Category: Baseball

Italy is pivoting from its original plan for the World Baseball Classic semifinals.

Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola will get the start Monday night instead of Michael Lorenzen, according to multiple reports.

The switch potentially sets up Lorenzen to face the U.S. in the championship game on Tuesday if Italy beats Venezuela. Or, Italy manager Francisco Cervelli is considering using both Nola and Lorenzen in the semifinals and opting for a bullpen game in the finals, sources told ESPN.

Italy is amid its best WBC appearance ever this year. The Italians are the only remaining undefeated team — sitting at 5-0 after beating Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals — including an upset win over the Americans in pool play.

In that stage, Italy breezed to the top spot in Pool B. It beat Brazil 8-0 and Great Britain 7-4 before easily handling the U.S. and Mexico.

Against the U.S., it burst out to an 8-0 start and staved off a late comeback to win 8-6. Lorenzen started that game and pitched four scoreless innings, potentially the reason why Cervelli wants him available for the championship.

On offense, Italy is led by a litany of weapons — and an espresso machine.

Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino smashed three long balls versus Mexico to drag the U.S. into the quarterfinals alongside Italy. Dante Nori, Jac Caglianone and Andrew Fischer, among others, have also stood out.

After each home run, Italy celebrates by having each hitter take a shot from the espresso machine, a tradition that’s been repeated 12 times thus far in the tournament.

If Italy does win Monday, it would set up a rematch with the U.S., who’s since bested Canada and the Dominican Republic to rebound from the upset loss. Against the Dominicans, strong defense, two fourth-inning homers and a lockdown bullpen helped the Americans outlast their boisterous opponent.

Team USA has announced Mets right-hander Nolan McLean as its starting pitcher for the final battle. It’d potentially be McLean’s second outing against Italy after giving up three runs in three innings the first time out.

First, though, it’s Nola’s turn on the bump Monday. He spun five scoreless innings against Mexico and has 11 years of MLB experience under his belt.

He’ll look to toss another masterpiece to keep Italy alive.

Johan Rojas' appeal unsuccessful, 80-game suspension official originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Major League Baseball announced Monday that Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas has been suspended 80 games without pay for violating MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

The suspension stems from a positive test for Boldenone, according to the league. Rojas’ appeal was unsuccessful, and the discipline was upheld.

The news was first reported March 3, and the ruling becomes official 13 days later, with Rojas remaining in Phillies camp and appearing in Grapefruit League games while the appeal played out. He was also turned away from participating for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic during that window.

On March 4, Rojas declined to comment to reporters on the manner, due to the appeal.

Rojas, 25, struggled in limited opportunities in 2025, slashing .224/.280/.289 in 71 games with the big-league club. He hit .279 in 147 at-bats with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Because the suspension is 80 games, Rojas will be ineligible for the postseason in 2026. He did not make the Phillies’ NLDS roster last October.

Rojas becomes the second Phillie in as many years to be disciplined under MLB’s program. Reliever José Alvarado received an 80-game suspension last season. Free-agent, and member of the 2025 team, Max Kepler was also disciplined this offseason for performance enhancing drugs.

The ruling also impacts the back end of Philadelphia’s bench picture. Rojas had been in the mix as a defense-and-speed option in the outfield. With him sidelined into the summer, the Phillies are positioned to lean more heavily on their depth group in camp.

Brett Sullivan was drafted in the 17th round of the 2015 MLB Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. He made his MLB debut eight years later on April 18, 2023 with the San Diego Padres and has been a journeyman catcher since. In 43 MLB games, Sullivan has slashed just .204/.250/.291 with two homers. Still, he brings a veteran presence to balance out the young catchers currently on the Colorado Rockies roster.

So far, he’s serving as a mentor to both Hunter Goodman and Braxton Fulford as well as the young pitching staff while competing alongside Fulford for the backup catcher spot.

“I think we all just pick each other’s brains,” he said of working with Goodman and Fulford. “‘Hey, what’s working for you? What do you feel? Hey, what’s this pitcher have? What are you thinking in this situation?’ We all just bounce ideas off each other, and if they take some of them, they do. And you might take some of theirs as well. It’s a collaborative effort, but a lot of it is communication number one.”

Communication and relationship-building are two things that Warren Schaeffer has been stressing throughout his tenure, and Sullivan is taking those directives to heart.

“[As a catcher], you’re kind of part of everything, and I think it’s finding time to either talk to those players wherever you can,” he said. “You find time to talk to the [pitchers] – what are they like? What do they need from you? 

“And then in the cage, it’s the same thing. You’re working with the hitting coaches, and then you have your catching individual defense,” he continued. “And when you’re doing that, you’re really focused on, ‘Hey, what do I need to do today to get ready for the game?’ So yeah, you’re bouncing around everywhere, but I think that’s the beauty of catching, and I think that’s what I gravitate to.”

Sullivan works to cultivate relationships “naturally” by asking questions and “getting to know [other players] as a person first, and then you take it to the field and it means a little more.”

“A lot of us can relate to the same things, and then once you have deeper conversations, you can relate even more,” he said. “And I think that’s truly what you take on the field – ‘Hey, I’ve got your back. You’ve got mine. We’re playing for each other.’ And that helps.”

While this is Sullivan’s eighth spring training, he’s already noticing “The Warren Schaeffer Effect.”

“It’s been great,” he said. “The coaching staff, they’ve come in with their new philosophies and theories, and I think it’s exactly what this team needs. The guys have been amazing. My impression is that it’s been a really fun camp.”

He’s also noticed a difference with the later start times that were rolled out this year.

“I’ve had a couple of camps where it’s been like that, and I think overall, those are the best types of camps where you have the morning to come in,” he said. 

“It doesn’t mean you get here later, necessarily. It means maybe more time to get your body prepared, and I like that a lot. You’re able to get in more work on the training table. You’re able to lift more, and you’re showing up a little more excited each and every day.”

In addition to being a major league catcher, Sullivan also spent time on Team Italy for the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

“It was special,” he said of his time on the roster. “It was in Taiwan. We went to Japan. I won’t forget that.”

He also took advantage of the espresso machine, which started as a tradition in 2023.

“I’m already hyped up enough, but I know before the Japan game, I definitely had my fair share,” he laughed. “I think I had at least three shots before the game. You’re just pacing, and then you look at the machine, and you just have another one. But you love it.”

As far as WBC predictions go?

“Italy’s hot,” he said. “I’m rooting for those guys. And then you have the US, who’s really good. 

“And the Dominican is playing something special,” he continued. “I really respect them with the fact that I played four years in the Dominican in Winter Ball. And that’s truly how they play. What you’re seeing is how they show up every day and play. So I don’t know who’s going to win, but I’ll be watching.”

But back in Scottsdale, Sullivan has some goals for the final week of camp.

“Just stay focused. Stay locked in and take it day by day, and be right where your feet are.”

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The Oscars were on Sunday night, an award show designed to be a celebration of movies. More than any other sport, baseball has a rich history in cinema. From Babe Comes Home in 1927 to Eephus in 2024 there have been some memorable baseball moments on the silver screen. Here are some of the many classics:

• Damn Yankees (1958)
• The Bad News Bears (1976)
• The Natural (1984)
• Bull Durham (1988)
• Eight Men Out (1988)
• Field of Dreams (1989)
• Major League (1989)
• A League of Their Own (1992)
• Mr. Baseball (1992)
• Rookie of the Year (1993)
• The Sandlot (1993)
• Little Big League (1994)
• For Love of the Game (1999)
• Moneyball (2011)
• 42 (2013)

You can see a more complete list of baseball films here. But maybe you appreciate some of the underrated films that get overlooked. Some of my favorite underrated baseball movies include The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976), The Kid From Left Field (1979), Tiger Town (1984), Brewster’s Millions (1985), 61* (2001), Fever Pitch (2005), and Sugar (2008).

What is your favorite film? What is your favorite scene? Favorite quote?

It’s all but a foregone conclusion that JJ Wetherholt will break camp with the St. Louis Cardinals and be a part of the Opening Day roster, but where should his place in the lineup be? The team has had him in the leadoff position several times this Spring, but should he stay there? Let’s look at the pros and cons.

There were many interesting responses when I asked this question of our Viva El Birdos community. The opinions seem to be split with some concerned about the extra pressure on a leadoff man in addition to the already heavy weight of a young player trying to become established as a major league regular. As was mentioned in our Feed question, if you look at JJ’s background, he has batted almost exclusively in the top 3 in the lineup from his time at West Virginia moving forward. It’s also worth noting that Wetherholt was frequently the leadoff man at Triple A Memphis after his promotion to that level on July 7, 2025. He responded by hammering 5 leadoff home runs the remainder of last season.

The other school of thought is to have Masyn Winn start the season atop the lineup and allow JJ Wetherholt to get comfortable and “earn” his way into the leadoff role. I can understand the potential wisdom in that, but Masyn Winn has not done well at leadoff. He only had an on-base percentage of .290 when batting leadoff for St. Louis. For the sake of comparison, JJ Wetherholt has a strong OBP of .421 at the top of a lineup.

The concern about having JJ Wetherholt in the leadoff role is the question of what to do if he struggles. I think this is one area where the St. Louis Cardinals approach to the 2026 season would benefit him as the team says player and future roster development is the priority. The Cardinals can afford to commit to allowing JJ Wetherholt to be at the top of the lineup. I also don’t get the impression that pressure is something that will cause a problem for JJ. He does not impress me as the type of personality who will wilt when faced with adversity. He also has displayed the ability to make smart adjustments as he has advanced through the Cardinals system.

You also have to ask what other options the St. Louis Cardinals have that would make sense in the leadoff role. I’ve heard some say that Lars Nootbaar when healthy could bat leadoff, but his OBP is lower than JJ’s at .341. Victor Scott II would seem to be a good fit because of his elite speed, but his OPB of just .283 won’t cut it. I cannot come up with a better option for anyone at the top of the St. Louis Cardinals lineup than JJ Wetherholt. He seems comfortable with the role so why not commit to him batting leadoff and allow him to settle into the role as the St. Louis Cardinals figure out who else will be a part of the core group of players moving forward?

Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw the final pitch of the 2025 baseball season, and it’s no surprise that he’ll throw the first pitch of the 2026 season for the Dodgers as well. Manager Dave Roberts on Monday made official that the right-hander will start on opening day against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, March 26.

Yamamoto was unquestionably the Dodgers’ ace last season, the only starting pitcher to remain active for the entire season. He finished third in National League Cy Young voting after posting a 2.49 ERA and 2.74 xERA in 30 starts, with 201 strikeouts and 59 walks in 173 2/3 innings. But it was his work in the postseason that pushed his season into legendary status.

In six postseason games, Yamamoto was 5-1 with a 1.45 ERA and 33 strikeouts against only six walks in 37 1/3 innings. He went the distance in Games 2 in both the National League Championship Series and World Series, the first major league pitcher with consecutive postseason complete games in 24 years. Yamamoto followed that up with six strong innings to win Game 6 of the Fall Classic in Toronto, then got the final eight outs of Game 7 the next day to close out the Dodgers’ second straight championship. That earned Yamamoto World Series MVP honors.

Yamamoto will be the second Dodgers pitcher to record the final out of the World Series then start on opening day the following year, joining Sandy Koufax in 1963-64.

Last season Yamamoto also started and won the Dodgers’ first game of the season, in Tokyo against the Chicago Cubs. He’ll be the first Dodgers pitcher to start consecutive opening days since Clayton Kershaw from 2011-18.

The Dodgers’ opener against the Diamondbacks is a 5:30 p.m. start, and will be televised exclusively by NBC, with streaming on Peacock.

J.T. Realmuto has skills that could one day make him a big-league manager originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CLEARWATER, Fla. – J.T. Realmuto admits that he’s thought about the possibility. It intrigues him. Not now. But definitely someday.

“It’s kind of in my blood,” he said Monday at Phillies camp.

The subject was managing. As in, would he like to manage after his playing days are complete?

“It’s definitely something that piques my interest,” he said.

Zack Wheeler, who initially signed with the Phillies in the fall of 2019 in part because he wanted to pitch to Realmuto, believes his favorite catcher would be an excellent big-league skipper someday.

“A lot of good catchers make good managers,” Wheeler said. “Behind the plate, you’re always thinking about game situations. You’re running a pitching staff. Probably the biggest thing a manager does is run a bullpen. I think J.T. would do that well. He has so much experience.

“And he has presence. He has credibility. He’d be able to have conversations with people where he could be firm and be real with them, or he could be like the ‘cool dude’ coach.

“He’s the whole package.”

Manager Rob Thomson has frequently called Realmuto “a manager on the field.” That’s why Thomson was so pleased when the Phillies kept Realmuto on a new, three-year deal this winter.

“He just does so much for us, on the field and off,” Thomson said. “He’s a great leader.”

Relamuto and pitching coach Caleb Cotham run pregame meetings with pitchers, breaking down individual attack plans for each hitter the staff will see in a series. Realmuto is known for speaking freely in those meetings, offering opinions and strategies based on the video and data that he studies behind the scenes and what his eyeballs tell him in game action.

And when he talks, pitchers listen. Wheeler seldom shakes off a pitch that Realmuto calls. There is complete trust between pitcher and catcher. Realmuto puts down the fingers – or in this day and age, pushes the buttons — and Wheeler executes. And Wheeler, mind you, has been the best starting pitcher in baseball since arriving in Philadelphia, according to Fangraphs, which gives him a 28.6 WAR since the start of 2020.

“My position kind of gives me a PhD in managing a pitching staff,” said Realmuto, who will begin his 12th season as a big-league regular in 10 days.

Realmuto will turn 35 on Wednesday. It’s too early to tell if he will play beyond his new contract, but he’s certainly a lot closer to the end of his playing days than the beginning. While he’s completely focused on winning a World Series ring in Philadelphia before his playing career ends, he has given occasional thought to what comes next.

First would be some family time. Realmuto and his wife, Lexi, have four young children and he’s going to want to be Dad for a while.

But he knows, “I’m going to miss the game.”

So, maybe, when the kids get a little older, he’ll look to manage. If he does, he’ll be joining the family business. As a kid, Realmuto was coached by his dad, David, a former college baseball player at Southwest Missouri State. David also coached his daughters, J.T.’s sisters Ryan and Amanda, in softball.

Both starred at the college level. Ryan was a four-time all-Big 12 player at Oklahoma State before entering the coaching world at Hofstra and Rutgers. Realmuto’s coaching connections also extend to the wrestling mat. His uncle, John Smith, is a former U.S. Olympic gold medal winner and a Hall of Fame coach at Oklahoma State.

If he were ever to become a manager, Realmuto would look to blend the old with the new, the technology and science of today with the feel and instinct that has always been there.

“I think I’d be good at playing both sides, the analytics and the eyeballs,” Realmuto said. “I do that now. We have all the analytics, but I use my eyeballs to read swings. As a manager, you have to use both. You have to know when to follow your gut. Like, you could be walking through the clubhouse one day and say to yourself, ‘This guy just doesn’t have it. He doesn’t have any confidence. I don’t care if the computer says he’s the best guy. Right now, he’s not there.’ You have to have that as a manager.”

A manager also has to set a tone that maximizes player performance.

Realmuto has learned that from watching Thomson.

“The way he came in and handled that 2022 season,” Realmuto said of the Phils’ National League pennant-winning campaign. “He was a calming presence. He had a really good team. We knew we were a really good team. But we were putting a lot of pressure on ourselves early in the season and, sadly, Joe (Girardi) got fired. Topper came in and said, ‘Hey, guys, you’ve got to believe in yourselves. We can’t do too much. I believe in you. We’re going to get to where we want to go.’ At that time, we were (seven) games under .500, but there was no panic in him. Every day was just calm, giving us confidence. That’s a huge part of managing, bringing the best out of your guys and giving them confidence. That’s something I take away from Topper.”

From afar, Realmuto has admired Skip Schumaker, who managed Miami and is now in his first season leading the Texas Rangers.

“I like Skip a lot,” Realmuto said. “Just the way he goes about his business. He brings intensity without having to say anything. He holds his guys to a really high standard, you can tell. I’ve never spoken to him about it, but you can tell his guys respect that intensity, and I think that’s important in managing. You need to be a calming presence but you also have to hold your guys to a high standard and the whole team has to be pulling in one direction, no matter how many superstars you have, no matter how good your team is. If everyone is not pulling in the right direction, it can go to crap really fast.

“My theory is you need both a calming presence and intensity. You’ve got to be able to be there and be a guy’s buddy and have cool conversations, but you’ve also got to kick somebody in the ass when they need it.”

If Realmuto ever manages, there’s one thing he’d love to have on his team.

“I think it would be fun as a manager to have a young, up-and-coming catcher that I could work with and try to help and mold and teach things that were taught to me when I was young because not every catcher gets that,” he said.

The game sustaining itself. One generation touching another. It’s a beautiful thing.

But first, there’s the rest of Realmuto’s playing career. The 2026 Phillies are once again built on pitching and those pitchers will require their leader to put down the right fingers.

Down the road, though …

“It’s all a matter of timing, making it work with my family, and a team giving me a chance,” J.T. Realmuto said. “But I do think it would be fun to manage.”

Italy has been the biggest surprise at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, nearly eliminating the United States by beating the Americans and Mexico in pool play before advancing to the semifinal round for the first time. A spot in the WBC championship game against the United States could await if the Italian team can beat Venezuela on Monday, March 16 in Miami.

Italy has reached this point with a roster made up of players born predominantly in the United States, though there are some players from Italy, Canada and even Venezuela that will be part of the semifinal round. There's also a notable roster adjustment after a calf injury suffered by Seattle Mariners infielder Miles Mastrobuoni in pool play.

Team Italy manager Francisco Cervelli announced Sunday that Cleveland Guardians shortstop Brayan Rocchio, who was born in Venezuela, is set to join the Italian team for its Monday game against Venezuela. Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola is set to start. Here's a breakdown of the full roster for Italy ahead of the WBC semifinals:

Team Venezuela reached the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic for the first time in 17 years by beating Japan on Saturday, March 14, sending the defending champions home early for the first time in the WBC’s 20-year history.

And if Venezuela wants a shot at the United States – 2-1 winners against the Dominican Republic on Sunday night – in Tuesday's title game, it will have to upend Team Italy, which has won all five games at this tournament and knocked off Puerto Rico Saturday to reach the WBC semifinals for the first time.

This semifinal matchup is set for Monday, March 16, at Miami's LoanDepot Park (8 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1)

Here's the Venezuela's roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic:

While much of Braves Country were watching the snow this morning, the Atlanta Braves made a Spring Training move.

The Braves sent Aaron Schunk and Brewer Hicklen to minor league camp today. Schunk gives them infield depth at the minor league level, but not a ton more. Aaron had 131 somewhat forgettable plate appearances with the Colorado Rockies during the last two years. He failed to impress in Spring Training, with a .174/.208/.174 line in 24 plate appearances. The projections think he would be replacement-level with Atlanta. So if he’s needed, they have a baseline perhaps.

Brewer Hicklen, an outfielder from UAB, was sent to minor league camp as well. Hicklen has bounced between Detroit, Milwaukee, and was drafted by Kansas City. He hasn’t been able to stick anywhere, however. So he’ll most likely wait with Schunk in Gwinnett until needed.

They won’t be making the Opening Day roster. That’s not to say they won’t appear in another Spring Training game. Because in preseason games, the rosters are made up and the stats don’t matter. They’re like, I don’t know, Braves Country TV options in Montana. The Braves have 43 players in camp.

MESA, Ariz. –– Last fall, Yoshinobu Yamamoto collected the final outs of the Dodgers’ World Series title defense.

Now, as the team embarks on a historic three-peat bid in 2026, the Japanese right-hander will be the first to return to the bump as the opening-day starter on March 26.

Manager Dave Roberts announced on Monday that Yamamoto will get the nod in the Dodgers’ regular-season opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks later this month. It marks the second consecutive season that Yamamoto receives the opening day honor, after pitching in the team’s Tokyo opener last March.

“It is a pretty easy decision,” Roberts said. “It’s an honor to be the Opening Day starter.”

It also further cements his status as the ace of the team’s pitching staff, coming off a 2025 season in which he was a Cy Young Award finalist and World Series MVP.

Last year, Yamamoto was the Dodgers’ most effective pitcher during the regular season, leading the team in starts (30), wins (12–8 record), and ERA (2.49) while finishing third in Cy Young voting.

He was also their most clutch performer on either side of the ball in the playoffs, posting a 5–1 record and 1.45 ERA in a tour-de-force October that included two complete games and his World Series Game 7 heroics out of the bullpen on zero days’ rest.

That heavy workload hasn’t had any ill effects on Yamamoto’s ramp-up for the start of this season.

He bulked up his body over the offseason. He came into camp ahead of schedule in preparation for the World Baseball Classic. And in two starts with Team Japan, he pitched well, allowing just two runs over 6 ⅔ innings while striking out seven batters.

“Part of being a gamer, being a great competitor in big moments, is the preparation,” Roberts said earlier this week of Yamamoto, praising the unique training program that has helped him adapt to the majors and unlock the potential of his undersized 5-foot-10 frame. “When you prepare the right way, that eliminates a lot of doubt and fear. For me, that’s the core of who Yoshinobu is. That’s what we’re trying to get all of our guys to feel that same way.”

Yamamoto becomes the Dodgers’ first repeat opening day starter since Clayton Kershaw did it in eight consecutive seasons from 2011–2018. 

Last year, he pitched five innings in the team’s Tokyo season-opener against the Chicago Cubs, giving up one run on one hit and one walk while striking out four.

“He started for us last year on the road (in Tokyo),” Roberts said. “But for him to get that start on Opening Day at home I think it’s going to be special.”

Entering the final week of camp, there are still questions about how the Dodgers will line up the rest of their opening day rotation behind Yamamoto.

Tyler Glasnow will be in the group, as will Shohei Ohtani –– who returned to Dodgers camp from the WBC on Monday, is scheduled to throw a bullpen session later this week, and remains on track to be built up to 3-4 innings by the start of the regular season despite having not yet pitched in a real game this spring.

Beyond that, however, there remains competition.

Roberts said the Dodgers will open the year with a five-man rotation instead of six, given the abundance of off days the team is scheduled to have during the first couple weeks.

The last two spots seem likely to go to Roki Sasaki and Emmet Sheehan, but Roberts said Justin Wrobleski and River Ryan remain in the mix, as well.

If Wrobleski doesn’t make the rotation, he would likely serve as a multi-inning option of the bullpen, perhaps capable of piggybacking with Ohtani as he builds up to full-length outings.

Ryan, meanwhile, could wind up in triple-A to begin the year despite his impressive 1.86 ERA this spring. The Dodgers are still trying to be mindful of his workload as he returns from Tommy John surgery, and could elect to ease him into the year as they manage what will be a limited workload for him this season.

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After a split squad and two games on Sunday, the Dodgers are back to facing just one opponent at a time for the rest of spring training, beginning Monday afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers at Camelback Ranch.

Lineup

Miguel Rojas DH
Freddie Freeman 1B
Mookie Betts SS
Max Muncy 3B
Teoscar Hernández LF
Hyeseong Kim 2B
James Tibbs III RF
Zach Ehrhard CF
Eliézer Alfonzo C

Tyler Glasnow starts for the Dodgers.

Other pitchers

Blake Treinen and Jack Dreyer are also slated to pitch.

Active pitchers from minor league camp are veteran Keynan Middleton (wearing uniform number 97), Kelvin Ramirez (93), Robby Porco (98), and Evan Shaw (91). Shaw was a 16th-round draft pick in 2024 out of Kansas who had a 2.22 ERA in 52 2/3 innings for High-A Great Lakes last season.

Other position players

Michael Siani is active on Monday, as are non-roster invitees Ryan Fitzgerald, Nick Senzel, Ryan Fitzgerald, and Zyhir Hope.

Up from the minors are Chris Newell (00), Joe Vetrano (95), Eduardo Guerrero (87), John Rhodes (09), plus catchers Victor Rodrigues (05) and Frank Rodriguez (92).

The Good Phight will be previewing the 2026 season by going over each position on the field. We’ll talk about the players that will occupy them, the players behind them, their strengths and weaknesses and give a few takes about how we think the season will shake out.

One of the more controversial roster decisions in a while was made this offseason when the Phillies decided that they were going to bring back J.T. Realmuto. While the temptation to say “they needed to move on” is tempting, the options that were available to them on the free agent market were, let’s call it, less than appealing. They would have made due had a few free agent decisions been different, but here we are in 2026 and we still have Realmuto here.

Should we expect anything to change?

The starter: J.T. Realmuto

Yup, back for another go’round. Signed to a three-year deal this offseason after losing out on Bo Bichette, Realmuto returns to the Phillies hoping to pull a Cher. Disappointing from both an offensive and defensive viewpoint in 2025, the team is hoping that Realmuto can stare down Father Time a few years longer while they try and find some kind of long term solution in their player development system.

The backups: Rafael Marchan

There has been hope for some time that Marchan might be able to hit juuuuuust enough to maybe unseat Realmuto as the starter and/or take some of his playing time. However, when we look at the games played totals for both, there’s Realmuto with 132 games as a catcher in 2026 while Marchan came in at 42 (math doesn’t work, but Realmuto came in plenty as a pinch hitter and stayed in the game).

It seems that no matter what, Marchan just will not unseat Realmuto any time soon. So, he’ll have to be content with continuing to be a good caddie for him. Besides, he’s probably not a starter anyway.

The depth: Garrett Stubbs, Mark Kolozsvary, Paul McIntosh

To those that wonder why Stubbs keeps getting minor league deals with a significant minor league guarantee attached, I present to you the team’s depth.

It’s pretty funny to look around at other teams in the league and see who has/doesn’t have catching depth. The Cardinals are probably the outlier as they have about five catchers that are legitimate options at the major league level, but many others are in the bind the Phillies are. They need someone in case of injury, particularly when your starter is entering his age 35 season. Stubbs can do that job for a few weeks, but if there is a real injury to Realmuto and the Phillies are forced to start Marchan and Stubbs for an extended period, there might be trouble.

Strengths: the starting rotation loves ‘em!

We can’t really put a number on the love that the starting rotation has for Realmuto. Even Marchan was getting some love from the pitchers with his preparation prior to games. It’s something that we cannot quantify yet, how good pitchers feel with certain catchers behind the dish for their starts. We can look at rudimentary stats like catcher’s ERA to have some kind of idea, but how much of that belongs to the pitcher and his talent level, and how much goes to the catcher’s ability to call and receive games?

However, with a team that has its foundation poured in its rotation, maybe keeping Realmuto around a while longer is the wise move when considering some of the alternatives that they actually had (Adley Rutschman was not getting traded, folks).

Weaknesses: how will Realmuto’s bat and glove fare another year older?

If there was a statistic that could be used to tell a part of Realmuto’s game last season, he was worse in it than he was in 2024. Everything from the back of the baseball card stats to the ones that are more obscure, under the hood types. He just was not good last year….which makes me wonder.

Was it a blip on his career radar or the new norm?

The skeptic in us believes this is it, the decline phase manifested. Aging curves that have historically shown catchers decline quickly seems to be coming true for Realmuto. Yet there is still a tinge of me that believes he still can get back to at least an average catcher behind the plate and at it. Is that a point of view taken with the rosiest colored glasses known to man? It’s possible, likely even. It’s also probably one of the bigger questions facing the team this year.

Hottest take: J.T. Realmuto makes the All-Star game

Here come those rose colored glasses again.

Listen, there are better options at National League catcher. There is one in Los Angeles, one in Colorado that might be their lone representative, and that’s just the top of my head. Yet with a decent start to his season, it’s easy to think fans would vote for Realmuto, mainly thanks to name value alone. What might that decent start have to constitute?

I have no idea!

Does it mean at least double digit home runs and a batting average that makes even your favorite uncle nod in agreement? Probably. But Realmuto’s reputation around the league is probably such that if he is off to a good start, the players might send him to Philadelphia this July.

Realistic take: it doesn’t look great on paper, but the catching duo is perfectly fine

Listen, we all succumb to Father Time at some point. When that happens usually depends on how well we take care of ourselves. Realmuto still takes quite good care of himself, but his production is not enough that he should be dictating how much playing time he gets in June, July and August. It is finally the year that Thomson tells Realmuto he’s getting games off during the week and that Marchan is going to play more often. We’ve been saying it for some time, but we have reached the point where, for the good of the player and the team, it needs to be done.

Should that happen, there is a path where the cumulative production they put up (and anyone else should an injury occur) is good enough to be at least average when compared to catching across the game. Will they hit 20+ home runs? No. Will they hit .250? Probably not. But the defensive value, both what we can and cannot quantify, will probably add to whatever offensive output they have to give them one of the better catching tandems in the game.

Opening Day for the 2026 Texas Rangers is on March 26, 2026, at Philadelphia against the Phillies. Ten days away from Opening Day, it seems like we have a pretty good idea what the Opening Day roster is going to look like.

On the position player side, things have seemed pretty well set since Andrew McCutchen signed. Yes, McCutchen got a minor league deal, not a major league deal, but he’s Andrew McCutchen. Even at the age of 39 and coming off of a 95 wRC+ season, he’s not someone you’re bringing to camp to as an insurance policy or to kick the tires on. You’re signing Andrew McCutchen because you’re planning on him being on your 2026 roster.

Had McCutchen come to camp and struggled, then maybe the Rangers would have had a decision to make. But McCutchen has torn it up in five Cactus League games so far, slashing .586/.706/.833, and while you aren’t going to make a decision based on five spring games, that performance thusfar certainly helps McCutchen solidfy his hold on a roster spot.

McCutchen will presumably be platooning at DH with Joc Pederson, who had an awful 2025 season and hasn’t been good in 2026. Pederson is getting reps at first base as the Rangers look to provide manager Skip Schumaker additional lineup flexibility, and he’s going to get a chance to get going in 2026, though his leash won’t be as long as it was last year.

So barring injury, the Rangers seem set with Danny Jansen and Kyle Higashioka behind the plate, Jake Burger, Josh Smith, Corey Seager, Josh Jung and Ezequiel Duran in the infield, Evan Carter, Wyatt Langford, Brandon Nimmo and Sam Haggerty in the outfield, and Pederson and McCutchen platooning at DH. Smith was nominally competing for the second base job, a competition he’s clearly won at this point. Duran’s spot as the utility infielder likely was locked up when Cody Freeman, his primarily competition for the job, went down with an injury. Tyler Wade is still hanging around, but I’m not sure that the Rangers would see any compelling need to clear a 40 man roster spot and send Duran down to give Wade a major league job.

On the pitching side, the first four rotation spots seem set, with Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, MacKenzie Gore and Jack Leiter. Jacob Latz and Kumar Rocker are each fighting for the fifth spot in the rotation, with Latz seemingly having the edge, although his usefulness in the bullpen could result in him going to the pen and Rocker getting the fifth starter spot, especially as it is anticipated (hoped?) that Cody Bradford will be ready to join the rotation in May.

Most of the spots in the bullpen also seem locked in. Robert Garcia, Chris Martin, Jakob Junis, Tyler Alexander, and Jalen Beeks are all safe. Cole Winn is out of options and Carter Baumler is a Rule 5 pick, so both have to be on the roster or potentially be lost, and each has pitched well enough that you figure the Rangers will keep them around to start the season.

Which leaves one spot up for grabs. That would potentially be going to Latz, if Rocker gets the fifth starter spot. If not Latz, Luis Curvelo is the pitcher on the 40 man roster who would seem to have the inside track. Aside from Latz and Curvelo, the options would seem to be a bevy of NRI arms. Ryan Brasier is a veteran who has veteranocity. Patrick Murphy impressed the Rangers last year in camp, got hurt, and then spent half the year in Korea. Josh Sborz is back, but his velocity isn’t, and while he’s had decent results this spring, I don’t think he’s a viable major league reliever if he’s only throwing 94 mph. And of course, the Rangers could end up with a late waiver claim or minor trade acquisition filling that spot.

So as things stand now, the only real questions appear to be, who the fifth starter will be and who will get the last bullpen spot, with the answer to the first question possibly answering the second question.

From a 40 man roster standpoint, the Rangers will need to add McCutchen, and possibly would need to add a reliever, depending on who ends up earning that final spot. Michel Otanez and Dairon Blanco would seem the most likely candidates to be designated for assignment to open those spots up — but then, I said that last week, when the news broke that the Rangers were signing Jalen Beeks, and Alexis Diaz got dropped instead.

26-year-old Ben Cowles has been on the Cubs, the Blue Jays, and the White Sox so far this year. The aim is obvious, to get him off the 40-man roster and onto the Triple-A team. If he gets put on waivers, someone claims him, and the circus is back in town.

Cowles can play a little bit. But not enough to claim a starting or utility spot on a team like Chicago, with championship ambitions. He’s more of a fill-in or Quadruple A player. His lifetime .258/.346/.409 slash line in the minors over 459 total games in five seasons isn’t going to get him anything but the taste of old coffee.

I’m not really sure why people keep claiming him, to be honest. He doesn’t have anything that the Cubs don’t have already but okay, let’s play that game.

Good luck to Ben. I hope he helps Iowa win it all. I suspect he’ll be on the way to another team, but maybe this time we can get this published before it actually happens. (We originally had this scheduled to run on the very day he was claimed by the Blue Jays.)