teams I consider to be retooling tend to be:

• Need to make up for the loss of key players, such as Cubs losing Tucker.
• Intent to be competitive this next season
• These teams usually have marked disappointment in how the last season turned out

The Braves signed multiple pitchers to close (Iglesias, Suarez) and acquired multiple SS (Dubon, Kim).  David Stearns appears to be doing a top-down rebuild of the Mets roster (Bichette, Robert, Semien, Polanco, Williams, Peralta) to go along with Soto from last year. The Cubs re-signed (after a fashion) Imanaga and added Cabrera to a fringy staff.  Bregman effectively replaces Tucker.  The Orioles have added Trevor Rodgers (starter), Alonso and Ward to the line-up and Helsley and Kittredge to the back-end.  The Padres focused on pitching, having re-signed King, acquired Mckenzie and Hart to go with Miller (acquired at the deadline).  They took a shot at acquiring Arenado to play 1B.  Given the seemingly odd fit of that, what does that tell us?

Indiscernible

Rays, Angels, Marlins, A’s, Twins, Royals, Rangers, Giants

Common features: None

These teams aren’t easy to classify, so we look at their story individually.  The Rays are in a state of perpetual churn, so they are really in their own class. Their moves are usually value moves for players no one has ever heard of, as their focus is building the minor league pipeline. 

The Angels?  Who knows. The Marlins?  A team that looked on the rise late last year, but they are standing pat (except for shedding Cabrera) with a team that isn’t really good enough to stand pat with.  The Royals?  Drifting might be the right term for them?  Their outfield is worse than the Cardinals and they don’t appear able to address.  They have strong pitching and Witt, Jr. but that isn’t enough, even in the AL Central.  

The A’s appear still be in limbo a bit, caught between Oakland and Las Vegas for another year.  They have good young position players, but little else.  The Twins are embroiled in ownership drama, with a sale that fell through.  Their core talent isn’t bad, but they don’t have the resources to add. 

The Rangers might be in the same drifting category, or perhaps a term we’ve heard in St. Louis far too much – “caught in the middle”.  Does adding Nimmo and Jansen move the needle?  Gore was a nice get, though. Some in the Ranger’s constellation see their actions as trying to extend their competitive window, but I’m having trouble seeing the flukey 2023 World Series outcome as a “window”. They get to keep their trophy, though. That never hurts.

The Giants? I dunno. They weren’t good enough, but they also didn’t quite stand pat. They didn’t lose a lot, but they didn’t really retool, unless you view Arraez, House, Mahle as re-tooling. Perhaps. I suspect they are caught in the middle vortex that recently plagued the Cardinals.

Starting Over

Nationals, Cardinals, Rockies, White Sox

Common features of rebuilding teams:

• Not enough talent to be competitive
• Focusing on the long-term

The White Sox are deep into their rebuilding, having shown some incremental progress in 2025.  The Nationals are effectively starting over on a rebuild that really started in 2020.  They cleaned out the front office late last season.  The Rockies are in the same boat, with a recently hired new front office.  The Cardinals probably don’t quite fit the “starting over” moniker as there were some pieces to work with and the front office part of the rebuild really occurred over the last year plus and folks are pretty settled in now.  I used “starting over” because “rebuilding” seems such a loaded term.  But this year, that is clearly what they are doing.  It beats standing pat with a mediocre team (insert side eye toward Royals). 

A quick take on the NL Central

The Brewers came into the off-season a good team and will depart the off-season same, in spite of unloading Peralta a year before he departs as a free agent.  The Cubs?  They got older.  Did they get better?  I liked their acquisition of Cabrera, but swapping Tucker for Bregman?  Will Suzuki back in right make them better? ZIPs sees both teams in the low 90’s.

The Reds were remarkably passive.  They appear up-and-coming but did little to add.  I wonder if they are primed to step back.  The Pirates added offense (theoretically), which could make them scary with their pitching.  For fun, imagine a division that includes the 2^nd place Pirates.    

The Cardinals subtracted veteran talent and added prospects, primarily to the pitching staff.  2026 results will likely be highly variable. With 4 teams above them that could all finish at or above .500, someone will pay for that in losses. Can the Cardinals keep up? Baseball Prospectus is least optimistic, forecasting 96 losses. Expect a similar housecleaning next off-season (or earlier) on the position player side.     

In the 18th round of the 2017 MLB draft the New York Yankees drafted a pitcher out of the University of Alabama named Garret Whitlock. He would almost immediately make his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Yankees. In 2018, Whitlock would appear in three levels for New York: A, A+, and AA. Overall he’d post a 1.86 ERA across the three levels while making 21 starts. 2019 would start well as he remained in AA: a 3.07 ERA across 14 starts for 70.1 innings. But things wouldn’t stay golden for Whitlock. He would succumb to Tommy John surgery by midseason. With the canceled minor league season in 2020, Whitlock would remain in a state of flux. He’d be recovering from injury but not really progressing as a baseball player.

When it came time to protect their prospects from the Rule 5 draft, the Yankees looked at Whitlock and saw 2019 success, a lost season, and an injury. They didn’t protect him and the Red Sox selected Whitlock on December 10, 2020. Whitlock would go on to strike out 81 in 73.1 innings in 2021 for Boston while posting a 1.96 ERA. He’d allow 2 runs in 8 playoff innings that year as the Sox made it to the ALCS. After a couple of years of attempted conversions back to the rotation and some health issues, Whitlock would put up a monster 2025. A 2.25 ERA, 91 strikeouts, 24 walks in 72 innings. The elite setup man has been worth 8.2 bWAR Red Sox.

Carlos Narváez was signed out of Venezuela in 2015. He would make his professional debut the next year and spend a few seasons as a teenager, working his way through the lowest levels of the minor leagues. He wouldn’t make it to AA until 2023 as a 24-year-old, but his stay would be brief, just 16 games. Promoted once more to AAA, Narváez would remain with Scranton Wilkes-Barre for 180 games. He’d hit .247/.371/.400 but be looked at as a defense-first catcher. Even though he got a cup of coffee for 6 games in 2024, Narváez was nothing but depth for the Yankees. On December 11, 2024 the Yankees would trade the catcher for minor leaguer Elmer Rodriguez.

In his age 26 season, with Connor Wong entering as the starter, Narváez wasn’t even guaranteed to make the roster. But with injury and ineffectivess he got his chance. And as a rookie took over the starting catching job of a playoff team. He’d put up a 2.6 bWAR season and swing the bat to boot! With a .241/.306/.419 slash line, Narváez finds himself in the driver’s seat entering 2026.

Elmer Rodriguez pitched in A+, AA, and AAA for New York with a 2.58 ERA across 150 innings. He struck out 175 and walked 57 as a 21 year old. Not a bad season at all, but in exchange for a starting catcher? A bargain.

Caleb Durbin’s story is slightly more complicated. He was drafted by Atlanta in 2021 and traded to New York for Lucas Luetge, a 38-year-old pitcher. He’d come out of the bullpen for the Braves just 12 times and put up an ERA north of 7. The Yankees would then send Durbin to the Brewers with Nester Cortes ahead of the 2025 season for Devon Williams. He’d only put up a 3rd place finish in the Rookie of the Year.

Playing mostly third base (131 games) with a scattering of second (10) and shortstop (3), Durbin hit .256/.334/.387. He hit 11 homers and stole 18 bases. He lead the league in HBP with 24. He was with 2.8 bWAR. That’s why the Red Sox had to pay a steep-ish price to get him. But his value to a team without a true third baseman, no matter how much he might platoon or share time, Durbin could be invaluable.

The Red Sox have done some good work with their prospects. They’ve really picked up some talented pitchers on the down low. But also Narváez. And Romy Gonzalez. Even Nate Eaton was an under-the-radar addition. This could be a big pickup for Boston, acquired for, essentially, spare parts. And while Durbin did have his breakout with the Brewers there might be more talent in there. He’s probably not going to be Garret Whitlock, but if he’s a third base pickup equal to Narváez? That would be a steal. A third steal. From the Yankees. It’s not the normal player acquisition strategy but it’s a nice benefit to see the Sox advance a little bit at their expense.

Scottsdale, Ariz. – Pitchers and catchers officially reported to Salt River Fields yesterday as the Rockies kicked off their 2026 campaign. At the very beginning of the day, newly signed Japanese right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano met with the media to discuss why he chose to sign with Colorado and how he expects to contribute.

Sugano, 36, was originally signed by the Rockies on Tuesday and has wasted no time joining the rotation (you can read Evan Lang’s write-up of the signing here).

“This organization valued my pitching, and I feel like there’s a lot more that I can offer,” Sugano said through interpreter Yuto Sakurai, “so that’s one of the reasons why (I chose to sign with the Rockies).”

Sugano spent 2025 with the Baltimore Orioles in his first MLB season. Prior to that, he played with the Yomiuri Giants of the NPB from 2013–2024. In his stateside debut, Sugano posted a 10-10 record and 4.64 ERA in 30 starts. However, he also allowed 33 home runs, which led the American League.

“I had some struggles last year with it being my first year in the Major Leagues, and there are things that I wanted to improve coming into the season and pitching into the season,” he said. 

“Something that you’ve pointed out is the amount of home runs that I gave up. I want to decrease that amount, but also at the same time, I don’t want to be afraid to throw strikes and making sure I have the mentality of attacking hitters. Those two will be my main objectives.”

Another reason Sugano was brought in was his veteran presence to a young ballclub, even though he stayed in Japan longer than many other players such as Roki Sasaki or Yoshinobu Yamamoto from the Dodgers, who both posted early. 

“The long experience in Japan, obviously, has been applied and is working well for me and in my favor,” he said. “But also, after I came here, there’s a lot to learn day in and day out, so I’m trying to improve myself on a daily basis.”

And as far as connecting with younger players?

“I think I connected really well (with Baltimore players), especially with the pitchers,” he said. “Obviously, the younger guys will come up to me and ask me questions. I hope to do the same over here, and I think this organization expects that from me as well. So if I can continue to do what I’ve been doing, I think that will work out.”

He’s already started connecting with his Rockies teammates, especially the pitchers since “we’re obviously going to be in the same role, so it’s just easy for me to connect with them.” However, he’s also connected with a surprising player: “Zac Veen is one of the guys, if I were to single out someone.” 

But the leadership and connection is one of the reasons that Sugano was brought to the Rockies.

“I expect the ultimate professional,” manager Warren Schaeffer said in his first presser of spring training. 

“I expect him to fill up the strike zone. I expect him to take the ball every fifth day, just like he has his entire career. I expect him to provide ideas of leadership. I had dinner with him the other night, and he is just a fantastic human being. I’m so excited to have him around. But on the field, I look for consistency in the strike zone.”

But Schaeffer also sees some areas for his staff to improve, including Sugano.

“Specifically against left-handers, he needs to get ahead more against left-handers,” he said. 

“That’s a big focus for the entire group, not just Sugano. That’s gonna be good for Sugano to work with Alon (Leichman) and Gabe Ribas and Matt Buschmann – these guys that have fresh ideas on how to do that. We all know that, but he’s going to attack the strike zone with all those pitches.”

“He was someone that I’d been looking at the entire offseason and thought he’d be a really good fit for us,” PBO Paul DePodesta said at Cactus League media day.

“One, he’s such an accomplished pitcher as a professional. I thought that would really help some of our younger pitchers. He also does exactly what we like, which is throw a lot of strikes with a very deep arsenal of pitches. He throws six different pitches, throws them all effectively, always keeps the hitters off balance. He’s also been extremely durable. He made 30 starts last year for Baltimore, so all of those things are things we were looking for. We thought it was going to be hard to find that in one person. We thought we could find someone who’s durable; someone who throws a lot of strikes; someone with a lot of different pitches; but in him, we found all of those things in one.”

Beyond the physical attributes, DePodesta also spoke to the veteran presence Sugano brings to a very young pitching staff, and a very young Rockies team as a whole.

“We also wanted those guys to have pitchers they could look up to, even in terms of their work ethic — how they go about every day, how they go about preparing, how they go about continuing to make adjustments even when they’ve been pitching at that level for 10-15 years,” he added. “And then from a front office perspective, we were interested for all of those reasons. I then shared our interest with the pitching coaches and said, ‘What do you think?’ and they were all extremely excited because of not only his strike-throwing ability, but because of his ability to manipulate the ball. They also think there are lots of different things they can do with him to have him be even more successful this year. So yeah, we’re very excited to have him.”

In addition to his new roster spot with the Colorado Rockies, Sugano is also suiting up for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic this spring for the second time in his career. He last pitched for them in the 2017 tournament.

“Yes, I’m very excited to pitch in that as well,” he said. “I’ve prepared really well for that tournament, so I’m just going to make sure I pitch really well.”

Overall, the Rockies have signed three veterans in the offseason to bring experience and leadership to a young pitching staff. Sugano also marks a shifting of the Rockies scouting, as he is the first Japanese player to sign with the team since 2007.

Spring training has only just begun, but the tides appear to be turning for the Boys on Blake.

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After challenging year, Veen arrives at camp healthier and refocused | MLB.com

Zac Veen had his first cup of coffee in 2025, and it did not go over very well for a number of reasons. The 24-year-old was very young last year, and it showed in a multitude of ways (such as his purple hair in spring training and his marijuana celebration). However, Veen has come into 2026 camp with a different attitude after getting some tough love from Chris Forbes and Johnny Goodrich, his former coach in Florida. Thomas Harding chronicles Veen’s changes as he hopes to snag a roster spot with the Rockies in 2026.

Rockies achieve offseason goal: ‘More options at more positions’ entering spring training | Kevin’s take | Denver Gazette ($)

Earlier this week, Renee discussed “optionality” with the Colorado Rockies players — a stark difference from teams of the past. Kevin Henry also explores the versatility desired by the new-look Rockies, and how that creates competition in spring training “that should add a little spice in Scottsdale.” Specifically, he cites newcomers Willi Castro, Edouard Julien, Troy Johnston and Jake McCarthy as evidence of the desired versatility, as well as how that might affect returning players such as Tyler Freeman.

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