With the 2026 season now underway, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:
1. Opening Day Part 3:
Most teams have already had their first game of the season, but a handful of clubs are only just now getting the Opening Day experience. The season begins today for fans of the A’s, Blue Jays, Rockies, Marlins, Royals, and Braves. The game between Kansas City and Atlanta is particularly exciting, given the impressive pitching matchup between a pair of excellent left-handers: Kansas City’s Cole Ragans and Atlanta’s Chris Sale. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15pm local time in Atlanta. Both Ragans and Sale missed time last year to injury, but the former has a 3.52 ERA in his last 45 starts while Sale has been even more impressive with a 2.46 ERA in 50 appearances.
2. Hoerner extension details incoming:
The Cubs and second baseman Nico Hoerner got together on a six-year extension last night. It’s the second six-year extension they’ve signed this week after star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong agreed to a $115MM deal. The financial details of Hoerner’s contract aren’t yet known but should come to light in short order. Hoerner would’ve been among the top free agents in this year’s class had he tested the open market after this season. It does bring about questions about the future of Matt Shaw on the Cubs’ roster, as Hoerner and new third baseman Alex Bregman are now both locked into the Chicago infield for the foreseeable future, leaving Shaw without a position.
3. Starters suiting up for new teams:
A pair of starters will be making their debuts with their new teams Friday. Tigers fans will get their first look at southpaw Framber Valdez, who’ll take on right-hander Michael King and the Padres. King is coming off an injury-marred 2025 season but is one of the most effective arms in the sport when healthy, while Valdez posted a 3.66 ERA with a 3.37 FIP in 192 innings of work last year.
Fans of Valdez’s former club in Houston will be getting their first look at right-hander Mike Burrows, who came to the ‘Stros from the Pirates in the three-team trade that sent Jacob Melton to Tampa Bay and Brandon Lowe to Pittsburgh. Burrows, 26, made 23 appearances (19 starts) for the Pirates last year and posted a 3.94 ERA, 24.1% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate in 96 innings. He’s gearing up for his first full big league season and will get started with tonight’s game against Yusei Kikuchi and the Angels.
Actually saw a trade proposed in here that made a lot of sense to me. Shaw for Dominguez could work for both teams. I mean Hoyer obviously is never going to let Alcantara play for the Cubs and Shaw looked pretty rough out in RF although he did make all the plays it wasn’t pretty. Cubs have other prospects to play Utility Infield roles and their OF’s are a ways off. I’ve seen worse things proposed. If Dominguez doesn’t work out they’ve got other guys coming and if he does they can walk away from Suzuki and or Happ next year. The more I think of it the more I like it. Cubs infield is now basically set until 2030 with Busch being controllable until around then anyway.
That would mean letting Happ walk at the end of the year and in your trade scenario, Dominguez can take over LF. His defense isn’t great, but LF is a good place to stash Dominguez as long as Cubs keep him as a left-handed bat with platoon splits. Honestly, I’m okay with Happ going in free agency.
Stop stop stop stop!!! Nico signing does nothing to Shaw until at least October. Shaw is the Cubs depth at all infield positions and if you want to trade him for anyone and make Kingery your backup guy, knock yourself out.
Yep…Shaw was very kindly, rough looking in right yesterday.
It is literally day TWO of THIS season…let’s not even begin thinking beyond that and into next season….which likely may not even happen.
Dominguez STINKS. Nobody wants him.
I’m sure there are other guys that could be found. I just brought up one possibility Shaw’s value is at a premium right now especially if become more versatile but he still needs a lot of work to become an OF. With Nico signing his value to the Cubs is diminished by sitting on the bench most days when he could start for somebody else.
Looks like the Twins are out of it already we score one run and lose when Joe Ryan gives us as good of a start as you could want.
Thats what you get with Shelton
Anyone else see Alec Bohm is suing his parents?
For having him? Or for him being a lousy third baseman?
I think it’s like financial mismanagement.
“The lawsuit, filed in Philadelphia County on Wednesday, alleges Daniel and Lisa Bohm misappropriated Bohm’s funds while managing limited liability companies (LLCs) on his behalf and misrepresented their stake in these entities. Bohm is seeking $3 million in judgment, per the suit, along with information and documentation about the LLCs’ financial operation that he said he has not been privy to.”
In case it wasn’t painfully obvious I really didn’t care.
Then why comment?
Let’s go Astros!