Worldwide Sports News

Instead of a question, today, we have an open thread to let out all your complaints about the Jays, or about the MLB if you want. (I’ll admit these topics aren’t my choosing, it’s an SB Nation thing).

Hmmm vent….

Well, I would have liked them to sign Bo, but I can’t blame them for not matching what the Mets offered, so that’s not really a rant. I mean, they could have worked harder to make a deal before he reached free agency, but then it takes two. And I wouldn’t have wanted them to go 14 years as they did with Vlad.

I thought the club would sign a closer, but they improved the bullpen. Edwin Diaz would have been nice, still I wouldn’t have tried to beat the Dodgers 3-year, $69 million deal.

I guess I will vent a bunch if MLB forces a stoppage next year.

I am happy that the club is replacing the stupid statue of Ed Rogers with a Joe Carter statue. It is hard to believe how tone-deaf Rogers Corp was in putting up that statue of Rogers in the first place, but someone has finally talked sense into them.

The beer at the park costs too much. There is something I could vent about.

Ok…..you get to vent…

Not that Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman make a bad double play combo to anchor your infield, but didn’t the A’s go into the off-season with different goals than their current outcomes? What is the method behind the madness?

The A’s off-season shopping list started with the rotation, where the team was statistically among the worst in MLB last season. Terrible production at 2B and 3B was also noted and the team was without a closer following the Mason Miller trade.

So what has the off-season brought so far? Need a SP? Well…….the most we can say about that is “Hey, pitchers and catchers haven’t reported yet…” Need a closer? The bullpen additions have been Mark Leiter Jr., a solid under the radar set up man and now Scott Barlow, he of the many walks, many strikeouts, and ERA consistently around 4.00. 3B and 2B? Meet Jeff McNeil and … Andy Ibañez, more of a utility infielder pick up than anything.

So as it stands, we hit February 7th with the rotation still looking like Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs, Jacob Lopez, Luis Morales, and perhaps Jack Perkins backed by several talented but unproven youngsters. The bullpen has gotten deeper but not demonstrably more dominant in any way. 3B still appears to belong to Max Muncy backed by Brett Harris now backed by Andy Ibañez with Darell Hernaiz potentially in the mix.

In other words, other than at 2B not all that different from how we left off in 2025. Now the good news is that the A’s weren’t necessarily a “76-86 team” in 2025 even though that was their record. The roster which finished the season went 34-24 over the last 60 games, good for a .567 winning percentage also known as a 92 win pace. Just look around the inexplicable 1-20 stretch and you see a team that was 9 games over .500 for the year.

But still, some key upgrades were identified as needed and as Super Bowl Sunday approaches with Valentine’s Day not far behind, the moves are … guys like Ibañez and Barlow. Why?

Reason # The First One: Opportunity

The meme is proving to be a reality: luring pitchers to a AAA facility that proved to be a launching pad in 2025 is nigh impossible. Pitchers who have multiple options and desirability simply are going to be hard pressed to select Sacramento no matter how lovable our team is. Offers have undoubtedly been made, and rejected, by starting pitchers we would have been glad to see added.

Reason # The Second One: The Best Moves

The cliche is also a reality: sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make. The A’s best avenue for bolstering the rotation probably comes from the trade market and you can be sure David Forst has had umpteen conversations around available pitchers.

The issue becomes what other teams want in return for a starting pitcher worthy of slotting into the middle of a rotation. These are highly valuable commodities in what has been an extreme seller’s market — nearly every team identified adding starting pitching as a priority this off-season.

What that means is that teams offering pitching are looking more for a Tyler Soderstrom in return than a Colby Thomas, more for a Gage Jump prospect than a Mason Barnett. The A’s may have wisely “stayed the course” by not making these key players and prospects available just to try to improve the rotation for 2026.

Reason # The Third One: It Ain’t Over ‘Till It’s Over

My Aunt Bertha has yet to sing (and that’s always a good thing) and out of necessity to some degree, the A’s might be “waiting out the market” hoping a quality player will sign who wasn’t willing to before. Pitchers and catchers may be reporting next week, but pitchers like Chris Bassitt and Justin Verlander have nowhere to report to. With each passing day, the possibility that a pitcher who said “no” before now sees Sacramento as viable becomes greater. Many of the best SP have come off the market, of course, but several quality arms remain and you only need one.

We also don’t know to what extent the A’s are trying to load up for 2026 or whether their sights are more to 2027 or 2028 — in which case their prized SP addition could be Gage Jump or Jamie Arnold, their missing infield Leo De Vries, and so on.

I have felt strongly all along that one way or another, one day or the other, this off-season the A’s are going to add a starting pitcher. I still believe that and still have no idea from where this pitcher will come. But if you want them to report on time, you had better get them on your roster before all the Valentine’s Day candy is sold. It’s almost “show time”…

Former MLBer Terrance Gore has passed away.

Gore died during “what was supposed to have been a simple procedure,” according to a post on social media from his wife, Britney. 

He was 34 years old. 

“Our hearts are shattered, my babies are shattered,” she wrote. “Our whole family is lost. This was so unexpected.”

Gore spent eight seasons in the big leagues, making a name for himself as a baserunning specialist for the Royals during their AL pennant-winning seasons in 2014 and 2015. 

In those two playoff runs, Gore stole four bases in five attempts and scored two runs across 10 appearances, culminating in Kansas City’s 2015 World Series win. 

He played in only 112 games and came to the plate just 85 times during his career, but he made a major impact on the bases, stealing 43 bags out of 52 attempts while often coming into the game in late pinch-run situations. 

Gore was also excellent in the outfield with his blazing speed, posting +6 Outs Above Average in just 188 1/3 regular-season innings in the field.

Drafted by the Royals in the 20th round of the 2011 MLB draft and debuting in 2014, Gore spent the first five seasons of his career in Kansas City.

After coming off the bench for those mid-2010 Royals teams, Gore bounced around the big leagues with stints on the Cubs, Dodgers, Braves and Mets. 

He won two more World Series rings with Los Angeles in 2020 and Atlanta in 2021. 

In 2022, Gore stole three bags for the Amazin’s before retiring after the season. 

The sports world came out in droves after news of his passing broke. 

“We are heartbroken from the loss of Terrance Gore, and send our love to his family and loved ones,” the Royals wrote in a statement on X.

“We join the Gore family and the world of baseball in mourning the passing of Terrance Gore,” the Omaha Storm Chasers, the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate, wrote on social media. “Known for his great speed but even more so for his kindness and joyful smile, Terrance will be remembered as a tremendous teammate and a dedicated family man.”

On Thursday, the Yankees announced the group of 27 players who they are inviting to spring training as non-roster invitees. This cohort of NRIs consists of 13 position players and 14 pitchers, headlined by several of their top prospects in addition to some familiar veteran names. I’ll be taking a look at some of the more notable names on the position player side, while my colleague Nolan introduced you to the pitchers earlier today.

Catchers

Abrahan Gutierrez

The Yankees purchased the contract of Abrahan Gutierrez in the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 Draft from the Pirates. He is a right-handed hitting catcher who slashed .235/.316/.275 with one home run and six RBIs in 32 games between Low-A and Triple-A in 2025.

Payton Henry

Payton Henry signed a minor-league contract with the Yankees back in December after electing free agency from the Phillies’ system. The righty catcher was drafted by the Brewers in the sixth round in 2016 and was traded to the Marlins in 2021 for reliever John Curtiss. He made his MLB debut for Miami in 2021 and got 20 big league appearances between that season and the next, slashing .186/.314/.209 with no home runs, four RBIs, and a 58 wRC+ in 51 plate appearances.

Miguel Palma

The Yankees signed Miguel Palma to a minor-league contract in December after he missed much of the 2025 season to injury in the Astros’ system. He’s another right-handed hitting catcher who played 41 games between Rookie, Double-A, and Triple-A last season, slashing .155/.264/.264 with two home runs, 12 RBIs, and a 51 wRC+ in 148 plate appearances.

Ali Sánchez

Ali Sánchez is the fourth righty catcher the Yankees are inviting to camp, signed as a minor-league free agent after getting DFA’d and released by the Red Sox. The 29-year-old was signed as an international free agent by the Mets in 2013 and has since played for the Cardinals, Marlins, Blue Jays, and Red Sox. In 50 big league appearances across the last six seasons, he has slashed .183/.220/.233 with no home runs, four RBIs, a 24 wRC+, and -0.3 fWAR in 133 plate appearances. Presumably, he would be the emergency third catcher option if any of Austin Wells, J.C. Escarra, or Ben Rice get hurt in camp.

Infielders

Jonathan Ornelas

Jonathan Ornelas joined the Yankees last November on a minor league pact after getting DFA’d and electing free agency from the Braves. He was the Rangers’ third-round selection in the 2018 MLB Draft, and he earned the organization’s 2022 minor league Defender of the Year honors. He made his MLB debut in 2023 and received an 18-game runout in 2024 as an injury replacement for Corey Seager before getting traded to the Braves the following year for cash considerations. In 32 games at the big league level, the righty-hitting shortstop and third baseman slashed .208/.263/.245 with no home runs, three RBIs, a 47 wRC+, and -0.2 fWAR in 58 plate appearances.

George Lombard Jr.

George Lombard Jr. was the Yankees’ first-round selection in the 2023 MLB Draft and is their top-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline at No. 32 overall. The son of former major-league outfielder George Lombard, the 20-year-old shortstop played 132 games between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset in 2025, slashing .235/.367/.381 with 32 doubles, 9 homers, 35 stolen bases, a 15-percent walk rate, 25.2-percent strikeout rate, and a 127 wRC+. He struggled initially at the plate upon his promotion and is unlikely to be called up to the majors in 2026 according to Brian Cashman, though the GM said in the same sentence that his defense was big-league ready. This is his second spring as an NRI after impressing last spring with a pair of home runs in 28 plate appearances.

Paul DeJong

Paul DeJong is a former All-Star shortstop with the Cardinals who is now with his seventh organization. He signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees on January 4th after missing half of the 2025 campaign with a fractured nose and cheekbone, sustained upon getting hit in the face with a 93-mph fastball. He spent the first seven seasons of his career in St. Louis, leading all NL shortstops with 25 home runs in 2017 en route to finishing second in NL Rookie of the Year voting behind Cody Bellinger, and slugged a further 30 in his lone All-Star season in 2019.

However, injuries sapped DeJong’s effectiveness not long after signing a six-year, $26 million extension with St. Louis, and he was subsequently traded to the Blue Jays and picked up off waivers by the Giants before signing a one-year deal with the White Sox, getting traded to the Royals, and finally signing a one-year deal with the Nationals. In 57 games for Washington last year, DeJong slashed .228/.269/.373 with six home runs, a 76 wRC+, and 0.2 fWAR. He seems to profile as infielder injury insurance should someone join Anthony Volpe on the IL to begin 2026.

Zack Short

Zack Short signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees in December after bouncing around the Tigers, Mets, Red Sox, Braves, and Astros. The 30-year-old infielder is primarily a shortstop, though he has logged a fair number of innings at second and third. In 243 big league games, Short has batted .172/.271/.296 with 15 home runs, a 59 wRC+, and -1.5 fWAR. Just to shoot from the hip, he’s probably more likely than DeJong to accept a Triple-A depth role.

Outfielders

Kenedy Corona

Kenedy Corona signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees last December after clearing waivers and electing free agency from the Astros. The 25-year-old righty outfielder signed with the Mets as an international free agent in 2019 and was traded to the Astros for Jake Marisnick at the end of that season. He has just four big league plate appearances to his name, going hitless but drawing a pair of walks for Houston in 2025.

Duke Ellis

Duke Ellis was a surprising late addition to the Yankees’ 2024 ALDS roster despite having made just 11 big league appearances in his career. His speed has always been a threat in the minor leagues, with the 28-year-old outfielder having swiped 180 bags across the lower levels. He’s undoubtedly ticketed for a “Triple-A outfield depth” role (just like last year) unless something weird happens.

Utility

Ernesto Martínez Jr.

Ernesto Martínez Jr. signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees last December after electing free agency from the Brewers’ organization. The 26-year-old lefty is primarily a first baseman and played the entirety of the 2025 season at Triple-A, where he slashed .255/.357/.388 with six home runs and a 104 wRC+ across 80 games and 311 plate appearances. He offers perhaps the most intrigue of the Yankees’ recent minor-league signings to earn a spring training invite given the improvements he has made with drawing walks and limiting strikeouts to go along with the power upside he has flashed over the last three minor league seasons.

Seth Brown

Seth Brown was drafted by the Athletics in the 19th round in 2015, debuted in 2019, and spent the first seven seasons of his career in their organization. His best performances came in 2021 and 2022, when the lefty bat slugged at least 20 home runs and posted above-average production by wRC+ in both seasons, playing 150 games in 2022 with roughly equal reps at first base and in the outfield.

Brown has always graded out poorly as a defender though and is likely a primary DH at this point in his career. He lost his job as a starter in 2025 with the youth movement in Sacramento, and appeared in just 38 games, slashing .185/.303/.262 with one home run, three RBIs, a 64 wRC+. and -0.4 fWAR. If he can get back to some respectability with the bat, he could help, but it will have to be at Triple-A. Brown may take a ticket to Scranton, however, as he did get 161 PA at the level last year, accepting assignments there from the A’s and later the Diamondbacks.

Marco Luciano

Marco Luciano was long one of the prospect darlings in the Giants’ organization after they signed him to a $2.6 million signing bonus as one of the top international prospects in 2018. He was selected to play in the 2021 All-Star Futures Game and was the youngest player in the league as a participant in the 2021 Arizona Fall League. He ascended to become the Giants’ top overall prospect in 2022 and was added to their 40-man roster at the end of the season for Rule 5 protection.

However, Luciano’s development has stalled out after suffering a back stress fracture in the 2022-23 Dominican Winter League. Strikeouts and poor contact rates have always been a major issue at Triple-A and above, with strikeout and whiff rates hovering well above 30 percent between both levels since the start of 2023. He has bounced around quite a bit this winter, getting claimed off waivers and subsequently DFA’d by the Pirates, claimed and DFA’d by the Orioles, and finally claimed and DFA’d by the Yankees, passing through waivers and outrighted to Triple-A. New York will be hoping they can help him reclaim some semblance of that former top prospect pedigree.

Terrance Gore was known as one of the fastest men in baseball. He played in 14 games for the Cubs in 2018, mostly as a pinch-runner, and also appeared in the Wild Card Game that year against the Rockies. He was still in MLB as recently as 2022, with the Mets.

Today, I have sad news to pass along about Gore (Bluesky link):

Here is more from Gore’s wife (Bluesky link).

Here is a steal of second Gore made against the Nationals Sept. 6, 2018 [VIDEO].

In that clip, you can see just how fast Gore was, including some Statcast numbers.

It’s sad when anyone passes away, but age 34 is way, way too young. From all accounts Gore was one of the nicest, kindest people in the game. Sincere condolences to his family, friends, teammates and colleagues in baseball, and fans who enjoyed watching Terrance Gore play.

In our last matchup, we had yet another blowout (not surprising really considering how bad the lower seeds were), with Jose Contreras easily overcoming Ronny Cedeño.

Here’s our next matchup:

4. Jeff Hoffman, 2023

Jeff Hoffman came up with the Rockies in 2016, and as most Colorado pitchers do, he struggled. After a couple of decent seasons in Cincinnati, Hoffman was a free agent and spent 2023 Spring Training with the Blue Jays. They chose not to include him on their Opening Day major league roster, so he returned to free agency. The Phillies signed him to a minor league deal, and he was famously used to pitch to a rehabbing Bryce Harper.

Harper said that Hoffman was really good, so the Phillies added him to the major league roster, and he soon developed into a top setup reliever, making the All-Star team in 2024.

13. Chad Qualls, 2012

Chad Qualls had a lengthy career as an effective reliever. After a solid year with the Padres in 2011, signed him to bolster their middle relief for 2012. (Keep in mind, that the Phillies had gotten used to getting at least seven strong innings from their starting pitchers the year prior, and middle relief wasn’t thought to be an especially demanding job.)

Just like the rest of the 2012 Phillies, Qualls was a major disappointment. He was used as one of their primary setup men to start the season but largely faltered in that role. At the end of June, he had a 4.60 ERA and five blown saves, so the Phillies shipped him off to the Yankees. He was also bad in New York, so the Yankees traded him to the Pirates less than a month later.

Annoyingly, Qualls would rebound to have a good season for the Marlins in 2013.

Who should advance? Vote now!

Looking back at the 2015 season, you can’t help but think of what was probably the greatest Cy Young battle in the modern era, as Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Jake Arrieta delivered a memorable three-way race, with the award going to the Cubs’ ace. Greinke and Kershaw were the heart and soul of that Dodgers pitching staff, with Greinke making a run at the scoreless innings record still held by Orel Hershiser and Kershaw putting up his only 300-strikeout campaign, the first one baseball had seen since Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling both did it in 2002.

Across their tenure as a one-two punch at the top of the Dodgers’ rotation, Kershaw and Greinke had probably their worst supporting cast that year, with them combining to accumulate 16.1 of the 18.1 bWAR the Dodgers staff had as a whole. Those two and the Dodgers’ staff as a whole met their match in an exciting five-game NLDS against the young and exciting Mets, but in Game 4, Kershaw reminded everyone who was the best in the business.

The upside of having two so dominant arms, particularly in the NLDS, was that if you showed the willingness to pitch one of them on short rest, you could have the two covering four out of the five starts of the series — that’s exactly what the Dodgers did. Finding themselves with their backs against the wall, trailing the series 2-1 and on the road, the Dodgers sent out Kershaw to start Game 4 in Queens, hoping to stay alive to give Greinke the ball back home.

A notorious Met killer in his career, Kershaw had fond memories of his last visit to New York, previously throwing a complete-game shutout against the Mets in 2015—part of an incredible run of form that saw him throw four straight scoreless appearances of eight innings or more. On the flip side, he had just been outdueled by Jacob deGrom in game 1 of this series, putting the Dodgers in this position of a must-win game just to stay alive. Kershaw’s Game 1 line was solid, as the sole blemish on his record through six frames had been a solo shot to Daniel Murphy. After a walk to Curtis Granderson loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh, his third walk of that frame, Pedro Báez replaced him only to give up a couple of runs in what turned out to be a 3-1 loss with deGrom dominating on the other side of it.

While the individual numbers and the subsequent loss were disappointing, Kershaw did pitch well that night, including securing 11 strikeouts, and with a little more efficiency, he’d be able to limit a Mets offense riding on the backs of a Daniel Murphy’s hot stretch that did go down in Mets history. More importantly, he faced Steven Matz in Game 4 and not deGrom, who alongside Kershaw became the first duo of starters to both strike out 11 or more batters in a postseason game.

If we can point to Báez, perhaps letting Kershaw down by allowing those two pivotal insurance runs to score in Game 1, for as dominant as Kershaw was on short rest in Game 4, the outlook might’ve been completely different if not for Justin Turner. The Dodgers’ starting third baseman not only got one of the biggest hits of the game in a 3-1 win, with a double that drove in two, but the final out came on a terrific defensive play from him. Wilmer Flores was up with one on and two out in the seventh, and grounded one to third base that was headed down the line if not for a terrific diving stop from Turner.

The storylines are written, and then the narrative gets put in to fit whatever happens. This opportunity for the Mets came about in large part because Kershaw mishandled what would’ve inevitably been a tough play to throw out Cespedes on a squibbler towards third. Had the Mets seized this chance, the idea that that play had rattled Kershaw would’ve been in everyone’s minds, true or otherwise, but it didn’t happen. Kershaw got Travis d’Arnaud and Lucas Duda before Turner helped him out with Flores, as we saw above.

Much like in Game 1, Murphy was the biggest problem for Kershaw, as the Mets’ second baseman, previously not known for his power output, was that October hitting like Chase Utley in the 2009 World Series. The Mets’ only run off Kershaw came on a Murphy solo blast in the fourth, turning on a high-heater that caught too much of the plate.

Murphy alone couldn’t beat Kershaw, who managed to keep Yoenis Cespedes and other dangerous Mets hitters quiet throughout the evening.

Already then, dealing with questions about his postseason performances, coming into that game having lost his last five postseason starts, four of them against the Cardinals, Kershaw completed seven magnificent frames on three days of rest, a little shy of 100 pitches. History doesn’t remember that performance too much because the Dodgers went on to lose Game 5 at home in a brutal fashion, but that doesn’t erase what was done—even back then, performances of that caliber on short rest had long stopped being a regular occurrence, further enhancing the magnitude of this accomplishment.

In fact, Kershaw’s ability and confidence to start on short rest played a role in the decision to have him start Game 1 over Zack Greinke, as the possibility of a short-rest start was acknowledged right from the get-go. One could argue that Kershaw would’ve started Game 1 regardless, as both he and Greinke put up massive seasons; that differentiator between the two certainly helped make the decision easier.

Terrance Gore, the fleet-footed outfielder and pinch-running specialist who appeared in the 2021 post-season with the Atlanta Braves, has passed away at age 34.

Gore, a native of Macon, Ga., passed away unexpectedly due to complications from a procedure, according to reports. He appeared in parts of eight MLB seasons from 2014 through 2022 – appearing in 112 games but stepped to the plate only 85 ties. He did steal 43 bases during his career, and became notorious for his inclusion on post-season rosters due to his base-running abilities.

He was a member of the Braves World Series-winning team in 2021, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 2020 World Series championship squad, as well as the Kansas City Royals 2015 World Series championship team and the 2014 Royals team that reached the World Series.

He also appeared in the post-season with the Chicago Cubs and New York Mets.

Gore stole five bases in the post-season across 11 games but took only two plate appearances, both with the Cubs in 2018.

He did not appear with the Braves in the 2021 regular season – spending most of the season at Triple-A Gwinnett – but pinch-ran in the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers, marking his only big-league appearance with the Braves.

Keep his family – including his wife and young children – in your thoughts.