Feb 11, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Cam Thomas (24) is fouled by Orlando Magic guard Jase Richardson (11) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images
The Bucks’ final two games before the break were a coming-out party for their only deadline trade acquisition, Ousmane Dieng. A combined 13/22 from the floor—with 8/14 from deep—resulting in 36 points over 59 minutes, plus 14 boards, 4 blocks, 6 assists, and 0 turnovers. A career-best three-point performance in the second Orlando game. Certainly something to dream on in the years ahead.
Those two weren’t a coming-out party for Cam Thomas, not because he was a meh 5/13 (12 points) in the OKC win, nor because he took over with a game-high 34 in Orlando the night before. It’s because that’s what the dude does—he apparently introduces himself as “a bucket,” after all. Well, this Bucket also appears to be the spark Milwaukee desperately needs in non-Giannis minutes, and he might be a long-term fit with the team moving forward.
But both guys are free agents this summer. Dieng will be a restricted free agent if the Bucks extend an $8.8m qualifying offer, meaning they can match any contract another team presents him with in the offseason. If they decline that QO (like they did with Ryan Rollins in summer 2025), he’ll be unrestricted and can sign anywhere. But in either case, Milwaukee owns his Bird rights, so they can pay him any amount up to the max without worrying about the salary cap, whether it’s their own contract offer or another team’s.
With Thomas, however, the Bucks only have Non-Bird rights, since he just changed teams in free agency. That means they’d have to use an exception to give him a new deal in July (since they don’t project to have cap room), and here are their options…
The full (non-taxpayer) midlevel exception: starting salary between $6.1m and $15.1m, up to four years
The taxpayer midlevel exception: starting salary of $6.1m at most, up to two years
The biannual exception: starting salary of $5.5m at most, up to two years
The Non-Bird exception: starting salary of $3.6m, up to four years
In this week’s Tuesday Tracker, let’s look ahead to the summer and pick the Bucks’ best option with these two: should they re-sign them or not? If yes, how? We also have a bonus question about the All-Star game format, and of course, the debate between tanking and going for the playoffs.
As always, this poll will be open until midnight Central on Friday, and we’ll post the results later that day. Thanks for voting!
NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 11: J.C. Escarra #25 of the New York Yankees looks on before the game against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium on August 11, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every season has its feel-good story, and for the 2025 Yankees, that feel-good story was J.C. Escarra. With 2022 Platinum Glove winner Jose Trevino traded to the Cincinnati Reds over the winter, the Yankees entered spring training with an opening behind the plate. Despite having a disadvantage in the position battle because he, like starter Austin Wells, is a left-handed hitter, the veteran minor leaguer seized a roster spot with a strong spring training. After years languishing in the minors and in independent ball, Escarra finally made his Major League debut.
Although his numbers at the plate did not jump off the page, Escarra quickly became a favorite both in the clubhouse and with the fanbase. But now headed into his sophomore campaign, the son-to-be-31 year old will once again have to fight for playing time in what is a crowded Yankees catcher room.
From a purely performance-based perspective, Escarra should end the spring as the Yankees’ backup catcher. While he was a bit below average blocking pitches and throwing out baserunners last season, he established himself as one of the league’s best pitch framers. Despite being behind the plate for just 1831 pitches last season, he accumulated 5 Framing Runs, good for eighth in the league — and tied with Carlos Narváez and Pedro Pagés, who each caught more than 7600 pitches last season. His 49.6 shadow strike percentage, meanwhile, topped the league. Austin Wells may have been one of the best defensive catchers in baseball last year, but when it came to pitch framing, he wasn’t even the best on his own team. Furthermore, although he’s not exactly a force with the bat, Escarra’s good plate discipline (his 11.2 walk percentage ranked in the top 20th percentile, while his 14.3 strikeout percentage was in the top 12th) ensures that he shouldn’t be a black hole at the plate. For a backup catcher, that’s more than acceptable.
Unfortunately for Escarra, he’s not simply competing for the backup catcher job, he’s competing against the opportunity cost of carrying three catchers on the active roster. Last season, Escarra rapidly lost playing time when Giancarlo Stanton returned from the injured list, as Ben Rice began to split time at first base and behind the plate in order to keep his bat in the lineup, and Escarra ultimately wound up back in Triple-A for the final two months of the season. With Rice now penciled in as the everyday first baseman, it would seem that the road would be clear for Escarra’s return to the Bronx…but then the Yankees brought back Paul Goldschmidt.
Of the Yankees four bench spots, one will be occupied by Goldschmidt, one by Amed Rosario, and very likely, one by Oswaldo Cabrera, thus leaving one spot open. Escarra is the obvious choice, allowing Rice to forego his catcher’s mitt except in the case of emergency — after all, he was less-than-stellar behind the plate anyway, and still needs to continue to develop his defense at the cold corner. Indeed, at the time of writing, the FanGraphs Depth Chart even lists Escarra as the fourth man on the projected active roster. But, might the Yankees consider it a better use of limited roster space to send Escarra down, let Rice serve as the backup catcher, and fill out the roster with a true fourth outfielder in Jasson Domínguez? Or perhaps a minor leaguer who is out of options such as Jorbit Vivas, or a veteran backup shortstop like Paul DeJong? It’s certainly possible.
Regardless of how the end-of-spring roster crunch ends up shaking out, though, Escarra has firmly put himself into the Yankees’ plans this season. Even if he starts the year with a ticket to Scranton, he’s just one injury to one of Wells, Rice, Goldschmidt, or Giancarlo Stanton away from earning a trip back to the Bronx — and it’s never bad to have that kind of depth.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - AUGUST 11: Bailey Falter #36 of the Kansas City Royals throws in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Kauffman Stadium on August 11, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals will spend the next few weeks shaping the roster that they will carry to Atlanta for the season opener. One large factor in deciding who makes the team will be which players have options remaining. Options allow teams to send a player to the minors without exposing them to be claimed by another team off waivers, and teams have increasingly used this to shuttle players up and down. J.J. Picollo has talked a lot this offseason about his desire to have players with options, particularly on the pitching side, to give the club roster flexibility.
How do options work?
When a player is placed on the 40-man roster, they have three option years remaining. If they do not make the active 26-man roster or are placed on the Injured List, they are sent on “optional assignment” to the minors. Position players must remain in the minors at least 10 days, and pitchers must remain up to 15 days before being recalled, with exceptions made for (a) players serving as the “27th man” for a doubleheader; and (b) players recalled to replace an injured player.
Once a player has been optioned and has spent at least 20 total days in the minors that year, it counts as an option year. A player can be optioned up to five times per year – after that, to be sent to the minors, they must pass through outright assignment waivers where any team can claim them.
Once a player is out of options, they can still be sent to the minors, but they must first be designated for assignment and taken off the 40-man roster, exposing them to waivers. Players with more than three years of MLB service time, or players who have been outrighted before, can reject being outrighted to the minors and become free agents without termination pay. Players with at least five years of MLB service time can reject a minor league assignment at any time, and still retain their guaranteed salary.
Let’s start with the option status of players on the 40-man roster.
Out of options
Bailey Falter
Nick Mears
Drew Waters
Mears seems very likely to make the team after putting up a solid 3.49 ERA in 63 games for the Brewers last year. The Royals signed Falter to a $3.6 million contract instead of non-tendering him last fall, despite a shaky track record and a bicep injury that caused him to miss the final month of the season. The Royals acquired him last summer from the Pirates for pitching depth, so if healthy, he seems likely to make the team as a long reliever that can start if needed. However, because of his salary, he might be able to clear waivers without being claimed if the Royals decide to send him to Omaha.
Drew Waters now has 684 career MLB plate appearances, and is a career .234/.300/.369 hitter. He provides nice depth as a switch-hitter with solid defense, but the 27-year-old is probably on the outside looking in for a roster spot, and could be claimed off waivers if the Royals don’t have room for him.
One option year remaining
Mason Black
Maikel Garcia
Alex Lange
Nick Loftin
Daniel Lynch IV
Alec Marsh
James McArthur
Kameron Misner
Garcia is making the team, and Lange seems like a good bet to make the team if he is healthy. Marsh will begin the year on the Injured List. Daniel Lynch IV had a very solid 3.06 ERA in 57 games last year, although his strikeout and walk numbers were very underwhelming. He seems likely to make the team, although the presence of Falter may make him redundant. McArthur is working his way back from injury and may be sent to Omaha to give him a chance to ramp up and allow the Royals to stash some more “inventory.” Nick Loftin and Kameron Misner are each competing for bench roles, and Mason Black was acquired from the Giants as a depth piece and could compete for a bullpen spot.
Two or more option years remaining
Luinder Avila
Ryan Bergert
Dairon Blanco
Jac Caglianone
Noah Cameron
Eric Cerantola
Isaac Collins
Steven Cruz
Lucas Erceg
Kyle Isbel
Carter Jensen
Stephen Kolek
Michael Massey
Vinnie Pasquantino
Cole Ragans
John Rave
Mitch Spence
Tyler Tolbert
Bobby Witt Jr.
Bergert seems like he would make a lot of rosters, but he may be a casualty of the depth the Royals have accumulated since the team can stash him in the minors until needed. Newly acquired Mitch Spence could make the team with an impressive spring, but it seems more likely he’ll begin in Omaha and come up when a starter is needed. Stephen Kolek, Steven Cruz and Luinder Avila each has a fair shot at making the roster in the bullpen, while Eric Cerantola is a longer shot, but having options remaining could work against them. Michael Massey still has options remaining if the Royals want him to get regular reps and get his career back on track after injuries derailed his 2025 season. Tyler Tolbert and John Rave seem likely to start for Omaha, but are likely to be given chances to contribute to the Royals this summer. Dairon Blanco could be in jeopardy of being removed from the 40-man roster.
Players with more than five years of service time who can refuse assignment include catcher Salvador Perez, infielder Jonathan India, outfielder Lane Thomas, and pitchers Kris Bubic, Carlos Estévez, Seth Lugo, John Schreiber, Matt Strahm, and Michael Wacha.
Non-roster invitees
The non-roster invitees have signed minor league contracts and can be assigned to a minor league club without options or exposing them to waivers. Once their contract is purchased by the Royals and they are promoted to the active and 40-man roster, they require options to be sent back down, otherwise they are exposed to waivers.
Infielder Abraham Toro is out of options. Infielder Connor Kaiser and pitchers José Cuas, Eli Morgan, and Helcris Olivárez all have at least one option year remaining. The players with five years of service time who can refuse minor league assignment are catcher Jorge Alfaro, infielders Brandon Drury, Kevin Newman, and Josh Rojas, and pitchers John Means, Héctor Neris, and Aaron Sanchez. Some players may have opt-outs in their contracts that allow them to seek free agency if they aren’t on the MLB roster by a certain date.
Feb 10, 2026; North Port, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves manager coach Walt Weiss (4) looks on during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Back on Friday, Alex Anthopoulos spoke with the media and I got the chance to ask him a couple of questions, which you can check out at this link. I also promised that I’d have some thoughts from Walt Weiss coming as well, since he spoke with the media right after AA got done talking. Here’s that article now, as it was a pretty good chance to hear from the new manager of the Atlanta Braves as things begin to kick off for spring training and the year beyond.
I asked Weiss about the general feeling of the clubhouse heading into the spring training and as you would expect, optimism is in the air. “Yeah, there’s a lot of excitement,” responded Weiss to my question. “I know there’s excitement everywhere a this time of year but we got a whole new coaching staff and it’s a really good staff. There’s a great combination of youth on the staff but experienced as well. They’re all very experienced even though they’re relatively young.”
Weiss went on to bring up his relationship with the General Manager and how they’ve been trying to walk the fine line between on-field experience and analytics. “I think we’ve always done a real good job here, from Alex and his team on down,” said Weiss. “[We’re always trying to] find the sweet spot between the information that’s available to us now and the tech that’s to us now and combining that with the wisdom that comes from being in uniform for a long period of time. I think the coaching staff is representative of that and it’s a great feeling.”
The new manager concluded his thoughts by continuing to talk about how excited he was about being able to lead this team heading into the upcoming season.“ I’m excited for this year and I’m excited to go to battle with this group of guys,” exclaimed Weiss. “It’s a talented group, they show up well every day, they compete well, they work well. They prepare well. So that makes my life a little easier. A lot of good vibes right now.“
The press also asked Weiss about his feelings on the state of the pitching staff — particularly when it comes to health. At the time of this presser, the Braves had only lost Spencer Schwellenbach from the rotation due to injury. Now, Hurston Waldrep is set to miss some time due to having “loose bodies” in his pitching elbow, so the injury bug has wasted absolutely no time making its presence felt in camp so far. Weiss remained upbeat — on Friday, at least.
“I think every team in the league has their fingers crossed for their pitching health,” said Weiss. “[Spencer] Strider, [Reynaldo] López, both guys are in a really good place as we sit here today. Strider looks great, López has no restrictions so they’re full steam ahead. That’s a good thing.” It’s certainly encouraging to hear that those two are progressing nicely and should hopefully be able to continue focusing on improving instead of recovering.
With that being said, Weiss has also kept his mind open when it comes to the internal options in the squad taking advantage of any chances that may arise for them to make the starting rotation. “Like I said, everyone deals with this stuff and it usually creates some kind of opportunity for somebody else,” stated Weiss. “We don’t know what injury is going to lead to an opportunity for somebody else. They might step up and do something and they weren’t even on your radar. We had that with Schwellenbach when he came to us at the big league level. He wasn’t even in camp that year. You just never know what’s going to come of these things but I’m sure everyone’s got their fingers crossed on the pitching health.”
We did get an update about how star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. felt coming into spring training. there’s good news on that front, as Acuña appears to be ready and champing at the bit to get out there and compete. “I asked Ronald that same question when I first saw him when he showed up here. I asked him how he was feeling and he said ‘Amazing,’ and he looks great,” exclaimed Weiss. “That’s really exciting. I feel like Ronald’s one of the best talents in the game and [when] we have him healthy performing like he always does when he’s healthy, that really moves the needle for us. I’m really excited about the way he showed up. He’s running around the outfield really well. He looks like Ronald.”
“I’M HEALTHY NOW.” Ronald Acuña Jr. just crushed a BP home run that nearly hit the bottom corner of the scoreboard in left center 💣@ronaldacunajr24pic.twitter.com/rfSM4q17NF
We also got to hear from Weiss about how he feels like this stint will be different from the rocky road that he experienced as the manager of the Colorado Rockies from 2013 through the 2016 season. “I learned a lot in Colorado. The two situations are worlds apart,” explained Weiss. When I got that job in Colorado, I’d been coaching high school football for four years. I remember my first day of spring training looking at my bench coach and going like ‘Where do I go?’ It was a lot of learning on the fly but I learned so much in those four years. The record wasn’t very good but at the same time, I felt good about the changes we made culturally over there in those four years and I feel good about that. But yeah, a lot of lessons learned.”
“I was going into that one kind of blind,” continued Weiss. “This one is very different. I’ve been here for eight years, I know the core of this team very well, I know Alex very well and his team so this time, I could come to spring training and really hit the ground running.”
Even after a couple of rough seasons relative to expectations, the situation here in Atlanta is certainly a lot better than the one Weiss walked into in Denver. Obviously, the hope is that the new manager will be able to pick up where the old manager left off when it comes to hitting the ground running and making this a successful season for the Braves. While every team has reason to be optimistic around this time of year, the Braves are one of those teams that can realistically act upon that optimism and we’ll see if Weiss’s debut season as Braves manager will be one to remember or not.
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — The Italian men's speedskating team is back on top in team's pursuit.
Davide Ghiotto, Andrea Giovannini and Michele Malfatti beat U.S. world record-holders Casey Dawson, Emery Lehman and Ethan Cepuran by 4 1/2 seconds to win the men’s team pursuit gold medal in speedskating on Tuesday at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
Buoyed by raucous cheering from the home crowd at the Milano Speed Skating Stadium, the Italian men finished in 3 minutes, 39.20 seconds to give their country its first Olympic title in this event since the 2006 Turin Games.
The United States started the final well and led for the early stages. But the Italians charged ahead over the closing laps, extending their advantage. When it ended, Ghiotto, Giovannini and Malfatti raised their arms and pumped their fists. On the opposite side of the track, silver medalists Dawson, Lehman and Cepuran leaned over, hands on knees.
Canada collected its second consecutive Winter Games title in women’s team pursuit when Ivanie Blondin, Valerie Maltais and Isabelle Weidemann — the same athletes who won gold four years ago in Beijing — finished in 2:55.81, nearly a full second ahead of runner-up Netherlands.
Snow postpones women's slopestyle snowboarding
The Olympic final for women’s snowboarding slopestyle was scrubbed off Tuesday’s schedule due to a heavy snowstorm in Livigno.
The slopestyle final was scheduled to start at 1 p.m. local time, but organizers said it was called off. A new date for the final has not been announced.
It delays New Zealander Zoi Sadowski-Synnott’s attempt at a repeat. She qualified first on Sunday — an opening round that was moved up a day because of the storms rolling in.
Late surge lifts France to gold in biathlon relay
France went from last place on the first leg to being first on the final lap to secure the country’s first Olympic gold medal in men’s biathlon relay.
World Cup champion Eric Perrot, skiing the final leg for France, missed two shots in his last standing shooting bout and was only seven seconds ahead of Norway’s Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen as they headed out to ski tracks packed with fresh snow.
Perrot stayed ahead of Christiansen and took his team of Fabien Claude, Emilien Jacquelin and Quentin Fillon Maillet across the line first, in a time of one hour, 19 minutes and 55.2 seconds.
Sweden was able to hang on for the bronze.
Norway's Oftebro earns second Nordic combined gold
Norway’s Jens Luraas Oftebro won his second Nordic combined gold medal in a week, taking the large hill ski jump and 10-kilometer ski race. Johannes Lamparter of Austria earned his second silver in Italy and Ilkka Herola of Finland won bronze.
The event begins with a single ski jump in the morning, where distance and style points are calculated to create a time advantage for the best jumper. The rest of the field starts the cross-country ski race behind the leader according to the ranking from their jump.
Oftebro, who finished atop the podium in the normal hill competition event last week, started 22 seconds behind in fifth place. Herola started 32 seconds back in seventh place.
Support and protest at Nordic combined
U.S. team skier Annika Malacinski attended the Nordic combined at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Tuesday to cheer for her younger brother Niklas. She came to protest, too.
Nordic combined — ski jumping and cross-country in one — remains the only Winter Olympic sport that does not include women, even though women compete on the World Cup circuit and at world championships.
“It’s heartbreaking, it really is,” Annika told The Associated Press while wrapped in a long pink and white coat, before taking her seat in the stands.
The Montreal Canadiens are in a good spot right now. At the time of this writing, they sport a 32-17-8 record and are second in the Atlantic Division with 72 points. With this, they are setting themselves up to be buyers ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
One of the Canadiens' top needs is another highly skilled center, and they are being connected to one of the NHL's most notable trade candidates because of it.
In part four of The Athletic's NHL trade matchmaker series, NHL insider Chris Johnston predicted that the Canadiens will be the team that acquires Calgary Flames star forward Nazem Kadri.
"Kadri is a competitor who would immediately raise the ceiling in Montreal. While there’s legitimate concern around how well his contract will age, with another three seasons remaining after this one, the fact he would be in favor of a move to the Habs, according to league sources, should bring a measure of comfort. Kadri has a 13-team no-trade list, and Montreal isn’t on it," Johnston wrote.
This is not the first time that the Canadiens have been viewed as a potential landing spot for Kadri, and it is easy to understand why. The Canadiens could use another top-six center, and acquiring Kadri would undoubtedly provide them with just that.
Kadri would also give a rising Canadiens club another good veteran to help mentor their younger players. This could come in handy for the Canadiens, and this is especially so when noting that he has won the Stanley Cup before.
With Kadri having multiple years on his contract, there is no question that he has good trade value. Thus, the Canadiens would need to offer a significant trade package to land him, but it would be worth it if he helps them take that next step as true contenders.
In 56 games this season with the Flames, Kadri has recorded 10 goals, 29 assists, and 39 points.
Whitecaps' Roberto Campos runs to first base after a hit against the Lugnuts in the first inning on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at Jackson Field in Lansing. 230411 Lugnuts Whitecaps Baseball 064a
When the Tigers signed the Cuban outfielder Roberto Campos back in 2019, he was the most expensive international free agent the club had ever inked to a deal. Early on he showed the good power potential and solid hitting ability that was projected on signing day, but his progress has been slow since breaking into A-ball back in 2022 at age 19. Campos made the leap to the Double-A last year, and he really took his lumps for much of the summer before coming on late in the year. The fact that Campos didn’t develop into a high end prospect has been a disappointment for the Tigers, but the now 22-year-old right-handed hitting outfielder still has some potential if he can take the next step in 2026.
Campos has turned himself into a solid outfielder, but his speed has dipped to average levels as he’s filled out. He’s balanced that out by maturing in his jumps and routes over the past two seasons. Though still splitting time between center and right field, the latter looks like his long-term defensive home. He doesn’t exactly have a cannon out there, but it’s above average arm strength and his throwing accuracy has improved considerably.
As you’d expect, the issue is his bat. Campos has a pretty good eye for the zone, and generally swings at the right pitches. He takes his walks and has the ability to line pitches the other way, but that’s partly the result of one of the root causes of his contact issues. Not only is his swing fairly grooved, but his relatively flat path and inside out mechanics are really built to drive the ball to right center field on a line and on the ground. He’s worked on making adjustments and finding more pitches to pull, but he still struggles to be on time to create good angles on pitches down and in that he should crush. He doesn’t pop the ball up much, but most of his fly balls tend to be 350 footers to center and right center field, where it’s hard to cash in and do damage.
He didn’t actually strike out much more in 2025 despite the big jump in competition, but the quality of contact dipped during the middle of the season until he finally started to turn things around late in the year. Most of his hard hit balls were on a line or on the ground, and this has been his pattern for several years, but in 2025 at High-A he had started to make good progress in driving more balls in the air, particularly to the pull field. Better velocity and breaking stuff at the Double-A level set him back to a more defensive approach. Waiting pitchers out worked for him in West Michigan, but against better pitchers much more willing and able to attack the zone, he often got behind in counts and was trying to dig his way out of holes most of the summer.
Campos has made some minor adjustments in his pre-pitch setup, keeping his hands quieter and actively trying to get his front foot down earlier. He’s also worked to build more batspeed. This hasn’t paid enough dividends yet, and Campos still isn’t on time enough to catch many balls out front and crank them to left center and left field. After a really brutal stretch in June and July last summer, the work to adapt started to pay off, and he got back to driving the ball up the gaps. Still, without tapping into his power a lot more effectively he’s not going to get much farther. His production in August and September improved signficantly, those signs that he was settling in encouraged us not to drop him too drastically. A down year after a minor breakout the year prior isn’t unusual, but things need to break the right way for Campos pretty quickly.
He has enough chops to be a solid outfielder who hits left-handed pitching well, and that pathway to at least a bench role is still ahead of him. But while we’ve seen players like Parker Meadows and Wenceel Pérez, and more recently Izaac Pacheco, struggle repeatedly in A-ball before finally benefiting from batspeed training and trying to get shorter to the ball without sacrificing power, Campos has yet to see those dividends. He’s approaching the age where if it doesn’t start to show up soon, it just never will. Few will be betting on a major turnaround in his fortunes at this point.
For now, the saving grace for Campos is that he’s still a little young for the upper minors. There have never been any questions about his makeup, and his coaches have routinely praised him for being a team leader and setting an example in terms of work ethic as well. Hopefully that ultimately pays off. International free agents get rushed to a degree college players and even prep picks do not, and it’s worth remembering the added demands on them as they’re hurried stateside and exposed to the Rule 5 draft at much earlier ages, all while adapting to living in the States. We’ve been writing about Campos for so long it’s easy to forget he’s only 22 years old, the age of a 2025 college pick. It’s reasonable to give him another year, but a lot is going to have to go right.
Campos did get essentially late second round money, and it’s not looking like a great investment at this point. 2019 was a long time ago in terms of how the Tigers operate, and who operates them, but unfortunately the long dry spell in the international free agent market won’t be broken by Roberto Campos. Realistically, his upside now is a platoon outfield role. It would do wonders for the Tigers ability to compete long-term, at least in the AL Central, if they could finally find a really good player out of their international classes. Willy Adames and Eugenio Suarez were 15 years ago. With new leadership on the international side as longtime director Tom Moore moves to an advisory role, the Tigers really need to do better in this aspect of player acquisition.
Campos will need a big season at Erie to get him to Triple-A Toledo this summer, but that has to be the goal. If he doesn’t unlock something in the power department this year, there’s just too much swing and miss to project him developing into a part-time major league player. After a modest breakout in 2024, hopes were rekindled for Campos last year. Instead, he struggled to adapt to Double-A pitching and really needs a big season to keep hope alive beyond 2026.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 13: A detail view of Oakland Athletics hats in the dugout against the Minnesota Twins on June 13, 2024 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
*In an effort to make the nomination voting easier for everyone, I will comment, “NOMINATIONS”, and you may reply to that with your picks and upvote the player you’d like to see on the next nominee list.
Our CPL is rolling right along as we now have the top 14 prospects according to the fans. Right-hander Zane Taylor came away on top this time around as A’s fans like the potential that the 23-year-old offers. Last year’s fifth-round pick, Taylor only appeared in one professional game this past season at the Triple-A level and pitched just two innings. That said he’s been a popular sleeper pick by lots of the fanbase because he showed elite control during his college days at North Carolina. Having pitched four years there many scouts believe he will be a fast riser through the system. In spite of his lone start being at Triple-A he’s expected to begin the season in Double-A but a promotion could come quick.
Taking his spot among the nominees for the next round will be another righty in Kade Morris. A former third-round pick by the Mets, the A’s brought him into the fold in exchange for former All-Star Paul Blackburn. While Blackburn has struggled since the trade, Morris has made the acquisition look great for the A’s. He dominated Double-A this past year and earned a promotion to Triple-A for his first extended look at that level. The righty predictably ran into some growing pains against stiffer competition so the A’s will give him plenty of time to work on his craft at that level for the time being. If he progresses fast enough though who knows, we could be seeing him donning the Green & Gold as soon as this summer.
The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:
Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.
The voting continues! Who will A’s fans pick as the 15th-best prospect in the system today? Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.
Morris runs up his four-seam fastball to about 95-96 mph and also throws a sinker with good arm-side run in the 92-95 range. His mid-80s slider has developed into an above-average secondary offering. His mid-70s curveball provides a good variation of pitch speeds, though he is still working to make it a more consistent pitch, along with his improving upper-80s changeup.
Morris is athletic with his 6-foot-3 frame. His competitive drive stands out whenever he takes the mound. Discovering the right arm slot that allows for the most consistency is the next big step in his development. How that pans out as he moves through the system will likely determine his long-term role, though he profiles as a back-end starter given his overall pitch mix and solid control.
At the plate, Morii features a smooth left-handed swing with tremendous balance. His power stands out, as he clubbed 45 home runs as a high schooler. He is considered an advanced hitter with good barrel control. On the mound, his fastball has been clocked as high as 95 mph and sits around 92-93. He also brings a splitter with nasty movement, a true 12-to-6 curveball and a tighter slider with solid bite and depth, though that offering will probably require some fine-tuning. Having only been pitching with regularity for less than two years, Morii’s arm is relatively fresh as he enters the organization.
Morii’s high-octane throwing arm plays well at shortstop, but some evaluators see a possibility of moving to third base as his 6-foot-1 frame fills out. While scouts see Morii’s long-term future in the batter’s box, the A’s plan on giving him every opportunity to succeed as a two-way player, with excitement already building over his impressive physical traits and desire to become one of the next great players out of Japan.
Per Billy Owens, Athletics director of player personnel and assistant GM: “Perez is a live-bodied specimen with high-caliber tools. His range and athleticism stand out defensively. Offensively, he can be streaky, but he has displayed plus bat speed, patience and real power. Solid package. Development is not linear. Patience will be required to realize his significant potential.”
Though Hoglund may never get back the electric stuff he possessed earlier in his career, the A’s were encouraged to see his fastball velocity tick back up to the low-90s. He has also experimented with adding a two-seamer and cutter. His low-80s slider now features more sweeping action and works as his main secondary pitch. He has also improved his low-80s changeup, creating a solid three-pitch mix that is enhanced by a strong ability to consistently throw strikes.
Now three years removed from Tommy John, the A’s are hopeful that Hoglund can develop into a solid back-end rotation piece, especially if he can successfully develop a fourth pitch. The Florida native was regularly going deep into starts in his big league cameo (6.40 ERA with 23 strikeouts to 11 walks across 32 1/3 innings) before going down with the injury and is expected to make a full recovery before the 2026 season.
The A’s were working on some mechanical adjustments with Miller prior to his injury. His electric fastball ticked up to 96 mph in high school and displayed excellent movement down in the zone. The mid-80s slider is a hard breaker and was showing signs of improvement. His low-80s changeup showed some potential as an average third pitch.
There was real excitement within the organization for Miller’s professional debut. His three-pitch mix and large 6-foot-6 frame give off the potential of a workhorse-type starting pitcher in the big leagues. The A’s also loved the competitiveness they saw from him on the mound while scouting him. After an unfortunate delay, he finally got his first opportunity to make an impression this summer.
* * *
Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay in making your vote!
Inglewood, CA - February 14: Jaxson Hayes of the Los Angeles Lakers during the Slam Dunk competition during NBA All-Star Saturday at Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Saturday, February 14, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
The 2026 NBA Slam Dunk contest wasn’t just bad — it was pathetic. The decline of the dunk contest has been well documented, but Saturday night was the competition’s rock bottom. Serving as proof the NBA needs to cancel the event and replace it with something else, rather than watch it fade into irrelevancy like Chris Paul.
Every single facet of the event sucked. Keshad Johnson of the Miami Heat won with a dunk that barely would have made it out of the first round a decade ago. Even the NBA’s hype tweet felt sad and forced.
Still, this was somehow the best dunk of the night. The only other remotely impressive thing was Johnson jumping over rapper E-40 — which was fine, but not mind-blowing. E-40 is 6’1, and this is a competition where dunkers have jumped over Shaq, a car, and hell, Aaron Gordon went over the Magic mascot and under both legs, while the mascot stood on a hoverboard.
While Johnson was the best of a horrible group, he should have been disqualified for his dancing. Before every dunk, during every dunk, after every dunk, there was this pathetic, manufactured dancing that Johnson did that seemed to be less about any genuine enthusiasm about the event, and more because someone told him it would be good for his brand if he became the “dancing guy” during the dunk contest.
We also had Jase Richardson almost knock himself out.
The only thing worse than the dunks was the judging. The NBA used a panel of notable dunkers: Dominique Wilkins, Dwight Howard, Corey Maggette, and Brent Barry — a good group, except they were given an absolutely nonsensical rubric that nobody could score less than a 40, out of 50. It was clearly only put in place to make sure nobody’s feelings were hurt, because getting to say “I scored 42 out of 50” sounds a lot better than “2 out of 10.”
If the scoring format wasn’t bad enough we had Dwight Howard handing out 50s like candy for the crappiest dunks imaginable. Don’t believe me? This was a 50 in Howard’s book.
A windmill jam from barely past the dotted line that Johnson couldn’t even manage to dribble for. At least he did his dancing afterwards.
There’s a simple reality that basketball has changed. In the 90s and 00s kids would practice dunks like Michael Jordan or Vince Carter on Nerf hoops attached to their bedroom doors — now they’re trying to shoot from deep like Steph. Interior defense is more refined, giving less obvious lanes to the rim for in-game dunks. Euro steps, step-throughs, and floaters are now the in-lane currency of the NBA, rather than trying to power through everyone with dunks. There’s ample reason why dunking isn’t as flashy as it once was, but there is no excuse for the absence of creativity. There have never been more resources to imagine new dunks or learn from the greats of the past to push the limits of athleticism. Instead, we’ve seen unbelievable regression as players struggle to do anything past the most rudimentary of dunks. There’s no pride, no desire to put on a show — and the NBA is shielding feelings by making sure nobody can score lower than a 40. The stars of the past would never.
There’s an entire generation of basketball fans who are too young to remember how great the NBA Slam Dunk Contest was. Relegated to watching retrospectives on YouTube, they’ll never understand the excitement that led up to seeing some of the biggest stars in basketball show off their athleticism, creativity, and pride in being known as the best dunker in the NBA. There was palpable excitement as we wondered how players could go bigger and better. That’s gone now.
Nobody wanted Old Yeller to die. He was a beloved member of the family until that old dog got rabies and was destined to descent to madness. The NBA Slam Dunk Contest is past that point, and we need to save its legacy from itself by killing the contest all together and inventing something else — because this is too sad to continue in its current form.
A 34-point game and some kind words from the head coach are enough to be optimistic about Thomas’ immediate future with the Bucks, right? Probably — a change of scenery and a track record as a high-volume scorer certainly helps. How much Thomas plays on a nightly basis could be tricky, however, given that Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins are commanding fairly big minutes in the starting backcourt. He’ll have to make the most of his opportunities off the bench, which he did against the recent back-to-back against the Magic. Otherwise, there could be some unspectacular final stat lines. The upside may be worth the risk, though.
Kris Dunn — PG/SG, Clippers
With James Harden departed and two more big-name guards, Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin, added, the minutes allocation suddenly felt concerning for Dunn, who’s spent the majority of his tenure with the Clippers as a starter, logging heavy minutes. Those concerns still remain, but with Garland yet to debut, Dunn has essentially functioned as the team’s point guard of late. As a result, he’s tallied at least five assists in each of L.A.’s last six games, while making his usual impact as a defender. He also made four three-pointers in the most recent win over the Rockets after producing four steals the game prior. It’s rare that everything clicks for Dunn on the same night from a statistical standpoint, but he’s been productive and could be considered a useful streaming option while the Clippers wait on Garland, perhaps even after.
Jarrett Allen — C, Cavaliers
We can all make an educated guess that Allen is enjoying the James Harden experience thus far. In three games, he’s scored over 20 points in each and been the beneficiary of several of Harden’s passes from downhill attacks. Others have also gotten him involved, and Allen has done a nice job of cleaning up the offensive glass for second-chance points. Yet, he’s having one of his most productive stretches of the season, all coming shortly after a recent 40-point game before Cleveland’s big trade. His stock is most certainly up, and could realistically keep improving as reps build with Harden.
This designation is by no means a reflection of what Markkanen has done or will continue to do when on the court — he’s having one of the best statistical seasons of his career. Rather, this has to do with his usage going forward. Is he healthy? How much will he play each night? The Jazz were recently fined for the “management of their roster,” with Markkanen among multiple players who were notably not playing in fourth quarters over consecutive games despite the games being competitive. Whether the reasons are valid or not, he’s played fewer than 30 minutes in Utah’s last five games, and that should be a concern for fantasy managers, despite Markkanen’s production in his limited time. It’ll be interesting to see what his playing time looks like after the All-Star break.
Ivica Zubac — C, Pacers
Zubac was traded from Los Angeles to Indiana on the day of the trade deadline, but has yet to suit up for the Pacers. Apparently, he played through an ankle injury with the Clippers and may not see the floor for a while with his new team. His potential return this season will be to a Pacers team lacking the table-setting that James Harden provided in L.A. — in the two games prior to the trade that Harden missed, Zubac combined for 8 total shot attempts. He’s still a difference maker on defense and will be great on the boards, but I wouldn’t expect his fantasy production to improve, or even remain the same, until playing alongside Tyrese Haliburton next season. I’d love to be wrong, though!
Paolo Banchero — PF, C, Magic
It’s been an interesting season for the Magic, who are currently the No. 7 seed out East. Banchero, the team’s franchise player, has been a bit more inconsistent as a scorer this season, especially of late. The former first-overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft has shot sub-40-percent from the field in four of the six game’s appeared in during February and has failed to tally 20 points in all but two games during that same period. Add on top of the shooting struggles his lower production on the glass and continued lack of stocks on the defensive end, and you get a player who’s having a down season as far as fantasy basketball impact is concerned.
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg returned to Cameron Indoor Stadium for Duke's 101-64 blowout win over Syracuse, and sparked buzz about his interaction with Blue Devils women's center Adrianna Roberson on Monday.
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg returned to Cameron Indoor Stadium for Duke’s 101-64 blowout win over Syracuse Monday, and sparked buzz about his interaction with the woman sitting to his right.
Flagg, who led Duke to the Final Four last March before Dallas took him first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, and Duke women’s basketball center Adrianna Roberson took in the action while seated next to each other, as seen in videos online.
Many were buzzing about the pair, while others noted that Roberson, the 6-foot-4 redshirt freshman, is the younger sister of former Oklahoma City Thunder forward Andre Roberson.
At one point, Flagg and Roberson were seen discussing a stat sheet and chatting together.
Roberson exited the court with Flagg and his former Duke teammates, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach, as seen in another video.
Flagg, Maluach and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Tyrese Proctor previously attended Duke’s 67-54 win over the No. 20 Clemson Tigers in Durham on Saturday.
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg and Blue Devils women’s center Adrianna Roberson seated next to each other at Cameron Indoor Stadium during Duke’s 101-64 blowout win over Syracuse on Monday, February 16, 2026. ESPN/FaceBookArianna Roberson #21 of the Duke Blue Devils prepares to shoot a free throw against the LSU Tigers at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 4, 2025 in Durham, North Carolina. Getty Images
Flagg, who’s reportedly dealing with a mild foot sprain, wore a walking boot on his left leg for both games at this Alma Mater.
The 6-foot-9 Flagg suffered the injury during Dallas’ 138-125 loss to the San Antonio Spurs before the All-Star break on Feb. 7.
The Mavericks play next against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 20.
Dope to see Arianna Roberson in the building too. The Duke women are playing some elite hoops too. https://t.co/MTb5DfKqT4
Flagg is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per contest across 49 games, while shooting 48.2 percent from the floor and 30.2 percent from 3.
No. 3 Duke (24-2) travels to Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., for a non-conference clash with No. 1 Michigan (24-1) on Saturday.
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 09: Alec Bohm #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies prepares to take batting practice prior to Game Four of the National League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, October 9, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
When the big stars arrive in camp, there is a rush to get their first on camera interview of the season out of the way. As the biggest of stars in Clearwater, whenever Bryce Harper makes his first appearance, one knows it is going to be news worthy. His interview touched on a myriad of topics like the spending of the Dodgers, the comments made this winter by Dave Dombrowski, but then it got into lineup order.
One of the things the team is going to have figure out is who is hitting fourth in the cleanup position behind Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. One would assume that those three are going to be the initial trio in any game they play this season, making the cleanup spot rather important. Harper was not very subtle with his thoughts about last year’s cleanup spot production.
“I think it’s a huge impact in the four spot,” Harper said. “I mean, I think anybody. It doesn’t matter if it’s me or (Kyle Schwarber). Because if Schwarbs is hitting there, same things are going to happen, right? So I think four spot’s a huge impact. I think the numbers in the four spot weren’t very good last year for our whole team. Whoever is in that four spot is going to have a big job to do, depending on who’s hitting three.”
There are not potshots taken at anyone in particular. These kinds of comments should be seen as a realistic look at where they are at with their roster. There is no secret that the team does not have the prototypical cleanup hitter on the roster right now that is also right handed, which makes achieving the desired balance the team is looking for difficult. While Schwarber has always felt like he is best suited for that role, it seems pretty obvious that the lineup works well with him among the first three, so maybe that is where he needs to slotted most often.
That makes it imperative the team finds a cleanup hitter that works. Rob Thomson has already talked about what he is looking for from that position in the lineup.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson says Bryce Harper came to spring training in great shape. Bryce looks great.
Rob says he is looking at a righthanded bat for the cleanup spot: Alec Bohm, JT Realmuto or Adolis Garcia 📸 Phillies pic.twitter.com/uZAyoRTjJ2
Using Alec Bohm there is something Thomson has done frequently in the past, citing his contact ability as a plus for the job as something that he likes. His 2025 season in the cleanup spot (.216/.262/.309) are not ones that would leap out as the best choice to hit behind the first three. It could have been something of a bad season though as his 2024 numbers (.283/.330/.440) and 2023 numbers (.253/.318/.392) were markedly better, yet still fall short of what one would expect from a hitter in that spot in the lineup.
The problem is that they may not have much of a choice. The other two options mentioned, Adolis Garcia and J.T. Realmuto, aren’t exactly shining beacons of offensive production either. Realmuto had 180 plate appearances out of the cleanup spot last year with almost this very same lineup and hit .238/.302/.381. Garcia, down with the Rangers, had 320 plate appearances out of the cleanup spot and was barely much better, hitting .224/.263/.399. From both of these options, a bright light of hope does not seem to be appearing.
The issue of which player is best suited as a cleanup hitter is going to be something the team has to be trying out in spring training. Making any kind of long term decisions during spring at bats might be a bit of fool’s errand with all of the different arms that are going to be used in opposition to the Phillies’ lineup. We don’t want to base any critical roster decisions on how well Adolis Garcia does facing arms that will eventually begin the season in Single-A levels. Yet how each one appears will be another data point that can be used in the decision making.
The real test will be convincing the clubhouse that things should be tried early and often in the beginning of the season to determine what is the best fit. If Thomson needs to try out different combinations of lineups to best figure out which one to use moving forward, there has to be real conversation with the players about that. The ultimate goal of the lineup is to score runs and if doing so in the best manner means that some players are hitting in roles they haven’t really been in for some time, so be it. Maybe the best option for a lineup is have Trea Turner-Bryce Harper-Alec Bohm-Kyle Schwarber be the first four to face the opposition, maybe it isn’t. Maybe one of these three right handed hitters that Thomson has talked about takes a step forward and produces like many believe a cleanup hitter should.
The real cleanup hitter will be determined as the season progresses. It’s possible that the player with the most plate appearances there hasn’t been identified yet. That is what the coaching staff should be figuring out this spring, not worrying about the handedness just yet.
If the Boston Red Sox return to the postseason in 2026, their pitching staff will lead the way.
Boston revamped its starting rotation with significant upgrades this offseason. After acquiring right-handers Johan Oviedo and Sonny Gray in trades with the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals, the Red Sox signed one of the top free-agent starters in ex-Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Ranger Suarez.
Suarez will form a strong 1-2 punch with 2025 American League Cy Young runner-up Garrett Crochet. Oviedo and Gray, alongside returnee Brayan Bello, are expected to shore up a rotation that is projected to be among baseball’s best.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow believes run prevention will be the club’s key to success this upcoming season.
“I don’t think there’s a question anymore that the identity of our team and the strength of our team is going to be our pitching and our ability to prevent runs,” Breslow said last month, per MassLive.com.
“I think the improvements we made on the pitching side are significant,” he added. “It can be difficult at times to fully appreciate the impact of having dominant starting pitching. But going into a game feeling like we can just play our game offensively and on the bases because our pitching is going to keep us in the game is such a huge advantage for the team. I think no matter who we’re playing on any given day, we’re going to feel like we’ve got a chance to win.”
Beyond their projected five-man rotation, the Red Sox have a handful of depth pieces who can step up if injuries become a factor. Here’s a closer look at Boston’s starting pitchers for the 2026 campaign:
1. Garrett Crochet, LHP
2025 stats: 18-5, 2.59 ERA, 1.028 WHIP, 255 SO, 46 BB, 205.1 IP (32 starts)
David Butler II-Imagn Images
Garrett Crochet is a popular pick to win the AL Cy Young award after finishing as the runner-up last season.
Cora stated the obvious, as there was never any doubt that Crochet would get the Opening Day nod. The 26-year-old southpaw arrived in Boston last offseason with lofty expectations and exceeded them, establishing himself as the club’s unquestioned ace and finishing his first year with the team as the American League Cy Young runner-up.
Crochet led the majors in strikeouts (255) while pacing the AL in innings pitched (205.1) and SO/9 (11.2). If there’s one part of his game he could improve on in 2026, it’s the home runs allowed. He let up a career-high 24 long balls last season.
One interesting development could make Crochet even more dominant in 2026. According to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe, Crochet’s changeup (used only 4 percent of the time last season) is now more of a splitter because of a new grip he learned over the offseason. If he turns that into another putaway pitch, it isn’t far-fetched to say he could be the first pitcher since Justin Verlander in 2019 to join the 300-strikeout club.
Chris Sale (308 in 2017) was the last Sox pitcher to notch 300 Ks in a single season.
Ranger Suarez will form a stellar 1-2 punch atop the Red Sox rotation with Garrett Crochet.
The Red Sox signed Suarez to a five-year, $130 million contract in January, officially ending the 30-year-old’s eight-year tenure with the Philadelphia Phillies. The move solidified Boston’s rotation as one of MLB’s best heading into 2026.
While Suarez and Crochet are both left-handed, that’s where the similarities between the two end. Suarez isn’t going to wow anyone with his fastball, which sits in the low 90s. He also isn’t going to strike a ton of guys out, as he tallied 151 strikeouts in 157.1 innings (8.6 SO/9) and ranked in the 24th percentile in K rate last season.
Where Suarez excels is in limiting hard contact. He ranked in the 95th percentile in average exit velocity (86.5) and 98th percentile in hard-hit percentage (31.1) in 2025. He induced ground balls 48 percent of the time (76th percentile).
Suarez also doesn’t walk many batters. His walk totals have decreased each season since he converted to a full-time starter in 2022.
As a ground-ball pitcher, Suarez will need the Red Sox’ infield defense to be more consistent in 2026. Boston made moves to improve in that department by trading for first baseman Willson Contreras and second baseman/third baseman Caleb Durbin. Former top prospect Marcelo Mayer should also provide a defensive upgrade after impressing at second and third base last season.
3. Sonny Gray, RHP
2025 stats: 14-8, 4.28 ERA, 1.234 WHIP, 201 SO, 38 BB, 180.2 IP (32 starts)
Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
Sonny Gray was the American League Cy Young runner-up in 2023.
Boston traded right-hander Richard Fitts and left-handed prospect Brandon Clarke to the Cardinals in exchange for Gray in November. It was a surprising deal at the time, but it makes more sense now that the veteran righty won’t be relied on to be the club’s No. 2 starter.
Gray’s track record speaks for itself. The 36-year-old is a three-time All-Star who finished as the AL Cy Young runner-up with the Minnesota Twins in 2023. While his 2025 numbers indicate a possible decline, a closer look under the hood shows he still has plenty left in the tank heading into Year 14 of his career.
Gray’s FIP last season was a respectable 3.39, so his bloated 4.28 ERA can largely be chalked up to bad luck. He had the fourth-largest FIP/ERA gap among qualified right-handed starters in 2025.
Gray also tallied 201 strikeouts with only 38 walks over 32 starts last season, giving him the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the National League and the fourth-best in MLB, trailing only Tarik Skubal, Crochet, and Bryan Woo.
Those expecting Gray to show his age in 2026 will likely be pleasantly surprised. There aren’t many better No. 3 starters in the game.
4. Brayan Bello, RHP
2025 stats: 11-9, 3.35 ERA, 1.236 WHIP, 124 SO, 59 BB, 166.2 IP (29 games, 28 starts)
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Brayan Bello is coming off the best season of his four-year career.
Brayan Bello stepped up as a solid No. 2 Red Sox starter last season — the most productive of the 26-year-old’s young career. He’ll look to build off that success with less pressure on him to do so as Boston’s No. 4.
Bello should benefit from Suarez’s presence in 2026. Both pitchers rely on inducing ground balls and soft contact to get outs. According to Lauren Campbell of MassLive.com, Bello has been working with Suarez in Fort Myers on his curveball and a new grip for his changeup. Improvements to those pitches could help Bello take another step forward next season, as he has relied heavily on his sinker and sweeper.
If Bello can pick up where he left off in the second half of 2025, it’ll help the Red Sox’ rotation establish itself as arguably MLB’s best. From mid-June through August, he posted a 2.42 ERA while striking out 71 batters and walking 22 over 14 starts.
5. Johan Oviedo, RHP
2025 stats: 2-1, 3.57 ERA, 1.215 WHIP, 42 SO, 23 BB, 40.1 IP (nine starts)
Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
Johan Oviedo offers high upside heading into his first full season post-Tommy John surgery.
Oviedo is the frontrunner for the No. 5 spot in the rotation after arriving via a December trade with the Pirates. The soon-to-be 28-year-old is a bit of a wild card heading into his first full season post-Tommy John surgery, but he offers high upside with elite extension, an upper-90s fastball, and a wipeout slider.
Last season with Pittsburgh, Oviedo allowed more than two earned runs only once over his first nine starts back from injury. In 2023, his last full season, he had a 4.31 ERA and 1.373 WHIP with 158 strikeouts in 32 starts.
The biggest concern with Oviedo is his command. He had 5.1 walks per nine innings in 2025 and 4.2 BB/9 in 2023, when he also had an NL-leading 13 hit-by-pitches.
If his command improves, Oviedo should emerge as a rock-solid No. 5 for Boston next season. If control remains an issue, he’ll likely revert to a bullpen role while one of the following options takes over as the club’s No. 5 starter.
Other options: Patrick Sandoval, Kutter Crawford, Payton Tolle, Connelly Early
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Connelly Early impressed in his brief MLB stint last season.
The Red Sox parted ways with a handful of pitching depth options in offseason trades, so it’s down to four starters who will compete with Oviedo for a spot in the rotation.
Patrick Sandoval is working his way back from Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss all of 2025. The left-hander had flashes of brilliance during his time with the Los Angeles Angels, but he seems like a long shot to begin 2026 in Boston’s rotation. Assuming he’s healthy, he’d fit well in a Red Sox bullpen that lacks left-handed arms.
Kutter Crawford also missed the entire 2025 campaign with knee and wrist issues. He was solid as a starter for Boston in 2023 and 2024, but he seems more fit for a bullpen/spot-starter role this upcoming season.
Oviedo’s biggest competition for the No. 5 slot could be the team’s top two pitching prospects, Payton Tolle and Connelly Early. Tolle, a left-handed power arm, started 2025 in Single-A and finished the year with the big-league club. Although he experienced growing pains in the majors, he still has the stuff to be a key contributor at some point this year, even if he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster.
While Tolle struggled to find his footing in the majors, Early thrived. He posted a 2.33 ERA across his first four MLB starts and was given the starting nod for Game 3 of the Wild Card Series vs. the New York Yankees. He earned the loss in that one, but the fact that he was counted on in the biggest game of the year shows that the club is already supremely confident in the 23-year-old.
Of the four depth options, Early seems like the most likely candidate to edge out Oviedo for a spot in the rotation.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 21: Atlanta Braves pitcher Pierce Johnson (38) pitches in the sixth inning during the game between the Detroit Tigers versus the Atlanta Braves on Sunday September 21, 2025 at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI. (Photo by Steven King/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Scott Barlow and Brent Suter combined to throw some 136.0 IP for the Cincinnati Reds last season, and both have since moved on and signed elsewhere in free agency this offseason. Nick Martinez, now a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, chipped in with 20.2 IP of work as a reliever in a swingman role, with Chase Burns checking in for a handful of appearances down the stretch in a similar vein.
Gone from the bullpen mix in 2026 are all of them, the first trio on new teams via free agency and Burns, the prize of the Cincinnati farm as recently as last season, having the inside track to the fifth spot in the Reds starting rotation to begin the season. Gone, too, are Ian Gibaut and Taylor Rogers since the trade deadline August, and it’s clear that the void left by that cadre of relievers was a priority to address this offseason by the Reds front office.
In came Brock Burke in a three-team deal that saw Gavin Lux dealt to the Rays.
Signed was Pierce Johnson as a free agent after an enviable three-season run with Atlanta.
Inked was lefty Caleb Ferguson, fresh off a 2025 season solid enough that the Seattle Mariners acquired him at the trade deadline to bolster their playoff push.
It’s been an offseason flush with good moves on paper for the bullpen, but how the roles shake out to begin the season remain to be seen. Tony Santillan is back and poised to claim a top setup role, while Emilio Pagán re-signed and has the inside track to being the team’s closer after hammering down 32 saves in 2025. Graham Ashcraft’s arsenal seems destined to get another prominent shot despite it still not working as well as it looks like it should. Still, there seem to be few guarantees beyond that, with the likes of Connor Phillips, Luis Mey, Zach Maxwell, Lyon Richardson, and Sam Moll all looking for their own angle.
How do you think this Reds bullpen shakes out in 2026? Who leads them in appearances, in innings, and even in saves?
Do you think it will be a strength of the club, or perhaps its weakness after so much overhaul?
A recap of the Tigers’ eventful 3-game set down in Florida
Missouri leaves Fort Myers 2-1 in its clash against Mount Saint Mary’s from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and if the opening series felt a little bit chaotic, that’s because it is. Sometimes, February baseball is similar to a pilot episode of a show, you’re figuring out who the main characters are, who has the bigger roles, and what kind of tone the season will take.
In one game, the sky is falling. The next can feel like a breakout montage straight out of a Rocky movie.
The past weekend brought a variety of outcomes for Missouri baseball, in which ultimately the Tigers took 2-of-3 from Mount Saint Mary’s. How the Tigers got there matters more than the fact they simply did.
Opening Day Scare: The Tigers a Victim of a Come-From-Behind Victory
The season opener could have brought concern for Tiger fans. After the Tigers scored five runs on eight hits, through the opening five innings, opening day seemed to be smooth sailing. After missing all of his 2025 regular season due to Tommy John surgery, Javyn Pimental went five innings, allowing just one run and keeping Missouri in position to win.
Then Saint Mary’s broke it open in the sixth and seventh innings against the Missouri bullpen. The Tigers went 3-for-10 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base. The chances were there. The victory couldn’t be obtained.
The Tigers 5-4 victory, its first of the season came one day later. Seven hits and a 2-for-7 clip with runners in scoring position was just enough to earn a hard fought victory for the Tigers, which ended on a 2-4, 3-2 double play and a Jase Woita throw to Mateo Serna at home plate to end the game.
As said repeatedly, even a chaotic double play, with runners at the corners in the bottom of the ninth, doesn’t single handedely decide a ballgame. Starter Josh McDevitt’s five shutout innings gave Missouri room to breathe, and the bullpen, including Ian Lohse in the ninth, did just enough to close it out.
Then came Sunday. Brady Kehlenbrink’s six strikeouts in five innings of work were just the appetizer to the full meal: the Mizzou offense.
Offensive Progression: From Missed Opportunities to Historic Output
Missouri erupted for 34 runs on 26 hits in a 34-3 win that completely flipped the tone of the weekend. The Tigers went 18-for-27 with runners in scoring position, drew 14 walks, and committed zero errors. Twelve different players reached base safely.
Leadoff batter Tyler Macon finished 6-for-6 with eight RBI. Jase Woita added four hits and eight RBI of his own. Missouri drove in 32 runs and piled up 18 two-out RBI. It wasn’t just a blowout. It was sustained, relentless pressure inning after inning.
Adding the cherry on top of the series was Sam Parker, coming in to pinch hit for Cameron Benson, who added a 3-run homer, the third hardest hit ball of the series at 105 mph, and making the score 33-3 in the eighth inning.
Sunday inflated the Mizzou offensive numbers to say the least, some individual program ones in a record-breaking way. As pointed out in the MU athletics article, 34 runs is the second-most in program history, one short of the 35-run performance back in 1902. 32 RBI, however, is a program best alongside 26 hits in the contest.
Ultimately, this series had all of the chaotic energy. The Tigers had their frustrating opener when their late lead slipped away, the hard-fought bounce-back performance, and the kind of offensive explosion that a gamer has when playing MLB The Show on rookie mode.
The 34-run outburst won’t be the norm, and the tighter and tougher games are still very much on the cards. If this weekend was a trailer for the identity of the Missouri baseball team. Offensive power and just maybe a slightly more stable pitching staff that isn’t quite yet feeling a massive injury bug.
Raphielle Johnson
David Butler II-Imagn Images
Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
