Category: Sports News

Today we look at one of the Cubs’ veteran relievers.

Phil Maton has been around for a minute. He was drafted in the 20th round by the Padres in 2015, and debuted with the same club two years later. He’s piched for six teams over nine years, having amassed 23 wins, 20 losses, boasting a 3.98 ERA, 10 saves, 539 strikeouts, and 183 bases on balls during that period, over 471.2 innings spanning 487 games. He has gathered 2.2 bWAR (3.6 fWAR) and has been used as a middle/short/setup man, so he has a little versatility.

Most of his WAR come from his 2025 season, which is good news for the Cubs, and perhaps the soon-to-be 34-year-old can keep Father Time away for another season.

Maton does not throw a fastball. Instead he has a curveball, cutter, sweeper, and sinker. The curve and cutter are his main pitches, with the cutter and sinker coming in around 90 mph and the curve and sweeper at 75.9 and 83.6 mph.

He’s likely to be a bullpen stalwart. Of course that will depend on his degree of success but his track record speaks for itself.

Fun fact: When he makes his Cubs debut he will be the first player in franchise history to wear No. 88.

This morning, MLB Pipeline released their updated top 30 prospect list for the Washington Nationals. There were some interesting risers and fallers, as well as some useful tidbits in their write-ups. The new rankings give us a better understanding of how the system is viewed at the current moment. Unsurprisingly, Eli Willits ranks number one, but there are some unique rankings down the board.

MLB Pipeline does a good job keeping their rankings relatively up to date, so there were not any insane changes. However, there were some new rankings that intrigued me. We will dive into a few of them here. Everyone knows about the top five of Willits, Travis Sykora, Harry Ford, Jarlin Susana and Gavin Fien. The stuff down the board honestly interests me more.

One ranking that stood out to me was Yoel Tejada at 13. That is higher than most outlets have him and is much higher than Pipeline had him before. We wrote about Tejada the other day and mentioned that he was 29th on Pipeline’s old list. The folks over at Pipeline must have come away very impressed by the right-hander’s first pro season.

They mentioned that Tejada has been sitting in the mid-90’s this spring according to club sources. This both intrigues me, but also is not surprising. That is where he sat in college, but in his first pro season, Tejada was in the 91-94 range because he was emphasizing his control. If Tejada can get his old velocity with his new found control, he could truly break out this year.

He gets a crazy amount of extension down the mound and was throwing a lot of strikes last year. Fangraphs gave him a shoutout as a pitcher who could be a sneaky top 100 candidate in a year. If his stuff and command are both there this year, that is possible. His height makes him very unique and he has a good slider to go with that. Look out for Yoel Tejada this year.

Interestingly, Alex Clemmey fell out of the Nats top 10 and sits at 11 now. Some of that is due to new players coming in, but he also slipped a bit. We know the deal with Clemmey, he has nasty stuff, but the strikethrowing is a work in progress. Despite walking a lot of hitters, he still managed to be productive last year.

However, Pipeline mentioned that his slider was not quite as sharp in 2025 and his velocity settled more in the 92-96 MPH range. His weird release traits help his stuff play up and his changeup was much better in 2025. Clemmey is still only 20 years old and is already in Double-A. He is an interesting prospect because he is productive, but it seems like he needs to make pretty big changes to fully convince scouts.

The highest ranked prospect I will dive into here is Gavin Fien. He was the headliner in the MacKenzie Gore trade and ranks fifth in the system. Fien is a bat first infielder, but some scouts have questions about his swing. Despite an unorthodox swing, he hit at a very high level against the best high school opponents he saw.

One thing that stood out in his writeup was the Nats plans for him defensively. It seems like they are going to have him split time between shortstop, third base and second base. Most scouts viewed him as a third baseman despite the fact he played shortstop in high school. It is no surprise he is getting action there, but the second base part is interesting.

The bat will always be the best part of Fien’s game, but the Nats seem like they want to make him a versatile player. Over the last few years, we have seen more big guys play second base. Max Muncy playing second for the Dodgers a few years ago is the best example of that.

The Nats have a ton of young infield prospects, so giving Fien exposure to multiple positions gives him more paths to playing time. I like that plan by the Nats. Fien will always be a bat first prospect, but versatility would give him more defensive value.

One player who moved up the list despite not throwing a pitch is Miguel Sime. That must mean Pipeline is getting good reports about him from their sources. He is ranked 16th in the system and moved past Coy James. While Sime was drafted higher, James got a bigger bonus.

Sime is known for his fastball which can reach triple digits. However, he has some control questions and his secondary pitches could use some development. Based on the write-up, it seems like the Nats are developing those secondary pitches already. Sime already has a curveball, but is reportedly toying with a harder slider.

Sime’s pure velocity makes him a very interesting prospect. It gives him a bigger margin for error. He does not need pinpoint command, it just has to be decent. If starting fails, Sime also has the arm to be an electric reliever. I am interested to follow his progress this year.

These are some of the most notable notes, but there are other rankings that interest me. Pipeline still seems to be bearish on Sam Petersen, only moving him up to 22nd on their list despite his production. It seems like they are worried about his bat to ball skills as he climbs up the minors.

Their rankings of the Nats 2024 draft picks were interesting too. Seaver King and Luke Dickerson were not very productive, but still rank 7th and 8th in the system. Caleb Lomavita had better production, but slipped to 28th on the list. They did not sound overly excited in the writeup.

Marconi German rose to 21st on the list, but they are not all in on him yet. He was very productive in the DSL, but Pipeline wants to see what he can do when he comes stateside. German is a smaller player, at just 5’10 and does not have much physical projection. However, he has a good approach, solid power and nice speed and defense. He could be a riser if he continues to produce.
If you want to look at the whole top 30 list and the writeups, the link is here. Pipeline is a great resource for fans and it is free. The folks over there do a great job and I really enjoyed their writeups this year.

With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.

Today we are looking at infielder Justin Foscue.

Not a great 2025 season for Justin Foscue.

In a year in which the Texas Rangers saw numerous position players go down — particularly in the final two months of the season — it seemed like there should have been opportunities for Justin Foscue to get a decent amount of major league playing time.

Instead, Foscue appeared in four major league games — two in June, two in July — going 1 for 9.

His one hit was a double, though. So that’s something.

And yet it was still an improvement over his time in the majors in 2024, when he had that ridiculous hitless streak and ended the year 2 for 42 with two walks. His 2025 OPS of 333 more than doubled his 2024 OPS of 162.

In case you are curious, Justin Foscue is currently sporting a career .059/.094/.098 major league slash line in 53 plate appearances.

What had to be particularly disappointing was that Foscue went backwards in AAA. Foscue has now spent three seasons with Round Rock, and after putting up an 862 OPS in 2023 and an 897 OPS in 2024, he dropped to 814 for the Express in 2025.

That’s a problem, particularly for a guy who is supposed to be a bat-first guy without a firm defensive position.

And so the clock is ticking for Justin Foscue. He is entering 2026 with one option year remaining. He needs to show that he can stay healthy — something he’s consistently failed to do as a pro — and that he can hit well enough to deserve a major league roster spot despite his defensive limitations.

It is worth noting that Foscue performed well against lefthanders in 2025, slashing .288/.367/.629 against them in 150 plate appearances. He slashing .265/.390/.500 against them in 2024, and .282/.415/.504 in 2023.

For a Texas Rangers team that needs a righthanded bench bat, someone who can platoon with Joc Pederson at DH, there’s an opportunity for Foscue this year to try to carve out a role as a righty bench bat. Of course, taking advantage of that opportunity requires him to stay healthy, and Foscue has already been sidelined this spring due to a hamstring strain.

The 2020 first round has been not terribly productive thusfar. Spencer Torklelson went first overall, and despite being a college bat who got an $8M plus bonus and was supposed to be close to major league ready, 2025 was his first decent season. The eight players selected immediately after him — Heston Kjerstad, Max Meyer, Asa Lacy, Austin Martin, Emerson Hancock, Nick Gonzales, Robert Hassell III, and Zac Veen — have all disappointed. Garrett Crochet and Pete Crow-Armstrong are easily the standouts of the 2020 first round, with Jordan Westburg, Reid Detmers, Patrick Bailey, Garrett Mitchell and Tyler Soderstrom also providing some value.

Interestingly, three of the top nine players taken in the first round that year are catchers — Bailey, Soderstrom, and Austin Wells.

There was a pandemic going on in the world that year, and so it shouldn’t exactly be surprising that that draft shook out kind of weird.

Previously:

Gerson Garabito

Tyler Mahle

Kyle Higashioka

Adolis Garcia

Luis Curvelo

Alejandro Osuna

Blaine Crim

Jake Burger

Jacob Webb

Nick Ahmed

Jon Gray

Carl Edwards Jr.

Josh Jung

Leody Taveras

Dustin Harris

Marc Church

Luke Jackson

Danny Coulombe

Wyatt Langford

Dylan Moore

Michael Helman

Evan Carter

Cole Winn

Rowdy Tellez

Dane Dunning

Marcus Semien

Billy McKinney

Jose Corniell

Jonah Heim

Cody Freeman

Sam Haggerty

Jacob deGrom

Merrill Kelly

Caleb Boushley

For the first time since the spring training Grapefruit League slate began on February 20th, the New York Yankees will not play a baseball game today. Since we don’t have new Statcast data and game film to analyze, that makes today the perfect opportunity to kickstart what is, in my opinion, the best preseason series we do here at Pinstripe Alley: the annual Making the Team Meter.

For those new to Pinstripe Alley or who need a refresher: every year, we track the roster throughout the spring through this weekly series, helping fans keep pace with which players are most likely to break camp with the team. Here’s the key that we use:

As one can see, it’s fairly straightforward: red means that a player is almost certainly not going to make the roster, yellow tells us that a player has a shot if things break right, and green says, “We’ll see you in San Francisco for Opening Day on March 25th.”

Every spring, the pitching staff always generates the most discussion, and this year is no different. Heading into camp, the Yankees had a trio of starters already guaranteed to miss Opening Day — Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt, and Carlos Rodón — while the bullpen has seen almost a complete makeover since last spring and will have several spots up for grabs. Since the start of camp, though, minor injuries may have put more spots in play, while multiple top prospects have captured a lot of attention with their performance on the mound.

Note that, within this list, I use the FanGraphs Depth Chart to decide whether to mark a pitcher as either a starter or a reliever. Because of this, several pitchers on the roster bubble — particularly prospects and non-roster invites — will be listed as starters to represent the fact that they will fill out the Scranton rotation; if they make the major league club, however, there’s a good chance they’ll work out of the bullpen. We’re also a little more lenient with the yellow ratings this early in camp because some names can truly come out of nowhere to make an impression. Call it the 2021 Lucas Luetge Principle.

The Yankees’ plan for the starting rotation has been clear for months. Max Fried will almost certainly get the ball on Opening Day, 2025 playoff phenom Cam Schlittler will get the ball behind him, and some combination of 2024 Rookie of the Year, new trade acquisition Ryan Weathers, and the second-year Will Warren will fill out the rotation behind them.

Although at the moment, I still expect that to be the case, two major wrenches have been thrown into the conversation. One, Schlittler was sidelined early in the spring due to back inflammation, and although manager Aaron Boone says that he will be ready to go Opening Day even if he’s only built up to 70-80 pitches instead of the normal 90-100 you’re looking for, until we see him pitch in a spring training game, we can’t mark him down as a certainty. And two, Elmer Rodriguez has looked electric in his two spring training starts, striking out five and walking just one in six innings of work; sure, he has a long way to go towards seizing a starting job out of camp, but as Joe Girardi said on the YES broadcast, Jordan Montgomery was able to do exactly that in 2017. How quickly Schlittler returns to the mound, and how Rodriguez looks in the World Baseball Classic, could upend our calculus on the Yankees’ rotation, and bears watching.

The bullpen, on the other hand, is much more unsettled. David Bednar will be the closer. Camilo Doval and Fernando Cruz will work the late innings in front of him. Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough, and Paul Blackburn will be there too (although it must be noted that any of the latter two could wind up in the rotation depending on injuries). That leaves two spots up for grabs. The early favorites are probably Jake Bird, who the Yankees acquired at last year’s Trade Deadline, Angel Chivilli (a more recent Rockies trade acquistion), and Cade Winquest, who they acquired in the Rule 5 Draft and thus must stay on the active roster all year. But at this point, it’s far too early to truly rule anybody out.

Anybody except the Yankees’ top pitching prospects, that is. Is the idea of putting Carlos Lagrange and his 103-mph fastball in the bullpen to start the year enticing? For sure. Would the Yankees much prefer to keep him working as a starter and possibly bring him up in, say, July or August, and unleash that 103-mph fastball in the starting rotation? Absolutely.

Next, let’s take a look at the catchers.

Last year was the first time in literal years that the Yankees had a true battle for the backup catcher job in spring training. This year, we once again now from the beginning of the spring who the Yankees’ main catchers are …albeit with a catch (rimshot). Austin Wells is the starter, certainly, and should he get hurt, J.C. Escarra will probably slide into the starting job. But will he be continuously rostered, or will the Yankees opt to use Ben Rice as the backup catcher to keep his bat in the lineup when they want to play Paul Goldschmidt against a tough lefty? It’s unlikely, as the Yankees have yet to give Rice any time behind the plate this spring, but it’s still early.

That being said, if Rice exclusively plays first base this week, then we can safely assume it’ll be Wells and Escarra. One can’t fully rule out a last-second trade acquisition either, like when the Yankees brought Jose Trevino aboard days before Opening Day 2022 to join Kyle Higashioka in a better tandem behind the plate than the in-house options of the moment.

Last, and certainly not least, we have the rest of the position players:

Let’s get one thing out of the way from the beginning. Yes, I love Spencer Jones’ moonshot home runs. Yes, the idea of him hitting behind/in front of Aaron Judge and giving opposing pitchers something truly scary to think about is really, really enticing. The truth is, though, he’s not making the Opening Day roster, and he may not even get the call-up to the Show this season. Jones has regularly performed well in spring training, only to strike out a ton in the minor leagues, and while there’s hope that his new Ohtani-esque batting stance may help him cut down on the K’s, we need to see it in action over a long period of time in Triple-A before we’ll even have a chance to see it in the Bronx. The contact issues simply need to improve in games that matter.

Moving on, let’s turn to the real drama: the bench. Once the Yankees re-signed Paul Goldschmidt, the bench immediately got crowded, as Amed Rosario, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Jasson Domínguez appeared to have the three non-catcher bench spots locked up; in fact, it was this jam that led to the speculation that the team could use Rice as the backup catcher, freeing up another spot. The last two weeks, however, have significantly changed this calculus.

For starters, barring an injury to Giancarlo Stanton or one of the outfielders, it seems likely that the Yankees will start the Martian in Triple-A Scranton so he can get everyday at bats against left-handed pitchers and regular reps in left field; reinforcing this inclination is the team’s recent decision to sign Randal Grichuk, a corner outfielder who has historically crushed southpaws, to a minor-league deal worth $2.5 million if he makes the team. Then, it was reported that Oswaldo Cabrera’s ankle hasn’t quite recovered to the point where they’re comfortable having him practice sliding, and he seems to be on track to start the season on the IL. And lastly, the organization has given Paul DeJong the number 18 — and while vets on minor-league deals don’t typically receive high numbers like prospects generally do, such a low number suggests the Yankees may be inclined to have him start the season as the starting shortstop. With Anthony Volpe out, the team doesn’t have a true backup shortstop to Caballero, as Rosario doesn’t seem like a viable option there anymore and the only other remote alternative with Cabrera injured is the standard third baseman Ryan McMahon.

Right now, FanGraphs lists the Yankees’ bench as Escarra, Goldschmidt, Rosario, and Grichuk, with the latter three serving as platoon partners of sorts with Rice, McMahon, and Trent Grisham, respectively. Brendan Kuty and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic have Escarra, Goldschmidt, Rosario, and Cabrera, seemingly believing that the utilityman will get up to speed in time — although it must be noted that their projection came before Grichuk’s addition. Both projections ignore Max Schuemann and Jorbit Vivas, a pair of infielders who may have a leg up in the roster battle because they’re already on the 40-man roster.

Personally, I think FanGraphs is likely right on the nose here; the Yankees can cover all infield positions besides shortstop with Rosario, and if McMahon takes reps at shortstop as reported, they won’t need to worry about carrying a dedicated backup to Caballero to start the season. This flexibility allows them to focus on their main need, a right-handed bat to balance out their very left-handed lineup. But it’s March 3rd, and Opening Day is March 25th — a lot always changes between now and then.

And that is where the Yankees roster stands coming into today. Do you agree with our assessments? Tune in again next week to see how things change after another week of game action.

It’s a long-standing feature of this article to point out previous iterations of this article. When I wrote my first one eight years ago (holy crap, I’m getting old), the Rockies were trending in the right direction, and the ownership got precious little credit for it. So I wrote a string of articles focused on countering the narrative that the Monforts (“Cheapfarts”) didn’t want to spend to win, preferring to turn Coors Field into the best bar in LoDo. I stand by those takes at the time. 

Since then, an altogether different narrative has emerged: The Monforts were the baseball equivalent of the golden retriever wearing a necktie sitting at a computer. Sure, they demonstrated a willingness to spend their money on the roster, but after a Super Bullpen, the Ian Desmond Experiment, and especially the Kris Bryant Experience, it cannot be said that they had any idea what they were doing. Had the failures only been with the top-level signings while everything further down the roster functioned, we might be able to find a way to extend ample credit. Unfortunately, the “draft and develop” identity of roster construction has consistently failed to identify and develop MLB-level talent. The Rockies were increasingly viewed as a team stuck in the past, unable or unwilling to change. This was not only a narrative I had evidence with which to counter, but I believe these previews played a part in reinforcing it. 

That was the main theme of last year’s article, even with looming labor unrest between players and owners after the expiration of the 2026 collective bargaining agreement. While I did and do support MLB making structural changes (I wrote an only half-joking article last October titled “Contract the Dodgers”), my point then was that those changes would have no bearing on the Rockies because the team’s struggles ran deeper. At their core, the Rockies were dinosaurs stuck in the La Brea Tar Pits, with (most of) the rest of the league having evolved with the changing conditions of the game. And the reason they were stuck in those pits was because of loyalty, inability, or a tragic mix of both. (Stop picturing Dinger in tar pits! He’s a national treasure, you monster!)

So what should it tell us when a team that could never change actually changes? Yes, they have made changes before, but this time seems different somehow. This time, something at the core seems to have changed. My colleagues will address the front office and coaching staffs in the coming days, and there is a lot of evidence of structural change in those areas beyond mere swapping of personnel. But the changes manifesting at those levels start at the top. After three 100+ loss seasons, including a puncher’s chance at the modern loss record, the Monforts seem to have finally understood that the thing to do when you hit rock bottom is stop digging—you’re more likely to find tar at the bottom of that pit than oil. 

Obviously it’s too soon to tell: the team could improve by 19 games and still lose 100 again. But for those of us still left who care about the Rockies (and if you’re reading this article after the last four seasons, that includes you—and I just have to ask, who hurt you?), we may need to consider the possibility of hope. Yes, I know: it’s the hope that kills you. But we’ve been as good as dead with regard to hope for a long time with this team. And the way this offseason played out indicates that there is certainly something different happening. It remains to be seen whether or not “different” translates into improvement, and even if it does it may be a long time before we actually see results. After all, in sports as in life, nothing is guaranteed; there are only ever a small number of things in your control.

We may as well allow ourselves a little glimmer that we could be looking at the beginning of something…not big maybe, but at least not terrible. We should allow ourselves to hope, not only for the sake of our interactions with a (previously?) moribund baseball franchise in a cow town at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, but for the sake of what it may signal about our own lives.

After all, if Rockies ownership can change, who’s to say you, me, we, or they can’t change, too?

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

My dad turned 64 this weekend, and so far things are looking good. I still need him, and he’s been well-plied with an assortment of Thai food, homemade brioche and apple cobbler. He taught me about rhythm and keeping time one afternoon while we sat on the floor in his office, my clumsy five-year-old hands working hard to hit the one, TWO, three, FOUR of “Love Me Do” before giving up in the chaos of “Yesterday,” so there were lots of these jokes leading up to Saturday. 

Baseball isn’t really his thing. He’s more driven by nitrate-rich hot dogs than discourse around the hot corner, but we turned the radio on yesterday and midway through the seventh inning, as he sliced salami and cheese (are you sending a theme?), he looked up and asked, “Is this Shannon Drayer?” I was flabbergasted. 

“Wow. Um, yeah, it is.” And then, because meat isn’t the only thing this man thrives on, “Great job, Dad! I’m shocked – and so impressed!”

He smiled, pleased to still be surprising me. “Of course I know her. She was so nice to my girl, I’ll always remember that.”

Almost a decade ago, I was granted Mariners media credentials for a freelance piece I’d pitched without considering the consequences of my actions. Namely, that in order to write said piece, I’d have to actually conduct interviews with the players. I was so petrified of appearing as young, foolish and inexperienced as I was, I did something absurd. I asked for help. Specifically, I sent a message to Shannon Drayer on Twitter (rip), asking for any tips about how to navigate the clubhouse. Rather than send me some vague info, or leave me on read, or any of the other things she would have been well within her rights to do, she replied and said I could meet her in the press box and shadow her as needed that day. Sure enough, I arrived hours before first pitch, heart pounding, and there she was. I followed her everywhere, as she introduced me to folks, kindly explained the unwritten rules of the clubhouse, helped me navigate the elevators and did her best to get me in front of the players I needed to talk to. I’d never felt like a more grateful duckling, and it solidified me as a Shannon fan for life.

This is a long-winded series of anecdotes to get to the real question, but it’s an off-day during Spring Training and we are a community, not (just) a soulless pit of letters and numbers. Sometimes it’s nice to channel the beloved old-school blogger vibes. Anyway, what’s one of your favorite baseball celeb memories? Did you almost step on Mike Leake while he was lying on the floor? Did you lose by a country mile to Jonatan Clase in a foot race? Did you have to chase after a perhaps-not-sober Wade Boggs on a golf course? Did you flag a random guy over during BP to ask for an autograph without knowing who he was, only to show the accompanying picture to your family and learn it was mid-Cy Young Award-winning season Blake Snell? Did you have a near-death experience after choking on your coffee when Félix Hernández walked into Chace’s Pancake Corral while you were enjoying your Tuesday morning ritual? Lay it all on me (or try to guess which of these examples is made up)

March has suddenly snuck up on us, which means actual real baseball will begin in earnest later this month. We’ll get to experience the thrill of the World Baseball Classic once it begins in a few days, but the curtain raising on the MLB season is mere weeks away at this point. That means rosters are starting to get formed and while injuries may still have their say in which team gets assembled in what way, the basic skeleton of the Phillies is likely already in place.

Roster projections are nothing new and help us get ready for the games, so making one is something of a warm up for the year. We have done this already once this season, so now, a month later, it seems appropriate to do so one more time. Let’s take another stab at what the final 26-man roster is going to look like.

Catcher – J.T. Realmuto, Rafael Marchan

While Realmuto is entrenched at the starter’s position, it’s the backup spot that is more interesting. There has been no indication that Garrett Stubbs is an immediate threat to taking the job back from Marchan, yet it doesn’t seem implausible that it could happen. Doing so would require the team moving on from Marchan in either a trade or a waiver placement, something they might be loathe to do so as to protect whatever catching depth they might possess.

Yet there might be a tinge of merit to the idea that Stubbs’ familiarity with the incoming ABS system might be somewhat beneficial to the team. Having had a full-ish season in Lehigh Valley with the system might be attractive in a weird sort of way. Couple that with his having worked for most of the season with Andrew Painter, an increasingly important part of the 2026 Phillies, and there could be a benefit to his remaining Realmuto’s caddy. In the end, that meager “upgrade” over Marchan probably isn’t worth a roster change, but it’s at least something to pay attention to as the spring games continue.

Infield – Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, Edmundo Sosa, Otto Kemp

This group is six remains the same as nothing has changed about what may or may not happen with alignment. Outside of a surprise trade this late in the game, these will be the infielders. There is always the chance that Dylan Moore sneaks in as that 26th man that gets cut almost immediately, but he just hasn’t done much of anything this spring to warrant getting additional serious looks.

What, were you expecting Rhys Hoskins?

Outfield – Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford, Adolis Garcia, Johan Rojas

No change here either, yet the specter of Bryan de la Cruz hovering in the corner and taking over for Rojas is very real.

Designated hitter – Kyle Schwarber

Easiest choice there is.

Starting rotation – Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Taijuan Walker, Andrew Painter

Again, no changes. If anything, Rob Thomson might be chiseling this starting five in a stone tablet as opposed to writing in pencil. The reports around Painter and his re-emerging arm slot have invigorated the coaching staff and lent credence to the idea that last season was more of a rumble strip that woke him up on his path to Philadelphia. A full season of pitching after having sat out for two seasons will wear a body down, but now with a full offseason behind him and the major league coaching staff getting their hands on him, optimism is high.

Sunday’s outing helps as well.

Relief pitching – Jhoan Duran, Jose Alvarado, Brad Keller, Tanner Banks, Orion Kerkering, Zach McCambley, Kyle Backhus, Jonathan Bowlan

The reporting surrounding Kyle Backhus, coupled with the views that we have seen from him, are likely landing him the final bullpen spot. A slight uptick in velocity to go with his general funkiness on the mound are going to cause headaches for opposing batters.

McCambley is possibly teetering at this point as he either make the team or goes back to Miami thanks to Rule 5 draft rules. That return to the Marlins possibly happens whenever Wheeler is ready to return to the rotation, but if he, McCambley, can continue to get outs during spring training games, the team might lean into the idea of keeping optionable pitchers in Lehigh Valley to continue to preserve depth for the long season ahead.

Injured list – Zack Wheeler

Wheeler throwing off a mound already is good news for the team, though caution will still the rule of the day. An early May return looks like the best outcome as some minor league rehab starts will probably be needed before the team waves the green flag on his season.

This year’s edition of the World Baseball Classic gets under way on what is, to us, Wednesday night with games kicking off in Tokyo. Most teams will be playing exhibitions against a major league club on Tuesday or Wednesday with their pool play beginning on Friday. The Orioles players who are on these rosters will not be back in camp until their team has been eliminated from the tournament.

Here’s the players from the Orioles organization who are on WBC rosters and the schedules for their teams:

USA

• Gunnar Henderson

The star Orioles shortstop is the lone American representative this time around. He might be playing third base rather than shortstop, with Royals infielder Bobby Witt Jr. expected to get a lot of reps at short.

Schedule and opponents

Pool play in Houston, Texas

• March 3: Exhibition vs. Giants, 3pm, ESPN
• March 6: vs. Brazil (road team), 8pm, Fox
• March 7: vs. Great Britain (home team), 8pm, Fox
• March 9: vs. Mexico (home team), 8pm, Fox
• March 10: vs. Italy (home team), 9pm, FS1

Canada

• Tyler O’Neill
• Micah Ashman

The Canadian outfielder O’Neill continued his Opening Day home run streak in his home country last year. He’s looked good so far this spring. Don’t get hurt while playing for Team Canada! Ashman, a reliever, was acquired from the Tigers for Charlie Morton last July.

Schedule and opponents

Pool play in San Juan, PR

• March 3: Exhibition vs. Blue Jays, 1:07, MLB Network
• March 7: vs. Colombia (home team), 11am, FS2
• March 8: vs. Panama (home team), 7pm, FS2
• March 10: vs. Puerto Rico (road team), 7pm, FS2
• March 11: vs. Cuba (road team), 3pm, FS2

Great Britain

• Ryan Long

It’s a running joke on Camden Chat that Long is a distant cousin of our writer Stacey. Long, 26, was a 17th round pick in 2021 who has mostly topped out at the Double-A level.

Schedule and opponents

Pool play in Houston, Texas

• March 6: vs. Mexico (home team), 1pm, FS1
• March 7: vs. USA (road team), 8pm, Fox
• March 8: vs. Italy (road team), 1pm, tubi
• March 9: vs. Brazil (home team), 1pm, tubi

Israel

• Dean Kremer

There are a number of MLB-experienced players on the Israel roster and one of them is Kremer, who might even be the best pitcher this team has.

Schedule and opponents

Pool play in Miami, Florida

• March 7: vs. Venezuela (road team), 7pm, FS2
• March 8: vs. Nicaragua (home team), 7pm, tubi
• March 9: vs. Dominican Republic (home team), 12pm, FS1
• March 10: vs. Netherlands (road team), 7pm, Fox Sports

Panama

• Enrique Bradfield Jr.

We know he’s good on defense and we know he’s fast on the bases. Can he threaten enough power to be a decent major league regular? Mostly we’ll find out at Triple-A this year, though if he gets to face some MLB-caliber pitching in the WBC, that won’t be bad for him either.

Schedule and opponents

Pool play in San Juan, PR

• March 6: vs. Cuba (home team), 11am, FS2
• March 7: vs. Puerto Rico (road team), 6pm, FS1
• March 8: vs. Canada (road team), 7pm, FS2
• March 9: vs. Colombia (home team), 12pm, FS2

Puerto Rico

• Jose Espada
• Rico Garcia
• Luis Vázquez

All three of these players appeared for the Orioles last season, although none had a major role. Garcia has a spot penciled in that’s his in the bullpen. Espada could make it as well. Vázquez has an opportunity to take a utility spot given that both Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg are starting the season on the injured list.

Schedule and opponents

Pool play in San Juan, PR

• March 6: vs. Colombia (road team), 6pm, FS1
• March 7: vs. Panama (home team), 6pm, FS1
• March 9: vs. Cuba (road team), 7pm, FS1
• March 10: vs. Canada (home team), 7pm, tubi

Reserve players

The following players are on the Designated Pitcher Pool for their teams, meaning they are not on the active initial roster but could be added between rounds:

• Australia: Kailen Hamson
• Dominican Republic: Yaramil Hiraldo
• Mexico: Nestor German

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Spring training continues this afternoon, and I've got a pair of moneyline selections for our MLB picks.

See why I like Jameson Taillon and the Chicago Cubs, among other selections, on Monday, March 2.

Spring Training predictions for March 2

Pick	Odds
CHC moneyline	-105
/ Over 7.5	-110
KC moneyline	+125

Pick #1: Cubs moneyline

Jameson Taillon hasn't had the greatest start to spring, surrendering four home runs in 3 2/3 innings of work across two starts, but that's why they play the spring games. It takes time to warm up.

The Chicago Cubs will look to rough up Cincinnati Reds righty Brady Singer, who makes his first appearance this spring. He doesn't miss a ton of bats, and if his command isn't sharp, he'll put Cincy in an early hole.

Pick #2: Marlins/Cardinals Over 7.5

I simply love it when we get spring totals below 10. I know the projected lineups are factored in, and neither the Miami Marlins nor the St. Louis Cardinals figures to be among MLB's best offenses. 

However, Adam Mazur and Andre Pallante have typically pitched to contact over their careers, and that can make things go south in a hurry. There are also some intriguing bats slated to be in the lineups, like Marlins catcher Joe Mack and first baseman Deyvison De Los Santos, and Cardinals second baseman J.J. Wetherholt.

Pick #3: Royals moneyline

I am very curious about what Grayson Rodriguez will bring to the Los Angeles Angels after being acquired from the Orioles this offseason. A former top pitching prospect, the righty missed all of 2025 with injury. Working his way back, he's bound to be shaky, as he showed by issuing three walks in 1 1/3 innings in his previous start.

His upside is through the roof, but I'll take the Kansas City Royals at plus money here, especially if Rodriguez puts the Angels in too deep of an early hole. If the total opens at 10.5 or lower, I'd be all about the Over, as well. 

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.