SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 10: A general view of the stadium during the sixth inning of the Spring Training game between the San Francisco Giants and the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 10, 2023 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!!
Today is the day! The most exciting day of the baseball year! The day in which nothing meaningful really happens, but no one cares because PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT TODAY!
That’s right, friends, we’ve made it through the long winter. And the San Francisco Giants pitchers and catchers will be reporting for duty in Scottsdale, AZ today.
We’re gonna get pictures, we’re gonna get interviews, we’re going to get PEAK “best shape of his life” content and I’m ready for it.
So go get your coffee, hit play on the video below, enjoy the vibes and let me know how you plan to celebrate down in the comments!
Sep 19, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone (14) is congratulated by teammates after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Outfielders (4): Isaac Collins, Kyle Isbel, Jac Caglianone, Lane Thomas The Royals will have a ton of outfielders in camp this spring, but it’s pretty clear that Collins will play left and Isbel will play center. Thomas will be on the team, it’ll just depend on the day as to where he’s playing. Caglianone is competing for the job in right field, but likely has the leg up given that he needs to get reps at the Major League level. Other competitors include Kameron Misner, Drew Waters, Dairon Blanco and John Rave.
Now that the NFL season is done, Craig Brown is ready for baseball and talks about WBC rosters.
I had assumed that Lugo would not be on Team Puerto Rico, due to the injury that kept him sidelined for most of the second half of 2025 and the fact that several of their key players had difficulty securing insurance, but you know what they say when you assume…
Also, I did not anticipate Michael Wacha being on Team USA. The presence of 2/5ths of the Royals starting rotation out of camp doesn’t exactly excite me. The same goes to a degree for Cerantola, a reliever who is on the 40-man roster yet is ticketed to open the year returning for an encore in Omaha. Hopefully, team federations have learned from the past how to keep pitchers in this tournament on their preseason routines so those involved can do their duty for country and then get back into action with their club.
Royals: What does the lineup look like around the core? We know Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez and Maikel Garcia will hit somewhere between 1-4 or 2-5. Where Isaac Collins hits remains to be seen. The rest of the lineup will include some combination of second baseman Jonathan India, catcher/DH Carter Jensen and outfielders Kyle Isbel, Lane Thomas and Jac Caglianone. Nick Loftin, Tyler Tolbert, John Rave, Drew Waters and more are all competing for bench spots. How the Royals maximize their roster for better offense in 2026 will be a focus all spring.
Meg Rowley and Ben Lindbergh preview the Royals on their Effectively Wild podcast with Anne Rogers.
The beloved Dollar Dog Night, where guests can enjoy $1 hot dogs at concession stands all around Kauffman Stadium, was hosted every Tuesday home game in 2025. New in 2026, the event is only available for the first Tuesday home game of each month during the regular season.
The promotion is only available for six home games this year: April 21, May 5, June 9, July 21, Aug. 4 and Sept. 1. It’s half of the Dollar Dog Nights offered in 2025, when there were two times fans could indulge on the Ball Park Brand hot dogs each month.
Caleb Moody at Kings of Kauffman talks about the decision to retain India.
The Red Sox traded for Brewers infielder Caleb Durbin.
The Rays are signing Nick Martinez to a 1/$13M deal.
The Pirates are signing Marcell Ozuna to a 1/$12M deal.
The OKC Thunder are being investigated for sitting 10 players against the Spurs in a nationally televised game. I watched some of this game, and the Thunder’s third-stringers nearly took down Wemby and the Spurs. I’m not sure the Thunder are the problem here.
Off Topic: The ads for the Super Bowl sucked. The AI ones especially, but all of them in general.
I am not at all unhappy to see Caleb Durbin heading to Boston. The guy is a pain in the ass at the plate. Plus it means that Matt Shaw/Nico Hoerner are even more likely to stay put.
The Super Bowl is over. It’s time for baseball.
“We’re taking the afternoon off”
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Feb 25, 2021; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; A general view from the left field corner of Clover Park during New York Mets spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.
What are your favorite and least favorite things about spring training?
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 11: Caleb Durbin #21 of the Milwaukee Brewers is hit by a pitch in the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals at American Family Field on July 11, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Who is he and where did he come from?
Caleb Durbin is an infielder who played college baseball at D-3 Washington University (in St. Louis) and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 14th round of the 2021 draft. He was traded from Atlanta to the Yankees after the 2022 season for Lucas Luetge, and then again to Milwaukee after the 2024 season as part of a package that landed Devin Williams. A year later, Durbin comes to the Red Sox from the Brewers, along with fellow infielders Anthony Siegler and Andruw Monesterio and the 67th draft pick (Comp B), in return for pitchers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan, and infielder David Hamilton.
Is he any good?
It depends on where you’re setting your expectations. If you’re looking for the middle-of-the-order power bat that Craig Breslow stressed was a top need on multiple occasions, you’re not going to find that with the 5’7”, 183 lb. Durbin.
What you will find is someone with an average-to-plus hit tool, who can make the plays defensively at multiple positions, with a lot of speed on the bases. Durbin slashed .256/.334/.387 in his rookie season, with 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases, which led to third place in Rookie of the Year voting.
The ball is usually put into play when Durbin is at the plate. He was one of only five qualified hitters in all of MLB who had less than a 10% strikeout rate (9.9%), but also had just a 21st percentile walk rate (5.9%). On Monday, Breslow noted Durbin’s Air Pull%, which is well above average at 20.4%. For a right-handed hitter at Fenway, that’s never a bad thing, both for home runs and for doubles.
Defensively, Durbin started 119 games at third base, but just three games at second base for the Brewers in 2025. He was a +5 in Defensive Runs Saved at 3B, but was exactly in the middle of the range with a “0” in Outs Above Average on Statcast. He can also play shortstop in a pinch. With an emphasis on a staff filled with groundball pitchers, Durbin should be part of an improvement on the defensive side in 2026.
He’s getting hit by a pitch, something that Durbin can do with the best of them. He led the National League with 24 HBPs a season ago. While that may seem like a flukey stat, there is an art to getting hit by a pitch. If you have ever had a teammate who got hit by a ton of pitches and always found a way to make it look like an accident, you know what I’m talking about. Durbin had double-digit HBPs in each of his three minor league seasons, in significantly fewer plate appearances.
In fact, the Red Sox have brought the top two in HBP over from the NL, as new first basemen Willson Contreras was hit by 23 pitches a year ago. Is it possible that this was intentional?
In Durbin’s case, as mentioned earlier, his 5.9 BB% was in the bottom quarter of the league. But what if you include his 4.7 HBP%? A “walk rate” of 10.6% doesn’t sound so bad, and it’s a higher rate than Durbin strikes out at. In general, hit batsmen happened on 1.1% of the plate appearances in MLB in 2025, and Durbin was drilled at more than 4X that rate.
What’s his role on the 2026 Red Sox?
There were no definitive answers on day one from Red Sox executives, nor Alex Cora. It seems like Durbin would slot in at either second or third base, with Marcelo Mayer playing at the other spot. Upon prospect graduation, the 6’3”, 188 lb. Mayer had a 60-grade arm on Baseball America, where Durbin had a 50-grade arm. My best guess is that Mayer, with more size and a bigger arm, will play third base with Durbin starting at second, a position that he played the majority of the time coming up through the minor leagues. When left-handers are on the mound, Mayer may take a seat in favor of second baseman Romy Gonzalez, which may slide Durbin over to third base on those days. Roster Resource currently projects Durbin to hit seventh in the lineup behind Carlos Narvaez and ahead of Mayer, at least against RHP.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 29: Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians attends a press conference announcing a new seven-year contract through 2032, which extends the contract by four additional seasons, at Progressive Field, on January 29, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Last year, the Guardians completed the largest comeback in MLB history to win the AL Central.
This year, the entire roster is set to return, with several top prospects knocking on the door to debut.
However, the team has slashed payroll by almost $30 million and failed to find a proven centerfielder or a proven right-handed lefty masher for the middle of their order. They also will be without elite closer Emmanuel Clase and up-and-coming young starter, Luis Ortiz, who are likely to be out of baseball entirely after allegedly gambling on the game. Meanwhile, the Tigers have signed Guardians’ nemesis Framber Valdez to pair with Tarik Skubal.
Are you more excited for 2026 than you were for 2025? Why or why not?
The Philadelphia Flyers can get a big piece of their 2026 draft scouting done just by watching the Winter Olympics this year.
Of course, the Flyers will be tuned in to see how the likes of Travis Sanheim, Dan Vladar, and Rasmus Ristolainen fare, but it's not just their own guys - veterans - who they want to keep an eye on.
Latvia, an underdog nation that always poses a tough fight regardless of their talent deficiencies, will be boasting a teenaged NHL draft prospect expected to be a top-15 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in June.
Defenseman Alberts Smits, a 6-foot-3 rearguard who is already playing in his second pro season in Finland's Liiga with Jukurit, is primed to feature on a Latvia squad that has only Florida's Uvis Balinskis ahead of him in terms of NHL-level talent.
Rodrigo Abols probably would have been able to give the Flyers the inside scoop if it wasn't for his injury, but the Flyers will just have to watch Smits play for themselves instead.
Smits, 18, has played 37 games for Jukurit this season, scoring six goals, seven assists, and 13 points. The two-way defender plays north of 20 minutes a night fairly often for his club, too, which is an encouraging sign of trust and maturity in a pro league for a player of his age.
It's worth noting, too, that Jukurit was 12-41-6-1 last season, and with Smits now playing for them as a regular, have already improved to 14-23-3-6.
Still not great, yes, but the 2026 NHL Draft prospect has had an undeniable impact on the club.
Smits is big and rangy with his 6-foot-3 frame, is an aggressive risk-taker offensively and in transition, and uses his size and details to execute defensively.
The Latvian defender is neither Cale Makar nor Radko Gudas, but Smits has everything he needs to be a successful top-4 NHL defenseman, which should be attractive to the Flyers at this stage in the rebuild.
Perhaps a player like Edmonton defenseman Mattias Ekholm would be a fair comparison.
And, considering the massive investments the Flyers have made to the right side of their defense in recent years--Jamie Drysdale, Oliver Bonk, Spencer Gill, and Carter Amico all come to mind--they can't continue to neglect the left side or other positions of need.
Time will tell if they are in a more favorable position to land someone like Tynan Lawrence, but Smits should be right up there in this conversation.
The 18-year-old will be the only 2026 draft prospect playing in this year's Winter Olympics, so Smits is a unique situation worthy of the Flyers' undivided attention for the next few weeks.
The Olympics break gives us plenty of time to observe, analyze, and reflect on what we’ve seen so far this season in the NHL. One topic that has been of interest to me on the NHL media site is the coach’s challenges statistics. Last week, I took a look at the offside challenges to see if Montreal Canadiens’ coach Martin St-Louis was right when he said he felt his team had lost a lot of goals to offside challenges. This week, I thought it could be interesting to look into goaltender interference challenges.
Of the 163 coaches’ challenges that have been initiated this season, 67 were for goaltender interference, and they led to 24 goals being disallowed. For a 36% success rate, given the fact that an unsuccessful challenge leads to a minor penalty, one has to be careful when using that from the coach’s toolbox.
How many times has Martin St-Louis tried to use it? Twice. How many times was he successful? Once, against the Chicago Blackhawks. He was unsuccessful when he pulled that card against the Colorado Avalanche, but there was no harm done since they managed to kill the penalty.
Which team has used that card the most? The Washington Capitals made six challenges, two of which were successful. Their four unsuccessful challenges led to two power-play goals against the Ottawa Senators and the Vancouver Canucks.
Four teams have made 5 coaches’ challenges: the Calgary Flames, the Blackhawks, the Senators, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Calgary was successful twice and didn’t give up any power-play goals when the challenge failed. Chicago also saw two goals being disallowed, and didn’t give up any power-play goals either. As for Ottawa, goals were disallowed twice, and there was no harm done on the power play conceded. Meanwhile, none of the Penguins’ challenges were successful, but they only gave up one power-play goal.
Just one team made four coaches’ challenges: the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Ontario outfit was successful three times but allowed a power-play goal when its challenge failed.
Which team has suffered the most from interference calls? Chicago. Conor Bedard and Co. are the only team with three goals disallowed, while eight teams had two, and five teams (including the Canadiens) had one.
It’s interesting to see that the Hawks, who are one of the teams that have used the challenge more often, are also its biggest victims. As for the Canadiens, it appears that they are much more disciplined around the net than they once were, back when Brendan Gallagher was younger, for instance.
Only twice this season has a team challenged a Canadiens’ goal for goalie interference. In contrast, in 2015-16, the first year those stats are available, a Habs’ goal was challenged for goaltender interference nine times, leading to four disallowed goals. There’s definitely been some progress there.
Sep 20, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Kyle Harrison (38) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
We’re back with another daily question, and today’s is a look at yesterday’s deal between the Brewers and the Red Sox.
In a deal just about nobody saw coming, the Crew sent three infielders (Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler) and a draft pick (No. 67 overall) to the Red Sox for a pair of pitchers (Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan) and another utility infielder (David Hamilton).
On the surface, it seems like a bizarre trade.
Milwaukee now has no clear third basemen, as the trio of Durbin, Monasterio, and Seigler were ranked 1-2-3 on the team’s depth chart. At this point, it seems like Tyler Black, Jett Williams, Hamilton, and/or Sal Frelick are the frontrunners. However, Frelick is a star defensive outfielder, and Black and Williams are both below-average defensively, something the Brewers typically prioritize when aligning the squad. That makes it seem likely it’s Hamilton at this point, but most expect the Brewers to make another move to add to the infield.
On the return side, Harrison figures to fit into the rotation (or as a long-relief arm, a la Aaron Ashby and DL Hall), while Drohan could make it to the majors at some point this season. Hamilton doesn’t offer much offensively (he was an even worse hitter than Joey Ortiz last season, which says a lot), but he is a solid defensive player.
How would you grade the deal, and who do you think won the trade?
Weigh in in the comments, and join us throughout the month as we keep these conversations rolling into spring training. Have a question you’d like to ask in a future BCB Daily Question? Drop one in the comments, and we may use it later this month.
The St. Louis Cardinals claimed 3B Bryan Ramos off of waivers from the Baltimore Orioles, and his particular fit on the roster is one that feels like a strained one at best. Ramos primarily plays 3B but has played a little bit of 2nd base and left field as well. That situation feels like bringing in a low-risk-high-reward opportunity in spring to see if they can capture lightning in a bottle. Ramos is out of options, so if he doesn’t make the roster out of camp, he would likely find himself back on waivers, where the Cardinals would be more than happy to have him at AAA and remain Cardinal property. If he is claimed, however, it costs them nothing to bring him in and give him a chance, and they lose out on nothing if he isn’t able to show anything of substance in camp and another MLB team claims him afterwards.
Jeff Jones, writer for the Belleville News Democrat, who will be our guest on the podcast this coming week, tweeted after Ramos was claimed that Randal Grichuk was still a name that was on the table for the Cardinals. However, if Grichuk can find a last-minute opportunity with a contender, he would likely select that option over the Cardinals. Which would mean if St. Louis were to add their proposed right-handed bat, they might have to add it through the trade market.
So, I did some research and looked across the league to see if I could identify some targets that are potentially blocked at the big league level that would benefit from the opportunity that exists in the Cardinals outfield currently. So, here are 5 right-handed bats who would have a clear path to playing time in St. Louis:
5. TOR Davis Schneider INF/OF
Davis Schneider famously hit a lead-off home run off of Blake Snell in this past year’s World Series and is known for being a positive clubhouse presence and a capable option against LHP. The added flexibility of playing 2B/3B and LF/RF could also be useful as the Cardinals will likely want to rotate players to different positons to see who might stick long term.
Much to my surprise, Schneider is a menace against RHP and is still above league average against LHP. The Blue Jays have a glut of postion players at the big league level and ESPN wrote an article recently that the Blue Jays and Cardinals should come together on a trade that would send LHP JoJo Romero to Toronto in exchange for Davis Schneider. This exact framework is a deal I have been talking about for over a month since Bloom started publicly talking about the desire to add a RHB and the Jays, after missing out on several key free agent bullpen pieces could still benefit from a leverage reliever like Romero and could use their excess piece in Schneider to acomplish a need-for-need style trade.
4. CIN Rece Hinds OF
At 6’3 215 lbs Rece Hinds is built like a tank and in his limited opportunities has displayed some impressive raw power for the Cincinnati Reds. However, with Noelvi Marte, TJ Freidle, and JJ Bleday/Dane Meyers roaming the outfield and bringing in Eugenio Suarez to DH it appears Cincy doesnt have much room on their roster for Hinds.
Posting a .302/.359/.563 slash for a .922 OPS and 139 wRC+ last season not to mention the 24 HR and 83 RBI its hard to say that Hinds has anything left to prove at AAA and in a season centered around development it would be easy to justify a player like Hinds striking out 30% of the time if it meant 25+ HR production for a Cardinals offense that is starved for power production.
3. ATH Colby Thomas OF
Slightly undersized at 5’10 190 lbs Colby Thomas is a prototypical power/speed outfielder and is super athletic (no pun intended) who will likely find playing time hard to come by with an everyday outfield of Soderstrom, Clarke, and Butler for the “Sacramento” A’s. Thomas was one of their top prospects mid season last year before earning his big league call up. Thomas has the ability to play CF, which I know some of our readers who are more pessimistic on the future of Victor Scott II, would be something that would be of value to them, especially.
Big raw right handed power with some swing decision elements to clean up but for a young hitter this is something that is very common in todays game and with the advancements the Cardinals are making in their player development process at both the big league and minor league level then adding a talent like Thomas would make all the sense in the world who might have fringe All-Star 20/20 upside when its all said and done.
2. HOU Zach Dezenzo 1B/OF
At 6’5 220 lbs Dezenzo looks the part when he steps off the bus at the stadium. Featuring big time raw power from the right side highlighted by a max EV of 112.2 MPH in 2024. The Astros have a long list of veteran options at corner postions between Christian Walker at 1B, Carlos Correa and Isaac Parades at 3B, Jose Altuve and Cam Smith in the corner outfield spots and the return of Yordan Alvarez takes away the DH. Dezenzo would benefit from a change of scenery where his path to play time is much better in St. Louis.
Take the rate stats with a grain of salt as the sample size is very small but the ability to impact the baseball and produce loud contact is there along with the above average arm and not shown, but measured, is also above average sprint speed. Dezenzo could capable handle LF and would be a nice balance option to all the LHH on the roster.
1. SFG Luis Matos OF
At just 5’11 and 207 lbs Luis Matos has a very average size build but his ability to make consistent hard contact and avoid striking out are two things that seem to be growing in demand in MLB. Matos displays average sprint speed and isnt the greatest defender but has one of the strongest measured throwing arms from the outfield in baseball at 92.6 MPH putting him in the 95th percentile of players in baseball. Matos also doesn’t walk, much like Yohel Pozo but more athletic, with 593 MLB PA to his name Matos continues to struggle cracking everyday consistent AB’s for San Francisco and with Heliot Ramos, Harrison Bader, and Jung-Ho Lee blocking his path it might be best for the Giants to try and get something for him before he runs out of value.
Perhaps strattling that AAAA line a full season of “runway” (everyone drink) could give a more clear indication of whether or not Matos will every amount to anything more than such a role. The Cardinals could both benefit from and afford to give that opportunity to any of these players listed above, though with Matos, he more than most has had the most extensive opportunity to show what he can do at the big league level.
This list would indicate there is plenty of upside to be had from teams who have players stuck behind another wave of talent currently entrenched for their respective teams. Can Chaim Bloom and the Front Office pry one of these high upside right handed bats away and give the Cardinals a little more balance as they march in 2026 with a lot of opportunity available all over the diamond? Time will tell and Chaim has accomplished everything he said he was going to this offseason. Perhaps he has one last impact move up his sleeve.
Sep 18, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox second base David Hamilton (17) hits a home run against the Athletics in the second inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images
Who’s on third? I don’t know. An Abbott & Costello sketch has turned into reality for the Milwaukee Brewers after Monday’s trade with the Boston Red Sox.
The Brewers had seven different players spend time at third base last season. The leading returner at the position is Sal Frelick, who played one inning in one game at the hot corner. Caleb Durbin, Anthony Siegler, Oliver Dunn, Vinny Capra, Andruw Monasterio, and Isaac Collins have all departed the organization. It’s a complete turnover at that position.
With the Crew’s top three options at the hot corner all being sent out in this trade, it leads to a major question for Brewers fans: Who in the world is going to play third base? Let’s take a look at the options
1. Jett Williams
Brewers PBO Matt Arnold told reporters on Monday that Williams will get reps at third base during spring training. That’s among his other reps he’ll get at shortstop, second base, and the outfield. He’s sure to be busy during camp. But third base might be the best path to playing time for Williams, who was acquired in the Freddy Peralta trade not long ago.
A shortstop by trade, Williams is not as highly regarded defensively as Joey Ortiz and defense is a priority for the Brewers. If the best defensive shortstop stays at that position, Williams won’t win it, but a move over to third base could be most logical. Williams has more power than you’d expect by his size and slugged 17 home runs last season in the minors.
Williams does have a good enough throwing arm to make it work at third base and he does profile as a regular in a starting lineup and not just a platoon/bench option masquerading as a starter. Given that he was acquired for a high profile player in Freddy Peralta, the Brewers likely want to give him every opportunity to make an impact right away and third base looks like that avenue.
2. David Hamilton
The lone infielder coming back to the Brewers in this trade, David Hamilton is also due to get reps at third base during spring training, according to Arnold. Hamilton is more of a utility type infielder, playing in 91 games last year with just 177 ABs. He got a little bit more run in 2024 with 294 ABs and had a lot more success at the plate that year.
Hamilton has spent most of his career up the middle at shortstop and second base. He got a tiny taste of the hot corner in Boston last year and I mean tiny. Just 1.1 IP of third base experience last year in one game. That’s it.
But there’s a potential path to regular playing time for Hamilton at third base so he’ll do his best to learn the position and try to get his offense back on track. Hamilton brings speed but not a ton of pop, so he’s not a prototypical corner infielder, but he’s the only non-1B infielder on the 40 man roster not named Turang or Ortiz.
3. Joey Ortiz
3. Joey Ortiz
In speaking with reporters, Matt Arnold did say that they are open to a variety of infield permutations. In my mind, that opens up the possibility of Joey Ortiz being moved back to third base. Ortiz was very good at the hot corner in 2024 and his offense was stronger that year as well. But a move there will put a lot more pressure on Ortiz’s bat to perform, not to mention opens up what the Brewers do at shortstop. Could Jett Williams overtake him? Does Turang slide to short and Williams or someone else goes to second base? There could be a lot of moving parts.
Ortiz prefers the middle infield, but given his previous experience there, he is a far likelier candidate to move to third base than Turang. Ortiz seems destined to be a regular in the starting lineup once again. What position he ends up at may change, but if you move him, it only switches the question from third base to shortstop.
Longshots
Eddys Leonard
The Brewers signed Leonard to a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp back in November. He has yet to make his MLB debut. He’s 25 years old and hit 20 home runs last season for Triple-A Gwinnett in the Braves system. Leonard has 700+ innings of experience at third base in the minor leagues, so that could benefit him. If his power shows up in spring training, he could launch a serious campaign for big league time at the spot.
Brock Wilken
Wilken is a non-roster invitee and a former first round pick. He was well on his way to a bounce-back season in 2025 until a freak knee injury derailed the second half of his season. He still has yet to see Triple-A ball so that makes it very difficult to imagine Wilken making the jump to the big leagues right away out of camp here.
Wilken likely starts the season in Triple-A and if that goes well, he could see a promotion mid-season. He could very well be the long-term answer at the hot corner and the Durbin trade may be about clearing room ultimately for Wilken, but it just seems too early for him to get there for Opening Day.
External Option
Isaac Paredes
This one almost makes too much sense for the Brewers not to be involved. The Houston Astros are desperately looking to trade from their infield glut and the Brewers suddenly have an opening at Paredes’ primary position. The Astros are seeking young, controllable pitching, which the Brewers suddenly have an even bigger abundance of. Paredes has one guaranteed year left on his contract at just over $9.3MM, which the Brewers could afford.
Paredes doesn’t grade well defensively, which could present a major issue for Milwaukee in terms of overall fit. But if the Brewers seek more power in their lineup, as many have begged them to do, then Paredes would present an obvious upgrade.
The free agent market is barren, most of the trade market is picked over by this point in the calendar, but Paredes is still out there and could present an ideal bridge to the arrival of the top infield prospects.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 06: Nick Castellanos #8 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates after hitting a two-RBI double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning in game two of the National League Division Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 06, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Can you smell that? Yeah, that’s baseball approaching.
Phillies News:
Key Questions for the Phillies rolling into Spring Training
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 02: Justyn-Henry Malloy #44 of the Detroit Tigers looks on against the Washington Nationals during the third inning of game two of a split doubleheader at Nationals Park on July 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
DRaysBay works best as a place for community and conversation. Accordingly, in the lead up to the new season, we are posting “Daily Questions” in the month of February. I look forward to seeing you in the comment section!
The Rays have penciled in many starters that aren’t going anywhere — Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, these are all locks.
Which role player or guy on the fringe of the 26-man roster could come out of nowhere and surprise us this year?
Feb 17, 2019; Sarasota, FL, USA; Baltimore Orioles players stretch on the field prior to workouts at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
As the Orioles make their way to Sarasota for spring training this week, they’ve got an exciting new addition waiting for them. (No, it’s not a pitcher. If only!)
Yesterday the O’s unveiled a new, $23 million player development complex at their spring home of Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. The 47,700-square-foot facility, which team president Mike Elias described as “the best spring training setup in the state of Florida,” comes with plenty of amenities for both training and entertainment.
The complex includes a biomechanics pitching lab, equipped with 30 cameras to help provide feedback on pitch design and swing mechanics. There’s a new outdoor turf agility field that’s about twice as big as the old one. And there are now four indoor batting cages and eight indoor pitching mounds to help players get their work in on rainy days. I’m kind of surprised the Orioles didn’t have those before, but better late than never, I suppose. Plus, the facility includes classrooms for scouting and player education, along with a player lounge featuring ping-pong, foosball, and video games. It seems like an impressive setup, and it’s doubly impressive that the O’s built the facility in less than a year, having only started construction after spring training last season.
If the Orioles make full use of these new amenities, good things can happen. Maybe a struggling pitcher will be able to use the biomechanics lab to make some key adjustments to his repertoire. Perhaps the upgraded agility field will help players get into better physical shape as they ramp up for the season. And maybe a team-wide ping-pong tournament can help boost camaraderie as the O’s roster looks to gel. Couldn’t hurt!
It’s a reminder that there are smart ways to invest resources into a team other than just signing players. (But to be clear, signing players is still important.) The Orioles saw an opportunity to revamp and improve their training facilities and made it happen quickly. On its own, a new spring training facility might not make the difference between a winning 2026 season and a losing one. But every little bit helps. And it’s a good sign that the O’s are doing what it takes to boost the organization by any means necessary.
There’s going to be plenty of attention on Dustin Lind, who’s looking to succeed where the previous two seasons’ of O’s hitting coaches have failed. Unlike those other guys, Lind has Pete Alonso to work with, which is a good start.
Meoli is beating the drum for the O’s to sign their young players to extensions. I agree, but if it hasn’t happened yet (Samuel Basallo excluded), I have the feeling it’s not going to.
Keith Law ranks the Orioles’ best prospects, including some you might not be as familiar with. I must admit that Andrew Tess was a new name for me, but Law is on his bandwagon.
My initial thought was “no.” But after thinking about it some more, my answer is still “no.”
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Five former Orioles were born on this day: right-hander Jorge López (33), shortstop César Izturis (46), catchers Alberto Castillo (56) and Lenny Webster (61), and the late lefty Billy O’Dell (b. 1933, d. 2018).
On this date in 2009, the Orioles signed free agent infielder Ty Wigginton. The man affectionately dubbed “Wiggy” was not a particularly good player for the Orioles, posting a 93 OPS+ and negligible defense in two seasons with the Birds, but somehow was selected to the 2010 AL All-Star team thanks to the “every team has to have a representative” rule. Good ol’ Wiggy.
