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The Opener: Javier, Buxton, Brewers

By Leo Morgenstern | August 11, 2025 at 8:38am CDT

Here are three things we’ll be watching around baseball today:

1. Cristian Javier makes his return:

Cristian Javier was a key piece of the Astros’ World Series-winning squad in 2022, earning himself a five-year, $64MM contract extension with his performance that year. He followed that up with his first qualified season as a full-time starter in 2023. While he wasn’t as sharp as he’d been the year before, he was still an important innings eater, tying for the team lead in starts (31) and starting another three contests in October. Unfortunately for Javier and the Astros, he wasn’t able to participate in the team’s next postseason push. The right-hander suffered a UCL injury in May 2024, ultimately requiring Tommy John surgery after just seven starts.

Over the offseason, Javier suggested he’d be back at some point following the 2025 All-Star break, while GM Dana Brown said he could be pitching for the Astros again as soon as late July. On Sunday, manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle) that Javier would take the ball tonight against the Red Sox. If late July was the original goal, a mid-August return is only slightly behind schedule. Considering how long and difficult the road to come back from Tommy John can be, Javier’s timely return is a good sign for Houston. With the Mariners breathing down their necks in the AL West and a serious lack of rotation depth behind co-aces Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown, the Astros are surely glad to have Javier back in the fold. They’ll hope he can rediscover his 2022 form, but even the 2023 version of Javier would be a much-needed reinforcement for this club.

2. Will the Twins activate Byron Buxton today?

On Sunday, The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman reported that oft-injured superstar Byron Buxton was likely to rejoin the Twins during their upcoming series against the Yankees, possibly as soon as tonight. Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune offered a similar update, noting that Buxton is traveling with the team to New York and could be activated for the series opener.

The center fielder has been on the shelf since just before the trade deadline with inflammation in his left rib cage. Prior to his injury, he was enjoying arguably the best season of his career to date, and Minnesota will hope to see him pick up right where he left off. Despite selling big before the deadline, the Twins have been playing well in August, taking their last two series against the Tigers and Royals – a pair of division rivals with playoff aspirations. While their playoff chances are still slim, they’re now only five games below .500. Having a healthy Buxton for the final seven weeks of the schedule could perhaps help them to salvage something from a highly disappointing season.

3. Can the Brewers make it 10 in a row?

The Brewers have yet to lose a game in August. After sweeping the Nationals, Braves, and Mets, they’re 9-0 on the month and comfortably ahead of the Phillies for the best record in MLB. Tonight, they’ll go for a 1oth consecutive win, this time against the Pirates. Staff ace Freddy Peralta was originally expected to take the bump, but he’s been swapped out for former Pirate Jose Quintana, who will face off against Andrew Heaney in a battle of veteran left-handers. Peralta will take the ball tomorrow instead, when he’ll face fellow 2025 All-Star Paul Skenes.

After winning 11 in a row from July 6-21, Milwaukee already boasts the longest winning streak in the NL this year. They’re still four wins away from tying the Twins for the longest winning streak in MLB this season (Minnesota won 13 straight in May), but with a win tonight, the Brewers will become the only team with multiple 10-game winning streaks in 2025. The Red Sox and Blue Jays are the only other clubs with double-digit win streaks so far.

Justin Verlander “Would Like To Continue Pitching” In 2026

By Mark Polishuk | August 10, 2025 at 11:28pm CDT

Justin Verlander’s 20th big league season hasn’t been one of his standout years, as he now has a 4.53 ERA over 99 1/3 innings following today’s tough outing (five earned runs on 11 hits and a walk over five innings) against the last-place Nationals. Between these numbers and the 5.48 ERA Verlander posted over 90 1/3 frames during his injury-marred 2024 season, it is easy to speculate that time has finally caught up to the future Hall-of-Famer.

However, Verlander wants to keep going, telling the San Francisco Standard’s John Shea that he wants to return in 2026. This isn’t exactly new news since Verlander has previously indicated that he would like to pitch into his mid-40s, and he turns 43 in February. However, he did attach some injury-related caveats to his plans, which makes sense given the health concerns Verlander has dealt with in recent years.

“At this point in my career, if something goes really wrong, I’m not going to rehab a surgery or anything,” Verlander said. “I always understand that it could be it, but I think physically, I’ve shown some good health this season. As I’ve been on the mound, things have started to get better and better. To me, that’s a good sign with all the work I put in after my nerve injury last year, which notoriously takes a long time. The ball’s rolling in the right direction, and I would like to continue pitching. You never know. It’s a fickle game too, but I think the stuff is still there.”

The Giants signed Verlander to a one-year, $15MM free agent deal last winter, as San Francisco chose to invest in Verlander’s history rather than his more immediate struggles in 2024. The right-hander had a 4.33 ERA over his first 52 innings before a pectoral strain cost him about a month of playing time from mid-May to mid-June. Verlander’s overall production has been about the same since returning from the 15-day IL, though it seemed like he was turning a corner by posting a 2.66 ERA in the 23 2/3 innings prior to today’s clunker against Washington.

While a lost month isn’t insignificant, it is understandable that Verlander is a lot more confident about his health now than he was last year, when he was limited by both early-season shoulder problems and then his nerve injury in his neck. Verlander admitted last September that he probably tried to return too quickly from his neck problem, and his lack of results led the Astros to leave him off their playoff roster. Comparatively speaking, a pec strain is a much less serious type of injury, and if Verlander can get through the remainder of the 2025 campaign in good shape, it will line him up well to explore a return for next year.

Another one-year contract seems inevitable given Verlander’s age, and what could be two years of unimpressive numbers if he can’t get things turned around during the rest of the Giants’ schedule. Beyond just the bottom-line ERA, Verlander’s Statcast numbers have a troubling amount of blue shade, with below-average strikeout and walk rates. The latter statistic is notable since Verlander hadn’t posted a below-average walk rate since 2017 — he had a very impressive 5.3 BB% during the 2018-24 seasons.

As much as front offices are more concerned with future performance rather than past results, Verlander’s track record is hard to ignore. He was still posting elite numbers as recently as 2022, when he won his third career Cy Young Award to help lead the Astros to a World Series title (for the second ring of Verlander’s career). The righty followed that year up with a less-elite but still impressive 2023 season that saw Verlander deliver a 3.22 ERA across 162 1/3 innings with the Mets and Astros, though his strikeout rate dropped off dramatically this year and has yet to recover.

Chances are another team will take a shot at signing Verlander to see if he can recapture a bit of his old magic in his age-43 season. Playing for a contender will surely be at the top of Verlander’s priority list, so a return to San Francisco could hinge on whether or not the former ace thinks the Giants are ready to turn the corner and make a playoff push in 2026. The Giants were reportedly open to trading Verlander before the deadline, as part of the team’s desire to move some short-term veteran contracts.

There is no doubt Verlander will be heading to Cooperstown when he eventually hangs up the cleats, but sticking around for another season will push him even further up several all-time leaderboards. In recording six strikeouts against the Nationals today, Verlander now has 3503 career Ks, making him the tenth pitcher in MLB history to top the 3500-strikeout threshold.

Latest On Shane McClanahan

By Mark Polishuk | August 10, 2025 at 11:00pm CDT

Shane McClanahan has been sidelined all season by a triceps nerve injury that arose during Spring Training. This latest issue added to what was already an extended absence for the left-hander following Tommy John surgery in August 2023, and it has now been over two years since McClanahan threw his last pitch in a Major League game.

Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander gave a sobering update on McClanahan’s status during a radio appearance on WDAE on Friday (hat tip to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times), and the lack of any new information provides fresh doubt that we’ll see McClanahan in action this year. The southpaw is still dealing with “lingering symptoms,” according to Neander, and is “not getting over the hump” in terms of readiness.

“No huge setbacks, but also no huge progress or breakthroughs. The clock’s obviously ticking at this point as we sit here today….We’re not getting the progress that we or certainly he is hoping for. Really unfortunate. But we’ve got to do what’s best for him and take care of him and try to stay at it the best we can.”

It seemed like McClanahan was on the road to recovery when he started a minor league rehab assignment in July, but after three outings, he was shut down due to biceps tendinitis. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash told MLB.com and other reporters on July 28 that McClanahan “felt okay, nothing great” after a game of catch from a 60-foot distance.

Neander didn’t mention the biceps problem so it would seem like that injury has been resolved. However, the lingering nerve problem “is still in play just enough. This is a new one to all of us really, and in many regards to the baseball community. So we’re learning as we go.”

Selected 31st overall by the Rays in the 2018 draft, McClanahan posted a 3.02 ERA, 46.8% grounder rate, 28% strikeout rate, and 7.1% walk rate over 404 2/3 innings during the 2021-23 seasons. After finishing seventh in AL Rookie of the Year voting in 2021, McClanahan followed with a sixth-place finish in AL Cy Young Award voting in 2022, and he was named to the AL All-Star roster in both 2022 and 2023. By all appearances it seemed like McClanahan was emerging as an ace of Tampa’s rotation, before his career was suddenly put on ice.

As Neander noted, McClanahan doesn’t have much time remaining before the season is over. The unclear nature of nerve injuries means that McClanahan could technically wake up tomorrow and feel fine, yet it might take such a sudden turn-around to give the lefty a chance at a 2025 return. Given that he is still limited to light throwing, McClanahan would still need at least a month for a full throwing progression (i.e. bullpen sessions, live batting practices, and several minor league rehab games) that would get him back to game readiness.

If he is physically able, returning even for one appearance with the Rays would surely give McClanahan some peace of mind heading into the offseason. Building up enough arm strength to return as a reliever wouldn’t take as long as it would take to prepare for a starter’s workload, so a temporary move to the bullpen could be possible if McClanahan simply wants to pitch in any capacity. On the other hand, Tampa Bay might opt to simply shut him down if the timeline becomes too compressed, as the 57-62 Rays are only on the outskirts of the wild card race and aren’t likely to be playing meaningful games in late September.

Alex Bregman To Wait Until Offseason To Discuss Contract

By Mark Polishuk | August 10, 2025 at 10:07pm CDT

Back in late June, Alex Bregman’s agent Scott Boras said that his client was “always open to any conversation” about a longer-term agreement with the Red Sox. This created the impression that an in-season extension between the two sides was perhaps possible, though Bregman seemingly put an end to that idea when speaking with the Boston Globe’s Tim Healey today. While Bregman is “obviously…open to talking” at season’s end, the third baseman stressed that “for the next few months, I’m just really focused on the baseball. I’m just focused on trying to do what I can to help this team win and get into the playoffs. I feel like that’s where my head and mind need to be.”

Most players adopt this same stance with extension negotiations, preferring to have any deals finalized either prior to Opening Day or just after (if talks were almost but not quite completed by the first game). That said, there have also been plenty of in-season extensions over the years, as naturally each player has a different set of circumstances that can impact a long-term deal. For instance, the Red Sox completed a major extension just a few days ago with Roman Anthony, as the rookie sensation locked in the first fortune of his pro career by signing an eight-year contract that will pay him at least $130MM.

It is more rare to see an established veteran sign a new contract so close to free agency, so it isn’t surprising to see Bregman choose to put negotiations aside until Boston’s season (and what he hopes is a deep playoff run) is complete. Bregman signed a three-year, $120MM free agent deal with the Sox last winter that contains opt-out clauses after each of the first two seasons. That means Bregman can bank his $35MM salary from 2025 and leave the remaining money on the table in order to pursue a richer and longer-term commitment in another trip to the open market this offseason.

Bregman’s first season in Beantown was interrupted by a quad strain that kept him out of action for just shy of seven weeks. That significant absence notwithstanding, there is little doubt Bregman will indeed trigger his opt-out clause, as he is hitting .298/.380/.531 with 14 homers over 313 plate appearances in a Red Sox uniform. This translates to a 148 wRC+ that would be Bregman’s highest since his 167 wRC+ during the 2019 season with the Astros — Bregman finished second in AL MVP voting during this high point of his outstanding career.

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow raved about Bregman during a radio interview in June, describing the third baseman as “everything we could have asked for both on the field but also in the clubhouse from a leadership standpoint. Not just in the way he’s helped younger players and our staff but in the ways that he’s helped me and many of us in the front office.” This praise of Bregman has been echoed by teammates and manager Alex Cora, leaving no doubt of Bregman’s quick impact on a young Red Sox team that is in the thick of the postseason race.

It would certainly seem that the Sox are willing to offer Bregman a lucrative deal that tacks a few more years onto his current contract (or overwrites it entirely) in order to get him to forego his opt-out decision. Bregman and Boras went into the 2024-25 offseason reportedly looking to land a $200MM guarantee, so speculatively speaking, perhaps a five-year, $165MM extension might be enough to get things done.

Such a deal would commit Bregman to the Red Sox through his age-36 season, give him the overall $200MM payday he was seeking in the first place, and perhaps get more money into his bank account a little sooner, depending on how this hypothetical contract is structured. Bregman’s current deal contains $60MM in deferred money, so Bregman is only receiving $20MM of his $35MM salary for 2025. Then again, Bregman could be open to deferrals since such an arrangement lowers the luxury tax hit of his contract, thus giving the Red Sox more flexibility in spending more on acquisitions or in locking up other players to extensions.

There are some parallels to Matt Chapman’s situation here, even though Bregman apparently won’t be following his fellow Boras Corporation client in signing an extension before the season is over. Chapman signed a three-year, $54MM deal with the Giants during the 2023-24 offseason that also contained two opt-out clauses, and then worked out a new six-year, $151MM extension last September.

It was surprising to see Chapman and Boras work out such a deal before even testing the market, especially when Chapman was so close to free agency, yet Chapman’s desire to stay in the Bay Area helped pave the way to a new agreement. As much as Boras has the reputation of “pushing” his clients towards the open market, the agent has negotiated plenty of high-profile extensions during his long career, so it shouldn’t at all be taken as a given that Bregman could be playing elsewhere in 2026. Indeed, given how much mutual interest there seems to be between Bregman and the Red Sox, it may be more likely than not that Bregman could indeed find himself as a Fenway Park cornerstone.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Mark Polishuk | August 10, 2025 at 9:00pm CDT

Mark P

After just one Weekend Chat session in all of July, consider this a bonus entry as a follow-up to yesterday’s chat.

Jason

Are the brewers for real???

Mark P

They’ve been “for real” for the better part of the decade. Whether this is the Brewers team that breaks through to make some serious noise in October remains to be seen, but is is remarkable how this team keeps reinventing itself and remaining competitive.

Guest

While many teams went shopping for a dress to the party at the high end stores, the Royals found some gems at thrift store pricing.

Mark P

I also liked a lot of KC’s moves. It might be too little too late, but they addressed some needs in a pretty low-cost manner.

John

Is resigning Cedric Mullins a real possibility for the Orioles?

Mark P

If I’m the Orioles at this point, I go with the youth movement. No more timeshares, no more splitting at-bats with veterans….let the kids play and see what they can do with everyday at-bats.
If you are adding a veteran, aim higher than Mullins for a real difference-maker in the regular lineup

Greg

Can the Mariners win world series?

Safeco Field Redux

So: How good are the M’s? Legitimate World Series contender?

Mark P

Absolutely. Seattle might be the best overall team in baseball right now, give or take the Brewers. So many other contenders have a clear weakness or two, but not the M’s (on paper)

Which is more likely a Acuna extension or signing Bo?

Mark P

Acuna’s current deal keeps him under team control through 2028, as the Braves have club options (worth $17MM each) for both 2027-28. Call me crazy, but I think the Braves will be picking those up. :)
As such, the team doesn’t really need to prioritize an extension this offseason. Obviously the Braves have been as proactive as anyone in locking players up, but there isn’t any immediate urgency with Acuna. Plus, Atlanta might want to wait until Acuna has a fully healthy season before considering a second extension.
So I guess by default, this makes Bichette slightly more likely, even if Anthopoulos traditionally doesn’t aim for those kind of pricey free agent deals.

White Sox Fan

How many years away are we from competing? Cam we compete every year instead of every so often?

Mark P

I haven’t loved everything the Sox have done in their rebuild, but they’ve gotten a decent amount of young talent in the fold. The AL Central’s inconsistency could help the White Sox contend perhaps slightly sooner than expected, but I wouldn’t expect much from the next 2-3 seasons.

Judge

Is my future at first like Harper?

Mark P

Judge’s solid defense is the most underrated part of his game. He is a plus right fielder, and while he didn’t do much defensively in center field last year, the fact that he could do it regularly was alone impressive (and helpful to New York’s overall lineup construction).
Barring injury concerns, I think the Yankees are fine with Judge in right field for the foreseeable future. Especially if they’re keeping 1B earmarked for Ben Rice.

Nancy’s Friend Sluggo

Do you think if a miracle occurred and the Pirates offered Paul Skenes a market value contract that he would sign with them despite their annual second-division status?

Mark P

Only Skenes knows the answer to this for sure. He’s made a solid amount of money in his career already via signing bonus and endorsements, so he could choose to bet on himself if he has doubts about Pittsburgh’s ability to compete.
However, betting on yourself and turning down a $200MM (or probably more) extension offer are two different things. If the Pirates actually did go all in on making Skenes their guy and offering him a mega-deal, I would lean towards him taking it, just to lock in some generational wealth for himself.

Jack

Theres an issue with the Orioles about bringing up Beavers and Basallo. Some fans believe the Orioles are holding them back to preserve their rookie status. Question I have is about the 45 day rule. Does time spent on the roster in September count?

Mark P

Yep, all time spent on the MLB roster counts.

Josh

What are your early impressions of Luke Keaschall?

Mark P

He is apparently (checks notes) the greatest player in baseball history
In all seriousness, he’s been a fun story for the Twins and a real shot in the arm for a fanbase that was understandably miserable on this team after the deadline. You can’t help but wonder how different 2025 might’ve been for Minnesota if Keaschall hadn’t gotten hurt.

Kwan

Any chance I get traded in the offseason? Maybe a hometown reunion with the Giants?

Mark P

Based on past precedent, I’d expect the Guardians to move Kwan during the 2027-28 season, when he is a year away from free agency.

Mrs Stowers

Have you or your fellow MLBTR Marlins haters changed your opinion about the team yet? Better than you thought, right?

Mark P

None of us are Marlins haters. We (and the rest of the baseball world) thought they weren’t going to be any good this year, but they’ve been proving a lot of people wrong over the last couple of months. There’s now some hope for a full rebound as early as 2026, depending on how the offseason develops or if the front office feels the roster is ready to contend.

Chef J

Over easy eggs or scrambled eggs? Who ya got Mark?!

Mark P

Scrambled eggs all day every day

Gavin’s mom

Gavin Williams was soooo close to that no-no

Mark P

I looked this up in the wake of Williams’ near-miss. 2005 was the last MLB season without at least one no-hitter, so we’re overdue for a pitcher (or pitchers, in combined fashion) to have a day of days.
Tough break for Williams, but if you’re going to lose a no-hitter, giving up a homer to Juan Soto is a pretty respectable way to lose it

What kind of contract does Devin Williams get given he was the best closer in baseball for years and has been terrible this year?

Mark P

I expect Williams to pursue one-year contracts, with the idea that he’ll rebound in 2026 and line himself up for a bigger multi-year deal during the 26-27 offseason.
For something like a one-year, $10MM deal, lots of teams will be willing to sign Williams. He has major change of scenery potential, and most of his peripheral numbers (save for his barrel rate) are still quite good

flags

if the twins aren’t sold before the offseason do you see them slashing more payroll with trades of lopez, ryan, ober, jeffers, etc?

Mark P

Lopez is the only one that would actually represent big cash savings, since the others are still pretty inexpensive as arb-eligible players. Ryan in particular is a big bargain, earning only $3MM in 2025 and controlled for two more years.
With this in mind, Lopez may be the likeliest of the group to be dealt, with Jeffers next just because he’s only controlled through 2026. But even with Jeffers, he could be retained just because Vazquez is also a free agent this year and is certainly not being re-signed.

Yankees Hot Take

Volpe’s future is at second base due to his lack of arm strength and Lombard knocking on the door, right?

Mark P

A move to 2B could indeed stop Volpe’s downward slide defensively. But, if he continues to scuffle at the plate, he’ll need to be a premium defender (wherever he plays) to retain his spot in the everyday lineup.

M. Betts

Will I be back in the OF next season?

Mark P

Betts has been very good defensively at shortstop, so I’d guess he stays put. Whether or not his lack of hitting is directly tied to the position change is unclear. Betts and the Dodgers probably want to run it back and see what happens in a year when Betts isn’t waylaid by a brutal illness during the spring.

Zach

Will this be the season that costs Aaron Boone his job?

Mark P

Boone’s next contract extension hasn’t actually kicked in yet, as it was signed in February and covers the 2026-27 seasons.
If the Yankees fully collapsed and missed the playoffs entirely, that might be enough to force ownership to make some kind of major move like a managerial change. For as much loyalty as Boone has received, it might be that a culture change is needed in the clubhouse

Steve

Can you explain how trades that involve a “player to be named later” work? It there a timeline in which MLB requires the trades like that to be finalized? Could a team theoretically finalize a trade like that during the season but after the trade deadline or does it have to be finalized in the offseason? I’d love to hear about any known behind the scene stories of these trades.

Mark P

Usually a team provides the other club with a list of a few players to choose from as the PTBNL. I believe the other team has to decide on its choice within six months of the trade. This timeframe allows for players drafted that year to be eligible, since clubs cannot trade a player until at least six months after their draft date.

NY Mess

Stearns and Mendoza both seem really good at their jobs, but this team is pretty bad. Do these guys keep their jobs or is a shakeup coming in the offseason? There could be several hard years in front of this team given payroll, age, and lack of quality.

Mark P

It always felt like the Mets’ halfway approach to their pitching staff would catch up to them, but the biggest question mark has been the surprising lack of offense. Lindor hasn’t looked right for a couple of months and may be playing hurt, Vientos’ production fell off sharply, and overall the lineup just hasn’t been the sum of its parts.
I don’t think either Stearns or Mendoza are going anywhere, but a change in hitting coaches seems very plausible.

Jeff

Why don’t we see more (or any) teams using openers? It seems like it worked wonders for teams like the Tigers and Rays in recent years. Does the data show otherwise?

Mark P

Deploying an opener/bulk pitcher for a regular turn in the rotation makes things harder on a pitching staff’s depth. Over a short period or even a couple of months it can work fine, or even work wonders. Over a full season, however, it has some drawbacks.

JeffyM

Where do you think Barger eventually ends up? Is he a 3B or a RF long term?

Mark P

I’d install him at third base since that’s a tougher position to fill. There’s no harm in toggling Barger between both 3B and RF as circumstances dictate, for now.

NL playoffs

Which teams do you have making the postseason? Any surprise team that could sneak in?

Mark P

Even with the Mets in freefall and the Cubs being shaky recently, the Reds are the only team that is in decent position right now to break into the playoff picture. Cincinnati is the only non-playoff NL team with a winning record, since the Giants and Cardinals are both exactly .500
The way the Mets look right now, I’m hard-pressed to think much of their chances down the stretch. Meanwhile, the Reds get Hunter Greene back this week.

Colson Montgomery

Colson make a run at top 3 rookie of the year with the way he is playing? Who wins the award?

Mark P

Kurtz is walking away with the AL ROY. Jacob Wilson will still get plenty of votes despite his injury, plus you’ve got Roman Anthony surging and Noah Cameron continuing to pitch well. Montgomery is probably out of luck.

Verlander

Do I have anything left or is the inability of my teammates to put runs on the board. Today was a bad day for the lack of offense.

Mark P

The Giants’ lack of run support has certainly been an issue, but Verlander hasn’t helped himself with some shaky performances. I dove into his under-the-hood numbers a bit during that post earlier tonight, and they’re not particularly impressive.
Whether or not he has anything left in the tank remains to be seen, as there’s probably some change of scenery potential there as well heading into 2026. Verlander is such a name and has such a history of defying time in the past that some team will definitely be willing to give him another one-year deal.

Marky Mark

Whats on the Sunday Night Chat Playlist,?

Mark P

“Bad,” by U2

Nick

Who will land the biggest free agent deal this coming off-season?

Mark P

Tucker, by a comfortable margin

Grimace

Would my appearance rejuvenate the Mets or expose the transient limitations of my powers?

Mark P

I feel like this is a stand-up comedy bit from the 80’s, but…..why is that character called “Grimace,” anyway? That’s a pretty weird name for a friendly mascot, isn’t it?

Nolan A

I should’ve moved on. And you told me to stay…. Ugh

Mark P

Arenado probably wasn’t checking in on the Weekend Chat when weighing his decisions about accepting a trade or not.
In all likelihood, Arenado probably has some regrets about not just accepting that trade to Houston. That’s a real sliding doors moment that would’ve completely changed 2025 for both organizations.

Josh Naylor

Do you think the Mariners have a legitimate chance to sign Naylor before he hits free agency? What will it take?

Mark P

He’s a more viable option than Suarez to get re-signed, and if the M’s are willing to stretch the budget, I can see it happening.
Naylor turned 28 last June, he’s posted four above-average offensive years in a row, and he is on pace to break Rickey Henderson’s steals record. The downside is that Naylor is a 1B-only player, his numbers have been more solid than elite, and he might want extra in order to stay in a pitcher-friendly environment like Seattle.

Dealer

If Cubs/SD end tied for WC seeds 4/5who gets home field since season seres went 3-3

Mark P

The next tiebreaker is inter-division record.

Rafael

Thoughts on the Phillies since Duran arrival have there chances gotten better to be a favorite to win the World Series

Mark P

Duran was one of my favourite deadline pickups for any team, and he’s a huge help to Philly’s chances.

Jet2Holiday

youre the GM of the Braves..do you hire from within or look outside the organization? If so who?
Are the Braves hiring their next manager from within or outside

Mark P

I think there’s a non-zero chance it’ll be John Gibbons, based on Anthopoulos’ long history with him. But, who knows, any number of internal candidates could be on the radar, or other candidates on other teams could emerge

Friars

Was trading for all these starting pitchers necessary? (Including Miller) I get that we may have King and cease leave in free agency but it seems like a little much considering musgrove is coming back next year

Mark P

All together now…..you can never have too much pitching!
There’s also no guarantee that Musgrove returns as a frontline pitcher after his long layoff.

Chris

Is it crazy to think the Yanks offer Grisham a QO to see if he can do it again?

Mark P

Grisham’s not getting a QO, even if he has started hitting again.

Bobby Cox

Do you see the Braves trading Murphy since Drake will be ROY?

Mark P

Murphy is owed $45MM over the 2026-28 seasons, and there’s another $15MM club option attached for 2029. He’s been good this year even with Baldwin understandably eating into the catching playing time.
Given how catching is in short supply around baseball, I don’t think Atlanta would have a ton of trouble finding interest in Murphy on the trade market.
Moving Murphy does put some extra pressure on Baldwin to keep it going, and retaining both catchers through 2026 also makes some sense. This would guard against a sophomore slump for Baldwin, for instance

Nothin but Nats

Nathaniel Lowe… DFA candidate? Huge disappointment for the nats

Mark P

He’s certainly looking like a non-tender after the year, so an early DFA just to see if another team will eat some of his contract is very possible

Dalton Rushing

I’m gonna end up being a 3rd string jobber if I can’t learn to hit in the show, correct?

Mark P

Sure. But I’ll need to see (way) more than 100 PA in the majors before making a call on Rushing

Carrie Halas

Way way back when they started the Mcdonald land ads he was the heavy and his full name was evil grimace

Mark P

This is the kind of delightful tidbit that I love finding in these chats.

Tim

odds of cards signing Helsley in the offseason

Mark P

Most players say they like playing for their old club, but Helsley was so particular about it that I think there’s a decent chance of a reunion. Only Helsley or his agents know if Helsley’s interest extends to the point of perhaps being willing to give the Cardinals a minor hometown discount, but we’ll see how his market plays out

Chris A

Do you think there is a deal in place for the sale of the Twins? It would make sense to wait for the offseason to announce it. I am super worried without a new owner, the Twins will go into full rebuild

Mark P

There hasn’t much new news on the ownership front, but who knows what’s happening behind the scenes. It could be that the Twins’ deadline moves were made just as a harbinger for a sale being announced sooner rather than later. Or, perhaps the league wants to get the Rays’ sale finalized first before moving onto the Twins.

Tim

Which player of all time do you wish you could see play in person?

Mark P

Babe Ruth is the obvious answer. Plus all of the great Negro League legends that most fans even of that era didn’t get a chance to see play.

Guest

I think Drake Baldwin is not a lock for ROY at all, Isaac Collins has had a lot to say about that the last two months. Nearly all stats favor Collins.

Mark P

Forgot to put this as an addendum to that previous post, but you’re right, I think Collins will win NL ROY. He’s gotten himself in line for an everyday role with a Brewers team that is conquering baseball.

Desertdan

Is PCA’s post ASG slump a normal second half regression, or something worse?

Mark P

His strikeout and walk rates were both really rough even when he was crushing the ball in the first half, so some regression was inevitable.

Chris A

Wasn’t the bad guy the hamburgler?

Mark P

Yes, I just looked this up on Wikipedia. As I understand it, Grimace seemed to be more of a main villain before his face turn, whereas the Hamburglar was more of a lower-level nuisance. That probably made it easier to keep the Hambluglar (tm Vic Michaelis) a bad guy, since obviously McDonald’s can’t endorse the concept of stealing their food.

Cleveland

Your take on Bazzana? He was the 1.1, but so far seems like the weakest guy taken of the top picks.

Mark P

The Guardians just promoted him to Triple-A today, which makes sense since he’s been ripping up minor league pitching.
Obviously it is way WAY too early to pass judgement on anyone from the 2024 draft. If Kurtz wasn’t breaking out so early and skewing the curve for everyone, Bazzana’s numbers (as a “normal” prospect) would look great.

Check your tiebreaker answer

Mark, second tiebreaker after head to head is NOT inter-division record—it is INTRA division record..

Mark P

You’re correct, that was a typo on my part

Rockies

Do we have a pathway to success in the future, or do we need to pick up more prospects?

Mark P

I don’t think the Rockies will get truly on track unless they modernize their operation and bring in a bunch of new front office voices from outside the organization.

Galcian

Do the Cardinals sign any one this Winter or do they stand pact?

Mark P

A blockbuster signing is doubtful, but I’m sure Bloom will bring in some talent in his first offseason in change
Time to wrap things up for the evening, now that we got a few more baseball questions in after our deep dive into McDonald’s character lore. Thanks to everyone who submitted a question, and we’ll be back with more chatting next weekend.
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Luke Jackson Elects Free Agency

By Darragh McDonald | August 10, 2025 at 6:03pm CDT

Aug. 10: Jackson cleared waivers and has chosen to become a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo, as per Jackson’s MLB.com profile page. Because Jackson has previously been outrighted in his career, he had the right to opt for free agency.

Aug. 8: The Tigers have recalled right-hander Codi Heuer from Triple-A Toledo, with fellow righty Luke Jackson designated for assignment. The moves haven’t been officially announced but Craig McCosky of Detroit News was among the reporters to relay them.

The Tigers picked up Jackson a couple of weeks ago after he had been released by the Rangers. He had been having a rough season in Texas but has a good track record, so the Tigers scooped him up, hoping for a bounceback.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get it. He tossed 4 2/3 innings for Detroit, allowing four earned runs via three hits and five walks while striking out four. Combined with his results with the Rangers, he has a 4.54 earned run average in 39 2/3 innings this year. His 52.5% ground ball rate is good but his 16.1% strikeout rate and 13.8% walk rate are both noticeably worse than league average.

Despite the rough numbers, he might get another shot somewhere. The Rangers are still on the hook for the remainder his $1.5MM salary. That means another club could sign Jackson and would only have to pay him the prorated version of the $760K league minimum for any time spent on the roster. That amount would be subtracted from what the Rangers pay.

From 2018 to 2024, Jackson tossed 289 2/3 innings in the majors with a 3.91 ERA. His 10.2% walk rate in that time was a bit high but he punched out 27.1% of batters faced and got opponents to hit the ball into the ground on 54.3% of balls in play.

The punchouts haven’t been there this year, which is why he’s now twice been designated for assignment. But with the trade deadline now passed, it’s harder for clubs to find useful pitching upgrades. Since Jackson has a good track record and would essentially be free, some team might take a shot on him soon.

Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images

Hunter Greene Slated To Return To Reds’ Rotation On Wednesday

By Mark Polishuk | August 10, 2025 at 4:59pm CDT

After over two months on the injured list, Hunter Greene’s return date to the Reds has now been set. Manager Terry Francona told reporters (including the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Pat Brennan) that Greene is penciled in as the starter for Wednesday’s game against the Phillies.

Greene emerged as the Reds’ ace with an All-Star season in 2024, and he picked up where he left off by posting a 2.72 ERA, 30.8% strikeout rate, and 5.9% walk rate over his first 11 starts and 59 2/3 innings of the 2025 campaign. A right groin strain sent Greene to the IL for a 15-day minimum stint in May and he returned in seemingly good form, but another right groin strain has kept the right-hander sidelined since his last start on June 3.

It seemed like Greene was nearing a return in early July before he experienced some more groin soreness, which set things back and delayed the start of his minor league rehab assignment until after the All-Star break. Greene has pitched four times during his ramp-up work in the minors, and the third of his three Triple-A appearances came on Friday, when he threw 79 pitches over 5 1/3 innings with Triple-A Louisville. Francona said that Greene is “probably not there yet” in terms of being able to toss 100 pitches in a game, but the fact that he maintained his velocity on Friday was the final sign the Reds needed to explore activating him from the IL.

Needless to say, getting Greene back in the rotation is a huge help for Cincinnati’s playoff hopes. The Reds’ 14-8 win over the Pirates today moved the club 1.5 games back of the final NL wild card slot, which is held by a Mets team mired in a seven-game losing streak. While New York’s collapse has opened the door for the Reds, Cincinnati has a tough week ahead, with upcoming series against two red-hot division winners in the Phillies and the Brewers.

Chase Burns had been scheduled to start on Wednesday, but Francona said the Reds have “a lot of things to work through” in determining how the rotation will be altered now that Greene is back. Either Burns or Nick Martinez will be moved to bullpen duty, and both pitchers could ultimately end up as relievers once Nick Lodolo also returns from a blister problem that sent him to the 15-day IL last week. This would give the Reds a projected rotation of Greene, Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, and deadline pickup Zack Littell once everyone is healthy, and using the excess starting depth to bolster the pen is a nice luxury for the team.

Rays Haven’t Yet Discussed Extension With Junior Caminero

By Mark Polishuk | August 10, 2025 at 4:23pm CDT

Junior Caminero’s first full Major League season has been a success, as the former star prospect has hit .258/.297/.523 with 32 home runs over his first 472 plate appearances. The low walk rate, Caminero’s tendency to chase pitches off the plate, and subpar defensive metrics at third base indicate that he hasn’t gotten everything figured out just yet, but there’s clearly a lot to like about a player who just turned 22 last month.

Despite this early success, the Rays haven’t yet broached the subject of a contract extension with Caminero’s camp, agent Rafa Nieves tells Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Early-career extensions have been a chief element of the Rays’ team-building strategy over the years, but in Caminero’s case, Nieves feels “the fact that at this point they haven’t knocked on his door, the only reason is that their hands are tied….The [Rays] are not in position to make that commitment with all the question marks surrounding their financial future. That’s why I think they haven’t made an attempt. And, honestly, by the time they’re out of those question marks, it might be too late.”

The three major “question marks” cited by Nieves begin with the most obvious issue of the Rays’ temporary stay at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Tropicana Field is undergoing repairs with the idea that the Rays’ old ballpark will once again be ready for game action by Opening Day 2026, though since the repair work only officially began in July, it may still be a while before that planned timeline is confirmed. The club is also expected to be returning to its former stadium under new ownership, as the Rays’ sale to the group led by Patrick Zalupski is on pace to be finalized at some point in September.

Turning to the baseball payroll itself, making a major commitment to Caminero may not be feasible until Wander Franco’s situation has been sorted. Franco was found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor in the Dominican Republic in June, and received a two-year suspended sentence. With the court case complete, Major League Baseball is expected to weigh in at some point about what type of discipline Franco will face under the MLB/MLBPA joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. Tampa Bay signed Franco to the largest contract in franchise history (an 11-year, $182MM extension) in November 2021, and $164MM remains on that deal covering the 2026-32 seasons.

Any one of these factors — let alone all three — would be a logical reason for the Rays to hold off on exploring a long-term deal with Caminero. There is also the fact that the club doesn’t have any real immediate need to negotiate a deal so soon, since Caminero isn’t arbitration-eligible until 2028 and isn’t eligible for free agency until after the 2030 season.

As Nieves noted, however, the team’s ideal window to lock up Caminero may have already passed. Extending him in 2023 (when he made his MLB debut) or during the 2024 season would’ve allowed Tampa Bay to negotiate more of a team-friendly price, before Caminero had done much to prove himself in the majors. Now that Caminero has already enjoyed some success at the big league level, his asking price has naturally gone up.

Nieves suggests an extension would cost the Rays “probably $150-200MM,” pointing to recent comps of other prominent young stars who signed contracts before amassing one full year of Major League service time. Obviously an agent is always going to aim high when discussing a client’s earning potential, and the Rays could counter by arguing that Caminero wasn’t quite as much of a sure thing coming up the minor league ranks as those other highly-touted players. Tampa Bay acquired Caminero from the Guardians for Tobias Myers in November 2021, in a trade that flew under everyone’s radar until Caminero continued his Dominican Summer League dominance into the Rays’ farm system in 2022.

If $150MM is the floor for what Nieves is looking for in a Caminero extension, the clock could already be unofficially ticking on the third baseman’s time in Tampa. Naturally it remains to be seen how Zalupski could approach spending or how the team’s finances could be changed under new ownership, but for now, the Rays might opt to take advantage of Caminero as a pre-arbitration bargain and then consider trades once arbitration starts boosting his salaries.

Rangers, Omar Narváez Agree To Minor League Deal

By Leo Morgenstern | August 10, 2025 at 3:09pm CDT

The Rangers have agreed to a minor league contract with catcher Omar Narváez. The team revealed the news to reporters, including Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports, this afternoon. Narváez will report to Triple-A Round Rock.

A veteran of 10 MLB seasons, Narváez has suited up behind the dish for the White Sox, Mariners, Brewers, and Mets. He returned to the White Sox on a minor league deal this offseason and eventually, albeit briefly, made his way back to the big league club. He caught four games for the South Siders in April, going 2-for-7 at the plate with two walks and three RBI.

After the White Sox released him in May, Narváez signed a minor league deal with the Astros in early June. He had previously signed a minor league contract with Houston last summer after being released by the Mets. However, as was the case in 2024, Narváez never made it to the majors with the Astros. They released him last weekend.

There was a time when Narváez was considered a good offensive catcher, but he became such a liability with the bat last season that the Mets released him partway through the second season of a two-year, $15MM deal. What’s more, while he blossomed into a strong defensive catcher during his time with the Brewers, he was previously a bat-first backstop. He had negative grades according to Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), Fielding Run Value (FRV), and Deserved Runs Prevented (DRP) in each of the first four seasons of his career. Many of his defensive metrics fell back into the negatives during his time with the Mets. So, it’s unclear if the 33-year-old Narváez still has much to offer a big league team on either side of the ball. That being said, he comes with plenty of game-calling experience, if nothing else, and he was hitting well at Triple-A Sugar Land (110 wRC+) before his Astros release. A team like the Rangers, that has next to no catching depth behind Kyle Higashioka and Jonah Heim, could certainly do much worse.

Rockies Sign Xzavion Curry To Minor League Deal

By Leo Morgenstern | August 10, 2025 at 2:42pm CDT

The Rockies have signed right-hander Xzavion Curry to a minor league contract, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. He had been pitching in the Mexican League since the Marlins released him earlier this year.

Curry, 27, began his career in the Guardians organization and made his MLB debut with Cleveland in 2022. Over the next three seasons, he appeared in 50 games (15 starts) for the club, tossing 129 innings with a 4.53 ERA and 5.19 SIERA. He didn’t miss many bats (15.2% strikeout rate) or prevent dangerous contact (29.4% groundball rate, 44.7% hard-hit rate), but he threw enough strikes to get through innings and limit damage to a serviceable degree. Nonetheless, the Guardians designated him for assignment last August, and the Marlins put in a claim.

The righty didn’t last long in Miami, pitching 18 innings last season and three earlier this year. All told, he has a 4.38 ERA but a 5.12 SIERA in 150 MLB innings. Unfortunately for Curry, he also has a 7.19 ERA in 76 1/3 innings at Triple-A over the last two years. He’s given up 39 walks and 23 home runs while striking out only 58, resulting in a 7.56 FIP. Thus, it wasn’t necessarily surprising when the Marlins released him less than a year after they claimed him off waivers.

In seven appearances with the Tigres de Quintana Roo over the past few weeks, Curry had more success, putting up a 3.44 ERA in 34 innings. For context, the average ERA in the Mexican League this season is 5.82. While the sample was small, his strong showing down south was enough to convince the Rockies to give him a call. He will now report to the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes, where he will serve as right-handed depth for MLB’s worst bullpen according to both SIERA and FanGraphs WAR.

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