Worldwide Sports News

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

For the Pirates:

Let’s talk about it.

Spring briefly sprang in the Twin Cities last week, with temperatures in the mid-50s and the promise of baseball on the horizon. Naturally, as the team congregated in Florida for their first workout of Grapefruit League action, so too did the nice weather congregate in a little place called “Somewhere Else.” So, it is with a fresh six inches of snow and a consistent streak of lows in the single digits that we northerners get to watch the first weekend of 2026 baseball, with a mixture of excitement and envy in our hearts.

If you are the kind of person who prefers the cold-weather months — such as myself — please feel free to re-read the entire opening paragraph but with your own adjectives substituted into emotional areas where they make more sense. It’s like Mad Libs, but much less restrictive. Plus, you don’t need a friend.

• Spring is a season of hope and ambition, which is why the Cleveland Guardians will be giving Steven Kwan some center-field reps this spring. I suppose if you win enough Gold Gloves in a defensive position without much prestige, somebody will get the idea that your talents might be better-utilized elsewhere.

• Cleveland minor-league Cam Schuelke turned some heads by turning his elbows and showcasing multiple release points in the same at-bat, which is kind of like if Pat Venditte only had one arm instead of two, but that one arm was actually two arms. Do you know what I mean?

• Here’s a fun one for Twins fans of a certain vintage — Alexei Ramirez will participate in the World Baseball Classic. Yes, as a player.

• By special request of NPB addition Munetaka Murakami, the Chicago White Sox will be adding bidets to the clubhouse in 2026. In line with my reference to Mad Libs from earlier, this is a situation where you, the readership, will be able to come up with something funnier as a collective. Feel free to brainstorm in the comments.
• The Sox also added Erick Fedde on a one-year deal, returning to the organization that brought him back from Korea, and signed Seranthony Dominguez to a two-year contract during which he is expected to be the closer.
• The Detroit Tigers are adding an orange alternate jersey, which feels right on paper but wants for a little individuality in real-life execution, as the kits could easily belong to either the Baltimore Orioles or San Francisco Giants, two teams who manage to distinguish their own orange-and-black palettes from each other. For Detroit, it’s proven a harder task, although we’ll have to wait for a little in-game action under the lights before passing too much judgment.
• Of course, new jerseys weren’t the only major on-field moves for the Tigers this month. They finally reunited with Justin Verlander, picked up Framber Valdez out of free agency, and lost an arbitration case that will see Tarik Skubal make $32MM this season.
• Finally, just because I like this kind of news, and not because I think you’ll be able to watch, the Kansas City Royals will be simulcasting their home opener over-the-air on KCTV5.

The St. Louis Cardinals take on the Houston Astros for game 2 of Spring Training. For the Cardinals, Kyle Leahy is expected to start the game. Mike Burrows is expected to take the mound for the Astros today. If you’re a MLB subscriber, you can listen to the game via KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM and the Cardinals Radio Network.

Ah, can you hear that? The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowds, the Death Star siren as Cam Schlittler is about to fan yet another batter to end the inning? No, you can’t? Well, neither can I, because once again, it’s Sunday, and that means it’s snowing in New York City.

Fortunately, it’s a Sunday after February 20th, which means that, as Mother Nature covers up the mounds of dirty snow with fresh snow, we can load up the Gotham Sports App, listen to the YES music, and catch some Yankees play baseball. And since it’s Sunday, that also means it’s time for our social media roundup! What have our favorite ballplayers been up to during their busy week of camp? Let’s find out!

Media Day Shenanigans

This year’s media day was historic, as it was the first media day in which Yankees players were allowed to don beards in decades (remember, the Yankees did not end the ban until after media day, which meant we got a year of Austin Wells, Devin Williams, and others appearing on the in-stadium hype videos clean-shaven while donning facial hair). As always, we got a ton of behind-the-scenes videos from the day.

Question of the Day: Yankees Instagram Edition

Everyone’s favorite spring training social media activity, the Question of the Day, is back! We’ve got some fun stuff this week, as the Yankees were asked their go-to hot beverage.

We also got to see a little bit of YES Network-style shenanigans, as the team was challenged to roll a quarter between two forks, draw a circle.

Daily Shenanigans: YES Network Edition

Not to be outdone, the YES Network has posted its share of player shenanigans alongside its typical coverage of spring training. Sometimes, it was a second Question of the Day, as we learned whether the Yankees preferred the aisle or window seat on the airplane, as well as which Winter Olympic events they’re fans of.

Other times, we got to see individual players participate in something, as when Aaron Judge engaged in some art behind the plate.

We also got to see an intense game of Jenga.

Legendary Visitors

As always, some Yankees legends visited spring training this week, and as always, a number of Yankees players took the opportunity to not only learn from some greats, but also take some pictures with the players they watched in their youth.

This includes this great shot of the Yankees starting rotation with Andy Pettitte.

Mic’d Up

Several members of the Yankees were mic’ed up during workouts this week. Fernando Cruz got us started.

Big G took the microphone for media day.

Then, we had Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is always a hoot.

Last, and certainly not least, we got to hear Oswaldo Cabrera on the mic. The Yankees’ part-utilityman, part-human golden retriever missed most of last season due to a gruesome ankle injury, and in many ways, his absence sucked a lot of the energy out of the Yankees clubhouse. Seeing him not only on the field, but back to his old self, is a great sign.

Celebrating Black History Month

This week, the Yankees celebrated Black History Month by remembering the career of Curtis Granderson, who spent four years in the Bronx in the early 2010s.

Miscellaneous Photos & Highlight Reels

As always, spring training is a time where a bunch of pictures and highlight reels get posted to generate hype for the season. Here’s a couple of my favorites:

Some Final Valentine’s Day Posts

We wrap up this week’s post with some final Valentine’s Day posts.

Well today we have Atlanta’s first “home” game of 2026 Spring Training and we are treated to Chris Sale on the mound. Not only is a potential future Hall of Famer on the mound, but the Braves are rolling out what could be most of the Opening Day lineup.

The only member of the likely Opening Day lineup missing is Mike Yastrzemski, who homered in yesterday’s game. It’s February 22nd, so things are very subject to change, but I wouldn’t love batting Baldwin and Olson 2nd and 3rd like that, and would probably prefer swapping Olson with Profar, just to avoid stacking two lefties together like that. I also would probably have Olson in the 2 spot instead of Baldwin, but we’ll see how the lineup develops throughout Spring Training in Walt Weiss’ first season as manager. Today we are mostly hoping for health from everyone, maybe a few fun moments, and perhaps some cool prospect performances later in the game.

You can see both lineups below, as the Twins are leading off Byron Buxton and have former Brave Orlando Arcia starting at shortstop.

You can find today’s game on Gray TV, MLB.tv, or on the radio with 680 AM/93.7FM The Fan. Boy is it nice to have baseball back in our lives. Join us and discuss today’s game in the comments below!

Just over a month ago we learned that the Cincinnati Reds tried, and failed, to sign star shortstop Elly De La Cruz to a contract extension that would have made him “the highest paid Red ever.”

We don’t know if that meant by season. We don’t know if that meant by total dollar value. What we do know, though, is that there was interest from the club itself in forking over millions and millions of dollars to cement a cornerstone of their future – and even though it didn’t materialize with Elly, that could mean there’s money there to make it happen with the rest of the roster.

There’s always the chance that money was only earmarked in a way similar to the pursuit of Kyle Schwarber in free agency this winter, in that it was only ever going to get spent on a unique, franchise-altering player whose presence – both in the lineup and in jersey sales – would generate revenue in ways other players simply would not. Still, with the team’s commitment to developing their own players, we’ve reached the point in that life-cycle where locking down some of their core players to cost-controlled deals may make that as ‘sustainable’ as Nick Krall has preached for the last three plus years.

It’s still the same mentality that led them to sign Hunter Greene years ago, an anchor of their rotation right now and potentially through the 2029 season. Not only do they get him beyond his six seasons of team control through the arbitration process, but they both add on additional years of would-be free agency and now know exactly how much he’ll make each year (instead of leaving that up to the arbitration gods). For a cost-conscious team that typically operates on shoestring budgets, that’s a vital part of the process.

The question becomes where the Reds would turn from Elly at this juncture.

It doesn’t appear it will be to Tyler Stephenson, who’s entering his final season of team control before free agency. The team already inked Jose Trevino to a solid deal to be a part of the catching position for a few more years, and top prospect Alfredo Duno looks poised to mash his way to the big leagues as early as 2027.

On the pitching side, it doesn’t look like it will be Brady Singer, either. Like Stephenson, he’s in his final year of team control before free agency, and the Reds have drafted and developed Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder (and added Brandon Williamson via trade years ago) to help bolster the rotation going forward.

If an extension were to come for a part of their rotation, perhaps it would to Andrew Abbott, who has yet to reach arbitration despite already having 11.7 bWAR and 413.2 IP under his belt. As a somewhat unknown out of the University of Virginia, he only landed a $1.3 million signing bonus back in 2021, so perhaps he’s precisely the kind of player who’d jump at early guaranteed money instead of waiting four more years to fully cash in on a longer term extension. However, signing him after his All-Star season in 2025 might end up begin a case of ‘buying high’ if he’s never able to fully replicate such a stellar season.

The flipside of that, at least in terms of the rotation, would be with Nick Lodolo. He’s a former 1st rounder who banked a $5.4 million signing bonus and is already getting a big raise in his arbitration years, but he’s also a pitcher who still seems like he’s yet to truly have a full breakout season. With only two years of team control left, getting him to take his eyes off a lucrative free agency may be difficult, but he seems like precisely the kind of rare talent who has a season much bigger than he’s ever shown before within, and tying him down now may look like a huge bargain later.

On the position player side, there are endless options, and perhaps their collective trait of still being raw is why none of them are signed long-term. None of them, Elly included, seem to have had a season at all approaching their peak (aside from 30 year old TJ Friedl and, perhaps, Spencer Steer), so it’s hard to know just how much more they can continue to flourish.

Could Noelvi Marte develop into a star? The scouting reports have long suggested as much, but he’s also never played a full year, switched positions twice already, and has a PED suspension on his record.

Matt McLain had a small-sample breakout in 2023 that had a lot of question marks in its peripherals, but a litany of injuries and underperformance has hampered the highly touted former 1st rounder ever since. Sal Stewart, meanwhile, has all the upside in the world on top of an excellent first showing in the big leagues, but if the club is already willing to move him down the defensive spectrum, would they really want to jump at throwing a ton of money at a guy they only see destined to play 1B/DH?

It’s an exercise in mental gymnastics to process all the scenarios, but what’s clear is that this group of Reds that seemed ‘young’ just a season or two ago has now reached the point where all key parties involved are on the cusp of getting more expensive through the arbitration process anyway. And when that happens, the Reds are going to be forced to pick and choose which ones to keep around and which ones to trade away, as it will end up being far too expensive for their tastes to keep the entire band together. Sticking to that plan will require some contracts to be signed, and that’s going to need to happen sooner than later.

Which Red do you think is the best combo of deserving and timely to get the next big contract extension?

Recently signed Nick Castellanos made his first base debut on the first day of spring games and looked like he had been there his whole career. By all reports, he had been doing extensive work at the position since arriving in camp with the San Diego Padres in Arizona. It helps that he claims to enjoy the position as well as all the work he has been doing to get up to speed at his new position.

“I find it fun. Again, I only have four innings. But I love all the work there.” Castellanos was quoted as saying after Friday’s game in MLB.com’s article by AJ Cassavell.

Castellanos has been working with infield instructors Ryan Goins and Nick Punto as well as working on his own during the offseason to get ready for the position.

The projected approach is to have a platoon for first base with a right-handed bat sharing time with left-handed hitting Gavin Sheets, who came up as a first baseman. There will probably be two or three other players getting looks during the spring, with Sung-Mun Song, Miguel Andujar and Ty France all in the loop for time there.

It should be a spot to watch for fans and the coaching staff with multiple players trying to make the roster and break camp with the team. The competition also could favor a more versatile performer.

Pitchers progress

Pitchers working for spots in the rotation appear to be progressing slowly toward their debuts. Manager Craig Stammen highlighted Germán Márquez’s work with pitching coach Ruben Niebla, stating they are working on all aspects of his game while Griffin Canning has thrown batting practice and live BP but has not done infield work yet while recovering from his Achilles surgery.

Joe Musgrove made an appearance on the Friar Territory podcast, detailing his journey back from Tommy John surgery. He acknowledged he is not 100 percent and is willing to slow-play his approach to the new season. His goal is to be ready to be a normal pitcher and complete the whole season, including the postseason.

Reliever Jason Adam has also thrown off the mound with live BP and bullpens. He is not yet doing infield work and states he feels great and believes he will be ready for Opening Day. Stammen has emphasized caution but has not ruled out Adam starting the season on time.

Right-hander Logan Gillaspie was slated to start the first game of the spring but was scratched when his wife went into labor and he left for paternity leave. Stammen detailed a flexible role for Gillaspie this spring. He could start, go in long relief or even in a high-leverage situation. Stammen termed him a “Jack-of-all-trades” pitcher.

Lefty starter Jagger Haynes took the start on Friday, allowing four hits and two runs over two innings. He allowed a home run and had a strikeout. The only pitcher on the day to not allow a hit was new Padre Garrett Hawkins, getting two strikeouts in his o.2 innings pitched.

When Márquez and Canning were added to the roster, outfielder Tirso Ornelas was designated for assignment and pitcher Jhony Brito was placed on the 60-day IL.

Reliever Yuki Matsui threw live BP on Thursday and was pulled when he felt tightness in his adductor muscle. He is officially day-to-day and his involvement in the WBC with Team Japan could be affected.

Tatis may not lead off this season

Fernando Tatis Jr. has stated that he doesn’t care where he bats in the order. Last season he was the primary leadoff hitter and ended up with an .814 OPS with 25 HR and 71 RBI. Tatis and everyone in the organization knows that he is capable of achieving more despite those being good numbers for most players. Leading off last year, with Luis Arraez behind him in the batting order, most likely stole some RBI opportunities away as well as stunting his power opportunities. If Tatis lands at a position other than leading off, run production and power production could be an added benefit of moving him down in the order. Hitting third or fourth also gives the other hitters around him more opportunities. It seems line up construction will be a running experiment this spring.

WBC preparation

Manny Machado and Tatis Jr. will be leaving the team next Sunday to join their WBC team. Xander Bogaerts will also be leaving around the same time. All WBC players will be gone by March 1. Stammen will be putting all of them in the line up more than what you would normally see this time of the year. Getting them reps to get ready for real games and getting teamwork in with their Padres teammates will take precedence.

Powering up

Although the Friars lost their first spring game, non-roster invites Jose Miranda and Padres prospect Romeo Sanabria got the home run totals started, accounting for three of the four runs scored in the game by the Padres. Miranda also hit a solid double and ended up with two RBI.

In Saturday’s game, Miranda went off again, going 3-for-3 with four RBI and another solid double. The third baseman is fighting for a bench job and is making a really good first impression.

Knuckleballer Matt Waldron started Saturday’s game, throwing two innings and allowing one hit and no runs. He was caught by Freddy Fermin and they had no issues. Fermin had an ABS challenge go his way, making three successful challenges for Padres catchers in two games.

The Guardians have added a right-handed bat in free agency. Finally.

Zack Meisel of the Athletic reports that Rhys Hoskins is with the Guardians and has a locker. This post will be updated when we get more information on what he signed for and how long.

Hoskins put up a 109 wRC+ last year for the Brewers but has a career 121 wRC+ and for his career has a 137 wRC+ against LHP. He had his best year defensively at first base last season.

One would assume this will push Kyle Manzardo to more of a full-time role at DH, and it’ll be interesting to follow the effects on David Fry. I would guess Hoskins is here on a major league deal. While there are reasons to guess that Hoskins is more of a league average bat, there is at least potential for him to be a middle of the order threat, something the Guardians’ lineup desparately needed, especially against lefty pitchers.

This is very exciting and helps redeem an offseason that was very disappointing until today as far as enhancing the team’s offense.