Hey, there isn’t really any baseball news going on right now but Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz start their trial tomorrow, so that’s fun.
Make sure to check out Matt Seese’s article and Jakhob Clady’s article and Jake Brahney’s article from yesterday..
The San Antonio Spurs still have lessons to be learned.
Last season, the Spurs made it pretty far on talent. They would make silly mistakes after silly mistakes and still recover thanks to one of the most talented young rosters in the NBA. After a crushing NBA Finals loss, a lot of fans expected the team to grow up a bit. To learn the lessons that come with such a defeat. Six games into the 2026-27 NBA season, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
The Spurs looked almost identical to last year’s team in a 121-111 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Halloween night. There were stretches of brilliance when the team guarded like their lives depended on it, moved the ball on a string, and got to the cup with ease. Then there were times when the offense went completely cold, reliant on isolation ball, and the defense allowed second-chance points and easy transition looks. But ultimately, the Spurs had enough talent to take down a Minnesota team that was missing two key players in Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert.
It took an MVP performance to get the win. Victor Wembanyama took over the game, crushing his fellow countryman, Joan Beringer, with 43 points and 6 blocks. When San Antonio was in a slog, Wembanyama would pull them out with a well-timed dunk or a block that led to a transition runout. Those are the types of games you’re looking for from the face of the franchise and potentially the best player in the league.
As they say, a win is a win. But likely, Mitch Johnson and the rest of the Spurs’ coaching staff will identify plenty of areas where the team can clean up their game, just as they could last season.
Good morning, folks…
MLB.com takes a look at the top 30 names to watch in free agency this offseason.
There’s also the top seven storylines to watch as the offseason kicks off.
Righthanded pitcher Kaima Taira will be posted by the Seibu Lions, the team has announced.
Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz go to trial on Monday on charges they were rigging pitches that people they were in cahoots with bet on.
I want to be in cahoots with someone.
Davis Laurila has his Sunday Notes column up at Fangraphs.
All good streaks are supposed to come to an end. In Friday's 98-93 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Knicks guard Tyler Kolek's stretch of perfection ended.
In the game's early stages, he turned the ball over for the first time this season. Kolek coughed up the rock one more time, finishing with four assists and two points in 13 minutes.
It was a departure from Kolek's first three appearances this season, in which he recorded 21 assists and zero turnovers over 44 minutes.
The reserve is playing some of his best basketball right now, steadying the offense when Knicks star Jalen Brunson rests.
Kolek is taking advantage of an opportunity given to him because of an ankle injury to guard Jose Alvarado.
Kolek entered this season on the outside of New York's regular rotation. But his play has been impressive and could make Knicks coach Mike Brown think twice about taking him out of the rotation when Alvarado returns.
In Kolek's 57 minutes this season, the Knicks are assisting on 76.5 percent of their baskets, according to NBA Stats, a team high and one that would rank first in the entire league. The club's assist rate drops to 66.3 percent in the minutes he sits.
Kolek's careful playmaking comes at a time when the Knicks are in need of good decision making.
As of Saturday night, New York ranked 15th in turnovers per 100 possessions.
Over the past few years, the Knicks have regularly been one of the better teams at taking care of the ball, ranking 11th in the category last season.
The turnover problems have been a factor in New York’s slow offensive start and 2-4 record through the first six games.
Kolek has created scoring opportunities for his teammates with ease. Many of Kolek's minutes have been shared with starters Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby.
Towns is averaging 5.81 more points per 100 possessions when he shares the floor with Kolek, according to PBP Stats.
Anunoby's scoring increases by 9.85 points per 100 possessions in the same scenarios.
Since being drafted in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, Kolek's role has been inconsistent with New York.
Last season, due to a Miles McBride injury, Kolek emerged around the NBA Cup and played a significant role in the Knicks' Cup championship win.
He saw regular rotation minutes until the middle of January.
The Knicks acquired Alvarado in a trade deadline deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, pushing Kolek further down the depth chart.
Though it is unclear when Alvarado will return from his injury, he will be back eventually. It creates a competition at the backup point guard slot.
With Brunson averaging 35 minutes a night through the last four seasons, there's very limited space to find time for both guards.
Add in a small-ish backcourt contributors like McBride, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson, and it seems like a crowded backcourt.
Kolek and Alvarado are very different players. Kolek is a floor general with crafty passes and creative finishes around the basket to make up for his lack of athleticism. Alvarado is more of a defensive playmaker, creating havoc with steals.
Despite his diminutive stature, Alvarado can situationally guard players larger than him. Both players are inconsistent as three-point shooters but have proven to be capable enough to garner some respect from defenses.
It's a good problem to have. The Knicks have relied on the bench to step up in key situations. Last year's run to the championship saw several reserves have individual moments in specific games or series.
Brown said in training camp that outside of the starting five, players would be fighting for minutes. Kolek and Alvarado will see some time on the floor this season. Who plays the best will likely earn more time.
Kai Havertz’s goal was enough to give Arsenal their first win at Anfield since September 2012 and take them three points clear at the top of the table
So where is the game? Liverpool will look to get men around the ball when Arsenal have it, opening the pitch for switches should they win possession. And when they don’t, they’ll run like mad to recover it, stretching play and passing forwards, facilitating that by conserving energy every now and again when Nyoni slows the game down.
In particular, I expect they’ll ask Bradley Barcola to target the space left when Riccardo Calafiori goes off on adventures, with Alexander Isak pulling away for cut-backs and shooting quickly with little backlift, while Florian Wirtz looks to slip passes in behind – if he can work quickly enough in the maelstrom of the match.
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Welcome to Winners & Sinners, where we reflect on the week that was for the Milwaukee Bucks. Week 2 saw the Bucks go 1-2, with the team getting its first win of the season by defeating the arch-rival Indiana Pacers, before being forced into concussion protocols by the Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers. But who’s deserving of the hardware?
Tyler Herro collects his first MVB of the week on the back of efficient shooting in two out of three games and a best-on-court performance against the Pacers: 23 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. The shooting was expected, the poise has stood out, and, more importantly, he was Milwaukee’s best when they were at their best, leading the team to its only win of the season thus far.
Defending Champion: Kyle Kuzma.
The Contenders: N/A.
The Decision: Outside of the win against the Pacers, the Bucks haven’t exactly stopped anyone this week. Myles Turner had some moments in that game, then got mauled by Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley against the Cavaliers, who combined for 52 points on 23/32 shooting (72%) in just 48 minutes. Consider the belt vacated until someone shows enough to earn it.
retired janitor’s wisdom is always appreciated, but this comment—in a quality back-and-forth with naveed2000s—is too good to overlook:
Please do go deeper into the early-second-round versus late-first-round draft returns, rj! In the meantime, who’s up for marshmallows?
This one was simple, or so I thought. Kasparas Jakučionis gets the ball off the swing from Kel’el Ware and thinks like any good point guard does: Return the favour. First, he jabs sideline; buys some space and forces the switch. Then he curls middle, casts the line: one dribble, two dribbles—just enough line to hook Larry Nance, reel him closer. A third follows, a beat to let the water settle. Then it comes, the left-handed spear between rocks. Right to the chest. And before you know it, the catch is in the net.
Then, in the week’s waning moments, Brayden Burries does this:
INSANE BRAYDEN BURRIES POSTER! 🚨 https://t.co/ftmnY0eBWG
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 1, 2026
Gravity-defying stuff—and enough vertical to lift our collective spirits!
Myles Turner: You hate to kick a bloke when he’s down, but Myles Turner has just not been good enough. Not close to it. He was better to start this week against the Pacers, but that game actually proves the point. Turner has been so bad for the Bucks that a six-point, nine-rebound, four-assist, four-block performance, which also came with 29% shooting, three turnovers, and some “efforts” that would lead to a benching for Kel’el Ware, was lauded as a standout night. Following that, he put up just four points and two rebounds against the Rockets before being abused by Allen, Mobley, and whoever else cared to venture into the Bucks’ defensive paint against the Cavaliers.
Second Quarters: Against the Pacers, the Bucks hit just 8/24 shots in the second quarter as a two-point quarter-time lead became an 11-point halftime deficit. Against the Rockets, the Bucks hit just 6/24 shots in the second quarter as they let a two-point quarter-time deficit explode to 22 by halftime. Against the Cavaliers, the Bucks hit just 7/28 shots as they let a one-point quarter-time lead transform into a 26-point deficit. This. Is. Not. Going. To. Get. The. Job. Done.
For more on the Bucks second-quarter woes, check out their shot charts, courtesy of NBA.com:
If Nate Ament has already overtaken Ousmane Dieng in the forward rotation, then the 2026 trade-deadline darling has some serious work to do. Dieng’s offseason deal—three years, $17.5m—seemed surprisingly good for the Bucks, but maybe they knew his play down the stretch was more mirage than oasis.
That’s all for Week 2. Share your winners and sinners in the comments!
Saturday was a memorable Halloween for one Atlanta Braves prospect, as Isaiah Drake had a monster game at the plate. In addition to hitting his first AFL home run, Drake went a perfect three for three and drew a walk as he continues to have a good week. Drake was one of five Braves prospects to contribute to Glendales 9-8 victory.
Isaiah Drake reached base in all four of his plate appearances, collecting three hits including his first Arizona Fall League home run, and a walk as he batted in two runs. Drake’s home run went 403 feet with a 102.4 MPH exit velocity.
Tate Southisene came to the plate five times as the DH, and his results were also strong. Southisene was credited as going one for four with a walk and scored twice, but he had three of his four at bats result in exit velocities of 93+ MPH along with one soft ground out.
Owen Carey got the start in right field and was hitless in four at bats, with just one of his at bats producing an exit velocity above 90 MPH.
Tyler LaPorte and Logan Samuels also appeared in the game. LaPorte went an inning and two thirds of scoreless ball, allowing no base runners and striking out one. Samuels pitched an inning, allowing a hit and recording one strikeout as he picked up the win for the second time in AFL play.
Welcome to another year of our prospect profiles!
We have been publishing a Top 100 for EIGHT years now, and you may ask yourself: Why 100? Seems excessive.
Sure, it is. Only a portion of the players we’ve profiled over the years have made it to The Show, much less made a major impact there. But a much bigger number have seen Triple-A, the doorstep of the majors. And still more have contributed at Double-A. And given that we’ve seen the White Sox promote players directly from Double-A, once a player makes it to the high minors with the Barons, they are a player to watch, and 100 profiles starts to look more like a minimum than a luxury.
This is another way South Side Sox tries to provide you the most comprehensive reports on the White Sox minor league system. And if these turn about to be some of the only shine a player ever gets as a professional, so be it. It’s well deserved.
The White Sox currently roster (per each team’s web roster, not always accurate to be sure!) 25 players in Triple-A, 28 in Double-A, 39 in High-A, 32 in Low-A, 44 in the ACL and 33 in the DSL, for a total of 201 — including all 20 signed draft picks and UDFAs from this past summer. That means we are diving pretty deep into half of the White Sox system.
Our Top 100 will time itself to wrap up just as the White Sox report to Camelback Ranch in February, so feel free to take the full ride through the White Sox system with us!
Jarold Rosado
Right-Handed Relief Pitcher
6´4´´
215 pounds
Age: 24
2025 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking45
2026 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking80
2026 High Level Birmingham (AA)
Age relative to high level -1.4 years
SSS rank among all right-handed relievers in the system 19
Overall 2026 stats (High-A/AA) 4-4 ⚾️ 39 games (6 finishes) ⚾️ 43 1⁄3 IP ⚾️ 6.85 ERA ⚾️ 1.962 WHIP ⚾️ 48 K ⚾️ 36 BB ⚾️ -0.4 WAR
Jarold Rosado was acquired by the White Sox in July 2024 as the return from Kansas City for shortstop Paul DeJong. After signing with the Royals in February 2020 and pitching in the DSL in 2021, Rosado missed the entire 2022 season due to injury. Upon his return in 2023, the righty really struggled, walking 23 batters in 26 innings and pitching to a 10.38 ERA (5.73 FIP).
However, things really clicked for Rosado in 2024. Before the trade, Rosado was with Low-A Columbia, where he pitched to a 1.85 ERA (2.53 FIP) with four saves. He struck out 45 in 39 innings while dropping his walk rate from 16.7% in 2023 to 7.2% in 2024.
This night-and-day difference piqued the interest of the Sox, looking for lottery tickets. After he was acquired, Rosado was assigned to High-A Winston-Salem, picking up where he left off through the first half of the season; he even increased his strikeout rate to 35.4% with the promotion.
Rosado finished his 2024 season as a whole with a 2.11 ERA (2.51 FIP) with 68 K and 15 BB over 55 1⁄3 innings, and he was looking like an absolute steal.
The White Sox used Rosado’s success in High-A at a young age as an excuse to be aggressive with his assignment out of camp in 2025, promoting him to Double-A Birmingham. That turned out to be a promotion too far, as the righty was walloped over 14 games (a 6.61 ERA and 1.898 WHIP, with more walks than Ks) and demoted back to the Dash in July.
Rosado recovered back in Winston-Salem (2.25 ERA and a weak but reasonable K/BB) but then spit the bit to finish his season, with 13 BBs to seven Ks in the Arizona Fall League.
The righthander basically followed his 2025 footprints in 2026, starting in Birmingham and getting mauled (8.49 ERA, 2.229 WHIP, failing to either miss bats or hit the plate), then being demoted back to High-A in August to finish out the season. Rosado’s consolation prize with the Dash was another strong finish to the season, this time including a contribution of a scoreless inning in postseason opener of Winston-Salem’s title run. In fact, over 8 ⅓ innings including the postseason, Rosado didn’t allow a run and gave up just two hits and seven walks against 11 Ks.
While his 2024 dominance is getting more distance in the rear-view mirror, Rosado was still even (fractionally) young for High-A, much less Double-A. His persistent control issues are a grave concern, however, and he has now hit a high-minors “ceiling” in two straight seasons.
There’s a slight chance that rather than just dumping Rosado in Double-A to begin 2027, they work a little psychology and give him some runway in April at High-A, then move him up. But there’s no doubt that the righty will be getting his third and likely final shot to master Double-A this coming summer.
Full 2027 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox ProspectsStorystream
The victory celebration for the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers lasted yet another day as the Commissioner's Trophy made its way onto the stage at NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
Still basking in their five-game victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on the field and their raucous parade on Friday, Oct. 30, through the streets of Milwaukee, Brewers manager Pat Murphy, along with second baseman Brice Turang and designated hitter Christian Yelich, made a cameo appearance with "Weekend Update" host Colin Jost and Bobby Moynihan's "drunk uncle" character.
"Hey, we have something in common, Drunk Uncle," Turang told Mounihan. "We've also been drinking since Wednesday."
Get Milwaukee Brewers championship book and gear!
The #WorldSeries champion #Brewers on SNL 👀👀
— Cameron Ezeir (@camezeir) November 1, 2026
...and Pat Murphy is the "drunk uncle" 😂 pic.twitter.com/q8eF5qK5SW
Murphy chimed in, "I'm the manager. And that's kinda like being the drunk uncle of the team."
As the segment closed, Moynihan, who spent nine seasons on SNL from 2009 to 2017, made a passing reference to Yelich somewhat resembling another former SNL cast member, Pete Davidson. Which ... OK, perhaps.
The Brewers set a franchise record with 103 wins during the regular season, then went 11-2 during the playoffs to secure the first World Series title in franchise history.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brewers keep World Series celebration going with 'SNL' appearance
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The Dallas Mavericks (4-2) picked up a huge 116-111 win over the Houston Rockets (5-1) on Friday night in their first NBA Cup game of the season. The road to victory was paved with a slew of clutch plays, with Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford leading the way when it mattered most. The NBA defines the “clutch” as the final five minutes of a game when the score is within five or fewer points. Here we break down that exact scenario from the huge win Friday.
The Mavericks entered the clutch with a three-point lead. They forced two stops around a Rockets’ offensive rebound but could not convert on the other end. Again they forced a stop, but yielded another offensive rebound to the Rockets, setting up Fred Van Vleet for a game tying three-point shot.
Flagg began asserting his clutch-time dominance with an immediate answer to Van Vleet’s three-pointer. At the 4:07 mark, Flagg hit a floater for his 25th point of the night. After a stop and a rebound, Flagg was at it again with a finger roll that was counted as a score after being goaltended.
Zaccharie Risacher committed a shooting foul on the following possessing, giving Kevin Durant a chance to drain two free throws. After an Irving missed three-pointer, Van Vleet connected on a bucket to once again tie the score.
With the score tied, it was Irving’s turn to respond. Off a Flagg assist, Irving broke the 30-point threshold with a nice 16-foot shot to put the Mavericks up by two points. Caleb Martin committed a shooting foul on Durant, but the 82.7% free throw shooter missed both attempts. Then it was Flagg’s turn to join Irving as a 30-point scorer as he hit a floater, was fouled and connected on the free throw to extend the lead to five points.
Durant hit a shot to quiet the excitement for a moment, but Irving was not deterred. Dribbling up the court, Irving surprising launched a three-point attempt only seven seconds later. The shot was errant, setting up Gafford for an offensive rebound and put-back. Above the rim, his mini hook shot was on a downward trajectory as soon as it left his hand, warranting a goal tending call on Clint Capela to sustain the five-point lead.
The next sequence of events may find you shining up your tinfoil hat. On a Rockets’ inbounds pass, Durant cut to the rim, then thrust himself backwards onto Caleb Martin who grabbed a handful of Durant’s jersey. The play was reviewed by officials to determine if it was an away-from-the-play foul (a foul committed on court prior to the ball being inbounded, which gives the offended team a free throw and the ball). Replay seemed to clearly show the contact was initiated and followed-through on by Durant, with Martin grabbing him to brace his fall after absorbing contact, but somehow this was not a factor in the review. Instead, Durant hit the free throw and then immediately connected on a jump shot after the inbound. This turn of events could have been foreboding; just a season ago it may have been. The Mavericks were flying high with a five-point lead, but a questionable call made it a one-possession game in a matter of seconds.
Following the strange away-from-the-ball foul, things got more tenuous. P.J. Washington got sped up, prompting him to pass the ball toward Irving at half court. The pass was off the mark and Amen Thompson collected in stride heading for what would have been a game-tying layup. Irving stepped in for a charge! What again seemed an obvious call, especially due to Thompson’s unquestionable arm extension push-off, was challenged by the Rockets who had nothing to lose in doing so. Improbably, the charge was overturned on the basis Irving did not have legal guarding position prior to Thompson’s slightly lowered shoulder and arm extension. If karma is your thing, the Mavs were beneficiaries of a “ball don’t lie” moment, as Thompson missed both free throws he received by way of the overturned charge. Flagg had enough at this point, extending the game to a two-possession affair with a slick turnaround jumper for a four-point lead.
Following Flagg’s heroics, the Mavs were a stop away from all but ending the game, but Jabari Smith nailed a three from the top of the arc to bring the Rockets within one point. With an obvious free throw shooting contest ready to ensue, the Mavericks got the ball to Gafford who was fouled by Durant for a trip to the foul line. Surely, the Mavs did not want to put Gafford in this position, but the Rockets’ on-ball defense after the Mavs inbounded left them no choice. Gafford was unfazed. He calmly stroked both free throws to give Dallas a three-point lead.
We learned that Dusty May is inclined to foul the opponent when the Mavs are up by three points with mere second remaining, rather than give the opposition a chance to attempt a three-point shot for the tie. Flagg fouled Durant who hit both free throws to cut the Mavericks’ lead to one point. The Rockets had to return the favor, fouling Irving on the other end. Irving hit both of his free throws to maintain the three-point advantage after the exchange.
With the three-point advantage, Dallas once again fouled to prevent a Rockets’ three-point attempt. This time, Thompson split his pair, hitting the first and intentionally missing the second. Thompson got the rebound off his own miss, but it was because he entered the lane well before the ball hit the rim, resulting in a lane violation and turnover. On the next possession, the Mavs got a measure of away-from-the-ball revenge. Marcus Smart mauled Flagg before the ball was inbounded, giving Flagg the chance to increase the lead to three points, which he calmly did by hitting his free throw.
Irving was fouled once again, giving him a trip to the line. The veteran leader put the game out of reach and ended the free throw shooting train by once again hitting both of his attempts to extend the lead to five, leaving the Rockets with no further options. As he iced the game, Irving was serenaded with chants of “MVP” from the home crowd.
In the clutch, Flagg scored 10 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting and 2-of-2 from the line. Irving had six points despite missing two three-point attempts. He hit one shot from inside the arc and drained all four of his free throws. This was a dynamic performance by the pair, showing just how poised beyond his years Flagg is and how important Irving is to the success of the team. Flagg was perfect, answering the bell every time with big plays. Irving, while slightly less than perfect, had it where it counted. Giving himself up for what likely should have been a charge and hitting free throws that effectively ended the game demonstrated how lethal the duo can be. Not to be forgotten, Gafford got in on the fun with an offensive rebound off one of Irving’s missed three-pointers and a putback for two points. He then hit two free throws that were absolutely critical in the win.
I invite you to follow me @_80MPH on X, and check back often at Mavs Moneyball for all the latest on the Dallas Mavericks.
The fourth week of the Arizona Fall League resulted in the Peoria Javelinas winning four out of their five games and taking over first place in the league. The games on Friday were rained out in Arizona and not rescheduled.
The Javelinas sit with a 13-8 record overall and are a half game ahead of the Surprise Saguaros. The offense has racked up a +41 run differential so far.
Alex McCoy
The 6-6 outfielder leads the league with five home runs and has 16 RBI in 14 games. His batting line is .275/.377/.647 and gives him a 1.024 OPS. His power has never been a question, while his ability to make good contact has been the reason he has not moved up the prospect ranks. His power ranks out as a 70, but his hit tool sits at 30 (Fangraphs).
In 57 plate appearances with the Javelinas, McCoy has 20 strikeouts. He carried a 26.2% K rate for the 2026 season between Single-A Fort Wayne and Double-A San Antonio.
After having missed much of the 2025 season with injury, it isn’t surprising McCoy is getting extra work in the AFL but improving his contact ability while decreasing his swing and miss could significantly elevate him as a prospect.
Justin DeCriscio
The 23-year-old infielder has played all over the dirt with the Javelinas as a Padres prospect. A talented shortstop, DeCriscio is being groomed as a utility player with good defense, especially on the left side.
The season began for DeCriscio with Lake Elsinore and he was promoted to Fort Wayne and then San Antonio as the season progressed.
Drafted in the 10th round of the 2025 draft, he played in 13 games for Lake Elsinore before the end of the season.
Starting with 28 games at Low-A in 2026, DeCriscio then played 73 games for Fort Wayne and finished the season with 20 games in Double-A.
Over the three levels, he totaled a .270/.358/.425 line, with 29 doubles, two triples, three home runs and finished with 59 RBI.
Ty Harvey
The catcher suffered multiple injuries in the 2026 season and missed significant time. At 20, Harvey should benefit from development in the AFL. When not catching, Harvey also serves as a DH. The Padres’ No. 4 prospect, Harvey should develop more power but has lacked extra-base hits with the Javelinas. He has two doubles and eight RBI in 10 games with a .229 average and a .622 OPS.
RHP Kannon Kemp
The 22-year-old has started five games with a 6.23 ERA for Peoria. In 13 innings, he has eight walks and 14 strikeouts. He also missed time during the season and needed some makeup development work. He is the Padres No. 13 prospect.
RHP Winyer Chourio
Chourio, 22, has started four games for the Javelinas with a 3.86 ERA in 11.2 innings with nine walks and nine strikeouts. Chourio struggled with command at times during the regular season but had 122 strikeouts in 92.2 innings pitched. The Padres No. 15 prospect had a tick up on his velocity over this past season and is Rule 5 eligible after the 2027 season.
LHP Igor Gil
Gil, 25, finished the regular season with San Antonio but was limited to 52 innings over two levels due to injury. He has made six appearances for Peoria and 6.1 innings pitched. He has a 5.68 ERA with eight walks and eight strikeouts.
RHP Jordan Valenzuela
Valenzuela, 21, pitched in 35 games during the regular season with a 4.63 ERA. He totaled 44 walks and 70 strikeouts in 46.2 innings. With the Javelinas, Valenzuela has appeared in five games and 4.1 innings but things have not gone well. He has a 14.54 ERA with five walks and three strikeouts so far.
RHP Francis Peña
Peña, 25, had a disastrous 2025 season after excelling in 2024. In a bounce-back year, Peña is trying to re-establish himself as a dominant reliever in the Padres system. He finished the regular season with a 3.05 ERA in 59 innings with 36 walks and 71 strikeouts.
For Peoria, he has pitched in seven games and 8.1 innings with a 0.00 ERA. He has a save in one game and has eight strikeouts with two walks for his appearances.
Peña features an upper-90s fastball with a plus cutter and should be added to the major league roster if he can maintain good control.
Padres News:
Baseball News:
The team’s management needs to offer decisions that make sense, rather than spurious justifications for ones that don’t
No homecoming for the Australian Test team will ever be as hostile as the aftermath of the sandpaper debacle in 2018, but the team making the equivalent trip from South Africa in 2026 will still find that some knives are out. Having led 1-0 after Durban, reversing a trend of poor starts, the side managed to surrender the series across the next two contests, bowled out for 99 in Gqeberha and 111 in Cape Town. As Charlton Heston may have observed: you maniacs, you blew it up.
Pat Cummins as captain strives for equanimity, fond of saying that good performances don’t make his team great and bad ones don’t make them terrible. He concluded his post-match interview in Cape Town by saying that he was “overall relatively happy with how we’re going”. Perhaps, having twice had a team 4 for 40, then gone on to lose both matches by a mile, he should be willing to signal more concern. This team has long had batting problems and made decisions that entrenched them, while a habit of playing down evident concerns has become entrenched across its leadership, from Cummins to coach Andrew McDonald to selection chair George Bailey.
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Happy November! I am writing this after overtaxing my daughter in the dad tax for Halloween so my fingers may be working faster than my brain. Before getting into baseball, it was such a cool experience to see my daughter teach her sister and friends how to Trick-or-Treat. To baseball!
Even when using the Dealin’ the Cards GM tool, I could not get myself to go all in on the upcoming offseason just because I do not like to predict unrealistic scenarios: See Tarik Skubal to STL. I believe the St. Louis winter activity will be slow, and would have been slow regardless of the impending lockout. The current lineup 7/9 complete and the rotation has plenty of options for innings. The most intrigue for me is how the starting pitching frames will be divvied up and for that reason, I want to use this Sunday spot to ask what the VEB community would do.
In most of my writing, I try to stay realistic to what the team would actually do in their offseason and current state, not what I would do in MLB The Show. This weekend, we talked to Bernie Miklasz (coming at your podcast feed tomorrow) and Jake asked me about my rotation preference for 2027. I am on the record for using the fifth spot as a revolving door for prospects last season, a year that was used to get answers on the future. This upcoming season, there are guys ready to prove themselves for sure, but the Cardinals set a 77-win baseline for me, so they could also invest in a veteran to anchor their rotation for a competitive stretch.
As you will hear me say on the VEB podcast, I do not have a preference in either direction for next year so I figured you could take the time to sound off in the comments instead of just a black and white poll. I will do my best to cover the basics of both options so those who feel strongly one way or another, share your case!
The Dustin May signing worked out exactly as both sides planned all along. May shows his health and value, a contender pays St. Louis, May wins a title. Bada bing bada boom. That strategy allowed the Cardinals to use the first few months of the minor league season to see if there was a rotation arm ready to take over and Hunter Dobbins pitched his way into that role. Now that May and Dobbins are both gone for now, there is a spot available for an established veteran to again slot in.
I am pretty out on bringing back May, not because he is not a good starter, but because I want the Cardinals to shoot higher if they go the free agent route. The likelihood of standing pat means we should expect another battle with .500 instead of the postseason, so going into the top tier for arms is an unlikely option. Again, trying to speak to what the Cardinals could actually do.
With Skubal out, I have thought of someone like Kris Bubic mostly because he is one of the few free agent arms under the age of 30. Patrick Sandoval has also been of interest, but I would also be a fan of the Cardinals again aiming higher. The free agent starter class has a pretty wide talent gap this offseason, so the mid-tier arms may end up going for more money than usual anyway, depending on CBA negotiations.
Since spending should increase, the Cardinals can afford to go to a two or three-year deal for a higher upside arm than May. Someone with more potential of sticking around if the timeline is accelerated, but will also maintain trade value if the team goes the wrong direction. In this option, a deadline trade would again open up a rotation spot for a second half tryout that could allow someone like Richard Fitts to get an extended look after returning to full health to start the year.
The other choice that I would have been up for last year is if they used either a six-man rotation or maneuvered the option timeline to get a few extended looks at MLB capable arms. In a six-man rotation, younger arms would still be on a regular starting schedule but have their innings limited organically as opposed to pitch counts placed onto starts. For my option idea, the Cardinals could keep the same prospect up for a 3-5 start span before sending them down to preserve innings and work on what they learned at the major league level. Since an optioned player needs to spend minimum time after the demotion, there is no rush for them to have to prove themselves again.
Looking at 2026, I thought that could have been the strategy for guys like Dobbins and Quinn Mathews, pitchers bouncing back after injury or down seasons but would serve the team better being in the majors than in Memphis. In certain circumstances, I would like to see teams “rush” pitchers who are considered close to MLB ready and at least get a look of what they can do at the major league level, hopefully before injury or a severe downturn (Tink) occurs.
For 2027, this could easily point to Fitts, health willing, and extend to AAA arms like Mason Molina, Cooper Hjerpe, Jurrangelo Cinjtje, and Tekoah Roby. Those five guys could form some type of rotation of their own, spending a few weeks at a time learning the major league game before heading back to Memphis to fine tune things without the bright lights.
Those guys all have some things to work on but also have the stuff to compete on a major league mound at some level. I think each of them would benefit from getting their feet wet in St. Louis and give the organization an opportunity to see what they can do.
As you can see, I can see arguments for both sides. This also assumes that Matthew Liberatore and/or possibly one other arm are moved out of the rotation in some way. These options exist only if there is a clear vacancy in the rotation where the Cardinals could intrigue a free agent with a starting role or provide more than spot starts to their upper level prospects.
Let me know which option you would prefer or predict your 2027 rotation, assuming a normal offseason.
Thanks as always!
I’m not an old guy. Well, old enough to like radio. Always have. I love the convenience and choice that comes with the internet. But radio is accessible, free, and fine when you can’t or won’t devote your eyes to a screen. And then you see this from a former Marlins executive during most of their worst seasons.
I’ll save you two clicks and show you a pulled quote:
The difference between TV and radio is disappearing before our very eyes. We don’t need baseball on radio anymore. The only reason we have baseball on radio is so people can feel better about what baseball means to them.
Baseball and radio goes together like peanut butter and jelly. It goes together like cookies and cream. You require to have baseball and radio because everybody hasn’t died yet who grew up listening to baseball on the radio. But guess what? That generation is going to die at some point. Then you will have people who are older, who they grew up on their device, listening through the internet, listening to the audio of the video.
First of all, take the name of Blockbuster out of your mouth. We need physical media right now more than ever. I’d give up 99% of what’s left of the mall and chain stores to have it back and some decent bookstores. Secondly, I’m not ancient and I still listen to the Braves on radio all the time. I probably do it at least once a week. I almost always listen to Braves games if they’re on if I’m in the car. Having the 680 The Fan app during this postseason was a lifesaver. Imagine having John Smoltz as your favorite player for 15 years and feeling that you would rather listen to a radio broadcast than him. But that’s where I am. If you were around when baseball was America’s favorite sport, John Smoltz on the TV call is who you want to hear. Third, it’s also very weird to ignore how baseball clearly covets the older generation’s attention and money. And lastly, if baseball can do without something, the Marlins are at the top of my list.
So you’re still listening to the Braves on the radio, right? Or at least the stream? I mean, this is clearly trolling or trying to traffic to something and I would typically ignore it for that reason. But with everything available on the internet now, you can’t be falling all over yourself to listening to his podcast.
You’re waking up more refreshed today since the clocks have been turned back one hour.
Quick, go change your stove and microwave.
In that same vein, let’s think about some of the top eras of the team’s history. We’ve all pretty much lived through the (arguably) second best era in the team’s history, most of us vividly remember the 2008 World Series run and subsequent glory days while still others fondly think of the Mike Schmidt years that included their initial championship.
If you had to go back to certain era in the team’s history and re-live that era, which would it be?