Carlos Santana #41 of the Cleveland Guardians doubles against the Texas Rangers during the second inning at Globe Life Field on August 22, 2025 in Arlington, Texas.
Carlos Santana is headed to the desert.
The Post’s Jon Heyman reported Tuesday that the veteran slugger and the Diamondbacks were “close to a deal,” although it was “not completely done but progressing toward [a] deal.”
MLB.com reported that he agreed to a one-year, $2 million deal with the team. The Associated Press added that the deal is pending a physical.
The switch-hitter, who turns 40 in April, is expected to split time with the lefty-hitting Pavin Smith at first base with Arizona.
First baseman Carlos Santana of the Cleveland Guardians hops into his ready stance during the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field on August 25, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. Getty Images
Santana has spent 16 seasons in the big leagues, debuting back in 2010 with Cleveland.
He’s built out a long MLB career with his offensive prowess, hitting 335 long balls and leading all active hitters with 1,330 walks.
But age has appeared to start catching up with him in recent years.
Last season, Santana struggled at the plate, hitting .219/.308/.325 with 11 home runs in 474 plate appearances during stints with the Guardians and Cubs.
He has proven to be an excellent fielder at first base even late into his career.
Since 2016, Santana has ranked second among all first basemen with plus-44 outs above average.
In 2024, he won the American League Gold Glove at first during his only season with the Twins.
Carlos Santana of the Cleveland Guardians doubles against the Texas Rangers during the second inning at Globe Life Field on August 22, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. Getty Images
The Santana move continues what has been a busy offseason for Arizona.
ATLANTA - JULY 26: Scott Proctor #43 of the Atlanta Braves is mobbed by teammates after knocking in the game-winning run in the 19th inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Turner Field on July 26, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I hope everybody’s having a good evening out there. Here’s a random clip for you as the floor is now yours:
New York Rangers’ president and general manager Chris Drury’s Jan. 16 letter to fans outlining the team’s plan to retool may have been detrimental to the veteran players, but it provides and opportunity for some young prospects.
That includes Brennan Othmann, who sees this shift in philosophy from the Rangers organization as a chance to prove himself.
“I guess in a sense, yeah, a little bit,” Othmann said about whether he sees Drury’s letter as an opportunity. “You're still trying to earn, and you're still trying to build a little bit of trust from the coaching staff. I'm still trying to build trust. I'm still trying to learn.”
After getting sent up and down a couple of times to kick off the 2025-26 campaign, Othmann has been able to carve out a more permanent role in the lineup, playing in 10 consecutive games since his most recent call-up.
Going into training camp, Othmann proclaimed that he felt more confident after a frustrating 2024-25 season, during which he failed to score a goal in 22 games for the Rangers.
That newfound confidence took a tumble, as Othmann didn’t make the Rangers’ opening night roster and struggled in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolf Pack out of the gate.
Following a stretch where the 23-year-old forward went on a five-game point streak down in Hartford, the Rangers brought him back up on Jan. 11, and he’s been with the team ever since.
“Confidence comes and goes, I think, but I'm just happy to be playing,” Othmann said. “I'm happy to be in the lineup. I'm happy to be with the organization, with these guys on the team, and learn every day.”
The thing weighing on Othmann’s mind and hindering his confidence was the fact that he hadn’t scored in the NHL.
That changed on Jan. 17 when Othmann recorded his first NHL goal during the Rangers’ 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
“It took a decent amount of games to get that one, so it feels good to kind of get that one off my chest,” Othmann said of his first NHL goal. “It's kind of a weight lifted off your shoulders a little bit in a sense. I was happy to get that one out of the way and move on now and hopefully get a few more by the end of the year.”
Othmann has mostly been playing in a third-line role over these past ten games while also slotting onto the second power-play unit.
Given the Rangers’ current last-place spot in the Eastern Conference standings and intentions to retool the roster with their sights set on the future, Othmann should continue to see more opportunity through the latter half of this season, as it’s truly his time to prove himself at the NHL level.
Watford hold Hull, Blackburn sink Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield United fight back to beat Oxford 3-1
Charlie Daniels praised Watford’s players for the way they secured a point and pushed for more in the goalless draw at the promotion-chasing Hull just days after Javi Gracia’s abrupt exit.
The Spaniard ended his second spell at Vicarage Road on Sunday, having called for talks with the owner, Gino Pozzo, the previous day after overseeing a 2-0 home defeat against Swansea.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Bryce James, youngest son of NBA star LeBron James, is going to redshirt his freshman year at Arizona.
James has yet to appear in a game for the top-ranked Wildcats this season and coach Tommy Lloyd confirmed on Tuesday the 6-foot-5 guard will redshirt.
“The redshirting decision was just a long play, to give Bryce the most options in his career as his career unfolds,” Lloyd told the Big 12 Network. “I have real strong belief that Bryce will be a contributor at Arizona in the near future. He’s really shown a lot of progress, not only learning our system but just physically maturing.”
James arrived at Arizona as part of a heralded freshman class headlined by Koat Peat and Brayden Burries. The Wildcats (22-0) are off to the best start in program history, so Lloyd and his staff have been able to take their time in developing James, whose older brother, Bronny, plays with their father for the Los Angeles Lakers.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 19: Michael Siani #63 of the St. Louis Cardinals catches a fly ball by the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium on September 19, 2024 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Michael Siani offseason rollercoaster looped around to make a second stop in Los Angeles, as the center fielder was claimed by the Dodgers off waivers from the New York Yankees on Tuesday. This comes 11 days after the Yankees claimed him off waivers from the Dodgers.
It’s been a busy offseason for the defense-first center fielder, who ended 2025 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Since then:
November 6: Claimed off waivers by Atlanta Braves from Cardinals
In parts of four seasons with the Reds and Cardinals, Siani is a .221/.277/.270 hitter in 160 games and 383 plate appearances, and 17 Outs Above Average in the outfield.
Ibáñez was thought to provide depth to an infield that includes Tommy Edman coming off right ankle surgery. As a right-handed hitter, the 33-year-old Ibáñez has a 115 career wRC+ against left-handed pitching, and could have spelled Max Muncy at third base when needed.
Now, Ibáñez is in roster limbo, as the Dodgers have a week during which they will need to place him on waivers, trade, or release him. As someone who was previously sent outright to the minors in 2023 by the Detroit Tigers, Ibáñez if he clears waivers can refuse any outright assignment to the minors.
He was replaced by Team Canada by Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as 2025 playoff MVP. He is currently day-to-day with an injury.
Cirelli left Sunday's game after being hit by the Boston Bruins' Mark Kastelic.
Injured Buffalo Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was also ruled out for the Olympics. He was replaced by Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo.
The USA's Seth Jones (Florida), Sweden's Jonas Brodin (Minnesota) and Leo Carlsson (Anaheim) and Philadelphia's Rodrigo Abols (Latvia) earlier were replaced because of injury.
Here are other NHL Olympians who are currently out with injury, with Olympic status to be determined:
USA: Jack Hughes (New Jersey).
Canada: Brayden Point (Tampa Bay), Brad Marchand (Florida), Logan Thompson (Washington).
Sweden: Gabriel Landeskog (Colorado), Elias Lindholm (Boston).
Czechia: Martin Necas (Colorado), Pavel Zacha (Boston).
MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Marseille avoided plunging into crisis by defeating Rennes 3-0 on Tuesday to move into the French Cup quarterfinals.
The southern club had no room for mistake after exiting the Champions League last week with a 3-0 loss at Club Brugge. It was an embarrassing defeat that was followed by a 2-2 draw at Paris FC in Ligue 1 on Saturday after Roberto De Zerbi's players threw away a two-goal lead.
Marseille needed just two minutes to break the deadlock against Rennes when Amine Gouiri scored from close range against his former club, after excellent work from Timothy Weah to recover the ball in the box.
Gouiri then turned provider to set up Mason Greenwood in the 46th minute, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang sealing the win on the break with seven minutes left.
Marseille recruit Ethan Nwaneri was lucky to escape a red card after an awful tackle near the hour-mark on Glen Kamara, who was forced off.
Reims also progressed to the quarterfinals with a 3-0 defeat of Le Mans.
Marseille’s 3-0 loss at Club Brugge on Wednesday, coupled with Benfica’s remarkable injury-time goal against Real Madrid, sent De Zerbi’s side into 25th place in the Champions League table and out of the competition.
Marseille, which won the Champions League in 1993, is third in the French league, nine points behind leader Paris-Saint-Germain. The bitter rivals face off this weekend in Paris in “Le Classique."
Based strictly on their record and the standings, the Ottawa Senators continue to be a long shot to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But their underlying numbers, not to mention their current four-game winning streak, continue to suggest that if any team is capable of making a late, crazy run, it's the Senators.
But GM Steve Staios is almost out of time to decide what his strategy will be at the trade deadline. Yes, March 6th is still over a month away, but thanks to the Olympic break, the Sens have only six games remaining before the deadline.
"I think they are trying to do something there in Ottawa," Sportsnet analyst Elliotte Friedman declared on Tuesday on the 32 Thoughts Podcast.
Steve Warne talks about the fine play of Nick Cousins this season and whether the Sens should re-sign him.
"I have a theory on what they've been trying to do, but it's something I have to check because I have a meter of, okay, they were mad at me a couple of weeks ago. I'll just let them calm down before I make them mad at me again."
The word theory generally suggests little more than speculation. But as one of hockey's top insiders, Friedman's theories are generally borne out of good information extracted from his sources around the league.
But the Senators may not be inclined to agree, at least not at the moment.
When Friedman says the Sens were mad at him a couple of weeks ago, he's almost certainly referring to a podcast comment he made during the Linus Ullmark social media controversy that erupted during the goaltender's personal leave of absence.
Shortly after news of the controversy broke last month, Friedman commented on the situation, imagining what he would do if he were a player in Ottawa named in a rumour like that.
"I am walking into the organization, and I'm saying, 'Get me out of here. I did not sign up for this.' And especially if my family was involved, I would say, Get me out of here right now. That is too much. I did not sign up for that."
Naturally, that was an easy clip to grab, and even his employer's social media team ran hard with it.
"If I'm a player on the Senators, and I'm named there, I am saying get me out of here."
In the latest 32 Thoughts, @FriedgeHNIC and @sportsnetkyle react to the controversy in Ottawa following an anonymous tweet, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and more.
However, if you listen to the full conversation on the podcast, Friedman actually appears to be trying to support the Senators and the manner in which they chose to react to the rumour. He was trying to outline how important it was for the organization to let the players know they had their backs, and he provided an example of what he believed would happen if they didn't come out with their fiery statement to reject the rumour.
But even in full context, the Senators surely didn't appreciate the remarks for a couple of reasons.
For one, the last thing the Senators needed after years of mismanagement under the former regime is a top NHL insider putting such a vivid, negative image out into the NHL universe. Getting people to imagine star players marching into Staios' office and barking, 'Get me out of here,' isn't great for business.
Secondly, no NHL player in any city would ever hold their team or their market responsible for an anonymous social media post. Pro athletes aren't always rocket scientists, but they all understand how the internet works.
Meanwhile, Friedman's theory on the Senators' current trade deadline strategy apparently threatens to make the team mad at him again, which is intriguing.
While he's not saying exactly what his theory is, he does think the Sens' goal differential, as opposed to those of other non-playoff teams in the East, might make them a more credible comeback threat and thus, possible buyers.
"You look at the teams that are out of the playoffs right now, as we wake up on Tuesday morning in the Eastern conference, the third best team, Columbus, who's made a great run of it under Rick Bowness, they're minus five. Washington is plus 12, and they're right there, Ottawa is plus seven.
"Everybody else, Florida, Toronto, Philly, Devils, Rangers, they're in the double digits minuses. I think they are trying to do something there in Ottawa."
We won't have to wait long to see if Friedman's theory is right or whether he's annoyed the Senators again.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
teve WarneThe Hockey News
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Boston Red Sox pitcher Aroldis Chapman (44) in the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sunday, Sept 7, 2025, in Phoenix.
Aroldis Chapman won’t be playing in the World Baseball Classic after all.
The Red Sox closer was left off Great Britain’s roster after it was found that he “did not meet the blood lineage requirements” to play for the team, according to MassLive.
Chapman, 37, was named to the preliminary roster and expected to be eligible to play for Great Britain as his grandparents emigrated from Jamaica, which had previously been a British colony.
The eight-time All-Star is the latest big name to be ruled out of the WBC.
Aroldis Chapman of the Boston Red Sox closes out the ninth inning when the Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees on August 22, 2025 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Team Puerto Rico has floated the idea of potentially dropping out of the tournament after several key players, including Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, José Berrios and Emilio Pagan, were forced to withdraw.
Chapman, 37, played for Cuba in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
The flame-throwing southpaw had one of the best seasons of his career in 2025, posting a 1.17 ERA across 61 ⅓ innings while saving 32 games for Boston.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Aroldis Chapman (44) in the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sunday, Sept 7, 2025, in Phoenix. AP
Chapman was dominant out of the bullpen, and he received American League Cy Young and MVP votes for just the second time in his career.
More information is now available about why Vancouver Canucks winger Filip Chytil did not finish Monday night's game. According to Head Coach Adam Foote, the 26-year-old left after the second period due to "migraines he has dealt with in the past that flared up the last couple of games". Foote also said that Chytil is unlikely to play in Vancouver's final game before the 2026 Winter Olympics on Wednesday.
Post-game on Monday, there was some confusion about what exactly happened to Chytil. Foote said he "tweaked something", but followed it up with "I hope not" when asked if the injury was to the head. Chytil only played 7:36 in the game, with his last shift ending with 3:55 left in the second period.
Chytil only recently returned after missing three months with a head injury. He has played six games, which included Monday's loss to the Utah Mammoth. In the six games since he returned, Chytil has zero points and nine shots on goal while averaging 14:23 per night.
Jan 27, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Filip Chytil (72) skates in warm up prior to a game against the San Jose Sharks at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
The Canucks wrap up their pre-Olympic schedule on Wednesday against the Vegas Golden Knights. Vancouver has yet to play Vegas this season. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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WEST PALM BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 28: JJ Wetherholt #87 of the St. Louis Cardinals walks to the dugout prior to the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Houston Astros at Cacti Park at the Palm Beaches on Friday, February 28, 2025 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jared Blais/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
This might be a sign of the apocalypse. For once, I’m really hoping that ESPN is right about something. Today, they have made the bold prediction that JJ Wetherholt will be the National League Rookie of the Year-sort of.
The 2026 season predictions for MLB’s top prospects on ESPN is a fun read for St. Louis Cardinals fans. They begin by saying they believe that the Philadelphia Phillies Aidan Miller will win the third base job by Memorial Day and win the NL Rookie of the Year, but they second-guessed themselves and said that the Pittsburgh Pirates Bubba Chandler would instead hoist that trophy. Finally, they decide on the St. Louis Cardinals JJ Wetherholt as the most likely to be the National League’s top rookie specifically because of the opportunity that Brendan Donovan’s trade provides him. Kiley McDaniel believes that JJ has the most opportunity to see full-time playing time compared to other top NL rookies which leaves a more likely path to NL Rookie of the Year.
If you saw JJ Wetherholt’s interviews during the Winter Warmup a couple weeks ago, you know that he believes that this type of preseason hype is “poison”. He said that he began to deal with “bold predictions” about his future during his college time at West Virginia.
JJ Wetherholt – “Where there were articles about me…all the preseason stuff, that’s what we label it. It’s poison. It’s cool to have people talk about you, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to perform. Those guys who hiked you up will be the same ones that tear down as soon as it goes bad. You try to tune all that stuff out and just do the work you can and hopefully that comes true”.
As I shared earlier in the winter, I think there’s good reason to hop on board the JJ Wetherholt hype train, but the optimism should be measured. I have yet to see a player not have to overcome struggles when they first break into the big leagues. The only exception I can think of is Albert Pujols. Major league pitchers have a way to find holes in your swing. The good/great ones adjust and overcome and I’m hopeful that will be JJ Wetherholt’s story. If he even comes close to ESPN’s prediction, I’ll be thrilled.
The Flyers showed some resolve Tuesday night after relinquishing a 2-0 lead.
They didn’t unravel and went on to beat the Capitals, 4-2, at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Owen Tippett, Carl Grundstrom, Jamie Drysdale and Rasmus Ristolainen provided the Flyers’ goals. Drysdale’s marker came on the power play and was the game-winner with 5:23 minutes left in the third period.
Ristolainen iced the game with an empty-netter.
The Flyers (25-20-10) snapped a four-game losing streak and stopped the bleeding from a stretch in which they had dropped 11 of 13 games (2-8-3).
Rick Tocchet said the Flyers had a “really good practice” Monday. He was hoping it would translate to Tuesday night. Prior to that practice, the Flyers closed out January with 10 games — seven on the road — in 18 days.
“A lot of young guys, when they don’t get practice time, it’s tough,” Tocchet said at morning skate. “Veteran teams, you don’t have to practice as much. But I always felt with the younger guys, they need the touches, they need to actually touch it and feel it. Video can only do so much.”
It looks like the practice paid off for the Flyers, who were in dire need of a win.
This was the first of four matchups this season between the Flyers and Capitals (28-23-7).
• About 25 minutes before puck drop, Danny Briere threw some cold water on the smoke surrounding his head coach and prized youngster.
“One thing I can tell you, first of all, is Matvei Michkov is not going anywhere,” Briere said. “Let’s make that clear. Matvei is going to be here for a long time, he’s going to be a good player here for the Flyers. What he’s going through right now is all part of the learning process.”
The Flyers’ general manager expressed confidence in this all working long term.
“I talk to Rick Tocchet on a daily basis, he wants Matvei to succeed,” Briere said. “He wants to develop him to be the best player he can be. Along the way, there are tough lessons that come with that.
“Him and Matvei, they have a good relationship. Sometimes they’re fiery, sometimes when you’re not winning, things are done and said, but they always come back to the table and they want the best for this team, and Rick wants the best for Matvei.”
Not even six minutes into the game, Michkov executed an excellent read and pass to notch a secondary assist on Tippett’s goal, which opened the scoring.
Michkov finished with 15:54 minutes after playing a season-low 10:21 three days ago.
• With just one game left before the Olympic break, the Flyers now have a little bit of momentum.
They came into Tuesday with a 11.1 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to Hockey-Reference.com’s probabilities report. They’re seven points back of the third-place Islanders in a tight Metropolitan Division.
Tocchet’s club has played fewer games than New York and Washington, two of the teams it’s chasing.
And he played like a leader Tuesday night. He converted 26 saves on 28 shots and carried the Flyers through some dicey moments with a number of key stops.
Just 2:40 minutes into the third period, the Capitals tied the game at 2-2. The Flyers got stuck in their own end and Anthony Beauvillier scored off a rebound right in front. The initial shot was sent through traffic.
Clay Stevenson, playing both games of Washington’s back-to-back set, stopped 18 of the Flyers’ 21 shots.
Grundstrom’s goal came on a funky bounce and handed the Flyers a 2-0 lead 4:45 minutes into the second period.
Not long after that, the Flyers had a golden opportunity to take total control on their power play. Instead, though, they surrendered a shorthanded goal as a deflected shot whipped around the boards and turned into a 2-on-1 rush for the Capitals.
• The Flyers are back in action Thursday when they host the Senators (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
The club then goes 19 days without a game because of the NHL’s participation in the Winter Olympics.
LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) — Bayer Leverkusen reached the German Cup semifinals for the third straight season after beating St. Pauli 3-0 on Tuesday.
Martin Terrier scored from the edge of the area in the 32nd minute, Patrik Schick volleyed home at the back post to double the lead in the 63rd and Jonas Hofmann added a third following a counterattack in stoppage time.
Leverkusen won the cup in the 2023-24 season as part of its undefeated domestic campaign, and lost in the semifinals last season.
Defending champion Stuttgart visits second-tier Holstein Kiel in the second quarterfinal on Wednesday.
The other two are next week: Second-tier Hertha Berlin vs. Freiburg and Bayern Munich vs. Leipzig.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 21: Jake Meyers #6 of the Houston Astros bats in the fourth inning against the Seattle Mariners at Daikin Park on September 21, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I believe Houston needs to move on from their CF.
Astros fans, here I am again, the voice of reason. A few weeks ago, I floated the idea that it might be time to trade Jeremy Peña. Now I’m back with another uncomfortable but necessary conversation: the Houston Astros should seriously consider trading Jake Meyers while his value still exists.
This isn’t about disliking Meyers or dismissing what he’s brought to the organization. It’s about timing, roster construction, and the reality of where this team stands as it tries to extend its championship window. If you don’t move him now, his value may plummet and you may never be able to sell at this rate again.
Why the Astros Should Explore a Jake Meyers Trade
The Astros desperately need left-handed pitching to complement a rotation overloaded with right-handers. That alone should push Dana Brown and the front office to explore every viable trade chip they have. Moving Meyers could help address that need while simultaneously opening playing time for younger talent—most notably Zach Cole.
Meyers has been an above-average defender for much of his Astros tenure, but injuries have been a recurring issue. When he’s had to return from those injuries, the defensive confidence hasn’t always followed. Fly balls become adventures, throws become liabilities, and the overall impact starts to wane.
The bigger question, however, is offensive sustainability.
Was 2025 Peak Jake Meyers?
Teams around the league still value defense, and that’s where Meyers maintains trade appeal. But can he replicate last season offensively? Was that production a stepping stone toward more growth—or a fool’s gold season that inflated expectations?
I lean toward the latter. When all is said and done, last year may very well represent the best offensive season of Jake Meyers’ career. That belief matters even more when you consider the Astros’ depleted farm system, which doesn’t provide the same luxury of trade capital that other contenders enjoy. If Houston wants to upgrade areas of need, they must be strategic with the few movable pieces they have.
If Meyers Is Gone, Who Plays Center Field?
This is the natural follow-up question, and it has a legitimate answer.
I believe the Astros traded Jacob Melton because they see a higher ceiling in Zach Cole. Cole’s first major league home run understandably grabbed headlines, but his real value lies in his complete skill set. He can play all three outfield positions, runs well, owns a solid arm, fields at a high level, and competes at the plate.
That combination makes him a legitimate candidate to take over in center field, as he can play all three outfield positions.
Cole is only going to improve, and going to spring training with the big league club for the first time represents a critical developmental step. The Astros need to start identifying long-term everyday players, and Cole has the tools to become a quality, if not cornerstone piece if given the opportunity.
An Outfield Full of Questions
While the infield is overloaded with talent, the outfield remains unsettled. It underperformed last season and enters spring training with far more uncertainty than answers. Injuries and the Kyle Tucker trade exposed just how thin this group can be when things go sideways.
Jesús Sánchez adds another layer of complexity. He has league-wide value and a team-friendly salary, but unless Houston gets a meaningful return, moving him doesn’t make much sense. He provides insurance, especially if Cam Smith continues to look more like the player we saw late last season rather than the cornerstone prospect expected in the Tucker deal. He has experience, some pop and can play everyday, so the value is there both here and possibly elsewhere.
Smith’s situation is delicate. Once a young player has tasted the major leagues, sending him back down can have developmental consequences. Dana Brown and the coaching staff will have to balance patience with production. If he starts the season on the big league roster and they plan on starting him in right field, then Sanchez is a much needed insurance policy for the team in case Smith fails.
Yordan Álvarez and the Position Shuffle
Then there’s Yordan Álvarez. The Astros must decide whether to honor his preference to play the field or keep him primarily at DH to reduce injury risk. Beyond Yordan, the remaining outfield options are largely converted infielders: Zach Dezenzo, Shay Whitcomb, Brice Matthews, and the ongoing experiment involving José Altuve.
At some point, experimentation has to give way to clarity.
The Bottom Line
The Astros need to clear the outfield logjam and define their core starting outfielders. Moving on from Jake Meyers now, while his value remains intact, makes sense to me. I believe we’ve already seen the best version of him, and if another team believes there’s more upside, Houston should capitalize.
Whether the future belongs to Zach Cole, Brice Matthews, or someone else entirely, the Astros can’t afford to stand still. The time to make a decisive, forward-thinking move is now.
So I’ll ask the question again: Should the Astros trade Jake Myers? If the answer is yes, who would you want in center field?
