KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MARCH 28: Players line up during introductions prior to the Opening Day game between the Chicago White Sox and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on March 28, 2019 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Spring training always brings a mix of optimism, overreactions, and genuine roster dilemmas, especially when young players are pushing for jobs, and the front office has real decisions to make at the margins. So let’s turn it over to you. If you were setting the roster for Opening Day, who makes your 26 and why?
Lock in your lineup, rotation, bullpen, and bench, and defend your choices before reality inevitably ruins all of our carefully constructed plans.
Here’s who’s in camp:
*-denotes non-roster invitee
Catchers (10): Jorge Alfaro*, Canyon Brown*, Omar Hernandez*, Carter Jensen, Luke Maile*, Elih Marrero*, Blake Mitchell*, Salvador Pérez, Ramon Ramirez*, Luca Tresh*
Infielders (13): Brandon Drury*, Maikel Garcia, Jonathan India, Connor Kaiser*, Michael Massey, Kevin Newman*, Vinnie Pasquantino, Josh Rojas*, Tyler Tolbert, Abraham Toro*, Daniel Vazquez*, Peyton Wilson*, Bobby Witt Jr.
Outfielders (11): Dairon Blanco, Jac Caglianone, Gavin Cross*, Isaac Collins, Kyle Isbel, Nick Loftin, Kameron Misner, John Rave, Carson Roccaforte*, Lane Thomas, Drew Waters
Pitchers (33): Luinder Avila, Ryan Bergert, Mason Black, Kris Bubic, Noah Cameron, A.J. Causey*, Eric Cerantola, Dennis Colleran*, Steven Cruz, Jose Cuas*, Lucas Erceg, Carlos Estévez, Bailey Falter, Stephen Kolek, Ben Kudrna, Alex Lange, Seth Lugo, Daniel Lynch IV, Alec Marsh, Chazz Martinez*, James McArthur, Nick Mears, Frank Mozzicato*, Héctor Neris*, Helcris Olivárez*, Shane Panzini*, Hunter Patteson*, Cole Ragans, Aaron Sanchez*, John Schreiber, Matt Strahm, Michael Wacha, Steven Zobac
Marsh is likely to miss most of the year with a shoulder injury. Among the players out of options are Bailey Falter, Nick Mears, and Drew Waters.
Give me your 26 players that begin the season in Atlanta on March 27!
Pitchers and catchers report today to officially kick off camp! They’ll get a few days of work in before the team’s first scheduled full-squad workout on Monday.
This time of year is always exciting for baseball fans, and this spring marks the first chance to see whether the A’s young squad can build on the momentum from its strong finish to last season.
Unlike the past couple of years, the A’s lineup is mostly set and full of returning contributors. A year ago, Nick Kurtz was a top prospect taking part in his first professional camp. Now, the reigning American League Rookie of the Year is one of the top first basemen in baseball and a key cog of an offense that expects to score often this season.
For two hitters, this will be their first time in an A’s uniform. The club acquired Jeff McNeil and Andy Ibanez to further strengthen the offense, with McNeil in particular representing a clear upgrade from the roving cast of second basemen the A’s employed last year.
With Denzel Clarke likely to man center field assuming he comes through the World Baseball Classic and camp healthy, that leaves third base as the team’s lone position battle. Ibanez could start at the hot corner or slide into a utility role if Max Muncy or Darrell Hernaiz comes out on top. Muncy, the A’s first-round pick in 2021, showed some promise in his rookie season and may have the highest ceiling of the group.
The team’s ability to return to playoff contention will largely depend on the performance of its pitching staff. Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs and free-agent signee Aaron Civale are locked into rotation spots. It would be hard to justify not rewarding Luis Morales and Jacob Lopez with the final two slots given how well both pitched last season.
The bullpen figures to look similar to how it did at the end of last year, with the addition of new signee Scott Barlow and potentially one of the young arms such as Jack Perkins or Luis Medina. That said, the A’s could still use another late-inning option. Left-hander Danny Coulombe would be a quality addition, as would right-hander Michael Kopech.
Who are you most looking forward to seeing this spring? Would you rather the A’s stick with the current roster or make another move to fortify the pitching staff? Will elite shortstop prospect Leo De Vries live up to the hype in his first spring training with the A’s?
The A’s need Severino to pitch a bit better this year. Can he live up to expectations?
Which A’s player has the most pressure this season?
For me, it’s Luis Severino.
Sevy needs a strong start to 2026, not just to anchor this rotation but to reclaim his leverage before next seasons player option.#Athleticspic.twitter.com/IMFskd7UGs
In June, the A’s will play the Brewers and Rockies at their Triple-A affiliate’s ballpark, part of the team’s ongoing push into Las Vegas ahead of their new stadium.
What do you think of the team’s decision to designate Grant Holman and Mitch Spence for assignment? Was it the right call or not?
The A's have signed RHP Scott Barlow and RHP Aaron Civale to one-year deals. To clear spots on the 40-man roster, the A’s have designated RHP Grant Holman and RHP Mitch Spence for assignment.
Adbert Alzolay | // Photo: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
When the Mets inked Adbert Alzolay to a two-year minor league deal ahead of the 2025 season, it was always with an eye toward the 2026 season. The right-handed reliever had undergone Tommy John surgery late in the 2024 season, and while pitchers sometimes return within a year, the Mets didn’t have him pitch in any minor league games last year.
Alzolay did, however, pitch four innings in the Venezuelan Winter League after the conclusion of the 2025 season, and he’s coming into spring training as a fully healthy pitcher. And given the fact that he’s out of options, he figures to have a leg up on some of his competition in spring training.
Having made the Baseball Prospectus 101 ahead of the 2018 season, Alzolay made his major league debut with the Cubs in 2019. He made a handful appearances that year and a few more in the abbreviated 2020 season before making 29 appearances, 21 of them starts, in 2021. In total, he had a 4.58 ERA and a 4.68 FIP through his first 159.1 innings at the major league level.
A right lat injury derailed the vast majority of Alzolay’s 2022 season, but when he made it back to the mound in September, the Cubs used him as a multi-inning reliever. His 2023 season was undoubtedly the best of his career thus far, as he was healthy and finished the year with a 2.67 ERA and a 3.02 FIP in 64.0 innings of work.
Things didn’t go smoothly in 2024, though. Alzolay struggled mightily through 17.1 innings to start the year, and by mid-May, he had made his final major league appearance of the season because of the elbow injury. And he made just three minor league appearances on a rehab assignment in July of that year before ultimately requiring the aforementioned Tommy John surgery that August.
The hope here is that Alzolay can return to his 2023 form, as that’s the only season for which he was both healthy and working exclusively as a reliever. His strikeout rate was solid if unspectacular, but his walk rate was fantastic at just 5.1 percent. For reference, the major league average for relievers that year was 9.5 percent.
While the Mets didn’t retain Brooks Raley for the entirety of his rehab from Tommy John surgery, they did sign him to a one-year deal with a team option as he was in the final stages of that recovery process. They’ll be thrilled if Alzolay returns to form anywhere near as well as Raley did last year, and if he looks anywhere near that good by the end of the Grapefruit League schedule, you have to figure he’ll be on the Mets’ roster come Opening Day.
As for projections, all of the systems published at FanGraphs have Alzolay throwing forty-something innings this year with an ERA in the vicinity of four. Even that would be a success given what’s happened over the past two years, but a higher-percentile outcome would be a big win for the Mets.
What do you expect to see from Alzolay this year? Jump into the comments to chat about it, or register for an account if you’re new to the comment section!
PECOTA has the Cubs at about a 90-72 record, which is pretty close to the 92-70 from 2025. (Personally, I think they’re better than that.)
The Brewers are next at approximately 80-82. PECOTA has underestimated the Brewers many times in recent years. Personally, I think the Brewers are better than that, though they have traded away a couple of key players (Freddy Peralta, Caleb Durbin) from last year’s 97-win team.
The Pirates, who have made some noise through free-agent signings (Marcell Ozuna, Ryan O’Hearn), are listed next at 79-83. That might be a bit too optimistic, in my view.
The Reds made the postseason last year with an 83-79 record and proceeded to get swept by the Dodgers in the wild-card round. PECOTA also has them at about 79-83. The Reds should be better than that. That pitching rotation can be scary.
The Cardinals are in full rebuild mode after trading away Sonny Gray, Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras. PECOTA has them as a 96-loss team. The Cardinals haven’t lost that many games since 1913 (!), when they lost 99. This could be a 100-loss Cardinals team.
TORONTO, ONTARIO - OCTOBER 05: Ben Rice #22 of the New York Yankees hits a two run double during the seventh inning in game two of the American League Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on October 05, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We need to start this article with an acknowledgement: Any list or stack ranking posted on social media is intended to generate engagement. Well, congratulations Major League Baseball, I have become engaged. On Monday night, MLB Network continued their coverage of the Top 10 Right Now, ranking various position groups. Someone—or perhaps something—called The Shredder presented this Top 10 First Basemen list:
Freddie Freeman
Nick Kurtz
Matt Olson
Bryce Harper
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Rafael Devers
Yandy Díaz
Pete Alonso
Michael Busch
William Contreras
According to MLB itself, The Shredder is not the leader of the Foot Clan, but is in fact “MLB Network research team’s collective system of research and analysis that uses traditional and advanced metrics and takes into account previous player performance to determine who makes the lists.” The more you know.
Anyway, all of these players are fine, representative MLBers. There’s a name here that’s missing though, a name that was the sixth-best hitting first baseman in baseball last year even as his own team continued to give time to Paul Goldschmidt. That player is Ben Rice, and when I saw what The Shredder had presented, my first thought was “How many of these guys would I rather have Rice over?”
When thinking about this I’m not worried about contracts or salaries — the fact that Rice is making the MLB minimum immediately makes him one of the top three most “valuable” first basemen, alongside Nick Kurtz and Michael Busch. Let’s just talk about who I think would provide the most on-field production in 2026, whether that costs $780,000 or $25,000,000. To wit, give me Rice instead of Bryce Harper, Rafael Devers, Yandy Díaz, and Willson Contreras.
To start, Díaz isn’t really the Rays’ first baseman, with All-Star Jonathan Aranda expected to get the lion’s share of time at the cold corner while Yandy is deployed as the primary DH. Moreover, he, Harper, and Rice were all pretty well equal in 2025, in a tight band between 130-135 wRC+ and 25-27 home runs. Rice gets the edge because he’ll be 27 on Opening Day, and while that’s older than you’d expect for a guy about to start his second full season, it’s six and seven years younger than Harper and Díaz respectively. Father Time is the only undefeated champion, and we’ll return to him in a moment.
Devers is a little trickier simply because for the better part of the last decade, he’s been one of the finest pure hitters in baseball … except he went from Fenway Park to Oracle out in San Francisco. He actually did OK for himself in the power department — famously a challenge for left-handed hitters in that stadium — going yard every 19.75 PA as a Giant compared to every 22.27 PA while with the Red Sox. Overall though, he saw steps back in ISO and all three triple slash categories, and how much of that is a “new team” tax and how much is moving from the second-best ballpark for hitters to the 22nd best is part of the story of the 2026 season. I’m going to hedge to the latter though, not to mention San Fran has to be more than a little worried about first base defense. Edge to Rice in my book, long track record be damned.
Ben Rice was better than Willson Contreras in 2025 at everything but two points of batting average. Contreras is moving into Fenway which should help him out especially as a right-handed hitter, but his Statcast page, were it a rash, would demand a soothing oatmeal ointment and not an immediate course of antibiotics like in Rice’s case.
So those are the four guys I would slot below Ben Rice. I’m willing to concede that Nick Kurtz is probably a better hitter — in fact, I’m not that far from being convinced Nick Kurtz is like, one of the five or so best hitters in baseball, period. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. seems to be a more complicated case, as his production was very similar to Rice’s in 2025, he plays a little more of a leadership role than the young Yankee, and occupies more space in the cultural weight of their respective franchises. I’d lean towards a wash but sure, we can slot Vlad over top. Pete Alonso’s raw power probably makes him a better bet in ‘26, but beyond that I’d be betting Rice all day. Still, we’re just thinking about this coming year.
We come to a couple of pushes — Michael Busch and Matt Olson. Busch was the best hitter of the three but not by much, and Rice’s underlying metrics are the most impressive of the trio but again, not by much. Olson gets the nod as the best defender, buttttttttt I generally don’t care about first base defense. We have a three-way tie for my 2026 expectations here.
That leaves the head of the table, Freddie Freeman. For most of my adult life he’s been the gold standard of play at first base, and while 2025 was a step back from his own lofty track record, it was still a 139 wRC+ and a four-win season. Here’s where we move beyond educated guesses about performance and into straight speculation, where I’ll say that the future Hall of Famer is my breakdown pick of the year, the opposite of the ever-so-popular breakout pick. He will turn 37 midseason, has dropped out of the World Baseball Classic for personal reasons, and while he does have a 138 wRC+ over his past two seasons, it was 153 in the five before that stretch. I don’t think he outright collapses, but Father Time is winning on the judges’ cards.
So I’m confident that Rice is a better pick than four of the so-called Shredder’s top 10, maybe five depending on Freeman’s aging curve. The Yankees drafted a guy in the 12th round out of a school more proficient at churning out diplomats than sluggers, and you have a very good argument he’s one of the four or five best in the world at his position. Not a bad piece of business.
KANSAS CITY, MO - AUG 13: Washington Nationals starting pitcher Jake Irvin (27) and Washington Nationals catcher Drew Millas (81) walk to the dugout after warming up before a MLB game between the Washington Nationals and the Kansas City Royals on August 13, 2025, at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The day has finally arrived. Washington Nationals pitchers and catchers are officially reporting to camp today. After a long winter, the baseball season is finally here. While the weather is still chilly in DC, the first sign of spring is here. The expectations for this team are not very high, but it is still exciting to see the Nats back in action.
We made it.
Pitchers and catchers report today and baseball is officially back. The long winter is over and Nationals season starts now.
This is one of the best days on the baseball calendar. I can’t help but feel so alive when I hear the crack of the bat or the pop of the catchers mitt. This Spring Training is going to be different for the Nats. It is the first camp without Davey Martinez and Mike Rizzo running the show for a long time. Instead, we have the youthful duo of Paul Toboni and Blake Butera.
Pitchers and catchers are the only ones who officially report today. However, there are plenty of early arrivals to Nats camp. The Nats social media pages put out plenty of content yesterday, and a lot of players were already in West Palm Beach. Brady House, Luis Garcia Jr., Dylan Crews and more were spotted in West Palm yesterday.
This does not surprise me one bit. The Nationals are a young roster and these players have a lot to prove. They are also going to want to impress their new bosses. Paul Toboni is not as directly tied to these players as Mike Rizzo was, which makes them more disposable. Toboni was not the person who drafted or signed most of these players. That means these players will want to make a strong first impression.
For guys like Garcia, House and Crews, 2026 will be a major year for their careers. All of them had disappointing 2025 seasons, at least at the MLB level. Garcia is looking to bounce back, while House and Crews are looking to establish themselves. The new bosses seem very open to competition, and these guys want to prove themselves.
Speaking of the new bosses, both Toboni and Butera did a press conference before setting sail for West Palm Beach. There was nothing overly newsworthy in it, but both men talked about what they wanted to see this spring, as well as their philosophies. I also got to ask a question to Butera, which was fun.
I attended a virtual press conference with Blake Butera and Paul Toboni. Here are my takeaways and what I asked Butera https://t.co/efeYrPCJrJ
Speaking of those philosophies, they will be meaningfully different from the last regime. There is going to be more of a focus on analytics and using technology. For the first time, the Nats will have a Trajekt Arc machine at their Spring Training facility. I am sure that is not the only new piece of technology we see.
It will be interesting to see what kind of changes these players make based on the new data. I would not be surprised if a bunch of Nationals pitchers add new pitches or tweak their arsenals. A potential big storyline this spring will be Nats pitchers throwing fewer fastballs.
The Red Sox have been leading the way on cutting fastball usage, and that is where Toboni comes from. A lot of Nats pitchers were throwing mediocre fastballs too much. That should change in 2026, and we will see the first signs of that this spring.
It is so exciting to see baseball back. The clips the Nats media team puts out of the boys in action will just warm my heart. Sure, the team may not be good, but a bad baseball team is better than no baseball team. There are also going to be plenty of great storylines to follow in the drama that is the baseball season. Buckle up, because the boys are back in town.
Boston, MA - August 31: Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman smiles after earning the save against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Fenway Park on August 31, 2025. (Photo by Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
Good morning! MLB Network’s ongoing project to determine the 10 best players at each position continued yesterday, as they finally made it to the bullpen. And if you’re a Red Sox fan, this is what you want to see:
Two Sox relievers on the list, with Aroldis Chapman taking the top spot. Not too shabby.
It’s hard to argue with MLB Network. Chapman was a blizzard of dominance in 2025. Already one of the greatest closers of his generation, Chapman posted career bests in ERA+, walk rate, strikeout-to-walk ratio, and WHIP, while posting the second-best hits-per-nine-innings rate of his career. He was outstanding.
And yet… I’m not completely sold on him as we enter 2026. I was skeptical of him last year and he shoved it in my face, so feel free to ignore me. But the reason why I was skeptical in 2025 — he was an aging pitcher with poor control whose performance had been trending downward for years — still gives me cause for concern this season.
Chapman was a completely different pitcher in 2025 than he had been in the three prior years, seemingly fixing his life-long control issues over night. He says that there was a reason for this, and that it wasn’t just statistical noise:
That’s right: if Chapman is to be believed, the reason why he suddenly was able to control his fastball after 15 years in the big leagues was that… last year was the first time he tried to control his fastball?
I don’t know, I’m not really buying that.
Chapman will be 38-years-old this year and everything I know about baseball tells me that last season will prove to be a statistical fluke. Granted, Chapman could come back down to Earth this season and still be perfectly effective in the ninth inning this year. But I’m worried about the back-end of the bullpen. Are you?
Talk about the closer’s role and whatever else you want, and, as always, be good to one another.
WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 13: Craig Stammen #35 of the San Diego Padres during batting practice prior to a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Nationals Park on August 13, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres pitchers and catchers reported to Peoria, Ariz. to open Spring Training for the 2026 season. Manager Craig Stammen, bench coach Randy Knorr and hitting coach Steven Souza Jr. all took questions from the media and at least sounded like they were on the same page. Position players Xander Bogaerts , Jackson Merrill, Jake Cronenworth, Gavin Sheets and Ramon Laureano reported to camp early and took swings on the backfields. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball looks at the potential philosophical differences between the 2025 team and the 2026 and how that could impact the results this season.
Padres News:
Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball predicts two minor league signings who could make an impact at the major league level. While many Padres fans are hoping a reunion between Triston McKenzie and Ruben Niebla could produce a capable backend starter, Zdunich makes the argument for Marco Gonzales to be the breakout arm. He also tabs Nick Solak as the player to watch of the position player group.
New Padres hitting coach Souza Jr. told the media one of his goals is to have his hitters be more aggressive in the zone, adding that they will have to adjust their approach from game to game or park to park rather than using a one-size fits all philosophy.
San Diego would like to add to its rotation and the rumor Tuesday was the Padres were showing interest in free agent starter Zac Gallen. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune says that type of signing is not likely unless the price for Gallen drops much lower. But Acee said he does expect the Padres to add an arm soon.
Jason Adam is ahead of schedule regarding his recovery from surgery following a ruptured quadriceps tendon. He wants to pitch as soon as possible, but Stammen stated he and the team will take a cautious and methodical approach to getting Adam back on the field.
Dennis Lin of The Athleticposes three questions for the Padres as Spring Training opens. The first is about the potential sale of the team, the second is whether general manager A.J. Preller will receive a contract extension and the third is whether the Preller and the Padres can add to their roster with bargain bin finds.
There are members of the Florida Panthers littered throughout the players and staffers participating in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Of the 32 NHL teams, all of which have at least one player taking part in the Olympics, none have more selected to skate in Milan than the Panthers.
In addition to their 10 players, though, Florida also has a handful of staff members who were also honored to join their respective nations in their areas of expertise.
That group includes Panthers Assistant Coach Jamie Kompon, who will be on the beach with Team Germany.
Kompon joined the Panthers in 2022 as a two-time Stanley Cup champion, having won as an assistant with Los Angeles in 2012 and again as an assistant with Chicago in 2013.
He was added to Florida’s coaching staff about six weeks after the team hired Paul Maurice as head coach, as the two had worked together previously in Winnipeg.
Kompon has earned a reputation as an excellent special teams coach, particularly with running power play systems that match each respective squad’s personnel.
Germany’s first game is set for Thursday at 3:10 p.m. ET when they face Denmark. They’ll follow that up with a back-to-back on Saturday at 6:10 a.m. ET with Latvia and Sunday at 3:10 p.m. ET against the United States.
Photo caption: May 24, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; (Editors Notes: Caption Correction) Florida Panthers assistant coach Jamie Kompon reacts during the first period in game three of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Bat meet ball meet glove… it’s good to have baseball back. | Daniel Shirey / MLB Photos via Getty Images
Spring training is coming up on every baseball fan’s docket. Teams travel to warmer weather to begin their work and preparation for the coming season, and players on the bubble hope to earn their spot on the Major League roster.
To that end, the Twins on Monday announced 22 players who have received an invite to major league camp:
Some notes from this group:
The non-roster invitees include three recent Twins first-round picks: Aaron Sabato, Walker Jenkins, and Kaelen Culpepper. Sabato made his AAA-St. Paul debut last season, hitting 14 home runs with a .741 OPS after putting up a .973 OPS (with nine homers) in AA-Wichita. Jenkins also reached St. Paul last season after spending most of the season in Wichita (.912 OPS), playing in 23 games as a Saint (.719 OPS) in his age-20 season. Culpepper, like Jenkins, has been accelerating through the minors, reaching Wichita in his second minor league season and putting up an .824 OPS over 59 games.
The group also includes several older veterans, none more familiar to Twins fans than Gio Urshela. Urshela was the Twins’ primary third baseman in 2022, playing in 144 games and putting up a 2.9-WAR season before joining the Angels the following year. Across the last three seasons, though, Urshela has been a subpar player, with a .654 OPS and 0.4 total WAR in just 249 games played.
Twins fans may also recognize veteran middle infielder Orlando Arcia via familiarity with his brother Oswaldo, who spent the first three-plus seasons of his career as a Twin, bounced around the league in 2016 (playing for four teams), and was out of the majors following that year. And there is one more player here who has previously appeared in a game for the Twins: reliever Matt Bowman, who made five appearances out of the Minnesota bullpen in 2024.
The last player I want to draw attention to here is Matt Canterino, whose pitching track has been repeatedly derailed by injuries. Canterino last threw a pitch in a non-spring training game in 2022 and will reportedly be unable to pitch yet again this spring, but he remains with the organization.
Of course, I haven’t talked about everyone here, which means it’s going to be one of the players I haven’t mentioned who comes out of nowhere to earn a roster spot. And that’s the best part of spring training.
Texas Rangers rumors: Jordan Montgomery is returning to Arlington on a one year deal for $1.25 million plus incentive bonuses, per Evan Grant. Montgomery, who is returning from Tommy John surgery, would presumably immediately go on the 60 day injured list.
Montgomery, of course, was one of the heroes of the 2023 World Series team. Acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals at the trade deadline, along with Chris Stratton, in exchange for Tekoah Roby, Thomas Saggese and John King, Montgomery put up a 2.79 ERA in 11 starts post-trade and a 2.90 ERA in 6 post-season appearances, including pitching in relief in the Rangers’ Game 7 ALCS clincher.
Montgomery hit the free agent market after 2023 expecting to cash in, but ended up finding the market for his services much softer than expected. He ended up signing a one year, $25 million deal with the D-Backs with a $20 million player option right before Opening Day, and fired his agent, Scott Boras, two weeks later. Montgomery put up a 6.23 ERA in 21 starts and four relief appearances in 2024, then missed all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery, which he underwent at the end of March, 2025.
In the comments recently, I dismissed a suggestion that the Rangers could/should bring back Montgomery, noting that he would probably not be ready to return to the majors until close to the All Star Break, and that his timeline being about a month behind Cody Bradford made him not that attractive an option. I have now been proven wrong, as we are reminded that Chris Young never believes you can have enough starting pitching, and at just $1.25 million guaranteed, the price is obviously right.
One of the things we have talked about is how much turnover there has been from the 2023 team, and how many contributors to that club aren’t here anymore. Bringing back Montgomery, who is up there with Cliff Lee as one of the best trade deadline additions the Rangers have ever made, goes in the other direction, and there’s definitely a quality vibes element to this move, however it may work out. Now maybe they will bring back Mitch Garver to platoon at DH with Joc Pederson.
As a mathematical projection system, PECOTA is not without biases. But it’s math, man. So, as funny as this division looks, well, this is how a “normal” 2026 sizes up to play out:
To give this projection some perspective, the second-half White Sox played 28-37 baseball in 2025. That .431 winning percentage works out to a 70-92 record. (In fact, .431 is 69.8 wins.) So PECOTA sees whatever additions and subtractions made this offseason, plus growth or regression of prospects, all as a wash.
Tomorrow, we’ll ask you for your thoughts on the entire AL Central. For today, take on the White Sox fortunes for 2026.
Do you agree? Will the White Sox prove PECOTA wrong?
To commemorate their 50th anniversary season, the Canadian Hockey League has put together a list of the top-50 players who have played in the league throughout the last 50 years, with two former Vancouver Canucks making the cut. The list includes those who have played in the WHL, OHL, and QMJHL. While there is no particular order quite yet, fans can help choose the order by casting votes at contests.chl.ca.
The most notable former Canuck to make the top-50 list is none-other than Roberto Luongo, who spent four seasons in the QMJHL with Val-d’Or Foreurs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Most of Luongo’s experience in the QMJHL was with Val-d’Or Foreurs, during which he put up a 3.43 GAA and .893 SV% in 158 games. He finished his time with the team with a record of 71–63–13 and backstopped them to a QMJHL championship (1998). This was not the only championship he won in the league, however, as he also helped Acadie-Bathurst Titan to a title after posting a 2.74 GAA and .915 SV% in the playoffs in 1999.
The next Canucks alumni to also be named to the CHL’s top-50 list is Cam Neely, who Vancouver drafted ninth overall in 1983 but later traded to the Boston Bruins in what some consider as one of the franchise’s worst trades in history. Neely played with the Portland Winter Hawks in the WHL for two seasons, though his tenure in the league is best known for his efforts in the 1982–83 season. Through 72 regular-season games, Neely scored 56 goals and 64 assists adding nine goals and 11 assists in 14 playoff games. It didn’t take long for Neely to outgrow the WHL, as he made his NHL debut with Vancouver the season after that.
While he never played for the Canucks throughout his NHL career, another recognizeable name on the top-50 list is current broadcaster Ray Ferraro. Ferraro spent two seasons in the WHL — one with Portland and one with the Brandon Wheat Kings — and only built on his offensive prowess more and more during that time. His 41 goals and 49 assists in 50 games with the Winter Hawks was impressive, though it ultimately pales in comparison to his offensive outburst with Brandon in 1983–84. Ferraro scored a league-high 108 goals and 84 assists to cement himself at fourth all-time in WHL single-season points history. His 108 goals in one season have yet to be beaten.
Voting for the placement of the CHL’s top-50 players through 50 years is open from February 10 to March 10.
Feb 8, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo (1) makes a save during the pre game warm up against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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BRADENTON, FLORIDA - MARCH 18, 2025: Devin Sweet #39 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch during the eighth inning of a spring training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park on March 18, 2025 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by George Kubas/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The day is here. Pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater today. The offseason is over: rejoice!
Of course, there’s still a bit of time before the actual spring training games begin. But for the devoted (or, perhaps, obsessive) baseball fan, there’s still things to watch. Videos of pitcher workouts will hit social media. Interviews will happen. Pitchers will try new offerings. Rust will be shaken off. Etcetera.
This is all small, quiet stuff, but it’s baseball. And there are fans who will gladly take any baseball they can get. There are also fans, of course, who find this all tedious and won’t start watching until the games begin.
So, today’s question is: Will you be following the pitchers and catchers (to the extent that one can)?
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 28: Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Albert Suárez (49) throws a pitch during the MLB baseball regular season game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays on March 28, 2025, at Rogers Centre in Toronto, ON, Canada. (Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
They say you can never have too much pitching. The Orioles were reminded of that simple phrase during an injury-filled 2025 season. Mike Elias knows this. He knew it last year too, and he knew it all the way back in December 2023 when he signed a 34-year-old swingman that hadn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2017.
Elias never could have anticipated the impact Albert Suárez would make the following season, but he clearly saw something he liked during Suárez’s time in Japan and Korea. Baltimore inked Suárez to a minor-league deal with an invite to spring training. The Birds called on the righty for a spot start in mid-April, and the veteran went on to post a 3.70 ERA over 133.2 major-league innings.
The Birds kept Suárez around in 2025, but injuries prevented any real opportunity for a sequel. He made the Opening Day roster but suffered a right subscapularis strain after his first appearance. Big Al returned from the injured list in the middle of September, but the O’s shut him down after he reported elbow discomfort. He posted a 2.31 ERA and 0.943 WHIP over five appearances (one start) last year.
The Birds non-tendered Suárez at the end of 2025, but they brought him back on another minor-league deal. Suárez will once again head to Sarasota looking to prove that he still has what it takes to get big league hitters out on a routine basis.
Suárez remains a low-risk, high-reward option for the Orioles, but the stakes have changed. The 36-year-old will continue doing everything he can to earn a roster spot, but the Birds may need him now more than ever. Suárez provided incredible value (2.7 bWAR) as a surprise contributor over 145 innings in a Baltimore uniform, but the Birds need him to do it again.
Baltimore’s bullpen will begin the season as the club’s least proven unit. Ryan Helsley and Andrew Kittredge will anchor the back end, but just about every other reliever will bring some form of uncertainty into 2026. Keegan Akin and Yennier Cano have been inconsistent, while guys like Rico Garcia and Yaramil Hiraldo will begin the year without any real type of track record.
Dietrich Enns followed the Suárez template with a 3.14 ERA over 16 relief appearances and one start last year. The 34-year-old will return as a multi-inning option for the Orioles, but he could face a roster crunch if both Suárez and Tyler Wells find their way to the bullpen. Enns is healthy and two years younger, but Suárez holds more credibility right now. What was that phrase about never having too much pitching?
Baltimore dealt from an already thin unit when they traded Kade Strowd and prospects for Blaze Alexander. It remains to be seen whether guys like Cade Povich and Brandon Young will join the bullpen or Norfolk’s rotation. Colin Selby and Grant Wolfram could be good, but the team will have to find out the hard way. Chayce McDermott may finally discover something, and Anthony Nunez figures to get a look at some point.
Still, I can’t help but come back to what Suárez delivered in 2024 and wonder if he has another year in the tank. The six-foot-three righty pitched to contact with a mid-90s fastball. Batters rarely put the ball on the ground (just a 35.5 GB%), but they only barreled the ball 7.1 percent of the time. Sure, there could have been some luck involved, but Suárez appeared to have what it takes to keep hitters off balance.
Injuries forced Suárez into the rotation for a majority of 2024. The Orioles appear to have more depth in that department right now, but it’s a comfort knowing that a healthy Suárez could give the team five or six strong innings at some point during the season. A set relief role could provide Suárez a better chance to stay healthy, but his workload will be worth monitoring as spring training progresses.
It’s never wise to put all your eggs in the basket of a 36-year-old coming off an injury. You can call him a dark horse, an x-factor, or anything in between—either way, Suárez has a chance to provide real value to an unproven bullpen, and the Orioles would greatly benefit from one-more year of the veteran exceeding expectations.
