The Dodgers signed a 25-year, $8.35 billion deal with Time Warner Cable in 2013, and the team co-owns the network.
By comparison, the Royals received $45 million in 2024 from their broadcast deal with Bally Sports Kansas City, according to the Kansas City Business Journal.
Following the 2024 season, the parent company of Bally Sports KC voided its deal with the Royals. Bally Sports rebranded as FanDuel Sports KC and agreed to a restructured deal with the Royals, likely for less money.
So where does that leave the Royals with Bubic? There is absolutely still interest. One source told me the Mets are very interested. They are definitely in on Framber Valdez, but if he goes elsewhere, it sounds like they’d pivot to Bubic. The Orioles, I’m told, had interest at some point. I don’t know how deep it was, but they’ve also traded for Shane Baz and re-signed Zach Eflin. That’s not to say there wouldn’t be starts for Bubic, but it’s a crowded room there. I’ve heard some rumors about the Braves having interest. I wonder if the Phillies would jump in. They have a lot of uncertainty in their rotation. And I’ve been told the Padres are just sort of hanging on the periphery here.
My guess, at this point, is that Bubic isn’t traded, but I’m not terribly confident in that. The teams with interest just don’t match up all that well.
The price on Elly De La Cruz only will continue to rise, but the Reds have been unable to get their dynamic young shortstop to agree to a long-term contract extension.
Even before the 2025 season, De La Cruz rejected an offer that would have surpassed Joey Votto’s mark as the richest in team history, according to multiple reports.
The 24-year-old De La Cruz has made the All-Star team in two of his first three seasons with the Reds, finishing last year with 22 home runs, 37 stolen bases and a career-best 86 RBIs.
The Reds apparently didn’t offer Elly De La Cruz enough money. AP
“We made Elly an offer that would have made him the highest-paid Red ever,” team president Nick Krall told The Athletic on Friday. “That’s not where he is and you respect that. It’s their career. You keep going and you keep working on what you can do today.”
Votto, a six-time All-Star over 17 seasons with the Reds, signed a 10-year deal worth $225 million in 2012.
De La Cruz, who is represented by Scott Boras, is under team control for four more seasons and won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2029 season.
“I let my agent take care of all of that,” De La Cruz told reporters at the team’s fan fest.
Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. inked an 11-year, $288 million extension in 2024 to remain in small-market Kansas City.
Elly De La Cruz is still under team control for four more seasons. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Young stars such as Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna and Arizona’s Corbin Carroll also are among those to have signed nine-figure extensions in recent years to bypass arbitration and put off free agency.
Juan Soto, another Boras client, was a high-profile example of a player who turned down multiple extension offers early in his career, and he was traded from Washington to San Diego to the Yankees before landing a record $765 million contract with the Mets in free agency before last season.
The Reds signed pitcher Hunter Greene in 2023 to a six-year extension worth $53 million with a $21 million team option for 2029 to buy out multiple years of free agency.
“We’ve got a lot of guys on this club that are impact players that have a chance to be impact players,” Krall added. “Hunter took a deal and that was great. We love having him and he’s an anchor starter for us. We’ve had a lot of conversation over the years, it’s got to work out for both parties.”
BCB’s Sara Sanchez will have a wrap of some of the key Cubs Convention sessions later today or tomorrow.
For those of you not attending the convention but following the live coverage on Marquee Sports Network (and the channel is streaming all the sessions), this is an open thread for you to discuss what’s happening at the Sheraton Grand Chicago. Here is today’s schedule (all times Central). It begins at 9 a.m.
I did want to mention, briefly, one thing I noticed about Friday night’s Opening Ceremony. During the ceremony the Cubs showed a couple of videos of highlights of the 2025 season. During these videos Kyle Tucker wasn’t shown — not even when the Cubs’ other two All-Stars, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Matthew Boyd, were noted.
Tucker’s not a Cub anymore, as we all know. But he was a significant part of the 2025 Cubs who won 92 games and made the postseason. He shouldn’t have been completely left out of the videos.
The San Diego Padres have had a relatively quiet offseason, especially when it comes to addressing the needs on their roster. However, the Padres did make some news Thursday when they hired former club members Bud Black and Wil Myers. Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball sees the hiring of Black as a positive for San Diego and its new manager Craig Stammen. The former reliever who got the job this offseason after former manager Mike Shildt retired, has never managed and will need to lean on coaches and front office personnel who have been in his position, which makes the hiring of Black a solid move by the Padres.
Padres News:
The Padres signed eight international prospects on Thursday and Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball provides information on each one. The international signing period is open until Dec. 15, and San Diego has money left to spend, so there could be additional signings as the year progresses.
AJ Cassavell of Padres.com provided some answers to various questions he has received from fans on Redditt. Some of the questions asked of Cassavell were about A.J. Preller and a potential extension, what players he sees the team adding via free agency and what his thoughts are on the Los Angeles Dodgers adding Kyle Tucker to their lineup. You can read all the Q&A here.
JP Sears is a pitcher who may find himself pitching a lot of innings for the Padres this season. He is also the focus of the ongoing Padres roster review by Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Baseball News:
A day after Kyle Tucker signed with the Dodgers over the New York Mets and others, the Mets signed free agent infielder Bo Bichette on a three-year, $126 million deal. He joins a crowded infield and will play third base in New York, a position he has not played in MLB.
Framber Valdez is the top free agent pitcher on the market, but Justin Verlander is reportedly drawing interest from teams, including the Baltimore Orioles, who were considered to be one of the suitors for Valdez.
Star shortstop Elly De La Cruz declined an extension from the Cincinnati Reds last spring. The offer would have reportedly topped the 10-year, $225 million deal the team had with former first baseman Joey Votto.
The Los Angeles Angels who acquired Josh Lowe in a three-team trade Thursday, have said they are open to playing him in center field. In the same trade the Tampa Bay Rays acquired infielder Gavin Lux and the team announced Friday the plan is for Lux to be the team’s second baseman.
Mike Francesa has a message for Steve Cohen after losing out on Kyle Tucker: You’re no Bobby Axelrod.
The popular former WFAN host ripped the Mets’ deep-pocketed owner and the team’s president of baseball operations, David Stearns, after they failed to land the No. 1 free agent in Tucker, who instead chose the Dodgers’ four-year, $240 million offer.
Francesa’s comments came before the Amazin’s pivoted to shortstop Bo Bichette, stealing him from the Phillies on a massive three-year, $126 million deal.
“He looks like a weak, ineffective billionaire, who doesn’t know what he’s doing and is being led astray by a guy (Stearns) who doesn’t understand what it means to have muscle and be in the biggest city in the world,” Francesa said Friday on his self-named podcast.
He added: “What (Tucker signing with the Dodgers) also does is it completely minimizes the importance and the strength and reputation of one Steve Cohen.”
While no one can question Cohen’s willingness to spend, the Dodgers — not the Mets — have been the team that seemingly signs any player they want in recent years.
Kyle Tucker swinging during the NLDS. AP
In prior offseasons, the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki and Blake Snell, among others.
This offseason, fresh off two World Series titles, the Dodgers inked Edwin Diaz from the Mets and now prevented Tucker from landing in Flushing.
Cohen had a major win last offseason when he bested the Yankees to land Juan Soto on a 15-year, $765 million deal, the largest contract in North American sports history.
However, many expected after he became owner that he would simply not be denied for players he truly wanted since he could outspend them all.
He would simply be his “Billions” character in Bobby Axelrrod.
MLB even created the so-called “Cohen Tax” to try to prevent him from just winning every bidding war.
Yet, the Mets have now lost multiple bidding wars to the Dodgers for Ohtani, Yamomoto and Tucker.
“If you’ve never watched the character (Axelrod) that this man (Cohen) is supposed to be, he is supposed to be a ruthless, ‘I win every time,’ kind of guy, and he’s getting punched this way and that way and knocked down and humiliated in baseball right now,” Francesa said.
Francesa noted that Stearns may factor into how the team has operated in free agency, saying that it’s “not working” with the former Brewers’ top executive.
The Mets went to the NLCS in 2024 in Stearns’ first season, but endured one of their most disappointing campaigns ever in 2025 by missing the playoffs with an 83-79 record.
Francesa said Stearns seemingly wants to build a small-market team in a big market for Cohen.
“He looks like an ineffective, soft, middle-of-the-road owner who talked big game and doesn’t get the job done, Francesa said, “and puts people in place to do the same thing.”
Cohen responded to losing Tucker by flexing his financial might to land Bichette, a strong hitter who will man third base for the franchise.
Steve Cohen did not win a bidding war against the Dodgers. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The Mets still could use an outfielder and a starting pitcher despite already being in the highest luxury bracket, meaning they will pay 110 percent on any contract.
“He hasn’t been what everybody thought he would be. …The guy who was supposed to be Bobby Axelrod…,” Francesa said of Cohen.
“The bottom line is he was going to be (late Yankees owner) George (Steinbrenner) on steroids. Baseball was so worried about this guy’s Wall Street reputation and his outrageous wealth that they put in a guardian with him in (former Mets president) Sandy Alderson.”
The Yankees weren’t looking for much in December of 1997. After all, they had just won the World Series over the powerhouse Braves in a six-game series a couple of seasons ago, the franchise’s first title since their six-game victory over the Dodgers in 1978, and finished with a 96-66 record in 1997. Their roster wasn’t perfect by any means, but it was still good enough to finish only a couple of games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the division.
Unfortunately, that meant a matchup with Cleveland, which, despite a worse record, could still be a pain at the time. They certainly were a thorn for the Bombers, rallying against young closer Mariano Rivera to send the Yanks packing in the American League Division Series.
Over the offseason, there didn’t need to be many changes, as the roster needed a few small tweaks. And that’s where former outfielder and designated hitter Chili Davis stepped up to the plate — from both sides, to be specific.
Charlie Theodore “Chili” Davis Born: January 17, 1960 (Kingston, Jamaica) Yankees Tenure: 1998-99
One of just five players in major-league history to hail from Jamaica, Davis actually moved to the United States with his brother and three sisters at the age of 10. Charlie Davis took to the baseball diamond to fit in with those in his Los Angeles schools. A catcher and a first baseman primarily at that age, he certainly proved his worth and was taken by the San Francisco Giants in the 11th round of the 1977 MLB Amateur Draft.
Davis took some time to develop in the minors before making his MLB debut on April 10, 1981 at the ripe age of 21. And after playing the first game of his career, he only played seven more in 1981, tallying just two hits across those eight games before management and the coaching staff in San Francisco had seen enough to believe the switch-hitter could be a part of the MLB roster full-time.
In 1982, Davis made the majors and didn’t look back for the rest of his career. He played 152 games and slashed .261/.308/.410 with an OPS of .719, which comes out to an OPS+ of just one point better than average at 101. In the grand scheme of things, that’s not bad at all for a 22-year-old on a Giants team that was just slightly above average. He finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, losing out to the Dodgers’ Steve Sax, the Pirates’ Johnny Ray, and the Cardinals’ Willie McGee in a fairly competitive race.
Davis would spend the next five years of his career in San Francisco and earn two All-Star appearances in 1984 and 1986 before signing with the California Angels in the 1987 offseason. From 1988 to 1990, he stayed in California and had a few strong seasons, including 1989, when he grabbed a few down-ballot AL MVP votes. In 1990, Davis became a full-time designated hitter after back issues ailed him and prevented him from meeting the standards required in the outfield.
Davis signed with the Twins and continued to hit in 1991, slashing .277/.385/.507 for an OPS of .892 and the third-highest OPS+ of his entire career at 141, once again earning a smattering of down-ballot MVP support. He also won his first of three World Series rings while homering twice in that epic Fall Classic against Atlanta.
But, following that, he would not get any closer, despite putting up better numbers a few years later down the road when he returned to the Angels and posted almost 1.000 OPS figures in 1994 and 1995, with 1994 being the year he would make his third and final All-Star appearance.
In 1997, after his four-year (second) stint with the Angels ended, Davis made his way to Kansas City for a season. Then it was time for then-Yankees owner George Steinbrenner to make his splash in the 1997 free agent pool. When the Yankees signed Davis to a two-year deal worth $9.8 million with an option for a third season, it was all that Steinbrenner could have wanted, saying to Jack Curry, who at that point was a reporter for the New York Times:
We’re very happy with this guy because he’s a tremendous hitter and a tremendous influence in the clubhouse. We thought one of our problems last year was moving from DH to DH. You look at Davis, and he’s a professional DH. That’s what we lacked last year.
Was he the most flashy player of all-time? No. Did Steinbrenner have to shower him with big money and huge guarantees in order to bring him to The Bronx? Not at all.
Regardless, Davis was a valued member and team leader of the back-to-back World Series titles in 1998 and 1999. He played only 35 games on the record-breaking ‘98 team due to an untimely ankle injury and subsequent surgery, but still posted above-average numbers in those games and notched an .884 OPS across the final two rounds of the postseason, when the team needed him most — especially with primary DH Darryl Strawberry missing the playoffs to fight cancer. His finest hour came in the 1998 ALCS, when, in a crucial Game 5 in Cleveland, Davis came through with three RBI and a home run in a Game 5 that sent the Yankees back to the Bronx with a 3-2 series lead:
And in 1999, his final season in the league before retiring, Davis finished on a high note, appearing in 146 games for the Yankees and finishing the season with an OPS of .812 and an OPS+ of 108. He memorably broke up what could’ve been a 17-strikeout no-hitter by Pedro Martínez at Yankee Stadium on September 10th with a home run, and in one of the more amusing moments of the season, Chili hit a grand slam in the home opener against Detroit, mere moments after team legend Yogi Berra predicted it in the TV booth.
Davis walked away from the game as a three-time World Series champion (and a contributor to all three World Series winners) and a three-time All-Star. He retired at age 39 in December 1999 after the Yankees released him to pursue more flexible options at DH.
At the time of his retirement, Davis ranked third in MLB history with 350 career homers as a switch-hitter, trailing only Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle and Eddie Murray (he now ranks seventh). He was part of the Giants’ inaugural “Wall of Fame” class in 2008 and honored with a plaque in San Francisco. Davis has been busy since hanging up his cleats, serving as the big-league hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics (2012-2014), Boston Red Sox (2015-2017), Chicago Cubs (2018), and New York Mets (2019-2021).
Happy birthday, Chili!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
Welcome back to the 2025-26 edition ofSmash or Pass, in which we examine potential free agent and trade targets to determine whether the Red Sox should pursue them and what it would take to land them. Today we look at a Gold Glove infielder.
Who is he and where does he come from?
He’s Nico Hoerner and he’s currently a member of the Chicago Cubs, a team that, as Dan Secatore put it, just handed out a bad contract, a notion I agree with, albeit with sadness for the loss of a clubhouse leader. The 2018 first round draft pick (two picks ahead of Triston Casas) has been on a Major League roster since 2019 (two years longer than Casas, which isn’t an indictment on Triston as Hoerner is almost three years older). He’s primarily played at second base, logging 500 games at the position, though he’s dabbled at short, too, having played 210 games at that position.
Is he any good?
If you lamented Bregman’s departure from the team on account of his defensive ability, then you might like Nico Hoerner. In fact, he is the reigning Gold Glover at second, having also won in 2023, and his 2025 Outs Above Average (15) placed him in the top 98th percentile in the league. If you’re worried about the possibility of Ceddanne “Nuff Cedd” Rafaela covering second base despite being a world class center fielder, the acquisition of Hoerner will make you breathe easier.
Plus, Hoerner, who turns 29 in May, isn’t too bad at the plate either. He does lack power, mashing just seven home runs. But, I’m willing to forgive that since he gets on base to the tune of a .345 OBP and barely ever strikes out, as his career best strikeout percentage of 7.6% in 2025 also ranked in the top 98th percentile. Oh, and he stole twenty nine bags, so he’s quick, too. So, yes, Hoerner is really good. Which is precisely why he’s the valued starter on another team.
TLDR; just give me his 2025 stats.
.297/.345/.394, 7 HR, 61 RBI, 49 K, 39 BB, 29 SB, 4 FE in 156 games
Why would he be a good fit on the 2025 Red Sox?
I need to again state that, on a team that has been in shambles defensively for the better part of a decade and which has a stable infielder departing, Hoerner had ZERO throwing errors and just four fielding errors. He also missed just six games. That’s some stability that the team hasn’t seen in the infield in some time. Hoerner’s fWAR last year was 4.8. I’m in no way comparing Hoerner to Pedroia (unless I am?) but Pedroia’s average fWAR per 162 games played in his career was 5.6. To be that close to a just-shy-of-a-hall-of-famer’s numbers is a very, very good thing. And, at his worst, Hoerner in 2024 still hit .273 while dealing with a hand injury
Why wouldn’t he be a good fit on the Red Sox?
There are a few reasons, the first of which is the question of what the Cubs would want for Hoerner. They would certainly try for a high-end prospect like Tolle or Early, some other considerable names like Arias or Romero, and presumably one or two other lottery ticket prospects. Now, the Red Sox have enough depth enough to absorb dealing these names for a possible All-Star. But, it may scare off the measured Craig Breslow a bit.
Moreover, Hoerner will be a free agent next season. Bo Bichette’s 3 year, $126 million deal with the New York Mets drives up the price tag for all-star caliber infielders. Hoerner avoided arbitration with Chicago in 2024 by signing a 3 year, $35 million deal, but that was a Gold Glove and five points on the strikeout percentage ago. He will command a deal closer to Bichette next offsesaon (humor me with no lockout discussion, please.)
Plus, the Red Sox may simply want to see what they have in Marcelo Mayer at another position, and the outfield is already backlogged enough that we may see Rafaela or even Kristian Campbell (left field chatter aside) in the middle of the diamond at some point (or maybe both if, heaven forbid, the infield has any health issues). And, if you’re looking for a specific reason why trading assets would be tricky, it’s that Hoerner lacks power; Savant consistently has him in the lowest tenth percentile in barrel percentage and hard hit percentage. If you’re looking for more power after the Bregman departure, you may not want to bring in a guy who only hit 36 home runs in a six (or 6.014) year career.
Show me a cool highlight.
Here he is outsmarting the White Sox twice in about five seconds on an infield fly rule to turn two by letting a baseball drop to the ground. There’s also the fact that he has super quick reflexes with that arm.
Smash or pass?
I’m smashing, but I think he’ll start the season as a Chicago Cub rather than get dealt to a team that saddles up the assets to acquire him and is prepared to extend Hoerner in short order. The Cubs are in “win now” mode and so they may see how the season goes with a stacked infield full of studs. This Red Sox offseason, the Ranger Suarez signing aside, has seen a return to the “interest kings” mode of operations, as the team has been tied to a plethora of notable names, only to see them sign with someone else. But the 2026 second base position largely remains a question mark, as it would have even with Alex Bregman returning. For this reason, it’d suit the Red Sox well to throw a little bit of caution to the wind and get a proven All-Star caliber player to join their ranks. Whether they will? Well, that’s a different story… no pun intended.
Bo Bichette headed to the Mets on a 3-year, $126 million deal and J.T. Realmuto to the Phillies yesterday on a 3-year $45 million deal as the MLB free agent market continued to move. Cody Bellinger remains the last big free agent available.
Joel Hammond, former contributor here, had a great thread explaining why it’s not particularly reasonable to think the Guardians are pocketing a bunch of revenue and, again, debunking the idea that Paul has access to the entire Dolan fortune. Yes, he still thinks the Guardians should spend more. It’s worth reading:
For the mouth breathing DOLANZ people, this is a great explainer.
In baseball, LOCAL revenue is much more a factor than in NFL. Local revenue: TV deal, tickets.
Dodgers: $320M PER YEAR in TV revenue. Braves: $160M PER YEAR in TV revenue.
Paul Hoynes pointed out that Stephen Vogt didn’t sound super confident that Steven Kwan would be a Guardian come Spring Training. It is curious to me that Vogt said “I really hope he is in left field leading off for us” rather than “I expect he will be in left field leading off for us.”
Never underestimate how little the Guardians care about fan reactions and feelings, but I shudder to think what the backlash would be if they don’t add anyone significant AND trade Kwan before the season.
Mason Horodyski of WEWS/News 5 Cleveland posted a bunch of clips of Austin Hedges, Hunter Gaddis and Stephen Vogt talking about the upcoming season on his Twitter if you’re interested in viewing more:
Robertson last season had a 4.30 ERA with 52 strikeouts and 30 walks in 52 1/3 innings in 43 games in Triple-A between the Astros and Royals systems. The 27-year-old right-hander pitched in the majors for the Dodgers, Red Sox, Cardinals, and Blue Jays in 2023-24.
David Roth at Defector looked at the last few days, and how the Tucker signing spurred more action and reaction among some top-spending teams. The Mets, who were in on Tucker, pivoted to Bo Bichette, whom they plan to play at a new position. That left the Bichette-pursuing Phillies left empty-handed, and they re-signed catcher JT Realmuto.
Max Muncy’s wife Kellie gave birth to the couple’s third child on Tuesday, a daughter named Macie Grace, which was shared on Instagram:
Also, 23 years ago (2002), the Blue Jays traded Brad Fullmer to the Angels for Brian Cooper.
So it is a shared birthday/today in Jays’ history post.
About the trade:
Cooper was an RHP. He was 27 at the time. He pitched for the Angels for portions of three seasons, making 21 starts and 6 relief appearances. He reached 5-10 with a 5.33 ERA in 128 innings, 57 walks, and 58 strikeouts.
Fullmer was also 27 at the time of the trade.
It wasn’t one of J.P. Ricciardi’s better trades. Fullmer was always thought of as a disappointment. Maybe because, as an LHB, he didn’t hit lefties at all. Maybe because Brad really couldn’t play defense. But I wonder why J.P. gave him away so cheaply (perhaps he was tired of paying for cleaning chewing tobacco out of the Skydome’s turf?). Cooper wasn’t much of a pitcher, nor was Brad a great prospect, but Ricciardi must have seen something in Cooper that the rest of us missed. I can’t imagine what he thought he saw. Cooper had as many walks as strikeouts when we traded for him.
The Expos picked Brad in the 2nd round of the 1993 draft. He played two-plus seasons with the Expos and had been a disappointment. He wasn’t very good with the glove at first base, and his bat didn’t show quite as well as the Expos hoped. Nevertheless, he hit .276/.326/.459 with 25 home runs in 259 games with Montreal.
In March 2000, Fullmer was part of a three-team trade between the Expos, Rangers, and Blue Jays. The Rangers sent Lee Stevens to the Expos, the Jays sent David Segui to the Rangers, and the Expos sent Fullmer to the Jays.
Stevens did a good job for the Expos, hitting .243/.334/.450 with 57 home runs in 3 seasons. Segui hit .336/.391/.519 in 93 games, and the Expos traded him to Cleveland for Ricky Ledee. Segui was always good at getting on base, but didn’t have the power you’d like to have from a first baseman.
Fullmer DHed for the Jays for two seasons, hitting .284/.333/.499 with 50 home runs and 187 RBI in 279 games. He had an excellent season in 2000, hitting 32 home runs and driving in 104 runs. If the Jays had a better team, we’d consider Fullmer one of the better DHs in team history.
The trade with the Angels didn’t go well for the Jays.
Fullmer played two seasons for the Angels and hit .294/.367/.521 with 28 home runs and 94 RBI in 193 games. He also starred in the Angels’ 2002 World Series win. He hit .294/.351/.471 in 12 playoff games. Brad also stole home in game two of the World Series as part of a double steal. Pretty crappy defense there, Giants.
Brad signed with the Rangers before the 2004 season. In late June, he hit .233/.310/.442 with 11 home runs, but a knee injury ended his career.
Fullmer played 8 seasons and hit .279/.336/.486 with 114 home runs.
Chad Beck turns 41 today.
Chad was a 43rd-round draft pick in 2004 (the draft is now only 20 rounds). Beck pitched 2.1 innings in 2011 and 15.2 innings in 2012, and that was his career. Only 1 other player picked in that round in 2004 made the majors: Chris Schwinden, who threw 29.2 innings over two seasons. Gotta love guys who beat odds that long.
Also, on January 17, 2011, 15 years ago now, the Jays signed Jon Rauch, without whom we would have never had this:
The weekend is a great time to kick back and reflect. This Week in Purple is the place to catch up on the news from our team at Purple Row. You’ll find links to Rockpiles and other content below as well as a platform for community discussion in the comments.
The Colorado Rockies released their preliminary promotional schedule for the 2026 season. It’s sparse at the moment, but the Rockies have assured us that there will be more coming so stay tuned!
But in the meantime, here are the giveaways and theme dates as of Friday:
April
Friday, April 3: Rockies Home Opener, 2026 Magnet Schedule (all fans)
Saturday, April 4: Jersey Sweatshirt (first 15,000 fans)
While much of the baseball-watching public is up in arms about the contracts that Kyle Tucker (Dodgers, four years, $240 million) and Bo Bichette (Mets, three years, $126 million) received this week, we have a much more modest rumor to talk about.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic is reporting that the Orioles, among a few other teams, are interested in 42-year-old righty Justin Verlander. The 20-year MLB vet and future Hall of Famer spent the 2025 season with the San Francisco Giants, where he had a 3.85 ERA over 152 innings.
Rosenthal clarifies that a deal between the Orioles and Verlander “is not close.” The O’s have their sights set on a bigger rotation upgrade, but those options are waning. Framber Valdez is the big free agent still on the market, above the likes of Zac Gallen, Lucas Giolito, and Chris Bassitt. There are some intriguing trade options, including Tarik Skubal, Freddy Peralta, and Mackenzie Gore, but they are expected to require a big prospect haul to land. Verlander would represent a Plan B.
Some will recall that this is not the first time that Verlander and the Mike Elias-led Orioles have been linked. Back in 2023, there was some speculation that the O’s could trade for the him when he was then on the Mets. At the time, he was still viewed as an ace, having posted a 1.75 ERA over 175 innings in 2022 and then looking solid again for a disappointing Mets squad halfway through ‘23. Ultimately, Verlander returned to the Astros, and the Orioles traded for Jack Flaherty instead. Both teams would be beaten by the eventual World Series champion Texas Rangers in the playoffs.
Whomever signs Verlander will not be getting the peak version, obviously. His velocity and strikeout numbers are more modest than they once were. He hasn’t thrown 200 innings in a season since 2019. And you could understand Orioles fans having some trepidation here after the club suffered through the Charlie Morton experience last summer, a pitcher from the same era as Verlander.
But the Orioles rotation is in a better spot now than it was when Morton was added a year ago. Morton was expected to come in and be one of the better pitchers on a unit that lacked an ace. Verlander would slot somewhere behind Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers, and be counted on for innings and guidance rather than ace-level performance. The upside of the rotation would be left to the duo ahead of him, the newly acquired Shane Baz, and the potential emergence or prospect Trey Gibson.
Adding a 42-year-old pitcher is never going to be the safest move, and it would certainly be a disappointment for fans that have been hoping for a bonafide ace at the zenith of their powers. But you could also do a lot worse than a proven winner like Verlander.
Links
Orioles Among Teams With Interest In Justin Verlander | MLB Trade Rumors Here is the MLBTR writeup of the above-mentioned report from The Athletic. If Elias and the Orioles’ front office isn’t in love with the more expensive options, signing a veteran like Verlander makes a ton of sense. He would be cheaper ($15 million salary in 2025) than some of the other arms out there, and it may keep their options open for a splashy trade in-season.
Some random thoughts and more mailbag questions | Roch Kubatko Not much in here apart from Roch reassuring us all that the Orioles are in hot pursuit of pitching upgrades. The quality of those upgrades is unclear. But no one is saying that they are out on Valdez or anyone else.
Busy week for Orioles as Framber Valdez remains unsigned | Baltimore Baseball For a long time I thought the Orioles could land Valdez if he was willing to take a short-term, high AAV deal. But I wasn’t aware of just how high some of these AAVs were gonna go. Tucker just got $60 million AAV, and then Bichette landed $42 million AAV. Are the Orioles interested in that stratosphere of a deal? Ehhh.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Rob Bell turns 49 today. He pitched in 30 games out of the Orioles bullpen in 2007, sporting a 5.94 ERA over 53 total innings.
The late Dick Brown (b. 1935, d. 1970) was born on this day. From 1963 through ‘65, he shared catching duties on the Orioles with John Orsino. Brown’s time with the Orioles, and playing career in general, was ended by a brain tumor that eventually took his life several years later.
It is a posthumous celebration for Jay Heard (b. 1920, d. 1999). The left-handed pitcher was the franchise’s first African-American player after their move to Baltimore. He would pitch in just two games for the 1954 squad.
This day in O’s history
January 17 has been a quiet day in Orioles history, according to Baseball Reference. Maybe that will change today. For now, here are some happenings from beyond Birdland:
1920 – The Volstead Act goes into effect in the United States, beginning Alcohol Prohibition.
1950 – The Great Brinks Robbery: More than $2 million is stolen from an armored car company’s offices in Boston by a team of 11 thieves. At the time, it was the largest robbery in United States history and went unsolved for nearly six years.
2013 – Highly-decorated former cyclist Lance Armstrong confesses to doping throughout his career during an interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Kyle Tucker joined the Dodgers, who offered him a cool $240 million for four years, with opt-outs after the second and third years.
More power to him. If you can get that kinda money, get right on it.
This even though I’ve hated the Dodgers from the git-go. I was raised by people who did not adore Brooklyn and were offended hugely by the way the move was done when they Greeley’d. Personally, it was Steve Garvey’s lantern jaw that I remember. It’s like the stinkin’ Cardinals… and that’s not the only parallel.
Now I look at the Dodgers much as I look at the early Cardinals, who owned the entire minor-league system (they were the principal architects of the system and maintained control until they were made to stop). They’re creating a new paradigm, for better or worse.
The Cubs have a new third baseman. You have to like his will to win, and let’s hope that rubs off.
“In October, it’s ‘Alex in Wonderland,’ and it’s a ‘Bregularly’ scheduled event, no doubt.” — Scott Boras.
Oh, and the Cubs Convention is under way. We’ll be back tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel, with more of this.
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The Chicago Cubs have signed Kotaro Tsunematsu to a minor league deal, according to his Instagram.
The 22-year-old outfielder was not selected in the NPB draft. He was later offered a job with Goldman Sachs but turned it down to join the Cubs organization.
“Literally the first second that free agency really opened I felt like we knew the Cubs wanted our family to be here, and we were excited about it,” Bregman, 31, said. “I thought it was trending that way, probably from the beginning of the offseason. They expressed right away that they wanted me. They made it extremely clear that they valued what I valued.”
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Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert jogs off the field after a loss to the Patriots in the playoffs. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
If there’s an important playoff game for the Chargers to win, you can bet they’re going to lose. Such was the case again against New England.
While having a decent enough defense, the offense was pathetic. And, yes, I know their offensive line was completely depleted. But, the 49ers were banged up as well. They lost George Kittle and still won.
Well, there’s always “next season.” Unfortunately, those two words still haunt the Chargers and their fans.
Rick Solomon Lake Balboa
Once again the Chargers flop in the playoffs.
This time much of the blame should be placed at the top with Jim Harbaugh. Perhaps he did not watch or was not aware of how many times in this year's playoffs teams had failed to convert on fourth down with disastrous consequences. The psychological effect on the team from failing to convert and put points on the board early was evident. He had a team without their top running back and a very weak offensive line yet chose to go for it.
Hopefully he will learn from this or maybe it is time for Harbaugh to join his brother in seeking new jobs.
Mark Kaiserman Santa Monica
Nothing wrong with the Chargers that a new OC with a game plan can't fix. Or is there?
Thomas Filip Moorpark
Dear Jim Harbaugh,
Thanks for firing your OC Greg Roman. Loyalty is great but loyalty does not get you to the promised land. In two postseason trips, one touchdown to show for it.
It needed to be done for Justin Herbert & Co.
Felipe Varela Whittier
True blue money
The Yankees won 27 World Series championships by being the best team money can buy. The west coast Yankees, aka the Dodgers, are now the best team money can buy. That's capitalism, baby!
Vaughn Hardenberg Westwood
As a Dodgers fan for a Joe DiMaggio-esque 56 consecutive seasons, I am happy to have Kyle Tucker in the Dodgers' outfield in 2026. Certainly, he will be an improvement over Michael Conforto, and allow Teoscar Hernandez to go back to left field.
However, I find it perplexing that a player who appeared in only 78 and 136 games in 2024 and 2025, and who has had only one top 10 MVP finish (fifth in 2023) in his career, would be signed for a whopping average of $60-million annually. To earn that enormous salary over the next four seasons, Tucker should be considered the best player in baseball not named Shohei Ohtani.
Ken Feldman Tarzana
Newsflash! The Dodgers buy another superstar, cost be damned! I'm not a Dodgers fan. I'm a Baseball fan, witnessing an organization job a system that destroys parity and fairplay. So go ahead — hop aboard the Dodgers bandwagon for another championship. While baseball fans everywhere else throw up their hands in disgust and flock to the NFL.
Jim Fredrick Manhattan Beach
The Dodgers' signing of Kyle Tucker for ridiculous money now ensures a (stoppage) after this baseball season. For everyone saying other teams could do the same thing, really? As much as anyone could love the Dodgers, this just takes away from the game.
Bob Goldstone Corona del Mar
If you’re mad at the Dodgers don't stop there — might as well don a cape and be super mad because MLB has no kryptonite against them.
Steve Ross Carmel
Same old problems
We should not expect too much from the Lakers. We have the same offense ran by the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic transplanted to L.A. Give the ball to Luka and everyone else stands around and watch. Who is teaching these guys defense?
Calvin Divinity Norwalk
How many more games do fans have to endure before the Lakers hire a coach who is a defensive specialist? Where is Frank Vogel when you need him?
Richard Raffalow Valley Glen
The only way I see the Lakers or Clippers making it to the second round of the playoffs is if they play each other in the first round.
Rick Sine La Quinta
Olympian effort
The womens' snowboarding competition at next month's Winter Olympics in Milan has taken an interesting twist. American Chloe Kim, two-time Olympic gold medalist in the halfpipe, will have to wear a shoulder brace after tearing her labrum. This would be analogous to having one arm tied behind your back.
Wayne Muramatsu Cerritos
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