It’s been broadly hinted by Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer that the Cubs might be moving on from outfielder Seiya Suzuki after the Japanese star had five productive seasons on the North Side.
Hoyer did not go into detail on Suzuki’s situation. Hoyer simply acknowledged that things could look different in 2027, given the volume of free agents the North Siders have both in terms of pitchers and hitters.
“We can’t retain everyone,” Hoyer said. “The team’s going to look and feel different next year. In a lot of ways, that’s a good thing. But I do want to emphasize that we have a lot of good players who are going to be free agents, and we’ll be in touch.”
Well. Let’s be clear. If the Cubs wanted to retain “everyone,” they could. It’s simply a matter of extending the payroll, something Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts did this year in a “win-now” situation. The Cubs didn’t win, obviously, but why should 2027 not be the same? Does the team want to win every year?
Rhetorical question, I suppose. The article linked above also quoted Suzuki:
“If we’re talking about all the good memories, it’s going to take about three hours. Is that OK?” Suzuki said via his interpreter, Edwin Stanberry. “My first time being in the U.S., it was with Chicago. Just being with the teammates, with the supportive staff, everybody around me that helped me, I enjoyed that. And also with playing at Wrigley, and the fans. They are so passionate. I was really hoping that we could go back to Wrigley and play in front of them.
“But there’s so many good memories. My family, they love Chicago. But with free agency, that’s something new for me. And I think there’s a lot of processes involved with that. So I’m not sure what’s going to happen.”
It does sound like Suzuki would like to stay with the Cubs, though I wouldn’t expect him to give the team any sort of “hometown discount.”
So what would it take to keep Suzuki a Cub? He just finished what is probably overall his best season. His SLG of .473 was almost exactly at his career mark of .472. He set career highs in runs and walks, and by the eye test and also statistically, he had his best defensive season in MLB. That might even put him in the running for a Gold Glove.
Suzuki signed a five-year, $85 million deal with the Cubs just before the 2022 season, an AAV of $17 million. Clearly, he was worth everything the Cubs paid for him and more — beyond his production on the field, he helped raise the team’s profile in Japan. While Shohei Ohtani is obviously the MLB icon in Japan, when I went to the Tokyo Series last year I ran into quite a number of Japanese fans who were big fans of Suzuki. That’s certainly something worth having in addition to his baseball skills.
I think Suzuki will age better than many MLB players as he enters his mid and late 30s. He just turned 32 in August, so signing him to (say) a five-year deal would be his age 32 through age 36 seasons. He’s likely to be oe of the top hitting free agents, if not right at the top of the list.
Bottom line: I don’t think the Cubs can afford to NOT keep Suzuki. They don’t really have any ready replacement for him.
So, without further ado: Would five years and $120 million keep Suzuki in Chicago? Hoyer says he doesn’t want to get into a bidding war, but I do think the Cubs could afford that.
25 JUL 1993: NEW YORK METS THIRD BASEMAN BOBBY BONILLA WATCHES A PREVIOUS HIT DURING THE METS VERSUS LOS ANGELES DODGERS GAME AT DODGER STADIUM IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. MANDATORY CREDIT: STEPHEN DUNN/ALLSPORT | Getty Images
It is easy to look at every season that the Mets have failed to make the playoffs after a large investment in a new player and evoke the title of the Bob Klapisch and John Harper book about the 1992 Mets’ season. The Worst Team Money Could Buy is an evocative title, and is indicative of the type of thinking that was and is still prevalent when discussing failing teams with big payrolls.
While 1992 led to a dark age in Mets’ fandom, there are hopes that 2027—if baseball is played at all—can and should be a better year for the Mets. But in anticipation of that potential lockout, we’re going to start up a book club where, every month for the duration of the offseason, we will read a book about the Mets and/or baseball in general, and then have a chat about it.
And so, four weeks from today, on November 9, we will have a chat in our comments section about the book. It is available to borrow from Archive.org, it is available via Bookshop.org, check your local library, and there are lots of used copies out there in the wild.
If you’ve got ideas for a future selection, leave them in the comments!
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 11: Brice Turang #2 of the Milwaukee Brewers crosses home plate after hitting a solo home run in the fourth inning during Game One of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Sunday, October 11, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Team news
[SI] Diamondbacks Rookies Poised For Bigger Roles in 2027 – The Arizona Diamondbacks, like all 29 other baseball clubs in the 2026 season, found themselves dipping into their pool of prospects at one point or another in their unsuccessful search for a postseason berth. Some such prospects stood out more than others. Some stayed on the roster long enough to graduate that status and become rookies. Here are three of those rookies who are likely to see their fair share of playing time in 2027, and perhaps well beyond.
[Tucson.com] Diamondbacks top prospect chasing MLB dream in Arizona Fall League – Demetrio Crisantes played soccer and baseball until he was 11, when his father and assistant coach, Miguel, told him he had to pick one sport. When they settled on baseball, Miguel decided to go “all-in” for his son. The family owned a produce warehouse consisting of tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers in Nogales, the historic border city in Southern Arizona. Miguel decided to split the warehouse in half with a blue tarp and transform the other side into a baseball training gym for the community to share. That warehouse has produced a bountiful crop.
[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks bringing back hitting coach Joe Mather – Mather has been the Diamondbacks’ hitting coach for the past five seasons, taking on the role after the 2021 campaign. From 2024-26, only the Los Angeles Dodgers scored more runs than the Diamondbacks (2,416), as Arizona led the league in scoring in 2024 and finished sixth in 2025. Throughout Mather’s tenure, the Diamondbacks have been a high-walks, low-strikeouts offense. This past season was more uneven for the offense collectively, which tied for ninth in MLB in scoring but made up a lot of ground over the final eight games (59 runs). Hitting right-handed pitching and converting with runners in scoring position were costly shortcomings, and blame has been shared between the roster construction and coaching.
[roundtable.io] Two Things Diamondbacks Need to Reach Playoffs Again – I know this might not seem like the answer, given that three of the four teams left in the playoffs are small-market teams with small-market payrolls, but Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick wants to trim payroll, and that may not be a good idea. I am not saying Arizona should run back its roster or keep bad contracts, but it does not have the luxury of shipping off too many quality players for the sake of saving money. Its farm system is not good enough for that to happen… Arizona has had some quality players recently making their way to the big leagues, such as Ryan Waldschmidt and Tommy Troy, but it does not change the fact that their system is not close to that of the Brewers or the Rays.
[MLB.com] Miz is mortal, but ‘Brewers ball’ bests Dodgers … and other key takeaways from Game 1 – The Brewers won more games than anyone this season by playing their brand of baseball — so don’t expect that to change just because they’re playing the two-time defending champs. While not quite everything went exactly to plan for the Brewers in Game 1 (more on that in a moment), they played their game to perfection. With Dodgers starter Tarik Skubal rolling early, Milwaukee manufactured the crucial go-ahead run in the fifth inning with some impressive small ball. Garrett Mitchell worked a leadoff walk, advanced to second on Cooper Pratt’s sac bunt and scored on rookie Luis Lara’s single up the middle.
[Fox] The Art Of The Out: Pitching And Defense Take Center Stage In Rays-Guardians ALCS – The Rays-Yankees matchup was David vs. Goliath in terms of payroll because New York opened the season with MLB’s third highest at $302.8 million and Tampa Bay ranked 26th at $90.5 million. But the Rays are facing a team now that spent even less. The Guardians were last in the majors at $75.5 million. Both teams emphasize contact at the plate, speed on the bases, strong fundamentals, solid pitching and doing whatever it takes to win. “I do think there’s more similarities than not,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said Sunday. “I feel Cleveland does mirror us or we mirror them. And I say that with the utmost respect to them, the way they develop pitching, the way they think about the game.”
[NPR] Opinion: Can I keep the baseball I caught? – Before we criticize anyone’s ethics, we ought to ask ourselves: what would we do if a baseball fell into our hands at a playoff game? Keep it, or give it to the nearest child? Because I am a father, I’m pretty certain I would give it to a child. But also because I’m a father, I know that within a few days, the ball so tenderly bequeathed might have rolled, abandoned, under a bed, surrounded by lost socks and forgotten Labubus. Also, a foul ball hit by almost any player would be a nice souvenir. But what if it had been a home run struck by, say, Shohei Ohtani? That ball could be as much of an investment as a Picasso!
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 07: The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate the 3-1 win against the San Diego Padres in game four of the National League Division Series at Petco Park on October 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals have made the playoffs once in the last decade, and their disappointing seasons in 2025 and 2026 have raised questions about whether the front office can build a contender. One way to get a better sense of how the Royals are doing is to compare their decisions with those of another franchise. In my recent evaluation of Royals president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo, I tried to assess how well he had done at acquiring talent. This piece takes the same approach with Milwaukee Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold, giving us a point of comparison with a franchise that has been more successful over the past four seasons.
The goal of my exercise was to attempt to determine which of resources or talent evaluation were the primary culprit behind the Royals’ back-to-back disappointing seasons after the surprise playoff run in 2024. I cannot realistically evaluate how big the hits or misses are without knowing what the alternatives might have been. I can’t know what the alternatives were without knowing intimate details about the Royals’ free-agent and trade negotiations to which I am not privy. It’s obvious on its face that Picollo has not done a good enough job at building a contending roster, so I am merely attempting to determine the primary limiting factor as best I can with publicly available knowledge. To that end, wins represent appropriate or surplus value for the acquisition cost, not necessarily a good add to the roster.
When we compare Picollo and Arnold, I think we need to acknowledge the reality that the Brewers have been more successful over the past four seasons than the Royals. So the expectation should likely be that Arnold is going to have a higher “win percentage” than Picollo. If that’s the case, it doesn’t mean Picollo should automatically be fired. We want to see the degree to which Picollo is being beaten to get an idea of whether this is something he is at least close on. Arnold has won Executive of the Year two years in a row, so he is considered one of the best in baseball. If Picollo is even close to the best, he’s worth keeping around for a bit. If he’s wildly worse, then I might be forced to run this exercise again with a different franchise to see how he compares to someone who is not the best because we’d have to allow for the possibility that Matt Arnold leads the best front office in baseball and it isn’t close.*
Anyway, with that all out of the way, let’s get into the scoring. In an attempt to preserve my sanity and time, I’m going to try to do less writing about individual transactions since most of you probably don’t care about these players anyway. In fact, feel free to skip to the end to read my conclusions; I won’t be offended. The only reason I’m even writing them down is as a sort of bibliography for that conclusion.
2023
Signed Blake Perkins
They paid him the minimum to be a replacement-level player.
0-0-1
Signed Wade Miley
$4.5 million for 1.0 fWAR.
1-0-1
Signed Brian Anderson
$3.5 million for 0.4 fWAR.
2-0-1
Signed Justin Wilson
Never pitched for the Brewers.
2-1-1
Signed Darin Ruf
Below replacement level.
2-1-2
Signed Julio Teheran
$1.5 million for 0.3 fWAR.
3-1-2
Signed Raimel Tapia
Below replacement level.
3-2-2
Signed Jahmai Jones
They paid him the minimum to be a replacement-level player.
3-2-3
Traded Reminton Batista for Payton Henry
Neither has appeared in the big leagues again.
3-2-4
Traded Hunter Renfroe for Elvis Peguero, Janson Junk, and Adam Seminaris
Renfroe was still useful in 2023, but Peguero was a useful piece, too.
4-2-4
Traded Kolten Wong for Abraham Toro and Jesse Winker
Wong and Winker were both awful.
4-2-5
Traded Esteury Ruiz for William Contreras, Joel Payamps, and Justin Yeager (three-team trade)
William Contreras is a perennial All-Star; Payamps was good for a bit.
5-2-5
Traded Justin Topa for Joseph Hernandez
Topa was good; Hernandez never made it.
5-3-5
Traded Taylor Floyd and cash for Trevor Megill
Megill has been a terrific closer for a couple of years, though he wasn’t this good straight out of the gate.
6-3-5
Traded Jhonny Severino for Carlos Santana
Santana was helpful
7-3-5
Traded Justin Jarvis for Mark Canha and cash
Canha was great; Jarvis never made it.
8-3-5
Traded Luis Urias for Bradley Blalock
Nothingburger.
8-3-6
Traded Alex Jackson for Evan McKendry
Ditto.
8-3-7
Traded Peter Strzeleckifor Andrew Chafin
One more time.
2023 Total: 8-3-8
2024
Signed Joe Ross
$1.75 million for 0.9 fWAR.
1-0-0
Signed Wade Miley
Turns out J.J. isn’t the only one who hangs on to guys too long, sometimes. Only threw seven innings this year.
1-1-0
Signed Eric Haase
$1 million for 0.2 fWAR/
2-1-0
Signed Rhys Hoskins
$34 million for two years totaling 1.1 fWAR.
2-2-0
Signed Jakob Junis
$7 million for replacement-level play.
2-3-0
Signed Gary Sánchez
$3 million for 0.4 fWAR/
3-3-0
Signed Brandon Woodruff
$17.5 million for 1.7 fWAR.
3-4-0
Signed Elieser Hernández
League minimum for replacement level.
3-4-1
Extended Jackson Chourio
Already paying dividends.
4-4-1
Traded Mark Canha for Blake Holub
Canha wasn’t bad in 2024. Holub has yet to make his big-league debut. He showed off some nice strikeout numbers in AAA, but he’s 27. So we’ll call it a draw for now.
4-4-2
Traded Hendry Mendez and Robert Moore for Oliver Dunn
Both the prospects traded look like they could be something, Mendez in particular looks like a potential stud (now with the Twins). Dunn was basically replacement level.
4-5-2
Traded Abraham Toro for Chad Patrick
Vice versa from above.
5-5-2
Traded Brian Sanchez and Jace Avina for Jake Bauers
Jake Bauers has become a mainstay in the Brewers lineup
6-5-2
Traded Cam Devanney and Ryan Brady for Taylor Clarke
We covered this one on the Royals’ side.
6-5-3
Traded Tyrone Taylor and Adrian Houser for Coleman Crow
Crow has been disappointing while Taylor and Houser have each had their moments.
6-6-3
Traded Justin Chambers for Bryan Hudson
Nothing for nothing.
6-6-4
Traded Corbin Burnes for DL Hall and Joey Ortiz
Joey saves this one for the Brewers because Hall has not been helpful.
7-6-4
Traded Clayton Andrews for Joshua Quezada
Quezada is speedrunning the Brewers’ system; he pitched at every level of full-season minor leagues this year at 22. I’m not sure I see it, but they sure do. Still, to stick with the conservative approach of Picollo’s review, it’s a draw.
7-6-5
Traded Thyago Vieira and Aneuris Rodriguez for Garret Stallings
Stalling debuted this year and looked pretty good.
8-6-5
Traded Gregory Barrios for Aaron Civale
Civale was good, not great; Barrios is well-regarded as a prospect but isn’t putting up numbers. No winners here.
8-6-6
Traded TJ Shook for Tyler Jay
Nothing for nothing.
8-6-7
Traded Yujanyer Herreraand Bradley Blalock for Nick Mears
Ditto
8-6-8
Traded Jakob Junis and Joey Wiemer for Frankie Montas
Wiemer has been mostly worthless as an MLB player, but Junis was fire for the Reds after the trade, and Montas wasn’t great. Without knowing more about the Brewers, it’s hard to call this a loss – maybe the mediocre starter’s innings were more valuable to them than the relief innings they gave up. So I’ll call it nothing.
2024 total: 8-6-9
Two-year total: 16-9-16
2025
Signed Grant Wolfram
Never pitched in the big leagues for the Brewers.
0-1-0
Signed Elvin Rodríguez
Below replacement level.
0-2-0
Signed Tyler Alexander
$1 million for 0.4 fWAR but DFA’d in early June because he had a 6.19 ERA.
0-2-1
Signed Jose Quintana
$4 million for 0.8 fWAR in 24 starts.
1-2-1
Signed Erik Fedde
Below replacement level.
1-3-1
Traded Devin Williams for Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin
Caleb Durbin saves this trade.
2-3-1
Traded Mason Molina for Grant Anderson
I want to call this a loss because Molina looks far more interesting as a prospect than Anderson has been as a reliever, but Molina hasn’t been quite good enough for me to pull the trigger.
2-3-2
Traded Mark Canha for Cesar Espinal
Canha was bad; Espinal is not good.
2-3-3
Traded Grant Wolfram for Daz Cameronand cash
Bad for bad.
2-3-4
Traded Yophery Rodríguez, Competitive Balance pick A, and John Holobetz for Quinn Priester
Priester was good, but not great, and underwent thoracic outlet surgery this year. Holobetz and the CB-A Pick (Marcus Phillips) look pretty good in the minors.
2-3-5
Traded Aaron Civale for Andrew Vaughn
This was when I was convinced that the White Sox were actively making everyone on their team worse and wanted the Royals to go after Luis Robert Jr.
3-3-5
Traded Jorge Quintana and Nestor Cortes for Brandon Lockridge
Nothing for nothing.
3-3-6
Traded PTBNL for Jordan Montgomery and Shelby Miller
Nothing for nothing, but an interesting example of the Brewers being willing to take on money to pay less in prospect capital. They actually wanted Miller, but took Montgomery’s salary so they didn’t have to give up much. It’s hard to tell if they ever did this again in the four-year stretch we’re evaluating, but even doing it once is more than the Royals have been willing to try.
2025 total: 3-3-7
Three-year total: 19-12-23
2026
Signed Brandon Woodruff
$22.5 million for 1.2 fWAR, a second whiff on the same player.
0-1-0
Signed Akil Baddoo
Never even appeared for the big league team.
0-2-0
Signed Gary Sánchez
$1.75 million for 0.9 fWAR; Gary is another win.
1-2-0
Signed Luis Rengifo
He was so very bad.
1-3-0
Signed Bryse Wilson
It worked again.
2-3-0
Extended Cooper Pratt
Fantastic in limited playing time so far.
3-3-0
Extended Luis Lara
Lara has not been good yet, but the extension can’t be a loss this early.
3-3-1
Traded Isaac Collins and Nick Mears for Angel Zerpa
We covered this from the Royals’ side.
3-3-2
Traded Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers for Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams
You’d rather have Peralta than Sproat, and while Myers wasn’t much, Williams has regressed a bit in AAA this season.
3-3-3
Traded Caleb Durbin, Competitive Balance Pick B, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Siegler for Kyle Harrison and David Hamilton
This looked like a hilarious win to start the season, but Durbin actually had a really good year by the end and Harrison fell off. Owen Hull, the CB-B pick, tore up High-A, too. I think we have to consider this a loss.
3-4-3
Traded K.C. Hunt for Jake Woodford
Nothing for nothing
3-4-4
Traded Jadyn Fielder for Lance McCullers Jr., Colton Gordon, and cash
Fielder’s got a little juice, but still very low. This is a tie leaning toward a loss. This would probably be at least a second example of taking on money to give up less; they cut McCullers less than two weeks after they acquired him. We don’t know how much cash they got in the deal to offset his salary, though.
3-4-5
Traded Craig Yoho and Blake Perkins for Codi Heuer and Bo Naylor
Nothing for nothing.
3-4-6
Traded Josiah Ragsdale and Alexander Frias for JoJo Romero and Dustin May
Frias is a 50 FV, and Ragsdale is tearing up the minors. Romero is a competent lefty reliever, and May has been a disappointment.
3-5-6
Traded Juan Martinez and Mark Manfredi for Antonio Senzatela
Manfredi has looked good in relief; Senzatela has not. Martinez showed a little juice in the minors, not enough to sway this, but it was already a loss.
2026 total: 3-6-6
Four-year total: 22-18-29
Conclusion
The most obvious thing is that the Brewers make more transactions than the Royals. And that’s before I realized, as I was going through this, that I had disregarded cash trades, viewing them the same as minor league free agent signings. Let’s at least summarize the cash trades here.
The Royals made 12 trades that included only cash from one side or another in the past four years. The Royals had two trades of that nature that worked out well (Yuli Gurriel and Randy Dobnak) and one that went poorly (Ryan O’Hearn, though the rumor is that there were extenuating circumstances to that one).
The Brewers made 19. They had a pair of small hits (Owen Miller, Bryse Wilson) and traded away no one they’ve ended up missing. You could argue the Royals could make more of these kinds of trades, but they’ve also got as many hits as the Brewers in fewer attempts, so maybe they’re just not wasting as much time on them.
The next most obvious conclusion is that, while the Brewers made significantly more transactions, they’ve “won” on the exact same number as the Royals, lost a handful more, and mostly ended up with extra nothing for nothings.
I went into this assuming that Arnold was going to have significantly more wins on his record over the past four years than Picollo. That fear escalated as I saw them acquire players like Durbin, Contreras, Megill, and Bauers in trades. That said, Picollo had the higher success rate. I suppose it’s possible that Arnold’s team is hitting home runs while the Royals are settling for singles from the front office, but again, some of that goes back to the resources available to them. The Brewers may not have had more money, but they had a lot more talent in their organization after the 2022 season than the Royals. That’s something that could start changing as early as this offseason, as guys like Blake Mitchell fall down the org prospect rankings despite not performing poorly.
And it’s not like the Royals don’t have big wins in the trade department, either. Aroldis Chapman for Cole Ragans was massive, even more so if Ragans can have additional healthy seasons. Freddy Fermin for Ryan Bergert and Stephen Kolek was even better. If Steven Cruz can take one more step forward, his trade will look as good as the Megill deal – it even took Megill time to reach this level of success. The Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha signings are better than any free agent deal the Brewers have done.
I also found it interesting that while Picollo often held on to guys too long, Arnold often brings guys back to see them underperform in a second tour. Woodruff stands out as a guy who was bad the first time and came back to be worse for more money the second time. Wade Miley was bad in his second tour. Sometimes it’s worked out for them, as with Bryse Wilson and Gary Sánchez. Still, the Royals and Brewers don’t appear to be as different in this regard as you might have imagined. I’m inferring from anecdotes and small samples here, but it seems like all front offices have guys they like and will keep or bring back even if their play hasn’t necessarily justified it. Austin Hedges in Cleveland stands out in this regard, as well.
The Royals’ assertion that they want major-league-ready guys in trades actually fits in with the Brewers’ behavior. Of the four stars the Brewers acquired via trade, three of them had already played in the big leagues before the Brewers got them; Durbin was the lone exception, and he came with Nestor Cortes Jr., who was supposed to improve the Brewers’ rotation. In fact, Durbin and Jett Williams are the only prospects acquired by the Brewers in large-ish trades, and both came with established starting pitchers even if those pitchers didn’t work out. Prospects will break your heart, but they’re worth grabbing if they can give you a second shot on a risky starting pitcher trade, I guess.
That said, one big change the Royals should consider adapting from the Brewers is a willingness to sign the young prospects who look like stars early on. Chourio and Pratt look to be huge wins for the Brewers. Even if Lara ends up being a miss, the value gained from Chourio and Pratt will outweigh what is lost with him. The Royals should absolutely be locking Carter Jensen and Jac Caglianone in ASAP if they want to keep their payroll down and keep options open for filling holes later.
*I wrote that entire paragraph before beginning the evaluation. I was convinced that Arnold and the Brewers were going to do better than the Royals; I just wanted to see how much better. Imagine my shock and delight when I had finished and reached the conclusions above.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 05: George Lombard Jr. #96 of the New York Yankees reacts to striking out against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning in game two of the American League Division Series at Tropicana Field on October 05, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s not yet mid-October, but the Yankees have already been dismissed from contention for the 2026 World Series trophy after being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series. We can try to find explanations and think about what could have been, but the reality is that there’s a long winter (and spring, in all likelihood) ahead for New York.
In the meantime, it’s time to reflect on the season that just ended, for them, at least. Here are the five worst moments of the year for the Yankees and their fans, in no particular order, and some honorable mentions, too.
ALDS Game 2, fifth (and first) inning
Monday was a sad day for Yankee fandom. The team got outmaneuvered and outplayed by the Rays and fell into a 0-2 hole in the AL Division Series, in a game in which New York’s defense committed not one, two, or three, but four errors. There were even more misplays that weren’t scored errors, too.
It was a nightmare from the jump, with both Ryan McMahon and Jazz Chisholm Jr. committing ghastly errors within the first few Rays at-bats of the day. The Yankees had hoped to tie the series with their ace on the mound in Cam Schlittler, but the future Cy Young Award winner was all but helpless to stop the scoring behind him. (Austin Wells also committed a catcher’s interference error.)
The fifth inning was particularly brutal as well. Schlittler had buckled down and limited the damage, allowing the Yankees to come back and tie it up at 1-1. Jonathan Aranda opened things with a single to right that Spencer Jones got an awful jump on, rendering it uncatchable. He moved to third on Junior Caminero’s double.
Aranda scored on Liam Hicks’ groundout, and then Caminero crossed home plate after George Lombard Jr. couldn’t handle Chandler Simpson’s slow grounder. It was originally scored an error but was ruled a fielder’s choice.
George Lombard Jr. misses the ball and Chandler Simpson makes it 3-1 for the Rays 😳pic.twitter.com/FssNbFzLji
Brent Headrick entered the game and struck out Victor Mesa Jr., then Jonny DeLuca reached on a throwing error by Lombard.
DeLuca stole second, and Richie Palacios singled to bring in two. Just like that, the game went from 1-1 to 5-1, Rays. It felt like the Yankees were bleeding out slowly, but steadily, and the series got away after that inning, which proved to be even more damning than the embarrassing opening salvo.
Aaron Judge’s season-ending calf injury
If Aaron Judge’s rib injury in May wasn’t brutal enough, fate would have another physical ailment in store for him, just as the Yankees geared up for the postseason. In mid-September, he suffered a significant calf strain that ruled him out for the rest of the season. Notably, Judge went against the Yankees and eschewed any rehab games before returning from the broken rib, also chafing at being removed early in a few of his first games back. It’s in the eye of the beholder whether this rush back perhaps led to the calf ailment, or if this might have very well happened on a rehab assignment regardless.
The captain carried some hope that he would be part of the AL Wild Card series or Division Series roster, but he simply wasn’t ready. He was, essentially, trying to rehab an injury that usually takes 4-6 weeks in just 14-21 days.
Just as it happens in life, it’s the hope that kills you (sometimes). Yankees fans dreamed of the prospect of having Judge back for the series vs. Boston, and then the one against the Rays, but there was no way he would have been 100 percent ready. The offense struggled without Judge for much of the year, and though they pounded the Red Sox bullpen in the first round, they took it on the chin against Tampa Bay.
Yet another summer swoon
On July 1st, the Yankees were swept at home by a mediocre Tigers team. It wasn’t just the sweep per se: it marked their seventh consecutive loss, since the Red Sox also took out the brooms on them in the previous series while resurrecting their own 2026 season.
Over a stretch from June 18th to July 8th, the Yankees lost 15 of 20 games. It was rough, and it was awful in many ways. They looked like a minor league team, and while they had to navigate a series of injuries, it’s no excuse to play the way they did.
Wells’ ALDS Game 1 baserunning blunder
We must, unfortunately, return to that awful ALDS at the hands of the Rays. The Yankees were down 1-0 in Game 1 of the Division Series against Tampa Bay. They were being no-hit by Rays ace Drew Rasmussen. With two outs in the eighth, Austin Wells hit a well-struck ball near the right field line that looked like a double. At minimum, the no-hitter was snapped and the Yankees would have a real shot at tying the game with a man in scoring position
Regrettably, Wells didn’t hit the brakes at second like 95 percent of other catchers in the league would. He didn’t see third base coach Luis Rojas’ stop sign and tried to stretch it into a triple, and got tagged out. It was the only hit of the night for the Yankees, and they couldn’t do anything because the same batter-runner produced an out on the basepaths. The biggest insult of all? It wasn’t even a close play. Victor Mesa Jr. has a good arm and Taylor Walls is a highly capable defender, and they burned Wells with ease.
Is it fitting that three of these worst moments came against the Rays? It was early in the season, but being swept at Tropicana Field from April 10th through the 12th sure was a bad omen knowing what the season turned out to be.
It was also the Yankees’ fifth consecutive loss back then, and sixth in their last seven games. That April 12th defeat in the series finale allowed the Rays to tie New York at the top of the AL East. It’s easy to forget that in 2025, Tampa Bay finished under .500 and not much was expected of them this year. But early on, they made their statement, and it was one that had lasting impact.
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 12: Yoenis Cespedes #52 of the New York Mets celebrates with David Wright #5 after hitting a three run home run against Alex Wood #57 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth inning during game three of the National League Division Series at Citi Field on October 12, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets are, how should I put this, not historically known for their winning ways. The most commonly noted exception to that trend is their success on Opening Day (42-23). But perhaps it’s time we give that same recognition to their performance in the National League Division Series. The Mets have played in five Division Series — 1999, 2000, 2006, 2015, and 2024 — and they have gone a perfect 5-0, advancing to the National League Championship Series each time. Only one other franchise, the Toronto Blue Jays, has an undefeated record in the Division Series round. So with MLB’s 2026 DS having recently wrapped up, let’s count down the best moments from the Mets’ dominant Division Series history.
10. Franco freezes Bonds(2000 NLDS, Game 2)
In the 10th inning of a back-and-forth Game 2 at San Francisco, John Franco entered to put out Armando Benítez’s fire. The Mets had led 4-1 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, but Benítez surrendered a three-run, game-tying homer to J.T. Snow with two outs to go. Jay Payton put the Mets back ahead with an RBI single in the top of the 10th, but Benítez then allowed Armando Ríos to reach on a single to begin the bottom of the frame. Franco arrived and got a pair of outs on the ground — one of which erased Ríos via a bad baserunning blunder — to bring Bonds to bat with two outs as the potential tying run or final out. With a full count to the already three-time MVP Award winner, Franco threw a pitch that was beautifully painted on the inside corner (or perhaps just beautifully framed by Mike Piazza behind the plate). Either way, the umpire rung up a disgruntled Bonds, evening the series as it went back to Shea.
9. deGrom’s bakers dozen(2015 NLDS, Game 1)
Jacob deGrom’s first postseason start, much like his first All-Star appearance three months earlier, was an electrifying statement to the rest of the league (and a foreshadowing of the two Cy Young Awards to come). His 13 strikeouts tied a Mets postseason record set by Tom Seaver in Game 1 of the 1973 NLCS against the Reds at Riverfront Stadium. He also became at that point just the ninth pitcher to strike out 13 while allowing no runs in a postseason game (two players, Gerrit Cole and Clayton Kershaw, have joined that list over the past 11 years). While deGrom’s Game 5 start to clinch a series victory was arguably the more impressive display, as he bounced back from a two-run first inning and battled without his “A stuff” to still put up a quality start, his Game 1 performance was a thing of pure majesty.
8. Alfonzo’s grand slam in Arizona(1999 NLDS, Game 1)
The first grand slam in Mets playoff history couldn’t have come at a better moment. Edgardo Alfonzo had already hit a homer in Game 1 of the 1999 NLDS, putting the Mets on the board with a solo shot off Randy Johnson (in the first of the southpaw’s four consecutive Cy Young Award-winning seasons) in the first inning. When Alfonzo came to bat in the ninth inning with the bases loaded and the score tied at 4-4, he went deep again, crushing a ball down the left-field line and into the second deck to give the Mets an 8-4 lead and all but seal their series-opening victory.
7. Jones’ shutout(2000 NLDS, Game 4)
In his first postseason start after eight big league seasons with the Mets, Bobby Jones completely baffled a Giants lineup that finished the regular season with the third-best team OPS (.834) in the Majors. The 30-year-old right-hander allowed just one hit (to future Hall of Famer and former Met Jeff Kent) and two walks, completing the second shutout in Mets playoff history after Jon Matlack twirled one in Game 2 of the 1973 NLCS against the Reds. Jones also notched one of just 34 series-clinching shutouts in playoff history to date. Mike Hampton would join that list eight days later in the NLCS, making the 2000 Mets the only team to have multiple pitchers throw shutouts in series-clinchers.
6. Murphy’s takeover(2015 NLDS, Game 5)
Everyone remembers that Daniel Murphy homered in six straight playoff games, setting an MLB postseason record (while remarkably hitting four of those six against that season’s NL Cy Young Award finalists Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Jake Arrieta). But Murphy’s other heroics in the winner-take-all Game 5 of the NLDS might be more easily overlooked. The Mets eked out a win over the Dodgers by a final of 3-2, and the second baseman was directly responsible for all three runs the Amazins’ scored. In the top of the first, he sent a triple to the warning track in left-center field, scoring Curtis Granderson and putting the Mets up 1-0. In the top of the fourth, with the Mets trailing 2-1, Murphy mustered a leadoff single. When Lucas Duda walked two batters later, Murphy caught the Dodgers’ defense sleeping and advanced to third base, allowing him to score when Travis d’Arnaud hit a sac fly which would have otherwise been a harmless flyout. Then, in the sixth, Murphy took matters into his own hands, tattooing a Greinke fastball down the right-field line for a go-ahead homer. Murphy would go on to win the NLCS MVP Award — but if there was an NLDS MVP Award, he would have won that, too.
5. Lo Duca goes 2-for-1(2006 NLDS, Game 1)
The most memorable — and most bizarre — defensive play in Mets Division Series history set the tone for a three-game sweep against the Dodgers. In the top of the second inning of Game 1 at Shea Stadium, L.A. had runners at first and second with nobody out facing rookie John Maine. The Dodgers’ Russell Martin banked a ball off the right-field fence, setting the runners in motion. Shawn Green and José Valentín combined for a clean relay to get the ball to catcher Paul Lo Duca, who tagged the lead runner (shoutout to Jeff Kent once again) sliding head-first into home plate. Lo Duca looked up to see the verdict from the home-plate umpire John Hirschbeck, who ruled Kent out. But when Lo Duca turned back around toward the diamond, he was suddenly met with the other runner, J.D. Drew, who was attempting to take the Mets by surprise. Instead, Lo Duca managed to get the tag down before Drew’s fingers touched the plate, turning a potential bases-loaded, nobody-out jam — or a potential go-ahead hit — into a double play.
4. Céspedes flips his bat to the heavens(2015 NLDS, Game 3)
Mets fans didn’t really need any extra motivation to go all-out in the first-ever playoff game at Citi Field, but after Chase Utley’s hard slide into Rubén Tejada during Game 2 of the 2015 NLDS…well, they got that extra motivation and then some. The Citi crowd was waiting for a moment to explode from the first pitch, and it got several fantastic opportunities. Curtis Granderson hit a bases-clearing, go-ahead double in the second. Matt Harvey got out of a big jam in the third by striking out Carl Crawford. Travis d’Arnaud hit a two-run homer to make it a 6-3 Mets lead in the third. But none of those moments could match the sheer euphoria caused by the sight of Yoenis Céspedes’ mammoth three-run shot rocketing into the second-deck in left field. Suddenly, the Mets were winning 10-3, the Dodgers’ formidable pitching staff was scrambling, and Cespedes’ bat was flying over home plate like an outbound red-eye from LaGuardia. Playoff baseball had officially arrived at Citi Field.
3. Benny and the Mets and the walk-off HR(2000 NLDS, Game 3)
The fan-favorite Benny Agbayani delivered his signature moment in Game 3 of the 2000 NLDS to put the Mets ahead in both a gridlocked game and a hotly-contested series against the Giants. After Edgardo Alfonzo evened the score at 2-2 with an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning, neither side was able to break through until the bottom of the 13th, when Agabyani got hold of a fastball from southpaw Aaron Fultz and sent it into the left-field stands at Shea Stadium. It is one of just eight walk-off homers in playoff history to be hit in the 13th inning or later.
2. Pratt’s all (1999 NLDS, Game 4)
Todd Pratt had hit just three home runs in 71 games during the 1999 regular season, making him one of the more unlikely power threats in a stacked Mets lineup. But he proved the hero during Game 4 of the NLDS on a Saturday afternoon at Shea Stadium, with the Mets and second-year D-backs tied at 3-3 with one out in the bottom of the 10th inning. After Arizona right-hander Matt Mantei bounced a first-pitch breaking ball, the Mets’ backup catcher got a fastball over the plate and elevated it to center field. Five-time Gold Glove Award winner Steve Finely gave the ball a chase and leapt at the wall, but he couldn’t stop it from soaring over the fence and sending the Mets to the NLCS. It was the first series-clinching homer by a National League player since Bill Mazeroski’s in the 1960 World Series. There have only been three series-clinching homers in DS history, and Pratt’s was the first (before David Ortiz for the Red Sox in 2004 and Chris Burke for the Astros in 2005). Plus, the 1999 Mets would have gone on to become the only NL team in history to record multiple walk-off homers in the same postseason if Robin Ventura’s “grand-slam single” in the NLCS went down as a home run in the record books.
1. Lindor gives Citi its moment(2024 NLDS, Game 4)
The end of the Mets’ 2024 season featured one Hollywood moment after another, but Lindor’s go-ahead grand slam stands apart because it was in front of a Citi Field crowd that had waited through…a lot. They had waited 18 years (since September of 2006) to celebrate a clinch in Queens, whether for a postseason berth or series. They had waited through a four-city road hoping for the chance to experience postseason baseball in-person, watching as the Mets somehow clinched a playoff spot in Atlanta thanks to Lindor’s ninth-inning homer and even more miraculously advanced past Milwaukee thanks to Pete Alonso’s ninth-inning homer. They had also waited all night for the Mets to get on the board. When Lindor came to bat to the sound of The Temptations’ “My Girl” with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the sixth, New York was 2-for-11 (2 singles) with RISP, still trailing 1-0. Even with a bad back, Lindor had carried the 2024 Mets to the precipice of this magical moment. It was only right that he then be the one to deliver it. As Lindor crushed a middle-middle fastball from the Phillies’ Carlos Estévez over the right-center-field wall, that Citi crowd got to erupt after five innings, four series, and 18 years of waiting.
It’s no secret that left field has been a black hole for the San Diego Padres. In the last three seasons, 12 players have manned the left side of the outfield. That includes two starters in Jurickson Profar (2024) and Ramón Laureano (2025-26). Behind them are depth pieces like Nick Castellanos, Gavin Sheets and Samad Taylor alongside names you’d be hard-pressed to remember like Oscar Gonzales or Tirso Ornelas.
At the end of the day, San Diego has an abundance of pressing needs in order to balance out their roster. If the Padres’ new ownership is serious about bringing this city a World Series, they need to put their money where their mouth is. That would include signing a legitimate left fielder. Who are the best options?
The Power/Speed Threat
Randy Arozarena is, without a doubt, the top left fielder free agent on the market in this upcoming 2026-27 class. It’s easy to tell why. For six consecutive seasons, Arozarena has hit 20 home runs and stolen 20 bases. He’s the first player since Barry Bonds to display that level of elite power and speed. That might sound crazy, but it’s not. Bonds tops the list of consecutive 20/20 seasons with nine. Behind him are Bobby Abreu and Bobby Bonds with seven. Arozarena is tied for fourth with Willie Mays with six.
He certainly would come with an expensive price tag, though the impending lockout and CBA negotiations could muddy that up a little bit. The bigger question is if San Diego is comfortable taking a hit on batting average and defense. From 2023-25, Arozarena never batted higher than .254. He batted .219 in ‘24. But the left fielder turned that around this past season, batting .281 and bringing his strikeouts down from 191 (’25) to 145.
Defense is the biggest issue. Arozarena has a passable glove in left field. Especially with the elite defensive duo of Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. already present, it wouldn’t be the biggest problem. However, Arozarena is tied for 101st out of 102 left fielders in Fielding Run Value with -7 FRV. Out of 35 qualified fielders, Arozarena ranks 28th in Outs Above Average (-5 OAA).
Consistency is Key
This one might cost even more than Arozarena, but it would be incredible to see. Seiya Suzuki is fresh off a 7.2 WAR season in his walk year with the Chicago Cubs. His home run total (26) went down from 2025 (32), but his OPS increased by 37 points due to increased plate discipline and bat-to-ball ability. He’d slot incredibly well into San Diego’s lineup, and be an incredible presence in left field.
It’s true, Suzuki is mostly a right fielder. But his glove should still translate well. He revamped his defense in 2026, posting +5 OAA and +8 FRV. If that trend continues, Suzuki could round out one of the most elite defensive outfields in baseball alongside Merrill and Tatis. However, the 32-year old is expected to command a long-term deal that could prove too much for San Diego.
A Surprising Trade Possibility
Ronald Acuña Jr. has been one of MLB’s brightest stars over the better part of the last decade. Unfortunate injuries have derailed an otherwise immaculate career. The superstar outfielder for the Atlanta Braves has a club option for 2027 that Atlanta seemed all but certain to exercise. However, the 29-year old went 2-for-15 in the playoffs and was a big factor in the Braves’ elimination in the NLDS.
It’s been speculated that Atlanta could make Acuña available via trade after picking up his club option. That being said, it seems unlikely that the Padres have the prospect capital to get the deal done. San Diego’s farm system is heavily depleted and the club would be much better off seeking a new outfielder via free agency.
Other Options
The Friars will have contributors Dustin Harris and Samad Taylor likely returning to the club. The two formed an incredible contact/speed platoon down the stretch for San Diego. There’s certainly questions persisting of whether that success can continue. The two seem best fit to come off of the bench for the Padres, with both being incredible pinch-hitting or pinch-running opportunities.
However, with San Diego prioritizing signing reliable starting pitching this offseason, it’s possible that they’re willing to continue with their duo of Harris and Taylor in order to invest more into the pitching staff. Hopefully, the Padres will spend on a solid starter to supplant the duo in left. Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine where else a big bat might fit in the lineup math.
ST PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 22: Carl Crawford #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on during batting practice prior to game one of the 2008 MLB World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on October 22, 2008 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A Tampa Bay Rays Hall of Famer will be one hand throw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the first game of the 2026 American League Championship Series.
Carl Crawford, a 4-time All-Star and winner of a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award, will throw out the first pitch as the Rays play their first ALCS game at Tropicana Field since 2008. Carl Crawford was actually on the field the last time the Rays played in the ALCS at the Trop, playing in left field when Akinori Iwamura stepped on second base and the late great fellow Rays Hall of Famer Dave Wills declared that “this improbable season has another chapter to it. The Rays are going to the World Series!”
Tampa Bay originally selected Crawford in the 2nd round of the 1999 draft and he quickly became one of the team’s top prospects. In the early years of the Rays franchise, they were extremely aggressive with minor league advancement so despite being selected out of high school, the Rays pushed Crawford to the Majors by the 2002 season and he was their Opening Day left fielder in 2003. On Opening Day that season, Crawford launched a walk-off homerun against the Boston Red Sox kickstarting a new era in Tampa Bay.
Over the next several years, Crawford would infuriate opposing pitchers due to his blazing speed. From 2004 to 2006, Crawford led the league in triples. During a five year stretch from 2003 to 2007, Crawford led the American League in stolen bases. During a game in 2009, Crawford tied a Major League record when he collected six stolen bases in a single game, a feat that has not been accomplished since.
Crawford currently ranks 2nd on the Rays all-time fWAR leaderboard while also having set the franchise record for hits, singles, triples, and stolen bases.
Following his foray into free agency after the 2010 season, Crawford would play with the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers before being released in 2016 and effectively retiring following the season.
Overall, Crawford hit .290/.330/.435 with 136 HR, registering a 104 wRC+ and stealing 480 bases over 1,716 games played for his career.
In 2023, Crawford became the third person inducted into the Rays Hall of Fame as part of its inaugural class
The talent. The work ethic. They just don’t make them like CC.
Our final Rays Hall of Fame class of ’23 inductee couldn’t be anyone but this absolute legend. pic.twitter.com/TtUqJn7laC
Milwaukee, WI - October 10, 2026: Rookie Josue DePaula lines up at shortstop for infield drills as the LA Dodgers conduct an off day workout before game one of the National League Championship Series against the Brewers at American Family Field, Milwaukee, WI on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Kyle Tucker was that runner in scoring position after a two-out walk off Milwaukee closer Trevor Megill. Josue De Paula followed with a walk off his own, doing so in five pitches. It was the second game in a row with a pinch-hit walk for the 21-year-old De Paula, who kept alive the winning rally in Game 4 of the NLDS against the Braves on Wednesday.
De Paula batted for Kiké Hernández against a right-handed pitcher in each of his last two pinch-hit appearances.
“He’s got a good heartbeat, looks over the ball really well. I’ve got no hesitation running him out there. I just felt with Megill he’s just a really good pitcher, especially tough on right-handers,” manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “What way gave us the best chance to get Mookie up to bat, and that’s the decision I made, and I felt good about it.”
Tarik Skubal needed 26 pitches to get through the fifth inning, in which the Brewers scored the go-ahead and ultimately winning run. Garrett Mitchell walked to open the frame, was bunted to second base, and scored on a single by Luis Lara.
“The leadoff walk just can’t happen,” Skubal said. “It gives them the opportunity to create something, and ultimately that’s all they needed today.”
The result: the teams remain evenly matched according to wRC-based comparisons vs. RHP when they are able to allocate more plate appearances to starters. However, the gulf between the two lineups vs. LHP grows substantially, leaving the Brewers further behind.
The Dodgers faced two left-handers in Game 1. DL Hall induced an inning-ending double play to his only batter face to escape an inherited jam in the fifth inning. Aaron Ashby allowed one walk in his two scoreless innings.
“I guess the only solace is you got them in the game, you got to take a look. We just know that if there’s any chance for them to win the game, we’re going to see those guys,” Roberts said Sunday night, talking about the Brewers usual high-leverage relievers, left- and right-handed. “Hopefully in a long series it could prove to be beneficial the more times we see them.”
“This year’s version will go seven games, and it will be a showcase of baseball at its optimal level,” wrote Alden González, “A shining example of the varying ways teams can compete for championships, regardless of payrolls.”
David Stearns and the Mets' front office will have a lot on their plate this offseason as they look to turn the club from a massively disappointing 74-88 team into a playoff contender.
There are plenty examples of quick turnarounds recently, including the 2026 White Sox (60-102 in 2025 to 84-78 and in the playoffs), 2023 Rangers (68-94 in 2022 to 90-72 and World Series champs), and 2013 Red Sox (69-93 in 2012 to 97-65 and World Series champs).
So New York's task, while difficult, is not as daunting as it may seem.
What will help is that the Mets, who went 39-38 from June 30 through the end of the season after a disastrous start derailed their playoff hopes, should have a very strong returning core that includes Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette (who seems likely to opt in to his contract for 2027), and young building blocks Carson Benge, Nolan McLean, A.J. Ewing, and Christian Scott.
As the Mets start moving and shaking, they -- and the other 29 teams -- will likely be facing a truncated calendar due to the expected lockout that is set to begin on Dec. 1.
With the offseason kicking into high gear five days after the World Series ends, things will open up any time between Nov. 1 and Nov. 5.
Here's what the Mets' top priorities should be...
5. Target players who want the New York market
In his end-of-season news conference, Stearns was asked if some players struggle to play in New York.
"I think the answer is yes," he said. "I think this is a unique place to play, and it's different here. I've lived it as a fan and as an executive. When you win here, it is the greatest thing in the world. As a fan and as an executive, there is nothing like coming to this ballpark in a playoff atmosphere and experiencing that. It's equally extreme when things aren't going well, and I do think certain players struggle with that. And I'm cognizant of that."
Following an offseason where the Mets let proven New York performer Pete Alonso walk in free agency, Bichette struggled badly over the first few months of the 2026 season and Freddy Peralta performed well below expectations.
Jun 9, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) delivers a pitch during the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta - Imagn Images
This isn't to say that Bichette failed early and Peralta never found it at all simply because of the pressure of New York. But it was certainly a factor.
Not that it wasn't a consideration before, but targeting players who want to play in (and can handle) the highly pressurized New York market should be even more of a priority now.
4. Explore trade scenarios
Soon after New York's trade deadline sell-off in August, Stearns wasn't shy when suggesting that some of the prospects the team acquired could be flipped in the short-term in order to help fill other holes.
While the Mets' farm system isn't quite as deep as it was a year ago, due in part to Benge, McLean, and Ewing no longer being prospects, they still possess a number of top 100-ish players who could theoretically help headline a deal for an impact player.
There hasn't been much buzz yet regarding which players other teams might make available this offseason, but Tampa Bay Rays ace Drew Rasmussen ($20 million team option for 2027 in his last year before free agency) and some of the Mariners' starting pitchers (given their glut of rotation options) could be available.
As far as who the Mets could deal in a search for impact talent, it's conceivable that they would be open to parting with one of their infield prospects -- given their depth in that area.
If Bichette opts in as expected, the Mets will be covered on the left side of the infield, all three outfield spots, and catcher. Second base is to-be-determined, but top prospects Jefferson Rojas and Mitch Voit are among the in-house options if things continue to go sideways with Marcus Semien. Brett Baty could also find himself at second.
That would leave first base and/or designated hitter as the main avenue to improve the offense.
Mar 15, 2025; Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan; Hanshin Tigers right fielder Teruaki Sato (8) gestures during the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome. / Darren Yamashita - Imagn Images
Jared Young became New York's primary first baseman in 2026 and did relatively well, posting a .759 OPS. But he does not hit for much power (just nine home runs in 103 games this past season) and struggles against left-handed pitching.
While Young could be part of a platoon at first base with a to-be-determined right-handed hitter, the Mets should be aiming higher. Specifically, they should be seeking a full-time first baseman who can profile in the middle of the lineup.
That player might not exist on the MLB free agent market, but star Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato is expected to be posted. If the Mets aren't sold on Sato as an answer at first base, it might leave the trade market as their best option when it comes to addressing the position.
2. Don't be driven by bounce backs and what-ifs
Heading into 2026, the Mets were banking on too much uncertainty.
They were hoping for bounce backs from Senga, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, and Mark Vientos, as well as relative health from Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert Jr. -- two players who had checkered injury pasts.
Nearly all of that blew up in New York's face, helping to create the "uncapped downside scenario" Stearns referenced after the season.
Heading into 2027, there has to be a much smaller reliance on bounce backs and what-ifs. That means jumping in the deeper end of free agency for players who should be more reliable.
It also means Polanco should be viewed as a non-entity until/unless he's healthy and performing, Semien should be replaced at second base if his struggles continue, and Manaea should be looked at as one of many rotation options instead of a key cog.
New York Mets second baseman Marcus Semien (10) hits a RBI single during the second inning against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. / Matt Marton-Imagn Images
It can be argued that the Mets left their rotation one legitimate starting pitcher short each of the last two seasons.
In 2025, things began to crumble because of a lack of rotation options, resulting in Chris Devenski, Justin Hagenman, Blade Tidwell, and a small village of openers starting games. Beyond that, Jonah Tong was called up before he was ready because the team had basically run out of arms.
In 2026, the rotation was a huge issue again due to the early struggles of Senga and Peterson, Manaea being relegated to the bullpen because of his own difficulties and velocity issues, and a freak injury to Clay Holmes that the team had no answer for.
This time around, the rotation needs to be properly fortified, which should mean adding two new members to the starting five (or starting six).
McLean and Scott are locks, but things are uncertain beyond that. Zac Thornton is an option, Manaea could be an answer at the back end, and Tong has been tasked with pitching so well that he forces himself into the conversation.
Aug 22, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Rico Garcia (50) reacts during the tenth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: James A. Pittman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Rico Garcia is everything that’s right with baseball. At 5-foot-9, he certainly doesn’t have the physical appearance of a hard-throwing, major league reliever. And coming into this season, the back of his baseball card looked more like a guy hanging onto the fringes of a 40-man roster for dear life than someone leading one of the league’s better bullpens. But now, coming off of a career-best campaign at age 32, he might be headed for the first offseason of his professional life where he can feel pretty confident that he is making the Opening Day roster at the other end of it.
Coming into 2026, Garcia had appeared in 59 total major league games, spread across five seasons and seven different franchises. That included two stops in Baltimore. The first came back in 2022, when he pitched in six games for the big league squad, but spent most of the season down on the farm. He would be released after that season and then bounce around the league again until landing back with the O’s near the end of the 2025 campaign.
Garcia’s showing in 2025 with the Orioles laid the groundwork for the success to come for him in 2026. Over 20 total appearances last season he had a 2.84 ERA while striking out 20 over 19 innings. Some of the peripherals weren’t great. For example, he also had 1.421 WHIP and 4.03 FIP while leaving an unsustainable 92.1% of runners on base. But it was enough to give him an edge in the bullpen competition that played out back in the spring.
The diminutive righty was dominant down in the Grapefruit League. He worked 5.2 innings in which he never gave up a hit, walked just one, and struck out seven. He made the Opening Day squad with ease, and would end being the most dependable member of the group.
Garcia’s 75 appearances and 67 innings led all Orioles relievers, as did his 19 holds and 68 strikeouts. He also ranked second on the team in saves (10), behind only Andrew Kittredge (11), and ahead of Ryan Helseley (8).
This time around, the secondary numbers largely supported the top line metrics. His 3.09 ERA was slightly worse than his 2.92 xERA, though still quite a bit better than his 3.89 FIP/3.77 xFIP. He left a more reasonable 75.4% of runners on base. And he had a decent strikeout (9.13 K/9) and walk (2.96 BB/9) numbers.
These “good, not great” numbers feel like a fair reflection of a season that saw Garcia oscillate between elite reliever early on, to walking disaster midway through the year, before finally settling late as a nice, solid bullpen option.
His month-by-month ERAs paint a clear picture: 0.66, 0.77, 6.97, 4.91, 3.75, and 2.16. Home runs were an issue for him in June and July. He gave up nine long balls all season, eight of them came in that two-month span. Those were worrying times for Garcia, as home runs had sunk him before in his career, and it was entirely possible that a reliever, the most fickle of all MLB players, could be spiraling out of usefulness.
Instead, Garcia got back to work. He didn’t allow a home run over his final 25 appearances, and gave up a run of any kind in only three of those games. His ERA didn’t move much due to one implosion on August 10, where he allowed four runs without recording an out, but his FIP dove from 4.47 on July 29 to 3.85 at season’s end.
Garcia’s pitch mix was tweaked quite a bit as the season wore on. Early in the year, he led with his four-seamer (38.5% of all pitches in March/April), followed with the slider (24.7%), then the change up (21.8%), and finally his curveball (14.9%). But in September he had almost flipped that on its head. His curveball (40%) became his most-used pitch, followed by the change (32%), then the fastball (22.4%), and at the very bottom was his slider (5.6%).
That change in approach did come with fewer strikeouts. His K rate dropped from 32.6% in the season’s first month down to 24.2% in September. But he actually got more chases and more swing and miss than before. Exit velocities also dipped from their June high of 89.8 mph down to 80.3 in August, before jumping back up in September.
It’s not easy for any major leaguer to make such dramatic in-season adjustments and see success, let alone a 32-year-old that had finally found some big league footing after a decade of clawing his way up the professional ranks. The fact that Garcia was able to make tweaks is a positive reflection of his work ethic and determination, as well as the organization’s ability to make the most out of relief arms they get their hands on.
As a group, the Orioles bullpen was pretty good in 2026. They finished with 5.8 fWAR overall, which was sixth in MLB, and that is while throwing the fourth-fewest innings of any bullpen in baseball, so this was not an accumulation thing. The group limited walks and home runs, and the organization was willing to cycle arms in and out as needed.
The unit goes into this offseason in pretty good shape. Félix Bautista got back at the very end of the season, and is expected back in the mix following what will hopefully be a healthy winter. Helsley has a player option for ‘27 that he is probably going to pick up following an injury-plagued campaign. If he is 100% come spring, that gives the O’s two proven, but physically questionable, vets for the late innings. Yennier Cano had a nice bounce-back year and signed an extension midseason. He should be back. And optionable and projectable arms in Anthony Nunez, Alex Hoppe, and Grant Wolfram give the unit some flexibility.
Garcia is a late-bloomer at 32 years old. He won’t be arbitration eligible until next offseason, and is not set for free agency until after the 2030 season. He has no options, but that should not be be a problem given the makeup of the relief corps laid out above. Unless the Orioles get blown away with a trade offer, they have no incentive to move Garcia after a rock solid campaign. He has shown an ability to get big outs, close games, and make adjustments. That’s an arm you want in your bullpen moving forward.
ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 30: Atlanta pitcher Didier Fuentes (72) pitches during the Philadelphia Phillies versus the Atlanta Braves in game 2 of the National League Wild Card Series on September 29th, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
(Of course, pending the existence of a 2027 season, after all…)
Alex Anthopoulos said a whole lotta nothing in his latest presser, though this isn’t really surprising considering A) his approach to press is “how do I divulge as little information as possible in as much time as possible” and B) the Braves haven’t done their post-season debriefs yet, so I’m not sure what there is to say, or why this presser even existed at this time.
Anyway, one of the things that did come out was that Didier Fuentes’ role was probably not going to be locked into “high leverage fireman” the way things played out in 2026. It was basically a season ago, but Fuentes didn’t actually start out being a pure-play reliever in 2026: he made the Opening Day roster, pitched a four-inning mop-up appearance following a Grant Holmes start (in the Braves’ first loss of the year), then went down and made three starts at Triple-A, then came up and had a three-inning start against the Nationals (7/1 K/BB ratio, but a homer allowed), and then settled into a high leverage multi-inning relief role afterwards. Actually, settled into is not great diction: he was pretty much thrown right into it. His first full-time relieving month was May, and by leverage, his 11 outings went:
almost high
high
low
almost medium
high
garbage time
almost medium
almost medium
almost high
high
almost medium
He finished that month second to Robert Suarez in average leverage when entering a game, though he took a step back on the totem pole a bit after that, until the post-Trade Deadline stretch run.
He also provided decent length. From May-on, after his dalliance with starting, 19 of his relief appearances were multi-inning — basically a third (37 outings of one inning or less). Add those up, and from May-onward, Fuentes:
Finished tenth in innings pitched among relievers
Finished 17th in batters faced among relievers
Finished tenth in fWAR among relievers (one of only three non-dedicated closers in the top ten)
Put up a 50/62/70 line, which was good for 22nd/20th/16th respectively among the 160 relievers with the most innings in that May-onward span.
But, just because of that demonstrated success doesn’t mean he’s definitely pigeonholed as a fireman from here on out. Similar production, or slightly worse production, over more innings would be of even bigger benefit to the club. At minimum, the Braves could try it, and move him back into a fireman role if they feel that’s warranted.
That said, I do think the Braves will give him a fair bit of rope as a starter for two dovetailing reasons. First, the Braves are not fans of engaging in the increasingly-bloated starting pitching market. Yes, there’s uncertainty about what the new Collective Bargaining Agreement does to the free agent market, but it’s hard to speculate what that’ll mean for the team’s approach, so I’m setting that aside. If the Braves have a goal of “go into Spring Training 2027 with n starter-ish guys,” then I fully anticipate them penciling Fuentes in as one of the n, reducing the need to go outside the organization by one guy. On the flip side, the Braves have had almost no compunction about spending on relievers, so if moving Fuentes to the “presumptive starter” column means they need to sign another reliever, including one that could be a good fireman (David Bednar, Jonathan Loiasiga, Adrian Morejon immediately come to mind), I can see that.
Anyway, I’ve blathered enough that it’s now 8:55 am and this post goes up at 9am, so have at it.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 30: Paxton Kling #21 of the Texas Rangers poses for a photo during the 2026 Arizona Fall League media day at Scottsdale Stadium on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning.
Remember Austin Wynns? Shawn McFarland didn’t when recapping the season behind the dish for the Texas Rangers in 2026 where mid-year addition Elias Diaz was pretty much the lone bright spot.
Jonathan Mayo writes about right-handed Rangers prospect Jacob Johnson working on his repertoire at the Arizona Fall League.
And, MLB Pipeline’s Jesse Borek places Rangers outfield prospect Paxton Kling on the first week All-AFL team, a team that also includes former Rangers prospect Tekoah Roby.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 10: The Cleveland Guardians pose for a photo on the field after defeating the Chicago White Sox in game five of the American League Division Series at Progressive Field on October 10, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The ALCS starts tonight… and the Guardians are in it!
We reviewed the ALDS and previewed the ALCS last night on the Disgusting Baseball Podcast. It was a fun conversation with five great Guardians fans/analysts.
Zack Meisel has a review of how the Guardians got to the ALCS here, and a preview of the ALCS here. Staff predictions everywhere have the Rays as the heavy favorite, which only makes sense. The Rays have been a much better baseball team all year. Let’s see if that changes or not at 8PM ET tonight.
The Brewers beat the Dodgers 2-1 in game 1 of the NLCS. Game two is today at 5PM ET.
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 02: A fan of the Milwaukee Brewers jokes with a fan of the New York Mets prior to Game 2 of the Wild Card Series presented by T-Mobile 5G Home Internet between the New York Mets and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Aaron Gash/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
