During the off-season, Stuart Skinner's time with the Pittsburgh Penguins officially ended when he signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets.
The Jets signing Skinner certainly makes sense now, as Connor Hellebuyck made his trade request publicly known before the start of the season. Now, the former Penguins goalie is already making an impact for the Jets.
In Winnipeg's most recent game against the Detroit Red Wings, Skinner stopped 33 out of 35 shots he faced. With this, he finished the contest with a strong .943 save percentage.
If the Jets hope to prove their doubters wrong and make the playoffs this year, they are going to need Skinner to continue to put together games like these for them. The former Penguins goalie is one of the Jets' biggest X-factors this campaign, with Hellebuyck refusing to play and wanting out.
In two games this season for the Jets, Skinner now has a 1-0-1 record, a .908 save percentage, and a 2.92 goals-against average. Overall, he is having a good start to his Jets tenure, and it will be interesting to see how he builds on it from here.
In 27 games for Pittsburgh last season after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers, Skinner had a 12-9-5 record, a 2.99 goals-against average, and an .885 save percentage.
During the off-season, Stuart Skinner's time with the Pittsburgh Penguins officially ended when he signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets.
The Jets signing Skinner certainly makes sense now, as Connor Hellebuyck made his trade request publicly known before the start of the season. Now, the former Penguins goalie is already making an impact for the Jets.
In Winnipeg's most recent game against the Detroit Red Wings, Skinner stopped 33 out of 35 shots he faced. With this, he finished the contest with a strong .943 save percentage.
If the Jets hope to prove their doubters wrong and make the playoffs this year, they are going to need Skinner to continue to put together games like these for them. The former Penguins goalie is one of the Jets' biggest X-factors this campaign, with Hellebuyck refusing to play and wanting out.
In two games this season for the Jets, Skinner now has a 1-0-1 record, a .908 save percentage, and a 2.92 goals-against average. Overall, he is having a good start to his Jets tenure, and it will be interesting to see how he builds on it from here.
In 27 games for Pittsburgh last season after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers, Skinner had a 12-9-5 record, a 2.99 goals-against average, and an .885 save percentage.
During the off-season, Stuart Skinner's time with the Pittsburgh Penguins officially ended when he signed a two-year, $7.5 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets.
The Jets signing Skinner certainly makes sense now, as Connor Hellebuyck made his trade request publicly known before the start of the season. Now, the former Penguins goalie is already making an impact for the Jets.
In Winnipeg's most recent game against the Detroit Red Wings, Skinner stopped 33 out of 35 shots he faced. With this, he finished the contest with a strong .943 save percentage.
If the Jets hope to prove their doubters wrong and make the playoffs this year, they are going to need Skinner to continue to put together games like these for them. The former Penguins goalie is one of the Jets' biggest X-factors this campaign, with Hellebuyck refusing to play and wanting out.
In two games this season for the Jets, Skinner now has a 1-0-1 record, a .908 save percentage, and a 2.92 goals-against average. Overall, he is having a good start to his Jets tenure, and it will be interesting to see how he builds on it from here.
In 27 games for Pittsburgh last season after being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers, Skinner had a 12-9-5 record, a 2.99 goals-against average, and an .885 save percentage.
Los Angeles, - October 04: Josue De Paula, left, of the Los Angeles Dodgers named minor league player of the year for the Dodgers prior to Game 2 of an NLDS playoff baseball game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, October 4, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — Josue De Paula popped out as a pinch-hitter for the final out of Game 2, in his major league postseason debut. The comeback attempt fell short, but just by getting into a game at his age was notable.
De Paula on Sunday was 21 years, 133 days old, and became only the fourth Dodgers position player that young to appear in a postseason game, and the first since 19-year-old outfielder Willie Crawford appeared in Game 6 of the 1965 World Series. The other Dodgers position players younger than De Paula to play in the postseason were both 21-year-old outfielders — Eddie Miskis in the 1947 World Series and Ron Fairly in the 1959 World Series.
The other Dodgers as young or younger than De Paula to play in the postseason were pitchers — Johnny Podres (1955) and Don Drysdale (1956) for Brooklyn, followed by Fernando Valenzuela (1981), Clayton Kershaw (2008), and Julio Urías (2016).
Of these nine players all no older than 21 years, 133 days old, only De Paula, Valenzuela (0 for 7, walk, sacrifice), and Urías (0 for 1) batted in the postseason at Dodger Stadium. So it can be said that Josue De Paula is the youngest Dodgers position player to bat in the postseason in the 65-year history of Dodger Stadium.
During a pregame session in the media room at Dodger Stadium, De Paula was asked if he was more nervous talking to media or being in the batter’s box.
“I don’t feel like it’s nerve-racking, you know what I’m saying? I’m just talking with people. We’re all people at the end of the day,” De Paula said. “I love being in the batter’s box. I love competing. It’s not really nerve-racking. It’s normal.”
The hosts’ stunning Test victory was overshadowed by the scale of national angst felt in Australia after the team’s ball tampering
For South African cricketers, administrators and supporters, the most surprising aspect of the Sandpaper scandal was not that it happened. After all, the ball had been suspiciously reverse-swinging during the first two Tests of that ill-fated series in 2018. The atmosphere had turned febrile after a stairwell bust-up between Quinton de Kock and David Warner in Durban and after supporters directed misogynistic abuse at Warner and his family in Gqeberha. Nathan Lyon had promised before the tour to “head-butt the line” of what was acceptable. Darren Lehmann, then Australia’s coach, came from an old school where bullying was sugar-coated with the phrase “mental disintegration”.
No, what surprised South Africans most was the scale of the fallout, and how one tiny piece of sandpaper could cause so much national angst.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 04: Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers has Gatorade poured on him by Garrett Mitchell #5, and William Contreras #24 after his game-winning two-run single against the San Diego Padres during the ninth inning in game two of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning! Two close NLDS games took the stage last night with the Milwaukee Brewers taking a 2-0 series lead and the Atlanta Braves evening their series at 1-1.
The Chicago White Sox take on the Cleveland Guardians at 2 PM this afternoon for the first ALDS Game 2, and the New York Yankees follow against the Tampa Bay Rays at 5 PM.
CLEVELAND, OH - SEPTEMBER 28: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses for a portrait during NBA media day on September 28, 2026 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
James Harden is arguably the most divisive member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. For all his talent, there is a track record of a player who loses patience quickly with his team. After acquiring him for fan favorite Darius Garland, Cleveland chose to buy into the full Harden experience, with everything that comes with it.
Cleveland and Harden agreed to a three-year, $97 million deal this offseason. It felt like it had been done for a while, but Harden, to his credit, waited to sign until the Cavaliers completed their big offseason swing: acquiring Peyton Watson in a sign-and-trade with the Denver Nuggets.
Harden is content when his team is stable, in a state he considers contention-ready, while also having a good contract. Theoretically, he has all of those things now. Cleveland knew the risks that come with him lately and took that swing at last year’s trade deadline anyway. Now, as the Cavaliers and Harden enter their second season together, the question is what the partnership looks like with a full runway.
There wasn’t much time last season for Harden to learn the offense and build rapport with his teammates. Across the regular season and playoffs, he suited up for 44 games. He averaged 20.5 points, 8 assists and 4.8 rebounds in the regular season, and in the playoffs those numbers dipped to roughly 19/5/5.
For all the negativity directed at Harden in the series against the New York Knicks, there is a legitimate case that he was, at worst, the second-best Cavalier of the postseason. His performances in Games 4 and 5 against the Detroit Pistons and Games 2 and 5 against the Toronto Raptors get lost in the conversation, which fixates instead on Jalen Brunson hunting him on defense.
The extension carries Cleveland to Harden’s 39th birthday, and contracts like that rarely age well. But Cleveland has been chasing a championship for the past few years, and for a team in a win-now window, the back end of the deal is a problem for later.
The focus for 2026-27 is whether Cleveland can best use Harden as the offense’s de facto operator. On paper, he has thrived beside other ball-dominant guards, most notably Chris Paul in Houston. The harder question is how Kenny Atkinson fits him next to Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland’s other All-NBA guard. Who initiates the offense? Do they stagger minutes so one is always on the floor creating, or play together and let Mitchell work off the ball? And with two high-usage guards, who takes the toughest backcourt defensive assignment?
If the answers are right, the payoff is significant. By commanding so much attention on the ball, Harden can make life easier not only for Mitchell but also for Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, and he has a long history of elevating teammates and setting up role players.
Cleveland’s best chance to get the most out of Harden is this upcoming season. Whether or not they do — and whether the Cavs can advance at least as far as they did in the playoffs this past season — will go a long way in determining if this trade and contract extension are viewed as a successful gamble.
It will be interesting to see how many of these players wind up being signed before the owners’ lockout, which will almost certainly happen after the Dec. 1 expiration of the MLB/MLBPA collective bargaining agreement. It seems likely that teams will want some cost certainty with arb-eligible players before the lockout. For example, we don’t know what the MLB minimum salary will be under any new CBA, as well as uncertainty about salaries in general.
As always, we await developments. In the meantime, here are the MLBTR projections for the 12 Cubs players who are arb-eligible for 2027, listed in the order they are posted in the MLBTR article.
Justin Steele: $6.8 million
Steele made $6.55 million for four starts in 2025 before his Tommy John surgery ended that season. Then he was paid $6.775 million this year and didn’t throw a single MLB pitch.
2027 will be Steele’s final arb-eligible season, but I don’t see the Cubs paying him even that relatively small sum, not after missing nearly two full seasons. Instead, I would guess they will non-tender him and come to some sort of agreement on a two-year deal that would have incentives in the first year and a vesting option for the second year.
Edward Cabrera: $4.8 million
Cabrera made $4.45 million in 2026 and had a really bad year. Nevertheless, he has talent and two years of team control remaining. This doesn’t seem an unreasonable number.
Braxton Garrett: $1.6 million
Garrett was paid $1.53 million in 2026 as he returned from TJS. He could be a really good under-the-radar rotation guy next year. This seems a very reasonable figure.
Javier Assad: $2.3 million
Assad was paid $1.8 million and the team has a $3.3 million option on him for 2027. He’s under team control through 2028. I would guess the Cubs would rather pay him the $2.3 million figure.
Tyler Austin: $1.3 million
Austin did not play a single game anywhere in 2026. He was expected to back up Michael Busch at first base after hitting well (.293/.377/.568) in six years in NPB.
The Cubs can do better, I think. He’ll likely be non-tendered.
Miguel Amaya: $1.7 million
2027 is Amaya’s first arb-eligible season. Pay the man.
Gabriel Arias: $1.3 million
2027 is Arias’ first arb-eligible season, but this is a tough one. He barely played for the Cubs (seven games, all but one as a pinch-runner/defensive replacement. He’s useful in that role, but perhaps the Cubs can find a minimum-salary guy who can do the same.
Ryan Rolison: $1.1 million
Again, here’s a first-time arb-eligible guy. He had a good season and could be a useful lefty out of the pen for another few years. Pay the man.
Ethan Roberts: $800,000
Roberts finished the year at Triple-A Iowa, where he was optioned after his rehab assignment ended. $800,000 is on the very low end of arb salaries, but Roberts is 29 and hasn’t really shown much at the MLB level. I could go either way on this — pay him, or non-tender him.
Michael Busch: $5.4 million
Here’s another Cub who is first-time arbitration eligible. While his performance declined somewhat from his very good 2025 season, he plays a solid first base and has power. This amount doesn’t seem unreasonable. Busch has three years of team control remaining.
Ben Brown: $1.3 million
There is some uncertainty about Brown’s recovery from his neck injury, but this amount doesn’t seem too much to keep him.
Oct 4, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio (11) is drenched with Gatorade by Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Garrett Mitchell (5) and /Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras (24) after hitting the game winning hit against the San Diego Padres in game two of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Team news
[Arizona Sports] 5 questions the Diamondbacks need to answer this offseason – Arizona has a strong core with catcher Gabriel Moreno, shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, outfielder Corbin Carroll, starters Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson, along with relievers Justin Martinez, Juan Morillo and Brandyn Garcia, all in their 20s. Ketel Marte, Nolan Arenado, Corbin Burnes and Eduardo Rodriguez represent the veteran group. Around them, the roster this past season and looking forward has flaws in need of attention. Here are five questions to shape another critical offseason for an Arizona franchise stuck outside the postseason doors: #1: Will Ketel Marte return?
[MLB Trade Rumors] A Look At Nolan Arenado’s Comeback Year – A look at Arenado’s Statcast page shows an awful lot of blue. He graded out above average in Batting Run Value (+23) and strikeout rate (20.0%, which is a career high). He was valued around average in whiff rate and negatively in everything else. With those kinds of questions in his batting profile, it’s likely that Arenado’s extreme gaps in actual and expected power will normalize next year, and Arenado will be unable to fully repeat his 2026 performance. At the very least, he remains a competent defender at third. While no longer the perennial Gold Glove threat he was during his Colorado prime, Arenado was still worth +2 Outs Above Average at the hot corner this year.
[DbacksRoundTable] D-backs Prospect Brings Dominant Strikeout Ability to Fall League – The Arizona Diamondbacks will send one of their more intriguing pitching prospects to the Arizona Fall League, with Joe Ariola looking to continue an impressive 2026 campaign. The 2025 seventh-round selection out of Wake Forest pitched in the Arizona Complex League, Single-A, High-A and Double-A. Despite the constant movement, Ariola consistently missed bats. He struck out 45.7 percent of the batters he faced over 34.2 innings, finishing with the highest strikeout rate among Minor League pitchers who accumulated at least 30 innings this season. That level of production immediately makes him a pitcher worth watching as he takes another step forward.
[MLB] Padres down 0-2 in NLDS after Miller called upon for 6 outs – The Padres, of course, have been a juggernaut at Petco Park this season, with a 53-30 record, including a pair of playoff wins already. But they’ll need to win two straight Tuesday and Wednesday just to send this series back to Milwaukee for a decisive Game 5 on Friday. In all best-of-five postseason series, teams with an 0-2 deficit have gone on to win the series just 10 of 93 times (11%). Teams that lost the first two games on the road in Division Series with the current 2-2-1 format have gone on to win the series only three of 36 times (8%). The last time a team rallied from an 0-2 hole in a best-of-five series came in the 2017 ALDS, with the Yankees advancing after dropping the first two games at Cleveland.
[NY Post] Dodgers dynasty in serious jeopardy after unforgivable loss to Braves – How did it come to this? The short answer is that Braves manager Walt Weiss gambled – and won. Instead of starting Sale in Game 2, Weiss elected to push him back two days and have him pitch Game 3… The downside for the Braves was considerable. Their two previous games were also bullpen games, and they were counting on a run-down group of relievers to take down Snell and stop the Dodgers from taking a two-games-to-none lead. The Dodgers are at fault for that not happening. If their dreams of a three-peat evaporate over the next week, Game 2 will be the game on which they look back with regret.
[SB Nation] A (Brief) History of Balls Hitting The Roof – This doesn’t happen often, right? Correct, although France’s fly ball was at least the third time in history that a ball has hit the roof in fair territory at American Family Field. It’s actually not the first time that it’s happened in the NLDS; in Game 4 of the 2008 NLDS, Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth hit a fly ball that struck a roof truss and was snagged on a diving catch by none other than Craig Counsell. The second time was in a regular season game in 2018; Reds infielder Scooter Gennett hit a fly ball that, again, came down in fair territory and was caught for an out by Eric Sogard. The third time was last night.
[FrontOfficeSports] Japanese Baseball Is Fighting Back Against MLB Talent Drain – Rakuten, backed by its massive tech ecosystem, integrated a proprietary five-language AI translation tool on its website and tapped into global shipping networks to get merchandise overseas. The organization is actively mapping out expanded English ticketing options at Rakuten Mobile Saikyo Park Miyagi to court international travelers. The Yomiuri Giants are running an English Instagram account and plastering Tokyo airports with ads aimed at inbound tourists. And the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, who launched Ohtani, have pushed this concept to an architectural extreme.
In October, I’m reviewing 31 horror films from 31 different countries. Here’s today’s entry, for Ukraine
The Witch: Revenge (2024)
Rating: B
Dir: Andriy Kolesnyk
Star: Tetiana Malkova, Olena Khokhlatkina, Pavel Vishnyakov, Taras Tsimbalyuk
The local tag-line for the movie translates into English as “This is a film where a Ukrainian witch kicks the shit out of Russians.” Straightforward and to the point, considering that the two countries have been actively at war with each other for close to five years now. It often happens that conflict informs cinema in the participant countries. We certainly saw that from both sides during World War II. It makes sense, since film will often reflect whatever is preoccupying its intended audience. Film is also, undeniably, used as a tool by the authorities for propaganda. This is, at least in theory, an independent production. Though there’s no question it’s fully informed by the war and, completely unsurprisingly, is designed to appeal to local opinion in this matter.
BOCA CHICA, SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC - JANUARY 15: Houston Astros international signings Albert Fermin, Randy Arias, Imanol Feliz, Fraimy Sanchez and Jack Daniel Valbrune pose after signing their contracts at the Houston Astros Latin American Academy on January 15, 2026 in Boca Chica, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Astros have two teams in the Dominican Summer League and had some standout performances from the international prospects. Let’s take a look.
The DSL Astros Orange put together a strong 2026 season improving on their 32-23 record in 2025 to a 33-20 record in 2026. Below are the team leaders and top performers.
Albert Fermin, INF The Astros top international signing in 2026, Fermin put together a phenomenal professional debut. At just 17 years old, the shortstop led the team in home runs, OPS and wRC+. He played in 49 games and hit .311 with 9 doubles, 6 home runs, 24 stolen bases and 51 walks to 38 strikeouts. Also noteworthy was his OPS and wRC+ was higher than Astros current top prospect Kevin Alvarez while he was in the DSL. Great season for Fermin.
Sebastian Mendez, INF Mendez was in the same class as Fermin and while his bonus number isn’t public, he performed at a high level in 2026. Also just 17 years old, Mendez was electric on the bases collecting 49 stolen bases in 49 games. The left-handed hitting shortstop also led the team in doubles (12) and batting average (.318). While a completely different prospect style than Fermin, he definitely had a big year and could be in the FCL in 2027.
Anthony Millan, OF Millan received a $472,500 bonus in 2025 and after a solid year in the DSL in 2025, he repeated the level in 2026. He put together another season with some good numbers as the 18-year-old hit .260 with 8 doubles, 3 home runs and stole 19 bases over 44 games. He is a speedy outfielder who should end up stateside in 2027.
Jack Valbrune, OF Valbrune was signed in 2026 out of Cuba who was a standout for his bat. In 2026 he showed off elite bat to ball skills in the Dominican Summer League. He played in 44 games in the DSL this season and had a ridiculous 31 walk to 14 strikeout ratio. Good for just an 8.3% strikeout rate. He also batted .291.
The DSL Astros Blue got off to a hot start but faltered a bit at the end of the season finishing 26-30 in 2026. Below are the team leaders and top performers.
Yensi De La Cruz, OF De La Cruz was signed in May of 2024 and debuted last year. Despite a strong 2025, he repeated the level in 2026 and had some decent numbers again. He lead the team in triples, stolen bases, OPS and wRC+. While the batting average was down, he still finished with 36 stolen bases and 45 walks to just 28 strikeouts.
Randy Arias, INF Arias was another big international signing for the Astros in January 2026. The shortstop had a solid debut as he posted a .741 OPS with 18 stolen bases and 47 walks to 34 strikeouts. Just 17 years old, Arias might repeat the DSL in 2027 but has plenty of upside remaining.
KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 27: Lucas Erceg #60 of the Kansas City Royals celebrates after defeating the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday, September 27, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tanner Gatlin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Royals have a lot of work to do this offseason to get back to contention. One of the first things they will need to do when the offseason officially begins after the World Series is determine which arbitration-eligible players should be tendered a contract.
MLB Trade Rumors has released its annual arbitration salary projections for this offseason, providing a bit of a clue as to what teams should expect. The Royals have 11 arbitration-eligible players.
Dobnak has a $6 million club option, but if the Royals decline it and pay the $1 million buyout, he would become subject to the arbitration process. He had previously signed a long-term deal with the Twins that paid him $3 million in 2026 before they let him go, which may not be properly factored by MLB Trade Rumors’ model.
The Royals will certainly tender Lynch and Massey after their career-best seasons. Erceg is a decent bet to be tendered after he finished the season strong following some adjustments in the minors. Pearson showed flashes of brilliance, albeit inconsistently, but J.J. Picollo spoke as though they had him in their plans for next year. Anthony Gose gave up just one run in 13.2 innings after the Royals signed him, but he will be 36 years old next year.
The Royals will have an interesting decision on Kyle Isbel. His defense has carried his below-average bat in past seasons. But his offensive numbers really dropped this year, and his salary is enough that the Royals will have to at least consider if he is still worth rostering. Alex Lange had a 6.75 ERA, highest among all qualified relievers. Alec Marsh and James McArthur both missed the entire season with injuries, and Mears missed most of the season with an injury as well.
Under the current system, players are eligible for arbitration once they accrue at least three or more years of service time (plus certain “Super Two” players) but are not yet eligible for free agency. Clubs have to decide whether or not to “tender” the player a contract. If a player is “non-tendered”, they become free agents who can sign with any team.
If the player is tendered, the two sides negotiate on a salary, and if they are unable to come to an agreement by February, each side submits a figure to an independent arbitrator. The arbitrator will pick a side to win, and cannot split the difference. Salaries depend largely on service time. Players cannot receive more than a 20 percent pay cut.
Contracts for arbitration-eligible players used to be non-guaranteed, meaning they could still be cut in spring training without teams obligated to pay the entire salary, but now those contracts are fully guaranteed. Of course, all of this could change under the next collective bargaining agreement, to be worked out in negotiations this offseason.
The Royals currently have seven players under contract for just under $90 million, and are expected to pick up the $2.5 million club option on Tony Gonsolin. The team will likely have around $30 million freed up from the payroll to spend this offseason, according to owner John Sherman.
The deadline to tender or non-tender players is typically near the end of November.
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 3: Isaiah Drake #93 of the Atlanta Braves hits a triple during the Atlanta Braves post-season workouts at Truist Park on October 3, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Desert Dogs dropped to 0-2 on the season after falling to the Scorpions 5-2 on Sunday. After each Braves prospect pitched in the league opener, it was Owen Carey and Isaiah Drake who got the start for the Desert Dogs.
The Desert Dogs got on the scoreboard first in the second inning with Isaiah Drake singling with one out, stealing second, and coming into score on a Wyatt Sanford single. It was a nice return to the game for Isaiah who has been out since June 27th due to injury. Drake took a center cut 93 MPH fastball and hit it to the shortstop but beat out the throw for the single. In Drake’s second at bat he wasted no time, swinging at the first pitch, and grounded out to the first baseman. He would then get on base a second time, this time via a fielding error by the second baseman. His final at bat came in the eighth inning when he grounded out to third. Overall on the game Isaiah made strong swing decisions in his return to competitive baseball. He swung at two pitches at the top of the zone that resulted in outs.
Owen Carey’s night didn’t start as strong as Isaiah, as he popped up short with the bases loaded after chasing a changeup away. It came after he protected the inside of the plate on a slider inside. In his second at bat, Owen missed on a center cut fastball and popped up to short. Owen’s third at bat came with runners on first and second and he swung at the first pitch again, a sinker high and in but in the zone, and grounded out to short. His final at bat came in the bottom of the seventh where he drew a four pitch walk. Overall, Owen was aggressive in the zone and while he only reached base one time, the swing decisions were there.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 16: General Manager Zack Minasian of the San Francisco Giants looks on at Scottsdale Stadium on February 16, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“Something I was looking at the other day,” Minasian stated, “the ninth inning obviously has been a huge issue. Our bullpen ERA, when you take out the ninth inning — I think the last time I looked was a couple of days ago — sixth in baseball.”
So, let’s apply that to the whole team and see what we get.
When you take out…
Rafael Devers’ first month, he was the fourth-best hitter in MLB
His 158 wRC+ trails just PCA (171), Yordan Alvarez (169), and Pete Alonso (161). Wow! Great recovery from .207/.248/.289 to start the season. Way to make jagweeds like me eat manure. His 35 home runs over this same stretch are the third-most in the sport, too, behind only PCA and Alonso. He was every bit the middle of the order threat Buster Posey envisioned for a good Giants team he didn’t know how to build in 2026.
April, August, and September, the lineup was 7th in MLB
The team wRC+ of 108 tied with the Cubs and Rangers, and that trio trailed only the Nationals (116), Pirates (112), Dodgers (110), and Brewers (109). They were only 9th in home runs (105), but back to #2 for Isolated Power. Okay, just 13th in runs scored, but they play in a tough park! Unfortunately, the team was only 34-46 during this remarkable stretch of hitting. BUT!
Some of the 7 walk-off losses from 5/1-8/1, they’d be 37-42
Look, the Giants probably should’ve settled on somebody else for the 9th inning rather than Caleb Killian. Let’s extract him from a couple of those scenarios and let’s not use Matt Gage to flip around Ketel Marte. There are three games we can safely return to the Giants (2 blown saves and one blown tie).
Now, this flip doesn’t really do much in terms of what happens this season (the trade deadline, the injuries, the losing), but they’d have been 50-60 on the morning of August 2nd and that is a psychologically better place than the 47-64 they actually sported.
Now, looking at that, “get a closer” seems like a pretty obvious solution. I would argue that “trying an opener more often” would also help, but that 5th inning definitely screams, too, “have a quicker hook.” But all this really tells us is that major league lineups are difficult to navigate, even if the pitchers have the advantage these days. The Giants don’t help themselves by staffing up with remarkably similar arsenals. Lots of 94 mph sinker-slider dudes.
Randy Rodriguez, Camilo Doval, and Trent Harris figure to be good tweaks to the mix heading into next year, but some creativity in deployment is needed, too. That doesn’t mean running Keaton Winn out there for a third inning or for a third consecutive day, but it’s hard to look at this one big thing and argue that the Giants are extremely far away from figuring out the pitching staff. They don’t need to spend $20-$30 million on the bullpen. Now, I doubt they have the creativity needed to properly sort it out, but there you have it.
Logan Webb’s starts against the AL East, his ERA drops to 3.66
While he’s certainly The Perfect Giant, the ace of the staff, and a world-class starting pitcher, maybe he’s just not good against the American League East. Maybe his stuff and pitch arsenal is just batting practice for those hitters. He gave up 20 earned runs in 4 starts against the Yankees, Orioles, Blue Jays, and Red Sox. Take those out and his season is much more in line with the Logan Webb we’re used to — he still gets injured and still doesn’t pitch well enough to merit Cy Young consideration or not have concerns about his skills going into next season, but his season his 4.31 ERA doesn’t happen. (A reminder that he still wound up with a 3.1 fWAR despite just 160 IP).
Sal Stewart, Bryce Eldridge becomes a top 3 NL RoY candidate
He doesn’t win, of course. Not with Carson Benge (4.3 fWAR), JJ Wetherholt (4.6), and Nolan McLean in front (3.5). Eldridge’s 1.8 fWAR and 17 home runs are very nice for a 21-year old, but hardly spectacular when compared to the field. Benge has 20 and plays RF (occasionally CF) while Wetherholt has 17, t00, but plays shortstop. McLean is the Mets’ ace and was 15th in MLB in ERA (3.16). But this is very funny to imagine. Sal Stewart would have to be taken out by some sort of scandal to not win. He hit 32 homers and drove in 111.
All other positions, then Drew Gilbert is the 26th-most valuable player in the National League
That’s right. If we only looked at the outfielders, then Drew Gilbert would be a top 30 player with his 1.7 fWAR and triple slash of .238/.330/.394. He rates as a good defender, too, which means the Giants have run into some good luck with Harrison Bader’s extended injury time. Jonah Cox might not be able to hit, but an acceptable platoon of he and Drew Gilbert can handle center field for the Giants for a part of next season.
Remove Patrick Bailey, the Giants’ catcher corps is better than the Guardians’
Somehow, the Giants with better catcher defense than the Guardians. They traded away their Gold Glover and got better. Their 8.8 Defensive Runs Above Average was the Guardians’ lowest total of the last 5 seasons. The Giants’ 10.2 was their second-lowest after 2022 (2.8).
Jung Hoo Lee’s first 4 series and final 13, he’s a top 30 hitter
Like the rest of the offense, it took a bit for JHL to get going. He hit just .143/.224/.214 in 49 plate appearances against the Yankees, Padres, Mets, and Phillies. Those would be tough matchups for any hitter, but especially a guy who is still adjusting to the league and an MLB workload. From April 10 to August 5 he slashed .322/.353/.476 (131 wRC+) and just landed on the front page of hitters. The .338 BAbip and 2.0 fWAR should tell you that he’s contact and average-at-best defense, but you can’t take away the success he had in those 377 PA.
The relief pitching, the starting staff is playoff-caliber
Now, even though Zack Minasian laid out how parts of the Giants’ bullpen was above average, if you forget that the ‘pen exists at all (just 0.4 fWAR in value, after all), the starting staff, despite a 40-65 W-L record and just 9.4 fWAR in value (20th in MLB), stats out better than White Sox, Cubs, Padres, and Astros. Also better than the Diamondbacks, who just missed the postseason. Does this mean that an improved bullpen with a fringe-y rotation and 7-10% better than league average lineup could sneak into the Wild Card next postseason? Mr. Minasian would say yes.
Division play is removed, the Giants are 48-60 (.444)
No, that’s not good, but it’s much better than the .401 winning percentage. They went just 17-35 against the NL West, losing every season series against their division rivals, including the Rockies. But if you take those games out, it shows they are still pretty rotten. Is it a starting point for improvement? Probably not.
The 8 worst players are removed, the Giants are 4 wins better
If you knock out Harrison Bader, Osleivis Basabe, Will Brennan, Jerar Encarnacion, Matt Gage, Carson Seymour, Philip Abner, and Ryan Walker.
Now, to some degree, Walker (-0.5 fWAR) and Gage (-0.8) were unforeseeably bad, but there was also the persistence factor, where the team kept playing them despite their effort demonstrating that the opposite action should be taken. Had the Giants invested more in the bullpen during the offseason or simply had better coaching then maybe their contributions could’ve been avoided or minimized, but here we are, left to simply delete them. Jerar Encarnacion’s -0.5 fWAR in just 17 games and 35 plate appearances is truly impressive.
At the end of the day, 4 extra wins doesn’t amount to much, but if you couple that with the maybe 3 you could get from the rescued blown saves, those combined 7 gives the Giants a 72-90 record. Still not good, but that’s the type of season where you can easily wonder, “If they’d invested more in the bullpen, gotten more out of Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser to start the season, and avoided a lot of those injuries, then maybe they could’ve amounted to something more?”
Oh wow, now I see the power of Minasianball. It can get you to believe anything!
Jimmy Butler has played alongside a lot of talented teammates across 16 NBA seasons, but none of them compare to the one he has now.
Speaking with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Kerith Burke at Warriors Media Day on Sept. 28, Butler was asked to reflect on the kind of longevity most athletes only dream about as he enters his 16th year in the league.
“My knee aches a little bit, but outside of that, I feel amazing,” Butler said, referencing his ongoing recovery from a torn ACL. “I’m super blessed to be able to play for some amazing organizations with some Hall of Fame players, and I can say I am probably with the greatest player that I’ve ever played with right now on this team, for the greatest organization. So, 16 years in, to end up over here with the Warriors — couldn’t ask for a better story.”
The claim carries real weight, given the group Butler is including Curry in. Drafted No. 30 overall by the Chicago Bulls in 2011, Butler shared a locker room with Derrick Rose during his six seasons in Chicago, later played alongside Karl-Anthony Towns in Minnesota and Joel Embiid in Philadelphia, and spent six seasons paired with Bam Adebayo in Miami, reaching two NBA Finals along the way.
Calling Curry the best of that entire group is not a passing compliment — it is Butler ranking him above a roster of All-Stars and franchise cornerstones he has played with across four different organizations.
Butler joined the Warriors via trade during the 2024-25 NBA season and since has become one of Golden State’s most reliable two-way pieces when healthy, pairing with Curry and Draymond Green to form one of the more experienced cores in the league.
As he continues working back from the ACL injury that ended his season prematurely, Butler’s message was clear — of everywhere he has been and everyone he has played with, this is the version of his career he considers the best story yet.
Nine years after the Senators drafted Shane Bowers in the first round, the two sides have quietly found their way back together.
Bowers joined the Belleville Senators late last week on a professional tryout, just in time for the start of the American Hockey League season. And in his first game back in the organization, he even found the back of the net.
The 27-year-old scored in Belleville's 5-2 season-opening loss to the Hamilton Hammers on Friday night.
Travis Green was asked about Linus Ullmark's performance on Saturday night in a 3-2 win in Toronto (Senators YouTube).
It's an interesting full-circle story for a player who was once considered an important part of the Sens' future, even though his first stint lasted only a few months.
The Sens selected Bowers 28th overall in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft after he put up 51 points in 60 games with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL.
But before Bowers ever had a chance to play a game in the organization, the Senators included his rights in one of the biggest trades in franchise history.
On November 5, 2017, the Sens acquired star forward Matt Duchene from the Colorado Avalanche in a three-team deal. Bowers, goalie Andrew Hammond and draft picks were among the assets sent to Colorado, while Kyle Turris went to Nashville.
So, despite being a Sens first-round pick, Bowers was part of the organization for less than five months.
There is another interesting Ottawa connection from those days.
After being drafted, Bowers went to Boston University, where one of his teammates during the 2017-18 season was future Senators captain Brady Tkachuk.
Both freshmen, Bowers actually outscored Tkachuk that season. In 40 games, Bowers had 32 points, while Tkachuk finished with 31.
Tkachuk jumped right to the NHL the following year while Bowers remained at BU for another season before turning pro.
Unfortunately for Bowers, his hopes of being a full-time NHL player haven't materialized. Now in his ninth pro season, Bowers has played just one NHL game with Colorado and 12 with New Jersey, spending most of his days in the AHL.
That brings the story back to the Sens.
There was no big announcement about his return last week and, technically, this isn't even an NHL contract. Belleville announced Bowers as one of two players (Mark Duarte) signed to professional tryouts when it unveiled its opening-night roster on Friday.
But after scoring in his Belleville debut, his second go with the Sens organization is already off to a better start than his first one ever had the chance to be.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News Ottawa
This article was first published at The Hockey News' Ottawa Senators site. For more from THN Ottawa, click on one of the headlines below:
