Thirty-four years on from Mickey Thomas’ winner against Arsenal, the Welsh club seek statement win over Chelsea
“It’s just surreal,” says the former Wrexham midfielder Mickey Thomas, scorer of arguably the club’s most famous goal. When he helped strike down Arsenal, the reigning English champions, in the FA Cup third round in 1992, he could not have expected 34 years later to be regularly rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s biggest stars, regaling them with the story of how he smashed a free-kick past David Seaman.
In recent years, Wrexham have welcomed a glittering array of famous Hollywood guests to Cae Ras, thanks to Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, who often invite Thomas to the owners’ box. The north Wales town has become a hotbed for famous faces, all given the warmest welcome by a club enjoying a meteoric rise.
(Original Caption) Among those who reported for the press on the 1926 World Series were these well known celebrities of the baseball world. Seen grouped together just before the start of the second game in Yankee Stadium, they are (left to right) Miller Huggins, Nick Altrock, Babe Ruth, John McGraw and Rogers Hornsby.
The title is actually a misnomer, as the book focuses specifically on the year 1926. Overall, I found it to be a great examination of the key events both on the diamond and off it. Without delving into as much detail as Wolf, I thought it would be fun to hit some of the key points of what MLB was like a literal century ago.
To set the scene, we’re talking about a league year in which…
No team resided west of St. Louis
The rosin bag was introduced
The sacrifice fly came into being
Satchel Paige made his debut for the still-developing Negro Leagues (they would draw between 3,000-5,000 fans for their World Series contests that year)
In the wider world of sports, Gertrude Ederle attempted the first-ever female English Channel swim (a feat immortalized in this under-the-radar but surprisingly effective film) while Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney traded fisticuffs in the squared circle. Perhaps the biggest baseball fan to ever reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave was in office: not Calvin Coolidge—wife Grace.
A game-fixing scandal involving star players Ty Cobb & Tris Speaker was an extremely sensitive topic for MLB officials in the wake of the 1919 World Series. Though neither player was convicted in a court of law—some conveniently-lost documents saw to that—they both received a harsh reprimand from Commisioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis and were ostensibly forced to leave their long-standing clubs to finish up their careers.
Between the white lines…
Heinie Manush (DET) led the league with a .378 BA
Babe Ruth (NYY) swept all the power categories: 1.253 OPS, 47 HR, 153 RBI, 139 R
George Uhle (CLE) was the wins (27) & IP (318.1) king
Lefty Grove (PHA) presided over Ks (194) & ERA (2.51)
The respective league MVPs were quite interesting as well…
Somehow, 1B George Burns (CLE) ousted the AL’s Bambino with this line: 5.2 WAR, 216 H, 64 2B, 115 RBI, .358 BA, 130 OPS+
In the NL, C Bob O’Farrell (STL) (3.9 WAR, 144 H, 30 2B, 9 3B, .293 BA, 112 OPS+) took home hardware in large part due to his handling of the Cardinals pitching staff
When the dust settled, it was a Yankees (91-63) versus Cardinals (89-65) World Series.
Through six games, the Fall Classic had been a taut, thrilling affair. As usual, the Sultan of Swat presided. In Game 1, he ripped his pants sliding and the team tailor ran onto the field to sew them up, causing a 15 minute delay. Before Game 4, Ruth promised a critically-ill 11-year old boy—Johnny Sylvester—that he’d sock a home run for him. The Maharajah of Might mashed three dingers just to be safe.
The season’s most indelible moment would occur in Game 7. With the Cards up 3-2, the Yanks loaded the bases with two outs in the 7th inning. Despite pitching a complete game the day before, veteran Grover Cleveland Alexander was summoned from the pen. Ambling to the bump without so much as a stretch, Ol’ Pete tossed three spheres toward the dish and called his arm good.
Tony Lazzari—a rookie on the verge of stardom—dug in and sent an Alexander attempt deep, far, and…foul. Whether by inches or feet is known only to the 38,093 paid at the House That Ruth Built. Reprieve given, Grover got a third strike by Tony and STL escaped the jam.
With the visitors still clinging to a one-run lead and riding Alexander to the finish, Ruth represented the last hope for the Bronx Bombers. On a 3-2 count, the STL ace did the smart thing and let the Babe trot to first base (instead of tie the game). What happened next is one of the most inexplicable plays in the history of the World Series.
With Bob Meusel (120 OPS+) & Lou Gehrig (153 OPS+) due up, the Big Fella—he of 11 SB & 9 CS in ’26—decamped for second base on the first pitch! O’Farrell threw a seed to Rogers Hornsby who slapped the tag down on Ruth. Game over. World Series over. Theeeeeee Yankees lose.
Imagine the second-guessing in today’s media landscape?! In that more innocent time: Ruth got up, shook the Rajah’s hand, and jogged off the field.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 18: Sean Sullivan #85 of the Colorado Rockies poses for a portrait during photo day at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 18, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In 2025, 13 different Rockies made their MLB debuts. The list includes
Of the 13, eight were sent back down to Triple-A Albuquerque for performance issues or as part of rehab assignments for injuries or bereavement (Agnos). While it’s not unusual to yo-yo a bit in the course of an MLB player’s development, for the Rockies, some players were forced to come up before they were ready because of lack of depth.
Only seven of the 13 ended the season on the 26-man roster.
Of the 13, only nine remain with the team this spring.
Fernández was released and is now in the Yankees minor league system.
Darnell was waived and is now in the Tigers farm syst…
Bernabel elected free agency and is now in the farm system for the Washington Nationals.
As spring training continues, the Rockies’ new front office and revamped coaching staff will be making hard decisions about who makes the roster, especially in terms of which prospects might be ready and who might need more time to develop.
When to make the call
When it comes to deciding when a player is ready to be promoted to the Major League roster, Rockies new GM Josh Byrnes said there aren’t “hard and fast rules.” It’s just a matter of going back to the plan that the player has been tracking toward and making sure they are ready for the harsh reality of life in The Show.
He wants to make sure that players get a fair shake and at least 40 plate appearances at the MLB level.
“Hitting is so hard in the big leagues. It’s not easy … it’s turbo stuff, game planning, defense, everything, making it hard on you. There’s no soft spots. So it’s just even the mental game of baseball,” Brynes said. “It’s like, you’re going to go have 40 plate appearances, and there’s no soft underbelly. It’s just not how the Major Leagues is.”
At Rockies Fest in January, new assistant pitching coach Gabe Ribas also talked about the importance of having a process to know when a player is ready. He, too, emphasized the value of communication and talking with the player and staff throughout the organization, so that the decision isn’t just based on a player’s recent Minor League performance.
“[We also look at] player playing goals, some work ethic things, routines, if they have enough chronic workload buildup. But you also do want to see him perform, right? So there is a process that needs to lead to winning and competitiveness and all of those things,” Ribas said, adding that there isn’t a computer screen that lights up green when a player is ready.
“There’s a human element. They’re taking into account their development path, their interaction with coaches, what their hard skills are, what their soft skills are.”
Brian Jones, Colorado’s director of research and development, believes it’s important to look at elements off the field as well.
“There’s other things going on, right? Are they a good teammate? Are they doing the things in the weight room like they’re supposed to? So there’s a lot of factors we talk about, like, is this guy mature enough to handle these responsibilities?” Jones said at Rockies Fest.
“It’s not just having some success on the field and looking like he should be called up. So there’s a ton of things that go into being Major League ready. It’s not just looking at the stats.”
Who to look for
When it comes to thinking about which prospects the Rockies have in their farm system, Ribas is encouraged — especially when it comes to pitchers.
He specifically said 23-year-old RHP Brody Brecht (No. 3 PuRP) — the Rockies’ No. 38 overall pick from the 2024 Draft, who played in Single-A Fresno in 2025 — and Sean Sullivan (No. 8 PuRP) — the Rockies’ second-round pick from 2023 who played for the Single-A Grizzlies and Double-A Yard Goats last season — stand out.
He also has high hopes for Gabriel Hughes (No. 12 PuRP), who has had a bumpy path with injuries, but still has the stuff that made him the No. 10 overall pick in the 2022 Draft.
“I have three years of experience of being in the draft room, and every year I walked away from our Tigers draft saying the Rockies had a great pitching class. Like, there are real arms coming out of here,” Ribas said.
“Everybody in this room should be really excited about some of the pitchers that are going to show up here in Denver this year because I think the draft strategy has been good. It will be refined. We’ll communicate and collaborate more frequently, but there has been a lot of exciting arms infused into this organization. So get to know their names. There’s a lot of good ones.”
Jones shares the same excitement.
“I think there’s a lot of unique guys that we have that are gonna be fun to see how they develop,” Jones said. “I mean, you have guys that are hard throwers and guys that are deceptive.”
Jones also highlighted Sullivan, who doesn’t have the velocity like some young arms, but has traits that don’t rely on movement as much — like a later release point — that are altitude-friendly.
“The slot is unique and he’s left handed, so it’s coming from the A [slot], that you typically don’t see,” Jones said. “You saw Jimmy Herget last year. [He’s] not the hardest thrower, but has some weirdness to him. So weird is pretty good.”
Jones also shouted out Welinton Herrera (No. 17 PuRP), the 21-year-old LHP who the Rockies signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2021.
“One guy you might see sooner than some others could be Welinton Herrera,” Jones said. “He throws really hard. He also has a slider that he’s been working on, so you will see that show up here.”
For a team that struggled with promoting young pitchers in 2025, hopefully, Rockies pitching prospects fare better in 2026.
Charlie Condon (no. 1 PuRP), Ethan Holliday (no. 2 PuRP), and several other top prospects will be in action for the Spring Breakout game on March 21 vs. the top prospects from the Arizona Diamondbacks. This year’s showdown will be the third installment of the new spring training tradition that gives fans a glimpse into what their future rosters might look like.
Rockies fans are accustomed to finding their team at the bottom of MLB lists — and for good reason. After all, the Rockies lost 119 games last year. Heading into the 2026 season, the Rockies aren’t at the bottom of Mike Petriello’s list. Instead, they are one of four teams in Tier 8, one that is dubbed “Lots of losses ahead, but finally headed in the right direction.”
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 3: Carter Jensen #22 of the Kansas City Royals throws a warm up toss during a World Baseball Classic exhibition game against Team Cuba at Surprise Stadium on March 3, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In 2026, MLB Spring Breakout will again be a four-day event showcasing baseball’s future — the current stars of Minor League Baseball – in 16 exhibition games played between teams composed of each MLB organization’s top prospects. The third edition will be held from March 19-22 at Grapefruit and Cactus League stadiums during Spring Training.
In 2027, Spring Breakout will be expanded into a single-elimination tournament format, with champions being crowned in both the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues.
I give Manfred a lot of grief for, well, the giant pile of stuff he’s earned it for. But I like the Spring Breakout game – it’s a cool idea. And I like that they’re tinkering with it to make it even better. Next year’s format will give something to half pay attention to during that time when Spring Training starts to drag on in the second half of March.
“When you play representing your country, it’s different,” Perez said. “It’s a unique feeling. It’s like a seventh game in a World Series; something that players have to be there and to get excited when they hear the fans or the people from Venezuela supporting you, when you hear the national anthem.”
In one of the true great American debates, Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. has taken his stance.
It’s Whataburger over In-N-Out. Regardless of what his West Coast teammates say.
“They’re always on me, like In-N-Out is better, this and that,” Witt said. “I don’t really give them time of day. I know in my heart what I taste.”
We’re going to talk about this for a second. Thankfully, this isn’t a California-based blog or I might get some hate mail. But I don’t get the love for In-N-Out. And I’m grading it against other fast-food burgers – I’m not expecting to find culinary nirvana here. But even on that scale, it’s a really generic hamburger. But, hey, if you speak some secret code language, you can make it slightly less generic. Slightly. Best I can tell is that it’s the local childhood comfort food for a lot of people on the West Coast. And they attach that sentimental value to a really mediocre food product.*
*I could link to all the silliness of us plebes dunking on CEOs awkwardly trying their own food. But it got Mickey D’s more publicity than if they had spent millions on a Super Bowl ad so who really is the sucker, here.
It sounds highly unlikely to pass (as governments love handouts to billionaires), but a Missouri state senator is trying to pull back some of the state’s funding offer for the Royals:
Sen. Tracy McCreery, a St. Louis Democrat, introduced a bill repealing the “Show Me Sports Investment Act,” a bill passed during a special session last year offering state funding for up to 50% of stadium costs for professional sports teams.
The bill was the state’s largest effort to retain the teams after Jackson County voters rejected a proposal to renew a ⅜ cent sales tax from 2031 to 2071 to build a new Royals stadium and renovate Arrowhead.
“The Chiefs have announced they’re moving to Kansas, and as far as I can tell, the Royals have not indicated that this legislation is going to help them stay in the state,” McCreery said.
There were a couple of posts from the Royals about Royals.tv being available starting yesterday. Do with that what you will:
The Royals official Reddit account talked about it, too. (I think that’s the Royals official Reddit account – I guess I have no way of verifying that)
I don’t think anyone linked to this Davy Andews Fangraphs story from yesterday about the Royals signing Starling Marte:
Still, you can see what the Royals are doing here. Caglianone is young and exciting, and despite the ugly numbers, he ran a .321 xwOBA last year, miles above his .239 wOBA. If he learns some plate discipline and breaks out, he’ll break out in a big way, and his ugly outfield defense is likely to improve regardless. If Collins can play at something approaching his 2025 level, if Thomas can raise the meager offensive bar in center, if Marte can chip in some above-average hitting, this outfield could be good. Like, actually good. None of this is guaranteed. Some of it is unlikely. But it’s possible, and it creates a lot more margin for error than the Kansas City outfield has had in a long time.
It’s possible we have not yet seen the best of Pasquatch. Pasquantino is a popular player and an easy guy to root for. The big guy is friendly, active on social media, and has a love for baseball analytics. He is one of just eight hitters averaging 105 or more RBIs over the last two seasons, and that’s with missing 33 games. He maintained a BB/K over 1.00 in the minors, and though it’s 0.61 in the majors, that is still above big-league average, and he’s a tough guy to punch out (13.5% career strikeout rate). Pasquantino set a career high in homers with 32 last season. Models project a slight regression, around 27, which is a very reasonable expectation. Those doubting 40 is possible would point toward league-average power metrics, such as a 91 average EV, 9% barrel rate, 45% hard-hit rate, and .191 ISO.
Moreover, his bat speed (72.5) is mediocre, and his launch angle of 16.6 degrees over the last two seasons could use a slight increase. Pasquantino’s plate discipline has been slowly waning over these past few years, and with Kauffman Stadium’s outfield walls moving in, Vinnie P might be interested in selling out a bit of contact (85% career) for more power. Kauffman’s dimension shifts are a big deal. The left and right field fences are coming in by 9-10 feet, and the wall heights are reduced by up to 18 inches. There is no debate about more homers being hit there in 2026 than in past seasons. Vinnie P may not be a batting average stalwart like he was in the minors and his rookie season, but that’s ok because the HR/RBI numbers will be epic. I believe the Royals will win the AL Central, and that Pasquantino crushes 40 this year.
Biggest question: Will Jac Caglianone be the hitter they need?
There’s a lot to like about the Royals as they angle to notch a third straight winning season in 2026. There’s rotation depth, and ace Cole Ragans is a bounce-back candidate this season. The Matt Strahm signing was a nice targeted strike that improves the bullpen. Bobby Witt Jr. will likely be in the American League MVP race once again and Maikel Garcia is one of the most underrated players in the game. They could, however, use additional power to complement what’s provided by Witt, Salvador Perez, and Vinnie Pasquantino. That brings us to Caglianone. The University of Florida product and the No. 6 overall pick of the 2024 Draft has big-time power, but getting to that power against more advanced competition is an issue thanks to his occasional swing-and-miss problems. Across 232 plate appearances with KC last season as a rookie, Cags had an OPS+ of just 49 and chased pitches outside the zone way too often. None of this is overly concerning for a 22 year old who was facing big-league pitching for the first time, but the Royals need Caglianone to flip the switch in 2026. Last season, KC ranked 26th in MLB in home runs and 18th in slugging, and Caglianone could address those deficits in direct fashion if he finds something close to his expected level of production in 2026.
Tier 6: The “what if you have a top-5 pitcher and hitter” zone?
The rosters have questions, but having a pair of superstars would sure paper over a lot of issues. Royals Pirates
It’s now been more than a decade since either of these teams did anything of note; the 2015 season where the Pirates won 98 games and the Royals won 95 and a ring seems like it came a century ago. But nor are we in the darkest days of 100-loss rebuild seasons, either, and a big part of that is simple: Superstars…
The Royals already have the hitting superstar in Bobby Witt Jr., potentially a second in Jac Caglianone, who is impressing this spring, and possibly even a third, depending on how strongly you feel about Maikel Garcia’s breakout. What they’re missing is a true ace to lead a rotation that has pretty good depth, but no one you ideally want starting Game 1 of a playoff series. Unless, of course, they do. Two seasons ago, Cole Ragans looked like that ace. Last year, he missed time with a shoulder issue, but also seemingly took a big step back with a 4.67 ERA. But he also increased his strikeout rate by a lot, and the underlying metrics were excellent (2.67 xERA), and so far as the health goes – so far, so good this spring. A healthy, productive Ragans changes everything.
Blogs!
At Inside the Crown ($), David Lesky tries to project the pitching half of the roster:
Overall, I think the pitching will continue to be the number one strength of this club. There are regression candidates at both levels, but I also think there’s enough depth with this group that if someone does struggle or get hurt that there is an ability to cover the innings. I think the two guys who are absolutely needed, and Soren and I talked about this on a recent podcast, are Ragans and Erceg. Losing either is a bigger blow than losing any other pitcher on the staff. I’d argue Strahm could be in there as well, given that he’s the lefty who can get strikeouts, but I think they can figure out how to cover that too. And, truly, they’d cover Ragans or Erceg, but I don’t think anyone has the upside for the season of either of those two. Even with that, the Royals should find themselves in games because of this group, and if the offense can reach its potential, it’ll be enough to win a lot of games.
Cool to see that Mike Gillespie found a new home. They’re assembling quite a writing team over at Royals Keep. Today, Gillespie does roster projections:
No matter what happens in spring games, at least four things are certain about the outfield. Isbel will start in center, Caglianone will get a shot at right field redemption after his horrendous 2025 debut (so far, so good — he’s slashing .400/.550/.733 this spring), newcomer Isaac Collins is the left fielder, and Starling Marte is here to play. Isbel’s defense is too good to pass up, and Caglianone’s potential is too great to ignore. The club acquired Collins to boost its everyday outfield offense, not its bench depth, and newcomer Marte’s .270/.335/.410 line and nine homers in 98 games with the 2025 Mets prove he has something left to offer. Marte and Thomas won’t play every day, but expect Quatraro to get them in the lineup often.
We’re going to do a traditional Friday Rumblings OT down below. But if video games aren’t your jam, let’s throw something else out there.
We’re starting to get well clear of the holiday season and into Spring, even if the weather doesn’t feel like it
Do you have travel planning for the upcoming year that you want to share with everyone? Where are you going? Where would you like to go? Anything on that pesky bucket list that you’d like to mark off?
As mentioned above, we’re going to do an old school Friday OT and look at a video game we haven’t before.
Considering the franchise’s place in video game history, we haven’t looked at Super Mario Bros all that much:
My son caught me playing Super Mario Bros 3 one day and he wanted to try. While it’s an amazing game, it’s relentlessly hard with the steep learning curve that many (most) NES games had.
After some frustration, he wanted to know if there was an easier Mario game. While he wanted to try SMB2, it’s not really a true Mario game (Doki Doki Panic reskin). So I suggested Super Mario World, which is (a little) more forgiving. Also, I’m always happy to introduce him to games that have appeared on “greatest games ever created” lists.
He’s had a lot of fun with it, particularly with dad’s help. I’ve caught him trying to grind levels without me, which makes “dad me” proud and “12-year-old me” give a nod of respect. We’re still barely halfway through the game and that’s not even counting the 96 exits. I’m just talking about the levels without the secret exits.
It changed the flying mechanic from SMB3’s raccoon tail to a feather that gives Mario a cape. The cape feather can first be found in Donut Plains 1, and it had a perfect tutorial area to practice flying and get extra lives.
Of course, this is the game that introduced the iconic Yoshi. I loved that different shells gave him four different powers. Then, when you get to Star World, you could get Yoshis of different colors.
Speaking of Star World, anyone who got there remembered what came after that. Yes, it was the Special Zone. Those were the hard levels with 90s names like Gnarly, Tubular, and Mondo.
Finally, there was World 7. There were multiple ways you could get to Bowser. You could go through the straightforward Front Door . Or take secret exits to the Back Door.
For our Song of the Day, you can just skip straight to the end of the game:
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 14: Fox Sports announcer Jason Benetti before a Hall of Fame Series college basketball game between the Connecticut Huskies and the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Madison Square Garden on December 14, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images). | Getty Images
If you watch the Tigers during the regular season, you have likely grown to know and love the voice of Jason Benetti. He started with the club as the Tiger’s primary play-by-play announcer in the 2024 season, and while he hasn’t been around long—he was with the White Sox before coming to Detroit—he has become a beloved part of the Tigers home-viewing experience. He tempers his vast knowledge of the game with an enthusiastic sense of fun and whimsy, and brings out the best in whoever happens to be sharing a booth with him for the games. Even the stodgiest color commentator becomes a joyful co-conspirator when Benetti is seated alongside him.
Well, starting in the 2026 season, the Tigers are going to need to share Benetti with a national broadcast audience. He has been hired as the new lead play-by-play announcer for NBC’s Sunday Night Baseball. While this, thankfully, does not mean Benetti is bidding farewell to the Tigers, it does mean we’ll get a different voice for television broadcasts on Sundays while he works for the national crew. I, for one, won’t mind this if it means we get to steal the sonorous delights of Dan Dickerson on the TV broadcasts once a week, but the official slate of announers for those games remains to be seen (or heard).
This is wonderful news, indeed, for Benetti, who is perhaps one of the best announcers currently working in baseball, and deserves to be heard by a wider audience. As long as it doesn’t make him consider leaving Detroit, of course.
Here’s the statement from the Tigers on the announcement.
The new voice of Sunday Night Baseball on @NBCSports! 👏
We are grateful to have @jasonbenetti as part of our Tigers family and you can continue to catch him calling Tigers games all season long. pic.twitter.com/ongPx2Frf9
The Mets’ Spring Breakout roster pool has been announced, and plenty of the team’s top prospects will partake in that game against Rays prospects on March 19.
Mike Petriello ranked teams in tiers heading into the 2026 season, and the Mets are in his third tier alongside the Braves and Orioles as teams that missed the playoffs last year but seem likely to make them this year.
Sandy Alcantara, who’s looking to put up much better numbers this year than he did after returning from injury last year, struck out four in a spring training game.
The Dodgers are continuing to work with the family of Andrew Toles, having provided support for the former outfielder through his mental health struggles over the past several years.
What a tremendous time to be a fan of baseball. We have Spring Training underway, getting an early look at how our beloved teams will shape up this season. And on top of that, the World Baseball Classic is officially underway. This means everywhere we look, there’s baseball to watch and talk about, and all before the regular season gets going at the end of this month.
We’ve got lots of little WBC tidbits in today’s news, plus some discussion of baseball’s top prospects, and one major league pitcher who might be starting to worry his team.
It’s Friday, so grab a coffee, kick back, and get your daily dose of baseball news in.
The new voice of Sunday Night Baseball on @NBCSports! 👏
We are grateful to have @jasonbenetti as part of our Tigers family and you can continue to catch him calling Tigers games all season long. pic.twitter.com/ongPx2Frf9
NORTH PORT, FL - MARCH 04: Members of the Atlanta Braves celebrate a win after the game between the Team Columbia and the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park on Wednesday, March 4, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Grace Hoppel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves continued trimming down the roster Thursday, announcing five more cuts. Jhancarlos Lara was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett, while Austin Pope, Jim Jarvis, Alex Lodise and Luke Waddell were reassigned to minor league camp. After these moves, there are 54 active players in camp.
None of the moves come as much of a surprise as the Braves begin the gradual process of shaping their Opening Day roster. With several established players already locked into big-league roles, many of the early cuts were expected to come from the group of younger depth pieces and non-roster invites still getting their first looks in big-league camp.
More Braves News:
Spencer Strider and the Braves were victorious during Thursday’s 9-5 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
The full 40-man Spring Breakout Roster is here! Cam Caminiti, JR Ritchie, and John Gil headline the list.
Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies compete against each other in the World Baseball Classic this afternoon, and here’s everything you need to know.
Hours after acquiring left winger Warren Foegele for a combination of draft picks, the Senators alleviated their logjam of depth forwards.
With news that Stephen Halliday was an extra forward and that Kurtis MacDermid was drawing into the lineup against the Calgary Flames, there was speculation that his future could be clouded ahead of tomorrow’s trade deadline.
Instead, it is veteran forward David Perron who is headed out the door.
The organization announced that they had moved the impending unrestricted free agent to the division rival Detroit Red Wings for a conditional fourth-round pick. The conditions of the pick are outlined as follows: provided Perron plays in a regular season game for the Wings before the end of the year, Ottawa will receive a 2026 fourth-round pick. If the Red Wings advance to the second round of the postseason and Perron plays in more than 50 percent of the games, that fourth-round pick will become a 2026 third.
Perron has not played since the Senators’ January 20th game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The winger has missed the past 12 games after undergoing sports hernia surgery.
When healthy, the 37-year-old proved he still was an effective player. In 49 games with the Senators this season, he scored 10 goals and had 25 points while providing the strong underlying metrics that have traditionally followed the veteran across his 19-year career.
Unfortunately, injuries and a 2024 family issue limited Perron to 92 games across two seasons for the Senators, contributing 19 goals and 41 points.
Interestingly, general managers Steve Staios and Steve Yzerman were engaged in a lengthy conversation in the press box at the Canadian Tire Centre during an intermission of their teams’ matchup on Thursday, February 26th. And now, we know what they were likely discussing.
This trade affords Perron the opportunity to return to Detroit, where he spent two seasons before joining the Senators as a free agent during the 2024 offseason.
The trade leaves the Senators with $12,779,484 in accrued cap space, per PuckPedia. It leaves the organization with considerable room if it intends to make another deal (or two) to improve its roster at tomorrow’s trade deadline.
And, following tonight’s 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames that left the Senators four points back of the Boston Bruins and the Eastern Conference’s second wild card seed, there is the potential for things to get very interesting.
The addition of Warren Foegele earlier in the day certainly made Perron expendable. His acquisition allows the organization to return Nick Cousins to a fourth line role, which better suits him.
It does, however, raise questions about Stephen Halliday’s future. The young 23-year-old has played and produced well in his limited minutes this season, but Foegele's presence could push him to the outside, provided the organization does not move another veteran like Lars Eller or Fabian Zetterlund.
Given his age and production, there should be considerable interest in Halliday as a prospective trade chip.
VAL DI FASSA, Italy (AP) — With neither injured Lindsey Vonn nor Mikaela Shiffrin starting a World Cup downhill on Friday, Emma Aicher seized her chance to cut the American superstars’ leads in the season-long standings.
Aicher, the Olympic downhill silver medalist, placed second — just 0.01 behind first-time winner Laura Pirovano, pushing Olympic champion Breezy Johnson down to third — and reduced Vonn’s lead in the downhill points race to just 14 with two races left.
Vonn’s hugely successful World Cup season at age 41 was ended by a nasty crash one month ago at the Milan Cortina Olympics that wrecked her left leg.
Aicher’s 80 World Cup points Friday also reduced Shiffrin’s lead in the overall standings to 139 ahead of another downhill scheduled Saturday.
The tightening race for the giant crystal globe trophy with eight races left could see Shiffrin make a rare start in a super-G Sunday. Chasing a sixth career World Cup overall title. Shiffrin has so far accrued all her points in slalom and giant slalom.
Pirovano was a popular winner on home snow getting a first win, also a first podium finish, in her 125th World Cup start.
The 28-year-old Italian has been a model of consistency reeling off top-10 results this season and sixth place in the Olympic downhill at nearby Cortina d’Ampezzo.
An elusive first victory lifted Pirovano to third in the downhill standings, trailing 64 behind Vonn and 50 back of Aicher.
Pirovano was among the few racers to top 130 kph (81 mph) on a sunny, still and freezing day that was ideal for the marquee speed discipline.
Two former Olympic champions dropped out of contention after losing time on the bottom half of the 2.3-kilometer (1 2/5-mile) course.
Corinne Suter, the 2022 Olympics gold medalist, looked set to match her win last weekend at Soldeu, Andorra, but placed eighth, 0.49 behind Pirovano.
Sofia Goggia, the 2018 champion and bronze medalist at Cortina last month, was 0.90 back in 17th.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 05: Cade Smith #36 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches in the fifth inning against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch on March 05, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday, the Guardians crushed the White Sox 12-3 and Cade Smith made a great 2026 Cactus League debut.
Smith threw 9 pitches in a 1-2-3 fifth inning in his return from neck soreness. Tanner Bibee threw four scoreless, Erik Sabrowski struck out two in a scoreless frame, and Tim Herrin struck out three… but also allowed two hits, a walk and a run.
On the offensive side, CJ Kayfus hit a two-run homer, so did Milan Tolentino and Carter Kieboom hit a three-run bomb. Jaison Chourio had a triple, Angel Martinez had two BABIP hits including a double, Brayan Rocchio, Angel Genao, George Valera and Kody Huff added doubles. Oh, and Autin Hedges had two hits, so you know how bad a night it was for Rangers’ pitching.
Australia won again in the World Baseball Classic, beating Czechia 5-1, but Travis Bazzana went 0-4 with a walk and a strikeout. He did put on a defensive clinic at second base, though.
Travis Bazzana makes a great play picking up his first baseman as Australia escapes trouble in the third pic.twitter.com/gbXnTIFbkP
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 6, 2026
Stephen Vogt had some comments about Chase DeLauter. I’ll let you decide what they mean. Sounds like they are trying to build him up for Opening Day but it’s obviously not ideal.
"He's learning how to work. We're learning how to help Chase feels close to 100% every day"#Guardians Manager Stephen Vogt says Chase DeLauter is "day to day", but is happy with the way things have progressed this spring. #GuardsBall@WEWSpic.twitter.com/oirjWyMAA9
Mark DeRosa is managing the squad, which includes MVP winners such as Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper, and the reigning Cy Young Award winners in Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes. DeRosa, a solid player across 16 MLB seasons, is joined by a who's who of assistants.
Team USA was runner-up in the 2023 World Baseball Classic after falling to Japan in the championship. The U.S. has assembled a much more impressive roster on paper in 2026 but will face staunch competition from Japan again, as well as the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Venezuela, among others.
DeRosa, who's now an MLB Network analyst alongside his Team USA managing duties, has no shortage of experience among his coaching staff for the WBC. Here's a look at Team USA's full staff ahead of its first game against Brazil on March 6 in Houston:
Team USA coaching staff for WBC
Manager: Mark DeRosa
Bench coach: Skip Schumaker
Pitching coach: Andy Pettitte
Hitting coach: Matt Holliday
First base coach: George Lombard
Third base coach: Dino Ebel
Bullpen coach: David Ross
Assistant manager: Fredi Gonzalez
Assistant manager: Brian McCann
Assistant manager: Michael Young
There's plenty of MLB managing experience on Team USA's coaching staff, including current Rangers manager Skip Schumaker. Schumaker, an 11-year MLB veteran, was the National League Manager of the Year with the Marlins in 2023.
Former Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte, the winningest postseason pitcher ever, returns as pitching coach. Pettitte won five World Series titles with New York. Seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday will lead the hitters. The 2007 batting champion's sons Jackson Holliday and Ethan Holliday were both recent top-five picks in the MLB draft.
Tigers bench coach George Lombard is the first base coach and Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel will handle the same duties for Team USA. Lombard's oldest son, George Lombard Jr., is a top prospect for the Yankees. His other son, Jacob Lombard, is one of the top 2026 MLB Draft prospects.
Former Cubs manager David Ross will lead the bullpen. The World Series is a two-time World Series champion with the Red Sox (2013) and Cubs (2016).
Brian McCann, Michael Young and Fredi Gonzalez round out the staff as assistant managers. McCann and Young are both seven-time All-Stars, and Gonzalez, a former MLB manager, led the Marlins from 2007-10 and Braves from 2011-16.
Puerto Rico, one of just four countries to advance to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals in the first five tournaments, will play on in the 2026 edition. Yet the Boricua may have already suffered their most significant losses weeks before the WBC began.
For the first time since 2013, Puerto Rico will be without its superstar infielders, Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor, who were ruled out of the tournament due to insurance concerns.
Lindor subsequently suffered a hamate bone injury that would have knocked him out, anyway. Yet Correa’s loss – along with valued catcher Victor Caratini and right-hander Jose Berríos – can be attributed to a risk management issue that girds the tournament’s capability to utilize major league stars in a full-go, competitive environment during spring training.
Why can’t Carlos Correa play in the WBC?
Correa’s history of leg injuries is well-documented, since he suffered a fractured right tibia as a Houston Astros minor leaguer. The injury history emerged in the spotlight during Correa’s second tour through free agency, when deals exceeding $300 million in value with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets were scrapped due to concerns that emerged during his physical before the 2023 season.
Major league players are insured during the WBC – which is co-owned and operated by Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association - through National Financial Partners. NFP refuses to guarantee contracts for players whose contracts are in their second guaranteed year in a season a position player turns 37, and fourth guaranteed year for pitchers turning 37, baseball officials familiar with the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.
Yet injury history and recent surgical procedures can also scuttle a player’s eligibility.
Jose Altuve, Jose Berríos: Ineligible for WBC
Lindor had a minor right elbow debridement after last season, scuttling his eligibility before his hamate issue emerged. Jose Altuve, 35, had a pair of strikes against him: He suffered a broken thumb playing for Venezuela in the 2023 WBC, and his $125 million contract extension runs through 2029; he will turn 37 in 2028.
Berríos, 31, pitched for Puerto Rico in 2013, 2017 and 2023. Yet he revealed last month that elbow inflammation that ended his season early was preceded by problems with his biceps tendon that he pitched through. Now, he’ll miss his first WBC, but should be nearing full health in time for the Blue Jays to begin defense of their American League title.
And Venezuela’s infield depth will be further thinned by the absence of Miguel Rojas, the Dodgers’ World Series hero. He turned 37 on Feb. 24, rendering his $5.5 million salary for 2026 – his final big league season, he’s said – uninsurable.
“It's really hard to not have the opportunity to put my country on my chest and to represent them and help win a World Baseball Classic – and not have the opportunity to do it because I'm 37 years old," Rojas said at the Dodgers’ fan festival last month. "That's not right. I don't feel it's right."
Last summer, there were rumours about the Montreal Canadiens being in trade talks with the St. Louis Blues to acquire winger Jordan Kyrou. However, when the two organizations announced a trade, it didn’t involve him, but rather two young players: Zachary Bolduc and right-shot 22-year-old defenseman Logan Mailloux.
Since the trade, the 23-year-old Bolduc has played 59 games with the Habs, been a healthy scratch once last week, and has 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points. He’s also gotten 24 penalty minutes and has a minus-nine rating.
Meanwhile, Mailloux has played five games with the Springfield Thunderbirds in the AHL and 46 games with the Blues. He picked up two points in Springfield (both goals) and three goals and two assists for five points in the NHL.
In his last five games, though, Mailloux has scored two goals, taken 13 shots, landed eight hits, blocked five shots and has a plus-five differential while playing on the Blues’ second pairing. Meanwhile, Bolduc has recorded two points, both assists, in his last five game put together a minus-one record, took two shots, blocked one and landed 13 hits while playing in the bottom six alongside Jake Evans and Alex Newhook.
Should the Canadiens have buyer’s remorse? It’s much too early to tell. Both players are still very young and are nowhere near done developing. When he joined the Canadiens, Bolduc was parachuted into a whole new system, playing under Martin St-Louis meant learning to read the plays and making the right decisions at the right time, rather than just using a standard system, which takes time. This is Bolduc’s first full season in the NHL, and he still has plenty of time to learn and improve.
Granted, the Canadiens could do with a right-shot defenseman right now, but they do have David Reinbacher and Bryce Pickford in the pipeline, and if Bolduc becomes the player the Habs’ brass felt he could become under St-Louis’ tutelage, the trade will have paid off for both sides.
The Philadelphia Flyers still haven't managed to fix their center depth, and one of the key cogs they just traded has already found a permanent new home in the NHL.
So far, with one month to go in the 2025-26 season, Trevor Zegras has not taken over as a full-time center as many of us expected in the offseason.
Instead, that role belongs to fellow newcomer Christian Dvorak, with Noah Cates, a declining Sean Couturier, and Carl Grundstrom filling in behind.
Top prospect Jett Luchanko lasted only four games with the Flyers, and Rodrigo Abols is done for the season with a lower-body injury.
With all that in perspective, it's fair to say the Flyers are missing old friend Ryan Poehling, whom they traded to the Anaheim Ducks in the Zegras trade.
And, while the Flyers still appear to have gotten the better end of that trade, they did create a gap in the lineup that's been plaguing them all season. Both things can be true.
On Thursday, Poehling, 27, cashed in on a solid first season in California, signing a four-year, $15 million ($3.75 million AAV) contract to remain with the Ducks.
The ex-Flyers forward has slotted in nicely behind the likes of Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish in Anaheim, and, importantly, does not have any trade protection in his new deal.
Given the state of the NHL trade market over the last few years, that very well could work out in the Ducks' favor in the future.
Poehling has seven goals, 17 assists, and 24 points in 54 games this season in his depth role.
Comparatively, Dvorak, who signed a much more lucrative five-year, $25.75 million extension with the Flyers in January, has trade protection in all but the last season of his deal, sitting at 13 goals, 24 assists, and 37 points in 60 games playing almost top-line minutes almost exclusively with Zegras.
Poehling, with an expanded role and a bit of finishing luck, could be matching or surpassing Dvorak's offensive production, but the Ducks were happy to keep him in a role that matches his skillset and pay him accordingly.
As for the Flyers, the position they're in is very similar to when they had Poehling, looking for what they lost.
