Category: Baseball

The Cubs’ Opening Day starter this year was Matthew Boyd.

The rotation at that time consisted of Boyd, Cade Horton, Shōta Imanaga, Edward Cabrera and Jameson Taillon.

Those five pitchers combined for 86 starts. Only Boyd and Imanaga finished the season in the Cubs rotation and only Imanaga was not injured at some point during the season, making 32 starts and throwing 174.1 innings.

In those 86 starts, those five pitchers combined for a 4.46 ERA and 1.223 WHIP in 460.1 innings and allowed 91 home runs. Those numbers are bad, no question about it.

Oh, but wait, it gets worse. The other 74 starts for the Cubs this year were made by Colin Rea (19), David Peterson (15), Javier Assad (11), Kevin Gausman (9), Clay Holmes (9), Ben Brown (8), Ryan Rolison (2), Jordan Wicks (2) and Riley Martin (1). (The starts by Wicks were intended to be actual starts; the three by Rolison and Martin were as openers.)

In those 74 starts, those nine starters combined for a 4.06 ERA and 1.037 WHIP, with 51 home runs in 388.1 innings. That’s slightly better, but it’s still not good. Ben Brown’s eight very good starts are responsible for a lot of that.

And I haven’t even gotten to the relief pitchers yet, and they were almost as bad. Daniel Palencia, anointed closer in Spring Training, was injured and missed most of the year and posted only three saves. Jacob Webb, forced into a role he wasn’t used to, did well at it … until he didn’t and blew multiple saves by allowing walk-off home runs. He had only nine saves. That makes 2026 the first year since 1971 that the Cubs did not have a single pitcher with double digits in saves since the save rule became official in 1969. Phil Regan led the Cubs with six saves that year and the team had just 13, fewest in the major leagues.

All told, the Cubs pitching staff ranked 14th in team ERA, 18th in starter ERA, 23rd in saves (and had 28 blown saves), and second in home runs allowed with 231. Only the A’s, playing in a minor league park, allowed more (247). By comparison, the NL Central champion Brewers allowed 171 homers, 10th-fewest in MLB.

But this article isn’t about pitching.

It’s about Cubs manager Craig Counsell, as the headline states.

Counsell somehow managed that pitching staff into 89 wins and a wild card spot.

Yes, a large part of that was due to the Cubs offense, which produced one of the best hitting seasons in franchise history with 850 runs scored, a team-record 674 walks, 220 home runs (third-most in MLB) and scoring in double digits 21 times.

But it’s not all that. The Washington Nationals scored 821 runs, finishing third in MLB. Their pitching staff was a lot worse, allowing 815 runs, compared to the Cubs’ 703. In fact, the Cubs’ record based on runs scored and allowed was 95-67, six games better than they actually finished.

I give a great deal of credit here to Counsell, who was given the following relievers at various points of the season: Corbin Martin, Drew Pomeranz, Bryse Wilson, Vince Velasquez, Jayden Murray, Jake Woodford, Ty Blach, Charlie Barnes, Andrew Wantz, Yacksel Rios, Antoine Kelly and Luke Little.

Yikes. If anything screams out “waiver wire acquisitions,” that list does. We know that Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer took responsibility for that in his season-ending presser:

About the Cubs bullpen, Hoyer said: “I did a poor job on the bullpen this year, full stop.”

Counsell, meanwhile, I believe did a masterful job of mixing and matching while those sorts of people inhabited the Cubs bullpen. Without his leadership, maybe this team winds up near .500 and misses the postseason.

So that’s my position. I think Counsell has done an outstanding job managing the Cubs over the past three seasons and the failures this year aren’t his fault. If Hoyer does his job this offseason, I believe Counsell is the right manager to guide the Cubs for the next two seasons — the years left on his contract — and perhaps beyond.

Tomorrow, I’ll have some thoughts about Hoyer.

I don’t have a pithy Yankee-related preamble and you can’t make me have one. I hate baseball. But anyway, on to the rest of Wednesday’s playoff slate.

Thanos. Tom Brady’s Patriots (unless they were playing our savior Eli Manning). The Los Angeles Dodgers. Inevitable, all of them. Wednesday, the Dodgers took another step toward becoming the first MLB team to win three consecutive World Series since the Yankees did it from 1998-2000. The Braves won Game 1 in Los Angeles, stealing home field advantage. It availed them naught, as the Dodgers stormed back to win three in a row even with Shohei Ohtani hitting like an actual pitcher. Infuriating.

Elsewhere, Cleveland avoided elimination and prevented the White Sox from clinching a playoff series at home for the first time in well over a century. The Pope is probably not overly happy right now. And in San Diego, the Brewers vanquished the Padres to set up a heavyweight matchup between the NL’s preeminent titans. It feels like we’re all Brewers fans now.

Cleveland Guardians 9, Chicago White Sox 3 (Chicago leads the ALDS 2-1)

Cleveland acquired Jo Adell from the Angels on August 3rd for catching prospect Jacob Cozart. Down the stretch, Adell gave the Guards some thump at the dish, with a 108 OPS+ after the trade. Wednesday, he saved their season. Adell stepped to the plate in the top of the third in a 1-1 game with the bases loaded. His second triple in as many games cleared the bases and gave the Guardians a 4-1 lead.

Chicago had their chances to come back and clinch the series. In the home fifth, the Pale Hose put runners on second and third with one out, brining the tying run to the plate in what was a 5-2 game. Kyle Teel turned on a middle-middle fastball and hammered it back up the middle at 98-mph… right into the glove of Cleveland second baseman Travis Bazzana.

Chicago did manage to get within two, closing the gap to 5-3. But from there, Cleveland did what you are supposed to do with a lead late in the game — tack on. The Guards put up twin runs in the eighth and ninth innings, turning what was a close game into a comfortable win that pushes this series to a Game 4. The Guards have to feel pretty good about that considering they’re sending Parker Messick to the mound, with Gavin Williams looming for a potential Game 5.

Los Angeles Dodgers 4, Atlanta Braves 1 (Los Angeles wins the NLDS 3-1)

Tyler Mahle deserved better. Acquired from the Giants on August 2nd, Mahle was nails for Atlanta down the stretch. In nine starts, Mahle gave the Braves a 1.99 ERA while averaging six innings per outing and allowing less than a baserunner per inning (0.957 WHIP). Wednesday was more of the same. An unearned run marred his ledger in the second, but from there he valiantly stymied the Dodgers. Until the seventh inning.

It seems like it’s always bloody someone new with the Dodgers. This time, Andy Pages was the hero (culprit, bane of our existence, whatever you want to call him). With the bases loaded and two out, facing a full count, Pages drove a single back up the middle. Two runs scored. Suddenly, the Dodgers were counting outs.

Edwin Díaz, who was slightly more successful than I would be getting out major league hitters during the regular season, came in for the ninth after the Dodgers bullpen had delivered 3.1 scoreless innings in relief of Tyler Glasnow. Díaz effortlessly retired the Braves in order, notching his third scoreless outing of the series. If he’s on, it makes the Dodgers even more formidable. Not that they needed it.

Milwaukee Brewers 3, San Diego Padres 1 (Milwaukee wins the NLDS 3-1)

After the two clubs traded runs in the third inning, with the Brew Crew needing one win to advance to the NLCS, Milwaukee did work in the middle innings. First, Jackson Chourio added to his posteason legend in the fifth with a tie-breaking single to put the Brewers up 2-1. In the sixth, Sal Frelick tacked on a sacrifice fly to double the Brewers’ lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, San Diego (and everyone else) thought they’d tied the game. Future Hall of Famer Manny Machado came to the plate as the tying run, facing Abner Uribe. Machado turned around Uribe’s sinker, driving it to center field at 106.7-mph. But he didn’t quite drive it high enough. Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell elevated, and robbed Machado of a game-tying two-run home run. Playoff baseball, folks. There’s nothing like it.

Milwaukee wasn’t [redacted] around when crunch time hit, either. With Trevor Megill on the mound looking to close out the series, presumptive NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob Misiorowski warmed up in the bullpen just in case. The Miz was never needed, however. Megill shut the Dads down in order to lock down an NLCS rematch with the Dodgers. This series also gave us a bit of baseball history.

Anyway. Go Brewers, Go. My Kingdom to stop the Dodgers.

Good morning friends! Three of the four Championship Series spots are filled following yesterday’s action. Let’s get you caught up on all of that and more on this Thursday.

MLB Postseason scores…

• The Dodgers triumphed in a 4-1 victory over the Braves, punching their third straight ticket to the NLCS.
• Another year and another early playoff exit for the Yankees, who might have had a shot in yesterday’s 4-3 loss to the Rays if not for a critical fan interference call.
• Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell earned his status as a playoff hero when he robbed Manny Machado of a game-tying homer, securing the 3-1 Milwaukee win to push them to the NLCS.
• With their backs against the wall, the Guardians found their offensive rhythm to win 9-3 in Game 3 against the White Sox. Chicago still leads the series 2-1 as they head into a pivotal Game 4 tonight.

In Mariners news…

• Jon Morosi pointed out that the Mariners may be especially hampered by the lockout since team officials won’t be able to communicate with their rehabbing veterans.
• Becca Weinberg caught up with Rainers broadcaster Rylee Pay after her second season on the mic.

Around the league…

• Many Yankees fans and media members are already calling for Aaron Boone’s firing, but Aaron Judge still believes he’s the right guy to lead the club.
• Major League Baseball sent a memo to owners instructing them how to act in the event of a lockout, reports Evan Drellich at The Athletic.
• Brewers assistant GM Matt Kleine and Cardinals assistant GM Rob Cerfolio are early candidates in the A’s new search for a general manager.
• Former Mariner Jake Bauers strongly considered retiring before his breakout 2026 season. Curt Hogg at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has the story on why he stayed and how he found the next gear.

SAN DIEGO — The Los Angeles Dodgers are the poster boys for baseball’s filthy rich.

They are Exhibit 1-A why Major League Baseball wants a salary cap.

They are the biggest, baddest dudes in baseball, with the deepest pockets, back-to-back World Series championships, three in the last six years, and a team littered with Cy Young winners, All-Stars and future Hall of Famers.

And, on Wednesday, Oct. 7, in San Diego, the Milwaukee Brewers let the world know they want ‘em.

They’re ready to slay the mighty dragon.

The Brewers knew all year that the World Series runs through Los Angeles, and after knocking off the San Diego Padres 3 games to 1 in the best-of-five series, giving them three days off and home-field advantage throughout the World Series, they are ready for them.

"Bring ‘em on," Milwaukee Brewers closer Trevor Megill said. "This is what we want."

As the Yankees’ season ends on a sour note, only more questions arise on what the team will look like by April 2027.

Or, who is simply still willing to play, even if not in pinstripes.

Paul Goldschmidt, 39, seemed to suggest his head is still in the game in the immediate aftermath of the Yankees’ 4-3 Game 3 loss to the Rays in an ALDS sweep on Wednesday night.

“I love competing,” he told The Post’s Jon Heyman.

Yet, Goldschmidt did not indicate where he hopes to play next season.

He will be an unrestricted free agent after the World Series, which may bring challenges and delays as MLB has a looming lockout over its head when the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) expires on Dec. 1.

The work stoppage would freeze offseason business, conversations between teams and players, and threaten the start of the 2027 season.

The 16-year veteran agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal with the Yankees in what was another move by New York to make its 2026 roster resemble last year’s team.

A seven-time All-Star and the 2022 NL MVP primarily served as a platoon bat for the Yankees. He had a .765 OPS with 18 home runs and 52 RBIs across 105 games this season.

On Wednesday, he entered the game for one at-bat as a pinch hitter for Luis Garcia Jr., reaching first base on a throwing error by Rays third baseman Junior Caminero in the bottom of the eighth as the Yankees trailed by one run.

The Yankees couldn’t make anything of the gift as Cody Bellinger went on to fly out and Giancarlo Stanton struck out swinging.

Goldschmidt finished the postseason 0-for-6 at the plate.

Goldschmidt’s resume is one that could eventually put him in the Hall of Fame, though the only thing missing is a World Series ring.

It was a tale of two seasons for Mets right-hander Kodai Senga in 2026. 

Senga's 7.34 ERA (5.82 FIP) and 1.64 WHIP tells one story, but how he performed after being moved to the bullpen -- and especially how he looked once utilized in a short relief role -- tells another. 

Still, things remain up in the air, both when it comes to what Senga's role will be in 2027 and whether he'll still be in New York when the season starts.

The day after the regular season ended, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns was unambiguous about New York's need to turn to external options to fortify a rotation that features Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and a handful of question marks. 

The Mets will also need to bolster a relief corps that excelled down the stretch even after four key members -- including Luke Weaver and Huascar Brazoban, who were both under contract beyond 2026 -- were traded at the deadline.

Senga, who will be entering his age-34 season and the final year of his contract in 2027, could be part of the equation in either relief or the rotation.  

But will the Mets trade Senga this offseason? Should they?

WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO TRADE SENGA

While Senga's acclimation to the bullpen went well, it's still fair to wonder if it's a long-term fit.

For one, Senga is meticulous with his routines, which were shaken up in a big way this past season with his transition away from starting. And 2026 was the first time he ever worked as a reliever in the majors. That it worked out for a few months is a plus, but there were times when Senga's stuff appeared to suffer when he pitched on back-to-back days.

Adjusting to a new role is one thing, but if Senga is going to excel as a reliever and be a true asset in that role, he's going to have to be able to pitch back-to-back (something he did three times in 2026), and three out of four days (Senga did that once in 2026).

Senga's desire to be a starter also needs to be factored in.

"I think we'll make that determination as we get into spring training and see where we are," Stearns said after the season about Senga's role. "We know where Kodai's passion is. He's been very honest with that. 

"We also understand that we need a level of production, in whatever role he's going to be in, to contribute to a winning team. And so, we'll ultimately make that role determination as we get into next year."

While health issues marred Senga's seasons in both 2024 and 2025, his body of work as a starting pitcher during his first three big league campaigns speaks for itself: In 52 starts over 285.0 innings, Senga posted a 3.00 ERA and 1.24 WHIP while striking out 320 batters -- a rate of 10.1 per nine.

It's quite possible another team looks at Senga's relative affordability ($15 million for 2027), stuff, and history, and decides to take a chance on him as a starter. If so, the Mets should be all ears. 

WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO KEEP SENGA

The idea when the Mets started using Senga in short relief (and eventually as the closer) was that he could excel in the role because of his fastball/ghost fork combination.

Mainly using those two pitches in relief allowed Senga to mix in his other pitches sparingly, and his fastball velocity often ticked up as he was pitching in short spurts. 

In his final start of the season, on July 31, Senga's four-seam fastball averaged 95.7 mph.

On Aug. 4, in his first outing after being moved full-time to a short relief role, Senga's four-seam fastball averaged 97.3 mph and topped out near 99. That average velo was down a bit during his last appearance of the season (a one-inning outing on Sept. 22), but it still averaged 96.6 mph with a max of 97.9. 

Overall, Senga had a 3.78 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 16.2 innings (18 games) after being shifted to a short relief role.  And that ERA is inflated a decent amount due to Senga's second-to-last outing of the season, when he gave up three runs in just one-third of an inning. He rebounded two days later to fire a perfect inning while striking out a a pair (the Sept. 22 appearance noted above).

If the Mets feel Senga's success over the last few months of 2026 can translate to a full season of success in 2027, it's easy to see a scenario where Senga stays.

Beyond Senga's ability to keep pitching in relief, though, there has to be buy-in from him. 

VERDICT

This is a tricky one.

On one hand, the Mets know Senga remains hopeful of starting. But despite the team's need in the rotation, it would seem counterintuitive to return Senga to the role given how badly he struggled when starting games in 2026.

In addition, it's impossible to know if Senga can handle the rigors of a full season in relief. And it's very difficult to envision the Mets entrusting closer duties to him out of the gate next year given the variance of the potential outcomes. 

On the other hand, Senga has the stuff to excel at the back end of games. 

While $15 million isn't the best use of resources for someone who pitches in the seventh or eighth inning, Weaver got $11 million to do just that before he was traded.

Not to be wishy washy, but this feels like a situation where the Mets will move on if there are serious trade suitors and try Senga in short relief again if there aren't. 

For a moment with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning and Fernando Tatis Jr. standing on first base, it looked like Manny Machado had connected on a game-tying two-run home run to center field. The swing was right. The sound was good. Machado had the lean and the crowd at Petco Park roared to life, but instead of the ball landing beyond the wall, it fell into the glove of Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell at the front of the wall and essentially ended the season for the San Diego Padres who dropped Game 4 of the National League Division Series by the final score of 3-1.

There was a blend of storylines from playoffs past that came to life once again for San Diego. There just was not enough top line pitching to get the Padres over the top and the offense once again went missing as the Friars recorded just three hits in Game 4 of the NLDS. Worse yet, San Diego did not record a hit after the third inning when Tatis hit a laser to center field for a solo home run to lead off the inning. Three Milwaukee relievers combined to pitch five hitless innings and allowed just three walks with six strikeouts.

It was somewhat fitting that in the final game of the season, a must-win in front of the Friar Faithful on their home field, Tatis, Machado and Jackson Merrill were the only players to record a hit. Throughout the series and for much of the season the complaint had been the stars needed to star. The support guys had been a big part of the success for the Padres and on a night when none of those players, Ty France, Samad Taylor, Luis Campusano, etc. were able to do anything offensively, San Diego saw its season come to an end.

Padres manager Craig Stammen did what he could with the remaining arms he had. He used seven pitchers in the game with only starter Walker Buehler and Joe Musgrove pitching multiple innings. Buehler completed three-plus innings and allowed a run on three hits with two walks. Robbie Ray allowed a run on one hit with one walk in one inning of work while Bradgley Rodriguez and Yuki Matsui combined to work a scoreless inning. Jason Adam threw an inning and allowed a run on two hits and Mason Miller worked the seventh inning, allowing two hits and a walk with a strikeout. Musgrove took the mound in the eighth and ninth innings and kept the deficit at two runs without allowing a hit while recording two strikeouts.

Stammen won 91 games in his first year at the helm and guided the Padres to the NLDS where they were knocked out by a 103-win Brewers team. It is not the ending the Friars wanted, but it was a successful season and despite the disappointing outcome of the NLDS, the Padres proved they belong as one of the top teams in the NL.

Padres News:

• The Padres did not have much to give them hope after losing the first two games of the series to the Brewers, but Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball tried to highlight the finer points.

• Yuki Matsui has finally become the big league reliever A.J. Preller and the Padres thought he could be when he came over from Japan.

Baseball News:

• The Tampa Bay Rays swept the New York Yankees to reach the ALCS.

• The Los Angeles Dodgers topped the Atlanta Braves to reach the NLCS.

• The Cleveland Guardians staved off elimination with a win over the Chicago White Sox.

For the 17th consecutive season, the New York Yankees will not win the World Series! They got swept. They never led in any of the games. It wasn’t close. The end!

This particular Yankee Elimination Day was still a little extra juicy though because nearly 30 years to the day after the Jeffrey Maier incident — in which the Yankees incorrectly got a game tying home run from a middle infielder — the Yankees had a game tying homer from a middle infielder correctly taken off the board because of fan interference.

And by the way, how is it that nearly every single October there’s some storyline about Yankee fans interfering with balls in play? This thing last night was even tame by comparison to some of the others. Who cold forget Austin Capobianco’s quotes following Mookie Betts getting his glove ripped out of his hand?

“I patrol that wall and they know that. If it’s in our area, we’re going to ‘D’ up. We talk about it. We’re willing to do this.”

In any case, it’s a glorious October day, and even though we still have a dark and ugly winter ahead, we can indulge in some good cheer after this sensational news! The Rays certainly did last night.

Use this space to talk about some of your favorite Yankee eliminations over the years, and to everybody here, enjoy our special day!

The Dodgers are back in the National League Championship Series, and it’s a rematch with the Milwaukee Brewers, with both teams closing out their Division Series on Wednesday night.

The NLCS begins on Sunday night in Milwaukee, with exact series start times to be announced.

But first, some more after the Dodgers closed out the Atlanta Braves in four games in the NLDS, including manager Dave Roberts telling the team in the celebratory visitor’s clubhouse at Truist Park, “We talked about this. There’s no more talented team than the Los Angeles Dodgers. We’re the best organization in sports, top to bottom. We’re smarter, we’re better, and we’re tougher.”

Roberts during his pre-celebration speech singled out a handful of players for their effort this season, including Edwin Díaz, who has looked considerably better since returning from his neck inflammation in late September. Díaz has worked his way back up the trust tree and closed out each of the Dodgers’ last two wins in Atlanta.

Roberts expanded on the thought during his postgame meeting with media.

“He’s had a tough season. He’s been hurt. He was having trouble with his delivery and went on a long rehab assignment. But to get him pitching the way — that’s the reason why we got him. The last two nights, that’s the reason why we acquired a guy like Edwin Diaz. He’s one of the great closers in the game,” Roberts said. “For him to be pitching his best right now, that’s what you hope for, and I give him a lot of credit.”

Díaz pitched three games during the series, pitching three scoreless innings, with three strikeouts among his 10 batters faced. He allowed a leadoff double in the ninth inning of Game 3, but stranded him.

“The team trusts me. I think that was the most important thing for me, the team trust me. They give me the ball every single day. And the last two nights it’s been amazing,” Díaz said in the interview room in Atlanta. “That’s why I came here to win games and close games like this one. So I’m really happy right now.”

Links

• Andy Pages had multiple hits in each of the last two games of the NLDS, and had the game-winning two-run single in the seventh inning of Game 4, after four hits in 51 at-bats and only one RBI in 16 games last postseason. Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic wrote about the turnaround for Pages.
• After leaving Game 3 in the eighth inning with lower back pain, Miguel Rojas was unavailable in Game 4 after still feeling after effects on Wednesday. Bill Plunkett at the Orange County Register has more on the veteran infielder.
• Davy Andrews recapped NLDS Game 4 for FanGraphs.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. found himself on the bench to start the Yankees’ deciding Game 3 of the ALDS, and he didn’t want to hear about it postgame.

The Yankees’ lightning rod and soon-to-be free agent responded to a reporter when asked about his benching: “No comment, next,” Chisholm said.

The Bombers went on to lose 4-3 in Game 3 to complete the sweep on Wednesday night as the Rays dominated in every aspect. 

Chisholm had a poor performance in the ALDS, going 0-for-8 with a walk in three games against the Rays.

He was benched to start Game 3 in favor of Anthony Volpe at second base. 

“Just felt like it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of going with Volpe on Wednesday in favor of Chisholm. “I felt like I wanted to go with him today.”

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Broadcaster Brian Anderson indicated that he saw Chisholm’s reaction to the news.

“I tell you one thing Jazz doesn’t like: not being in the starting lineup,” Anderson said when Chisholm entered the game in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter. “He was upset.”

Chisholm was met with boos from the fans after popping in his first at-bat as he took over for Jose Caballero, who drew the start at third base.

Chisholm then barely beat out what would have been a season-ending double play in the ninth inning on a hard hit ball to second base.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Chisholm said when asked about how it felt to be booed at home. “It’s just confusing because it’s the playoffs and we’re trying to win games. So you’re booing a guy that’s playing, trying to help the team win”

The Yankees enter another disappointing offseason with fans clamoring for changes that the front office has been hesitant to enact.

Chisholm might not be a part of that solution, as the Yankee second baseman is due to be a free agent and will surely demand a big salary with loads of suitors.

He also hasn’t been excluded from the issues in the Bronx.

Chisholm got the Yankees off to a bad start in Game 2, attempting an impossible double play in the first inning, where he threw the ball away and allowed a runner to score on an error.

The impending free agent also appeared to have a mental lapse when he wasn’t playing close enough to throw the ball home and attempt to get a runner trying to score on a ground ball hit right to him. 

“I grew up as a Yankee fan,” Chisholm said, reflecting on his time in New York on Wednesday night. “Being from the Bahamas, watching Derek Jeter. I loved my time as a Yankee. I had great times as a Yankee – had an All-Star year, had a Silver Slugger year. Who doesn’t want to stay with the team you have such great times with?

“I do hope to be back.”

Yesterday brought a bit of a whirlwind of Phillies managerial news. First, it was reported that Alex Cora, the presumed favorite to land the job after he initially turned down Dave Dombrowski’s overtures in late April, spurned the Phillies again. Then it was reported that the Phillies managerial search may be over before it ever really started, as it’s possible that they may turn back towards interim manager Don Mattingly.

It was one of the worst kept secrets in baseball that Dombrowski coveted Cora and practically everyone assumed that deal would get done very quickly after the Phillies finished playing. However, here we sit exactly a week after the Phillies were eliminated, and we’re essentially right back to where we were in April with the Phillies missing out on their top option and perhaps “settling” for Mattingly. It is obviously still early in the offseason, so things can change on all fronts. Perhaps Cora changes his mind, and this was all a leverage play. Maybe the Phillies realize there are more people that can manage a baseball team besides just Cora and Mattingly. Regardless, the question of who will be manning the dugout the next time the Phillies take the field is still very much unanswered.

So, who do YOU think will be the Phillies manager in 2027?

The Braves’ season came to end on Wednesday night. It’s hard to tie a nice bow on the narrative arc with the loss: Tyler Mahle was good, the bullpen was not, and the Braves were neither done in by one of their particular strengths nor a specific, exceptional weakness. The offense started out very well with a novel approach of jumping on pitches early, but by June, it had descended into incoherence, going very passive for no reason at all. There wasn’t any semblance of consistency or purpose in the summer and fall, either, and I guess you could say the same applied to the postseason as well.

Looking ahead, I think figuring out offensive identity and then shaping the roster and/or approach accordingly is the key offseason action item, to the extent there’s any latitude for action items this offseason as it is. But, before we get there, I guess we’ll pause for one more rumination.

The season is over. The Braves were supposed to be good, and they were “good” in the standings. The production didn’t quite match the win total (to a ludicrous degree, really), but that didn’t stop the Braves from exorcising some franchise demons by A) winning a playoff series and B) having that win come against the Phillies, who knocked two much better Braves teams out of the tournament in 2022 and 2023. But, their ride also ended there, as they suffered a power outage (and really, an offensive outage altogether) in the NLDS.

So, satisfied? Gratified? Something else? Or was anything other than hoisting the trophy going to be a failure for you? Personally, I just feel pretty weird, and nothing in the playoffs really changed that (I definitely pay less attention to the playoffs, so it was never going to). I don’t know how the Front Office thinks about the equivalent of solving the problem wrong and getting the right answer anyway, but that’s more or less what happened, so eh. I’d give the season a B if I had to grade it U.S. school system-style, but even that doesn’t quite capture the weirdness of having to slap a score on what happened with the Braves in 2026.

For almost the entirety of 2026, Baltimore felt the absence of a real closer. Sometimes it’d be Tyler Wells. Sometimes Yennier Cano. They’d even sometimes throw Grant Wolfram out there in the ninth, though they should have known better. None of this was by design. In August 2025, the Mountain toppled—Félix Bautista, one of the best closers in the game, went down with shoulder problems, and missed over a year after surgery, on top of a UCL injury the year before. His intended replacement was Ryan Helsley. The two-time All-Star with St. Louis had had a rough finish to 2025 with the Mets, plagued by accusations of pitch-tipping, but he came to Baltimore on a two-year, $28 million deal to replace the injured Bautista, and for about a month, looked like the guy was once one of the best closers in the American League. Then his right elbow started acting up, and Hellboy’s first season in the orange and black never got back on track.

Helsley made his first impression for Baltimore on Opening Day, and boy, was it a doozy. Hellboy pitched a scoreless ninth against the Twins to save a 2-1 win, striking out the side on 19 pitches. Six of those pitches hit 100 MPH, and one reached 101.9. That was the hardest pitch thrown by an Oriole since Bautista hit 102.3 in 2023. For a staff that threw only five triple-digit pitches combined in 2024 and 2025, that was a big change. Helsley also showed a new splitter to go with his fastball and slider. “That was the best we’ve seen Hels,” Craig Albernaz said afterward.

The good results continued from there. Helsley entered an April 21 game against the Royals with a 1.93 ERA and six saves. That night he had his first real dud as an Oriole. He threw only nine strikes in 22 pitches and walked two, and his second wild pitch let Maikel Garcia score the winning run. It was the first time since 2019 that Helsley had thrown two wild pitches in one outing, though it looked like a simple off night. He bounced back and saved a win over the Astros on April 28. You wouldn’t have known it then, but this would be Hellz Bellz’s last appearance for a month and a half.

At the end of April, Helsley was shelved with right elbow inflammation. He said he had felt something about a week earlier and assumed it would go away. Testing came back clean, and Albernaz said the level of concern was “not high at all.” At the time, Helsley was 7-for-7 in save chances with a 2.53 ERA and 15 strikeouts over 10.2 innings. His seven walks were higher than you’d like, but he was doing what a closer is supposed to do.

Helsley didn’t return to the mound until June 17, six weeks and two rehab outings at Norfolk later. Helsley said he felt “pain-free” and like “my normal self,” but he also said he would need “a couple outings or so” to readjust. His first appearances back were bumpy, and he had a 7.71 ERA over five games after returning. He had started to settle in, with no earned runs over his last three outings, when the elbow flared up again. On July 1, Helsley felt discomfort while warming up for a save chance against the White Sox, and he went back on the IL two days later. This time, Albernaz said the concern was “high.”

That was the end of Helsley’s season, though it took a while to become official. He was moved to the 60-day IL in July, gathered opinions on his elbow, and eventually returned to a mound for a scoreless rehab inning at Norfolk on September 12. With only a week left in the season, the Orioles decided not to rush him back and shut him down on September 19. “We decided,” said GM Mike Elias, that rushing Helsley back “might not be the wisest play,” adding that the club would “gear him toward 2027.”

Overall, Helsley finished the year with a 4.11 ERA over 15.1 innings in 17 games, going 8-for-9 in save chances. Those numbers aren’t great, but they mostly reflect the time around his injuries. Before his elbow became a problem, he was looking like just the answer the Orioles needed.

There’s no question that without him, the bullpen was certainly weaker. Albernaz went to a closer-by-committee type of thing, but this approach never really replaced Helsley’s ability to close out a game. This was true even on, maybe especially on, September 19, when the 6’8” Bautista returned after 14 months away, the same day Helsley was shut down. It was apparent, though, that Bautista wasn’t fully “back,” either.

The question now is what happens with Helsley’s contract. His deal includes a $14 million player option for 2027. After an injury-plagued year, it would be surprising if he passed up that money to test free agency, so I expect him back. That would give the Orioles two closers with big-time stuff in Helsley and Bautista, though neither one is a sure thing health-wise. If both are healthy, Albernaz could have a strong late-inning pair, and Cano could stay in the setup role where he’s been at his best.

Helsley’s track record helps. He led the majors with 49 saves and a 2.04 ERA for the Cardinals in 2024, and he’s a two-time All-Star. His 2025 with the Mets was a mess, with a 7.20 ERA in 22 games, but his first month in Baltimore suggested that stretch was a blip and not the start of a decline.

Relievers are volatile, and elbow trouble in back-to-back half-seasons is worrying for a pitcher who relies on throwing 100 MPH. Still, the Helsley we saw in April was a real difference-maker. If the Orioles can get that version back for a full season in 2027, it would go a long way toward helping them get back into contention.

The National League Division Series has wrapped up, and the stage is set for an NL Championship Series rematch between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers.

After the Braves won Game 1, the Dodgers responded with two straight wins in Atlanta. In the decisive Game 4, Andy Pages emerged as the hero, delivering a clutch bases-loaded single in the seventh inning that drove in two runs and ultimately propelled LA to a 4-1 victory, winning the series and securing a place in the NLCS.

With the win, the Dodgers continue their quest for a third consecutive World Series title.

For the second consecutive year, the Dodgers will face the Brewers in the NLCS. Milwaukee rebounded from a narrow 4-3 defeat in Game 3 and ultimately clinched the series with a 3-1 victory over the San Diego Padres in Game 4.

Here is a look at the NLCS schedule, as the Dodgers and Brewers prepare to battle for a spot in the World Series.

More: Dodgers survive Atlanta. Their greatness - and flaws - will be for all to see in NLCS

Aaron Judge has done some version of this exit interview every autumn for a decade now, standing in front of cameras, trying to explain why this generation of Yankees -- his generation of Yankees -- cannot get October right.

But this time, as the Yankee captain atoned, a cheer and laughter floated out of a meeting room where a mix of coaches and a few lingering players were debriefing out of sight.

The only acknowledgement Judge gave the outburst in the moment was a long stare over the cameras in that direction. As soon as the cameras dispersed, however, Judge walked over to the meeting room, peered through a crack in the door, then walked in. He walked out a few seconds later. Asked then if hearing the laughter and cheering bothered him, he sighed.

"You know the answer to that," he said.

An hour had passed since the last out, long enough for the initial sting to pass for some. For Judge, however, the pain and pressure are just compounding. A few minutes earlier, Aaron Boone had described the clubhouse as "broken" by the loss, and in most corners, it seemed that way. Ben Rice looked dead-eyed as he brushed off every question about his own success and declared the year a failure. Max Fried’s blank stare rivaled Rice’s, and he seemed no closer to getting over the pitch that turned into Ryan Vilade’s eventual game-winning swing in the fifth.

Even Jazz Chisholm Jr., who has earned a reputation for nonchalance, could not hide how he was affected by the outcome: He refused to stand in front of the usual Yankees backdrop, gave several "no comments," and lashed out briefly at his manager and fans alike while also explaining how much he loves to be a Yankee. Everyone processes disappointment differently, of course.

But Judge is feeling it more acutely than most. He is 34 now, officially old enough to wonder how many more chances he might get. Every October is a referendum on his legacy, on this Yankees era, on him as a player and him as a leader and the franchise to which he committed his career. Yet whether because of or despite him, whether in talent or mindset, the Yankees always seem to lack that elusive October mettle.

"There’s a standard to winning a championship. It’s black and white. It’s a no-brainer. It’s every day you show up to work, every little thing you do is are you working towards a championship or you’re not?" Judge said. "I think that’s the biggest thing: Everybody in the room understanding you have to bring it every single day. Especially here in New York, you have to bring it every single day. There’s no days off. Yeah, it just comes down to the little things." 

Judge has spent all those years thinking about little things, both on the field with his finely tuned swing, to the way he chooses every word carefully in moments like these. Exactly what little things he meant is in the eye of the beholder, though everything from the Yankees defense in Game 2 to their inability to apply consistent offensive pressure on opponents might have qualified.

Perhaps a better defensive roster, with fewer hit-first types who play the same position, could have helped them withstand the Rays' tendency to pepper the defense. Perhaps a more versatile offensive roster, with a few more players whose contact skills put pressure on a defense, could have helped them avoid prolonged offensive futility in the regular season and falling just short in Game 3.

"We’re the Yankees. I feel like [Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman] should go all in and do what they need to do. If we got holes, if it’s finding a certain players or personnel, whatever we need, you gotta go out there and get it," Judge said. "That’s why I signed back here to play with the Yankees: To fight for a championship every single year. To go all in. That’s what I do every offseason, to get ready to give this team and this city everything we’ve got. I expect them to do the same."

By all accounts, Judge tried to give the Yankees what he could on a strained calf muscle in this postseason, even though Boone and others decided he wasn’t ready. Judge expressed frustration when Boone all but ruled him out of the Wild Card Series before his star had personally conceded. Two weeks after an injury that takes double that time to heal in the best scenario. He pushed his calf through live batting practice sessions in the hopes of being ready for the Division Series, too.

"I’m feeling great," he said, when asked if he felt he could have played. "That’s why I was pushing for it."

But for all the public back-and-forth about whether he would be available this series or next, Cashman said Wednesday Judge did not come as close to being ready for the ALDS as the superstar’s posturing made it seem.

"Physically, he wasn’t in a position to -- in the end, he wasn’t physically able to," Cashman said. "I know what he would like to do, but that’s the warrior in him. Physically, he wasn’t a choice."

Judge addressed the Yankees after the loss, though he said he wanted to keep the message "in house." He does that with most things, except the things he wants to make sure everyone – including the Yankees front office – hears clearly.

"I want to trade for everybody, sign everybody every single year, but I know that’s not realistic," Judge said. "[The front office] give us a winning team every year, but that’s not good enough here in New York. We’re the Yankees. You have to go out there and expect championships and go all in every year."

Next time Judge’s season ends, he will be 35. This ultra-deep Yankees starting rotation will be a year older. Health is no guarantee for him or for them. On his watch, the Yankees are enduring the second-longest World Series drought in franchise history. For the captain of the Yankees, another October without a championship can never be a laughing matter.