Worldwide Sports News

Meet the Mets

Ben Clemens at FanGraphs wrote about the Mets fantastic offseason to this point.

MLB.com writer Mark Feinsand listed seven teams that won the offseason, and one of them is the new-look Mets.

David Adler put together a list of 10 players who could be this year’s versions of last year’s breakout stars, and there’s a budding young star of the Mets on the list.

Freddy Peralta had his introductory press conference yesterday, and made it known he’s ready to play under the bright lights of New York.

The Mets and infielder Grae Kessinger have agreed to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training.

Around the National League East

As always the Marlins have a host of new players this season and as such have to give them all new numbers (along with changing some current players’ numbers).

Around Major League Baseball

The Colorado Rockies have signed pitcher Patrick Weigel to a minor league contract.

It’s the season of prospect lists, and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN put out his own top 100 list.

MLB teams and technology firms are staring down the barrel of a potential disaster after the league failed to approve tracking technology vendors by the January 15th deadline.

Carlos Correa will not be participating in the World Baseball Classic this year, as he was unable to recieve insurance on his contract.

The Royals have narrowed their focus in their search for a location for a potential new stadium.

Aaron Judge will be returning for his second stint as the MLB The Show cover athlete, after first appearing on the cover in 2018.

There are still some major free agents available on the market, including some with the potential to turn teams into contenders.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has thrown his hat in the ring to manage Team USA at the 2028 Olympics.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Lukas Vlahos graded the Mets trade for Freddy Peralta.

Steve Sypa is now in the midst of the top ten in his series of the top 25 prospects in the Mets’ system, and the latest installment focuses on an offense-first infielder.

Linus Lawrence returned with another Tuesday Top Ten, this time ranking the greatest Mets rookies.

This Date in Mets History

The Mets selected Ken Singleton third overall in the January draft on this day in 1967.

With a big winter storm blanketing much of the continental United States over this past weekend, we’re at a bit of a lull, at least until all the social media truck day posts begin their trickle-turned-deluge in short order. That same storm continues to have “does my house have power” implications for folks around the country, and that’s why I’m doing News and Links this morning (well, actually, last night). Hello.

Anyway, onto Braves news. In that lull, we had ESPN’s top prospect list come out yesterday, compiled by onetime Braves staffer Kiley McDaniel. That list featured Cam Caminiti and JR Ritchie, both of whom have appeared on other publication lists, but also gave some love to Didier Fuentes. I have no real skin in the prospect ranking game, but I have thought it interesting in retrospect that Eric Longenhagen at FanGraphs was generally higher on Fuentes than other publications, and that’s continued to bear itself out as Fuentes hasn’t appeared on these various offseason Top 100 lists, but Caminiti has.

More Braves-related-ish news:

Without a lot of actual Braves stuff going on, I thought it amusing that there were a bunch of briefly-if-at-all Braves arms that have been aflutter on the waiver wire.

• The Mariners DFAed Jackson Kowar. You may remember Kowar as the guy the Braves got in exchange for Kyle Wright. He then went to the Mariners that same offseason in the Jarred Kelenic deal, but hit the shelf with Tommy John Surgery. He made it back to the majors with Seattle in 2025 and pitched 17 innings, but had some pretty bad peripherals and finished with -0.2 fWAR.
• Patrick Weigel signed a minor league deal with the Rockies. Once an exciting prospect, the Braves sent him to the Brewers in the Orlando Arcia deal. Weigel only has a handful of MLB appearances for his career, and none since 2021, but is still toiling away in the minors and has a better chance of seeing an MLB mound with Colorado than with any other club, probably.
• The Angels made a waiver claim on Osvaldo Bido. Bido is now on his fifth team of the offseason; the Braves claimed him from the Athletics but then DFAed him when they needed a roster spot for Ha-Seong Kim following the latter signing.

Separately, San Diego Studio revealed the cover art for the next MLB: The Show game, featuring Aaron Judge (again). I won’t mince words: this might be the worst box art I’ve ever seen. Not necessarily from an aesthetic standpoint, though yes, that too. It’s more that the design and content is, to put it lightly, abhorrent. Not only does it look clipped together like it was made in the PowerPoint that came with Microsoft Office 95, but if you actually look at the cover, it doesn’t make any sense. “Team USA” and “WBC” are somehow both “features” along with “high school” and “college,” which blows up the idea of progression. And then you have the progression going from left to right on the top, yet the middle “row” features “MVP” before “MLB.” I guess no one really cares about covers any more due to digital delivery of games these days, but yeesh.

And, with the World Baseball Classic looming, it’s time once again for “MLB wants you to care about the WBC, but not that much, so don’t get any silly ideas.“ Turns out that for some reason (read: MLB), whether a player plays in the WBC is somewhat related to interfacing with everyone’s favorite domestic institution: the insurance market. Read for yourself:

All World Baseball Classic participants on MLB 40-man rosters are evaluated by an insurer who was agreed upon by MLB and the players union. As the Los Angeles Times noted in 2023, if the insurer finds a player to be uninsurable due to their injury history, the player’s contract would not be guaranteed for any missed time due to injuries sustained during the WBC unless a team specifically agrees to do so.

Hey kids, get excited about your favorite players representing their homelands in a baseball tournament that’s more fun than Spring Training… but wait, not you, fans of [insert player here] that an insurer has deemed “uninsurable.” Double yeesh. How hard would it be for MLB to just guarantee the contracts? Does MLB even want the WBC to be a thing? (Also, if you didn’t read the article, a lot of the hold up on roster announcements is players waiting for clearance from the insurer that they’re indeed insurable and good to play. So. Much. Fun.)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed me complaining at you for multiple paragraphs at 8:30 am ET. I won’t do it again, unless someone else’s power goes out.

From Corey Seager, to Trea Turner, to Mookie Betts, the Dodgers had a carousel of options at shortstop from 2021 to the beginning of last season. It was Betts who stepped up in 2025 and ensured that the team had to look no further than inward as to which player would be their primary shortstop.

After putting in a full offseason of work to prepare for the position, Betts, in his first full season at the position, was one of the best defensive shortstops in all of baseball, with his 17 defensive runs saved leading all qualified shortstops last year. While he proved to be the team’s firm option for the foreseeable future, his offense on the other hand steeply declined.

2025 was undoubtedly the worst season at the plate for Betts, as he posted career-lows in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, finishing the year four percent better than the league average hitter in terms of wRC+. Entering his second season as the Dodgers’ starting shortstop, the goal for Betts is to equate the amount of offseason work he puts in defensively and offensively rather than lean heavily into one facet, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

As general manager Brandon Gomes said at the Winter Meetings, he has “a little more bandwidth” to strike a more regular balance between his offensive and defensive work. The Dodgers have already seen how an offseason’s work can transform Betts in one aspect of his game. They’re counting on his hard work paying off this year as well.

Before Betts heads off to Camelback Ranch, he will be a coach at the NBA All-Star Celebrity game on Feb. 13 at Intuit Dome.

Links

Heading into spring training, the Dodgers have two catchers on their active roster, with Will Smith continuing to assume starting duties and Dalton Rushing serving as the replacement. Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register previews the Dodgers’ catching depth as pitchers and catchers report in two weeks.

Third base coach Dino Ebel spoke with David Vassegh of AM 570 about getting a front row experience for Miguel Rojas’ dramatic game-tying home run with one out in the top of the ninth of Game 7 of the World Series.

“I’ve been in some big moments and big games, where last year, Freddie Freeman in Game 1 hits the grand slam which we’ll never forget,” said Ebel. “When [Rojas] hit it, my hand went straight up. I knew it was gone.. When that ball went over the fence, it was just pure chills in my body… Him coming around third base was probably the best feeling I had just because he tied the game, giving us a chance to go into extra innings.”

Some locals are “relieved” that the Kansas City Royals moved on from the Aspiria campus location on Tuesday.

“I’m very happy that they’ve kind of seen the light about the location at the Aspiria Campus,” Kelly, an Overland Park resident, said. “I don’t think it really would have worked to put that stadium there. I think we presented a lot of reasons why not and I hope we were a part of their careful consideration.”

Keith Law’s latest top-100 prospect list has three Kansas City Royals representatives, including right-handed pitcher Kendry Chourio at 61st.

When Chourio reached Low A last July, he became the first pitcher under age 18 in full-season ball since Julio Urías debuted in Low A in 2013. Chourio signed last January for $247,500, began in the Dominican Summer League, then moved to the Arizona Complex League, and between those two stops he walked one batter in 28 2/3 innings for a 0.9 percent walk rate. He finished the year in the Carolina League, where his walk rate soared to 4.2 percent (that’s sarcasm) and he did have real issues with men on base, giving up a .340/.389/.740 line in a small sample of 54 PA. He doesn’t look like a 17-year-old on the mound, certainly, with exceptional command of a three-pitch mix that includes a 94-97 mph four-seamer with some ride and natural cut to it, an upper-70s curveball that seems to drop off the table, and an 84-88 mph changeup with good fade that he almost exclusively used against lefties. He’s already stronger than his listed weight of 160, with a good lower half to maintain that velocity and perhaps add a little more as he becomes an adult. There’s obvious risk with any pitcher his age throwing even moderately hard, and he does have to pitch better from the stretch, but this is everything you’d want to see in a young pitching prospect, including the potential upside of 80 command.

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel has catcher Carter Jensen as the lone Royals representative on his top 100 list.

Jensen was a local high school player the Royals gave a little over $1 million to in the 2021 draft. He has steadily improved defensively and in his bat-to-ball ability since then to be either average or just a tick below.

He has always been a strong athlete for a catcher with a plus arm, a good eye at the plate and above-average to plus raw power projection. Because he could be a reliable every-day catcher who offers offense that’s above league average, there’s some real upside for seasons of 3-plus WAR, possibly as soon as 2026, though I think he’ll land more often with a WAR that starts with a 2.

Preston Farr’s latest Royals projections have a more productive season than expected from Issac Collins. Sometimes all you really need is a change of scenery.

Last season, American Family Field ranked 22nd in Park Factor for hitters at 97. Kauffman Stadium was tied for sixth at 101. Moving in the fences will impact that further, potentially making The K a top 5 hitter-friendly park in 2026. Where The K plays well is where American Family Field doesn’t: Doubles and Triples. While Collins will likely see some drop off in home runs, I don’t expect it to be a heavy drop. He’d have lost 4 last season based on Expected Home Runs by Park, and with the fences moving in, that number would almost certainly be lower. If home runs remain relatively flat, and Collins sees a notable uptick in doubles and triples, he stands to actually be a much better power bat with the Royals. Throughout his minor league career, Collins showcased plenty of speed, and that speed should suit him well in The K, further boosting his production.

After the Royals moved on from Aspiria, Dave Helling discussed some of the additional wrinkles that could be in store for the Royals’ stadium search.

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has suggested a local stadium financial package can be assembled without a public vote (although, as we’ve pointed out, residents may have a different approach.) There are rumblings in Jefferson City about requiring a local election, too.

The Kansas City Port Authority seems the most available option for a required local contribution to a stadium, if the Royals want Missouri’s help for the structure. Using Port KC for those subsidies would further inflame the public: Not only would there be no public vote, there might not even be a City Council vote on $500 million or more for the ballpark.

Kings of Kauffman’s Caleb Moody thinks the Royals could pounce on All-Star infielder Luis Arráez after quiet offseason.

As has become common place in the past with free agents who are still available at the later stages of the offseason, the opportunity to secure shorter-term deals increases.

Given the Royals signing patterns when it comes to offensive free agents in recent years, while Arráez would certainly constitute a deviation from the norm skill wise, from a term perspective this would be right on brand.

Given Arráez’s limited contact-first offensive profile and his defensive shortcomings, despite some positional versatility, it’s reasonable to think that perhaps a one or two-year “prove-it” deal, like Ken Rosenthal described on Foul Territory on Tuesday, is what the market would dictate for him at this point in time.

CBS Sports’ Matt Snyder calls perception, not spending, MLB’s “biggest problem”.

When it comes to the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers and their payroll, Major League Baseball definitely has a problem. It’s been growing for years and, sure, the massive payroll is one component.

The main problem, though, is public perception. Perception is reality, as so many of us know all too well.

Major League Baseball is a business that is built solely on fan interest. If fan interest wanes, that’s a problem. The massive number of people complaining about how unfair baseball is and how it needs a salary cap and how the league is a joke because the Dodgers are automatically just going to win the World Series again in 2026 — because they bought it — is a problem.

Former Royals All-Star Whit Merrifield says that Kyle Tucker “really wanted to sign” with the Toronto Blue Jays, but the offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers was too good to pass up.

The Seattle Mariners designated former Royals top pitching prospect Jackson Kowar for assignment.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge will grace the cover of MLB The Show 26, his first since MLB The Show 18.

The MLB trade deadline is moving back a bit to Aug. 3, 2026, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray.

CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa looks at 10 extension candidates, including Detroit Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle.

Houston Astros infielder Carlos Correa will not play in the World Baseball Classic after not getting insurance on his contract.

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden still believes Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran and Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte could be traded before Opening Day.

The Chicago Cubs add outfielder Dylan Carlson on a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training.

The Minnesota Twins send catcher Jhonny Pereda to the Seattle Mariners.

Mariners broadcaster Rick Rizzs will retire from the booth after the 2026 season, his 41st in Seattle.

Could the New York Mets keep Freddy Peralta on a long-term deal? One thing needs to happen first.

The Buffalo Bills apparently believe in their internal coaches after promoting Joe Brady to head coach.

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is snubbed from Hall of Fame in first year of eligibility.

What are FROGs and why is Bobby Jones one for golf?

Never fear, the Wienermobiles are nearly here.

This year’s Sundance Film Festival is the last in Utah, but a move next year could push out long-time attendees.

Yale University is waiving tuition and other fees for undergraduates from families earning less than $100,000 annually.

How are certain birds helping cherry orchards in Michigan?

Today’s song of the day is All Your’n by Tyler Childers.

The San Francisco Giants agreed to a deal with outfielder Harrison Bader on Monday, and that means a few things. Most of those things are good — for instance, it means that the Giants will now have a watchable outfield defense, and also that they’ll probably be better this year than they would have otherwise been.

But not everything is good news. Notably, signing Bader to an already full 40-man roster, means that someone else in the organization is going to get the uncomfortable phone call that they’ve been designated for assignment, and, two weeks out from Spring Training, they’ll find their career in limbo. We haven’t yet learned who that player is, but there are a few candidates.

Which brings us to the continued roller-coaster of Marco Luciano’s offseason. The former top prospect in the Giants system was, in a manner emblematic of his final few years with the organization, waived in December. He was claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates, who eventually designated him for assignment. He was then claimed by the Baltimore Orioles, who also designated him for assignment. He stayed in the NL East though, after being claimed by the New York Yankees.

And on Tuesday, the Yankees became the fourth team this offseason to say goodby to Luciano, designating him — and pitcher Jayvien Sandridge — to make space for a waiver claim (pitcher Dom Hamel) and a free agent signing (star outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger).

It’s a sad merry-go-round, and hopefully one that comes to a stop soon. Presumably all of these teams are hoping to pass Luciano through waivers so that they can outright him to AAA and, who knows, perhaps the Yankees will be the team that succeeds at doing just that.

As the Colorado Rockies prepare for spring training in a few weeks, there are still plenty of questions across the board for most positions. When it comes to the starting catcher, however, we know Hunter Goodman is going to be geared up behind the dish come Opening Day and deservedly so. Goodman’s All-Star season, which resulted in a Silver Slugger, while also being slightly above average behind the dish, has brought some stability and optimism for the foreseeable future. However, I can’t help but wonder: what’s the depth plan beyond Goodman for 2026?

Entering the year, the Rockies seem primed to just roll with Braxton Fulford as the backup catcher. In 38 total games with the big league team last season, Fulford slashed .213/.267/.324 with a home run and 16 RBI. After a strong showing in Triple-A Albuquerque, Fulford struggled to find a consistent footing in the big leagues. Understandably, not playing every day makes it tough for any hitter to find a rhythm at the plate, especially a backup catcher playing behind the 30-home run output of a player like Goodman. Still, he has plenty of potential, so there is time he can settle into his role from the get-go in 2026 as an average defensive catcher with some offensive upside if he can get things going.

But what comes after that?

After dropping former top catching prospect Drew Romo from the 40-man roster earlier this offseason, who is now with the Chicago White Sox amid his waiver-wire journey, the Rockies have no other catchers on the roster. Thus far, the only big league-experienced depth piece that has been added to the organization is Brett Sullivan.

Signed to a minor league deal in December, Sullivan has played a total of 43 games at the big league level, with the majority coming in 2023 when he played 33 games with the San Diego Padres. The 31-year-old (32 in February) has hit .204 with a .250 on-base percentage and two home runs in 112 career plate appearances. Last season, he played three games with the Pittsburgh Pirates while spending the rest of the year in Triple-A. He’s been solid through his Triple-A career, slashing .261/.332/.432. As a left-handed bat, it gives the Rockies a much-needed alternative bat, and defensively, he’s been a generally average catcher behind the dish.

The Rockies don’t have an otherwise big league-ready catcher in the system, at least none that seemed primed to crack the Opening Day roster out of spring training. This leaves them to perhaps take a look at the free agent market and increase their depth and competition in camp, or afford them more time to develop their catchers.

Christian Vázquez

If the Rockies want a glove-first backup, then Christian Vázquez could be worth a look. Through his career, Vázquez has been a serviceable bat while rating as an above-average defensive catcher. His offensive numbers cratered during his three-year stint with Minnesota, but the glove remained elite behind the plate.

There could still be a way for his bat to pick up a little bit from the .189/.271/.274 slash in 214 plate appearances as he still has a keen eye at the plate, just not much oomph behind the bat, but the glove experience could be beneficial to help Goodman and the others progress. He wouldn’t have to play every day, since he is 35, and Spotrac projects his market value a little over $1 million, which is more than affordable for the Rockies for a cheap big league contract, or a split contract type deal.

Elias Díaz

How about a reunion with the Rockies’ starting catcher from 2021-2024? After strong offensive campaigns in 2023 and 2024 for Colorado, Díaz was released in August 2024 after injuries had sapped his trade value, and the Rockies needed to make space for other players. He signed on with the Padres for the rest of that season and re-upped for 2025 but the bat continued to regress.

However, the more that Díaz played in Colorado, the better his work behind the plate got and he continued that with the Padres. He ranked above average in blocking, caught-stealing average, and framing while ranking in the 87th percentile in pop-time. Adding Díaz once more could bring back some veteran experience behind the dish that could help answer the questions the new front office has with pitching at altitude. He’s also projected for a $2 million contract with is plenty affordable.

Austin Barnes

Back in November 2014, current Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as the right-hand man of Andrew Friedman. One of the first trades the Dodgers made was sending a trio of players to Miami for four players, including a young catcher named Austin Barnes.

Over 11 years with the Dodgers, Barnes was a staple in the catching tandem, often serving as the personal catcher of future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. His bat has never been his calling card, aside from a handful of solid seasons. Still, his elite plate discipline with a career walk rate of 11% has been a useful tool. Perhaps with Byrnes in the Rockies front office, the team could lure Barnes to the organization on a minor league deal. A career of working with high-profile pitchers, with his great reputation as a teammate and game caller, Barnes could be a useful addition to boost the Rockies.

Conclusion

The team has made it clear they don’t want to hand out positions to younger players out of necessity. If something should happen to Goodman or Fulford, even during spring training, what is the contingency plan? Perhaps Fulford could be better served playing every day in Triple-A while a veteran backstop helps at the big league level. They tried to do this with Austin Nola last season, but aside from a decent offensive showing in Triple-A, didn’t do much on either side of the ball to warrant an extended look.

The free agent market has plenty of players who could join as depth pieces in big league camp on minor league deals or cheap major league contracts, or perhaps the Rockies could look to trade for more catching. The point of talking about this is to bring up the fact that the Rockies need to strengthen their depth behind the plate.

Rockies plan to be aggressive with roster depth | MLB.com

Warren Schaeffer hopes to be more flexible with his lineup usage in 2026, giving him the ability to mix and match more. Despite new additions like Willi Castro and Jake McCarthy being repeats of players, Schaeffer doesn’t want to be confined to playing strictly by depth chart, even if there are players who are worthy of playing every day. It’s an interesting read and gives plenty of insight. Additionally, the Rockies want a left-handed hitter at first base.

Two Players the A’s Can Steal From the Colorado Rockies After Schmidt Hire | Athletics on SI

If you weren’t aware, former Rockies GM Bill Schmidt landed with the Athletics in a scouting role. The writer believes the two sides could come together for a deal thanks to Schmidt’s knowledge of the Rockies’ system. Zach Agnos and Jaden Hill are mentioned as the two targets the A’s could look at with Schmidt’s influence.

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If you arrived from the future to tell Yankees fans after the team’s embarrassing elimination in the ALDS last October that the only major external acquisition the team made was Ryan Weathers, you’d probably be burned at the stake.

It seemed inconceivable after the team regressed from a more competitive-than-it-appeared World Series defeat to getting decimated in the ALDS by the rival Blue Jays that they would have a quiet offseason. But aside from retaining several free agents, there has been almost nothing during this slow offseason that, frankly, revolved around the free agency of Cody Bellinger, who didn’t re-sign until after Scott Boras ran out of potential suitors to continue asking for seven years.

There is still time remaining for moves on the margins, but barring a surprising blockbuster trade, this is most of the roster we will have going forward. It’s disappointing and frustrating that a team that will yield a near-$400 million total payroll and luxury tax will have sat on its hands in this way, but how bad is it?

How bad is running it back? The 2025 Yankees were an inherently flawed bunch, but they weren’t lacking in talent. Aaron Boone said he believed this was the best team he had managed, and frankly, he might’ve had a point.

The total of 94 wins was less than the 2018, 2019, and 2022 teams achieved. However, those teams got to feast on dreadful teams in the basement of the AL East, or—in the case of 2022—rode a red-hot start and limped into the playoffs. The first two teams lacked a bona fide ace, although Luis Severino and James Paxton tried to masquerade as one at their best.

The 2025 Yankees had Max Fried, who finished fourth in Cy Young voting in an excellent, consistent season. They had a second All-Star hurler in Carlos Rodón and, by playoff time, unveiled a highly promising flamethrowing rookie.

When you compare the 2025 team to the 2024 team that won the pennant, you may find that the 2025 club was superior and just faced a tougher path. Juan Soto was irreplaceable for the Yankees, but the 2025 Bombers had Cam Schlittler pitching their Game 3s compared to Clarke Schmidt, who had not fully rounded into form after a midseason lat injury.

The 2024 bullpen was probably better thanks to the likes of Tommy Kahnle and Jake Cousins, but when you look at the lineup depth, it’s night and day. Alex Verdugo and Anthony Rizzo were so bad that they were out of a job on Opening Day of the following year, while their spots in the lineup were filled by Trent Grisham and Ben Rice.

Regardless of all of this, the results don’t lie. The Blue Jays embarrassed the Yankees in the ALDS, made some additions (although left fans wanting more), and the Yankees stood pat. How can that be acceptable?

Well, in re-signing Bellinger, Grisham, and steady platoon bat Amed Rosario, the Yankees will completely return the best offense in baseball in 2025. While the Dodgers’ addition of Kyle Tucker probably makes them the top lineup in baseball, the Yankees have the depth and high-end talent to replicate what they did last season.

According to FanGraphs’ Depth Chart projections, the Yankees are second in projected offensive WAR, slightly ahead of Toronto and behind the Dodgers. Here’s how the individual projections stack up:

Aaron Judge: 172 wRC+
Ben Rice: 125 wRC+ (107 games)
Cody Bellinger: 118 wRC+
Giancarlo Stanton: 115 wRC+ (89 games)
Jazz Chisholm Jr.: 113 wRC+
Trent Grisham: 110 wRC+
Jasson Domínguez: 108 wRC+ (46 games)
Austin Wells: 102 wRC+
Anthony Volpe: 95 wRC+
Ryan McMahon: 92 wRC+

Note that projections are inherently pessimistic due to all the things that can go wrong for a player. Ever since Judge ascended into another realm of hitting dominance, he’s easily cleared 200 on an annual basis. If he falls that far down, it would be a sign of Father Time catching up to the 34-year-old. There’s also reason to believe Rice will play more, Chisholm will produce more, and Grisham will produce similar to his 2025 levels due to his promising peripherals.

The holes in the lineup are on the left side of the infield, but neither is catastrophically bad on offense. There’s considerable upside in this lineup and a decent floor, even if some players regress.

At least offensively, running it back isn’t a bad thing. Sure, the team could’ve attempted to fill the remaining holes by pursuing the likes of Bo Bichette or Alex Bregman, but the two have awkward fits, whether it’s their hitting profile (Bregman) or declining athleticism and defense (Bichette).

One big feature that the offense will have on Opening Day that hasn’t been as much of a feature in the past, however, is a deep bench. While the last few seasons have seen the team give way too many at-bats to the likes of Oswald Peraza and DJ LeMahieu, everyone on the Yankees’ bench will have a true purpose in 2026. Rosario is a lefty killer, Domínguez brings speed as a pinch-runner and can reliably hit righties, the speedy, versatile José Caballero will already be in there to fill in for the injured Volpe, Oswaldo Cabrera should be back from injury and can play everywhere on the diamond, and J.C. Escarra is a superb defensive catcher.

The pitching side is where we can be more squeamish. Still, there’s upside in the rotation if the team can get better injury luck on that front. Rodón will miss Opening Day, but he’s stated that he plans on being ready to start building up in March, and that should put his timeline around May 1. Gerrit Cole may not be far behind.

With Cole and Rodón on the mend, the team will lean heavily on Fried and Schlittler while requiring decent length and reliability from Luis Gil, Will Warren, Ryan Weathers, and, in case of injury, Ryan Yarbrough. By the time summer roles around, the team could have the best problem imaginable in sports: too many quality starters.

Now, the biggest risk remaining is the bullpen, and there’s no sugarcoating that. David Bednar and Tim Hill will be reliable, but the team will be hoping for more consistent performance from the likes of Fernando Cruz and Camilo Doval and will be depending on Matt Blake’s annual “diamond in the rough” sweepstakes in spring. Could Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest be a candidate? Or will a non-roster invitee emerge like Lucas Luetge in 2021 and Ian Hamilton in 2023?

The Yankees will be entering 2026 with a higher luxury tax payroll than they did in 2025, despite not meaningfully improving the roster. As an old skipper often said, it’s not what you want, but the team the Yanks are running back has a real chance to perform better than they did last year.

Happy Wednesday, everyone! We’re inching ever closer to Truck Day, which means we’re closer than ever to pitchers and catchers reporting. Baseball is almost back! We’re turning our attention to the World Baseball Classic today, as reports are out that Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve will both miss the WBC due to insurance issues. Bo Bichette has pulled out of Team Brazil, while Nolan Arenado joins Team Puerto Rico.

We’ve also got some offseason report cards, and some free agent speculation.

Let’s just jump right into it!

• Rick Rizzs, the longtime voice of the Mariners, has announced that he will retire after more than 50 years calling professional ball. The 2026 season will be his last. (MLB/Mariners)
• Ben Clemens thinks the Mets are having one heck of an offseason.
• Jay Jaffe does his best to predict the next five years of Hall of Fame elections.
• Michael McDaniel explains why Max Scherzer might hold out to sign with a team until after Opening Day.
• Jim Bowden looks at some big names who could still be traded before Opening Day. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• This is a bummer for Team Brazil.

• Chandler Rome reports that Carlos Correa won’t be playing in the World Baseball Classic as he failed ot receive insurance. (The Athletic subscription required)
• Michael Baumann assesses the move of Harrison Bader to the Giants.
• David Adler looks at some players who could be poised to be the breakout stars of 2026.
• An all-underrated players team to spotlight some undervalued talent. Story by Anthony Castrovince.
• Tim Capurso looks at the nine best signings of the offseason.
• Ken Rosenthal spotlights Brady Anderson, who has been teaching players for years, but only just got his first coaching job at age 62. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Well, this isn’t ideal.

• Amanda Vogt looks at the most baseball town in America.
• Jose Ramirez will be a Guardian for life as Cleveland locks him down for the long haul. Story by Davy Andrews.
• Ben Clemens reports that the White Sox have signed Seranthony Dominguez.
• Mark Feinsand reports on which teams have won the offseason.
• Karl Rasmussen shares that Mookie Betts will coach the Celebrity All-Star Game.
• Freddy Peralta says he would consider a multi-year deal with the Mets. (AP)
• Yasiel Puig used to be the most exciting player in baseball, and now he’s in legal hot water. Story by Sam Blum. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Aaron Judge is a repeat cover star. (Funny that this came just one day after they said there would be no cover star this year, though…)

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.

We’re hitting the really slow portion of the offseason with most of the big name free agents having signed already. I’m not even sure who is left other than Framber Valdez other than a billion pitchers looking for a team.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• Cristopher Sanchez will pitch for the Dominican Republic in the WBC after all.
• If we’re going strictly on paper, are the Phillies better or worse heading into the 2026 season?
• As the 2026 season starts to get closer, here are the things the team still has to address.

MLB news:

• The trade deadline this year will be on August 3. Hope some of those Phillies prospects have their bags packed.
• One of the biggest complaints in the game is payroll disparity, so here is a bigger breakdown on the topic.
• Shocking, I know, but after his trade to Queens, Freddy Peralta said he’d consider an extension to stay there.