Category: Baseball

President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom has said that he wants to add a veteran arm to the St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff. According to a new report, that might be free agent pitcher Griffin Canning who the Cardinals have been in contact with.

MLB Trade Rumors just dropped the word that the St. Louis Cardinals, the Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets are interested in Griffin Canning. That’s apparently based on a report by John Heyman of the New York Post. He spent several seasons in the Los Angeles Angels organization before signing a one-year deal with the New York Mets last season. He suffered a a torn Achilles tendon which cut his season short. Before that setback, he had greater than 55% groundball rate and decent strikeout and walk rates, too.

Griffin Canning was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 38th round of the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft from Santa Margarita Catholic High School and later by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2nd round of the 2017 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of California, Los Angeles. He has a major league record of 32-37 for his career with an ERA of 4.65.

Assuming that Griffin is fully recovered from his Achilles injury, you’d have to think he would be a prime bounce-back candidate and/or trade deadline arm. He might just be the affordable veteran arm that Chaim Bloom said he would welcome.

Using a playbook familiar to their front office, the Dodgers waited until the market for slugging outfielder Kyle Tucker dwindled before making him an offer short on duration but generous in dollars.

The result is the defending two-time World Series champion plugged the only hole in its lineup with another superstar — one regarded by many analysts as the prize of this free agency class. The contract Tucker agreed to Thursday night is for $240 million over four years, with a $64-million signing bonus and $30 million deferred. He also will be able to opt out of the deal after the 2027 and 2028 seasons.

It's a major development that caused immediate consternation throughout baseball. The Dodgers are in a league of their own when it comes to spending on payroll.

Or as ESPN analyst Jeff Passan put it: "Fans feel like this game is unfair."

To which Times columnist Bill Plaschke wrote, "So what? Who cares? If three consecutive titles blows up the game, so be it. The Dodgers’ only responsibility is to their fans, and they have more than fulfilled their civic duty, and that’s all that matters."

Projections early in the offseason put offers for Tucker at around $400 million over 10 years, but the only team that reportedly entertained a deal that long was the Toronto Blue Jays. The New York Mets made an offer close to that of the Dodgers, but Tucker opted for L.A.

The Dodgers employed similar strategy in snaring first baseman Freddie Freeman and starting pitcher Blake Snell in recent years and closer Edwin Díaz last month, patiently allowing media hype to dissipate and waiting out the market before pouncing with short-term offers at astronomical yearly salaries.

The average annual value (AAV) of Tucker's contract as calculated by Major League Baseball will be a record $57.1 million, blowing past the previous highs set by the Mets' Juan Soto ($51 million) and the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani ($46.06 million) the last two offseasons.

Ohtani is now Tucker’s teammate, as are amply paid stars Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Will Smith, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Freeman and Snell. And on and on. The Dodgers' estimated competitive tax payroll of $402.5 million is more than the combined spending of the A’s, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians and Miami Marlins.

Read more:Plaschke: Dodgers' ruination of baseball continues with Kyle Tucker, and it’s a beautiful thing

Who do the Dodgers have to thank for such largess?

Start with Ohtani. When the two-way star signed a record 10-year, $700-million deal two years ago, he agreed to take home a paltry $2 million a year and defer the remaining $68 million. That covers Tucker's salary and then some.

Don't forget the $8.35-billion, 25-year TV deal with Time Warner Cable (now Spectrum) in 2013 that created the Dodgers' SportsNet LA channel. Meanwhile, many teams have seen their TV revenue drastically reduced.

The settlement also approved the sale of the Dodgers from Frank McCourt to Guggenheim Baseball Management, the group fronted by Magic Johnson and run by Mark Walter that has greenlighted the lavish payroll spending.

And be sure to thank the fans who pack Dodger Stadium at each of the 81 home games, spending on parking, concessions and merchandise in addition to increasingly expensive tickets. Attendance last year was 4,012,470, a Dodgers record, the highest in MLB and nearly 600,000 more than the next-highest attendance, that of the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers averaged 49,537 fans per home game.

The response around baseball to Tucker's contract was as shrill as it was predictable. Cries for a salary cap when negotiations begin for a new collective bargaining agreement at season's end peppered social media. Some even advocated owners locking out the players if they don't agree to level the hot-stove playing field.

Anything to stem the spending of a franchise enjoying a revenue model that enables it to spend on salaries unchecked while breaking no rules.

"The Dodgers theoretically aren't doing anything wrong," ESPN analyst Chris "Mad Dog" Russo said Friday on "The Dan Patrick Show". "But the rules have to change. This is getting to be a joke."

Russo then proceeded to list the reasons players gravitate to Chavez Ravine: "Play in L.A. Winning team. Great organization. Good weather. Have a chance to be in the World Series every year."

Under baseball's rules, the Dodgers are punished financially for their gleeful spending. Competitive balance taxes — also known as luxury taxes — are imposed when payrolls reach certain thresholds. The Dodgers have blown past the highest level and must pay 110% of every dollar they spend above $304 million, meaning their commitment to Tucker will cost them $500 million — $240 million to the player and roughly $264 million to MLB in taxes.

By any measure that is a lot to pay a player who batted a ho-hum .266 with 22 home runs, 73 runs batted in and 25 stolen bases in an injury-marred 2025, his lone season with the Chicago Cubs. Tucker was a three-time All-Star during seven seasons with the Houston Astros.

What does MLB do with the luxury tax revenue? Half is distributed to small-market teams, ostensibly to increase their spending on salaries.

Tony Clark, executive director of the players union, concedes that the system might need tinkering but is adamantly opposed to a salary cap.

"We just completed one of the greatest seasons in MLB history, with unprecedented fan interest and revenues," he told The Times' Bill Shaikin. "While the free agent market is far from over, it is gratifying to see players at all levels being rewarded for their incredible accomplishments by those clubs that are trying to win without excuses."

Commissioner Rob Manfred, who will sit across the negotiating table from Clark when a new CBA is hammered out a year from now, is careful not to cast blame on the Dodgers while acknowledging that other teams and their fans are frustrated.

“The Dodgers are a really well-run, successful organization,” Manfred said during the team's spending frenzy a year ago. “Everything that they do and have done is consistent with our rules. They’re trying to give their fans the best possible product. Those are all positives.

“I recognize, however — and my email certainly reflects it — there are fans in other markets concerned about their team’s ability to compete. We always have to be concerned when our fans are concerned about something. But pinning it on the Dodgers? I’m not in that camp.”

And if CBA negotiations reach an impasse and players indeed are locked out and go unpaid until they return, Tucker's contract provides a hedge for that as well — $54 million of his signing bonus is payable now.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

When the Mets agreed to a deal with Bo Bichette barely more than 12 hours after losing out on Kyle Tucker, it was easy enough to deem it a panic move by David Stearns, a quick pivot to lock up the best pure hitter remaining on the free agent market, even if he wasn’t an ideal fit defensively. 

But the more I heard about the signing of Bichette on Friday from scouts and executives, the more it seems only fair to give kudos to Stearns for signing a proven clutch hitter who could have a huge impact on the Mets’ often exasperating offense, and for being prepared to do it so quickly. 

“That doesn’t happen unless Stearns had already laid the groundwork for a deal,” was the way one executive put it. “I know Mets fans are down on him, but you have to give him credit. As much as they wanted Tucker, Stearns was ready when it didn’t happen. I’m sure Bichette was on their radar. He only turns 28 next year.”

Fair enough. Especially with reports out of Philadelphia that the Phillies were ready to sign Bichette to a long-term deal before the Mets swooped in with their short-term offer of $42 million per year for three years, with opt-outs after each of the first two seasons. 

That alone, taking Bichette away from the hated Phillies, should move the needle for some Mets’ fans. 

I’m not saying Stearns is suddenly off the hook for this mostly disappointing offseason. As I wrote Thursday night, letting Pete Alonso walk will never completely make sense to me, especially when he’d made it clear he was willing to transition into the DH role. 

And the Mets still haven’t addressed their top priority of the winter, the need to upgrade their starting rotation. 

But the signing of Bichette at least offers hope and intrigue for what else Stearns may do in the coming weeks, as well as serves as a reminder that he deserves the entire offseason before passing judgment, even if this baseball winter seems even more endless than usual.

That said, the Bichette signing comes with a lot of moving parts. Defensively, he ranked at the very bottom, range-wise, among shortstops, according to MLB Statcast defensive metrics, so it remains to be seen how he’ll do at third base. 

At least from afar, he doesn’t fit the Stearns narrative of making run-prevention a priority, and he also displaces Brett Baty, who could now be something of a super-utility man, perhaps splitting time with Jorge Polanco at first base, or be used as a trade chip for pitching. 

On the other hand, Bichette may be just what the Mets need to bring more consistency to their offense, especially in clutch situations. 

His overall numbers during his years in Toronto with the Blue Jays make it clear that he has been one of the better hitters in baseball, but what jumps out in looking at his numbers is how he has excelled in the clutch. 

For example, in 771 career plate appearances with runners in scoring position, he has hit .330 with a .527 slugging percentage and a .904 OPS. 

That’s no small sample size. 

Even more impressively, in 301 plate appearances with RISP and two outs -- the ultimate clutch situation -- Bichette has hit .310 with a .531 slugging percentage and a .904 OPS. 

He also has a career .318 batting average with an .890 OPS in what Baseball-Reference defines as high leverage situations.

For a Mets’ team whose RISP failures often seemed to overshadow whatever individual numbers players were putting up in recent years, Bichette could be an important difference-maker. 

And two scouts I spoke to say those numbers reflect what they’ve observed about him over the years. 

“He’s a gamer you want at the plate in big spots,” said one scout. “He can hit elite pitching.”

Added the other: “He’s a very good situational hitter, especially in run-producing at-bats, because he understands how pitchers are trying to get him out and he makes adjustments in the box. He’s a smart hitter.”

In addition, scouts and execs said Bichette will be a better fit in New York than Tucker would have been. 

“Bichette grew up as a big leaguer’s son,” said one exec, referring to his father, Dante Bichette. “Everything you hear is that he’s a good clubhouse guy who brings day-to-day intensity to the field and really burns to win. What you hear about Tucker is that he may not have been a good fit in New York because he’s a low-key guy.’’

So who knows, maybe losing out on Tucker will turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Mets. 

Of course, they’re only guaranteed one year of Bichette, as they gave him opt-outs after the first and second year of his contract. But if he wants to opt out of $42 million per year next winter, it will mean he had a great season and will still be young enough for Stearns to justify giving him a longer-term deal. 

In any case, Bichette certainly seems like a step in the right direction toward helping Mets fans move on from all that has gone wrong this offseason while finally creating some enthusiasm for the 2026 season. 

Still, Stearns has more work to do, obviously. The Mets still need an outfielder, and most importantly, they need to upgrade the starting rotation. They’ll lose a draft choice by signing Bichette, because he turned down the Blue Jays’ qualifying offer, which might make it less likely that they’ll sign Framber Valdez, another free agent attached to a QO.

Can Stearns make a trade with his old team, the Milwaukee Brewers, for Freddy Peralta? The right-hander is available, one year away from free agency, and he’d give the Mets a top-of-the-rotation presence to go with Nolan McLean and what otherwise looms as a lot of question marks.

With that in mind, signing Bichette won’t change the complexion of this offseason by itself. But for Stearns, it was a win he desperately needed.

The Friar Faithful were caught off guard with the announcement of former San Diego Padres manager Bud Black joining the front office as an advisor. The hire provides an additional voice for Craig Stammen as he prepares to transition from a front office executive to a field manager.

Black’s resume is impressive

His resume is quite impressive, as Black has managed in the majors for parts of 18 seasons. He served as Padres manager from 2007 to 2015 and was the Colorado Rockies skipper from 2017 to 2025. His time in Denver saw him lead the franchise to back-to-back postseason berths in 2017 and 2018. 

Black is the second-winningest manager in Friars history with 649 victories. Heartache is part of his legacy with the franchise, as Black never led the ballclub to a postseason berth. 

Who could forget the Padres losing a one-game Wild Card playoff game against the Rockies in 2007? The Friar Faithful are still waiting for Matt Holliday to touch home plate. 

Black’s 2010 team fell apart and squandered a six-and-a-half game lead atop the National League West in August. A small consolation for him was being named NL Manager of the Year in the winter award season. 

Along with two managerial stints, he served as Special Assistant to the General Manager for the then-Cleveland Indians from 1995 to 1997 and again in 1999. Black held the same position with the Los Angeles Angels in 2016.

His other on-field positions include serving as the Angels’ pitching coach from 2000 to 2006. His staff played a crucial role in capturing the 2002 World Series title. Black also won 121 games with five different major league franchises during his 15-year playing career.

Black offers becoming a trusted mentor to Stammen

No one was quite sure what Black’s next career move would be after the Rockies let him go last summer. He could have taken time off and recharged the battery while waiting for a call from an organization about his interest in managing again. 

Instead, Black joined the Padres’ front office. Stammen has an opportunity to learn from a man who had some success as a major league manager. His experience will help him navigate through those rough stretches that occur in a baseball season.

The goal is for Black to become another sounding board for Stammen to bounce potential game strategies off of, discuss how to balance a batting order, and address other issues that arise. Given the complexity of the managerial role, he should seek insight from a respected former skipper.

There is no hidden agenda, as Black wants to offer guidance and not apply for his job. Managing egos inside the locker room can be as difficult as the games themselves. 

I may be naive, but I’m calling this potential mentorship a friendly conversation between two individuals who have a great passion for baseball. 

Stammen has never managed at any professional level, but Black could become an invaluable asset to his development. His baseball journey includes working in different capacities within several organizations.

Black’s vast knowledge will help Stammen make a smooth transition. 

Following the Bo Bichettesigning, the Mets made another move on Friday, claiming infielder Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays.

Cheng, 24, made his MLB debut in 2025 with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he totaled seven at-bats (0-for-7) in three games. 

The Taiwan native spent the majority of last season with the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate. In 107 games, Cheng slashed .209/.307/.271. He has a .736 OPS over five minor league seasons.

Although he hit just one home run last season, Cheng showed some pop in Double-A and High-A in years past and has 35 home runs in 507 career minor league games.

A versatile infielder, Cheng has played shortstop, second base and third base, adding to New York's stockpile of infield depth.

After getting designated for assignment by Pittsburgh on Dec. 19. the Rays claimed him on Jan. 7 before DFA'ing him on Jan. 12.

Remember when teams had no money, recoiled at the asking price for free agents and were content to let the marquee stars rot at home all winter?

Oh, how five days can dramatically change the baseball world.

Suddenly, everyone has found money under their couch cushions.

It began Sunday when the Chicago Cubs out-bid everyone for third baseman Alex Bregman, signing him to a five-year, $175 million contract.

The Boston Red Sox, who had offered $165 million, immediately pivoted and signed starter Ranger Suarez to a five-year, $130 million deal.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who had been sitting back since signing Edwin Diaz, pounced with a stunning four-year, $240 million contract for outfielder Kyle Tucker.

The Mets, who offered $220 million to Tucker, barely had time to blink, let alone shed a tear – and immediately turned around to sign infielder Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract.

The Mets not only dramatically improved their lineup – though Bichette has never played third base in his career – but stole away him away from their hated rivals in Philadelphia.

The Phillies, according to two persons with direct knowledge of the negotiations, met Bichette’s request on a seven-year, $200 million contract Thursday night. The Phillies believed they just had to cross the t's and dot the i's.

Instead, less than 12 hours later, Bichette is a Met, accepting four fewer years, but earning $13.5 million more a season.

He also has opt-outs after each season with a full no-trade clause. So if he doesn’t like New York or believes he can make a financial killing in a year as the potential No. 1 free agent, you’ll see him back on the market again making even more money.

The Phillies, who had acrimonious negotiations with catcher J.T. Realmuto all winter, turned aound and suddenly met Realmuto’s request for a three-year contract. They signed him to a three-year, $45 million contract after refusing to give him longer than a two-year deal all winter.

Add it all up, and that’s $716 million just on five players in five days.

Considering all of the money suddenly thrown around, the Yankees’ five-year, $155-160 million offer to bring back outfielder Cody Bellinger feels outdated.

No wonder Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball union said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports:

“We just completed one of the greatest seasons in MLB history, with unprecedented fan interest and revenues. While the free agent market is far from over, it is gratifying to see players at all levels being rewarded for their incredible accomplishments by those clubs that are trying to win without excuses."

Entering 2025, DJ Herz was expected to play a big part in the Washington Nationals’ rotation. Across 88 2/3 innings in 2024, he posted a 4.16 ERA, 3.71 FIP, and struck out over 10 batters per 9 innings, all with great underlying numbers. His 2025 season was cut short, however, before it could begin, as after a disastrous Spring Training where his velocity plummeted and control was abysmal, he got Tommy John Surgery for a UCL Sprain in April.

While Tommy John Surgery is no longer the career-threatening procedure it once was, with it becoming almost expected to happen to most hard-throwing pitchers in today’s game, the road to recovery is still long and winding. Typically, it can take between 9 and 18 months for a pitcher to make a full recovery, accounting for all factors such as recovery throwing program, physical therapy, and the ability of each player to adjust to the change.

Take, for example, Josiah Gray, who had his 2024 season ended in April due to Tommy John Surgery. Gray was knocked out for the entire 2024 campaign, and while many people expected to see him make his return at the end of the 2025 season, the coaching staff and front office decided it was best to hold off and let him continue his recovery in Palm Beach. Gray now appears to be fully healthy entering 2026 and will be a part of the Nationals’ starting rotation, barring any unexpected trades or free agent signings this offseason. In Herz’s case, the surgery was always going to knock him out of the 2025 season completely, but a return at some point in 2026 was not off the table.

So, can Nats fans expect to see DJ Herz back on the big league mound in 2026? While it’s a difficult question to answer without knowing where in his recovery Herz is, if there has not been any setbacks, then my expectation would be yes, we will see DJ Herz pitch in the big leagues in 2026. He will first need to begin his recovery process in the minor leagues, working his way from the bottom up. Herz will also need to adjust to a starter’s workload again, as he will likely only go 3 innings at a time as he is built up. When Herz makes his big league return, it possibly could be in a bullpen role, allowing Herz more time to recover while still building himself back up.

Overall, the main focus in 2026 for DJ Herz won’t be on recovering as quickly as possible to get back to the bigs, but rather focusing on getting himself 100% healthy and ready for 2027. Expectations of winning are once again low for this Nats club this season, and the last thing they need is for Herz to have a setback in his recovery in an attempt to win marginally more games than they would without him. A fully healthy DJ Herz is a problem for big league hitters, and if the Nationals are serious about contending in the near future, he will be a key part of that vision.

• FT: Rangers 5-0 Annan - Miovski deceives keeper with opener before nodding in Curtis cross for brace; Dowell's lofted header makes it three just after break
• Miovski completes hat-trick from spot; Aasgaard bends in free-kick from distance
• Danny Rohl's side first side into fifth round
• Listen to Sportsound for reaction

Scottish Cup: Spectacular Aasgaard stunner helps Rangers trounce Annan

The Mets surprised everyone with the news today that they and Bo Bichette agreed to a three-year deal worth $126 million. It was a nice pivot after losing out on Kyle Tucker, as Bichette gives them the right-handed bat they were looking for to balance out the lineup.

The expectation is that Bichette will slide into third base, which certainly shakes things up a bit for Brett Baty and Mark Vientos. Obviously things can change before Opening Day, but as things stand, according to FanGraphs, here is what a potential lineup featuring Bichette could be.

1. SS Francisco Lindor
2. RF Juan Soto
3. 3B Bo Bichette
4. 1B Jorge Polanco
5. 2B Marcus Semien
6. DH Brett Baty
7. C Francisco Alvarez
8. LF Carson Benge
9. CF Tyrone Taylor

Now, this lineup assumes that Benge makes the team out of camp and that Baty does not get traded for outfield or pitching help. Also, assuming Mark Vientos does not get traded, he is likely to serve as the team’s DH against left-handed pitching.

There is also the possibilty that Baty ends up in left field, but for now this is the team’s new look lineup with the departures from last season and the additions this offseason. Undoubtedly David Stearns will continue to be busy in the coming weeks, but the addition of Bichette lengthens and balances the lineup and gives them some flexibility when it comes to making potential trades in the future.

After the Dodgers signed Blake Snell around Thanksgiving 2024, I remembered the Dodgers’ mindset after winning the 2020 World Series.

My mind kept going back to a quote I read from Andy McCullough’s biography of Clayton Kershaw: The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness.

In discussing the thought process that Kershaw went through in the years after winning the 2020 World Series that led him back to the Dodgers after considering joining his hometown Texas Rangers and retirement, the mindset of the Dodgers’ front office to start the 2021 season was discussed and could be best described in three words.

“Let’s be pigs.”

On page 325 of McCullough’s book, the above quotation is attributed to Andrew Friedman, as the organization’s thought process was not sit on their laurels, content with just a single title.

[emphasis added.]

For what it is worth, the plan backfired spectacularly as the Dodgers overvalued the results of the shortened regular season to figuratively set $102 million on fire in a decision that had a hangover effect until the signing of Shohei Ohtani. After that fiasco, the Dodgers learned not to needlessly spend, but to spend efficiently on the best fit. The Dodgers did not guarantee themselves success yesterday, but they ruthlessly upgraded themselves, which sometimes is enough.

I will argue to my dying day that had the Dodgers spent a fraction of what they spent on Anthony DeScalfini instead, the streak of division titles would have remained unbroken, and the title defense would have been a lot more likely as DeScalfini effectively ate innings in 2021, preserving arms like Walker Buehler and now-disgraced Julio Urías for the playoff run.

Much like the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays, on this point, I can only go what if, but one never has the opportunity to discuss this particular point in context.

Time is a flat circle

Stop me if you have heard this one, but the Dodgers’ acquisitions of the past three offseasons could be best described as “this verse, same as the first.”

Before the 2024 season, the Dodgers signed both the unicorn, the eventual Hall of Famer Shohei Ohtani, and the best pedigreed pitcher to ever pitch in Nippon Professional Baseball, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the Dodgers won their first World Series since the COVID Cup year of 2020 on the backs of Freddie Freeman, just enough pitching, and duct tape.

In 2025, the Dodgers sign not-quite-ready yet phenom Roki Sasaki and the best available bullpen arms to fill the perceived weakness of the roster, the bullpen: Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, and re-sign Blake Treinen. Things got a little hinky, but the Dodgers eventually won their first back-to-back World Series in franchise history and are the first repeat champions in the sport in 25 years.

In 2026, the Dodgers signed the best relief arm available (again) in Edwin Diaz and the best outfield bat available in Kyle Tucker, who greeted the Dodger fanbase on Instagram Thursday evening.

Contrary to popular belief, I have seen Dodgers fans’ reaction to the signing be one of bemused acceptance. It is no longer shocking when the marquee talent comes to Los Angeles; the cost of experience is wonder. Winning the Ohtani sweepstakes, followed by winning the Snell sweepstakes, followed by winning the Tucker sweepstakes, is almost old-hat at this point.

Still, the rich get richer, and it is still fun. While Tucker is not an Ohtani-level talent, he fits the Dodgers’ biggest offensive need while providing some much-needed youth over the next two to four seasons.

The Ascendant Empire

I am not going to pretend that the Los Angeles Dodgers are not the perceived villains of the sport. Still, if the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that success on the field is not guaranteed, but one can tilt the odds in one’s favor with enough money.

However, the team makes itself hard to love sometimes, especially when it will not pay its tour guides a living wage and charges its most devoted fans a premium to come to its annual FanFest. One need only look back fifteen years ago to a painfully unfunny monologue by Seth Meyers at the ESPY awards, who rattled off “the Dodgers are so poor jokes” in quick-fire succession thanks to the sheer incompetence of former owner Frank McCourt.

No one outside Los Angeles is laughing anymore.

Yes, fans should be angry at their skinflint owners who refuse to spend money to put a quality product on the field or discuss trading their stars for pennies on the dollar (see: Peralta, Freddy, Milwaukee Brewers; see also: Skubal, Tarik, Detroit Tigers, Skenes, Paul, Pittsburgh Pirates) rather than build a nucleus around them. But if folks want to be angry at the Dodgers, fine — do whatever makes you happy. To paraphrase one of the seminal songs of my childhood: “If it makes you happy, then why the heck are you so sad?”

As Eric Stephen points out, yes, the Dodgers used deferred money and creative accounting to get Tucker into Dodger blue. Other teams are finally starting to use some of the Dodgers’ accounting skills, but there is only one Shohei Ohtani, one Mookie Betts, and so on.

All that ink about the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox being active in the offseason looks a lot less lustrous now. Apparently, the New York Mets tore the figurative guts out of their seemingly dysfunctional team after spending all that non-deferred money on Juan Soto just to regress badly in typical Mets’ fashion. I would riff on the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and San Diego Padres, but for the life of me, I cannot parse a viable strategy apart from “hope and prayer.”

If titles could be won by simply cracking open a checkbook, the Mets and Yankees would be basking in championship gold rather than in the tears of their frustrated and disappointed fans. For all of the money and revenue the Dodgers generated in 2025, they still had to dig themselves out of a 3-2 series hole in Toronto to remain champions.

The Dodgers have built an engine that, at this point, is practically self-sustaining, driven by making money and winning through scouting, development, and signing. Yes, the Dodgers put the torch to their draft picks for this upcoming draft, but if Tucker and Diaz pan out, it’s a small price to pay to keep the engine running. A franchise record of over four million fans came to Dodger Stadium in 2025, and overall attendance topped 70 million for the third consecutive season, in part due to Dodgers fans showing up in droves on the road.

As is often the case, no one pays attention to the avalanche until it is on top of them, when it is far too late to seek cover. In-depth discussions about baseball’s changing economic model are for another day, as well as the owner’s next ill-fated lockout in approximately twelve months; right now, as Jacob Macofsky points out, the Dodgers paid a premium, and reaction around the league was swift.

Everyone sees the end result of the Dodgers’ efforts, and either tries to mimic the model poorly (see: the Blue Jays; see also: the Philadelphia Phillies, the Padres, the Mets) or feigns helplessness and does next to nothing (see: the Giants; see also: the teams subsisting on revenue-sharing money).

Anyone in baseball would be forgiven for waking up to Sonny and Cher’s I’ve Got You, Babe a la Groundhog Day, and thinking it’s either a blissful dream that will never end (if you’re a Dodgers fan) or an odious nightmare that just will not stop (if you’re the rest of the league).

Time is a flat circle, but the Dodgers have got you, babe — at least for right now. The Dodgers’ empire is still ascendant as they finally added some youthful pop in Tucker to complement their aged core. Barring a surprise acquisition by trade of Skubal or Skenes or an ill-advised reunion with Cody Bellinger, one would imagine that the Dodgers’ offseason is now mostly complete.

I say mostly because at the end of the day, the Dodgers are missing only a familiar face as they march towards an attempted threepeat. At this point, it would be shocking if the Dodgers did not reunite with the player who holds the record for appearances in playoff games: Kiké Hernández. As Hernández said at the 2025 Championship Rally at Dodger Stadium, the champion does not apologize to anyone.

It was a sucker punch.

All week, every national media pundit and baseball writer insisted the Phillies were “heavy favorites” to land free agent infielder Bo Bichette. All week, momentum was building. Meanwhile, negotiations continued. While nothing is ever certain until the dotted line is signed, it sure felt like Bichette was already wearing red and white pinstripes.

And then, a sucker punch to the gut.

After losing out on free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Dodgers, the Mets pivoted and signed Bichette to a surprise, three-year, $126 million contract with an average annual value of $42 million a season. The deal includes opt outs and the end of every year, essentially giving Bichette the option of spending three years in New York with a $42 million AAV, or testing the market again, all by the time he turns 30.

The Phillies, it appears, made a legitimate, longer-term offer that the Bichette camp said it wanted.

After five days of negotiations, the Phils made the offer his camp wanted. Unfortunately, either because Dave Dombrowski and/or John Middleton dragged their feet, or because Bichette and his agent were using the Phillies and slow-playing the market until Tucker signed, New York swooped in and stole Bichette out from under their noses.

Now, not only did the Dodgers land the best free agent outfielder on the market this off-season, the Mets snagged the best infielder and a prime Phillies target, all within a span of less than 24 hours.

However it happened, Dave Dombrowski didn’t land the plane. The results are devastating.

Almost immediately after the Bichette-to-NY news, J.T. Realmuto reportedly agreed to a new contract with the Phillies. It likely was not a coincidence.

Realmuto and his agent had to be quietly smiling to himself somewhere saying, “Oh, I guess you guys need me now, don’t you?”

So, after showing it was willing to pony up $30 million a year over a seven year period for Bichette, is there anyone else the Phillies might give that money to?

The options aren’t great. Harrison Bader could return, especially if it’s just along the lines of a three-year, $45 million contract or something. Eugenio Suarez is a third baseman with a lot of pop (48 HRs, .228 AVG in ‘25), and outfielder Cody Bellinger, whose left-handed bat doesn’t feel like a great fit in this lineup and teams like the Yankees and Blue Jays likely still willing to give him a seven-year deal for too much money.

Not knowing exactly what happened during the negotiations, it’s difficult to make assumptions. But with each passing day a deal wasn’t consummated, and talking heads on TV telling us it almost certainly would, it sure feels in retrospect like Bichette’s agent was using the Phillies to get what he wanted elsewhere.

What does that say about the front office? I guess Don Mattingly, the new bench coach, couldn’t trump the money, huh?

One issue the Phils will have to come to grips with is opt-outs.

So, here we are. Unable to swing any creative trades or haul in Bichette in free agency, Dombrowski is going to run the same roster back again in 2026. The fanbase, understandably, is not excited. In fact, it’s fair to say Phillies fans are crushed by missing out on this player in a way I don’t remember them being for any other free agent over the last 10-15 years.

Dombrowski did a great job convincing John Middleton to spend more money than he planned. He just couldn’t land the player.

This is the second year we’ve done this, looking at names in the Diamondbacks system who might be able to help the team this season. 2025’s selection was a bit of a mixed bag, shall we say. We were one of the earlier passengers on the Tim Tawa bandwagon, and he ended up playing 74 games for the D-backs. At the other end, Seth Martinez found himself designated for assignment about three weeks after our article. So it’s safe to call my track record “mixed” in this area, and that’s perhaps being kind. But, never one to be daunted by being incorrect, I figured I’d try again this winter.

However, I will expand slightly outside the 40-man roster, because there are certainly some intriguing possible candidates who haven’t yet been added to it. There should certainly be plenty of space to do so, because the D-backs will have at least four players (Corbin Burnes, Justin Martinez, A.J. Puk and Blake Walston) going on the 60-day injured list as soon as it becomes available – theoretically the start of spring training, but effectively Opening Day. I would have Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on there too, but based on recent reports of his progress, he might be looking to come back sooner than early June. If so, then the team might be fine with using the shorter IL for him.

Therefore, for inclusion I’m just going to say that the player in question can’t have appeared for the D-backs previously. This rules out somewhat known names like Cristian Mena and Yilber Diaz. But also less familiar ones like Philip Abner, although you may have blinked and missed his 3.2 innings for the team last year. We begin, instead, with a choice which hardly counts as pushing out the boat. For Kohl Drake is currently the consensus top pitcher in the Diamondbacks farm system. Admittedly, not long ago, “having a pulse” would be a credible main criteria there. But largely courtesy of Merrill Kelly, things are looking better there than they were.

That “pulse” statement is little if any exaggeration. Of all the pitchers in MLB Pipeline’s current top 15 Arizona prospects, half of them came from Texas in the deadline trade for Kelly last July. In addition to Drake, Mitch Bratt and David Hagaman also arrived in the D-backs’ system. But Drake is the highest ranked (#6) and, at the age of 25, is also the closest to the major leagues. Right now, it would appear the left-hander will need help – most likely a health issue affecting more than one expected starter – to crack the Opening Day rotation. But he’s going to be near the top of the list for a call-up when necessary, and from previous history, that will not be long into the season.

Drake was originally an 11th round pick by Texas in the 2022 draft, so has already over-performed. He comes out of Walters State Community College in Morristown, TN, and he has a real shot at becoming their best-known player. So far, that is probably another Ranger, Brett Martin, and you’d be forgiven for going “Who?” Though around SnakePit Towers, it would be reliever Chad Bell, because Mrs. SnakePit rented a house to him one spring training. You’d be forgiven for going “Who?” there as well, but we were excited to see him in action when we visited Seattle in 2017.

After a rough start to his pro career in 2023, posting a 6.36 ERA across 46.2 inning, Drake had a much better 2024. He roared through three levels of the Texas system, starting in A-ball and finishing in Double-A. He dominated the lowest tier, posting a K:BB of 71:9 across just 43 innings, though was relatively old for that level. The ratio did decline at the higher levels, but Kohl was still striking out a batter per inning in Double-A, with a 3.10 ERA across five starts. He returned there to start 2025, and was better still: 12 starts, a 2.44 ERA and an impressive 70 strikeouts across 55.1 innings. Kohl was named Pitcher of the Month in the Texas system for June.

That got him a promotion to Triple-A at the beginning of July, and he spent the rest of the season there, both before and after the trade which brought him into the Arizona system. There’s no denying, Drake struggled in the unforgiving environment of the PCL, allowing 24 hits over 16.2 innings, leading to a 9.18 ERA. He may have been hurt, as his season ended after a decent outing (4 IP, one unearned run) on August 20th. He was placed on the IL with a shoulder sprain the following week, though is expected to be fully recovered when pitchers and catchers report to Salt River Fields next month.

He was added to the 40-man roster earlier this off-season, a no-brainer decision to protect Drake from otherwise being available in the Rule 5 draft. That gives him another benefit over some alternatives, in that there’s no need to make room for him on the larger roster. His velo has increased by 3-4 mph since he pitched in college, now sitting around 93-94 mph. MLB Pipeline says, “His combination of size and a short arm action provides some deception, as does his flat approach angle. If he can continue to get more advanced hitters to chase his curveball and changeup, he could make it as a No. 4 starter.”

It’s interesting to think how the rotation will shape up for the D-backs in the coming seasons. We have Corbin Burnes and Brandon Pfaadt under contract through 2030 (plus two team option years in the latter’s case); if Merrill Kelly’s vesting option kicks in, he and Ryne Nelson are controlled until the end of 2028. And Eduardo Rodriguez is signed through 2027 (plus a rarely-exercised mutual option). Soroka is clearly intended as a stop-gap until Burnes returns. Though health is always a potential factor, it appears that Mena, Drake or any other candidate will need to prove themselves capable of a rotation spot for the next couple of years.

Former A’s star Eric Chavez sent a poignant three-word message to the MLB following Kyle Tucker’s agreement with the Dodgers on Thursday night: “Good luck all!”

The six-time Gold Glover took to his Instagram page to share his thoughts on Los Angeles’ latest huge addition, and he let be known he believes the back-to-back World Series champs’ new roster piece will spell trouble for the other 29 teams in The Show.

“You can hope they get hurt, oh wait, they did last year and still won it all,” Chavez wrote. “This might be the best team ever constructed.

“Good luck all!”

Tucker agreed to a four-year, $240 million contract that will give L.A. yet another All-Star bat in a lineup that already featured the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith.

Tucker did have a bit of a down season with the Cubs last year — batting just .266 is 136 games — but he’s nonetheless a career .273 hitter who’s belted 29 or more homers in three of the last five seasons.

Chavez was hardly the only fan to note just how potent the Dodgers will be with Tucker on the team — actor Nick Turturro, a diehard Yankees supporter, went off on X after he learned how much better L.A. got with the move.

“MLB, do something!” he said in a video that’s now gone viral. “Enough is enough!”

It’ll be a few more weeks ’til Tucker’s officially swinging a bat in a Dodger uniform, but the baseball world’s clearly bracing for the impact he’s going to have on a team that was already the favorite to win it all in 2026.

The dominos keep falling — not quite in the Phillies' favor originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

In consecutive days, two of the biggest position players on the market signed deals, both landing in the National League.

Kyle Tucker signed a record four-year, $240 million deal with the defending champion Dodgers on Thursday night. Within 12 hours, the Mets pivoted and landed Bo Bichette on a three-year, $126 million contract.

The Phillies were left on the outside.

The move that stings most is Bichette heading to a division rival. Philadelphia had been heavily linked to the Florida native, and the interest appeared to intensify after Tucker came off the board. In many ways, Tucker’s signing is what pushed the Mets toward Bichette.

Steve Cohen has shown a willingness to strike when a top-tier bat becomes available. Last offseason, it was Juan Soto. This winter, it was supposed to be Tucker. When that door closed, Bichette became the pivot.

The Phillies made a real push. It was reported they offered Bichette a seven-year, $200 million deal — a contract that would have made him the highest-paid second baseman in baseball, the position he was best suited to play in Philadelphia. But Bichette chose flexibility, even after requesting the contract structure from the Phils.

His Mets deal includes opt-outs after each of the first two seasons, plus a $5 million buyout after Year 1. That structure allows Bichette, who turns 28 in March, to collect $47 million by the end of 2026 and re-enter the market ahead of his age-29 season — right when the Phillies’ offer would have aligned in total value.

The organization’s stance mattered. The Phillies do not offer opt-outs. That approach has worked for them, but in cases like this, it gives other clubs leverage when flexibility becomes the selling point.

Still, losing Bichette helped clear the path for one of Philadelphia’s top priorities.

The Phillies re-signed J.T. Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million deal. Two days after Ranger Suárez left in free agency for Boston, retaining a leader of Realmuto’s caliber arguably became more important. At 34, he remains central to a pitching staff that has ranked among baseball’s best over the last several seasons.

With pitchers and catchers reporting Feb. 11, there are two ways to view the current state of the roster.

The first is straightforward. The National League got tougher. The Dodgers and Mets added star power. The Phillies improved defensively in the outfield and added bullpen depth, but they did not materially upgrade the offense. The core is a year older, and it is not a young one.

The other view is less emotional but just as valid. This is a team with four straight postseason appearances and back-to-back 95-win seasons. Nothing about the roster suggests it can’t replicate regular-season success. And financially, there is still room to maneuver.

Philadelphia offered Bichette roughly $28.5 million in average annual value. Only $15 million of that went toward Realmuto. That gap leaves open the possibility of another move.

So, what could be on the horizon?

The biggest name

Cody Bellinger remains the most talented position player on the market. The 30-year-old is reportedly seeking a long-term deal and has a reported five-year, $150 million offer from the Yankees.

Adding another left-handed bat would invite criticism, but Bellinger’s numbers complicate that argument. In 2025, he slashed .353/.415/.601 against left-handed pitching, posting a 1.106 OPS — best among qualified left-handed hitters. Kyle Schwarber ranked second at .964. Schwarber led the NL in extra-base hits against lefties; Bellinger led the AL.

Over the past three seasons, Bellinger has averaged a .281 batting average with 29 homers and 107 RBIs per 162 games. Defensively, his versatility — all three outfield spots plus first base — gives him value beyond the bat.

The price is the obstacle. Bellinger will likely command close to $30 million per year, more than the Phillies were willing to offer Bichette. With payroll already sitting near $326 million — beyond the $303 million luxury-tax line that carries a 110 percent penalty — this would be a stretch.

Heart-of-the-order pop

Eugenio Suárez is another name worth revisiting.

Despite a rough finish after a deadline trade to Seattle, Suárez hit 49 home runs in 2025, tying a career high. The swing-and-miss is real — bottom four percent in whiff rate last season — but power would change the Phillies’ lineup.

The Phillies struggled mightily in the cleanup spot last season. Their No. 4 hitters combined for a .720 OPS, 20th in MLB. Realmuto posted a .683 OPS there. Nick Castellanos came in at .651.

A Suárez addition would almost certainly require an Alec Bohm trade. Bohm hit .287 but managed just 11 home runs in 120 games. The Phillies don’t have to move him, but if the goal is improvement in the power department, he remains a place to look.

Another reunion?

Harrison Bader could still be in play.

The 31-year-old outfielder is coming off one of his best seasons: a .796 OPS, 3.9 bWAR and a 117 OPS+. After arriving in Philadelphia, he hit .305 with a .463 slugging percentage and provided energy the club valued.

Durability remains the concern — he’s played more than 120 games just four times in nine seasons — but his postseason toughness stood out. He left Game 1 of the NLDS with a hamstring strain, returned in Game 2 as a pinch hitter and lined a single that sparked the dugout.

If Justin Crawford or Adolis García stumble early, Bader would offer insurance without reshaping the roster.

Buy-low rotation piece

It never felt likely the Phillies would bring back Suárez, but that doesn’t mean the rotation is finished.

Chris Bassitt is one option. The 37-year-old made 32 starts in 2025 with a 3.96 ERA. Over the past five seasons, he has made at least 27 starts each year, posted ERAs under 4.00 in four of them, logged 155-plus strikeouts, and finished top-10 in Cy Young voting three times.

Zac Gallen is another path. The 30-year-old posted a 4.83 ERA last season, his worst as a pro. From 2019 through 2024, he made 143 starts with a 3.29 ERA — third-best among qualified starters in that span. A one-year “get-right” deal in the $13–18 million range could appeal to both sides.

The rotation carries questions. The Phillies believe in Andrew Painter’s talent, but command matters. Taijuan Walker can absorb innings, but consistency remains an issue. Zack Wheeler’s full return to health cannot be assumed.

It’s difficult to believe the Phillies are done.

The market has largely settled. The next move will reveal how this front office views its margin — and how much risk it’s willing to take to close it.

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Meet the Mets with Bichette.

On Friday, Jan. 16, Steve Cohen, David Stearns and the New York Mets agreed on a three-year, $126 million contract with two-time All Star Bo Bichette.

The stunning move comes after a relatively quiet hot stove stretch for the Amazin’s and bolsters Carlos Mendoza’s club that lost out on the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes and unloaded fan favorites Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil over the past three months.

Bichette, who led the American League in hits in 2021 and 2022, joins perennial stars Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto, along with 2025 rookie phenom Nolan McLean and offseason acquisitions Devin Williams, Marcus Semien and Jorge Polanco as the team looks to rebound after a disappointing 83-79 campaign that started promisingly.

“According to sources, the current plan is for Bichette, who has only played shortstop in his major league career with Toronto — and never played an inning at third as a pro — to take over at third base, with Brett Baty playing multiple positions,” The Post reported.

If you’d like to see this re-tooled roster, tickets are available for all 81 Mets 2026 home games at Citi Field on sites like StubHub and Ticketmaster.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on tickets for any one game was $11 including fees on Vivid Seats for the Thursday, April 30 game against the Nationals.

In the event you’d like to see the Mets take on the Yankees in Flushing on May 15-17, prices start at $135 including fees on GameTime.

They won’t go head-to-head with Bichette’s AL champion Toronto Blue Jays at home this year but will play them at the Rogers Centre from June 29 through July 1.

Want to find the matchup that makes the most sense for your schedule (and wallet)?

Our team has everything you need to know and more about how to see the New York Mets at Citi Field in 2026 below.

New York Mets home game tickets

Inventory to see the New York Mets live is available on all verified ticketing sites.

We recommend checking out StubHub, Ticketmaster, Vivid Seats and GameTime to find the seats that makes the most sense for you.

New York Mets season tickets

Diehard fans who want to don blue and orange every time the Amazin’s are at home, you’re in luck.

New York Mets season tickets can be picked up as early as today, right here, right now.

We’ll see you at Citi Field this year … a lot.

Key Mets home games

Every game counts but some come with a little added intrigue.

Here are 10 Mets huge home games at Citi Field — against heated rivals and the return of fan favorites who departed over the offseason — we’re already reserving tickets for this year.

New York Mets full schedule

Fans that plan on seeing Bichette, Lindor, Soto and the squad away from Citi Field can catch the Amazin’s on the road all spring and summer long (including Spring Training in Florida and a three-game stint at Yankee Stadium from Sept. 11-13).

Want to be there?

Tickets for all 192 (!) New York Mets game from February through September can be grabbed here.

Huge New York concerts in 2026

Hoping to see a show or two this year?

Here are just a few of the biggest shows coming to the Big Apple these next few months.

• Bon Jovi (July 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26)

• RUSH (July 28, 30 and Aug. 1, 3)

• My Chemical Romance (Aug. 9)

• Bruno Mars (Aug. 21-22, 25-26)

• AC/DC (Sept. 25)

Curious who else is out and about? Take a look at all the biggest artists on tour in 2026 to find the show that makes the most sense for you.

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.