Freddy Peralta | (Photo by Cole Carter/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
One of the Mets’ biggest moves before the 2026 season was the team’s trade with the Brewers for Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers. As was the case with nearly all of the most significant moves of the offseason, this one went pretty terribly for the Mets, as Peralta wound up with a 4.99 ERA and a 4.45 FIP while the team lost so many games that it wound up finishing last in the National League East.
The expectation that Peralta would be the Mets’ ace this year was always a bit unfair. Despite his shiny 2.70 ERA with the Brewers in 2025, the underlying metrics that season and his track record over the course of his career showed that his fifth-place finish in Cy Young voting—the first time he’d gotten any votes for the award—was an anomaly. The Mets themselves might not have hyped him up as an ace, but they certainly raved about him in the context of where he’d land in their rotation. And Peralta’s mention of being interested in a seven- or eight-year contract extension with the team certainly set the bar a bit high.
Even if he didn’t end up pitching like an ace, though, Peralta looked the part of a pretty good major league pitcher. Over the three seasons that preceded his arrival in Queens, he had a 3.40 ERA and a 3.88 FIP in 516.0 innings, and he made at least 30 starts in each of those three seasons.
With the Mets, though, he threw 113.0 innings over the course of 22 starts, and just wasn’t good. His strikeout rate, which had been 28.9 percent over those last three years with the Brewers, fell to just 21.4 percent with the Mets. His walk rate was nearly identical to what it was before, but his overall results were obviously much worse. And even on days when he pitched well, he struggled to go deep in games, as he had just one seven-inning start, rarely completed six innings, and often found himself struggling to complete five.
Despite all of that and their position in the standings, the Mets did well to flip Peralta for a solid return of prospect when they traded him to the Rays at the deadline. Gary Gill Hill and Émilien Pitre—a right-handed pitcher and a middle infielder, respectively—are closer to the big leagues and could get a shot sooner rather than later. And in his brief time with the Cyclones following the trade, outfielder Aidan Smith stood out with a .938 OPS.
After the trade, Peralta fared much better with the Rays, of course. He did so with an even lower strikeout rate than he had with the Mets, though his walk and home run rates were lower, too. The Rays play excellent defense, and his BABIP was significantly lower in the 55.1 innings that he threw for them in the regular season. Maybe it was all luck and defense, or maybe it’s just that baseball can do strange things over any particular short period of time.
Whatever the case, it’s quite frankly hilarious that Peralta is thriving in the postseason with the Rays, as he was just named the MVP of the American League Championship Series following the team’s clincher last night. Peralta started and won that game, of course, and now he’ll face the Brewers—the only major league team he had pitched for until this season and the team that David Stearns used to run—in the World Series.
After that, he’ll be a free agent. The Mets will presumably look elsewhere for rotation help.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 19: Junior Caminero #13 of the Tampa Bay Rays celebrates after defeating the Cleveland Guardians in game six of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field on October 19, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning! The Tampa Bay Rays have earned their spot in the 2026 World Series and will face the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, October 23rd at 5 PM for Game 1. Both teams are searching for their first-ever World Series win and an exciting matchup awaits.
The Cubs signed right-hander Jacob Webb to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million last December. The contract came with a team option for 2027 for $2.5 million.
Webb’s overall numbers with the Cubs (68 games, 67 innings, 3.36 ERA, 1.254 WHIP, 8.8 percent walk rate, 25.7 percent K rate) were quite comparable to his three seasons prior.
It’s the way he got to those numbers that both excited and horrified Cubs fans.
Through the end of April he was pretty terrible: 13 appearances, 5.06 ERA, 6.19 FIP, 2.063 WHIP, two blown saves. Over his next 15 appearances, though, he was quite good: 0.51 ERA, 1.29 FIP, 0.792 WHIP, 22 strikeouts, four walks and no home runs in 17.2 innings. That lowered his season ERA to 2.22.
Then Webb had five really bad outings in which he posted a 15.75 ERA, allowed three home runs in four innings and had two more blown saves.
Just when you thought all was lost, Webb then went on his streak of 24 consecutive scoreless outings in which he had a 0.932 WHIP, 25 strikeouts in 24.2 innings and had three holds and seven saves.
It looked like the Cubs might actually have found a closer in the absence of Daniel Palencia.
Then, as you no doubt remember, Webb blew back-to-back saves with walk-off homers served up to the Mariners and Diamondbacks, the first two of an eight-game stretch in which he posted a 14.85 ERA, 2.100 WHIP and allowed four home runs in 6.2 innings, yikes.
He finished up his season after that with three scoreless outings against the Reds, Marlins and Red Sox, and then threw 1.2 scoreless frames in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the Padres, long after the game was lost.
So who is Jacob Webb? The guy who piles up lots of scoreless frames? Or the guy who blows save after save after save (he wound up with eight blown saves, just one fewer than the number of saves he recorded)? If Webb saves those two games in which he allowed walk-off homers, the Cubs would have hosted the Padres instead of going to San Diego. Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered, but relief pitching, as you know, was a trouble spot all year.
Webb is 33. When he’s good he’s very good. When he’s bad…
Is that worth $2.5 million for 2027? I’d say yes, presuming the Cubs get Daniel Palencia back in top form to close. Webb, I believe, can be part of a good setup staff, presuming the Cubs bolster that staff. That’s not very much money. The Cubs should exercise the option.
OAKLAND, CA - SEPTEMBER 24: A detail shot of an Oakland A's hat with commemorative pins prior to the game between the Texas Rangers and the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome to Tuesday A’s fans.
After all the waiting, it’s finally over. The A’s have their newest front office leader, tabbing Red Sox assistant GM Taylor Smith to lead the organization as they wrap up their brief stay in Sacramento and begin the Las Vegas era.
Now that we have our guy it’s time to look at the next steps for the Athletics this offseason. There isn’t much time before the World Series wraps up and his first offseason steering the ship begins. Over the next few days he’ll begin staffing his front office, bringing with him familiar names from his times in Boston and Tampa Bay.
We now also know how old Smith is. At the ripe age of 31, he’s now the youngest leader of a front office in the league:
At 31, Taylor Smith is now the youngest head of baseball operations in MLB. https://t.co/fEopM2F3Tq
Because of that, when considering who he’ll be bringing into the fold one would hope that he doesn’t forget to rely on an experienced voice every now and again. Billy Owen’s, who’s been in the A’s front office for a long time and interviewed for the GM role, could be a quality and experienced person for Smith to keep around. Or he could continue with the outside hires and invite someone fresh to the organization. Would he be able to poach one of his former co-workers in Boston like Michael Groopman, Raquel Ferreira, or Eddie Romero? All three of those people are also viewed as future front office leaders so getting any of them would only be a boost for Smith.
Once he has his second-in-command and the rest of his team set up he’ll need to decide whether he believes manager Mark Kotsay should stay on. His tenure in the dugout hasn’t gone all that well, though a lot of that has to do with the lack of talent the previous front office game him. Kotsay is signed through the 2028 season, though Smith likely has the green light to make a change this offseason if he so chooses. If Smith decides that he doesn’t have the right voice in the clubhouse yet, then he’ll have to make a quick turnaround and hire someone fast. A lot of the best candidates will find homes sooner than later.
Once he’s got the front office set up, and decided on Kotsay’s fate, only then will he be able to truly turn his full focus and attention to the roster. Former GM David Forst did a good job giving Smith a solid position player core to work with, one that should hopefully deliver a postseason trip sooner than later. There may be some tweaks here and there, and Smith could also make a bold move and trade Shea Langeliers at his peak value, but we’ll have to wait and see how he views this roster.
One way or the other, the pitching staff as a whole needs to be a major focus for Smith this offseason. With Ginn, Jump, and likely Severino, he’s got three spots more or less spoken for. Jacob Lopez pitched well down the stretch and is out of options so he could have an inside track as of now for a roster spot. And top prospect Jamie Arnold should be making his debut some time next year.
All that being said, depth is something he’ll have to focus on for the starting rotation. The bullpen however is going to need an entire makeover. There should be multiple openings in the Athletics’ bullpen entering the offseason and Smith’s goal should be to fill at least two of those spots with reliable arms that the manager next year, whether it’s Kotsay or not, can trust and turn to. And now the long work begins.
A lot of folks felt like an “outside hire” was necessary. Someone who would bring an analytically driven perspective. Knowing his path to this moment has been filled with data driven experiences as well as “baseball” applied sciences & conversations makes him an ideal hire per… https://t.co/Ku3fLh74rc
That’s one way things could change with Smith in charge:
The A's threw the second-most fastballs in the minor leagues this season. The Boston Red Sox (where Taylor Smith is coming from) famously limited their four-seam usage back in 2024 and have continued that process to good results. Could we see the A's follow a similar path?
If he can fix the pitching, he’ll have done his job:
I’m excited about the Taylor Smith hire.
I was hoping that the A’s would go with someone outside of the organization rather than an internal candidate. Bring in fresh ideas and a new approach to things.
My favorite part about the hire is that he has spent time with the Rays,…
Two of the NHL’s most electrifying superstars are off to remarkable starts this season, and on Tuesday night, they’ll share the ice when the Minnesota Wild (6-2-1) visit the Edmonton Oilers (6-1-1).
Kirill Kaprizov and Connor McDavid have been nearly unstoppable through the opening weeks of the 2026-27 season, combining for 38 points in just 17 games.
Kaprizov has established himself as the NHL’s leading goal scorer with 10 goals through Minnesota’s first nine games, while McDavid has recorded an astonishing 23 points in eight games to lead the league in scoring.
Both players are producing at extraordinary rates, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated individual matchups of the young NHL season.
But despite his incredible start, Kaprizov isn’t spending much time thinking about his goal-scoring numbers.
“I don’t know. Just doesn’t try thinking about it. Just playing, play games, and just feel good,” Kaprizov said when asked if he was surprised to have already reached 10 goals.
It’s a simple approach from a player who has become one of the NHL’s most dangerous offensive weapons.
Kaprizov has scored seven goals over his last five games and enters Tuesday’s matchup averaging more than a goal per game.
Over an 82-game season, his current pace would translate to approximately 91 goals. Over the new 84-game season, his current pace is 93.
Of course, maintaining that pace over an entire season would be an extraordinary accomplishment. But his early production has demonstrated just how dangerous Minnesota’s superstar can be when he’s playing with confidence.
And on Tuesday, he’ll face another player who has taken offensive production to an entirely different level.
McDavid has recorded six goals and 17 assists for 23 points through Edmonton’s first eight games.
That’s an average of 2.88 points per game, putting him on pace for approximately 241 points over an 84-game season.
The Oilers captain is coming off a five-point performance against Utah, recording two goals and three assists in another dominant offensive showing.
Kaprizov has taken notice.
“It should be fun,” Kaprizov said about Tuesday’s matchup. “He’s really good. I saw his last game against Utah in game before. He’s flying on the ice, and he’s a really good player.”
McDavid’s speed has long been one of his greatest strengths, allowing him to generate scoring opportunities seemingly out of nothing.
But his ability to combine that speed with elite puck skills and exceptional vision makes him particularly difficult to defend.
Kaprizov also made it clear that Edmonton’s offensive talent extends well beyond its captain.
“They have a lot of good players. Draisaitl, too, Vasily Podkolzin play really good, too now,” Kaprizov said.
The mention of Podkolzin was particularly interesting, as Kaprizov acknowledged knowing the Oilers forward who he has known well the last few years.
Edmonton’s combination of high-end skill and offensive depth has made the Oilers one of the NHL’s most dangerous teams early in the season.
And Minnesota head coach John Hynes knows his team will have its hands full.
“Edmonton’s playing really well. They got some obviously great players. McDavid’s on fire, but they’re a good team,” Hynes said following Minnesota’s 2-1 victory over Columbus on Sunday.
“They’re playing some good hockey as well. So, it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”
Kaprizov Has Been Just As Dangerous
While McDavid has been piling up assists and points, Kaprizov has been finding the back of the net at an incredible rate.
His 10 goals through nine games have put him atop the NHL’s goal-scoring leaderboard.
Kaprizov has also recorded five assists, giving him 15 points through Minnesota’s first nine contests.
The Wild winger has been a consistent offensive threat since entering the NHL, but his early-season scoring pace has been particularly impressive.
His ability to create space, find shooting lanes and capitalize on scoring opportunities has helped Minnesota establish itself as one of the Western Conference’s stronger teams to begin the season.
The Wild enter Tuesday’s matchup with a 6-2-1 record and 13 points, while Edmonton sits at 6-1-1 with 13 points.
Both teams have enjoyed strong starts, making Tuesday’s matchup an early test between two clubs hoping to establish themselves among the Western Conference’s best.
And while Kaprizov and McDavid will undoubtedly draw much of the attention, the outcome could depend just as heavily on the players tasked with defending them.
A Showdown Between Two Of The NHL’s Best
Tuesday’s matchup presents an opportunity for both teams to make an early statement.
For Edmonton, it’s another chance for McDavid to continue his remarkable offensive start.
For Minnesota, it’s an opportunity to demonstrate that its defensive structure can hold up against one of the NHL’s most dangerous attacks.
And for Kaprizov, it’s another chance to continue a goal-scoring stretch that has already made him one of the league’s biggest early-season stories.
The Wild superstar isn’t focused on chasing individual milestones or projecting how many goals he might score.
Instead, he’s focused on maintaining the approach that has helped Minnesota get off to a strong start.
“Just need to be ready and have fun and keep playing pretty similar,” Kaprizov said.
Two superstars. Two teams with 13 points. And two of the NHL’s most dangerous offensive players sharing the ice.
Tuesday’s matchup in Edmonton has all the ingredients for an entertaining night.
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Boston Celtics finished 56-26 last season, securing the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and their 12th straight playoff appearance, currently the longest active streak in the NBA.
Joe Mazzulla, the youngest coach in the league, was named 2025-2026 Coach of the Year.
However, the success was short-lived, as the Celtics lost 3-1 to the Philadelphia 76ers in the First Round of the NBA playoffs.
65 days later, the Celtics traded Jaylen Brown, the 2024 Eastern Conference Final and Finals MVP, to the 76ers in exchange for six-time All-Star F Paul George, two first-round picks (2028 and 2031), and two second-round picks.
Boston also acquired Mitchell Robinson in the offseason, fresh off his championship run with the New York Knicks. Robinson was second in the league in offensive rebounds per game (4.2).
Tatum, who returned to the lineup in March after missing the first 64 games of the regular season recovering from an Achilles tear, returns as a cornerstone of the franchise.
“Last year was very tough for me,” Tatum said. “I kind of remember these days of training camp, and I would just be in the weight room the whole time, watching the team practice, and it was just tough to digest and go through it. So now being on this side and knowing what it felt like to have to watch the whole time, it’s just a different level of appreciation of just getting to be a part of everything and the game that I love with my teammates.”
The Pistons finished with 60 wins for the first time in 20 years, claiming the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They went on to earn their first playoff series victory since 2008, defeating the Orlando Magic in seven games, before falling to Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Detroit now looks to build on that success with J.B. Bickerstaff, the runner-up to Mazzulla in last season's Coach of the Year voting, at the helm.
After a lengthy offseason of negotiations, Detroit re-signed C Jalen Duren on a 5-year, $200 million deal on October 2. Duren is coming off of the best regular season of his career, where he was named an All-Star and to the All-NBA 3rd Team for the first time.
Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs - 9:30 PM ET on NBC and Peacock
How to watch 2026-27 NBA games on NBC and Peacock?
The NBA is back on NBC and Peacock for the 2026-27 season with 100 regular-season games across its three marquee nights of the week: Peacock NBA Monday, beginning Oct. 26; Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, beginning Oct. 27; and Sunday Night Basketball, beginning Jan. 24, 2027.
All NBA games presented by NBC Sports will stream live on Peacock and all Peacock-exclusive games on Monday nights will also be presented on NBCSN. Telemundo, NBCUniversal’s Spanish-language broadcast network, will present 10 Sunday Night Basketballgames as well as the NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 21, 2027.
What is the full 2026-27 NBA on NBC and Peacock schedule?
You can see the full schedule of 2026-27 NBA games airing on NBC, Peacock, NBCSN, and Telemundo here.
How do I sign up for Peacock to watch NBA games?
Peacock is available across a variety of devices. To get started, find or download the Peacock application on your device or head directly to PeacockTV.com to create a Peacock account. Then, you’re ready to watch!
Peacock offers one of the most comprehensive live sports streaming lineups available today, bringing together the NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, Premier League, NCAA football, NCAA basketball, golf, motorsports, and major global sporting events in a single service.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 07: Jason Adam #40 of the San Diego Padres delivers the pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers during the sixth inning in game four of the National League Division Series at Petco Park on October 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Tampa Bay Rays punched their ticket to the 2026 World Series to take on the Milwaukee Brewers with a win over the Cleveland Guardians in Tampa Bay on Monday night. At best, there are seven games left in the MLB season so Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball thought it was a good time to look back at the season for the San Diego Padres — more specifically, he takes a look at the individual players and gives them a grade for their performance.
Zdunich started with reliever Jason Adam who suffered a quadriceps injury that cut his 2025 season short and he spent significant time on the injured list this season as well. It is unfortunate timing for the right-hander as he is set to be a free agent at the conclusion of the World Series. The injuries and the concerns that will surely be discussed about further injuries will dampen his earnings on the open market, but he has shown that he can be dominant when healthy.
The question facing the Padres and their fans is, “Should Adam be re-signed?” That question may not be able to be answered until the San Diego executives determine if they are going to try to re-sign Adrian Morejon or if Yuki Matsui is going to exercise his player option and opt-out of his current contract. Left-handed relievers are commonly more highly sought after than right-handers. If Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller wants to commit to re-signing Morejon that could impact an offer to Adam. If Matsui opts-out and Preller does not try to re-sign him that could unlock additional money to offer Adam.
The thing Preller and his staff have to figure out is will Adam stay healthy and if he does, will he return to the 2024 pitcher who served as part of a dominant backend trio for San Diego with Tanner Scott and Robert Suarez. Preller could stick to his oft-used tactics of signing Adam to a “prove-it deal.” Adam would have the opportunity to show he can stay healthy and perform and he could also have options from the player and team side that would give him some security and flexibility.
At the end of it all, Adam is a good major league pitcher. More than that, he seems to be a good human who is genuinely loved and appreciated by his teammates. That being said, it all comes down to numbers. Adam played 2026 on a one-year, $6.675 million deal. It would be hard to go much beyond that given his recent injuries but if he would consider a similar one year deal or a multi-year deal that has a similar cost per year he could be back in the Padres bullpen in 2027.
Do you, the Friar Faithful, think Adam should be re-signed?
The path to the World Series was right there for the Yankees.
In a weak American League and with one of the best starting rotations in baseball, the Yanks had a chance to make it back to the Fall Classic and vie for their first championship since 2009. But another team bested them in the postseason.
For the second straight season, an AL East rival defeated the Yankees in the ALDS. This time, the Rays swept the Yankees, leaving GM Brian Cashman,Aaron Boone and the rest of the organization searching for answers. What will it take to get this core group of players led by Aaron Judge over the hump? What pieces are needed to fill in the holes to mitigate mistakes and come out on top against teams that, on paper, the Yankees are better than?
There are no easy fixes in baseball, especially with a looming lockout and a new CBA, and -- at the time of this writing -- since Cashman and the powers that be have yet to speak to the media following the ALDS loss, it's unclear what the Yankees plan to do this offseason to rebuild a roster that was formidable on paper and expensive -- third-highest in baseball. A team that had the second-best record in the league, but just couldn't defeat a team whose salary ranked 26th in baseball.
Wins in the regular season are great, but it doesn't mean much if the results in the postseason aren't there. As Judge said after the ouster by the Rays: "We're the Yankees. I feel like [the front office] should go all-in and do what they need to do. If we've got holes, if it's finding certain players or personnel, whatever we need, you got to go out there and get it. That's why I signed back here to play with the Yankees is to fight for a championship every single year and go all-in."
Well, if we had the keys to the Yankees machine, here's a step-by-step process of what we'd do to fix the roster for 2027...
Rebuild bullpen by bringing back core
Every offseason, the bullpen needs rebuilding, and this one is no different.
David Bednar, Paul Blackburn, Ryan Yarbrough and Tim Hill are the notable names heading to free agency, and will be tough to replace. That's why our first order of business is to bring back the core.
Bednar was essential to the success the 2026 Yankees had. Cashman doesn't usually give out big contracts to closers, but a qualifying offer for one season would help if he accepts. If Bednar doesn't, then Cashman needs to buck the trend and lock down the right-hander to a multi-year deal to ensure the Yanks have the closer they can trust and know can handle the big city.
If a deal cannot be made, the New York needs to pursue other options like Raisel Iglesias.
Of the other free agent relievers, Blackburn would be my choice to bring back. Whatever the Yankees did to revive his career as a reliever, they can hopefully duplicate. A reunion is something that both sides should want, and a one or two-year deal (with an option) could bring back their setup man.
Yarbrough and Hill, while good, don't necessarily have roles in the bullpen anymore. Yarbrough was used only in long-relief situations when games were already out of hand, and Hill's effectiveness as a left-hander dipped this past season. After pitching to a 3.09 ERA in 2025, Hill's ERA ballooned to 4.60 in 2026. Brent Headrick is now the left-handed specialist, and the Yankees can use any one of their former starters (Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil, Will Warren) in the Yarbrough role.
Those former starters can also fill the spots used by journeymen Michael Fulmer and John Schreiber, who are also free agents. Schreiber was actually pretty solid for the Yankees when they acquired him later in the season (1.64 ERA, 1.09 WHIP in 11 games), so bringing him back for cheap isn't a bad option, either.
Jul 19, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher David Bednar (53) follows through on a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Get a right-handed hitting catcher
The biggest need for the Bombers in 2026 was a catcher who can hit from the right side. They started the season with lefties Austin Wells and J.C. Escarra, but that hamstrung Boone's options off the bench and made the bottom of the lineup a black hole.
It wasn't much better once Ali Sanchez was called up to be that right-handed bat, as he slashed .244/.275/.302 with an OPS of .577 in 51 games.
There are a few intriguing upgrades in the free agent market, with Ryan Jeffers the top catching free agent available. While he would fit what the Yankees need, he could cost them too much, which they wouldn't want to do in a platoon or bench capacity. I believe the Yankees trust Wells not only in his defense and how he handles the pitching staff, but also that the offense he was once touted for is still in there.
Over his final 10 regular season games, Wells increased his batting average from .177 to .186 while smashing four home runs. That carried over into the postseason, where he had an OPS of .761.
Perhaps Tyler Stephenson, a former first-round pick, could fit the bill of a bench catcher. While his numbers don't match what Jeffers brings, the 30-year-old would be an upgrade over Sanchez and not cost what Jeffers would get on the market -- or a draft pick if the Twins extend the qualifying offer to him.
The end of the line for Stanton
Giancarlo Stanton has one more year on his contract before the Yankees have a chance to exercise a club option on the slugger.
Stanton is owed $25 million for 2027, but the Marlins are on the hook for $10 million, which means if the Yanks move on from Stanton, they'd only be taking on $15 million of dead money. The Yankees have done this before. Most recently, with DJ LeMahieu, DFA'ing the All-Star infielder and taking on his $22 million when they released him back in 2025.
Aaron Hicks had about $27 million left on his deal when the Yanks cut him in 2023.
It's time for the Yankees and Stanton to part ways.
Oct 3, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) looks on after striking out in the ninth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays in game one of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Tropicana Field. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
The Yankees would likely be comfortable with Stanton on the roster if he could stay healthy and there wasn't a logjam in the DH spot.
Ben Rice, the Yankees' young All-Star, was relegated to the everyday DH spot after they acquired Luis Garcia Jr. at the trade deadline. And while Rice could play first base, his defense isn't up to par with Garcia's. And against a right-handed pitcher, you'd want both Rice and Garcia -- who has one more year of arbitration -- in the lineup.
Judge will also need some games at DH, further complicating the roster construction.
With a trade partner highly unlikely, the easiest solution is to cut Stanton and open up the spot for another bench hitter who can play the field. It's a tough decision involving a clubhouse leader, but it needs to be done.
Let the kids play
George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones were forced into big league roles in 2026 thanks to ineffective play and injuries. And the Yankees are probably better off for it.
Lombard feels like the everyday shortstop moving forward after Anthony Volpe was demoted and returned as a second baseman, and Jones more than held his own at the plate and defensively, filling in when Judge and Trent Grisham were injured.
Now that Grisham is almost certainly not returning, an outfield of Cody Bellinger, Jones, and Judge -- with Heliot Ramos as the fourth outfielder -- feels like the natural progression for the Yankees outfield.
And while not necessarily a kid, Volpe should get every chance to win the everyday second base job in the event Jazz Chisholm Jr. signs elsewhere. Volpe and Jose Caballero can be the versatile infielders the team needs. And they both can give Ryan McMahon a spell at third base. Heck, perhaps the Yankees can work with Garcia to be a second base option -- which he has 480 starts in his MLB career -- to give more lineup flexibility.
And then we have Carlos Lagrange. The flamethrower should be ready to make an impact in the rotation or bullpen.
Leaning on the kids to start the season would give the Yankees more athleticism, versatility, and keep costs down.
Use surplus of pitching to explore trades
The Yankees have plenty of arms and while it helped them navigate numerous injuries in 2026, they are better served dealing one or two young arms to bolster the roster.
When healthy, the rotation will be Cam Schlittler, Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodon and Warren/Weathers.
Warren and Weathers are young, controllable arms who could be dealt to help rebuild the bullpen or even make a bigger splash. Could the Rockies' Hunter Goodman be pulled away from the team to give the Yankees the right-handed catcher they crave? Perhaps CJ Abrams could be the Chisholm replacement at second base.
Even if it's to replenish the farm system, being smart and creative from a position of strength should be one of the priorities this season.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Paul Blackburn #58 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning in game three of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 07, 2026 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If there’s one thing that you can trust the Yankees to do, it’s find a guy you don’t know from Adam and turn him into one of the five or so best relievers in baseball. They did such a good job with Clay Holmes that he’s now a starter, Luke Weaver carried the ball for the 2024 squad until he essentially could not stand, and others make up a full cohort of previously-anonymous stone cold hurlers.
The 2026 version of this was Paul Blackburn, who prior to now had spent parts of 10 seasons bouncing around the major and minor league rosters of the Athletics and Mets before finding himself the setup man for the New York Yankees, locking down the 8th inning and more.
Blackburn will be one of the more interesting free agent cases for the Yankees. The team has steered clear of long-term investments in relief pitchers for a couple of years now, but were happy to sign Weaver to a two-year, $20 million deal a couple years ago, and that turned out to be a solid decision. A similar contract would work for Blackburn, except he’s been a little volatile in his year and a half in the Bronx.
Acquired from the Mets in 2025, Blackburn was underwhelming in his first season, with an ERA above five. His xERA, which puts more emphasis on contact quality, was 2.92, and his numbers were slightly skewed by an abnormally high home run rate. In short, we didn’t really get a complete picture of Paul Blackburn, and we never really can in just 15.1 innings.
We got a more complete picture this year, with 85 innings of work being a little more indicative of Blackburn’s talent. He got his home runs back under control, but in line with a bullpen corps that didn’t strike out many men — literally the median rate in MLB — he sat down just 20.5 percent of men he faced, while walking 9.8 percent. A two-to-one strikeout to walk ratio is really pretty pedestrian among modern MLB relievers, but a 54 percent groundball rate and 51 percent medium contact rate helped engineer that run prevention.
The medium contact rate is what really stands out to me. Hard groundballs are often outs, but if they’re up the middle or a first baseman is holding the runner on, those balls will find the outfield. Soft groundballs are often outs, but sometimes they’re hit too slow to make the play on. Medium contact is exactly what an infielder wants — slow enough to get to, hard enough that you can get your feet set and get a good throw off without needing to rush.
That contact is the key to Blackburn’s talent going forward, that and his ability to go more than three outs. In 32 of his 62 appearances Blackburn threw more than one inning, an attribute that I think only grows more and more valuable as starters throw fewer and fewer innings. The question of whether you bring Blackburn back for 2027 largely hinges on how repeatable those two qualities are.
He was used as a swingman in 2025, starting four games and going more than three outs 2/3 of the time. He started fulltime two years ago, so I think it’s safe to say that he can be used in that longer-stretch role again next year, he’s built for it. The contact stuff is trickier — he’d never posted something as strong as a 54 percent groundball rate before, but he did it in a very Matt Blake way, with hard sinkers to righties and stepping up his changeup to lefties.
Blackburn was good enough, and there’s enough substance behind his improvements, that I’d be willing to put a bet on him for 2027. Contact quality and relying on batted balls rather than whiffs invites a little more volatility than a guy who just strikes out a third of batters faced, but that will be baked into the cost of whatever contract he eventually agrees to. One of the stars of the league’s second-best bullpen, Blackburn has earned another shot to star in the eighth inning.
See more of the Yankees Roster Report Card series here.
Boston, MA - August 22: Boston Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu is mobbed after hitting a walk-off single. The Boston Red Sox played the San Francisco Giants at Fenway Park on August 22, 2026. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
I didn’t know it when I was sitting in the bleachers at Fenway during that Saturday night in August, but the Red Sox’s wild 3-2 walk-off victory against the Giants on August 22 might’ve been the fork in the road for the 2026 season.
Maybe it’s arbitrary to say that one game out of 162 was the moment where this iteration of the club crossed the Rubicon, where the magic of the preceding summer weeks continued but the base line for what was to come was laid out without us even knowing it at the time. But with the benefit of hindsight, I think that’s what game 129 was for us.
The TL;DR recap of the game: Patrick Sandoval wasn’t good enough on the bump as Boston’s starter, but he was somehow able to limit the damage to just two runs. After sleepwalking for most of the game, the Red Sox bats eventually woke up and clawed back to tie the game in the ninth. With the bases then loaded, Wilyer Abreu hit a hard grounder to first. The throw home took the Giants’ catcher off the plate, Eli White slid in head first, and the Sox stormed the field in jubilation. The review from the umps then proceeded to go on for what felt like an hour, but the call—and in turn Boston’s victory—was confirmed.
What a night to be at the ballpark, man. I remember my head hurting from screaming so much following the walk-off, but I didn’t care. What a win in a summer filled with excellent wins. It’s been said before many-a-times at this point, but it’s worth repeating: I’m glad the Sox gave us our summer back after a horrid spring, even if they couldn’t give us much of a fall. That’s a win I’ll remember for a while.
I’ll especially remember it thanks to the bizarre ending as well. That review process, where we weren’t sure how the decision was going to pan out (or if it ever was going to be made, my goodness it took forever) was unlike something I had seen in person at Fenway. The walk-off celebration, followed by the prolonged review, followed by another walk-off celebration once the call was confirmed; that’s just a funny (well, at least for us Sox fans that night) and unique order of events. Just when you think you’ve seen everything at a baseball game…
And yet, that Saturday night in August ended up being one of the last times we were truly galvanized by the 2026 Boston Red Sox, no?
That win against San Francisco was the second victory en route to a sweep, and the Sox then immediately took the first two games in Miami, but the following weekend was where we dropped three games out of four in New York towards the end of August. After the walk-off to get the team up to 11 games over .500, the Sox finished the regular season on a 17-16 run (and we just established that three of those wins game before the Yankees series, so things really ended on a whimper).
It was the latest chapter of the magical run that was Summer 2K26 at Fenway, but it was one of the first examples of what would eventually be one of the major factors as to why there was no Fall 2K26 at Fenway: the offensive struggles. As our fearless leader Dan mentioned in his game summary for the win, Boston get just one guy into scoring position prior to the 8th inning. The lack of output at the dish wasn’t the only reason we got bounced from the playoffs a few weeks ago, but I think it was obviously the biggest reason. The woes with the bats did not come out of nowhere; that was a concerning trend for basically all of September. Pitching was able to keep the boys in a lot of games—much like it did during this game—but that alone would not be enough in the end.
I guess you could make the argument that this win sort of encapsulated the Red Sox’s entire post-Colorado-road-trip story. If you had to pick one game to be the microcosm of this club’s second half, I’d say this was the one. It featured the magic that got them back into the hunt and the Achilles heel that knocked them right back out of it.
The walk-off on August 22 was sensational, but summer effectively ended once Eli White slid across the plate. We just didn’t know it at the time.
The Knicks see the same thing everyone else sees when they look at the new Sixers — extraordinary talent and plenty still to figure out.
Philadelphia will unveil LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and its new starting five Tuesday night against a defending champion returning nearly its entire rotation.
From the Knicks’ perspective, that contrast between star power and continuity could shape the season opener after their championship banner reaches the Madison Square Garden rafters.
WHAT THE KNICKS ARE SAYING
Josh Hart anticipated this matchup as soon as James joined an Eastern Conference team.
“Wherever LeBron went in the East, I figured that’d probably be our opening night,” Hart told the New York Post.
Hart knows the Sixers’ talent will attract plenty of attention. He also expects their newness to show at times.
“I’m sure they’re gonna have some bumpy times in the beginning of the year because they gotta get used to playing with each other,” Hart said.
The Knicks do not have that concern. Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns are back after starting throughout New York’s championship run.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown acknowledged that the attention surrounding James and Philadelphia’s revamped roster makes the opener feel bigger than an ordinary October game. Brown, who coached James for five seasons in Cleveland, said everything involving him tends to become “larger than life.”
Brown also believes the teams have the ingredients to develop a rivalry. They are separated by less than 100 miles, will meet four times on national television and already share recent playoff history.
Brunson has also been complimentary of Philadelphia. During an August appearance on NBC’s “Today,” the reigning Finals MVP said the Sixers had “reloaded” and would present a difficult opening test.
New York’s immediate priority, however, is moving past its championship celebration.
Landry Shamet was more direct about what happens after the rings are distributed and the banner is raised.
“After the ceremony’s over, it’s 0-0,” Shamet said.
Anunoby is the only current Knick who had previously participated in an NBA ring ceremony. He received his first championship ring with the Raptors before their 2019 opener.
“You celebrate with the ring, take pictures, then the game started. It was kind of weird,” Anunoby told the New York Post.
Anunoby said the unusual feeling faded as that game progressed. The Knicks will try to make the same transition Tuesday.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
Andre Drummond spent last season backing up Joel Embiid. He now fills that role behind Towns after Mitchell Robinson left New York for Boston.
Drummond averaged 8.4 rebounds in 19.5 minutes per game for the Sixers. His greatest opportunity Tuesday could come when Embiid leaves the floor.
The Sixers enter the opener with questions behind their starting center. Ariel Hukporti, who backed up Towns and Robinson over the past two seasons, is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles, while Adem Bona and Dean Wade were listed as questionable on the initial injury report.
Brown said the Knicks are not asking Drummond to duplicate Robinson.
The Sixers’ ability to keep Drummond from controlling the glass during Embiid’s rest could quietly become one of the game’s most important variables.
WHAT VEGAS THINKS
The betting market is siding with New York’s continuity and home court.
The Knicks were favored by approximately 4.5 points as of midday Tuesday, with the total set around 231.5. Some sportsbooks had moved the line to New York by 5.5.
Philadelphia did win both of its regular-season games at Madison Square Garden last season. New York responded by sweeping the Sixers out of the playoffs.
The Sixers now return to the Garden with a considerably different team and an opportunity to make a much better first impression.
The opener tips off at 7 p.m. on NBC10 and Peacock.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 06: Egor Demin #8 of the Brooklyn Nets plays against the Charlotte Hornets during their preseason game at Spectrum Center on October 06, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There will be competition this season for the proverbial “face of the franchise in Brooklyn, N.Y. There’s the most accomplished player on the roster: Julius Randle, he of the three All-Star appearances and two All-NBA selections; Mikel Brown Jr., the top draft pick since the team moved from Newark to Brooklyn; and when he’s not stirring controversy on Curious Mike, the prodigal Michael Porter Jr.
All that said, there’s a strong argument to be made for Egor Demin, the 6’9” point guard/point forward Egor Demin. Still only 20, Demin may most easily reprsent the franchise, carrying all the requsite responsibilities: the high character player of promise who can articulate where the team is in three languages: his native Russian, Spanish and English. He may not have all the accolades Randle posseses, may not be the shiny new object like Brown Jr. or have the big numbers MPJ put up last year. He is, however, the player whose combination of talent, leadership and confidence brings it all together.
And he knows what is expected of him and accepts it.
“I said it to the coaches the other day in the player development meeting; I want to win and I want to learn how to affect the game, whatever it takes for me to be able to win,” Demin told the media after Monday’s practice.
“As I always say, I want to be everywhere I can help. Whether it’s me on the ball, off the ball, whatever it is. I want to learn everything,” Demin added. “For me, I don’t put any expectations on myself because I know where I’m at and I know what I’m going to be trying to do. Obviously, I have my own goals and that’s what I’m trying to focus on if it’s not about the team. If we’re talking about me personally, I’m just trying to be better every single day.”
The eighth pick in the 2o25 Draft played well enough last season, averaging 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 39.9% overall and 38.5% from beyond the arc. He also set an NBA rookie record for most consecutive games with a 3-pointer at 34 and was the second fastest NBA player to reach 100 3-pointers behind only Kon Knueppel of the Hornets (who won’t play in Wednesday’s opener at Barclays.)
And just as he proved to critics that he not only can shoot but at a high level, he showed in Summer League and preseason that he is not just a 3-point shooter. He surprised many by adding strength and a willingness to rush the lane and finish. He knew what he needed to do in the off-season and did it. averaging 21.3 points and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 47.3% from the floor.
Demin’s new found strength is hard to quantify, as his head coach quipped at practice Monday.
“Maybe ask the performance team about his weight and how much bigger his biceps is. Maybe that’s a way to quantify,” Fernández said. “I’m very happy with the way he’s played. …He sees the floor very well, and he’s done a great job getting into the [paint].”
Demin agreed.
“That’s true. There was a growth, a significant growth, in what dumbbells I’m picking up on the arm day, yeah,” Dëmin laughed.
While part of his growth is natural for someone going from age 19 to 2o, But the added strength is also part of a development process with improvement all around his game.
“Yeah, play off two feet and look for the spray or keep your options open. But don’t go in there without a plan,” Fernández said. “He’s done a great job. He’s worked at it, and shown he’s way more comfortable now getting there.
“When you’re 18, 19, the game goes so fast. Now it slows down, because you’re more confident, you’re stronger. We’ve seen it in preseason — he’s just got to continue to do it in the regular season.”
What will we see from the young man starting Wednesday night. He doesn’t talk numbers milestones, but certainly he has goals, starting with showing everyone that strength and its implications wasn’t just a summer fling.
“I haven’t done that for a while, getting to the rim like that actively, and sometimes when I get there it’s hard to believe, where I’m like, ‘I’m actually here,’ and I almost expect something to happen,” Dëmin admitted. “So for me, realize that I’m actually a big body, so… it’s harder to defend for people, especially now. So just having a state of mind that nobody can stop me, and just having that idea of getting there aggressively and finishing with quality and not just to show that I got to the paint.”
There are, of course, issues as there are with any young player. He missed 30 games last year and didn’t play after an early March bout with plantar fasciitis but he and the team say that’s in in the past. Bottom line though is he wants to be great and that matters.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - SEPTEMBER 30: Jacob Johnson #27 of the Texas Rangers poses for a photo during the 2026 Arizona Fall League media day at Scottsdale Stadium on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Good morning.
Shawn McFarland checks out the options for the Texas Rangers when it comes to addressing their pitching staff in free agency where, notably, they’ll have to nearly completely remake their bullpen again for a third consecutive winter.
MLB Trade Rumors’ Anthony Franco writes about the roster bind the Rangers find themselves in with expensive veterans and an owner itching to go cheap.
Kennedi Landry writes that, among Rangers farmhands, famed prospect Sebastian Walcott and pitcher Jacob Johnson have been standouts at the Arizona Fall League.
And, after vanquishing Nathaniel Lowe and Austin Hedges’ Cleveland Guardians, the Jon Daniels and Nick Martinez Tampa Bay Rays will attempt to earn their first World Series championship against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2026 Fall Classic.
MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 01: Jacob Misiorowski #32 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Wednesday, April 1, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Pretty much the title.
The current matchup is a matchup of the two teams with the best records in their respective leagues. This hasn’t been a recent rarity: 2024, 2020 I guess, and 2013 have all featured the same. (Also 1999, 1995, and 1992, all featuring the Braves.)
It’s also a matchup that guarantees a first-time title-holder.
For two teams that were relatively power-less (bottom six in ISO for both) in the regular season, both have gotten to the final round via outhomering the opposition (duh), but I guess it could be interesting to see what happens when they face off. (The Rays-Guardians series was kind of a preview of this already.)
By the way, the last time these two teams met was in the second series of the year. The Rays won the first game, 3-2, in Milwaukee, and then the Brewers smacked them around in the next two games, outscoring them 14-4.
PHILADELPHIA - OCTOBER 21: Chase Utley of the Philadelphia Phillies congratulates Raul Ibanez after Ibanez scored during Game Five of the National League Championship Series (NLCS) against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 21, 2009. The Phillies defeated the Dodgers 10-4. (Photo by Rich Pilling/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
Ibañez has been named as a candidate in multiple manager searches across baseball the last few years, and it feels like it’s only a matter of time until he finally steps back onto the field and out of the Dodgers front office where he is currently employed. To this point Ibañez has declined all overtures, but the aforementioned report from the Athletic’s Jayson Stark mentioned that he at least considered the Phillies coaching job for a few days before deciding to decline.
Utley on the other hand sounds as though it was something straight out of the mouth of a WIP caller. The report says that he quickly declined the opportunity and even includes quotes from Utley where he expresses that now is not the time for him to consider managing. Perhaps this was just a courtesy from the Phillies organization to get their former star’s name involved in the managerial carousel for future hiring cycles. Or maybe it was a way to placate the types of fans that call in to radio stations to suggest this type of thing.
Speaking of, let’s all let that part of us run wild for a second. Who’s your all Phillies alumni coaching staff? Here’s mine for example:
Kurt Helin
