Category: Baseball

Which Guardians will make the 26-man roster to open this season, as things currently stand in Guardians’ camp?

It has been two months since our last roster projection, and we have had a chance to see players begin hitting and pitching and hear what manager Stephen Vogt has to say about them. The Guardians have to make it a few more weeks injury-free to make Spring Training a success, but, the second week of March is USUALLY when you start seeing managers begin to play their “A-lineup” together for the purpose of repetitions. Today’s (3/9/2026) lineup, then, looks like a pretty decent clue as to what we should expect on Opening Day:

Kwan CF
Rocchio 2B
Ramirez 3B
Manzardo 1B
Arias SS
Valera RF
Hoskins DH
Hedges C
Halpin LF

Chase DeLauter played yesterday, as did Angel Martinez, and Stuart Fairchild and Bo Naylor are in the World Baseball Classic, so those are some factors to consider. Nolan Jones has a guaranteed major league contract, but, as we’ve been saying for a while now, since it is unlikely a team will pick him up on waivers and Jones is short of his 5 years of major league service time to refuse a minor-league assignment, I think we will see Cleveland designate him for assignment and, essentially, get an extra option year on him, leaving him as hopefully useful depth in Columbus for a while.

We know David Fry is making this team. You and I might question if that is the right move, if maybe an option to Columbus might be a better call, but he’s making this team if he’s healthy. We also have seen Daniel Schneemann play tons of positions this spring and I think it’s clear he is the team’s choice for super utility as the year opens. With those pieces of knowledge in mind, here’s how I think the Opening Day roster LIKELY sorts out at the moment:

Catcher – Bo Naylor, Austin Hedges and David Fry
Notes: Fry will probably also be in the mix at first base as needed, and I assume the team will try to work him into right field reps during the year. It’s possible Fry will DH but I’d much prefer to have him in the field so he can be available to sub in for Bo against tough lefty relievers and for Hedges when anything notable is on the line during a Hedgey plate appearance. That would seem to be his best path for adding significant value to this roster.

First Base – Kyle Manzardo and Rhys Hoskins
Notes: Hoskins is no Gold Glover at first, but Manzardo has looked borderline unplayable there this Spring. I’d like to see the Guardians give Manzardo no more than one start at first a week, and that’s still a lot. But, in any case, I am optimistic that these two will provide valuable presences in the middle of the order as hitters, most days with one of them as DH and the other as the first baseman.

Second Base – Brayan Rocchio
Notes: Today’s lineup makes it clear to me that Rocchio will start out at second base and move to shortstop whenever the team eventually decides to promote Juan Brito and/or Travis Bazzana. Grieve, rage, accept.

Third Base – Jose Ramirez
Notes: None. He’s the GOAT.

Shortstop – Gabriel Arias
Notes: Time to pivot from absolutely hating this idea to hoping that Arias has the late stage breakout of a Gio Urshela or Ernie Clement. Why not.

Utility – Daniel Schneemann
Notes: He can play every position well. That’s basically all you need out of this role, but hopefully, he’ll be able to also be a league average hitter against RHP. Not probable, but possible.

Left Field – George Valera and Angel Martinez
Notes: It’s not a clear thing if Steven Kwan will become the team’s centerfielder or not. Today, I’m going to guess that they end up being comfortable moving him there. If not, I’d expect either Angel Martinez or Stuart Fairchild to be your primary centerfielder, with Schneemann giving them a day off there now and then. Is that good? No, no, it’s not. So, I assume Steven Kwan will be in center. The murky rules of MLB make me unclear if the Guardians can option Fairchild to Columbus or not, but I believe they can. With Angel’s positive spring, I then expect him to get the first look in that centerfield (if Kwan is in left)/fourth outfielder role. And that’s more than fine.

Center Field – Steven Kwan
Notes: No one should ever complain about Kwan ever again if he bites the bullet and takes on the challenge of playing center for this team.

Right Field – Chase DeLauter (and Angel Martinez, Daniel Schneemann, eventually David Fry)
Notes: I hope it is clear to everyone that the team is going to play DeLauter like a maximum of three days a week in the field to start the season. He will also take some DH days and push Hoskins or Manzardo to the bench. It’s the way it’s gonna be. If Kwan is in left, Valera will get significant time in right to spell Chase, at least for a month or two. I am not sure how well Angel’s arm plays in right field, but, until Fry is ready to try it out there, we are about to find out.

Projected lineup vs. RHP

Kwan CF
DeLauter RF
Ramirez 3B
Manzardo DH
Valera LF
Hoskins 1B
Bo C
Arias SS
Rocchio 2B

Projected lineup vs. LHP

Kwan CF
Martinez LF
Ramirez 3B
Hoskins DH
Fry 1B
Arias SS
Valera/DeLauter/Schneemann RF
Bo/Hedges C
Rocchio 2B

Notes: The bottom of the LHP lineup is horrendous because DeLauter can’t play everyday. Just gotta hope the top of the lineup comes through.

Rotation:
Gavin Williams
Tanner Bibee
Joey Cantillo
Slade Cecconi
Logan Allen
Notes: I’ve decided to give up the hope that they start Messick in Cleveland. They will slow play his innings and wait for an injury or an Allen-implosion to bring him up. Do I like that? No, Allen should be the one demoted. But, I have to be an adult and accept reality.

Bullpen:
Peyton Pallette, RHP
Tim Herrin, LHP
Matt Festa, RHP
Connor Brogdon, RHP
Colin Holderman, RHP
Erik Sabrowski, LHP
Shawn Armstrong, RHP
Cade Smith, RHP
Notes: So far, Hunter Gaddis’s forearm tightness has been the worst news of the Spring. Hopefully, he will be ok to start the season… but I think the safer guess is that he will not be (may I have just jinxed myself and we find he is pitching today). That could open up the possibility of having Logan Allen be the long-relief option in the pen, but I suspect they use it to get a longer look at Holderman (who has an option) and Brogdon (who does not).

Overall, the biggest issue for me about this projection is that I badly want the team to put Rocchio at shortstop and have Juan Brito get his chance at second base, while Arias and Schneemann compete for that super utlity role. However, after Stephen Vogt said Arias would play around the infield this spring, Gabby has only been a shortstop (perhaps affected by his brief time on the injury report). I think we need to face the facts that he’s the shortstop… for at least a month… and root for him to put it all together.

What do you think? Whom do you think makes the roster that I’m overlooking.

The Dodgers on Tuesday host the Arizona Diamondbacks at Camelback Ranch, their 18th consecutive day of playing at least one game, before Wednesday’s first scheduled off day of the spring.

Tyler Glasnow makes his third start of the spring, progressing nicely toward what will likely be a start in the Dodgers’ opening series of the regular season from March 26-28 against the Cleveland Guardians. Glasnow threw 51 pitches in 2 2/3 innings last Wednesday in an exhibition against Mexico at Camelback Ranch, and will presumably be stretched into the fourth inning on Tuesday.

Right-hander Brandon Pfaadt starts for Arizona.

Tuesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs Diamondbacks
• Ballpark: Camelback Ranch
• Time: 1:05 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA, MLB Network (out of market)
• Radio: AM 570

On Monday, just two-and-a-half weeks before Opening Day, the San Francisco Giants shored up their left-handed depth with a move many expected months ago: Joey Lucchesi.

Lucchesi was somewhat surprisingly non-tendered at the start of the offseason, after a fairly strong 2025 with the Giants (MLB Trade Rumors projected him for $2 million in arbitration). He didn’t land anywhere else and now, according to Jon Heyman, the Giants have brought Lucchesi back on a Minor League deal that includes an invitation to camp. Per Heyman, Lucchesi’s deal is for $1.55 million, with an additional $300,000 in incentives, though since it’s a Minor League deal, he’s not guaranteed to make the team.

Unfortunately, this is more than just stockpiling depth. There’s a reason the Giants made the move for a southpaw reliever, and there’s a reason they made it when they did. At the same time as news was breaking of Lucchesi’s signing, the team was revealing that Reiver Sanmartin will be sidelined for up to three months with a right hip flexor strain.

In all, while it’s been a great spring for the Giants (who have the best record in either league at 12-3), it hasn’t been for their lefty relievers. Sam Hentges, the only healthy reliever they signed to a Major League deal this offseason, is no longer healthy, and won’t be in time for Opening Day. Erik Miller is nearing a return, but has been dealing with an ailment that has kept him from appearing in a Cactus League game. Sanmartin made two appearances before hitting the shelf for an indefinite amount of time. Matt Gage has a 6.00 ERA that would look worse if it included his stats against Giants Minor Leaguers in the exhibition versus Team USA. Carson Whisenhunt has had a hot-and-cold spring and looks more like rotational depth in AAA than bullpen depth in the Majors. Juan Sánchez has been the lefty reliever of the group, but he’s coming off a lost season, has no Major League experience, and isn’t on the 40-man roster.

So it’s easy to see why Buster Posey wanted to bring Lucchesi back. The veteran also signed a Minor League deal with the Giants last year, and began the year with Sacramento before later joining the big league squad. The 32-year old ended his first season in orange and black with 38 appearances, all out of the bullpen, and a 3.76 ERA with a 3.97 FIP. He had 31 strikeouts against 12 walks in 38.1 innings.

Welcome back, Joey. There’s a path there, should you choose to take it.

1927
Popular White Sox outfielder Johnny Mostil attempted suicide in a hotel room in Shreveport, La. Despite razor cuts to his wrist, neck and chest, Mostil survived and returned to the team in April, although he’d only play in 13 games that season.

Mostil suffered a number of injuries in his career, and had severe dental issues and neuritis in his jaw and shoulder; neuritis is an inflamed nerve condition, resulting in sharp and chronic pain. Given the severity of this suicide attempt — and the fact that Mostil plunged his hand into scalding water during his rehab, delaying his return to the White Sox — the star may have been simply trying to end significant suffering, suffering that the medicine of his time could not soothe.

In 10 years with the White Sox, Mostil would hit better than .300 four times (with a high of .328 in 1926) and in two other years, he’d bat better than .290. His 23.8 bWAR ranks 21st among batters, and 34th among all players, in White Sox history.

After his career, Mostil was a longtime White Sox scout/coach. He helped develop future players like All-Star and Gold Glove-winning outfielder Jim Landis.

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1934
Speaking of Jim Landis, the fleet center fielder of the Go-Go White Sox was born on this day, in Fresno, Calif. Signed at 18 years old before the 1952 season, Landis spent just three full years in the minors (interrupted by two years of military service) before becoming a White Sox fixture from 1957 to 1964.

Landis is regarded as one of the greatest defensive outfielders in major league history, punctuated with numerous heroics in the 1959 World Series. He also won Gold Gloves in five straight seasons (1960-64). When Landis retired, only Jimmy Piersall had a better fielding percentage among center fielders.

Interestingly, however, Landis only had a career defensive WAR of 2.0 and one outstanding season (2.4 dWAR, 1959) with the White Sox (yes, this means that in his career Landis actually had negative defensive WAR). That 2.4 ranks in a tie for the 31st-best season in White Sox history. More so, it’s probably a reason to pump the brakes on too many defensive metrics, because this one sure seems a bit off.

Incidentally Landis’ son, Craig, became a player agent and represented Paul Konerko, among others.

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1972
With talks at a standstill between the owners and the MLBPA over a new labor contract focusing on the players’ pension plan, the White Sox became the first team to have their players vote to authorize a strike if a new deal wasn’t put in place. The vote was 31-0, in favor. When all was said and done, the final vote of all players was 663-10 to strike if a new agreement wasn’t reached. As it turned out a new agreement wasn’t reached before the first few weeks of the season were impacted, and regular season games were lost for the very first time; each team played a different number of games in 1972, with the White Sox playing 154 instead of 162.

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1981
Although the deal would take an agonizing nine more days to officially wrap up, Carlton Fisk flew to Chicago to commit to signing with the White Sox. During the press conference, the ex-Red Sox catcher expressed no doubt the deal would get done.

Boston, who lost the rights to Fisk after missing a deadline to mail him his 1981 contract, made a $2 million offer to the catcher over five years, which the White Sox blew out of the water with a $2.9 deal. The Toronto Blue Jays were the third team most prominent in the running for Fisk’s services.

One of the key concerns addressed at the press conference was the risk in giving a 33-year-old catcher a five year deal. White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf expressed little concern.

“Fisk will be well-paid, but I don’t think it will be a foolish deal,” Reinsdorf told the assembled reporters. “How many years he has left is a matter of conjecture. But if in three years he does what we anticipate he’ll do, then it will be worth paying him for five years.”

Fisk ended up playing 13 years in Chicago, remaining at least a better-than average catcher through 1990, at 40 years old.

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2011
Former White Sox player and first-year minor league manager in the Atlanta system Luis Salazar was hit in the face by a foul ball from Braves catcher Brian McCann. Salazar, who was standing in front of the Atlanta dugout, collapsed and passed out, bleeding profusely. Transported by helicopter to Orlando from Kissimmee, Fla., there was some concern that Salazar will not survive the injury; he recovered, but not without losing his left eye and suffering multiple facial fractures.

Amazingly, Salazar returned to the field to manage his Lynchburg Hellcats in time for the team’s home opener on April 15. Salazar would manage in the Atlanta system from 2011-18.

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2023
Taking some time away from Naperville, Nicky Lopez drove in two runs in Italy’s 6-2, 10-inning win over Cuba in Taiwan during the World Baseball Classic. Lopez was outstanding in the WBC, starting at shortstop and hitting .474/.524/.632 with seven RBIs in five games. He led the team in most offensive categories and was only beat out as the All-Star shortstop for the WBC because the U.S.’s Trea Turner was somehow even better.

A year later, Lopez signed with the White Sox and commenced his pretty terrible year on the South Side.

In just two and a half weeks, the Royals will begin the regular season in Atlanta. We know most of the players that will make up the roster for that game, but a few players are fighting for the last few spots on the roster. Some of them are MLB veterans in camp as non-roster invitees. Some are former All-Stars, some have bounced around the league, but all are hoping for one more shot to be in the big leagues. Here are some of the candidates:

• Catcher Jorge Alfaro has over 500 games in the big leagues and catcher Elias Díaz was an All-Star in 2023 with the Rockies. Each is trying to make the team as a third catcher to allow the Royals to play Salvador Perez more at DH.
• Héctor Neris has 107 career MLB saves, and has posted high strikeout rates. The 36-year old is hoping to show he has something left in the tank. So is Aaron Sanchez, a former All-Star who hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2022 but was Pitcher of the Year in the Dominican Winter League.
• Sidearmer José Cuas is back with the Royals, hoping for another shot after spending all of last year in the minors. Eli Morgan has some solid big league experience.
• Helcris Olivárez has never pitched in the big leagues before, but is impressing with his velocity from the left side.
• Brandon Drury, Connor Kaiser, Josh Rojas, and Abraham Toro are all vying for a bench spot as backup infielders.

Which of these non-roster players has the best shot to make the roster?

Detroit Tigers vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Time/Place: 1:05 p.m., Joker Marchant Stadium – Lakeland, FL
SB Nation Site: DRaysBay
Media: Tigers Radio Network

When Gerrit Cole was forced to miss the 2025 season with Tommy John surgery, several young pitchers were forced to step up ahead of schedule to provide valuable innings in the ace’s stead. Cam Schlittler stole headlines with his late season surge, however there was another rookie pitcher who was arguably just as impressive, just in a different fashion. Will Warren was quietly one of the best rookie starters in MLB last season, and he is poised to take another huge step in his development at the major league level in 2026.

2025 Stats: 33 starts, 162.1 IP, 9-8, 4.44 ERA (92 ERA+), 4.07 FIP, 3.91 xFIP, 24.1% K%, 9.1% BB%, 1.22 HR/9, 1.37 WHIP, 2.1 fWAR

2026 FanGraphs Depth Charts projections: 43 appearances (21 starts), 132 IP, 7-8, 4.25 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 22.9% K%, 8.3% BB%, 1.23 HR/9, 1.30 WHIP, 1.4 fWAR

Among all rookie pitchers in 2025, Warren finished with the most starts (33), innings pitched (162.1), and strikeouts (171), while accumulating the sixth-most fWAR (2.1), establishing a floor as a bona fide backend MLB starter, while also flashing glimpses of a ceiling of being able to dominate an entire lineup — like he did when he struck out ten Rangers across 5.2 scoreless innings in May.

Of course, it’s also hard to forget him giving up seven runs in relief in Game 2 of the ALDS against the Blue Jays. We can chalk that up partially to a rookie pitcher being thrust into the cauldron of his first playoff experience — plus, it’s not like any of the Yankees pitchers pitched particularly well against a Blue Jays offense that was all hitting their stride at the same time.

Warren showed he has the stuff and pitchability to stick at the back of any major league rotation, the question in 2026 being opportunity. He faces a similar situation to the start of last year, when he was guaranteed a rotation spot while the team dealt with injuries to their other starters. FanGraphs Depth Charts projection system expects that he will make 21 starts before being moved to the bullpen once Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón return from their elbow surgery rehabs.

There are several things Warren can do to ensure that his name is one of the last to come up for consideration for a demotion from the rotation when Rodón and then Cole are brought back into the fold, and encouragingly it looks like he is already working on those improvements this spring. He struck out three in each of his first two scoreless spring starts, but it’s process rather than results I would like to look at.

The thing that has caught my eye the most this spring is Warren’s four-seamer. The pitch is operating about a mile per hour faster than it did last season, with roughly two inches more induced vertical movement (rise) and roughly two inches less horizontal movement arm-side. The result in those first two starts was ten swings and misses on 27 swings for an eye-popping 37-percent whiff rate (for reference, only four qualified pitchers — Edwin Díaz, Edwin Uceta, Devin Williams, and Mason Miller — had better than a 37-percent whiff rate on their four-seamer in 2025).

One of the biggest subjects of pitching research in 2025 was the importance for starting pitchers to throw multiple types of fastball, be that the four-seamer, sinker, or cutter. I’ve written multipletimes on the site how important it was for Warren to follow that trend, noting the similarity between him and Michael King and how the Yankees’ former pitcher leveraged that approach to becoming one of the most coveted free agent starters this past winter.

The ability to separate the four-seamer and sinker into two discrete pitches with divergent movement profiles is as key for Warren as it was for King. Because of how similar the two pitches look out of the pitcher’s hand, having a four-seamer that stays on plane versus a sinker that dives downward arm-side creates so much uncertainty for the hitter and the swing path needed to make contact. With the increased riding life and decreased horizontal run, Warren’s four-seamer now flies even straighter than the sinker, which is why you saw hitters whiff underneath four-seamers that were well inside the zone in the video of his first two spring starts.

For a pitcher who throws his fastballs as much as Warren — his four-seamer and sinker earned a combined 62.6-percent usage rate with about two four-seamers thrown for every sinker — it would behoove Warren to improve the raw characteristics of those pitches. Indeed, with the increased velocity and induced vertical break, Warren’s four-seamer has earned a Stuff+ grade of 110 this spring after grading out as roughly league average last season. There were times last season where Warren would throw a fastball in the zone when the count leverage favored a secondary for chase — and indeed Warren stands to benefit from scaling back his fastball given how nasty his sweeper, changeup, and curveball are — so possessing a four-seamer with better raw stuff should mitigate damage if he continues to deploy it in this manner.

I’m expecting big things for Warren in 2026. It’s true that he will have to fend off the likes of Cam Schlittler, Ryan Weathers, and Luis Gil if he wants to retain his rotation spot when Cole and Rodón return. However, he has continued to demonstrate this spring that he is a process-oriented pitcher always looking for ways to improve, which is why I feel Warren can work his way to becoming a mainstay of the Yankees rotation this season.

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See more of the Yankees Previews series here.

The St. Louis Cardinals will take the field at Roger Dean Stadium today as the Baltimore Orioles roll in for another Spring Training game. It’s a split-squad day as another Cardinals lineup will be playing the Houston Astros. According to MLB.com, Matthew Liberatore will make the start for the Cardinals and the starter for the Orioles is to be determined. For the Houston game, it’s Richard Fitts on the mound for St. Louis.

The headlines fairly leap off the pages, suggesting calamity will be visited upon what was once a storied NFL franchise.

Dolphins to release Tua Tagovailoa, take on record dead-cap hit…Dolphins to eat record $99.2 million dead money…

To the untrained eye, it’s tempting to send thoughts and prayers out to the Miami Dolphins and their owner, Stephen Ross. Hey, leaving a briefcase open with $100 million in it as you tool around in your convertible is a bummer, regardless of how much cash you’ve stashed offshore.

Funny thing is, though, that this "loss" will do nothing to imperil the Dolphins’ potential franchise value of $12 billion, nor Ross’s net worth of $17 billion.

See, the Dolphins won’t be paying Tagovailoa all that money. Just $167 million of his four-year, $212.4 million deal signed before the 2024 season was guaranteed. That means they’ll have paid him – in physical, depositable money – $55.6 million for the three years he quarterbacked the Dolphins.

Strange as it sounds, that’s more or less the going rate for marquee quarterbacks these days. (The debate over Tua’s bona fides in that department are for another day, or a better-qualified human).

No, the calamity for the Dolphins is over the "dead cap space" that Tagovailoa’s contract consumes. And as Major League Baseball and its fans ruminate over, for the umpteenth time, a salary cap in forthcoming collective bargaining talks, it’s worth examining what "dead money" means to both the football and baseball fan, in addition to the athletes in the arena.

Dollar, dollar bills

Baseball knows of dead money. It can be a real bummer, the bill coming due for dynasties long since passed, or players who break down before their time.

The difference is, MLB owners still must write the checks – and the athletes who earned them will be entitled to it.

Nick Castellanos’ five-year, $100 million deal with the Phillies pays him $20 million this year. Know how much he’ll receive? Twenty million dollars, with Philly footing all that bill minus the minimum wage San Diego will pay to scoop him up.

DJ LeMahieu won’t play an inning for the Yankees this year; they released him knowing he’ll earn $15 million in 2026, the last of his six-year, $90 million deal. And Hal Steinbrenner will scratch every check to make LeMahieu whole, money LeMahieu earned when he finished third in the 2020 AL MVP race, establishing his market value.

Somehow, the Yankees and Phillies will field competitive teams this year.

As for the Dolphins? Well, not only do they not have to pay Tagovailoa, they also get, in a sense, a golden ticket to be non-competitive in the foreseeable future. Not to get too far in the weeds, but they can, in fact, spread out the "dead cap hit" over two seasons.

Yet that much "dead space" under a $300 million cap while fielding a 53-man roster is undeniably onerous. And gives Miami a built-in excuse when it misses the playoffs for the eighth time in the past 10 seasons.

The owners win on both sides of the equation – they only have to pay so much guaranteed money to retain their marquee players. And if a deal goes awry, well, they simply don’t have the "cap space" to pay other players to make their team better, thus depressing those players’ markets.

Additionally, Ross will only shoulder so much of the blame if the Dolphins continue to suck. Hey, blame Tua! Greedy athlete, putting his livelihood on the line and expecting to be paid for it.

MLB teams walk the line

This is the reality MLB’s franchise, players and fans might face in a capped world. As we’ve come to find out the past half-century, free agency generates tremendous interest in the game.

Nothing fires up a fan base quite so much as a franchise swinging for the fences, willing to dip into its profits to make the team better. And when the franchise is on an upswing, having the ability to splurge a bit more – on a key reliever, an extra starting pitcher, a bit of platoon depth – is all the more important.

All the discourse about a cap has essentially zeroed in on one team – the Los Angeles Dodgers, who draft well, play within the rules and field exciting ballclubs. They win, and 4 million people saw fit to come through the turnstiles last year.

The New York Mets have caught some of that heat as well, yet they have been wise enough to not win too much. Good boy, Steve Cohen.

Yet there’s a much larger swath of big-league clubs for which freedom is important. And by freedom we mean, the ability to duck above or below baseball’s luxury tax levels – yes, a plateau that also forces owners to fork over money – as they see fit.

During the past decade, here’s a look at the teams that have gone above and below the tax level:

Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels, New York Mets and Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays.

That’s 13 teams – nearly half the league – exercising the freedom to splurge when they want to or save when it’s more prudent. Seven of those 13 have won World Series in that span, nine reaching at least a league championship series.

A handful of others – Seattle Mariners, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles – might eventually climb above the line, too, as their on-field fortunes continue to improve. While owners love to use the Pittsburgh Pirates or Kansas City Royals – your 2015 World Series champions – as the avatars for all that is wrong, the system seems to work pretty well for everyone, save for fans in markets where the concept of spending money to make money is foreign.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins will stagger along with their "dead cap money" as some artificial cross to bear. Fans and analysts will nod somberly, starting the countdown clock until the sheets are once again clean.

As MLB embarks on a season in which all but perhaps five teams – some of them former luxury-tax exceeders – harbor legitimate playoff hopes, it’s worth noting that it simply doesn’t have to be that way.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB should beware of NFL’s dead money illusion

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

Taking on the Red Sox pic.twitter.com/zMY1sqXC12

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 9, 2026

For the Red Sox:

Crochet on the mound at Fenway South! pic.twitter.com/Pze2tBF4ra

— Red Sox (@RedSox) March 9, 2026

Let’s talk about it (or the WBC stuff)

The Dodgers take on the Milwaukee Brewers in Phoenix on Monday afternoon.

Lineup

Alex Freeland 2B
Teoscar Hernández LF
Max Muncy 3B
Nick Senzel DH
Dalton Rushing C
Zach Ehrhard RF
James Tibbs III 1B
Noah Miller SS
Michael Siani CF

Emmet Sheehan is on the mound, making his first start this spring.

Other pitchers

The brothers Ryan — River and Ryder — are both scheduled to pitch in this one, as is Tanner Scott and non-roster invitee Antoine Kelly.

Up from the minor league side are Cody Morse (wearing uniform number 90), Myles Caba (91), Nicolas Cruz (92), and Nick Robertson (98), all of whom have been active for several games this spring.

Other position players

Non-roster invitees Ryan Fitzgerald, Zyhir Hope, and Seby Zavala are all active on Monday, as are a slew of minor leaguers.

Top-100 prospects Eduardo Quintero (07) and Emil Morales (06) made the trip, as did infielders Jose Izarra (00), Sean McLain (02), Austin Gauthier (89), and Kyle Nevin (93), plus outfielders Kole Myers (04) and Charles Davalan (87).

As the WBC rages on, the Grapefruit League plods along as well. Today, the Braves will give Carlos Carrasco a chance to eat some more exhibition innings as they give their regulars a few hacks in a home game against the Twins. Minnesota is sending a mixed bag of starters and not-starters, and will be giving the ball to Zebby Matthews, who is pitching for a potential rotation spot in the wake of Pablo Lopez’ injury. Matthews actually pitched really well in 16 starts last year (91 FIP- and xFIP-) but somehow unfortunately got saddled with a 135 ERA- in the process.

This will be the fourth time the Braves and Twins have tangled already this Spring Training.

First pitch against the Detroit Tigers is at 1:05 at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium and the Tigers will be providing radio coverage.

In the previous seven days, the Dodgers have sent a total of 23 players to minor league camp, including a dozen after Sunday’s game. All but two players from the two rounds of cuts have been non-roster invitees to camp, none of them unexpected.

What those cuts have done is thin the herd a bit, leaving only four non-roster pitchers still in big league camp. Cole Irvin is the veteran starting pitcher of the group, back from pitching in Korea and already built up to three innings this spring. He could potentially be an early option if the Dodgers feel the need for someone to fill bulk innings. After all, we know they will use a ton of starters.

Chris Campos is also still around. He’s been a starter since the Dodgers drafted him in the seventh round in 2022, other than the times he’s been used in bulk relief (11 of his 13 appearances out of the bullpen the last two seasons lasted at least three innings). So far this spring he’s pitched exactly one inning in each of his three Cactus League appearances, and he’s done well, with three scoreless innings, no walks, and five strikeouts among his 12 batters faced.

Whether Campos will pitch in relief going forward or him sticking around a little longer in camp is a reward for his earlier appearances remains to be seen. But the other two non-roster pitchers remaining in camp are more traditional relievers.

Ryder Ryan is River’s older brother by four years. He’s allowed two runs in seven innings this spring with five strikeouts. His first three appearances were one inning apiece, and he’s pitched two innings in each of his last two times out.

Left-hander Antoine Kelly has gotten results this spring, allowing only two walks and no hits in his five scoreless innings, with seven strikeouts among his 17 batters faced. A second-round pick of the Brewers in 2019, Kelly hasn’t yet reached the majors, spending time in the Brewers, Rangers, and Rockies’ system over the last seven years. But he’s touching 99 mph this spring to go with a slider. Whether the Dodgers found a harder-throwing Anthony Banda remains to be seen, but Kelly has pitched his way onto the radar this spring.

There are other relief pitchers on the 40-man roster. Ronan Kopp, just added to the 40-man roster in November, was optioned on Sunday. Kyle Hurt is back from injury, Paul Gervase at 6’10 is literally hard to miss, Will Klein could parlay his World Series heroics into a spot in the bullpen, among the group.

For today’s question let’s ignore the expected arms in the back end of the bullpen for a moment. Which under-the-radar Dodgers reliever are you most looking forward to watching this season?

Years ago, it was this exercise that sent me down a road of becoming mildly Rangers-pilled. This year, there is no such risk. 

If you are looking at the lineup and notable off-season moves and feeling lightly confused by the seeming absence of any clear strategy, don’t worry. You’re not alone. Led by beloved former Mariners legend Chris Young, Texas seems to have locked in on starting pitching and are employing the pop quiz style of light panic when it comes to their offense. Is this the baseball equivalent of the phenomenon where research has shown we are attracted to people who have similar features as us? Fortunately for Seattle, Jerry Dipoto does not seem to suffer as mightily from that affliction (although the bullpen has, of course, long been a strength). The Rangers have done little to refute the rumors that their 2033 World Series title was anything more than a fluke.

Notable Transactions

Out: OF Adolis García, 2B Marcus Semien, C Jonah Heim, UTIL Dylan Moore, 1B Rowdy Tellez, 1B/2B Donovan Solano
In: OF Brandon Nimmo, C Danny Jansen, OF Mark Canha, OF Andrew McCutchen, 1B Nick Pratto, UTIL Tyler Wade, INF Andrew Velazquez, INF Jonah Bride
Italics = Minor League Deals with Spring Training Invite

Texas caused a stir early on in the off-season when they traded infield staple and prized free agent star Marcus Semien to the Mets for outfielder Brandon Nimmo. It was a challenge trade to be sure but it remains to be seen what exactly either team was challenging. Their only other big league position player acquisition was Danny Jansen, who will slot into the distinctly sloping protrusion that was left by finally giving up on Jonah Heim. Danny, I’d sage the backstop if I were you. Finally free from the Lone Star State are a trio of ex-Mariners of mixed repute, and once-beloved slugger Adolís García. Two of those four are headed to the greener-ish (?) fields of Philadelphia, which doesn’t mean anything at all for this piece but damn am I excited to watch García absolutely molly-wop a baseball through the night air at Citizens Bank Park. 

Old, and I do mean old, friends (or foes), Mark Canha and Andrew McCutchen are competing for play time in the outfield and/or at DH alongside a smattering of 30-something infielders looking for their feel-good storyline. 

The Lineup

Order/Role	Player	Age	Position	Bats	PA	wRC+	Fld	WAR
1	Brandon Nimmo	33	RF	L	630	110	2.3	2.4
2	Wyatt Langford	24	LF	R	644	125	4.6	4.4
3	Corey Seager	32	SS	L	560	129	0.6	4.2
4	Joc Pederson	34	DH	L	434	118	0.0	1.3
5	Jake Burger	30	1B	R	588	104	0.9	1.2
6	Evan Carter	23	CF	L	476	105	-1.1	1.9
7	Josh Jung	28	3B	R	560	95	0.4	1.7
8	Josh Smith	28	2B	L	504	101	-5.0	1.4
9	Danny Jansen	31	C	R	352	100	-5.6	1.3
BN	Kyle Higashioka	36	C	R	283	86	2.0	1.2
BN	Ezequiel Duran	27	UTIL	R	280	87	-2.5	0.4
BN	Sam Haggerty	32	UTIL	S	259	92	0.2	0.5
BN	Michael Helman	30	UTIL	R	175	77	0.6	0.3

Thank goodness for Kyle’s brother, right? The new dad and late-August appendectomy patient will anchor the offense alongside homegrown outfielder and former first round pick Wyatt Langford in his third season in the bigs. Nimmo’s bat is a much-welcomed addition to the lineup and Evan Carter is looking to return to his historic 2023 postseason form. Everyone else in this lineup is projected to be under 2 fWAR (and we’re generously rounding up for Carter’s 1.9), and if you went “Hey wait, doesn’t that guy have some nagging injury issues?” about literally any of the names in this paragraph, yes. Yes they do. 

Jake Burger is hard-pressed to have a season worse than last year, so I could see him returning to mildly competent form. Similarly, if The Joshes can stay healthy and/or avoid whatever noxious vat of goo Smith fell into in the second half of last season, it wouldn’t shock me to see them both outperform their projections. That said, all of these if-festooned fellas still ultimately really only add up to a decent team at best. And as you’ll see later on this week, there are no reinforcements coming from the minors to Dave the day. But, depending on how you feel about their pitching, decent could be enough to be competitive. I would be surprised if they surpassed that, but these Rangers have certainly surprised before.