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Dodgers, Phillies Announce NLDS Rosters

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Game 1 between the Dodgers and Phillies takes place today in Philadelphia, with Shohei Ohtani (in his first playoff pitching appearance) facing Cristopher Sanchez in the pitching matchup.  Here is how each club has arranged their 26-man roster for the NL Division Series…

Dodgers catchers: Ben Rortvedt, Dalton Rushing, Will Smith
Infielders: Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas
Outfielders: Alex Call, Justin Dean, Teoscar Hernandez, Andy Pages
Utility players: Tommy Edman, Enrique Hernandez, Hyeseong Kim
DH/right-handed pitcher: Shohei Ohtani
Left-handed pitchers: Anthony Banda, Jack Dreyer, Clayton Kershaw, Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia
Right-handed pitchers: Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, Blake Treinen, Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Phillies catchers: Rafael Marchan, J.T. Realmuto
Infielders: Alec Bohm, Bryce Harper, Otto Kemp, Edmundo Sosa, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner
Outfielders: Harrison Bader, Nick Castellanos, Max Kepler, Brandon Marsh, Weston Wilson
Designated hitter: Kyle Schwarber
Left-handed pitchers: Tanner Banks, Jesus Luzardo, Tim Mayza, Cristopher Sanchez, Matt Strahm, Ranger Suarez
Right-handed pitchers: Walker Buehler, Jhoan Duran, Orion Kerkering, Aaron Nola, David Robertson, Taijuan Walker

Los Angeles made two changes to the roster that swept the Reds in two games during the wild card round.  Kershaw and Banda join the fray in place of left-hander Justin Wrobleski and right-hander Edgardo Henriquez.  There was no doubt Kershaw would be returning to action after sitting out the Reds series, though in his final postseason appearance, Kershaw is slated to pitch in a relief capacity rather than in a starter’s role.

Smith hasn’t played since suffering a hairline fracture in his right hand on September 9, though the fact that the Dodgers included him on the wild card series roster indicates that the catcher is getting at least close to game readiness.  Chances are Smith is ready to go at some point during the NLDS, though Rortvedt and Rushing are both on the roster to keep L.A. from being shorthanded behind the plate.

Both teams have plenty of big left-handed bats, which factored why each roster features six southpaws.  The Phillies haven’t announced their rotation beyond Sanchez today, but Suarez is probable for Game 2, and using Luzardo in Game 3 would mean Philadelphia is tossing three consecutive left-handed starters at Ohtani and company.

News broke earlier this week that Johan Rojas was dealing with a quad injury, which removed any chance that the Phillies could put Rojas on the playoff roster following two months in the minors.  The bench was instead filled out by two multi-position players in Kemp and Wilson, plus Sosa can play the outfield in a pinch.

Cubs, Brewers Announce NLDS Rosters

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The NL Division Series between the Cubs and Brewers gets started today, with Matthew Boyd facing Freddy Peralta in the Game 1 pitching matchup.  Here are the full 26-man rosters for both teams in the clash of NL Central rivals…

Cubs catchers: Moises Ballesteros, Carson Kelly, Reese McGuire
Infielders: Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, Matt Shaw, Dansby Swanson, Justin Turner
Outfielders: Kevin Alcantara, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Kyle Tucker
Utilityman: Willi Castro
Left-handed pitchers: Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Drew Pomeranz, Caleb Thielbar
Right-handed pitchers: Aaron Civale, Ben Brown, Brad Keller, Andrew Kittredge, Daniel Palencia, Colin Rea, Michael Soroka, Jameson Taillon

Brewers catchers: William Contreras, Danny Jansen
Infielders: Jake Bauers, Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, Joey Ortiz, Brice Turang, Andrew Vaughn
Outfielders: Jackson Chourio, Isaac Collins, Sal Frelick, Brandon Lockridge, Blake Perkins, Christian Yelich
Left-handed pitchers: Aaron Ashby, Robert Gasser, Jared Koenig, Jose Quintana
Right-handed pitchers: Grant Anderson, Nick Mears, Trevor Megill, Jacob Misiorowski, Freddy Peralta, Chad Patrick, Quinn Priester, Abner Uribe

The Cubs are going with almost the exact roster of 14 position players and 12 pitchers that were used in their wild card series victory over the Padres, except Brown will take the place of left-hander Taylor Rogers.  Manager Craig Counsell told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian and other reporters that Chicago opted for Brown over Rogers and Javier Assad due to Brown’s strikeout ability, and on how Brown projects to match up against the Brewers.  This leaves Pomeranz and Thielbar as the only left-handed relievers to be mixed and matched against Milwaukee’s left-handed bats.

The Brew Crew’s first roster of the postseason doesn’t contain too many surprises, as there was already an expectation that the team would use Misiorowski and Gasser as a pair of intriguing rookies out of the bullpen.  Milwaukee is also deploying an alignment of 14 position players and 12 pitchers, but one position player that didn’t make the cut was Rhys Hoskins.  This is also not a shock given how Hoskins has been essentially supplanted by Vaughn as the first-choice option at first base.  A thumb sprain and a bone bruise cost Hoskins over two months of the season, and after returning from the injured list in September, Hoskins received only sparing playing time.

A pair of prominent injured pitchers weren’t included on either team’s NLDS roster.  Counsell said Cade Horton won’t be involved in the series even as an injury replacement, which isn’t surprising since Horton (who is recovering from a rib fracture) wouldn’t be eligible to be activated from the 15-day IL until Game 5.  Brewers manager Pat Murphy told Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and other reporters yesterday that Brandon Woodruff might still be available to pitch later in the postseason if the Crew advances deeper into October, but the veteran right’s lat strain will keep him out of the Division Series.

Bryan Woo Left Off Mariners’ ALDS Roster

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Right-hander Bryan Woo won’t be part of the Mariners’ AL Division Series roster, according to the Seattle Times’ Adam Jude.  “The club is optimistic Woo will be available in the ALCS if they do advance,” Jude writes, though Seattle’s path to the next round will be trickier without their most consistent pitcher from the 2025 season.

Woo’s postseason status has been a question mark since September 19, when the righty left a start after five innings due to pectoral tightness.  The M’s didn’t place Woo on the 15-day injured list, which was viewed as a sign that the injury wasn’t overly serious, and that the team was just being cautious in shutting Woo down in advance of what became an increasingly likely playoff berth in the final stretch of September.  The fact that the Mariners won the AL West and secured a first-round bye only added to the hope that Woo would be ready once the postseason got underway.

A Thursday bullpen session and a simulated inning marked the first time Woo had thrown off a mound since his injury.  Despite initial reports that the bullpen went well, it could be that Woo felt some discomfort the day after his throwing sessions, or perhaps he simply wasn’t close enough to 100 percent for the Mariners to pull the trigger on a roster spot.

More details should become available when manager Dan Wilson speaks with reporters later today, but the bottom line is that the Mariners’ rotation is missing a very important arm.  In a season when the usually excellent Seattle pitching staff was more solid than great, Woo took a step forward to lead the pitchers in fWAR (3.6), innings (186 2/3), and ERA (2.94).  Woo augmented those numbers with a 4.5% walk rate that ranked among baseball’s best, as well as a very strong 27.1% strikeout rate.

These numbers came on the heels of a very good 2024 season for Woo that was marred only by injuries, as a pair of IL stints limited him to 121 1/3 innings.  The full and healthy version of Woo made his first All-Star team in 2025 and established himself as another important frontline piece of the Mariners’ deep rotation, though this pec injury now threatens to bring a sour ending to this breakout campaign.

George Kirby will be the Mariners’ Game 1 starter today, and Luis Castillo will start Game 2.  The club hasn’t announced their Game 3 starter once the series shifts to Detroit for at least once game, though Logan Gilbert seems like the logical choice.  If a Game 4 is necessary, Bryce Miller will likely start, though it’ll probably be an all-hands-on-deck situation if the Mariners are facing elimination (or if they want to throw everything to try and eliminate the Tigers in four games, with an off-day to rest up the staff before a Game 5 in Seattle).

The Mariners’ full ALDS roster will be announced later today, but Jude reports that rookie catcher Harry Ford and rookie infielder Ben Williamson have made the cut.  Williamson’s presence gives Seattle some depth at third base if Eugenio Suarez has to move to first base.  Josh Naylor’s availability for the series beyond Game 1 is in question due to an impending paternity leave, as Naylor’s wife Chantel is on the verge of giving birth to the couple’s first child.

Rangers Notes: Coaches, Offense, Eovaldi, Bradford

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The Rangers’ hiring of Skip Schumaker as manager was the biggest news out of Arlington yesterday, but some other items emerged from the club’s end-of-season press conference that took place on Friday hours before Schumaker’s deal was announced.  President of baseball operations Chris Young and GM Ross Fenstermaker gave some hints about the managerial search when speaking with the Dallas Morning News’ Shawn McFarland (multiple links), MLB.com’s Drew Davison, and other media, as Young said the club wasn’t yet looking at external candidates and had “a lead candidate internally that we’re focused on.”  Sure enough, the Rangers ended up promoting senior advisor Schumaker into the manager’s chair as Bruce Bochy’s successor, an outcome that was widely predicted if Bochy wasn’t returning for 2026.

More continuity could exist within the coaching staff, as Young said that the team is open to retaining all of its coaches for next season.  Schumaker’s familiarity with the organization could help in this regard, but naturally the new skipper will have some say in bringing in some of his own choices for the 2026 staff.

Speaking of pitching coach Mike Maddux in particular, Young said the Rangers want to retain Maddux either in his current position or in some other role within the organization.  The well-respected Maddux has now logged three seasons in his second stint as the Texas pitching coach, after previously working in that same job during the 2009-15 seasons.  Given how the Rangers’ rotation excelled in 2025, it would seem like the ball is in Maddux’s court about whether he wants to return to Arlington in any capacity, or perhaps seek out a new challenge elsewhere.

Texas led all of baseball in rotation ERA (3.41) and overall ERA (3.49), but a lackluster offense doomed the club to an even 81-81 record.  While the Rangers’ lineup never truly got clicking, the club’s numbers in some categories did improve as the year went on, which Young attributed to more of a contract-driven approach under hitting coach Bret Boone (who was hired in early May after offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker was fired).  This emphasis on putting the ball on play and not over-focusing on launch angles will continue, as Fenstermaker said the club will look for players with “stable skills, on-base percentage, the ability to make contact, [and] execute situationally” when weighing new additions.

A full winter and Spring Training under Boone should also help, Young noted, rather than the lineup having to somewhat adjust on the fly after Ecker was let go.  “The philosophy did shift.  The players have not had an offseason to adjust,” Young said.  “I think they’ll be asked to do different things in the offseason in terms of their training, and not just simply working on one specific swing, but being able to do multiple things that may allow them to be more successful and contribute to a team-type of approach that is necessary.”

Fenstermaker also provided updates on several Rangers players who were bothered by injuries down the stretch, noting that Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter, and Cole Winn are all expected to have normal offseasons and will be ready for the start of Spring Training.  Jake Burger should also be ready to go for spring camp following his recent wrist surgery, as Fenstermaker said Burger’s recovery timeline is around 6-8 weeks.

Nathan Eovaldi’s offseason prep work could be delayed by a sports hernia surgery in the near future.  Fenstermaker said Eovaldi is visiting a specialist next week to determine if a surgery is necessary, with a timeline to be determined if the veteran righty ends up going under the knife.  Sports hernia surgeries have a fairly broad recovery period of roughly 6-12 weeks depending on the nature of the procedure, so there could be some impact on Eovaldi’s regular throwing build-up, which in turn would possibly delay his availability for Spring Training.

More will be known when and if the surgery takes place, though there is some good news in that Eovaldi’s arm seems fine.  Eovaldi’s season was ended after he was put on the injured list with a rotator cuff strain at the end of August, but Fenstermaker said the right-hander’s throwing program should proceed as planned once the matter of the sports hernia procedure is cleared.

Between the rotator cuff strain and an earlier IL stint for posterior elbow inflammation, Eovaldi was limited to 130 innings and 22 starts in 2025.  Such injuries have to be a concern given Eovaldi’s lengthy past health history and the fact that he is turning 36 in February, but the veteran righty still looked like an elite arm when he was able to pitch.  Eovaldi posted a 1.73 ERA over his 130 frames, with a superb 4.2% walk rate and host of other impressive metrics backing up that tiny ERA.

Cody Bradford is also expected to be set for the start of Spring Training, which counts as a bit of a surprise given that Bradford underwent an internal brace procedure in late June.  Brace procedures do come with a shorter timeline than Tommy John surgeries, so the initial thought was that Bradford was would be out until late June 2026 at the earliest.  The fact that Bradford is expected to participate in all of spring camp doesn’t necessarily alter that timeline since he’ll still need a lot of ramp-up time, though it’s a positive sign that Bradford seems to be making good progress in the first few months of his rehab.

Offseason Outlook: New York Mets

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A record $340MM payroll couldn't even guarantee the Mets a playoff spot, as the Reds edged New York out of a wild card berth via tiebreaker on the final day of the regular season.  The near-miss was the final insult after a disastrous second half, leaving the Amazins with plenty of roster decisions and perhaps some bigger-picture questions to answer during what is sure to be a busy offseason.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Juan Soto, OF: $643.125MM through 2039 (player opt-out after 2029 season, but Mets can override opt-out by adding $40MM to final 10 years of contract)
  • Francisco Lindor, SS: $192MM through 2031 ($5MM deferred annually)
  • Brandon Nimmo, OF: $101.25MM through 2030
  • Sean Manaea, SP: $50MM through 2027 ($7.75MM deferred annually)
  • Kodai Senga, SP: $42MM through 2027 (Mets receive $15MM club option for 2028 if Senga misses at least 130 consecutive days due to elbow injury/Tommy John surgery)
  • Clay Holmes, SP: $25MM through 2027 (Holmes can opt out after 2026 season)
  • Jeff McNeil, 2B/OF: $17.75MM through 2026 (includes $2M buyout of $15.75MM club option for 2027)

Option Decisions

  • Edwin Diaz, RP: $18.5MM player options for 2026 and 2027 seasons (Diaz must decide on both options this offseason; if he remains, Mets hold $17.25MM club option for 2028 season with $1MM buyout)
  • Pete Alonso, 1B: $24MM player option for 2026 (Alonso has already stated he is opting out)
  • Frankie Montas, SP: $17MM player option for 2026
  • A.J. Minter, RP: $11M player option for 2026
  • Brooks Raley, RP: $4.75MM club option for 2026 ($750K buyout)
  • Drew Smith, RP: $2MM club option for 2026

2026 financial commitments (assuming Diaz and Alonso opt out): $201.625MM
Total future commitments (assuming Diaz and Alonso opt out): $1,105,875,000

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Free Agents

In almost a direct inverse of their magical 2024 season, the 2025 Mets looked like arguably baseball's best team over the first two and a half months before the bottom fell out.  The club was 45-24 at the end of play on June 12, but Friday, June 13 ended up being the start of a Citi Field horror movie --- New York posted just a 38-55 record the rest of the way, leading to increased panic in Queens as it became apparent that the season was slipping away.

Several coaches are already on the way out, including pitching coach Jeremy Hefner and hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes.  But, manager Carlos Mendoza is staying, and president of baseball operations David Stearns isn't being fired two seasons into his tenure after owner Steve Cohen pursued Stearns for years.  Cohen has already issued a public apology for how the Mets' season ended, and it remains to be seen how the owner will react in the face of such a disappointing result.

If you're assuming the reaction will be "Cohen spends another fortune in free agency," that can't be ruled out.  Last winter's record-breaking Juan Soto contract notwithstanding, Stearns' usual strategy in free agency is to aim for shorter-term and relatively less expensive deals on the open market.  This approach simply didn't work in 2025, and during his wrap-up press conference earlier this week, Stearns took responsibility for not doing enough to reinforce his pitching staff either last winter or during the season when the rotation fell apart.

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Rangers Hire Skip Schumaker As Manager

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The Rangers have officially named Skip Schumaker their new manager. The 2023 NL Manager of the Year signed a four-year contract to become the 21st full-time skipper in franchise history. Schumaker’s hiring comes just four days after the team announced that future Hall of Famer Bruce Bochy would not be back for a fourth season.

“We are thrilled to announce this promotion and have Skip leading this club in the dugout,” president of baseball operations Chris Young said in a press release. “Over his past year as a senior advisor to our baseball operations group, Skip has proven to be driven, passionate and thorough in everything he does. He has a winning spirit and energy, and we are fortunate that someone so highly regarded in the industry has agreed to become our manager.”

The team also released a brief statement from Schumaker himself. “I am honored and excited for this opportunity to manage the Rangers,” he said. “While I attained a good understanding of the organization through my front office role this past season, the conversations with Chris Young, (general manager) Ross Fenstermaker, and others this week have only intensified my interest in this opportunity. I can’t wait to begin the work for 2026.”

This move has been telegraphed for almost a year. As mentioned in the club’s announcement, Schumaker joined the Texas organization last November as a senior advisor. That came a few weeks after he stepped down as manager of the Marlins after two seasons. It immediately raised speculation that Schumaker would be the successor whenever the 70-year-old Bochy decided to go in a different direction.

The rapidity of the hiring confirms this was the preferred outcome. Young told reporters this morning the club was not speaking with any candidates outside the organization (relayed by Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News). It was only a matter of days for the team to finalize a contract that gets Schumaker back in the dugout.

A utility infielder during his playing career, Schumaker was a longtime role player for the Cardinals. He began his coaching days in San Diego, then returned to St. Louis as Oli Marmol’s bench coach for the 2022 season. Schumaker got his first managerial opportunity with the Marlins one year later. He signed a two-year deal with a club option for the ’25 campaign to lead what was viewed as a rebuilding Miami team.

The Fish outperformed expectations in 2023, winning 84 games and snagging a Wild Card spot. Unsatisfied with the team’s player development pipeline, owner Bruce Sherman made a change atop the front office at year’s end. Peter Bendix was brought in as president of baseball operations. General manager Kim Ng stepped down rather than work as the #2 executive after leading the front office for the preceding three seasons.

Bendix was unconvinced that Miami’s winning season really opened a contention window. They’d gotten to the playoffs despite being outscored by 57 runs. The Phillies comfortably swept them out of the first round. Ownership certainly wasn’t going to approve significant free agent spending. As Bendix geared up for the team’s latest rebuild, the Marlins agreed to void their option on Schumaker’s contract. He managed out a 100-loss season in 2024 and confirmed the long-apparent news that he would not be back for a third year in South Florida as soon as the season ended.

The sour finish has not detracted from Schumaker’s reputation as one of the sport’s top young managers. It doesn’t appear as though he seriously pursued a position last offseason. He was loosely tied to the White Sox vacancy that eventually went to Will Venable — ironically, the previous presumed successor to Bochy in Arlington — but decided to spend a season in the Texas front office while keeping his options open for 2026.

Schumaker steps into a dugout that might be in the midst of its own youth movement. The Rangers have disappointed in each of the past two seasons after winning the World Series during Bochy’s first year. The franchise has dealt with revenue losses related to the collapse of its local broadcast contract, leading to what is expected to be a reduced payroll. In announcing Bochy’s departure, Young told reporters the club was dealing with financial uncertainty and would place more emphasis on development of young players.

A roster shakeup was necessary anyhow. Their veteran lineup simply hasn’t been good enough over the past two seasons. It’d be a surprise if at least one or two of Adolis García, Jonah Heim, Josh Jung and Jake Burger weren’t traded or non-tendered. Texas still has four huge contracts on the books for Jacob deGrom, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien and Nathan Eovaldi. They’ll be saddled with Joc Pederson’s $18.5MM salary when he inevitably exercises his player option.

Trading any of deGrom, Eovaldi or Seager would signify a greater teardown than seems likely. They’d need to eat a lot of the remaining three years and $72MM on Semien’s contract to find any interest, and Pederson stands a better chance of being released than traded. There’s a good chance all five of those players are back, but there should be significant turnover among their group of arbitration-eligible hitters.

A 1-2 punch of deGrom and Eovaldi may alone be enough to keep them in the playoff hunt next year if both aces can stay healthy. They’ll need more foundational lineup pieces around Seager, Wyatt Langford, Evan Carter and eventually top prospect Sebastian Walcott if they’re to have consistent success throughout the Schumaker era.

There are now seven open or uncertain managerial positions around the game. The Giants and Twins fired Bob Melvin and Rocco Baldelli, respectively, at season’s end. The Angels announced they were not exercising Ron Washington’s club option for 2026, nor would they bring back interim skipper Ray Montgomery. Brian Snitker retired after leading the Braves for nine and a half seasons. The Nationals (Miguel Cairo), Rockies (Warren Schaeffer) and Orioles (Tony Mansolino) ended the year with interim managers after midseason firings. None of those teams have announced whether their interim candidates will get the position on a full-time basis.

Image courtesy of Orlando Ramirez, USA Today Sports.

Lawrence Butler Undergoes Patellar Tendon Surgery

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The A’s announced that Lawrence Butler underwent surgery to repair the patellar tendon in his right knee. The outfielder also received a platelet-rich plasma injection to address patellar tendonitis in his opposite knee. The club didn’t announce a specific recovery timeline but said that Butler will rehab during the offseason in preparation for Spring Training.

Butler is coming off a middling season. He hit .234/.306/.404 while striking out at a 28.4% rate across 630 plate appearances. Butler still managed a 20-20 showing, but all three slash stats regressed from his excellent 2024 campaign. He had a particularly poor second half, hitting .203/.268/.351 with a strikeout rate narrowly above 30% after the All-Star Break.

The knee issues could explain some of that downturn. General manager David Forst told Martín Gallegos of MLB.com on Tuesday that Butler played through the right knee injury for the final few weeks of the season. The 25-year-old remains one of the organization’s core lineup pieces. Nick Kurtz and Jacob Wilson already look like stars. Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom, Shea Langeliers and Butler all have All-Star ceilings, giving the A’s a lineup that runs at least six deep.

Butler is one season into the second-largest contract in franchise history. He signed a seven-year, $65.5MM deal in Spring Training. He finished the season as the everyday center fielder but probably projects as their long-term right fielder. Denzel Clarke, who missed most of the second half with a groin injury, is a phenomenal center fielder. Their ideal defense has Clarke up the middle, but he’ll need to improve upon the 38% strikeout rate he posted in his rookie season to stick even at the bottom of the lineup.

D-Backs’ Tyler Locklear To Undergo Elbow, Shoulder Surgeries

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Diamondbacks first baseman Tyler Locklear will undergo surgery on both his left elbow and shoulder later this month, reports Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. The rookie suffered a ligament tear in his elbow and a labrum injury in his shoulder.

The procedures make it likely that Locklear will open the 2026 season on the injured list. John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM reports that the team is hopeful he’ll be ready for game action by the end of Spring Training. That wouldn’t give him much time to get used to facing MLB pitching, and the Snakes would probably have him open the season on the IL so he could go on a minor league rehab stint. It’s possible he’s back sometime in April, though there’s obviously a wide range of outcomes for a player coming off simultaneous significant surgeries.

Both injuries occurred on the same play. Locklear, a right-handed thrower, was playing first base against Boston on September 7. Connor Wong hit a grounder to third that Jordan Lawlar threw high and wide to first base. Locklear stretched his left arm up and away from his body while trying to keep his foot on the bag. Wong collided with Locklear’s arm as he ran through the base. The play resulted in a two-run error to give Boston a 5-4 lead they’d never relinquish. Locklear was knocked out for the season.

A former second-round pick by the Mariners, Locklear was the key piece of Arizona’s return in the Eugenio Suárez trade. Seattle hadn’t given him much of a big league opportunity. The D-Backs had traded Josh Naylor to the M’s a week earlier, so they plugged Locklear in as their primary first baseman. He had a tough time in his first regular look at big league pitching. The Virginia Commonwealth product batted .175/.267/.262 while striking out 37% of the time across 116 plate appearances.

While it wasn’t an impressive MLB look, Locklear has little left to prove against minor league pitching. He’d turned in a .316/.401/.542 slash with 19 homers and 18 stolen bases over 98 Triple-A contests in the Seattle system. That’s fantastic production even in the Pacific Coast League.

On Wednesday, Gambadoro downplayed the likelihood that the Diamondbacks would make a significant offseason move at first base. It’s unclear if the extent of Locklear’s injuries will change the calculus. The Snakes presumably still want to give him the opportunity to get more comfortable against big league pitching. Yet he’s likely to at least begin the season on the injured list and it’s not hard to imagine elbow and shoulder injuries impacting his swing even when he’s able to get back on the field.

Pavin Smith is the presumptive starter for the time being. He’s coming off a solid .258/.362/.434 showing overall, though the positives were mostly concentrated in a huge first month. Smith hit .222/.311/.351 while striking out a third of the time after the start of May. He missed all of September with a quad strain. The Snakes also don’t have a true designated hitter, leaving open the possibility of bringing in a veteran bat to fill one of those positions while letting Locklear, Smith and Adrian Del Castillo compete for playing time at the other.

Pete Alonso and Naylor top the free agent class at the position. That kind of splash is unlikely given Arizona’s greater need for additions in both the rotation and bullpen. A reunion with Paul Goldschmidt or a one-year deal for Rhys Hoskins or Dominic Smith could be on the table. Nathaniel Lowe is unlikely to be tendered a contract by the Red Sox, while Ryan Mountcastle or Spencer Steer may find themselves in trade rumors.

Giants Interview Kurt Suzuki In Managerial Search

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The Giants interviewed longtime MLB catcher Kurt Suzuki as they search for a new manager. Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle first reported that Suzuki was scheduled to interview on Friday afternoon, and FanSided’s Robert Murray confirmed this evening that indeed took place.

Suzuki, 42 tomorrow, has worked as a special assistant with the Angels for the past three seasons. The longtime MLB catcher jumped right into front office work after retiring as a player following the 2022 campaign. Suzuki appeared in parts of 16 big league seasons. He was an All-Star with Minnesota in 2014 and won a World Series as a member of the 2019 Nationals. That included a go-ahead homer off Justin Verlander in Washington’s Game 2 victory over the Astros.

While Suzuki never played for the Giants, he’s plenty familiar with the Bay Area. He played more than 700 games over two stints with the A’s when they were in Oakland. Suzuki was an A’s draftee who played there between 2007-12. He was traded back for a brief stint at the end of the 2013 season as well.

Suzuki’s front office work has come under Angels’ general manager Perry Minasian, the brother of Giants’ GM and #2 executive Zack Minasian. He doesn’t have any coaching or managerial experience. He was highly respected as a player and had the added bonus of working as a catcher, a trait of many future managers.

It’s an unconventional but not unprecedented candidacy. Reigning American League Manager of the Year Stephen Vogt was hired by the Guardians going into 2024. Vogt had only retired as a player one season earlier, though he did spend the intervening year on Seattle’s coaching staff. Vogt has led the Guardians to consecutive playoff berths.

Former Giants bullpen coach Craig Albernaz has worked as Vogt’s bench coach and associate manager, respectively, over the past two seasons. Albernaz has long been viewed as a potential manager in his own right, and he was reportedly a finalist for both the Miami and White Sox vacancies last year. After Chicago hired Will Venable, Albernaz withdrew from consideration for the Marlins job. They subsequently hired Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough.

Given Albernaz’s previous ties to the Giants and to baseball operations president Buster Posey, he’s an expected candidate for the San Francisco job. Slusser writes that the 42-year-old is “likely to get a look” for the position, though it’s not known if he has an interview scheduled. Cleveland was bounced by the Tigers in the Wild Card Series yesterday.

14 Players Elect Free Agency

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Now that the season is over, we’ll start seeing several players choose to become minor league free agents.  Major League free agents (i.e. players with six-plus years of big league service time) will hit the open market five days after the end of the World Series, but eligible minor leaguers can already start electing free agency.

To qualify, these players must have been all outrighted off their team’s 40-man rosters during the 2025 season without being added back.  These players also must have multiple career outrights on their resume, and/or at least three years of Major League service time.

We’ll offer periodic updates over the coming weeks about many other players hitting the market in this fashion.  These free agent decisions are all listed on the official MLB.com or MILB.com transactions pages, for further reference.

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Photo courtesy of Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images

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