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GM Dana Brown: Astros To Take “Full Assessment” Of Organization After Playoff Miss

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For the first time since 2016, the Astros won’t be part of baseball’s postseason.  Houston was officially eliminated from wild card contention yesterday, ending an eight-year run for the club that included two World Series titles, four AL pennants, and seven AL West crowns (plus, since it can’t be overlooked, the infamous sign-stealing scandal).  The Astros won their season finale today to finish with a respectable 87-75 record, but a 3-6 record over their last nine games left Houston short of the playoffs.

The franchise doesn’t appear to be taking this near-miss lying down, as general manager Dana Brown told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters.  The Astros are planning “a complete look at all of our operations,” with Brown saying “we’ll have a full assessment of what we’re doing in this offseason, and so we’ll take a look and really think about the entire operation.”

While teams routinely take stock in what they’re doing after every season, it will be particularly interesting to see how the Astros respond after their eight-year stretch of October success has been interrupted.  This is the same franchise that parted ways with former GM James Click immediately after the 2022 World Series win, so owner Jim Crane is certainly no stranger to shake-ups even when things are seemingly going well.

Perhaps the most inevitable question is the fate of manager Joe Espada.  Brown stated that Espada is “under contract” for at least 2026, providing some clarity on Espada’s status since the terms of his deal weren’t made public when Espada succeeded Dusty Baker following the 2023 campaign.

Brown stopped short of confirming Espada’s return, but said “as far as I’m concerned, Joe worked hard through this season….I haven’t sat down and gone through it yet, but from my initial thought process, Joe did a good job.  He battled through all of the injuries and pressed a lot of the right buttons.”

Espada has a 175-148 record over his two years as Houston’s manager.  The 2024 season saw the Astros win the AL West again, but their streak of seven consecutive ALCS appearances was ended when the Tigers pulled the upset and swept Houston in two games in the wild card round.  With that early exit now followed by a playoff miss altogether, it might not be a shock if Crane decided a change was needed in the dugout, even if Espada’s overall record is quite solid.

Moving beyond the manager’s office, it isn’t out of the question that Brown himself could be feeling the heat.  Crane is considered to be more hands-on than most owners in baseball operations decisions, and senior advisor and ex-Astros great Jeff Bagwell is known to have an influential voice within the organization.

Houston’s health woes were brought up multiple times by Brown, and it is hard to argue that even an average amount of injury luck would’ve greatly improved the Astros’ season.  As it turned out, almost every player on the roster missed at least some time, and the Astros finished the year with a whopping 15 players on the IL.  The pitching staff was particularly hit hard, and the position-player mix was finally depleted to the point of no return when Jeremy Pena and Yordan Alvarez were sidelined in late September.  In Alvarez’s case, his ankle sprain came after he’d already missed close to four months recovering from a finger fracture.

“Losing Yordan and Peña for those last three series is what I really feel like hurt us,” Brown said, and the health issues as a whole were his “biggest frustration” with the 2025 campaign.  “There’s no magic bullet.  There’s nothing to point to to say, ’Oh, we got these many injuries because of this.’  We had freak accidents that happened.  There’s been multiple reasons why we had a lot of injuries.”

It could be that the Astros will view their health problems as a reason to hold off on wholesale changes this winter, if there’s a sense that fewer injuries will just naturally mean better results next year.  However, some of those injuries (i.e. multiple pitchers who underwent UCL-related surgeries) will linger into 2026 or even beyond, and there’s also the natural concern over how well the veteran core can continue to hold up.  Returning to the pitching, longtime staff stalwart Framber Valdez is heading for free agency, so that represents another rotation hole and a lot of innings that will need to be filled if Valdez isn’t retained.

Padres Place Ramón Laureano On Injured List Due To Finger Fracture

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TODAY: Laureano told reporters (including Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune) that his finger will be in a splint for roughly the next three weeks.  As such, Laureano said he has only “delusional hope” that he’ll be able to play again in 2025.

September 27: The Padres officially placed Laureano on the 10-day injured list today, per a club announcement. The move was retroactive to September 25, and San Diego recalled infielder Will Wagner to take Laureano’s place on the active roster for the final two games of the regular season.

September 24: Padres outfielder Ramón Laureano has a fracture in the index finger of his right hand and will miss at least the first round of the playoffs. Manager Mike Shildt informed reporters, including Julian Del Gaudio of Fox 5 San Diego, after today’s game.

Laureano appeared to injure his hand when fouling off a ball in today’s game. As seen in this video from MLB.com, he was shaking his hand in discomfort after the pitch. He was removed from the game in the second inning.

Shildt sounded fairly pessimistic when asked if Laureano would be able to return after the first playoff round, as heard in this audio clip from 97.3 The Fan. “Sometimes, we come in and talk about, you know, slight fracture, hairline fracture,” Shildt said. “It’s a fracture. So I want to temper expectations but I also want to keep everything on the table. But I wouldn’t expect to see him early in the playoffs but I would hold out hope for later.”

Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn were acquired from the Orioles at the trade deadline. The Friars sent six prospects to Baltimore in one of several aggressive moves they made to bolster the club for the stretch run.

Since then, Laureano has become an everyday part of the club’s outfield and performed quite well. He has nine home runs in 49 games, helping him produce a .271/.325/.492 line and 128 wRC+. He has also stolen three bases and bounced around between all three outfield spots.

Losing that kind of player with just a few games left in the season is obviously less than ideal timing. Based on Shildt’s comments, the club will probably have to operate under the assumption that Laureano is done for the year. If they can engineer a deep postseason run and get him back in the second half of October, they can cross that bridge when they come to it.

That will leave the Padres with an outfield mix consisting of Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Gavin Sheets. Tatis has been ill this week but Shildt said in the comments linked above that he has been feeling better. O’Hearn has mostly been playing first base but can play a bit of outfield as well. Bryce Johnson is on hand as a bench guy. Tirso Ornelas is on the 40-man roster and could perhaps be recalled. Tyler Wade is in the system in a non-roster capacity and could be selected to the 40-man.

The Padres hold a $6.5MM option to bring back Laureano for 2026, with no buyout. This injury is minor enough that it shouldn’t impact that decision, so that option is likely to be picked up. The Friars have been working around notable financial constraints in recent years but could likely find a trade partner if they don’t have the budget space to cover that amount of money themselves.

Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images

Reds Attempted To Acquire Josh Naylor Before Trade Deadline

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The Mariners’ acquisition of Josh Naylor is looking like one of the key moves of the 2025 season, given how Naylor has helped carry Seattle to the AL West crown and a first-round playoff bye.  However, the M’s weren’t the only team who was looking to land Naylor, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that the Reds “were close to” working out a trade to obtain the first baseman from the Diamondbacks.

Exactly what the Reds offered the D’Backs isn’t known, or if Cincinnati was the runner-up in the trade talks.  It is worth noting that the Diamondbacks made their decision to move Naylor somewhat early — the Naylor trade was completed on July 24, a week before the July 31 trade deadline.  It could be that Arizona simply liked the Mariners’ offer (young pitchers Brandyn Garcia and Ashton Izzi) enough that it felt the Reds or any other teams weren’t going to top it, or the Reds weren’t given a chance to potentially make a counter.  Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen and Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto are also frequent trade partners and have a well-established rapport, whereas Arizona’s trade history with Cincinnati is pretty scant in recent years.

The Reds were known to be looking for extra bats at midseason, and Miguel Andujar has hit tremendously well in a part-time role since being acquired from the Athletics.  Apart from Andujar, however, Cincinnati’s other pre-deadline trades saw the team pick up more pitching (Zack Littell) and a defensive specialist in third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes.  While the Reds were surely hoping Hayes’ offense might improve with a change of scenery, his .239/.320/.348 slash line in 175 plate appearances since the trade is still subpar, and only a slight step up from his dismal numbers in Pittsburgh.

It is natural to assume that Naylor would’ve been a boost to the Reds lineup, and that he would’ve taken over as the everyday first baseman.  That would have pushed the struggling Spencer Steer into a bench role or part-time DH role, which might’ve also had an impact on how things have played out.  Steer has had a tough year overall but saved some of his best hitting for last, as he has hit .257/.366/.500 over his last 82 plate appearances.

Obviously plenty of sliding-doors scenarios are possible if a Naylor-to-Cincinnati trade had actually happened, as that trade would’ve had a massive impact on pennant races in both leagues.  If Cincinnati does fall short in its bid for the final NL wild card slot today, some second-guessing is sure to follow about what moves the front office did or didn’t make either at the deadline or last winter.

This isn’t the first time that the Reds have been linked to Naylor, as the team also inquired about the first baseman last winter when he was still a member of the Guardians.  This longer-standing interest could potentially make the Reds a candidate to sign Naylor in free agency this winter.  Between Naylor’s strong performance in Seattle, his big 2025 season as a whole, and his broader track record of success over the last four years, he’ll command a healthy multi-year deal on the open market, so signing Naylor would stretch the budget of a Reds team that has traditionally had bottom-third payrolls.  Dipoto has already made plain his desire to re-sign Naylor, and several other clubs will surely have interest in adding a power bat.

Pohlads Discuss Previous Sale Exploration, Club Finances

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The Pohlad family decided to maintain its controlling stake in the Minnesota Twins when new investors emerged and gave the club a chance to pay down a significant amount of the team’s $500MM debt. That’s according to two members of the Pohlad family, executive chair Joe Pohlad and his brother Tom, who spoke to Bill Lukitsch of the Minnesota Star Tribune.

“That was really the driver,” Joe said, then revealing the $500MM number. Previous reporting had mentioned a debt of around $400MM or $425MM but it seems it was actually notable higher than those numbers.

The exact identities of the minority investors are currently unknown, as the Pohlads have not disclosed details, pending approval of the partnership by the league. The piece does mention that the investors are from Minnesota and the East Coast, though little is known beyond that. Once approved, Lukitsch notes that the deal will clear some of the debt and give the Pohlads more room to invest in payroll and stadium upgrades.

The family had been exploring a sale of the franchise since late last year, reportedly seeking $1.7 billion from investors. As mentioned, Joe said the debt was the main driver behind the intended sale. Tom also noted: “We never wanted to sell. But we also had to think about what’s in the best interest of the Twins, what’s in the best interest of the community.” With these minority investors, the Pohlads are going to hold majority ownership and hopefully pay down some or all of the debt.

Tom argued that the team’s middle market revenues “don’t necessarily support” a top-class stadium or a consistently high-performing team. Twins fans may not be satisfied with that explanation, although it is true that attendance at Target Field declined to roughly 1.8 million in 2025, compared to nearly 2 million in 2024. That figure was at 2.3 million in 2019 and has not fully recovered in the years following the pandemic.

Beyond ticket sales, the club’s regional sports network deal with Diamond Sports Group (now Main Street Sports) was not renewed after the 2024 season. This led Major League Baseball to manage the team’s broadcasts in 2025, a situation generally understood give clubs less revenue than a traditional RSN deal. Revenue pitfalls aside, Tom acknowledges that fans are right to be dissatisfied with the team’s performance. “It’s been 34 years since the World Series, and, up until 2023, 21 years since we had a playoff win,” he notes, “and that’s unacceptable.”

The Pohlad family has controlled the Twins since purchasing the team for around $40 million in 1984. Carl Pohlad, the family patriarch, was the original control person until his passing in 2009. He was succeeded by his sons and eventually his grandsons, the aforementioned Joe and Tom. Since the start of 1985, the team has a record of 2976-3295 (.475). The team won the World Series in 1991 but hasn’t had a ton of postseason success since then. Fans have generally criticized the Pohlads in recent years for a lack of spending in payroll as well as the lack of playoff success.

Heading into the final day of the season, the Twins have posted a record of 70-91 (.435), ranking fourth in the AL Central. The team fared better early in the season but fell out of contention by the trade deadline, leading many to expect a sell-off. However, the sell-off ended up being much more vast than anticipated. In addition to trading pending free agents like Chris Paddack, Harrison Bader, and Willi Castro, they also traded star closer Jhoan Duran to the Phillies and controllable reliever Griffin Jax to the Rays. They also shed significant payroll by sending Carlos Correa to Houston, with Minnesota responsible for $33MM of the $103.4MM remaining on his contract at the time of the swap. All told, the Twins traded away 10 big-league players and signaled the start of a rebuild for the franchise.

The decrease in spending has even extended beyond payroll cuts. Earlier this month, the club announced that they will not renew the contracts of four people on their pro scouting staff, leaving just one major league scout heading into the offseason. On the one hand, the cuts follow the trend of teams relying less on traditional scouting in favor of analytics. However, as reported by Dan Hayes of the Athletic, the team’s decision to pare back its scouting department was about cutting costs rather than analytics.

It’s currently not confirmed if the Twins plan on making further payroll cuts or if they now feel better about the financial picture. Pitching-wise, the team has Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan under control through 2027, while Byron Buxton continues to lead the offense. The club also has four Top 100 prospects according to MLB.com, with outfielders Walker Jenkins (No. 14) and Emmanuel Rodriguez (No. 67) finishing this year at AAA. The Twins could try to put another competitive team together or they could target further spending cuts by making players like Lopez or Ryan available in trades this winter.

Michael A. Taylor Announces Retirement

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White Sox outfielder Michael A. Taylor announced his retirement to members of the media today, ahead of the Sox facing the Nationals in Washington, a place he played for many years. “To be able to play my last games of my career here in this ballpark in front of these fans, it’s just the icing on the cake,” Taylor said, per Andrew Golden of The Washington Post. He is in the lineup for the Sox today, playing center field and batting ninth, in what will be his final game.

Michael A. Taylor | Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY SportsTaylor, now 34, was a sixth-round pick of the Nationals back in 2009. He was a shortstop at that time, considered to be raw, but in possession of some elite tools. He was moved to the outfield and quickly showed the potential to be a strong defender. He also showed more pop with the bat as he climbed the ladder, hitting 23 homers in the minors in 2014.

Going into 2015, he was considered to be one of the top 100 prospects in the game. Baseball America gave him the #32 spot, MLB Pipeline had him at #42, Baseball Prospectus at #57 and ESPN at #71. FanGraphs was a bit more bearish, putting him at #133 on their top 200 list.

Taylor had already made a brief major league debut in 2014 but got more properly established in 2015. He got into 138 games for the Nats, popping 14 homers and stealing 16 bags, but his overall value was held back by subpar walk and strikeout rates of 6.8% and 30.9%. Over his career, he would have his ups and downs, but his contributions mostly took that shape. He could put the ball over the fence, track it down with his glove and swipe some bags, but the plate discipline was never good.

Despite his flaws, he was a useful player for the Nats during their best stretch in Washington. The club finished above .500 in each season from 2012 to 2019, making the playoffs in five of those eight seasons. Those clubs featured stars like Bryce Harper, Stephen Strasburg, Trea Turner, Juan Soto, Max Scherzer, Anthony Rendon and others, but Taylor often played a solid supporting role.

In 2019, Taylor spent a decent chunk of the year in the minors, only getting into 53 big league games with one home run. But he took on a more prominent role at just the right time. As the Nats made a miracle charge through the postseason, Taylor got into eight of the club’s playoff contests. He clinched the NLDS over the Dodgers with a diving catch, as seen in this video from MLB.com. He also slashed .333/.391/.619 in his 23 plate appearances as the Nats eventually went on to win the World Series.

In the shortened 2020 season, Taylor had a rough showing, slashing .196/.253/.424. At the end of that campaign, the Nats put him on waivers and he elected free agency after clearing. That led to a one-year, $1.75MM deal with the Royals for 2021. He bounced back somewhat that year with a .244/.297/.356 line and 14 stolen bases. As the season was winding down, the Royals didn’t want him to get away, so they gave him a two-year, $9MM extension for the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

He had a somewhat similar campaign in the first year of that extension but the Royals flipped him to the Twins for 2023. He hit a career-high 21 home runs for Minnesota that year but also struck out at a 33.5% rate, leading to a .220/.278/.442 batting line.

That was a relatively strong campaign for him but he remained unsigned into mid-March of 2024, when he settled for a one-year, $4MM deal with the Pirates. His year in Pittsburgh turned out to be fairly forgettable, as he hit just five home runs and put up a .193/.253/.290 line. He then secured a one-year, $1.95MM deal to join the rebuilding White Sox this year. With one game remaining, he is currently sporting a .199/.256/.366 line.

Taylor currently has 1,215 games played with 3,797 plate appearances, with one more contest to go. He has 806 hits, including 109 home runs. He has drawn walks at a 6.9% clip and struck out 30.7% of the time, producing a .232/.287/.379 batting line. He stole 128 bases. He was credited with 90 Defensive Runs Saved and 61 Outs Above Average in his career as an outfielder. For the 2014-2025 period, that DRS total was sixth among outfielders and his OAA tally was eighth. FanGraphs credited him with 10.2 wins above replacement. Baseball Reference gave him 12.6 WAR and pegs his career earnings above $27MM.

We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Taylor on a solid career and wish him the best in whatever comes next. He tells Golden that he plans to spend more time with his kids but would consider a coaching role in the future.

Photos courtesy of Geoff Burke, Steve Mitchell, Imagn Images

Clayton Kershaw Will Not Be On Dodgers’ Wild Card Roster

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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts tells Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times that left-hander Clayton Kershaw will not be on the club’s Wild Card roster. The veteran southpaw is starting today’s game and it will be a normal start for him. The Dodgers recalled right-hander Landon Knack to give them a fresh arm, with left-hander Andrew Heaney optioned out as the corresponding move.

The decision on Kershaw makes sense given the short series, as they wouldn’t need him to make a start in the best-of-three. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Snell will likely take the ball for the first two contests. Tyler Glasnow started yesterday but only went three innings. He should be plenty rested to start on normal rest for Thursday’s Game Three, if necessary. Shohei Ohtani could also be a factor in there, depending on how the Dodgers want to use him.

The Dodgers have experimented with Kershaw as a reliever a little bit recently, as he tossed a relief inning on Wednesday. However, Kershaw lacks the top-end velocity that teams generally like to have coming out of the bullpen these days. His fastball averaged 90.4 miles per hour during that appearance out of the bullpen on Wednesday. Even with the Dodger bullpen scuffling a bit in recent weeks, they seemingly prefer to go with their typical relievers instead of having Kershaw convert to a pen role.

Since the Dodgers don’t plan on using Kershaw in the Wild Card round, they can have him absorb as many innings as possible today. Their contest this afternoon is meaningless, as they have already been locked into the #3 seed in the National League. It’s also meaningless for the Mariners, who are locked into the #2 seed in the American League. The Dodgers presumably hope to have Kershaw and Knack cover as much of the game as possible. Though they do have an off-day tomorrow before the Wild Card series begins, so they could perhaps have some relievers get limited work during today’s contest. Kershaw should get more consideration for a spot on the NLDS roster, if the Dodgers advance.

As for Heaney, he has more than enough service time where he can only be optioned to the minors with his consent. Presumably, he has agreed to be optioned off the active roster. That arrangement likely works for both sides. He probably isn’t going to be on the club’s initial playoff roster but could be recalled if some injuries pop up. That gives the Dodgers some extra depth. For Heaney, it’s a chance to potentially pitch in the postseason, whereas not consenting would only allow him to get a headstart on his offseason. He’ll be eligible for free agency at season’s end regardless.

Roberts also provided updates on some position players, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com. Roberts expects third baseman Max Muncy to be ready by Tuesday’s game. He hasn’t played since Wednesday due to some unspecified lower body injury. Roberts added that infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman should be able to play the field by Tuesday as well. Due to some right ankle soreness, he hasn’t played the field since Wednesday, though he did serve as the designated hitter on Saturday.

Catcher Will Smith is a bit more up in the air. He hasn’t played in almost three weeks due to a hairline fracture in his hand, suffered when he was hit by a foul ball. Roberts says he has been swinging lately but will need to take live at-bats tomorrow to be considered for the roster. Currently, the Dodgers have Ben Rortvedt and Dalton Rushing handling the catching duties.

Photo courtesy of Joe Rondone, Imagn Images

Red Sox Select José De León

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The Red Sox have selected the contract of right-hander José De León. They had a 40-man vacancy due to Ali Sánchez being outrighted last week. Left-hander Chris Murphy has been optioned to open an active roster spot.

De León, 33, is going to start today’s game for the Red Sox. Lucas Giolito was lined up to potentially take the ball today. He probably would have done so if they still needed to clinch a playoff spot. However, now that the Sox have a spot secured, it appears they will hold Giolito back so that he’s available for the Wild Card series.

Instead, they will give the ball to De León. Despite his age and former status as a top prospect, his major league track record is still limited. He debuted back in 2016 and has appeared in six different big league seasons but has thrown just 65 1/3 innings with a 7.44 earned run average. Injuries have been a major storyline in his career. His 2023 season was cut short by Tommy John surgery, the second of his career.

Due to that surgery, he missed the entire 2024 season, at least in terms of affiliated ball. He played some winter ball in Puerto Rico in 2024-25, demonstrating enough health for the Sox to give him a minor league deal heading into 2025. He made 22 appearances for the WooSox this year, 13 of them being starts, logging 75 1/3 innings overall with a 6.93 ERA. His 14.4% walk rate was quite poor but he struck out 24.6% of batters faced.

His last appearance was September 20th, just over a week ago, when he logged 4 1/3 innings, walking four but striking out eight. Presumably, the Sox will throw him out there to soak up as many innings as he can, so that they can save Giolito and some of their relievers for the Wild Card round. There is an off-day tomorrow, so the relievers don’t need to be sealed in bubble wrap, but it makes sense for the club to focus on their workloads and make sure they’re all fresh for Tuesday.

De León is out of options and may end up getting bumped off the roster shortly. It’s been suggested by some members of the Boston media that the club may want to have Sánchez on the postseason roster as a third catcher, which would free up manager Alex Cora to be more aggressive in removing his catchers for pinch-hitters or pinch-runners. Since De León is likely up for a one-day mop-up assignment, he may end up the sacrificial lamb for that move.

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Dyer, Imagn Images

AL Notes: Naylor, Chisholm Jr., Altuve, Cowser

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Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor was removed from Friday’s 3-2 loss to the Dodgers due to groin tightness, according to Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. Manager Dan Wilson described the move as precautionary, which is quite a relief for M’s fans as they gear up for the postseason. Naylor has been one of the team’s best hitters since being acquired from the Diamondbacks in July, batting .299/.341/.490 triple in 54 games with his new club. He has also been a positive on defense, posting five Defensive Runs Saved and three Outs Above Average at first base.

It makes sense for Seattle to play it safe with Naylor’s health. The team has already clinched the No. 2 playoff seed in the American League, which gives them a first-round bye through the Wild Card Series. Their first game is set for Saturday, October 4, against either the Guardians or the Tigers. With a week off until then, the club wants to make sure Naylor is at full strength for what will hopefully be a deep postseason run.

Some more notes from around the Junior Circuit…

  • Initial x-rays on Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. were negative, and he is set to undergo a CT scan as well, according to Erik Boland of Newsday. Chisholm was removed from yesterday’s 6-1 victory over the Orioles after being hit by a pitch in the fifth inning. The 27-year-old is having a great year for New York, posting a .243/.333/.482 triple slash that rates as 27% better than league average by wRC+ while continuing to provide good defense at the keystone. Heading into their final regular season game, the Yankees are tied with the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East, although they have clinched a postseason spot regardless. With that in mind, the club may give Chisholm the day off to rest up before a potential Wild Card Series on Tuesday.
  • Astros second baseman Jose Altuve told Chandler Rome of the Athletic that his right foot injury “is pretty painful,” adding that he “had no choice but to go out there and play.” Houston had been fighting for the last AL Wild Card spot recently, but with the Guardians defeating the Rangers 3-2 yesterday, the Astros were eliminated from postseason contention. Altuve has hit .265/.329/.442 in his age-35 season, good for a 113 wRC+, but his defense has graded out poorly. In addition to 66 games at the keystone with -8 DRS, he has also spent significant time in left field, earning -10 DRS in 47 games there. According to Rome, Altuve will meet with doctors to discuss his next steps, though it is unclear if surgery is on the table.
  • Orioles outfielder Colton Cowser played through two broken ribs which he incurred back in June, according to Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner. The 25-year-old previously missed time due to a thumb fracture as well as a concussion. Regarding this additional injury, he explained that even though he felt good enough to play, he was “still trying to find [his] way back” performance-wise. In 91 games this year, Cowser has batted just .198/.272/.390 with an 85 wRC+, with the injuries undoubtedly affecting his performance. Baltimore is out of postseason contention, so Cowser will look toward the offseason to get back to full strength in order to help his team in 2026.

The Opener: Game 162!

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The Opener usually takes the weekends off but today is a good day for an exception. It is Game 162, the final day of the regular season, with still a lot to be determined. In order for no team to have an advantage of a later start potentially altering their strategic decisions, all games will begin at essentially the same time, shortly after 2pm Central. Here are some of the things still at stake…

1. One last playoff spot in the National League:

The National League playoff field is mostly set. The Brewers have clinched the top seed, followed by the Phillies, Dodgers, Cubs and Padres. The Brewers and Phillies each get a bye through the first round. The Cubs will host the Padres in the Wild Card round. The Dodgers will be hosting the other Wild Card matchup but their opponent has not yet been determined. The Reds and Mets are currently tied for the final spot with identical 83-78 records, though the Reds hold the tiebreaker.

The Reds can get into the playoffs with a win or a Mets loss. For the Mets to get in, they need to win and have the Reds lose. In Milwaukee, the Reds are sending Brady Singer to the mound to face Freddy Peralta of the Brewers. The Mets are in Miami and are giving the ball to Sean Manaea against Edward Cabrera of the Marlins.

2. American League seeding:

The American League playoff field has been set, though the seeding is still largely up in the air. The six teams will be the Blue Jays, Yankees, Mariners, Guardians, Red Sox and Tigers. However, the Mariners are the only team locked into a seed. They have won the West and will be the #2 seed, getting a bye through the first round. The five other clubs still don’t have a seed locked in.

The Jays and Yankees are currently tied atop the American League East, though the Jays are technically ahead since they hold the tiebreaker. One of those two clubs will win the East and be the top seed, securing a bye. The Jays could get that spot with a win or a Yankees loss, whereas the Yankees need to win and have the Jays lose. Whoever comes up short in that battle will get the #4 seed as the top Wild Card team, squaring off against the #5 seed. The Jays are hosting the Rays with Kevin Gausman squaring off against Ian Seymour. The Yanks send Luis Gil to the mound as they host Kyle Bradish and the Orioles.

Similarly, the Guardians and Tigers are tied atop the Central, with the Guards holding the tiebreak. However, there’s no bye at stake here. The winner will just get home field advantage in the Wild Card round and will face the #6 seed. The Guardians are hosting the Rangers with Logan Allen facing Patrick Corbin. The Tigers are in Boston and will send Chris Paddack to the mound. The Red Sox had Lucas Giolito lined up to pitch if today was meaningful but he may be held back for the playoffs now that they have clinched. If Giolito doesn’t get the ball, Boston may do a bullpen game.

Boston is currently in the #5 spot but they could get bumped down to #6. If they lose to the Tigers and the Guardians win, those three clubs would all finish at 88-74. In that scenario, the Guards win the Central and are the #3 seed. The Tigers hold the tiebreaker over the Red Sox and would jump to #5.

3. Individual achievements:

Today is also the last chance for players to pad their stats for awards consideration. The A.L. MVP debate has been an ongoing talking point for months. Aaron Judge has better offense than Cal Raleigh on the whole but Raleigh’s production from the catcher position is unprecedented. The baseball industry seems divided on who should get the nod and we won’t know the answer for a few more weeks. For now, it’s one more chance to put up some numbers. Raleigh has already hit the 60-homer plateau but could tie Judge’s A.L. record if he can hit a couple more today.

There are lots of other milestones which could be hit today and races which could still be determined. Eugenio Suárez has 49 home runs, the same amount he hit back in 2019. Can he get to 50? Oneil Cruz has 38 stolen bases, tied for the N.L. lead with… Juan Soto? Bobby Witt Jr. leads the majors in hits with 183, two ahead of Bo Bichette and Luis Arráez. Bichette is on the injured list, so he won’t be a factor in that race. If you’re watching out for some specific achievement today, comment below!

Photo courtesy of Aaron Doster, Imagn Images

Willson Contreras Will Consider Waiving No-Trade Clause But Prefers To Remain With Cardinals

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Willson Contreras’ five-year, $87.5MM contract with the Cardinals included a full no-trade clause for the first four seasons, and Contreras indicated after last season that he wasn’t willing to consent to a deal.  The first baseman has slightly changed his stance now, telling reporters (including MLB.com’s Jeff Jones) that still wants to remain in St. Louis, but is willing to consider waiving his no-trade protection.

“If something comes up to [president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom] that makes a lot of sense for him and the organization, and it makes sense for me and my future, how about we talk about that?” Contreras said.  “But as of right now, I would just like to be part of the [rebuilding] process.”

Contreras noted that he isn’t requesting a trade, and already shared his thoughts about staying with the club in a meeting with Bloom on Friday.  “I’d like to be a part of a young team that needs to have some kind of experience around them.  That’s what I expressed, but I understand the part of the business of the team, and we just came to an agreement there,” the first baseman said.

We’ve already seen Sonny Gray and Nolan Arenado each indicate that they’d be more open to waiving their own no-trade protection this winter, in the wake of the incoming Cardinals rebuild.  Gray is under contract just through the 2026 season but at the hefty price tag of $40MM ($35MM in backloaded salary and at least $5MM in a buyout of a club option for 2027).  Arenado is owed $42MM through the 2027 season, though that number is reduced by deferred money and $5MM from the Rockies as per the terms of the trade that sent Arenado from Colorado to St. Louis.

Contreras is just finishing the third season of his five-year deal, and he is owed $41.5MM in remaining salary — $18MM in 2026, $18.5MM in 2027, and there is a $5MM buyout of a $17.5MM club option for 2028.  Of these three pricey St. Louis veterans, Contreras brings less of a one-off luxury tax hit than Gray, and he has been a much more effective hitter than Arenado over the last three seasons.

A right shoulder strain ended Contreras’ 2025 season earlier in September, so his season numbers stand at 20 homers and a .257/.344/.447 slash line across 563 plate appearances.  Contreras’ time with the Cardinals has been largely defined by the team’s downturn in performance and the defensive questions that led to his move from catcher to first base, but the veteran has continued to hit — he has batted .261/.358/.459 over 1416 PA in a Cardinals uniform, which translates to a 129 wRC+.

Those numbers play better from the catcher position than at first base, so hypothetically, a trade suitor might have interest in shifting Contreras back into at least a part-time role behind the plate.  Given the lack of catching depth around the league, a team might also have more interest in taking on more of Contreras’ salary if he is being deployed to fill a larger hole at catcher than at first base.

As Jones observes, trading Contreras would allow the Cardinals to find more playing time for multiple players on the roster.  Alec Burleson would likely take over most of the time at first base, which in turns opens up at-bats at DH and in the outfield for others.

That said, Contreras ultimately has the final word due to his contract.  His full no-trade protection only lasts through 2026, as Contreras can then submit a no-trade list of 10 teams.  The Cardinals could conceivably stick with Contreras through the coming season and then perhaps look more seriously at trade talks next winter, when the team will have slightly more freedom in working out a deal with at least 19 teams.

Even if Contreras has left the door slightly ajar to a trade, he made it clear that he is happy in St. Louis and would embrace the idea of helping mentor a new generation of Cardinals.

“I understand that it might take three to five years to have a playoff team or a team that can contend to the World Series, and I said even if I don’t make it there, and you guys make it to a World Series, I feel like I can be proud of that, just because I want to help young guys to better develop and have a better idea of what baseball is besides going to analyze stats,” Contreras said.

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