Category: Baseball

The Yankees have a third base problem.

It wasn't long ago that they had Jazz Chisholm Jr. learn the position on the fly when they acquired him at the 2024 trade deadline. And since then, they've acquired Ryan McMahon, Amed Rosario and Jose Caballero over the years to help fill the hot corner, without any of them able to capture it.

McMahon has been the biggest disappointment. While his defense has still been above-average, his offensive struggles have helped create the black hole in the bottom part of the Yankees' lineup.

Rosario was a nice bench piece who can give a few starts at third, here and there, but he's now a free agent. And Caballero was exposed as a bench piece who occasionally starts, not an everyday player.

Here's a breakdown of the internal and external candidates to be the Yankees' 2027 third baseman. 

Platoon between McMahon and Caballero

There's no use separating McMahon and Caballero into talking points because, in reality, if the Yankees don't add someone from outside the organization, a platoon between the two is likely what we'll see when the 2027 season begins.

McMahon and Caballero complement each other, hitting from opposite sides, with neither having the track record as a Yankee to be that everyday player.

Caballero, while showing flashes in 2026 when Anthony Volpe was on the shelf, returned to his career mean, slashing .231/.290/.365 with an OPS of .655. While his 14 homers were a career high, it's unlikely he'll reach that power level again. This past season was the only one in which he reached double-digit long balls. 

And McMahon's offensive struggles are well-documented. Despite tinkering in the box, the third baseman hit offensive career lows -- in non-shortened seasons -- in home runs (11), doubles (14), hits (70) and average (.213). 

McMahon's defense also saw a slight regression. He was a zero in OAA, his lowest in a non-shortened season since 2019. With one more guaranteed season on McMahon's deal, the glove-first third baseman will likely be used in 2026, even if it's for late-game defensive purposes. 

Anthony Volpe

If Volpe is used at third base, there must have been a drastic change in the Yankees' roster. Whether it's an injury to McMahon or Caballero, or the Yankees make a deal to bring in an everyday second baseman. 

Since those are possibilities, we should dig into what Volpe at third base could look like in 2027.

First off, if McMahon is healthy, this would be a platoon -- at least to start. When Volpe was demoted in the middle of the season, he used his time in the minors to learn second base and a bit of third. When Aaron Boone and the Yankees were looking to adjust their lineup/roster to produce more offense and to give more flexibility, they actually had Volpe play a couple of major league games at the hot corner.

He made one start and didn't have any balls hit his way. If not for a rained out game that was never made up, Volpe would have had another try at third base before the postseason. Volpe did make an appearance at third in the postseason (for two innings) and converted on his single chance. 

The Yankees will likely have Volpe start his offseason program playing second and some third. While second base is the natural fit for Volpe, if his bat warrants him in the lineup, he could be an option at third.

Alec Bohm

It's crazy to think that Bohm might be the biggest free agent in the third base market this offseason, but that's where we are.

The 30-year-old is coming off an uneven 2026, where he bounced back from hitting below the Mendoza line through May 15 to ultimately slash .249/.315/.383 with an OPS of .735. His off-the-field issues -- filing a lawsuit against his own parents -- could have played a role in his slow start, and perhaps he's closer to the .274/.340/.433 player he was in the 120 games since May 9. 

While his career offensive numbers never jumped off the page, he posts every day, playing in at least 140 games in four of his last five seasons. He's also just one of only seven right-handed bats to drive in at least 85 runs in three of the past four seasons, including this past season. 

You would have to overlook the defense, however. 

Bohm had a -11 OAA playing both third base (-8) and first base (-3) in 2026. It was a big step back from 2025 (-2 OAA) and 2024 (5), so that's a red flag, especially for a Yankees team that seemingly falters on the defensive end in October. But Hal Steinbrenner blamed the offense for the team's lack of postseason success the last two seasons, so perhaps the organization will overlook it for Bohm.

And with McMahon on the roster, he can replace Bohm at third base in late-game situations when the Yankees are preserving a lead.

Bohm could also be a right-handed option at first base as a Paul Goldschmidt -- who is a free agent -- replacement. Again, the Yankees would have to overlook the defense, especially with Luis Garcia Jr. and Ben Rice as below-average defenders at the position -- though Garcia Jr. proved to be much better at the position than once thought. 

Eugenio Suarez

Another option where offense trumps defense, Suarez would, admittedly, be a reach for the Yankees.

Suarez only played 50 games at third base in 2026 and had a -7 OAA. His arm strength is also in the bottom 25 percent in the league, so if the Yankees do scoop up Suarez, it would have to be a pseudo-platoon with McMahon. 

There's more offensive upside for Suarez, but his 2026 was far from the 49-homer 2025 he enjoyed. Suarez still hit 26 bombs, but slashed .212/.307/.433 with an OPS of .740. But is 2026 an outlier for Suarez? It's worth the risk for the Yankees if the money is right to inject the position with some much-needed power. 

The Reds and Suarez have a mutual option for 2027, which Cincinnati would certainly decline. The market for Suarez could be sparse, as no team wanted the right-handed slugger when the Reds placed him on waivers late this past season. 

He signed with the Reds on a one-year, $15 million deal before the start of the season, so another one-year deal is likely for the 35-year-old. 

Longshot candidates

Let's talk about some candidates who are unlikely to be available. 

Bo Bichette has an option to return to the Mets, and while he bounced back from a slow start to the 2026 season, he would be leaving $42 million on the table if he opts out, a risk considering the upcoming labor negotiations. 

If he were to test free agency, the Yankees could take a flyer on the former Blue Jay.

There's also the Astros' Isaac Paredes. 

Houston has a club option to retain the 27-year-old for just $13.35 million, which they certainly will. Paredes slashed .262/.360/.447 with an OPS of .807 to go along with his 25 home runs on an objectively subpar Astros team. 

If the Yankees could figure out a trade package to Houston's liking, Paredes would be a great choice.

Make a move

The Yankees' third base situation is similar to second base in that the prudent decision would be to start the season with in-house options. A platoon of McMahon and Caballero is the likely outcome, but if there's a splash to be made, it's at third.

Of the free agent options, Bohm is the ideal candidate as he can be the everyday third baseman for years to come, especially once McMahon is off the books following the 2027 season. 

But spinning a trade for Paredes could potentially raise the ceiling of what the 2027 Yankees could be offensively. It would take a willing partner, but of all the potential trades Brian Cashman could make, he's the one I would eye. 

Game one is in the books and what a game it was.

One of those games where a matter of inches was the difference between victory and defeat and you just have to tip your cap and move on to the next one.

So tonight the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers will move on to game two of the 2026 World Series with Milwaukee holding a 1-0 lead in the best of seven series.

Tampa Bay will be sending its ace to the hill with 31-year old Drew Rasmussen taking the mound as he faced the team that made him a 6th round pick in the 2018 draft. Rasmussen was among the best pitchers in all of baseball over the second half of the 2026 season and thus far has been the top pitcher of the postseason. Over three starts in the playoffs, Rasmussen has compiled a 1.29 ERA | 2.58 FIP with a 30.3 K% and 3.9 BB% over 21 innings pitched. Rasmussen’s last outing came on the 18th in game five against Cleveland where he allowed 1 run on 4 hits over 7 innings pitched en route to a 3-1 victory.

Opposing Rasmussen on the mound is 24-year old Logan Henderson, whom the Brewers selected in the 4th round of the 2021 draft out of McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas. Henderson has soldified his place in the Brewers rotation despite injury woes the past two years. When Henderson does the take the mound, he has proven himself a capable strikethrower, capable of racking up strikeouts thanks to a plus change-up while limiting walks. Among 155 pitchers with at least 90 innings pitched, Henderson ranked 6th in K-BB%.

Overall over the course of the 2026 season, Henderson compiled a 2.47 ERA | 3.32 FIP with a 29.6 K% & 5.1 BB% over 98.1 IP. Thus far in the postseason, Henderson has a 3.00 ERA | 3.77 FIP with a 15.0 K% and 12.5 BB%. It has been nearly two weeks since Henderson last pitched, when he took the mound on the 12th for game two against the Los Angeles Dodgers; Henderson allowed four runs — two earned — on three hits while he walked two and struck out two over four innings of work.

Henderson and the Rays present an interesting matchup as the Rays make more contact than any other team in baseball, while Henderson ranks 2nd among pitchers with at least 90 IP in Zone%. Despite being in the zone 47.4% of the time, opponents make contact on those pitches just 81.2% of the time, which is in the 97th percentile.

The game is tonight at 8:00pm

As we all know, the Nationals bullpen was bad in 2026. The unit set the all time record for blown saves and imploded in spectacular fashion many times. There is no denying that the Nats bullpen needs outside help. However, I do think there are some internal options with a lot of upside.

The three pitchers I will talk about today all have elite stuff, but have yet to put it all together yet. I would be surprised if all three of these pitchers were good in 2027, but I think at least one will have a breakout year. Riley Cornelio, Yovanny Cruz and Luis Perales are the three pitchers I will be breaking down today.

Cornelio will be the first pitcher I talk about because he was the most effective in 2026. In 36.2 MLB innings this season, Cornelio showed that he can generate whiffs at a high level. He struck out 25% of hitters as a rookie this season and generated whiffs at a 34.5% clip. The headliner of his arsenal is a filthy 85 MPH slider which hitters swung and missed at over half the time.

That slider gives him a truly elite pitch to build around. When he came to the big leagues, Cornelio only threw a fastball and slider. However, he introduced a cutter that he really started to lean on in September. During the last month of the season, Cornelio threw his cutter nearly 30% of the time. 

The cutter proved to be a good bridge between his fastball and slider. With his new cutter, his filthy slider and a fastball that averages 96.5 MPH, Cornelio has the arsenal to dominate. However, control remains a big question mark here. Cornelio walked 18.1% of hitters, which is simply too high. Whenever he was put in higher leverage spots, the control would make him quite unreliable. 

Even in September, when he posted a 1.62 ERA, his walk rate was still over 14%. For Cornelio to truly break out, I need to see that number in the 10-12% region. That was actually where his walk rate was throughout his minor league career, so I have some faith. In 2026, Cornelio posted a 3.68 ERA with a 4.00 FIP, but that could be so much better if he can control the walks. 

All three of these pitchers are flamethrowers, but Yovanny Cruz has the biggest velocity of the group. This season, Cruz averaged 99.8 MPH on his 4-seamer and 100 on his sinker. Even in this era of velocity, averaging 100 is rare. That heat makes the 27 year old Cruz stand out.

It is a big reason why the Nats acquired him as part of the return for Luis Garcia. Cruz showed flashes this season, but there is still a lot of room for growth. On the year, Cruz posted a 5.06 ERA in 17 outings, with that number spiking to 6.75 once he got to DC. 

However, I am still excited about his stuff. His fastball may light up the radar gun, but I think his slider is his best pitch. He throws it 49% of the time and with a 118 stuff+ rating, it has all the ingredients to be an elite slider. Cruz throws the pitch in the low-90’s but still gets true slider movement.

When he arrived in DC, the fastball was actually Cruz’s biggest issue. Despite the velocity, his fastball shape is not good. With hitters seeing 100 more and more, a flat triple digit fastball is not that big of a challenge. After being sent down to AAA, Cruz came back with a new look sinker. I think the sinker will be his primary heater moving forward because of the nasty movement. It will also help him generate more ground balls.

Like Cornelio, Cruz also has some control issues, though his 12.9% walk rate is not as high. Yovanny Cruz has all the tools on paper to be an elite reliever. Now, it will be about putting it all together. Despite his nasty stuff, he only struck out 21.4% of hitters. With a more trustworthy fastball at his disposal, I think we could see a major step in the right direction for Cruz.

The last pitcher to discuss is Luis Perales. Honestly, I still have a lot of doubts here, but he has the raw stuff to succeed in the bullpen. To be blunt, Perales was awful when he got his MLB opportunity. He gave up 14 earned runs in 11 innings, which amounts to an 11.45 ERA. Walks and homers doomed the right hander, with Perales allowing 5 homers and issuing 13 walks.

Despite looking terrible in the show, you could still see brief glimpses of his nasty stuff. Perales’ fastball averaged over 99 MPH and his overall whiff rate was very good at 33.6%. However, there is more to pitching than just missing bats. When he wasn’t missing bats, Perales was either walking people or giving up hard contact.

The only pitch that proved to be effective was his splitter. Batters only hit .063 on the split with a 48.9% whiff rate. That offering has insane downward action and Perales sells it well with his arm action. It is the one pitch that is big league caliber at the moment.

However, the split is best as a chase pitch. That means he will need to find weapons to set up the splitter. In the big leagues, Perales’ fastball and cutter were lit up. His fastball command was not even close to good enough. The heater was either uncompetitive or right down the middle. Perales can consistently throw strikes with the cutter, but that is the one pitch in his arsenal that does not stand out from a stuff perspective. 

Perales still has a long way to go, but he will get another shot at some point. With 13 strikeouts in 11 innings, he showed he can generate whiffs. However, he still has a lot of work to do. His 3.64 ERA in AAA gives you some hope, but he looked raw as sushi in the big leagues. Despite that, I would not give up on such an electric arm so quickly. I don’t think he will stick as a starter, but he has the stuff to be a very good reliever.

All three of these arms have major flaws, but they have big time stuff as well. I think at least one of these three will be an established high leverage arm this time next year. Out of Cornelio, Cruz and Perales, who do you think will take the next step in 2027?

How will this year's World Series play out? Using the Dynasty League Baseball online simulation, USA TODAY Sports' Steve Gardner and DLB designer Mike Cieslinski will pre-play each game to provide some insight into the key matchups and strategy fans can expect to see in the Fall Classic.

Perhaps the most intriguing question in sports is ... "what if?"

Fans love to second-guess managers' and coaches' decisions. And that's exactly what we have in USA TODAY Sports' annual Simulated World Series. Playing these games beforehand, we don't always have the benefit of knowing what's going through the minds of skippers Kevin Cash and Pat Murphy.

In this instance, is Cash making a mistake by not putting his best pitchers at the front of the rotation?

In our version of reality, Drew Rasmussen pitched the Tampa Bay Rays to victory in Game 1 and Freddy Peralta took the mound for Game 2 in Milwaukee. Both decisions look pretty smart in hindsight as the Rays stymied the Brewers' bats once again in a 5-2 Rays win.

Here's how they took a 2-0 lead in our Sim Series:

The best pitcher in baseball led the best team to victory over the second-best team? Weird.

A World Series that makes the logical feel novel began on Friday as the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in Game 1. Of course the Brewers, with their MLB-topping 103 regular-season victories, should be facing the 98-win Rays on the grandest stage. But of course, since these are two of the smallest and lowest-budget franchises in the sport, they shouldn’t.

That this best-of-seven title decider is at once a shocking cold shower and a comforting warm bath is largely explained by the absence of the two-time defending champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were swept 4-0 by the Brewers in the National League Championship Series.

That was a philosophical battle with a drop-mic ending: the revenge of the nerds. Analytics over affluence, a triumph for the teams who scrimp and strategize rather than simply lobbing money at the best free agents each offseason.

The Dodgers have parlayed financial dominance into winning the National League West division in 13 of the past 14 years. At the start of this season there was every reason to expect they would win their third World Series in succession. But instead of spending this title fight lamenting the Dodgers’ dominance and fretting that money has made baseball dull and dynastic, we have the first match-up in 46 years – and second since 1920 – between two teams that have never won a World Series.

A country where the world’s richest person has reportedly made political donations in excess of $442m in this election cycle is culturally conditioned to believe that wealth wins. Yet baseball is, after all, still a sport where the won-lost standings and the salary tracker are not fully interchangeable.

Here are successful teams, boasting talents as luminous as Rays third baseman Junior Caminero and Brewers catcher William Contreras, with payrolls less than half the size of the most lavish spenders. Milwaukee’s annual outlay ($146m according to Spotrac) ranks 19th in the 30-team league with Tampa Bay ($96m) in 28th position. And the Rays reached this point by beating the Cleveland Guardians, who have MLB’s smallest payroll, in the American League Championship Series.

Only the Dodgers, Brewers, Atlanta Braves and New York Yankees have more regular-season wins in the 2020s than the Rays, who are in their third World Series. Tampa Bay, founded as an expansion franchise in 1998, reached the final in 2008 (where they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies) and in the Covid-wracked 2020 season, losing to the Dodgers at the makeshift site of Globe Life Field in Texas.

The Brewers’ only other World Series appearance was a loss to the St Louis Cardinals in 1982. Though there are suspicions that national television audiences will be meager for a series between small-market teams lacking superstars, the games in Milwaukee are some of the hottest tickets in World Series history. On one resale site the asking price for standing-room only tickets to Saturday’s Game 2 in Milwaukee was north of $3,000.

The first clash held moderate value for the neutral spectator. It was a night with a fast start, a false finish and some messy, unmemorable baseball in the middle. Where ordinary pitchers throw fastballs, Jacob Misiorowski, MLB’s strikeout leader in the regular season, hurls fireballs. Pitching on 11 days’ rest, the 24-year-old started his night with the quickest pitch ever recorded in a World Series, a 103.5mph screamer to leadoff hitter Yandy Díaz.

Misiorowski surrendered one run in five innings’ of work. “Not perfect, but good enough to get a win,” he said. Milwaukee led 3-1 after the seventh but Tampa Bay mounted a late rally, scoring a run in the ninth to induce a tense, if gauche, finish. The visitors loaded the bases but catcher Liam Hicks appeared to hit into a game-ending double play. The Brewers celebrated but the fireworks and high-fives were premature.

The Rays challenged the decision, which was overturned on review. This confirmed that shortstop Cooper Pratt had taken his foot off second base too early as he threw to first, and also that Milwaukee fans can boo almost as loudly as they cheer.

Still, there was more than enough air left in the lungs of the fans at American Family Field to reboot the celebrations after the teams returned to the field and closer Trevor Megill struck out outfielder Jonny DeLuca for the win, for real. “It’s a big credit to Trev for locking back in right there and making some huge pitches after. You know, you kind of have that emotional dump and then you have to get back on it.” Brewers slugger Christian Yelich told Fox Sports. It was perhaps early evidence that in a series that is likely to be decided by fine margins, Milwaukee’s formidable bullpen might ultimately make the difference.

Pat Murphy, the Brewers manager and Bruce Springsteen superfan who was FaceTimed by The Boss in midweek, declared Contreras the “player of the game” after he drove in a run and threw out two attempted base-stealers, neutralizing a key strategy for Kevin Cash’s aggressive Rays.

“Money isn’t everything” is a nice narrative as far as the action goes, but the peculiar genius of American sports is how they generally preserve parity and uncertainty on the field while embracing rapacious capitalism.

Three years ago, the Brewers, who are owned by Mark Attansio, a Los Angeles-based investor who also controls Norwich City FC and has an estimated net worth of $2bn, managed to squeeze $500m out of lawmakers in taxpayer-funded upgrades for a 25-year-old ballpark that cost less than $400m to build in the first place.

A high-stakes financial duel engulfing the entire league played out to gaggles of reporters before the game as two power-brokers dug in to entrenched positions near the first-base dug-out. Bruce Meyer, the interim head of the players’ union, called the owners’ proposal of a salary cap a “nuclear bomb” and - more reasonably - argued that the presence of two small-market clubs in this year’s World Series proves that competitive balance is possible without a cap. Meanwhile, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred broadened the context as he made the case for a limit: “It’s been 40 years since we’re here. Once every 40 years is not enough. It’s not that no small market can win, it’s just that it’s pretty rare.”

Milwaukee has a retractable roof, and Tampa Bay an indoor dome, but storm clouds are gathering above all the same. The owners are virtually certain to lock out the players on 1 December in a row over money that will threaten the start of the 2027 season. So this is a sport freighted with growing anxiety about the future, even during its showpiece event. Perhaps this, as well as the novelty factor of the match-up, is amplifying the party atmosphere of the last spectacle before the stoppage.

Diamondbacks News

Grading Every Diamondbacks Position Group After 2026 Season
No extra points for guessing where the worst grade landed.

3 Lessons Diamondbacks Should Learn from Brewers-Rays World Series
Arizona is not set up well to take advantage of these pointers.

One Former Diamondback Set to Become World Series Champion – Regardless of Winner
Jake Woodford is in a rather unique position, having suited up for both the Brewers and Rays this year.

Other Baseball News

Brewers Take Game 1 Behind Miz, Contreras
Jacob Misiorowski pitched like an ace and William Contreras turned in a Player of the Game performance to lead the Brewers to a tightly contested victory in Game 1 of the World Series.

Todd Benzinger Passes Away
The former World Series champion, switch-hitting first baseman and outfielder has passed away at age 63.

Cleveland Guardians 2026 Post-Mortem: Guard Ball at a Crossroads
The Cleveland Guardians once again fell apart in rapid fashion after pushing the Rays to the edge in Tampa in the ALCS.

Continuing around the Phillies’ roster and looking for ways to change things up, we focus on a place that is starting come under more and more scrutiny: the infield.

How to improve the Phillies: Catcher

Parting ways with several key members of organizations past in Alec Bohm and infield coach Bobby Dickerson, there will be some new people manning new spots. It’s going to be interesting how it unfolds, starting with who will be in charge of making sure they are improving defensively and ending with who will actually be putting their cleats on the Citizens Bank Park dirt.

Who they have

You know the players by now. Bryce Harper is presumably moving back to first base following his midseason outfield jaunt, Bryson Stott likely takes back his spot at second base and Trea Turner is….well, he’s there. He is capable of playing shortstop, but there is much scuttlebutt about his changing positions. The best spot for him is probably in the outfield, but as Dave Dombrowski has already stated, he’s the starting shortstop.

That means they need a third baseman.

And maybe someone to play as the backup to all three non first base spots if they don’t want to pay Edmundo Sosa what he is probably going to want in free agency.

It’s maybe more of a needy spot that the Phillies have holes at than maybe one might think of at first glance. Stott has shown that he can handle third base if needed, so maybe they can grab a second baseman instead.

In the minors, there is the looming shadow of Aidan Miller and how his timeline changes the equations around the infield. Multiple questions need to be answered before they decide his ultimate fate.

• Is he healthy?
• What position does he play?
• Does he ultimately supplant Turner in 2027?

The answers to these questions are likely to determine what the team does to figure out which players are going to be playing the infield next season.

Free agent options

Things are bleak. Free agent options are few and far between where it comes to adding a player that will have a good sized impact on the team. After all, adding impact is the most important thing a team could do in free agency. However, the players that are available don’t exactly scream “impact” when considering them. These three are probably the ones that offer the most potential to provide the things the Phillies need in their lineup and on the dirt.

Jazz Chisholm, Jr. – Imagine Chisholm on the Phillies for a moment. Forget about the fanbase and how they would probably love him, but with the roster as it is. They welcomed Luis Arraez this past trade deadline, even if it looked weird when a player showed actual emotion on the field after getting a big hit. Adding Chisholm to this lineup would be taking that emotion and amping up by 20, but at least he can back it up with actual talent on the field. It was a down year for him, “only” hitting 19 home runs and posting a 98 wRC+, the first time that number has been under 100 since 2021, numbers that still make him an upgrade over some of what the Phillies had last year. He’s still a solid glove at second base, probably his best position right now. He has posted walk rates above 10% each of the past two seasons, so his would be a solid bat to add to the lineup. Does it matter that it would be coming from the left handed side? Maybe. Maybe they want to add someone that balances the lineup a bit, also taking into consideration the platoon splits Chisholm has. But there really is no denying that if they wanted to make a splash in free agency, adding Chisholm to this lineup would do so.

Mauricio Dubon – Dubon is a player that has a lot of qualities that the Phillies could use. He can play shortstop at least capably if the need should arise, he can be pushed to the outfield if need be and won’t embarrass himself at the plate. The biggest issue is that using that term “embarrass” might be a bit strong. His best season just happened with the Braves this past year, where he hit 12 home runs, drove in 73 runs and stole ten bases to boot. The RBI total is probably a bit of an illusion thanks to being in a better than average lineup. But everything else, the stuff that teams actually look at these days? Yeah, it wasn’t good. A gander at his Baseball Savant page reveals a lot of blue in places where a team wouldn’t want to invest in. He doesn’t hit the ball hard, doesn’t walk much and doesn’t have much batted ball luck. A career year led to a 99 wRC+. Is that what the team would want to hand a starting spot to? So long as they weren’t making him start regularly at a spot, instead scooting around to different positions to give players a breather, it makes some sense.

Teruaki Sato – The term “infielder” is probably loosely applied to Sato, who is looked as more of an outfielder. We’ll talk more about him once we get to the outfield portion of this series.

Now, if we’re talking about options the team has that could be in more of a backup role, things can expand a bit more.

Jorge Mateo – A capable defender at the six, Mateo is another that is going to command, at best, a minor league deal. The team could use someone like this though. Not truly on the major league roster per se, but adding a player like Mateo to Lehigh Valley can help create at least some depth with a particular role carved out for him should his services be needed at the big league level. Those services aren’t really of the “hitting” variety, but more of a “he won’t embarrass himself if needed for a week or two” kind.

Kike Hernandez – Looking for someone that can play just about anywhere? Hernandez could be your guy. Again, not much with the bat (he hasn’t posted a wRC+ over 100 since 2021), he can use his versatility to help boost a bench that didn’t have much there beyond what could Edmundo Sosa do for them lately. He’d like also be a lot cheaper than Sosa.

Gleyber Torres – This is where things get at least mildly interesting. Adding Torres is not really adding any kind of a power bat. Long thought of as someone that could be that as he was coming up as a prospect, Torres has settled into more of a “gets on base a lot” type of hitter that does offer at least sneaky power. Planting him at second base and shifting Stott to the hot corner might be of some interest to the Phillies. Torres’ 13.6% walk rate would look a lot better in a lineup that really did have some issues getting on base towards the end of the season. He’s no great shakes defensively, but he’s also not a butcher. Torres is probably going to lose his job to the younger, cheaper Hao Yu-Lee in Detroit, so he’ll be looking for someone else to latch on to. So long as he’s not expected to be an integral part of an offense, there are worse ways to give out a one-year deal.

J.P Crawford – Could you imagine if baseball life for Crawford came full circle?

Trade options

The trade market becomes slightly more open, only because there might be some options teams are not interested in either because they are making a bit too much money and/or they have a prospect coming up at their position that the team would rather see getting the playing time. These are mostly leaps, but some options could include:

Otto Lopez/Xavier Edwards – The Marlins are smart and know when to sell players on the trade market. They took Edward Cabrera’s good stuff and team control, sold high and ended up with a solid core piece in Owen Cassie. Cabrera barely made starts with the Cubs and is probably a reliever. So when rumors started that they were shopping both Lopez and Edwards, maybe there should be a pause that they are trying to sell high. For the Phillies, maybe they should be buying high. In the case of Lopez, he has turned himself into a high contact, low strikeout hit machine that also plays a great defense. He’s entering arbitration for the first time and should command a solid trade package, but he’d be exactly what this lineup needs. Is he a a 115 wRC+, .305/.349/.437 hitter? Probably not. That line was driven by a .335 BABIP, so maybe he stalls out a bit. But he also showed some of those same chops the years before. Maybe the asking price would be a bit too high, but they should absolutely be picking up the phone and inquiring. With Edwards, he’s a definite step below Lopez, but offers much the same package. Maybe not as much power, maybe not the same amount of defense, but still an upgrade over what the team had, especially if they feel confident in moving Stott to third base full time.

Davis Schneider – Eastern High School is in Voorhees, NJ, about 15 minutes from Citizens Bank Park. Schneider grew up going there and has made himself into a major leaguer despite not really being all that great at doing major league things. He got famous during last season’s World Series for being a bench player that was abnormally productive, but 2026 saw him crash down to Earth, posting a wRC+ of 84. He’s 28 years old and can play in a few different spots, plus he’s right handed, all things that this Phillies team could use. Other than, you know, the whole not a great hitter thing.

Max Schuemann – Another versatile player, Schuemann has a solid batting eye and a little pop in his bat. He doesn’t make a lot of contact, which is kind of a problem for a lineup that has enough of that “skill” already, but he probably could be had on the cheap if the team was looking to deepen its bench a bit more.

Ke’Bryan Hayes – How much do you like a project? Hayes might be the worst hitter in the game right now, but he’s also an incredible defender. The team has a stated effort to be better at defense. If we can assume that Hayes has nowhere to go but up with the bat, maybe this would be a buy really low option for the team? Particularly if you consider they are about to undergo an overhaul of their instructional hitting department after letting Kevin Long go. Like I said, how much do you like a project?

Predicted outcome

There are four spots for this infield that need to have players. Two of them will be filled by Harper and Stott, the third presumably by Turner (somehow, somewhere). That means a fourth spot is going to have to have someone come in and set things straight.

That answer is probably Aidan Miller.

The runway has been set by the team for Miller to win a job in spring training. He came back at the end of 2026 to get some at bats, has been playing well in Arizona to try and make up for lost time and has been giving interviews touting his health. Should he show the same health spring training and be productive against major league caliber arms during that time period, it’s likely the team opens with him at an infield spot. That spot might be third base if Turner is playing well at shortstop, it might be at shortstop if Turner is struggling. Yet that feels like the most likely outcome here. Maybe signing someone like Torres on a one-year deal to give Miller a little more time in the minors isn’t the worst idea to have. Teams probably aren’t going to be knocking down the doors to get him onto their roster. But splurging on a big time free agent like Chisholm or emptying the farm to acquire Otto Lopez isn’t the most prudent usage of resources they have available to them.

Let’s see how Miller does and go from there.

A week before his contract was set to expire, the Yankees’ biggest pending free agent made sure he will be staying in The Bronx. 

Pitching coach Matt Blake and the club agreed to a three-year contract extension, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported Saturday, keeping one of the game’s most highly regarded coaches in the Yankees dugout. 

The well-earned extension comes after a season in which Blake’s pitchers led the majors with a 3.24 ERA while withstanding multiple injuries to their highest-paid starters and plenty of question marks in the bullpen. 

Once the Yankees decided that manager Aaron Boone would be coming back for a 10th season (on the final year of his contract) and general manager Brian Cashman a 30th (he has also agreed to a new contract), they got to work on making sure Blake would also be back in the fold. 

“Our pitching group is as good as it gets, in my opinion,” Boone said late in the season. 

The Yankees originally hired Blake ahead of the 2020 season, and while he had not pitched professionally or coached at all in the majors, he quickly showed his bona fides while earning the respect of his pitchers. He has consistently gotten the best out of the Yankees pitching staff, including a pair of AL Cy Youngs (Gerrit Cole in 2023 and Cam Schlittler set to win it next month) and annually turning castoffs from other teams into important bullpen pieces. 

This year, that included Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick emerging as key setup men for a bullpen that finished second in the majors with a 3.13 ERA. The rotation, meanwhile, survived injuries to Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón and Ryan Weathers to post a major league-best 3.30 ERA. 

“Everybody felt like they kept improving and wanting to get better as the year went on and pick each other up,” Blake said during the ALDS. “It felt like we did have a nice overall strong season from a majority of the group.”

Good morning, LSB.

Kennedi Landry has a trio of Rangers noted as “developmental wins” after strong 2026 campaigns.

The Buzzsaw Brewers took a tight Game 1 of the World Series.

And The Athletic ran the numbers on MLB’s “competitive balance problem.”

That’s all for this morning. Have a great weekend!

Week 3 is in the books in Arizona, and even as temperatures cool across the country, things are heating up. Salt River entered the Friday offday with a 9-7 record at the halfway point of the season, sitting just a half-game back of a first-round bye in the postseason. In their 3-2 week, no star shined brighter than Yankees’ top prospect Dax Kilby, who crushed a home run and four extra-base hits as he continued to level up his power. As a reminder, if you want a quick rundown on who’s in the desert this month, check here.

October 17 (Rafters 5, Solar Sox 0): It was a very quiet shutout victory for Salt River to start the week last Saturday, as only one Yankee got into a game. Core Jackson, who had struggled mightily through two weeks, went 1-for-3 with a walk, stolen base, and a booming home run that traveled 421 feet and was 105.4 mph off the bat. By far the best swing he’s had all fall.

October 19 (Rafters 7, Desert Dogs 1): In another strong win for the Rafters, the other two Yankees’ hitters got into the game. Kyle West made another start at first base and went 1-f0r-3 with a walk, with his single registering at 104.9 mph. Monday was more known for the start of the Kilby show. The top prospect went 2-for-4 with a walk, two stolen bases, a double, and a triple. His triple was hit just 95.4 mph down the right-field line, but the double went off the top of the wall in center field, 420 feet away at 103.5 mph.

October 20 (Rafters 10, Javelinas 11): Six different Yankees played on Tuesday and were very involved in the outcome. Jackson (playing second base this time) went 0-for-3 with a walk, a stolen base, and two strikeouts. West went 1-for-3 with a strikeout and a stolen base; Chris Veach allowed a run in 1.2 innings with two strikeouts; Anthony Mena pitched around some command woes to only allow one run in 2.2 innings, and Antonio Gomez threw a scoreless eighth. The main attraction was Kilby once again, who blasted an early home run a staggering 107.1 mph and 410 feet before tying the game at 10 in the ninth on a 109.8 mph RBI double. He also contributed to the walk-off loss, unfortunately, as he was thrown out at third on a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

October 21 (Rafters 7, Scorpions 5): After seemingly everyone got into the game on Tuesday, it was calmer on Wednesday. West went 0-for-3 with a walk, Jackson walked thrice in four plate appearances (and stole his ninth bag), and Mack Estrada took the win by getting the last two outs of the fourth.

October 22 (Rafters 8, Scorpions 15): Salt River ended a solid week on a bad note by allowing 15 runs on 18 hits and eight walks, but none of the five pitchers on the roster appeared in the game. Kilby went 1-for-5 with a strikeout and a 104 mph flyout, while Jackson ripped a long triple to center field and stole his 10th base in a solid day for him.

AFL totals thus far

Dax Kilby: 12-38, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 6 2B, 3B, 3 BB, 4 K, 4 SB
Core Jackson: 5-33, HR, 2 RBI, 2B, 3B, 12 BB, 11 K, 9 SB
Kyle West: 7-32, 5 RBI, 6 BB, 7 K, 3 SB
JT Etheridge: 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 9 K
Mack Estrada: 4 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 2 K
Chris Veach: 7.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 10 K
Anthony Mena: 7.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R (3 ER), 4 BB, 6 K
Antonio Gomez: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 3 K

At the beginning of the year, many questions surrounded Francisco Alvarez. People wondered whether he could stay healthy, whether he would maintain the offensive momentum he showed in 2025, and whether he would show the hoped-for defensive improvements. Unfortunately, 2026 did not turn out like anyone hoped, for Alvarez or the Mets, and while his offense was better than his defense, it was not the breakout year some desired.

Alvarez started the season strong with the first successful ABS challenge in Major League Baseball and hit his first home run of the season on Opening Day. Things were looking up until he tore his right meniscus on May 12 during a plate appearance and was expected to be out for six to eight weeks. However, in keeping with his custom of quick healing, he returned less than four weeks later, on June 9.

Given the number of injuries on the team, Alvarez spent more time as designated hitter than expected at the beginning of the season. Offensively, the season was a mixed bag for him. He had a good start to the season, but some of the same issues that have plagued him in the past came up. He struggled with identifying the best pitches to hit this year. He took more pitches in the zone than he should have, whiffed more on pitches outside the zone than the team average, yet his chase rate was right around the team average. Alvarez hit a long slump after the trade deadline, when his strikeout rate jumped from 26.4% before to 39.4% after. His OPS was .777 before the trade deadline and .579 after the deadline. He ended the year hitting .233/.311/.399, and his wRC+ was 99.

Defensively, Alvarez struggled again this year. He split his time behind the dish with Luis Torrens, starting 82 games as catcher and playing a total of 88 games at the position. His DRS was -5 (-6.9/1000 innings), and his FRV was -2 (-2.8/1000 innings) in 720.0 innings, despite being slightly above average at 2.2 framing runs. His cERA was 4.54. He did not benefit from comparisons to Torrens, one of the best defensive catchers in the game. Overall, his fWAR clocked in at 1.4.

At the end of the season, it did not feel like much had been resolved. It’s been pointed out that Alvy is only 24 years old, which is fair. He has spent four full seasons in the majors, which is also fair. Who knows, maybe next year will be the year of realizing stuff when it comes to questions about Francisco Alvarez.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

The World Series continues later this evening at 5 p.m. PDT, with the Brewers hosting the Rays in Game 2 at American Family Field in Milwaukee. Here are some links to kick off your morning.

MLB postseason scores…

• The Brewers escaped with a 3-2 win over the Rays in Game 1 of the World Series Friday night, with Milwaukee closer Trevor Megill stranding the would-be tying and go-ahead runners in scoring position in the ninth after a replay review overturned a potential game-ending double play.
• Brewers ace Jacob Misiorowski broke the record for fastest pitch in World Series history with a 103.5 mph four-seam fastball to Yandy Díaz to begin Game 1. Though Misiorowski only went five innings allowing one run and striking out three, it was enough for a winning decision.

In Mariners news…

• Voting for the Fifth Annual Lookout Landing Awards has been extended to October 31! If you have not voted yet, a link directly to the form is provided here. Sign-in to a Google account is required to vote.
• Randy Arozarena appeared alongside other MLB stars in a promo for Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Doomsday” that debuted during Game 1 of the World Series, marking one of, if not the last time he is seen in a Mariners uniform before hitting free agency.

Around the league…

• With the salary cap debate between the players and owners ramping up, Evan Drellich and Eno Sarris of The Athletic examined competitive balance in MLB and looked at potential next steps with the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) set to expire on Dec. 1.
• The St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly moving on from hitting coach Brant Brown, who previously served as the Mariners bench coach and offensive coordinator for 58 games to begin the 2024 season before being fired on May 31 of that year.
• Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman of Yahoo! Sports ranked their top 50 free agents available in the coming offseason.
• Zachary Kranc of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency writes that new insights into the heritage of a Negro Leagues star pitcher are compelling a reconsideration of Jewish baseball history.

Jaylon Thompson writes about what the Royals can learn from the two World Series teams.

So what does this mean for the current Royals?

KC can learn a lot from both the Brewers and the Rays. Essentially, the Royals are trying to replicate what those franchises do so well these days.

The Royals plucked manager Matt Quatraro from the Rays organization in 2022. And they got their hitting coach, Connor Dawson, from the Brewers. Other unique crossovers include starter Michael Wacha — a former Ray — and former Brewers rookie Isaac Collins.

If the Royals want to reach the next level, however, they will need to rely on their own farm system and prospect development.

David Lesky considers the idea that the Royals could trade Vinnie Pasquantino.

For what it’s worth, if they trade Pasquantino, that’s fine. I think it would relieve some roster tension. But I also think a lot about trading him doesn’t quite add up for me. Say what you want about the way he starts a season. The numbers always seem to be there in the end. By OPS+, he’s been 114, 118 and 113 the last three seasons. By wRC+, it’s 109, 116 and 109. The slow starts absolutely have to be figured out. Nobody is arguing that. But that’s a bat that needs to be replaced. Given that they already need at least one corner outfielder anyway, if you move Pasquantino, you now need two for sure. And where is that player? There’s no doubt they could throw money at the problem, but that’s easier said than done. There aren’t a ton of players available for a trade. Finding two middle of the order bats in essentially one position in one offseason is a very tall task.

The Royals outrighted Alex Lange, Mason Black, Connor Seabold, Alec Marsh and Easton McGee to the minors.

Unlike the others, Black does not have the right to elect free agency. This is his first career outright and his service clock is under three years. He also isn’t eligible for seven-year minor league free agency because he has only participated in five minor league seasons.

The Royals can keep him in a non-roster capacity and try to get him back on track. 

How the Brewers and Rays assembled their rosters.

The Cardinals part ways with hitting coach Brant Brown.

The amount for a Qualifying Offer will jump to $23.15 million this year.

The MLBPA withdrew a grievance against the Rays last year.

Shohei Othani is expected to pitch next year and surgery is not on the table.

FanGraphs wants your input in crowdsourcing free agent contract predictions.

Former Twins and Mariners catcher Mitch Garver retires.

MLB in-game ads show much they don’t care about fans.

Scott Boras criticizes MLB owners ahead of talk of a salary cap.

MLB players offer a sneak peak of Avengers: Doomsday.

The Knicks duped employees with a championship ring email that turned out to be a phishing test.

Why Troy Aikman and Joe Buck could be headed for a split.

Did a cartel keep egg prices high?

More people get their news from YouTube than TV.

A new documentary shows how that fake Bigfoot film footage came to be.

Your song of the day is Argent with Hold Your Head Up.

With it being the World Series, we’re bringing you some of the key quotes and storylines from each game following the postgame press conference.

Pat Murphy

In his postgame press conference, Brewers manager Pat Murphy discussed what he was most impressed by, specifically shouting out Milwaukee’s star catcher.

“[William] Contreras was incredible. If anybody doesn’t notice the contributions of Contreras, he was the player of the game. We had a lot of good performances, a lot of good things,” Murphy said. “Contreras was unbelievable. The two caught stealings, the ABS, the hits, calling the game.”

“If people aren’t noticing Contreras, like he was maybe the MVP, like should have been co-MVPs. He was maybe MVP of the Dodgers series. He was maybe MVP of the Padres series. I don’t think they pick one for that, do they? But this guy has been incredible, and he does both sides of the ball. And the side that you can’t measure, I don’t know what his numbers are, but he does so much for the team. He’s incredible. That’s all I could tell you. He’s incredible. We wouldn’t be in the position we’re in without Contreras,” Murphy said.

Murphy added that Jackson Chourio, Christian Yelich, and the bullpen were the other heroes of the night, and he was also impressed by Jacob Misiorowski’s performance despite striking out just three.

“This is the best team in the American League. They proved that during the regular season and proved that in the postseason so far. One of the ways they do that is to make contact better than anybody in baseball,” Murphy said. “For Miz to go five innings the way he did, give up only a few hard contacts, only walked one guy, [he] was great.”

Murphy also spoke on the overturned call at second base that initially ended the game before Trevor Megill was required to get one more out, explaining that he’s glad reviews like that are part of the game.

“No, we want to get it right, man. We’ll be doing the checked swing there later on. The obstruction play will be replayed. MLB makes rule changes for the better. They just do. Then things happen, and then they make another adjustment and another adjustment. Even if we gave up two runs there and we lose the game and we’re sitting here and we’re all dejected, the rule is put in place for the right reason, to get it right. I don’t know if they got it right. I’m assuming they did. There’s a lot of people that have better vision than I,” Murphy said.

Jacob Misiorowski

Jacob Misiorowski discussed how he felt in the high-energy environment of American Family Field, specifically noting the adrenaline of the moment and his fastball-heavy diet early.

“[The atmosphere was] electric. The fans were — it was crazy. It’s everything I dreamed of. It’s really cool that we got to do it here in Milwaukee. It’s been awesome to feel the city and feel just the atmosphere they’ve been creating. It’s been amazing,” Misiorowski said. “The adrenaline kind of took over, and I tensed up and threw it hard. Then I settled down, and that was the game plan to settle in and do me. Don’t try and overdo it. I think that’s also a part of what I’ve been doing this postseason not trying to overdo stuff and understand I have a whole defense behind me to help me out.”

After pitching just 78 pitches and being pulled after five frames, Miz was asked if he felt like he had more in the tank. Being the gamer that he is, he said that he would “want to throw 130 [pitches].”

“I’ll keep going. It’s the World Series. I’ve got more rest to come,” Misiorowski said. “No, the situation we had looked better going to the pen and turning it over that way. You have to trust the staff and understand that they’re making a decision for later in the game.”

Jackson Chourio & William Contreras

Jackson Chourio and William Contreras, two of the Brewers’ biggest stars, did a joint presser after the game, where they were also asked about the environment and their performance on the field, especially Contreras’ in-game management of his pitchers.

“That was something for me that this year I definitely took it a little bit more personal and upon myself to make a point of that and to go out there and talk maybe a little bit more stern to the pitchers,” Contreras said. “It’s kind of my way of giving them some confidence and giving them a boost, the lift they need whenever they’re out there on the mound. I’m not sure how some of the guys take it, but that was something for me that was a priority of mine coming into this year and something that I made the adjustment on.”

When asked about Murphy’s faith in him, Contreras explained that he expects to play everyday, even if that’s unconventional for a catcher.

“I think Murphy’s always been someone that’s very special to me. I think in a lot of ways we share some similar personality traits. We want to win, and I think any time Murphy’s had to say something to me, he’s been very honest with me, and he’s told me directly to my face. That’s something I appreciate, and I think that’s something we share in common,” Contreras said. “I think when it comes to playing every day, that’s something I’m always going to prepare to do. That’s always a goal of mine. Why I work so hard in the offseason is to — if I feel good, if I feel ready to play, I’m going to expect to be in there.”

Chourio spoke about the build-up to the World Series after the weeklong layoff, also mentioning how it compared to the World Baseball Classic, which Chourio and Contreras won with Venezuela earlier this year.

“Honestly I think in these games today, there’s a little bit less pressure, it felt like, compared to maybe the World Baseball Classic. Some of the pressure was removed maybe in some of the earlier rounds of the playoffs, and I felt a little bit more free just to go out there and play my game,” Chourio said. “I think on my end, for me it’s always been a little bit of a question of more anxious feelings than pressure. I think I’ve always seen it in that light. Yeah, I think with these series and with the days off in between, I think there was some anxiousness for the games to begin and ready for the games to begin and get them — we know that these are the last games of the season here.“

Kevin Cash

While Rays manager Kevin Cash mostly spoke about his team in the postgame press conference, he did get asked about Contreras catching two baserunners after the Rays were previously perfect in stolen base attempts this postseason.

“Look, [Contreras is] a very talented player on both sides of the ball. We knew that coming in. Not surprised by anything that he did, but that’s not going to change our aggressive approach, certainly on the bases,” Cash said.

Cash also talked about the difficulties of facing Misiorowski and the Brewers bullpen.

“Look, he’s so talented. He’s such a special pitcher. I felt like for him to be out of the game at five innings, there’s a small win in that,” Cash said. “The problem is when you knock him out of the game, you’ve got just an elite bullpen that can match up and come in the ballgame like they did and kept us quiet there between Uribe, Ashby, and at the end with Megill.“

Meet the Mets

Would it make sense for the Mets to pursue Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato?

The Brewers are in the World Series, and David Stearns laid the foundation for the franchise in the years he oversaw them.

As one of the teams that would be heavily impacted by the implementation of a salary cap, the Mets will be watching the CBA negotiations very closely.

Pat Murphy surely doesn’t mind how things turned out, but he once came close to being the manager of the Mets.

Around the National League East

Battery Power examined some of the best defensive plays made by the Braves this season.

The Good Phight looked back on the Taijuan Walker experience in 2026 (spoiler alert: it wasn’t good).

Around Major League Baseball

In Game 1 of the World Series in Milwaukee, the Brewers treated their fans to a 3-2 victory over the Rays.

Jacob Misiorowski very quickly made history for the fastest pitch thrown in a World Series at 103.5 MPH.

Get ready to be shocked: despite the presence of two small-market teams in the Fall Classic, Rob Manfred still thinks there needs to be a cap.

If you’re hoping that the league and the Players Association might extend their current agreement to avoid an impending lockout, don’t hold your breath.

The Athletic examined the question of whether the league truly has a competitive balance issue as the commissioner and owners continuously claim.

The Cardinals are parting ways with Brant Brown, their hitting coach of the past two seasons.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Brian Salvatore recapped the surprising contributions of Austin Warren to the 2026 Mets.

This Date in Mets History

The Mets secured their only win in the Subway Series with a 4-2 Game 3 victory on this date in 2000.