Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and the Boston Red Sox will be busy over the next few days.
The MLB offseason officially began Wednesday night after the Milwaukee Brewers were crowned 2026 World Series champions. That means clubs must add players from the 60-day injured list back onto the 40-man roster by Monday.
The Red Sox have a full 40-man roster, plus seven players on the 60-day IL: Eli White, Triston Casas, Justin Slaten, Kutter Crawford, Zack Kelly, Johan Oviedo, and Eduardo Rivera. All seven must be reactivated, meaning seven spots have to be cleared.
Three were cleared on Thursday. Left-hander Patrick Sandoval and utility man Isiah Kiner-Falefa officially became free agents, and outfielder Nate Eaton was traded to the Athletics for 18-year-old minor-league pitcher Jareth Rayo. Plus, veteran right-hander Sonny Gray’s $30 million mutual option will almost certainly be declined, leaving the Red Sox with three more cuts to make via trade, release, waivers, or designating for assignment.
Who could be next on Boston’s chopping block? Here are the most likely cut candidates:
Raymond Burgos, LHP
Burgos provided bullpen depth in the final stretch of the 2026 season, posting a 4.22 ERA and 0.844 WHIP in nine appearances (21.1 innings pitched). The 28-year-old is a candidate to be waived, clear waivers, and land back in Triple-A.
Jovani Moran, LHP
Moran was an effective southpaw out of Boston’s bullpen in 2026, finishing with a 3.15 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 50 outings. He was left off the playoff roster, however, and is out of minor-league options.
Jahmai Jones, DH/OF
Jones stepped up as a lefty masher immediately after being acquired from the Detroit Tigers, but he struggled mightily throughout September. The Red Sox outfield remains crowded even after the Eaton trade, and with Romy Gonzalez presumably good to go for 2027, having both him and Jones on the roster as specialists against southpaws would be redundant.
Zack Kelly, RHP
Kelly notched a 3.31 ERA in 17 bullpen appearances last season before suffering a season-ending elbow injury. Injuries have been an issue throughout his career, making him an obvious cut candidate especially now that he’s out of minor-league options.
Tsung-Che Cheng, SS
Cheng played an important role as a fill-in shortstop during the Red Sox’ incredible midseason turnaround. He hit a modest .256 in his 14 games with the club, but his defense was a legitimate difference-maker. Still, he’s a fringe big-leaguer and a candidate to be traded or DFA’d before Monday.
Tyler Samaniego, LHP
Left-handed reliever Samaniego posted a 2.66 ERA across 20 outings (one as an opener) in his first MLB stint. Despite his effectiveness, he was sent down to Triple-A in early June and never called back up the majors. He’d still be a useful depth piece, but the 27-year-old could also bring back something of value in a trade if Boston opts to part ways.
Eduardo Rivera, LHP
Rivera made four appearances (three starts) with Boston in 2026. The 23-year-old had a 6.30 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 10 innings. Like Samaniego, he’s expendable as a depth reliever with at least some trade value.
Alec Gamboa, LHP
Gamboa was a revelation for the Red Sox bullpen in 2026, posting a 1.91 ERA across 21 appearances (three as an opener) in his first big-league stint. The 29-year-old’s efforts earned him a spot on the postseason roster.
As great as Gamboa was, he’s a strong candidate to be moved. Boston has plenty of left-handed bullpen depth, and Gamboa’s value after an outstanding rookie season is undoubtedly at its peak.
The Chicago Blackhawks are already involved in trade rumors. 18 teams had scouting representatives at the United Center for Chicago’s match vs the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday, and a total of 25 teams out of 32 have been there since Sunday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Frank Seravalli has reported that the Blackhawks are looking to add a big scoring winger during all of this as well, which has added to the rumor mill.
Kyle Davidson has been actively looking for "shoot-first, scoring wingers with size." If the Blackhawks slide continues, "count on something bigger perhaps in the works." pic.twitter.com/zIOZngJ5aS
The conversation around a trade like that includes centers like Frank Nazar and Oliver Moore. Teams around the league want centers, which is an area where the Blackhawks have a surplus. There is development left to go for most of Chicago's young centers, but the upside is there to intrigue teams.
Rumors of Teuvo Teravainen and Kevin Korchinski being moved have also swirled. With the Blackhawks being 4-8-0 through their first 12 games of the season, it isn’t surprising to hear these names in the rumor mill as the team looks to shake things up before going the route of firing anyone.
If Moore and Nazar both stick with Chicago in the long term, one of them is likely going to have to make a full-time transition to the wing, and neither would say that is their first choice of position.
In the case of Kevin Korchinski, he is a young defenseman who doesn't get the playing time he needs in order to further his development. Sending him to the AHL would require waivers, and the Blackhawks would almost certainly lose him for nothing.
As for Teravainen, it would depend on another team taking him at this stage of his career. He went from being a healthy scratch on opening night to running their top power-play unit in the absence of Bowen Byram, which does give him value. On a contender, he'd make a wonderful secondary playmaker in the middle of a lineup.
Anything can happen, as it is all just rumors right now, but there can be fire where there is smoke in the NHL. Connor Hellebuyck was already traded from the Winnipeg Jets to the New Jersey Devils. Next is almost certainly going to be Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings. After that, the trade market may open up in a big way.
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Los Angeles Clippers in-arena host Hannah Cormier reacting to a mishap during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. (X/@MattWallace888).
Hannah Cormier is entering her 11th season with the Clippers organization and her seventh as the in-arena host and MC. She was on camera during one point in the game, appearing to not realize they were rolling.
She seemed to notice a few seconds later, which sparked a terrified look on her face.
Los Angeles Clippers in-arena host Hannah Cormier reacting to a mishap during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. (X/@MattWallace888).
She gathered herself quickly before saying, “Clipper Nation, the ladies are back performing to ‘Gemstone’. Give it up for our Clippers spirit!”
As Cormier walked away, the microphone caught a sound that sounded conspicuously like a fart.
An X user posted a video of this entire debacle with the caption, “NBA reporter farts, stumbles over her words, walks off”. The clip has gone viral, amassing over 390,000 views in about 10 hours.
Baba Miller #18 of the LA Clippers looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California, Wednesday, October 28, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
There is some debate about what the sound actually was. Some believe it was truly Cormier passing gas that was caught on the microphone, while others are claiming is was either microphone static or something else the microphone inadvertently picked up.
Like so many Milwaukee fans, Christian Yelich took a moment while celebrating the Brewers’ first World Series title to remember a man he wished had been around to see it.
“Uecky, I love you, man,” Yelich said in reference to beloved Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker, who died in January 2025 at the age of 90. “We did it.”
Yelich’s tribute after the Brewers’ 4-1 Game 5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays recalled a dramatically different postgame setting two years earlier, when Milwaukee couldn’t hang on to a 2-0 ninth-inning lead and fell to the New York Mets in the decisive game of an NL Wild Card Series.
That would be the last game in the broadcasting career of Uecker, who had been calling games through the 2023 and 2024 seasons while battling small cell lung cancer. Uecker had kept that information private up until his death and shared it only with a select group of people, including Yelich.
Uecker capped his game broadcast that night by saying, “That one had some sting on it,” then went into a silent locker room and offered condolences to the Brewers players, a moment that was detailed in a documentary on Uecker that came out this year. Yelich struggled to contain his emotions that night as he discussed the hardest part of having a season end that way.
“For me, it was talking to Ueck,” Yelich said at the time. “That’s kind of a tough one. All the other stuff, it is what it is. It’s a tough way for your season to end, but talking to Uecky one on one, it was tough.”
Learning from the low moments
That made Wednesday’s moment all the more cathartic for Yelich, who has been with the Brewers through all their celebrations and commiserations over the last several years as the franchise had its greatest run of sustained success.
The guy who was named the first captain in franchise history last month accepted congratulations on the field from Hall of Fame shortstop Robin Yount, regarded as the Brewers’ greatest player ever. Yount had been an MVP in 1982 when the Brewers made their only previous World Series appearance. He praised Yelich for helping the Brewers finally get it done.
Yelich, 34, and pitcher Brandon Woodruff are the only players who have been with the Brewers since they began their run of eight playoff berths in nine seasons in 2018. They’d been through plenty of heartache as the Brewers struggled to translate their regular-season success into the postseason.
“All those low moments, you don’t realize at the time, but those low moments prepare you for this moment,” Yelich said. “Without those, this wouldn’t be possible. It doesn’t feel like it in the moment sometimes when it’s happening to you, when you’re in those lows. It can be tough at times, but it makes you tougher. There’s lessons to be learned from it, and it’s all geared towards moments like this. Man, is it worth it.”
The Brewers acquired Yelich before the 2018 season, and he went on to become the NL MVP that year as Milwaukee reached Game 7 of the NL Championship Series. He was contending for another MVP award the following year before fracturing his kneecap, the first in a series of injuries he would battle through over the last several years.
Even though Yelich is no longer the Brewers’ best player, he remains the face of the franchise in many respects.
“I don’t think all of them were clear enough on what it was going to take,” manager Pat Murphy said. “Yeli kept speaking it into existence. He kept saying, ‘Hey, you know, we’re going to win the World Series,’ and everybody kind of snapped their head like, ‘You believe that? Did you see us play last week?’ That type of thing.”
Producing in the postseason
Yelich wasn’t merely leading in the clubhouse. He also was delivering a postseason breakthrough on the field while bouncing back from a regular season in which he posted career lows in on-base percentage (.315) and OPS (.692).
He drove in two runs in Game 2 of the NLCS as the Brewers swept the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
In the World Series, Yelich hit a first-inning RBI triple to put Milwaukee ahead for good in a 3-2 Game 1 win, and he went 2 for 3 with a walk and an RBI in the Brewers’ 10-1 Game 3 blowout victory. He scored one of the Brewers’ four runs in the Game 5 clincher Wednesday.
Now he’s finally a World Series champion. He could only wonder what Uecker would have been thinking.
“He’s smiling, man,” Yelich said. “He’s smiling. I really wish he could have been here to see this. That would have meant everything to him. But like we said a bunch, he’s been with us a lot. We keep him close to our hearts. This one’s still for Bob.”
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 28: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the game against the Indiana Pacers on October 28, 2026 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Luther Schlaifer/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s understandable that Jaylen Brown was not happy when the Boston Celtics sent him to a bitter rival.
Brown’s name had come up in trade rumors multiple times over the last few years. After the team failed to land Giannis Antetokounmpo this past offseason — with Brown and his salary going to Milwaukee to make it all work — it seemed like the damage had been done. Brown was seemingly shopped to just about every team in the league.
After 10 years, five All-Star selections, two All-NBA nods and a Finals MVP, the Celtics were trying to pack him up, as Brown put it. So, you could imagine Brown’s surprise when he was ultimately traded to the Sixers, a franchise he tortured often while in Boston.
While Brown was diplomatic when asked about his time with the Celtics during his introductory presser in Philly, you could tell feelings lingered. He revealed that he still hadn’t spoken to Jayson Tatum, his All-Star teammate of nine years, since the trade broke.
Recently, Tatum posted an interview to YouTube where he recollected the moment Brown was traded. Brown obviously didn’t think Tatum was being truthful and commented.
Jayson Tatum on the Jaylen Brown trade in a recent interview:
"I was just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world."
Even if Brown didn’t comment, you’d have to be awfully naive to believe Tatum. You’re telling me Brad Stevens made a blockbuster trade that could change the entire trajectory of the franchise … and his star player found out the same time as the rest of the world? Yeah, cap is fair.
Tatum downplayed Brown’s comments, saying there was no beef. That led to Brown’s colorful response about lamb chops and gravy while also pointing out Tatum has a “great PR team.” A petty response? For sure. But it was a fun moment and, at that point, it seemed like everyone was ready to keep it moving.
Then Brian Scalabrine had to insert himself into the situation. Scalabrine reported then recanted (kind of, sort of, but with a lot of arrogance) that Brown “demanded” a trade. Multiple reports have debunked that being the case, but that wasn’t a remedy for Scalabrine’s main character syndrome. He took it to the broadcast to insult Brown again.
So, he reported something that wasn’t true, awkwardly recanted it, then sort of doubled down for his dislike of Brown. Scalabrine mocked the idea of doing PR for Tatum … while actively doing PR for Tatum. He spent five years with the Celtics as a player and has been working on Boston’s basketball broadcasts in some capacity since 2012. His loyalty is obvious. Just last year, he was doing PR work trying to get Brown in the MVP conversation. Now, he’s discrediting the season Brown had in 2025-26.
That’s why Brown’s response to Scalabrine was a smart one. When it’s Brown vs. Tatum, that’s real drama with a potential payoff when the two play each other for the first time. Having beef (or lamb chop) with a pom-pom waving commentator is a losing battle.
Jaylen Brown to reporters in Indy: “I never had any issue with scal I love scal. … I never demanded a trade, never made a list of ultimatums.” pic.twitter.com/ROHGJ5ifhz
If you viewed his response to Tatum as petty, this was the exact opposite. Brown took the high road, despite Scalabrine laying it on pretty thick over the last week or so. It makes Brown look like the bigger person and Scalabrine look silly.
We still have to wait until Nov. 10 to see Brown go up against Tatum and his former team — and we have to wait all the way until January to see Brown’s return to Boston.
Whether it’s beef or lamb chops with gravy, it should be fun.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Venezuela’s flag draped around him, flashing a wide smile and filled with pride, William Contreras was willing to boast.
“I don’t want to offend any of the other catchers in the league. The last thing I want to do is offend any of them,” he said, speaking through a translator. “But sitting up here today, champion of the world, I feel like I’m the best catcher in the league. Again, that’s no disrespect to any of them. That’s the last thing I want to do. But today I feel like I’m the best catcher in the world.”
Contreras became the eighth catcher voted the World Series MVP after lifting the Milwaukee Brewers to their first World Series championship.
Leader of the small-market Brewers, the 28-year-old hit .381 while guiding his pitching staff, throwing out four attempted base stealers and winning 10 of 13 appeals in the first Series with the Automated Ball-Strike challenge system. He had a run-scoring double during Milwaukee’s clinching 4-1 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday night.
“He’s our pit bull. You don’t just walk up and pet him. There’s a chance you get nipped,” manager Pat Murphy said.
Moments after being awarded the MVP trophy, Contreras embraced his 34-year-old brother, Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras, a World Series champion with the 2016 Chicago Cubs.
“My brother is my role model. I don’t have a lot of friends. He’s my friend,” William Contreras said. “If I have something to ask somebody, I ask Willson.”
William teared up when asked about Venezuela, his home country. Contreras was on Venezuela’s team that won its first World Baseball Classic in March, though he was 0 for 13 with no RBIs.
He and teammates Jackson Chourio and Antonio Senzatela joined Americans Alex Bregman and Luke Gregerson of the 2017 Houston Astros in winning the WBC and World Series in the same year.
“It means everything because that’s the first time Venezuela guys win the WBC and the World Series,” William Contreras said. “It’s history, history for my country. I love Venezuela. It’s my country.”
He joined Gene Tenace (1972), Johnny Bench (1976), Steve Yeager (co-winner in 1981), Darrell Porter (1982), Rick Dempsey (1983), Pat Borders (1992) and Salvador Perez (2015) as catchers to win the award.
A three-time All-Star, Contreras hit .270 with 18 homers and a career-best 94 RBIs as the Brewers won their fourth straight NL Central title.
“Think about what he’s achieved, and he’s disappointed his numbers aren’t better,” Murphy said. “He’s disappointed that he isn’t Gold Glove.’'
Contreras was best at leveraging baseball’s new robot umpires, leading Major League Baseball with 185 challenges and 105 overturns during the regular season. He won 22 of 33 in the postseason.
“It’s not magic,” Contreras said. “I think it’s the experience of playing every day throughout the season.”
He batted .444 with a pair of solo homers in the Division Series against San Diego, hitting a tiebreaking, seventh-inning drive in the opener and another homer in Game 3. He batted .357 with one homer and three RBIs in the Championship Series sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Milwaukee had several worthy MVP candidates.
Cooper Pratt set a Series rookie record with six straight hits and tied Gil McDougald’s rookie mark from 1951 with seven RBIs, including go-ahead hits in the final three games. Jackson Chourio was 11 for 24 (.458), the most hits by a player in a five-game World Series. Ace Jacob Misiorowski was 2-0 and allowed one run in 10 2/3 innings, and reliever Aaron Ashby pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings with a save and nine strikeouts.
“I told him before the game: You will be the MVP of the World Series,” Murphy said of Contreras. “People recognized what that kid did for us. There was no doubt in my mind. Yeah, he’s special.”
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 15: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on from the dugout prior to Game Four of the National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Thursday, October 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The World Series is over and Major League Baseball’s offseason has begun. This offseason will have a different look with the impending labor situation. Baseball’s current CBA between MLB and the Major League Baseball Player’s Association is set to expire at midnight on December 1.
Even with the lockout on the horizon, there will still be a lot of league activity in November. Free agents will file Thursday morning. Teams will then have a five-day negotiation window to re-sign their own players. Free agency will officially open on November 2 at 5 pm ET.
MLB’s free agent period is normally slower than those in the NFL and NBA with major signings sometimes dragging into the next calendar year. With a lockout coming, there is a chance that we see a heightened sense of urgency by some players in hopes of locking down a deal before the sport shuts down.
Dodgers lefty Tarik Skubal headlines this offseason’s free agent class. Skubal is a two-time Cy Young Award winner and one of the most dominant pitchers in the sport. He underwent an elbow procedure in early May but returned and pitched well for the Tigers and Dodgers down the stretch. He is in line for a record breaking contract and will become the highest-paid pitching in league history.
The rest of the class is a little less inspiring. Michael King anchored the Padres pitching staff and had a good showing in the postseason. Freddy Peralta rediscovered his form after a deadline trade to the Rays and was MVP of the ALCS. Randy Arozarena put up a career-best season for the Mariners. There are really good players available but all of them are a level or two below Skubal.
Below is our ranking of the top-40 MLB free agents.
Number
Name
Position
Previous Team
1
Tarik Skubal
LHP
Tigers
2
Michael King
RHP
Padres
3
Teruaki Sato
3B
Hanshin (NPB)
4
Freddy Peralta
RHP
Rays
5
Randy Arozarena
OF
Mariners
6
Seiya Suzuki
OF
Cubs
7
Brandon Lowe
2B
Pirates
8
Adrian Morejon
LHP
Padres
9
Clay Holmes
RHP
Cubs
10
Trevor Rogers
LHP
Orioles
11
Jake Bauers
1B
Brewers
12
Sonny Gray
RHP
Red Sox
13
David Bednar
RHP
Yankees
14
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
2B
Yankees
15
Ryan Jeffers
C
Twins
16
Tyler Mahle
RHP
Braves
17
Luis Arraez
2B
Phillies
18
Foster Griffin
LHP
Guardians
19
Casey Mize
RHP
Padres
20
Nick Martinez
RHP
Rays
21
Gleyber Torres
2B
Tigers
22
Kaima Taira
RHP
Seibu (NPB)
23
Ian Happ
OF
Cubs
24
Michael Soroka
RHP
Diamondbacks
25
Kevin Gausman
RHP
Cubs
26
Shota Imanaga
LHP
Cubs
27
Raisel Iglesias
RHP
Braves
28
Ty France
1B
Padres
29
Alec Bohm
1B/3B
Phillies
30
Hiromi Itoh
RHP
Nippon (NPB)
31
Robbie Ray
LHP
Padres
32
Shane Bieber
RHP
Blue Jays
33
Daulton Varsho
OF
Astros
34
Alex Vesia
LHP
Dodgers
35
Mauricio Dubon
OF/SS
Braves
36
Tyler Stephenson
C
Reds
37
Gregory Soto
LHP
Pirates
38
Sean Newcomb
LHP
White Sox
39
Trent Grisham
OF
Yankees
40
J.P. Crawford
SS
Mariners
Where will Skubal land?
Every team will be interested in Tarik Skubal but only a few have a realistic shot at landing the free agent left-hander. It will be easy to connect him to some of the biggest spenders. The Mets entered the 2026 season with high expectations but flopped in a big way. Steve Cohen may be looking to make a splash and signing Skubal would be the biggest splash available.
The Yankees, Phillies and Blue Jays are other teams that could get in the mix for Skubal. He would make a ton of sense for a team like the Cubs that featured one of the best offenses in the majors but also one of the worst pitching staffs. A potential pairing of Skubal and Chris Sale would give the Braves two of the most dominant left-handed pitchers in the league. It would also require them to make a significant free agent investment which is not something that they normally do.
Then there is the Dodgers who acquired Skubal from the Tigers at the trade deadline. LA’s core position players are getting older and their biggest need is shoring up that area. Still, they can never be counted out on a big name free agent.
My gut is that Skubal ends up back with the Dodgers but I’m hoping that another team gets in the mix.
What about Teruaki Sato?
Another intriguing name to keep an eye on this winter is Japanese third baseman Teruaki Sato. Sato won the MVP Award in the NPB in 2026 after hitting .306 with 39 home runs, 40 doubles and 106 RBIs. He played third base in Japan but there are questions about whether he will stick at the position in MLB. Teams like the Yankees, Phillies and Red Sox are thought to be among the group that will be interested. That could lead to a big payday for him.
What does the lockout mean for free agency
Free agency will officially open on November 2 at 5 pm ET, but it will pause once the lockout begins. The CBA expires on December 1, at which point a lockout is expected to commence.
MLB free agency is typically a slow-moving process and it is a little difficult to project how the lockout might affect that. We do have a recent example to draw from. The owners locked out the players prior to the 2022 season and we saw a flurry of big contracts handed out before the CBA expired. The Texas Rangers gave Corey Seager and Marcus Semien a combined $500 million. Max Scherzer signed a big deal with the Mets while Javier Baez landed a six-year, $140 million deal from the Tigers.
This could be a similar situation. For teams already with big payrolls, they may look to add more top stars before facing possible restrictions from a proposed salary cap. Players may see an incentive to sign early because of the uncertainty of what things might look like once the lockout ends. I wouldn’t say it is a certainty that we will see increased activity in November but it is very much a possibility.
Johnny Johnson, [1930s]. Poster for a play. The Federal Theatre Project, created by the U.S. Works Progress Administration in 1935, was designed to conserve and develop the skills of theater workers, re-employ them on public relief, and to bring theater to thousands in the United States who had never before seen live theatrical performances. Creator: Unknown. (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images) | Getty Images
It is a Thursday, and the MLB season is officially over. Time for a trivia question.
As always, a couple of rules…
1 — Put a spoiler over your answer in the comments.
2 — Don’t go digging around on baseball sites to try to discover the answer. This is a trivia question, not a scavenger hunt.
Here is an alphabetical list of professional baseball players:
Grant Anderson
Brandon Boggs
Jeff Bronkey
Matt Bush
David Hulse
Kevin Reimer
These players all have something in common, and this is a complete list of every professional baseball player who has this commonality (so, for example, the answer can’t be “Players who have never been in my kitchen,” because Buddy Bell and Losing Pitcher Mulcahy and Rabbit Maranville, among others, also haven’t been in your kitchen).
Can you guess what this is a complete list of?
I will update later today in the afternoon with the answer.
NEW YORK, NY - CIRCA 1990: Jesse Barfield #29 o the New York Yankees look on during an American League game at Yankee Stadium circa 1990 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Louis Requena/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Practically every franchise has cycled through peaks of contention and troughs of irrelevance, and the Yankees certainly have not been immune. The period covering the late 80s and early 90s represented a nadir for an organization close to celebrating its 100th birthday. Owner meddling, injuries to star players, and general poor roster building left a once-proud franchise stagnating in mediocrity with no clear path out of the mire.
This prevailing mood around the team had the unfortunate effect of distorting the perception of many of the players who donned the pinstripes during those years. One of the familiar names from that era was Jesse Barfield, an All-Star, Gold Glove outfielder for the Blue Jays who Steinbrenner brought to the Bronx in a move that was equal parts vindictive and short-sighted. This was no fault of Barfield’s, who performed ably when he was on the field yet whose short legacy with the Yankees is often viewed through the lens of the failure of those squads.
Jesse Lee Barfield Born: October 29, 1959 (Joliet, IL) Yankees Tenure: 1989-92
Jesse Lee Barfield was born in Joliet, IL, on October 29, 1959, to single mother Annie J. Barfield, his father having abandoned the family around the time of his birth. The George Werden Buck Boys Club was a haven in his childhood, the young Barfield falling in love with baseball watching his hero Ernie Banks and copying his batting stance. On a day trip to Comiskey Park with the Boys Club, the 13-year-old Barfield declared, “Man, one day I’m going to be playing right out there. You watch,” and so it was destined to be.
Barfield starred in the outfield for Joliet Central High School and caught the eye of Blue Jays scout Bobby Mattick, who convinced Toronto to draft Barfield in the ninth round of the 1977 June Amateur Draft. The Blue Jays offered a $2,500 signing bonus but Barfield declined as he had been awarded a scholarship to study architectural drawing in college after winning a statewide drafting competition, but the Blue Jays secured his signature when they tripled their offer, Barfield using the bonus to buy his mother a Ford Thunderbird.
Despite a slow start and growing pains in the low minors, Barfield kept his head down and slowly worked his way up the ladder before finally earning a call-up to the major league team in 1981. He debuted on September 3rd, and as fate would have it his first game was in right field in Comiskey Park, Barfield lining an RBI single in his second big league AB. He would play 25 games that season, showing enough to be named Opening Day starter in right in 1982 under manager Bobby Cox, and he never looked back.
Barfield established himself as one of the preeminent dual-threat outfielders in the majors by the mid 80s, his raw power and cannon arm leading to an All-Star appearance in 1986, AL Gold Gloves in 1986 and 1987, and AL Silver Slugger in 1986. He led the AL in home runs in 1986 with 40 and led all AL outfielders in outfield assists in five separate seasons. His peak came in the second-half of the 80s, Barfield posting back-to-back seasons of at least seven fWAR with a wRC+ over 140 in 1985 and 1986 as part of Toronto’s star-studded outfield alongside George Bell and Lloyd Moseby. Between 1985 and 1990, Barfield ranked seventh in MLB with 30.8 fWAR and eighth with 161 home runs.
By 1987, Barfield’s $1,525,000 salary made him the highest-paid position player in Blue Jays history at the time, and he was further rewarded with a three-year, $4.2 million deal at the end of the year. However, around this time the left wrist that Barfield had broken playing high school basketball was beginning to flare up, his production tailing off in his final year-and-a-half with the Blue Jays as the days out injured started to pile up. It was also around this time that George Steinbrenner was launching a full court press to expel Dave Winfield from the team, the Yankees owner attempting and failing to trade Winfield for Barfield in 1988.
Steinbrenner wouldn’t be denied his man for long, eventually acquiring Barfield from Toronto in exchange for pitching prospect Al Leiter on April 30, 1989. He missed time to a concussion at the start of his Yankees career but rebounded in the second half providing some much-needed cover in the lineup for Don Mattingly with Winfield out for the year after undergoing back surgery. Barfield recorded ten outfield assists in a 21-game span, finishing the year with a .234/.345/.415 triple slash line, 23 home runs, 67 RBIs, a 116 wRC+, and 4.1 fWAR in 150 games between Toronto and New York. This performance convinced the Yankees to extend him on a three-year contract worth $5.7 million.
1990 rolled around and despite Winfield’s return to health, Steinbrenner aimed a thinly-veiled dig at the future Hall of Famer, calling Barfield, “the best right fielder we’ve ever had.” Barfield continued to man Winfield’s normal position in right, Winfield relegated to DH and left field until he was traded to the Angels on May 11th. On April 26th of that season, Barfield hit his 199th and 200th home runs off Randy Johnson at Yankee Stadium. Despite all the turmoil surrounding the team — Steinbrenner would be suspended for hiring a criminal to dig up dirt on Winfield as his team set a franchise record for the most losses (95) in a season — Barfield led the team with 25 home runs and 78 RBIs, slashing .246/.359/.456 with a 128 wRC+ and 4.6 fWAR in 153 games.
Steinbrenner’s tenure was characterized by the combative interactions he had with his players and managers, but Barfield was one of the few players to stay in the owner’s good graces despite frequently finishing among the league leaders in strikeouts in an era when strikeouts were far less common or accepted as today. Barfield convinced Steinbrenner to move in the left field fences by ten feet to boost his and his teammates’ offensive numbers, though the promise went unfulfilled after Steinbrenner failed to add certain pitchers he was pursuing. Steinbrenner also sent Barfield a bottle of champagne in the clubhouse following the two-homer game against the Mariners.
“I think George should definitely be in the Hall of Fame, for changing the face of baseball. He always was very good for me and to me. He treated me with a lot of respect and I’ll never forget that.”
Despite a strong start to the 1991 season, Barfield’s body was beginning to betray him. A stress fracture in his left foot limited him to 84 games that season. The following year, Barfield dislocated a bone in his left wrist after slipping in a sauna and ended up requiring a radical procedure in August that left doctors unsure whether he would ever play baseball again. He appeared in just 114 games across his final two seasons with the Yankees, slashing .203/.286/.391 with 19 home runs, 55 RBIs, an 83 wRC+ and 1.0 fWAR. He signed with NPB’s Yomiuri Giants in 1993 where he became teammates with a certain rookie named Hideki Matsui, and after a failed attempt to return to MLB with the Astros where he was released before Opening Day in 1994, Barfield called curtains on a 12-year big league career.
Barfield made the playoffs just once in his career, losing to the Royals in the 1985 ALCS while still with the Blue Jays. He had the misfortune of joining the Yankees during one of the most fallow periods in the franchise’s history and as such was likely never appreciated as much as he deserved (not helped by the fact that he effectively replaced Winfield on the roster). The Yankees teams he played for never finished higher than fifth in the division, ending with a losing record in all four of his seasons in pinstripes. The swift accumulation of injuries at the end meant he just missed out on the next era of Yankees dominance. However, there is no doubt that he was one of the most fearsome players of his era with the bat and in the field.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 08: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers passes around Onyeka Okongwu #17 of the Atlanta Hawks during the third quarter at Rocket Arena on April 08, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Hawks 122-116. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Both the Cavs and Hawks will be playing on the second end of back-to-backs. Cleveland won their game on Wednesday over the Washington Wizards thanks to five threes from Evan Mobley and a strong performance on both sides of the court in the second half. The Hawks, however, are coming off a loss to the Miami Heat, where they were thoroughly dominated in the paint.
The Cavs have struggled in Atlanta in recent seasons. They have lost their last four games at State Farm Arena, with their most recent win coming in January 2024. We’ll see if the Cavs can change that trend tonight.
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And they may just be getting started. The Brew Crew will have almost everyone from this year's championship squad back in 2027, with one possible exception.
First baseman Jake Bauers, the National League Championship Series MVP in Milwaukee's sweep of the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers, is a free agent this winter. And after a stellar regular season in which he hit .266 with 26 home runs, 86 RBI, 93 runs scored and 11 stolen bases, Bauers is poised to cash in on the free agent market.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy seemed well aware of that fact when Bauers presented him with the ball he caught for the final out in the clinching Game 5 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
"You're gonna be a rich (expletive)," Murphy said (Warning: Explicit language). "Just remember when you're on that horse (expletive) Yankee team and you're all playing for yourselves ... Just remember, this is the way we used to do it."
Bauers may not be among the top 10 potential free agents this offseason, but the class is top-heavy with pitching (Tarik Skubal, Michael King and Freddy Peralta are the headliners), but teams in need of a power bat could certainly use someone with Bauers' skills.
Over his seven-year MLB career Bauers has played for five different teams, including the Rays and the Yankees. But then again, with supporters like Murphy, why would he want to leave Milwaukee?
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The Milwaukee Brewers winning the World Series was the ultimate feel-good ending to the MLB season for anyone who believes that small, close-knit teams can still succeed in an era where big-money organizations dominate free agency and the trade market by throwing cash at every single problem.
Nothing typified that better than Jake Bauers gifting the final out ball to manager Pat Murphy, and having an incredible exchange in what will potentially be Bauers’ final moment in a Milwaukee uniform. Murphy told Bauers “You’re gonna be a rich (expletive). Just remember when you’re on that horse (expletive) Yankee team and you’re all playing for yourselves … just remember this is the way we used to do it.”
Jake Bauers gifted Pat Murphy the final out ball. Murphy thanked him and told him
“You’re gonna be a rich fucker. Just remember when you’re on that horse shit Yankee team and you’re all playing for yourselves….just remember this is way we used to do it”#ThisIsMyCrewpic.twitter.com/LLOeKju4VQ
Bauers signed a one-year, $3.7M deal with the Brewers to play in 2026, and will be a free agent this winter. There is going to be no shortage of suitors for him, especially after an incredible season that saw him bat .266 for 28 home runs and 86 RBI. Murphy is referring less specifically to the Yankees and more using them as shorthand for any of the big-spending clubs in baseball, which he believes emphasizes individual play over the power of a team. Invoking the Yankees is also a callback to Bauers’ history in baseball when he played with the Yankees in 2023 on a mediocre 82-80 team that missed the postseason.
There has never been a more meaningful season for a small-market, lower spending team to win the World Series. Another championship year from the Dodgers or a team in their ilk would have given owners ammunition to push for a salary cap in baseball, which would directly damage the earnings of players, while owners got more wealthy. The Brewers win turns back that doomsday clock a couple of hours, by proving that baseball still needs an entire team to win, rather than a collection of talented individuals.
It might not have been the most media-friendly way of making his point, with live camera picking up Murphy’s colorful language — but goodness, was this an incredible moment between a player who is destined to leave, and the manager who loved coaching him.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 28: Tre Jones #30 of the Chicago Bulls reacts to a call during the second half against the New York Knicks at the United Center on October 28, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. 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 Jessie Alcheh/Getty Images) | Getty Images
All of a sudden, the Knicks look scary.
Who would have thought after they won the championship four months ago lost three in a row!?
Here’s the latest as the guys rest up for their NBA Cup title-defending debut on Friday.
Mike Brown on Chicago comeback: "Gotta take my hat off to our guys, they found a way to get it done…Our bench was fantastic…Landry 4-7 three…huge…Andre Drummond 11 rebounds 15 mins…Tyler hit 3 big threes…9 assists 18 mins, 0 TOs…just a ball mover…And our DPOG Jordan… pic.twitter.com/JtgeaKZBSD
On why Mo Diawara and Pacome Dadiet haven’t played this season:
“It’s tough because going into the season early on, one of [the] things I wanted to experiment with is playing 10 or 10 ½ guys [as my rotation]. And Mo is in that mix. Mo and Pac. Give them different opportunities at different times. And we experimented with different stuff and our players not getting it done caused us to start off a little slow.
“So to get us on track, we’re going to hold the fort down with a veteran group of guys. Hopefully we get to the point sooner than later that I can start throwing those [young] guys out there.”
On continuing to experiment with the Knicks’ bench rotation:
“Our starting five is what it is. But everybody else after that, until we find something that’s working consistently, I’m going to try to give different guys opportunities.”
On Jalen Brunson overcoming his shooting struggles against Chicago:
“I wasn’t worried about that. He just seems like he always finds a way. And tonight we needed every single one of those. It definitely wasn’t a concern of mine.”
On the Knicks looking sluggish after arriving in Chicago at 2:30 a.m.:
“It was just a late game [Tuesday night]. I acknowledged that to our guys. It’s not an excuse. It’s the life of the NBA. So we have to find a way in situations like this, and our guys found a way. But you could tell we looked really, really sluggish.”
On Brunson’s determination, toughness and MVP-caliber ability:
“His will is unbelievable. His determination, man, it’s second to none. You look at this guy and he’s not 6-7, he’s not athletic, he’s not quick. I mean, you can go down the line in natural physical tools that a lot of guys have, but his determination, his spirit, his competitive spirit, his will, his toughness, especially his mental toughness, but his physical toughness, too, added with his skill set, it makes him an unbelievable basketball player. An MVP-caliber basketball player. I hope he gets recognition for that this year because his will is off the charts.”
On benching Mikal Bridges and using Tyler Kolek alongside Brunson on Wednesday:
“We just found a combination we went with. One of the things [assistant coach] Rick Brunson suggested was throwing Kolek in the game with Jalen. Just to give them a different look and get Jalen off the ball and put Tyler on the floor.
“Doing that, playing Jordan Clarkson extended minutes, Landry was playing well. Now there’s not much room. And the combination we had out there, we kept playing well. It was harder to go back to what we started with.”
On Karl-Anthony Towns continuing to shoot after injuring his left hand and wrist:
“He was still shooting that thang from 30 feet. So the wrist looked good to me.”
On whether the Knicks are generating good shots despite their early shooting struggles:
“The biggest thing is: are we getting good shots from the right people? Watching the film and watching the game, I think we are. We’ve had some pretty good looks from the right people at the right time that normally go in so I want them to keep shooting.”
On what Tyler Kolek needs to improve as the Knicks’ backup point guard:
“He’s gotta run the team. What I mean by that is, when you watch our games, when he goes on the floor, people get up into his chest when he’s trying to run our offense. He can’t get off the ball too early, if it’s just one guy. He’s gotta be able to go by that guy and get the guy off-balance and bring it back out and set our offense up and/or get by and make a play in the paint. He can’t let pressure bother him or disrupt our offense at all.
“And then defensively, he’s gotta be a pest. He’s gotta be nasty, not anything illegal or anything like that, just a guy that people wanna say ‘get off me, get off me,’ because he’s more than capable of doing that. He’s gotta play with some sort of force, particularly for his size.”
On the Knicks’ bench contributions in their comeback victory over Chicago:
“We got a lot of contributions from all across the board. I thought our bench was fantastic. Landry came off the bench and had 14 points, 4-for-7 from the three-point line was huge. Andre Drummond came off the bench and had 11 rebounds in 15 minutes. That was huge. Tyler hit three big threes, nine assists in 18 minutes. Zero turnovers; he’s just a ball mover. That was huge.
“And obviously our defensive player of the game, Jordan Clarkson. He was big for us. He had been on the shelf for a while. Not only was he big for us offensively, but he had two big steals for us during our run. Our bench was very good for us tonight.”
On overcoming his shooting slump and rediscovering his rhythm against the Bulls:
“I was happy to be able to kind of finally get over that hump. I feel like I was putting a lot of unnecessary commentary in my head. But seeing the ball go in the way it did, it put me out of my mental state and put me in a good flow state.”
On how he broke out of the slump:
“I switched a couple of things up.”
On his relationship with Derrick Rose and Rose’s son, P.J.:
“It’s crazy to see how old he is now. I’m thankful for the relationship I have with him and his family. I feel like the feeling is mutual. I’m happy to have (Derrick) as a mentor and someone I can talk to, and someone I look up to, as well.”
On his memories of growing up around Chicago basketball and attending Bulls games:
“So many memories. I remember the Eastern Conference finals with Derrick, when they lost to LeBron, and going to all of those games. I met Kobe here. I met countless players here. Just how loud the United Center was — it’s always going to be loud no matter the situation. So many memories. I remember exactly where I used to sit and everything. It was perfect.”
On remembering the late Stacey King and his support during Brunson’s high school years:
“I just want to say RIP to Stacey King, who we lost recently. He’s a person I knew when I was in high school out here. He supported our team a lot. His kids went to Stevenson.”
On the source of Josh Hart’s seemingly endless energy:
“Sugar.”
"We have a lot of confidence What we've built as a team Jalen at the end of games Knowing he's gonna make shots And then everybody else Doing the small things Just competing to win"
On the Knicks’ confidence in Jalen Brunson during clutch situations:
“We have a lot of confidence. What we’ve built as a team, Jalen (Brunson) at the end of games, knowing that he’s going to make shots. Then, everybody else doing the small things. We’re just competing to win.”
"Jalen Brunson cold. I been through that though. And then KAT is just––he's huge, he's huge, he just makes the right decision, can shoot, trail threes, just plays the basketball really well. Honestly they're just a good team. OG's really good too, really physical, hard to go… pic.twitter.com/Gq2p2CiwgT
On Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby after facing the Knicks:
“Jalen Brunson cold. Then KAT is just––he’s huge, he’s huge, he just makes the right decision, can shoot, trail threes, just plays the basketball really well. Honestly, they’re just a good team. OG’s really good too, really physical, hard to go against, hard to score against, they just have a really well-rounded team.”
On Jordan Clarkson’s performance:
“Even Jordan Clarkson came the bench and finished it. He played really well.”
On facing the Knicks again in a few days:
“We get to play them again next week at their place. We’ll learn from this and hopefully we can go out there and get a win.”
Playing with Brunson: "We played together last year stretches, great guy to play off…Obv 2 smaller guards so I have to compete on D but I'm willing to do anything"
Clutch: We're a veteran group…ECF, Finals…tight game, we're gonna get it done" pic.twitter.com/wBTDPKwbq2
On reports that James Dolan is unhappy with Knicks players over a potential White House visit:
“People have been a little bit stressed because the owner, James Dolan, has an attitude with players because they don’t want to go to the White House.”
On his opinion of Dolan and the reported disagreement:
“I don’t know whether this is true or not, but I’ll believe anything when it comes to James Dolan because he is a walking embodiment of petulance. This man is as petty as they come.”
Boston, MA - September 24: Boston Red Sox pitcher Raymond Burgos reacts after third baseman Caleb Durbin calls him off a fly ball in the eighth inning. The Boston Red Sox played the Cleveland Guardians at Fenway Park on September 24, 2026. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
As we embark on an offseason that will become known for its dearth of activity in the dead of winter, the Red Sox actually have some pretty big decisions to make right off the bat. The first of which involves them needing to get their 40-man roster back down to 40 men.
Why is it not at 40 men right now? Well, due to a combination of a rough battle with the injury bug all season, quirky MLB roster rules, and a surprising lack Boston free agents free agents, the Red Sox have an overflow problem. For those unaware, guys placed on the 60-day IL do not count towards a 40-man roster spot. This means that while baseball is being played, teams can have significantly more than 40 guys on their 40 man roster.
The Red Sox took full advantage of this all summer long as injuries piled up, and as of right now, they technically have 47 guys on the roster. However, five days after the World Series ends, the 60-day IL disappears and those on it need to return to the 40-man roster.
Normally, this isn’t a problem because impending free agents also leave the 40-man roster five days after the conclusion of the World Series. However, in Boston’s case, they have only three free agents: Sonny Gray, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Patrick Sandoval. Compare that with the following seven guys all set to come off the 60-day IL:
Tristian Casas
Kutter Crawford
Zack Kelly
Johan Oviedo
Eduardo Rivera
Justin Slaten
Eli White
So now, the Sox have some big decisions to make. Four guys need to be removed from this roster by the middle of next week (a total of seven, but we know three will be the free agents), and the obvious question becomes “who are they?”
To supplement the discussion here, I’ll provide this link to the wonderful folks at Sox Prospects, who keep an excellent 40-man roster page. There’s a few obvious contenders (Eduardo Rivera and Raymond Burgos are the highest on my list), but the actual decision here is complex, as it will partially come down to who the Sox think they might be able to sneak back into their minor league system when all the dust settles.
Either way, this is the first real decision of the offseason, and this thread is a good place to kick off the discussion of who we all think should, and who we all think will be off the 40-man by this time next week. As always, keep it civil, and be good to one another!
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 28: The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate with Trevor Megill #29 after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field on October 28, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Brewers won the World Series. May it be so for us someday.
Now, we wait to see what happens in free agency and trades before baseball shuts down for an indeterminate amount of time due to an owner-imposed lockout on December 1st.
Free agents can now negotiate with their current teams and then on November 2nd, open free agency Begins. The deadline to tender arbitration-eligible players is November 20th, and the deadline to put Rule-5 -eligible players on the roster is November 17th. Generally speaking, teams treat a Rule-5 draft as if it will happen while knowing a lockout makes it unlikely.
So, there you have it. We’ll have some baseball news for the next 32 days… and then just lockout posturing for about 5 months, before a deal is inevitably struck. That’s my prediction.
