Category: Baseball

The Yankees had serious bullpen issues in 2025, which mostly stemmed from the fact that Devin Williams had far and away the worst year of his career after he was acquired from the Brewers for Caleb Durbin and Nestor Cortes in the offseason. Williams figured it out towards the end of the year and was a valuable piece in September and October, but he finished the season with a disastrous 4.79 ERA and his series of implosions in the first half cost the Yankees a number of wins which directly led to the team losing the division by the narrowest margin possible. Williams’ struggles reached the point where he lost save opportunities to Luke Weaver, who was more reliable than Williams but also regressed from the hero role he played during the previous postseason, and at times struggled terribly down the stretch.

Williams and Weaver are the only two players from last year’s ALDS roster that are no longer with the team; they both moved across town and signed with the Mets. This leaves David Bednar, who took over the closer role after being acquired from the Pirates at the trade deadline, as the default ninth-inning option for 2026. Bednar went 4-0 with 10 saves with the Yankees, recording a 2.19 ERA while striking out 36% of the hitters he faced. He’s an elite closer, and the Yankees should feel great about handing the ball to finish games.

The primary set-up men in the bullpen will be Camilo Doval and Fernando Cruz. Doval was another trade deadline acquisition last July, and was not impressive as a Yankee during the regular season with a 4.82 ERA in 18 innings. Control problems have been a thorn in his side for the last two years, but he features a wipeout slider and has been a reliable late-inning reliever for most of his career. His fastball has regressed as of late, which should be Matt Blake’s primary focus in getting him back to top form. Cruz spent his first full year with the Yankees in 2025 and struck out 36% of the hitters he faced on the back of his wipeout splitter. His 3.56 ERA was a major step forward from his shaky numbers with the Reds, and he should be one of the most prominent members of the Yankees’ bullpen moving forward.

Tim Hill will look to build on the 3.09 ERA he posted last year and retain his role as the funky left-handed specialist meant to induce as many ground balls as possible. He’s one of two southpaws in the bullpen, the other being Ryan Yarbrough who’s spent a lot of his career as a starting pitcher and made eight starts with the Yankees last season. Barring disastrous health problems, Yarbrough should spent 2026 in the bullpen and will be deployed primarily as a long reliever.

The rest of the bullpen will likely include Paul Blackburn and Cade Winquest. Blackburn came over from the Mets midway through the 2025 season and struggled as Yankee on the surface, though the difference between his actual and expected stats was staggering (he had a 5.28 ERA vs 2.92 xERA). He re-signed on a one-year, $2 million contract this offseason. Winquest was the Yankees’ first Rule 5 selection in years. He has yet to make his MLB debut, but his fastball can reach triple digits and he features a plus changeup and curveball. Both pitchers should be back-end options in the bullpen to start the year, with the chance to earn more opportunities as the season develops.

Jake Bird was another trade deadline acquisition as the Yankees acquired him from the Rockies for Roc Riggio and Ben Shields. He only pitched in three games with the big-league team and spent almost all his time in Triple-A, but he’s looking to get back on track this season and earn a spot in the Major League bullpen. At his best, Bird’s lethal slider/cutter combination makes him incredibly difficult to hit.

We’ve written extensively about Carlos Lagrange over the past year, most recently in our starting pitcher preview, but there’s a realistic chance he appears in the Yankees’ bullpen sometime this year and for that reason he’s worth mentioning here. Lagrange made huge gains last season and is already turning heads in camp. He was hitting 102 MPH with his fastball as of Monday afternoon, when he allowed a home run to Aaron Judge and then struck the three-time MVP out on three pitches. The Yankees should do everything they can to help Lagrange develop into a starting pitcher, but his ETA should be around sometime this summer, at which point the rotation could be healthy and thriving. Adding his electric arsenal into the bullpen down the stretch could be a huge boost to the pitching staff and a perfect jumping-off for Lagrange’s MLB career.

Aside from the names above, most of the other contenders for innings in the Bronx will be starting the season in Triple-A if not with the big-league club. Some of these names include Brent Headrick, Yerry de los Santos, Angel Chivilli, and Kervin Castro. Headrick is the most likely candidate to break camp with the team after he pitched 23 innings with the Yankees in 2025 and thrived with a 3.13 ERA and 32.6% strikeout rate. If the team decides to roll with three lefties in the bullpen, or if Hill or Yarbrough are forced to miss anytime this season, his is the first name they should call. Fans should also remember de los Santos fondly after he pitched 35 innings in the Bronx and recorded a 3.28 ERA. He struggled with walks, but was able to get the job done in 2025 and could get more opportunities this season.

Chivilli was acquired from the Rockies in exchange for minor-league slugger T.J. Rumfield this offseason. His numbers were catastrophic in Colorado last season, but he was pitching in a uniquely terrible environment. It’s difficult to even gauge how good a pitcher’s stuff is in Coors Field. The Yankees clearly saw enough that they liked to trade for Chivilli, but for now he should be viewed as a lottery ticket. Castro has struggled in his limited sample in the big-leagues, and after missing all of 2024 he pitched 47 innings in Triple-A last season with a 1.53 ERA.

The Yankees also signed Rafael Montero to a minor-league contract in early February. Montero was a huge part of the Astros’ World Series-champion bullpen in 2022, but he’s struggled mightily in the three years since. He’s another lottery ticket. Non-roster spring training invitations were also extended to Dylan Coleman, Carson Coleman, Bradley Hanner, Harrison Cohen, and Travis MacGregor. Dylan Coleman is the only one of these five with MLB experience, but like Montero, he hasn’t been a reliable bullpen option at this level since 2022. Of the other four, Cohen is the name to focus on. He posted a 1.76 ERA in 2025 between Double-A and Triple-A, with the red flag being a 14% walk rate at both levels.

The only other non-roster invitees on the roster are Michael Arias and Yovanny Cruz. Arias spent four years in the Cubs organization between 2021-24 before signing a minor-league contract with the Yankees for 2025. Arias pitched just 29.2 innings last season, but did so across four levels and ended the season with Double-A Somerset. Cruz took a two-year hiatus in 2020 & 2021 due in part to COVID-19 and Tommy John surgery, and never pitched more than 30 innings in a season again until logging 59.1 innings in Double-A last year as part of the Red Sox organization.

Fans had a more recent look at Hueston Morrill and Brady Kirtner during the Arizona Fall League, but both pitchers should be around the Double-A level for most of the year. Most pitchers who are already classified as relievers at this point in their careers that have a chance to contribute to the big-league team this season are at or near the top of the organization. The dozen or so pitchers atop the depth chart are the ones who should contribute in the Bronx for the foreseeable future.

Quinton Lucas gave a State of the City address and noted his desire to keep the Royals in KCMO. John Sherman had some comments.

Word got back to Royals owner John Sherman. On Monday, Sherman addressed Lucas’ speech and offered his takeaway. “I appreciate him wanting to do that,” Sherman said. “And I appreciate that he is working very hard at that. I appreciate the work he is doing. You know, we’re not settled yet anywhere, but I would tell you, I don’t think we are that far away.”

Anne Rogers also covered Sherman’s comments.

“I’ve got a great sense of urgency on this. Time is not our friend. When the Chiefs made their announcement [to move to Kansas] in December, there was a whole new wave of enthusiasm on the Missouri side. And I don’t mean they weren’t working hard, but from the governor on down, there’s a lot of effort being put forth. We’re still evaluating Kansas, and we’re still evaluating multiple locations in Missouri, but I do appreciate the effort that’s being put forth, not only by the mayor but by the governor.”

Anne wrote about the vibes going into Spring Training as a player-led meeting took place.

“We’ve always kind of talked about it, but we’ve never really had our own kind of philosophy,” shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. said. “We just believe if everyone abides by that and comes together to do that, then I think we have the right team, players, staff, to go a long way.”

Instead of an explanation from the front office or staff, this year it was a group of players delivering the message – something they’ve wanted to do for a few years now, Witt said.

“The 2014-15 teams, they had an identity,” Witt said. “What’s our identity? What’s it going to be? We can do this because I think the team we have is special. Everyone believes it, and it’s going to go a long way.”

Jaylon Thompson talks to Bobby Witt Jr about playing in the upcoming World Baseball Classic against some of his own teammates.

“It’s always fun getting to face up against those guys,” Witt said. “You saw it whenever Kobe (Bryant) was doing it with Team USA — he (plowed through) a screen through Paul Gasol or whoever it was. When you are out there, you’re trying to win. That’s what my mantra is. They’re teammates now, and when that comes, we’re still teammates. “But for me, I always want to win.”

Preston Farr writes about the Royals’ signing of John Means to a two-year minor league deal.

After 2021, the health deteriorated for Means. He underwent Tommy John Surgery in April 2022. He worked his way back, reaching the big leagues briefly in 2023 before undergoing a second Tommy John Surgery in June 2024. That would spell the end of his time in Baltimore, signing a two-year contract with Cleveland before 2025. Means worked his way back, making seven minor league starts for the Guardians a season ago. Then, in December, while training, Means ruptured his Achilles just weeks after he saw his $6 million 2026 club option declined.

For the Royals, that means Means (well, that felt weird to type) will miss all of 2026 and hope to contribute in 2027. By that point, he will be in his age-33 season and two full seasons removed from any MLB action. It will be five seasons since he had any lengthy MLB time under his belt, making him a worthwhile dart throw, but hardly someone that fans should be locking in their memory bank as a key piece of the team’s 2027 plans.

Over at Royals Keep, Kevin O’Brien explores Royals catcher framing metrics.

Jacob Milham writes about the AL Central race.

AJ Preller will keep slinging trades as the guy in charge of the Padres for longer, as he signed an extension.

The Mets signed Mike Tauchman.

Walker Buehler goes to the Padres on a minor league deal.

Mike Trout wants to return to center field.

Twins pitcher Pablo López experienced soreness in his elbow and will get an MRI.

The Miami Dolphins released former Kansas City Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill on Monday.

As expected, the US women’s hockey team will face Canada for the gold medal.

Off Topic: My kid fell into the creek playing at the park yesterday. Small creek, so he’s fine, no issues, just got wet. Every kid’s gotta get wet in the creek at some point.

Your song of the day is Above & Beyond with On My Way To Heaven

The 2025 Colorado Rockies led in a number of categories that most MLB teams would prefer not to lead.

A case in point would be their Chase%, where the Rockies had an MLB-worst 31.7%. (The league average was 28.2%.) Learning to be more disciplined and discerning at the plate is a central challenge for the rebuilding Rockies.

Good news, everyone! There’s a plan.

Over the weekend, Rockies hitting coach Brett Pill explained how the Rockies intend to take on this challenge in the coming season; it involves using data, communication, and individualized instruction.

“Honestly, there’s no cookie-cutter-type approach to hitting,” Pill said. “You kind of take what the hitters do well and build on it, and then over time, closing up some of those weaknesses and things we can improve on.”

The approach varies depending on the issue and the player.

“You do that through stuff in the weight room and stuff with their swing and stuff with data,” Pill said. “So use every resource possible to help them have a solution for every type of pitcher and situation and thing they might encounter in the big leagues. It’s not always the best, sexiest answer.”

But it all starts with clear communication.

“Obviously, you’ve got to build relationships with each guy and know what makes them tick, what sports they played when they were younger. And so there’s a lot that goes into it.”

What about one of the first dragons the Rockies must slay, those unsightly chase rates? Pill sees a specialized, multi-pronged approach.

“Some guys, it could be an approach and what they’re looking for. Maybe they’re trying to hit every pitch the guy throws,” Pill said. “It could be mechanical. It could be how they’re moving at that certain point in time, which maybe we do stuff in the weight room for it.”

In addition to physical factors, players may need to address less-tangible issues.

“Obviously,” Pill said, “there’s an emotional part of chase, too. Sometimes you’re worried [the pitcher] might throw fastball middle-in, so you’re cheating. There’s an emotional-psychological aspect, too. Some guys sometimes get a little safe and actually swing and miss more. So some guys, you are are going to encourage, ‘Hey, let’s kind of let it go a little bit.’ Actually, (we’ve seen) a few different cases of that with different guys already, so it’s kind of cool to see. You try to get in there in different ways with different people, and hopefully on the whole general scale, it improves all that.”

Everything comes back to knowing players and providing personalized instruction.

“It’s not like a there’s a thing I can say on a whole team-wide scale that’s going to help the chase,” he said. “It’s you try to get in there in different ways with different people.”

Then there’s the matter of helping Rockies hitters learn to adjust to the challenges of elevation.

“I think most teams that come in see it as an advantage, so definitely need to keep that thought process at home: The ball does fly. It might move a little bit different,” Pill said. “So maybe the way we train before games, or how we visualize pitches we’re going to get will be a little different. The challenge seems to be when you leave there and then how balls are moving more.”

And he’s been working with some seasoned Rockies veterans.

“There’s a lot of good people here who went through it, like Charlie Blackmon, Matt Holliday — a lot of people who I’ve have already been been talking to and listening to the players, too, about it.”

He added, “Obviously (assistant hitting coach) Jordan Pacheco went through it. So I’m leaning on them a lot, to be honest. I think we’re going use it to our advantage at home, and then we’ll figure it out on the road.”

Pill especially enjoys the teaching component of coaching.

“It’s just constant teaching,” he said. “Even today in some of the live at-bats, it’s like, ‘Hey, what were you thinking on this pitch?’ How can we get ahead of that and give a feedback loop to it, constantly teaching and learning from them.”

Like the best teachers, Pill sees himself as a lifelong learner.

“I don’t want to sit here and say I’m going to teach them everything,” Pill said. “I’m going to learn from them — maybe things I learned from the players, I apply to other guys in the future. So that’s why I love it so much. It’s just constantly helping guys get better because I remember being like an up-down guy and trying to break in. I had a lot of good coaches, too, but sometimes, you wish you just someone was always there with you every step of the way.”

He also shares manager Warren Schaeffer’s commitment to connection and communication.

“You might have the best info ever,” Pill said, “but if they don’t really feel that connection and know that you want the best for them and know that you’re at home thinking about ways to get them better every night, it doesn’t really hit.”

Then there’s the matter of working with a young team.

“They’re all physically gifted,” Pill said. “It’s honestly kind of crazy to come in here, and I feel like I’m looking up at everyone, and they’re all really strong and fast, and so there’s a lot of really good athletes.”

Prior to joining the Rockies, Pill was a hitting coach in the Los Angeles Dodgers minor-league system.

Third baseman (and long-time denizen of the Dodgers clubhouse) Kyle Karros is happy to see Pill on the Rockies coaching staff.

“I’ve done a lot of work with [Pill], our hitting coach,” Karros said. “He’s obviously one of those guys who came over from the Dodgers, and we’ve been seeing eye-to-eye a ton. I’m hitting the ball harder than I’ve ever hit it. Things are going really well offensively for me so far. So I really like what we’re doing.”

Some of what he learned from the Dodgers, Pill’s bringing with him to Colorado.

“They obviously do some really good things on the game-planning side, preparing for pitchers, obviously really good there. So [we’ll] use some of that stuff here, in addition to what they’ve already been doing.”

Then he added, “But the main thing over there, as far as with player development, was being extremely curious and creative and, again, not just going by the standard stuff. So that’s what I hope to bring here and inspire people to do, too, is just be obsessive with trying to get people better, use every avenue possible, and just never stop grinding.”

In moving the Rockies, Pill will continue working with former Dodger and current general manager Josh Byrnes, who, as Pills puts is, “is invested in hitting and knows his stuff.”

“When I heard he wanted to bring me along over here,” Pill said, “it was definitely hard to pass up because he’s great. He remembers everything he’s ever seen on a baseball field. I pick his brain all the time.”

Schaeffer is positive about what Pill brings to the Rockies.

“He’s fantastic,” Schaeffer said. “He has a really, really solid background. He has just been fantastic so far in there in terms of his preparation and what he’s working with the guys on.”

Plus, for Schaeffer, Pill’s outside perspective plus Pacheco’s inside knowledge give the Rockies a powerful combination.

“It’s important to have a balance. (Getting) outside ideas from from Pill is going to be a huge, huge factor, in terms of everything, actually — in terms of how you teach hitting, in terms of culture, the whole thing.”

He concluded, “It’s going to be a good combo.”

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This week on the internet

That is all.

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Which teams improved the most this winter? | MLB.com

Mike Petriello gets it (and what’s a reasonable expectation for a rebuilding team).

Offseason grades for all 30 MLB teams | The Ringer

Anthony Dabbundo, not so much.

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Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

“If you look at baseball right now, there’s a lot of really nice tailwinds. Attendance is up, ratings are up. There’s a lot of things going in the right direction. We’ve got a lot of good young stars and exciting young players, and that’s all going well.

“There are some challenges. The regional sports network model has been under pressure for the last few years. Certain teams felt it the most this offseason, and it’ll take a while for it to work out, but it’s certainly a challenge for the entire league.” — Tom Ricketts.

Marquee had a series of player interviews — here’s the playlist. (FYI, I will remove these periodically.) Lots more video below.

Brett Taylor had some words about the Ben Cowles DFA in his bullets, where he speculated that the reassignment bid might be about Cowles/Owen Miller more than Steele. I dunno. Miller’s 29 and has had enough cups of coffee to equal just about two MLB seasons. and the data isn’t prepossessing. But maybe. I think they’re just doing it now to avoid waiver claims, which are unlikely with everyone at full-40 this early. Miller isn’t better than Cowles, or Triantos, or Ramirez, which I think is the depth order behind Shaw.

As always, developments. We practice patience.

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

• Ignacio Ventura (KJZZ*): Chicago Cubs plan player housing, 4-story hotel near Sloan Park in Mesa. “The site, spanning over 3 acres, would be built on vacant land and be next to Sloan Park, the largest MLB spring training stadium.“
• Jason Ross (North Side Baseball*): Exploring the best- and worst-case scenarios for the 2026 Chicago Cubs. “Opening Day isn’t that far away.“
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Chicago Cubs’ Tom Ricketts calls Marquee ‘maybe the smartest thing we’ve done’ amid shifting TV landscape. “The local TV broadcast landscape in Major League Baseball is a growing problem.“ Maddie Lee* has more from Tom.
• Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball*): Why the Chicago Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers always seem to like the same pitchers. “It’s not a coincidence, and it adds an absurd kind of tension to their rivalry.”
• Sahadev Sharma (The Athletic {$}): After a rookie campaign in which he ‘dominated’, what can Cade Horton do in Year 2? “There (weren’t) many challenges when he was pitching. He did. He was outstanding. Now it’s: Do it again. Do it over a full season.”
• Meghan Montemurro (Chicago Tribune* {$}): Chicago Cubs left-hander Jordan Wicks looks make an impact after an ‘extremely frustrating’ season. “I want to be in Chicago and whatever role that looks like I will conform to that role and figure it out,” Wicks said.
• Peter Chawaga (Forbes* {$}): Cubs’ Dansby Swanson addresses $177 million disappointment. “I feel like I haven’t been what I’ve wanted to be over the last few years,” Swanson said.
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Consistency the key for PCA after up-and-down breakout season. “With his outgoing personality and dynamic style of play, Crow-Armstrong found stardom as a focal point of the Cubs’ postseason team last year.“

Food For Thought:

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series. We will not wittingly publish A. I. – driven articles or clickbait, and insist on unimpeachable sources.

Good morning baseball fans!

As we approach Spring Training and the beginning of the season, we’re going to be doing some questions for y’all about your thoughts about the San Francisco Giants and baseball in general!

Today’s question: Who do you think is going to have a breakout year?

After this weekend’s BP, I think you can all guess my answer. I’m hoping to see Jung Hoo Lee have a breakout season. I think the potential is there, after what we saw glimpses of throughout last year. He’s already a fan-favorite and international star, with a ton of support from both the Bay Area and his home country of South Korea. But I would like to see him catch the attention of the baseball world more broadly and I think he can do it.

Who do you think is going to have a breakout season?

Projections are out, and the Guardians’ hitters all have home run numbers to beat. Can they do it?

Look at this list of projected home runs for Guardians hitters and tell us which player you believe will hit the over (from ZiPS, which includes projected playing time, to be clear):

Jose Ramirez – 26

Kyle Manzardo – 22

Johnathan Rodriguez – 17

Bo Naylor – 16

CJ Kayfus – 13

Gabriel Arias – 13

Juan Brito – 12

Nolan Jones – 11

Daniel Schneemann – 11

Angel Martinez – 11

George Valera – 11

Steven Kwan – 10

Travis Bazzana – 10

Brayan Rocchio – 10

David Fry – 10

Chase DeLauter – 6

Stuart Fairchild – 6

Let us know which players you believe in for some extra pop in the comments below?

Masataka Yoshida is unquestionably a productive major league hitter, having posted a career OPS+ of 109. But with $36.5 million still owed to him over the next two years and no place on the Red Sox except as a low-power DH/pinch-hitter, he arguably hurts the roster more than he helps it.

The Red Sox cannot option Yoshida to the minor leagues without his consent. As for a trade, we have recently seen reports that “there has been tangible trade interest in Yoshida throughout the winter, with teams recognizing his offensive upside,” but the Red Sox obviously have not pulled the trigger. That potentially leaves designating him for assignment as the only option for getting him off the roster. But he is unlikely to be claimed on waivers given his contract, and such a move would potentially be disastrous for the team’s future efforts to sign overseas stars.

What do yo think the Sox should do with Yoshida? Is it time to view him as a sunk cost and move on, or is there still a place for him on this team?

This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.

Should the Mets extend Freddy Peralta ahead of Opening Day?

DRaysBay works best as a place for community and conversation. Accordingly, in the lead up to the new season, we are posting “Daily Questions” in the month of February. I look forward to seeing you in the comment section!

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Spring Training is always an exciting opportunity to see players you might never otherwise see during a season, and this is an interesting time in the Rays system after a dramatic overhaul of the team’s prospects — which might be obvious if you’ve been following our annual Community Prospect voting.

The playing I’m personally most looking forward to seeing on the field is 1B Xavier Isaac, a former first round pick who had his 2025 season cut short by brain surgery. Cleared for a return to baseball, the Rays have invited the 22-year old to his first major league camp this year.

How about you?

We’re back with another daily question, and today’s question is: Which Brewer do you defend no matter what the numbers say?

For me, it’s Rickie Weeks. The No. 2 overall pick in 2003, Weeks never quite lived up to the hype, at least from a numbers perspective. Across 11 seasons in Milwaukee, he accumulated just 12.5 bWAR (roughly 1.1 per season) and picked up one All-Star selection, but he’s one of those guys where I don’t really care what the numbers look like — he’ll always be one of my favorite Brewers.

A player on the current roster? Christian Yelich. Yes, I agree he’s overpaid for what he provides on the field, but I think his veteran presence on a team filled with 20-somethings is underrated. Between him and Brandon Woodruff (another guy I’ll defend to anyone), the Brewers have had a consistent veteran presence over the last few years as they make playoff run after playoff run.

Who do you defend no matter what?

Weigh in in the comments, and join us throughout the month as we keep these conversations rolling into spring training. Have a question you’d like to ask in a future BCB Daily Question? Drop one in the comments and we may use it later this month.

Phillies News:

• Phillies are keeping their eye on free agent starting pitcher Lucas Giolito
• Taking a look at the Phillies Spring Training games that will be broadcast
• No one will disagree that Kyle Schwarber is key to the top of the Phillies lineup
• Could we see a career-season for Alec Bohm in his walk year?
• Zack Wheeler is progressing well on his rehab from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
• We will be seeing less of “Sam the Popcorn Girl” at CBP this season
• Only two Phillies make Fangraphs Top 100 Prospects list
• CBS sees the Phillies offense as the 9th best in the majors

MLB News:

• Steve Cohen isn’t scared of the Dodgers Spending
• Manny Machado thinks all the spending is great for the game (he is right)
• An Early Look at trade candidates for the 2026 season($$)
• Despite adding to their roster, Orioles are still looking at trading away some players
• Cash Considerations is on the move again, this time in a trade to the Marlins

BONUS: Chase Shugart looking elite in BP

Chase Shugart strikes out Bryce Harper during live BP today pic.twitter.com/h5d9mUELp3

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) February 16, 2026

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

As we start to tick through the key dates leading up to the start of the 2026 baseball season, the Orioles arrived at one such benchmark yesterday by holding their first full-squad workout. The whole team has now reported to Sarasota for spring training, greeting old friends and meeting new ones. In just three days, there will be baseball, with the O’s hosting the Yankees at Ed Smith Stadium on Friday afternoon for the Grapefruit League opener.

Seeing the whole gang back together again, ready to work and full of positive vibes about the season ahead, is enough to bring a smile to the face of even the most hardened cynic. Baseball is on its way, and these are your 2026 Orioles, for whatever comes next. The guys now gathered in Sarasota are the ones we’ll be spending every evening with for the next 7-8 months, more or less. Of course, there will be roster changes along the way — maybe a boatload of them, if last year’s 70-player threshold is any indication — but the core group seems set. Now it’s a matter of whittling this massive camp roster down to the 26 who will represent the Birds on Opening Day on March 26.

Priority number one: stay healthy. The O’s have already gotten some bad news injury-wise on Jackson Holliday, who will miss the first few weeks due to hamate surgery, and Jordan Westburg, who has been limited by an oblique flare-up. The Orioles no doubt will continue to suffer some aches and pains throughout their four-week exhibition season. It’s a hazard of the job. But if they can avoid major injuries and keep their projected lineup and pitching staff largely intact for the entirety of the spring, hopefully they can carry more momentum into their 2026 season than they did into their doomed 2025.

Orioles season is upon us. Let’s go have some fun.

Links

Holliday returns to Orioles camp after hamate surgery, Alexander “couldn’t be more excited to come here” – School of Roch

Holliday expects he’ll have a quick recovery from his surgery and will be able to rejoin the O’s early in the season. My bigger concern is whether the hamate injury is going to sap his power long after he returns to the lineup.

O’s are very excited about the Shane Baz addition & here are some reasons why – Steve Melewski

In lieu of actually acquiring an ace, the Orioles acquired someone who they think has the potential to become one. They’d sure better be right.

Despite not landing ace, O’s may already have 2 on starting staff – MLB.com

Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers both have ace ceilings, too, but one is coming off of Tommy John surgery and the other has less than a full season of top-notch pitching. Again, the O’s are banking a lot on less-than-sure things.

As Adley Rutschman prepares for redemption, the Orioles catcher ponders baseball’s finite nature – The Baltimore Banner

A great read from Andy Kostka about everything Rutschman and the Orioles coaches have been doing this offseason to try to reverse his year-and-a-half slide. Adley’s got a great head on his shoulders, for sure. But whether he can translate that into production at the plate remains to be seen.

Which Oriole could win a major award in 2026? | MAILBAG – BaltimoreBaseball.com

Let’s just sweep all the awards! Who says it can’t be done?

2026 Top 100 Prospects – FanGraphs

FanGraphs is the latest to drop a top-100 prospects list, and four Orioles make the cut. I won’t stand for this Nate George erasure.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You share your day with four ex-Orioles: right-hander Scott Williamson (50), outfielders Mike Hart (68) and Willie Kirkland (92), and the late infielder Alan Wiggins (b. 1958, d. 1991).

On this date in 2003, tragedy struck the Orioles when 23-year-old rookie righty Steve Bechler collapsed at spring training and died of multi-organ failure. The autopsy determined that a weight-loss supplement containing ephedra likely contributed to Bechler’s death, and a year later, the FDA banned the sale of ephedra-based dietary supplements in the United States.

And on this date in 2014, according to Baseball Reference, “The Orioles significantly improve their pitching staff as they sign free agent Ubaldo Jimenez … as well as South Korean Suk-min Yoon.” Yeah, uh, I’m gonna have to take issue with that “significantly improve” description. Yoon never pitched for the Orioles, posting a 5.74 ERA in 23 games at Triple-A before returning to Korea. As for Ubaldo, well, you know. He went 32-42 with a 5.22 ERA during his four years with the Orioles, ending his MLB career, and for all of our sakes I won’t mention his most infamous game.

1934
Urban “Red” Faber retired after 20 seasons with the White Sox.

Somewhat overlooked in White Sox annals given he pitched in the immediate aftermath of the legendary Ed Walsh, Faber stakes a claim as the greatest hurler in White Sox history, with 67.7 WAR. That makes him their third-best player ever, behind Luke Appling and Frank Thomas.

But don’t feel guilty if you undervalue Faber, as it took him 17 tries to make the Hall of Fame despite ranking 11th all-time in pitching WAR at the time of his retirement (and still ranks 38th all-time, 90 seasons later). Faber never received more than 30.9% BBWAA voting support over 16 (!) different votes — and 10 times failed to poll at as much as 5%.

Faber’s 254 wins (254-212) fell just six short of Ted Lyons’ all-time White Sox mark.

Faber also authored the second-best two-season span in White Sox pitching history, with 21.0 WAR (11.4 in 1921, still tied for third in team history, and 9.6 in 1922, tied for eighth). Exactly 50 seasons later, Wilbur Wood topped Faber’s feat, with a 22.5 WAR two-season span in 1971-72.

For more on Faber, read KP’s terrific piece from 2018.

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1959
Bill Veeck exercised his option to purchase the White Sox from majority owner Dorothy Comiskey. However, due to her brother Chuck’s lawsuit claiming ownership of the club, the official date of sale would end up being March 5, with club transfer not occurring until March 10.

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1964
Luke Appling was elected to the Hall of Fame, by curious means.

Sixty years ago, the BBWAA held “runoff” elections in years when no candidate crossed the 75% threshold on the first ballot. Appling tallied just 70.6% in regular voting, and while that led all players on the ballot, it was still nine votes short of election.

Given a second chance, the writers snapped out of their decade-long sleepwalk over Appling’s legitimacy and landslid him in, with 90.4% support.

It was Appling’s eighth attempt to be voted into the Hall, and until 1964 he hadn’t received more than 30% support! In his first year of eligibility (1953), Appling got … TWO VOTES from the BBWAA.

While of course the statistic did not exist at the time, Appling’s 77.5 career WAR ranked 18th all-time among position players and fourth among shortstops at the time (even today, Appling ranks 45th in position player WAR and 77th overall). And to this day, no shortstop has hit for a higher batting average than Appling’s .388 in 1936 — something you’d think would have had major impact in a counting-stats era.

But one aspect of the delay was sweet, at least for White Sox fans, as four-year Appling teammate Red Faber (elected via Veterans Committee) joined the Class of 1964 as well.

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2006
In one of many before and after, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillén issued an apology for an off-cuff remark. This time, it was to Yankees third baseman Álex Rodríguez, over his indecision on what country to represent in the World Baseball Classic. A-Rod, who was born in the United States with Dominican heritage, first opted to play for the Dominican Republic. Then he decided not to play in the WBC at all. Finally, Rodríguez settled on suiting up for Team USA.

Guillén had been quoted by Sports Illustrated as critical of Rodríguez’s “waffling’ over his decision, making him a “hypocrite.”

The defending champion White Sox would dominate the first half of the 2006 season, but faltered and did not qualify for the playoffs despite finishing with 90 wins.

Manager Alex Cora announced yesterday that Red Sox utility man Romy Gonzalez is currently shut down from all baseball activities except for playing catch. This announcement came after earlier reports that he initially injured his shoulder in the final series of the 2025 regular season and has been dealing with pain and discomfort all offseason. Gonzalez has received a PRP injection and has not technically yet been ruled out for Opening Day, but the fact that he has now been dealing with an injury for over four months seems, uhh, really, really bad to me.

One year ago, it wouldn’t have been a very big deal if the Red Sox announced that Romy Gonzalez was injured. But he broke out last year, particularly against southpaws. Against lefties in 2025, Romy led the team in homers, batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, wOBA, and wRC+. And by the way, the players who were second, third, and fourth on the team in OPS against lefties were Rob Refsnyder, Rafael Devers, and Alex Bregman. The team’s entire offense against left-handed pitching is either gone or injured, with only Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin to replace them.

Alex Cora says Romy Gonzalez is shut down from baseball activities right now and can only play catch.

Seems like they’re still waiting on the PRP injection to have an impact. Mentions 2B as his best position. pic.twitter.com/MjRXnOO4j8

— Tyler Milliken (@tylermilliken_) February 16, 2026

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Romy’s injury puts even more pressure on Roman Anthony, who was fifth on the team in OPS against lefties in 2025. Considering that he wasn’t even in the big leagues for the first few months of the season last year, Anthony’s swift rise to offensive cornerstone and face of the franchise is rather stunning. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)

Outfielder/“fastest DH in the league” Jarren Duran was asked about his performance against lefties, saying “I did pretty good against lefties in ’24, right? So, ’25 they adjusted, so in ’26 I can adjust to them.” For the record, in 2024 Duran put up an OPS of .665 against lefties. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

Someone who has performed well against lefties is Triston Casas, the slugger who posted an OPS of .817 against them in 2023. But 2023 was his only full season in the majors, as he is struggling to show he can stay on the field. Casas is not yet participating in full team activities and is expected to be out until at least May, but he’s okay taking his time: “This was a major injury and I’m a great player, and I don’t find any reason to rush this process. And whenever I feel ready to come back is when I am going to contribute best.” (Ian Browne, MLB.com)

The injury to Romy and the lengthy recovery for Triston Casas is also a major hit to the team’s first base depth. That’s why Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who has played every single position expect for first base in his big league career, is now working out there. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)

With so many question marks in the lineup, the 2026 Red Sox are going to need to be carried by their excellent (on paper) starting rotation. Sonny Gray is expected to be a big part of that, but right now it’s his 11-year-old son who is going viral on social media. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)

Newcomer Johan Oviedo has not yet locked in a rotation spot alongside Gray, but Alex Cora likes what he sees out of him so far: “He’s physical. Good stuff. I don’t want to say he’s a work in progress but there’s a lot of things that we can help him accomplish and have the total package.” (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)