Detroit Tigers vs. Minnesota Twins
Time/Place: 1:05 p.m., Lee Health Sports Complex – Fort Myers, FL
SB Nation Site:Twinkie Town
Media: MLB+ Audio (Twins broadcast)
GameThread: Tigers vs. Twins, 1:05 p.m.
Huascar Brazobán still has options in 2026
Thanks to his relatively lengthy path to accruing major league service time, Huascar Brazobán still has one option remaining heading into the 2026 season. We’re starting there because it figures to come into play as the Mets have built another bullpen that’s designed to see a lot of roster churn, even though approach went pretty poorly as the team struggled mightily over the final few months of the season.
From June 13, the beginning of the end for the 2025 Mets, through the end of the season, Mets relievers had a 4.60 ERA that was the fifth-worst mark in all of baseball. A relief corps that might’ve already been too thin on talent and major league track records wound up being overworked by a rotation that was seemingly allergic to going deep in games, and despite using 39 different players in relief, the team didn’t find a single new arm last year that’s currently projected to make the Opening Day bullpen this year.
Nevertheless, the Mets have stuck to that approach, and hey, it certainly could break in their favor this time around. Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, and Brooks Raley—to be joined soon afterwards by AJ Minter—should be a pretty solid bullpen core. If the Mets roll with a six-man rotation and a seven-man bullpen, that leaves four open spots in the Opening Day bullpen and three spots once Minter returns, assuming everyone else avoids injury in the meantime.
The Mets have made some early roster cuts, but Brazobán wasn’t one of them and figures to have a good shot at making the roster. If there’s a roster crunch to start the season or once Minter returns, though, that aforementioned option could see him spend time in Triple-A Syracuse like he did last year.
In his time with the Mets last year, Brazobán was effective if unspectacular. He had a 3.57 ERA and a 4.04 FIP in 63.0 innings of work. And since joining the Mets in a trade with the Marlins in 2024, he has a 3.96 ERA and a 4.11 FIP.
Unless several other pitchers establish themselves as better major league relievers, Brazobán looks like he’ll spend the majority of his time in Queens again this year. On average, the projections at FanGraphs have him ending up with an ERA around four with fifty-something innings pitched. If that’s how things go, it’d be a continuation of what he’s done since the Mets traded for him. There’s no bold prediction to be extracted here, but he should be able to contribute to a successful season if the rest of the team has one.
Devin Booker is finding his rhythm at the perfect time for a playoff push
It has been a solid run lately for the Phoenix Suns as they work through the schedule following the All-Star break and move toward a spot in either the Play-In or the postseason. The team is 4–1 over its last five games. You can certainly point to the level of competition during that stretch, although when you consider the injuries and the increase in minutes for young players, what Phoenix has done deserves some credit.
A month ago this team was not rolling out lineups featuring Khaman Maluach, Rasheer Fleming, Haywood Highsmith, and Amir Coffey. Those combinations simply did not exist. Head coach Jordan Ott has pulled the right levers with those players, placing them into the rotation in moments where they can succeed, and that has helped fuel this recent stretch. Make no mistake, though. The biggest driver behind this run is not the flashiest storyline, although it might be the most reliable one.
Devin Booker is back.
His return following the injury has steadied the ship for Phoenix and helped spark this stretch that now includes a three-game winning streak. Booker does not always deliver the loudest highlights. He is not drilling a deep three and signaling for defenders to fall asleep. He is not launching himself toward the rim for poster dunks or pointing toward the floor after breaking an ankle like his teammate Jalen Green might.
Book? He simply attacks the mid-range and puts the ball in the basket. For a team that spent much of February struggling to score consistently, watching Booker operate again has been a welcome sight.
Something else has started to happen since Booker returned to the lineup. His efficiency is slowly climbing back to where you expect it to be. It has been one of the season’s most interesting paradoxes. Devin Booker has experienced a down year relative to scoring, three-point percentage, and overall efficiency. Yet the team has continued to win games.
Why? The biggest reason is the way Booker has leaned into facilitation and his overall gravity as a player. He has used his scoring ability to create opportunities for everyone else. Defenses collapse toward him, the ball swings, and teammates find clean looks. Booker is averaging 6.1 assists per game, and players around him are producing some of the best seasons of their careers. That shift has changed the structure of the offense. Booker does not need to score 30 points every night for the Suns to win.
That was one of the concerns entering the season. There was a belief that Phoenix might rely too heavily on Booker’s scoring burden. If that happened, the wear and tear over the course of the season could break him down and drag the offense with it. Instead, the opposite occurred. Even with the efficiency dip, the team continued to succeed.
And now Booker is starting to look like Booker again.
Over the last five games, he is averaging 26.6 points while shooting 42% from the field, 39% from three, and 94% from the free throw line. He is also averaging 5.8 assists during that stretch. He has four consecutive games scoring 25+ points.
The three-point shot, in particular, is beginning to rebound. Before this five-game run, Booker was sitting at 30.8% from deep. After going 16-of-41 from beyond the arc over the last five games, that number has climbed to 32%. It is slowly inching its way back toward his career average of 35.2%. And if that trend continues, the offense around him becomes even more dangerous.
As the team prepares for whatever the postseason holds, Devin Booker is starting to regain the efficiency that has defined his game. The timing could not be better. For much of the season, the team carried some of the weight created by his inefficiencies. Now the pendulum is swinging the other direction. Booker is returning the favor by looking more like the version of himself that Suns fans have grown accustomed to watching.
The mid-range assassin. The player who can halt a scoring run with a calm pull-up from fifteen feet. The player who slows the game down when things begin to spiral. One possession, one jumper, momentum changes.
It quiets a lot of the noise that has surrounded his season. Even before this recent stretch, he was putting together an All-Star-level campaign. This run only strengthens that case. If he stays healthy and plays every remaining game, there is a real path where he finds himself back in the All-NBA conversation. But more importantly, the level rises on what the Suns could be once the postseason arrives.
Astros CL Josh Hader to start season on IL
Hader has missed most of Spring Training with biceps tendinitis.
Houston Astros closer Josh Hader will begin the season on IL, according to a report by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
Hader, who missed the last 2 months on the 2025 season with a shoulder capsule strain, experienced biceps tendinitis while rehabbing and was shut down. Yesterday, he threw his first bullpen session in weeks, as we detailed here:
https://www.crawfishboxes.com/houston-astros-spring-training/72465/astros-injury-updates-hader-pena
Hader reportedly threw 15 fastballs, getting as high as 87 MPH before being instructed to back it down. Hader’s normal fastball velocity last season was 95.5 MPH per Statcast.
With Hader missing the start of the season, Bryan Abreu will be the interim closer. Bryan King, Bennett Sousa and Steven Okert are all expected to have roles in the pen.
With 3 spots in the pen open, the Astros will likely choose from among AJ Blubaugh, Ryan Weiss, Kei-Wei Teng, Rule 5 pick Roddery Munoz, Peter Lambert and Christian Roa to fill those 3 spots.
According to McTaggart’s report, the capsule has not been an issue for Hader while rehabbing.
Spring Training March 11 Game Thread: Braves vs Rays
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Kyle Teel leaves WBC game with hamstring strain
Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel left Tuesday night’s World Baseball Classic tilt between Team Italy and Team USA after suffering right hamstring discomfort while running the bases.
Team Italy manager Francisco Cervelli confirmed the injury as a right hamstring strain and that the team will replace Teel on the roster with Andres Annunziata.
Teel was cooking before injury struck. The 24-year-old launched a solo homer in the second, then ripped a double to right in the sixth. But rounding first on that two-bagger, the hamstring barked. Teel slid in, safe but furious, and that was it. Cervelli immediately removed him from the game for a pinch runner. Before exiting, Teel finished the game 2-for-2 with the home run and double as Italy built a large early lead on its way to an 8–6 stunning victory over Team USA in pool play.
The Chicago White Sox have not yet officially announced the severity of the injury, and his status for the start of the season remains unclear. Teel did seem to be in good spirits after the game, so that’s promising.
Unfortunately, soft-tissue issues have become an all-too-familiar storyline for the White Sox in recent years. Hamstrings, obliques, calves — if it can strain, pull, or tighten, it seems to have found its way onto the South Side injury report at some point over the past several seasons. Whether it’s bad luck, conditioning questions, or just the randomness of baseball injuries, the Sox have rarely enjoyed a clean bill of health for long.
Any extended absence for Teel could have ripple effects for Chicago behind the plate, where catcher Edgar Quero would likely see increased opportunities if Teel misses time. Korey Lee is also suddenly a lock to make the roster. Seems like the strategy of stacking as many quality catchers as possible is working out. Looks smart right now. Ask again in a month.
For now, all White Sox fans can do is wait and hope the hamstring gods show mercy.
What We Learned from the Spurs win over the Celtics
The vibe was off from the start in this one. It almost felt like there had been too much buildup for it. Too much momentum for it not to go a little sideways.
“Two title contenders squaring off!”
“Possible Finals preview!”
“Jayson Tatum continuing his incredible return!”
“Wembanyama making an MVP push!”
“The two hottest teams in the league on NBC Coast-to-Coast Tuesday!”
And then, of course, what are we all talking about this morning? That’s right. Bam Adebayo dropping 83 on the Wizards. Sure!
It’s not that Spurs vs. Celtics was a bad game. It was actually pretty entertaining once everything settled in. It just felt… off. Like watching two dance partners who couldn’t quite decide who was leading. Everything just a little bit out of step.
I was antsy the whole time watching this. More concerned with how everything looked and what it meant than what was actually happening on the court. It’s like I can feel the eyes of people outside our specific fan Circle of Trust now trained on the Spurs, trying to figure out what the deal is. Trying to poke holes in the plan. Trying to take the air out of it.
Every time we missed a shot or turned the ball over I kept alternating between a feeling somewhere between slight panic and mortification. Boys, how could you embarrass me like this? We have company! I just cleaned in here! Please stop missing corner threes in front of Mike Tirico.
And before you start with me, just trust me: I understand that I’m being ridiculous. This is not a cool or groovy way to watch sports. It’s not a cool or groovy way to do anything.
The Spurs are in the middle of one of the most fun stretches of basketball we’ve seen in almost a decade. The vibes around this team are basically perfect. The ball is flying around. Victor Wembanyama is somehow exceeding expectations. The young guys are growing up in real time. If you sat down in October and tried to draw up the exact emotional temperature you’d want around the team right now, it would look almost exactly like this.
And yet there I was the whole night, sitting on the couch sweaty and nervous. I was mad when Jaylen Brown got ejected because of what it might mean for the narrative if they lost to a shorthanded Celtics team at home. I was frustrated we were tied at the half. I was annoyed at how many threes we were taking.
The threes were going in and I was annoyed about it. What even is that, you guys?
I mean, the Spurs won this game. By a lot! Against a really good team! And I’m sitting here spilling my guts about how miserable I was the whole time. Stupid!
But I also have a suspicion I’m not alone in this. Like most things in sports, it taps into something a little deeper in the human condition. That strange feeling of finally getting the thing you’ve been begging for and immediately wondering what’s wrong with it is familiar to anyone who’s been around the block a few times. One day you look around and realize you’re standing in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife and you may ask yourself, well… how did I get here?
Same as it ever was.
It’s just such an easy trap to fall into. You spend all of high school trying to get into college and then you’re there. Now what? You spend all of college worrying about trying to get a job and then you get one. Now what? You spend months training for a marathon and then you cross the finish line. Now what?
I think we might just be bad at enjoying things in the moment. The planning, the chase, the hunt… that’s what drives us. That’s what gives the whole thing meaning. Actually sitting there with what we’ve got feels strange. Lazy, almost. Like if we stop swimming for even a second we might sink.
It doesn’t seem particularly healthy.
I don’t think the Spurs are guilty of it, even if the guy writing this clearly is. A very lovable, if not relatable, thing about this team right now is that they really do seem to be living in the moment. They’re staying within themselves. They’re focused on each game as it comes and taking it in stride. They’re having fun out there.
You watch them after the game, all of them peer-pressuring Mason Plumlee into doing the drum thing, and suddenly everything else feels kind of silly. All the stress. All the anxiety. All the little narrative traps my brain spent the night worrying about.
It’s just noise. Mostly self-generated.
The Spurs, meanwhile, just went out and beat the Celtics. Seemed like they had fun, too.
Probably should give that a try.
Takeaways
- A thing I do against my better judgment is listen to Tim Bontemps on The Hoop Collective wring his hands about Victor Wembanyama’s shot profile. He has this whole thing where he’s very against the idea of Vic taking a high volume of threes. In Bontemps’ ideal world, Wembanyama is finishing at the rim, living in the paint, and generally filling his diet with higher-percentage looks instead of bombing away from the perimeter. I get annoyed when he goes on these rants largely because… I kind of agree with him. Part of it is that my brain still can’t fully wrap itself around the concept of someone that tall playing like a guard. And part of it is just a very simple instinct that kicks in whenever I watch him float around the three-point line: yo man, you’re seven-foot-four. Go dunk it, brother. Please trust that I do not enjoy agreeing with Tim Bontemps on this.
- Last night was a weird test case for those of us in the “maybe fewer threes?” camp. Of Wembanyama’s twenty shot attempts, fifteen of them were from beyond the arc. Fifteen! That’s almost the exact shot profile Bontemps is so annoying about. The good news is that he made eight of them. The problem is that he made eight of them. What am I supposed to do with that? It’s undeniably cool when he’s raining threes like that, but I also can’t quite shake the feeling that we’re getting away with something. Like the basketball gods are quietly watching this happen and making a note for later. Because without a doubt, there are going to be playoff teams that are perfectly happy to let him launch from out there and live with the consequences.
- I think, overall, Vic’s game last night didn’t really feel like it was built on him just “falling back” or “settling” for threes all night. A lot of those looks came within the flow of the offense. Catch-and-shoot opportunities, pick-and-pop actions, that sort of thing. The Celtics were clearly trying to keep him out of the paint, and the Spurs were more than happy to let him drift out and punish that choice. He also got to the line a bunch, so it’s not like he was allergic to attacking the basket when the opportunity was there. I don’t know. Look, these are good problems to have. Maybe I should stop worrying about it. How about that?
- De’Aaron Fox is, somehow, quietly just out here steering this whole operation along. He’s kind of perfect for what the Spurs need, isn’t he? He doesn’t seem to want or need the spotlight. He can pour it in when necessary, but he’s just as comfortable orchestrating things and keeping the whole machine running smoothly. He’s poised, he doesn’t make many mistakes, and he’s constantly plugging little holes all over the floor. I’m honestly a little flabbergasted at how cleanly this has worked out. Think about all the hundreds of names that were floated over the last couple of years for players the Spurs absolutely had to pair with Wembanyama in order to not squander his potential. And somehow the guy who fits like a glove is De’Aaron Fox. Fancy that.
- I don’t know if it’s just because he’s left handed, but there’s an angle on some of Fox’s three point shots that almost looks like he’s spinning a curveball into the basket. The thing gets to the rim and just like whips down. It’s bizarre and kind of gives me a little jump every time.
- The only thing I have to say about Jaylen Brown’s ejection is:
WWL Post Game Press Conference
– Have you ever been ejected from something you were writing?
– Oh sure, I get tossed all the time?
– Wait, really? Like you got two technicals and had to stop writing?
– For sure. Happens more than you’d think. I’ll be in the middle of making a truly excellent point and some ref will come barging into my office blowing his whistle and shouting something like, “PASSIVE VOICE!” And of course I can’t just let that slide, so I get right in his face and say, “You think THAT was passive voice? That? Are you serious? THAT’S THE LEAST PASSIVE THING I’VE EVER SAID! IF YOU WANT PASSIVE, I’LL GIVE YOU PASSIVE.”
– Ok. And that…helps?
– Almost never, the refs hate when you get in their face like that.
– Does someone usually have to hold you back?
– Yeah, PTR has security teams on the bench that come out. Sometimes Marilyn has to step in, calm things down, tell me to go take a breather, and then she finishes my… ahem… discussion. It’s all part of the game.
– What happens when you get tossed though? Does someone else finish the column?
-Yeah, we’ll bring someone off the bench. Usually it’s pretty seamless. But if you’ve ever been reading something I wrote and thought, “not his best work,” you can probably assume a biased ref with an agenda sent me to the locker room early.
IMAI DAY! Astros vs. Marlins 3/11/2026 Spring Training Game Thread
The Houston Astros (6-8-3) travel to Jupiter, FL to take on the Miami Marlins (6-9-1).
RHP Tatsuya Imai will be on the mound for the Astros, opposite RHP Max Meyer for the Marlins.
TODAY’S STARTER: RHP Tatsuya Imai is set to make his third start of the Grapefruit League. In his last start on March 5 at MIA, he allowed one hit and one walk with three strikeouts in two scoreless innings.
In January, the Astros signed free agent Imai to a three-year deal. In 2025, he was an All-Star for the Seibu Lions in the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB), where he went 10-5 with a 1.92 ERA (35ER/163.2IP) in 24 games. Among qualified pitchers, Imai posted the lowest WHIP (0.89) in the Pacific League, while ranking second with 178 strikeouts in his 163.2 innings pitched.
Imai has been an NPB All-Star three times in his career (2021, 2024, 2025) that has spanned parts of eight seasons (2018-25). He went 58-45 overall with a 3.15 ERA in 159 games in the NPB.
TODAY’S POTENTIAL RELIEVERS: RHP Spencer Arrighetti, RHP Anthony Maldonado, LHP Steven Okert and RHP Christian Roa.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Wednesday, March 11, 12:10 p.m. CST
Location: Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Jupiter, FL.
TV: None.
Streaming: MLB.com (audio only)
Radio: KBME 790 AM/94.5 FM HD-2
GDT: I guess the Battery is pretty neat
First pitch against the Atlanta Braves is at 1:05 at CoolToday Park and the Braves will be providing TV and radio coverage.
Spring Training Game #19: Pirates vs. Orioles
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Baltimore Orioles, March 11, 2026, 1:05 p.m. ET
Location: Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota, FL
How to Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7
The Pittsburgh Pirates are back in action today with a game where they will take on the Baltimore Orioles in Spring Training.
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BD community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!
Rockets vs Nuggets Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game
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The Denver Nuggets host the Houston Rockets tonight as Western Conference powerhouses do battle for the fourth and final time this season.
Kevin Durant has been electric on the road this season, and my Rockets vs Nuggets predictions expect him to shine offensively.
Here are my best free NBA picks for this heavyweight bout on Wednesday, March 11.
Tip-off is set for 10:00 p.m. ET from Ball Arena in Denver, with the game airing on ESPN.
Rockets vs Nuggets prediction
Rockets vs Nuggets best bet: Kevin Durant Over 24.5 points (-112)
Kevin Durant is scoring just 24.1 points per game at home, but he’s been excellent on the road, dropping 27.9 ppg outside of Houston. He’s been particularly effective across his last six road games, averaging 31.7 points and scoring 25+ five times.
Durant has scored at least 25 points in 21 of 31 road games, and he reached that mark in each of his two games at Ball Arena this season. In a matchup that should feature plenty of scoring, I expect KD to be effective on offense and keep his team competitive on the road.
Rockets vs Nuggets same-game parlay
The Denver Nuggets are just 4-6 ATS across their last 10 games overall. Denver is 14-16 ATS at home and 10-12 as the home favorite. The Houston Rockets have covered the spread in six of seven games as the road underdog. Houston is 1-2 straight up against Denver this season, but both losses were by 3 points.
The Nuggets have hit the Over more than any other team in the Association, doing so in 41 of 65 games. Denver is 16-14 to the over at home, and Houston is 18-16 to the Over on the road. Both teams are close to full strength, and offense won't be in short supply.
Rockets vs Nuggets SGP
- Durant Over 24.5 points
- Rockets +6
- Over 230.5
Our "from downtown" SGP: Jokic does it all
Nikola Jokic leads the Association with 24 triple-doubles in 49 games, reaching that statistical milestone in 13 of 23 matchups at home. He's posted a triple-double in eight of his last 14 games, including two of his last three.
Rockets vs Nuggets SGP
- Durant Over 24.5 points
- Rockets +6
- Over 231.5
- Jokic triple-double
Rockets vs Nuggets odds
- Spread: Rockets +6 | Nuggets -6
- Moneyline: Rockets +195 | Nuggets -240
- Over/Under: Over 231.5 | Under 231.5
Rockets vs Nuggets betting trend to know
The Denver Nuggets have hit the Game Total Over in 33 of their last 50 games (+14.30 Units / 26% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Rockets vs. Nuggets.
How to watch Rockets vs Nuggets
| Location | Ball Arena, Denver, CO |
| Date | Wednesday, March 11, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Rockets vs Nuggets latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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Matthew Knies: A Canadiens’ Target? There’s No Smoke Without Fire…
When Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes spoke to the media after the trade deadline had passed, he let it be known that he had been working hard on one particular deal that would have been significant for the Habs, but that he couldn’t close it. He then added that it could be revisited in the summer, meaning the target was still with its team. Given the rumours we had heard around the league about Robert Thomas’ availability, most thought that was who the GM was talking about.
Since then, another name has been making the rounds. Nick Kypreos believes the target was none other than Toronto Maple Leafs’ youngster Matthew Knies. Speaking on the podcast The Fan Hockey Show, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman said that was his theory too, but that he chased down that lead and it was denied. Before adding, there was definitely smoke there. As the saying goes, there’s no smoke without fire, and one has to admit that the 23-year-old, 6-foot-3, 232-pound would fill a need for the Canadiens, much more than Robert Thomas, who’s quite similar to Nick Suzuki.
Canadiens Take Down The Maple Leafs With Another Strong Dobes Performance
Canadiens: Can Suzuki Hit The Magic Number?
Montembeault Is Working On His Big Issue
The last few weeks have shown just how much the Habs need another top-six player, and the fact that Juraj Slafkovsky was returned to the first line after multiple players tried to fill the void on Suzuki and Cole Caufield’s side shows Montreal could use another power forward type of player. This season, Knies has 51 points in 62 games playing on the Leafs’ first line.
Why would the Leafs entertain trading such a promising player? Well, it’s obvious that the Toronto brass cannot be pleased with how their season has been going. They failed to acquire a suitable replacement for Mitch Marner, and as a result, they are headed for an early summer. If they are to turn it around for next season, changes will have to be made, and they’re not exactly strong on the blueline. A prized asset like Knies, who’s already proven that he can perform in the NHL, can land you several pieces and help to jump-start a quick “reset”. Of course, the price to pay wouldn’t be low. Toronto wouldn’t want to create another issue in its lineup by trading him, meaning they would need a replacement for him on top of a defenseman.
David Alter, who covers the Leafs for The Hockey News, doesn’t believe a deal with the Habs could have been made unless Noah Dobson was part of the package coming back. Needless to say, Dobson isn’t going anywhere, but you have to think that it would have taken a significant offer to get Knies.
If Knies were indeed the target, it would be interesting to see if anything comes of it this summer. With the season the Leafs have had, changes could be made behind the bench and in the front office. Craig Berube looks like he has lost the room, and he may well be dismissed. Would that buy Brad Treliving more time? Maybe. Time will tell. One thing’s for sure, though, if the Canadiens were to acquire Knies, the package could include quite a few assets: a first-round pick (the Leafs do not have one this year), a right-shot defenseman, perhaps David Reinbacher, and a forward, perhaps like prospect Alexander Zharovsky. I don’t see the Canadiens including Michael Hage in a trade for a winger, given how hard it is to acquire good NHL centers. Mind you, if a deal like that had gone down, the Canadiens would more than likely have needed to make another deal to get some help on their blueline, and it is believed that Hughes had another trade lined up for a right-shot defenseman.
Would it be surprising to see a deal go down between the two divisional rivals? Yes, it would be, but at the end of the day, they now face each other only four times per season, so starting next year, that’s four games out of 84 or 4.7% of the games. Of course, you don’t want to see a player you had burn you down the line, but that’s a risk that exists wherever you trade them.
Time will tell if Kypreos and Friedman’s theory pans out, or we may never know if Treliving is dismissed or if the target was someone else entirely.
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2025 Season in Review: Phil Maton
With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.
Today we are looking at reliever Phil Maton.
The life of a useful but not great major league reliever is a life where you don’t put down roots. You’re a vagabond, going from city to city, rarely staying in any one place for very long.
Take Phil Maton, for example. He first appeared in the majors in 2017. He’s made at least 30 major league appearances every year since his debut, other than in 2020, when he appeared in just 23 games, for obvious reasons. He has appeared in at least 63 games in each of the past five seasons.
Per B-R, Maton has accumulated eight years and 47 days of major league service time. In accumulating those 8-plus years of service time, he has played for seven teams. Barring something unforeseen, he will chalk up a major league appearance for his eighth team — the Chicago Cubs, who signed him to a two year plus option deal this offseason — in roughly two-plus weeks.
He was traded by the San Diego Padres, where he started his career, and for whom he pitched for two-plus seasons, to Cleveland in 2019 for international bonus slot money. He was traded two years later in a deadline deal to the Astros, along with Yainer Diaz, for Myles Straw.
That had to have hurt, having a team not just trade you for Myles Straw, but have to include another player in the deal because you aren’t, on your own, good enough to be traded straight up for Myles Straw.
Maton was purchased in July, 2024, from the Rays by the Mets, which is probably worse than being traded for international slot money or as part of the acquisition price for Myles Straw, since it was an instance of a team just wanting another club to take him off their hands.
And of course, Maton was traded again at the deadline in 2025, to Texas. Texas gave up Skylar Hales, Mason Molina and international bonus slot money for him, and I’m wondering if he’s the first player to be traded twice in deals for international bonus slot money.
Maton had pitched well for the Cardinals, and the package the Rangers gave up was fairly light. Neither Hales nor Molina are currently listed among the Cardinals’ top 30 prospects per BA. Hales is a reliever who got hammered while pitching for Frisco and Round Rock before being traded, and then got hammered while pitching for Memphis post-trade. Molina is a pitchability lefty starter in A ball who the Rangers got for Grant Anderson the previous winter. Neither is likely to do anything of note in the majors.
In his first five games for the Rangers post-trade, Maton allowed one run in five innings over five outings. In his final 16 outings, he allowed three runs over 15.2 innings over 16 appearances. That’s very good!
The two appearances Maton made between those stretches, however, are probably what Rangers fans will end up remembering him for, as they involved him taking the “L” in two of the most gut-wrenching, stomach-punching, devastating losses the Rangers experienced all year.
The first one was August 13, at home against Arizona.
You remember that game. Phil Maton had an immaculate inning with an asterisk, striking out the final batter of the eighth inning on three pitches, and then striking out the first two batters he faced in the ninth on six pitches. With the Rangers up 4-2, the Shed rocking, Rangers fans thought that Pat Green’s voice was imminent.
Instead, James McCann, of all people homered. And then Blaze Alexander was hit by a pitch, and Geraldo Perdomo walked on four pitches, and then Ketel Marte, for the second day in a row, hit a ninth inning game winning homer.
I am feeling nauseous even now, thinking about that, remembering it.
Two days later, in Toronto, with Texas up 5-2 in the eighth, Danny Coulombe gave up three singles without retiring anyone, resulting in Maton being summoned to put out the fire. Like Billy Joel, Maton didn’t start the fire. Unfortunately, he didn’t put it out, either. A walk and a K was followed by a bases loaded walk, and then Alejandro Kirk singled in a pair of runs. Jeff Hoffman struck out the side in the top of the ninth on 11 pitches, and that was that.
Phil Maton, overall, pitched pretty well for the Rangers in 2025. Texas got a 3.52 ERA and 2.70 FIP out of him in 23 appearances. For what they gave up, you’ll take that all day, every day.
Unfortunately, his time with the Rangers was ultimately defined by the two awful losses in the midst of an awful stretch in August.
Previously:
Let’s make a Kansas City-themed Royals home run celebration
The 2026 World Baseball Classic has been great viewing for my baseball-deprived soul. I really struggle to pay attention to or care about Spring Training games, unless there is a pitcher’s velocity drop to freak out about. Mix that same baseball with a dose of patriotism and nationalism, however, and I’m all the way back in.
The teams and players don’t look like they are in midseason form yet, but the creativity around home run celebrations is in peak form. I love the Great Britain celebration, honoring the Buckingham Palace Guard:
Italy also brought back a great home run celebration from 2023; players take a shot of espresso when they return to the dugout:
Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino shoulders a large responsibility in this celebration; he uses the Nespresso machine to make the espresso shot and gives Milwaukee Brewers prospect Andrew Fischer an il bacetto. Royals fans saw the il bacettolast season between Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone, who are both playing for Team Italy.
Both of these home run celebrations made me wish that the Royals had a more thematic home run celebration. The Gladiator Mask has been around since 2023, and it’s fine. I look at the Seattle Mariners and their home run trident, however, and think that there is room for improvement.
What I like about the Buckingham Palace, espresso, and trident celebrations is that they are thematically linked to their respective teams and the places those teams represent. I think there’s enough material around the Royals and Kansas City that we can find something that feels more appropriate to this specific team. In no particular order, these are the best home run celebrations I could come up with:
- If you want to use headgear, the Royals should at least use a crown instead of a gladiator mask. I think a giant crown would work best; the more obnoxious the crown, the better.
- Upon returning to the dugout after a mighty blast, the hitter needs to eat a barbecue rib. Joe’s KC is already at Kauffman Stadium, so I assume a partnership can be worked out. The rib needs to be dripping in sauce, to the point that some of the players have barbecue sauce stains on their jersey for the rest of the game.
- In honor of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, hitters come back to the dugout, grab a badminton racket, and smash a shuttlecock. Like the crown celebration, the larger the shuttlecock, the better.
- All the people in the dugout line up on opposite sides of the dugout; some against the railing and some against the bench. The returning home-run hitter then drag races down the middle of the dugout like it’s Southwest Boulevard. The prop could be a remote control car or a child’s push-around car that they direct down the middle.
- The team can channel their inner Charlie Parker and blast some notes from a saxophone after they blast a dong. Bonus points if any of the hitters can actually play a tune.
I was trying to incorporate fountains into one of the celebrations, but I think the Salvy Splash has the team covered there. These are the best five ideas that I could come up with, but I trust in the wisdom of the crowds here and assume the commenters will come up with something better. What do you think would be a great Royals home run celebration? Let us know in the comments!
Red Sox News & Links: Is there a catcher battle between Connor Wong and Matt Thaiss?
What’s been the story of Spring Training so far? If we’re talking big picture stuff, then it’s probably either the battle for the fifth spot in the rotation or the questions about Marcelo Mayer’s role on the team. But if we’re talking strictly about on-field matters, then I think the answer is Braiden Ward, who has stolen 16 bases in 15 Grapefruit League games. Not only do those 16 steals lead all of baseball this spring, but they are 10 more than the players in second. But while Ward’s been fun to watch, his profile just doesn’t really fit the team’s needs right now, which is why he’s looking like someone who could be a big fan-favorite in Worcester this year. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
There may be an emerging storyline that many didn’t see coming: a battle for the backup catcher spot. Alex Cora has had some nice things to say about Matt Thaiss, and it’s recently been reported that Thaiss has an upward mobility clause in his contract that kicks in before Opening Day. That means that, if the Red Sox do not put him on the MLB roster and another team does want him for their big league team, he’ll be free to leave. Meanwhile, Connor Wong has an option remaining and can be sent to Worcester. (Darragh McDonald, MLB Trade Rumors)
The battle for the backup catcher spot will obviously have a significant impact on the pitching staff. For now, though, the Sox’ pitchers are mostly focused on their own development. Case in point: Sonny Gray, who is focused on repeating his delivery and getting the right spin on the ball. (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
Greg Weissert’s probably already pretty happy with how his stuff is looking. He struck out Aaron Judge last night to conclude one of the most significant upsets in World Baseball Classic history:
As for that fifth spot in the rotation, it looks like we can remove Patrick Sandoval’s name from contention for now. The Red Sox are slowing him down for a “deload week.” He now may not even make a start this spring, and he doesn’t sound too happy about it: “I’ve been going pretty hard out here since the beginning of January. I’m not the biggest fan of this deload, but it’s what they prescribe and what they think will be good for me in the long run. I’ve trusted them so far, so I’m going to keep trusting them.” (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)