Sep 28, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants outfielder Grant McCray (58) hits an infield single against the St. Louis Cardinals during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
Good morning friends and happy Friday!
The offseason is now one day old. Let’s catch you up on everything that’s happening as teams prepare for the long winter ahead.
Savannah Bananas Banana Baby, cued with Lion King music, before the game with the Savannah Bananas and Party Animals at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, S.C. Saturday, April 26, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
With the 2026 MLB season officially in the books — and with the impending lockout threatening to delay the 2027 season — the stage is already being set for another smash season of Banana Ball.
On Oct. 28, Banana Ball held its player draft for the 2027 season when 39 players were picked by the six teams in a selection ceremony that streamed on YouTube live from Historic Grayson Stadium in Savannah. Over 2,000 players applied to join the league for the upcoming season, many of whom were invited to tryouts across the country. Sixty were invited to the third-ever draft and sat with their families to see if their names were selected. Two former members of the Colorado Rockies happened to be part of the chosen few.
Tonight, the Banana Ball All-Stars vs. Future Stars Game will take place in Savannah. First pitch is slated for 4:30 p.m. MDT and will be streamed live on the Banana Ball YouTube channel. That will be the last Banana Ball action until their seven-month, 75-city World Tour that will hit Mexico, the U.S. and Canada — including two games at Coors Field — takes off in February.
Here are a few interesting things to know about Banana Ball in 2027.
Two Rockies picked in third-ever draft
The biggest surprise pick of the 2026 draft came with the fifth pick in the fifth round when the Savannah Bananas selected 12-year MLB veteran and former Rockie Charlie Culberson. Culberson made his Banana debut in 2023 when he made a guest appearance at Truist Park in Atlanta, doing a backflip before his at-bat (he popped out).
Culberson came to Colorado in 2012 in a trade with the San Francisco Giants for Marco Scutaro. He played with the Rockies from 2012-14, going back and forth from the then-Triple-A Colorado Springs Sky Sox and MLB, along with stints on the IL for a lumbar disc injury. Culberson elected for free agency after the 2015 season and went on to play for the Dodgers, Braves and Rangers. In his Rockies career, the infielder played 142 games and hit .227/.273/.327 with a .600 OPS.
Three picks earlier, the Firefighters drafted RHP Brendan Hardy, who spent two years playing for the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats and Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes after the Rockies picked him up in the Rule 5 draft from the New York Mets in 2023.
In 2024, Hardy made 34 relief appearances, posting a 4.08 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 39.2 innings. He went on a tear in the middle of the season, only giving up one run over an 18.2-inning stretch.
In 2025, Hardy only made two appearances before an injury ended his season and tenure in the farm system. He spent 2026 with the independent Milwaukee Milkmen.
The draft was definitely a great show. Here’s the quick recap.
Denver will play host to Banana Ball on May 29 and 30 when the Loco Beach Coconuts and Party Animals will face off at Coors Field. Fans interested in attending can enter the Banana Ball lottery by midnight on Oct. 31 for a chance to buy tickets.
In August, the Savannah Bananas played the Indianapolis Clowns in front of two sold-out crowds that included the debut of Kristen Bell having the time of her life doing a “Frozen”-“Dirty Dancing” mashup with Broadway star and Banana Derek Klena.
Banana Ball first came to Denver in 2025 when the Bananas took on the Firefighters. After that season, Purple Row’s own Samantha Bradfield wrote about how the Rockies would have fared if they played by Banana rules.
WPBL stars are back as Bananas
For Women’s Professional Baseball League fans, good news: The same core of WPBLers will be back in Banana Ball action in 2027, along with a new addition.
Val Perez, a shortstop for the New York Heights, is back as the manager and player for the Firefighters. A former real-life firefighter, Perez was the only WPBLer at Wednesday’s draft as she announced the selections for her squad.
On Tuesday, four stars from the inaugural WPBL season re-signed with their respective teams. Ashton Lansdell, a third baseman for the WPBL Champion Los Angeles Queens, will be back with the Party Animals. Fellow Queen Mo’ne Davis will rejoin the Indianapolis Queens and can pitch or play center field. Another two-way player, Kelsie Whitmore (RHP/CF) of the San Francisco Firebelles, will be back with the Savannah Bananas, while New York Queens catcher Denae Benetis will return to the Loco Beach Coconuts.
San Francisco’s Jill Albayati will make her Banana Ball debut in 2027 as a RHP/DH for the 2026 Banana Ball Champion Texas Tailgaters.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a professional opera singer play baseball? How about a hitter with a bat on fire at the plate?
Well, you don’t have to wonder anymore.
Those were two of the selections in the first-ever Entertainment round of the Banana Ball draft. After the five-round draft (plus three additional supplemental picks) ended, the show really started. While all of the entertainment selections have earned the title, including many who can sing and dance like they were made for Broadway, two players stole the show.
John Reisen, an award-winning American tenor who also happens to be a good pitcher, sang on his way to the podium after being nabbed by the Firefighters.
Singing from the rooftops because John Riesen is officially an entertainment player for the Firefighters! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/KN6DUcRL3W
The Loco Beach Coconuts made a nice addition to their surfer vibe with Hawaiian fire dancer Kaleikaumaka Grebin. The talented outfielder not only impressed Banana Ball scouts with his baseball skills, but also with his ability to wield and twirl a flaming bat during his tryout.
The draft included many Banana Ball-like festivities, including a selection that mimicked the rose ceremony from “The Bachelor/Bachelorette,” featured a guest appearance by the sorting hat from “Harry Potter” and saw Tailgaters manager Joe Mukulik jump off the podium to smash a table in true Buffalo Bills tailgater fashion.
After the draft ended, Fans First Entertainment director of recruiting and player personnel, Berry Aldridge, explained the “first, best and only” criteria that make a great Banana Ball player.
“Can you be the first to do something, the best to do something, or the only person to do something?” Aldridge asked.
With an opera singer and fire dancer, and all the amazing trick plays yet to come, 2027 figures to be another stilt-sized step forward full of firsts, bests and onlys for Banana Ball.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 04: Michael King #34 of the San Diego Padres is taken out of the game by manager Craig Stammen of the San Diego Padres during the sixth inning in game two of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was disappointing news for San Diego Padres fans, but it was expected. It was announced on Thursday that starter Michael King declined his player option and will become a free agent for the second consecutive season. The right-hander had a solid bounce back season after his 2025 season was hampered by injury. There was thought that the injury concerns as well as his draft pick compensation by way of the qualifying offer limited his earning potential on the open market.
While King’s decision would not be considered a surprise in any regard, it still caused concern for the Friar Faithful because he is now arguably the second best starting option on the market behind only Tarik Skubal. That means he will receive a pay raise of some sort, but it seems like the length of the contract is what will be important to the 32-year-old. King had two years and $53 million left on his former contract with the Padres had he opted in to that deal. He would have had another chance to opt out following the 2027 season, so it does not appear the dollar amount was the deciding factor in his case.
The ball now lies squarely in the court of new San Diego owners Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones. They have said since their opening press conference they are committed to bringing a World Series title to San Diego and with King opting out they now have a chance to literally put their money where the mouths are. There is the unknown of the new ownership, which creates an uneasy feeling among the Friar Faithful. Will Feliciano and Jones spend? If they do spend, to what level? The Padres have an exclusive five day window to negotiate with King before he can talk with the remaining MLB teams. It would be quite the statement if he never gets the chance to do so.
San Diego has seen its fair share of bad contracts with long years and big money, but King has shown what he can do and more important what he is willing to do. He started playoff games in 2026 and earned a playoff save with two innings against the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Division Championship. King has said he wants to be in San Diego, so the two have mutual interest. How authentic that is will be seen in the coming days and potentially weeks or months.
Padres News:
Kyle Hart had some bright spots in 2026, but he was not as consistent as he or the team would have liked. How did Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball grade his season? Read his breakdown here.
Xander Bogaerts has shown to be the warning for long-term, big money contracts as he failed to live up to that commitment once again in San Diego. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball looks at what the Friar Faithful should expect from Bogaerts going forward.
Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger was free to sign with any team for a large portion of the 2025-26 offseason, until he inked a five-year, $162.5-million deal with a full no-trade clause and opt-outs after the 2027 and ’28 seasons.
Despite missing about a month in the summer with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, Bellinger gave his team a solid, steady season even without some of the thunder he provided in his debut campaign in the Bronx in 2025.
Bellinger posted a solid 3.5 fWAR in 132 games, but his home run tally went from 29 to 17 from 2025 to 2026, and his slugging percentage fell from .480 to .429. Still, he was good enough to help the Bombers make the postseason in a frustrating year for the offense.
2027 Contract Status: Under contract (five years, $162.5 million from 2026 to 2030)
Bellinger might have struggled to leave his mark in the power department this year, but he offered one of the most well-rounded lines you will see in a season in which the Yankees finished in the middle of the pack with a 101 wRC+, ranked 14th. That is very valuable, even if it might seem boring to some. Still, we know Bellinger is capable of much more, which is why he didn’t quite get an A in our report cards.
The good news for the Yankees is that even if he slipped a bit in comparison to his excellent 2023 and 2025 campaigns (the former in Chicago as a member of the Cubs, the latter in the Bronx), he seems to have settled on a much higher floor than his forgettable 2021-22 stretch in LA. That’s promising for a team that just made a sizable investment on the player.
Acting as the Yankees’ left fielder most of the time, Bellinger scored and drove in 73 runs, doubled 25 times, and even pitched in with 12 steals, besides the 17 round-trippers. He racked up most of his value on the field, though. Bellinger impressed defensively in 2026, which earned him a Gold Glove nomination. If he wins, it would be his second award after the one he obtained in 2019.
The 31-year-old didn’t show any signs of slowing down as a defender and led all MLB left fielders with +21 DRS (Defensive Runs Saved), showcased some impressive range (+6 OAA), and uncorked throws at an average speed of 93.3 mph, ranking in the 94th percentile of the league. It was probably Bellinger’s most impressive campaign with the glove, which is certainly noteworthy.
To sum up, the Yankees had an above-average hitter and an elite fielder in Bellinger, and there are reasons to believe his offense could bounce back next year. While his 21st percentile bat speed left a lot to be desired, he squares up the ball in the most ideal angles, as his 88th percentile LA Sweet-Spot% of 38.2 indicates. He was also significantly above-average in other metrics such as squared-up percentage (91st percentile), expected xwOBA (70th percentile), and expected batting average (82nd percentile), among others.
Bellinger is no longer the star he was in 2017-19. That player is long gone. However, he has found ways to keep contributing and remains a solid player as he heads into his early and mid-thirties.
So the Milwaukee Brewers are World Series champions and it will be fascinating to see if their contact-hitting, hustling, fundamentally sound style of play influences other teams this offseason, especially with a free agent class that is largely lacking in star power.
The more pressing question, of course, is when we’ll see baseball again.
A lockout on Dec. 1 is a virtual certainty, and the owners' rabid desire for a salary cap is expected to make for a long standoff in collective bargaining negotiations that could stretch into February, March, April…who knows how long.
All of which could also make for a busy November, with at least some teams likely to sign free agents before the lockout and before any potential changes that could make it more penal to add payroll.
Super-agent Scott Boras is already pushing that narrative publicly, and will be trying hard to get a deal done with Tarik Skubal before the sport goes dark.
So with that, here are my predictions for where 10 of the top free agents (actually 11, thanks to a bonus double-entry for the Mets) will sign.
10. ADRIAN MOREJON: PHILLIES
The Phillies have been trying for years, with little success, to build a bullpen that won’t fall apart in the biggest moments, most notably the postseason.
They have a dominant closer now in Jhoan Duran, but need another big piece like Morejon, one of the best left-handed relievers in the game in recent years with the Padres.
Morejon has nasty stuff. He averaged 99.4 mph with his fastball last season, struck out 106 hitters in 86 innings, and ranked in the 99th percentile of MLB pitchers, via Statcast, in chase percentage and soft contact. He’s only 27, turning 28 in February.
9. SEIYA SUZUKI: BLUE JAYS
In a free agent class short on impact hitters, Suzuki could be the best value on the board. He consistently put up good numbers with the Chicago Cubs the last five years, hitting 26 home runs in 2026 with 31 doubles, a .270 batting average and an .841 OPS, and he plays solid defense in right field featuring a very strong arm.
The Jays, meanwhile, need to make some type of splash after falling off badly following their 2025 World Series season. Suzuki would fit in nicely in right field and perhaps offer lineup protection for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. coming off his subpar season.
/ Imagn Images via Reuters Connect/Envato Elements/SNY Treated Image
8. JAZZ CHISHOLM JR.: PHILLIES
After getting outbid for Luis Arraez -- more on that later -- their trade pickup last August, I think the Phillies will convince themselves that a team with an aging core could benefit from the athleticism and speed Chisholm would provide at second base.
And maybe they would be right, as Chisholm's ability remains enticing at least on the surface. Even in a down year with the Yankees, he stole 41 bases and hit 19 home runs, admittedly a long way from the 50-50-year he predicted back in February, but still productive.
On the other hand, signing Chisholm might be a mistake if he plays with the same lack of awareness he did with the Yanks last season, whether it be making that ill-advised throw on a DP turn in the postseason or playing second base with a lollipop in his mouth.
In any case, the dichotomy between talent and awareness will make it fascinating to see just what Chisholm's market is in the coming weeks. The only near-certainty is the Yankees won’t re-sign him.
7. BRANDON LOWE: RED SOX
Lowe is one of the more underrated players in the game, coming off a very good season as the second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates in which he mashed to the tune of 35 home runs and 29 doubles, and hit .260 with a .493 slugging percentage and an .824 OPS.
Lowe was good defensively as well, ranking in the 96th percentile in defensive run value, via Statcast.
The Red Sox are at least one impact bat away from getting over the hump in the postseason, as demonstrated against the Yankees in the Wild Card Series. Lowe could be that guy for them.
6. FREDDY PERALTA: PADRES
It might be tempting for the Mets to take another shot with Peralta, after he rediscovered his dominance with the Tampa Bay Rays post-trade deadline, but that’s way too much of a gamble.
It didn’t work with the Mets for a reason, whether it was a failure on the part of the coaches to figure out his mechanics or Peralta underperforming under high expectations in New York, or some combination of those factors.
But I do believe he’ll be pursued heavily, and the Padres desperately need more quality pitching if they’re ever going to get through the postseason and win a championship -- especially if Michael King leaves as a free agent this time.
May 17, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins designated hitter Ryan Jeffers (27) celebrates his solo home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the fifth inning at Target Field. / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
5. RYAN JEFFERS: YANKEES
Here’s another chance for the Yankees to make themselves a more well-rounded team, adding one of the better offensive catchers in the game.
Jeffers, who turns 30 next June, has put up above-average OPS+ numbers for the last four seasons with the Minnesota Twins. Injuries limited him to 92 games in 2026, but he had his best offensive season, hitting .256 with a .416 slugging percentage and an .814 OPS.
Scouts consider him to be slightly below-average defensively but not a butcher behind the plate. He hits right-handed, so the Yanks could still give Austin Wells a decent number of at-bats against right-handed pitching.
4. LUIS ARRAEZ: YANKEES
This feels like a move the Yanks really need to make. For a team that strikes out too much and never seems to get enough timely hitting in the postseason, Arraez offers an obvious solution as perhaps the best pure contact hitter in the majors.
And he improved his defense dramatically last season, ranking high in various defensive metrics as a second baseman. That, plus his bat, makes him a better option at the position than Anthony Volpe.
Arraez, who sports a .316 career batting average, also added some slug to his contact bat, with a career-high .419 slugging percentage to go with hitting .310 last season. And he only struck out 28 times in 655 plate appearances, putting him in the 100th percentile among all major leaguers in strikeout and swing-and-miss percentage.
The Yankees seemingly have to try something different in October to win their first championship since 2009. Arraez, who turns 30 in April, is an intriguing option.
Teruaki Sato / Imagn Images via Reuters Connect/Envato Elements/SNY Treated Image
3. TERUAKI SATO: METS
Sato is a bit of a gamble, with his high strikeout total, but he was the Triple Crown winner in Japan this year, making enough contact to hit .307 with big power, and offers the most potential impact of any position player on the market.
David Stearns scouted him in person, as he did Munetaka Murakami last year. He was scared off, as was just about every MLB team, by Murakami’s strikeouts, but may be more convinced to sign Sato after Murakami put up big power numbers with the Chicago White Sox.
Sato has mostly been a third baseman who would presumably be asked to move to first base, and after all the problems the Mets had playing non-first basemen at the position last year, it's not a perfect fit. But his bat is worth the gamble, with a safety net of sorts in the possibility of Bo Bichette moving to first if necessary.
2. MICHAEL KING AND CLAY HOLMES: METS
We know Stearns is all about value. I believe he’ll convince Steve Cohen there is more value in signing two front-of-the-rotation starters such as King and Holmes than paying for Tarik Skubal alone.
And certainly there is an argument to be made for that. Holmes was outstanding for the Mets last season before a line drive broke his fibula before he was eventually traded at the deadline, while King showed both dominance and durability in pitching a career-high 185 innings with the Padres.
The counter to that is neither is as good as Skubal at his best -- yet they’re good enough to win a championship with the right pieces around them. And neither is likely to command the type of long-term deal it will take to sign Skubal.
If you say the best plan is for the Mets to sign Skubal plus either King or Holmes, well, yes, absolutely. But realistically that may be too much even for Cohen, especially if the Mets intend to add to their bullpen and position player group.
Also notable is that because King was given a qualifying offer last winter before re-signing with the Padres, and Holmes was traded this season, neither can be given a qualifying offer, meaning that signing them wouldn’t cost the Mets any draft picks.
Finally, I think Stearns likes the idea of bringing Holmes back after trading him for Jefferson Rojas, an enticing prospect. It’s making the most of an asset, a good look for a president of baseball operations who is all too aware about the need to win over disenchanted Mets fans.
1. TARIK SKUBAL: CUBS
After a quick exit in the postseason, the Cubs have more than $100 million coming off their payroll, a glaring need for an ace, and the added incentive of knowing their neighbors to the north, the rival Brewers, just won the World Series.
All of which I believe will add up to them outbidding the Mets, the Dodgers, and anybody else who pursues Skubal, even if it means going to eight years at $45 million or so per season.
Cohen, of course, will only be outbid if he chooses to draw a line on what he’ll pay, but I believe Stearns will convince him to do just that.
Dear Camden Chatters, today is my last day as a writer for this blog. I’ve been writing here since the 2019 season, though I was a fan way before that. I definitely won’t stop being a fan of this site, but I’m hanging up my cleats as a writer today.
I want to say thanks. Back in 2014, when Adam Jones circled Oriole Park carrying the AL East Champions flag after the team clinched, then pied a bunch of people in the face, I felt a real urge to share the joy somewhere. Same, too, with the Delmon Young double—could you believe how noisy the stadium was? Same, a few years later, when John Means pitched a no-hitter. And when the O’s won the division title in 2023 and Gunnar Henderson was named Rookie of the Year. And many others. Those moments are special because you have people to share them with, like this community.
I loved being a part of it as a writer. Now, I won’t deny that I wasn’t always a good writer. There have been some very bad takes on my part in seven years. I thought utility superman Stevie Wilkerson should get regular playing time. I believed in the Shintaro Fujinami reclamation project. I got on the Spenser Watkins bandwagon, if such a thing even existed.
There were times it was hard to write, because the on-field product sucked. I did a whole piece on whether the 2021 Orioles, who finished 52-110, were the worst O’s team in history. (They have a strong claim. Maikel Franco played a bunch, we tried to fix Matt Harvey, and Pat Valaika was an infield fixture. Blech.)
The team never did win a single playoff game while I was a writer here. I’ve been frustrated by some of the recent changes I’ve seen. I hope the term “liftoff” is soon forgotten, because if it’s remembered, I think it will be ironically, meaning the Orioles will continue to be bad. I wish Heston Kjerstad had panned out. I wish the team hadn’t traded Trey Mancini, or Ramón Urías, and especially not Adley Rutschman this year, I don’t care what the return was. Brandon Hyde getting fired in May 2025 felt like a real admission of internal chaos, and so many internal changes this offseason suggest this remains true.
But even so, it’s always made me happy to write about baseball. In my day job, I teach law and write long articles with 400 footnotes. Do people enjoy reading them? I hope someone does, but writing about baseball is another thing altogether.
I love telling a good story, and baseball is full of them. In seven seasons, I got to recap some great moments. There was a 6-3 win on Camden Yards’ 30th anniversary, a day that saw Brooks Robinson, Mike Mussina and Eddie Murray all come back to town. More recently, I wrote about Colton Cowser’s ridiculous home-run robbing catch, maybe the best thing I’ve seen him do in his whole career. I got to pay homage to backup catcher James McCann getting hit in the nose with a fastball, then staying in the game. I recapped Kyle Bradish’s first start back from Tommy John surgery and his MLB debut years before. Speaking of debuts, Gunnar Henderson homered in his, and Adley Rutschman’s was a 6-1 loss to the Rays where he hit a triple. I can still remember getting chills from the way he introduced himself.
I’d always get a zing of happiness when people admitted to enjoying my writing here. One time, O’s announcer Kevin Brown actually DM’d the site because he’d appreciated a piece I did comparing Renato Núñez, Anthony Santander, and Pedro Severino’s offensive adjustments. That was cool. Recapping a team win was always great, because all the comments were so happy.
The last couple seasons have been frustrating, sniffing the playoffs without quite getting there. But there are lots of reasons for hope, too. I’m excited to see Samuel Basallo grow into himself, and to watch Pete Alonso continue to hit tanks. (I didn’t expect to like the Polar Bear so much, but I was wrong. What a leader he’s been.) I like Dylan Beavers, and hope he has a good offensive year in 2027. Same with Coby Mayo, who really found something down the stretch. I think a healthy Jackson Holliday will be dangerous. There are some interesting arms on the farm right now, which definitely wasn’t true in 2019. Luis de León, Joseph Dzierwa, Anthony Eyanson and Boston Bateman are a few I’m really excited about.
We’ll see what’s in store for this team. It’s a time of transition, but that’s exciting. We don’t need more of 2025 and 2026, frankly, and I think the front office has got the message.
For me, this is it for blogging, for now, but I’ll never stop being a fan, of the Orioles or this blog, and will continue to lurk around this place. Thanks to this community of baseball fans with a shared love for Baltimore. It’s a great online space, and it’s been so much fun. I’m grateful. Here’s to many more wins next season.
Shortly after spinning a handful of trade deadline deals this past summer, bringing in a bevy of intriguing prospects while bolstering the Mets' farm system, head of baseball operations David Stearns was not shy about the possibility that some of those recently-acquired prospects could be quickly turned around as part of other deals that help New York.
That doesn't mean the Mets are in a rush to trade any of them, but the infusion of talent into their system likely makes it easier to swing an impact trade or two.
And given New York's plethora of infield options who are close to the majors (including Jefferson Rojas, Mitch Voit, and Émilien Pitre), it's not outlandish to think Stearns could deal from that relative glut in an effort to improve the team elsewhere -- perhaps in the starting rotation.
With offseason moving and shaking beginning soon, there's every reason to believe there will be a free agent and trade frenzy over the next month with the lockout looming on Dec. 1 when the CBA expires. So the Mets, and every other team, could be in a race to that theoretical deadline.
Here are the five players the Mets should have highest on their list of trade targets, ranked:
5. Hunter Brown, RHP
Brown is at No. 5 instead of the very top of this list simply because the Astros don't have to be in a rush to trade him. Set to enter his age-28 season in 2027, Brown is under team control via arbitration for two more years. And he's still very inexpensive, expected to make roughly $8 million next season.
But while the Astros can take their time if they so choose, there are a few reasons why dealing Brown this offseason could make sense.
For one, Houston is in a period of transition, currently searching for replacements for outgoing GM Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada. Meanwhile, despite winning the putrid AL West in 2026 with a record of 81-81, the arrow is pointing down for the Astros. Jeremy Peña will be a free agent after 2027, Yordan Alvarez will be a free agent after 2028, the high-priced Carlos Correa can't stay healthy, and Jose Altuve (who will turn 37 years old next May) seems to be running out of gas.
There's also the fact that (with the exception of Altuve) Houston has typically been unable or unwilling to extend its stars, as was the case relatively recently with Gerrit Cole and George Springer, who both walked as free agents.
Adding all of that up, it could be smart for Houston to start retooling for the future.
And if the Astros decide to dangle Brown, who has emerged as a legitimate frontline starter over the last three seasons, the Mets should race to the phone.
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan (41) pitches in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field / Isaiah J. Downing - Imagn Images
4. Joe Ryan, RHP
Ryan was a buzzy name attached to the Mets last offseason, and could be again this time around.
With Ryan almost certainly set to depart Minnesota via free agency after 2027 (there is a mutual option for 2028 worth $13 million that he would likely only accept if his season is derailed by injury or poor performance), it would behoove the Twins to trade him this offseason.
One thing to note, though, is that the Twins actually became buyers at the 2026 deadline even though they were under .500 (56-57) and 4.0 games back in the mediocre AL Central on Aug. 3. So it's possible they simply roll the dice again in a still-underwhelming division and try to win.
If they don't, Ryan -- who has a 3.79 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with a 10.1 K/9 rate across six big league seasons -- could be one of the most intriguing names on the trade market.
For the Mets, he would be a strong fit in the middle of a rotation that is expected to include Nolan McLean and Christian Scott, and could feature a legitimate ace at the top -- with a Skubal signing a possibility.
3. George Kirby, RHP
When you look at the Mariners' starting rotation depth chart, which features Kirby, Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, Kade Anderson, Bryce Miller, and Emerson Hancock, it makes sense why people are looking at Seattle as a potentially big player on the trade market this winter.
As far as Kirby, he has backslid a bit since putting up very strong seasons from 2022 to 2024 in what were his first three years in the league. In 2026, while posting a career-worst 4.33 ERA and 1.39 WHIP, the value of Kirby's stuff also regressed in a big way. But it wasn't due to a loss in velocity, as Kirby's four-seam fastball averaged a career-high 96.7 mph. It also seemingly wasn't an issue with his extension off the mound (something that hampered Freddy Peralta during his time with the Mets).
Kirby's elite command (his walk rates in 2023 and 2024 were 0.9 and 1.1, respectively) has also become simply very good.
But the tools are still there for Kirby, who will earn roughly $10 million in 2027 via arbitration and is under team control through 2028.
An undeniable plus is that Kirby is a New York native who grew up in Rye, so he wouldn't be overwhelmed by the market.
Oct 3, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen (57) reacts in the sixth inning in game one of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs against the New York Yankees at Tropicana Field. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
2. Drew Rasmussen, RHP
The Rays hold a $20 million option on Rasmussen for the 2027 season, but Tampa has typically traded their higher-priced players ahead of free agency -- as they did recently with Tyler Glasnow and Brandon Lowe. So they could theoretically pick up Rasmussen's option and then deal him.
Perhaps their run to the World Series changes the calculus with Rasmussen. If it doesn't, he would be one of the most sought-after pitchers available.
There will always be some lingering concern about Rasmussen's health given that he has had multiple serious elbow surgeries, including an internal brace procedure that kept him out for most of 2023 and 2024.
But when Rasmussen is healthy, he's one of the best pitchers in the sport. And he's been healthy the last two seasons, throwing a combined 322 regular season innings for the Rays while posting a 2.71 ERA and 0.96 WHIP while striking out 301 batters and allowing just 241 hits.
Rasmussen, who will be entering his age-31 season in 2027, would give the Mets a true ace to slide in atop their rotation.
1. Logan Gilbert, RHP
Yes, every top target is a starting pitcher.
With Gilbert set for free agency after the 2027 season, it's possible the Mariners are more motivated to move him than Kirby.
Gilbert, 29, has been an inning-eating machine for Seattle, tossing 185.2 or more innings four of the last five seasons.
In 2026, he posted a 3.73 ERA and 1.08 WHIP while striking out 205 batters and allowing only 153 hits across 186 innings spanning 32 starts. His advanced metrics were also mostly in the red, including xERA, xBA, chase percentage, and extension.
Like Kirby, Gilbert's arsenal is expansive, though he is especially reliant on his four-seam fastball and slider.
Gilbert might not have quite the upside of Rasmussen, but could be a safer bet due to his mostly clean injury history.
On Friday, Oct. 30 the team will celebrate its championship – Commissioner's Trophy in tow – with a parade beginning at 10 a.m. local time (11 ET). The parade route will start on Wisconsin Avenue and weave its way through downtown Milwaukee before concluding on the lakefront at Henry Maier Festival Park for a rally that in all likelihood with be rollicking.
There will be a variety of ways to watch the championship parade, either on MLB Network, or streaming on YouTube, MLB+, MLB.TV, Brewers.TV or Brewers.com.
The Milwaukee Brewers World Series championship parade begins at 10 a.m. CT (11 ET) on Friday, Oct. 30 in downtown Milwaukee.
How to watch the Brewers parade
Fans who can't attend the Brewers championship parade in Milwaukee can stream the celebration for free on Brewers.com. The parade also will be available on MLB Network, Brewers.TV, MLB.TV and MLB+.
In just his second season, Jacob Misiorowski compiled a season for the ages that includes a World Series and a likely Cy Young Award.
So how's the 24-year-old handling the Brewers parade?
"This is amazing. This is awesome. It's so much fun," Misiorowski said. "It's awesome to have this city behind us, and celebrate with us. It means a lot to these fans, so it's amazing.
"This is the pinnacle. This is what you play for, so it's a lot of fun."
When asked if he's slept at all, Miz laughed.
"No not at all. Yeah, we're running on probably two, three hours."
Smiling through it all, can't believe this is his life 🤩
Contreras won the World Series MVP for hitting .381 with four RBIs against the Rays, along with throwing out four would-be base stealers.
Brewers jumping off bus celebrating in front of Bob Uecker mural
11:45 AM ET, October 30 2026
The Brewers' buses are stopping and and players taking selfies with Bob Uecker's mural in the background. Players are jumping off the buses, including Jake Bauers while holding the Commissioner's Trophy, and slapping hands with tear-filled fans.
The Uecker mural was unveiled in June and created by local artist Mauricio Ramirez.
It's been a whirlwind few days for the Brewers, who clinched their first World Series championship Wednesday, took the Commissioner's Trophy to Lambeau Field for the Packers' Thursday Night Football game against the Panthers, and are now celebrating their title with their fans in Milwaukee on Friday.
And outfielder Sal Frelick's voice is is a little worse for the wear, but he's not slowing down.
"I'm on top of the world," said Frelick, as he held the Commissioner's Trophy while hyping up the fans from one of the buses. "It doesn't get any better. Look at these people, man. This is just, it's so special."
Wednesday: Brewers win World Series Thursday: Lambeau Leap Friday: Parade of Champions
The sausage costumes do appear at the grounds for other music festivals, but this appearance for the World Series rally met extra enthusiasm from the crowd.
"Always excellent," Talbot, a Milwaukee native, said upon the sausages’ debut.
Talbot secured some tickets to the amphitheater stage for the rally on the Brewers’ official page.
"I got them on the primary market, or whatever they have to call that now," he chided, grimacing at the resale prices some other fans were left with. — Caden Perry, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Bob Uecker tribute after Brewers World Series win
11:23 AM ET, October 30 2026
After the Brewers finished off their first World Series, Fox shared a tribute they put together soundtracking Bob Uecker's iconic voice and calls with 2026 Brewers action.
The Milwaukee Brewers not only won the World Series for the first time, but they're among the greatest stories and baseball teams in recent memory.
Brewer Nation can relive the glory of this season for the ages through commemorative books, page prints and special editions from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, whose sportswriters and photographers have covered the team every day from spring training in Arizona to the final out of the World Series in Florida.
Do you need tickets for Brewers championship rally?
10:00 AM ET, October 30 2026
Tickets are not required to enter the general grounds at Henry Maier Festival Park. Admission is free and first come, first served until the grounds reach capacity.
Fans who want a seat for the championship rally speeches inside the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, though, must have a separate ticket. Fans without amphitheater tickets can still watch the speeches on video boards throughout the festival grounds.
Where is the Brewers championship rally?
09:30 AM ET, October 30 2026
The Brewers championship rally will be held at Henry Maier Festival Park, the Summerfest grounds, following the parade. Gates open at 8 a.m. CT (9 ET) on Friday, two hours before the parade begins, and festivities are scheduled to continue until 3 p.m.
The celebration will include Brewers alumni, live music, food and beverages, championship merchandise and large video screens showing the parade and rally.
What is Brewers World Series parade route?
09:00 AM ET, October 30 2026
The Brewers championship parade starts at N. 4th Street and W. Wisconsin Avenue before traveling east on Wisconsin Avenue. The route then turns north on Jefferson Street, east on Mason Street, south on Jackson Street and east on Chicago Street before finishing at Henry Maier Festival Park.
The route also passes the Bob Uecker mural, where a special telecast location is planned.
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PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 9: Bo Bichette #19 of the New York Mets celebrates after hitting a three-run RBI double in the fourth inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on August 9, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On this date in 2015, David Wright blasted the first World Series home run in Citi Field history to help propel the Mets to a 9-3 victory over the Royals in Game 3.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 21: A general view of empty stands is seen ahead of the game between the San Francisco Giants and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 21, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The World Series is over. There will be no baseball played today. There will be no baseball played tomorrow. And sadly, we have no idea when Major League Baseball will be restart again, if at all, in 2027.
Usually, this is where we turn to the famous Rogers Hornsby quote:
“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.”
But that depressing reality doesn’t quite capture the mood this year. There’s no guarantee spring will bring us relief from the hellscape the owners are about to unleash. So instead, I’m just angry. Angry at the owners, angry that the sport I love is about to do unspeakable levels of damage to itself, and angry that we have no idea what things are going to look like on the backside of this completely unnecessary carnage.
Back in 1994, baseball lost eight months of action from the time the strike ensued in August all the way through Opening Day in 1995, which was delayed until late April. With Covid, we technically went nine months without baseball as the season didn’t start until July, but the offseason leading up to it was relatively normal, and we even had spring training games start on time.
Over the last 150 years, nothing has disrupted an MLB season like this looming lockout could. Not World Wars, not the Great Depression, and not even the infancy of the sport back in the late 1800s. Since the Western Frontier closed, we’ve never gone more than nine months without a professional baseball game. Today marks the beginning of a stretch that could end that fact. We’re sailing straight into a sea of uncertainty.
What we do know is that the Milwaukee Brewers — The smallest market in the sport — just won the World Series over the Tampa Bay Rays, who ooze overachievement an on annual basis. And yet, the owners are preparing to shut down everything down over the guise of competitive balance. They could not be more full of shit!
At least now, after the way this October unfolded, we can get a little bit more serious: The real reason the owners want a cap is because they need a line on a graph to go up. Nothing more, nothing less. Valuations of franchises tend to be much higher when you get to put a limit on how much you pay the guys who make your product magical, and since baseball has and always will reflect the American reality, we now get to sit back and watch as a small group of billionaires prepare to make life worse for everybody else.
And along those lines, there’s something else that has me very concerned. We as a society don’t compromise on much of anything anymore. Two sides dig in, never abandon hardline positions, and nothing gets done while everything crumbles around us. Is there any reason to believe this impending lockout will be any different? The owners have made it pretty clear they’re not going to budge unless they get a cap. The players meanwhile have always seen a cap as a nonstarter. Even if we didn’t live in the most unproductive debate environment in American history, it’s hard to see how this ends without one side emerging completely victorious.
There’s either going to be a cap, or there’s not. Baseball will either be changed forever when we resume, or we’ll be rebuilding the current structure and way of things when it’s time to pick up the pieces. I don’t see much of an in-between, but then again I don’t see much of anything right now as we stare into an apocopic abyss.
All I know for sure is that I’m angry right now, and it’s hard for me to direct that anger at any place other than the owners. The wonderful story of what the Milwaukee Brewers just did juxtaposed with what these jackals are about to do is deeply poignant at this hour, and with no more baseball games to distract us from the impending tsunami, I’m dreading just how ugly this is about to get.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 14: Manager Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the dugout prior to game three of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium on October 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Commissioner’s Trophy resides in the city of Milwaukee for the first time in 69 years after the Brewers secured their first World Series championship.
In doing so, they trampled over the Dodgers in a lackluster four-game series sweep, crushing the Dodgers’ dreams of becoming the first baseball team to three peat in 26 years. Reflecting on being eliminated for the first time in three years, Dave Roberts sat down with Buster Olney of ESPN about the Brewers’ tenacity, noting that while the Dodgers were hungry to win, the Brewers were “starving.”
“I was telling my wife after we got eliminated that I know our guys were hungry, but the Brewers were starving.”
Paul Sporer of Fangraphs lists four players to keep an eye on in fantasy baseball for the 2027 season, with right-hander Emmet Sheehan cracking the top spot on the list. Sheehan struggled to stay afloat at the big league level throughout the majority of the regular season, but had flashes of brilliance during the final stretch run.
He either needs to greatly improve his fastball command or alter it in some way, perhaps even switching to a sinker. I tend to find homer issues something that can be overcome, though, so while it is a significant wart for Sheehan, the core skills are too strong for me to ignore so I’ll happily rebuy even around pick-160.
At least one player to have worn a Dodgers uniform was crowned a World Series champion this year, that being right-hander Dustin May. May discussed being in this year’s Fall Classic with Robert Flores of MLB Network prior to the start of the series, noting that this year was more significant due to his near-death experience two years prior.
“It means more to be in this moment today knowing two years ago, looking back at it, I wasn’t really sure if I was ever going to play again.”
The Dodgers are not going to win the World Series every year— as evident by this year’s postseason— but, as Cary Osborne of Dodger Insider notes, they are the ultimate challenge for any team’s chances of winning it all.
The Dodgers have built up this reputation: To win the World Series, one has to go through the Dodgers.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - AUGUST 15: Tyler O'Neill #9 of the Baltimore Orioles strikes out against the Tampa Bay Rays during a game at Tropicana Field on August 15, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Through two seasons with the Orioles, Tyler O’Neill has played in just 139 total games, hit 19 home runs, and made five trips to the IL. While the 2026 campaign was a slight improvement from his debut season in Baltimore, the Canadian outfielder was once again a gigantic disappointment.
The Orioles attempted to handle O’Neill more gently this time around. He was limited to just 54 games in 2025, and the hope was that they could avoid a similar fate in 2026. Of the 85 games in which he appeared in this year, only 61 of them were starts, and he played defense in just 67 of them. It was not a massive workload, particularly for someone being paid $16.5 million per year. But that didn’t stop the injuries from coming anyway.
O’Neill suffered a concussion early in the season when an illness led to dehydration, which resulted in him fainting and hitting his head. That left him sidelined from April 9 through April 23. He returned to the lineup in late April, and would remain an outfield option for much of the year until late August, when he suffered a rotator cuff strain. There was some hope at the time that O’Neill could rehab the injury quickly and return before the end of the season. But it didn’t work out that way. O’Neill received PRP injections in September, and his season was over.
There really weren’t any positives to speak of for O’Neill through the end of June. To that point he owned a .182/.282/.270 batting line with two home runs, six doubles, 17 walks, and 43 strikeouts. You could squint and see some potential for positive regression in things like hard hit rate and lower than expected BABIP, but it was grasping for straws.
July is where O’Neill finally became a spark for the lineup. From July 1 through August 17, O’Neill hit .289/.359/.602 with eight home runs, two doubles, nine walks, and 26 strikeouts across 30 games. His season totals jumped up to a respectable (if still underwhelming) .223/.310/.395 thanks to that seven-week stretch.
That would be the peak of O’Neill’s campaign. He finished his season by going 0-for-11 over his final four games, and then hit the IL with the shoulder injury that shelved him. His last game of season came on August 22.
There is an argument to be made that O’Neill had finally figured something out in July. It’s possible that the early-season concussion lingered and, paired with a less consistent role in the everyday lineup, it was difficult for him to get into an offensive groove. Then, as soon as things were clicking, the injury bug bit him again. Just bad luck.
But it’s pretty much impossible to actually make that argument for O’Neill given his history. The guy gets hurt a lot. The most games he has ever played in a single MLB season was 138, which came way back in 2021 with the Cardinals. He played 113 games for the Red Sox in ‘24, his platform year before inking the three-year contract with the Orioles prior to 2025. So, even when he is productive, he is good for at least one lengthy IL stint per season. In order to be of value, he needs to play really well in those games he can actually suit up for. As an Oriole, that is yet to happen with any sort of consistency.
As the Orioles plan for 2027, the reality that O’Neill is probably going to miss time has to be factored into roster planning. It cannot be assumed that he will hold down an outfield corner for 140 games next summer. That’s not something he has ever done, and it’s unlikely he starts now. The fact that he ended the season on the IL with a rotator cuff injury for which he received PRP injections already sounds dicey, though reports indicate that he should be ready for spring training.
O’Neill will be entering the final season of his contract in 2027. That gives the Orioles more flexibility with him if he struggles, if the team falls out of contention, or if he is consumed by injuries again. The team has already paid out a majority of his salary, and the chance for him to “turn things around” will dwindle by the day. Should the team need a 26-man roster spot sometime midsummer while O’Neill toils, cutting him will be on the table.
But in all likelihood, that is a consideration for sometime during the regular season. At the moment, the Orioles outfield, outside of Colton Cowser’s glove, is one big question mark. O’Neill, despite his flaws, may be closer to a productive and known commodity at the plate than any other outfielder on the Orioles 40-man roster. And it’s not as if the team is going to be able to save any money by cutting or trading him now anyway. So the incentive for doing so before other plans are in place is basically zero.
The outfield should be a top priority for the Orioles this offseason, whenever it is that they can actually make moves. It’s a shallow free agent class, and many of the top options (Randy Arozarena, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki) are already older than O’Neill is now, so it doesn’t feel like a market where the Orioles are going to seriously compete. Perhaps the trade market is more open. Or, and this could be the best path, the Orioles explore converting some of their infielders into corner outfielders. Coby Mayo and Blaze Alexander feel like the two most prominent candidates should their peers on the roster come into the spring healthy.
The O’Neill experiment has been a failure through two years. Given the uncertainty on both the roster and in baseball broadly, he’s unlikely to be going anywhere this offseason. At this point, he can be a very expensive insurance policy if the Orioles fail to solve their outfield issues this offseason. Hopefully the organization holds a similar view, because going into 2027 with the plan being for O’Neill to be an everyday option in one of the corner spots is a recipe for yet another underperformance.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 28: The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate during the Awards Ceremony after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field on October 28, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The 2026 MLB playoffs have officially come to an end, with the Milwaukee Brewers defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1, and securing the franchise’s very first World Series Championship!
Congratulations to the Brewers and their fans! And thank you, once again, for eliminating the Los Angeles Dodgers and keeping us from having to endure a three-peat. There are not enough words in any language to describe how much of a relief that was.
Next week, we’ll get back to discussing the Giants (oh god, no, please, don’t make me) but in the meantime:
What were your favorite moments from the Brewers postseason run?
KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 22: Tony Gonsolin #36 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during an MLB game between the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals on Sep 22, 2026 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With the World Series over, it’s time for wheeling and dealing!
The Royals made the first of many potential significant moves Thursday to address their bullpen for 2027 when Kansas City announced that it declined the $13 million club option on closer Carlos Estévez while exercising a $2.5 million club option on right-hander Tony Gonsolin.
Rose relies on an unconscious swing at the plate. He isn’t trying to overthink and, in turn, overcomplicate the situation. His plan revolves around sticking to an approach and letting his natural instincts and abilities take over.
“The unconscious behavior is just the muscle memory of what your body has been working on this whole time,” he said. “(It’s) what you have been preparing for. So yeah, that’s the unconscious one. You never want to think while you are in the box — at least about mechanics.”
One Royals fan thought it would be fun to dress as catcher Carter Jensen, but with a twist. Remember when Jensen was scratched from the starting lineup early in the season because he overslept?
That’s all for “official” stories for the Royals. How about a little MLB section for the World Series? Then we’ll get to the Royals blogs.
When including the preliminary figure from Game 5, the full five-game series averaged 11.83 million viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes, and Univision, which would put the series’ viewership level with Astros-Phillies in 2022 (11.76 million viewers) and Braves-Astros in 2021 (11.74 million viewers), both of which had six games. Viewership will predictably fall short of Dodgers-Yankees in 2024 (15.10 million viewers) and Dodgers-Blue Jays last year (15.49 million viewers), but will easily surpass Rangers-Diamondbacks in 2023 (9.08 million viewers), the least-watched World Series of all time.
Hey, didn’t someone make that prediction last week? Oh, right, it was, checks notes, Drew Lerner at Awful Announcing, as linked to by everyone’s favorite Friday Rumblings host last week. So, wait? We don’t need the Yankees and Dodgers in the World Series to get decent ratings, though it would have been helpful if this went more than 5 games.
Milwaukee Public Schools are closed tomorrow so kids can go to the victory parad— I mean, for safety, of course:
MPS specified that schools will be closed “due to operations and safety impacts from the Brewers parade and celebration.”
Michael Maxwell, the presiding judge in neighboring Waukesha County, declared Brewers attire will be formally considered “in compliance with professional decorum expected of courtroom staff, litigants and attorneys appearing before the court” through the conclusion of the victory parade.
(NSFW) Brewers manager Pat Murphy had some NSFW advice for Jake Bauers and threw shade specifically at the Yankees, but more generally at large market teams:
“You’re going to be a rich f—er. Just remember when you’re on that horses— Yankees team and you’re all playing for yourselves, just remember this is the way we used to do it.”
Seven months after becoming World Baseball Classic champions with Team Venezuela, Milwaukee’s Jackson Chourio, William Contreras and Antonio Senzatela pulled off a rare double, joining Alex Bregman and Luke Gregerson as the only players to win WBC and World Series titles in the same calendar year. Bregman and Gregerson did so for Team USA and the Astros in 2017.
Also, I linked to a Dan Szymborski (Szymborksi! Szymborski!) article a month ago that said there’s basically no effect across the board, though effects on individual players may vary.
David Lesky continues to flood Inside the Crown ($) with awesome offseason content. He did his “JJ for a Day” three-parter. Yesterday was his “Offensive Free Agent Guide”. Today, it’s time for his Less Offensive Free Agent Guid— oh, wait “Pitching Free Agent Guide”:
Free agency is always a little kinder on the pitching side. I think I mentioned this in a comment yesterday, but teams are just more willing to let pitching go year-to-year and hit free agency than young talent, so there’s a little more out there every year. I think, for example, you can completely build a bullpen through free agency. It’s better if you don’t have to, but you could put together an expensive but not stupid expensive bullpen just from guys on the list above. It’s a little harder with starting pitching, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible to supplement what they already have. Ultimately, if the Royals are going to make good on their stated goal of competing in 2027, some of these guys above are going to need to be with the Royals whenever the season starts. I’ll be fascinated to see which ones they end up signing.
Because McArthur missed two full years at the Major League level, he will come cheap in arbitration. According to MLB Trade Rumors, his projected arbitration amount is $800,000, $10,000 less than a year ago. For context, Mears ($2.2 million), Alex Lange ($1.7 million), and Alec Marsh ($1.1 million) were expected to command higher amounts this offseason. McArthur is not only cheaper than those three, but he’s also more likely to be healthier and/or more effective.
While McArthur posted high ERAs in 2023 and 2024 with the Royals, his FIP numbers suggested he’s a much better pitcher. The now-30-year-old righty probably isn’t a fit for closing situations anymore, but his stuff, ability to generate CSW (31.9% career CSW%), and groundball-inducing style make him an ideal low- to medium-leverage arm who can eat the middle innings. Even in a small sample, McArthur showed decent stuff last year, with his curveball rated as a pretty plus pitch based on TJ Stuff+ and grade numbers.
We’ve reached the offseason and not as many people are reading. So it’s time for me to point out that in our link post, I’m linking to Royals Keep’s link post linking back to Royals Review. Royals Linkception!
Of course, there are tons of horror movies… but I’m not really into horror movies. However, I did review the Scream series a couple of Halloweens ago.
Last year, I wrote about candy. Maybe it’s time to revisit that for a second. I didn’t write about a specific type of candy or candy tiers or anything like that. It was more a rambling screed in a couple of different directions.
I still feel the same way about the four major candy holidays, though, as I noted last year, my consumption has gone down with age. I also haven’t been able to discover the missing flavors I was chasing.
The real downer here is that candy prices keep going up. And we keep getting the same dumb excuses, just like last year:
Notice how all of those stories also talk about how candy is “outpacing inflation”, as above? That’s weird – it’s almost as if there’s a new cover story every year. I’m sure it’s not the expensive acquisitions, failed buyouts, and stock buybacks that need to be paid for by the consumer in an ever less competitive marketplace.
That’s whether you’re getting your information from Delaware Online:
The cost of a bulk bag of 100 pieces of candy has gone from $9.91 in 2021 to $16.96, a 71% increase over five years. The national rate of inflation over those five years was 22%.
The biggest increases have taken place over the last three years, with an increase of $2.45 from 2023 to 2024, $2.34 from 2024 to 2025 and 57 cents from 2025 to 2026. Combined, that’s a $5.36 increase over the last three years.
Or ABC7 in New York:
According to an analysis by the ABC7 Data Team, candy prices are up about 7.7% from a year ago, compared with a 1.8% increase in grocery prices overall. The analysis found candy prices have risen at more than four times the rate of overall grocery inflation.
Overall, the price of candy and chewing gum has risen by more than 47% since 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index. Marketplace looked at price changes for popular chocolates and candy between 2020 and 2026 using the Wayback Machine, finding that some products rose even more, with prices increasing between 60% and 100%…
A bag of party-size Hershey’s Kisses weighed 35.8 ounces in 2020 and retailed for $8.98 at Walmart. Now, the party size weighs 30 ounces and costs $14.92. That’s a 66% price increase. But if you look at the cost per ounce, the price actually doubled, rising from 25 cents an ounce to 50 cents an ounce. The largest bag of Brach’s Classic Candy Corn shrunk from 44 ounces in 2020 to 34 ounces in 2026. But the price per ounce doubled from 11 cents to 22 cents.
They talk about some of the cocoa and sugar shortages we looked at last year. They don’t talk about the consolidation in the industry that we also mentioned.
It’s not just that candy costs more—economic think tank Groundwork Collaborative, in association with the Century Foundation, found candy prices are up 15% on average over last year. For many shoppers, Costaglia said, they simply “don’t have the financial means to buy it this year.”
…Forbes seems almost happy to report that companies will still make tons of money from us:
Halloween is still going to be a big celebration this year, with NRF predicting a total of $13.5 billion in spending—candy making up about 30% of the spending total at $4.1 billion, up 5% from last year but far below the overall 15% uptick in prices.
So there’s that. In other words, same story as last year. Prices continue to go up for consumers and businesses continue to take an ever bigger cut. Yay?
In light of (Sir) Patrick Stewart’s passing earlier this week, I thought I should feature a game that he was in. Obviously, he was more known as a star of stage and screen, but for Friday Rumblings, video games are our sandbox. I don’t think he was in any Star Trek games that were well received. However, the pair of X-Men Legends games were highly rated, back in the sixth generation of consoles.
Per wiki:
It was basically Final Fantasy with X-Men. Over time, however, it really started to evolve. As development moved along, we added more and more elements of action and combat to it… -— Co-project lead Patrick Lipo on the development of the gam
I remember playing some co-op games with friends on the GameCube and it was quite fun.
Here’s a chapter of the game with some voice acting from Stewart:
MINNEAPOLIS - APRIL 12: Johan Santana, Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, and Torii Hunter pose with the awards they received from the 2006 season prior to the game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 12, 2007. Santana holds his 2006 Cy Young Award; his Baseball America Player of the Year Award sits behind him, and his Major League Baseball Player's Choice Award sits in front in the middle; Hunter holds his 2006 Golden Glove Award; Morneau holds his 2006 American League Most Valuable Player Award; Mauer holds his 2006 American League Batting Championship silver bat; Morneau's and Mauer's Silver Slugger Awards rest next to them on the floor. The Twins defeated the Devil Rays 3-2. (Photo by Bruce Kluckhohn/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Despite an all-time final-day comeback to win the American League Central Division title, the 2006 Minnesota Twins season didn’t end in as positive a manner. But one thing that cannot be taken away from the ‘06 campaign: it produced perhaps the most hardware-heavy season in franchise history.
Justin Morneau: AL MVP
The Canadian sensation put up this line to take home top-of-league honors: 157 G, 661 PA, 97 R, 190 H, 37 2B, 34 HR, 130 RBI, .321 BA, .934 OPS, 140 OPS+, 4.3 bWAR. Was this a 100% deserved MVP? Ehhh…David Ortiz, Travis Hafner, & maybe even resident MN 1B-coach Grady Sizemore had pretty compelling cases. But it’s not like Morneau has to give it back.
Johan Santana: AL Cy Young
This is one that the voters got exactly right—no one eclipsed ’06 Santana: 19-6 W/L, 233.2 IP, 245 K, 2.77 ERA, 162 ERA+, 1.00 WHIP, 7.6 bWAR. In what should have been Johan’s third straight Cy Young Award, there’s a case to be made he could have double-dipped as AL MVP considering that WAR total.
Joe Mauer: AL Batting Champion
A .347 batting average was tops in the Junior Circuit. This was the first time a backstop brought home the batting bacon since Ernie Lombardi (.330 BA) did so for the Cincinnati Reds in 1942. 2006 was Mauer’s third season in the bigs—and his second functional campaign (missing almost all of 2004 due to injury)
Torii Hunter: Gold Glove
Ho hum—just the sixth consecutive gilded glove-trophy for the CF-er.
Four incredible individual performances that render 2006 memorable 20 years hence despite the ALDS thud.
