PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 16: Brandon Lowe #5 of the Pittsburgh Pirates rounds the bases on his two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on September 16, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates haven’t made the playoffs since 2015 which is the second largest playoff drought right behind the Los Angeles Angels. This year Pittsburgh had a solid season finishing 82-80 but missed out on the postseason.
The team isn’t far out from making the playoffs but there are still some things that need to happen if the Bucs want to snap that drought. Let’s take a look at the three things the Pirates should do to make the playoffs in 2027.
Re-sign Brandon Lowe
Lowe is coming off a fantastic season where he had a .260 batting average, 96 RBIs and 35 home runs. Lowe was easily one of the best second basemen this season and he helped transform the Pirates’ offense from one of the worst to a top 10 unit this past season.
Lowe is a free agent who received a qualifying offer and the Pirates need to break the bank and re-sign him. The front office is notorious for not wanting to spend money but he would be worth it.
Add a left-handed starting pitcher and stabilize the rotation
Adding a left-handed arm will round out the rotation and reduce the load on the bullpen. Paul Skenes had a down year with a loss of velocity and injuries plagued starters like Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler and Jared Jones.
The pitching rotation is not terrible but if you get out and get a veteran lefty arm that will help the rotation and relieve pressure off of Skenes who will need to have a bounce back season in 2027.
The Buccos need to go out and get a definitive closer. They didn’t have a reliable relief pitcher for the whole season and that affected them in late innings. I would love to see Pittsburgh go out in the offseason and get a reliable closer and another solid relief pitcher. With a revamped bullpen and another solid arm in the starting rotation the Pirates pitching unit could be back to elite status in 2027 which would be huge for a playoff run.
Reinforce the bullpen and improve health/consistency
I already talked about the bullpen but it is so important for the pirates to address the bullpen. Following the departure of key high-leverage arms and the need to back up backend pieces like Mason Montgomery and Luke Weaver, Pittsburgh must rebuild and deepen its relief corps.
There were some major injuries during the 2026 season so keeping the important players like Konnor Griffin, Esmerlyn Valdes, and Bryan Reynolds on the diamond is essential. Keeping star players off the injured list and converting close games against division and league opponents will be essential after missing the cut in 2026.
San Diego Padres bullpen coach Ben Fritz and reliever Wandy Peralta (Photo by Meg McLaughlin / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
Other major league franchises regard the San Diego Padres’ pitching instructors as the gold standard because they have developed quality pitchers from prospects outside of the spotlight. It was only a matter of time before another organization poached one away.
One of Ruben Niebla’s top lieutenants, bullpen coach Ben Fritz, was hired to become the Arizona Diamondbacks’ new pitching coach.
The unsung bullpen architect
Since arriving in San Diego a decade ago, Fritz had become one of the sport’s top bullpen coaches. He helped pitchers like Bradgley Rodriguez, Jeremiah Estrada, David Morgan, and others transition from off-the-radar prospects to solid contributors out of the ‘pen.
He fostered relationships by earning their trust, and Fritz heightened their skill level to help them reach their true potential on the mound. Following in Niebla’s footsteps, Fritz used data to diagnose and fix a pitcher’s struggles.
The Padres’ bullpen outperformed the competition with a 3.53 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP. The unit carried the fourth-heaviest workload in the majors, but the group struck out the most batters (715) this season.
Mason Miller anchored the bullpen, posting a dominant 1.67 ERA with a staggering 16.5 K/9. But the setup reliever, Adrian Morejon, is Fritz’s top pupil. He saw a young pitching prospect with a quality arm and molded him into one of the top left-handed relief pitchers in the majors.
The Friars will have a new voice in the bullpen. Keeping that late-inning dominance will be a challenge next season.
What does Fritz’s departure mean to the Padres?
His departure does not mean the end of the world for the Friars. Realistically, a promotion was the only path to keep Fritz in the organization. But the offer to run your own pitching staff is too enticing to turn down.
The impact of Fritz’ loss will be felt next season. Clearly, he wanted to expand his role as a pitching instructor and took a job with the Friars’ division rival. His departure is not a cause for concern. The front office should have already identified bullpen coach candidates for such a move.
A new hire is on the horizon; the Padres will likely select an in-house candidate. But if the next bullpen coach comes from outside the organization, the front office cannot wait too long. Desired candidates will come off the board.
Given the success of the minor league pitching pipeline, Niebla has his hybrid philosophy down to a science. This is why an in-house promotion is the best choice.
Change is inevitable in baseball. Well, that day has come for the Padres coaching staff. It will look different in 2027.
Fritz has found a new home in the desert. While the time is right for him to run a pitching staff, his departure leaves the bullpen without a leading voice.
Will Wagner was not someone many Padres fans thought about for much of the 2026 season, but he is on the 40-man roster and he received a grade for his contributions in 2026 from Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball.
There was not much activity at the GM Meetings with regard to signings or trades, but the expectation is they set the foundation for what could come over the rest of the month.
The Test captain kept his promise to answer all questions at a press conference that made his position clear and filled some but not all gaps
Our coverage on Thursday said that Pat Cummins needed to front up, and nobody can fairly say that he didn’t. It was a proper ’til-they-drop affair from Australia’s cricket captain, an hour and 10 minutes at a press conference podium taking questions about the 2018 ball-tampering episode until every journalist present ran out of steam. You might have expected some partial concession to teammate Usman Khawaja’s depiction of endemic cheating, but Cummins was firm that this did not reflect the life he’d known. Once more with feeling, but more importantly with detail.
Media accounts will now depict this as Cummins and Khawaja at war, because a falling-out among friends is a juicy story to fatten up and serve for gluttony. It isn’t fair, because both have emphasised the importance of their friendship, strained as it must now be. As two thoughtful people with shared history, they have a better chance than most to find a way through.
Sep 16, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan (38) runs home to score a run on a two-RBI single by right fielder Jo Adell (7) during the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Orioles outfield was a problem during the 2026 season. Their 3.9 fWAR as a unit ranked 22nd in MLB, and nearly half of that (1.9 fWAR) is attributed to the long-departed Taylor Ward. Some internal solutions may exist, like moving infielders to the outfield, according to team president of baseball operations Mike Elias. But no matter how many deck chairs they move around, the group seems destined to sink again without external help.
The free agent market does have some interesting options. Seiya Suzuki is probably the top fish, coming off a career-best year but now entering his age-32 season. Randy Arozarena bounced back these last two years in Seattle, and he certainly knows the AL East. Ian Happ is another proven, solid player that could fit. However, outside of the Pete Alonso contract signed last year, Elias has avoided giving big money to “older” free agents, though any thing is possible.
The Orioles did a lot of their shopping in the trade market last year. Ward was acquired from the Angels. Shane Baz came over from the Rays. Blaze Alexander was snatched from the Diamondbacks. And they re-acquired Andrew Kittredge from the Cubs. That could be the avenue to find even better outfield help this offseason, and no other trade target fits what the Orioles need better than Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan.
Kwan’s 2026 season was a tale of two halves. He was bad (.225/.332/.282) prior to the all-star break, and then caught fire (.353/.443/.432) in the second half. That helped him to be worth 3.8 fWAR on the year, nearly equaling the value of all 14 players that stepped foot in the outfield for the Orioles last season.
Adding Kwan would finally give the Orioles the lead-off hitter that have seemed to lack for a few years now. Players that batted first for the Orioles in 2026 hit a combined .226/.310/.345 in the role. Finding someone that can more adequately set the table has to be a priority. Kwan played 105 games as the Guardians lead-off hitter this past year. He hit .278/.376/.347 in the role. Over his entire career he owns a .282/.355/.385 slash line atop the order.
What you do not get with Kwan at the plate is power. He hit just three home runs last year, though he had hit 11 and 14 in the two seasons before that, so double-digit dongs are within reach. But that should not be the expectation. Instead, it’s an old school approach that limits strikeouts and gets on base. Kwan struck out just 62 times last season against 85 walks. His 9.7% strikeout rate and 13.3% walk rate are both among the game’s elite.
A quick skim of Kwan’s Baseball Savant page shows exactly what you would expect. This is not a player with eye-popping exit velocities or hard-hit rates. But his success is no fluke. His .282 batting average is only slightly higher than his .277 expected batting average. The same is true for his .334 wOBA and .328 xwOBA. He hits the ball where no one is, and he forces pitchers to throw him strikes. The Orioles could use some of that influence in the lineup.
It should be noted that Kwan has not been the most consistent hitter from season to season. Since his rookie year, his wRC+ has oscillated in this fashion: 125, 99, 130, 98, 114. That can be read as him being at least an average hitter year in and year out, and with some of the other things he does well, he is still a net positive. His impact on the lineup, however, varies.
The other aspect of Kwan’s game that would greatly help the Orioles is his defense. Kwan has already won four Gold Gloves and was a finalist for another in 2026. His six outs above average in 2026 was in the 90th percentile of all fielders, according to Baseball Savant.
The Orioles, as a team, were worth -9 outs above average in the outfield, and that included a really good defensive season from Colton Cowser (10 OAA). The rest of the unit was atrocious. A duo of Kwan and Cowser would be a good starting point for an elite defensive outfield.
One negative of a potential acquisition of Kwan is that he would not be a long-term solution. The 29-year-old is set to become a free agent after the 2027 season. Maybe he would be open to a contract extension, something that the Guardians rarely give out, but oftentimes players this close to free agency would rather test the open market.
The cost to acquire Kwan would likely be quite steep. The Guardians won the AL Central in 2026 and came within one game of going to the World Series. They don’t have to sell. Plus, given the relatively thin outfield free agent class, any other team in need of outfield help is likely to be interested in Kwan too. The Orioles would have to come with a hefty offer.
In order to acquire Ward, a player less valuable overall than Kwan but still on an expiring contract, from the Angels a year ago it cost the Orioles four years of Grayson Rodriguez. The Guardians would want more for Kwan. That type of deal probably includes at least one major league-ready outfielder (maybe Enrique Bradfield Jr.), plus another one or two more intriguing prospects.
The Orioles absolutely have to address their outfield issues this winter. Moving an infielder out there could help to solve part of the problem, but it would lack the certainty that comes with accquiring a known veteran for the role. Maybe the team simply ends up doing both.
Sep 30, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. (26) reacts in the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It’s very tempting to want to love Luis García Jr. His lefty swing reminds me so much of Robinson Canó, and indeed my own swing is modeled after the former Yankee All-Star. At the time the Yankees dealt for him, desperate to get some kind of thump in an Aaron Judge-less lineup, he led the National League in slugging. When he came to New York, he clubbed a long home run in his second game, a worthy introduction to the Bronx faithful. After that, he was fine in the regular season, dreadful in October, and now is the source of a bit of a logjam on the roster.
To Brian Cashman’s credit he made more than one deal for bats at the deadline, but neither Heliot Ramos nor García Jr. really had the impact I’m sure he planned. Luis came in in grand style:
That the Yankees went on to lose that game, one of the stupider of the year and what a list that makes, maybe says something about García Jr. as a Yankee. Getting him was the right move, it just never really paid off. I was surprised to see that he actually managed an 87 wRC+ in the postseason, because I genuinely would have thought he posted half of that.
To be fair, he was On One against the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, hitting .500, but then kind of everyone did that against the Red Sox in those two games. Facing the Rays in the ALDS Luis went 1-for-10, a -56 wRC+. The Yankees only who played three games against the Rays, if García Jr. went 1-for-10 in a random series in July we probably wouldn’t even notice, but it happened when the lights were brightest.
I’ve said this a lot about the 2026 Yankees, but Luis didn’t really do himself many favors. Yes, he has that big home run in his second game against the Cardinals, then he went two weeks without another dinger. He slugged .560 in Washington, .434 in New York. His strikeout rate jumped five points.
I do wonder how much the dimensions of Yankee Stadium worked against him. Luis was on pace for 33 doubles across 600 PA while with the Nationals, down to 22 over 600 PA in the Bronx. Yankee Stadium is a tremendous ballpark to hit home runs in, and not very friendly to other kinds of extra-base hits. The short right field wall was absolutely a reason why the club brought Heliot Ramos in, and maybe they believed that smooth lefty swing would turn some of those doubles into dingers for García Jr., but that didn’t happen, at least in 2026.
Moving into 2027, the Yankee have once again assembled a roster with so many first base/DH types. Giancarlo Stanton will be on the roster, Ben Rice is not going to be a catcher, Aaron Judge will almost certainly see less time in the outfield than we’re used to, if for no other reason than the game’s best hitter needs to sometimes be saved from himself. Then there’s García Jr., who on paper is possibly a better hitter than Stanton but not better than Rice or Judge, but also probably isn’t good enough at second base to merit uprooting Anthony Volpe.
Maybe that’s the project for this winter, making Luis García Jr. a functional second baseman and stick him in some kind of first base/second base platoon role. This gets complicated if there’s a lockout and teams can’t communicate with players, and is further complicated by the fact that the very bad Washington Nationals gave Luis 0 innings at the keystone last year.
I want to love Luis García Jr. I don’t think his performance in 2026 merits that love. I am hopeful, perhaps foolishly, that it will in 2027.
Earlier this week, Bob Nightengale of USA Today mentioned that the Phillies have made Trea Turner available in a trade. Of course, that doesn’t really mean much, as it would be almost impossible to move the underperforming Turner and the remaining seven years and roughly $200M he is still owed, and that is before factoring in his full no-trade clause. We have to acknowledge that reality before we even entertain the idea of any theoretical trade.
With that said, nothing is truly impossible. Bad contract swaps are uncommon in MLB, but they do happen. One such trade occurred just last offseason when the Mets sent Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Marcus Semien. Nimmo at the time was still owed over $100M over five years of an eight year, $162M extension that he signed with New York prior to the 2023 season while Semien was entering the fifth year of a seven year, $175M deal he inked with the Rangers before 2022. Both players were coming off of disappointing seasons and were on the wrong side of 30, with Nimmo being 32 at the time and Semien 34. The early returns after one season favor the Rangers, as Nimmo has fared better in Texas than Semien has in New York. It was a vastly different situation than the one the Phillies face with Turner, but it’s proof of concept that trades like this can happen.
With that in mind, earlier this week Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Rangers may be interested in another similar type of trade, as they are looking to move Corey Seager. The two-time World Series MVP will turn 33 in April and is still owed $155M over the next five seasons. Seager underperformed last season but was still worth 3.1 WAR with a 112 OPS+. However, the major caveat with Seager is that he has missed a chunk of time with injuries in each of the last four seasons, as he’s averaged only 112 games played every year since 2023. Despite this, he’s still averaged 5.4 WAR over the same span, suggesting he is still a productive player in the time he is actually on the field. But he had a career low .736 OPS in 102 games last season, perhaps signifying the beginning of a decline in his bat.
In a world where the Phillies were to work out a Turner for Seager trade, the Rangers would be getting a player who is one year older, less productive, and who is signed for two years longer but has largely remained healthy over the last five years. The Phillies meanwhile would perhaps be getting a better bat and defender at shortstop for a shorter term but with the large risk that said bat along with Seager’s overall health may get much worse in the coming years. It’s not an ideal swap for either team, but it hardly ever is in trades of this type.
Again, it is highly unlikely that a trade for Turner manifests itself. The most likely scenario is that the Phillies are stuck with him and have no choice but to hope he finds a way to improve. But in a world where a trade was possible, would you be willing to do a bad contract for bad contract trade? What other hypothetical trades would you consider?
CINCINNATI, OHIO - JULY 31: Emilio Pagan #15 of the Cincinnati Reds reacts after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates at Great American Ball Park on July 31, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cincinnati defeated Pittsburgh 8-7. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Friday, everyone! It’s been quite the week for awards and we now know the winners of the biggest titles of the past season, with the accolades for Cy Young and MVP getting handed out this past week. Jacob Misiorowski and Cam Schlittler took home the Cy Young glory, no surprises there, while Pete Crow-Armstong and Yordan Alvarez were named the unanimous winners for MVP, dethroning the long-reigning champs, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.
We’ve got more details on those winners below, along with the new Astros manager, Brad Ausmus, who Tigers fans know fairly well. Plus we’ll speculate over whether or not the Emilio Pagan contract is a sign of things to come in free agency. So let’s just jump right into it so you can get in the know on all baseball’s happenings before heading into the weekend.
"A right-handed bat, and a catcher…it's kind of a constellation of talent. It's something that creates a star skill market for players at that position. A lot of teams are kind of going, 'Oh, Ryan is certainly something that will put more championship notches in my belt.'" https://t.co/pnJAmZHfvQ
The way everyone moved like a stampeding herd to like four different locations and two floors to listen to Scott Boras make puns is absolutely hilarious to me pic.twitter.com/ts8csdRGyE
Reliever Evan Phillips and the Atlanta Braves are in agreement on a three-year, $35 million contract. Biggest deal of the winter so far sends the veteran to Atlanta, which already has one of the best bullpens in baseball.
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 07: Raisel Iglesias #26 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the ninth inning of Game Four of the Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on October 7, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hey, we’re talking about the Braves here. Of course they do.
Or do they?
There are a few different ways to look at this. One, of course, is that they can’t help themselves. But, to what end? Right now, the bullpen is projected to have a strong-but-not-elite three-headed monster (Evan Phillips, Robert Suarez, Dylan Lee), with one guy in the “pretty good” camp (Dylan Dodd) and one guy in the “I guess you can roster him” camp (Victor Mederos). That’s five of eight slots spoken for with an above-replacement guy.
Basically, there’s plenty of room to add. Not that it has to be a big reliever signing, but it could be.
Also, here are the Braves’ preseason bullpen projection ranks:
2026: 10th
2025: 6th
2024: 2nd
2023: 1st
2022: 4th
2021: 7th
2020: 8th
2019: 18th (this was the famous rebuild-the-bullpen-at-the-Trade Deadline year)
So, basically, ever since the 2019 bullpen tire fire, the Braves have aimed for a top-ranked bullpen. Right now, following the signing of Phillips, they’re somewhere in that range — currently ranking ninth. They could jump into the top five with a big signing; smaller signings won’t do it.
The veteran in the theoretical room is Raisel Iglesias. He’s been a Brave for four-and-a-half seasons now, and he’s been declining a bit relative to his early 30s, but he’s still been good. Based on his current projections, he probably doesn’t actually move the Braves into the top five, but a combination of him and a couple of smaller deals to fill those last two spots might. The Braves had no issue splurging on him last year, and then also adding Robert Suarez, with guys like Aaron Bummer and Joe Jimenez still on the books. Those latter two are no longer commitments, so… what do you think?
Arizona Diamondbacks Garrett Hampson scores on a Randal Grichuk single off Athletics starting pitcher Joey Estes in the second inning during a spring training game at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale on March 20, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
We took a look at available center fielders earlier in the week and it is now time to take a look at available left fielders. This time we will only look at free agent left fielders because there really are no good internal options and the trade market is vast and hard to predict. That being said, we really have two groups of players we can look at. We have players that have been regular players and therefore are likely to be a little more pricey than their platoon counterparts.
As per usual, we will take a look at their career slash statistics, isolated power, isolated patience, real offensive value, and bases per out. Real offensive value is a hybrid stat I invented to encompass both batting average and the majority of secondary average (isolated power + isolated patience) averaged together. It can be interpreted as a comparable stat to batting average. Bases per out simply takes total bases, stolen bases, walks, and hit by pitches and divides that sum by the total number of outs that player accrues. Below we will look at a table that will show what the Astros collectively did in left field last season and what the overall league average is in each of those categories.
SLASH
ISOpow
ISOpat
ROV
BPO
Astros LF
.208/.300/.388
.180
.092
.240
.659
All MLB Hitters
.244/.318/.400
.156
.074
.237
.673
Keep in mind that Yordan Alvarez played some games in left field, so his awesome numbers are driving the overall Astros left field numbers up some. That would account for the superior isolated power and patience. Obviously, none of the Astros left fielders brought any speed to the table, so they fell behind in bases per out as compared to the big league average. So, the charge is the same as in center field. Find at least a league average hitter in addition to Alvarez.
Big Ticket Free Agents
SLASH
ISOpow
ISOpat
ROV
BPO
Randy Arozorena
.255/.350/.442
.187
.095
.269
.806
Ian Happ
.243/.341/.442
.199
.098
.270
.774
Taylor Ward
.243/.333/.417
.174
.090
.255
.717
George Springer
.265/.351/.472
.207
.086
.279
.817
Let’s start with the elephant in the room. There is no way in hell that George Springer is producing these numbers in 2027. He had a 99 OPS+ last season. He got off to a slow start and came on in the end, but he isn’t coming close to these numbers. Could he be a league average bat in left field? Of course he could. However, going that direction would say many things about the Astros and the direction they are going. Getting the band back together would certainly feel good, but it probably wouldn’t add many wins.
There is a universe where the Astros could afford any of these guys. The Astros are sitting at 238 million according to Spotrac.com, but they could conceivably deal Jeremy Pena, Christian Walker, and Josh Hader to free up room for them to spend in other areas. Jim Crane could also loosen some purse strings if the new collective bargaining agreement allows. Just because you can afford something doesn’t mean that you should buy it.
Spotrac estimates Arozorena’s market value at five years and 127 million. That would eat up most of the available budget on one guy. Is he really that much better than the other three? Happ sits at just under 20 million per season according to Spotrac, Ward sits at about 17.5 million a season, and Springer sits at ten million respectively. Is the extra 7.5-17.5 million a season really getting you that much more? That of course spills us into the second tier of free agents that could be classified as platoon bats.
Available Platoon Bats
SLASH
ISOpow
ISOpat
ROV
BPO
Michael Conforto
.245/.342/.444
.199
.097
.271
.762
Ramon Laureano
.250/.320/.440
.190
.070
.255
.734
Randal Grichuk
.253/.299/.470
.217
.046
.258
.697
Austin Hays
.263/.313/.434
.171
.050
.242
.674
By sheer definition, these are all players with some warts. Signing them becomes a large part in choosing which warts you are willing to live with. Laureano comes with a ton of volatility. He had an 83 OPS+ last season, but he seems to alternate great and bad seasons every year. If you are signing a one year contract then you are simply gambling that it will be one of the good seasons.
Conforto is likely a little like Springer in that this career average contains his early seasons when he was an all-star level player. Still, he was very good last season in a part-time role. He also has some defensive limitations that make playing him regularly problematic. Still, he might give you the best production of the group and his production would rival some of the guys above for an average of nine million a year according to Spotrac.
Austin Hays really doesn’t do a whole lot for me, but Grichuk is a guy that is intriguing for a number of reasons. He has played every outfield spot in his career and his power is tantalizing. I hate his hitting profile (low OBP skills) but we aren’t looking for Al Simmons here. We want a league average big league outfielder and he has been that for the better part of a decade. Spotrac thinks he is due about nine million a season just like Conforto.
Final Thoughts
While I think every fan would love to see the Arozorena’s and Happ’s of the world, I just don’t see that as horribly realistic. If you estimate that you could free up 35-40 million through trades and increased spending, spending 20 million or more on one position just doesn’t make financial sense. It would make more sense to spend around ten million in left, maybe something similar on a starter, and then the rest on bench players and/or relief arms. That would seem to point the finger squarely at someone like Springer, Conforto, or Grichuk.
The fan in me would love to see Springer back, but the analyst would hate it. Conforto and Grichuk have more left in the tank and would give you the best opportunity to improve on the Nelson Velasquez’s, Lamont Wade’s, and Taylor Trammel’s of the world. Incremental improvement is the name of the game. Gain a game or two in center and left field each and then hope you gain the rest on the mound.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 07: (L-R) Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18, Tarik Skubal #29, Blake Snell #7, and Tyler Glasnow #31 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate in the clubhouse after defeating the Atlanta Braves in game four of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 07, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The All-MLB teams have been around since 2019, and for the first time since their inception, the Dodgers do not have a single player representing the All-MLB First team.
No offensive players for the Dodgers were named to either the First or Second teams, but two pitchers managed to crack the Second Team, those being left-hander Tarik Skubal and right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, reports Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
After two consecutive Cy Young award winning seasons, Skubal was limited to 26 starts due to elbow surgery, but he still managed to post a 12-7 record with a 2.72 ERA and 186 strikeouts across 158 2/3 innings between the Detroit Tigers and Dodgers. Yamamoto capped off his second fully healthy season of his big league career, once again finishing in the top-5 for National League Cy Young voting by posting a 14-9 record with a 2.53 ERA while striking out 182 hitters across 185 innings.
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For the first time since 2022, Shohei Ohtani was not crowned league MVP, as he placed 2nd behind Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong for the 2026 NL MVP race.
It was a tough task for Ohtani to try to claim a third consecutive NL MVP, and injuries to both his knee and biceps kept him behind Crow-Armstrong, who became the first Cub in team history to register a 40-40 season. Ohtani doesn’t need to pull off another 50-50 season to reclaim the title, and Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times describes what the two-way superstar will have to do in order to add another MVP award to his already vaunted trophy mantle. Should the impending lockout bleed into when the regular season traditionally starts, Lee notes that the additional off time could help him revamp to full health on both sides of the field.
In that kind of environment, it could be in Ohtani’s best interest to put off a pitching ramp-up at least until the lockout ends and the season schedule is set. But he and the Dodgers have a little over two weeks to talk through those decisions. Once the lockout begins, teams will be restricted from communicating with the players on their 40-man rosters.
Former Dodgers reliever Michael Kopech did not toss a single pitch during the 2026 season, but he’s not ready to hang up his spikes. Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon, and Katie Woo of The Athletic note that Kopech is eyeing a comeback for the 2027 season, and is scheduled to throw for teams on Saturday.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 27: A general view of Oracle Park as the San Francisco Giants play the Arizona Diamondbacks on August 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
As the proud new owner of tickets to a Fall Out Boy concert at Oracle Park next year, I thought today we could take a walk down memory lane and remember some of our other favorite events that have taken place at the ballpark that aren’t Giants-related.
For me, it would probably be a concert featuring Green Day, Flogging Molly and Jimmy Eat World back in the early 2000s, sometime around when the American Idiot album came out. Aside from nearly getting trampled when Green Day took the stage (which is why I’m never doing general admission ever again), it was an incredibly fun night and cemented Flogging Molly as one of my favorite bands of all time. It was only my second time actually being on the field too, so getting to see that view with a full park was really cool, because it gave me a little perspective of what it must be like for the players.
What are some of your favorite non-Giants events that you’ve attended at Oracle Park?
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 23: Hunter Goodman #15 of the Colorado Rockies looks on during the game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Wednesday, September 23, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Casey Paul/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Row!
Here’s what’s going on with the Colorado Rockies and the rest of Major League Baseball.
Building on John Paul Morosi’s tweets on Wednesday, Hunter Goodman is now fully part of the trade rumor mill. He’s one of many in the catcher category, but definitely the one with the most value given his power at the plate and controllable contract through 2029. He’s one of many notable players whose names are being thrown around as possible trade pieces, including fellow catchers Shea Langeliers and World Series MVP William Contreras.
As soon as the rumors get you worried, Kevin Henry comes in to turn the burners off. Henry had an exclusive chat with Rockies GM Josh Byrnes and president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta. Henry paraphrased that Byrnes said, “any kind of extension for Goodman is on the back burner until the Rockies know what kind of financial implications lie ahead with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.” DePodesta said that the Rockies will likely be more cautious in trading position players, while remaining open-minded. Henry also touches on the front office’s urgency to improve the starting rotation.
Tyler Freeman will play for a new team in 2027 after signing a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves. The utilityman with a knack for putting the ball in play only suited up for 79 games for the Rockies in 2026 due to a back injury that required surgery. The Rockies acquired Freeman in a trade for Nolan Jones prior to the 2025 season. After hitting .267/.339/.342 with a .681 OPS in 189 games over the last season with a combined -3.3 rWAR, Freeman opted for free agency after the 2026 season.
Following the unanimous Cy Young voting for Jacob Misiorowski and Cam Schlittler, Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Houston Astros slugger DH Yordan Alvarez were no-doubters for NL and AL MVP, respectively. After his first All-Star season in 2025, PCA had the breakout season his projections always expected as he became the five-tool player to lead the Cubs to the postseason. He tied Kyle Schwarber for the National League home run crown with 45, while leading the league in slugging percentage (.570) and OPS (.942). He also stole 41 bases. Alvarez, following a DH MVP trail blazed by Shohei Ohtani, led the AL with his .316 batting average, .432 OBP, .601 slugging and 1.033 OPS and helped the Astros reach the postseason. He also hit 42 homers and drove in 106 RBIs.
The reliever market is seeing some action. On Thursday, the Atlanta Braves signed former Los Angeles Dodger Evan Phillips. The Braves originally drafted Phillips in 2015. He was a solid arm in the Dodgers bullpen until injuries, including one that forced Tommy John surgery, struck in 2025 and caused him to miss large parts of the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
Agents are teaming up to fight Rob Manfred & Co. This breaks down both sides’ arguments and the massive gulf between them. While informative, this doesn’t inspire much hope for avoiding a lockout on Dec. 1. With a possible delay to the season, a freeze on trades and signings and an uncertain future, the lockout threats can’t be good for the sport, for ticket sales and certainly not for fans. As much as agents are often portrayed as the bad guys, they make a compelling argument.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN- APRIL 3: Minnesota Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine prior to the game against the Kansas City Royals on April 3, 2017 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Royals 7-1. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2016 Minnesota Twins were a tough nut to crack in terms of how to move forward after Total System Failure (TM). Clearly something needed to be done, yet the club also looked pretty well-set with a talented young core. So, instead of shaking up the on-field product all that much, the Pohlad ownership group turned their attention to the business-suit class.
Derek Falvey (Executive Vice President): Elevated from Assistant General Manager in Cleveland
Thad Levine (General Manager): Elevated from Assistant GM in Texas
The hope: that Falvey could bring with him Cleveland’s vaunted pitching pipeline with the more experienced Levine around to make sure the operation ran smoothly.
There were, of course, still some notable roster refinements.
For all intents and purposes, that was the extent of the 2016-2017 offseason. At the time, I distinctly remember The Falvine (as the Derek/Thad pairing would come to be known) professing a desire to learn the ins and outs of the organization before making drastic alterations.
As such, it would be a more-uneventful-than-anticipated break coming off a franchise-worst 103-loss season.
For what it’s worth, Bob Nightengale writes that the Mets are downplaying their chances of signing Skubal, but rivals think they have as good a chance as any team of signing him.
It feels like ages ago that the Mets were making their incredibly fun postseason run in 2024, and over at MLB.com, Francisco Lindor walks us through his iconic grand slam from the NLDS.
The Braves signed right-handed reliever Evan Phillips, who’s thrown a total of just 31.2 major league innings over the past two seasons, to a three-year, $35 million deal.
Vas Drimalitis took a look at Bo Bichette’s disappointing debut season in Queens.
This Date in Mets History
On this date in 1958, New York City Mayor Robert Wagner announced a plan to launch a third major baseball league, one that laid the groundwork for Major League Baseball’s expansion that included the creation of the Mets.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 30: Yordan Alvarez #44 of the Houston Astros smiles during the fourth inning of game two of the American League Wild Card Series against the Chicago White Sox at Daikin Park on September 30, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Friday, everyone! We now know our winners for most of the big MLB offseason awards, with the accolades for Cy Young and MVP getting handed out this past week. Jacob Misiorowski and Cam Schlittler took home the Cy Young glory, while of course Pete Crow-Armstong and Yordan Alvarez were the unanimous winners for MVP, dethroning the long reigning champs, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.
We’ll get into that below, along with the new Astros manager, Brad Ausmus, and even more. So let’s just jump right into it so you can get in the know on all baseball’s happenings before heading into the weekend.
"A right-handed bat, and a catcher…it's kind of a constellation of talent. It's something that creates a star skill market for players at that position. A lot of teams are kind of going, 'Oh, Ryan is certainly something that will put more championship notches in my belt.'" https://t.co/pnJAmZHfvQ
Reliever Evan Phillips and the Atlanta Braves are in agreement on a three-year, $35 million contract. Biggest deal of the winter so far sends the veteran to Atlanta, which already has one of the best bullpens in baseball.
