Category: Sports News

The San Diego Padres made a trade in 2025 to acquire outfielder Ramón Laureano from the Baltimore Orioles. 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn was also acquired in the trade, but he was a free agent at the end of the 2025 season.

Laureano had a second year on his contract after the Padres exercised the option for 2026. He received $6.5 million for the season but was on the injured list from June 2 through the remainder of the season.

Laureano had been playing for several seasons with a partially torn labrum in his right hip but the injury worsened and surgery was required. The recovery is typically 4-5 months and took the outfielder out of the Padres plans for the remainder of the season.

President of baseball operations A.J. Preller joined manager Craig Stammen for the year-end press interviews on Oct. 14. Preller updated Laureano’s status, detailing his rehab progress and stating that he had received daily text messages from Laureano with updates on his status during the postseason. He had committed to being ready if the Padres made it to the championship round and had been working diligently in Arizona to make that happen.

Should Preller re-sign Laureano

The diminutive outfielder (5-foot-9, 203 pounds) is 32 years old and made his debut with the Oakland Athletics in 2018. Over the nine seasons since his debut, Laureano has played for the A’s, the Cleveland Guardians, Atlanta Braves and signed with Baltimore prior to the 2025 season. 

After being traded to the Padres, Laureano went on a power surge and ended up hitting 24 home runs with 76 RBI. That success prompted the Padres to pick up the option on his contract for the 2026 season.

Prior to his trip to the injured list, Laureano did not have a good start to the season. He admitted after his injury was revealed that he had been dealing with it for years and should have had it taken care of sooner.

In the 53 games played before his exit, Laureano hit .203 with a .660 OPS. His career batting average is .250 with a .760 OPS. He has a 111 OPS+ for his nine seasons as a major league player.

With many players reaching free agency this offseason and the pending labor disruption, the Padres could benefit from offering Laureano a prove-it contract before Dec. 1.

Ramón Laureano wanted to play in the postseason

After he worked through his rehab under Padres medical staff, they are uniquely qualified to determine his outlook for next season. If he was a candidate to join the roster for the playoffs then he should be fully healthy for next season.

The best that Laureano can hope for after missing most of 2026 is a “prove-it” contract. Should he choose to test the market he would likely only be offered minor league deals with other teams.

A bargain option

A prove-it deal would guarantee a Spring Training inclusion and an opportunity to win the left field job. The other players on the roster that would be competing for that job would be Samad Taylor and Dustin Harris. The player brought up to replace him when he was placed on the IL was Jase Bowen. Bowen is a valuable defensive replacement and pinch runner but hit .146 with a .438 OPS in 96 at-bats. Taylor and Harris are under contracts and the only other outfielder, Austin Hays, is a free agent.

Looking at his performance numbers and injury history, it seems reasonable that Laureano would sign for $1-3 million guaranteed with performance incentives. Any other team would require health verification and would likely not guarantee him anything. As a returning player for 2027, the Padres should be able to work with the outfielder and secure a slightly better-than-league-average player for minimal cost.

Offseason surgery is “not on the table” for Shohei Ohtani this winter, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday, confirming that the team expects the two-way star to be back at full health for the beginning of next year.

The news comes on the heels of Ohtani’s injury-plagued 2026 campaign, in which he battled left knee and right arm issues for much of the summer.

After the team was eliminated from the National League Championship Series last week, Ohtani said he was not sure if he would need any offseason procedures.

Since then, Friedman said during an end-of-season press conference alongside general manager Brandon Gomes on Wednesday, Ohtani was assessed by doctors and told he just needed rest.

When asked about the specific nature of Ohtani’s injuries this year –– which the team only described as “inflammation” and “discomfort” during the course of the season –– Friedman remained vague, saying only that he “had a lot of different things going on.”

“It was just a little bit of an unfortunate game of whack-a-mole,” Friedman said. “The knee got to a better spot, and then just kinda the bicep area was bothering him. Just a number of different things. Some of it that would calm down for some period, some that would get re-irritated. It was just a lot of different things he was trying to contend with at once.”

Indeed, Ohtani’s injury saga came to define his 2026 season, gradually diminishing the two-way star’s otherworldly capabilities and leaving him significantly hampered entering October.

It started in mid-June, when Ohtani first began battling left knee inflammation following a start in Pittsburgh in which he felt flawed pitching mechanics caused irritation in his front landing leg.

It got worse in early July, when a right biceps issue Ohtani had quietly dealt with earlier in the year resurfaced during another two-way start at Dodger Stadium –– one that would prove to be his final pitching appearance of the season.

During the All-Star break, Ohtani was shut down from pitching while getting a lubricant injection in his knee.

Every attempt to ramp back up as a pitcher after that was scuttled by more injury-related setbacks, with both Ohtani’s arm and knee conditions failing to improve as the team had hoped.

Despite that, Ohtani continued in his hitting role as the Dodgers’ everyday DH, and remained productive at the plate for most of July and August (on Aug. 18, he had 30 home runs, a .294 batting average and an NL-best .949 OPS).

“Through mid-August,” Friedman noted, “he was still, I think, the consensus MVP.”

From there, however, the slugger’s performance plummeted.

He hit .157 over his final 18 regular-season games with no home runs and only one RBI. He spent two weeks on the injured list in September after showing visible pain in his swing. And, even amid continued insistence from both him and team officials that he was close to turning a corner, he went just 5-for-26 in the playoffs, failing to provide any impact production until his three-run homer in Game 4 of the NLCS –– a big swing that ultimately proved too little, too late.

Following the team’s sweep to the Brewers, Ohtani said he wanted to return to his two-way role next year.

On Wednesday, Friedman said the Dodgers also want him to return to pitching –– but that Ohtani and the team would need “to put our heads together” to decide exactly how his usage plan would look in 2027 and beyond.

“We have to all just figure it out together,” Friedman said. “And I’m not only expecting him to pitch –– we’re excited about him pitching. So now it’s about, how do we do that? How do we manage through a long season and have him at his best going into October? That’s a challenge. We have to figure that out together. And I’m confident that we will continue to learn from things as we go and continue to make it better.”

The Milwaukee Brewers ran a promotion over a decade ago offering fans a “Timeless Ticket” granting them admission to any game in the future if they paid $1,000.

Now that the Brewers are in the World Series for the first time since 1982, fans who took that deal are eager to redeem those tickets they bought in 2015. That has led to some complications.

Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said Tuesday that several hundred fans had indicated they wanted to redeem their Timeless Tickets for a World Series game. Schlesinger acknowledged that “we subsequently erred in our internal communications on the logistics of fulfilling the requests.”

“While we were able to accommodate all with seats, we received feedback from some that they were unhappy with their seat locations,” Schlesinger said. “Clearly, even with extraordinary limitations on available seats, we did not live up to the spirit of the program, and we have been working through a resolution.”

Danny Fochesato of Milwaukee bought a Timeless Ticket on his 27th birthday, planning all along to redeem it whenever the Brewers reached the World Series.

The promotion enabled a Timeless Ticket holder to redeem that ticket and become eligible to buy three additional tickets to that game for the full retail price. The offer said the tickets “may be redeemed for the best available seat locations, subject to ticket availability at the time of redemption.”

“Back in 2015, that was a big selling point from the sales people about this,” Fochesato said. “They really touted, ‘Hey, this is going to be the best available seats. You’re getting the priority just behind season ticket holders. Anything the season ticket holders don’t have, you’ll have dibs at it for the World Series.’ That’s kind of the story they sold.”

That would have worked out fine when Fochesato tried redeeming his Timeless Ticket for a potential World Series game in 2018, when the Brewers reached the NL Championship Series.

Fochesato said he got four tickets in the 100 level behind home plate that he could have used if the Brewers had made the World Series that year, when they ended up losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the NLCS.

This time, he wasn’t as fortunate.

“We had a form, and it only had 400-level or standing-room options,” Fochesato said. “We couldn’t even know what game we had. We just had to put a preference of which ones we wanted, and then we had to submit the form and just sit and wait for them what we got. I immediately was like, ‘No, that’s bogus.’”

Fochesato said he bargained his way to three 400-level seats for Saturday’s Game 2 with the Tampa Bay Rays and one lower-level seat in the right-field corner for Friday’s Game 1.

He said he was in line for the public sale of tickets and saw better seats were available than those that were offered to him under the Timeless Ticket program.

The Brewers are trying to make amends.

Schlesinger said any Timeless Ticket holder who applied for World Series tickets before the deadline will now get to keep those World Series tickets while also being able to retain their Timeless Ticket to redeem for another game in any future season.

“We regret our mistake and look forward to welcoming them to American Family Field for their World Series experience,” Schlesinger said.

The current state of the Washington Nationals’ offense, especially after the trade deadline departures of Luis Garcia Jr. and Curtis Mead, is heavily driven by the dynamic duo that is James Wood and CJ Abrams.

The lineup does include a handful of decent complementary pieces, including Keibert Ruiz and Daylen Lile, but is lacking both consistency and depth. Financial frustrations have led to Abrams and Wood’s names being floated in trade discussions, both hypothetical and legitimate, and their long-term futures with the team remain uncertain. Prospects like Eli Willits and Seaver King will look to break into the big leagues and give the MLB roster a boost, but relying on minor leaguers to carry the weight of a lineup that hopes to play in October is far from a sure thing.

The trade market could help, but Washington’s low payroll gives them no excuse not to add offensive pieces in free agency. The roster’s need to bolster the pitching rotation indicates that much of the front office’s offseason focus will be directed toward arms, but President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni could lean on his growing pitching pipeline and be more aggressive with free agent hitters.

If, and that’s a big if, they choose to play ball with some of the bigger bats available, former Pittsburgh Pirate Brandon Lowe is a player that could really intrigue the Nats’ brass.

Lowe is coming off his best statistical season to date based on bWAR, cruising past his previous high of 4.6 with an impressive 5.4 in 2025. The 9-year veteran absolutely raked after being traded to Pittsburgh, appearing in 150 games and putting up a .260/.331/.493/824. slash line and mashing 35 home runs with 96 RBI.

Washington has solid power output if all of their big-time hitters are clicking at the same time, but adding a bat like Lowe could instantly raise both the ceiling and floor of the offense. He’s eclipsed the 30-HR mark in every season he’s played over 110 games in, and has been a 110 OPS+ bat in all but one year. His 3rd percentile Whiff% wouldn’t do much to improve the Nats’ strikeout issues, but he has the pop to out-slug any concerns in that area.

Addressing the position fit with Lowe, the 32-year-old has the ability to play 2B, fill in at 1B, or become the primary DH to maximize his offensive output. If Washington fully moves Abrams off of SS, Lowe could be the primary DH with smaller stints at 1B and 2B to increase the roster’s positional flexibility.

As with just about any above-average free agent in today’s MLB, Lowe will certainly not come with a low price tag. He won’t break the bank, but to secure his services, the Nats will have to commit multiple years and a good chunk of cash.

Spotrac has his market value listed at 4 years, $91,240,000, and it could get even higher with the lack of impact bats available. It will be remarkably difficult for the Nats to reach a contending level without getting things done in free agency, especially if one (or both) of Abrams and Wood leave via trade, and Lowe fits their window perfectly as a bat who can anchor the lineup as their contending window looks to open in the near future.

Today marks George Bell’s 67th birthday.

Born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, George Bell comes from a baseball family. His brother Juan Bell played seven seasons in the majors as a utility infielder, and two other brothers also played professionally. George signed with the Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1978 before the Blue Jays acquired him in the 1980 Rule 5 draft—one of the best Rule 5 acquisitions in history.

Because Rule 5 draft picks must remain on the major league roster or be returned to their original team, George spent the strike-shortened 1981 season with the Blue Jays. Although he was a bit overmatched, appearing in 60 games and hitting .233/.256/.350, he still managed to receive a couple ofRookie of the Year votes.

Believing he had earned a roster spot the following year, George was disappointed when the Jays sent him to Syracuse. It turned out to be a tough season: he contracted mononucleosis in April, injured his left knee in June, and, upon returning, suffered a broken jaw after being hit by a pitch. Perhaps as a result, George became especially sensitive to being hit and charged the mound multiple times. He began 1983 in the minors once more but was called up for good in July.

In 1984, Bell became a full-time player for the Blue Jays. Manager Bobby Cox used a complex platoon system in the outfield: Bell played left field against left-handed pitchers and right field against right-handers, swapping with Jesse Barfield and Davey Collins. As a young outfielder, Bell possessed a decent arm and adequate range, though Barfield’s arm was superior.

That season, George played 159 games and hit .292/.326/.498, tallying 39 doubles, 26 home runs, 87 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. He received MVP votes, finished 8th in the American League in total bases, and 3rd in doubles.

After the season, the Jays traded Dave Collins to Oakland, paving the way for Bell, Lloyd Moseby and Jesse Barfield to play full-time—which became the best outfield in Blue Jays history. They played together until Barfield was traded early in 1989. All three were outstanding offensively and had strong arms; Moesby and Barfield excelled defensively, while Bell’s range declined over time due to knee issues from injuries and playing on Toronto’s hard artificial surface. He also struggled with errors.

In 1985, Bell had another stellar year, hitting .275/.327/.479 with 28 home runs, 95 RBI, and a career-high 21 stolen bases. He won the Silver Slugger Award and finished 8th in MVP voting, just behind Barfield. The Jays reached the postseason for the first time, with many remembering Bell catching the final out to clinch the AL East title and collapsing to his knees in celebration. In the seven-game ALCS, Bell batted .321 with nine hits and three doubles, but the Jays ultimately lost to the Royals.

Bell’s offensive numbers improved further in 1986: he hit .309/.349/.532, with 31 home runs, 108 RBI, 101 runs, and another Silver Slugger Award. He finished 4th in MVP voting—one spot ahead of Barfield—while Roger Clemens took home the award.

Bell’s breakout season came in 1987, when he hit .308/.352/.605 with 47 home runs, 134 RBI, and 111 runs. He won another Silver Slugger Award, made his first All-Star team, and became the first player from a Canadian team to win the league MVP, edging out Alan Trammell of the Tigers. The vote stirred controversy after the Jays suffered a late-season slump, losing their final eight games and allowing the Tigers to capture the AL East. Bell struggled in those final games, hitting just .111, while Lloyd Moseby was the only Jay to avoid a slump.

The next season brought changes for Bell and the Jays. Manager Jimy Williams moved Bell to designated hitter and gave top prospect Sil Campusano a spot in the outfield. The plan quickly unraveled: Bell was vocal about his displeasure with DH duties, and Campusano struggled. Williams’ tenure was short and turbulent, partly due to Bell’s unhappiness. Despite this, Bell became the first major leaguer to hit three home runs on opening day, though his overall numbers declined significantly.

Bell rebounded in 1989, hitting .297/.330/.458 with 18 home runs, 41 doubles, and 104 RBI. He finished fourth in a close MVP race, with Robin Yount taking the award. The Jays returned to the playoffs, but Bell struggled in the five-game series loss to the A’s, batting just .200 with one home run.

1990 marked Bell’s final season with the Blue Jays, and it was a disappointing one—he hit .265/.303/.422 with 21 home runs and 86 RBI. Afterward, he signed with the Cubs as a free agent, enjoyed a solid season, and was then traded to the White Sox for Sammy Sosa—a deal that favored the Cubs. Bell played two seasons with the White Sox before being released in 1993 following critical comments about manager Gene Lamont after being replaced in the playoff lineup by Bo Jackson.

Bell finished his impressive 12-year career with 265 home runs, 1,002 RBI, and a .278 batting average. He was an aggressive hitter who rarely walked, and his defense declined over time—though his arm was underrated. From 1984–1987, only Barfield and Glenn Wilson recorded more outfield assists. Early in his career, Bell was a capable outfielder, but playing on artificial turf took a toll on his knees and reduced his range. He also resisted a move to designated hitter, seeing it as an affront to his pride.

Bell was a fearsome hitter, holding the Jays’ single-season home run record (47) until Jose Bautista hit 54 in 2010. Angels manager Gene Mauch called him “the most intimidating hitter in baseball.” Bell was known for aggressively attacking the first pitch, especially fastballs.

Baseball historian Bill James once ranked Bell as the 62nd-best left fielder of all time, though he may have slipped a few spots since then. Rob Neyer named him the Blue Jays’ best left fielder ever, and Bell is honored on the Rogers Centre’s Level of Excellence.

Bell was also known for his fiery temper. Many recall his flying kick at pitcher Bruce Kison after being hit by a pitch. He was ejected from 13 games and often clashed with the media and managers. Notably, he once invited Canadian fans to “kiss my Dominican ass.” I think the word purple was in there somewhere. While some of his confrontations stemmed from cultural differences, much was attributed to his hotheadedness. His reputation may have shortened his career, but by all accounts, he was a loyal teammate and friend.

Bell later assisted the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic team and developed into a skilled golfer. He is married and has four sons.

Happy birthday, George. Wishing you all the best.

Today marks the 71st birthday of Jerry Garvin, the original left-handed pitcher for the Blue Jays.

Garvin was selected as the Blue Jays’ fourth pick in the 1976 expansion draft, coming over from the Minnesota Twins.

Garvin started the Blue Jays’ third-ever game as a rookie in 1977, delivering eight strong innings in a 3–1 win over the White Sox. He allowed five hits and four walks, striking out two. Pete Vuckovich earned the save, while Canadian Dave McKay drove in two runs and Gary Woods added another.

That year, Garvin started 34 games, finishing with a 10–18 record and a 4.19 ERA. Remarkably, he logged 244.1 innings and completed 12 games as a 21-year-old rookie. For perspective, no Blue Jay has thrown more than 240 innings in a season since David Price in 2014, and Garvin’s total still ranks 17th in franchise history. Unfortunately, arm issues caused him to miss significant time over the next few seasons.

Garvin was renowned for his exceptional pick-off move, famously recording 26 pick-offs at first base in 1977—a feat noted on his Wikipedia page.

In 1978, Garvin appeared in 26 games (22 starts), posting a 4–12 record with a 5.54 ERA across 144.2 innings. His workload diminished in 1979, as he pitched in only eight games.

By 1980, Garvin transitioned to a full-time bullpen role, appearing in 61 relief outings with a 2.28 ERA and eight saves over 82.2 innings.

In 1981, he pitched in 35 games (four starts), posting a 3.40 ERA over 53 innings.

Garvin’s final season came in 1982, when he made 32 appearances (four starts) with a 7.25 ERA in 58.1 innings.

Over six seasons, Garvin compiled a 20–41 record and a 4.43 ERA in 196 games, including 65 starts.

Happy birthday, Jerry.

Today, Danny Barnes celebrates his 37th birthday.

Barnes was selected in the 35th round of the 2010 draft.

He worked his way gradually through the minor league system but broke out in 2016, posting a stellar 0.73 ERA across 61.1 innings between New Hampshire and Buffalo.

Barnes received his first major league call-up in August and returned in September, appearing in 12 games with a 3.95 ERA.

In 2017, Barnes joined the Blue Jays in mid-April and remained with the team all season, pitching in 60 games with a 3.55 ERA, a 3–6 record, and 11 holds.

The 2018 season was more challenging, as Barnes posted a 5.71 ERA over 47 games, though he managed eight holds, most of which came early in the year.

Barnes was designated for assignment and outrighted to Buffalo before the 2019 season, spending much of that year on the injured list.

Happy birthday, Danny.

Today marks Gabe Gross’s 47th birthday.

Gross was the Blue Jays’ first-round pick in the 2001 draft.

He was ranked among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects prior to both the 2002 (#75) and 2004 (#72) seasons.

Gross appeared in 44 games for the Blue Jays in 2004, hitting .209/.311/.310 with three home runs, and 40 games in 2005, hitting .250/.324/.348 with one home run.

Following the 2005 season, he was traded to the Brewers along with Dave Bush and Zach Jackson in exchange for Lyle Overbay and Ty Taubenheim.

Gross spent two and a half seasons with the Brewers, hitting .251/.357/.440 with 16 home runs over 226 games. He was then traded to the Rays, where he played two seasons and hit .235/.333/.396 with 19 home runs in 242 games. He finished his MLB career with a season in Oakland.

In total, Gross played seven MLB seasons and 657 games, compiling a .239/.330/.385 batting line with 40 home runs. While he didn’t quite live up to early prospect expectations, he put together a respectable career.

Happy birthday, Gabe.