Los Angeles, CA - January 31: Los Angeles Dodgers fans take photos of Shohei Ohtani while he speaks the press during Dodgerfest at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Here are a few more Dodgers-related stories for your Saturday morning.
Baseball historian Adam Darowski is part of the design team at Sports Reference. On Wednesday he offered this historical nugget about a 1940s Dodgers target for integration before Jackie Robinson — Silvio Garcia. Darowski also chronicled Garcia’s nearly three-decade playing career that included both playing shortstop and pitching.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - MARCH 31, 2025: Mike Elias Executive vice president and General Manager for the Baltimore Orioles talks with Jim Palmer prior to a game against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park on March 31, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Good morning Birdland,
Spring training starts in just a few days, and there is work to be done on the Orioles roster. They need bullpen improvements. They might still be in search of a starting pitcher. And odds are that Mike Elias makes a few more waiver claims because why not.
The trio of Zac Gallen, Justin Verlander, and Lucas Giolito are the guys that most people in the fanbase are holding out hope for at this point. Gallen has the most upside, but perhaps the most risk as well. He will certainly be the most expensive, including a draft pick. Verlander and Giolito have less of a chance to raise the ceiling for the Orioles, but they would solidify things, and that has value.
What’s unclear is how another signing will impact the Orioles in-season maneuvering. If the Orioles are in the playoff mix, we should expect Elias to make some trade deadline additions. Since they haven’t added a “frontline” starter in the offseason, that would likely be their top priority come July. Those sorts of players are expensive, both in terms of prospects and salary. The front office will want to leave some space to add.
According to the latest report from MLB Trade Rumors, the Orioles are at a luxury tax number of $189 million. That is $10 million higher than where they ended the 2025 season, but that was after they had sold off a bunch of players. And it’s not as if they are anywhere close to the luxury tax penalties. Those don’t kick in until $244 million. David Rubenstein said at Pete Alonso’s introductory press conference in December that there was no firm budget for assembling the roster. So, in theory, there is plenty of room to spend.
At the moment, there is no one to spend that money on that makes sense and will make the 2026 Orioles better. That will need to wait until the summer at the earliest.
Unless the Orioles are cooking up another player extension? But even that wouldn’t really impact the 2026 luxury tax number anyway. We can dream.
Cardinals Claim Bryan Ramos | MLB Trade Rumors It seems the Orioles wanted to get at least one of Wilson or Ramos through waivers to keep them in the organization. It worked with Wilson. Right now he seems ticketed for Triple-A Norfolk. Ramos will head to St. Louis for now, but he could always end up back with the Orioles. We know Elias keeps a close eye on the waiver wire.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Scott Feldman turns 43 today. He, along with Steve Clevenger, was the return the Orioles got from the Cubs when trading away Jake Arrieta (and Pedro Strop). Feldman had a 4.27 ERA over 15 starts for the Orioles in 2013. Arrieta was…better.
Jon Leicester celebrates his 47th birthday. He pitched in 10 games for the 2007 Orioles.
Dave Borkowski turns 49. He had a 17-game stint with the Orioles during the 2004 campaign.
Benny Ayala is 75. His stay with the Orioles went from 1979 through ‘84. During that time he appeared in two World Series, including a key pinch-hit single in Game 3 of the ‘83 Series.
The late Al Smith (b. 1928, d. 2002) was born on this day. He spent one season in Baltimore, 1963. He posted a 111 OPS+ with 10 home runs that year.
This day in O’s history
2012 – The KBO files a protest against the Orioles for their signing of 17-year-old pitcher Seong-min Kim. The protest alleges that the O’s failed to inform the KBO of its negotiations with Kim, which they are required to do. In the days to come, MLB will void Kim’s contract to maintain a positive relationship with Korea and the KBO.
Vince Velasquez is the latest MiLB signing for our Cubs, it has been reported. This is in addition to Owen Miller, who has officially adorned the dotted line. The Cubs are filling up around the edges.
I used to love Javy Báez. I still do, but I used to, too. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has filled Boston’s infield hole and so it is more likely that Matt Shaw will remain with the Cubs, at least for now.
Former Cub Michael Hermosillo has joined the Dodgers as a coach, sources reveal. Ryan Brasier is rumored to be heading to Texas. Zac Gallen is said by many to still be on the table. Others say it’s just his agent operating.
And so it goes.
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CANADA - AUGUST 05: Ruffled feathers. Jays Damaso Garcia; above; and Cliff Johnson ruffled each others feathers last night. Garcia suggested big Cliff move his butt out of the batting cage and plop it on the dogout bench; where it belonged. but johnson didn't warm to the advice. So; push came to shove. (Photo by David Cooper/Toronto Star via Getty Images) | Toronto Star via Getty Images
February 7th is a day that doesn’t have much history for birthdays with the Yankees’ organization. In fact, only three players born on that day have ever worn the pinstripes: combining for, essentially, one full season of MLB at-bats between them.
There’s Frank Leja, who had seven combined at-bats with the Yankees from 1954-55 due to “bonus baby” rules at the time holding him back from the minors, beginning and ending his tenure with the team before his 20th birthday. He only managed a small stint with the Los Angeles Angels in 1962, long afterwards. The other player is another player who debuted exceptionally early with the Yankees, but one whose story is (hopefully) not close to complete in former super prospect Jasson Domínguez.
But while Domínguez has the most at-bats of the three, the third player is someone who managed to thrive outside the Bronx, where he got limited at-bats early before putting together an admirable career. That man is the late Dámaso García.
Dámaso Domingo García Born: February 7, 1957 (Moca, Dominican Republic) Died: April 15, 2020 (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) Yankees Tenure: 1978-79
García’s path to baseball is an interesting story in it of itself. He started out playing soccer, captaining not only his university team in the Dominican Republic at age 17, but also the national team at the 1974 Central American and Caribbean Games in 1974. The host nation went just 1-3 in the group stage, being eliminated, but García scored the opening goal of the tournament against Bermuda.
Soccer had been part of García’s life since he was seven, but he would have a different calling. Epy Guerrero, a scout for the Yankees at the time, was able to get García to join the organization in 1975 despite limited baseball experience. His bat was understandably inconsistent in the minors given his relative inexperience—he would hit for a good average but post-OPS’s below .700 up the ladder—but he made his way to the majors in 1978 after hitting .268 with 22 stolen bases for Triple-A Tacoma. García debuted for the eventual World Series champions on June 24th as an eighth-inning defensive replacement.
#OTD 50 years ago, the New York Yankees signed infielder Damaso Garcia as an amateur free agent.
When mainstay Willie Randolph went down with an injury, García was promoted and presented with an opportunity to show the big-league club what he was about. For the next three weeks, the 21-year-old got a majority of reps at second base, usually being pulled late in games for a pinch-hitter. García struggled, slashing just .195/.227/.195 in 44 plate appearances before being demoted in mid-July and spending the rest of ’78 in Tacoma as the Yankees went back-to-back in the World Series.
Back in Triple-A to start the ’79 campaign (but in Columbus this time!), García played just 34 games and struggled, not making it back to the majors until September due to Randolph’s stranglehold on second base. He was again unimpressive, hitting .263 but with no walks and one extra base hit in 38 plate appearances in 11 games. The signs were there that he was soon to be traded, as he was primarily used at shortstop instead of his natural position.
— Harry Harish sports and more memories (@HarryHaris48861) April 4, 2024
The trade finally did come in the offseason, as the Yankees sent García along with old playoff hero Chris Chambliss and lefty Paul Mirabella to the Toronto Blue Jays on November 1st in exchange for a package of Rick Cerone, Tom Underwood, and Ted Wilborn. Cerone was the man who the Yankees really had their eye on in this trade since they believed that he could help fortify the catching position as they tried shake off the shock of losing Thurman Munson to tragedy. Cerone would get down-ballot MVP votes in an AL East-winning season in 1980, but his bat fell off a cliff after that. Underwood would be a solid starting pitcher for the Yanks for a year and a half, and Wilborn barely played in pinstripes.
Despite García’s impending breakout, the Yankees really had nowhere for him to play. Randolph would be a mainstay for another decade at second base, Bucky Dent would last through ’82 and was a folk hero at shortstop, and Graig Nettles, while in his mid-30s, continued to give the Yankees good at-bats at third base for another few seasons. If García played, say, left field or first base, maybe they would have regretted it more.
García became a full-time starter in Toronto in 1980, coming fourth in AL Rookie of the Year voting after hitting .278 with an 81 OPS+. A broken wrist and a bout with the flu derailed his ’81 campaign, but he returned in ’82 to get down-ballot MVP votes and his first and only Silver Slugger, hitting .310 with 54 stolen bases, accruing a career-high 4.6 rWAR. García once again eclipsed the .300 mark in ’82, but didn’t earn any accolades.
García’s reputation as a great bat-to-ball second baseman finally earned him the All-Star nods in ’84 and ’85 that had eluded him, despite posting worse statistical seasons than he did in ’82 and ’83. He finally got his crack at the postseason in 1985, when the Blue Jays won 99 games and their first AL East crown by two games over García’s old Yankees.
The Jays took a 3-1 series lead on the Kansas City Royals, but saw their World Series hopes go up in flames with three consecutive defeats to the eventual World Series champions. García’s lone RBI in the series came in a 6-2 defeat in Game 7, but he notched a pair of doubles in Game 3 and one in Game 4 in what was an acceptable performance for him in his one and only playoff appearance.
After being Toronto’s leadoff hitter for a half-decade, García was moved down the lineup card in 1986 in what would be a season of drama for the now-29-year-old, who burned his jersey in mid-May due to a brutal slump and got into clubhouse altercations by August, torching his relationship with the franchise he broke out with. He was traded to Atlanta in the offseason, but missed all of 1987 with a knee injury.
García returned in 1988, but was a shell of himself. His career was over by ’89, playing out the string with the Braves and Montreal Expos. He tried to cling to what was left of his career by joining the Yankees for spring training in of 1990, but was cut before Opening Day.
After García retired, he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 1991 that was supposed to take his life within six months, limiting his motor skills. He defied the odds and recovered in time to throw out the first pitch at a playoff game for the Blue Jays in ’92—prior to Toronto’s eagerly-awaited maiden voyage in the Fall Classic—before slipping away into retirement. García was certainly touched by the moment.
“I couldn’t believe it,” the 35-year-old García told the Toronto Star when he was asked to throw out the first pitch. “I can’t describe the feeling. I thought it was a joke at first. It’s such a nice honor.”
Sadly, García did pass away from cancer just a few years ago, in April 2020. He was 63. We send our best to his friends and family on this more happy anniversary and hope they take comfort in the memories he provided all those years.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 25: A general view of Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 25, 2023 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Alright, we did it! Baseball starts on Thursday!
If you’re anything like me, you’ve been eagerly awaiting the start of spring training to see how the 2026 Rockies will shape up. But in the meantime, it’s been an incredibly busy week on Purple Row, and here’s what our staff (and a few guests) had to say:
Which storylines are you most interested in watching during spring training? Who do you think is a sleeper to make the Opening Day roster? Let us know in the comments!
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 27: A view of the San Francisco Giants Clubhouse Store before a MLB game between the San Francisco Giants and the Chicago Cubs on August 27, 2025 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
As we approach Spring Training and the beginning of the season, we’re going to be doing some questions for y’all about your thoughts about the San Francisco Giants and baseball in general!
Today, we have less of a question and more of a prompt: What grievances do you have with the team going into the 2026 season?
That’s right, it’s a vent-thread. The people have grievances and we want to hear them. Anything from the on-field performance expectations and ownership priorities, down to sections of the ballpark that have cruddy views and food you want to see at Oracle Park.
As a semi-professional airer of grievances, I get the opportunity to complain on a near-daily basis and force you all to hear about it. So now it’s your turn!
What grievances do you have with the team going into the 2026 season?
DALLAS, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 5: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks dunks the ball during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center on February 5, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. 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 Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’ve gotten a few crank e-mails lately from people who are saying stuff like we’re only talking about Cooper Flagg because he’s white or something along those lines, which is obviously ridiculous.
Take his last four games. Here’s what he’s done:
Points – 49, 34, 36, 32
Rebounds – 10, 12, 9, 6
Assists – 3 5, 6, 4
Blocks – 1, 1, 2, 3
Three point shots – 8-18 (44%)
Overall shots – 59-105 (56.1%)
Did we mention he’s 19?
Overall, Flagg is averaging 20.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 4.2 apg. He’s currently, at a minimum the co-leader for Rookie of the Year and is generally considered a Top 25 NBA player.
But if that isn’t enough to convince you, take the actions of the Dallas Mavericks, who recently traded away Anthony Davis, thus committing to building around a 19-year-old rookie.
That’s an amazing statement of belief. It may take longer for some people, but clearly, the Mavericks get it.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 6: Ayo Dosunmu #13 of the Minnesota Timberwolves talks to the media during media availability on February 6, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Every team had an objective they were trying to accomplish heading into the 2026 NBA trade deadline. Some wanted to bolster the rotation for the playoff run, others wanted to cut their luxury tax bill, and then there were teams like the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, and Indiana Pacers who made bold moves in an attempt to take a leap up the standings next year.
While we didn’t get a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, there were some big names and highly impactful players on the move: Anthony Davis, Trae Young, James Harden, Darius Garland, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Ivica Zubac were the headliners, and that’s only a fraction of the players who actually changed teams.
James Harden for Darius Garland is a true trade deadline stunner that no one would have suggested a week ago. Harden is 10 years older than the point guard he’s replacing, but he’s also more durable historically and healthier currently. The Cavs just didn’t think they could count on Garland for the playoffs with his lingering big toe injury, and apparently it was so discouraging that they thought JAMES HARDEN would be more reliable in the postseason. Harden wasn’t the Cavs’ only pickup: Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder also came over from the Kings — and not to be a hater, but losing De’Andre Hunter in that deal might be addition by subtraction. I’m fascinated to see the new-look Cavs.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder needed a shooter, and they found a young one on a cost-controlled contract in Jared McCain. McCain looked like arguably the best player in the rookie class a year ago, but multiple injuries and the arrival of V.J. Edgecombe made him expendable in Philadelphia this season. That, or Sixers owner Josh Harris just wanted to cut his tax bill. McCain has had a pretty rough season, but he’s only on the brink of his 22nd birthday, and he had a special run for a rookie last season when he was healthy. The Thunder only gave up a late first round pick to get him when they already owned two better picks in this draft. OKC has the defense to insulate him and coach him up on that end as long as his shooting is sweet enough. I like buying low on McCain with 2.5 years left on his rookie deal.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Rob Dillingham and Leonard Miller were never getting in the rotation for Minnesota. Ayo Dosunmu has been one of the best sixth men in the NBA this season during his time with the Bulls. The Wolves made a smart move to pick up Dosunmu for his playoff run as Chicago decided it didn’t want to give him a new contract in free agency. Dosunmu has a lot that Dillingham never did: more size, greater rim pressure as a driver, and a significantly better defensive reputation at the point of attack. He fits into any Wolves lineup, and gives them a decent proxy for what Nickeil Alexander-Walker was providing last year.
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets took advantage of the Bulls’ fire sale by upgrading from Collin Sexton to Coby White. Sexton had a nice year for the surging Hornets after getting salary dumped by Utah over the summer, but White is a better version of the same player if he can come back healthy from the calf strain that’s been bugging him all year. The Hornets could stand to up their three-point rate, and that’s where White’s best. He’ll be a perfect sixth man behind LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel.
Utah Jazz
Utah’s stunning trade for Jaren Jackson Jr. caught everyone off guard. The Jazz have been tanking for years, and need to continue tanking through the end of this year with their first-round pick behind top-8 protected to OKC. Something tells me Utah will lose enough games the rest of the way to get one more shot in the lottery before they push to make the playoffs next season. Jackson Jr. is a really unique big man with sharp strengths (shooting, rim protection, face-up driving) and weaknesses (rebounding, fouling). I assume the Jazz will play a supersized front line with him next to Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen in the front court next year, and that’s going to be super fun to watch.
Indiana Pacers
The Pacers made an incredibly bold move to fill their void at center for next year when Tyrese Haliburton returns from his torn Achilles. Ivica Zubac was my pick for Defensive Player of the Year last season, and while he hasn’t been quite as good for the Clippers this year, he’s still a monster rebounder, pick-and-roll finisher, and paint protector for a team that made Game 7 of the NBA Finals last time Haliburton was healthy. I thought the Pacers’ trade was way too risky — they’re giving up an unprotected 2029 first-rounder, plus this year’s first-round pick (protected 1-4) or a 2031 unprotected first — but it’s admirable that they’re trying to win the East again as soon as they get Hali back.
Washington Wizards
Like the Jazz and Pacers, the Wizards are included on this list because they’re now ready to make a leap next season. Raise your hand if you thought the Wizards would acquire Anthony Davis and Trae Young this season. I don’t see any hands up. Washington will immediately enter the Eastern Conference playoff picture if Davis and Young can look even remotely like their typical selves. Bake in improvement from the young core — Alex Sarr is one of the NBA’s most improved players already this season — and add another top draft pick, and the Wiz are done tanking and ready to compete.
Teams that got worse at the trade deadline
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies traded Jaren Jackson Jr. after trading Desmond Bane over the summer, getting a huge haul of future draft picks in both deals. The only reason Ja Morant is still on the roster is apparently because no one will take him. Memphis’ plan is clear: tank for the loaded 2026 draft, rebuild around Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, and their new rookie, and get ready to remake the supporting cast before going for another playoff push in the West.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers were the hottest team in the West recently until the James Harden trade triggered a major reset. Without Harden and Zubac, the Clippers should sink the West. That’s great news for the Oklahoma City Thunder who have swap rights on their draft pick. It’s also good news for the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, and Golden State Warriors, as there is now one less team to compete with for a West playoff spot.
Chicago Bulls
It felt like Chicago was making a tank move by trading Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, and Kevin Huerter, but I suppose it’s possible they can remain exactly has mediocre as they’ve been with some solid vets joining the roster in Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton, and Guerschon Yabusele, plus young guns Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and Jaden Ivey. I still think Vooch did a lot for this team in terms of spacing the floor and crushing the glass, and they’re going to be worse off without him. The best case scenario for the Bulls is that they fall down the standings and increase their lottery odds. It will be impossible for Chicago to get good odds at a top pick with 24 wins already, but hey, the Hawks jumped from No. 1o to No. 1 in 2024, and the Mavs jumped from No. 11 to No. 1 in 2025. Stranger things have happened.
United made it four wins on the bounce as they swept aside ten-man Spurs with ease
Tottenham Hotspur, wearing second-choice yellow, get the ball rolling. They’re kicking towards the Stretford End in this first half.
The teams congregate in the Old Trafford tunnel. Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes helps his manager Michael Carrick to adjust his black armband, a small but touching moment of togetherness. Carrick and Thomas Frank lead their players out, each carrying a wreath which they place on the turf once trodden so elegantly by the Babes. A poignant beat … then a crackle of expectancy and excitement ahead of the big match. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 22: General view of Dodger Stadium for the final game of the 2017 World Baseball Classic between Puerto Rico and the United States March 22, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The sixth iteration of the World Baseball Classic will begin soon, continuing one HELL of a sports stretch over the next few weeks. I mean, we’ve got the Olympics, Super Bowl, and Grapefruit League action–the holy trinity, if you ask me–coming right up.
WBC rosters were released Thursday night, exactly a month before the action starts on March 5. Luckily for us, the Red Sox will be sending a healthy delegation to represent a total of 13 of the 20 teams competing in the international competition. 14 players across the Sox’s major and minor league levels will be playing in the WBC; that’s an increase over the 11 players we sent for the 2023 tourney, so I guess that’s cool.
If you’re looking for a guide to point to where your rooting interest should lie — with regards to the Red Sox — then look no further.
United States: Garrett Whitlock
Just one player in Boston’s system will be representing the Stars and Stripes in 2026, but it’s one of our better players. Whitlock earned his way onto Team USA on the back of a 183 ERA+ in 2025. The runners-up in the previous tourney will hope that execution will carry over to give the Americans their second WBC title.
Mexico: Jarren Duran
The speedy outfielder will once again represent our neighbors to the south. Mexico acted as a sort of Cinderella last time around; they nearly knocked off the eventual champions in the semifinals back in 2023. No official word on whether or not Duran will be bringing the sombrero back into the dugout next month.
Venezuela: Wilyer Abreu, Willson Contreras, and Ranger Suárez
Venezuela boasts the most amount of Boston-based talent in the 2026 WBC, as a trio of Sox will represent their home country. It’ll be fun to watch new additions Contreras and Suárez in action, while I’m hoping that Wilyer will be able to display some power to get me excited for the upcoming MLB season.
Dominican Republic: Brayan Bello
After a (generally speaking) solid 2025 campaign, the 26-year-old righty got the nod from one of the tournament’s favorites. La República Dominicana certainly has the offensive firepower to hang with the best of the best, but Bello could play a very important role in their title chase; will he be able to elevate his game and get off to the best start possible in 2026 after a frustrating end to the previous season?
Japan: Masataka Yoshida
The Macho Man himself is back with the defending champs. We were getting our first taste of Yoshida back in the last WBC in 2023, after he inked his deal with the Sox in December of 2022. Since then, things haven’t been………….consistent, let’s leave it at that. Regardless, he’ll have a chance to help Samurai Japan win their second straight WBC championship and fourth overall.
Netherlands: Ceddanne Rafaela
The Dutch are the quintessential “Hey, they could make a big run” WBC team. Maybe the Netherlands seems like an unassuming baseball nation, but all of the islands that make up the lion’s share of the team (Xander Bogaerts’ home of Aruba and Ceddy’s home of Curaçao, for example) have some incredible players. Perhaps the best center fielder in the world will be representing Holland in 2026 — maybe we can call him “The Flying Dutchman” for this tourney?
Italy: Greg Weissert
G-Reg knows a thing or two about this thing of ours. After posting a sub-3.00 ERA across 67 (don’t laugh) innings, Weissert will be one of the key components of the Italians’ bullpen. Gli Azzurri has some legit names (Vinnie Pasquantino, Aaron Nola if he ever decides to snap out of whatever funk he’s in, etc.). They could be a dark horse.
Puerto Rico: Jovani Morán
While he only pitched in four innings for the Red Sox in 2025, Morán still qualifies for the list as he’ll be representing the home island of manager Alex Cora. He hasn’t had a ton of run in the majors, but he can initiate more than his fair share of swing-and-misses. If we see more of him in 2026, maybe the WBC will offer a glimmer into our future. I dunno, wishful thinking.
Great Britain: Nate Eaton and Jack Anderson
Nate Eaton could end up being more of a pivotal player for the Sox in 2026 than we currently foresee; he’s shaping up to be a top backup option for our current crop of outfielders, and injuries are to be expected across 162+ games. Before that, though, he’s going to be playing for the Union Jack. Right-handed pitcher Jack Anderson of the AAA WooSox will be as well. In 75.1 innings in Portland last year, the fourth round pick in the 2024 minor league Rule 5 draft had a 3.58 ERA. That’s neat, I guess!
Colombia: Tayron Guerrero
35-year-old Tayron Guerrero hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2019, but he gets a shout-out here because he signed a minor league deal with us last month and he will be playing for Colombia. Cool!
Chinese Taipei: Tsung-Che Cheng
A late addition to this article, as he was just claimed by the Red Sox from the Washington Nationals on Friday! The latest member of Boston’s 40-man roster will be playing for Chinese Tapei on the heels of a .209/.307/.271 campaign across nearly 400 plate appearance while playing for Pittsburgh’s AAA club in Indianapolis. Stay tuned for his “Meet The New Guy” article on OTM.
Some interesting new details have emerged regarding a past Florida Panthers trade.
This newly revealed development puts an interesting spin on the injury-filled season the Panthers have been attempting to battle through.
According to hockey insider Frank Seravalli, the 2026 first-round pick that Florida sent to the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the trade for defenseman Seth Jones is actually top-10 protected.
What that means is that if the first-round pick that would belong to the Panthers in the upcoming draft ends up being in the top 10, they would keep the pick, and instead, their 2027 first-round selection would go to Chicago.
That would also mean that Florida’s 2028 first-round pick, which they actually still own at current time, would then go to the Boston Bruins, because Boston would be losing out on the 2027 first-round pick that they acquired from the Panthers in the Brad Marchand deal.
Of course, that domino effect could topple to 2029 if Florida GM Bill Zito makes a move at this year’s Trade Deadline that includes the Panthers’ 2028 top pick, but such a move could also potentially impact Florida finishing in the bottom nine of the league as it would likely include a dynamic player, bolstering an increasingly formidable lineup.
That’s one way to guarantee a top-10 pick before the lottery: finish among the worst nine teams in the league, since a team outside the top 10 winning the lottery would bump the teams behind it back a spot.
All 16 teams that fail to make the playoffs qualify for the NHL Draft Lottery, with the worst team having the best statistical chance of winning the lottery, the second-worst team having the second-best chance, and so on.
Currently, the Panthers hold the tenth-worst record, or the tenth-best chance of winning the lottery.
Obviously there is a lot that can and possibly will change between now and the end of the regular season.
On one hand, Florida is standing at the foot of a steep mountain to climb.
They currently sit eight points behind the Boston Bruins, who hold the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, with five teams in-between them to also leapfrog and only 25 games to do so.
On the other hand, barring any setbacks in Italy, the Panthers are expected to come out of the NHL’s Olympic break with as deep of a roster as they’ve had all season.
If ever there was a team that could make that kind of run, it’s a healthy Panthers squad.
But…at least now we know that if the Cats can’t pull it off, there’s a potential silver lining.
Unless of course they pull a Miami Dolphins and finish outside of the playoffs AND the top ten draft order.
Fingers crossed Zito and Co. find a way to avoid that scenario.
Photo caption: Dec 20, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Seth Jones (3) moves the puck against the St. Louis Blues during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 05: The New York Mets World Series Championship banners are seen during a game against the New York Yankees at Citi Field on July 05, 2025 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Yankees 12-6. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.
What would a successful 2026 season look like for the Mets?
Team Slovakia won bronze at the 2022 Olympics when NHL players didn’t take part, and they’ll be looking to build on that strong showing in Milano. While competition will be better this time around, so will the Slovak roster, which will include seven NHL players: St. Louis Blues’ Dalibor Dvorsky, Calgary Flames' Martin Pospisil, San Jose Sharks’ Pavol Regenda, Tampa Bay Lightning’s Erik Cernak, Washington Capitals' Martin Fehervary, New Jersey Devils’ Simon Nemec, and Montreal Canadiens’ Juraj Slafkovsky.
However, at the opening ceremony, it wasn’t one of those NHL players who acted as flag bearer for the country, but another hockey player, one who played 14 NHL seasons, including three with the Canadiens: Tomas Tatar.
Drafted in the second round of the 2009 draft by the Detroit Red Wings, Tatar played for parts of seven seasons in Michigan before being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights at the trade deadline in 2017-18. Unfortunately for him, he couldn’t develop any chemistry with his new teammates. By the time the Nevada side reached the Stanley Cup Final, he had played only eight postseason games and was a healthy scratch by the Conference Final.
With three years left on his contract, he had already overstayed his welcome in Vegas. When the team set its sights on Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty, Tatar was part of the offer made to the Habs alongside Nick Suzuki and a 2019 second-round pick. While Tatar was seen as a throw-in in the trade, he would turn out to be an excellent acquisition for the Canadiens. He would eventually become a first-line player for Montreal, skating with Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher.
In a game against his former team in November 2018, Tatar scored the game-winning goal for the Habs and became a popular meme amongst Habs fans when an overenthusiastic fan screamed his name on camera.
He recorded 58, 61, and 30 points (in 50 games in a shortened season) with the Canadiens, but fizzled out in the Canadiens Cup final run, only skating in five postseason games. With his contract expiring at the end of that season, he was allowed to walk as an unrestricted free agent. He went on to play for the New Jersey Devils (twice), the Colorado Avalanche, and the Seattle Kraken before calling time on his NHL career at the end of the 2024-25 season.
This year, he has been plying his trade in the Swiss A league and has put up 30 points in 36 games with Zug EV. At 35, these are his second Olympics and, more than likely, his last, and with the career he had in the NHL (496 points in 927 games), it’s not surprising that Slovakia chose to honour him by making him the flag bearer.
Tomas Tatar with the Slovakian flag. Credit: Tomas Tatar Instagram
TAMPA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 20: Ceddanne Rafaela #3 of the Boston Red Sox hits during the third inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 20, 2025 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
DRaysBay works best as a place for community and conversation. Accordingly, in the lead up to the new season, we are posting “Daily Questions” in the month of February. I look forward to seeing you in the comment section!
For years folks have said baseball belongs outdoors and not on artificial turf made from coconuts. Playing in the elements on Dale Mabry had its perks, but for the players on the field in particular, also some key draw backs. So be honest, will you miss it?
Victor Scott II is one of the most interesting players the Cardinals have rostered in quite some time. He has plus-plus speed, elite defense, and swings the bat with the ferocity of a house cat playing with a ball of yarn. While the Redbird infield has players in place that you could envision playing for the next World Series contending team, the outfield is a series of question marks. Lars Nootbaar has never had the breakout many hoped for and is now two years away from free agency, and could be moved by the trade deadline. Jordan Walker continues his quest to regain the lost luster of his prospect pedigree. Scott had an up-and-down 2025 season, but showed big improvements on both sides of the ball, setting him up as a potential breakout candidate for 2026.
2025 Recap
Scott carried a 94 wRC+ through June and had posted 1.7 fWAR in just 283 plate appearances. The WAR was, of course, propped up by excellent defense and baserunning, but he was playing at a borderline All-Star pace for most of the first half. There were signs that this would be difficult to sustain as he was running a 27.2% strikeout rate and had a high .337 BABIP. The rest of the season did not go as well. Over his final 59 games, Scott was exactly replacement level and saw his batting average fall below the Mendoza line as he scraped along with a 46 wRC+. Despite the poor results offensively, there were positives. His xwOBA, which measures his expected results, was virtually unchanged in the second half. More importantly, he cut his strikeout rate to 18.9%. His overall batting line was torpedoed by a .210 BABIP. On the season, he ranked fifth among all outfielders in FanGraphs’ defensive value metric. His value on the basepaths was 13th in all of baseball, sandwiched between Chandler Simpson and Fernando Tatis II. Scott trailed only Trea Turner in sprint speed at 30.2 feet per second.
Without belaboring the point, Scott is awesome at baseball except when he is standing in the batters box. If he can find a way to scrape together a league-average batting line, he will be a certifiable weapon and establish himself as one of the most valuable center fielders in baseball. To be fair, this same thing applies to many defensive specialist types. We saw the version of this actually working out with Tommy Edman putting up 15 WAR on the back of his speed and defense. Harrison Bader would fit in this bucket of recent Cardinals as well. Without some offensive production, you are left with Peter Bourjos or Michael Siani, players that may fit on a roster, but cannot hold down a starting job long term.
You can count Oli Marmol as one of Scott’s believers. When he was interviewed at Winter Warmup, he twice brought Scott up, without being prompted, as a player he was excited about coming into the season. He spoke glowingly about Scott’s work ethic and maturity, giving him a real chance to make the necessary adjustments offensively. Scott himself spoke openly at Winter Warmup saying, “I told them I wanted to come back a totally different player.” Scott went on to detail how he had returned to West Virginia over the offseason for a panel of motion capture and force plate testing to try and diagnose his offensive woes. The testing showed that his movements were inefficient and hurt his ability to be “adjustable.” He went on to say that his mechanics caused him to spin off the ball and sweep too many grounders to second base. He did not go into too much depth on what the specific changes to his mechanics would be, although he did mention better shin angles and more efficient rotation via getting into his front side better. I will leave the mechanical analysis to people with a better eye for scouting, but Scott was explicit in what he wanted the outcome of the adjustments to be. Going into 2026, his stated focus will be on being shorter to the ball, being more adjustable (particularly to breaking balls), taking the ball the other way, and trying to drive the ball into the gaps rather than over the fence.
Key Things That Define Scott as a Hitter
To evaluate the adjustments Scott is attempting to make, we need a clear understanding of who he is as a hitter today. There are three specific things in Scott’s profile that, when combined, make him an incredibly unique hitter.
Exit Velocity – His average exit velocity ranks 167th out of 177 players with at least 450 plate appearances. This by itself is not a problem, as the bottom of the rankings are populated by plenty of productive hitters like Jacob Wilson, Luis Arraez, and Steven Kwan. With Scott saying specifically he is going to focus more on gap-to-gap line drive and opposite field coverage, he is prioritizing improving his hit tool rather than maximizing his power. With Scott’s long track record of limited power output, this approach is more achievable than trying to be a poor man’s Cody Bellinger or Cedric Mullins, lefty swingers who maximize limited bat speed by hitting at higher launch angles.
Out-of-Zone Contact – Scott’s overall contact rate is 75.6%, which is roughly league average. His contact rate on pitches outside the zone, however, is an abysmal 46.6%, about 9% lower than league average. Similarly to ranking low in the power department, this does not preclude hitters from being successful. In fact, Aaron Judge ranked last in baseball in this metric. Right behind Scott in the rankings are Jeremy Pena, Michael Busch, and Mike Trout. Directly ahead of him are Fernando Tatis II, Jo Adell, and Elly De La Cruz. You don’t have to be a genius analyst to spot the outlier here. It is OK to swing and miss, but only if you scorch the ball when you do connect.
Swing Decisions – To round out Scott’s unusual profile, he makes fantastic swing decisions. He is excellent at laying off balls, which helps mitigate his contact issues, and he swings aggressively at pitches in the zone. His zone swing % minus his out-of-zone swing % is 13th in all of baseball.
The combination of poor contact and excellent swing decisions give Scott the profile and approach of a slugger who is sitting back trying to punish pitches in the zone, even at the expense of some strikeouts. The icing on the cake is that Scott also has a launch angle that is several points above league average. Scott is basically Shohei Ohtani trapped in, well, Victor Scott’s body… Since writing an article titled “Victor Scott Is the Next Shohei Ohtani” would get me banned from the internet and banished from polite society, I will focus on the more realistic path.
The eight softest-hitting (by exit velocity), left-handed swinging players in baseball last year were: Adam Frazier, Sal Frelick, Zach McKinstry, Luis Arraez, Victor Scott II, Steven Kwan, Jung Hoo Lee, and TJ Friedl. The average wRC+ of the lefty slapper comp group is 105 with a pretty tight range of 89 to 114 (excluding Scott). For Scott, anything in this range would be a huge success. Looking at this group of players, the underlying metrics are remarkably similar. You have a few outliers, like Arraez’s ultra-high contact or McKinstry getting to slightly higher max exit velocities and producing a decent slugging percentage, but overall, these players get to their production in similar ways. Scott’s contact rate kept him from equaling the production of this group as it was ten points below the next man on the list, TJ Friedl. Digging into the data a bit further, his abysmal contact rate on balls outside the zone is driven by a 24% contact rate on breaking balls. To provide some context on just how dreadful this is, the rest of the group had a contact rate of 62% on breaking balls outside the zone. Scott’s struggles against breaking balls help explain how he has run such a high strikeout rate despite making great swing decisions and an average amount of contact overall.
Reasons for Optimism
Contact Rate Can Be Improved
For players that received at least 450 MLB plate appearances in both 2024 and 2025, the largest improvement in contact rate was 7% by our old friend Paul Goldschmidt. Seven players out of the 115-player sample had an increase of 5% or greater. Scott needs to see this level of improvement, at a minimum. It is a lot to ask, but he has a plan in place specifically to address his struggles with off-speed pitches and breaking balls, so this will be a metric worth following in the early going.
The Bunting Can’t Get Worse
At Winter Warmup, Scott said that he had been bunting like crazy this offseason. I know bunting can be a divisive topic, so I will just share some numbers and not plant a flag. Scott was 7 for 26 in bunt attempts for a .269 average. Beyond the bunting-for-hits results, Scott also laid down 10 sac bunts and fouled off or missed an additional 32 bunts. Within our comp group, Friedl was successful on a shocking 11 of his 18 bunt attempts for a cool .611 batting average. Kwan was the second most prolific bunter, reaching safely on six of 13 attempts. Overall, Scott was by far the worst bunter despite attempting to bunt far more frequently than his peers, so there is plenty of upside here in just improving on a poor baseline. If he is going to keep bunting in 2026, I am glad he has been working on it.
There Are Already Some Skills in Place
While Scott’s issues making contact, particularly on breaking balls, are his biggest obstacle, there are some things working in his favor too. He is excellent at laying off pitches outside the zone, which helps mitigate his swing-and-miss issues. He maintains this discipline not by being passive, as he is extremely aggressive in swinging at pitches in the zone. This is a great starting point and could make him an absolute pest to deal with if he can make more contact. He also ran solid contact rates in the minor leagues right around 80%, so there is some precedent of better performance.
Looking Ahead
I am just as skeptical as the next person when it comes to offseason hype around player adjustments, trips to Driveline, and new conditioning regimens. I do put real weight behind Marmol’s confidence in Scott. I also think Scott’s stated goals for improving his offensive production are right in line with what the data shows. Diving into underlying metrics with players often leads to the conclusion, whether true or not, that they are actually better than their surface-level stats or that they are one small tweak away from making a jump forward. With Scott, I had the opposite reaction; he needed a massive overhaul to his approach and improvements to key parts of his game, or he would be relegated to being a fourth or fifth outfielder. Thankfully, we are just a few short weeks away from getting our first glimpse of the new Victor Scott II in game action.
