Category: Baseball

Sandy Alomar would be a recognizable name in baseball circles if for no other reason than he fathered two major leaguers – his namesake Sandy, who caught in the bigs for almost two decades, and Hall of Famer Roberto, who also won a pair of World Series championships with the Toronto Blue Jays.

The elder Sandy had a major league career of his own though, one that included a brief stop in New York for a couple of seasons. He was gone before the Yankees broke a long World Series drought in 1977, but Alomar’s tenure in the Bronx did enable him to experience postseason baseball for the one and only time in his career.

Santos Alomar Conde
Born: October 19, 1943 (Salinas, Puerto Rico)
Died: October 13, 2025 (Salinas, Puerto Rico)
Yankees Tenure: 1974-76

In 1973, Sandy Alomar was 29 years old, playing for the California Angels, his fifth club since he debuted with the Milwaukee Braves in 1964. To that point, his durability was his claim to fame. By September, he’d appeared in 648 consecutive games. Unfortunately, he suffered a broken leg while turning a double play against the Chicago White Sox. That broken leg snapped his iron man streak. It also changed the trajectory of his career.

That offseason, the Angels brought in Denny Doyle from Philadelphia to man the keystone, relegating Alomar to a utility role for the Angels. That lasted until July 8, 1974, when the Yankees purchased his contract from California.

Alomar quickly acclimated to New York, hitting .269 for the Yankees in 1974. Unfortunately, the Yanks finished two games back of the pennant-winning Orioles, so instead of playing October baseball, Alomar returned to Puerto Rico as he did every winter to play ball there.

Alomar got off to a very slow start in ’75. By late July, he’d been mired in a four-month slump. Murray Chass wrote for the New York Times that:

“…physically he doesn’t really resemble Rip Van Winkle. For a while, though, it seemed as if the Yankee second baseman might challenge the Sleepy Hollow napper for the New York State sleeping title.”

But Alomar started to come out of his funk and carried a hot stick into August. Over a nine-game stretch that culminated in a three-hit, two-stolen base performance on August 7th, Alomar went 13-for-34 (.382), raising his batting average 23 points, safely above the Mendoza Line at .217.

Alas, there was no playoff baseball in ’75 either. The Yanks finished the season 12 games back of the Red Sox, who went on to lose an all-time great World Series to The Big Red Machine, depriving Alomar of playoff baseball yet again.

The 1976 season saw Willie Randolph come into his own as the Yankees’ second baseman. Accordingly, Alomar once again found himself the utility man. For the ’76 Yanks, Alomar played all over the field. He neither pitched nor caught but otherwise manned every position on the diamond. And the ’76 Yankees won the pennant, their first since 1964. For the first and ultimately only time in his career, Sandy Alomar got to play October baseball. He pinch-hit in Game 4 of the ALCS, flying out to end a Yankee loss to Kansas City. It was the only playoff plate appearance of his career.

He did have the best seat in the house though for Chris Chambliss’ famous pennant-winning home run in Game 5. Having pinch-run for DH Carlos May earlier in the game, Alomar was in the on-deck circle when Chambliss propelled the Yankees to the World Series.

Alomar did not appear in the World Series, which the Yankees lost to the Reds, who notched their second consecutive title.

That was it for Alomar in pinstripes. In February 1977, the Yankees dealt him to the Rangers in a deal that brought Brian Doyle and Greg Pryor to New York. Alomar played two seasons for the Rangers before they released him, ultimately ending his major league career. Baseball was not done with Alomar, however. He coached the Puerto Rican national team from 1979-1984 and, obviously, had two sons who went on to long and distinguished major league careers.

Sandy Alomar died less than a week before his 82nd birthday, on October 13, 2025, in his hometown in Puerto Rico.

Sandy Alomar was not a Yankee for long. But his stay in the Big Apple allowed him his sole taste of MLB postseason baseball, though his time came to end a year too early for him to win a championship. Happy birthday to the patriarch of one of baseball’s most famous families.

There are two questions about how we assess Justin Crawford’s rookie season. How is he impacting a club that intended to contend for a World Series title in 2026? And does his rookie season, even if it wasn’t perfect, show a player that can stick on the roster for 2027 and beyond?

Since the Phillies have not had many rookie position players to get significant playing time during this run, we have to go back to Bryson Stott’s 2022 season for a second. It wasn’t some great year. He had an 84 wRC+ for the season and looked ok at shortstop but not enough to stick there. But there were generally positive signs, he finished with 1.3 fWAR, and as the year went on he improved more and more with facing major league arms.

Justin Crawford’s rookie season was… not like that.

2026 stats: 465 PAs, .264/.309/.353, 3 HR, 41 RBI, 17 SB, 5.8% BB%, 17.6% K%, 80 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR

What went right

In a Phillies outfield that faced significant questions as the season went on, Justin Crawford played against right-handed pitching. It never quite got to the point it with Andrew Painter where he needed a AAA stint despite no other alternatives. Whether it was Adolis Garcia’s ineffectiveness at the plate, Brandon Marsh’s second half, or trotting out players like Gabriel Rincones jr, Felix Reyes, and Otto Kemp, Crawford was never the biggest question mark they had. In the month of August, he was the best thing going for them in the outfield.

His raw athleticism stood out on a team without a lot of it. He stole 17 bases, showed off a couple of bunt hits as time went on, and he sometimes showed off plus range in center field. There will be questions asked later about how often this stuff actually needs to happen but there are a few moments where he looked the part.

What went wrong

This is where it gets tough to separate what the Phillies needed him to be in 2026 and how to project him moving forward.

Objectively speaking, the Phillies needed better play in center field. He had an 80 wRC+ with concerning trends. Crawford’s swing and approach are polarizing but it just didn’t translate to the big leagues. He had a 57.5% groundball rate and carried a .317 BABIP in spite of it. The put it on the ground and win with your legs approach only goes so far in an age where infield defense is more important to teams than ever.

He did not walk nearly enough to make the profile work. He also didn’t hit for any power, which isn’t surprising given how often he is smacking the ball into the ground but a .089 ISO is not good enough.

The overall offensive profile doesn’t show enough proof of concept to expect much improvement over time without significant changes. He needs to hit more line drives and to walk more. Doing both of those things will better unlock his baserunning potential as well. No, I’m not asking Justin Crawford to try and hit 40 home runs but he does require significant changes. Changes the Phillies may not be willing to make.

Some of this would be a lot easier to justify if the defense was strong. Crawford graded out as one of the worst defensive center fielders in baseball. He ranked 27th in Defensive Runs Saved among 29 outfielders with at least 500 innings in center field. He finished 25th in Outs Above Average in the same set.

He just did not get consistent jumps or good enough routes. He has great speed but so does nearly every center fielder in 2026 so the technical issues are harder to handle.

Just taking a look at one play, Crawford took a banana route on this line drive hit by Brett Baty. This is a play every center fielder has to make, probably without a slide at all. He has to trap it in his glove.

If you want to look at it metrically, it had a 95% catch probability according to BaseballSavant.

Given how bad the Phillies were defensively, it’s not just Trea Turner who warrants a position change but if Justin Crawford is going to be on the Phillies in 2027, it should probably be in left field.

Final grade: C-?

I don’t feel great about it but I will grade on a curve because he is a rookie and it is just hard.

To me, the concern is in the numbers from his 2026 season but just looking at the bigger picture, what ceiling here can Justin Crawford actually obtain? That question just seems hard to answer because he just didn’t do enough well or put together enough underlying trends to feel good about.

Without significant changes that are different than anything he did in the minor leagues or in 2026 with the Phillies, this doesn’t look like a player to keep around long-term. Or even in 2027.

Some news and notes from the Arizona Fall League, in which Dodgers prospects play for the Glendale Desert Dogs.

Charles Davalan, the outfielder who was named 2026 Midwest League MVP for his work this season with High-A Great Lakes, had been playing second base in the AFL. He has just five hits in 30 at-bats — plus three walks and five times hit by a pitch for a .333 on-base percentage — but four of those hits came in the last week. That included a solo home run last Monday in Scottsdale.

Charles in charge 💣@dodgers No. 6 prospect Charles Davalan blasts his first home run of the fall. In 2026, Davalan launched 24 across High-A and Double-A pic.twitter.com/CiK1e17LOa

— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) October 12, 2026

Third baseman Chase Harlan has two home runs, a double, and seven walks in eight games thus far in Arizona, hitting .269/.444/.538 in his 36 plate appearances. His second home run of the season came last Sunday, October 11.

In that October 11 game, right-handed Sam Horn threw a scoreless inning. In four appearances for Glendale has five strikeouts in four innings, with one run allowed and six walks. You might remember Horn as getting drafted by the Dodgers in the 17th round in 2025, then also was the starting quarterback at Missouri in college but fractured his tibia in his first game last season.

The Arizona Fall League is the 23-year-old Horn’s debut as a professional pitcher, and Keith Law at The Athletic wrote about Horn among various Dodgers prospects he saw in person.

“Dodgers right-hander Sam Horn threw an inning in that game, working 94-95 mph with a slider at 82-84 mph. The fastball was fairly flat, and the curveball was mostly down and out of the zone,” Law wrote. “Seeing him throwing at all in the AFL was a positive. He showed a good pickoff move, for what that’s worth.”

Dodgers prospect Sam Horn strikes out the side in his second outing this Fall!

The former @MizzouFootball gun-slinger made his pro debut Saturday. pic.twitter.com/lTcKMlHKTk

— MLB's Arizona Fall League (@MLBazFallLeague) October 7, 2026

Brooks Auger, the Dodgers’ sixth-round pick in 2024 out of Mississippi State, allowed two runs in two innings with three strikeouts last Monday in his second start thus far in Arizona. Law at The Athletic wrote, “ had the best arsenal among potential starters, showing five distinct pitches, highlighted by a 95-98 mph fastball and a plus changeup with a ton of fading action.”

The week ahead

• Monday: Glendale at Salt River, 1:30 p.m. PT
• Tuesday: Glendale at Surprise, 1:30 p.m.
• Wednesday: Glendale at Peoria, 1:30 p.m.
• Thursday: Glendale at Mesa, 6:30 p.m.
• Saturday: Glendale vs. Scottsdale, 6:30 p.m.

Most Arizona Fall League games can be streamed at MLB.com.

A season after the Mets (and every other team but the White Sox) passed on slugging Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami, another intriguing Japanese star is about to hit the market.

The Hanshin Tigers have granted infielder and reigning NPB MVP Teruaki Sato's request to be posted this offseason, according to Yakyu Cosmopolitan, paving the way for him to sign with an MLB team before the expected lockout on Dec. 1.

The Mets were "scouting and considering" Sato during the season, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post. 

Sato, 27, won the Triple Crown in Japan this year after slashing .306/.383/.609 with 39 home runs, 40 doubles, 100 runs scored, and 106 RBI in 143 games for Hanshin. 

He hit .278/.345/.579 with 40 home runs, 34 doubles, and 102 RBI in 139 games in 2025 as he won the Central League MVP award.

Sato, a third baseman, would very likely have to slide over to first base in a world where he lands in Queens and Bo Bichette doesn't opt out of his contract.

New York's in-house options at first base for next season include Jared Young and Jorge Polanco. However, Young doesn't hit for much power and struggles against left-handed pitching, while Polanco is an unknown following a 2026 season that was derailed by injury. 

Regarding Bichette, he has opt-outs after this season and the 2027 season. However, it's difficult to envision him exercising it this offseason, with him set to get an AAV of $42 million in both 2027 and 2028.

The Kansas City Royals cited two big reasons why they chose to change the dimensions at Kauffman Stadium for the 2026 season. First, the front office hoped that the dimensions would play more fairly, particularly on home runs. Second, the staff hoped that hitters would be able to have a more consistent approach at home and on the road, not needing to tailor their swings based on whatever park they happened to be in.

As far as the former goal goes, it’s too early to tell based on one season of data, butThe K played like a true hitter’s park this season—one of the best hitter’s parks in the league. As far as the latter goal goes, it’s again hard for us to know whether guys had a more consistent approach at home versus on the road. It’s much more difficult for us to judge intent and approach as fans. What we can judge, however, are results, and the results on the road during the first year of the new dimensions at The K were not good.

Here’s a table breaking down how the Royals performed at home at the plate versus on the road:

Location	PA	BB%	K%	BB/K	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	ISO	BABIP	wOBA	wRC+
Home	3019	8.50%	18.80%	0.45	.266	.334	.439	.774	.173	.303	.337	110
Away	3064	8.30%	23.00%	0.36	.229	.299	.366	.665	.136	.279	.294	86

The Royals at home were a very good offense. If the 110 wRC+ they accumulated at home was their full-season number, they would slot between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers as the third-best offense in the league. This isn’t a fair comparison, as almost everyone performs better at home than on the road, but it shows that if you thought at times the Royals had a great offense, it was likely during one of their home stands. They have the fifth-highest home wRC+ in baseball, and ended up just one point behind the New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates, the third- and fourth-place finishers, respectively.

The batting eye at Kauffman Stadium is considered excellent, and we see that contrast in the offense’s results on the road this season. The Royals struck out 150 times more on the road than at The K. They hit 16 more home runs at home this season. Their batting average was 36 points higher in Kansas City. Interestingly enough, they drew a similar number of walks between home and road games.

Overall, the Royals finished with a slightly below-average offense (a 98 wRC+). Their 24-point gap between their home wRC+ and their road wRC+ was the biggest gap in baseball this year. As good as the Royals were at home this year, they were significantly worse on the road, which brought down their overall average. Not for nothing, the Royals had a 40–39 record at home this season to go with a 28–53 record on the road.

What does all of this mean? Is batting at the new-look Kauffman so great for hitters that we need to expect a Coors Field hangover effect? Were the Royals just a bad hitting team buoyed by a great hitter’s park? Was this a large but not unexpected variance between home and road, and due to various factors outside of the batters‘ control, will look more normal next season? Why are we even alive?

I don’t think we have enough information to get good answers to these questions, but for this season we can say that whatever the Royals hoped moving the walls would do to help the team’s consistency between home and road results did not work. Whether this is just variance, whether the Royals need to petition to install the Kauffman batting eye in all stadiums, or whether something else entirely is causing this difference in results (such as needing to get more sleep on the road or something) is up to the Royals to figure out and implement changes.

Team news

[MLB] D-backs prospect Patrick Forbes discusses his pitching repertoire, his development playing in the Arizona Fall League and more

[Roundtable.io] Will Diamondbacks’ Garcia Take Another Leap in 2027? – Depending on which veteran players end up departing, some of the Diamondbacks’ younger players may end up having greater responsibility. One such player is left-hander Brandyn Garcia… Garcia joins a list of young players, such as Ryan Waldschmidt and Jordan Lawlar, who can play bigger roles for Arizona in the future. Given the amount of time they have logged so far, it would not be surprising to see them become mainstays on the field as soon as next season.

And, elsewhere…

[MLB] Confident Rays quiet Cleveland, return home one win from World Series – The Rays are just one win away from the World Series, headed back to Tropicana Field with every ounce of momentum in the ALCS. Sunday’s 3-1 win in Game 5 felt even more convincing than the low score suggests, giving the Rays a 3-2 lead in the series. If the Rays advance, it would guarantee a first-time champion as neither the Rays nor the Brewers have won a World Series since their organizations entered the league. “We need to rebound tomorrow,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “I know we’re going to have a tough matchup tomorrow. But we need to get guys on base and we need to score runs. And we just haven’t done that enough over the last two days.”

[CNN] Why baseball teams party so hard and so often in October – Every year, as the postseason approaches, a carpet-cleaning company in Boston knows to stand by; if a series is clinched, they’ll be called in for a shampooing assignment at 2 a.m. The clubhouse managers try to protect as much of the property as possible, but there is only so much they can do. “No matter how much you clean it, it smells horrible for days,” [Red Sox Clubhouse manager Tom] McLaughlin said, adding that the ceiling tiles turn brown, almost black, and must be replaced.

[Tampa Bay Times] For Rays, stability in dugout is a big part of their onfield success – Cash, completing his 12th season, is the longest-tenured manager in the majors with his current team. Mottola, who was promoted from the minors in September 2016 to replace Derek Shelton, is the longest-serving active hitting coach in the majors. And Snyder, who was promoted from Triple-A Durham after the 2017 season, is tied with Cleveland’s Carl Willis for the second-longest run among current pitching coaches, trailing only Toronto’s Pete Walker (hired in 2013).

[SI] The Best Baseball Rookie Cards From Every Decade – More collectors have embraced building smaller, more focused collections. Consolidating and selling off lower-value cards can make it possible to own several iconic rookie cards that might otherwise seem too expensive or unattainable. If a collector just wanted to own the very best rookie card from each era, which cards would make the cut? Beginning with the 1910s, I selected the most valuable baseball rookie card from each decade… For each decade, I also included an iconic “budget” rookie card under $1,000 for collectors to target with a more modest hobby budget.

Happy Monday everyone and welcome to a new week!

The Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays are giving us one heck of a series. The Rays took yesterday’s contest and now find themselves just one win away from the World Series. One of the newest additions to the league, they’ve already made it to the Fall Classic twice but have yet to win it in their 28 year of existence. Not bad all things considered but they’re still waiting to hoist that trophy.

The Guardians meanwhile wasted a golden opportunity to take a stranglehold over this series at home after stealing a game in Tampa. Now they’ll be tasked with winning two straight games on the road in Florida or else their season is over. Like the Rays they have their own championship drought hanging over their heads and that might be too much pressure to overcome in a short series for the Stephen Vogt-led Guardians.

While the Brewers and all of the baseball world wait to see how the ALCS ends up, the Athletics meanwhile have their own major decisions going on in the back round at this very moment. The team is still looking for its new leader in the front office, presumably the person that will take charge of the club as we head into our new home park in Las Vegas. Red Sox assistant GM Taylor Smith is reportedly a favorite, but in what role? The Athletics were willing to offer the title of President to the Phillies’ Sam Fuld, but is that something they’re offering all of the candidates? Or is that what’s holding up any sort of announcement of a hire? We’re all waiting with baited breath and would like to know our newest General Manager before the end of the World Series. So, you know, chop chop A’s.

Have a great start to your week A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

• Trade Candidate: Shea Langeliers
• The five biggest questions facing the A’s this offseason
• Inside the A’s State-of-the-Art Las Vegas Ballpark
• Pitching prospect Huggins growing his game with the help of this A’s Hall of Famer
• Phillies, Cubs executives reportedly among top Athletics GM candidates
• Fuld Rejection Offers Possible Clues To GM Search
• Matt Kleine, Rob Cerfolio Candidates In Athletics’ GM Search
• ’Be a sponge’: No. 19 prospect leads A’s Fall League group with do-it-all mentality
• A’s LHP prospect Richardson shows off health and resiliency during Fall League homecoming
• Zack Of All Trades Tries To Get One More Win: In Court
• Important Dates For The Athletics This Offseason
• 12 A’s Players Out of Options Heading Into 2027
• How MLB’s Proposed Changes Would Impact the A’s
• A’s part ways with assistant hitting, quality control coaches
• After an outfield collision left him paralyzed, every gain in rehab is a big win for A’s Ryan Lasko
• Why 2027 Athletics Will Be Completely Different Team
• A’s Las Vegas ballpark cost rises to $2.1B, public funding delayed
• 2026: Year Of The “Didn’t See That Coming!”
• A’s Hoping Luis Severino Chooses to Stay
• Where the A’s Plan to Use Zack Gelof in 2027
• Drafting The Top AL Graduated MLB Prospects From 2026
• Devin Taylor: Athletics 2026 Minor League Player Of The Year
• Athletics 2026 MLB Draft Report Card
• Henry Bolte Is the A’s Next Budding Star
• Determining Athletics’ Offensive MVP for the 2026 Season
• Notes From Star-Studded Rockies-A’s Instructional League
• 2027 Infield Landscape Ever Changing
• “Fast Movers” Might Be Key To Contention
• Billy Beane comments on the job Mark Kotsay has done this season.
• What the A’s Hiring Mike Rizzo would Signal and the Questions it Would Raise
• Athletics Considering James Click For GM Vacancy
• Get the best of Athletics Nation on the new SB Nation app

MLB News & Interest:

• Confident Rays quiet Cleveland, return home one win from World Series
• Guardians facing elimination, and they’ll need a revised pitching plan to avoid it
• Dave Dombrowski puts Trea Turner on notice: Improve at SS or find new position
• Mariners Had Interest In Carlos Mendoza For Managerial Opening
• How Paul Blackburn Became An Elite Reliever
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Would you consider it?

An interesting assessment of the possibility of the A's dealing Shea Langeliers in the offseason… https://t.co/80aRW7dXha

— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) October 18, 2026

That has to be at the least a baseline to start:

The Shea decision will be one of the biggest decisions the new GM will have to make this offseason.

Trading a good player would hurt, but if you can get a package similar to what Adley got, I think you have to do it https://t.co/KyXuTIA0YS

— Straight A’s (@StraightAs123) October 18, 2026

I like it!

This veteran starter is the perfect fit for the #Athletics this offseason:https://t.co/ST7kSGKqo9

— Dylan Quinn (@dylanq_2) October 18, 2026

Wouldn’t we all:

Are we talking Oakland, Sacramento or Vegas? If it’s The Coliseum…a kidney! https://t.co/Cmx1pOZyg2

— SleeperAthletics (@SleeperAth) October 19, 2026

Not the worst I’ve seen:

After fielding some feedback and giving it some reconsideration, I present to you…

The undisputed best realignment/expansion plan 2.0

This is the one. We did it. https://t.co/avgq9v62cSpic.twitter.com/SxmXmO5V9I

— Jim Rosati 🏴‍☠️ (@northsiden0tch) October 18, 2026

A reliable closer is like an endgame security blanket for ball clubs made jittery by the generally-fickle nature of relievers and the pitfalls of the treacherous ninth inning. That’s why David Bednar figures to do well in free agency this winter. 

He’s coming off a strong season with the Yankees in which he converted 35 of 39 save chances, notched a 2.47 ERA and allowed only 52 hits in 69.1 innings while striking out 76.

Now the Yanks have to figure out their endgame strategy with Bednar, who made $9 million this season. He just turned 32 years old, jacked up his ground ball rate to a career-best 50 percent, well above the MLB average (41.2 percent), and proved he can handle the Bronx cauldron, overcoming an early wobble or two.

And he threw three scoreless innings in the postseason, giving him a 1.00 ERA in nine playoff innings with the Yanks. 

Sounds like a prime resume for a return. What will the Yanks do? 

Here’s a look at whether Bednar should stay or go:

WHY IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO RE-SIGN BEDNAR

Bednar was by far the best thing to come out of the Yanks’ reliever splurge at the 2025 trade deadline, cementing an uncertain closer role that year and carrying that into 2026. He has a 2.39 ERA as a Yankee, not including the postseason.

In other words, he can hack it here. 

It’s impressive that he’s still evolving, too. He threw his splitter much more this season and it was a devastating pitch for him. Opposing batters hit just .149 in at-bats ending on the split, with a .189 slugging percentage. According to Statcast, Bednar’s split was tied for 17th in Pitching Run Value, suggesting it was among the best single pitches in all of baseball. 

He reduced his walk rate to 7.1 percent, career best for a full season, and had a 1.04 WHIP. Only the Rays’ Bryan Baker and Cade Smith of the Guardians had more saves than Bednar this year. 

We could go on and on about Bednar the bullpen bedrock. We haven’t even brought up how much we like his entrance song – “Renegade” by Styx. 

The Yanks will have to decide whether to extend him the $23 million-plus qualifying offer. They should. Even if he takes it, he’s probably worth that for one year. If he accepted, it’d be the top average annual value ever for a reliever, just above the $23 million Edwin Díaz is making with the Dodgers.

WHY IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO LET BEDNAR GO

We can’t think of any real reasons. No, seriously. 

Fine, we’ll nitpick: He had an ERA of 5.14 as late as May 18 (but it was 1.30 afterward). He made four appearances against the Mets and the Mets scored against him three times. 

The Yanks have been adept at developing bullpen arms in recent years, so could they have an in-house replacement lurking? 

There are options on the free agent market, too. Raisel Iglesias has more saves than anyone in MLB over the last three seasons, as well as a sparkling 0.931 WHIP. He’ll be 37 in January, but if the Yanks feel they have a closer-in-waiting and Iglesias will accept a shorter-term deal than Bednar, is that a move? 

Lefty Adrian Morejon remains appealing. Two-time All-Star Andrés Muñoz is coming off a 4.24 ERA, but is tied for the second-most saves over the past three years. However, the Mariners hold a relatively inexpensive $9 million club option on Muñoz for 2027.

VERDICT

Stay.

Don’t overthink this. Quality bullpen arms should be hoarded and everyone’s mood is elevated when a team can cling to any smidge of ninth-inning certainty. Paul Blackburn, a relief revelation this year, is also a free agent, so there’s already some uncertainty in the Yankee pen. Lefty Brent Headrick enjoyed a sparkling season, but there’s work to be done. Retaining Bednar is an easy stabilizer. 

In the 13 seasons since great Mariano Rivera retired, the Yanks have had seven different pitchers lead the team in saves, including Bednar this year. Aroldis Chapman (five times) and Clay Holmes (three) are the only pitchers who did it more than once. 

Díaz, Josh Hader ($19 million per year), and Tanner Scott ($18 million) are the three highest-paid relievers in MLB via AAV, according to Spotrac. Bednar likely will be in that kind of company. 

The Yanks would be smart to be the team paying him. 

Good morning! The Tampa Bay Rays will head home with a chance at the American League pennant after their 3-1 win last night. Up 3-2 in the ALCS, the Rays will face the Cleveland Guardians tonight for Game 6 at 5 PM.

MLB Postseason scores…

• The Tampa Bay Rays utilized their dominant pitching once again to silence the Cleveland Guardians 3-1, and will return home one win away from a World Series berth.

In Mariners news…

• Jason Churchill of Baseball Things highlights the benefits of the Mariners keeping their starting pitchers and opening 2027 with a six-man rotation.

Around the league…

• Tampa Bay Rays RHP Drew Rasmussen has become the only pitcher in franchise history with multiple postseason starts of at least seven innings with one or zero runs allowed.
• The Houston Astros will be forced to make a difficult decision this offseason on whether to re-sign infielder Isaac Parades or not.
• With 12 of the past 16 teams who clinched the World Series first becoming the eventual losers, will extra rest help or hurt the Milwaukee Brewers?
• Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is planning to pitch in 2027, but his path back from injury remains unclear.

The Orioles really meant it this time about hiring a general manager. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Monday morning that the team has chosen Jared Banner, who was most recently serving as an assistant GM with the Cubs since 2023, to join the O’s front office as GM. Passan added that over the course of his career, Banner has also worked with the Mets and Red Sox.

In terms of the ultimate decisionmaking in the Orioles front office, hiring Banner as the GM is not going to change the fact that Mike Elias is still what is colloquially understood as “the GM,” that is, the guy who is in charge of baseball operations. That authority rests in a person with the president of baseball operations title.

However, in hiring Banner, the O’s have brought in someone from outside the organization who is supposed to have a lot of influence in player development, an area where Elias has obliquely acknowledged that he’s been lacking in recent seasons. Banner has been working in a variety of player development roles since 2007, when he took a job with the Red Sox. Among his past titles is executive director of player development, which he held with the Mets in 2018 and 2019.

Unless you are related to Jared Banner, you have probably never thought about him or been aware of his existence before today. I certainly haven’t. Whether he will actually be able to do what needs to be done to help improve the Orioles fortunes is not something we can know. He does have at least one nice feather in his cap, according to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman:

Banner was credited as an advocate to acquire PCA for Cubs as he’d know Crow-Armstrong when he was with the Mets @JeffPassan 1st with news https://t.co/9u79mqZGnW

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) October 19, 2026

That’s referring to Pete Crow-Armstrong, the probable National League MVP this season, who the Cubs acquired from the Mets back in 2021. Solid talent evaluation there, though Orioles fans, after two lean years, will be hoping for a smashing success on a much shorter time frame than that at this point.

Going into this, if I had believed the Orioles were actually going to hire a GM this time instead of poke around like they might and never do it, my ideal candidate would have probably come from either the Rays or Brewers, teams that either get by with about as many resources as the Orioles or even fewer.

The way this postseason has gone, those teams are still in it, meaning the guys are still doing their jobs and probably not getting the opportunity to interview for promotions. Should Elias have waited to see if he could talk to someone in those front offices? Again, I just have no way to evaluate.

What I can say is that the Cubs have not been a perennial powerhouse team of late. They have made the postseason as a wild card in each of the past two seasons, but before that, their last 162-game season where they made it into the playoffs was 2018.

If Banner can do what the Orioles need him to do, then it doesn’t really matter how his last organization performed lately. The franchise needs to actually develop talent that can play at the highest level consistently, rather than continue to unearth guys who can build up prospect hype and even rookie season hype but not manage to sustain that over the next few years.

The San Diego Padres’ call-up of Ethan Salas was a brilliant decision. It gave the Friar Faithful a sneak peek at what 2027 might hold. Salas is a lock for next season’s Opening Day lineup.

The young catcher offers an exciting, dynamic skill set — and the most intriguing part is that his ceiling remains a mystery. In reality, a rookie’s expectations are grounded by their physical limitations. In Salas’ case, his potential is hard to define because his talents may take him to a place few players ever go.

Hitting was a struggle

His addition solidified the bottom third of the order. He batted .256 with two home runs and five RBI in 40 plate appearances. The only offensive concern is that Salas struck out 22.5% of the time. 

Strikeouts are not the end-all, but he needs to develop a better eye for the strike zone. Salas is failing to recognize pitches coming out of the delivery and then chases them out of the strike zone. The results do not paint a great picture of his at-bats. 

Still, there is room for improvement. The offseason is the perfect time to refine his approach at the plate. Better plate discipline will earn Salas more hittable pitches to drive for extra-base hits.

Defense is his calling card

Much of Salas’ success derives from the most lethal weapon in his toolbox: defense. It is a true testament to his willingness to lead from behind the dish. Although his defensive metrics come from a small sample size of 15 games, he posted a .983 fielding percentage and showcased an elite arm.

Major League scouts graded his defense a 70, which is considered Gold Glove-caliber. Salas’ throws are lightning-fast, driven by a quick transfer from glove to throwing hand. The Padres have not had a catcher with this ability since Benito Santiago. 

Salas loves to push the envelope by throwing down to first base to see if he can catch a base runner straying too far off the bag. The rookie catcher hasn’t thrown out a major leaguer on an attempted steal, but his throws were on target. He did gun down 27% of would-be base-stealers at the minor league level. 

Salas’ defensive play earned him the 2026 Minor League Defensive Player of the Year honors this past September. 

Despite the instant success, the growing pains are apparent. Salas has an opportunity to address those weaknesses this offseason.

Make no mistake, he is expected to be the 2027 Opening Day catcher.

---

Padres News:

• Tom Krasovic of the San Diego Union-Tribune warns Padres fans that the Milwaukee Brewers might be a familiar foe in the postseason for years to come.

• The New York Yankees and even the New York Mets have shown interest in reliever Jeremiah Estrada in the recent past.

Baseball News:

• The Tampa Bay Rays took an early lead over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 5 and never looked back en route to a 3-1 win and a 3-2 ALCS series lead.

• Here is all the information for when and where to watch Game 6 of the ALCS.

• It seems to be a discussion every postseason, rest versus rust, and this year is no different for the Milwaukee Brewers.

• MLB announced the game times for the 2026 World Series.

• Here are the top performers from Week 2 of the Arizona Fall League.

There are few things that a contending team needs more than a good closer. The downfall of many playoff teams over the years has been because of shoddy bullpen play, so if you can find a guy who can not only get the ball with the lead in the ninth and shut it down, but also be able to potentially pitch two innings in high leverage, you need to keep him.

The Yankees had that for two decades with Mariano Rivera, and for a time, they had it again with prime Aroldis Chapman, but they’ve struggled to have a consistently dominant closer since Chapman began to unravel after Jose Altuve’s pennant-winning home run broke his psyche in 2019. From Chapman to Clay Holmes to Luke Weaver to Devin Williams, it’s been a roller coaster for the Yankees in their quest for a closer who shines bright in the city that never sleeps.

Enter David Bednar, who, since his acquisition at the 2025 deadline, has been that consistent presence for the Yankees. On a team with not much consistency outside the starting rotation, he was a rock all season long, closing out close game after close game for the Yankees. When they went out the way they did, he was the least of their concerns. It should set him up for a big payday this offseason.

Grade: A

2026 Statistics: 69.1 IP, 2.47 ERA (171 ERA+), 2.87 FIP, 20 K-BB%, 35 saves (39 opportunities), 1.9 fWAR

2027 Contract Status: Free agent

Things didn’t start that well for Bednar, who was coming off some high-stress innings at the World Baseball Classic for Team USA when the team started. It was a weird year in which a lot of WBC players struggled, especially early, so that might explain why it seemed to take him a while to get going.

He allowed four runs in his first six outings, taking a loss against the Athletics before a buntapalooza in the Trop against the Rays saw him blow a save in the 10th inning on April 8th. Aside from that, into mid-May, he was at least converting every save opportunity in front of him, which is all you can ask from your closer.

Those struggles did bleed into May, however. He allowed a walk-off home run to Brice Turang on May 10th, narrowly survived a late scare against the Mets on May 15th, and conceded a disastrous three-run home run to Tyrone Taylor two days later in what would be a definitive low point of his season.

After blowing that save, he would convert his next 17 saves in a row. He struggled the following day against Toronto, but held on for dear life. After that, he would toss 24 consecutive scoreless innings into late July, nailing down games of all types. He had a five-out save against Cleveland, a six-out win against Washington right before the All-Star break, and a clutch five-out save against the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium in one of the best moments of the season.

His scoreless streak ended with a Chase Meidroth home run in Chicago, but he would continue his dominance after the deadline by not blowing a save until August 16th, when a Ben Rice error led to the tying run scoring, which obviously deserves an asterisk. In fact, in three of his four blown saves, he allowed at least one unearned run. His other one in Minnesota in September was in that 13-inning marathon, where he blew a pair of one-run leads.

What was also extraordinary about Bednar’s season was just how little traffic he conceded. In that 24-inning scoreless streak, he permitted just eight hits, five walks, and one hit-by-pitch. In the 11 outings after the Meidroth home run, he allowed just four hits and four walks in 12.2 innings. He finished the season with a 1.04 WHIP, but that is inflated by his start to the season. In his last 43 appearances, it was just 0.786.

In the playoffs, he didn’t allow a run in three shutout innings. It’s unfortunate that Bednar wasn’t handed any leverage situations in the playoffs due to the Boston blowouts and the Yankees never leading against Tampa, but I think many of us would be confident if he came in a big spot. The only run he’s allowed in 10 postseason games as a Yankee came while trailing against Boston in Game 1 of last year’s Wild Card Series.

It sets up an interesting offseason decision for Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman to make. They found a top-shelf closer who came from a small-market team in Pittsburgh and didn’t wilt as Williams did. The team, while confident in its pitching development, has very little bullpen depth under contract. Yet, the Yankees have not handed a reliever more than $10 million since Zack Britton in 2019, and have generally avoided paying relievers at all costs since the Super Bullpen flamed out in 2020.

Jon Heyman reported last week that the team plans to extend a $23 million qualifying offer to the recently turned 32-year-old, which would be a great move in my eyes. If he accepted, it would make him the highest-paid reliever in baseball next year, but he has the track record to be compensated like that. It’s not even a Trent Grisham situation, where although the process was sound, many fans disliked the decision due to worries that his 2025 was a fluke.

That qualifying offer should unequivocally be used to start multi-year contract extension talks. Without Bednar, the Yankees would have to turn to Brent Headrick or a mid-level signing or trade (which would deplete an already shallow farm system) to close next year, while also putting more pressure on Blake to churn out more development gems and internal options like Carlos Lagrange to grow up fast and be leverage options right out of the gate.

Paying relievers without an infinite budget usually isn’t wise, but if we assume that a salary cap won’t come from the upcoming lockout, the Yankees should be bringing back Bednar to try and replicate his brilliant 2026 season.

Today marks Jose Bautista’s 46th birthday.

From 2008 to 2017, the Blue Jays’ seasons would have looked very different without Jose. He delivered countless unforgettable moments, none more iconic than his legendary home run and bat flip in Game 5.

When Jose was acquired in August 2008, the trade barely registered enough attention for a post on our site. In hindsight, it became the best trade of JP Ricciardi’s tenure as manager. Bautista went six games before recording his first hit as a Blue Jay and didn’t make an immediate splash. His first home run came on September 2nd.

Bautista hit 288 home runs as a Blue Jay, second only to Carlos Delgado’s 336. He also ranks second in franchise bWAR among batters (37.3), just behind Tony Fernandez (37.5). Additionally, he sits seventh in OBP (.372), fifth in slugging percentage (.506), second in runs scored (790, again trailing Delgado by 99), third in RBI (766, behind Vernon Wells and Delgado), second in walks (803, 24 behind Delgado), and fifth in games played (1,235).

Beyond the numbers, Bautista was the face of the Blue Jays for several years, giving the team a distinct personality. The Jays developed an edge and swagger that made them polarizing—other teams’ fans loved to hate them. As Reggie Jackson once said, ‘They don’t boo nobodies.’

Jose’s intensity was unmatched—he desperately wanted to win. Sometimes, his drive rubbed people the wrong way. I never expected to see another player match that intensity until Josh Donaldson joined the team. I recall Jose quietly stepping in between Josh and the umpires when it looked like Donaldson might get ejected, and I thought Jose could have used someone to do the same for him in the past.

I appreciate players who want to win, and I especially enjoyed the moments when Jose revealed his sense of humor.

Some critics claimed Jose wasn’t a leader or a good teammate—a common accusation leveled at star players on teams that fall short. These complaints usually came from outsiders. Jose’s actions spoke louder than words, like when he quietly stood up forDevon Travis after Sportsnet had him pay for a suit during a feature with Hazel Mae. Without fanfare, Jose refused to speak to Sportsnet until they corrected the situation.

Videos of Jose working withChris Colabello in the outfield, or helping teammates with their swings, show he was indeed a supportive teammate.

It’s hard to imagine those years without Jose—they simply wouldn’t have been as enjoyable. The team honoured him by putting his name on the Level of Excellence in 2023.

Watching him play in the Olympics was a treat—it was great to see that familiar batting stance once more.

Happy Birthday, Jose. Hope it’s a great one.

---

Today, J.A. Happ celebrates his 44th birthday.

Happ had two separate stints with the Blue Jays. The first was less than stellar. In July 2012, the Jays traded Francisco Cordero, Ben Francisco, Joe Musgrove, Carlos Perez, David Rollins, Asher Wojciechowski, and Devin Comer to Houston in exchange for Happ, David Carpenter, and Brandon Lyon.

During his initial run in Toronto, Happ went 19-20 with a 4.48 ERA over 58 games (44 starts) across two and a half seasons. His time was interrupted by injuries, including a frightening line drive to the head that also caused a knee injury and sidelined him for an extended period.

Before the 2015 season, the Jays traded Happ to the Mariners for Michael Saunders. His stint in Seattle was disappointing (4-6, 4.64 ERA), leading to a deadline trade to Pittsburgh. With the Pirates and pitching coach Ray Searage, Happ found his form, going 7-2 with a 1.85 ERA over 11 starts.

Following that season, Happ returned to Toronto and in 2016 enjoyed his only 20-win season (20-4, 3.18 ERA), finishing sixth in Cy Young voting.

He made two playoff starts that year: earning a win against the Rangers in the ALDS (5 innings, 1 earned run) and taking a loss against Cleveland in the ALCS (5 innings, 2 earned runs).

2017 proved more challenging, as he went 10- 6 with a 3.53 ERA in 25 starts, hindered by injuries.

In 2018, Happ went 10-6 with a 4.18 ERA in 20 starts before being traded to the Yankees at the deadline. He excelled in New York, posting a 7-0 record with a 2.69 ERA and helping them reach the playoffs. In 2019, he was 12-8 with a 4.91 ERA in 31 games (30 starts).

In 2021, Happ signed with the Twins and struggled through 19 starts before being traded to the Cardinals, where he performed significantly better over 11 starts.

Overall, as a Blue Jay, Happ recorded a 59-41 record with a 3.88 ERA in 135 games (127 starts). He ranks ninth all-time in franchise wins and is one of only six Jays pitchers to achieve a 20-win season.

Happy Birthday, J.A.!

---

Rajai Davis is celebrating his 46th birthday today. He spent three of his 14 major league seasons with the Blue Jays.

With Toronto, Davis batted .252/.299/.369 and stole 125 bases (seventh all-time in franchise history) over 345 games. According to Baseball Reference, he contributed 1.6 WAR as a Blue Jay.

Personally, I wasn’t a big fan—he struggled with plate discipline and often chased pitches outside the zone.

Over his career, Davis played 1,448 games with eight teams, posting a .262/.311/.379 line and stealing 415 bases.

Happy Birthday, Rajai!

---

Randy Ruiz turns 49 today.

Ruiz was a career minor leaguer but had a standout season for Triple-A Las Vegas in 2009 at age 31, hitting .320/.392/.584—especially notable given the Jays were relying on Kevin Millar that year.

He was called up in mid-August, hitting .313/.385/.635 in 33 games, while Millar managed just .223/.311/.363 in 78 games.

Unfortunately, that was the peak of his MLB career. He played 13 games for the Jays in 2010, hitting .150/.150/.275 before being released.

Ruiz continued playing after his MLB stint, including a season in Japan and time in Mexico and the Puerto Rican Winter Leagues.

Happy Birthday, Randy!

---

Anthony Santander turns 32 today.

Injuries have limited Santander to just 54 games in his first two years with the Jays. Here’s hoping next year goes better.

Happy Birthday, Anthony!

Good morning.

Shawn McFarland checks out the options for the Texas Rangers this offseason if they want to turn to free agency to improve their lineup.

MLB dot com’s Ben Weinrib places Sebastian Walcott among the top performers during the second week of Arizona Fall League action.

And, at The Athletic, Keith Law writes up the American League prospects at the AFL which presumably includes the Rangers.

Have a nice day!

For about three weeks this spring, Jeremiah Jackson was the best story on the Orioles. Through 18 games he was hitting .317 with five home runs, a team-leading 17 RBI, and a .923 OPS. On April 13 against Arizona he hit two homers, one of them the first grand slam of his career. A few days later his three-run homer in the eighth gave the O’s a 6-4 comeback win over Cleveland. “Right now, I don’t think there”s anyone in baseball feeling better than him,” Coby Mayo said. Craig Albernaz called him “a great example of a player putting in the work.”

Alas, I guess working hard is no guarantee of success in the Big Leagues. Jackson’s final line this season looked nothing like April. In 102 games and 293 plate appearances he hit .217/.247/.365, with 10 homers and 45 RBI. Baseball-Reference puts his OPS+ at 72 and his WAR at 0.1. FanGraphs is harsher: a 67 wRC+ and -0.3 WAR. With Jackson still in pre-arbitration, he wouldn’t be a costly retention on next year’s roster, but with lots of promising infielders around yet, it’s not clear the value is still there.

Jackson came to the Orioles in the way many players (too many?) come to the Orioles: as another team’s castoff. In 2018, the Angels took the infielder in the second round out of Mobile, Alabama. The next season, he tied the Pioneer League record with 23 home runs, but then he stalled. Injuries cost him time, and after languishing several season in the Angels organization, he was traded to the Mets in 2023. He’d hit a paltry .205 at Double-A Binghamton in 2024 before reaching free agency, where the Orioles signed him to a minor-league deal that November.

Last season, hopefully you’ll recall, Jeremiah Jackson exploded as a hitter, posting numbers in Triple-A Norfolk that forced the big-league front office to take notice—a .377 average with 11 homers in 40 games—and a successful stint in the big leagues after his debut at Chicago’s Wrigley Field on August 1, hitting .276/.328/.447 over 48 games.

None of this meant Jackson was guaranteed a roster spot again this spring. But he earned it once more, hitting .314 in Grapefruit League play to beat out a crowded field—Luis Vázquez, Bryan Ramos, Weston Wilson, and Thairo Estrada—for the last bench spot. Soon after that, Jackson Holliday’s hamate fracture and Jordan Westburg’s multiple injuries made Jeremiah Jackson the O’s everyday second baseman.

Alas, the experiment didn’t work. After April, Jackson’s offensive numbers cratered. He’d hit .209 in 17 games in May, then see his playing time dry up by early June. Jackson was optioned to Norfolk on June 28 and called back up five days later. He went 1-for-29 after the All-Star break, and on August 19 he went back down to make room for Samuel Basallo. He returned when rosters expanded on September 9, but he hit just .163 in 10 games.

What went wrong? Well, being a free swinger was one issue. Jackson’s season-long walk rate of 3.4%, down from 6% last season, proved a real liability, as pitchers stopped giving him hittable pitches early in counts.

To be fair, he had some bad luck. As of late in the season, Statcast had his expected wOBA (.284) a good deal above his actual wOBA (.265), and his 38 percent hard-hit rate is respectable. Plus his expected average (.236) was actually higher than last season’s (.222). And his strikeout rates didn’t skyrocket, either (in fact, his K% dropped a couple points from last season).

But this is still average to below-average output from even a bench bat, and Jeremiah Jackson was supposed to have the thump to do a lot more. Not to mention that the glove was just average. Most of his time came at second base (80 games), with a handful in left field and single games at third and right. He looked good there early, with some diving plays and a +2 DRS in April. Over the full season, though, the defensive numbers settled at around average. That’d be fine but for the .611 OPS. A utility man should either hit or be a defensive plus, and in 2026 Jackson wasn’t consistently either.

In sharp contrast, Blaze Alexander, another typical Orioles diamond in the rough, added obvious value in his 93 games, hitting .303/.358/.414 while flashing the wheels and plugging in all over the field. I mention this because if the Orioles are looking for “bench bat who can play all over,” it’s not clear there will be room for Jeremiah Jackson on the roster come next season, especially not with hitters like Alexander, or even the slugging Christian Encarnacion-Strand, both of whom did it far better in 2026.

Because Jackson is pre-arbitration, the Orioles don’t face a big salary decision with him. If he stays on the 40-man roster, he’ll make close to the league minimum. But the question still remains: amidst a crowded infield that includes a returning Jordan Westburg, a slugging Coby Mayo, a surprising Encarnacion-Strand, a versatile Blaze Alexander, Gunnar Henderson and Jackson Holiday, is there still a spot on the roster for Jeremiah Jackson?