FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 10: Masataka Yoshida #7 of the Boston Red Sox arrives ahead of a team workout at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 10, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Masataka Yoshida is unquestionably a productive major league hitter, having posted a career OPS+ of 109. But with $36.5 million still owed to him over the next two years and no place on the Red Sox except as a low-power DH/pinch-hitter, he arguably hurts the roster more than he helps it.
The Red Sox cannot option Yoshida to the minor leagues without his consent. As for a trade, we have recently seen reports that “there has been tangible trade interest in Yoshida throughout the winter, with teams recognizing his offensive upside,” but the Red Sox obviously have not pulled the trigger. That potentially leaves designating him for assignment as the only option for getting him off the roster. But he is unlikely to be claimed on waivers given his contract, and such a move would potentially be disastrous for the team’s future efforts to sign overseas stars.
What do yo think the Sox should do with Yoshida? Is it time to view him as a sunk cost and move on, or is there still a place for him on this team?
Feb 11, 2026; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) warms-up during spring practice. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.
Should the Mets extend Freddy Peralta ahead of Opening Day?
CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 06: Tampa Bay Rays Infielder Xavier Isaac (91) at bat during the spring training game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies on March 06, 2025 at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
DRaysBay works best as a place for community and conversation. Accordingly, in the lead up to the new season, we are posting “Daily Questions” in the month of February. I look forward to seeing you in the comment section!
Spring Training is always an exciting opportunity to see players you might never otherwise see during a season, and this is an interesting time in the Rays system after a dramatic overhaul of the team’s prospects — which might be obvious if you’ve been following our annual Community Prospect voting.
The playing I’m personally most looking forward to seeing on the field is 1B Xavier Isaac, a former first round pick who had his 2025 season cut short by brain surgery. Cleared for a return to baseball, the Rays have invited the 22-year old to his first major league camp this year.
Oct 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Christian Yelich (22) is introduced for game three of the NLCS during the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
We’re back with another daily question, and today’s question is: Which Brewer do you defend no matter what the numbers say?
For me, it’s Rickie Weeks. The No. 2 overall pick in 2003, Weeks never quite lived up to the hype, at least from a numbers perspective. Across 11 seasons in Milwaukee, he accumulated just 12.5 bWAR (roughly 1.1 per season) and picked up one All-Star selection, but he’s one of those guys where I don’t really care what the numbers look like — he’ll always be one of my favorite Brewers.
A player on the current roster? Christian Yelich. Yes, I agree he’s overpaid for what he provides on the field, but I think his veteran presence on a team filled with 20-somethings is underrated. Between him and Brandon Woodruff (another guy I’ll defend to anyone), the Brewers have had a consistent veteran presence over the last few years as they make playoff run after playoff run.
Who do you defend no matter what?
Weigh in in the comments, and join us throughout the month as we keep these conversations rolling into spring training. Have a question you’d like to ask in a future BCB Daily Question? Drop one in the comments and we may use it later this month.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 08: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth inning in game three of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 08, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 25: Adley Rutschman #35 of the Baltimore Orioles triples in the eight innings during a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 25, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
As we start to tick through the key dates leading up to the start of the 2026 baseball season, the Orioles arrived at one such benchmark yesterday by holding their first full-squad workout. The whole team has now reported to Sarasota for spring training, greeting old friends and meeting new ones. In just three days, there will be baseball, with the O’s hosting the Yankees at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday afternoon for the Grapefruit League opener.
Seeing the whole gang back together again, ready to work and full of positive vibes about the season ahead, is enough to bring a smile to the face of even the most hardened cynic. Baseball is on its way, and these are your 2026 Orioles, for whatever comes next. The guys now gathered in Sarasota are the ones we’ll be spending every evening with for the next 7-8 months, more or less. Of course, there will be roster changes along the way — maybe a boatload of them, if last year’s 70-player threshold is any indication — but the core group seems set. Now it’s a matter of whittling this massive camp roster down to the 26 who will represent the Birds on Opening Day on March 26.
Priority number one: stay healthy. The O’s have already gotten some bad news injury-wise on Jackson Holliday, who will miss the first few weeks due to hamate surgery, and Jordan Westburg, who has been limited by an oblique flare-up. The Orioles no doubt will continue to suffer some aches and pains throughout their four-week exhibition season. It’s a hazard of the job. But if they can avoid major injuries and keep their projected lineup and pitching staff largely intact for the entirety of the spring, hopefully they can carry more momentum into their 2026 season than they did into their doomed 2025.
Orioles season is upon us. Let’s go have some fun.
Holliday expects he’ll have a quick recovery from his surgery and will be able to rejoin the O’s early in the season. My bigger concern is whether the hamate injury is going to sap his power long after he returns to the lineup.
Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers both have ace ceilings, too, but one is coming off of Tommy John surgery and the other has less than a full season of top-notch pitching. Again, the O’s are banking a lot on less-than-sure things.
A great read from Andy Kostka about everything Rutschman and the Orioles coaches have been doing this offseason to try to reverse his year-and-a-half slide. Adley’s got a great head on his shoulders, for sure. But whether he can translate that into production at the plate remains to be seen.
FanGraphs is the latest to drop a top-100 prospects list, and four Orioles make the cut. I won’t stand for this Nate George erasure.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You share your day with four ex-Orioles: right-hander Scott Williamson (50), outfielders Mike Hart (68) and Willie Kirkland (92), and the late infielder Alan Wiggins (b. 1958, d. 1991).
On this date in 2003, tragedy struck the Orioles when 23-year-old rookie righty Steve Bechler collapsed at spring training and died of multi-organ failure. The autopsy determined that a weight-loss supplement containing ephedra likely contributed to Bechler’s death, and a year later, the FDA banned the sale of ephedra-based dietary supplements in the United States.
And on this date in 2014, according to Baseball Reference, “The Orioles significantly improve their pitching staff as they sign free agent Ubaldo Jimenez … as well as South Korean Suk-min Yoon.” Yeah, uh, I’m gonna have to take issue with that “significantly improve” description. Yoon never pitched for the Orioles, posting a 5.74 ERA in 23 games at Triple-A before returning to Korea. As for Ubaldo, well, you know. He went 32-42 with a 5.22 ERA during his four years with the Orioles, ending his MLB career, and for all of our sakes I won’t mention his most infamous game.
Word on the street — and even in the dugout, from Al Lopez — was that the White Sox became the unofficial property of Bill Veeck on this day, 67 years ago. | (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images)
1934 Urban “Red” Faber retired after 20 seasons with the White Sox.
Somewhat overlooked in White Sox annals given he pitched in the immediate aftermath of the legendary Ed Walsh, Faber stakes a claim as the greatest hurler in White Sox history, with 67.7 WAR. That makes him their third-best player ever, behind Luke Appling and Frank Thomas.
But don’t feel guilty if you undervalue Faber, as it took him 17 tries to make the Hall of Fame despite ranking 11th all-time in pitching WAR at the time of his retirement (and still ranks 38th all-time, 90 seasons later). Faber never received more than 30.9% BBWAA voting support over 16 (!) different votes — and 10 times failed to poll at as much as 5%.
Faber’s 254 wins (254-212) fell just six short of Ted Lyons’ all-time White Sox mark.
Faber also authored the second-best two-season span in White Sox pitching history, with 21.0 WAR (11.4 in 1921, still tied for third in team history, and 9.6 in 1922, tied for eighth). Exactly 50 seasons later, Wilbur Wood topped Faber’s feat, with a 22.5 WAR two-season span in 1971-72.
1959 Bill Veeck exercised his option to purchase the White Sox from majority owner Dorothy Comiskey. However, due to her brother Chuck’s lawsuit claiming ownership of the club, the official date of sale would end up being March 5, with club transfer not occurring until March 10.
1964 Luke Appling was elected to the Hall of Fame, by curious means.
Sixty years ago, the BBWAA held “runoff” elections in years when no candidate crossed the 75% threshold on the first ballot. Appling tallied just 70.6% in regular voting, and while that led all players on the ballot, it was still nine votes short of election.
Given a second chance, the writers snapped out of their decade-long sleepwalk over Appling’s legitimacy and landslid him in, with 90.4% support.
It was Appling’s eighth attempt to be voted into the Hall, and until 1964 he hadn’t received more than 30% support! In his first year of eligibility (1953), Appling got … TWO VOTES from the BBWAA.
While of course the statistic did not exist at the time, Appling’s 77.5 career WAR ranked 18th all-time among position players and fourth among shortstops at the time (even today, Appling ranks 45th in position player WAR and 77th overall). And to this day, no shortstop has hit for a higher batting average than Appling’s .388 in 1936 — something you’d think would have had major impact in a counting-stats era.
But one aspect of the delay was sweet, at least for White Sox fans, as four-year Appling teammate Red Faber (elected via Veterans Committee) joined the Class of 1964 as well.
2006 In one of many before and after, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén issued an apology for an off-cuff remark. This time, it was to Yankees third baseman Álex Rodríguez, over his indecision on what country to represent in the World Baseball Classic. A-Rod, who was born in the United States with Dominican heritage, first opted to play for the Dominican Republic. Then he decided not to play in the WBC at all. Finally, Rodríguez settled on suiting up for Team USA.
Guillén had been quoted by Sports Illustrated as critical of Rodríguez’s “waffling’ over his decision, making him a “hypocrite.”
The defending champion White Sox would dominate the first half of the 2006 season, but faltered and did not qualify for the playoffs despite finishing with 90 wins.
New York, NY - October 2: Boston Red Sox first baseman Romy Gonzalez strikes out against the New York Yankees in the eighth inning of Game 3 of the Wild Card playoff series at Yankee Stadium on October 2, 2025. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Manager Alex Cora announced yesterday that Red Sox utility man Romy Gonzalez is currently shut down from all baseball activities except for playing catch. This announcement came after earlier reports that he initially injured his shoulder in the final series of the 2025 regular season and has been dealing with pain and discomfort all offseason. Gonzalez has received a PRP injection and has not technically yet been ruled out for Opening Day, but the fact that he has now been dealing with an injury for over four months seems, uhh, really, really bad to me.
One year ago, it wouldn’t have been a very big deal if the Red Sox announced that Romy Gonzalez was injured. But he broke out last year, particularly against southpaws. Against lefties in 2025, Romy led the team in homers, batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, wOBA, and wRC+. And by the way, the players who were second, third, and fourth on the team in OPS against lefties were Rob Refsnyder, Rafael Devers, and Alex Bregman. The team’s entire offense against left-handed pitching is either gone or injured, with only Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin to replace them.
Alex Cora says Romy Gonzalez is shut down from baseball activities right now and can only play catch.
Seems like they’re still waiting on the PRP injection to have an impact. Mentions 2B as his best position. pic.twitter.com/MjRXnOO4j8
Romy’s injury puts even more pressure on Roman Anthony, who was fifth on the team in OPS against lefties in 2025. Considering that he wasn’t even in the big leagues for the first few months of the season last year, Anthony’s swift rise to offensive cornerstone and face of the franchise is rather stunning. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
Outfielder/“fastest DH in the league” Jarren Duran was asked about his performance against lefties, saying “I did pretty good against lefties in ’24, right? So, ’25 they adjusted, so in ’26 I can adjust to them.” For the record, in 2024 Duran put up an OPS of .665 against lefties. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
Someone who has performed well against lefties is Triston Casas, the slugger who posted an OPS of .817 against them in 2023. But 2023 was his only full season in the majors, as he is struggling to show he can stay on the field. Casas is not yet participating in full team activities and is expected to be out until at least May, but he’s okay taking his time: “This was a major injury and I’m a great player, and I don’t find any reason to rush this process. And whenever I feel ready to come back is when I am going to contribute best.” (Ian Browne, MLB.com)
The injury to Romy and the lengthy recovery for Triston Casas is also a major hit to the team’s first base depth. That’s why Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who has played every single position expect for first base in his big league career, is now working out there. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
With so many question marks in the lineup, the 2026 Red Sox are going to need to be carried by their excellent (on paper) starting rotation. Sonny Gray is expected to be a big part of that, but right now it’s his 11-year-old son who is going viral on social media. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
Newcomer Johan Oviedo has not yet locked in a rotation spot alongside Gray, but Alex Cora likes what he sees out of him so far: “He’s physical. Good stuff. I don’t want to say he’s a work in progress but there’s a lot of things that we can help him accomplish and have the total package.” (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - SEPTEMBER 17: Jasson Domínguez #24 of the New York Yankees celebrates on second base during the game between the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Graham Miller/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Spring training positional battles are storied Florida/Arizona traditions, but as of now, the Yankees don’t have many significant battles to play out in camp. Sure, there could be injuries that shake up the depth chart, and there will always be jockeying for spots at the back of the rotation and in the bullpen. But as far as the Yankee lineup goes, all the slots seems spoken for.
One of the few positional storylines actually left to follow is that of Jasson Domínguez and whether he’ll make the club’s Opening Day roster. After coming out of camp as the team’s starting left fielder last year, Domínguez is far from a lock to make the team, with Brian Cashman indicating earlier this week that Domínguez could plausibly start the season in the minors at this point.
What do you think the Yankees ought to do with Domínguez? From a pure roster-building standpoint, I think it’s hard to argue that he isn’t one of the most talented 26 players in the Yankee organization and that he shouldn’t make the team based on potential production alone. Domínguez struggled for chunks of 2025, but even as a 22-year-old coming off a series of major injuries that cost him huge chunks of development time, he managed a league-average batting line as a rookie, hitting the ball very well against right-handed pitchers and flashing elite athleticism.
Yet the Yankees’ decision on Domínguez doesn’t just hinge on whether he’s one of their 26 best players, as there’s obvious context to consider. The team’s outfield is plenty full, starting Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Aaron Judge from left to right, and Domínguez’s skillset at the plate (strong against righties, weak against lefties) doesn’t fit well as a backup, given the team’s desire for bats that can hit left-handed pitchers off the bench. Though Domínguez clearly has more upside than, say, Oswaldo Cabrera, or the veteran reserves the Yankees have brought in this offseason like Paul DeJong and Max Schuemann, they may be better served letting Domínguez get regular run in Triple-A while letting the others assume backup duties at the major-league level.
What do you think? Should the Yankees prioritize giving Domínguez consistent playing time in the minors, or should they include him on their Opening Day roster on the basis that he’s more talented than the other options?
Today on the site, you can get your morning started with Nolan’s overview on the state of relief pitching in the Yankee organization. Also, Matt celebrates Wally Pipp, the man most famous for losing his starting job to Lou Gehrig, and John previews J.C. Escarra’s 2026 campaign. And later, as part of our Free Agents series, Michael looks back at one of the most important signings in Yankees history, their re-signing of Aaron Judge in 2022.
Dodgers veteran infielder Miguel Rojas, whose surprising tying home run helped the Dodgers rally in Game 7 of the World Series, is back for his 13th season in the major leagues. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
When asked to describe Game 7 of the World Series and his place in it more than three months later, veteran infielder Miguel Rojas did not hesitate with his answer.
“Game 7 of the World Series was unbelievable,” Rojas said at his locker inside the Dodgers' clubhouse at Camelback Ranch last week. “Because nobody believed that I was able to hit a home run in the ninth inning with one out, and in that spot. No way.”
Rojas worked the count full, and on the seventh pitch of the at-bat, Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman left a slider over the plate, which Rojas rocketed over the left field bullpen, leaving the 44,000 fans on hand at the Rogers Centre — and the 51 million viewers watching — completely stunned.
“That was one of the most shocking World Series home runs I’ve ever seen,” award-winning baseball writer and Fox Sports commentator Tom Verducci said. “Here I was thinking, ‘Well, Ohtani’s on deck, so he doesn’t want to walk him.’ Never in my mind did I ever think that he was going to hit a home run. It was even more shocking to me than the Rajai Davis home run off [Aroldis] Chapman in 2016.”
Davis’ two-run blast in the 2016 World Series tied Game 7 at 6-6, capping a three-run comeback for the then-Cleveland Indians. It however, occurred in the eighth inning, and came in a loss, as the Cubs snapped their 108-year championship drought in extra innings that night in Cleveland.
How does Rojas’ tying homer rank historically? Is it on par with Kirk Gibson’s pinch-hit, walk-off home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series?
“I think in terms of game leverage, it’s right up there in I want to say the top five [greatest hits in the World Series],” Verducci said. “You’re not going to match Gibby’s for the kind of cinematic quality of it. But, in terms of out-of-the blue, series on the line — not just game on the line. Kirk Gibson was Game 1. Freddie Freeman off [Nestor] Cortes [in 2024] was Game 1. This is down to your last couple of outs in the World Series by a guy who hadn’t hit a home run all year against a right-handed pitcher — he hit one off of a position player right-handed. The shock value and game-leverage situation, it’s got to be top five; I’m talking about any hit in a World Series game.”
Rojas, who turns 37 next week, has not been known for his power. The middle infielder enters his 13th and final big league season with a total of 57 home runs. As Verducci notes, he hit just seven last season — six off left-handed pitchers and the one he hit off of a righty came against San Francisco Giants catcher Logan Porter late in a regular season game in which the Dodgers won, 10-0.
Miguel Rojas celebrates as he rounds the bases after he hit a home run to tie the game during the ninth inning of Game 7. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Batting ninth, with Shohei Ohtani on deck, Rojas stepped into the box with the goal of getting to first base. Hoffman started Rojas off with an 86-mph slider off the plate, getting the veteran to chase, putting him behind in the count, 0-1.
“I mean, my mentality was always to get on base,” Rojas said. “I think the first pitch taught me a lot about how the at bat was going to go. I was able to, kind of like, regroup and kind of keep myself in that at-bat and give myself an opportunity to get on base."
Hoffman proceeded to throw the next two pitches out of the zone, bringing the count to 2-1. He then attacked the strike zone with back-to-back fastballs, both of which Rojas fouled away, into the stands. An up-and-in slider brought the count full.
“Then he hung a slider, and I put a good swing on it,” Rojas said. “I knew a strike was coming. I didn't know what kind of strike I was gonna see. I was happy to put the barrel on that ball.”
The rest is history. The Dodgers would go on to win in 11 innings, repeating as World Series champions. What came in the immediate aftermath of confetti and champagne, was not something Rojas could have ever expected when he rejoined the Dodgers via trade before the 2023 season.
“It was a little bit more of attention, on the media side, fans and all that,” Rojas said. “It feels like it was overwhelming with the off-the-field stuff, because I was traveling a lot and all that.”
Little did he know, Rojas had unintentionally launched himself to stardom.
“There were definitely a couple things that I didn't have on my radar, like the Latin Grammys was one of them,” Rojas said. “I went and shot an episode of 'Wheel of Fortune.' A couple nice things that you don't even know that you're playing this game for. But then you got the opportunity to, kind of like, travel and visit the world and go to places that you never expected to go. Really, it was really cool, overwhelming… but I think it's something that you don't have another opportunity to do.”
After enjoying the ride of the unanticipated media tour, Rojas is back at Dodgers camp, itching to win the final game of the season for the third year in a row in what he has said will be the final season of his career.
“Ever since I got traded, I can feel like walking into this clubhouse in spring training, the expectations are the same,” Rojas said. “And they're always making the team better. It's kind of like, right now, it feels like you have to win. It's not like, ‘OK, let's try to win. Let's try to do our best.’ It's like, ‘We have to win.’ It feels the same as last year and the year before and the year before that. The mentality is 'win.'”
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 2: Jack Suwinski # 65 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park on September 2, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates are cutting ties with tenured outfielder Jack Suwinski as they are officially designating him for assignment.
Suwinski has been a part of the Pirates’ organization since July of 2021 when he was acquired in a trade that sent second baseman Adam Frazier to the San Diego Padres. Suwinski having now being DFA’d will have the opportunity to be claimed off waivers by the other 29 MLB organizations. If Suwinski is not claimed off waivers, he will return to the Pirates’ Minor League system and likely elect to hit the free-agency market.
Suwinski being DFA’d frees up space on the Pirates’ 40-man-roster to officially sign newly acquired designated hitter, Marcell Ozuna. The Pirates resigned Suwinski to a one-year contract this offseason to avoid arbitration.
The time that Suwinski spent with the Pirates was highlighted by power at the plate coupled with wild inconsistency. The 27-year-old slugger made his MLB debut in 2022 and played in 106 games for the Pirates that season. Suwinski enjoyed a breakout season in 2023 where he had 26 homers, which ranked as the 20th-most in the National League. Suwinski’s cardinal sin was while he would have incredible power at the plate, he also had a nasty reputation of having a high swing and miss rate. That same 2023 season where he ranked 20th in homers, he also ranked sixth in total strikeouts with 172.
Jack Suwinski: 2nd more home runs by a Pirate player in their first 2 MLB seasons, behind only Ralph Kiner.
While he had flashes of greatness and potential as a power hitter in Pittsburgh’s lineup, Suwinski was never able to replicate the pop he he showed during the 2023 season. 2024 saw Suwinski appear in 88 games and hitting just 9 home runs.
2025 seemed to be the real breaking point for Suwinski’s time in Pittsburgh. He would appear in just 59 games, as he battled inconsistent play at the plate and did several stints with Triple-A Indianapolis. Suwinski finished the season with a slash line of .147/.281/.534 with 57 strikeouts and a career low t3 homers.
Suwinski’s departure opens the door for prospects Jake Mangum, Jhostynxon Garcia and Esmerlyn Valdez to have more playing opportunities in a thin Pittsburgh outfield group.
SCOTTSDALE — Patrick Bailey’s 2025 MLB season was not a strong one offensively, but you wouldn’t know that if you watched a highlight reel of the Giants season.
In addition to winning a second straight Gold Glove Award, Bailey provided two of the biggest moments at the plate for the Giants. He put his name in the history books in July with a rare walk-off, inside-the-park homer against the Philadelphia Phillies, and two months later he stunned the Los Angeles Dodgers with a walk-off grand slam.
Bailey smiled Monday when asked which highlight he watched more often over the winter.
“I feel like I get tired when I watch the Phillies one,” he said. “So I like the Dodgers one.”
That second walk-off was notable for more than just allowing Bailey to become the first player in MLB history to check both of those specific boxes in one season. It came from the right side, and it was his first homer against a lefty in two years.
Bailey hit .212 with a .566 OPS from the right side last season, but he responded with a quick “no” during a group session last week when asked if there was any thought of giving up switch-hitting. The other five catchers in camp all hit from the right side, including both young options on the 40-man roster — Daniel Susac and Jesus Rodriguez — so the Giants are positioned to limit Bailey’s exposure to tough lefties if they want to, but he doesn’t intend to cede any playing time.
During a live batting practice session over the weekend, Bailey scorched a ball into the gap off lefty reliever Matt Gage. The swing showed off some mechanical changes made over the winter.
Bailey’s hands are lower and he has a much bigger leg kick from the right side than he did in 2025. The latter adjustment came when he was doing a drill that required him to hover his lead leg in the air and then bring it down in a controlled manner.
“I took a couple of good swings that way and I was like, ‘You know what, let’s just lift my leg really high and give myself more time,'” he said. “I almost feel more athletic when it’s up in the air. Pitchers do it, so it feels like an easy timing mechanism. It feels really good so far.”
Bailey is hopeful the changes help him rediscover some of the results from his rookie year, when he had a .829 OPS against lefties. But he also knows there’s a long way to go on his left side, too. Bailey’s OPS against righties last year was .615; overall, he had a .602 OPS and six homers, both career lows.
The strange thing about Bailey’s 2025 season was that he was actually one of the Giants you might most want up late in a game. He hit .290 in what were deemed “high-leverage” plate appearances, with a .739 OPS that was comfortably above the league-average mark of .717. Bailey drove in 28 runs in 107 high-leverage plate appearances and 27 in his other 345 plate appearances.
The new staff is diving into those specific numbers, and Bailey is well aware of the splits. He said he enjoys the big moments, but he’s working with hitting coach Hunter Mense on trying to be more balanced and improve his swing intent earlier in games.
The splits are odd, but there also might be a simple explanation. Bailey is the game’s best defensive catcher and expends a lot of physical and mental energy before and early in games leading the pitching staff. At the same time, he’s a first-rounder who has shown flashes of being a good big-league hitter.
It would make sense if Bailey had a bit more focus in those tense moments late in games and was able to tap into more of his natural talent. But that’s not something he’s leaning on.
“Obviously what I do with catching a lot is a grind, but at the end of the day, a lot of other guys do it,” he said. “I’ve got to hold myself to that standard whether it’s the ninth inning or the first inning. Each run is the same. But yeah, we’re definitely kind of trying to play around with intent on each swing and just trying to be the same.”
Even with a subpar offensive season, Bailey was worth 3.2 fWAR, ranking him eighth among MLB catchers and behind only Matt Chapman, Rafael Devers and Willy Adames among Giants position players. His defense is simply that valuable, and the Giants don’t anticipate that changing much with the implementation of ABS. Bailey will take the lead in requesting their challenges, and given that they’re limited, his pitch-framing skills are likely to still have a huge impact.
A step forward at the plate would be huge for the lineup and could turn Bailey into an All-Star, which would be nice timing given that he’s about to go through his arbitration years. So far, he’s encouraged by how he’s feeling after offseason adjustments.
“I wasn’t happy with either side last year,” he said. “But I’m super confident this year, both right-handed and left-handed.”
Walker Buehler throws a pitch during a June 2025 game for the Red Sox.
Former World Series hero Walker Buehler is getting another chance to revive his MLB career — and this time, it’s with a former rival.
Buehler, 31, has agreed to a minor-league deal with the Padres, and he’ll get a chance to compete for a spot in their starting rotation throughout spring training, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Triston McKenzie, Matt Waldron, Germán Márquez, JP Sears and Marco Gonzales are all competing with Buehler for likely just one rotation spot with the Padres, according to the Union-Tribune.
Walker Buehler throws a pitch during a June 2025 game for the Red Sox. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
The deal marked a return to the NL West division where Buehler starred for the first seven seasons — not counting 2023, when he missed the entire campaign due to a second Tommy John surgery — with the Dodgers and won a pair of rings with them in 2020 and 2024.
He started just one game for Triple-A Lehigh Valley and appeared in three — while starting two — for the Phillies the rest of the season. Buehler finished with a 4.94 ERA across his stints with both teams in 2025.
“It’s obviously disappointing,” Buehler said after being demoted to the Red Sox’s bullpen. “It’s the first time in my career that I’ve been in a situation like that, but at the end of the day the organization and to a lesser extent myself, kind of think it’s probably the right thing for our group and it gives me an opportunity to kind of reset in some ways.”
Walker Buehler reacts during a June 2025 start for the Red Sox. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
But at the peak of his career, Buehler was an ace for the Dodgers who topped 23 starts in a season three times and finished inside the top-10 for Cy Young voting twice.
During the Dodgers’ World Series run in 2024, Buehler threw five shutout innings against the Yankees in Game 3 before recording the final three outs in Game 5 to secure Los Angeles’ championship.
He also delivered a strong start for the Dodgers during Game 3 of the NLCS against the Mets.
Feb 13, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits during live batting practice at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
MLB | Bryan Hoch: Flame-throwing prospect Carlos Lagrange knew he’d be throwing a three-inning live batting practice session. He did not know he would be facing the greatest hitter on the planet, Aaron James Judge. Each got the better of the other, as they faced off three times. Judge demolished a 99-mph heater from Lagrange out over the left field wall. Later, Lagrange struck out Judge with 102.6-mph gas. There’s video of the two facing off over on X, so it’s not hard to find Monday’s battle of power versus power.
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner ($): Speaking of Judge, he is preparing for more than the regular season. For the first time in his career, he will represent Team USA at the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Monday, he gave some of his thoughts on the opportunity. Noting that Team USA fell short against Japan in 2023, Judge made his feelings clear that he wants a rematch with the reigning champions this time around. “They’re the reigning champs. They got a great squad coming back. I think that’s why Team USA really bulked up this year to go out there and take care of business. If (Japan) is bringing back the same crew they did three years ago, it’s gonna be a heavyweight fight…”
ESPN: One more from the Yankee Captain. Discussing the club’s offseason, Judge made it clear he was impatient for the Yanks to make some moves. “Let’s sign these guys right now and start adding more pieces because I’m seeing other teams around the league get better… They’re making trades. They’re signing big prospects or big players. And we’re sitting there for a while kind of making smaller moves.” Judge also clarified that he expressed his discontent to the front office. All that said, with the first games of the spring coming later this week, Judge is confident the Yankees are right where they need to be.
MLB Trade Rumors | Charlie Wright: Finally, there is actually news that has nothing to do with Aaron Judge. Yanquiel Fernandez, whom the Yankees claimed from the Colorado Rockies, has cleared waivers after the club designated him for assignment. That enables the Yanks to outright Fernandez, once one of the brightest prospects in the Rockies’ system, to Triple-A. A path to the Bronx in 2026 for Fernandex is unlikely barring a whole slew of worst-case scenarios. But he provides depth and who knows… maybe the 23-year-old can figure it out with a change of scenery.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 12: Members of the Colorado Rockies pitching staff meet prior to a spring training workout at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 12, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images)
Spring training is in full swing. Pitchers and catchers reported to camp last Thursday, and the rest of the squad is set to officially join them tomorrow.
At the end of last season, the Colorado Rockies looked like they were going to once again trot out a very young rotation that saw Chase Dollander and McCade Brown make their MLB debuts, and Tanner Gordon and Bradley Blalock enter their second years in MLB after debuting the previous summer.
So, if the rotation is set with Freeland, Lorenzen, Tomoyuki Sugano and José Quintana, who is the fifth starter that will break camp with the Rockies? Will it be Feltner in his return from injury? Will Dollander prove himself right out of the gate? Will it be Senzatela making his case to return to the rotation? Or will it be someone else — Gordon, Brown, or someone else entirely?
