CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 27: Cody Freeman #39 of the Texas Rangers looks on prior to a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on September 27, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.
Today we are looking at infielder Cody Freeman.
Cody Freeman spent more time in the major leagues in 2025 than I think any of us expected to be the case. Or wanted to be the case, for that matter.
Freeman had a short stint in the bigs right after the All Star Break when Sam Haggerty went on the injured list, and then was sent back down after about a week when Haggerty returned. A little less than a month later, Freeman was called back up again in mid-August, once again taking the place of Sam Haggerty, and ultimately sticking around until the end of the season due to, you know, everyone being injured.
Freeman had the role of “young-ish guy in AAA who can play a lot of positions who can be pressed into duty in the big leagues if need be” in the second half of 2025. That role had previously been held by Jonathan Ornelas, who was designated for assignment in May and then sold to Atlanta, because that’s where all the players DFA’d by the Rangers end up.
Freeman’s time in the majors in 2025 was relatively uneventful. he slashed .228/.258/.342 and played a variety of positions, none of them particularly well according to the advanced defensive metrics.
Freeman wasn’t on the 40 man roster until he was summoned in July, and would have been a free agent at the end of the season had he not been added to the 40 man at some point before season’s end. He ended up with a -0.3 WAR of both the f and b varieties. He seemed to generate a degree of enthusiasm among Rangers fans that was disproportionate to his actual performance.
Really, though, what is more interesting to me than Freeman’s 2025 major league performance is Freeman’s 2025 minor league performance. He appeared to be a completely different hitter in AAA than he had been throughout his entire minor league career up to that point.
In 71 career games in low-A, Cody Freeman has slashed .247/.357/.383.
In 196 career games in high-A, Cody Freeman has slashed .235/.308/.384.
In 124 career games in AA, Cody Freeman has slashed .262/.318/.428.
In 97 career games in AAA, Cody Freeman has slashed .336/.382/.549.
That’s a big jump! And yes, the PCL is a great league for hitters, and yes, Freeman had been one of the Rangers’ infielder-to-catcher conversion projects and was catching at least some of the time until the 2024 season, and so not catching anymore probably helped him.
But even so…that’s a big, big jump in performance.
In looking at his historical minor league data, one can see how that change manifested. Here’s Freeman’s K rates in the minors by year:
2021 — 15.8%
2022 — 16.1%
2023 — 18.4%
2024 — 18.1%
2025 — 8.7%
That’s a huge drop in Freeman’s strikeout rate in 2025 compared to prior years. And its at AAA, where he is seeing more experienced pitchers, and where one would expect his K rate to go up rather than down.
One would expect that Freeman was swinging less frequently once he got to AAA, but that wasn’t the case. He swung at 44.4% of pitches with Round Rock in 2025, compared to 44.2% and 46.3% the previous two seasons.
The difference is in contact rate — after putting up contact rates a little above 80% in his career prior to 2025, with a high of 82.8% in AA in 2024, Freeman had an 89.9% contact rate at AAA in 2025.
To put these numbers in perspective, Steven Kwan had an 8.7% K rate in the majors in 2025, which was the fourth lowest K% among qualified hitters.
Nico Hoerner had an 89.9% contact rate in the majors in 2025. That was the fourth highest contact rate among qualified hitters.
Freeman was able to maintain an elite contact rate — 88.5% — in his time in the majors. His K rate jumped up to 15.7%, which is still well above average in terms of avoiding strikeouts.
The problem was, though, that Freeman didn’t walk in the majors — he had a well below average 4.1% walk rate — and he didn’t make quality contact. His hard hit rate and average exit velocity were both near the bottom of the league, and almost 60% of his balls in play were either ground balls or infield pop ups.
Freeman has two options remaining, and seems most likely to start the year back at AAA as infield depth. It will be interesting to see, should he be in Round Rock for the bulk of the year, whether he can replicate the offensive success he had there in 2025.
With the Rangers needing a righthanded bench bat, there’s been talk about Freeman possibly filling that role. However, Freeman has not performed especially well against lefties — in fact, he has reverse splits over the last three seasons. That makes it hard for him to have value in a big league bench role at this point.
2025 was a big step forward for Freeman. He had a successful year at AAA and got regular playing time in the bigs in the final six weeks of the season. Now we just need to see if he can build on that for 2026.
In this special Spring 2026 preview episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco sit down with Kansas City Royals pitching coach Brian Sweeney for an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at how the organization is building its staff for the upcoming season.
Sweeney walks us through his daily routine during spring training — from 6 a.m. physicals and data review to individualized bullpen sessions and game-day preparation. Sweeney’s candid stories about player personalities, in-game adjustments, and clubhouse culture provide rare access to the human side of pitching development. For fans who want more than surface-level analysis, this episode delivers insider insight into how the Royals are preparing to compete in 2026.
Jacob and Jeremy also dive into bullpen construction, including why Lucas Erceg is viewed as a high-ceiling, swing-and-miss weapon, how Carlos Estevez factors into late-inning strategy, and which emerging arms — including Steven Cruz, Alex Lange, Nick Mears, Luinder Avila, and others — are pushing for meaningful roles in 2026.
Whether you’re a longtime Royals supporter or a baseball enthusiast interested in pitching strategy and player development, this conversation offers a valuable perspective on what it truly takes to build a modern MLB pitching staff.
HOOVER, AL - MAY 24: Vanderbilt pitcher Cody Bowker (55) pitches the ball during the SEC Baseball Tournament Semifinals game between Tennessee Volunteers and Vanderbilt Commodores on May 24, 2025, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Listen, I really liked the idea that the Phillies recognized that developing their own starters and relievers is the proper way to build and develop. Spending at the top of free agency each year is fine, but there has to be some counterbalance to what is being done. So spending higher draft picks on pitchers that fit best in the bullpen? I’m fine with that.
As stated in previous articles, the team definitely took the right step in trying to develop arms themselves rather than having to trade for them each deadline. The hope is probably that if they can hit on one, maybe two arms, that can be used in major league bullpens, that’s a solid win.
Obviously, the hope would be there were more to develop and that’s possible. Getting two arms from this past draft to the major leagues with the belief that they could be successful is the dream. But after years of neglect, it’s at least refreshing that arms like Bowker, one who might start but is more likely to be a reliever, are in the system to provide depth when/if they are needed
Bowker has an extreme drop-and-drive, low-slot delivery. His right shin is practically scraping the ground as he delivers, creating extreme uphill angle on his pitches. Bowker sat in the 91-94 mph range all year even as he blew through his career innings high, and he throws fastballs for strikes (70% strike rate with plus-plus miss and chase) despite mechanical funk. Though his secondary pitch feel is not as crisp, Bowker has a bunch of them. He changes speeds on two breakers — a mid-80s cutter and low-80s slider — that play nicely off his fastball near the top of the zone, and he can turn over a changeup in the low 80s if he wants something to finish low. It’s a starter’s pitch mix in a mechanical package more commonly seen in the bullpen, which is why Bowker is projected to slot into multi-inning big league role.
With each new post, we’ll reveal who won the voting for that particular slot, then post new players for you to vote on, adding another one to the list each time until we get to our final tally of 20. Once we get to 20 top prospects, we’ll do an honorable mention post at the end. If a player gets traded to another team, we’ll just chuck him right on outta here and all the players will move up a spot. If a prospect gets acquired, we’ll ask where he should go on the list.
Probably the most important thing about this whole process – please vote. Give us a few minutes of your time, just click a button and then we can discuss other players and things in the comment section, but don’t forget – VOTE!
Feb 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) hugs Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum after the game at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
For what it is worth, Jayson Tatum has yet to make any announcement about his return to the court this season. He has not ruled out the possibility that he could miss the entire season. That makes sense because any number of setbacks could move his timeline back in an abundance of caution.
However, all outward signs seem to indicate that he’s gearing up for a return in the near future. Some recent news indicates that NBC will be airing a documentary on his comeback journey. In addition, many have speculated about the league’s decision to move the March 1st game against Philadelphia into primetime on NBC. Of course there are other, non-Tatum reasons to flex the schedule, and it doesn’t mean it will be his debut.
So I thought I’d throw this topic out. Keeping in mind that he has said in the past that he wants to return in a home game, when do you think he’ll return?
Here’s a quick look at the schedule coming up:
Feb 19 – 25: One long road trip out West, with games against the Warriors, Lakers, Suns, and Nuggets
Feb 27: Home against Brooklyn
Mar 1: Home against Philadelphia
Mar 2: Away at Milwaukee
Mar 4: Home against Charlotte
Mar 6: Home against Dallas
Mar 8 – 12: Road trip to Cleveland, San Antonio, and OKC
So let us know in the comments, when do you think he’ll return?
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 11: Derrick White #9 and Jordan Walsh #27 of the Boston Celtics high five during the game against the Chicago Bulls on February 11, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Derrick White is testing the validity of the old NBA adage that it is a “make or miss league.”
Despite enduring a career-worst scoring efficiency season, he is still grading out as one of the league’s most impactful players. This should not be possible. Even in the analytics era, we should still be able to cling to the concept that putting the orange ball in the basket is the key indicator of how good a player and a team is.
However, both Derrick White and the 2025-2026 Boston Celtics are, so far, successfully bending the reality of that widely accepted truth.
Efficient scoring is typically a staple of the Derrick White Experience. Each of the past three seasons, White has posted a true shooting percentage of 60%, ranking him 24th among guards from the 2022-2023 season to the 2024-2025 season. This season, efficient scoring has elluded him. D White is in the midst of a 52% true shooting season, which would have placed him at 156th among guards over the same three season stretch. 52% is an abhorrent number. But it has not mattered when it comes to impacting winning.
There is no perfect “catch all” metric, however a widely accepted one is Estimated Plus Minus (EPM) that Dunks and Threes created. Again, not perfect, but it typically spits out the best guys at the top of the league each year without many outliers. For example, last season’s top-10 players were: Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama, Steph Curry, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton. This season, despite his ice-cold shot-making, Derrick White ranks 11th in EPM. So how is D White doing it? The answer is simple: he’s doing everything else at an extremely high level. Shot blocking, playmaking, rebounding, and of course, making Derrick White plays.
Let’s quickly zoom in on just how impactful Derrick White has been for the Celtics this season. When White is on the court, the Celtics have a +11 net rating. This would rank them second in the NBA, slightly behind OKC, who currently have an +11.5 net rating. When Derrick White is off the court, the Celtics have a +1.7 net rating. This would rank the team at 14th in the NBA. That is a monstrous on/off swing of 9.3 points per 100 possessions. For context, let’s compare that on/off swing to the elite of the elite:
Nikola Jokic – 15.2
Shai Gilgeous Alexander – 9.9
Cade Cunningham – 7.3
Luka Doncic – 6.6
Kevin Durant – 4.6
Anthony Edwards – 0.3
Derrick White is putting up superstar numbers. More accurately, he’s putting up superstar NBA nerd numbers.
Derrick White agrees. On the most recent episode of Derrick’s podcast “White Noise”, his co-host, Alex Welsh, shared a message that White sent to their group chat.
“I don’t have All Star numbers, just All-Star impact.”
Derrick White is correct. He impacts the game at not just an All-Star level, but an All-NBA level. Sadly, White’s cold shooting likely cost him his first All-Star appearance.
Now that we have established the level at which Derrick White impacts winning, let’s examine how he’s doing it. It starts on the defensive end, and it starts with White being the best shot-blocking guard since Dwyane Wade. White is currently averaging 1.4 blocks per game. There are three guards in the history of the sport who have averaged at least 1.4 blocks per game: Michael Jordan (twice), Tracy McGrady, and Derrick White. Even Dwyane Wade reached only 1.3 blocks per game in 2008. And if we’re being honest, T-Mac is six-foot-eight, hardly a guard. In a vacuum, Derrick White providing center-like rim protection is mind-boggling.
Now, when you put it in the context of the 2025-2026 Boston Celtics, you start to understand why advanced analytics are head over heels for Derrick White. While Neemias Queta is doing a wonderful job protecting the rim this season, as soon as he goes to the bench, the Celtics do not have a traditional rim protector. Luka Garza has been a revelation for the Celtics, but he would never be mistaken for a rim protector. Neither would the recently acquired Nikola Vučević.
There have also been large stretches of the season when Joe Mazzulla has opted for no big men on the court. Enter Derrick White. Opposing offensive players are shooting 5.1% fewer shots at the rim when Derrick White is on the court. That puts White in the 97th percentile. That number indicates that players are deterred from going to the rim when Derrick White is out there. Not quite in a Victor Wembanyama way, but in a Derrick White way. When opponents actually challenge Derrick White at the rim, they are shooting 10.4% worse than they typically would. For context, Rudy Gobert is currently forcing opponents to shoot 10.1% worse at the rim. There is no need for a traditional rim protector when you have Derrick White. White has been comfortably the best guard defender in the league this season and has a case for the most valuable defender as well.
However, the individual scoring efficiency has not been there for Derrick White this season, but he is still helping drive an elite offense. One of the tenets of the 2025-2026 Boston Celtics is taking care of the basketball. Derrick White ranks in the 90th percentile in turnover percentage (while having a career high in usage). Not only does White do an excellent job of not turning the ball over, he also excels at generating assists. Derrick is generating 14.2 potential assists per 100 possessions, which places him in the 95th percentile. It feels as if there are infinite ways D White pushes things forward on offense for the Celtics. The team plays faster with Derrick on the court; their two-point field goal percentage is higher, and they generate more shots at the rim. Derrick White is the skeleton key that unlocks every lineup he finds himself in.
If a player is going to get traded, they should try to get traded to Derrick White’s team. He will make them feel right at home. Welcome to TD Garden, Vuc.
The last piece of Derrick White’s game that rounds out his superstar impact, is the Derrick White plays. These plays are unquantifiable. Know in your heart that these plays are the final infinity stone in Derrick White’s infinity gauntlet.
A superhero analogy is the only analogy applicable because the only explanation for Derrick being able to steal this ball is that he’s actually Spider-Man.
Derrick White is a microcosm of the 2025-2026 Boston Celtics. The Celtics have a true shooting percentage of 57.9% this season. That puts them smack bang in the middle of the league at 15th. Meanwhile the Celtics rank second in offensive efficiency. Joe Mazzulla, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Co. are figuring out how to be an elite basketball team without being an elite shot-making team. Don’t turn the ball over, protect the rim, make the right play, crash the glass, and be willing to die on the court every night.
Basketball: Philadelphia 76ers Moses Malone (L) and Julius Erving on the bench during game vs Denver Nuggets at The Spectrum. Philadelphia, PA 2/16/1983 CREDIT: John Iacono (Photo by John Iacono /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X28070 TK1 R6 F18 )
It is NBA gospel to believe that Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, shining stars as they were in the East (and West), enabled the league to rise into the firmament, to become the Goliath it has since become.
Upon their arrival in 1979, they polished pro basketball’s profile, burying its sordid, drug-addled past and paving the way for the Michael Jordans and the Kobe Bryants and the LeBron Jameses.
And verily, David Stern and Adam Silver have said, it is good.
Julius Erving, forever the epitome of decorum and decency, is an unlikely blasphemer. And yet, Dr. J said this entire idea is “bullshit” in the 2025 book “Magic in the Air,” by Inquirer columnist Mike Sielski.
Erving believes that the NBA’s ascension can be traced not to the Bird-Magic bump but rather the league’s merger with the ABA in 1976 – that the resulting infusion of talent and flair led to a quantum leap.
The Good Doctor acknowledged in Sielski’s book that Magic and Bird brought “a great rivalry” from college to Los Angeles and Boston, respectively, where it became white hot. It was, Erving said, “a good story.”
“But truth be told,” he told the author, “I think in terms of the popularity of the league, the league was never more popular than it was after the ABA joined the league. Eleven All-Stars in that first All-Star game were from the ABA. That’s what saved the league.”
Both things can be true, of course. Erving and the ABAers brought talent, style and panache to a league sorely in need of all three. But in migrating to the two most storied franchises, Bird and Magic gave the NBA sizzle beyond measure. And that obscured all else … at least until MJ came along in 1984.
Recent media offerings have brought the ABA’s role in the NBA’s resurrection to the fore, none better than Luke Epplin’s new book “Moses and the Doctor: Two Men, One Championship and the Birth of Modern Basketball.” With a painstaking eye for detail and a novelist’s knack for narrative, Epplin – who in fact once dreamed of becoming a novelist – underscores the impact not only of Dr. J but another ABA alum of note, Moses Malone. And it is artfully framed around the Sixers’ 1982-83 championship run.
“My biggest thing is character,” Epplin, 47, said before a book signing last Tuesday, the day “Moses and the Doctor” was released.
That’s befitting of a man who had trained to be a novelist at Washington University in St. Louis, and who continued to write fiction into his 30s. Then he came to a realization.
“I sucked,” he told those who gathered at the signing, at a bookstore near Rittenhouse Square.
But, he added, “I use the techniques I developed as a failed novelist to write these kinds of stories.”
And really, what better characters are there than Doc and Moses? What better story is there than theirs? Erving was soaring and elegant, Moses down and dirty. They were perfect complements to one another, a veritable yin and yang.
While apart, their successes were considerable. Dr. J won two championships as a New York Net while keeping the ABA afloat, and Moses established himself as one of the greatest rebounders in history after becoming the first player to make the prep-to-pro jump. Epplin nonetheless argues that their tales were pockmarked with failure.
Malone broke in with the Utah Stars as a 19-year-old in October 1974, then bounced from team to team. Indeed, one of pro basketball’s great what-ifs is how things might have turned out if the Portland Trail Blazers, his first NBA landing spot, had held onto him, given the subsequent injuries suffered by Bill Walton. As it was, Malone never appeared in a regular-season game for the Blazers, who traded him to Buffalo, leading to another what-if: The Braves (now the Los Angeles Clippers) had Bob McAdoo! And Ernie DiGregorio! And Adrian Dantley! And the eternally underrated Randy Smith!
Moses played exactly two games in Buffalo before he was shipped out to Houston, where he blossomed. Even led the undermanned Rockets to the 1981 Finals, at which point he argued that he and four guys from his native Petersburg, Va., could take down Bird and the mighty Celtics. We’ll never know, but certainly the Rockets couldn’t; they lost in six games.
Meantime Erving, acquired by the Sixers from the cash-strapped Nets in the fall of ‘76, was experiencing his own frustrations. As part of a talented but dysfunctional ‘76-77 Philadelphia club, he lost in the Finals to Walton’s Blazers. Then Doc fell short against Magic’s Lakers in the ‘80 and ‘82 Finals as well.
By that point Dr. J was a beloved figure – the sport’s foremost ambassador, a high-profile pitchman and the perfect teammate. Bobby Jones, with whom Epplin spoke for his book, once told me for one of mine that unlike other superstars, Erving was “an encourager.”
“He wasn’t arrogant,” Bobby said. “He didn’t consider himself better than anybody. He worked as hard as anybody, if not harder. Didn’t put anybody down for the mistakes that they made. That’s easy to do at that level, when the game’s on the line or something’s on the line. He knows he can do it, but you’re in a position where you have to do it, and you don’t, it takes strength of character to say, ‘We’re in this together. We win together, we lose together.’ I think that was probably, to me, his greatest quality.”
That is as great a testimonial as any teammate could offer another, but that’s Bobby. And that was Julius. Which is why everyone – and I mean everyone – wanted to see him win an NBA championship.
It’s also why he was beginning to wonder if he ever would. He cried in the Los Angeles Forum’s visiting locker room after the Sixers were eliminated by the Lakers in six games in the ‘82 Finals.
To revisit the Biblical theme: Julius wept.
When Epplin learned of this, it immediately struck a chord.
“I thought, there’s the break right there: Why is Julius Erving crying?” he told last week’s gathering.
The answer is simple: Dr. J would not be fulfilled without a title. His tale would be incomplete.
Then Moses came to Philly via trade, bringing with him the means of completion and redemption. No longer would the Sixers be bullied inside. No longer would they have to live with inconsistency at center, as had been the case with the eternally entertaining and eternally frustrating Darryl Dawkins. (Caldwell Jones had been around, too. But he was more a complementary piece than the dominating force Moses was, and was ultimately jettisoned in the Malone trade.)
The following spring, back in the Forum, the Sixers finished off a sweep of a Lakers team that by the end was without McAdoo, James Worthy and Norm Nixon due to injury – i.e., two Hall of Famers and a terrific guard.
No matter, though – the Sixers were the best team all year, storming to 65 victories and then nearly fulfilling Moses’ fo’, fo’, fo’ playoff prophecy. (And consider how Moses, famously averse to media interactions, uttered two of the greatest quotes in NBA history – this one, and the one about the dudes from Petersburg.)
It is a testimony to Malone (who died in 2015) and Erving that they were able to meld their talents, that they knew they needed each other at that point in their careers. And it is testimony to Epplin that he was able to deftly navigate this most fascinating period in the history of the Sixers, and the league. That he was able to retell a tale that needs to be retold, for the sake of context. It is inarguable that Bird and Magic brought a great deal to the table, but Moses and Dr. J are among those deserving of a seat, too. In this book, each is given one.
Francisco Lindor is now widely considered the leader of the Mets as their longest-tenured hitter, but seniority doesn't guarantee captaincy.
In fact, there isn't any player on the roster who should expect that title and status under Steve Cohen's watch, as the Mets owner revealed Monday he'll never appoint a captain while in control of the franchise.
"As long as I'm owning the team, there will never be a team captain," Cohen said at the Mets' complex in Port St. Lucie. "That was my decision. My view is, the locker room is unique and let the locker room sort it out, year-in, year-out. There'll never be a captain. I've felt that way all along."
Following the exit of slugger Pete Alonso, who became the Mets' all-time home runs leader before signing with the Orioles in free agency this winter, all signs pointed toward Lindor -- their de facto captain -- eventually earning the rank officially.
Lindor was an obvious candidate, considering the leadership traits and responsibilities he's assumed since joining the Mets in 2021. Just last spring, when the Mets reportedly mulled the idea of naming him captain, the veteran shortstop expressed the possibility as "an honor and a privilege."
"The captain thing is not up for me to decide. If it does happen, it would be fantastic, an honor and a privilege," Lindor said a year ago. "Something I would never take for granted. Something that would put me next to the greats of this organization forever and It would be very humbling."
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza even admitted to having captain conversations. He told WFAN last February he shared feelings on Lindor to Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns, contending, "he doesn’t have the ‘C’ on [his uniform], but he’s doing a lot of the things that a captain will do."
Lindor also received an endorsement from Mets legend John Franco -- the third captain in franchise history -- who ran into the switch-hitter last spring training and told him he wants to see that 'C' on his uniform.
The only wrinkle was Mendoza never talked to Cohen on the matter then, which explains the change in tune now and why the Mets aren't inclined to name a fifth captain in franchise history and their first since David Wright.
"The way we see it is we have a bunch of guys there who are part of that leadership group," Mendoza said. "We lost a few guys who were part of that group, and then we gained some guys who have done that -- so I think when you're talking about a major league locker room, you need to have not only one guy, but a few guys."
The story of Cohen's reign can't be told without Lindor, however. He was acquired by the Mets in a blockbuster trade with the then-Indians five winters ago, and their commitment to a long-term relationship was cemented when Lindor signed a10-year contract extension prior to Opening Day.
Since then, Lindor has slashed .261/.338/.462 with 148 doubles, 141 home runs, and 445 RBI across 758 total games with the Mets. He nearly captured NL MVP honors in 2024, finishing second in the race, and earned Silver Slugger awards in 2023 and 2024.
There have only been four official captains in Mets history -- Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter,Franco, and Wright -- and the exclusive group isn't accepting new members, according to the boss.
The Buffalo Sabres are expected to be buyers ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline as they look to end their 14-year playoff drought.
The Winnipeg Jets, on the other hand, are likely to be sellers due to their struggles this campaign.
With this, let's take a look at two Jets players whom the Sabres should consider targeting leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
Luke Schenn
It is no secret that the Sabres would be wise to add another right-shot defenseman by the deadline. It is clear that their right side could use a boost, and the Jets have an interesting option to consider in blueliner Luke Schenn.
Schenn would give the Sabres another solid, hard-nosed defenseman to work with for their bottom pairing and penalty kill if acquired. The 18-year veteran and two-time Stanley Cup champion would also be a good mentor for the Sabres' younger players if brought in.
Logan Stanley
The Jets have another interesting trade candidate defenseman in Logan Stanley. While Stanley is a left-shot defender, he would still have the potential to be a nice addition for a Sabres club that could use more depth on their blueline.
Like Schenn, Stanley is well-known for playing a heavy game, so he would give the Sabres' defensive group more bite. Furthermore, the 6-foot-7 defenseman is having an excellent year for Winnipeg, as he has set career highs with nine goals, nine assists, and 18 points in 55 games.
The 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend gave us a lot to chew on. There was Kevin Durant’s alleged burner scandal, an absolutely terrible dunk contest, and a pretty good All-Star Game featuring a Kawhi Leonard takeover and Victor Wembanyama raising the competitive stakes. No one talked about tanking for a few days, and that’s really all the league can ask for.
There’s always some viral moments when the best players in the world gather together for the weekend, especially with the way cameras and microphones are constantly rolling these days. After Sunday’s All-Star Game, Anthony Edwards covered his mouth to make an off-handed comment to Atlanta Hawks star Jalen Johnson. It sure sounded like Edwards, an Atlanta native said “I can’t wait to come home,” and added “y’all got so many wings, and (Jonathan) Kuminga nice, too” I remember interviewing Edwards from his Atlanta high school in 2019 when he could only dream about being America’s biggest NBA star. Now that it’s actually happened, maybe he’s dreaming about returning to his hometown.
Is it panic time for the Wolves? Not yet. Edwards is under contract through the 2028-2029 season. Minnesota has gone to back-to-back Western Conference Finals since drafting Edwards with the No. 1 overall pick in 2020, and they have four more playoff runs with him under contract before he can test free agency.
The NBA hasn’t had a superstar change teams in free agency since Kawhi Leonard did it in 2019. New York and Los Angeles are usually the markets elite players want to end up in, so it’s interesting to hear Edwards speculate about going home to Atlanta. Life is always easier in the Eastern Conference, so maybe that’s part of the appeal.
It’s possible that Edwards is just talking about going home to Minnesota after the All-Star Game here. Maybe he’s talking about chicken wings, not small forwards. If that’s the case, why did he cover his mouth?
Ultimately, Wolves fans have nothing to worry about for now, and Hawks fans can’t get too excited. Edwards is under contract, he plays for a really good team, and he won’t have the opportunity to test free agency for a long time. It’s just another viral moment from this All-Star Weekend.
Mets owner Steve Cohen said Monday that as long as he owns the team, the title “captain” won’t be bestowed on a player.
Mets owner Steve Cohen speaks to reporters at spring training in Port St. Lucie on Feb. 16, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“There will never be a captain,” Cohen said.
He added the decision is based on how he would like to see the clubhouse run.
“Every year a team is different,” Cohen said. “And let the team figure it out in the locker room rather than have a designation. Having a captain in baseball doesn’t happen often — it’s actually unusual. Whatever previous ownership did, that was their way of doing things. I look at things differently.”
In recent seasons, Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo and Pete Alonso had emerged as potential captains. Nimmo and Alonso departed the organization after last season, which appeared to clear the way for Lindor to potentially land the title.
David Wright, who played his final game for the Mets in 2018, was the team’s last captain. Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter and John Franco have also worn the title for the Mets.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JANUARY 21: Head coach Doc Rivers of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on during the first quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Fiserv Forum on January 21, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Not four years ago, the Bucks had an elite on-court product, massively spurred by stability and synergy from ownership on down. Now, despite the recent good form, the team is overall in a much worse spot, and while some of the reasons for that have been beyond the Bucks’ control, many have been within their control. Over the last three or so years, this franchise has made avoidable error after avoidable error, largely culminating in the current product.
What I noticed while investigating these errors is that many share a common theme: a lack of synergy between the franchise’s different arms and, in some cases, power brokers. More specifically, there was either a lack of conviction by the arm with decision-making responsibility to go with its gut, or an arm without that responsibility overruled the arm with it, resulting in a bad decision. Therefore, I decided to dive deep into three examples of this phenomenon in the following areas: coaching hires, injury management, and possibly even the drafting process. Let’s begin with coaching hires.
A heck of a mess: The post-Budenholzer hiring debacle
The Budenholzer-to-Griffin-to-Rivers fiasco was easily the most consequential example of how a lack of organisational synergy left the Bucks in a hot mess. Whatever you may think in hindsight, it was widely accepted in 2023 that coach Bud’s time had come, and a new voice was needed. The initial search was far-reaching, but in the end, the Bucks’ brain trust settled on three finalists: Nick Nurse, Kenny Atkinson, and Adrian Griffin.
Of course, they went with Adrian Griffin, who would go on to be about as incompetent as one can be in the top job, getting fired halfway through the first year of his three-year contract (yes, I know, 30-13 record; that was not because of anything he did, and I’ll stand on that forever). When you think about it, the only logical explanation as to why they didn’t just wait to fire Griff at the end of the year—when the replacement options would be plentiful—was that he was creating so much tension that it simply could not wait, which is bonkers.
So, who gets the blame for Griffin’s hiring? Marc Stein’s reporting states that Horst wanted Nurse, but Giannis wanted Griffin, and that won out. Now, you might think that’s your answer right there: Antetokounmpo is to blame. Sure, Giannis definitely deserves some blame; knowing his opinion carries such considerable weight, he probably should’ve done more homework. But overall, you’ll seldom hear me criticise a player for doing anything other than their play. My knee-jerk reaction is to blame Horst for not trusting himself, because his instincts about Nurse being the man for the job were probably right.
Then again, in the front office’s defence, the context of the 2023 offseason was clearly very relevant to Horst’s decision-making. The Bucks had just gotten bounced in the first round, and rumors were swirling about Antetokounmpo’s future (almost as much as they were in 2020) because he was extension-eligible. Therefore, it was understandable for the Bucks’ brain trust to both involve Giannis in the process and weigh his opinion so heavily that his preference overrode the GM’s.
Looking back, this leaves you in a pickle when evaluating if there was a “right move” or not. On the one hand, the Griffin era was an abject failure from a team standpoint, and it also led to utter chaos following his ouster. Injuries or not, the team was never going to be a contender under AG (or his replacement), which we sometimes forget is the entire goal behind all of this. On the other hand, assuming the initial coaching hire influenced Antetokounmpo’s decision to sign the extension (which, to be fair, we don’t actually know for certain), the Griffin hire was objectively a successful move!
But let’s move on from that and briefly discuss the Doc Rivers hire in more detail. There were a few options on the table. Nick Nurse had taken the head job in Philly, so he was out, but Kenny Atkinson was still available. Kevin O’Connor’s reporting states that Horst wanted Atkinson but was overruled by the ownership group, who wanted Doc Rivers. So once again, the lack of synergy reared its ugly head. The front office wanted one guy, whom they had already vetted extensively, but were overruled by the ownership group.
Which leads us to where we’re at now. The Rivers hire has gone about as expected. Had Giannis signed the extension under Nurse or Atkinson, the franchise at large would likely be in a much better position right now. However, the reality is that we don’t know if he would have signed under another coach, as crazy as that sounds in hindsight, making Horst’s decision to hire Griffin easily defensible. Who to blame for the Doc hire, though, seems pretty unambiguous. Giannis was not a factor, and Horst had a strong candidate ready to go; unfortunately, ownership decided they wanted to run point on that one, completely bungling it.
Playing with fire: Questions around the injury management of Giannis
I can apply this framework to the situation that has played out with Giannis’ continued calf injuries. In his recent interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Antetokounmpo admitted he returned too early from his initial calf injury this season, which we can only assume led to his reinjury about a month ago (at least in part). My question is: knowing what we know about calf injuries, how was there any world in which he returned in anything other than tip-top condition the first time around?
Look, I’ll guess that the 65-game rule for award eligibility had something to do with it from Giannis’ end. Not that it matters, but my personal response to that is blunt: I don’t care. He needs to know that his health is more important than some award (p.s., this is why the 65-game rule is stupid, but I digress). But then there’s the more pressing questions surrounding the game in which he reinjured that calf, the main one being: why was he allowed to continue playing when it was clear he wasn’t right? The broadcast kept pointing it out; those watching could see it. Heck, Doc even admitted it himself!
“I thought he was favoring it for most of the second half. I asked our [medical staff] five different times. I didn’t like what my eyes were seeing, personally. Giannis was defiant about staying in. On that one play, seeing him try to run down the floor, to me, I’d had enough. I didn’t ask, I just took him out.“
And yet and still, Rivers didn’t take him out until right at the end when he couldn’t move? Oh, how noble of him. Doc referred to notifying the medical staff “five different times,” and they also didn’t demand he come out? Huh? Going back through some of Antetokounmpo’s postgame quotes from that night made me incredibly frustrated.
“I don’t like to quit. I couldn’t explode, jog, get on my toes, so I was jogging on my heels. I didn’t have the same explosiveness, but I still felt like I could help. But then at the end, when it popped, I had to get out.”
“I was feeling it [for] a majority of the game, but I did not want to stop playing. But at the end, I could not move, so I had to stop.”
It is baffling to me that he wasn’t taken out the second he felt discomfort (in a random game in a lost season, no less). The man fully admitted he wasn’t feeling right for a majority of the game, was changing his running biomechanics because of it, and people did nothing because they presumably didn’t want to be the “bad guy” and save him from himself. That is crazy to me. What makes Antetokounmpo so great is that he’ll do anything to win, including playing through pain—it’s the Bucks’ duty of care to stand in his way. And judging from these quotes, how could there be any other conclusion than that they failed in that duty of care?
Sliding doors moment: Was Milwaukee about to select Kyshawn George before Jon Horst stepped in?
Something in the media surfaced recently that made me question how the Bucks’ drafting process works and whether that department is another lacking trust and synergy. And I want to be clear upfront that I am putting on my tinfoil hat and 100% speculating here, which I don’t love to do, but honestly, I just had to put this in writing. My question is: how trusted are the scouts, who work exclusively on the draft, to make selections on draft night?
What prompted this thought for me? Well, I listen to the Old Man And The Three podcast. Recently, they recorded an episode with some of the Washington Wizards’ young core: Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr, and Bilal Coulibaly. On the podcast, each player discussed their pre-draft process and the teams they worked out with and/or had interest from. George (14:45–15:03) singled out just one team, Milwaukee, as the franchise he believed was likely to select him:
“To be honest, I had a couple teams that I had really, really, really good feedback [with], and it was kind of my floor, and they didn’t pick me”
“Which team?”
“The team was Milwaukee, actually. I had an individual workout with them; that went pretty well. Had pretty good feedback from them. And then after [they didn’t pick me], I was like, ‘oh, I guess we’re going to have to see.’”
Whether you, like many online, read that as a “promise” from the Bucks or not, it’s clear that, at minimum, there was significant interest. Of course, Milwaukee would select AJ Johnson instead, and Washington would snap up Kyshawn George with the very next pick. Now, hearing that reminded me that the Bucks themselves made an all-access video of their 2024 draft. I rewatched this video out of curiosity and found quite an interesting nugget (2:08–2:17) relating to their picking Johnson, and that was the wording Jon Horst used to announce it:
“With what we see on the board, we’re going to go for a big swing here. We’re going to change the board a little bit. We’re going to take AJ Johnson.”
Again, I have no way of confirming this, but it seems relatively clear that Horst made an executive decision to override the draft board and, by his own admission, “swing.” Recall that AJ Johnson was not seen as a first-round pick by the NBA at large, evidenced by his not receiving a green room invite (unlike Kyshawn George). Would he really have been rated as a first-round guy by the Bucks? Regardless, the pick missed by a country mile and, in hindsight, the Bucks were lucky to get off AJ when he still had “intrigue.”
Granted, teams miss in the 20s all the time, but this one hurt a little extra because we know from George’s own admission that he was nearly a Buck. Ironically, this situation is eerily similar to the 2022 draft, when, per the Zach Lowe Show (51:05–52:05), the Bucks worked out Andrew Nembhard twice and also loved him, only to use their pick on MarJon Beauchamp. To put it bluntly, Milwaukee identified two studs late in the first round who’d each go ~20 spots higher in a redraft, were reportedly at the 10-yard line with both, only to pass on them for two busts who’d go ~20 spots lower in a redraft. Sliding doors, man. Sliding doors.
And sure, this isn’t really the same as the other separation-of-powers arguments I’ve made, as Jon Horst does play a key role in scouting and drafting; these aren’t “separate arms” getting in each other’s way. It also could very well be a one-off situation. But it’s fair to say that scouts, unlike Horst, are singularly focused on the draft year-round, and thus their opinions should hold a lot of weight in this specific area. If Horst indeed overrode the draft board to take a consensus second-round prospect at 23, he’d better have been confident that the prospect would turn out good (or even average!), which they did not. Not even close.
Well, there you have it. I think it’s more than fair to say a lack of synergy and trust from top to bottom in the Bucks organisation has played a key role in their demise. It’s clear that as the franchise approaches another major inflection point in the offseason, that can no longer continue. At the same time, it’s not all bad. The Bucks have made a bunch of shrewd moves around the edges that help to make up for these mistakes. Unearthing Ryan Rollins and AJ Green has, in many ways, saved them. Ousmane Dieng’s first few games have been beyond exciting. Kevin Porter Jr. and Cam Thomas are both flawed but awfully talented. There’s a lot to be excited about, but no franchise runs well when different factions are on different wavelengths.
Partizan player Cameron Payne plays during the EuroLeague game against Panathinaikos in Belgrade, Serbia, on February 5, 2026. (Photo by Maxim Konankov/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
Guard reinforcements are on the way for the Sixers.
The team is bringing back Cameron Payne for the rest of the season, a source confirms to Liberty Ballers. TeleSport was the first to report the signing. Payne had been playing in Serbia for Partizan Belgrade, reportedly agreeing to a buyout to return to the NBA.
After the dust settles from all the post-trade deadline roster moves, the Sixers will have two standard roster spots open — both currently occupied by players on 10-day deals in Charles Bassey and Patrick Baldwin. It appears Payne will slide into one of those spots. There’s no clear indication if the other spot will be used to convert two-way player Jabari Walker to a standard deal or further explore the buyout market.
Payne came to the Sixers at the 2024 trade deadline (along with a second-round pick) in the deal that sent Patrick Beverley to the Milwaukee Bucks. In hindsight, that move was an absolute steal as Payne provided much-needed offensive juice while Beverley saw an unceremonious end to this NBA career.
The 31-year-old Payne spent last season with the New York Knicks. This past offseason, the Knicks sought to upgrade that role with veteran Jordan Clarkson and former Sixer Landry Shamet. Payne was in camp with the Indiana Pacers ahead of the 2025-26 season, but was waived and then took his talents overseas.
The Sixers traded Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for draft capital and also moved veteran Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies in a salary dump. The team went from a glut of guards to lacking depth as we saw last week when Quentin Grimes missed a pair of games because of illness.
Payne won’t solve all the Sixers’ problems, but he’ll add shooting and can competently run an NBA offense. He’s likely a better guard option than most of the players who were recently bought out. With Tyrese Maxey leading the NBA in minutes and VJ Edgecombe leading rookies in minutes, the team needed a better option than soon-to-be 40-year-old Kyle Lowry. They appear to have one in Payne.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 13: Max Muncy #13 of the Los Angeles Dodgers participates in a fielding drill during spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch on February 13, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Since getting called up to the Dodgers in April 2018, Max Muncy has been a fixture in the Dodgers infield at three different positions, and has yet to reach free agency. The contract he signed Thursday — his fourth extension — keeps Muncy under contract through 2027 with another club option for 2028.
Muncy has expressed multiple times in recent years of his desire to stay in Los Angeles, and did so again on Saturday at Dodgers camp at Camelback Ranch.
“I know I’m leaving some money on the table,” Muncy said Saturday. “But I want to be here. I want to end my career here. I know who I am as a person, and I wouldn’t be happy trying to chase money somewhere else. I’ve never been comfortable trying to do that. And I wouldn’t be comfortable now.”
The 2026 incentives were included in the option that was picked up from the previous contract. It includes $15K in performance bonuses with each plate appearance from 401 to 550, with a maximum of $2.25 million.
From the extension: 2027 salary escalator based on 2026 plate appearances. $20K for each plate appearance from 401-500 and $35K for each plate appearance from 501-550, with a maximum of $3.75 million. The 2028 performance bonuses (if the option is exercised) includes $20K for each plate appearance from 401-500 and $35K for each plate appearance from 501-550, with a maximum of $3.75 million.
Let’s run through the history of Muncy’s contracts with the Dodgers, beginning when he was first eligible for salary arbitration after the 2019 season.
February 2020: three years, $26 million, plus club option
Covered all three arbitration seasons (2020-22), after Muncy and the Dodgers exchanged salaries for his first time through arbitration. Muncy was at $4.675 million and the Dodgers were at $4 million, with a midpoint of $4.3375 million. Muncy got a $4.5 million signing bonus and a $1 million salary in 2020, $7.5 million in 2021, and $11.5 million in 2022, with a $13 million club option and a $1.5 million buyout for 2023.
Muncy’s club option had salary escalators based on his placement in MVP voting, and his 10th-place finish in 2021 added $500,000 to his 2023 club option base salary.
August 2022: one year, $13.5 million, plus club option
The base salary for 2023 matched Muncy’s club option salary, with another club option for 2024 at $10 million and no buyout. The 2024 option salary had escalators based on 2023 playing time, and Muncy earned all $4 million with his 579 plate appearances, putting his club option at $14 million
November 2023: two years, $24 million, plus club option
February 2026: one year, $10 million, plus club option
Already signed for 2026, Muncy’s extension pays him $7 million for 2027, plus a club option worth $10 million for 2028 with a $3 million buyout.
The Dodgers have paid Muncy $37.5 million over the last three years, what would have been free agent seasons had he hit the open market. That’s a relatively modest sum for someone who has been an integral part of the Dodgers lineup who has been productive even while missing time with injuries the last two seasons.
Muncy can earn up to $2.25 million in bonuses for 2026 and add to his 2027 option base salary based on playing time, but those bonuses don’t start until 401 plate appearances, something he hasn’t reached since 2023. He can max out those bonuses with 550 plate appearances, something he’s done four times in his career — 2019, plus 2021-23.
It’s Friday morning as I write this, and for some reason, the boys are home, the first day of a four-day weekend. Such as it is, we had a movie night last night, and it was my turn* to pick out the film. As I’m impatiently awaiting the start of baseball, in any shape or form, I chose A League of Their Own, one of the best** baseball movies.
*We choose movies in order of birth, and my wife is the oldest of the group. She picked last time and chose The Mighty Ducks, which I hadn’t watched in years. It wasn’t bad! Except the part about Gordon Bombay landing a DWI in the first few scenes, and the opening scene where the coach belittles young Gordon for hitting the post. Stupid Gordon!
**My two favorite baseball movies are A League of Their Own and Major League. I also enjoy Field of Dreams and The Sandlot, but I have a hard time picking out a fifth favorite baseball movie. Probably the Albert Brooks and Brendan Fraser vehicle, The Scout, where Fraser’s character, at the end, strikes out the fearsome slugger…Ozzie Smith???
Watching a baseball movie is just one of the ways I’m gearing up for the baseball season, in particular, watching the Royals. I’m sure I’ll watch plenty of the World Baseball Classic, which begins in early March.
While the WBC isn’t that far away, it feels like it is. Closer is the start of college baseball. My beloved, woeful Missouri Tigers, who finished last season 16-39 (3-27 in conference play), begin their season the night I’m writing this piece as they take on Mount St. Mary’s in a neutral-site game down in Florida.
A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I took our sons to their first-ever Mizzou basketball game. During one of the first-half timeouts, the baseball team came out to throw t-shirts to the crowd. The next time out, head baseball coach Kerrick Jackson took the court to address the crowd. No one booed Jackson, but no one cheered him, either. I could tell that not a lot of the fans cared that much, or knew that much, about the baseball team.
Lady Behind Me: Is the baseball team any good?
Man Behind Me: [laughs]
Still, baseball is baseball. If you love it, you love it in all its shapes and sizes, from the SEC to the minors to the Majors to a film about the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAPBL, thank you very much).
My sons really enjoyed A League of Their Own. The littler one asked if we could watch it again as soon as the credits rolled. My wife didn’t recognize Madonna. The older son and I engaged in a conversation that has surrounded the movie since it was released in 1992 – did Kit Hinson knock the ball out of Dottie’s hand, or did Dottie purposefully let it go?
It also warmed my heart when Tom Hanks first entered the picture—over thirty minutes in!—and the boys recognized him from the only other movie in which they’ve seen him (excluding the Toy Story movies, of course): The ‘Burbs.
The on-field action in League, if you will, is pretty good. Sure, there’s a scene or two where the batter clearly hits the ball to the right side of the field, and Rosie O’Donnell’s Doris, playing third, makes a play to her right. Whatever. The play has me gearing up to go.
With the Royals, there’s also the draft to consider. They moved up in the lottery and landed the #6 pick in the draft, which should enable them to land a premium player. Because of that draft position, I’m keeping an eye on the college baseball season as a whole (not just Mizzou, which is probably good for my sanity) as well as how certain prep players perform this spring.
Reading Baseball America is great for that coverage, and The Athletic seems to be upping its coverage of the college game, too. I’m sure there are other, possibly better (i.e., cheaper) sites for this sort of coverage, but these are the two on which I’m leaning.
Justin Lebron is a bona fide Player of the Year candidate.
Plus he could challenge Roch Cholowsky for the top spot in the 2026 Draft 👀
He's the top player in Alabama and arguably the most important to his team’s goals in the nation.
Then we have the Royals’ own farm system, which is getting stronger. Keith Law at The Athletic is great for prospect coverage, as is Baseball America, but MLB Pipeline, which is the only free site of the group, also provides strong work. All of them are helpful for keeping an eye on Royals prospects climbing the ladder toward the Majors or determining who the front office might dangle* in a trade to upgrade the 40-man.
*I’ll have another column on this soon.
Lastly, I’m reading a bunch of baseball books, to which I’ll be devoting an entire column in the coming days. It seems that there are more books about baseball than any other sport, even football. When I’m roaming the stacks at the local library, it’s clear that baseball—at least, the history of baseball—is thriving.
All of this is to say, I can’t wait to watch some baseball. Starting with Mizzou tonight, I should be watching or listening to baseball games from now until the end of October. I’ll be at Opening Day at the K for the first time in my life. I have finally convinced my youngest join a baseball team, too.
There’s nothing better.
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone: baseball has returned.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 08: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Camilo Doval #75 of the New York Yankees in action against the Toronto Blue Jays in game four of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 08, 2025 in New York City. The Blue Jays defeated the Yankees 5-2. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the Yankees approached last season’s Trade Deadline, they’d squandered an early division lead and sat in need of reinforcements. The most logical area of the roster to augment was the bullpen. Devin Williams, acquired in a preseason blockbuster to serve as the team’s closer, had been a massive disappointment, closing out July with an ERA above 5.00, and few other Yankees relievers fared much better. GM Brian Cashman acted with heartening urgency, adding not one, not two, but three relievers to the mix. Alongside David Bednar and Jake Bird, he swung a trade with the Giants to acquire their off-and-on-again closer, Camilo Doval.
Doval burst on the scene in 2021, posting an exemplary 37:9 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 27 innings for a surprising 107-win Giants club that dethroned the Dodgers as NL West champs for the only time since 2012. They fell back as a team the next year, but Doval secured San Francisco’s closer job, establishing himself as a ninth-inning stalwart before leading the NL with 39 saves in 2023. The Dominican Republic native appeared poised for a steady run as one of the game’s premier relief arms.
But, as has been proven time and again, the reliever is baseball’s most fickle creature. Doval regressed dramatically in 2024, recording a 4.88 ERA that called into question his long-term viability. While he fared better in the first half of 2025, his inconsistency—as well as the middling Giants’ inability to get back to October in an uber-competitive NL West—made him expendable at the deadline.
Doval’s Yankees debut came in a game that could not have been scripted better to shatter the hearts of the team’s fans everywhere. Riding high on the strength of their deadline additions, New York watched Bird allow four runs and Bednar allow another two to blow a comfortable lead against the lowly Marlins. New York’s third shiny new object, Doval, entered in the ninth with a two-run lead, promptly allowing three baserunners before, aided by an error from fellow newcomer José Caballero, Miami walked the game off on a dribbler.
Receiving an opportunity to enter the setup mix in a wide-open Yankees bullpen, Doval continued to flounder in his new uniform. Through his first 16 appearances with New York, the right-hander posted a 6.59 ERA. By the end of that run, he’d fallen largely into mop-up duty while an unfazed Bednar seized the closer spot and Williams settled in as setup man.
In this lower-leverage role, Doval started to turn things around. In late September, he allowed just one hit in six scoreless outings to end the season. Crucially, for a pitcher whose struggles with control had led him to give free passes in half of those first 16 appearances, Doval allowed walks in just one of those final six. He wasn’t used in the Wild Card Series but pitched reasonably well in three ALDS appearances. This included Game 2 in Toronto, where Doval entered with the Yankees down 2-0 in the fifth and tossed two perfect innings, making him one of a precious few hurlers able to keep the relentless Jays lineup at bay.
With Williams and Luke Weaver both departing in free agency, Doval would appear in line to get a crack at the setup job once again behind Bednar unless the Yankees add another top-end arm. The pressure is on, as Brian Cashman has on multiple occasions pointed to his Trade Deadline additions as a primary reason why the team didn’t add much to the bullpen this past offseason. The front office is optimistic about what they’ll get from a full season of Doval.
The big question is whether his inconsistency the past two seasons is an aberration or his early dominance has faded. ZiPS expects the latter, projecting a remarkably similar line to Doval’s last season, a performance that would land him more in the middle reliever category. Many of Doval’s peripherals remained strong last year — including a 53.6-percent ground-ball rate — but his 12.6 percent walk rate held him back from being reliably effective.
Entering 2026, expect control to be a focal point of Doval’s scouting report. If the former All-Star can keep traffic off the bases, Doval still has the stuff to be a back-end option. If not, the 28-year-old could once again cede his role and find himself in mop-up duty — and possible non-tender territory.
