If you arrived from the future to tell Yankees fans after the team’s embarrassing elimination in the ALDS last October that the only major external acquisition the team made was Ryan Weathers, you’d probably be burned at the stake.
It seemed inconceivable after the team regressed from a more competitive-than-it-appeared World Series defeat to getting decimated in the ALDS by the rival Blue Jays that they would have a quiet offseason. But aside from retaining several free agents, there has been almost nothing during this slow offseason that, frankly, revolved around the free agency of Cody Bellinger, who didn’t re-sign until after Scott Boras ran out of potential suitors to continue asking for seven years.
There is still time remaining for moves on the margins, but barring a surprising blockbuster trade, this is most of the roster we will have going forward. It’s disappointing and frustrating that a team that will yield a near-$400 million total payroll and luxury tax will have sat on its hands in this way, but how bad is it?
How bad is running it back? The 2025 Yankees were an inherently flawed bunch, but they weren’t lacking in talent. Aaron Boone said he believed this was the best team he had managed, and frankly, he might’ve had a point.
The total of 94 wins was less than the 2018, 2019, and 2022 teams achieved. However, those teams got to feast on dreadful teams in the basement of the AL East, or—in the case of 2022—rode a red-hot start and limped into the playoffs. The first two teams lacked a bona fide ace, although Luis Severino and James Paxton tried to masquerade as one at their best.
The 2025 Yankees had Max Fried, who finished fourth in Cy Young voting in an excellent, consistent season. They had a second All-Star hurler in Carlos Rodón and, by playoff time, unveiled a highly promising flamethrowing rookie.
When you compare the 2025 team to the 2024 team that won the pennant, you may find that the 2025 club was superior and just faced a tougher path. Juan Soto was irreplaceable for the Yankees, but the 2025 Bombers had Cam Schlittler pitching their Game 3s compared to Clarke Schmidt, who had not fully rounded into form after a midseason lat injury.
The 2024 bullpen was probably better thanks to the likes of Tommy Kahnle and Jake Cousins, but when you look at the lineup depth, it’s night and day. Alex Verdugo and Anthony Rizzo were so bad that they were out of a job on Opening Day of the following year, while their spots in the lineup were filled by Trent Grisham and Ben Rice.
Regardless of all of this, the results don’t lie. The Blue Jays embarrassed the Yankees in the ALDS, made some additions (although left fans wanting more), and the Yankees stood pat. How can that be acceptable?
Well, in re-signing Bellinger, Grisham, and steady platoon bat Amed Rosario, the Yankees will completely return the best offense in baseball in 2025. While the Dodgers’ addition of Kyle Tucker probably makes them the top lineup in baseball, the Yankees have the depth and high-end talent to replicate what they did last season.
According to FanGraphs’ Depth Chart projections, the Yankees are second in projected offensive WAR, slightly ahead of Toronto and behind the Dodgers. Here’s how the individual projections stack up:
Note that projections are inherently pessimistic due to all the things that can go wrong for a player. Ever since Judge ascended into another realm of hitting dominance, he’s easily cleared 200 on an annual basis. If he falls that far down, it would be a sign of Father Time catching up to the 34-year-old. There’s also reason to believe Rice will play more, Chisholm will produce more, and Grisham will produce similar to his 2025 levels due to his promising peripherals.
The holes in the lineup are on the left side of the infield, but neither is catastrophically bad on offense. There’s considerable upside in this lineup and a decent floor, even if some players regress.
At least offensively, running it back isn’t a bad thing. Sure, the team could’ve attempted to fill the remaining holes by pursuing the likes of Bo Bichette or Alex Bregman, but the two have awkward fits, whether it’s their hitting profile (Bregman) or declining athleticism and defense (Bichette).
One big feature that the offense will have on Opening Day that hasn’t been as much of a feature in the past, however, is a deep bench. While the last few seasons have seen the team give way too many at-bats to the likes of Oswald Peraza and DJ LeMahieu, everyone on the Yankees’ bench will have a true purpose in 2026. Rosario is a lefty killer, Domínguez brings speed as a pinch-runner and can reliably hit righties, the speedy, versatile José Caballero will already be in there to fill in for the injured Volpe, Oswaldo Cabrera should be back from injury and can play everywhere on the diamond, and J.C. Escarra is a superb defensive catcher.
The pitching side is where we can be more squeamish. Still, there’s upside in the rotation if the team can get better injury luck on that front. Rodón will miss Opening Day, but he’s stated that he plans on being ready to start building up in March, and that should put his timeline around May 1. Gerrit Cole may not be far behind.
With Cole and Rodón on the mend, the team will lean heavily on Fried and Schlittler while requiring decent length and reliability from Luis Gil, Will Warren, Ryan Weathers, and, in case of injury, Ryan Yarbrough. By the time summer roles around, the team could have the best problem imaginable in sports: too many quality starters.
Now, the biggest risk remaining is the bullpen, and there’s no sugarcoating that. David Bednar and Tim Hill will be reliable, but the team will be hoping for more consistent performance from the likes of Fernando Cruz and Camilo Doval and will be depending on Matt Blake’s annual “diamond in the rough” sweepstakes in spring. Could Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest be a candidate? Or will a non-roster invitee emerge like Lucas Luetge in 2021 and Ian Hamilton in 2023?
The Yankees will be entering 2026 with a higher luxury tax payroll than they did in 2025, despite not meaningfully improving the roster. As an old skipper often said, it’s not what you want, but the team the Yanks are running back has a real chance to perform better than they did last year.
As the Colorado Rockies prepare for spring training in a few weeks, there are still plenty of questions across the board for most positions. When it comes to the starting catcher, however, we know Hunter Goodman is going to be geared up behind the dish come Opening Day and deservedly so. Goodman’s All-Star season, which resulted in a Silver Slugger, while also being slightly above average behind the dish, has brought some stability and optimism for the foreseeable future. However, I can’t help but wonder: what’s the depth plan beyond Goodman for 2026?
Entering the year, the Rockies seem primed to just roll with Braxton Fulford as the backup catcher. In 38 total games with the big league team last season, Fulford slashed .213/.267/.324 with a home run and 16 RBI. After a strong showing in Triple-A Albuquerque, Fulford struggled to find a consistent footing in the big leagues. Understandably, not playing every day makes it tough for any hitter to find a rhythm at the plate, especially a backup catcher playing behind the 30-home run output of a player like Goodman. Still, he has plenty of potential, so there is time he can settle into his role from the get-go in 2026 as an average defensive catcher with some offensive upside if he can get things going.
But what comes after that?
After dropping former top catching prospect Drew Romo from the 40-man roster earlier this offseason, who is now with the Chicago White Sox amid his waiver-wire journey, the Rockies have no other catchers on the roster. Thus far, the only big league-experienced depth piece that has been added to the organization is Brett Sullivan.
Signed to a minor league deal in December, Sullivan has played a total of 43 games at the big league level, with the majority coming in 2023 when he played 33 games with the San Diego Padres. The 31-year-old (32 in February) has hit .204 with a .250 on-base percentage and two home runs in 112 career plate appearances. Last season, he played three games with the Pittsburgh Pirates while spending the rest of the year in Triple-A. He’s been solid through his Triple-A career, slashing .261/.332/.432. As a left-handed bat, it gives the Rockies a much-needed alternative bat, and defensively, he’s been a generally average catcher behind the dish.
The Rockies don’t have an otherwise big league-ready catcher in the system, at least none that seemed primed to crack the Opening Day roster out of spring training. This leaves them to perhaps take a look at the free agent market and increase their depth and competition in camp, or afford them more time to develop their catchers.
Christian Vázquez
If the Rockies want a glove-first backup, then Christian Vázquez could be worth a look. Through his career, Vázquez has been a serviceable bat while rating as an above-average defensive catcher. His offensive numbers cratered during his three-year stint with Minnesota, but the glove remained elite behind the plate.
There could still be a way for his bat to pick up a little bit from the .189/.271/.274 slash in 214 plate appearances as he still has a keen eye at the plate, just not much oomph behind the bat, but the glove experience could be beneficial to help Goodman and the others progress. He wouldn’t have to play every day, since he is 35, and Spotrac projects his market value a little over $1 million, which is more than affordable for the Rockies for a cheap big league contract, or a split contract type deal.
Elias Díaz
How about a reunion with the Rockies’ starting catcher from 2021-2024? After strong offensive campaigns in 2023 and 2024 for Colorado, Díaz was released in August 2024 after injuries had sapped his trade value, and the Rockies needed to make space for other players. He signed on with the Padres for the rest of that season and re-upped for 2025 but the bat continued to regress.
However, the more that Díaz played in Colorado, the better his work behind the plate got and he continued that with the Padres. He ranked above average in blocking, caught-stealing average, and framing while ranking in the 87th percentile in pop-time. Adding Díaz once more could bring back some veteran experience behind the dish that could help answer the questions the new front office has with pitching at altitude. He’s also projected for a $2 million contract with is plenty affordable.
Austin Barnes
Back in November 2014, current Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as the right-hand man of Andrew Friedman. One of the first trades the Dodgers made was sending a trio of players to Miami for four players, including a young catcher named Austin Barnes.
Over 11 years with the Dodgers, Barnes was a staple in the catching tandem, often serving as the personal catcher of future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. His bat has never been his calling card, aside from a handful of solid seasons. Still, his elite plate discipline with a career walk rate of 11% has been a useful tool. Perhaps with Byrnes in the Rockies front office, the team could lure Barnes to the organization on a minor league deal. A career of working with high-profile pitchers, with his great reputation as a teammate and game caller, Barnes could be a useful addition to boost the Rockies.
Conclusion
The team has made it clear they don’t want to hand out positions to younger players out of necessity. If something should happen to Goodman or Fulford, even during spring training, what is the contingency plan? Perhaps Fulford could be better served playing every day in Triple-A while a veteran backstop helps at the big league level. They tried to do this with Austin Nola last season, but aside from a decent offensive showing in Triple-A, didn’t do much on either side of the ball to warrant an extended look.
The free agent market has plenty of players who could join as depth pieces in big league camp on minor league deals or cheap major league contracts, or perhaps the Rockies could look to trade for more catching. The point of talking about this is to bring up the fact that the Rockies need to strengthen their depth behind the plate.
Warren Schaeffer hopes to be more flexible with his lineup usage in 2026, giving him the ability to mix and match more. Despite new additions like Willi Castro and Jake McCarthy being repeats of players, Schaeffer doesn’t want to be confined to playing strictly by depth chart, even if there are players who are worthy of playing every day. It’s an interesting read and gives plenty of insight. Additionally, the Rockies want a left-handed hitter at first base.
If you weren’t aware, former Rockies GM Bill Schmidt landed with the Athletics in a scouting role. The writer believes the two sides could come together for a deal thanks to Schmidt’s knowledge of the Rockies’ system. Zach Agnos and Jaden Hill are mentioned as the two targets the A’s could look at with Schmidt’s influence.
The San Francisco Giants agreed to a deal with outfielder Harrison Bader on Monday, and that means a few things. Most of those things are good — for instance, it means that the Giants will now have a watchable outfield defense, and also that they’ll probably be better this year than they would have otherwise been.
But not everything is good news. Notably, signing Bader to an already full 40-man roster, means that someone else in the organization is going to get the uncomfortable phone call that they’ve been designated for assignment, and, two weeks out from Spring Training, they’ll find their career in limbo. We haven’t yet learned who that player is, but there are a few candidates.
Which brings us to the continued roller-coaster of Marco Luciano’s offseason. The former top prospect in the Giants system was, in a manner emblematic of his final few years with the organization, waived in December. He was claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates, who eventually designated him for assignment. He was then claimed by the Baltimore Orioles, who also designated him for assignment. He stayed in the NL East though, after being claimed by the New York Yankees.
And on Tuesday, the Yankees became the fourth team this offseason to say goodby to Luciano, designating him — and pitcher Jayvien Sandridge — to make space for a waiver claim (pitcher Dom Hamel) and a free agent signing (star outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger).
It’s a sad merry-go-round, and hopefully one that comes to a stop soon. Presumably all of these teams are hoping to pass Luciano through waivers so that they can outright him to AAA and, who knows, perhaps the Yankees will be the team that succeeds at doing just that.
“I’m very happy that they’ve kind of seen the light about the location at the Aspiria Campus,” Kelly, an Overland Park resident, said. “I don’t think it really would have worked to put that stadium there. I think we presented a lot of reasons why not and I hope we were a part of their careful consideration.”
When Chourio reached Low A last July, he became the first pitcher under age 18 in full-season ball since Julio Urías debuted in Low A in 2013. Chourio signed last January for $247,500, began in the Dominican Summer League, then moved to the Arizona Complex League, and between those two stops he walked one batter in 28 2/3 innings for a 0.9 percent walk rate. He finished the year in the Carolina League, where his walk rate soared to 4.2 percent (that’s sarcasm) and he did have real issues with men on base, giving up a .340/.389/.740 line in a small sample of 54 PA. He doesn’t look like a 17-year-old on the mound, certainly, with exceptional command of a three-pitch mix that includes a 94-97 mph four-seamer with some ride and natural cut to it, an upper-70s curveball that seems to drop off the table, and an 84-88 mph changeup with good fade that he almost exclusively used against lefties. He’s already stronger than his listed weight of 160, with a good lower half to maintain that velocity and perhaps add a little more as he becomes an adult. There’s obvious risk with any pitcher his age throwing even moderately hard, and he does have to pitch better from the stretch, but this is everything you’d want to see in a young pitching prospect, including the potential upside of 80 command.
Jensen was a local high school player the Royals gave a little over $1 million to in the 2021 draft. He has steadily improved defensively and in his bat-to-ball ability since then to be either average or just a tick below.
He has always been a strong athlete for a catcher with a plus arm, a good eye at the plate and above-average to plus raw power projection. Because he could be a reliable every-day catcher who offers offense that’s above league average, there’s some real upside for seasons of 3-plus WAR, possibly as soon as 2026, though I think he’ll land more often with a WAR that starts with a 2.
Last season, American Family Field ranked 22nd in Park Factor for hitters at 97. Kauffman Stadium was tied for sixth at 101. Moving in the fences will impact that further, potentially making The K a top 5 hitter-friendly park in 2026. Where The K plays well is where American Family Field doesn’t: Doubles and Triples. While Collins will likely see some drop off in home runs, I don’t expect it to be a heavy drop. He’d have lost 4 last season based on Expected Home Runs by Park, and with the fences moving in, that number would almost certainly be lower. If home runs remain relatively flat, and Collins sees a notable uptick in doubles and triples, he stands to actually be a much better power bat with the Royals. Throughout his minor league career, Collins showcased plenty of speed, and that speed should suit him well in The K, further boosting his production.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has suggested a local stadium financial package can be assembled without a public vote (although, as we’ve pointed out, residents may have a different approach.) There are rumblings in Jefferson City about requiring a local election, too.
The Kansas City Port Authority seems the most available option for a required local contribution to a stadium, if the Royals want Missouri’s help for the structure. Using Port KC for those subsidies would further inflame the public: Not only would there be no public vote, there might not even be a City Council vote on $500 million or more for the ballpark.
As has become common place in the past with free agents who are still available at the later stages of the offseason, the opportunity to secure shorter-term deals increases.
Given the Royals signing patterns when it comes to offensive free agents in recent years, while Arráez would certainly constitute a deviation from the norm skill wise, from a term perspective this would be right on brand.
Given Arráez’s limited contact-first offensive profile and his defensive shortcomings, despite some positional versatility, it’s reasonable to think that perhaps a one or two-year “prove-it” deal, like Ken Rosenthal described on Foul Territory on Tuesday, is what the market would dictate for him at this point in time.
When it comes to the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers and their payroll, Major League Baseball definitely has a problem. It’s been growing for years and, sure, the massive payroll is one component.
The main problem, though, is public perception. Perception is reality, as so many of us know all too well.
Major League Baseball is a business that is built solely on fan interest. If fan interest wanes, that’s a problem. The massive number of people complaining about how unfair baseball is and how it needs a salary cap and how the league is a joke because the Dodgers are automatically just going to win the World Series again in 2026 — because they bought it — is a problem.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden still believes Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran and Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte could be traded before Opening Day.
According to a release from the team, the surgery was performed by Dr. John Fowler alongside Penguins team physician Dr. Dharmesh Vyas.
St. Ivany’s recovery time is expected to be eight weeks.
So far this season, St. Ivany has recorded a career-best 7 assists in 17 games for the Penguins.
The Penguins are back in action tomorrow night at PPG Paints Arena after sweeping a western Canadian road trip last week with wins against Seattle, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver.
Pittsburgh has won four straight games, have not lost in regulation in over two weeks, and currently sit six points behind Carolina for first place in the Metropolitan Division.
The Penguins have five games remaining before the NHL’s Olympic break for the Milano Cortina Winter games.
For all of us wondering if Islanders GM Mathieu Darche was going to invest in his currently-playoff-position team or commence with a selloff, the last two days gave us a clear answer. The first-year GM is not going big-game hunting, but he is managing assets (and spending a little cap space) to bring in veteran reinforcements to fill holes that lingered at forward and defense.
The Islanders enter a very interesting home-and-home with the Rangers having completed two trades in two days, one with each of their immediate neighbors. After acquiring short-time Ranger Carson Soucy for the blueline on Monday, they followed that up with a deal for Ondrej Palat from the Devils on Tuesday, sending Max Tsyplakov out the other way.
If Palat has anything left, it will be a bonus. If he’s as washed up as Devils watchers have described the last two seasons — and admittedly, a $6 million cap hit can color that evaluation — then we’ll find out soon enough and we’ll be annoyed throughout next season.
Anyway, the experiments with the new guys starts at home tonight vs. the Rangers, for that rare Wednesday-Thursday home-and-home. First Islanders Goal picks go here.
Islanders News
Seven facts about Palat, a Czech seventh-round pick in the same draft as Scott Mayfield who somehow has 13 NHL playoff game winners. [Isles]
The deal is one for one…plus some picks. If current standings hold, the Islanders actually upgraded their third-rounder this summer. [LHH | Isles | Newsday]
Previewing tonight, except without any updates, so check back after the morning skate. [Isles]
Gross: The post-Olympic schedule for the Isles is “severe.” [Newsday]
The Rangers would do well to just get a goal tonight. Let’s not though, okay? [Post]
After seeing this “the Isles aren’t done” clip, I didn’t figure the next move would be something like Palat. But I guess on a basic, “we’re not aiming high but we’d like to get to the postseason” level, it makes sense:
“They’re not done if they have there way. They want to make the playoffs, and the reason for that is they think it will be a great experience for a lot of the younger players. The playoffs matter.”
Isles picked a kid out of Russia at the cost of zero assets. Turned that into a third, a sixth, and 1.3 seasons of Palat, an experienced playoff pro who'll give you more than Tsyplakov in the short term. East is wide open man. Works for NJD too. Good stuff.
Lots of games last night, including Rasmus Dahlin getting a hat trick in Toronto and the loathsome Patrick Kane tying Mike Modano for American points collectors. Also the Devils lost at home to Winnipeg, and the Capitals lost in Seattle.
The Maple Leafs suck and should sell. (All I know is “it starts with me.”) [Sportsnet]
Bryan Rust’s first suspension is three games(!) and the Penguins are understandably miffed, especially when they’ve experienced Jacob Trouba, Chicken Wing Man of Innocence. [TSN]
Philadelphia Flyers - 24-18-9 - 57 Points - 2-6-2 in the last 10 - Lost 1 - 4th in the Metro.
Columbus Blue Jackets - 24-20-7 - 55 Points - 6-4-0 in the last 10 - Won 2 - 7th in the Metro.
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
CBJ set a season high in goals scored in an 8-5 win over Tampa Bay on Saturday. The club has won six of its last seven games overall since Jan. 11 (5-1-0) and collected points in six of its past seven home contests since Jan. 3 (5-1-1).
The club concludes a four-game homestand on Wednesday after Monday's contest vs. the Kings was postponed due to weather. The team also closes a stretch of six-of-seven games played at Nationwide Arena from Jan. 13-28 (4-1-0).
The Jackets scored the first two goals on Saturday and have scored the first goal in 15 of the last 20 contests, 18 of the past 25 and rank fifth-T in the NHL in games scoring first in 2025-26 (30).
Columbus leads the NHL in goals by defensemen and ranks fifth in points with 38-90-128 in 51 contests.
The Blue Jackets (10-5-1) are tied for the NHL lead in scoring first (12) and rank fifth-T in the NHL in wins, seventh in team save percentage (.907), eighth in points pct. (.656) and 10th in goals-against per game (2.81) since Dec. 22.
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle, posted his fifth game of three or more points this season, including notching his 200th career goal on Saturday (1-2-3). The club will honor the forward's 1,000th game played in a pre-game ceremony on Wednesday.
Jet Greaves leads the NHL in saves and ranks fourth-T in wins and seventh in SV% since Dec. 22 (min. 8 GP) with an 8-3-1 record, 2.54 GAA, .915 SV% and 345 saves in 13 games.
Kirill Marchenko collected his eighth multi-point outing of the campaign with two assists vs. Tampa Bay and has notched points in 12 of the last 16 contests dating back to Dec. 22 (8-9-17).
Mason Marchment notched his third career hat trick vs. Tampa Bay on Jan. 24 (3-1-4) and has posted points in seven of his nine contests with CBJ (8-3-11).
Mathieu Olivier ranks second in the NHL with 71 hits since returning from injury on Dec. 28.
Zach Werenski notched two assists in the win over the Lightning and leads NHL blueliners in goals (19), multi-point efforts (18), points-per-game (1.17), and shots on goal (170) this season. He has points in 26 of his past 31 contests overall to lead league defensemen in goals, points (tied), and points-per-game since Nov. 13 (15-29-44, 1.42).
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 19.8% - 19th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 75.4% - 28th in the NHL
Goals For - 153 - 20th in the NHL
Goals Against - 168 - 23rd in the NHL
FlyersStats
Power Play - 15.6% - 30th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 78.0% - 20th in the NHL
Goals For - 149 - 21st in the NHL
Goals Against - 159 - 18th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheFlyers
Columbus is 29-19-3-4 all-time, and 17-6-2-2 at home vs. Philly.
The Blue Jackets are 4-1-1 in the last 6 against the Flyers.
Columbus has killed 14 of the last 16 Flyer power plays at NWA, and 16 of the 17 overall.
Who To Watch For TheFlyers
Trevor Zegras leads the Flyers with 19 goals and 46 points.
Travis Konecny leads the team with 28 assists.
Goalie Samuel Ersson is 8-9-5 with a SV% of .860.
CBJ Player Notes vs.Flyers
Zach Werenski has 19 points in 25 career games vs. the Flyers.
Boone Jenner has 20 points in 33 games.
Charlie Coyle has 20 points in 33 games against Philadelphia.
Injured Reserve
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 13 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 145
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We’re hitting the really slow portion of the offseason with most of the big name free agents having signed already. I’m not even sure who is left other than Framber Valdez other than a billion pitchers looking for a team.
After losing their last two games to divisional rivals, the Montreal Canadiens desperately needed a win on Tuesday night against the Vegas Golden Knights to stay ahead in the playoff race. However, the Knights are a tough opponent at the best of times, but coming off a 7-1 blowout loss to the Ottawa Senators, they went out of the gate even stronger.
Since Adin Hill was in the net for the seven-goal debacle, Vegas opted to give the game to Akira Schmid meanwhile, after two subpar performances from Samuel Montembeault, Jakub Dobes got the start for the home team and put on quite a show in the 3-2 win.
Martin St-Louis has been talking a lot about the small details of the game of late, things his men need to stop doing to give themselves a better chance of winning. One such details is to be defensively responsible. If one of the defensemen is pinching to support the attack, a forward must come back to cover his spot. More often than not, it doesn’t happen, and that’s what led to the first goal of the game.
Alex Carrier pinched to help keep the pressure in the offensive zone, and Oliver Kapanen just stayed there in the high slot, watching the play. When Pavel Doroyev came out of the corner with the puck, Lane Hutson moved towards the middle of the ice and tried to take away the passing lane, leaving Dobes to face a shot with no screen. The Russian’s shot was precise and beat the Czech netminder high on his glove side.
Given how many offensive defensemen are on the Canadiens’ roster, it’s high time the forwards realize that they have a role to play when a blueliner pinches.
Time For a Statute Of Limitations
I believe there is room in the game for the offside challenge, but the rule needs to be amended. In law, certain offences cannot be prosecuted after a specified period, as provided by the Statute of Limitations. It should be the same for the offside challenge.
In the second frame, Cole Caufield scored on a slap shot with 17:56 left in the period, but the goal was eventually waived off because a coach’s challenge showed the Canadiens were offside on their zone entry at 18:47, nearly a minute earlier. The illegal entry didn't affect the play, and the Canadiens didn’t gain any unfair advantage from it.
Amending the rule would lead to fewer contestations, speed up the game, and ultimately provide fairer results. The wording should be crystal clear, however, and the application shouldn’t be left to the referee’s discretion, as that would lead to more chaos.
In his post-game presser, Martin St-Louis was asked if perhaps it would make sense to have a time limit on the contestation, and he replied:
I think we have the technology now to put things where they should be; it was offside. I’m curious to know how many goals we are losing on offside compared to other teams. Perhaps someone can get back to me on that at the following presser to see if I’m right or not. It’s a shame; it would have been good to be able to separate ourselves and get another goal, but you know.
- St-Louis on the goal they had disallowed
While it’s a fair point that there is the technology now to make those calls, one fact remains: if the play had gone the other way and the Knights had gone on to score, the Habs couldn’t have challenged the goal because of the offside they had committed over a minute earlier. As the coach pointed out, once the puck comes out of the zone, you can’t contest that offside anymore. He did concede that it would have been annoying if that scenario had come to be. My point remains, however, it would be fairer to put a time limit on the contestation.
Dobes’ Top Form
The 24-year-old Czech goaltender was in top form tonight. While he has won most of his games this season, at times, it’s been an adventure to watch him play. His technique on most nights can be hit or miss, and he ends up making saves more spectacular than they should be, but on Tuesday night, he was in complete control. He wasn’t overcommitting when moving from side to side; he had great rebound control and puck tracking, and he played a very complete game.
Furthermore, with 32 saves on 34 shots, he ended his night with a .941 save percentage. Of those 32 saves, many should have been goals, and no one can argue that Dobes wasn’t his team’s best penalty killer tonight. On two occasions, the Knights managed to slice the Canadiens’ defence wide open with cross-zone passes to an open man on the doorstep, and Dobes stood tall on both opportunities. In the first instance, he actually made three stops, the initial save and two rebounds, bailing out his defence.
Asked if his men owed that win to their goalie, who was very combative in net, the coach said:
I don’t think you owe a performance like that to one player. We owe it to the team, and each player has a role and actions on the ice that influence the result. Dobes influenced the result tonight.
-
Dobes has not lost in regulation in his last seven starts. When asked if such a hot streak was something that could help him make decisions, the coach replied that it’s always part of the equation. When asked to elaborate, he said:
We make our decisions for the good of the team and the player, and everything is taken into account.
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It will be interesting to see if Dobes gets a second start in a row on Thursday night; his performance against the Knights certainly warrants it. In the end, the Canadiens fully deserved to skate away with the two points tonight, and the coach must have let out a sigh of relief when Jake Evans scored the game-winning goal in overtime after the Habs were unable to take advantage of the power play they were given. Cole Caufield and Phillip Danault were the other two scorers for the Canadiens, meaning that the sniper has now scored in his last six games.
The Habs will be back at work in Brossard tomorrow morning at 11:30 as they’ll aim to get ready for their next big task: a rematch with the Colorado Avalanche, who beat them 7-2 at the end of November.
The Florida Panthers haven’t played many games on home ice lately.
Tuesday’s frustrating 4-3 loss to the Utah Mammoth was just the second game the Panthers have played in Sunrise over the past three weeks.
Florida never led against the Mammoth, battling back to tie the game on three separate occasions before ultimately falling thanks to a goal about midway through the third period and some questionable penalties that hindered the Cats’ ability to mount a comeback late in the game.
It was a night where the Panthers probably deserved a better fate, logging only 28 shots while managing 61 shot attempts and holding the Mammoth to just 20 shots on 38 attempts.
Let’s get to Tuesday’s takeaways:
LUNDELL AND EKBLAD OKAY
If there is one thing that has been consistent for the Panthers this season it has been the injuries.
That’s why the fear was even more heightened on Tuesday when a pair of Cats appeared to go down with injuries.
Late in the second period, Anton Lundell took a high, hard hit from Utah’s Jack McBain, one that Lundell responded to with a hit, and then a punch, of his own.
When the third period began about 20 minutes later, Lundell was nowhere to be found.
Then later in the game, Aaron Ekblad blocked a shot with his left leg and appeared unable to put much weight on it as he struggled to get to the bench.
After the game, Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards reported that he spoke to Ekblad and that the defenseman said he was okay, explaining that the shot had broken his shin pad.
Aaron Ekblad is fine after blocking shot in third - said it broke his shin pad
As for Lundell, Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice didn’t seem overly concerned when asked for a postgame update on his young Finnish center.
“I think he’s going to be fine,” said Maurice. “It’s upper-body, we’ll know more tomorrow.”
VILMANIS LIGHTS LAMP
Rookie Sandis Vilmanis has been looking like he belongs during his first stint in the NHL.
He’s now played nine National League games and has seen time on several line combinations.
On Tuesday, Vilmanis was moved to a line with Cole Schwindt and A.J. Greer during the second period, and there appeared to be some chemistry among the trio.
Vilmanis and Schwindt scored goals just over seven minutes apart, each one caused by gritty shifts and solid play in the offensive zone.
“There's a freedom that (comes when he) plays with Schwindt and Greer,” Maurice said. “Greer is a real positive for those guys, those young guys he plays with, and they were good. Basically that line has got four goals in two games, so good for them and good for us.”
EMBELLISHMENT CALLS
The final six minutes and 12 seconds of Tuesday’s game saw five minor penalties called.
Moments after Matthew Tkahcuk was called for a questionable roughing penalty, right off the ensuing draw in Florida’s zone, Evan Rodrigues was taken down Barrett Hayton while trying to get across the zone and cover the PK.
For his extra effort, Rodrigues apparently make it look like he was trying to sell the penalty, not get away from Hayton, so both players went to the box; Hayton for interference, Rodrigues for embellishment.
Almost exactly four minutes later, this time with Florida’s net empty as the Panthers were attempting to tie the game in its final moments, Tkachuk was tripped in the neutral zone by Nick Schmaltz.
Once again, Tkachuk, like Rodrigues, was moving quickly during a high-intensity sequence and wanted to get to where he was going as soon as possible with the game potentially on the line.
Well, Tkachuk’s extra effort apparently masqueraded as him trying to sell another penalty, so once again it was both players who went to the box; Schmaltz for the trip, Tkachuk for embellishing it.
You can be the judge, but when Maurice was asked the officials gave any kind of rationalization for either the calls, it wasn’t surprising to hear the fiery coach bite his tongue, which is how he’s generally handled these situations in the media since joining the Panthers.
“We’re not going to get an explanation on that,” he said, and when pressed for his thoughts on the calls, Maurice responded, “I’m not giving you anything on that.”
Photo caption: Jan 27, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) moves the puck against Utah Mammoth defenseman John Marino (6) during the third period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.
“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.
Kiki Cuyler* makes the Hall, and other stories.
Today in baseball history:
1888 – In Chicago, IL, 350 fans brave the weather to watch a baseball game on ice at Lincoln Park. Second baseman Fred Pfeffer of the Chicago White Stockings plays wearing a top hat. After two hours and five innings of play, the game is called. The “Spaldings” defeat the “North-Siders,” 7-6. (2)
1890 – In the first of many lawsuits filed against Players League members by their former teams, a judge refuses to grant an injunction against John Ward, president of the Brotherhood. His decision, echoed frequently by other judges, states that the “want of fairness and mutuality” in the standard National League contract, specifically the clauses relating to the reserve rule, “[is] apparent.” (2)
1907 – In an effort to reduce playing-date conflicts between their leagues, presidents Harry Pulliam of the National League and Ban Johnson of the American League meet to plan schedules. Conflicting dates are reduced to 27. (2)
1953 – Fred Saigh is found guilty of income tax evasion and is sentenced to a fifteen-month jail term, but will serve only five months at the federal prison in Terre Haute before being given parole for good behavior. The embattled Cardinal owner, under pressure of his franchise being taken away by MLB, puts in place a lucrative deal with a consortium that plans to move the team to Houston, but is persuaded to sell the team for less ($3.5 million) to Gussie Busch, when the Anheuser-Busch president persuades him that civic pride was more important than financial gain. (2)
1958 – Roy Campanella, driving home from his liquor store in Harlem, breaks his neck when his rented 1957 Chevrolet sedan hit a telephone pole in an early morning auto accident on Long Island. The 36-year-old Dodger catcher, who has won three MVP awards (1951, ‘53, ‘55) will remain paralyzed for the rest of his life. (2)
1968 – Goose Goslin, a former Senator and Tiger outfielder who retired with a career .316 batting average after playing in five World Series, and Kiki Cuyler*, a .321 career hitter who won four stolen base crowns for the Pirates and Cubs, are elected into the Hall of Fame by a unanimous vote of the Veterans Committee. Goslin believed his enshrinement in Cooperstown was helped by his interview that was shared in Lawrence Ritter’s 1966 book, The Glory of Their Times: The Story Of The Early Days Of Baseball Told By The Men Who Played It. (I recommend this book) (1,2)
1980 – Hank Aaron refuses an award from CommissionerBowie Kuhn honoring him for hitting his 715th home run. Aaron charges that baseball’s treatment of retired black ballplayers falls far short of what is needed. (1,2)
2009 – Aaron Heilman is traded for the second time this offseason when the Mariners swap the 30-year-old right-hander to the Cubs for utility infielder Ronny Cedeno and southpaw Garrett Olson. Seven weeks ago, the Mets dealt the much-maligned reliever to Seattle as part of a three-team trade that included the Indians. (2)
2013 – The Los Angeles Dodgers announce the launch of SportsNet LA, their own regional sports network on Time Warner Cable. The deal is a prelude to a long-rumored $7 billion deal that will award Time Warner broadcast rights for Dodger games for the next 25 years. However, the Commissioner’s office is concerned about the proposed deal, as its annual value is well above that used for revenue sharing purposes, which will result in the Dodgers pocketing a huge financial windfall if no adjustments are made. (2)
1521 – Emperor Charles V opens the Diet of Worms in Worms, Germany which lasts until May 25th; Produced the “Edict of Worms” which denounced Martin Luther
1807 – London’s Pall Mall is the first street lit by gaslight
1813 – Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” is published by Thomas Egerton in the United Kingdom
1985 – The charity single “We Are the World” is recorded by supergroup USA for Africa (Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and other pop stars)
2017 – Australian Open Women’s Tennis: Serena Williams defeats older sister Venus Williams 6–4, 6–4 for her 7th Australian title and record 23rd Grand Slam event singles victory.
Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, in order to help correct the record.
It is an assumption around the league that the Orioles’ offseason work is not done just yet. Specifically, they want to upgrade their rotation. Less specifically, if reports are to be believed, they seemingly aren’t settled on any one arm in particular.
Framber Valdez is considered the top pitcher left on the free agent market, and the Orioles have been connected to him for months now. Reporting indicates that the O’s have made an offer, although details on that are fuzzy. But it would seem that Valdez is hoping for a bigger, better offer to come his way.
Lurking in the background of those conversations is another free agent, Zac Gallen. A year ago, it seemed like the righty was poised to sign a big contract this winter. He was coming off of three straight years with an ERA of 3.65 or better, and had earned Cy Young votes in three of his previous five campaigns. But he struggled in 2025, compiling a 4.83 ERA, and saw his strikeout rate dip for the third year in a row. On top of that, he was extended a qualifying offer by the Diamondbacks, adding a layer of cost consideration to his free agency.
Even still, Gallen is a bonafide big league starter with an impressive resume. If the price is right, teams could be willing to take the risk that he will bounce back and get back to his lofty standards. After all, Gallen was much better in the second half of the year (3.97 ERA) than he was in the first half (5.40 ERA). Maybe he found something with his mechanics that he can lean on for a much better 2026 season.
Gallen’s free agency has been an adventure. Back in early December, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that Gallen was close to finalizing a deal with the Chicago Cubs that would pay $22 million per year. That was quickly refuted by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Now, a month-and-a-half later, Gallen remains on the market.
The latest reporting on the pitcher comes from Jon Heyman. Appearing on MLB Network Tuesday evening, Heyman described the Orioles as “in on Zac Gallen,” alongside the Cubs, with a return to the Diamondbacks also on the table. That would be a rather new development for the O’s, who have only been tangentially linked to Gallen throughout the winter, as they have been to just about any pitcher with a pulse.
This could also be viewed as a broader negotiating tactic. The Orioles want Valdez’s camp to know they have other options. Gallen’s team might be trying to push the Cubs or Diamondbacks for an extra year or more money in their offers. In that way, the two sides can use each other without truly being involved or interested in one another.
Or maybe the Orioles do actually sign Gallen. Who knows. Please just let it be spring already and let me stop reading “rumors.” I’m all set!
Links
MLB Rumors: Zac Gallen Gets Latest Update with Potential Suitors | Yardbarker Just a re-link of the one mentioned above. Gallen is an intriguing arm. He will probably be cheaper than Valdez, and he is two years younger. But he is also coming off of a far worse season, and there are worrying trends in his pitch data. If the money makes sense, the Orioles could still sign him, but Valdez feels like their preference.
Latest prospect rankings and leftovers from Birdland Caravan | Roch Kubatko Oodles of quotes from the Birdland Caravan events that happened before the snow this weekend. There is a good energy around the team as spring approaches. The roster feels better. The players seem excited. The manager is giving off a good attitude. The vibes are immaculate.
Here is 2026’s All-Underrated Team | MLB.com A new Oriole and an old friend make appearances here. Taylor Ward is going to be an interesting player to watch. I admit that I haven’t caught many Angels games the last few years. But his stats show what sort of impact he can make in a lineup. You have to imagine that he will be putting his best foot forward as a 32-year-old in a contract year.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Wesley Wright turns 41 today. The southpaw was limited to just two appearances for the Orioles in 2015 due to a lingering trapezius strain. He was released in July of that season.
This day in O’s history
1982 – The Orioles acquire outfielder Dan Ford from the Angels in exchange for third baseman Doug DeCinces and pitcher Jeff Schneider
2000 – Free agent pitcher Pat Rapp signs a one-year deal with the Orioles.
2026 baseball projections are out now, so I’m going to begin to take a look at how the crystal ball of statistical projections sees things for the coming year. Sure, we might lose one of our key players in Brendan Donovan, so I will probably do this again (plus ZiPS literally just came out a few days ago in its raw form), but I have grown wary of the thought of either keeping or watching Donovan go, so for now, I’ll just assume he’s going to stick around. Even though it would seem that he is going to be traded any day or week now…
But wait! I have some poll results from last week’s polls: 82% of voters said that it isn’t fair that Jim Edmonds did not make the Hall of Fame because he is practically just as good as his old teammate Scott Rolen, as well as the two most recent Hall of Fame inductees Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones. 10% of voters said that he was straight up snubbed by the writers. Only 8% of voters thought that he fell just short and should not be in the Hall of Fame.
As far as the Nolan Arenado poll went, 32% of voters think that Nolan Arenado will fall just short of getting into the Hall of Fame, and that he has rapidly entered his decline phase. 27% of voters think that he’s so much on the cusp of induction that it is impossible to tell if he will make the Hall of Fame. 5% vote for duh, everyone knows Nolan Arenado and his legendary defense, it’s the Hall of FAME, he should be in. Then there was a split 18% of voters saying that he will make it in eventually, and 18% thinking that he should not even be considered for the Hall of Fame.
So VEB is pretty united in thinking Jim Edmonds should make it to the Hall of Fame, and in thinking Nolan Arenado probably won’t make the Hall of Fame. At least according to those two polls from last week. Now back to this week’s scheduled programming:
These are probably going to be the Cardinals key players (unless of course Donovan is traded, then who knows):
Click this link in the event that the embed link doesn’t work on wordpress.
So the early results are in and as you can tell, ZiPS and Fangraphs Depth Charts like the Cardinals starters ok enough, but the Bat X (another system that was actually pretty good when using it last season) makes our best 9 look a little weak. That said this will be one of the more difficult teams to project with so many unknowns and young players adding to the uncertainty. However, The Bat thinks our starting rotation will be better than some might expect. Albeit, nothing too impressive now matter how you slice it.
If Brendan Donovan leaves, the projections see him as our 2nd most valuable player at this point. Masyn Winn’s elite defense has made a believer of both ZiPS and Fangraphs Depth Charts, so that’s an encouraging sign. He should be our most valuable player, at least according to projections. Here’s where I’m going to disagree with the projections though…
I think Ivan Herrera will be our second most valuable player, even if Donovan stays. The projections think he will be about as valuable as Pedro Pages, but I think he can surpass that, even with The Bat X doubtful projection. No projection system has him cracking 3 WAR, but I believe he can do it. But on the other hand, this is the season where I will define my thinking of him… will he stick at catcher, and more importantly, can he play a full season?
Herrera staying healthy could be a huge boost for this team. Outside of Winn and Herrera, I don’t see much potential of an over 3 WAR season from anyone except JJ Wetherholt, who could win Rookie of the Year if he cracks 3 WAR. Sure it is possible he will cross that milestone this season, but I think it unfair to expect that from him in his first year. If Brendan Donovan somehow completes a full season in St Louis in 2026, sure he has a chance at cracking the 3 WAR barrier, but I wouldn’t bank on that.
The Pedro Pages projections are very solid but I’m not even sure that he won’t be traded still. So I don’t have much to say about that other than his defense carries him well. I’d like to instead focus on Lars Nootbaar: if healthy, he’s putting up at least 2 WAR this year. Not bad on such a mediocre team. Another bright spot is none of the projection systems think that Jordan Walker will continue to be a negative value MLB player. In fact, Fangraphs Depth Charts and The Bat X think he will be around a win over replacement level. So I guess that might be nice. For what it’s worth, ZiPS thinks Jordan is good for 14 home runs. Depth Charts and the Bat X say 16 homers. So he seems to be destined for 15+ home runs. I guess that would be ok.
If anyone besides Ivan Herrera can bring some offensive upside to the ballclub, it might be Alec Burleson. While ZiPS and The Bat X think that he will have trouble cracking the 2 WAR barrier, Fangraphs Depth Charts sees a little more potential than that, and I suppose if everything breaks Burly’s way, he’s another candidate for a breakout 3+ WAR season. It’s not really out of the question, given his track record of improving noticeably each year of his MLB career. He looked like he couldn’t hit in his cup of coffee in 2022. In 2023, he was a below average hitter. In 2024, he was an above average hitter. Then, in 2025 he raised his batting average and on-base percentage enough that he was awarded a Silver Slugger (I guess because he bounced around 1B, DH, and OF).
That tracks to a wRC+ of 56, 89, 106, and 124. Since he has went up by 18 wRC+ from 2023-2024 and also from 2024-2025, I guess that means he will hit at 142 wRC+ in 2026! Then we would have our best hitter.
What is perhaps most interesting about the starting pitching: Michael McGreevy is projected to be our best starting pitcher. Maybe this is his year. Maybe not, but I think 2 WAR from McGreevy is totally possible. Just behind McGreevy is Liberatore as #2, and for what it’s worth, The Bat sees both McGreevy and Liberatore as 2 WAR starters. I’m sure it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine Dustin May as another 2 WAR starter. His projections however range from 1.5 to 1.8 WAR.
What might be most surprising is Andre Pallante the solid #4 starting pitcher that the projections see. Heck, I’ll take 1.4 to 1.5 WAR from Andre Pallante! And then the other projected top 5 SP is Kyle Leahy at this point. Guess we will see what he looks like in Spring Training, because we now have Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins staring into the starting rotation. Perhaps those guys become middle relievers though. Or, it could be Pallante and Leahy.
Of all other pitchers possible to crack the starting rotation, ZiPS gives parlance to the idea that Quinn Mathews will be getting some innings, around 46 IP is what is projected. What are the breakdowns for Fangraphs Depth Charts projections on innings pitched? Leahy will get around 128 IP with Pallante (148), McGreevy (149), May (153), and Liberatore (157) shouldering most of the workload. Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins are projected at around 100 IP each to round out a top 7 in possible rotation arms.
The key components to the bullpen are projected to be Matt Svanson, JoJo Romero, Riley O’Brien, Gordon Graceffo, and Ryne Stanek all getting 60 or so innings. I think the bullpen could be a strength again this year.
What if we get lucky and we get the best projections from each system for each player? That line of thinking has us at 7 WAR production from Winn + Wetherholt, close to 6 WAR from the Herrera + Pages combo, close to 5 WAR from Burleson + Nootbaar, and if you get another 6 WAR from the trio of Donovan, Scott, and Walker, that doesn’t sound so bad does it.
And if things go well for the rotation, it’s not impossible that the top 7 innings eaters are worth 10 WAR.
Now worst case scenarios… Leahy fails at starting pitching and the rotation bottoms out at around 5 WAR total. Winn and Wetherholt both fail to pass 2 WAR. Donovan is gone. Alec Burleson’s 2025 season was a bit of a mirage and he hits like he did in 2024. Lars Nootbaar is hurt again. Herrera at catcher only causes confusion for the whole team and he doesn’t hit like he did last year. Victor Scott II is barely above replacement level because he can’t hit, and Walker is a failed prospect. Yes, that is a last place team, probably. And of course in this nightmare scenario, Gorman still never pans out.
Well I hope that was fun! It has both given me a little hope, and a glimpse into how bad this team could be. I almost didn’t even write about projections this year, because the highlights and entertainment value are likely to be to see how new players perform and grow, and to see how all this rebuilding and retooling pans out. It feels like more of a research and development team than one worried about win totals and WAR values. But in the coming weeks I plan on looking at the NL Central and sorting out how likely we are to finish ahead of any of the other NL Central teams. Hey, it’s not much, but finishing ahead of last place is definitely a goal of some sort.
That concludes the baseball coverage, now that I have finished writing about 2025 music in the past few weeks, I am about to start a new project that will take me all year probably. I have experienced life in over 50 years now, being born at the end of 1975. So I am going to go back and write about each year of my life, from the standpoint of music/arts/culture. And knowing me, it’ll be mainly about music but I’ll be throwing random movies and other things in, as well, just to keep it fun.
1975
I was born just after the end of the Vietnam War, and the founding of Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico. SNL made its debut and Jaws was the big movie of the year. The first successful test flight of my favorite plane ever, the supersonic Concorde, occurred. The Rubik’s Cube was patented. Watergate was still on everyone’s minds. Benoit Mandelbrot coined the term fractal. But I wasn’t alive for most of that year.
As far as baseball goes, the Reds were in the NL West somehow and won 108 games, the Brewers were in the AL East, the Pirates were the best team in the NL Central, Rod Carew had a .359 batting average, the home run leaders were in the upper 30s in total, Frank Tanana threw 269 strikeouts, Hank Aaron passed Babe Ruth in career RBI, Lou Brock reached 2,500 hits vs the Padres with the birds on the bat on his jersey, Joe Morgan was the MVP, and the Reds edged out the Red Sox in a 7 game World Series. The Cardinals and Mets barely finished above .500 and were in the same division. They used to be a key rival for the Cardinals.
Always music-minded, I will now turn to some musical selections… the highest esteemed albums of that year were releases like ‘Wish You Were Here’ by Pink Floyd, ‘Blood On The Tracks’ by Bob Dylan, and Eno’s ‘Another Green World’. Those are all fine albums, but I am here to tell you about my favorites from 1975. Maybe you’ll hear a sleeper here that you didn’t know about… or not!
links to full albums on album title
Top 10 Albums from 1975
Mahavishnu Orchestra – ‘Visions of the Emerald Beyond’ I would argue that this is John McLaughlin’s most underrated album, only eclipsed by 1971’s ‘Inner Mounting Flame’. The heights are even higher on Visions of the Emerald Beyond, however! And it even gets downright funky at one point. Rock n Roll in its highest form, absolutely astonishing. Every time I hear this album I wonder how someone can be so good at guitar, while finding other musicians on that level… Let your spirit soar into the emerald beyond.
Rush – ‘Caress of Steel’ I have a soft spot for this album, and another that I feel is undervalued in an even more famous prog rock band’s discography. It is worth listening to this album for the epic cut “The Necromancer” alone. While “The Fountain of Lamneth” gives us a taste of what’s to come on ‘2112’ and ‘Hemispheres’ with Rush’s first truly epic length prog rock songs. “Lakeside Park” and “Bastille Day” are two of Rush’s very best songs and are fan favorites… and “I Think I’m Going Bald” is a rare taste of comedy from the band, sounding like a stoned AC/DC. I always wondered how this album flopped while the ones after it succeeded, but I suppose timing is everything when you’re coming up with new ideas.
Yezda Urfa – ‘Boris’ If you have this album as the best album of 1975, I cannot argue with you there. This may be the most ambitious album of the whole list. It’s expansive prog rock sound is bigger than the genre. It stays completely authentic without sounding pretentious, despite its advanced musical nature, it shows restraint and wisdom. It gives you glimpses into the future, invents whole genres years before they exist without anyone knowing. The recording sounds very real, immediate, intimate. Energetic guitars, synthesizers, complicated bass parts, and tasteful but very dynamic and inventive drumming create a whole musical world to be enveloped in. Prog rock at its best. If that wasn’t enough, here are 27 minutes of bonus tracks!
Budgie – ‘Bandolier’ if you don’t know Budgie, well I’m hear to tell you that they are one of the best rock n roll bands of all time! This is not my favorite album by them but it is still so good that it is towards the top of my list! For fans of Led Zeppelin, early Rush, Blue Cheer, and Black Sabbath. The tightest riffs! Budgie is a key band to 1970’s rock if you have not heard of them. They have elements of prog but I’d file them under early heavy metal and straight up 70’s rock.
Frank Zappa – ‘One Size Fits All’ my prog rock extravaganza continues with The Mothers of Invention masterpiece ‘One Size Fits All’. I once did a project with some close music friends I’ve made over the years and they came to the conclusion that the album opener “Inca Roads” is the best Zappa song of all time. I wasn’t full in agreement with the majority but it is certainly one of his most impressive musical pieces, insanely complex and interesting. The whole album is really good though, flows from start to finish.
King Tubby – ‘The Roots of Dub’ I must admit I am not the biggest reggae fan… unless it’s true dub reggae! I love that shit. I first learned about it in my Sound Production class in college, and how King Tubby was one of the originators of the sound, which along with people like Brian Eno really started to push the idea of the studio as member of the band. The use of effects such as delay, echo, tape loops, and other studio tricks were employed by Tubby, who along with Lee Scratch Perry was ahead of their time in music production while using less equipment than many of their peers. Anyhow, ‘The Roots of Dub’ shows the beginnings of this style of music and is a bit more simple than some dub productions, but it’s also pure and happy music showing what you can do on a DIY budget. He then created his Hometown Hi-fi soundsystem and became one of the most inventive producers of all time.
Fripp & Eno – ‘Evening Star’ is an inspirational collaboration between two of the all time musical greats. If you like ambient music and/or drone, this helped write the book on it. You will hear some of the most beautiful and welcoming music imaginable in the world of ‘Evening Star’ as well as its more somber second half which comes down from the ecstatic highs. I know Eno also released ‘Another Green World’ and more in 1975, but I have to keep it prog adjacent with Fripp involved too! Haha, just kidding. I just like this album a lot and think it’s pretty sounding.
Black Sabbath – ‘Sabotage’ to me, this album came out after Black Sabbath peaked. It’s hard to believe that this is Sabbath’s 6th album, but maybe it explains that they were a little burnt out by the time ‘Sabotage’ was released. Putting out two albums in 1970, and then an album a year for three years after while touring a lot and partying like no men on earth before, might do that to you. Seeing Black Sabbath this low on my list kind of surprises me and probably you too, but it’s on here primarily because of how good the song “Hole In The Sky” really really is, and because of “Symptom of the Universe”. Even though I think of them as past their prime and burnt out already here, I still think of it as the last great Black Sabbath album. But holy moly Batman, the first 6 Sabbath albums have so many incredibly awesome songs that defined heavy metal.
Henry Cow – ‘In Praise of Learning’ a slice of avant garde prog that could be seen in the same league as maybe ‘Larks Tongues In Aspic’ by King Crimson with its use of space, free jazz outburts, sound experiments, but showing moments of all out frenetic musicianship and virtuosity. It’s a little bit pretentious but if you can get past that it’s doing a lot of things that few dare to accomplish. Elements of postmodern classical, avant jazz, prog rock, protest music, and experimentation. And in some ways it sounds like a precursor to no wave and post-punk that would come years later.
Betty Davis – ‘Nasty Gal’ I love how Betty does funk music and I love her voice. Just a fun listen that was pretty edgy for the times! While I prefer 1974’s ‘They Say I’m Different’, this is definitely a damn good follow up. There is a documentary about her that I definitely recommend watching. She was a controversial musician who just kind of disappeared before she got any more famous. Married to Miles Davis for a time but he got paranoid that she was having an affair with Jimi Hendrix! Which hastened the end of their marriage since she claims she wasn’t. She was a talented NYC enigma who just vanished.
And that right there is my Album of the Year 1975. I have this one on vinyl which I bought on a whim and remains one of my prized possessions!
All righty, one year down many to go! Now hopefully we will get more Cardinals news this week and keep the hot stove going, it’s still January but you know what February means! Keep on rocking in the free world if you can.
There was a recent Pop sighting in Austin. These days the winningest coach in NBA history does not often make public appearances. This one blew up on social media.
Coach Pop got an ovation at the Austin Spurs G-League game ❤️🥹
Last Sunday, the Spurs hosted the New Orleans. Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego, one of Pop’s former assistants, lit up talking about his time in San Antonio.
“There are very few people who have impacted my life the way he has…my thoughts are always with him, everyday. We just texted with each other a few minutes ago…he’s touched so many lives. I’m one of them. I’m fortunate that he’s been a part of my life.”
Borrego and the Pelicans actually used the former Spurs facility to prepare for their game in San Antonio. The space took the former assistant back.
“It was really cool. yesterday we got to practice at our old practice facility. It was amazing. It was like going back in time for me. I walked in there like I was a twenty-three-year-old. The smell of it took me back to those days. If those walls could talk. It’s amazing. But I sat there in the old theater room, the old locker room reminisced about how special this has been, this run has been. But it all started here. Surreal to take your team back to that facility. This is where I came from. This is where I learned. This is where I grew up. And Pop being a major factor there, and I thought about him multiple times yesterday. Sharing it with my team but also for myself. So it’s been a special visit coming back. I didn’t expect that. I didn’t even know we were practicing there. And we end up there and it turned into something that I didn’t expect. Wonderful memories and I was flooded with those yesterday. It was pretty cool.”
Borrego got his start as an assistant video coordinator in the summer of 2003. When asked if he visited the video room, he responded,
“I did! The smell did bring me back. I could hear Pop, ya know, yelling my name. ‘Ray,’ ya know. He called me Ray…Ray Romano. ‘Ray, get over here….Ray, where you at?…get the film, Ray.’ And at that time, it was with VHS tapes. My first year, he was bringing VHS. I tried to get Pop to DVD at that time. And then we tried to get to digital. So I helped Pop transition form VHS to DVD — that didn’t go well — went to digital quickly. And I was there for all of it. We walked into the theater and I sat where I used to sit…I could hear Pop’s voice echoing through that place.”
Today, Gregg Popovich turns seventy-seven years old. Quite a life he led as the head coach of the Spurs. Alas, he is now in his next chapter as El Jefe. Still involved and still impacting the game, the players, and the legacy of the league as his reach touches every single team in one way or another.
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This week, the Mavericks are turning the spotlight toward two of their originals.
On Wednesday night, Norm Sonju — the franchise’s first general manager and co-founder — will be honored at American Airlines Center. The following night, Mark Aguirre will have his number 24 retired, nearly four decades after being drafted first overall by the Mavs in 1981.
For a team that’s spent the past year recalibrating its identity post-Luka, this stretch is less about nostalgia and more about finally doing right by a couple of trailblazers who’ve been on the margins of the franchise’s public story for too long.
Sonju, now 87, is flying in with 18 family members — some of whom have never seen a Mavericks game in person. It’s a thoughtful gesture from the new ownership group and CEO Rick Welts, who made a point to visit Sonju in upstate New York last summer to film a sit-down conversation about the team’s earliest days. That video will be part of the Sonju tribute on Wednesday.
How do you build an NBA franchise from scratch? At Camp of the Woods in upstate New York, Norm Sonju and Rick Welts look back at the moments that shaped the Dallas Mavericks 🤠
If Sonju was the architect, Aguirre was the early anchor — a scoring machine who gave the franchise its first real shot at national relevance. His numbers still speak loudly: 13,930 points as a Maverick (third all-time), a franchise-record 29.5 points per game in 1983–84 that stood until Luka Dončić reset the bar, and three All-Star selections before his 1989 trade to Detroit.
The emotional arc here isn’t hard to follow. There was distance. And now, there’s closure. The door began to reopen last summer when Aguirre attended the draft watch party — the night the Mavericks selected Cooper Flagg, their first No. 1 pick since Aguirre himself. Since then, he’s been gradually woven back in. This week marks the full return.
If you’re attending the games or just watching at home, this won’t feel like a spectacle. But it will feel earned.
No fireworks needed. Just two foundational names finally getting their turn to be seen.
