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As the Detroit Tigers begin the 2026-2027 offseason, there are quite a lot of roster spots that are obviously locked up. Among the rookies there are many more question marks, but clearly Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark are in the lineup on Opening Day. For rookies like Ben Malgeri, Brett Callahan, and John Peck, things are much more of a wide open question and will depend on how they perform in spring camp and what the Tigers do in the offseason. Two more rookies came into the final month of the season in somewhat uncertain territory, but the closing arguments made by Hao-Yu Lee and Eduardo Valencia all but assured their spots next spring.

The 23-year-old Lee, the Taiwanese Tiger (bear with us, we’re workshopping), was called up very early in the season in mid-April due to injuries. His six-week stint did not go well. He was fine for the first two weeks, and then crumbled to pieces in May, posting a 16 wRC+ for the month. Now that Lee’s fiery, hypercompetitive personality is better known to fans, you can imagine how he took those struggles when he went back to Triple-A for the first two weeks of June. He was not pleased. Fortunately, he took the lessons to heart, and was better prepared mentally when he was recalled on June 13.

He returned with a vengeance. posting a 151 wRC+ (51 percent better than league average) at the plate for the rest of June. He went on to hit .283 with eight homers and 27 total extra base hits and a 123 wRC+ over 277 plate appearances the rest of the way. He put up a 132 wRC+ in July, and then declined a bit down to 118 in August and 113 in September. He was on the good side of lady luck in June and early July, but even so he held up really nicely over the final two months of the season, showing signs of settling in to sustainably above average production including a average exit velocity of 91.1 mph off the bat in the second half. He also put up some really gritty at-bats under pressure, which was particularly good to see from a young player.

Overall, Lee’s numbers look reasonably sustainable too. He struck out 23.9 percent of the time and walked 8.2 percent of the time. Those are roughly average marks, backed up by his chase rates, though he did whiff a bit more than we’d prefer. Of course, that includes his early six-week stint where he was a bit overwhelmed. He’s still a young player getting better and he showed it from June through the end of the season.

His .325 wOBA was a little better than Statcast’s xwOBA of .302 for him. Expected wOBA is based on his contact quality as well as his plate discipline metrics. If we isolate June 1 through the end of the season, Lee had a .352 wOBA and a .310 xwOBA. So there are signs there to expect some modest regression, but at the same time, for a 23-year-old rookie that’s pretty good because he should be able to settle in and trim a few strikeouts out of the profile going forward. There are no guarantees, but it feels pretty easy to bet on Lee working his tail off and getting better.

Defensively there are a lot bigger question marks. He was below average at both second and third base, with some of that weakness coming from errors, not more subtle distinctions like range. Having watched a lot of Hao-Yu Lee during his time in the Tigers farm system, this was all somewhat surprising. He’s certainly not a plus defender, but the kind of mistakes he made this season, where he just dropped or otherwise misplayed quite a few balls, wasn’t so common in his minor league work. He’s certainly not the softest handed guy around, but I do think he’ll grade out closer to average at both positions with more time and experience.

The Tigers have themselves a player here. Maybe not one who starts 155 games next season, but a lot more than just a platoon bat. Lee has a history of beating up on lefties and struggling with right-handed pitching, but he balanced things out well this year, hitting right-handers a little better actually. That probably won’t last, because it rarely does, but Lee can handle himself no matter who is on the found. To become a really dangerous hitter, he will need to pull more balls in the air, but he’s already showing average power and may well get better. Barring some kind of disastrous spring camp, and that may not even matter if spring camp starts late and is shortened anyway, limiting the abilty to evaluate players, Lee is going to be on the Opening Day roster and may be the Tigers starting third baseman much of the time, depending on whether Max Anderson is ready to play some second base for them or not, and whether John Peck looks a little more hitterish and gets regular work at shortstop.

As for Eduardo Valencia, the man was absolutely on fire in August and September. The 26-year-old catcher posted a whopping 182 wRC+ in 42 games. He hit .341 with eight homers in a quarter of the season. The issue is that he was also incredibly lucky on balls in play and showed off a pretty lousy approach at the plate. Still, pitchers make mistakes, and Valencia hit just about every one they made with authority.

Valencia walked just 4.3 percent of the time, and his chase rate (O-swing %) was a whopping 35.3 percent. And yet his strikeout rate was a pretty reasonable 23.2 percent, just a little worse than league average. He’s a decent bad ball hitter and shows some knack for fouling off pitchers pitches to stay in counts, but his swing discipline is going to have to improve. As long as they can get him chasing this much, pitchers will figure out how to exploit him. It will be difficult to sustain even average production over the long term, despite his quality power production. Valencia’s chase rates in the minor leagues were quite a bit better than this, and again we’re only talking about 42 games worth of major league work, so hopefully he can cut into that number and be more selective as he gains experience against major league pitching.

As a bat first catcher, there is going to be a lot of pressure on him to improve his process at the plate. However, there are some positive signs defensively that say he’ll be able to hold up as a part-time catcher, handling something like 40-50 games behind the plate in relief of Dillon Dingler, and spending the rest of his time DH-ing. Valencia has played a little bit of first base, but it was pretty ugly there and he’d need a lot of reps to develop at the position. There just isn’t really an opportunity to make that happen, and meanwhile the Tigers have 3-4 other players who should probably be playing first base above any other position.

Valencia graded out as a +1 in blocks above average per Statcast. He was a +2 in framing runs above average. His numbers when I checked in early September were a bit below average, but with more work with the major league coaching staff and in particular, catching coach Ryan Sienko, Valencia showed some improvement. Former Tigers Triple-A manager Gabe Alvarez noted at the end of the 2025 season that while Valencia was below average in those metrics, he was working hard to improve. A year later, he appears to have been correct.

The real weakness is still controlling the running game. His 1.95 seconds average pop time is a little below average, though we’re talking about some pretty fine margins. That’s workable, but Valencia’s 81.6 mph average throw is pretty poor arm strength for a major league catcher. Can he improve on that in the offseason? Well, they teach pitchers how to throw harder, but at age 26 already I don’t really love his chances. Most likely he’s developed into a solid catcher behind the plate who is going to struggle to control the running game. As long as he hits, that’s not the worst flaw to deal with on a part-time basis.

The Tigers have some interesting young catchers, mainly Thayron Liranzo and perhaps the suddenly surging Luke Shliger, who may be ready to contribute later in the 2027 season. Josue Briceño is still more in Valencia territory, where the skills behind the plate are a bit on the light side, and the bat is the far more important part of the equation. I don’t really foresee any of these guys forcing their way onto the roster immediately next spring, certainly not behind the plate. But there is help coming eventually, and if the Tigers have Valencia as their primary backup for one season they’ll probably be alright. The offensive contributions are probably going to outweigh the option of having a better defensive catcher who doesn’t hit much, a la Jake Rogers.

The Tigers have an interesting crop of rookies coming next season. They should have support for the lineup as the season progresses from guys like Max Anderson, Briceño, and Zyhir Hope. Those players, along with this season’s first year players like Peck, Callahan, and Ben Malgeri, will still have to win a job in spring training. Hao-Yu Lee and Eduardo Valencia separated themselves into a bit of a different category with their strong performance over the final six weeks of the season. The duo should have an Opening Day roster spot locked up next spring barring something we can’t foresee, like an injury.

Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark took over the team in 2026, but they weren’t the only ones to impress. Hopefully Lee and Valencia, now knowing what to expect, can refine their games a little further this offseason and remain consistent contributors in 2027 and beyond.

Good morning A’s fans! Happy Friday!

Now that the calendar has turned to October, spooky season is not the only thing anticipated this month. The MLB playoffs are ratcheting up, with the final game of the Wild Card round taking place yesterday.

The New York Yankees, Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres all dispatched their opponents in two games. Those three teams will move on to play the Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians and Milwaukee Brewers, respectively. The fourth matchup, featuring National League East winner Atlanta Braves against their division rival Philadelphia Phillies, was the only series that took three games to determine a winner. The Braves prevailed, moving on to challenge the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

If the Green and Gold want to return to the playoffs in 2027—assuming there is a season—they will need to make some roster and coaching changes over the next few months.

While A’s manager Mark Kotsay remains employed, pitching coach Scott Emerson, assistant hitting coach Chris Cron and quality control coach Marcus Jensen have all been dismissed from their duties. Perhaps with Cron out of the picture, A’s hitters will tone down their hack-at-every-pitch approach.

Before the A’s can make any free-agency maneuverings, however, they must first address several players with contract options.

Right-hander Luis Severino, who missed the majority of 2026 with a shoulder injury, has five days after the end of the World Series to exercise or decline his $22 million player option. Meanwhile, veteran left-hander Jeffrey Springs and second baseman Jeff McNeil have $15 million club options. The Athletics will surely pay the $750,000 buyout to make Springs a free agent, while the New York Mets are responsible for McNeil’s $2 million buyout. The infielder will likely join Springs on the open market, where the A’s can re-sign him for less or let him join another team.

Once those decisions are made, the A’s will look to be aggressive in addressing their roster deficiencies. It will be interesting to see how the free-agent and trade markets unfold this offseason, particularly with the looming threat of a lockout beginning Dec. 1.

Do you think free agents will be quicker to sign than in years past, or will there be a lull in activity? And what are your predictions for the Division Series?

A’s Coverage:

• A’s part ways with assistant hitting, quality control coaches
• After an outfield collision left him paralyzed, every gain in rehab is a big win for A’s Ryan Lasko
• Athletics’ Zack Gelof sues Tigers after hitting metal fence
• A’s Las Vegas ballpark cost rises to $2.1B, public funding delayed
• 2026: Year Of The “Didn’t See That Coming!”
• A’s Hoping Luis Severino Chooses to Stay
• Where the A’s Plan to Use Zack Gelof in 2027
• A’S OPEN TO MOVING LUIS MEDIA BACK INTO ROTATION 
• Last MLB game in West Sacramento? Why A’s 2026 season deserves a eulogy
• A’s Lose Final Game Of The Year To Astros 9-0
• Perkins finishes intriguing season with another flash of potential
• A’s Bounce Back, Take Second Game From Astros 6-5
• ‘Road Trip Mike’ on the move to wherever his beloved A’s go
• Wheat/Chaff Updates As Season Winds Down
• Paralyzed A’s prospect Lasko released from rehab facility to ovation from staff
• Devin Taylor: Athletics 2026 Minor League Player Of The Year
• Henry Bolte Is the A’s Next Budding Star
• Determining Athletics’ Offensive MVP for the 2026 Season
• Notes From Star-Studded Rockies-A’s Instructional League
• Injuries Out Of Control, But Why?
• 2027 Infield Landscape Ever Changing
• “Fast Movers” Might Be Key To Contention
• Billy Beane comments on the job Mark Kotsay has done this season.
• Should Mark Kotsay return in 2027? A’s Players Weigh In
• What the A’s Hiring Mike Rizzo would Signal and the Questions it Would Raise
• Athletics Considering James Click For GM Vacancy
• Get the best of Athletics Nation on the new SB Nation app

MLB News & Interest:

• Braves finish off Phils to set up date with Dodgers
• Source: Diamondbacks to retain Torey Lovullo as manager
• What’s it like to face Miz? We asked those who have
• Best 2026 World Series matchups for every type of MLB fan
• White Sox sweep Astros once more to claim 1st playoff series win since 2005 WS
• Guardians to start with Parker Messick, Gavin Williams in ALDS
• ’Never a doubt’: Resilient Phils force Game 3 on three dramatic swings
• Yanks sweep rival Sox behind another offensive onslaught to punch ticket to ALDS
• Red Sox’s Roman Anthony ruled out of ALWC with injuries
• Padres make quick work of Cubs to sweep Wild Card Series
• Padres’ Ethan Salas becomes youngest ever to catch playoff game
• With 28th postseason HR, Altuve now 1 shy of all-time record
• With 2 steals each (in 1 inning!) Acuña bros. make postseason history
• D-Backs, Michael Soroka Have Mutual Interest In Reunion
• Daulton Varsho Undergoes Wrist Surgery
• MLB attendance up for 4th straight year, boosted by Rays
• Previewing The Upcoming Center Field Class
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Initial A’s offseason roster transactions:

Do you agree with this guy’s selections? His team comprises the Athletics’ top prospects, underrated names to know and a couple of young Latin players getting their feet wet in rookie ball.

Congrats! 96-year-old Monte Moore has a chance to become the latest individual to represent the Athletics in Cooperstown.

It’s time to look back at Chicago Cubs player performances over the 2026 season. For the purposes of this exercise, the regular season is all I’m going to consider. I don’t think the clear underperformance of two postseason games moves the needle on any of these players.

A reminder that these grades are 100 percent mine and 100 percent subjective. You might — and probably will! — have different opinions on some of them. I’m splitting this into two articles because, well, I found myself writing way, way too many words about the hitters to put everything in just one. The pitcher article will run tomorrow.

Overall, this Cubs team produced much hitting that had been unmatched in franchise history. Their 850 runs scored are the second-most for any Cubs team in the Modern Era since 1930 (855 in 2008). They set a franchise record with 674 walks, breaking the old mark of 656 set in 2016. Their 220 home runs ranked third in MLB (Astros, 226 and Yankees, 223). They walked off the opposition 13 times, tied for second-most in franchise history.

The year didn’t end the way any of us wanted. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a great season.

Here’s a breakdown of the significant Cubs hitters of the season just concluded.

Carson Kelly: B

Kelly’s .258/.336/.376 season with 10 home runs and 1.9 bWAR was not quite as good as his 2025 year, but I think it was absolutely fine for who he is. Kelly started 94 games behind the plate and threw out 24.1 percent of runners trying to steal, close to league average. He was also one of the top catchers (68.8 percent) in getting ABS calls correct.

I would like to see the Cubs bring Kelly back in 2027. There’s a mutual option which will certainly be declined, but I think the team and player could come to some sort of agreement, maybe with a vesting option.

Miguel Amaya: B

Amaya started 63 games as Cubs catcher this year (that’s 157 between Kelly and Amaya; the other five went to Moisés Ballesteros). Amaya threw out 28.9 percent of runners and hit well enough (.237/.340/.377 with six home runs in 215 at-bats). Pitchers like throwing to Amaya and Kelly and they make a good tandem.

Some will say that Owen Ayers should be given the backup role behind Amaya next year and Kelly should be let go. This would be a bad idea. Ayers has not caught a single MLB game and he’s caught only 33 games at the Triple-A level. He needs more experience.

Michael Busch: C

Busch’s power took a significant drop this year, from 34 home runs to 20 and from a .523 SLG to .393. That’s not good enough for a guy who occupies a middle of the lineup spot.

He did increase his walk total from 56 to 92, which ranked tied for 11th in MLB. But with his BA down from .261 to .242, that resulted in just a nine-point increase in OBP (.343 to .352).

This MLB.com article from July explains some of the changes in his approach:

Busch’s 14.2% walk rate is a 4.7% increase compared to 2025, the 10th-largest improvement among hitters with at least 2.1 plate appearances per team game in both seasons. That includes a significant 6.4% increase in walk rate against southpaws, and it puts him in the 94th percentile among all MLB hitters.

“I don’t think there’s one reason. I’m not going into the box necessarily trying to walk, just trying to get a good pitch to hit,” Busch said before Saturday’s win in Pittsburgh. “That’s basically my approach. I’m always happy with a walk, but there are some things that go into it, except just trying to walk. A lot of it is just having some experience now. I’ve been in the league a few years and I think I have a better idea of what pitchers are trying to do with me.”

That’s good, but… his bWAR dropped from 4.5 to 1.6, and the power outage likely has a lot to do with that.

Nico Hoerner: C+

Hoerner came out of the gate looking like an MVP candidate. Through the end of April: .291/.370/.449 with four home runs in 31 games.

That last game of April is when this happened [VIDEO].

Nico didn’t even leave the game and no concussion was diagnosed. He did leave the Cubs’ next game with what was termed “neck tighness,” which you can see here [VIDEO].

Again, he didn’t miss any time after that, but I can’t help wondering if this was something that nagged at him the rest of the season. He missed the next game, then returned and after that batted just .254/.301 /.322 with four home runs in 500 at-bats.

If it really was something bothering Nico all year, I hope the front office is willing to be upfront with us about it.

Dansby Swanson: C

Swanson had a very weird season.

First 14 games: 57 PA, .149/.281/.234, 17 strikeouts
Next 17 games: 69 PA, .273/.391/.600. five home runs
Next 39 games: 142 PA, .142/.227/.205, one home run, 38 strikeouts
Next 13 games: 56 PA, .365/.393/.981, nine home runs, 29 (!) RBI
Next 24 games: 90 PA, .209/.244/.267, no home runs, 21 strikeouts
Next 12 games: 44 PA, .278/.409/.528, two home runs, 10 runs scored

The end of that last 12-game sequence is when Dansby suffered the oblique injury that kept him out a month. When he returned he batted .160/.250/.280 with nine strikeouts in seven games and 28 PA.

I recognize this is cherry-picking of a sort, but seriously, when have you seen a player have dramatic hot streaks like that followed by sequences that would bench or send to Triple-A less experienced players?

Swanson still played solid defense, though likely not enough for another Gold Glove. His bWAR dropped from 4.5 to 3.2, but he has still averaged 4.2 bWAR for his four Cubs seasons. No complaints here. Just hope he’s healthy in 2027.

Alex Bregman: A-

This grade would have been a solid “A” if not for Bregman’s horrific start as a Cub, which had him batting .235/.333/.338 with just seven home runs in his first 92 games in blue pinstripes. That takes us to two games before the All-Star break. In those two games Bregman went 4-for-9 and homered twice and you could almost see the lights go on.

Including those two, Bregman batted .308/.388/.648 over his last 63 games (281 PA) with 19 doubles, 21 home runs, 50 runs and 58 RBI. That’s an MVP pace if you do it for an entire season. Bregman finished with 5.8 bWAR, third-best of his career and best since 2019, and his leadership qualities have been lauded by everyone in the organization. It was absolutely, positively worth signing him.

I cannot help wondering if not for that freak injury to him Sept. 20 in Cincinnati, whether the Cubs might have won two more games over the last week of the regular season and hosted the Padres in the Wild Card Series, rather than go to San Diego. Maybe that wouldn’t have mattered, maybe it would, but I do think Bregman’s absence really hurt the team that week.

Here’s one of my favorite Bregman moments, his game-tying two-out, two-strike, two-run homer in the ninth Aug. 6 against the Blue Jays [VIDEO].

Ian Happ: C+

Happ’s numbers weren’t that far off from his previous seasons, though his batting average was quite a bit lower. His power numbers (24 HR, 28 doubles, three triples) were consistent with previous years, his walk total (81) was right on target, and he continued to play a fine left field and likely wins another Gold Glove. That would give him five. Only two Cubs have ever won five or more Gold Gloves: Ron Santo (5) and Ryne Sandberg (9).

It strikes me that a lot of the dislike for Happ that I see on this site stems from the low BA. That’s only one small part of the whole package. He’s been a consistently good player for the Cubs for nearly a decade. If the Cubs make him a qualifying offer, given his middling season, he just might accept it. I think the Cubs would welcome him back for one more year.

Happ’s 197 career home runs rank 11th on the all-time Cubs list, one behind Hank Sauer. If Happ did return for 2027 and hit around 20-25 home runs, his career norm, he’d move up to ninth on that list.

Pete Crow-Armstrong: A++++++++++++++

I could put a few more pluses in there and I don’t think anyone would disagree. Not only will he win the National League MVP award (hopefully unanimously, and remember voting for that had to be completed before the postseason), PCA’s 2026 season was one of the greatest in Cubs franchise history. By bWAR (9.8) he tied Ron Santo’s 1967 season for fourth-best, behind only Ernie Banks (10.2 in 1959), Sammy Sosa (10.3 in 2001) and Rogers Hornsby (10.6 in 1929). Banks and Hornsby were MVP and Sosa finished second to Barry Bonds.

By fWAR it’s second-best, 10.6 to Hornsby’s 11.0.

We were blessed to watch PCA get to the 40/40 club, becoming just the seventh MLB player ever to do that, to hit more home runs (45) than any Cub in 21 years (Derrek Lee, 46 in 2005) and to play fantastic defense every single day.

Don’t ever forget the things you saw this young man do. Even though the season didn’t end the way we wanted, what he did is worth celebrating forever.

I could just post PCA videos for the rest of this article and you’d probably be happy, but I wanted to narrow things down to just one. This one, I think, sums up the disruptive force he can be on the basepaths. It’s the Aug. 6 game against the Blue Jays that was tied up by the aforementioned Bregman home run in the ninth. Neither team scored in the 10th, and PCA led off the 11th with a single that got placed runner Carson Kelly thrown out at the plate. Pete took second on the throw and the Jays intentionally walked Seiya Suzuki to bring up Busch to face former Cub lefty Brendon Little.

Then PCA single-handedly won the game [VIDEO].

Now think about that play. PCA took off on Little’s first pitch. Brandon Valenzuela thus rushed his throw and the ball got away and Pete didn’t even hesitate. You can see Quintin Berry waving him, but that was after PCA was already up and running to the plate. People used to say that Javier Báez’s baseball instincts were off the charts. I think PCA’s are, too.

And he is only 24 years old. Comparisons to what Ernie Banks and Willie Mays did at that age are not unwarranted, in my opinion.

And the Cubs have him signed for six more years at a relatively team-friendly figure. The Báez-for-PCA trade is already one of the best in Cubs history. It could wind up being the best when all is said and done.

Seiya Suzuki: A

Suzuki missed the first 12 games of the season due to a knee injury suffered in the World Baseball Classic. (And doesn’t it seem like the WBC was more than just a few months ago?)

He started out slowly, batting just .229/.372/.257 with 11 strikeouts over his first 10 games.

Then he got scorching hot, batting .351/.441/.754 with seven home runs in his next 15 games.

Over the rest of the year, his performance was quite consistent and he wound up with career highs in walks (81) and runs (96) while batting .270/.368/.473 and posting a career high 5.1 bWAR. Over the five years of the contract he signed before the 2022 season, Suzuki has hit .269/.351/.472 with 113 home runs in 675 games and a career total of 16.2 bWAR, or nearly 4 bWAR per season.

This year, too, his defense improved significantly both by metrics and by the eye test and I would not be surprised if he’s a Gold Glove “finalist” (they’re not really “finalists,” they’re just the three top vote-getters) or even wins the award.

The Cubs should make it a top priority to offer Suzuki a contract extension, maybe four years plus a vesting option for a fifth. He’s been a very valuable member of this team and I’d love to see him return.

Michael Conforto: B+

I was not in favor of this signing when it was announced around the beginning of Spring Training. Conforto had a poor year in 2025 with the Dodgers and I thought Dylan Carlson would be a better player.

Shows you what I know. Carlson played in just three games for the Cubs, going 0-for-4 before being released. He signed with the Phillies, played poorly in 40 Triple-A games for them before being let go and wasn’t picked up by anyone. So clearly, I was totally wrong in my analysis of these two players.

Conforto, meanwhile, slid in to a backup outfield/DH role with grace and production. He started off slowly, but by the end of April was batting .300/.421/.433 in 17 games and 38 PA.

Then came the game of May 4, Conforto’s first appearance in May, he’d sat on the bench for the first three games of the month. The Cubs trailed the Reds 4-3 going to the bottom of the ninth. PCA led off with a triple and one out later, scored on a sacrifice fly.

Conforto was sent up to bat for Matt Shaw. He ran the count full. And then… [VIDEO].

Well now. That’s a way to make a fanbase love you! As noted on the clip, that was his first career walk-off homer.

Conforto batted .240/.331/.469 with 15 home runs in 271 at-bats and played a decent right field when he was asked to do that. He was paid just $2 million for those 15 long balls, which were just two fewer than Kyle Tucker had for the Dodgers… and Tucker was paid, um, a lot more. Conforto and Tucker both finished with 0.7 bWAR. Conforto turns 34 in March. I would absolutely, positively bring him back for another year, if he’s willing.

Lastly, if you did not know this about Conforto, he comes from an athletic family. His mom is Tracie Ruiz-Conforto, who was a gold medalist in synchronized swimming in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Conforto’s dad, also named Michael, played college football at Penn State.

Tyrone Taylor: A-

Taylor is exactly what the Cubs needed, a solid defensive backup outfielder who can play all three positions well. And he absolutely crushes left-handed pitching, or at least he did in 2026: .318/.348/.573 with six home runs in 110 at-bats. (Career-wise, his .744 OPS is a bit better than .710 vs. RHP, but not as significant a difference as this year.)

Taylor played five seasons for Craig Counsell in Milwaukee, so the Cubs manager knew exactly what he was getting when Taylor was included in the Clay Holmes deal.

He is a free agent and turns 33 in January, but I would love to see him back as a fourth outfielder in 2027.

Matt Shaw: C+

I cannot figure out Matt Shaw. He showed promise in the field and at the plate last year, but seemed to regress in 2026. Some of that was due to multiple injuries that limited him to 77 games this year. His OPS rose from .690 to .737 but his bWAR dropped from 3.0 to 0.7, likely because he was shuttled all around the field this year, rather than mostly play third base as he did in 2025.

He’s not really a right fielder and if the Cubs re-sign Suzuki he might not have a position, though I suppose he could play left. The team might be best served by putting together a package including Shaw and trading him for quality starting pitching.

Pedro Ramírez: B+

Ramírez was only supposed to be in the major leagues briefly. He was called up when Shaw went on the injured list in late May with back issues.

But Ramírez, who impressed me with his defense in Spring Training, hit well enough to stick around and became very useful when Swanson went down with his oblique issue. Overall in 80 games and 266 plate appearances, Ramírez batted .261/.321/.402 with 12 doubles, two triples, six home runs and nine stolen bases. That’s really good for any rookie, but especially one who had just turned 22 in April and who had played only 43 games at Triple-A before his callup.

And that might not even be the most impressive thing about Ramírez. It might be his maturity and work ethic, as detailed in this August article by Sahadev Sharma in The Athletic:

Manager Craig Counsell, not one to easily dish out praise, made sure to commend Ramírez for the way he carried himself. Veterans noticed it as well.

“I feel really happy that they have that idea, that they think those things about me,” Ramírez said. “I’ve always thought to myself, wherever I go, I’ll always try to show that. It instills a lot of confidence in me that they think about me that way. I’m very thankful for the opportunity.”

This is exactly the sort of thing that makes for a good major league player — hard work and confidence, in addition to natural talent. The emergence of Ramírez is another reason that Shaw could be traded for pitching. The Sharma article also notes:

With Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki heading into free agency this winter, the Cubs are getting comfortable with the idea of giving Ramírez an everyday role in a corner outfield spot.

“I don’t know what the plans are for that position,” Ramírez said. “What I do know is I feel like I can take on whatever role is needed. Whatever it is they need, I can help and I’ll do my absolute best.”

As noted, I’d like to see Suzuki back long-term and Happ could accept a QO. But if not and there’s an opening in the outfield? Why not try Ramírez? The Cubs could have found the proverbial “diamond in the rough.”

Gabriel Arias: Incomplete

Arias could be a really useful player off the bench, but we just don’t know for sure. He played in only seven games for the Cubs, going 3-for-8 with a walk and three RBI.

For the Guardians last year, he was more or less their regular shortstop, starting 102 games there (and also 19 at second base), but he batted just .220/.274/.363 with 162 strikeouts in 471 PA, yikes.

But he won’t turn 27 until February and is a good defender. He’s under team control for three more years.

Kevin Alcántara, Justin Dean, Scott Kingery, Nicky Lopez, B.J. Murray Jr., Owen Miller and James Triantos also played in at least one game for the Cubs this year.

Tomorrow: Pitchers

Good morning everyone, and happy Friday!

The Wild Card round is over as we head into Division Series weekend. Let’s get you caught up on all of that and more.

MLB Postseason Scores…

• Former Mariners farmhand Ray Kerr turned himself into a household name with a solid outing for the Braves in their 6-2, series-clinching win over the Phillies.

In Mariners news…

• Kate Preusser spoke to several Mariners players to get their insights on what lessons were learned from this disappointing season.
• Over on The Feed, commenter the old wisdom pointed out that Michael Arroyo showed off one elite skill in his short cup of coffee in the majors.

Around the league…

• One Mariners managerial candidate is off the board as the Diamondbacks have reportedly agreed to an extension with skipper Torey Lovullo.
• Astros manager Joe Espada, who has also been thrown around as a potential M’s target, expressed his desire to return to Houston next year.
• Right-hander Jameson Taillon is set to undergo flexor surgery, which will likely cost him the entire 2027 season. Even at age 35, he intends to complete the rehab process and return to the sport.
• Well, that was quick: Rob Manfred said the league is no longer looking at building a ballpark at Grand Teton.
• Willson Contreras joined Sonny Gray in piling on Red Sox management in the aftermath of the team’s sweep at the hands of the Yankees.
• Kiley McDaniel at ESPN spoke to baseball insiders to get predictions on where big fish free agent Tarik Skubal is likely to sign this winter.
• It’s not just a Mariners problem — Davy Andrews at Fangraphs wrote about how the Orioles’ failure to manage and communicate about injuries cost the team wins this year.

With Major League Baseball’s current postseason format, there’s always a chance that the Thursday of Wild Card Series Week is a universal offday. The sample is only so large, but the best-of-three format has not produced many series that have gone the distance — such as it were, as three is hardly much of a distance. Of the 28 Wild Card Series to be played since it was first introduced in 2020 (initially as part of the expanded COVID playoff field and codified in 2022 after one last one-game playoff in 2021), only eight have seen a Game 3 — 28.6 percent.

Indeed, three of the four Wild Card Series were already in the books by the time the sun rose yesterday. We know the Yankees will face the Rays, the Guardians will face the White Sox, and the Brewers will face the Padres. But one remained, and thank the maker for it! October days without any playoff baseball whatsoever are sad days, especially when there’s no personal investment in a short series. We’re already locked into one today, as the Division Series doesn’t begin until tomorrow. But the Phillies’ late rally in Game 2 on Wednesday at Truist Park helped force extras and then a 10th-inning victory to force a Game 3 last night.

That’s right, Joey. Let’s go.

NL Wild Card Series Game 3

Atlanta Braves 6, Philadelphia Phillies 2
(Atlantawins 2-1)

As far as pitching matchups go, this certainly was one. It wasn’t even as outright insulting as the Astros/White Sox “double opener” one, just… OK we’ll just say it: Aaron Nola vs. Ray Kerr. Yeah.

Nola is of course well known for long career in Philly, but hasn’t been his prime form for some time now and was most recently on the mound on two days’ rest to start the Phils’ doomed penultimate game of the season. As for Kerr, I’m literally married to a Braves fan and I have not heard of this gentleman. He’s mostly been a reliever, had Tommy John surgery in 2024, returned to the big-league level this past August, and he’s made just four appearances since Labor Day. But Atlanta manager Walt Weiss gave him a shot to at least cover the start of this do-or-die game, and he was excellent.

Kerr chose Game 3 of NL Wild Card Series to tie his longest outing of the season, recording 10 outs and allowing just one hit.

It was all a terrific beginning to the game for the Braves, desperate to shake off the awful late loss in Game 2. They got on the board quickly against Nola, who issued one-out walks in the first to Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson to bring Michael Harris II to the plate. On a 2-0 pitch, Harris took out his driver and golfed a pitch out for a three-run homer to right:

The ball was literally only a foot and change off the ground, but Harris blasted it anyway.

And honestly… that was the ballgame! The Phillies never scored more than a couple runs, so Harris’ homer held up. It didn’t help them that when Zack Wheeler entered in relief—several wondered if it would’ve made more sense to just start him on three days’ rest for the first time in his career—he fell victim to the long ball as well, with Ozzie Albies smacking a two-run shot to make it 5-0 in the fourth.

In a bit of a curious managerial decision, Braves ace Chris Sale came out of the bullpen to record the final fours in a four-run ballgame. It was a cool moment in theory for him to strike out Bryce Harper and then finish the job in the ninth, but it’ll be interesting to see how this affects their pitching plans in the Division Series, when they’ll have to contend with the mighty Dodgers, too.

The 2026 MLB Postseason continues after four teams were eliminated in the Wild Card Series this week, leaving us with eight teams vying for the World Series. Beginning Saturday, the next round of the postseason, the Division Series, will begin, as the Brewers host the Padres for the first two games in a best-of-five series.

While Paul already dug a bit deeper into the Brewers-Padres series, let’s take a quick look at all four of the matchups.

All times listed in Central Time.

AL Division Series: (1) Tampa Bay Rays vs. (4) New York Yankees

In the American League, both Division Series matchups feature intradivisional matchups. This one, featuring the AL East winner and runner-up, has the two teams who finished with the best records in the AL. The Rays, who finished 98-64, beat the Yankees by 4.5 games, with an MLB-best 55-26 record at home. Tampa had a pretty balanced attack this year, though they finished way better than their run differential would suggest — at +86 runs (sixth best in MLB), they had an expected win-loss of 90-72. The Yankees, meanwhile, are coming off a pair of rompings against their rival Red Sox, winning 9-0 and 9-2 at Yankee Stadium in the AL Wild Card Series. They finished with the fourth-best run differential in baseball, primarily due to their pitching staff, which finished atop the league in several categories.

Schedule

• Game 1 @ Tampa Bay: Saturday, Oct. 3 @ 5:30 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
• Game 2 @ Tampa Bay: Monday, Oct. 5 @ 7:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
• Game 3 @ New York: Wednesday, Oct. 7 @ 7:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
• Game 4* @ New York: Thursday, Oct. 8 @ 7:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
• Game 5* @ Tampa Bay: Saturday, Oct. 10 @ 7:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)

*if necessary

Team Rankings

Rays:

• Offense: .258/.326/.402 (.728 OPS ranks eighth); 169 HRs (22nd); 736 runs (12th); 164 SBs (tied for second)
• Pitching: 3.70 team ERA (seventh); 3.51 starter ERA (third); 3.99 reliever ERA (14th); 1,322 Ks (19th)

Yankees:

• Offense: .235/.311/.409 (.720 OPS ranks tied for 11th); 223 HRs (second); 739 runs (tied for ninth); 153 SBs (sixth)
• Pitching: 3.24 team ERA (first); 3.30 starter ERA (first); 3.15 reliever ERA (second); 1,450 Ks (tied for sixth)

Projected Pitching Matchups

• Game 1: RHP Drew Rasmussen (TB) vs. TBD (NYY)
• Game 2: TBD (TB) vs. RHP Cam Schlittler (NYY)
• Game 3: TBD (TB) vs. TBD (NYY)
• Game 4: TBD (TB) vs. TBD (NYY)
• Game 5: TBD (TB) vs. TBD (NYY)

Prediction

The Yankees looked like a different monster against Boston, even without Aaron Judge. But New York already had to use Cam Schlittler and Max Fried, meaning neither of them will be able to pitch two games in this series (unless Schlittler goes on short rest twice). With that in mind, I think this is about as evenly matched as possible, but the Rays’ home-field advantage makes me give them a slight edge. Rays in five.

AL Division Series: (2) Cleveland Guardians vs. (6) Chicago White Sox

The other intradivisional matchup on this side of the bracket, the Guardians got the No. 2 seed in the AL despite finishing just 85-77 — that wouldn’t have even been good enough to make the playoffs if they were in the NL. The White Sox, who finished right behind them at 84-78 after leading the AL Central for a good chunk of the year, are coming off a two-game sweep of the Astros in the AL Wild Card Series. Neither one of these teams are super flashy, but the Guardians have a good, not great pitching staff and the White Sox have a good, not great offense. We’ll see which one prevails.

Schedule

• Game 1 @ Cleveland: Saturday, Oct. 3 @ 12:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
• Game 2 @ Cleveland: Monday, Oct. 5 @ 4:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
• Game 3 @ Chicago: Wednesday, Oct. 7 @ 3:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
• Game 4* @ Chicago: Thursday, Oct. 8 @ 4:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)
• Game 5* @ Cleveland: Saturday, Oct. 10 @ 4:00 p.m. (TBS & HBO Max)

*if necessary

Team Rankings

Guardians:

• Offense: .239/.316/.380 (.696 OPS ranks 26th); 162 HRs (27th); 678 runs (24th); 146 SBs (seventh)
• Pitching: 3.77 team ERA (eighth); 3.93 starter ERA (ninth); 3.54 reliever ERA (sixth); 1,530 Ks (third)

White Sox:

• Offense: .236/.320/.406 (.726 OPS ranks ninth); 211 HRs (fifth); 776 runs (fifth); 93 SBs (tied for 18th)
• Pitching: 4.12 team ERA (15th); 4.60 starter ERA (26th); 3.70 reliever ERA (eighth); 1,337 Ks (tied for 16th)

Projected Pitching Matchups

• Game 1: LHP Parker Messick (CLE) vs. TBD (CWS)
• Game 2: RHP Gavin Williams (CLE) vs. TBD (CWS)
• Game 3: TBD (CLE) vs. TBD (CWS)
• Game 4: TBD (CLE) vs. TBD (CWS)
• Game 5: TBD (CLE) vs. TBD (CWS)

Prediction

As I said above, neither of these teams is flashy, and both squads are solid and one side of the ball and not so solid on the other. I think Cleveland’s combo of Parker Messick and Gavin Williams atop the rotation can get things done, though, as Cleveland wins in four.

NL Division Series: (1) Milwaukee Brewers vs. (4) San Diego Padres

I won’t say too much here just because Paul already took his time to write a lengthy preview for this series. All I’ll add is that I think the home-field advantage will come into play in a big way here — both of these fanbases are hungry for their first World Series title and based on how loud the fans in San Diego were when they played the Cubs this week, I’d expect all five games to be rowdy. This should be a fun one to watch.

Schedule

• Game 1 @ Milwaukee: Saturday, Oct. 3 @ 7:30 p.m. (FS1)
• Game 2 @ Milwaukee: Sunday, Oct. 4 @ 3:00 p.m. (FS1)
• Game 3 @ San Diego: Tuesday, Oct. 6 @ 8:30 p.m. (FS1)
• Game 4* @ San Diego: Wednesday, Oct. 7 @ 9:00 p.m. (FS1)
• Game 5* @ Milwaukee: Friday, Oct. 9 @ 3:30 p.m. (FS1)

*if necessary

Team Rankings

Brewers:

• Offense: .258/.341/.403 (.744 OPS ranks tied for third); 154 HRs (tied for 28th); 832 runs (second); 162 SBs (fifth)
• Pitching: 3.51 team ERA (second); 3.61 starter ERA (fifth); 3.40 reliever ERA (third); 1,544 Ks (second)

Padres:

• Offense: .244/.319/.398 (.717 OPS ranks 18th); 183 HRs (tied for 14th); 722 runs (15th); 164 SBs (tied for second)
• Pitching: 3.99 team ERA (10th); 4.42 starter ERA (21st); 3.53 reliever ERA (fifth); 1,315 Ks (20th)

Projected Pitching Matchups

• Game 1: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) vs. TBD (SD)
• Game 2: RHP Logan Henderson (MIL) vs. TBD (SD)
• Game 3: TBD (MIL) vs. TBD (SD)
• Game 4: TBD (MIL) vs. TBD (SD)
• Game 5: TBD (MIL) vs. TBD (SD)

Prediction

The Brewers have about as balanced of a team as you could ask for, whether out of the bullpen, offensively, or simply with Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson as a great 1-2 punch atop the rotation. Give me Brewers in four.

NL Division Series: (2) Los Angeles Dodgers vs. (3) Atlanta Braves

The winners of the NL West and NL East will face off, as the Braves escaped a matchup with the Phillies in the NL Wild Card Series, the only set to go the full three games. As has been the norm for over a decade, the Dodgers are good at everything they do, ranking in the top five in offense and pitching. The one thing they don’t have going for them is that they aren’t getting any younger — outside of 25-year-old Andy Pages in center and 29-year-old Kyle Tucker in right, all of their team leaders are in their 30s. That group includes Shohei Ohtani (32), Will Smith (31), Mookie Betts (34 next week), Freddie Freeman (37), Max Muncy (36), and Teoscar Hernández (34 later this month), among several others. The pitching staff is one of the deepest in baseball, but again, they aren’t all that young, and injuries are always a key consideration. For the Braves, they also have one of the top pitching staffs in baseball, with one of the top starting pitchers in baseball in Chris Sale, who we’ll see at least once in this series. They also have a solid bullpen anchored by Raisel Iglesias and Robert Suarez. While their offense ranks right around the middle of the pack, slightly above league average, they still have several big names in Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, Drake Baldwin, and Michael Harris II.

Schedule

• Game 1 @ Los Angeles: Saturday, Oct. 3 @ 3:00 p.m. (FOX & FOX One)
• Game 2 @ Los Angeles: Sunday, Oct. 4 @ 7:00 p.m. (FS1)
• Game 3 @ Atlanta: Tuesday, Oct. 6 @ 5:00 p.m. (FS1)
• Game 4* @ Atlanta: Wednesday, Oct. 7 @ 5:00 p.m. (FS1)
• Game 5* @ Los Angeles: Friday, Oct. 9 @ 7:00 p.m. (FOX & FOX One)

*if necessary

Team Rankings

Dodgers:

• Offense: .257/.338/.424 (.762 OPS ranks second); 204 HRs (tied for seventh); 801 runs (fourth); 72 SBs (28th)
• Pitching: 3.55 team ERA (fourth); 3.43 starter ERA (second); 3.74 reliever ERA (ninth); 1,521 Ks (fourth)

Braves:

• Offense: .246/.309/.409 (.718 OPS ranks tied for 16th); 204 HRs (tied for seventh); 742 runs (eighth); 83 SBs (tied for 23rd)
• Pitching: 3.63 team ERA (fifth); 3.76 starter ERA (sixth); 3.44 reliever ERA (fourth); 1,350 Ks (15th)

Projected Pitching Matchups

• Game 1: TBD (LAD) vs. TBD (ATL)
• Game 2: TBD (LAD) vs. TBD (ATL)
• Game 3: TBD (LAD) vs. TBD (ATL)
• Game 4: TBD (LAD) vs. TBD (ATL)
• Game 5: TBD (LAD) vs. TBD (ATL)

Prediction

I feel like this postseason is the most vulnerable Los Angeles has been in several years. After completing back-to-back title runs in 2024 and 2025, I get the feeling that the window is at least starting to close. I think the Braves will make this closer than most would believe, but the Dodgers will prevail. Dodgers in five.

Numbers are helpful. Numbers make things plain when words muddy things up.

What follows are some numbers, basic numbers, that I found before putting some words next to them. They don’t tell the whole story of the 2026 San Francisco Giants — but who wants that? No thanks. Measurable data in small, manageable punches, please.   

0 — Zero, it’s a number. Kind of. A number is a measurable value, and zero is measurable as an absence of value (see, numbers aren’t confusing at all). It’s a number in the same way that nobody is a presence. “Nobody is attacking me! Nobody is attacking me!” Polyphemus screamed from his cave after Odysseus blinded him, and all the other giant cyclopses who rushed to his aid at the sound of his shrieking, turned away grumbling. The ravings of a lunatic. Many of us, at our most dramatic and most sensitive, probably felt like Polyphemus in the last couple weeks of the season, watching a team that was notable in what it lacked. Absence as a presence — that’s the line-up in a nutshell. A bunch of nobodies. It was not the plan.

 Zero players who took the field on Opening Day for the 2026 Giants way back on March 25th took the field as a Giant when the season concluded on September 27th. 

Four were traded – Luis Arraez and Caleb Kilian to the Phillies, Patrick Bailey to the Guardians, Heliot Ramos to the Yankees. Five players — Matt Chapman, Casey Schmitt, Harrison Bader, Rafael Devers, and Keaton Winn — landed on the 60-day IL. Two — Logan Webb and JT Brubaker — are on the 15-day IL. Two more — Jung Hoo Lee and Willy Adames — are on the 10-day IL.

1 — One sweep. One real one. A real one is at least three games. A series sweep really only matters because it is more than two games. One win could be a fluke. Two in a row is like a broken clock being right twice a day. But three, and against the same team, now that’s something with substance.  

There were 52 series (counting the split-up Braves as one) on the 2026 calendar. The Giants swept the 45th one they played in. Fans had to wait until the second week in September, with the Cardinals in town, to bust the brooms out. They flipped the script on us too with a 6-run comeback in the 8th.  

2 — Two players. Christian Koss and Landen Roupp. Woke king Koss and Remember the Covenant! Roupp — diametrically opposed on the political spectrum, and yet tied together to the mast. There on the 26-man roster on March 25th when the boat left port, and (though Koss only had 14 AB before July 1st and was sent to Sacramento for most of May and June) there on September 27th when it washed ashore in pieces. The only survivors of this shipwreck season.

It’s fitting then that Koss was the last player to represent the Giants on a baseball field in 2026. He delivered the final joyful moment, the final disappointment when that joyful moment had the rug pulled out from under it, and the final out of the year.

3 — Three Giants starting pitchers suffered a torn UCL in their throwing arm during the regular season. The injuries actually all came within a month-and-a-half., the pitchers dominoing off the mound and onto the 60-day IL. Trevor McDonald went down in August, Carson Whisenhunt in the middle of September, Blade Tidwell in the last week of the season. Harken back to the halcyon days of Spring Training, when Hayden Birdsong heard the dreaded “pop,” and the writing was on the wall. Three became four. Four Tommy John surgeries levied on a whole generation of Giants’ pitching talent. All 25 year old rotation arms slowly being built up to handle a full season’s workload.

The “rising wave” of pitching depth never broke. Now 2027 will be missed, and it’s hard not to feel like when they return, they’ll be starting over. A hopeful normalcy, if it ever arrives, for these pitchers won’t be until 2029? Maybe? And who does the front office plan to put in their place? Will they still be stubborn about handing out long-term, six-figure contracts to free agent starters? Will the accelerated rise of Yunior Marte, Matt Wilkinson, and Cesar Perdomo, (another) 3 representatives dredged from the depths of the farm system to handle the final chunk of innings at season’s end, represent a new wave? The trio of replacements held their own to a certain extent — but expectations were low. Hanging sliders, demolished by Major League hitters were glossed over, elevated walk rates forgiven, and they were rarely pushed to pitch through the 5th. Though “Tugboat” is a Major League nickname, the jury is still out on the rest of him.

4 — Four wins in a row. The Giants didn’t do it. First time in franchise history its happened — rather, it hasn’t happened. 

They won three in a row seven different times. They were an out from sealing a fourth W in Chicago on June 6th when future-MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong launched one of his MLB-leading 45 home runs off Keaton Winn. They nearly did it against Seattle in mid-July, but a Logan Webb cruise capsized after allowing a game-tying 3-run shot in the 7th. The Giants again lost in 10 innings. 

Maybe that Cubs game was the moment we all should’ve recognized it wasn’t going to happen. It being anything good, or restorative, or sustained. Early June was plenty of time for reality to set in, but we (some of us? Just me?) were still counting on that one-in-a-half-century hot streak to pick the Giants up and lift them out of the funk. It happened to the Red Sox instead, which makes sense because the Red Sox had a bullpen.

5 — Five walk-off wins. On the other side of  the coin is the dozen times the Giants were walked off, but that’s another number further on in this doom count. Focus on the present. Every game has a story. Over a long baseball season, it’s important to find excuses to celebrate. Those silly, over-the-top, on-field fandangos — as contrived as they can be at times — serve a purpose. 

The 2026 Giants did deliver a walk-off for the ages. No fabricated excuse needed to go nuts after Bryce Eldridge’s “ultimate grand slam” capped off an 8-run comeback against the Nationals. Moments before Eldridge delivered his first (of hopefully many) highlight reel clips, Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow threw another on top of the career pile with the quickly infamous “drop trou and hog out” exchange.

The walk-off homer, aired-out to right, plopped down atop the Willie Mays wall, and everyone went ballistic. A routine out in many parks, but no one cared. It was ridiculous and comedic and unexpected and so needed, for the fans, for the players. A moment of pure, amnesiac bliss. Nothing before mattered. Tomorrow felt so far away. The Giants had won the game when they were expected to lose it. For once, they defied expectations rather than fell short of them.

For some, it was the last enjoyable moment the Giants delivered on the field. A couple days later, the wheels came off the vibe train.

Nothing good lasts. The 2026 Giants taught me that.

October 17, 1996 feels like forever ago, especially to someone like me, who was born in 1990.

“Macarena” was the No. 1 song, while “Independence Day” was the No. 1 movie.

Atlanta was just months removed from hosting the Olympics.

Walt Weiss still had four years left in his major league career, while Matt Olson was two years old and Ronald Acuña Jr. was still over a year away from being born.

That was the last time the Atlanta Braves won a winner-take-all postseason game.

Until Thursday. The Braves exorcised three decades worth of demons, and some particularly pesky recent ones, with their 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in the decisive third game of their NL Wild Card series, snapping the franchise’s six-game losing streak in elimination games.

Fittingly for a night of such catharsis, the Braves left little doubt.

From the moment Michael Harris II delivered a first-inning haymaker in the form of his three-run homer off Aaron Nola, the game never really felt like the Braves were teetering on the precipice of danger.

Sure, there may have been that “here comes the five-run inning for the Phillies” thought that you couldn’t quite get out of your head, but the reality of how it played out on the field was it never felt like that was coming.

After the early blow, the Braves kept the Phillies at arm’s length. The rare Philadelphia hits were never further complicated by additional issues. The Phillies scored their only two runs on an RBI groundout and a sacrifice fly, finishing 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

It certainly didn’t hurt the feeling of comfort that the Braves kept adding on. Ozzie Albies’ fourth-inning two-run shot made it 5-0. And after Philadelphia got on the board in the sixth, Matt Olson responded with Atlanta’s third homer of the game.

Not long after that, Chris Sale, the baseball robot that he is — his own words he said this week — took care of the final four outs in typically dominant fashion.

“I can’t say enough about this group,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said postgame. “I’ve been saying it, repeating myself, but I said it on Day 1 of Spring Training that it was going to take more than our talent to get to where we wanted to go. We had to have the right mentality. We had to come together. We had to play for each other, all those things that you can’t quantify.

“They’re game changers, and I always felt all along — and I was saying at the end of Spring Training— I felt like we had the right guys on the bus, man.”

The way in which Thursday’s game played out was cathartic enough. That it happened against the Phillies made it a potentially spiritual experience for Braves Country.

The team that ruined Atlanta’s strong 2022 and 2023 seasons. The team that had been the thorn in the Braves’ side, both in the NL East and in the postseason. The team that seemed dead late in Wednesday’s game before rallying and bringing in what was widely believed to be a better pitching situation entering Game 3

The Braves’ strong performance made sure none of that remotely mattered or was a lingering thought in peoples’ heads this time.

”Definitely feels amazing to win against the Phillies,” Albies admitted.

Mauricio Dubón and Mike Yastrzemski said pregame that the team was loose and there was no tension in the air from Wednesday’s blown chance at a sweep.

How the game played out proved they were right.

“I think in baseball you can’t do anything but try to stay loose. If you put more pressure on yourself, it’s just going to eat you up,” Harris said. “I felt like in the clubhouse today we talked more about fantasy football than baseball. It kept us ready. Once we had our meeting, we kind of locked in and knew what we wanted to do when we came out.”

And with a few monkeys firmly removed from the team’s collective back, the “house money” portion of the Braves’ postseason begins. Beating the Dodgers in the NLDS would be a bonus, but they certainly aren’t a trendy pick to knock off the two-time defending champs.

That being said, if the Braves are able to channel the same focus and clutch moments they delivered in this series finale, maybe they can drag the Dodgers into a contested series.

After all, they did beat them five out of six times in the regular season.

The San Diego Padres rode their momentum from a strong finish in the regular season to a two-game sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card Series at Petco Park. The two teams met a season ago and engaged in a three-game series that saw the Padres score just five runs. San Diego changed that this season and scored 12 runs in two games, which included home runs from Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Gavin Sheets.

Even more impressive than the Padres offense was their pitching. Michael King set the tone in Game 1 of the series and pitched seven innings of shutout baseball with one hit allowed. That hit was an infield hit in the top of the seventh inning that Machado kept from getting to the outfield grass, but he lost the ball on the transfer from his glove to his throwing hand and was unable to make a throw to first base to keep a no-hitter intact. Nick Pivetta followed with a start in Game 2 that got him into the fourth inning, but then the game was turned over to the San Diego bullpen. The function of the team that was the most lauded throughout the season showed once again it was worthy of praise with big arms Bradgley Rodriguez, Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon and Mason Miller delivering a win.

The Padres head to Milwaukee to take on the top seeded Brewers and Cy Young frontrunner Jacob Misiorowski. If San Diego can get similar performances from their offense and in particular their stars, and get solid contributions from the likes of Robbie Ray and Walker Buehler the Padres could have a chance to punch their ticket to the National League Championship Series.

Padres News:

• Gavin Sheets announced his presence in the postseason with a two-run blast to right field that helped the Padres get a 4-1 win to complete the sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card Series.

• After a dominant showing in the NLWCS, Dennis Lin of The Athletic asks if this could be the team to get the Padres back to the World Series.

Baseball News:

• The Atlanta Braves eliminated the Philadelphia Phillies with a Game 3 win.

Good morning, LSB.

Evan Grant plays the blame game and discusses how much Ray Davis deserves for the Rangers’ failed season.

AJ Pierzynski is the latest guest on Grant’s podcast.

And MLB Pipeline names a sleeper prospect for each club’s Arizona Fall League team.

And that’s about all there is this morning. Welcome to the offseason.

Coming off back-to-back disappointing seasons -- with disappointing being an understatement when describing what the 2026 campaign was -- the Mets enter this offseason looking to get back on track.

The initial goal, which has been the same since Steve Cohentook over as owner, is to get back to the playoffs. The ultimate goal is to become a team that is in the postseason perennially. 

With that in mind, the expectation is that David Stearns and the front office will be selectively aggressive this winter via free agency while attempting to fix the trouble spots that helped do the Mets in the last two years. 

The trade market could also be fertile ground for New York, with their farm system recently fortified following their trade deadline sell-off. 

As the offseason takes shape, it will be colored by New York's existing payroll commitments for 2027 and how the books are shaping up in the years to come.

It could also be influenced by the looming lockout that is set to begin on Dec. 1, and the potential that the new CBA could usher in harsher penalties for teams that exceed the luxury tax thresholds. 

Here's how the payroll looks for next season and beyond...

SALARY COMMITTED FOR 2027

The Mets enter the offseason with roughly $255 million committed for 2027, via Cot's Contracts, which is a number that includes the $18.5 million estimated for player benefits, the money owed to zero-to-three players in both the majors and minors who are under team control, and the bonus pool for pre-arbitration players.

The above figure will go up with arbitration raises owed to 10 players, including Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez, and Dedniel Núñez. But a handful of the arbitration-eligible group could possibly be non-tendered or traded, which would lower the total amount owed.

Of note: The $255 million total before arbitration raises includes the $42 million salary that will be owed to Bo Bichette if he opts in to the second year of his three-year contract. 

For reference, the Mets ended the 2026 season with a 40-man CBT payroll of $359.48 million.

Now off the books is the $17 million owed to Frankie Montas, whose two-year deal is up. 

Additionally, because the Mets traded or waived their notable pending free agents (Brooks Raley, David Peterson, A.J. Minter, Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, and Luis Robert Jr.), the only possible pending free agent on the active roster (aside from Montas) is Bichette.

The Mets are now clear of the contracts for Raley ($2 million), Peralta ($8 million), Peterson ($8.1 million), Minter ($11 million), Holmes ($12.6 million), and Robert ($20 million) that were on their books at the beginning of the season. 

WHAT WILL THE ARBITRATION-ELIGIBLE PLAYERS MAKE?

The Mets have 10 arbitration-eligible players.

Those players (with their 2026 Mets salary in parentheses) are:

Tylor Megill ($2.5 million)
Francisco Alvarez ($2.4 million)
Reed Garrett ($1.3 million)
Mark Vientos ($813,750)
Brett Baty ($811,500)
Dedniel Núñez ($792,000)
Austin Warren ($724,128)
Cionel Perez ($504,706)
Cristian Pache ($235,294)
Christopher Morel ($175,187)

Even if the Mets tender contracts to all of the above players, their payroll would not go up dramatically -- perhaps the total arbitration figure would be around $18 million.

However, it's difficult to see them tendering contracts to Morel or Pache, and the writing seems to be on the wall when it comes to Vientos having perhaps played his last game for New York. So for the purposes of this exercise, let's put the arbitration number at $14 million.

After taking the arbitration money into account, the total New York could be on the hook for before making external additions is approximately $269 million.

HOW MUCH MONEY IS THERE TO ADD PLAYERS THIS OFFSEASON?

The Mets, after arbitration raises, would likely be above the first luxury tax threshold for the 2027 season. However, because the CBA is set to expire, the first, second, third, and fourth thresholds for 2027 and beyond (and whether those exact kind of structures will still be in play) have not yet been determined. 

For the 2026 season, the four thresholds were $244 million, $264 million, $284 million, and $304 million -- figures that had been increasing incrementally (around $3 million to $4 million for each threshold) on an annual basis.  

New York has exceeded the luxury tax five seasons in a row and (barring something very unexpected) will be doing it for a sixth straight time in 2027.

But again, the tiers and penalties for exceeding them will not be known until a new CBA is agreed to, which throws a good deal of uncertainty into the offseason for every team that is ordinarily a significant spender. 

Also of importance is that the Mets are set to get serious salary relief following the 2027 season, when the contracts for Sean Manaea, Jorge Polanco, and Kodai Senga end, which will free up roughly $60 million. So in theory, big spending this offseason could be offset a bit in a year when Manaea, Polanco, and Senga are off the books.

As far as this offseason, the free agent market is expected to include Tarik Skubal, Clay Holmes, Michael King, Seiya Suzuki,Adrian Morejon, and Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato, while the trade market could feature some intriguing starting pitching options (such as a few Mariners, given their relative glut of rotation options).

WHAT ABOUT EXTENSIONS FOR UNDER-CONTROL PLAYERS?

The Mets are in a unique position when it comes to locking up players before they reach free agency.

Because of the resources at their disposal, they can simply sign those players back once they reach free agency if they so choose. That kind of ability stands in contrast to smaller market teams like the Royals and Brewers, who have recently signed some of their core players to long-term extensions well before they were set to reach free agency -- Kansas City signed Bobby Witt Jr. to an 11-year extension after his second season, while Milwaukee inked Jackson Chourio to an eight-year contract before he even made his big league debut. 

Even for the Mets, though, it could make sense to do these early extensions every now and then. That's because there is a benefit for both sides. 

The player gets financial certainty years earlier than he otherwise would, with pre-arbitration seasons, arbitration seasons, and/or pending free agent seasons bought out and those years included in the extension. The team, if the deal works out as hoped, winds up paying less for those later arbitration years and the free agent years, and also gets certainty. 

If the Mets were to explore that kind of deal this offseason, the two most obvious players to approach would be Carson Benge and Nolan McLean.

Benge is coming off an eye-opening debut season that saw him make a serious impact on both sides of the ball.

Offensively, Benge slashed .282/.346/.430 (.776 OPS, 118 OPS+) with 20 homers, 22 doubles, three homers, 86 runs scored, and 22 steals -- becoming the first Mets rookie ever to hit at least 20 homers and steal at least 20 bases.

Defensively, Benge was a difference-maker in right field, with his arm value in the 100th percentile, his arm strength in the 99th, and his range (OAA) in the 70th. 

McLean had a tremendous first full season, posting a 3.16 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 179.2 innings while allowing just 140 hits and fanning 194 batters.

Benge and McLean are both years away from arbitration. 

THE PAYROLL SITUATION IN 2028 AND BEYOND

Here are the Mets' projected 40-man roster salary obligations from 2028 to 2030, via Cot's:

2028: $192.5 million
2029: $106.2 million
2030: $106.7 million

As is noted above, the money coming off the books following the 2027 season will provide substantial salary relief.

Beyond that, the Mets are in strong shape in both 2029 and 2030, due in large part to the deals to Bichette and Marcus Semien ending after 2028.