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I attended my first AFL game on October 27 at Peoria Stadium to watch the Saguaros versus the Javelinas. Here is what I noticed: General Notes Tickets are $14, and seating is general admission. Announced attendance was 271. I sat in the front row at the Saguaros on-deck circle. By my count, there were 13 scouts on the stands evaluating the game. The Saguaros bench got warned after razzing the umpire for a 3-2 strikeout call that was overturned to a BB. Three Royals played. Felix Arronde, Austin Charles, and Angeibel Gomez. Felix Arronde Started the game and pitched one inning. Lead-off walk, pitch clock violation, K swinging, walk, stole 2B, K swinging. Single misplayed by LF runner to 2B, run scored, single between 1B and 2B, run scored. Foul tip caught by catcher K. All three outs by strikeout were impressive. After the game, I asked the catcher Kehden Hettiger, a Philadelphia Phillies prospect, what he saw from Arronde. His thoughts: Arronde hid the ball well, but was a bit unlucky. Had good, deceptive stuff. Maybe a little nervous being his first appearance. Austin Charles Line out to short, one hopper to SS got down the line to avoid the double play, strikeout on check swing, bases loaded strikeout swinging. Very aggressive all game, lots of early count swings. Made every defensive play. Angeibel Gomez Worked a full count and stroked a single to left field for an RBI, stole second, and a wild pitch advanced him to third, then grounded out to shortstop. First pitch swinging, fly ball to left LF, lost in the sun, fell 15 feet to his left. It is a double in the books but should have been an easy out. Called strike 3. Didn't like the call but didn't challenge. Defensively Shallow pop between 2B, CF, and RF. Looked like 2B called it and Gomez backed off. Ball fell. Gomez had a ball to dead center, realized it was over his head, and played it off the wall in a textbook play. Gomez made a nice catch at the warning track. View the full article

I attended my first AFL game on October 27 at Peoria Stadium to watch the Saguaros versus the Javelinas. Here is what I noticed: General Notes Tickets are $14, and seating is general admission. Announced attendance was 271. I sat in the front row at the Saguaros on-deck circle. By my count, there were 13 scouts on the stands evaluating the game. The Saguaros bench got warned after razzing the umpire for a 3-2 strikeout call that was overturned to a BB. Three Royals played. Felix Arronde, Austin Charles, and Angeibel Gomez. Felix Arronde Started the game and pitched one inning. Lead-off walk, pitch clock violation, K swinging, walk, stole 2B, K swinging. Single misplayed by LF runner to 2B, run scored, single between 1B and 2B, run scored. Foul tip caught by catcher K. All three outs by strikeout were impressive. After the game, I asked the catcher Kehden Hettiger, a Philadelphia Phillies prospect, what he saw from Arronde. His thoughts: Arronde hid the ball well, but was a bit unlucky. Had good, deceptive stuff. Maybe a little nervous being his first appearance. Austin Charles Line out to short, one hopper to SS got down the line to avoid the double play, strikeout on check swing, bases loaded strikeout swinging. Very aggressive all game, lots of early count swings. Made every defensive play. Angeibel Gomez Worked a full count and stroked a single to left field for an RBI, stole second, and a wild pitch advanced him to third, then grounded out to shortstop. First pitch swinging, fly ball to left LF, lost in the sun, fell 15 feet to his left. It is a double in the books but should have been an easy out. Called strike 3. Didn't like the call but didn't challenge. Defensively Shallow pop between 2B, CF, and RF. Looked like 2B called it and Gomez backed off. Ball fell. Gomez had a ball to dead center, realized it was over his head, and played it off the wall in a textbook play. Gomez made a nice catch at the warning track. View the full article

Down the stretch of this season, the Brewers were extremely careful with Jacob Misiorowski. They gave him extra rest between starts; they throttled back on his pitch counts. In his last three starts of the regular campaign, he threw 82, 44 and 68 pitches, respectively. The middle game in that set came on September 20 in Baltimore, when Misiorowski pitched on four days' rest but only threw three innings, allowing one hit and striking out four. They ramped him down so they could ramp him back up, if needed, in the playoffs. That ramp-up hasn't really happened, though. Misiorowski's pitch counts did climb a bit in his starts in the NLDS (88) and NLCS (94), but Pat Murphy has had chances to stretch his ace a bit, and he's passed them up. In no appearance, so far, has Misiorowski pitched to a 20th batter. Thanks to the Brewers' rapid dispatch of the Dodgers, Misiorowski also hasn't worked on fewer than five days' rest in any of his starts this month. He's had his trusty home mound on which to blast off and land, with his signature, high-extension delivery. He's had the luxury of rest, and the protection of a quick hook. All that might need to change Wednesday night. The Rays' backs are still against the wall. They won Game 4 with a two-run 12th-inning rally, but they used all of the appealing candidates for a Game 5 start (and all of their top relief arms) in the process. The Brewers have a clear advantage in this game, and a big one in the series, even now. All Game 4 really did was provide a stage on which Misiorowski can deliver an encore at the end of his bravura season. It's too early to put any more pressure on this thing than that. If the Brewers do lose in Game 5, they'll simply gain the opportunity to win their first World Series at home, in front of a roaring crowd in Milwaukee. On the other hand, every win by the Rays will wind the spring tighter—and the depth of the Brewers pitching staff is starting to wear thin. In Game 5, it's important that Murphy let the leash out a bit, and that Misiorowski rediscover a modicum of the sharpness that has ebbed away over the last month and change. He hasn't been quite the same lately, in ways that are hard to capture at first, but become evident once you put a few pieces together. He's tired. The utterly unprecedented torrents of energy he used to generate power and command on his fastball in the middle of this season aren't quite there, anymore. He's lost just a hair, in three ways. First, his actual velocity is down about 1 mile per hour from his best readings in June and July. We can think of that, in effect, as fatigue showing up in his arm speed. He's also lost about an inch and a half of extension toward the plate, on average, which is why the gap between his actual and perceived velocity readings are closing a bit. That's fatigue in his legs; it's incredibly difficult to get as far down the mound as he did in the middle of this year, especially under any semblance of control. Finally, there's a little bit more evidence of how hard he's humping up just to get to the velocities we're still seeing: his spin rate is down, even relative to his velocity. He's making his big muscles do big things, but down at the finest extremities, his body isn't responding in the same way. This is where all his dominance has gone. He's still throwing almost impossibly hard, but achieving both control and carry on the fastball is very difficult, because he's working at the edge of his capability more than he was in the summer—even though he was throwing harder and getting down the mound better in the summer. Mechanically, we can see it: he's running out of gas for the year. That's ok. It's normal. And he's still good enough to force hitters to be late. Batters' average attack angle against his heater in October is -1.9°. They're not beating that pitch to its spot, any more than they did in the regular season. On average, hitters are swinging slower against the pitch than they did in the regular season, too. They're making much more contact, though, because they're sitting on the pitch and starting earlier, and because the hitters Misiorowski is seeing this month (including and especially the Rays) are good fastball hitters who hunt that pitch against everyone. Without the extra increments of explosion that his heater had in June, he can't quite throw it over the barrels of hitters who are looking for it, even though they also can't quite beat him on it. That sets up a quandary. Heading into his final start of the year and facing a lineup for the second time in a series for the first time this fall, should Misiorowski trust some of his secondary stuff more? The Rays certainly won't be expecting that. They might give him the whiffs he's been lacking, if he can throw his curveball, cutter and slider close enough to the zone to entice them to swing at them. On the other hand, those are the pitches they can actually get to—not just touch, but hit hard, and maybe pull in the air. On balance, it makes more sense to stick to the heater. Let them run up the pitch count; let them foul off lots of offerings. Eventually, when they're behind in a count and starting too early to hold back, throw them a curveball and hunt a strikeout. Be willing to leave the game after just five innings, but face 22 batters. Get through Junior Caminero the third time. That should be Misiorowski's goal. After that, Murphy can go back to (most of) his horses. Aaron Ashby threw 31 pitches Tuesday night and needs to be on a short assignment, if any at all. DL Hall threw 24 and should also be limited. JoJo Romero only threw 11, though. He can pitch the sixth. Abner Uribe threw 19, but should have one inning in him. Trevor Megill only threw five pitches, and should be the one to stretch, if needed. The bottom line is that Murphy should try to avoid asking his bullpen for more than 12 outs. Ideally, Misiorowski should get them into the sixth, and maybe through it. That might mean letting him throw 100 pitches, which he hasn't done since July. The team should let him, if the fastball doesn't unduly flag in terms of velocity as the start progresses. They should let their soon-to-be Cy Young Award winner finish off the Rays. It probably won't be as pretty as his starts throughout the summer were, but if there's one more set of true fireballs left in him, it's time to ask Misiorowski to unleash them, without holding anything back. View the full article

With the 2028 season still two years away, the Minnesota Twins have time to reshape their roster and determine if their young players will turn into franchise cornerstones. The decisions on current veterans, development of young prospects, and potential additions through free agency and trades will all play in a role in what the team looks like by then. Looking ahead, here is a projection of the Twins’ 2028 roster and the players who could create the team’s next core. Starting Lineup C - Vahn Lackey 1B – Kody Clemens 2B – Kaelen Culpepper 3B – Brooks Lee SS – Marek Houston LF – Emmanuel Rodriguez CF – Byron Buxton RF – Walker Jenkins DH – Luke Keaschall Bench 1B Andrew Vaughn OF Alan Roden C Carson Kelly UTIL Amed Rosario A New Era for the Twins Offense This starting nine would be not only one of the most intriguing groups in recent Twins history, but one of the youngest. Former first-round picks Vahn Lackey and Marek Houston make their first Opening Day roster and start at their respective positions. With Houston coming up as an elite defender at short, Kaelen Culpepper slides over to second base, pushing Kody Clemens to first. Brooks Lee stays at the hot corner for what would be his second full season there, assuming he plays third all of 2027. As for the outfield, the actual positions are up for debate. Byron Buxton is Minnesota’s center fielder as long as he can still play there at an above-average level, but a move to the corners could be beneficial. If that were to happen, Walker Jenkins would probably slide into center, with Buxton, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Luke Keaschall splitting time between the corner outfield spots and designated hitter. When it comes to the bench, Andrew Vaughn could be a player to target after the 2027 season to platoon with Clemens at first base. Alan Roden could stick around as a backup outfielder, though prospect Hendry Mendez or another signing could fill that spot. Free agents this offseason, Carson Kelly and Amed Rosario each sign two-year deals in this scenario. Kelly would start in 2027 and pair with Victor Caratini behind the plate before shifting to the bench to make way for Lackey, while Rosario would be the primary backup to Lee at third base, as well being able to play second and the corner outfield spots. Overall, this would be a good group of position players for the Twins, and what would appear to be a good mix of young upside and potential with proven veterans. Time will tell if the Twins’ lineup looks anything remotely like this, but I feel that the starting nine may be close to accurate, as Minnesota looks to see what they have in their top prospects over the next few seasons. Starting Rotation RHP Pablo López RHP Taj Bradley RHP Mick Abel LHP Connor Prielipp LHP Kendry Rojas A Rotation Built On Current Potency Although Pablo López is set to become a free agent after the 2027 season, he has meant so much to the organization that he should be a Twin for life. Taj Bradley enters 2027 coming off his best professional season, wherein he was worth 4.4 bWAR. Bradley could be the face of the rotation by 2028, and he should be a long-term extension candidate this offseason. As for the rest of the rotation, Mick Abel, Connor Prielipp, and Kendry Rojas are (admittedly) wild cards, to some extent. Abel was good in only 20 1/3 innings before undergoing right elbow surgery in July. He should be a piece of the rotation moving forward, though his durability will be a major question. Prielipp had an up-and-down 2026 season, which saw him earn Twins Daily’s Rookie of the Year award—though there wasn’t a ton of competition in that field. Rojas bounced between starting and coming out of the bullpen as a long reliever, and even though command and walks were an issue, he is still just 23 years old and has huge potential to become a frontline starter. All this being said, the biggest omission from this list is Joe Ryan, as it doesn’t seem likely the Twins will sign him to a long-term extension after his final year of control in 2027. If they trade him, part of that return could contribute in 2028, but that remains to be seen. Other notable names would be David Festa and Zebby Matthews, who have had their struggles at the big-league level, but it would not be shocking for either of them to be a back-end starter or a long reliever out of the pen. The rotation, led by López and Bradley, could grow and develop over the 2027 season into a formidable force for 2028 and beyond. It remains to be seen if arms like Abel, Prielipp, and Rojas will develop as the Twins envision, but hopefully, new pitching coach Brian Reith maximizes their potential. Bullpen RHP David Bednar LHP AJ Minter RHP Jeff Hoffman RHP Andrew Morris RHP Yoendrys Gomez RHP Cole Sands RHP Marco Raya LHP Kody Funderburk At Last, Investment in the Bullpen Leading the way for this group would be the trio at the top of the list. David Bednar would sign in the 2027 offseason for multiple years, reuniting with Derek Shelton from his time in Pittsburgh and allowing the Pohlads to put their money where their mouth is. A.J. Minter would get a multi-year extension this offseason to be the primary left-handed reliever coming out of the bullpen, while Jeff Hoffman would receive an extension as well, after his contract expires after the 2027 season. These three would handle the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings during competitive games and be a formidable back end of the bullpen in 2028. The remainder of the bullpen is filled with familiar faces. Andrew Morris and Yoendrys Gómez threw quality innings in 2026, though they both tailed off into September. Cole Sands was injured for much of the past season, throwing only 13 innings, but he was solid the previous two years, when the 29-year-old was worth 1.7 bWAR. Marco Raya pitched only six innings for the Twins in 2026, but has potential to be a crucial bullpen piece. Kody Funderburk would be the second left-handed arm in the bullpen, and he too has been good for Minnesota the past two seasons, worth 1.7 bWAR. This bullpen would give the Twins a strong combination of younger pitchers with room to develop and established late-inning arms. Bednar, Minter, and Hoffman would provide stability in high-leverage situations, while the rest of the group would offer depth and flexibility throughout the season. The biggest question would be whether Morris, Raya, and the other less established arms can consistently perform at the major-league level. If they can, Minnesota could enter 2028 with a bullpen fully capable of holding leads. The Future of the Twins Starts Here This roster projection represents a potential turning point for the Minnesota Twins. Jenkins, Culpepper, and Lackey could form the foundation of the next core, while established arms such as López and a strengthened bullpen would provide valuable experience and leadership. Of course, a lot can change over the course of the 2027 season, and the development of the team’s young players, decisions on veterans, and willingness to invest in the roster will determine how realistic this projection becomes. If things break the right way, the Twins could have the pieces in place to be a contender in 2028 and build a foundation for sustainable success in the future. View the full article

Michael Busch is entering his fourth full season as an MLB first baseman, and with that, the 2027 campaign will mark his first year of arbitration. In this video, we break down everything from his ascent to his projected value and even the likelihood that the Chicago Cubs choose to extend him to solidify their infield for the long haul. View the full article

Of everything that sits in front of the San Diego Padres, there is one thing that seems like it could be announced any day: Ty France returning to the Padres for at least the 2027 season. The first baseman went from a borderline possibility to make the Padres’ Opening Day roster to the cleanup hitter in one of the league's best offenses in the last two months of the season. The SoCal native, born in Downey and going to high school in West Covina, and former San Diego State star fit right back in with the team that took him in the 34th round of the 2015 draft and is likely to again in 2027. Ty France's 2026 Season At A Glance Coming off a 2025 season in which he signed with the Minnesota Twins in mid-February, then was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline and didn’t see much action in the team’s run to the World Series, France didn’t find many takers this offseason as he sought a new home. But his original MLB team gave him a chance, signing a minor-league contract Feb. 15 just as spring training was beginning. While he had third base experience in the past, he hadn’t played the hot corner since 2022. So he was a first baseman who, like everyone else, could be a designated hitter. A right-handed hitter, France figured to platoon at first with Gavin Sheets, a left-handed hitter. Then, the Padres signed Nick Castellanos, another right-handed hitter, and said he would be a first baseman, putting France’s spot on the Opening Day roster in jeopardy. But an oblique injury to infielder Sung-Mun Song created a path for France to make the roster. Facing an opt-out deadline, the Padres gave him a chance. It was perhaps their best roster move of the season. It may have been his defense that got him a roster spot, as France was an AL Gold Glove winner at first base in 2025, but his bat would prove just as critical for the Padres in 2026. He started to get more consistent playing time in mid-May, going on to put up the best offensive season of his eight-year career. He had a .295/.363/.502 slash line with a career-high 21 homers to go along with 72 RBIs, his third-most ever. Up for another Gold Glove this year, that all gave him a bWAR of 4.5, his personal high-water mark, and an OPS+ of 139, also his best in any season. Why the Padres Should Re-sign Ty France France just fits with the Padres. He is a complementary player who steps up and can carry a team through stretches. After the All-Star break, France’s slash line was an incredible .321/.395/.513 with 10 homers and 39 RBIs in 63 games. He also had 25 of his 37 walks in that span. His defense alone would be worth re-signing, but if the 32-year-old can produce offensively on a similar basis, whatever he gets dollar-wise will be a bargain. Spotrac projects France’s 2027 value at $16.4 million, though that is probably higher than he'll get on the open market given his age and middling track record prior to 2026. Why the Padres Should Not Re-sign Ty France The only reason not to sign France is if he demands too much money. He won’t—he wants to stay. If there is one concern, it would be France’s ability to repeat what he did offensively. Even if he can’t get to his slash line of this year, his career averages over 162 games are a .267/.338/.414 slash line and 17 homers and 73 RBIs. So it really is just a matter of playing time. The Bottom Line The Spotrac project for France just feels really high, no offense to France. I mentioned on the Padres Mission podcast that France would probably get something in the $7 million range. That was without any research and I still feel that is probably about where he comes in as a bit of a hometown discount. Ryan O’Hearn, a Padres trade-deadline acquisition in 2025, got a two-year, $29 million contract last offseason from the Pittsburgh Pirates, a team that probably had to overpay to attract talent. The Padres don’t have that problem. His highest salary of his career was the $6.775 million he got in 2024 through arbitration with the Seattle Mariners. France will probably max out at $10 million per season, perhaps with some deferrals. My prediction: France returns on a two- or three-year deal, with a third year possibly being a club option. View the full article

The 2027 Blue Jays rotation should begin with Dylan Cease, José Soriano, Trey Yesavage and Cody Ponce. But the fifth starter position is still up in the air. Toronto could sign an aging veteran – think Max Scherzer, Sonny Gray or Robbie Ray. Or they could try to sign a younger pitcher on a longer-term contract, like a Michael Soroka, or trade for a younger arm like Logan Gilbert or Shane McClanahan. They could (but likely won’t) break the bank for Tarik Skubal. Or they could try to fill the position internally, with Jake Bloss, Spencer Miles, Spencer Arrighetti, and Ricky Tiedemann the most frequently mentioned candidates. But might there be another, under-the-radar option? Start by describing what a fifth starter looks like. It is not a Skubal. An average fifth starter (hat tip to Bob Ritchie for his analysis) gives 100-120 innings at an ERA of 4.75-5.25. Some teams will skip the No. 5 when there is an off day, so their top four starters can pitch on their normal days' rest. If the No. 5 can give a consistent five innings and keep his team in the game, he is getting the job done. So let’s talk about Chad “Cheese” Dallas. First, the usual small sample size caveat. Cheese pitched only 14 MLB innings in 2026, so without question he would have to prove himself in 2027 spring training. But his 2026 statistics do merit a long look. Start with Dallas’s stuff+. He has five pitches, every one of which has a Stuff+ less than 100 (which means every one is below MLB average). This sub-100 performance might seem a disqualifier. But there are many pitchers who have survived (and in some cases, thrived) with variety and command without having a Misiorowski fastball or Skenes curve. Consider the following example, from 2026 performance: Kevin Gausman and José Soriano each had a Stuff+ of 97.3 in 2026 – exactly the same as Dallas. Their overall Pitching+ was higher in both cases because their Location+ was higher (i.e., better command and control). But Dallas’ 5.02 BB/9 in 2026 was an outlier. In 2023 and 2024, in Double A and Triple A, his walk rate was consistently in the mid-threes. So there is room for optimism that his Location+ will improve with more MLB experience. Next, look at Dallas’ 2026 performance (with the SSS caveat). His ERA of 5.02 was unimpressive, but it came with an xERA of 3.49, an xBA of .214, a chase rate of 35%, and a barrel rate of 5.1%. Those are all good-to-excellent – far beyond expectations for a No. 5. Statcast has a feature where, for any pitcher, it shows the pitcher (or pitchers) who are the most similar in terms of velocity, pitch arsenal, and pitch usage. For Dallas, Statcast says that the closest match is Max Meyer of Miami. The similarities are obvious. Meyer has a similar Stuff+, and in the first four years of his career, he had a 5.29 ERA with a 4.74 xERA. But in 2026 – Meyer’s first year with 100+ innings – he put up a 2.68 ERA and a 3.88 xERA for a 2.3 fWAR. If Cheese could produce anything close to those numbers, he would be one of the best No. 5 starters in baseball. One more advantage is Dallas’ cost. He is still pre-arbitration, and so will command far less than the $10-15 million that a Scherzer or Bieber might demand. If the CBA negotiations place increased pressure on team payrolls, $10-15 million of savings might be significant in terms of other Blue Jays options. Dallas does come with red flags. He had Tommy John surgery in September 2024 and missed all of the 2025 season. But in 2026 he pitched a total of 85 innings (Buffalo and Toronto combined), so it would not be unreasonable to expect 100-120 from him in 2027. He also struggled against left-handed batters. But the Jays will be looking for starts for Spencer Miles, who has a career (same SSS caveat) xERA of 3.67 against left-handers (and a 2.79 xERA against lefties at the Rogers Centre). So if Dallas were set to face an elite left-handed batting lineup, Miles might be an option instead. There are also wild cards to consider. The elephant in the room is the potential lockout, which could delay the start of the season long enough for players like José Berríos and Bowden Francis to return. Even if the season starts on time, the return of those players could limit Dallas’s second-half playing time. That might not be an entirely bad thing, however, given his 2024 surgery and long recovery. The Bottom Line Some pitchers are dramatic. Like a Tyler Rogers (who – trivia question time! – had the highest Stuff+ of any pitcher in MLB in 2026) or a Dylan Cease (likely the runner-up in 2026 Cy Young voting). But there are also many pitchers who just quietly, calmly and consistently get the job done. Think Mark Buehrle, for most of his career, or Marco Estrada, or R.A. Dickey. Those workhorses bring significant value too, and if it is possible that Chad Dallas could become one of them, the Jays might well want to “say Cheese!” View the full article

The 2027 Blue Jays rotation should begin with Dylan Cease, José Soriano, Trey Yesavage and Cody Ponce. But the fifth starter position is still up in the air. Toronto could sign an aging veteran – think Max Scherzer, Sonny Gray or Robbie Ray. Or they could try to sign a younger pitcher on a longer-term contract, like a Michael Soroka, or trade for a younger arm like Logan Gilbert or Shane McClanahan. They could (but likely won’t) break the bank for Tarik Skubal. Or they could try to fill the position internally, with Jake Bloss, Spencer Miles, Spencer Arrighetti, and Ricky Tiedemann the most frequently mentioned candidates. But might there be another, under-the-radar option? Start by describing what a fifth starter looks like. It is not a Skubal. An average fifth starter (hat tip to Bob Ritchie for his analysis) gives 100-120 innings at an ERA of 4.75-5.25. Some teams will skip the No. 5 when there is an off day, so their top four starters can pitch on their normal days' rest. If the No. 5 can give a consistent five innings and keep his team in the game, he is getting the job done. So let’s talk about Chad “Cheese” Dallas. First, the usual small sample size caveat. Cheese pitched only 14 MLB innings in 2026, so without question he would have to prove himself in 2027 spring training. But his 2026 statistics do merit a long look. Start with Dallas’s stuff+. He has five pitches, every one of which has a Stuff+ less than 100 (which means every one is below MLB average). This sub-100 performance might seem a disqualifier. But there are many pitchers who have survived (and in some cases, thrived) with variety and command without having a Misiorowski fastball or Skenes curve. Consider the following example, from 2026 performance: Kevin Gausman and José Soriano each had a Stuff+ of 97.3 in 2026 – exactly the same as Dallas. Their overall Pitching+ was higher in both cases because their Location+ was higher (i.e., better command and control). But Dallas’ 5.02 BB/9 in 2026 was an outlier. In 2023 and 2024, in Double A and Triple A, his walk rate was consistently in the mid-threes. So there is room for optimism that his Location+ will improve with more MLB experience. Next, look at Dallas’ 2026 performance (with the SSS caveat). His ERA of 5.02 was unimpressive, but it came with an xERA of 3.49, an xBA of .214, a chase rate of 35%, and a barrel rate of 5.1%. Those are all good-to-excellent – far beyond expectations for a No. 5. Statcast has a feature where, for any pitcher, it shows the pitcher (or pitchers) who are the most similar in terms of velocity, pitch arsenal, and pitch usage. For Dallas, Statcast says that the closest match is Max Meyer of Miami. The similarities are obvious. Meyer has a similar Stuff+, and in the first four years of his career, he had a 5.29 ERA with a 4.74 xERA. But in 2026 – Meyer’s first year with 100+ innings – he put up a 2.68 ERA and a 3.88 xERA for a 2.3 fWAR. If Cheese could produce anything close to those numbers, he would be one of the best No. 5 starters in baseball. One more advantage is Dallas’ cost. He is still pre-arbitration, and so will command far less than the $10-15 million that a Scherzer or Bieber might demand. If the CBA negotiations place increased pressure on team payrolls, $10-15 million of savings might be significant in terms of other Blue Jays options. Dallas does come with red flags. He had Tommy John surgery in September 2024 and missed all of the 2025 season. But in 2026 he pitched a total of 85 innings (Buffalo and Toronto combined), so it would not be unreasonable to expect 100-120 from him in 2027. He also struggled against left-handed batters. But the Jays will be looking for starts for Spencer Miles, who has a career (same SSS caveat) xERA of 3.67 against left-handers (and a 2.79 xERA against lefties at the Rogers Centre). So if Dallas were set to face an elite left-handed batting lineup, Miles might be an option instead. There are also wild cards to consider. The elephant in the room is the potential lockout, which could delay the start of the season long enough for players like José Berríos and Bowden Francis to return. Even if the season starts on time, the return of those players could limit Dallas’s second-half playing time. That might not be an entirely bad thing, however, given his 2024 surgery and long recovery. The Bottom Line Some pitchers are dramatic. Like a Tyler Rogers (who – trivia question time! – had the highest Stuff+ of any pitcher in MLB in 2026) or a Dylan Cease (likely the runner-up in 2026 Cy Young voting). But there are also many pitchers who just quietly, calmly and consistently get the job done. Think Mark Buehrle, for most of his career, or Marco Estrada, or R.A. Dickey. Those workhorses bring significant value too, and if it is possible that Chad Dallas could become one of them, the Jays might well want to “say Cheese!” View the full article

The Rays don't seem to have any idea how to get Cooper Pratt out. You can see that in his stat line during this World Series: he's 6-for-16 with three extra-base hits and three walks. You can also see it in the at-bats, though. Tuesday night nearly became the sublime moment that altered the Brewers' identity as a franchise for the better, and it was Pratt who stood to become the hero of that contest. Over and over, he delivered the big hit, as he's done all series. He finished off the Rays in Game 2 with an opposite-field single. In Game 4, they tried to jam him up and in, and he was extremely ready for it. Pratt's steep swing produces a style of zone coverage that might surprise you, if all you knew was how much he dips his barrel as he addresses the ball. Many hitters with a steep bat path like the ball down and in, but Pratt prefers to keep his swing short and direct. That means focusing on attacking the ball up and in and adjusting to cover down and away; it often means that you can beat him down and in. The Rays, sometimes trying to set him up for something else and sometimes simply thinking they had a pitch type that would beat him in a given spot, repeatedly tried to get the ball by him in the upper, inner quadrant of the zone, but Pratt punished that strategy. Pratt's game-tying double in the fourth inning came on a near-perfect pitch from Griffin Jax, in terms of execution. It just wasn't a good plan on the Rays' part—a rare miss for a team that usually nails scouting and gameplanning. Pratt also cracked a pair of solid singles, but the defining moment for him—the biggest moment in Brewers history, it briefly seemed, though that wouldn't last—came when Ian Seymour tried a fairly inexplicable offering. His 12th-inning sweeper broke toward Pratt, but stayed above the belt, and Pratt got to it before it could break far enough in to jam him. If it were a misplaced would-be back-foot breakiung ball, you could understand it, but the Rays seemed to want the pitch in that spot. They underestimated Pratt, and paid a dear price. The celebration that homer nearly touched off will have to wait, at least one day. The game got away from the Brewers in the bottom of the 12th. In the scorebook (and in his own heart; he beat himself up in interviews after the game), Joey Ortiz will wear the goat horns. Officially, he committed a throwing error on the first at-bat of the Rays' comeback rally. In truth, though, he made a fine play. Jake Bauers had time and a reliable hop on which to catch Ortiz's long throw. The ball didn't skip unpredictably off the turf; Ortiz got it to the dirt cutout around the base. It came up to about waist height and didn't pull Bauers off the bag. The veteran first baseman just needed to field the bounce. Instead, alas, he was handcuffed by it. Unfortunately, this was as foreseeable as Pratt's success on pitches up and in—but it's not the kind of thing a team can adequately plan for and avoid. On August 19, I wrote the following about Bauers's receiving of low and bounced throws, relative to Andrew Vaughn's good work on the same types of plays. Here's an example I gave at the time: cU9sTmtfV0ZRVkV3dEdEUT09X0JRRlhBUVpRVXdRQVdWc0tYd0FIVnc4RUFGaFhXd0FBQndBQVZGSUFCRkVHVmxaZg.mp4.85580aff814951128d9fcc727a42b72c.mp4 It's an unfortunate habit of Bauers's to get too low too early on throws that will bounce before arriving, leaving him unable to make late adjustments other first basemen might. He's been a fine receiver on all other types of throws, but this was the gun over the mantelpiece all along, and it fired at just the wrong time for the Brewers. In theory, when an unlucky ninth-inning sequence forced the Brewers to replace David Hamilton with Ortiz, Pat Murphy could have put Vaughn (who'd been called upon to pinch-hit but didn't really get the chance) into the game at first base, taking out Bauers. Murphy also could have elected to let Hamilton hit in that spot, instead of turning to Vaughn. If Vaughn is there to field Ortiz's throw, the Brewers are probably champions already. That would have required a near-magical level of foresight from Murphy, though. If Hamilton were still in the game, on that particular play, the Brewers probably get an out, but Murphy has plenty of reasons to prefer Ortiz to Hamilton at third defensively, as Hamilton himself had showed earlier in the game. No one is exactly at fault. As we talked about after the Brewers' Game 1 win, the World Series (and the playoffs, in general) will eventually find and expose your weaknesses. The Brewers' weaknesses are few and minor, compared to those of most teams, but the game found a way to shed light on one at a pivotal moment Tuesday night. That needn't be the defining moment of the series, though, just as Pratt's didn't turn out to be. The Brewers have a bevy of advantages heading into Game 5. Emotionally, they'll have to respond. They'll have to ignore the wamble in their gut and the ringing in their ears and come back undeterred—or, as Murphy liked to ask of them in previous years, undaunted. History is obdurate. The Brewers have never won a World Series, and the universe sometimes seems to be trying its hardest to keep it that way. This team is too good to be dragged down by something as simple and foreseeable as extra-innings adversity, though. If they play the same game Wednesday night that they played Tuesday, they can expect to win it this time—warts and all. View the full article

The Arizona Fall League just completed its third week of play, which means we're nearing the end of the season. The Saguaros are 10-8, good for third in the AFL behind Scottsdale (11-7) and Peoria (11-8). For a third straight week, the Kansas City Royals prospects have done pretty well in the AFL, capturing the attention of both prospect experts and Royals fans. While this was not a great past season for Kansas City, the strong play of Royals prospects in Arizona should give hope that the future is bright for the Royals long term. For those who missed the previous editions, you can find previous coverage at Royals Keep from week one here and week two here. Hitters: Bryan Stands Out for the Saguaros Royals hitting stats from October 20th to October 27th Zion Rose, OF: 13 AB, .308/.400/.308, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB. Brooks Bryan, C: 11 AB, .273/.429/.549, 3 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI. Angeibel Gomez, OF: 8 AB, .375/.444/.625, 1 R, 1 RB, 2 2B, 2 SB. Austin Charles, 3B/SS: 10 AB, .100/.100/.100, 1 H, 4 K. The catching prospect out of Troy University had a solid week at the plate in week three after a down week in week two. The former 2025 draft pick hit a home run, drove in four runs, and posted a .974 OPS. Bryan has shown a patient approach at the plate with three walks to four strikeouts. He also uses his plate discipline well, pouncing on hittable balls for power when he gets the chance. Jared Perkins and I talked about this on the latest episode of Royals Pipeline, but Bryan is doing his best to make No. 4 prospect Blake Mitchell expendable this offseason. In 33 games and 138 plate appearances with the Fireflies last year, Bryan hit .319 with three homers, 24 RBI, a .902 OPS, and a 0.59 BB/K ratio. Injuries limited his plate appearances in 2026, but this fall he's showing he's healthy and ready to break out in 2027. Gomez has captured prospect experts' attention this fall in all the right ways. Over the past seven days, Gomez hit .375, posted a 1.069 OPS, and hit two doubles. He also stole two bases. This fall, Gomez is hitting .333 with a .906 OPS in the AFL at 17, which is wild to think about. On Tuesday, he hit another key run-scoring hit with runners in scoring position early against Peoria. He continues to show Royals fans he isn't overwhelmed by the competition in Arizona. Rose saw his power dip a bit this week. He didn't hit any extra-base hits and posted a .308 slugging percentage. However, the Royals' 2026 first-round pick continues to hit for average (.308), post strong OBP numbers (.400), and terrorize the basepaths (two stolen bases). With a .306 average, .912 OPS, and five stolen bases this fall, Rose is showing that he's a candidate for an early promotion to Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2027. Charles had another rough week for the Saguaros, disappointing after showing some power progress in week two. The former 20th-round pick collected just one base hit in 10 at-bats and struck out four times, with zero walks. This season in the AFL, he is hitting .154 with a .483 OPS in 39 at-bats, tied for second-most among Surprise hitters this fall. He also has 13 strikeouts and hasn't drawn a single walk. The Royals still have time to be patient with Charles, but the talented infield prospect has had a disappointing fall (though the at-bats are nice considering all the time he missed due to injury over the past two years). Pitchers: Arronde Makes His 2026 AFL Debut Royals pitching stats from October 20th to 27th Justin Lamkin, LHP: 1 G, 4.1 IP, 0 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA, and 0.00 WHIP. Felix Arronde, RHP: 1 G, 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 3 K, 18.00 ERA, and 3.00 WHIP. Hiro Wyatt, RHP: 1 G, 2.1 IP, 0 BB, 1 K, 3.86 ERA, and 1.29 WHIP. Josh Hansell, RHP: 1 G, 0.2 IP, 0 BB, 0 K, 13.50 ERA, and 3.00 WHIP. Frank Mozzicato, LHP: 1 G, 0.1 IP, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA, and 0.00 WHIP. Lamkin, our No. 12 prospect, had a phenomenal outing in week three and earned AFL Pitcher of the Week honors. The former Texas A&M product retired all 13 batters he faced and struck out four. While his stuff wasn't overwhelming, Lamkin showed excellent command and control against the Solar Sox, with 40 of his 52 pitches being strikes. Lamkin has looked stronger with each outing this fall. After reaching Double-A last year, Lamkin will likely start the 2027 season with the Naturals. His stuff will be worth watching (his four-seamer rates as below average on most Stuff metrics). However, his command and efficiency may be good enough to help him reach the Majors at some point next season. Arronde, the No. 16 prospect at Royals Keep, made his AFL debut on Tuesday, October 27th. He replaced Steven Zobac on the Surprise roster, who appears done for the rest of the fall. Zobac posted a 12.46 ERA and 1.85 WHIP in 4.1 IP. In his debut, the 23-year-old righty gave up two runs on two hits and one walk. However, he struck out three and generated a 50% whiff rate. Arronde's cutter was a positive pitch stuff-wise (101 TJ Stuff+), but the rest of his profile was unimpressive (94 TJ Stuff+ overall). He did produce a strong whiff rate and a .321 xwOBACON, but he struggled to throw consistent strikes (48.4% zone rate) and didn't generate much chase (12.5%). Arronde is coming off a brutal 2026 season in Northwest Arkansas, posting a 6.49 ERA and 6.85 FIP in 105.1 IP with the Naturals. If the Royals want to move Arronde quicker, they may be better off moving him to the bullpen full time. Tuesday's outing showed that shorter stints may suit him better anyways. Wyatt had a stronger outing on October 21st, allowing one earned run on three hits and no walks while striking out one (he did hit two batters). Wyatt's stuff looked much better in his latest outing, with three pitches earning TJ Stuff+ marks of 100 or higher. Wyatt isn't a whiff-or-chase machine, and he struggled to find the zone in his last outing (40.5% zone rate). But he throws a bunch of pitches (six) and minimizes hard contact (.307 xwOBACON). Wyatt could be a Seth Lugo-esque reliever, though he needs more time to mature in the Minors (he hasn't advanced beyond Low-A). Hansell had another mediocre week, allowing a run on two hits in 0.2 IP. Mozzicato made only one appearance this week and recorded just one out. However, he struck out a batter and got some whiffs in his one outing against Salt River, in which he relied heavily on his four-seamer (six of his seven pitchers were four-seamers). This fall, Mozzicato has a 2.70 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, and 31.3% K% in 3.1 IP. He's struggling with control (25% BB% and 6.3% K-BB%), and he's not generating many ground balls (essential for a reliever), but his stuff has been pretty solid in Arizona, as his AFL Season Summary via TJ Stats shows. Even though he has a paltry zone (34.8%) and low chase (18.6%), he has made up for it with strong whiff (34.8%) and xwOBACON (.229) metrics. Add that to a 100 TJ Stuff+ (three pitches graded over 50), and you can see Mozzicato due for a sneaky 2027 campaign out of the bullpen (as long as he can improve his control somewhat). View the full article

The Arizona Fall League just completed its third week of play, which means we're nearing the end of the season. The Saguaros are 10-8, good for third in the AFL behind Scottsdale (11-7) and Peoria (11-8). For a third straight week, the Kansas City Royals prospects have done pretty well in the AFL, capturing the attention of both prospect experts and Royals fans. While this was not a great past season for Kansas City, the strong play of Royals prospects in Arizona should give hope that the future is bright for the Royals long term. For those who missed the previous editions, you can find previous coverage at Royals Keep from week one here and week two here. Hitters: Bryan Stands Out for the Saguaros Royals hitting stats from October 20th to October 27th Zion Rose, OF: 13 AB, .308/.400/.308, 1 R, 2 RBI, 2 SB. Brooks Bryan, C: 11 AB, .273/.429/.549, 3 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI. Angeibel Gomez, OF: 8 AB, .375/.444/.625, 1 R, 1 RB, 2 2B, 2 SB. Austin Charles, 3B/SS: 10 AB, .100/.100/.100, 1 H, 4 K. The catching prospect out of Troy University had a solid week at the plate in week three after a down week in week two. The former 2025 draft pick hit a home run, drove in four runs, and posted a .974 OPS. Bryan has shown a patient approach at the plate with three walks to four strikeouts. He also uses his plate discipline well, pouncing on hittable balls for power when he gets the chance. Jared Perkins and I talked about this on the latest episode of Royals Pipeline, but Bryan is doing his best to make No. 4 prospect Blake Mitchell expendable this offseason. In 33 games and 138 plate appearances with the Fireflies last year, Bryan hit .319 with three homers, 24 RBI, a .902 OPS, and a 0.59 BB/K ratio. Injuries limited his plate appearances in 2026, but this fall he's showing he's healthy and ready to break out in 2027. Gomez has captured prospect experts' attention this fall in all the right ways. Over the past seven days, Gomez hit .375, posted a 1.069 OPS, and hit two doubles. He also stole two bases. This fall, Gomez is hitting .333 with a .906 OPS in the AFL at 17, which is wild to think about. On Tuesday, he hit another key run-scoring hit with runners in scoring position early against Peoria. He continues to show Royals fans he isn't overwhelmed by the competition in Arizona. Rose saw his power dip a bit this week. He didn't hit any extra-base hits and posted a .308 slugging percentage. However, the Royals' 2026 first-round pick continues to hit for average (.308), post strong OBP numbers (.400), and terrorize the basepaths (two stolen bases). With a .306 average, .912 OPS, and five stolen bases this fall, Rose is showing that he's a candidate for an early promotion to Double-A Northwest Arkansas in 2027. Charles had another rough week for the Saguaros, disappointing after showing some power progress in week two. The former 20th-round pick collected just one base hit in 10 at-bats and struck out four times, with zero walks. This season in the AFL, he is hitting .154 with a .483 OPS in 39 at-bats, tied for second-most among Surprise hitters this fall. He also has 13 strikeouts and hasn't drawn a single walk. The Royals still have time to be patient with Charles, but the talented infield prospect has had a disappointing fall (though the at-bats are nice considering all the time he missed due to injury over the past two years). Pitchers: Arronde Makes His 2026 AFL Debut Royals pitching stats from October 20th to 27th Justin Lamkin, LHP: 1 G, 4.1 IP, 0 BB, 4 K, 0.00 ERA, and 0.00 WHIP. Felix Arronde, RHP: 1 G, 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 3 K, 18.00 ERA, and 3.00 WHIP. Hiro Wyatt, RHP: 1 G, 2.1 IP, 0 BB, 1 K, 3.86 ERA, and 1.29 WHIP. Josh Hansell, RHP: 1 G, 0.2 IP, 0 BB, 0 K, 13.50 ERA, and 3.00 WHIP. Frank Mozzicato, LHP: 1 G, 0.1 IP, 0 BB, 1 K, 0.00 ERA, and 0.00 WHIP. Lamkin, our No. 12 prospect, had a phenomenal outing in week three and earned AFL Pitcher of the Week honors. The former Texas A&M product retired all 13 batters he faced and struck out four. While his stuff wasn't overwhelming, Lamkin showed excellent command and control against the Solar Sox, with 40 of his 52 pitches being strikes. Lamkin has looked stronger with each outing this fall. After reaching Double-A last year, Lamkin will likely start the 2027 season with the Naturals. His stuff will be worth watching (his four-seamer rates as below average on most Stuff metrics). However, his command and efficiency may be good enough to help him reach the Majors at some point next season. Arronde, the No. 16 prospect at Royals Keep, made his AFL debut on Tuesday, October 27th. He replaced Steven Zobac on the Surprise roster, who appears done for the rest of the fall. Zobac posted a 12.46 ERA and 1.85 WHIP in 4.1 IP. In his debut, the 23-year-old righty gave up two runs on two hits and one walk. However, he struck out three and generated a 50% whiff rate. Arronde's cutter was a positive pitch stuff-wise (101 TJ Stuff+), but the rest of his profile was unimpressive (94 TJ Stuff+ overall). He did produce a strong whiff rate and a .321 xwOBACON, but he struggled to throw consistent strikes (48.4% zone rate) and didn't generate much chase (12.5%). Arronde is coming off a brutal 2026 season in Northwest Arkansas, posting a 6.49 ERA and 6.85 FIP in 105.1 IP with the Naturals. If the Royals want to move Arronde quicker, they may be better off moving him to the bullpen full time. Tuesday's outing showed that shorter stints may suit him better anyways. Wyatt had a stronger outing on October 21st, allowing one earned run on three hits and no walks while striking out one (he did hit two batters). Wyatt's stuff looked much better in his latest outing, with three pitches earning TJ Stuff+ marks of 100 or higher. Wyatt isn't a whiff-or-chase machine, and he struggled to find the zone in his last outing (40.5% zone rate). But he throws a bunch of pitches (six) and minimizes hard contact (.307 xwOBACON). Wyatt could be a Seth Lugo-esque reliever, though he needs more time to mature in the Minors (he hasn't advanced beyond Low-A). Hansell had another mediocre week, allowing a run on two hits in 0.2 IP. Mozzicato made only one appearance this week and recorded just one out. However, he struck out a batter and got some whiffs in his one outing against Salt River, in which he relied heavily on his four-seamer (six of his seven pitchers were four-seamers). This fall, Mozzicato has a 2.70 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, and 31.3% K% in 3.1 IP. He's struggling with control (25% BB% and 6.3% K-BB%), and he's not generating many ground balls (essential for a reliever), but his stuff has been pretty solid in Arizona, as his AFL Season Summary via TJ Stats shows. Even though he has a paltry zone (34.8%) and low chase (18.6%), he has made up for it with strong whiff (34.8%) and xwOBACON (.229) metrics. Add that to a 100 TJ Stuff+ (three pitches graded over 50), and you can see Mozzicato due for a sneaky 2027 campaign out of the bullpen (as long as he can improve his control somewhat). View the full article

With the World Series rapidly coming to a close, the offseason is upon us. Despite a looming lockout and the possibility of some lost ballgames, there is a very strong likelihood that the 2027 MLB season will still happen. The Cubs will need to look to build and rebuild, as they hope to not only make the playoffs again next year, but push further. Today, we'll look into the Chicago Cubs' bullpen. We'll recap their 2026 season, take a look at their upcoming roster decisions and then try to map out what the team may attempt to do in what may be a weird, and wacky offseason. 2026 Recap The 2026 season wasn't a banner year for the Chicago Cubs' relief corps. After a strong 2025, the North Siders hoped to build upon their success by adding Phil Maton, Justin Webb, Hoby Milner and Hunter Harvey to standouts from the year prior such as Daniel Palencia and Caleb Thielbar. Injuries to Maton, Milner and Harvey cut the legs out from the Cubs' pen, and ineffectiveness from others created a pretty dire situation by mid-season. Attempting to rectify the situation, the team scoured the waiver wire for old friends such as Drew Pomeranz and the trade market, bringing in Angels standout Ryan Zeferjahn in hopes of stabilizing the group. They got mixed results. Ultimately, the team was unable to recreate the success from the year before, and they fell short of their lofty goals for their relievers. 2027 Roster Decisions Javier Assad - Team Option - $3.3 million Aaron Civale - Free Agent Hunter Harvey - Mutual Option - $8 million w/ $1 million buyout Colin Rea - Team Option - $7.5 million w/ $1 million buyout Caleb Thielbar- Mutual Option - $6 million w/ $500,000 buyout Jacob Webb - Team Option - $2.5 million Of these decisions, a few are fairly straight forward. Javier Assad's option will be declined, because the team can expect to get him for less than the value of it via arbitration. He'll stick around, though, and he can still be optioned to the minors next year, allowing the Cubs to once again shuttle the pitcher between Iowa and Chicago if need be. He's a lock to be on the team, unless a club is willing to overpay for him in a trade for some reason. Most of the same can be said for Jacob Webb. As a 7th-inning option, he's great, especially for his price. Picking up his option is an easy call. The Cubs will certainly hope to not have to rely on him as the de facto closer next season, but his August swoon aside, Webb was effective and quite useful for most of the year. On the flip side, declining their end of the mutual options for Caleb Thielbar and Hunter Harvey will be pretty simple choices. Thielbar's 2026 was a roller coaster, and the team can find other options at cheaper prices. Harvey did Hunter Harvey things, which is to say, he got hurt. Declining his option will also be an easy decision. While the Cubs will be on the hook for both of their buyouts, this will clear considerable prospective salary, which the organization can reinvest in their pitching needs. Things get a little stickier with Aaron Civale and Colin Rea. Civale, who came over to the Cubs midseason via the Athletics, once again produced for the Cubs. It feels very possible that the two sides find common ground, but with any free agent, it's hard to predict those things. He is probably capable of delivering solid middle relief, but all you need is one team offering the chance to start. I have no doubt the Cubs would like to have Rea back, but the questions become "in what role?" and "how much is there to spend?" He may be a casualty of the budget, or he may return as a swingman, like Assad. 2027 Outlook It's probably hard to believe, but the Cubs' bullpen is in a pretty good spot. With returning anchors Palencia, Zeferjahn and Ryan Rolison, they have most of a solid high-leverage group. Assad and Webb would offer two more pieces and build out five roster spots of a potential eight. I'm not sure there has been a starting point this strong for the bullpen over the last handful of years (even if that's a low bar to clear) as we entered the offseason. It will make everyone's job a little easier this offseason not having to fully build from ground up. Beyond those five, there are a lot of wild cards floating around the team that can be added to the fray. Maton struggled with injury and ineffectiveness last season but has been a trustworthy leverage reliever for a long time. A healthy 2027 would go a long way to building out a strong relief unit. Ben Brown, working his way back from injury, may require a permanent home in the pen to avoid the string of injuries that have befallen him. If that happens, he would be another power righty to add to the leverage cocktail. Edward Cabrera, last year's big trade acquisition, will be given another shot in the rotation, but if he has a 2027 much like his 2026, he may end up working in relief. The team would certainly like to get more out of him, but his pure stuff makes working out of the pen a viable fallback. While that wouldn't be the goal, it would still offer a way to get value out of the righty. Don't sleep on Riley Martin, either. Martin probably has an inside track as the second lefty for next season, as he looked effective in limited action as a rookie. Any or all of these pitchers can provide support and depth, and it wouldn't be surprising to see any of them contribute in strong ways. The farm is where things get a little less rosy. Jaxon Wiggins may play a role here, but his 2026 was marred with poor performance, rust and diminished velocity, so he's no guarantee. A few right-handed arms (such as Grant Kipp and Kohl Franklin) may provide some mid-innings options, but neither looks like a game changer. Behind that group, you're mostly hoping for pop-up prospects. Much of the pitching that is exciting is too far away to count on next year. What Might the Team Add to the Mix? The best reliever on the free-market is left-handed stud Adrian Morejon of the San Diego Padres. Morejon is a beast, but I wouldn't expect him to be on the Cubs' radar. There's a chance the team sees him as a possible flip to the rotation, but unless Tom Ricketts has decided to go to another level on spending, it seems unlikely they will have enough money to fix everything else and splurge on the best reliever available. As fun as building out a bona fide bullpen of death would be, it doesn't seem like it's in the cards (or budget). Instead, the team will probably try to find quality via quantity and risk-taking. Webb, for example, was a cheap and effective addition last season, and Brad Keller worked out even better in 2025, so look for the team to try and recreate that success. They may look to add a reliever off a down season (Bryan Abreu, for example, could represent a buy-low candidate), as well. I wouldn't get attached to any specific name, but based on recent history, the team finding one or two reclamations who become solidified in the bullpen is a very possible. General Outlook The Cubs' don't have a truly difficult pathway to building out a solid bullpen. There won't be a Mason Miller lock-down star, but there's likely to be enough here that the pen should be pretty good. They don't require massive additions and can attempt to fill this out on the cheap, while they spend more on the rotation and the outfield. What do you think of the Cubs' outlook for the 2027 bullpen? Who would you like to see added? Sound off in the comment section below! View the full article

The Minnesota Twins have plenty of questions to answer this offseason, but securing the future of their young talent could become one of their most interesting projects. General manager Jeremy Zoll told reporters during the team's end-of-season press conference that Minnesota plans to explore contract extensions with young players, potentially opening the door for conversations with prospects who haven't yet established themselves in the big leagues. One intriguing name is Vahn Lackey, the Twins' first-round pick and the third overall selection in the 2026 MLB Draft. The 21-year-old catcher has an impressive combination of offensive potential and defensive ability. Although he has barely begun his professional career, Lackey has a skill set that could make him an above-average big-league player. Would it make sense for Minnesota to offer Lackey a long-term contract before he reaches the majors? There are compelling arguments on both sides, and the Twins have plenty to consider as they evaluate their options. MLB Teams Are Getting More Aggressive With Early Extensions Major League Baseball front offices are becoming increasingly comfortable making long-term commitments to players before they establish themselves in the big leagues. These contracts give young players financial security, while allowing organizations to buy out potential arbitration-eligible and free-agent years at a lower cost. The Milwaukee Brewers helped push this strategy forward when they signed Jackson Chourio to an eight-year, $82-million contract in December 2023. Chourio had yet to make his major-league debut, but Milwaukee believed his potential justified an unprecedented commitment for a player in that situation. The Detroit Tigers followed a similar path by signing Colt Keith to a multi-year contract in January 2024. His deal included three club options that could keep him under contract through 2032. More recent examples show how quickly this market has evolved. In 2026, the Seattle Mariners signed top prospect Colt Emerson to an eight-year, $95-million contract. The Brewers followed with an eight-year, $50.75-million deal for shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt and a seven-year, $31-million contract for outfielder Luis Lara. All three agreements came before the players made their debuts. These agreements show that teams don't need to wait for a player to accumulate major-league statistics before pursuing an extension. Instead, they can evaluate a prospect's tools, development, and projected future value, and offer financial security in exchange for a team-friendly structure. Lackey would be a different kind of candidate. He was drafted only months ago and has limited professional experience. However, his combination of defensive ability and offensive upside could make him an appealing investment for a Twins organization looking to build around young talent. Vahn Lackey Has Already Shown Plenty of Promise Lackey's case deserves particular attention because his defensive ability gives him a strong foundation for future success. The Twins selected Lackey after an outstanding junior season at Georgia Tech. He hit .397/.519/.772 with 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases in 61 games, showing more power than many evaluators expected from a player whose defense had already made him an attractive draft prospect. Minnesota signed him for a team-record $9,497,500 bonus. His early results have matched the pedigree and scouting report. In his pro debut, he posted a .759 OPS with a 112 wRC+ at Low-A. Lackey earned a promotion to Cedar Rapids and hit .316/.500/.500 in 10 games there. The sample was small, but he handled the challenge well. The defense is the more important part of his profile. Lackey has the athleticism, receiving ability, blocking skills, and throwing arm to become an exceptional defensive catcher. His defense could provide considerable value even if his bat does not reach its highest projection. Catching is a demanding position, and offensive production can fluctuate considerably from year to year. A player who provides reliable defense, controls the running game, and manages a pitching staff can remain valuable without being an elite hitter. That gives Lackey a relatively high floor. Even if his bat develops into something closer to average, he has a legitimate chance to become an above-average major-league player because of his work behind the plate. The Pros of Extending Lackey The biggest benefit for Minnesota would be securing a valuable player before his price increases. If Lackey develops into an All-Star-caliber catcher, the Twins could have a difficult time keeping him at an affordable salary through arbitration and free agency. An extension negotiated early could provide years of cost certainty and give the front office greater flexibility to allocate resources elsewhere on the roster. The contract could also benefit Lackey. He's already received a significant signing bonus, but a long-term agreement could provide additional financial security before he reaches the majors. His defensive ability makes this opportunity especially interesting. Minnesota would not need Lackey to become a superstar hitter for an extension to provide value. If he becomes an above average catcher with a league average bat, the Twins could still receive a strong return on their investment. There's also a strategic advantage in establishing a relationship with one of the organization's most important young players. A successful deal could show other prospects that Minnesota is willing to make meaningful commitments to its young core. The Cons of Extending Lackey The biggest concern is the lack of professional experience. Lackey has played only 25 games since signing, and the Twins have not yet seen how he will handle a full season of professional pitching. His early success is encouraging, but it represents a limited sample. Major league pitchers will challenge him differently, and the adjustments required as he advances through the minors could reveal weaknesses that are not apparent today. There is a financial risk, however moderate. The Twins could offer a contract that appears reasonable now but becomes expensive if Lackey's bat fails to develop. A long-term guarantee reduces the organization's flexibility, and catching injuries can create additional uncertainty over the life of a contract. Finally, Minnesota may not need to rush. Lackey might well stay in the minors throughout 2027. Waiting another season would give the front office more information about his offense, defense, durability, and development while preserving the opportunity to revisit an extension later. The problem with waiting is that his value could increase dramatically if he continues to impress. If the Twins believe Lackey is a future cornerstone, waiting for a larger sample could mean paying more to secure the same player. The Twins should at least explore the possibility of extending Lackey. He is an unusual candidate because of his limited professional experience, but his defensive ability gives him a stronger floor than many young hitters. Minnesota has other players who deserve extension discussions, including Walker Jenkins, Kaelen Culpepper, and Emmanuel Rodriguez. Each carries a different balance of upside, risk, and potential cost. Lackey stands out because his value is tied to a premium defensive position, giving the Twins a path to a productive player even if his offensive development falls short of expectations. Early extensions are becoming more common throughout baseball, and the Twins have reason to consider joining that trend. If Lackey continues to show that his defense can translate and his bat can keep pace, he could become one of the more intriguing young players for Minnesota to lock up before he reaches the majors. Should the Twins extend Lackey this winter? Leave a comment and start the discussion. View the full article

Some nights just aren't your night. That had only been the case once for the Brewers this October, but some good old-fashioned baseball cruelty finally caught them on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, in Game 4 of the World Series. For a team and fanbase starving for its first championship, it was particularly cruel. It started with the Brewers' at-bats against Griffin Jax. Starting an elimination game for the Rays, the veteran got eight whiffs and four strikeouts with his changeup, but Milwaukee hitters crushed most balls in play against him. Nine of the Brewers' 10 batted balls against Jax had an exit velocity of at least 95 miles per hour, but due to poor placement and great Tampa Bay defense, they scratched across just two runs on four hits. That poor luck continued for much of the night. The Brewers hit nine batted balls with an exit velocity of at least 102 MPH for outs, and they had four outs with expected batting averages of at least .700. That included Jake Bauers's sharp third-inning flyout, which Statcast said would have been a two-run home run in 13 ballparks—including American Family Field. The Rays, meanwhile, scored two runs against Dustin May without hitting a ball harder than 87.2 MPH. Exit velocity alone doesn't tell the whole story—Chandler Simpson's RBI double in the second wasn't hit hard, but he pulled a mistake sweeper from May down the right-field line—but the Brewers were hitting better than the Rays. It just wasn't creating more runs. Milwaukee did enough to keep pace with Tampa Bay, tying the game in the fourth on a Cooper Pratt double and again in the fifth on a David Hamilton home run. But without the breakthrough hit, a 2-2 stalemate continued into the late innings. By then, Nick Martinez and the Rays' best relievers were throwing strikes around the edges of the zone and silencing Brewers hitters more convincingly. "I don't think we had poor at-bats at the end," Pat Murphy said. "I think we didn't punch out too much, but we had a couple checked-swing strikeouts. Sometimes that's a result of hitting a ball really, really hard and it gets caught. We're human, too. We've played really good baseball." The Brewers had a chance against Tampa Bay closer Bryan Baker, when Pratt singled for his third hit of the night. After Chandler Simpson made a leaping catch at the left-field wall to snag Garrett Mitchell's hard fly ball, Murphy fired his best bullet off the bench, hitting Andrew Vaughn for David Hamilton. As a four-seam and changeup pitcher with a high arm slot, Baker is precisely the kind of right-hander Vaughn sees well. He only saw two pitches. On the second, Pratt tried to steal second. It made some sense: Baker is slow to the plate, and Pratt needed to be in scoring position for a potential base hit. However, he was ruled out upon review, as an on-the-money throw led second baseman Richie Palacios right into Pratt's trailing hand. The inning was over, and because Joey Ortiz now needed to replace Hamilton at third base, the Brewers had burned Vaughn without getting him an at-bat. The tie stretched into extra innings, as both teams emptied their bullpens. Despite all that went wrong, the Brewers still seemed to answer for good in the 12th. Pratt led off the inning against Ian Seymour, launching a hanging sweeper for a go-ahead home run. The Brewers were three outs away from their first World Series title, and their 22-year-old shortstop had etched a permanent entry in the franchise history book. Instead, things unraveled in the bottom half of the inning. Because Murphy used Trevor Megill for a one-batter matchup with Yandy Díaz in the eighth and Aaron Ashby's velocity dipped in the 11th, Antonio Senzatela and Shane Drohan had to close out a championship. Senzatela jammed Junior Caminero for a leadoff ground ball to third, but Ortiz (in the game because Vaughn pinch-hit) short-hopped a throw Jake Bauers couldn't pick. "I got to make that play," Ortiz said. "There's just no excuse about it." With that, Senzatela gave way to Drohan for the lefties in the middle of the order. But this was the second-half version of Drohan, who traded his once-dominant four-seamer for a new sinker as his primary fastball. The sinker's shape and performance improved down the stretch, but to record crucial October outs, he needed that elevated four-seamer in his back pocket for whiffs. Drohan threw 15 pitches. Thirteen were sinkers, including his first five pitches to Liam Hicks. Drohan induced a ground ball, but it was hit hard and snuck past a shifted Pratt for a single. "With no outs and a guy on, you're trying to get a ground ball," Drohan said. "Got it, it just sucks that we were shifted." With runners on first and third and nobody out on the road, Drohan needed a strikeout. After Johnny DeLuca swung through an elevated sinker, Drohan and William Contreras tried a slider instead of a high four-seamer. He missed his spot, and DeLuca punched it up the middle for a game-tying single. Chandler Simpson and Ben Williamson then saw six straight sinkers, adding two more hits to walk it off. Even though his sinker improved down the stretch, the fact is that Drohan threw his inferior fastball almost exclusively. Even in two-strike counts, he and William Contreras kept throwing a pitch with little swing-and-miss to it, leaving Drohan vulnerable to balls getting through the infield. The sinker induced two ground balls, but both were hard-hit. "Just went at them with good sinkers, and they slapped it around," Drohan said. "If the first guy hits a ground-ball double play, we're not even talking about it," Murphy said of the pitch usage. It was the final blow in a night where little went Milwaukee's way. Hitting the ball hard didn't work. Substitutions didn't work. Drohan's sinker didn't work. A blowout win in Game 3 put the Brewers on the verge of a surprisingly swift World Series sweep, but now, they'll have to work a bit harder. The bullpen is drained. Their approaches have been tested. Their defense cracked again. "I think the guys understand it's going to be hard," Murphy said. "You're playing the best team in the American League. They proved it all year long, and they came up big today. It's going to be hard." Make no mistake, the Brewers remain in the driver's seat. Since the League Championship Series became a best-of-seven in 1985, no team has swept both the LCS and World Series. Tuesday night's debacle only prevented Milwaukee from making history in one trivial way; they're still likely to make a more important kind. In their best season as a franchise, they've handled everything and everyone the year has thrown their way. It's fitting that they'll have to overcome one more gut punch to seal the deal. "I trust our guys. I trust them," Murphy said. "They put themselves in a position to win." View the full article

Jarren Duran’s career has been equal parts exciting and frustrating. He’s a polarizing player who’s shown flashes of All-Star and even MVP upside, but has struggled to find consistency since a breakout 2024 season. Remember, Duran was ranked as the Red Sox’s fourth-best prospect ahead of the 2021 season and made his debut in mid-July. He finished the season appearing in 33 contests and compiled a .215 average and an unsightly .578 OPS. Then, his 2022 campaign wasn’t much better. He accrued a .221 average and drove in just 17 runs across 58 games, good for a .645 OPS. But in late July, he was subject to scrutiny after a 28-5 blowout loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. In the third inning, Jays outfielder Raimel Tapia hit a routine fly ball to center field with the bases loaded, but Duran lost the ball in the lights. The ball dropped well behind Duran, and he lazily walked toward the warning track as Tapia headed for home, recording a little league grand slam. He was heavily criticized for his apparent lack of effort and poor stats, which had a serious impact on his mental health. In the 2025 Netflix series “The Clubhouse: A Year With the Red Sox,” Duran revealed that he had dealt with bouts of suicidal ideation to the increased pressure of his early-career struggles. But, against all odds, Duran rebounded. After posting a negative WAR in his first two seasons, he posted a 2.2 mark in 2023, playing in 102 games. He hit .295 with a .828 OPS, putting his woes behind him and cementing himself in the Red Sox lineup. In 2024, he improved again, accumulating 9.0 WAR, a .285 average, and league-leading marks with 48 doubles, and 14 triples. Duran was named an All-Star, and earned All-Star MVP honors for a two-run go-ahead homer. After a slight step back in 2025, it all came crashing down in 2026. His 0.4 WAR and a .207 average did little to help Duran escape more public ire. Yet, he still turned in a 20-20 campaign, albeit one of the worst ever. He occupies a precarious position within the Red Sox organization. His value has never been lower, yet the fan base wants him gone. A recurring outfield logjam has put a wrench in his ability to secure a regular position, and his role in the franchise seems murky at best. Duran can compete with the game’s best, but after 2026, he looks far from it. His tenure with the Red Sox has been highly complicated and spanned many chapters, but now, it seems like the team could be better off moving him. His lack of a consistent position and $11.1 million projected salary are major reasons why he could be a non-tender candidate. Jarren Duran's Arbitration Summary Age on Opening Day 2027: 30 Service time: 4 years, 155 days 2021 Salary: $187,087 2022 Salary: $303,834 2023 Salary: $720,000 2024 Salary: $760,000 2025 Salary: $3.85 million 2026 Salary: $7.7 million 2027 Salary (Projection): $11.1 million Red Sox OF Depth Roman Anthony – MLB Ceddanne Rafaela – MLB Wilyer Abreu – MLB Masataka Yoshida – MLB Jahmai Jones – MLB Eli White – MLB Kristian Campbell – Triple-A Why the Red Sox Should Tender Duran A Contract Duran has immense upside, and while his $11.1 million price tag is steep for a performance like last season's, he has the potential to be a much better player. His 20-20 campaign lacked substance, but he still possesses the type of power and speed that the Red Sox are somewhat desperate for. From a positional standpoint, it would be a hard decision to bench someone owed $11.1 million, but he doesn’t have a clear path to playing time in the outfield. He stepped up when the oft-injured Roman Anthony went down, but his performance was middling at best. He can be a formidable DH option should the Red Sox not get a better bat, but that deprives him of some of his innate value as a fielder. The San Diego Padres have shown a continued interest in Duran, at one point offering top prospect Ethan Salas and Dylan Cease. If Duran is tendered a contract, and he plays well leading up to the 2027 deadline, there could be renewed interest in a trade that would seem to make sense for both sides. Why the Red Sox Should Non-tender Duran The Red Sox desperately need power, and while Duran’s 20 homers are somewhat attractive, the trade-off could be too great. Roman Anthony will be back in the fold, and it would be utter mismanagement to start Duran over Anthony. Even if he has a lineup spot, Duran’s .207 average is hard to stomach from either the outfield or the DH slot. Even harder to stomach? $11.1 million for a bench player. Not to mention, the Red Sox have Kristian Campbell ready and waiting in Triple-A. After a successful latter half of 2026 in Triple-A, Campbell could be a serious candidate for promotion, especially given Duran’s struggles. Duran has the tools to be successful, and he’s proven as much in the past, but the Red Sox need consistent production from the jump, and that’s something the 30-year-old may not be able to offer. If the outfield is fully healthy and the organization manages to fill the void at DH, Duran won’t have a consistent position and it’s hard to justify his projected salary for a bench piece. Prediction Duran’s case is a tricky one. The Red Sox have seemingly held onto the belief that he can return to his 2024 form or even improve on it. But the fanbase is tired of his recent struggles. That frustration is compounded when the team's own up-and-down tendencies are considered, most of which cannot be fixed by one outfielder. However, it seems unlikely that Duran isn’t on the Red Sox roster come Opening Day 2027, whenever that may be. It would be hard for the Red Sox to let go of a player who’s proven he can produce at an All-Star level, but time is ticking for the former top prospect to turn around his struggles. View the full article

As is usually the case for a rookie, it was a season of challenges and lessons for A.J. Ewing and, if I had to choose a breakout player for the New York Mets from 2026, I would go with him. I love Carson Benge and enjoyed his season from Opening Day onward, but we had much higher expectations for what he would be capable of doing with his tools given his history as one of the top prospects in the organization. In contrast, Ewing began the 2026 season with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, the Double-A team. There, he hit .349 (22-for-63), with two home runs, six doubles, one triple, seven RBIs, 16 runs scored, 17 walks, 12 stolen bases, a .481 OBP, and a .571 slugging percentage in 18 games. He was then promoted to Triple-A Syracuse on April 27, and his bat continued to produce, as he posted a .326/.392/.435 slash line, with three doubles, one triple, four RBIs, nine runs scored, and five stolen bases in 12 games with the Syracuse Mets. His performance earned him a spot on the MLB roster on May 12. His debut at just 21 years old generated a lot of excitement because of the way he burst onto the scene at a time when the team was still trying to find its rhythm. He went 1-for-2 with a triple, two RBIs, three walks, two runs scored, and one stolen base in his major-league debut on May 12 against the Detroit Tigers. That performance made him the first Mets player to hit a triple in his debut, joining Leroy Stanton (9/28/1970), Eric Cammack (7/5/00), and Marco Scutaro (7/22/02) as the only Mets players to smack a triple as their first career hit. The three walks he drew—including one that drove in a run with the bases loaded in the eighth inning—also made franchise history for a debut. From that point forward, Ewing showed his ability to handle big situations and succeed with several of his main tools, such as his speed, his ability to play elite defense in center field, and his contact ability, which looked much better when we analyze his expected stats. Throughout the season, it was reasonable to expect a little anxiety at the plate as Ewing got used to playing every day and the league began attacking him in his weaker areas, such as his struggles against sliders and changeups, which were exposed all the time. However, his identity as a hitter did not change much, and that is one of the most interesting aspects of his season looking ahead. Ewing stayed true to his plan and did not even fall apart during his worst moments. He continued to control his aggression, which is not very common among such young hitters facing baseball’s highest level. He finished in the 69th percentile in chase rate, the 52nd percentile in walk rate, and the 59th percentile in hard-hit rate, three metrics in which he was more stable than Benge. Here, we can see some interesting differences between the two players, as Benge was much more consistent at hitting the ball and, in general, was a more complete player in every aspect of the game. I am not looking at this as a comparison simply to find out who is better, because it is clear that Benge had the better rookie season. However, if you look at all the different metrics, the differences between them are not that far apart. Benge had a greater offensive impact, but I feel that if Ewing can work on improving his contact and maintain the quality of his balls in play, the difference we are seeing in their expected stats could favor him a little more. One of Ewing’s biggest problems was strikeouts, and 49.8% of them came against pitches that were not fastballs. Although he struggled against fastballs in the upper third of the strike zone (he swung under them with troubling frequency) Ewing averaged a .286 xBA against fastballs. In contrast, breaking balls and changeups were a lethal combination and left him with a 36.2% whiff rate and just a .218 xBA. As for baserunning and defense, both Benge and Ewing performed at a high level, with just two interesting differences. Benge showed incredible arm strength, but Ewing was much better in OAA and finished in the 94th percentile in sprint speed, leaving Benge (82nd percentile) in the dust. Ewing also knew how to use his speed to become a threat on the bases. He led all rookies with 25 stolen bases and set the franchise record for a rookie, surpassing the previous mark of 24 set by Mookie Wilson in 1981. Both Benge and Ewing were fun to watch, and the most interesting thing is that, in a disastrous season, both were able to make the most of their opportunities and have now become two of the franchise’s most promising figures heading into 2027. View the full article

If there has been an unexpected storyline to the 2026 World Series, it is mistakes. Most of those have happened on the basepaths, which has belied what the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays were accustomed to doing throughout this season—winning games by making the big plays with their feet. But whatever it has been, the World Series has brought out some of the worst of these two teams. There have also been fielding flaws. Most of those were by the Rays. But on the day the Brewers had a chance to win the first World Series in the franchise’s 58 seasons, their defense played a significant role in that being put off at least a day. Errors by both of the Brewers’ third basemen—first David Hamilton, then Joey Ortiz—opened the door for the Rays to stay alive, scoring twice in the bottom of the 12th inning for a 4-3 walk-off victory Tuesday in Game 4 of the World Series. The rare lapse defensively left the Brewers with a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, still with a chance to win their first title in Wednesday’s Game 5. The Brewers are typically a very good defensive team. They ranked seventh in fielding percentage, but their fielding run value was 13th. They only had 10 games all regular season in which they committed two errors, the fourth-fewest in MLB. The first miscue came courtesy of Hamilton. With one out in the bottom of the fourth and Junior Caminero on second, left-handed reliever JoJo Romero faced Jonny DeLuca, his second batter after replacing right-handed starter Dustin May. Romero got what he needed when DeLuca hit a grounder to Hamilton. Caminero for some reason was running on the play and Hamilton tried to tag the Rays’ superstar and flailed in that effort, although barely missing his back foot. Hamilton recovered from a stumble and threw to first, but that throw was offline and bounced past first baseman Jake Bauers, allowing Caminero to score, making it 2-1, and putting DeLuca on second. Hamilton did atone for his error by shockingly hitting his second homer of the postseason after hitting just four during the regular season, tying the game 2-2 in the top of the fifth. It stayed that way until the top of the 12th inning. Rookie Cooper Pratt hit a go-ahead homer that had the Brewers within three outs of the elusive World Series title. After manager Pat Murphy sent Andrew Vaughn to pinch-hit for Hamilton in the ninth, Ortiz replaced him defensively at third. Caminero led off the bottom of the 12th against right-hander Antonio Senzatela by hitting a grounder that hugged the line, but found Ortiz playing deep. The normally reliable Ortiz, however, short-hopped the long throw to Bauers to begin the Rays’ rally. Four batters and four singles later, all against rookie left-hander Shane Drohan, the Brewers were walked off by Ben Williamson, the last player on the Rays’ bench. For the first time since Game 7 of 1982, the Brewers lost a World Series game. Of course, this is the first time the Brewers have been in the World Series in those 44 years. Before that 12th inning, the Brewers had done most everything they could do to put themselves in position for a sweep. But unlike the previous three games, the Rays didn’t buckle defensively and give the Brewers an opening to pounce on. There was one error and another play that could have been very costly. The error came when Christian Yelich stole second in the top of the first, with catcher Liam Hicks’ throw going into center, sending Yelich to third. But Yelich and the Brewers didn’t score. The other one came in the 10th inning and had Rays fans shivering. With two outs, Jake Bauers hit a foul pop on the third-base side. Hicks seemed to have a bead on the ball as Caminero, the third baseman, also closed in. Caminero seemed to cede the situation to Hicks, who at the last second looked toward Caminero as the ball fell between the two. Bauers, the NL Championship Series MVP and former Ray who has yet to have a big hit in the World Series, suddenly had a second life. Would this be Bauers’ World Series moment? It would not as he struck out. However, the Rays made two plays that kept the tide from turning against them. DeLuca and left fielder Chandler Simpson made tremendous catches to keep the Brewers from gaining momentum or, possibly, winning the game. William Contreras, leading off the fourth inning and the Crew down 1-0, hit a knuckling liner right at DeLuca, who got a nice jump and stayed with the wavering ball as it continued to sink, snagging it just inches above the Tropicana Field turf. A split-second later and Contreras at worst has a single and at best has a triple. The Brewers would go on to score their first run of the game in that inning, which might have mushroomed had DeLuca not made that grab. The Simpson play came with one out in the ninth. After Pratt singled with one out, Garrett Mitchell, who homered in back-to-back games in the NL Championship Series, looked like he might have a shot at an even bigger homer. But Simpson, up for a Gold Glove this year, used his speed to get back to the wall and leapt to keep it from banging off the wall, catching it for the second out. Two big plays by the Rays, two miscues from the Brewers. Now, the Brewers have to answer adversity following their first loss since Game 3 of the NL Division Series vs. the San Diego Padres. Their eight-game postseason winning streak, tied for the longest in MLB history, is over. There was no popping of bottles after this one, only thinking about what might have been. Those bottles will sit on ice for another 24 hours. The question will be how the Brewers bounce back from this walk-off loss. They have had the answer throughout the season. But this is the World Series. The Rays are a terrific team looking to do something no other team has done in World Series history. The Brewers can’t afford those same mistakes if they are to finally win their first title. View the full article

It's an unfortunate reality, but an urgent one: the Cubs have more to do with this winter than they have with which to do it. They're a good team, but not a great one—not good enough, to be sure, to challenge the mighty Brewers without major upgrades. They have a bad farm system, so the solutions to their pressing problems aren't coming from within the organization. They'll have to make external additions, and while they have ample money to spend on those additions, their budget isn't unlimited. Nor is the free-agent class teeming with great options, if you're a team aiming higher than a Wild Card berth. That means doing some triage, and for Jed Hoyer, the decisions about how to allocate his scarce resources should be pretty easy. The Cubs need pitching help much more than they need position-player help, so they need to spend big money and bundle whatever prospects they can to bolster the pitching staff. However, they also have to either re-sign or replace each of Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ and Carson Kelly; rebuild a lumpy bench; and consider an upgrade or a platoon improvement at first base. Since most of the resources will need to go toward pitching, the hitters will have to be picked up on the cheap. Happily, buy-low options are easier to find this winter than star-caliber solutions. Here are five guys who finished 2026 in a rut and might thus be available at a bargain price, about whom the Cubs should at least be making some calls between now and the presumed lockout at the beginning of December. Spencer Horwitz: A Poor Man's Michael Busch, in Case Yours is Broken The Pirates got hold of Spencer Horwitz in the offseason between 2024 and 205, as part of a double-move by the Guardians in which they acquired the lefty-batting first baseman from Toronto and flipped him to Pittsburgh. Since then, he's been a reasonably useful platoon guy at first for the Bucs. He hit .272/.353/.434 in his first year on the senior circuit, playing a very slightly expanded version of the role he took on when he arrived in the bigs in full the previous campaign. He didn't hit for as much power as you'd like, even from a platoon guy, but he hit for average and got on base. That was true for the first chunk of 2026, too. In fact, he got even better. At the All-Star break, he was batting .280/.386/.455 and looking like a breakout guy. Alas, thereafter, he was dreadful. In 156 plate appearances down the stretch, Horwitz hit .180/.263/.201. He only had three extra-base hits; they were all doubles. It was a nightmare. He cratered. As we'll discuss shortly, though, Horwitz wasn't the only Pirates batter who fell into the abyss. Nor is he some decrepit veteran circling the drain. He's almost exactly the same age as Michael Busch. Plainly, Busch has more upside, given the power he showed in 2025. Horwitz isn't big, and he's not a high-end defender even at first. He wouldn't be a projectable upgrade on Busch. Rather, he'd come in as an option at designated hitter and a bit of a dice-roll—but also as an insurance policy, in case Busch continues his own downward trend. The Pirates probably aren't ready to give up on Horwitz outright, but the asking price on him ought not to be terribly high. It's a conversation worth having. Brandon Marsh: Oh My God, What Happened? Marsh is an All-Star—not a former All-Star, mind you, but a 2026 All-Star outfielder. He had put together an encouraging finish to the 2025 campaign, and he carried that over gloriously into 2026. At the break, he was hitting a slashing .301 and tracking toward over 20 homers for the year. He's only 28 years old; it looked like he was finally making good on considerable promise. Like Horwitz, though, he collapsed after the break, with a .502 OPS the rest of the way. Marsh, too, is virtually identical to Busch in age, but unlike Busch and Horwitz, he's due to be a free agent at the end of next year. For a Phillies team in transition, that makes him an intriguing trade candidate. Moving Bryce Harper would save them more money and headaches, and actuarially, a team should strive to hold onto a 29-year-old like Marsh, rather than a 34-year-old like Harper. Practically speaking, though, there's much more friction involved in trying to move Harper, and trading Marsh might yield what the Phillies want to balance an organization that's misshapen but still dedicated to winning. Marsh's underlying data suggests he shouldn't have gone quite as bad as he did, so maybe some positive regression is in store. Ryan O'Hearn: For When You're Shopping in the Horwitz Aisle But Prefer to Go Cheaper After a strong 2025 season with the Orioles and Padres, Ryan O'Hearn signed a two-year deal with the Pirates last winter. Early on, it looked like a win; he hit .288/.351/.487 with 16 home runs before the break. The wheels then came off. Amid a second half marred by six weeks on the injured list, O'Hearn batted .198/.268/.297 in 112 plate appearances to close out the year. He's owed $14.5 million for 2027. The Pirates are almost certain to move one of him and Horwitz, particularly given the bitter taste left in their mouths after the way their season ended. Horwitz, who's under long-term team control and might have upside, will be a more expensive acquisition. O'Hearn has the stronger overall track record, though, so as a short-term investment, he might be preferable. Again, he'd be a platoon DH, with the chance to take playing time from Busch as and when needed. Bryan Reynolds: The Three-Rivers Trifecta? No injury excuses, here. Reynolds played 162 games, batted 699 times and led the majors with 40 doubles. He batted .261/.365/.424 at age 31, in the third expensive year of seven on the extension he signed with Pittsburgh long ago. Unlike Happ, he's a true switch-hitter, capable of handling lefties and righties with virtually equal aplomb. His splits between season halves were not nearly as even, though. He batted only .229/.312/.347 after the All-Star break. His strikeout rate ticked up; his walk rate ticked down. He's expensive, and he's locked into a deal that ensures he'll be expensive for quite a while. There's enough meat on the bone, contractually, to limit what the Pirates could demand in trade for him, but he would be a meaningful upgrade over Happ as a left fielder. Taylor Ward: The One Who's Available for Nothing But Cash The four players above are all trade targets, but the downside of that avenue of roster upgrade is that the Cubs would be parting with the scarce resource of solid prospects. They can't afford guys with very high trade values; they don't have enough young talent. Ideally, then, they would bolster their lineup via free agency, not just trades. In a thin class for bats, though, they need to find a way to do that without putting more of their dollars in the hitter basket than they can afford. Taylor Ward is an interesting option in that vein. He had a great season for the Angels in 2025, prompting the Orioles to make an ambitious trade for him over the winter. His time in Baltimore was unhappy, though, as he went from patient to passive and gave back virtually all the power that made him so good with Anaheim in his last year there. He's a free agent at the end of the World Series, so the O's dealt him to Seattle at the trade deadline, where he only continued to spiral. Ward batted .125/.238/.148 in 101 plate appearances for the Mariners. Woof. I mean... woof. Ward tried to leverage the implementation of ABS by becoming more patient than ever, but ended up getting abused, instead. He has to figure out how to get back to getting off his 'A' swing more consistently, without losing that plate discipline. Fortunately, the fact that he was unable to do so for most of 2026 will keep him cheap in free agency. He's a right-handed bat who can handle DH duties or play left field. He's a good fit for the Cubs, albeit as a complementary piece, rather than a middle-of-the-order solution. Again, the Cubs should spend a lot of money this winter. None of the moves above should be thought of as alternatives to (say) re-signing Suzuki, which they should still explore. Eventually, though, they'll need to divert money or trade chips from the lineup toward the pitching staff. To fill the remaining gaps, they need to spot a few places where talented hitters' stock has fallen more than it ought to have. These are just a few of the possibilities along those lines. 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It’s not customary for the Minnesota Twins to be particularly aggressive in the free-agent reliever market. In fact, the only bullpen arm they’ve signed to a multi-year deal over the last decade was Addison Reed, and that didn’t turn out particularly well. But times are changing. Tom Pohlad has pledged to take this organization to new heights. With that in mind, perhaps it’s time for the Twins to rethink how they invest in their bullpen. If Pohlad truly wants to do things differently, it starts with putting more money into the roster. One way to do that this offseason would be to pursue free-agent left-hander Adrián Morejón. Morejón ranks eighth overall on DiamondCentric’s free-agent list and is the top-ranked reliever available this winter. He made his major-league debut with the San Diego Padres in 2019 (at just 20 years old) and has spent his entire big-league career with the organization. He isn't ninth-inning specialist, having recorded just eight saves on 19 opportunities over the last three years. However, there might not be a better setup man in baseball, and his stuff is more good enough to warrant a relief ace role. He’s finished each of the last three seasons with an ERA of 2.83 or better and a FIP of 2.79 or better. He's been remarkably effective, and a change in his pitch mix this year helped take things to another level. In previous seasons, Morejón leaned on six different pitches to keep hitters off balance. This year, he simplified things a bit, relying more heavily on his changeup alongside his sinker, slider and four-seam fastball. The results speak for themselves. His whiff and chase rates both ranked in at least the 97th percentile among major-league pitchers. He struck out more than three of every 10 batters he faced, and even when hitters managed to make contact, they weren't doing much damage. Morejón's hard-hit rate, barrel rate and average exit velocity allowed all ranked in the 90th percentile or better. His ground-ball rate was elite, too. All four of his primary pitches finished with a Stuff+ grade of at least 128, and each offers something different to keep hitters guessing. He regularly touches triple digits with his sinker, and that makes his changeup particularly nasty. It generated a whiff on 56% of swings against it. When hitters did make contact with either pitch, they frequently pounded the ball into the infield grass. Morejón allowed just one home run on those two pitches all season. The movement profiles of those offerings also complement each other beautifully. His sinker generates a lot of arm-side run, while his changeup features significant late drop. That's a particularly difficult combination for hitters to handle, especially when Morejón can turn to his slider, as well. His slider doesn't quite reach the elite 3,000-RPM threshold, but it comes close at just under 2,900 RPM. It’s also his main secondary offering against left-handers. They have to account for a fastball that can run in on their hands before trying to recognize a pitch that's roughly 10 MPH slower and moves sharply in the opposite direction. With that kind of spin and the movement of his other pitches, it's another weapon that makes his arsenal so difficult to square up. Then there's his four-seam fastball. It doesn't feature exceptional movement on its own, but that's hardly a problem when you're throwing it 99 MPH with a vertical movement profile that's entirely different from the sinker. Hitters have to prepare for two high-velocity fastballs that move differently, along with a changeup that falls off the table and a slider that can finish them off. Morejón's four-seamer generated a 43% whiff rate, which is an incredible mark for a pitch that hitters generally expect to put in play more often. Morejón's stuff is disgusting. Unfortunately for Minnesota, that ensures that he won't come cheap. The two most expensive relievers in baseball are also left-handed. Josh Hader signed a five-year, $95-million contract with Houston before the 2024 season, while Tanner Scott landed a four-year, $72-million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers before the 2025 campaign. There’s an important distinction, though. Both Hader and Scott had established themselves as closers, while Morejón wasn't the Padres' primary ninth-inning option with Mason Miller in the mix. Scott also recorded more saves with San Diego after arriving at the 2024 trade deadline than Morejón managed over the course of that entire season. Still, a pitcher with Morejón's arsenal deserves an opportunity to close games. He'll likely be paid accordingly, regardless of whether a team initially views him as a setup man or its future closer. He’ll be 28 on Opening Day 2027, putting him in a position to seek a three- to five-year contract. An average annual value around $20 million, give or take, might be what it takes to get a deal done. That's nowhere close to what the Twins have historically been willing to spend on relief pitching. But if Pohlad is serious about taking this team to new heights, he'll need to get comfortable making investments that Minnesota has traditionally avoided. The Twins entered 2026 with a bullpen that was a glaring weakness, and they're still facing plenty of uncertainty heading into the offseason. They need to increase their payroll, improve the overall quality of their relief corps and find a dependable left-handed option to balance the group. Morejón checks those boxes. He's young enough to be a long-term piece, has the stuff to handle high-leverage situations and has already demonstrated that he can produce at an elite level. Of course, there's a difference between identifying a great free-agent target and actually being willing to pay him. Morejón would represent a significant financial commitment, and there's no guarantee the Twins would be willing to compete with other teams for his services. But if Minnesota wants to build a better bullpen and prove that its approach to roster construction is changing, this is exactly the kind of opportunity Jeremy Zoll should explore. View the full article

Major League Baseball is expected to undergo a facelift this winter. From a proposed salary cap to an accompanying salary floor, one can only wonder what baseball will look like in 2027 if the owners and the players' association agree to a new collective bargaining agreement. The current deal, agreed to after a lockout delayed the start of the 2021 season, expires on December 1. One of the latest leaks of proposed changes? A 154-game season. For those not versed in the professional game's history, MLB adopted and adhered to the 154-game model in 1904, only switching to 162 with expansion in 1961. Teams already prioritize quality over quantity, as shown by scheduled off-days for otherwise healthy position players and the ever-decreasing workload of the modern starting pitcher, but reducing the schedule would benefit the product on the field by giving players even more chances for rest. For the sake of this exercise, and given this is a website that covers all things Miami Marlins, we are going to explore the best 154-game stretch in franchise history. From Miguel Cabrera to Hanley Ramirez to Giancarlo Stanton, the Marlins have a track record of producing bona fide offensive forces throughout their history. The question, though, is this: over 34 years of play, which stretch stands out most? Giancarlo Stanton's 59-home run, MVP season of 2017—the lone such winner in franchise history—is generally deferred to as the default answer. His 169 OPS+ remains the second-best offensive season in Marlins history by that metric. Today's piece focuses on the top season on that list: Gary Sheffield in 1996. Now, I have previously argued that Sheffield had a Hall of Fame-caliber career, hitting 509 home runs over 22 seasons. His career 140 OPS+ ties him with Vladimir Guerrero, Miguel Cabrera, Freddie Freeman, and Alex Rodriguez for tenth among players to debut since expansion began (min. 9000 PA). In his six seasons with the Marlins, Sheffield hit .288/.426/.543/.970, walking nearly 150 times more than he struck out. However, 1996 was the apex of his tenure in South Florida. In a 154-game stretch that began on April 4, Sheffield hit .320/.470/.638/1,108 in 657 plate appearances. For context, the last hitter with at least this many plate appearances and an OPS north of 1.100 was Aaron Judge in his three MVP seasons in 2022, 2024, and 2025. Renowned for his plate discipline, Sheffield walked 138 times against just 65 strikeouts during that span. Now 30 years on, Sheffield still holds the Marlins single-season record with 142 walks and owns the only two seasons of at least 100 walks in franchise history. Unfortunately, despite such impressive efforts in 1996, Sheffield only netted a sixth-place finish in National League MVP voting, likely largely due to Florida's 80-82 record. The Tampa native would have the final say, though, as he and the club won their first World Series the following year. The question now is whether we will see such a run by a Marlin again. With the 2026 season in the rearview, the Marlins, despite winning a second championship in 2003, are still awaiting the next 1996 Sheffield. If you told me, 50 years on, that no position player would reach such glorious heights, I would not feign surprise. And while you may be wondering why we are here reflecting on a season, a stretch that happened three decades ago, the above merits mention. Hitters who display Sheffield's combination of power, speed and plate discipline have seldom been seen in the game's history, let alone since. Only two players in baseball history have at least 500 home runs, 200 stolen bases, and an on-base percentage of .390 or better: Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield. Whether we play 162, 154, or any baseball at all in 2027, we are certain it will be a long time before we see a Marlin have a run at the plate that rivals Sheffield's 1996. View the full article

Major League Baseball is expected to undergo a facelift this winter. From a proposed salary cap to an accompanying salary floor, one can only wonder what baseball will look like in 2027 if the owners and the players' association agree to a new collective bargaining agreement. The current deal, agreed to after a lockout delayed the start of the 2021 season, expires on December 1. One of the latest leaks of proposed changes? A 154-game season. For those not versed in the professional game's history, MLB adopted and adhered to the 154-game model in 1904, only switching to 162 with expansion in 1961. Teams already prioritize quality over quantity, as shown by scheduled off-days for otherwise healthy position players and the ever-decreasing workload of the modern starting pitcher, but reducing the schedule would benefit the product on the field by giving players even more chances for rest. For the sake of this exercise, and given this is a website that covers all things Miami Marlins, we are going to explore the best 154-game stretch in franchise history. From Miguel Cabrera to Hanley Ramirez to Giancarlo Stanton, the Marlins have a track record of producing bona fide offensive forces throughout their history. The question, though, is this: over 34 years of play, which stretch stands out most? Giancarlo Stanton's 59-home run, MVP season of 2017—the lone such winner in franchise history—is generally deferred to as the default answer. His 169 OPS+ remains the second-best offensive season in Marlins history by that metric. Today's piece focuses on the top season on that list: Gary Sheffield in 1996. Now, I have previously argued that Sheffield had a Hall of Fame-caliber career, hitting 509 home runs over 22 seasons. His career 140 OPS+ ties him with Vladimir Guerrero, Miguel Cabrera, Freddie Freeman, and Alex Rodriguez for tenth among players to debut since expansion began (min. 9000 PA). In his six seasons with the Marlins, Sheffield hit .288/.426/.543/.970, walking nearly 150 times more than he struck out. However, 1996 was the apex of his tenure in South Florida. In a 154-game stretch that began on April 4, Sheffield hit .320/.470/.638/1,108 in 657 plate appearances. For context, the last hitter with at least this many plate appearances and an OPS north of 1.100 was Aaron Judge in his three MVP seasons in 2022, 2024, and 2025. Renowned for his plate discipline, Sheffield walked 138 times against just 65 strikeouts during that span. Now 30 years on, Sheffield still holds the Marlins single-season record with 142 walks and owns the only two seasons of at least 100 walks in franchise history. Unfortunately, despite such impressive efforts in 1996, Sheffield only netted a sixth-place finish in National League MVP voting, likely largely due to Florida's 80-82 record. The Tampa native would have the final say, though, as he and the club won their first World Series the following year. The question now is whether we will see such a run by a Marlin again. With the 2026 season in the rearview, the Marlins, despite winning a second championship in 2003, are still awaiting the next 1996 Sheffield. If you told me, 50 years on, that no position player would reach such glorious heights, I would not feign surprise. And while you may be wondering why we are here reflecting on a season, a stretch that happened three decades ago, the above merits mention. Hitters who display Sheffield's combination of power, speed and plate discipline have seldom been seen in the game's history, let alone since. Only two players in baseball history have at least 500 home runs, 200 stolen bases, and an on-base percentage of .390 or better: Barry Bonds and Gary Sheffield. Whether we play 162, 154, or any baseball at all in 2027, we are certain it will be a long time before we see a Marlin have a run at the plate that rivals Sheffield's 1996. View the full article

It is no longer a pie-in-the-sky wish. It is reality. The Milwaukee Brewers are one win away from the franchise's first World Series championship. Their first chance at that elusive accomplishment comes in Tuesday's Game 4, where the Brewers will look to sweep the Tampa Bay Rays in the best-of-seven series. While the Brewers have yet to make an announcement as to who will be their starting pitcher, rookie left-hander Shane Drohan is a top candidate as an opener. Drohan also started the Game 4 clincher of the NL Championship Series against the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Drohan faced just five batters, pitching into the second inning, giving up a run on two hits and two walks with a strikeout as the Brewers completed a four-game sweep of the Dodgers with a 6-2 victory. Drohan starting will force a tough decision for Rays manager Kevin Cash. The Rays had three new players in their starting lineup against Brewers left-hander Robert Gasser for Game 3. Gasser allowed just one hit over six innings. But with Drohan only facing a handful of batters before other length options such as right-hander Dustin May follow, Cash could opt to go with his right-handed lineup in a desperate must-win game for the Rays. That would include Jonathan Aranda at first base, Richie Palacios at second and Liam Hicks at catcher, all better offensive options than their Game 3 replacements of Ryan Vilade, Ben Williamson and Nick Fortes, respectively. But Brewers manager will also be able to counter with left-handed relievers JoJo Romero and his best weapon of the postseason, Aaron Ashby further complicating Cash's call. Regardless, all of the Brewers' key bullpen arms had the day off in the 10-1 Game 3 rout, meaning two days off since their last appearance in Game 2. Shane Drohan vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Liam Hicks L 3 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 .333 .333 .667 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/27/2026. Looking to keep the Rays alive for at least another day is right-handed starter Griffin Jax. Converted from reliever to starter early this season, Jax has made 23 starts among his 34 appearances this year. He has a 3.76 FIP (3.53 ERA) with a 7.6% walk rate and 25.3% strikeout rate. The walk rate is pretty much on his career mark of 7.2%, while his strikeout rate is down several points from where it has been the last two seasons (34.4%, 35%), when he was a reliever for the Minnesota Twins. Jax was acquired by the Rays at the 2025 trade deadline. Jax did make two relief appearances vs. the Brewers this season. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning in a 3-2 Rays win March 30, striking out one and not allowing a hit or a walk. In the April 1 series finale, the Brewers lit Jax up for five runs (three earned) with three hits and a walk while he didn't get an out in the eighth inning of an 8-2 Brewers win. That outing and a start for the Twins in 2021 where Jax allowed six runs in five innings have put his ERA at 6.75 ERA over 12 appearances in 14⅔ innings. He has made two postseason appearances this year. In the NL Division Series vs. the New York Yankees, Jax pitched two innings of relief in the Game 3 clincher, allowing a run on a hit with a walk and four strikeouts. He started Game 3 of the AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians and pitched into the fifth inning, giving up three runs on five hits and two walks and two strikeouts. Among current Brewers, Christian Yelich is 2-for-6 with a walk and two RBIs, while William Contreras is 2-for-4 with two strikeouts. Jackson Chourio, who has the second-most hits in the first three games in World Series history with eight, has not faced Jax. Chourio, who had two hits in the eight-run fifth inning of Game 3, is the only player in MLB postseason history to have two hits in a single inning of multiple postseason games. Griffin Jax vs. Milwaukee Brewers: Current Batters Table Rk Player B PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS SH SF IBB HBP GIDP 1 Christian Yelich L 7 6 2 1 0 0 2 1 1 .333 .429 .500 .929 0 0 0 0 0 2 Bo Naylor L 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .000 .000 .000 .000 1 0 0 0 0 3 Jake Bauers L 4 3 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 .333 .500 .333 .833 0 0 0 0 0 4 William Contreras R 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 5 Brice Turang L 4 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .333 .333 .333 .667 1 0 0 0 0 6 Sal Frelick L 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.000 1.000 1.000 2.000 0 0 0 0 0 7 David Hamilton L 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 8 Garrett Mitchell L 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 9 Joey Ortiz R 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .500 .500 .500 1.000 0 0 0 0 0 10 Brandon Lockridge R 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000 0 0 0 0 0 11 Gary Sánchez R 1 1 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 1.000 1.000 4.000 5.000 0 0 0 0 0 Provided by Stathead: Found with Stathead. See Full Results. Generated 10/27/2026. View the full article

DiamondCentric has released its ranked list of the top free agents. It’s a beautiful tool with lots of options for sorting and filtering – it will also get regular updates throughout the free agency period, so be sure to check in on it regularly. On my first pass-through, I could not help but notice a handful of names that have already left their mark in Toronto. For today, these are the guys I’m most interested in. The best part of any heist movie is when they assemble a crew with varying specialized skills that come together with the intent of a common goal. Could the Blue Jays leverage their insider knowledge of some of the top names available to get things back on track for the 2026-27 season? If Terry Benedict had the Commissioner’s Trophy, you know these would be the first guys Danny Ocean put in a call to. No. 3 - Bo Bichette Right now, Bo Bichette is only a potential free agent. He signed a three-year, $126 million deal with the Mets last year, but he holds an opt-out that he needs to formalize within five days of the end of the World Series. I can’t imagine walking away from $84 million, but maybe Bichette has seen that the grass isn’t always greener. The Jays had a terrible 2026, but the Mets had a worse one. Maybe Bichette would be open to a reunion? His 18 home runs this season would have placed him second on the Jays, and his time playing third base, while not a resounding success, wasn’t an unmitigated disaster either. Plus, Toronto should have an opening at the DH position, and we’ve seen what Bo can do on just one leg. No. 19 - Kevin Gausman Kevin Gausman only made nine starts with the Cubs after being traded at the deadline for Brett Bateman. He went 4-2 with Chicago and sported a 2.50 FIP over 50 innings pitched. He isn’t the same ace that he was the first time he signed here, but last season proved the old adage true: You can never have enough pitching. Gausman can bring that veteran presence to the back end of the rotation and has the added bonus of still having a house in the city – at least for now. What an easy transition it would be for him to come back! No. 23 - Ty France Just last year Ty France won a Gold Glove with Toronto. Sure, he only appeared in 37 games and first base is occupied for the next generation, but the Blue Jays have always liked positional flexibility and again, with a roughly vacant DH spot, there will be more opportunities for rest days and general flexibility. France clubbed 21 home runs in 2026, which again, would have been good for second best on the offense-strapped Jays. I wouldn’t put him at the top of the priority board, but I would also have no problem welcoming France back to Toronto for another playoff run. No. 36 - Robbie Ray Almost a year younger than Gausman and still in possession of some elite off-speed stuff, Robbie Ray could be another option for a veteran presence at the back end of the rotation. It’s been six seasons since Ray won the Cy Young here, but perhaps the nostalgia of the best season of his career combined with a rotation that looks great on paper for 2027 could bring Ray back. No. 45 - Daulton Varsho The expectations for what Daulton Varsho's bat could do last year never lined up with the batting profile we saw. His Savant page is about as blue as it gets, but his range as a fielder remains elite. Simon Li looked at the Jays' outfield depth, and especially with the emergence of Brett Bateman, it seems hard to envision a way that Varsho could make his way back onto the team. Off the Board George Springer, Jameson Taillon, Yimi Garcia, Max Scherzer, Shane Bieber There could be a retirement or two to celebrate in this group. Of course, who better to have in a heist than the guy that is coming back ‘for just one more job’? Outside of Springer, there are a handful of veteran pitchers that have established differing levels of love with the city and its fans. I feel like Scherzer would be welcomed back with open arms if he returned to chase down Justin Verlander on the all-time strikeout list. On the other hand, most fans would be forgiven if Taillon’s 10 innings of work here were not remembered at all and his ‘return’ felt more like a new signing. On a halfway serious note, if the Jays are going to be competitive next season, they’re going to have to do it with a mix of signings, both new and familiar. Regardless of who they are targeting, the DiamondCentric free agent tracker will be the place to stay on top of it all! View the full article

DiamondCentric has released its ranked list of the top free agents. It’s a beautiful tool with lots of options for sorting and filtering – it will also get regular updates throughout the free agency period, so be sure to check in on it regularly. On my first pass-through, I could not help but notice a handful of names that have already left their mark in Toronto. For today, these are the guys I’m most interested in. The best part of any heist movie is when they assemble a crew with varying specialized skills that come together with the intent of a common goal. Could the Blue Jays leverage their insider knowledge of some of the top names available to get things back on track for the 2026-27 season? If Terry Benedict had the Commissioner’s Trophy, you know these would be the first guys Danny Ocean put in a call to. No. 3 - Bo Bichette Right now, Bo Bichette is only a potential free agent. He signed a three-year, $126 million deal with the Mets last year, but he holds an opt-out that he needs to formalize within five days of the end of the World Series. I can’t imagine walking away from $84 million, but maybe Bichette has seen that the grass isn’t always greener. The Jays had a terrible 2026, but the Mets had a worse one. Maybe Bichette would be open to a reunion? His 18 home runs this season would have placed him second on the Jays, and his time playing third base, while not a resounding success, wasn’t an unmitigated disaster either. Plus, Toronto should have an opening at the DH position, and we’ve seen what Bo can do on just one leg. No. 19 - Kevin Gausman Kevin Gausman only made nine starts with the Cubs after being traded at the deadline for Brett Bateman. He went 4-2 with Chicago and sported a 2.50 FIP over 50 innings pitched. He isn’t the same ace that he was the first time he signed here, but last season proved the old adage true: You can never have enough pitching. Gausman can bring that veteran presence to the back end of the rotation and has the added bonus of still having a house in the city – at least for now. What an easy transition it would be for him to come back! No. 23 - Ty France Just last year Ty France won a Gold Glove with Toronto. Sure, he only appeared in 37 games and first base is occupied for the next generation, but the Blue Jays have always liked positional flexibility and again, with a roughly vacant DH spot, there will be more opportunities for rest days and general flexibility. France clubbed 21 home runs in 2026, which again, would have been good for second best on the offense-strapped Jays. I wouldn’t put him at the top of the priority board, but I would also have no problem welcoming France back to Toronto for another playoff run. No. 36 - Robbie Ray Almost a year younger than Gausman and still in possession of some elite off-speed stuff, Robbie Ray could be another option for a veteran presence at the back end of the rotation. It’s been six seasons since Ray won the Cy Young here, but perhaps the nostalgia of the best season of his career combined with a rotation that looks great on paper for 2027 could bring Ray back. No. 45 - Daulton Varsho The expectations for what Daulton Varsho's bat could do last year never lined up with the batting profile we saw. His Savant page is about as blue as it gets, but his range as a fielder remains elite. Simon Li looked at the Jays' outfield depth, and especially with the emergence of Brett Bateman, it seems hard to envision a way that Varsho could make his way back onto the team. Off the Board George Springer, Jameson Taillon, Yimi Garcia, Max Scherzer, Shane Bieber There could be a retirement or two to celebrate in this group. Of course, who better to have in a heist than the guy that is coming back ‘for just one more job’? Outside of Springer, there are a handful of veteran pitchers that have established differing levels of love with the city and its fans. I feel like Scherzer would be welcomed back with open arms if he returned to chase down Justin Verlander on the all-time strikeout list. On the other hand, most fans would be forgiven if Taillon’s 10 innings of work here were not remembered at all and his ‘return’ felt more like a new signing. On a halfway serious note, if the Jays are going to be competitive next season, they’re going to have to do it with a mix of signings, both new and familiar. Regardless of who they are targeting, the DiamondCentric free agent tracker will be the place to stay on top of it all! View the full article

The San Diego Padres had the league's best bullpen in 2026. There's an argument to be made that they were always destined to have the league's best bullpen in 2026. While the prophecy itself did come true this season, it didn't prove to be a saving grace following the team's quick ouster in the National League Division Series. Which means it's time to reevaluate. The 8.9 fWAR accumulated by Padres relievers was tops in the sport, followed by Boston's group at 8.0. Their 3.53 ERA ranked fifth, their 3.64 FIP sat second, and their 24.7 percent strikeout rate ranked fourth. Additionally, few teams were as adept at getting opposing hitters to make groundball contact as the Padres, with their 46.2 GB% ranking third. One issue? The 683.2 innings logged by relievers was the fourth-most in baseball. Within those 683.2 innings are the workloads of a few primary names. Adrian Morejon threw 86 innings, Wandy Peralta was in action for 72.1, and Bradgley Rodríguez & Mason Miller each tossed 70. That's roughly 44 percent of relief innings being covered by four arms, including three of the team's highest-leverage relievers. Some of that is due to injury, including multiple IL stints for Jason Adam & Jeremiah Estrada. The rest, though, is due to the roster's composition that always put the onus on the relievers to cover for a starting staff shakily held together for the first three quarters of the season. That use caught up to them by the time the NLDS hit. While their overall 2.75 ERA was reasonable, they carried a 4.75 xERA (5.17 xFIP) and a mere 16.5 percent strikeout rate. That reliance forced Mason Miller into a second inning of work in Game 2 (one which he was unable to close out), saw Morejon unavailable in the latter portion of the series, and generally left an already overworked group navigating consistent traffic in a way that they were unaccustomed to throughout the regular season. Even with the potential departure of Morejon in free agency, the Padres still sport a collection of upper-percentile relievers in their bullpen in the form of Miller, Rodríguez, and Estrada. While there are some left-handed complications that could arise in the form of a Peralta opt-out, a Yuki Matsui opt-out, and a Kyle Hart club option, the pitching staff is still shaped around the robust nature of their relief corps. The starting rotation, though, will enter the offseason with much the same questions as it possessed for the majority of 2026. With trade deadline acquisitions Robbie Ray & Casey Mize set to hit free agency (while not carrying much re-sign appeal), Walker Buehler poised to do the same, and Michael King holding a player option—to say nothing of whether the team will retain Nick Pivetta or what Joe Musgrove's starting status will be—the rotation may actually find itself in worse shape than where it was early in 2026. Which means it could be high time for the Padres to explore moving at least one of their high-leverage relievers in the name of addressing their starting pitching. The most obvious factor in this is Miller. He'd fetch the largest package and, as such, the highest upside for a return that features a starting pitcher. Team control would also likely be a factor there too. Is there a world where the Padres trade Miller to address their rotation and re-sign Morejon for ninth-inning work? It shouldn't be a far-fetched idea. Even if it's not Miller, the Padres may still be able to find commensurate trade value for their best bullpen arms. The offseason leaves us with plenty of time to explore such options. What should be clear to A.J. Preller, though, is that a bullpen-forward pitching staff gets you through the regular season, but the taxing of such arms does nothing for you once October hits. A good rotation, even one purely built to survive the 162-game onslaught of regular-season ball, would go a long way toward keeping the Padres' bullpen fresh for the most important part of the calendar. View the full article