DiamondCentric

Barring a miracle, it looks to be another disappointing election, Marlins fans. For that is truly what it would take. A former Marlin making it into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this winter would be surprising enough. Seeing them choose to do so in a Marlins cap? As I said, miraculous. What's that? Some of you were thinking of today's voting? Well yes, Election Day is here, but it's a much more baseball focused, wintertime election cycle we'll be focusing on. As every Miami fan knows, no player has ever gone into Cooperstown representing the Marlins. Certainly, plenty of Hall of Famers spent some time in Marlins colors. Andre Dawson and Tim Raines soaked up some sunshine at the end of their careers. Trevor Hoffman started his. Jim Leyland led Miami to a championship. Ivan Rodriguez helped them win another. Ichiro Suzuki collected his 3,000th hit. Mike Piazza spent a week becoming one of baseball's favorite trivia answers. However, none of them chose to be immortalized as a Marlin. This offseason could easily determine if anyone ever does. How so? Multiple decisions to be made between now and next Opening Day will play a role. Some of those are well within Miami's control. Others? Less so. Yet all will go a long way towards deciding whether fans can count on a Marlins Hall of Famer anytime soon. Starting with... Their Current Aces Will the Marlins offer Sandy Alcantara an extension? He's by no means a lock for Cooperstown, but he's also one of only two active Marlins you could squint and see getting there. If Sandy were to spend his entire career in South Florida being his above average innings eater self, and that career continues for another six to eight years? That could end up being recognized. Then there's Eury Perez. This winter feels like the last chance for an extension, barring a massive change to Miami's financial situation. Speaking of which... Will Baseball Get Salary Reform? Outside of Alcantara, this one is really the whole ballgame. Honestly, even that Perez mention should have been included in this section. It's just really hard to see the Marlins keeping anyone good enough long enough without the proposed salary cap and floor. If it were just about one great year, Leyland or Rodriguez would have gone in as Marlins. Same for Miguel Cabrera in a couple years. It's about the excellence and tenure, which is an expensive combination. Likely too expensive for Miami without salary reform. Unless... Will Miami's Home Run Leader Return Home? Last and least likely, what if Giancarlo Stanton finished his career in South Florida? The Yankees could easily cut him. Technically, the Marlins are already spending $10 million on him anyway. Would it be so shocking if the team sought to sell some tickets and give him the chance for an Albert Pujols ending to his career? Returning home to chase home run history? It would take him accepting a sweetheart deal, and Miami looking past the fact he's likely cooked. It would be quite the storybook ending though. Barring one of these scenarios? That could be it for Miami winning a Hall of Fame vote. View the full article

The San Diego Padres would probably like to add some offense to the roster, even though the rotation will be their primary focus this offseason. Finding spots on the depth chart other than left field (and maybe designated hitter) to accomodate such additions, however, is a little tricky. The inconsistencies of second baseman Jake Cronenworth over the last few seasons should be argument enough to at least put his spot up for grabs, especially after his decline in 2026. He produced a line of just .225/.308/.321 with seven home runs, 41 RBIs, and an 83 wRC+ in 109 games. His only offensive awakening came in July, when he posted a 119 wRC+, and then in September, which ended with a .418 slugging percentage, his highest in any month of the entire campaign. Yes, I haven’t forgotten his important home run in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers, although that was just an offensive flash between his limited .176/.222/.353 line in 19 plate appearances during the postseason. All of this ties back to his loss of value as a hitter and fielder. He just suffered his biggest drop in walk rate, from 13.4 BB% in 2025 to 8.9 BB% in 2026, his occasional power has disappeared, and he has stopped being an above-average baserunner in the league. All these offensive problems have been joined by his defensive limitations, as he accumulated -3 Fielding Run Value, with problems in his range and difficulties handling double-play situations. With all that in mind, this could be a great time for the Padres to solve these problems in the free-agent market, and they still have enough time before December 1 arrives and all negotiations stop because of the lockout. There are several interesting options, but Brandon Lowe is the player who combines all the necessary ingredients to be a bona fide upgrade; he's a proven power left-handed bat and just showed off some elite defense. For those who weren't in tune with the Pirates this year, Lowe just finished the best season of his career, recording a career-high fWAR of 4.9 thanks primarily to the 35 home run and 96 RBIs he was responsible for. His power was not the product of a breakout season, as he has a streak of four consecutive seasons with at least 20 home runs, which he has raised to a minimum of 30 home runs and 80 RBIs over the last two seasons. Then, there is another interesting point here, as Lowe is not the typical hitter who walks a lot, but he finished 2026 with the best batting average and BABIP of his entire career in qualified seasons, producing marks of .260 and .319, respectively. Lowe kept crushing fastballs and hit 19 home runs against that pitch type for the second consecutive year, the second-highest mark of his career since the 25 he hit in 2021 when he played for the Rays. The fact that he maintains his power at this level of production would bring a great contribution to the Padres’ lineup on its own, but his defensive improvements undoubtedly mark another notable difference from the Lowe of just a couple of seasons ago. He recorded -10 FRV last year in his final season in Tampa Bay, but he came into this year focused on improving his defense and managed to take a gigantic step forward. From among the worst results among second basemen in all of Major League Baseball, Lowe finished in the 98th percentile with +15 OAA. His range improved considerably and, although his arm strength is still below the league average, he compensated with every other part of his game and finished with a final mark of +12 FRV. Lowe will be one of the most sought-after second basemen this winter alongside Luis Arraez, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Gleyber Torres, although his all-around game is what makes him the most interesting. Arraez is a known quantity around these parts and had a really nice campaign split between Philadelphia and San Francisco (and Chisholm has enormous upside), but if the goal is to get a guaranteed upgrade over Cronenworth, Lowe is the only option available. View the full article

The San Diego Padres would probably like to add some offense to the roster, even though the rotation will be their primary focus this offseason. Finding spots on the depth chart other than left field (and maybe designated hitter) to accomodate such additions, however, is a little tricky. The inconsistencies of second baseman Jake Cronenworth over the last few seasons should be argument enough to at least put his spot up for grabs, especially after his decline in 2026. He produced a line of just .225/.308/.321 with seven home runs, 41 RBIs, and an 83 wRC+ in 109 games. His only offensive awakening came in July, when he posted a 119 wRC+, and then in September, which ended with a .418 slugging percentage, his highest in any month of the entire campaign. Yes, I haven’t forgotten his important home run in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Milwaukee Brewers, although that was just an offensive flash between his limited .176/.222/.353 line in 19 plate appearances during the postseason. All of this ties back to his loss of value as a hitter and fielder. He just suffered his biggest drop in walk rate, from 13.4 BB% in 2025 to 8.9 BB% in 2026, his occasional power has disappeared, and he has stopped being an above-average baserunner in the league. All these offensive problems have been joined by his defensive limitations, as he accumulated -3 Fielding Run Value, with problems in his range and difficulties handling double-play situations. With all that in mind, this could be a great time for the Padres to solve these problems in the free-agent market, and they still have enough time before December 1 arrives and all negotiations stop because of the lockout. There are several interesting options, but Brandon Lowe is the player who combines all the necessary ingredients to be a bona fide upgrade; he's a proven power left-handed bat and just showed off some elite defense. For those who weren't in tune with the Pirates this year, Lowe just finished the best season of his career, recording a career-high fWAR of 4.9 thanks primarily to the 35 home run and 96 RBIs he was responsible for. His power was not the product of a breakout season, as he has a streak of four consecutive seasons with at least 20 home runs, which he has raised to a minimum of 30 home runs and 80 RBIs over the last two seasons. Then, there is another interesting point here, as Lowe is not the typical hitter who walks a lot, but he finished 2026 with the best batting average and BABIP of his entire career in qualified seasons, producing marks of .260 and .319, respectively. Lowe kept crushing fastballs and hit 19 home runs against that pitch type for the second consecutive year, the second-highest mark of his career since the 25 he hit in 2021 when he played for the Rays. The fact that he maintains his power at this level of production would bring a great contribution to the Padres’ lineup on its own, but his defensive improvements undoubtedly mark another notable difference from the Lowe of just a couple of seasons ago. He recorded -10 FRV last year in his final season in Tampa Bay, but he came into this year focused on improving his defense and managed to take a gigantic step forward. From among the worst results among second basemen in all of Major League Baseball, Lowe finished in the 98th percentile with +15 OAA. His range improved considerably and, although his arm strength is still below the league average, he compensated with every other part of his game and finished with a final mark of +12 FRV. Lowe will be one of the most sought-after second basemen this winter alongside Luis Arraez, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Gleyber Torres, although his all-around game is what makes him the most interesting. Arraez is a known quantity around these parts and had a really nice campaign split between Philadelphia and San Francisco (and Chisholm has enormous upside), but if the goal is to get a guaranteed upgrade over Cronenworth, Lowe is the only option available. View the full article

J.J. Hardy was a good player during his time in Milwaukee. In fact, he was one of the best shortstops in the franchise’s history, behind only Robin Yount and Willy Adames. But his tenure with the team from 2005-2009 was not his only impact. Hardy’s Brewers legacy includes some of the key players for Milwaukee’s last 10 seasons of success, culminating in its first World Series title. How is it possible that Milwaukee’s second-round pick from 2001 ended up being the team’s most consequential draft pick of the 21st century? Yes, I know that this puts him higher than Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Jacob Misiorowski, Brandon Woodruff, and other well-known Brewers players, but if you're willing to play with the definitions a bit, he has a case. It might not have unfolded this way, but for an off year. Hardy struggled in 2009. The Brewers even demoted him to Triple-A briefly—long enough to get an extra year of team control. With the relationship soured (and with Alcides Escobar forcing the issue), Milwaukee swapped Hardy to the Twins for Carlos Gómez. Just getting Gómez worked out nicely for Milwaukee, as the dynamo became one of the best center fielders in Brewers history. But then, the Brewers dealt Gómez and pitcher Mike Fiers to the Houston Astros for four players: outfielders Brett Phillips and Domingo Santana, along with pitchers Adrian Houser and Josh Hader. In 2017, as the Brewers fell just short of the postseason, Santana proved to be a pretty good power hitter. In 2018, Hader and Houser stuck in Milwaukee for good as members of an excellent pitching staff, while Phillips was part of a package that landed the Brewers Mike Moustakas. Fast-forward to 2022, and the controversial Hader trade. The Brewers secured Robert Gasser’s services, giving them a 2026 postseason hero after he returned from arm trouble, but they also landed Esteury Ruiz. Ruiz may have been the more consequential acquisition, in the sense we're talking about today: he was the piece Matt Arnold used to get involved in the Athletics-Braves trade that brought William Contreras to Milwaukee. Gasser is likely to be a mainstay in the Milwaukee rotation for some time. Contreras is arguably the best catcher in Brewers history. The Hardy trade tree has borne remarkable fruit—and it's still in bloom. Adrian Houser was dealt to the Mets for Coleman Crow, who’s already had some appearances for Milwaukee, and how he works out has yet to be determined. Gasser and Contreras have added 15.5% of a championship during their time in Milwaukee, according to Baseball Reference, and there's certainly an argument that Contreras's contributions to this title run were underestimated by the stats. Whether it's soon or far down the road, it's also reasonable to guess that one or both of those players will fetch something substantial in trade, too. This way of looking at things is more for fun than for serious consumption, of course. Hardy didn't produce this value; the front office did. Still, it's part of Hardy's story as part of the team's history, and it threads him in with the bevy of other Brewers greats who have a tangible (if somewhat remote) connection to the championship the organization finally won this fall. View the full article

J.J. Hardy was a good player during his time in Milwaukee. In fact, he was one of the best shortstops in the franchise’s history, behind only Robin Yount and Willy Adames. But his tenure with the team from 2005-2009 was not his only impact. Hardy’s Brewers legacy includes some of the key players for Milwaukee’s last 10 seasons of success, culminating in its first World Series title. How is it possible that Milwaukee’s second-round pick from 2001 ended up being the team’s most consequential draft pick of the 21st century? Yes, I know that this puts him higher than Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Jacob Misiorowski, Brandon Woodruff, and other well-known Brewers players, but if you're willing to play with the definitions a bit, he has a case. It might not have unfolded this way, but for an off year. Hardy struggled in 2009. The Brewers even demoted him to Triple-A briefly—long enough to get an extra year of team control. With the relationship soured (and with Alcides Escobar forcing the issue), Milwaukee swapped Hardy to the Twins for Carlos Gómez. Just getting Gómez worked out nicely for Milwaukee, as the dynamo became one of the best center fielders in Brewers history. But then, the Brewers dealt Gómez and pitcher Mike Fiers to the Houston Astros for four players: outfielders Brett Phillips and Domingo Santana, along with pitchers Adrian Houser and Josh Hader. In 2017, as the Brewers fell just short of the postseason, Santana proved to be a pretty good power hitter. In 2018, Hader and Houser stuck in Milwaukee for good as members of an excellent pitching staff, while Phillips was part of a package that landed the Brewers Mike Moustakas. Fast-forward to 2022, and the controversial Hader trade. The Brewers secured Robert Gasser’s services, giving them a 2026 postseason hero after he returned from arm trouble, but they also landed Esteury Ruiz. Ruiz may have been the more consequential acquisition, in the sense we're talking about today: he was the piece Matt Arnold used to get involved in the Athletics-Braves trade that brought William Contreras to Milwaukee. Gasser is likely to be a mainstay in the Milwaukee rotation for some time. Contreras is arguably the best catcher in Brewers history. The Hardy trade tree has borne remarkable fruit—and it's still in bloom. Adrian Houser was dealt to the Mets for Coleman Crow, who’s already had some appearances for Milwaukee, and how he works out has yet to be determined. Gasser and Contreras have added 15.5% of a championship during their time in Milwaukee, according to Baseball Reference, and there's certainly an argument that Contreras's contributions to this title run were underestimated by the stats. Whether it's soon or far down the road, it's also reasonable to guess that one or both of those players will fetch something substantial in trade, too. This way of looking at things is more for fun than for serious consumption, of course. Hardy didn't produce this value; the front office did. Still, it's part of Hardy's story as part of the team's history, and it threads him in with the bevy of other Brewers greats who have a tangible (if somewhat remote) connection to the championship the organization finally won this fall. View the full article

Carson Roccaforte, Royals Keep's No. 9 prospect, was named a minor-league Gold Glove winner on Sunday. Roccaforte began the year in Double-A in Northwest Arkansas before being promoted to Triple-A in Omaha in mid-July. He played exclusively in center field at both levels in the Royals' organization. In 1,105 innings in center field, he committed no errors and recorded 13 outfield assists. The Gold Glove award is a nice way to cap off an excellent season. With a slash line of .257/.338/.519 in 2026, Roccaforte was also Royals Keep's Minor-League hitter of the year. The Royals' second-round pick in the 2023 draft will look to use his defensive performance as a foundation to give himself a shot to push for the major-laeague roster in 2027. The Royals already have a strong foundation on defense with four different players being named finalist for a major-league Gold Glove (Bobby Witt Jr., Nick Loftin, Michael Massey, and Vinnie Pasquantino) although none were able to claim the award this season. View the full article

Carson Roccaforte, Royals Keep's No. 9 prospect, was named a minor-league Gold Glove winner on Sunday. Roccaforte began the year in Double-A in Northwest Arkansas before being promoted to Triple-A in Omaha in mid-July. He played exclusively in center field at both levels in the Royals' organization. In 1,105 innings in center field, he committed no errors and recorded 13 outfield assists. The Gold Glove award is a nice way to cap off an excellent season. With a slash line of .257/.338/.519 in 2026, Roccaforte was also Royals Keep's Minor-League hitter of the year. The Royals' second-round pick in the 2023 draft will look to use his defensive performance as a foundation to give himself a shot to push for the major-laeague roster in 2027. The Royals already have a strong foundation on defense with four different players being named finalist for a major-league Gold Glove (Bobby Witt Jr., Nick Loftin, Michael Massey, and Vinnie Pasquantino) although none were able to claim the award this season. View the full article

The 2026 season certainly was not the year of the Kansas City Royals. That might be an understatement. After a 69-93 season, it’s back to the drawing board for Kansas City, and with a salary floor likely on the horizon, the Royals are one of many teams that will very likely need to increase their spending this offseason. One way to do that is by improving the bullpen. Kansas City’s relief corps was arguably the worst unit in the league, finishing with a 5.03 ERA, the second-worst mark in baseball. Their 1.53 WHIP and 482 strikeouts were both dead last. With that in mind, let's take a look at three realistic bullpen options the Royals could target this winter. All three are featured on DiamondCentric's 2026-2027 top free agents list, and each could help fix the identity of Kansas City's bullpen. LHP JoJo Romero Kansas City doesn’t really have a proven, reliable left-handed reliever, and Romero could be exactly that. He comes in as DiamondCentric’s 42nd-ranked free agent after another solid season in which he finished with a 3.68 ERA or better for the fourth consecutive year, including a 2.07 mark in 2025. Romero was traded from St. Louis to Milwaukee at this year’s trade deadline, and he’s been a valuable piece of the Brewers’ bullpen down the stretch. He’s helped strengthen a relief corps that has played a major role in Milwaukee’s postseason success. He succeeds primarily by inducing ground balls with his sinker, which features plenty of movement alongside his sweeper and changeup. He consistently produces one of the highest ground-ball rates in the league, and while his fielding-independent pitching (FIP) tends to sit a bit higher than his ERA, he’s still a useful late-inning option. The Royals also have a quality defensive infield, which could help maximize Romero’s effectiveness. He’s not going to be the top reliever on the market, but his track record of consistency and ability to keep the ball on the ground would be a welcome addition to Kansas City’s bullpen. Romero and the Royals could be a match made in heaven. RHP Jason Adam Adam comes in as DiamondCentric’s 44th-ranked free agent, and like Romero, he’s been about as consistent as they come over the last handful of years. He’s finished with a 2.98 ERA or better every season since 2022, making him an intriguing option for a Royals team that desperately needs dependable relief arms. He frequently pitches backward, leaning heavily on his slider and changeup before mixing in his four-seam fastball. He does a good job of limiting hard contact while keeping the ball on the ground, giving him another avenue to get outs even when he isn’t generating many strikeouts. However, there are some legitimate concerns following his 2026 campaign. Adam missed a good chunk of the season with a shoulder strain and didn't return until the end of September. Across 34 1/3 innings, he posted a 2.62 ERA, but his strikeout rate dropped from 26% in 2025 to just 15.5% this year. His 4.85 FIP was also the highest of his career since his rookie season. His whiff and chase rates remained strong, suggesting his stuff can still be effective, but he wasn't putting hitters away at the same rate. Whether those numbers were the result of his shoulder injury or simply the effects of age remains to be seen. Adam will turn 36 next August, which could also help keep his price down. If his medical evaluations check out and the Royals can get him at a reasonable price, he could be a really strong addition to their bullpen. There's some risk involved, but the potential reward makes him worth considering. LHP Sean Newcomb Newcomb is coming off two really strong seasons in a hybrid role and comes in as DiamondCentric’s 49th-ranked free agent. He’s primarily been used as a bullpen arm, but he’s also made 11 starts over the last year and a half, giving him some valuable versatility. This past season with the White Sox, Newcomb finished with a 3.09 ERA and a 3.21 FIP across 90 1/3 innings. He also recorded 84 strikeouts against 31 walks, showing that he can handle a substantial workload while keeping opposing offenses in check. Like Romero and Adam, Newcomb does a really good job of keeping the ball on the ground and limiting hard contact. He doesn't generate whiffs or chases at an outrageously high rate, but his six-pitch mix helps keep hitters off balance. He also increased his average fastball velocity from 93.3 mph in 2025 to 94.9 mph this past season. He throws from a relatively flat arm angle, allowing his arsenal to generate plenty of arm-side run. Between his sinker, slurve, and ability to mix in different pitches, he appears to have found a niche as a swingman who can provide value in multiple roles. And while he won't be the flashiest name on the market this winter, he's someone who could immediately improve Kansas City's pitching staff. His versatility would give the Royals another option when they need length out of the bullpen, while also providing some insurance in the rotation. The Royals have plenty of work to do this offseason, and the bullpen should be near the top of their priority list. Romero offers a reliable left-handed option, Adam has an impressive track record if he can return to form, and Newcomb brings valuable versatility. If Kansas City can land the right combination of arms, its bullpen could look considerably different in 2027. View the full article

Following Steven Kwan’s career over the past five seasons, I have never quite shaken the feeling that he was going to somehow join the Chicago Cubs someday. For better or worse, small-market teams often look to deal good players in their arbitration years as they get expensive, both to avoid paying them those more expensive salaries, and to recoup some value from said player before they depart in free agency. In Kyle Tucker and Edward Cabrera, the Cubs have taken advantage of this in each of the past two offseasons, to varying degrees of success. Jed Hoyer has shown that he loves players of Kwan’s ilk. That is, guys who aren’t super-duper-stars, but rather, well-above-average players who are available that he doesn’t have to completely break the bank for. Basically, I am talking about Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner. There are other illustrations of this, but those are the first two guys I thought about, and they are probably the first two guys you thought about, too. Funny enough, since Kwan’s debut in 2022, his numbers look eerily similar to that of Hoerner’s: Player PA HR BB% K% AVG OBP SLG fWAR Hoerner 3184 41 6.4% 9.8% .279 .334 .381 20.2 Kwan 3226 39 10.1% 9.5% .282 .357 .382 18.7 On the defensive side of things, according to Fielding Run Value at Baseball Savant, Kwan was the 19th-best outfielder in baseball this past season. Hoerner was 16th amongst infielders. The latter has generally been a bit more valuable defensively, hence the advantage in fWAR, but both of these guys are seen as well-above-average defenders at their respective positions. Likewise, in almost the same number of plate appearances, both players have about the same power output, same batting average, and same strikeout rate. Where Kwan edges Hoerner is with his walk rate, which even ballooned up to 13.3 percent in the 2026 season. This makes him a slightly better offensive player than Hoerner, with a 112 wRC+ in this timeframe compared to the Cubs’ second baseman’s 102 wRC+. This offensive profile makes Kwan, just like Hoerner, somewhat streaky. When your game is built on putting the ball in play so often that enough of them find holes, it becomes incredibly noticeable when those balls are not finding holes. Your offensive output plummets. Of course this is the case; it feels obvious. The thing with Hoerner and Kwan, though, is that they don’t have home run power to fall back on. This makes their games all the more reliant on their batting average on balls in play (BABIP). This is evident if we look at Kwan’s first half of the 2026 season vs. the second half: Half AVG OBP SLG BABIP wRC+ First .225 .332 .282 .251 81 Second .353 .443 .432 .388 155 Some of this was deserved: the outfielder’s line-drive rate went from 24.1 percent in the first half to 30.7 percent in the second half. Those generally fall in for hits more often. His ground ball rate also increased slightly; those go for hits for a guy like Kwan more often than, say, fly balls, which he hit at a significantly lower rate in the second half. Despite Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations for the Guardians, declaring that “we’re expecting Steven Kwan to be a big part of a contending team next year,” there have already been loads of rumors regarding the outfielder. The Cubs, surely, will be involved in a rumor or two. They have an opening in left field sans Ian Happ, and Kwan is a good player. I am fascinated at the idea of having both Hoerner and Kwan in a lineup. It also terrifies me. Having two players, who are both so unique and similar, can be both a good and a bad thing. The highs would be electric, but the troughs would be unbelievably frustrating. View the full article

Following Steven Kwan’s career over the past five seasons, I have never quite shaken the feeling that he was going to somehow join the Chicago Cubs someday. For better or worse, small-market teams often look to deal good players in their arbitration years as they get expensive, both to avoid paying them those more expensive salaries, and to recoup some value from said player before they depart in free agency. In Kyle Tucker and Edward Cabrera, the Cubs have taken advantage of this in each of the past two offseasons, to varying degrees of success. Jed Hoyer has shown that he loves players of Kwan’s ilk. That is, guys who aren’t super-duper-stars, but rather, well-above-average players who are available that he doesn’t have to completely break the bank for. Basically, I am talking about Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner. There are other illustrations of this, but those are the first two guys I thought about, and they are probably the first two guys you thought about, too. Funny enough, since Kwan’s debut in 2022, his numbers look eerily similar to that of Hoerner’s: Player PA HR BB% K% AVG OBP SLG fWAR Hoerner 3184 41 6.4% 9.8% .279 .334 .381 20.2 Kwan 3226 39 10.1% 9.5% .282 .357 .382 18.7 On the defensive side of things, according to Fielding Run Value at Baseball Savant, Kwan was the 19th-best outfielder in baseball this past season. Hoerner was 16th amongst infielders. The latter has generally been a bit more valuable defensively, hence the advantage in fWAR, but both of these guys are seen as well-above-average defenders at their respective positions. Likewise, in almost the same number of plate appearances, both players have about the same power output, same batting average, and same strikeout rate. Where Kwan edges Hoerner is with his walk rate, which even ballooned up to 13.3 percent in the 2026 season. This makes him a slightly better offensive player than Hoerner, with a 112 wRC+ in this timeframe compared to the Cubs’ second baseman’s 102 wRC+. This offensive profile makes Kwan, just like Hoerner, somewhat streaky. When your game is built on putting the ball in play so often that enough of them find holes, it becomes incredibly noticeable when those balls are not finding holes. Your offensive output plummets. Of course this is the case; it feels obvious. The thing with Hoerner and Kwan, though, is that they don’t have home run power to fall back on. This makes their games all the more reliant on their batting average on balls in play (BABIP). This is evident if we look at Kwan’s first half of the 2026 season vs. the second half: Half AVG OBP SLG BABIP wRC+ First .225 .332 .282 .251 81 Second .353 .443 .432 .388 155 Some of this was deserved: the outfielder’s line-drive rate went from 24.1 percent in the first half to 30.7 percent in the second half. Those generally fall in for hits more often. His ground ball rate also increased slightly; those go for hits for a guy like Kwan more often than, say, fly balls, which he hit at a significantly lower rate in the second half. Despite Chris Antonetti, president of baseball operations for the Guardians, declaring that “we’re expecting Steven Kwan to be a big part of a contending team next year,” there have already been loads of rumors regarding the outfielder. The Cubs, surely, will be involved in a rumor or two. They have an opening in left field sans Ian Happ, and Kwan is a good player. I am fascinated at the idea of having both Hoerner and Kwan in a lineup. It also terrifies me. Having two players, who are both so unique and similar, can be both a good and a bad thing. The highs would be electric, but the troughs would be unbelievably frustrating. View the full article

The Minnesota Twins made a significant decision Monday, extending Ryan Jeffers a qualifying offer worth $23.15 million for the 2027 season. Jeffers now has until November 17 to decide whether he wants to accept the one-year contract or decline it and enter free agency. If he turns down the offer and signs with another team, the Twins would receive a compensatory draft pick—after the first round, if Jeffers gets more than $50 million in guaranteed money; just before the third, if he signs for less. On the surface, that might sound like a pretty good outcome for a team that has consistently operated with a limited payroll. But when looking at the Twins' current roster, their long-term plans at catcher, and the player Jeffers has become, I think Minnesota should be hoping he accepts the offer. Jeffers will turn 30 years old next season, and since his breakout campaign in 2024, he has established himself as one of the best offensive catchers in the American League. Among AL catchers, his 115 wRC+ since 2024 ranks third behind only Cal Raleigh and Shea Langeliers. Jeffers is coming off arguably the best season of his career, posting a career-high 2.6 fWAR despite playing in just 92 games because of a broken wrist. When healthy, he's a middle-of-the-order bat at one of the most difficult positions to fill. That's not the type of player the Twins should be eager to lose, especially when the alternative is a draft pick that may or may not turn into a major-league contributor down the road. The most obvious reason to bring Jeffers back is the enormous hole the team will have behind the plate if he leaves. If Jeffers declines the qualifying offer, Victor Caratini would become the Twins' primary catcher. Caratini posted a 77 OPS+ in 2026, meaning he was well below average offensively, and his weak throwing arm made him a target for opposing teams looking to run wild on the bases. Pairing him with Alex Jackson (whom the team did not add to the 40-man roster Monday, so he's not even in the organization right now) would create one of the worst catching duos in baseball. The Twins would need to find another solution, and unfortunately, this year's free-agent catching market does not offer many appealing alternatives. Losing Jeffers would mean turning one of the team's most important positions into a major problem. Bringing Jeffers back on a one-year deal could fit the Twins' timeline perfectly. Minnesota has an obvious long-term answer at catcher right now, with 2026 third overall pick Vahn Lackey waiting in the wings. However, he's not ready yet. The Twins could use Jeffers to stabilize the position for another season, while allowing Lackey to continue developing without being rushed into a major-league role. When Lackey is ready to take over in 2028, the Twins could transition to him without having committed several years and significant money to Jeffers. A one-year contract would give Minnesota the flexibility it needs, while keeping one of its best players in the lineup. Yes, $23.15 million is a lot of money for one player—particularly for a franchise that has spent much of its recent history operating near the bottom of the league in payroll. But there's no such thing as a bad one-year deal when you're paying a player who can provide this kind of value. The Twins would not be taking on the long-term risk of a multi-year contract, and they would have several options if things don't go according to plan. If the team struggles next season, Jeffers could become an attractive trade candidate at the deadline. If Lackey is showing that he is ready to take over the position earlier than anticipated, the Twins could explore moving Jeffers to open up playing time. Either way, Minnesota would have the ability to adjust, without being stuck with a long-term commitment. Jeffers's balanced right-handed offensive profile is exactly what the Twins need more (not less) of. Minnesota has consistently struggled to find right-handed power in the middle of its lineup, and Jeffers provides exactly that. He's not a star-caliber slugger, but he's slugged .464 against lefties in the bigs. He wouldn't be an impressive first baseman or DH, but at catcher, this level of production is superb. The Twins have seen what their lineup looks like without Jeffers, and it's not something they should be eager to experience for an entire season. Tom Pohlad has repeatedly said that he's willing to invest in this team. Bringing Jeffers back would be a meaningful opportunity to put those words into action. The Twins could make Jeffers their highest-paid player in 2027, while still allocating additional money to improve the roster around him. This does not have to be an either-or situation. Minnesota can retain one of its most important players and still find ways to address other weaknesses. The team needs to improve its pitching, add more reliable bats, and build a roster capable of competing. Losing Jeffers would create another hole that would need to be filled, and that's not a particularly efficient way to spend an offseason. There is certainly an argument for Jeffers declining the qualifying offer. The Twins would receive a valuable draft pick, and the $23.15 million could be reallocated to other areas of the roster. But that money would not be entirely free to spend elsewhere. Minnesota would still need to find a legitimate starting catcher, in my opinion, as Caratini isn't a viable starter for a team hoping to compete in 2027. Some of that money would need to go toward addressing the position, and whatever remains would need to make up for the production Jeffers provided. When you consider how difficult it is to find a high-quality catcher, the value of Jeffers's bat, and the flexibility of a one-year deal, it becomes difficult to argue that the Twins would be better off if he turns them down. Of course, the decision is out of their hands, now. They did the right thing by extending Jeffers the offer. The next move is his. What do you think? Should the Twins hope Jeffers accepts the $23.15 million qualifying offer, or would you rather see him decline it and give Minnesota a compensatory draft pick? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! View the full article

The dust is finally settling on the Brewers’ World Series win in Tampa Bay last week. Since Jake Bauers secured the final out of Milwaukee’s first championship and stuffed the ball in his back pocket last Wednesday night, it’s been a nonstop celebration. The Brewers partied in Tropicana Field’s visiting clubhouse. They returned home and partied at various Wisconsin sporting events. They partied during a championship parade estimated as the largest single-day public gathering in state history. Some kept partying around Milwaukee, while others continued traveling media tours. The Brewers should be celebrating. They earned every second of this. For most of them, it’s their first World Series championship. For fans, the end of a 57-year title drought might seem like a once-in-a-lifetime event. On the contrary: It will happen again, and much sooner than 57 years from now. The Brewers will return to the World Series much sooner than the 44 years since their last pennant in 1982, too. The word “dynasty” gets thrown around too often in sports, but here, it fits. The Brewers have a talented and controllable core. Jackson Chourio, Cooper Pratt, and Luis Lara are all under 23 years old and signed to long-term contracts. Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson could lead their pitching staff through 2031. Milwaukee also has one of baseball’s deepest farm systems, with talented prospects like Jesús Made, Luis Peña, Tyson Hardin, Blake Burke, and Josh Adamczewski progressing toward the big leagues. More importantly, they have a process that makes them a perennial World Series contender. David Stearns’s “bites of the apple” metaphor ignited a short-term PR disaster in 2022, but that strategy worked. The Brewers have made the postseason eight times in the last nine seasons. By getting into the dance nearly every year (and perfecting their roster construction along the way), they gave themselves so many chances that the dice eventually had to fall their way. Everything finally came together for a World Series title. While the Brewers acquire and utilize the right players to win every regular season, they also stay competitive every year because of the players they don’t retain or acquire. Under Stearns and now Matt Arnold, they’ve operated ruthlessly and efficiently, often eschewing sentimentality. The Brewers acquire talented players before they become established major leaguers and maximize their best seasons. Instead of paying to keep those players past their primes, they restart the cycle by trading them before free agency for younger, more controllable players or accepting a compensatory draft pick when they sign elsewhere. Under this strategy, the Brewers declined to keep former stars Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes, Devin Williams, and Willy Adames beyond their original years of club control. “Bites of the apple” was Stearns’s explanation when they traded Hader for Robert Gasser and Esteury Ruiz, whom they later flipped for William Contreras. The following offseason, they traded Burnes for Joey Ortiz and DL Hall. Next, they traded Williams for Caleb Durbin, then traded Durbin in a six-player deal to acquire Kyle Harrison, Shane Drohan, and David Hamilton. They also let Adames walk in free agency after the 2024 season. Most of those deals were panned outside of Milwaukee, but they paid off this year. Gasser made three postseason starts to stabilize a shallow rotation, allowing one run in 15 innings. Hall owns a 2.52 ERA as a full-time reliever over the last two seasons and tossed eight scoreless frames as part of a dominant playoff bullpen. Drohan and Harrison threw the second- and third-most regular-season innings, respectively, and Hamilton was one of the Brewers’ best hitters in October. Meanwhile, Hader, Burnes, Williams, and Adames signed lucrative contracts. Hader has been the most successful but missed time in two straight seasons with shoulder and biceps injuries. Burnes underwent Tommy John surgery last spring. Despite strong peripherals, Williams has limped to a 4.65 ERA over two seasons after the trade. Adames was worth only 1.7 rWAR in the second season of his seven-year deal with the Giants. Instead of retaining those players, the Brewers invested in scouting and player development. They have an excellent presence in Latin America, where they scouted and signed Chourio, Lara, and Made. In 2019, they renovated their spring training complex into a state-of-the-art player development hub. They employ large coaching staffs at all levels of the organization. Instead of spending on good players, it’s smarter to invest in resources that consistently turn most players into good ones. Extra revenue from playing in and winning a World Series opens more short-term doors for the Brewers to be opportunistic this winter. They can afford to re-sign Jake Bauers to a two- or three-year deal. They could make more expensive one-year signings this year, as they did for Mike Moustakas and Yasmani Grandal before the 2019 season. Arnold made a serious bid for Tarik Skubal at this year’s trade deadline, a sign the Brewers feel confident enough in their infrastructure to make a splashy exception. That doesn’t mean they should abandon the approach that got them here. The Brewers should not pony up to extend Contreras, sign a marquee free agent to a nine-figure deal, or trade their best prospects for a star (unless that star comes with several years of control). They spent years building an efficient, cohesive, well-oiled machine. It works. Tearing it down to satisfy the baseball world’s expectations of how a championship winner should operate would be foolish. The Brewers can’t rest on their laurels. They should keep trying to improve their existing process. Potential changes to years of club control and revenue sharing in the next collective bargaining agreement could force them to alter how they operate. But even after winning it all, the Brewers will still act like the Brewers. They should. If they stay the course, they’ll be the champions again in the relatively near future. View the full article

The dust is finally settling on the Brewers’ World Series win in Tampa Bay last week. Since Jake Bauers secured the final out of Milwaukee’s first championship and stuffed the ball in his back pocket last Wednesday night, it’s been a nonstop celebration. The Brewers partied in Tropicana Field’s visiting clubhouse. They returned home and partied at various Wisconsin sporting events. They partied during a championship parade estimated as the largest single-day public gathering in state history. Some kept partying around Milwaukee, while others continued traveling media tours. The Brewers should be celebrating. They earned every second of this. For most of them, it’s their first World Series championship. For fans, the end of a 57-year title drought might seem like a once-in-a-lifetime event. On the contrary: It will happen again, and much sooner than 57 years from now. The Brewers will return to the World Series much sooner than the 44 years since their last pennant in 1982, too. The word “dynasty” gets thrown around too often in sports, but here, it fits. The Brewers have a talented and controllable core. Jackson Chourio, Cooper Pratt, and Luis Lara are all under 23 years old and signed to long-term contracts. Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson could lead their pitching staff through 2031. Milwaukee also has one of baseball’s deepest farm systems, with talented prospects like Jesús Made, Luis Peña, Tyson Hardin, Blake Burke, and Josh Adamczewski progressing toward the big leagues. More importantly, they have a process that makes them a perennial World Series contender. David Stearns’s “bites of the apple” metaphor ignited a short-term PR disaster in 2022, but that strategy worked. The Brewers have made the postseason eight times in the last nine seasons. By getting into the dance nearly every year (and perfecting their roster construction along the way), they gave themselves so many chances that the dice eventually had to fall their way. Everything finally came together for a World Series title. While the Brewers acquire and utilize the right players to win every regular season, they also stay competitive every year because of the players they don’t retain or acquire. Under Stearns and now Matt Arnold, they’ve operated ruthlessly and efficiently, often eschewing sentimentality. The Brewers acquire talented players before they become established major leaguers and maximize their best seasons. Instead of paying to keep those players past their primes, they restart the cycle by trading them before free agency for younger, more controllable players or accepting a compensatory draft pick when they sign elsewhere. Under this strategy, the Brewers declined to keep former stars Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes, Devin Williams, and Willy Adames beyond their original years of club control. “Bites of the apple” was Stearns’s explanation when they traded Hader for Robert Gasser and Esteury Ruiz, whom they later flipped for William Contreras. The following offseason, they traded Burnes for Joey Ortiz and DL Hall. Next, they traded Williams for Caleb Durbin, then traded Durbin in a six-player deal to acquire Kyle Harrison, Shane Drohan, and David Hamilton. They also let Adames walk in free agency after the 2024 season. Most of those deals were panned outside of Milwaukee, but they paid off this year. Gasser made three postseason starts to stabilize a shallow rotation, allowing one run in 15 innings. Hall owns a 2.52 ERA as a full-time reliever over the last two seasons and tossed eight scoreless frames as part of a dominant playoff bullpen. Drohan and Harrison threw the second- and third-most regular-season innings, respectively, and Hamilton was one of the Brewers’ best hitters in October. Meanwhile, Hader, Burnes, Williams, and Adames signed lucrative contracts. Hader has been the most successful but missed time in two straight seasons with shoulder and biceps injuries. Burnes underwent Tommy John surgery last spring. Despite strong peripherals, Williams has limped to a 4.65 ERA over two seasons after the trade. Adames was worth only 1.7 rWAR in the second season of his seven-year deal with the Giants. Instead of retaining those players, the Brewers invested in scouting and player development. They have an excellent presence in Latin America, where they scouted and signed Chourio, Lara, and Made. In 2019, they renovated their spring training complex into a state-of-the-art player development hub. They employ large coaching staffs at all levels of the organization. Instead of spending on good players, it’s smarter to invest in resources that consistently turn most players into good ones. Extra revenue from playing in and winning a World Series opens more short-term doors for the Brewers to be opportunistic this winter. They can afford to re-sign Jake Bauers to a two- or three-year deal. They could make more expensive one-year signings this year, as they did for Mike Moustakas and Yasmani Grandal before the 2019 season. Arnold made a serious bid for Tarik Skubal at this year’s trade deadline, a sign the Brewers feel confident enough in their infrastructure to make a splashy exception. That doesn’t mean they should abandon the approach that got them here. The Brewers should not pony up to extend Contreras, sign a marquee free agent to a nine-figure deal, or trade their best prospects for a star (unless that star comes with several years of control). They spent years building an efficient, cohesive, well-oiled machine. It works. Tearing it down to satisfy the baseball world’s expectations of how a championship winner should operate would be foolish. The Brewers can’t rest on their laurels. They should keep trying to improve their existing process. Potential changes to years of club control and revenue sharing in the next collective bargaining agreement could force them to alter how they operate. But even after winning it all, the Brewers will still act like the Brewers. They should. If they stay the course, they’ll be the champions again in the relatively near future. View the full article

On deadline day, the New York Mets sent starting pitcher Clay Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor to the Chicago Cubs. In exchange, they received infield prospect Jefferson Rojas, universally viewed as a top-100 prospect in baseball. It was seen as a coup for the Mets at the time because they got a potential star for a pair of upcoming free agents, at least if Holmes declined his player option. That’s exactly what happened this week. The 33-year-old right-hander decided against taking his $12 million option to play for the Cubs in 2027 and became a free agent. Oddly enough, Holmes’ chances of re-upping with the Mets are surprisingly high. There haven’t been any reports indicating negotiations or even contact between the two parties. However, Chelsea Janes of SNY wrote that the pitcher is ‘open’ to returning to Queens, where he became a starter ahead of the 2025 campaign and enjoyed significant success for a season and a half. Just before he announced his decision on Thursday, Janes wrote this: "Holmes could also be a candidate for a return. As of this week, he is expected to opt out of his current deal, and people familiar with his thinking say he is open to a return to the Mets if the right deal is offered. He did, after all, thrive in Queens as a starter—so much so that he will likely receive a far bigger contract as a free agent than he probably would have if the Mets had not given him the chance to jump out of the bullpen." Of course, Janes is spot-on when she says that Holmes is in line for a much bigger deal now that he made the transition from excellent reliever to above-average starter. That’s how much the Mets changed his career. A Clay Holmes-Mets Reunion Makes Sense For All Parties Right now, the Mets' projected starting five for 2027 is Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Zach Thornton, Kodai Senga, and Sean Manaea. Tobias Myers and Tylor Megill are also under contract, but no one here is going to block Holmes from taking a spot. We now know that Holmes is open to a reunion. Can we say the same about David Stearns and the Mets, though? With the enigmatic president of baseball operations, it’s impossible to know for sure, but there should be at least some degree of interest given how good he was in Queens. Holmes, in his first campaign as a starter in 2025, posted a 3.53 ERA in 165.2 innings. He worked hard to develop a very solid changeup to complement his filthy sinker-sweeper combination, and that key adjustment allowed him to have a weapon against lefties. That, in turn, unlocked starting pitching for him. Holmes was even better in 2026. With the Mets, he posted a pristine 2.39 ERA in 52.2 innings of work, and while that run-prevention number went up to 4.25 in Chicago, he finished the year with a 3.29 mark in 101.1 innings. His changeup was already good in 2025, limiting foes to a .253 xwOBA and yielding a 30.2 percent whiff rate. Shockingly, it improved in 2026, with .208 and 31.7 percent marks, respectively. It’s a very good sign for the future, as is the fact that he earned well-above-average run value grades with all his pitch types: fastball, breaking, and off-speed. Of course, a fractured fibula robbed him of multiple weeks while he was with the Mets, so the rust might have had something to do with his slight decline with the Cubs. When he was fully healthy, he was dominating in New York. As it always happens in these cases, it will all come down to the price. The Mets will surely have funds to spend, but they have to be very smart with how they use them, particularly with long-term commitments. Holmes is in a position to net a significant contract; early estimates have him netting around $14-$15 million per year on a multi-year deal. That seems a little light for a pitcher of his caliber, but in any case, there’s definitely a world out there in which the Mets open the 2027 campaign with Holmes as a member of their rotation. View the full article

On deadline day, the New York Mets sent starting pitcher Clay Holmes and outfielder Tyrone Taylor to the Chicago Cubs. In exchange, they received infield prospect Jefferson Rojas, universally viewed as a top-100 prospect in baseball. It was seen as a coup for the Mets at the time because they got a potential star for a pair of upcoming free agents, at least if Holmes declined his player option. That’s exactly what happened this week. The 33-year-old right-hander decided against taking his $12 million option to play for the Cubs in 2027 and became a free agent. Oddly enough, Holmes’ chances of re-upping with the Mets are surprisingly high. There haven’t been any reports indicating negotiations or even contact between the two parties. However, Chelsea Janes of SNY wrote that the pitcher is ‘open’ to returning to Queens, where he became a starter ahead of the 2025 campaign and enjoyed significant success for a season and a half. Just before he announced his decision on Thursday, Janes wrote this: "Holmes could also be a candidate for a return. As of this week, he is expected to opt out of his current deal, and people familiar with his thinking say he is open to a return to the Mets if the right deal is offered. He did, after all, thrive in Queens as a starter—so much so that he will likely receive a far bigger contract as a free agent than he probably would have if the Mets had not given him the chance to jump out of the bullpen." Of course, Janes is spot-on when she says that Holmes is in line for a much bigger deal now that he made the transition from excellent reliever to above-average starter. That’s how much the Mets changed his career. A Clay Holmes-Mets Reunion Makes Sense For All Parties Right now, the Mets' projected starting five for 2027 is Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, Zach Thornton, Kodai Senga, and Sean Manaea. Tobias Myers and Tylor Megill are also under contract, but no one here is going to block Holmes from taking a spot. We now know that Holmes is open to a reunion. Can we say the same about David Stearns and the Mets, though? With the enigmatic president of baseball operations, it’s impossible to know for sure, but there should be at least some degree of interest given how good he was in Queens. Holmes, in his first campaign as a starter in 2025, posted a 3.53 ERA in 165.2 innings. He worked hard to develop a very solid changeup to complement his filthy sinker-sweeper combination, and that key adjustment allowed him to have a weapon against lefties. That, in turn, unlocked starting pitching for him. Holmes was even better in 2026. With the Mets, he posted a pristine 2.39 ERA in 52.2 innings of work, and while that run-prevention number went up to 4.25 in Chicago, he finished the year with a 3.29 mark in 101.1 innings. His changeup was already good in 2025, limiting foes to a .253 xwOBA and yielding a 30.2 percent whiff rate. Shockingly, it improved in 2026, with .208 and 31.7 percent marks, respectively. It’s a very good sign for the future, as is the fact that he earned well-above-average run value grades with all his pitch types: fastball, breaking, and off-speed. Of course, a fractured fibula robbed him of multiple weeks while he was with the Mets, so the rust might have had something to do with his slight decline with the Cubs. When he was fully healthy, he was dominating in New York. As it always happens in these cases, it will all come down to the price. The Mets will surely have funds to spend, but they have to be very smart with how they use them, particularly with long-term commitments. Holmes is in a position to net a significant contract; early estimates have him netting around $14-$15 million per year on a multi-year deal. That seems a little light for a pitcher of his caliber, but in any case, there’s definitely a world out there in which the Mets open the 2027 campaign with Holmes as a member of their rotation. View the full article

When the Boston Red Sox acquired Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals last offseason, the consensus among those who followed the team seemed to be that he was a solid number two option behind Garrett Crochet, and he looked even better as the number three when Ranger Suárez was signed roughly two months later. Now, looking back on the 2026 season, no one could have predicted just how impactful the addition of Gray turned out to be. Barring a hamstring injury that caused him to miss 14 games, the 14-year veteran was a pinnacle of consistency for Boston and arguably their most important and impactful starter in a rotation that dealt with injuries to Crochet, Suárez, and Patrick Sandoval, not to mention the natural ups and downs felt by rookies Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett. Unsurprisingly, Gray has already declined his mutual option, triggering a $10 million buyout. He has more than earned every right to test the open market, but that choice also leaves the Red Sox with a massive hole in the rotation and even bigger question of how to fill it. Sonny Gray’s 2026 Season At A Glance Before the 2026 campaign commenced, no one would have complained if Gray had produced another year similar to the one he had in 2025 in St. Louis. A 14-8 record, 4.28 ERA in 32 starts with 180.2 innings pitched, 201 strikeouts and 1.3 WAR would’ve been sufficient for an arm who was no longer being looked at to be the ace of a staff. As unforeseen circumstances forced Gray into that role however, to say he took it in stride would be an understatement. In three fewer starts compared to the year prior, Gray went on to have a top-five finish in the American League in ERA (2.72) and wins, of which he led not only the AL, but all of Major League Baseball with 18. Factor in his 4.3 WAR, good enough for a sixth-place finish among all qualified AL starters, along with a 1.15 WHIP and .234 average against, and in any other year you’d have as good of a case for a Cy Young as ever if not for what Cam Schlittler was able to do in New York. What made Gray’s season even more impressive is that it wasn’t built on what made him successful in 2025. In his final season with the Cardinals, Gray was a strikeout machine, possessing a 31.2 chase%, 27.5 whiff%, and 26.7 K%, good for the 81st, 68th, and 79th percentiles, respectively. He was also dominating hitters with his breaking stuff, finishing 2025 with a run value for that pitch type in the 97th percentile. In 2026, though, it was an elite 91st percentile fastball run value and uptick in his sinker and cutter usage that helped mold him into less of a pitcher who relied on strikeouts, to one who focused on limiting quality contact. Given all of his success, it’s easy to see how he went from an overall pitching run value in the 66th percentile last year to the 90th this year, his best finish since 2023. Why the Red Sox Should Re-Sign Sonny Gray The fact that Gray is coming off a career year that will undoubtedly have him in the running for some awards is reason enough to want him back. What the Red Sox should also want to consider with Gray, though, is his impact off the field as well as on it. That's something they didn't value enough when they let another veteran sign elsewhere a year ago in Alex Bregman. It’s been well-documented the impact that Bregman had on some of Boston’s young hitters during the 2025 season—just ask Roman Anthony. The same can be said about Gray’s impact on guys like Tolle and Bennett, whom he was regularly seen chatting up in between starts on the top steps of the Red Sox dugout. Gray’s ability to act as a faux pitching coach could prove vital enough to keep around to help further the developments of Boston’s two young southpaws. As should be expected, Garrett Crochet will slide back into his role of ace when the 2027 season kicks off. That will easily fill the hole left by Patrick Sandoval, who is once again hitting the open market and is not expected to return. If Gray leaves as well, a second hole is opened up that may not be able to be filled with in-house talent. Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Johan Oviedo are the four most obvious choices to step into Gray’s role, but with Bello’s rotation struggles last year, Houck and Oviedo each only appearing in one game in 2026, and Crawford not touching a big league mound since 2024, it seems like the safest bet would be to run it back with Gray. And if the Red Sox do choose to run it back, setting up what is hopefully a fully healthy rotation of Crochet, Suárez, Gray, Tolle, and Bennett or a back-on-track Bello, then you’d be hard pressed to find a better rotation on paper top-to-bottom in not only the AL, but all of MLB. Why the Red Sox Should Not Re-Sign Sonny Gray If the obvious answer to re-sign Gray is his performance, then the obvious answer for not wanting to re-sign him is age. Not only will he be 37 years old on November 7, but thanks to that career year he just had, plenty of suitors should be lining up for his services. While the consensus seems to be Gray is looking at a chance to secure a three-year deal, the money differs depending on where you look. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo has him projected at a three-year, $75 million deal, while Spotrac projects the same length, but for $58 million, comparable to the likes of Nathan Eovaldi ($25M AAV), Yu Darvish ($18M), Seth Lugo ($23M), and Merrill Kelly ($20M). If the Red Sox can somehow get Gray at that $58 million price tag, then it would be foolish to pass up. However, if a bidding war breaks out and the number gets closer to $75 million or more, moving on to a younger option for that kind of money would be the more logical decision. If there is one position that stands out in a relatively weak free-agent class this winter, it’s starting pitching. The front office could go the route of younger names such as Michael Soroka, Freddy Peralta, Michael King, Tyler Mahle, or Clay Holmes with the idea of longer-term commitments. Or they could look to the same age group as Gray, with names like Kevin Gausman, Nick Martinez, or Chris Bassitt for a cheaper, shorter commitment that also fills the veteran presence hole Gray would leave. As mentioned earlier, although they haven’t been the most reliable options of late, the Red Sox do have the depth of Bello, Houck, Oviedo, and Crawford to cover Gray leaving if they strike out in free agency (and on the trade market). The Bottom Line What makes the Sonny Gray situation such a fascinating one is that he very well could have already made his decision on returning months ago. No one was more visibly frustrated with how the Sox's season ended in the Bronx than Gray, who definitely did not agree with being pulled by manager Chad Tracy after just 4.2 innings pitched and two runs allowed in Boston’s 9-2 Game 2 loss. When pressed by the media postgame, amongst other topics, he chose to remain noncommittal about any offseason decisions at that time. Only time will tell if Gray feels truly mistrusted and wants out. And if so, fans will surely be upset at the Red Sox letting a pitcher of his caliber walk out the door. But those same fans need to ask themselves, can you realistically expect Gray to repeat what he did a season ago as he gets deeper into his 30s? And is it wise for the Red Sox to pony up a long-term, expensive deal for an arm who could be at or beyond 40 years old when said deal is up? With other options on the market, and more glaring needs for the front office to address, letting Gray walk if the asking price is too steep will undoubtedly be a painful one to swallow, but a logistical one for the Red Sox to make if it helps improve the team in other areas. View the full article

When the Boston Red Sox acquired Sonny Gray from the St. Louis Cardinals last offseason, the consensus among those who followed the team seemed to be that he was a solid number two option behind Garrett Crochet, and he looked even better as the number three when Ranger Suárez was signed roughly two months later. Now, looking back on the 2026 season, no one could have predicted just how impactful the addition of Gray turned out to be. Barring a hamstring injury that caused him to miss 14 games, the 14-year veteran was a pinnacle of consistency for Boston and arguably their most important and impactful starter in a rotation that dealt with injuries to Crochet, Suárez, and Patrick Sandoval, not to mention the natural ups and downs felt by rookies Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett. Unsurprisingly, Gray has already declined his mutual option, triggering a $10 million buyout. He has more than earned every right to test the open market, but that choice also leaves the Red Sox with a massive hole in the rotation and even bigger question of how to fill it. Sonny Gray’s 2026 Season At A Glance Before the 2026 campaign commenced, no one would have complained if Gray had produced another year similar to the one he had in 2025 in St. Louis. A 14-8 record, 4.28 ERA in 32 starts with 180.2 innings pitched, 201 strikeouts and 1.3 WAR would’ve been sufficient for an arm who was no longer being looked at to be the ace of a staff. As unforeseen circumstances forced Gray into that role however, to say he took it in stride would be an understatement. In three fewer starts compared to the year prior, Gray went on to have a top-five finish in the American League in ERA (2.72) and wins, of which he led not only the AL, but all of Major League Baseball with 18. Factor in his 4.3 WAR, good enough for a sixth-place finish among all qualified AL starters, along with a 1.15 WHIP and .234 average against, and in any other year you’d have as good of a case for a Cy Young as ever if not for what Cam Schlittler was able to do in New York. What made Gray’s season even more impressive is that it wasn’t built on what made him successful in 2025. In his final season with the Cardinals, Gray was a strikeout machine, possessing a 31.2 chase%, 27.5 whiff%, and 26.7 K%, good for the 81st, 68th, and 79th percentiles, respectively. He was also dominating hitters with his breaking stuff, finishing 2025 with a run value for that pitch type in the 97th percentile. In 2026, though, it was an elite 91st percentile fastball run value and uptick in his sinker and cutter usage that helped mold him into less of a pitcher who relied on strikeouts, to one who focused on limiting quality contact. Given all of his success, it’s easy to see how he went from an overall pitching run value in the 66th percentile last year to the 90th this year, his best finish since 2023. Why the Red Sox Should Re-Sign Sonny Gray The fact that Gray is coming off a career year that will undoubtedly have him in the running for some awards is reason enough to want him back. What the Red Sox should also want to consider with Gray, though, is his impact off the field as well as on it. That's something they didn't value enough when they let another veteran sign elsewhere a year ago in Alex Bregman. It’s been well-documented the impact that Bregman had on some of Boston’s young hitters during the 2025 season—just ask Roman Anthony. The same can be said about Gray’s impact on guys like Tolle and Bennett, whom he was regularly seen chatting up in between starts on the top steps of the Red Sox dugout. Gray’s ability to act as a faux pitching coach could prove vital enough to keep around to help further the developments of Boston’s two young southpaws. As should be expected, Garrett Crochet will slide back into his role of ace when the 2027 season kicks off. That will easily fill the hole left by Patrick Sandoval, who is once again hitting the open market and is not expected to return. If Gray leaves as well, a second hole is opened up that may not be able to be filled with in-house talent. Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, and Johan Oviedo are the four most obvious choices to step into Gray’s role, but with Bello’s rotation struggles last year, Houck and Oviedo each only appearing in one game in 2026, and Crawford not touching a big league mound since 2024, it seems like the safest bet would be to run it back with Gray. And if the Red Sox do choose to run it back, setting up what is hopefully a fully healthy rotation of Crochet, Suárez, Gray, Tolle, and Bennett or a back-on-track Bello, then you’d be hard pressed to find a better rotation on paper top-to-bottom in not only the AL, but all of MLB. Why the Red Sox Should Not Re-Sign Sonny Gray If the obvious answer to re-sign Gray is his performance, then the obvious answer for not wanting to re-sign him is age. Not only will he be 37 years old on November 7, but thanks to that career year he just had, plenty of suitors should be lining up for his services. While the consensus seems to be Gray is looking at a chance to secure a three-year deal, the money differs depending on where you look. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo has him projected at a three-year, $75 million deal, while Spotrac projects the same length, but for $58 million, comparable to the likes of Nathan Eovaldi ($25M AAV), Yu Darvish ($18M), Seth Lugo ($23M), and Merrill Kelly ($20M). If the Red Sox can somehow get Gray at that $58 million price tag, then it would be foolish to pass up. However, if a bidding war breaks out and the number gets closer to $75 million or more, moving on to a younger option for that kind of money would be the more logical decision. If there is one position that stands out in a relatively weak free-agent class this winter, it’s starting pitching. The front office could go the route of younger names such as Michael Soroka, Freddy Peralta, Michael King, Tyler Mahle, or Clay Holmes with the idea of longer-term commitments. Or they could look to the same age group as Gray, with names like Kevin Gausman, Nick Martinez, or Chris Bassitt for a cheaper, shorter commitment that also fills the veteran presence hole Gray would leave. As mentioned earlier, although they haven’t been the most reliable options of late, the Red Sox do have the depth of Bello, Houck, Oviedo, and Crawford to cover Gray leaving if they strike out in free agency (and on the trade market). The Bottom Line What makes the Sonny Gray situation such a fascinating one is that he very well could have already made his decision on returning months ago. No one was more visibly frustrated with how the Sox's season ended in the Bronx than Gray, who definitely did not agree with being pulled by manager Chad Tracy after just 4.2 innings pitched and two runs allowed in Boston’s 9-2 Game 2 loss. When pressed by the media postgame, amongst other topics, he chose to remain noncommittal about any offseason decisions at that time. Only time will tell if Gray feels truly mistrusted and wants out. And if so, fans will surely be upset at the Red Sox letting a pitcher of his caliber walk out the door. But those same fans need to ask themselves, can you realistically expect Gray to repeat what he did a season ago as he gets deeper into his 30s? And is it wise for the Red Sox to pony up a long-term, expensive deal for an arm who could be at or beyond 40 years old when said deal is up? With other options on the market, and more glaring needs for the front office to address, letting Gray walk if the asking price is too steep will undoubtedly be a painful one to swallow, but a logistical one for the Red Sox to make if it helps improve the team in other areas. View the full article

On Monday, the Baseball Writers Association of America announced the top three vote-getters for each of its five awards: MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, and the brand-new Relief Pitcher of the Year. While no Blue Jays made the podium for MVP, RotY, or MotY, Dylan Cease and Louis Varland were named "finalists" for the Cy Young and the inaugural Relief Pitcher of the Year Award, respectively. The winners of both awards will be announced on Wednesday, November 11. Cease is likely to finish as the Cy Young runner-up, behind the Yankees' Cam Schlittler and ahead of the Guardians' Parker Messick. Varland has a better chance to win his award, unless it turns out the BBWAA voters value saves significantly more than anything else. Fellow finalists Bryan Baker of the Rays and Cade Smith of the Guardians tied for the MLB lead in saves, but Varland outperformed both of them in almost every other category. View the full article

On Monday, the Baseball Writers Association of America announced the top three vote-getters for each of its five awards: MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, and the brand-new Relief Pitcher of the Year. While no Blue Jays made the podium for MVP, RotY, or MotY, Dylan Cease and Louis Varland were named "finalists" for the Cy Young and the inaugural Relief Pitcher of the Year Award, respectively. The winners of both awards will be announced on Wednesday, November 11. Cease is likely to finish as the Cy Young runner-up, behind the Yankees' Cam Schlittler and ahead of the Guardians' Parker Messick. Varland has a better chance to win his award, unless it turns out the BBWAA voters value saves significantly more than anything else. Fellow finalists Bryan Baker of the Rays and Cade Smith of the Guardians tied for the MLB lead in saves, but Varland outperformed both of them in almost every other category. View the full article

The fourth week of the Arizona Fall League has come to a close and the Mesa Solar Sox had what may have been their best overall week of the season; they went 3-2 to bring their overall record to 9-11-1. Despite that, they still sit firmly in fifth place, a good three games back of the Peoria Javelinas who are in first place. Offensively, the team did better than anyone could have expected, having two games where they scored double-digit runs, including a 21-5 win against the Salt River Rafters. Overall, the prospects from the Boston Red Sox did pretty well as they were led by the consistent hitting of Antonio Anderson. The young infielder now has a nine-game hitting streak. Antonio Anderson 1B/3B/DH Anderson continues to shine under the Arizona sun as the switch-hitter now has a hit in nine straight games. This week, he appeared in four games where he went 6-for-18 with a home run and seven RBIs. He also walked four times and struck out four times. In his first at-bat of the week, Anderson took an 88.7 mph slider that was on the inner third of the plate and deposited it into right field for a two-run home run, his third of the AFL season. The batted ball had an exit velocity of 106.2 mph and came off of Brooks Auger, the Los Angeles Dodgers' 28th-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline. Auger made 17 starts at High-A in 2026. His second hit of the week came in the top of the sixth against the Glendale Desert Dogs in the same game. Facing right-hander Samuel Carpio of the Miami Marlins organization, Anderson took a 2-1 fastball that caught too much of the middle of the plate and shot it into left field for a two-run single. The exit velocity off of his bat was 94.6 mph. Carpio pitched all of 2026 in Low-A. Anderson’s third hit came against the Scottsdale Scorpions where he hit a single back to the pitcher. On an 0-1 count, he reached for a changeup off the outer edge of the plate and managed to make contact. The hit came against Marcus Johnson, the Tampa Bay Rays’ 29th-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline. The right-hander made 10 appearances between Double-A and Triple-A in 2026. In Mesa’s huge 21-5 win against Salt River, Anderson’s first hit was a pop-up single that the Rafters’ second baseman couldn’t come up with. Hitting a 90.4 mph fastball that was down in the zone, Anderson ended up with some luck to get his fourth hit of the week along with another RBI. The hit came against Luke Craig, a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Much like his first hit in the game, Anderson’s second hit (and fifth of the week) was a blooper. Getting jammed with a 93.1 mph fastball up and in, he managed to muscle it out to right field to drive in a run. The hit came against Cleiber Maldonado, who is in the Minnesota Twins organization. His final hit of the week came in the first inning against the Scottsdale Scorpions. Ahead in the count 2-0, Anderson took a down and in 80 mph slider and drove it out to left field. Thanks to some aggressive baserunning, he managed to take second base. The hit had an exit velocity of 81.3 mph and came against Maddox Long of the Detroit Tigers organization. Overall on the season, Anderson has played in 15 games and is hitting .333/.472/.579 with three doubles, one triple, three home runs and 17 RBIs. He also has 15 walks to 19 strikeouts and leads the team in slugging, OPS, home runs and RBIs. He’s also second on the team in batting average, on-base percentage, and walks. Mason White 2B/SS To say it was a rough week for White would be an understatement. The middle infielder appeared in three games while going 1-for-11 with a triple, two RBIs, a walk and four strikeouts. One positive for the young infielder is that despite his batted balls not landing for hits, he still managed to put the ball in play. His lone hit of the week was a triple to give Mesa a 4-3 lead in the top of the 8th inning. Facing an 0-1 count, White took a slider (a good sign, considering his struggles agains the pitch historically) that was in the bottom third of the strike zone and pulled it to right field. The exit velocity was marked at 94.3 mph and came against Joshua Quezada of the Milwaukee Brewers. Overall, he’s appeared in 14 games and is hitting .163/.311/.265 with one triple, one home run and five RBIs. He also has 10 walks and 19 strikeouts. Nazzan Zanetello 2B/SS/3B/OF Zanetello appeared in just three games this week for Mesa, going 1-for-10 with a triple, three RBIs, four walks and four strikeouts. His lone hit of the week came during the team’s fourth game of the week against Salt River. Hitting in the top of the third with one out and runners on first and second, Zanetello worked a 1-1 count. He drove a changeup that was middle-middle, into right field at 96.5 mph for a one-out triple and driving in both runners. Defensively, Zanetello played one game at second base, one game at third base and one game in center field. Overall on the season, he’s hitting .156/.356/.311 with two triples, one home run, seven RBIs, 14 walks and 21 strikeouts in 14 games. Harry Blum Blum made two appearances this week, having two vastly different outcomes. Pitching a total of 1⅓ innings, he allowed one run on two hits while striking out four batters. His first outing came in the first game of the week, entering the first inning against Glendale after the starter failed to make it through the inning. Unfortunately, he was met with hard contact as he allowed back-to-back hits in the form of a single and double to open the inning. He then followed that up with a strikeout before being pulled to start the second inning. Overall, he threw 11 pitches, with nine of them going for strikes. He topped out at 95.2 mph and generated one whiff. His second outing was much better, tossing a perfect inning while striking out the side. Coming into the game in the top of the 9th inning, Blum made things look easy as he tossed 13 pitches, with 10 of them going for strikes. In this outing, he appeared to focus on his cutter, tossing it for seven of his 13 pitches. He topped out at 95.3 mph and generated three whiffs. Overall on the season, he’s appeared in six games and has an 0-1 record. He’s tossed 5⅔ innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and six walks. He’s also struck out 11 batters. Madinson Frias Frias made one appearance this week, providing length out of the bullpen as he pitched three innings. During that stint, he allowed one run on three hits while striking out three batters. Entering in the bottom of the 4th inning, Frias was greeted with a line drive single from Jett Williams who promptly stole second base and advanced to third base on a throwing error. He would be brought home by the next batter as Zyhir Hope singled to center field. After that, Frias appeared to settle down as he retired four straight batters until Nick Monistere singled with one out in the fifth. After that, not another hitter reached base as he got a double play before striking out the first two batters in the bottom of the 6th and getting Hope to fly out. Frias topped out at 96 mph and generated three whiffs. Overall, he’s appeared in four games with an 0-1 record and tossed 10⅓ innings. He’s allowed five runs on 12 hits (one being a home run) and seven walks. He’s also struck out 10 batters. Caden Vire Vire made two appearances this week, pitching a total of 1⅔ innings where he allowed two hits, one walk and struck out three batters. In his first outing, Vire entered with one out in the second inning with Glendale ahead 8-3. He allowed an infield single to the first batter he faced which put runners on the corners before getting out of the jam with two straight outs. In total, he threw 17 pitches with 11 of them being strikes. His velocity topped out at 95.3 mph with his sinker and he generated two whiffs. His second appearance was even better, as he tossed one inning and allowed just one walk while striking out three. Entering the game in the bottom of the 8th inning, he struck out the first batter before walking Nathan Flewelling. Vire followed that up with back-to-back strikeouts of Williams and Hope. He tossed 21 pitches with nine of them being strikes. Overall, he’s appeared in four games and tossed 3⅓ innings while allowing one run on two hits and four walks. He's also struck out four batters. Nicholas Judice Judice had one of his better outings this week, appearing in one game and tossing 1⅓ scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and walked a batter as well. Entering with two outs in the top of the 8th inning, Judice had the bases loaded when he allowed a single that scored two runs and put Scottsdale ahead 11-4. He immediately got the next batter out with a pop-up before getting two quick outs in the top of the 9th inning. A two-out walk was followed by a fly out. In total, he threw 19 pitches with 11 of them for strikes, while his velocity topped out at 90.1 mph and he generated two whiffs. Overall, he’s appeared in four games and tossed 5⅓ innings. He’s allowed four runs on five hits (one home run) and three walks. He also struck out four batters. Trennor O’Donnell O’Donnell did not appear in a game this week. So far on the season, he’s tossed five innings across three games and allowed three runs on three hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out five batters. View the full article

The fourth week of the Arizona Fall League has come to a close and the Mesa Solar Sox had what may have been their best overall week of the season; they went 3-2 to bring their overall record to 9-11-1. Despite that, they still sit firmly in fifth place, a good three games back of the Peoria Javelinas who are in first place. Offensively, the team did better than anyone could have expected, having two games where they scored double-digit runs, including a 21-5 win against the Salt River Rafters. Overall, the prospects from the Boston Red Sox did pretty well as they were led by the consistent hitting of Antonio Anderson. The young infielder now has a nine-game hitting streak. Antonio Anderson 1B/3B/DH Anderson continues to shine under the Arizona sun as the switch-hitter now has a hit in nine straight games. This week, he appeared in four games where he went 6-for-18 with a home run and seven RBIs. He also walked four times and struck out four times. In his first at-bat of the week, Anderson took an 88.7 mph slider that was on the inner third of the plate and deposited it into right field for a two-run home run, his third of the AFL season. The batted ball had an exit velocity of 106.2 mph and came off of Brooks Auger, the Los Angeles Dodgers' 28th-ranked prospect per MLB Pipeline. Auger made 17 starts at High-A in 2026. His second hit of the week came in the top of the sixth against the Glendale Desert Dogs in the same game. Facing right-hander Samuel Carpio of the Miami Marlins organization, Anderson took a 2-1 fastball that caught too much of the middle of the plate and shot it into left field for a two-run single. The exit velocity off of his bat was 94.6 mph. Carpio pitched all of 2026 in Low-A. Anderson’s third hit came against the Scottsdale Scorpions where he hit a single back to the pitcher. On an 0-1 count, he reached for a changeup off the outer edge of the plate and managed to make contact. The hit came against Marcus Johnson, the Tampa Bay Rays’ 29th-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline. The right-hander made 10 appearances between Double-A and Triple-A in 2026. In Mesa’s huge 21-5 win against Salt River, Anderson’s first hit was a pop-up single that the Rafters’ second baseman couldn’t come up with. Hitting a 90.4 mph fastball that was down in the zone, Anderson ended up with some luck to get his fourth hit of the week along with another RBI. The hit came against Luke Craig, a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Much like his first hit in the game, Anderson’s second hit (and fifth of the week) was a blooper. Getting jammed with a 93.1 mph fastball up and in, he managed to muscle it out to right field to drive in a run. The hit came against Cleiber Maldonado, who is in the Minnesota Twins organization. His final hit of the week came in the first inning against the Scottsdale Scorpions. Ahead in the count 2-0, Anderson took a down and in 80 mph slider and drove it out to left field. Thanks to some aggressive baserunning, he managed to take second base. The hit had an exit velocity of 81.3 mph and came against Maddox Long of the Detroit Tigers organization. Overall on the season, Anderson has played in 15 games and is hitting .333/.472/.579 with three doubles, one triple, three home runs and 17 RBIs. He also has 15 walks to 19 strikeouts and leads the team in slugging, OPS, home runs and RBIs. He’s also second on the team in batting average, on-base percentage, and walks. Mason White 2B/SS To say it was a rough week for White would be an understatement. The middle infielder appeared in three games while going 1-for-11 with a triple, two RBIs, a walk and four strikeouts. One positive for the young infielder is that despite his batted balls not landing for hits, he still managed to put the ball in play. His lone hit of the week was a triple to give Mesa a 4-3 lead in the top of the 8th inning. Facing an 0-1 count, White took a slider (a good sign, considering his struggles agains the pitch historically) that was in the bottom third of the strike zone and pulled it to right field. The exit velocity was marked at 94.3 mph and came against Joshua Quezada of the Milwaukee Brewers. Overall, he’s appeared in 14 games and is hitting .163/.311/.265 with one triple, one home run and five RBIs. He also has 10 walks and 19 strikeouts. Nazzan Zanetello 2B/SS/3B/OF Zanetello appeared in just three games this week for Mesa, going 1-for-10 with a triple, three RBIs, four walks and four strikeouts. His lone hit of the week came during the team’s fourth game of the week against Salt River. Hitting in the top of the third with one out and runners on first and second, Zanetello worked a 1-1 count. He drove a changeup that was middle-middle, into right field at 96.5 mph for a one-out triple and driving in both runners. Defensively, Zanetello played one game at second base, one game at third base and one game in center field. Overall on the season, he’s hitting .156/.356/.311 with two triples, one home run, seven RBIs, 14 walks and 21 strikeouts in 14 games. Harry Blum Blum made two appearances this week, having two vastly different outcomes. Pitching a total of 1⅓ innings, he allowed one run on two hits while striking out four batters. His first outing came in the first game of the week, entering the first inning against Glendale after the starter failed to make it through the inning. Unfortunately, he was met with hard contact as he allowed back-to-back hits in the form of a single and double to open the inning. He then followed that up with a strikeout before being pulled to start the second inning. Overall, he threw 11 pitches, with nine of them going for strikes. He topped out at 95.2 mph and generated one whiff. His second outing was much better, tossing a perfect inning while striking out the side. Coming into the game in the top of the 9th inning, Blum made things look easy as he tossed 13 pitches, with 10 of them going for strikes. In this outing, he appeared to focus on his cutter, tossing it for seven of his 13 pitches. He topped out at 95.3 mph and generated three whiffs. Overall on the season, he’s appeared in six games and has an 0-1 record. He’s tossed 5⅔ innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and six walks. He’s also struck out 11 batters. Madinson Frias Frias made one appearance this week, providing length out of the bullpen as he pitched three innings. During that stint, he allowed one run on three hits while striking out three batters. Entering in the bottom of the 4th inning, Frias was greeted with a line drive single from Jett Williams who promptly stole second base and advanced to third base on a throwing error. He would be brought home by the next batter as Zyhir Hope singled to center field. After that, Frias appeared to settle down as he retired four straight batters until Nick Monistere singled with one out in the fifth. After that, not another hitter reached base as he got a double play before striking out the first two batters in the bottom of the 6th and getting Hope to fly out. Frias topped out at 96 mph and generated three whiffs. Overall, he’s appeared in four games with an 0-1 record and tossed 10⅓ innings. He’s allowed five runs on 12 hits (one being a home run) and seven walks. He’s also struck out 10 batters. Caden Vire Vire made two appearances this week, pitching a total of 1⅔ innings where he allowed two hits, one walk and struck out three batters. In his first outing, Vire entered with one out in the second inning with Glendale ahead 8-3. He allowed an infield single to the first batter he faced which put runners on the corners before getting out of the jam with two straight outs. In total, he threw 17 pitches with 11 of them being strikes. His velocity topped out at 95.3 mph with his sinker and he generated two whiffs. His second appearance was even better, as he tossed one inning and allowed just one walk while striking out three. Entering the game in the bottom of the 8th inning, he struck out the first batter before walking Nathan Flewelling. Vire followed that up with back-to-back strikeouts of Williams and Hope. He tossed 21 pitches with nine of them being strikes. Overall, he’s appeared in four games and tossed 3⅓ innings while allowing one run on two hits and four walks. He's also struck out four batters. Nicholas Judice Judice had one of his better outings this week, appearing in one game and tossing 1⅓ scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and walked a batter as well. Entering with two outs in the top of the 8th inning, Judice had the bases loaded when he allowed a single that scored two runs and put Scottsdale ahead 11-4. He immediately got the next batter out with a pop-up before getting two quick outs in the top of the 9th inning. A two-out walk was followed by a fly out. In total, he threw 19 pitches with 11 of them for strikes, while his velocity topped out at 90.1 mph and he generated two whiffs. Overall, he’s appeared in four games and tossed 5⅓ innings. He’s allowed four runs on five hits (one home run) and three walks. He also struck out four batters. Trennor O’Donnell O’Donnell did not appear in a game this week. So far on the season, he’s tossed five innings across three games and allowed three runs on three hits (one home run) and two walks while striking out five batters. View the full article

The baseball world lost a memorable figure on Sunday when Jerry Koosman passed away at 83 years old. While Koosman will forever be remembered for his role in the New York Mets' improbable 1969 World Series championship, his story also has a special connection to Minnesota. The Appleton, Minnesota, native eventually returned to his home state to pitch for the Minnesota Twins, delivering one of the finest seasons of his career. Koosman was born in Appleton on December 23, 1942. His path to professional baseball wasn't exactly traditional. After being drafted into the Army in 1962, he continued playing baseball while stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas. One of his teammates recognized his pitching ability and helped get his name in front of the Mets organization. New York eventually signed the left-hander in 1964 for just $1,600. He made his major league debut in 1967 before becoming a full-time member of the Mets' rotation the following season. Koosman quickly established himself as one of baseball's best young pitchers, winning 19 games with a 2.08 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 1968. He finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting and earned his first All-Star selection. His place in baseball history became cemented during the 1969 season. Koosman won 17 games and posted a 2.28 ERA before helping New York capture its first World Series championship. He won Game 2 and then delivered a complete-game victory in the deciding Game 5 against Baltimore. He spent the next decade as one of the Mets' most dependable starters, including a 21-win campaign in 1976 that helped him finish second in National League Cy Young voting. However, after the Mets struggled through the 1978 season, Koosman requested a trade. New York eventually sent him to Minnesota in December 1978, giving the Appleton native an opportunity to pitch closer to home. A Minnesota Homecoming Koosman's arrival immediately paid dividends for the Twins. In 1979, he put together an outstanding season, becoming one of the American League's most productive starting pitchers. He finished with a 20-13 record, a 3.38 ERA, 157 strikeouts, and 263 2/3 innings pitched across 37 appearances. That performance earned Koosman a sixth-place finish in American League Cy Young voting. He also recorded 10 complete games, demonstrating the durability that had made him such a valuable pitcher throughout his career. Koosman followed that performance with another productive season in 1980. He won 16 games, struck out 149 batters, and logged 243 1/3 innings. His ERA increased to 4.03, but he remained a dependable presence in Minnesota's rotation. His final season with the Twins came in 1981. He appeared in 19 games, making 13 starts, and posted a 3-9 record with a 4.20 ERA before being traded to the Chicago White Sox. Koosman finished his Minnesota career with 39 wins, 35 losses, and a 3.77 ERA across 601 1/3 innings. Although his time with Minnesota lasted only two and a half seasons, Koosman gave the Twins a memorable return to his home state. He eventually finished his 19-year major league career with 222 victories, 2,556 strikeouts, and 53.6 bWAR. Koosman's legacy will always be connected to the Mets, where he became a Hall of Famer and had his No. 36 retired. However, Minnesota baseball fans also have a reason to remember the Appleton native. Before his career came to an end, he returned home and showed that the same left-handed pitcher who helped deliver a championship in New York could still compete among baseball's best. Koosman is survived by three children and four grandchildren. His passing marks the loss of a remarkable baseball player and a Minnesota native who made his mark on the national stage. View the full article

Owen and Jesse are back and they have a ton of thoughts after a busy postseason that did not include their Blue Jays. They share their thoughts on that as well as the looming labour negotiations, before spending the vast majority of the episode analyzing the shape of the roster when it comes to free agents and team needs. They dig into many potential fits in both the free agent and trade markets, including Seiya Suzuki, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Corey Seager, Ketel Marte, and Tarik Skubal. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jays-centre-podcast/id1846108462 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bi7SzfpcqMo5xYWnbCeoL Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-jays-centre-podcast-300304824/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/2qk9wqxd Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayscentre View the full article

Owen and Jesse are back and they have a ton of thoughts after a busy postseason that did not include their Blue Jays. They share their thoughts on that as well as the looming labour negotiations, before spending the vast majority of the episode analyzing the shape of the roster when it comes to free agents and team needs. They dig into many potential fits in both the free agent and trade markets, including Seiya Suzuki, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Corey Seager, Ketel Marte, and Tarik Skubal. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jays-centre-podcast/id1846108462 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Bi7SzfpcqMo5xYWnbCeoL Listen on iHeartRadio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-the-jays-centre-podcast-300304824/ Listen on Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/2qk9wqxd Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jayscentre View the full article

After receiving NL MVP votes a year ago, a star player for the World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers has a much better finish on tap in 2026. Brewers second baseman Brice Turang was named Monday as one of the top three finishers in NL MVP voting. The other two are Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani has won the last two NL MVPs and three straight including his final year with the AL's Los Angeles Angels. He has won an MVP in four of the last five years. Crow-Armstrong is the expected NL MVP after putting up a 40-40 season for the Cubs, who finished second to the Brewers in the NL Central. The Brewers have won the last four division titles. Turang made a big jump offensively last year, hitting 18 homers and driving in 81, then finishing 14th in NL MVP voting. This year, he added more consistent power and was a run producer. He had career highs of 21 homers and 100 RBIs, which led the Brewers, while having a slash line of .268/.366/.450. Turang, who won his second NL Gold Glove on Sunday, is the first Brewers player to be among the top three for NL MVP since Christian Yelich won in 2018 and finished second in 2019. View the full article