The Month That Was in Baseball: February 2026

Sunday, February 1

Eugenio Suarez is returning to Cincinnati, where he played from 2015-21, as he signs a one-year deal worth $15 million with the Reds. The 34-year-old boomer from Venezuela belted 36 home runs—four of them in one game—through the 2025 season’s first four months in Arizona, before being traded to Seattle; he added 13 more for the Mariners for the stretch run, and three more in the postseason. An unapologetic all-or-nothing power hitter, Suarez has 325 career home runs and 1,814 strikeouts—fourth among all active major leaguers. 

Monday, February 2

Edwin Diaz will suit up for Puerto Rico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic, three years after tearing a leg muscle while celebrating a win in the last WBC tourney—and thus missing the entire regular season to follow with the New York Mets. Now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the 31-year-old Diaz will be allowed to participate for a Puerto Rico team so handicapped by players rendered ineligible due to insurance barriers, it recently considered pulling out of the WBC altogether. On that front, the latest disallowance came when 37-year-old Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas was declared ineligible, because new WBC rules stipulate that no one his age or older can participate without insurance. 

It’s official: The St. Louis Cardinals will start the 2026 season as MLB’s most anonymous team. This, after the team completes a trade that sends versatile second baseman Brendan Donovan to Seattle as part of a three-team trade that also involves Seattle and Tampa Bay. In return from those two clubs, the Cardinals will receive three prospects led by the Mariners #1 draft pick from 2024, pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje. (Yes, we spelled that right; the last name is pronounced, “Sain-jah.”) The departure of the 29-year-old Donovan, who earned All-Star status last year with a .287 batting average, 32 doubles, 10 home runs and 50 RBIs, leaves the Cardinals as a young, no-name team—though perhaps not a terrible one. He follows veterans Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray and Nolan Arenado out the door this winter with trades to other teams. 

Tuesday, February 3

Carlos Santana, who tunes 40 this coming Spring, signs on with his ninth MLB team as he inks for a year and $2 million with Arizona. The DH/first baseman played 124 games last year, mostly with Cleveland (before a late spell with the Cubs at Chicago), batting .219 with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs. His 1,330 career walks are the most among all active major leaguers. 

Wednesday, February 4

The top remaining pitcher on the free agent market gets scooped up as former Houston ace Framber Valdez signs a three-year, $115 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. The two-time All-Star accumulated an 81-52 record and 3.36 ERA with the Astros over his previous eight big-league seasons, and he helps solidify a Detroit rotation which, for the past two seasons, has consisted of very little beyond Tarik Skubal. The deal allows Valdez to opt out after his second season, in 2027. 

While Valdez joins the Tigers’ fold, another former Detroit ace of lore sadly departs as Mickey Lolich passes at the age of 85. A three-time All-Star, the Portland, Oregon-born southpaw was a reliable rotation asset through the 1960s, but enjoyed his big moment during the 1968 World Series when he stole the spotlight from 31-game winner Denny McLain and grabbed credit for three of the four victories against the St. Louis Cardinals—outdueling Bob Gibson in the Game Seven decider. Lolich even hit the only home run of his career during the series, launching a solo shot in an 8-1, Game Two victory. When McLain quickly faded from prominence in the years to follow, Lolich became the man on the mound for the Tigers and developed into a workhorse worthy of olden times, throwing 300+ innings each year from 1971-73—including an eye-popping 376 with 25 wins in 1971. Rather than ice himself down after each start, Lolich stepped into a shower and sprayed his left shoulder with scalding hot water. Over 16 years in the majors, Lolich posted a 217-191 record and 3.44 ERA. 

Thursday, February 5

The Tigers think Tarik Skubal should be paid $19 million this upcoming season. Skubal, who’s won the AL Cy Young Award in each of the past two seasons, thinks he should be paid $32 million. Three other folks agree him—and they’re on the arbitration board that gives him his requested salary. It’s by far the largest amount given the nod by a panel, the previous high being the $19.9 million granted to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in 2024. It also increases the likelihood that this year will be the last in a Detroit uniform for Skubal, who becomes a free agent after the season—and should the Tigers be out of contention at the end of July, he could very well be dealt to a contending team for a sackful of prospects, so that the Tigers aren’t left empty-handed. 

When it was initially revealed that Emmanuel Clase had fixed pitches in nine games between 2023-25 to benefit his friends with thousands of dollars through online wagering, it was the tip of the iceberg. According to the attorney of Luis Ortiz—the other Cleveland pitcher accused of rigging pitches—Clase intentionally threw pitches outside of the strike zone in a total of 48 games, including one during the 2024 postseason. That moment took place when Clase took the mound with a 7-0 lead over Detroit in the ninth inning of ALDS Game One. Ortiz and his lawyer are trying to get a separate trail established, stating that the cases against Clase and Ortiz have “markedly different levels of culpability.” 

This latest bit of knowledge certainly increases the chances that Clase will never pitch in another organized game again. This is why Ortiz, who Clase encouraged to get in on the scheme, is trying to distance himself from him. 

Friday, February 6

Former MVP and probable future Hall of Famer Paul Goldschmidt is returning to the New York Yankees on a one-year deal worth $4 million, though incentives could max the final tally at $6 million. The 38-year-old slugger batted .274 last season with New York over 146 games, but could only manage 10 home runs—by far his fewest playing a full season. At this juncture, Goldschmidt is expected to be a back-up to first baseman Ben Rice. 

Former major league slugger Yaisel Puig is found guilty of lying to federal investigators in a case involving illegal gambling. The 35-year-old Cuban émigré, known for his flamboyant and often temperamental persona, admitted losing $280,000 wagering on various sports (not baseball) over a two-month period in 2019, all through an illegal gambling operation. After initially pleading guilty to the charges, Puig later it switched it to not guilty due to “significant new evidence”—all of which apparently wasn’t enough to sway the jury. Puig is scheduled to be sentenced on May 26. 

Sunday, February 8

Sometimes, MLB just can’t help but let greed get in the way of meaningful progress. It’s reported by Awful Announcing—the modern-day Deadspin of sports media, with less sarcasm—that people subscribing to mlb.tv for the first time will not only pay $15 more than returning subscribers, but they’ll also need to pay a monthly $29.99 fee for ESPN Unlimited. It’s all part of MLB’s agreement with ESPN to have the sports networking giant take over baseball’s out-of-market broadcast package. For subscribers auto-renewing from last season, they won’t be stuck with the extra fee for the ESPN package. New subscribers can opt out of the monthly ESPN service within the first 30 days, and still maintain mlb.tv for the balance of the year. But if they retain mlb.tv a year later, they’ll be forced to pay up for ESPN Unlimited. The trick is to just know that there’s an opt-out; many won’t, and they’ll end up paying $360 a year for a service that they’ll view as likely secondary to mlb.tv. 

Monday, February 9

As MLB Spring Training facilities are being dusted off for the arrival of players, two teams that have been among the most active in remaking their rosters pull off a trade with one another. The Milwaukee Brewers deal third baseman Caleb Durbin—who placed third in last year’s NL Rookie of the Year vote—along with infielders Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler to the Boston Red Sox for speedy infielder David Hamilton, pitcher Kyle Harrison and minor league pitcher Shane Drohan. The Red Sox also receive a competitive B draft pick. While Durbin fills the hole at third left behind by the departed Alex Bregman, the Brewers could highly benefit from Hamilton—who’s stolen 55 bases over the past two years—and Harrison, who may still harbor strong upside after sneak peaks with Boston and, before that, San Francisco. 

Veteran slugger Marcell Ozuna is picked up by the Pittsburgh Pirates after an up-and-down tenure with Atlanta. Because they’re the Pirates, the deal is for only one year and $10.5 million—though there is a $16 million team option for 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout. Ozuna has enjoyed some thunderous years throughout his 13 years in MLB, being named to three All-Star teams, leading the NL in both home runs and RBIs during the truncated 2020 season, and three times hitting 37 or more homers. He’s also experienced hard times, including a run-in with the law in 2021, and a dismal 2025 campaign in which he batted .232 with a significant downturn in power (21 homers, 68 RBIs). 

Tuesday, February 10

Players are arriving at spring camps, and many are showing up injured despite the long layoff. (Fun, painful fact: This is not unusual.) 

At Mets camp in St. Lucie, Florida, All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor may need surgery on a bothersome bone in his left hand that’s been pestering him over the past two years. If he undergoes the procedure, his status for Opening Day may be in doubt. 

Across the state at Atlanta spring headquarters in North Port, elbow inflammation that sidelined promising pitcher Spencer Schwellebach for the final three months of the 2025 season hasn’t subsided. He’s placed on the 60-day injured list, and thus will not be ready for the start of the 2026 season. 

Finally, Toronto slugger Anthony Santander—who experienced a forgettable, injury-marred first year with the Blue Jays—will undergo shoulder surgery and miss the majority of the coming season. After belting 105 homers over his final three years at Baltimore, the 31-year-old Santander batted just .175 with six homers over 54 games with Toronto in 2025, as shoulder issues hobbled him. A recent setback in his recovery has brought him to this point. 

Justin Verlander looks to end his career where he started it, inking for one year and $13 million with the Tigers. The three-time Cy Young winner, who turns 43 next week, hopes to be a solid complement to two-time reigning Cy winner Tarik Skubal and recent free-agent pick-up (and former Houston teammate) Framber Valdez. 

For Verlander’s sake, the Tigers are hoping to provide more support than the Giants did for him last year, when he went 0-8 through his first 16 starts before rebounding to a 4-11 record and 3.85 ERA. 

On the reclamation front, former All-Star and Gold Glove winner Jonah Heim will attempt to jumpstart his fading career by signing a $1.25 million deal with Atlanta. The 30-year-old catcher, who peaked along with the Rangers in their World Series-winning 2023 campaign, will back-up 2025 NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin—and may slide to #3 on the depth chart once Sean Murphy returns later this year as he recovers from offseason hip surgery. 

Tomoyuki Sugano switches teams after one year in the majors, signing a one-year, $5.1 million deal with the Colorado Rockies. Pitching a mile high will certainly be a challenge for the 36-year-old Sugano, who despite a decent 10-10 record last year with Baltimore posted a subpar 4.64 ERA and gave up more home runs (33) than any other AL hurler. 

Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA Standings, one of the more intriguing preseason prognostication sources, is released for the coming season. It projects divisional winners in the Yankees, Royals and Mariners in the AL, and the Braves, Cubs and Dodgers in the NL. Among the bigger surprises offered by PECOTA—outside of the aforementioned rebound by Atlanta—is a below-.500 finish for Milwaukee (80.5-81.5) and a major dip for the rebuilding Cardinals, projected at 66-96. Less surprisingly, the Dodgers score the highest expected number of wins (105), while Colorado is tagged with the most anticipated defeats (102). 

Like most predictions, PECOTA does not guarantee future results based on past performance; see 2015. This is one reason we stopped doing our preseason guesses after 2019; it’s a fool’s errand. 

Wednesday, February 11

The injury of choice in the first week of spring camp seems to be the broken hamate bone. Located between the pinky and the palm, the hamate broke down for the Mets’ Francisco Lindor a day earlier; today it’s discovered that dynamic Arizona speedster Corbin Carroll and Baltimore second baseman Jackson Holliday have also suffered such breaks, likely ruining any chance for either to be available on Opening Day. (It’s a double whammy of woe for Carroll, who was slated to be a starting outfielder for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.) 

Also hitting the ouch couch at the start of camp is, to absolutely no one’s surprise, once-upon-a-time MVP Kris Bryant, whose chronically bad back continues to be a major liability for his near-invisible tenure with the Colorado Rockies. The 34-year-old third baseman, who played just 11 games last season for the Rockies and just 170 in four years with the team, is placed on the 60-day injured list. When he returns is nobody’s guess—though some are assuming the safe bet that he’s played his last game. 

Chris Bassitt, as unassuming and steady a starting pitcher as they come these days, inks with the Orioles for one year and $18 million. The soon-to-be 37-year-old right-hander has essentially not missed a turn in the rotation over his last five years, racking up a 64-44 record and 3.66 ERA; only four pitchers have won more games during that span. (Framber Valdez has won the most, with 68.) 

Also making a late move is Miles Mikolas, who signs for a relatively inexpensive $2.25 million with the Washington Nationals. Thus ends a seven-year tenure in St. Louis for the 37-year-old righty, who posted a 68-69 record with the Redbirds after rejuvenating his career in Korea. But he’s faltered over his last three seasons, eating up innings yet being eaten up by opposing batters as a 4.98 ERA underscores. The Nationals, with a rudderless rotation after the trade of ace MacKenzie Gore to Texas, hope Mikolas can lend much-needed sage to a young staff; he will be one of two players on the Washington roster older than new manager Blake Butera (33).  

Thursday, February 12

MLB base coaches are being told that they need to stay in the boxes that are especially designated for them. In response to reports that those patrolling the lines are positioning themselves closer to home plate so they can tip off their batters on what type of delivery a pitcher is about to throw, owners vote to restrict such activity—allowing them to move outside of their boxes only after the pitch has been thrown. 

Things had gotten to the point where base coaches had all but ignored the triangular box located near first and third bases. They’ll now be reintroduced to them. Next, if they could just get the on-deck batters to stay in the on-deck circle… 

Nick Castellanos’ time with the Phillies comes to a troubling end, as the team releases the two-time All-Star with a year and $20 million remaining on his contract. Relations between Castellanos and manager Rob Thomson devolved to the point that he yakked back at the skipper for being taken out of a game for a defensive replacement, and once even brought beer into the dugout out of a bizarre defiance. (His teammates took it away before he could begin drinking.) 

Roy Face, one of the oldest living ex-ballplayers and a solid presence in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen for 15 years—including the team’s memorable 1960 world title conquest over the Yankees—passes away just eight days shy of his 98th birthday. One of just 14 players who racked up over 100 wins and saves each, Face remains the all-time franchise leader in saves with 188, while his 18 victories in 1959—against just one loss—remains the most in a season by an MLB pitcher who never started a game. The right-hander from Stephentown, New York saved three of the four victories in their seven-game World Series triumph over the high-powered Yankees, who fell despite outscoring the Bucs during the series, 55-27. A three-time All-Star, Face led the NL thrice in saves; during his final season at the age of 41, Face performed in the uniform of the expansion Montreal Expos in 1969. 

Friday, February 13

With dreams of a big payday broken following an underwhelming 13-15 record and 4.83 ERA in 2025, pitcher Zac Gallen is returning to the Arizona Diamondbacks on a one-year deal worth $22.025 million—the exact amount he rejected last fall as a qualifying deal. Already cemented as one of the top pitchers in DBacks history, the 30-year-old Gallen has thrived throughout the 2020s, earning one All-Star roster spot in 2023 while finishing in the top 10 of the NL Cy Young vote three times. But his subpar performance in 2025 shaved a bit of shine off his free-agent value this past winter.

A few days after trading away their top third baseman in Caleb Durbin, the Brewers grab another with Luis Rengifo for one year and $3.5 million, with a $10 million mutual option for 2027. The Venezuelan native, who turns 29 at the end of the month, had a drop-off in quality last season, his seventh with the Angels, with a poor .622 OPS. But when he’s good—as he was in 2024, batting .300 with 24 steals in 78 games before a wrist injury ended his year—Rengifo displays an effective, aggressive mojo that’s on brand for the Brewers. 

Saturday, February 14

Unemployment for Nick Castellanos lasts all of two days, as the veteran outfielder chased out of Philadelphia finds a new team in San Diego. It’s a bargain pick-up for the Padres, who will only have to pay Castellanos the minimum $780,000 while he’s still owed $20 million for his final contracted year with the Phillies. 

The Padres are not done on the day tweaking their roster. They also add pitcher German Marquez, who spent all 10 of his major league seasons with Colorado and is the Rockies’ all-time strikeout leader with 1,069 K’s—though the bottom badly fell out from him in 2025, posting a 3-16 record and 6.70 ERA. Surely because of this, he is receiving a minor league contract—meaning he’ll have to earn his way onto the Opening Day roster. 

Finally, San Diego signs pitcher Griffing Canning to a one-year deal after he produced a 7-3 record and 3.77 ERA over 16 starts with the Mets. That represents his most impressive set of numbers yet, after going 25-34 with a 4.78 ERA over five seasons in Anaheim with the Angels. 

The 12th and final arbitration case of the winter is decided as Miami reliever Calvin Faucher receives the $1.8 million the Marlins offer instead of the $2.05 million he requested. Despite the win for the Marlins, players won eight of the dozen arbitration cases this offseason; teams still hold an all-time 362-278 advantage since arbitration began in 1974. 

Sunday, February 15

MLB’s new ABS (automatic strike-ball) challenge system will come with some sacrifice for viewers. The superimposed strike zone used on broadcasts over the last 25 years will remain, but it will no longer show the location of the pitch. This is because continuing to do so would seduce teams into checking out a monitor in real time to see if a call should be overturned. Never mind that players, catchers and pitchers are the only ones allowed to call for a challenge, and they must do so quickly (within seconds), making it impossible for anyone else to stop play to check on pitch location; MLB simply wants to avoid any possibility of cheating. 

Monday, February 16

The Padres continue their late rush of reclamation projects, signing pitcher Walker Buehler to a minor league contract. After nine seasons with the Dodgers, Buehler went to Boston to start the 2025 season and never got on track, going 7-7 with a 5.45 ERA before being traded to Philadelphia—where he took the win in all three of his appearances (two starts, one relief role), allowing just a run over 13.2 innings. At age 31, Buehler hopes to leverage that strong (albeit brief) finish toward a comeback in 2026. 

Tuesday, February 17

In a sudden and shocking move less than a year before the start of likely contentious labor negotiations with MLB owners, Tony Clark resigns from his post as executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Heading the union since 2013, Clark was being investigated over the past year for financial improprieties. But new information recently came to light; Clark had an affair with a female union employee—who also happens to be his sister-in-law. 

Clark’s resignation reduces the smell of scandal in the air at MLBPA headquarters, but heightens concern for a union that, for the moment, is rudderless as a work stoppage looms over the owners’ insistence of implementing a salary cap—something the union has remained staunchly against. Complicating matters, there’s fractures within the union’s voting block over who should represent the players moving forward, which explains why an interim replacement for Clark isn’t immediately named. 

There’s bad news for the Minnesota Twins, a team that really can’t afford any in light of recent financial struggles and talent erosion within the organization. During the team’s first full spring camp workout, pitcher Pablo Lopez tears his UCL—and will soon after be required to undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his 2026 season before it begins. Though various injuries limited Lopez’s 2025 log to 14 starts (going 5-4 with a 2.74 ERA), he was being depended on to front a modest-at-best Minnesota rotation for the coming year. This major setback will reduce that corps’ value even further. 

Wednesday, February 18

A day after Tony Clark’s resignation, the Major League Baseball Players Association names Bruce Meyer as his replacement. The vote is unanimous, though some within the union still harbor reservations over Meyer due to his alleged close ties to superagent Scott Boras—suggesting that he doesn’t have the union’s best interests at heart. (Meyer labels the accusation as “absurd.”) Those who embrace Meyer see a tough negotiator who earned his stripes with the NHL’s players union, working under former baseball union head Don Fehr, while holding firm during recent negotiations with MLB owners. Meyer will need to preserve every ounce of his knowhow and tenacity for the upcoming talks with MLB owners, who more than ever are insistent on a salary cap. 

“Here we go again” looks to be evolving into the Braves’ motto for 2026. On the same day that pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach has elbow surgery that could knock him out of the entire upcoming season, it’s revealed that Hurtson Waldrep, another promising young Atlanta pitcher, will undergo the same procedure. This pattern spooks the Braves, who for a time last season had their entire Opening Day rotation on the Injury List. The loss of Schwellenbach and Waldrep (6-1, 2.88 ERA in 10 appearances in 2025) leaves the Atlanta rotation with Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez and…take your pick, if you can find one. 

Thursday, February 19

Pat Murphy is being rewarded for winning NL Manager of the Year honors in each of his first two seasons as Milwaukee skipper, as he’s given a three-year extension by the Brewers. The deal includes a club option for a fourth year in 2030, when Murphy will be 71; the total additional money for Murphy will add up to nearly $9 million. Murphy has impressed for the Brewers since taking over the team in the wake of Craig Counsell’s record-breaking (in terms of salary) departure to the rival Chicago Cubs, taking the NL Central crown in each of the past two seasons. The postseason has been a tougher nut to crack, however, as the Brewers have won one of three series with a 4-8 record under Murphy’s watch. 

Friday, February 20

Bill Mazeroski, an outstanding defensive talent who won eight Gold Gloves at second base but is best known for one swing of the bat in the 1960 World Series, dies at the age of 89. Signed by Branch Rickey in his attempt to transform the Pirates as he earlier did with the Cardinals and Dodgers, Mazeroski became an everyday starter at age 20 and quickly developed a reputation as a slick fielder, nicknamed “No Hands” by his teammates for his quick maneuvering of the ball. His dominance with the glove is evident on his baseball-reference.com page, with seemingly half of the numbers listed in the standard fielding table bolded to signify a league-leading figure. It was this superior defense that helped earn him seven All-Star roster spots. But say Mazeroski’s name and most people will immediately think of one moment: 1960 World Series, Game Seven, bottom of the ninth inning. It was then, with the Pirates tied 9-9 with the almighty Yankees at Forbes Field, that Mazeroski belted the first-ever World Series-winning walkoff home run. Though it’s greatly debated whenever baseball seamheads bring up the topic, Mazeroski’s blast is often considered as the sport’s most memorable home run ever hit. 

Mazeroski’s legendary clout may have given him just enough of a push to get elected into the Hall of Fame via the Veterans Committee in 2001. Stellar defense aside, Mazeroski was an average hitter at best; though he accumulated 2,016 hits over 17 years, all with the Pirates, his career .667 OPS is hardly impressive. Many thus believed that Mazeroski’s overall package was not worthy of Cooperstown; his election prompted calls to rethink and toughen the requirements for Veterans Committee voting. 

The Los Angeles Angels are philosophically in a bad place these days, burdened by bad contracts, a bankrupt regional sports TV provider, a planned ballpark village stalled by corruption, a long playoff drought (let alone that of a winning season), and fallout from the sad Tyler Skaggs saga. (They also share the Southland market with the far more popular and powerful Dodgers.) All of which compounds the fact that owner Arte Moreno shouldn’t say what he said. In a discussion with reporters, Moreno states that Angels fans do not consider a winning team as a reason to come to Angel Stadium. He cites surveys conducted by the team, relaying that fans were are focused on affordability, safety, and a “good experience.” “Winning is not in (the fans’) top five,” Moreno responds. 

Angels players, and the players’ union by extension, are concerned by Moreno’s statement. While not saying that he personally doesn’t prioritize winning, Moreno’s comments suggest to some that he is in sync with what his fans supposedly believe. Moreno has slashed payroll by an estimated 25% this year, in part because the TV money has dried up (the Angels still have no TV contract lined up for 2026). Instead of shelling out megadeals to players who underperform (see Anthony Rendon), Moreno has been trying to build a roster through reclamation projects (see Alek Manoah and Jordan Romano). True, the boos haven’t started to fall down from the heavens at Angel Stadium, but patience has its limits. The players and the union seem to be reaching theirs. 

The first day of Spring Training games is highlighted by Pete Alonso’s debut with the Baltimore Orioles, as the former Mets slugger pounds a two-run homer to account for the game’s only scoring in a 2-0 victory over the Yankees in Sarasota, Florida. But the news is not all good on the day for the Orioles. Infielder Jordan Westburg will be out through at least early May after suffering a partial tear of his elbow; he was already hobbled by an oblique injury he suffered during the offseason. 

The Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) system is in full use with the first slate of games, as 23 challenges are requested over the five contests; 13 of them are overturned. 

Saturday, February 21

Aaron Judge begins his spring looking to be in midseason form, clobbering two home runs in the Yankees’ first exhibition, a 20-3 rout of the Tigers in Tampa. Judge will spend only a little bit more time at Yankee camp before heading out to play for the United States in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. 

Jen Pawol, who made news last summer as the first female umpire to work an MLB game, will not get a permanent promotion to the majors this coming season. Two other minor-league umps, Tom Hanahan and Brian Walsh, will get bumped up to the bigs, leaving Pawol’s lone opportunity to work MLB games as a brief fill-in—as she did last year when she worked five total games. 

Sunday, February 22

After underwhelming in two years at Milwaukee in which he was paid $34 million to bat .223 with 38 home runs, Rhys Hoskins signs a minor league contract with Cleveland and will have to earn his way onto the Opening Day roster. Never a high-average guy even during better times in Philadelphia, Hoskins struggled to fit in with the Brewers—but he could be a welcomed addition with the Guardians, who were dead last among AL teams this past season in home runs (53) by right-handed hitters. 

Monday, February 23

Chris Sale will hang around with the Braves for a little bit longer, agreeing to a one-year, $27 million extension for 2027. The deal with Atlanta includes a 2028 team option worth another $30 million. Sale has been outstanding since being traded from Boston, winning the 2024 NL Cy Young Award and maintaining his ace standing in 2025 despite missing roughly a third of the year to injury; in two seasons with Atlanta, Sale is 25-8 with a 2.46 ERA and 390 strikeouts over 303.1 innings. 

Tuesday, February 24

In an announcement that will leave baseball fans in the Tampa Bay area either saying “finally” or “here we go again,” Florida politicians give the okay to set aside 22 acres of land within Tampa’s Hillsborough College for the purpose of building a new ballpark for the Rays. The latest of many new ballpark proposals for the team (we’ve lost count) will have the venue situated close to Raymond James Stadium (home of footballs’ Buccaneers), George Steinbrenner Field (where the Rays played their games last season, while Tropicana Field was being patched up), and Tampa International Airport. The Rays have already released architectural renderings of what a new yard would look like. 

The Rays need to mean it this time. Per the terms of this agreement, the team must finance at least half of the $2.3 billion to build it—where the other half comes from is yet to be determined—and if there is no physical progress on the new ballpark at the site within five years, the state can take the land back.

Baseball’s top prospect looks to be the real deal—for one day, anyway, and albeit during a Spring Training game. Konnor Griffin, who experienced an impressive first pro season rising through the minors last season, smacks a pair of home runs in the Pirates’ 16-7 win over the Red Sox in Florida. His first blast is a 375 footer off established MLB pitcher Ranger Suarez, while his second—a 440-foot monster shot—comes off borderline major league reliever Seth Martinez. In his other two at-bats, Griffin grounds out. 

The 19-year-old Griffin—who batted .333 with 21 homers, 94 RBIs and an eye-opening 65 stolen bases last year between low-A ball and Double-A—will likely start the season in Triple-A. But if he continues to impress like this, maybe he’ll be granted the elevator express to the Bucs’ Opening Day roster. 

Wednesday, February 25

Umpires may give an extra inch or two to baseball’s top pitchers, but the robots are not as easily persuaded. Reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes finds this out the hard way, having four strikes overturned by MLB’s ABS system during his spring debut; two of those overturned strikes occur during at-bats that result in walks. Overall, Skenes throws 53 pitches over 2.1 innings, with just 27 of those for strikes; he walks and strikes out four batters each, allowing a run on a hit in the Bucs’ 3-1 loss to Atlanta. 

Thursday, February 26

Max Scherzer is not done pitching, as he agrees to a one-year, $3 million contract to return to the Toronto Blue Jays. At age 41, the future Hall of Famer has a career 221-117 record, 3.22 ERA and three Cy Young awards, but he hasn’t pitched enough innings to qualify for an ERA title since 2021. Still, he brings plenty of sage and intensity to the Toronto clubhouse—and with 3,489 strikeouts, he’s just 21 away from passing Walter Johnson for #10 on the all-time list. 

Friday, February 27

The last remaining undefeated team in Spring Training play—of course, it’s the Dodgers—finally suffer their first defeat, for all it’s worth as MLB clubs are more focused on getting players ready than win-loss records. Entering the day at 6-0, the Dodgers field a C-list lineup against the Giants at Scottsdale, Arizona, and get blown out by a 12-4 score. The only big name active for Los Angeles is starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who gives up two runs on five hits through three innings of work, allowing a home run to the first batter (Willy Adames) he faces. 

Wayne Granger, a nine-year reliever who saved 103 games—including an MLB-high 35 for the 1970 Reds—passes away at the age of 81. The right-hander from Springfield, Massachusetts set a then-NL record by appearing in 90 games during his second season in 1969, saving 27 games for Cincinnati; it was his first of two seasons leading the league in appearances, also doing so in 1971 with 70. In later years, Granger bounced around from team to team, playing for seven overall. 

Saturday, February 28

The Royals gain a veteran presence by signing 37-year-old Starling Marte, the majors’ active career stolen base leader with 361, to a one-year contract. Injuries reduced Marte’s availability over the past three years with the Mets, playing mostly part-time as a DH last season, but he still batted a respectable .270 with nine home runs and seven steals when healthy. The Royals plan to use him most often against left-handed pitchers.