Category: Sports News

Someone on the Royals’ bench needs the ability to play third, in case All-Star Maikel Garcia goes down or needs a rest. The two most likely candidates to fill that role would be either Josh Rojas or Nick Loftin. The former signed a minor league deal and is coming off a pretty terrible season, but he also has a lot of big-league experience. The latter worked his way up through the Royals’ system and has played parts of the last three seasons at the major-league level. So who’s it going to be?

Josh Rojas was on the South Side in Chicago last year, and he could not hit while also grading out as a below-average fielder. His 44 wRC+ in 2025 was easily the worst of his career, though he posted between 1 and 2.5 fWAR in each of the four preceding seasons. This is a veteran ballplayer with a track record that suggests he belongs in the big leagues. So far this spring, the left-handed hitter has been crushing it, hitting .258/.361/.548 while trying to earn a spot in Kansas City. He can play second and third as well as some corner outfield, so that flexibility matches up well with Loftin. I would give Loftin the edge at third overall because he has been pretty consistent there, though he has a more limited sample size. Rojas has the edge at second base and in the outfield. He is older at almost 32, but not so old that his productive years are necessarily behind him.

I like Rojas a lot, mostly because he has shown himself to be a productive MLB player and Loftin really hasn’t yet. Because Nick still has an option remaining and can easily be sent to the minors, that makes Josh the safer pick. However, he was really, really bad last year, so he should get the hook pretty quickly if the team goes with him. Rojas will be inexpensive, though not quite as cheap as Loftin. His mix of plate discipline and experience makes him a better bet and a cheap way to add depth to the 40-man roster.

What does Nick Loftin bring to the table? A couple of things working in his favor are youth and right-handedness. With Jac Caglianone and Kyle Isbel already in the outfield, adding another left-handed bat in Rojas might be a bit of overkill, especially with Pasquantino, Jensen, and Massey also in the infield mix. The roster is balanced enough right now that I’m not sure that will become the deciding factor.

What youth brings is upside and often less injury risk, along with a slight cost advantage. Since Rojas accepted a minor league deal, he can start in Triple-A (assuming there are no opt-outs I missed) and keep the organization’s depth intact. So far, he has also been crushing it in Arizona, posting a .300/.400/.600 slash line. In both 2024 and 2025, however, Loftin struggled to hit at the big-league level, and until he proves he can do that consistently, he leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe he will turn it on at age 27, and if he does, the team would be rewarded for sticking with him over Rojas. He has just over a year of service time, so he is under team control for another half-decade and could be a valuable role player for years to come.

Both players are making a strong case to be part of the 2026 Royals Opening Day roster, but there can really only be one unless the team decides it can do without Michael Massey. That seems unlikely, though perhaps these two could make him look expendable.

For me, I would give Rojas the first shot. He has been a good player at the top level for most of his career, while Loftin’s consistent inability to hit the ball hard has really limited him offensively. It would be nice to see Loftin take a step forward and become a solid bench piece for the next few years, but I have seen enough of him to think that is a risk a team trying to win now should not take.

When the Rockies signed Thairo Estrada to a one-year deal ahead of the 2025 season, it seemed like the team had an answer — at least in the short-term — at second base in the post-Brendan Rodgers era. 

Injuries derailed that plan as Estrada started and ended the season on the 60-Day IL twice, first with a fractured wrist and then with a sprained hamstring. He also suffered a sprained right thumb for a shorter IL stint. In the end, Estrada played only 39 games and the Rockies second base position was made up of a quilt of players with no clear starter emerging in the season.

Adael Amador started the second-most games at second with 26, Kyle Farmer and Ryan Ritter followed with 28 starts apiece, Orlando Arcia started 13 games, while Tyler Freeman had 12 starts.

With the Rockies signing Willi Castro this offseason, and only three of those six players returning to spring training, second base will look different for Colorado in 2026. And it has to if the Rockies want to improve — Colorado’s second basemen combined to rank No. 29 in on-base percentage (.267) and OPS (.550), No. 28 in batting average (.213) and slugging percentage (.283) and tied for No. 26 in homers (eight) and RBI (53) among the same position in MLB in 2025.

The starter

When the Rockies signed Castro to a two-year, $12.8 million deal in January, he seemed like a great fit for the Rockies because of his utility abilities, as he can play second, third, and shortstop, as well as all three outfield positions, as well as his talent on the basepaths and bat that made him an All-Star with the Twins in 2024.

He’s pulled way ahead as the best candidate for second base in spring training, even if he only has a small sample size with the Rockies. In 11 at-bats in five games, Castro has seven hits, including two doubles, three runs scored, two RBIs, two walks, one stolen base and one strikeout. 

He also has the 2026 World Baseball Classic on his resume and had a standout performance for Puerto Rico. He earned a spot on the highlight reels with a leadoff homer against Italy in the quarterfinals on March 14. It was a cause for celebration as Castro only has 10 homers in seven MLB seasons.

In 15 at-bats in five games in the WBC, Castro recorded four hits, including a double and a homer, with three RBI, four walks, a stolen base and four strikeouts. Even before that homer, the Purple Row community dubbed Castro as the Rockie having the best WBC.

At age 28, Castro could give a boost to the Rockies lineup, offensively and defensively, as he works to show that his down year in 2025 with the Twins (slash line of .222/.404/.389) was an outlier.  

The backups

Ritter, the 25-year-old who finished the 2025 season as the Rockies second baseman, has been playing so well in spring training that he’s making a case to earn a spot on the roster. He can play second, shortstop and third base, and has even played six games in left field this spring. In 42 at-bats over 16 games, Ritter is hitting .357/.413/.524 with three stolen bases, four doubles, one homer, seven RBI and nine runs scored. 

Ritter made his MLB debut on June 6 last season, and started with a bang before being sidelined with a right middle-finger laceration. Despite the injury, Ritter returned and ended up playing 60 games, batting .241/.296/.337 with nine doubles, three triples, one home run, 18 RBI, three stolen bases (in four tries), 10 walks (4.8%) and 61 strikeouts (29.5%). He’s also a great defender with a solid glove and range.

Also vying for a backup spot, Amador has played the most at second base in spring training thus far. His 11 games lead the way with Roc Riggio at nine, Edouard Julien at seven, Castro at five and Jose Torres at one. Even though Amador made his MLB debut in 2024, he is still just 22 years old. In 10 games in 2024 and 41 games last season, Amador has struggled at the plate with a career line of .176/.242/.250 with two homers, 10 RBI and 27 strikeouts in 148 at-bats.

This spring, Amador has hit better, slashing .229/.270/.429 with two homers, five RBIs, six runs, one double, two walks, six strikeouts and two stolen bases with 34 at-bats. Amador’s first homer also happened to be the Rockies’ first of spring training — a solo shot on Feb. 21. 

Depth options

Julien is making a play for first base or second base — or both. The Rockies acquired Julien in a trade with the Twins in late January. Julien, who had a breakout rookie season in 2023 with the Twins when he posted a .263/.381/.459 slash line with 16 home runs. He’s struggled in the two seasons since, but he does provide versatility and a left-handed bat. Julien hasn’t performed well at the plate so far in spring training, where he’s only posted two hits in 15 at-bats with an RBI, two walks, one run scored and five strikeouts.

Freeman is also available to play second base and can also play in the outfield. Arriving just before the 2025 season from Cleveland in a trade for Nolan Jones, Freeman put up the best batting average of Rockies with at least 100 games. He batted .281/.354/.361 with 18 stolen bases, 20 doubles, two homers, two triples, 50 runs and 31 RBIs. While Freeman offered a solid bat, his defense can be a bit of a liability. This spring, Freeman is hitting .316/.435/.421in 19-at bats.

On the farm

There are lots of possibilities for second basemen in the Rockies farm system. 

Riggio (No. 14 PuRP) came to the Rockies from the Yankees in the 2025 trade for Jake Bird. The 23-year-old lefty-hitting, right-handed throwing infielder has a solid presence at the plate with power and a good eye. Riggio has posted two hits, including one homer, in eight at-bats this spring. After coming to Colorado’s organization on July 31, Riggio played the rest of the season in Double-A Hartford, where he’s likely to start 2026.

Also in the pipeline is Torres, a 26-year-old infielder, who was claimed by the Rockies in the 2024 Rule-5 Draft from Cincinnati. He split his time in 2025 between Double-A Hartford and Triple-A Albuquerque and hit .242/.307/.426 with 15 homers and 17 doubles.

Roldy Brito (No. 11 PuRP) is a promising prospect in the Rockies farm system. He isn’t expected to arrive in the Big Leagues until 2028, but he has a lot of potential.

Closing thoughts

Considering the quality and depth of the second basemen — even if it’s through utilitymen who can play multiple infield and even outfield positions — the Rockies are poised to perform better at second base this year. Whether Castro becomes the Rockies next second baseman or serves as a bridge to the future, hopefully, the Rockies are closer to finding their second baseman of the future.

Can Castro ride his WBC hot streak into the regular season? Will the depth and versatility help the Rockies win more games this season? Will Ritter force the Rockies to slot him in the lineup more often? Let us know what you think.

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

The Tampa Bay Rays head into 2026 in a somewhat familiar position: a payroll well below most divisional rivals, a roster built more on ingenuity than name recognition, and a front office quietly convinced they can squeeze more wins out of this group than any algorithm will give them credit for.

One potential area of difference: the Rays’ typical areas of strength and weakness. For one, the usually light-hitting team has one of the league’s more exciting bats in Junior Caminero. In 2025, the 22-year-old third baseman casually posted a 45-homer, .264/.311/.535 season in 2025, making him not just the face of the franchise, but the sort of player who seems like he’ll one day go and sign a 12-year deal with the Yankees. That’s a few years from now, anyway.

On the other hand, the pitching staff—where Tampa Bay usually shines—harbors a few reasons for concern. All told, since last season the Rays lost a total of nine pitchers between the rotation and the bullpen. This team seems to have a magic ability to find good pitching out of nowhere, but they still find themselves having to rebuild more than half of last year’s innings.

Let’s dive into some of the recent comings and goings.

Additions and Subtractions

Since 2025, the Rays lost nine pitchers and five position players. The former includes starters Shane Baz (you know where he went), Zack Littell (at last year’s trade deadline), and Adrian Houser, not to mention Zach Eflin the year before that. Relievers Pete Fairbanks, a longtime weapon, Eric Orze, Forrest Whitley and Mason Montgomery, among others, also flew the coop.

The departed position players include University of Maryland alum and longtime Ray Brandon Lowe (2B), dealt to Pittsburgh, and three outfielders in Josh Lowe, Jake Mangum, and Kameron Misner, plus 1B/OF Christopher Morel.

To cover these holes, the Rays did what they do, which is go in aggressively on low-cost veteran talent. Perhaps the most notable acquisition was Cedric Mullins, the former Oriole who can hit for power, steal bases, and play a reliable center field. Tampa also brought back speedster Jake Fraley, an outfielder who was a former second-round pick a decade ago. The Rays acquired one more outfield glove in Justyn-Henry Malloy, via trade with the Tigers, and a veteran utility man in Gavin Lux.

The projected Tampa Bay batting order will lean heavily on its top four spots. In his second season, centerfielder Chandler Simpson will lead off and attempt to create chaos on the bases. Yandy Díaz (day-to-day this spring with an undisclosed issue) bats second and remains a scary-enough disciplined contact hitter to make his non-existent defense worth the investment. Infielder Jonathan Aranda is likely to hold down first base and hit solidly in the third slot. Then comes Caminero, and with his 45 home runs and .846 OPS last season, opposing pitchers should be ready.

After that? It gets thin, and conspicuously left-handed. There’s Mullins, Lux, Taylor Walls at short, Jake Fraley in right, and Hunter Feduccia behind the plate. It’s a lineup with a pretty limited floor.

Then, as I said, there’s starting pitching. The Rays are top-heavy, with Drew Rasmussen their clear ace. The righty had an elite 2025 season, going 10-5 with a 2.76 ERA in 31 starts. After that, well. Shane McClanahan hasn’t pitched a meaningful inning since August 2023, but he was darn good before that, and presumably is healthy now. Ryan Pepiot was fine last year. The 35-year-old Steven Matz was signed this offseason and will compete for a rotation spot. Same deal, Nick Martinez.

The bullpen figures to include Edwin Uceta (temporarily slowed down with a back injury in spring training), Garrett Cleavinger, old Oriole Bryan Baker, Mason Englert, Jesse Scholtens, Hunter Bigge (status also uncertain), and Joe Boyle and Ian Seymour, two starters making a turn to relief pitching this year.

Projections

This is, on paper, a lineup that could work in a bad division. The AL East is not a bad division. So we might well have doubts about the Rays’ chances this year. Here’s what the pundits think:

PECOTA: 81-81 (5th in the AL East)
FanGraphs: 81-81 (same)
DraftKings Sportsbook: Over/Under 78.5 Wins, +250 to win the AL East, +3000 to win the AL Pennant, +8000 to win the World Series

The pundits place the Rays at between 78-81 wins, which in this division almost certainly means watching October from home. The Blue Jays project as division favorites, the Yankees will have Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón back in the rotation at some point, the Red Sox’s rotation got significantly better thanks to acquiring Ranger Suarez, and the Orioles have the talent to make a run.

None of that means the Rays can’t surprise. Manager Kevin Cash has coaxed more out of less before, and this organization has a habit of finding contributors where other teams dare not tread. But in the AL East, the margin for error is essentially zero. So maybe don’t fully count the Rays out. But also, just maybe, don’t pencil them in, either.

The AL West is an intriguing division to unpack. Last year was a bit of a turnaround, as the Astros failed to win it in a full season for the first time since 2016, and actually missed the playoffs for the first time since that season. The Mariners project to be the crema of the crop this year, and in fact, have one the better projections in the AL overall.

There’s a fair bit of uncertainty here beyond the Mariners looking like the best team in the division, and every team addressed the offseason in a different way.

Seattle Mariners

On paper, it feels like Seattle has a great chance to win the division in back-to-back years, something the franchise has never managed in their history. (Their only consecutive playoff appearances came in 2000-2001, thanks to the 116-win campaign in the latter year. The Mariners have this bizarre thing where, in their history, they’ve had ten different seasons with 85+ wins and no playoff berth; they’ve only had five seasons with 85+ wins and a playoff berth.)

The rotation was fine last year and looks pretty good heading into 2026. Josh Naylor is back on a big-money $92.5 million, five-year deal. The eventual Brendan Donovan transaction saw him make his way to Seattle, and Jose Ferrer cost a big-time prospect but will now pair with Gabe Speier as another lefty option in their bullpen.

Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suarez (a midseason (re-)acquisition last year) have moved on. Whether Cal Raleigh can pull off an encore season remains a question, but he’s projected to be the top catcher in the game in 2026. Julio Rodriguez has generally been a monster despite complaints about consistency, and gives the Mariners the best center field projection in MLB as well. One spot to watch will be shortstop, as J.P. Crawford is playing through a shoulder woe in Spring Training and had an unfortunate defensive season last year. He’s now in his 30s, and while the Mariners have Colt Emerson bumping around, the situation is somewhat fluid.

Overall, this is a dangerous team projected for 88 wins as a central estimate.

Houston Astros

The Astros and Braves both missed the playoffs in the first time in seemingly forever last year, and both have tried to reload. The Astros rejiggered their rotation, signing Tatsuya Imai from overseas and dealing for Mike Burrows. Overall, their roster doesn’t wow you, and the hope is that the Jeremy Pena-Carlos Correa-Yordan Alvarez triumvirate hits enough to make up for an unsettled situation in right field, while the bullpen carries some water for a rotation that will need someone (probably Imai) to step up behind Hunter Brown.

The FanGraphs Steamer-ZiPS blend is not a fan of their up-and-down roster, seeing the Astros as something like 80-82 as a central estimate. ZiPS alone is much more positive, with an 87-win central estimate that’s just one game behind the Mariners. The Astros are, overall, reminiscent of the Braves — not just because both teams need a bounceback into contention after what is hopefully a one-year blip, but also because there are depth issues that threaten to upend the whole thing.

Texas Rangers

Both the Depth Charts and ZiPS have the Rangers as around a .500 team. That’s what they’ve been the last two years after their 2023 title run, so that makes sense. They’ve retooled, swapping Skip Schumaker for Bruce Bochy in the manager seat, moving Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo, and acquiring MacKenzie Gore for a bunch of prospects. The team will definitely look different than its prior iterations, but whether that moves the needle, who knows?

There are question marks and potential downsides at catcher, first base, second base, third base, and in the bullpen. But there is also a ton of upside at shortstop (hi Corey Seager) and all over the outfield, not to mention that this looks like a top-five rotation on paper. It’s a mix-and-match roster construction that could be great with some good fortune, or awful if some of the expected producers get hurt or regress. If the rotation leads the way, maybe the offense does just enough to vault them out of the .500 range.

The Athletics

No one has the Athletics as particularly good, but you don’t need to be particularly good to make a playoff run these days, and at least their roster is pretty fun. They spent the offseason handing out extensions to youngesters like Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson, while also acquiring veterans like Jeff McNeil to play babysitter.

Overall, the Athletics are projected squarely below .500, but there’s some stuff to like here. Nick Kurtz was a monster and could be monstrous again. Combined with Brent Rooker and Soderstrom, there’s some real offensive heft here in a small park. The real issue is the pitching, both on the rotation and relief end. The rotation doesn’t have much upside (Luis Severino dominating the U.S. lineup for 3 1/3 innings last night notwithstanding), and the bullpen is more about hoping for breakouts and bouncebacks than anything else. This is a roster where the position players look like a fringy contender and the pitching staff looks like a miserly rebuilder. If they can force slugfests every night in that park, though, they might make some noise, though.

Los Angeles Angels

Ah, the Angels. Has a team ever done so little with so much? Maybe they’re thankful for the Mets.

Former Brave Kurt Suzuki is the Halos’ new manager, and GM Perry Minasian may be on the hot seat as well at this point. The roster has retooled, moving Taylor Ward for Grayson Rodriguez, while signing a quintet of relievers and adding a bunch of position player depth. As the roster keeps changing, it’s hard to know exactly how it’s all going to play out, but the projections have them as the dregs of the division. You can see why, though:

• They’re projected to have the worst production from catcher and second base in MLB.
• First base, third base, the entire outfield, and DH are also poor in this regard, while projections don’t care for their bullpen additions.
• Zach Neto is one of the few exciting parts of this roster.

Basically, the Angels are hoping that a solid rotation provides cover for everything else, or that everyone gets better in a hurry. If those things don’t happen, then it’ll be consistent with prior years… again. No one will really notice that the composition of the roster has changed.

Good morning! The Mariners defeated the Cincinnati Reds yesterday 6-3 with another solid George Kirby outing. His final line after 4 2/3 innings pitched included two runs, seven hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. There is no game today as the players will get a break from live game action.

With Team USA’s win in the World Baseball Classic last night, who do you hope their opponent will be in the finals?

In Mariners news…

• The No Fly Zone was in full effect in Miami last night as Julio made an incredible catch at the wall for the Dominican Republic, and robbed Aaron Judge and Team USA of a home run in the fourth inning of the WBC.

• Third baseman Brendan Donovan continued his impressive Spring Training performance today with a four-hit game, bringing him to 14 hits in 31 at-bats so far.
• As Mariners players start to return from the WBC, their focus is finally turned towards the MLB regular season, writes Tim Booth at The Seattle Times.
• Jerry Dipoto joined Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob this past weekend to discuss what the team saw in Eduard Bazardo last season and the tweaks they made to unlock his potential.
• As Bryce Miller works back from his left oblique inflammation, the battle for the Mariners’ fifth starter spot is heating up between multiple potential candidates.

In the World Baseball Classic…

• Team USA is headed to the finals after defeating the Dominican Republic 2-1 with a very questionable game-ending strike call. Impressive pitching by Paul Skenes, and homers from Gunnar Henderson and Roman Anthony held the dominant Dominican Republic team to just one run.
• Italy and Venezuela face off today at 5 PM for a spot in the finals against the U.S.

Around the league…

• Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez left the team’s game early with left shoulder inflammation and is currently considered day-to-day.
• Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki is battling right knee discomfort after he was forced to exit in the first inning of Team Japan’s WBC matchup against Venezuela on Saturday.
• New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor made his Spring Training debut yesterday after recovering from a left hamate bone injury, and will now likely be ready for Opening Day.
• San Francisco Giants RHP Hayden Birdsong has suffered a UCL sprain and Grade 2 forearm sprain. He will weigh treatment options in the coming days but could potentially miss significant time this season.
• In other Giants news, the team lost a combined perfect game and then a no-hitter with one out to go in the ninth inning of their Spring Training matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers.
• St. Louis Cardinals RHP Hunter Dobbins will begin the season on the injured list as he continues rehabbing from an ACL tear he suffered last July.