Latest blog entries about MLB
Well, that did not take long. Former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh is finalizing a deal to join the New York Giants as their next head coach. Here are the initial reactions from Baltimore Beatdown’s staff! The Giants were the first team linked with John Harbaugh when he was fired, and it is no […]
On Thursday, the 2026 international signing period opened up in baseball. And, as suspected, the San Francisco Giants were waiting in the wings to make a huge splash. The Giants sent a large contingency to their Felipe Alou Baseball Academy in the Dominican Republic, to mark a momentous occasion: the signing of Venezuelan shortstop Luis […]
Hey, good for Willi Castro! According to multiple reports, the 28-year-old utility man, acquired by the Cubs at the 2025 MLB Trade Deadline, is heading to the Colorado Rockies on a very healthy two-year, $12.8 million deal. Willi Castro to the Rockies Willi Castro is heading to Colorado, per multiple reports pic.twitter.com/4Aw8QNmnro — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) January 15, 2026 Castro was an All-Star with the Twins in 2024 and had a nice start to the 2025 seaso...
I think that many would agree that St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom has already accomplished most of his goals for this offseason, but the question of what to do about Brendan Donovan remains. The latest rumors that I can find point to a trade to the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, […]
Today starts this year’s signing period for international free agents, and the Texas Rangers have inked a number of prospects to deals. The headliner for the class is 17 year old Dominican outfielder Elian Rosario. Listed at 6’2”, 195 lbs., Rosario is #9 on the Baseball America top 100 international prospect list. His power is […]
This is a transaction you did not expect to read about. The Cubs have made a waiver claim on infielder Ben Cowles. This transaction fills the 40-man roster, for now. Cowles came to the Cubs, along with Jack Neely, in the Mark Leiter Jr. trade July 30, 2024. Neely pitched in six games for the […]
The Colorado Rockies are bringing another veteran free agent into the fold, as ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported Thursday afternoon that Willi Castro will be donning purple pinstripes on a two-year, $12.8 million deal. The switch-hitting super utilityman is largely a middle infielder, but has played significant innings at every defensive position save first base and […]
After the Cubs’ trade deadline selloff in 2021, the team was left pretty much bereft of talent. The roster resembled a waiver wire list (and, in fact, quite a few had actually come via waivers). They had lost 10 of 12, including being swept by the White Sox, entering the last of a four-game series […]
As the baseball world waits for Kyle Tucker’s decision, the Mets made a big splash in the international free agency waters, signing Wandy Asigen for $3.9 million. Asigen, MLB.com’s #2 international free agent, is 16 years old, a shortstop, and hails from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Here is what MLB.com had to say about Asigen’s […]
In a move to strengthen the bullpen, the D-backs announced this afternoon that they have signed reliever Taylor Clarke. It’s a return home, since the 32-year-old was actually an Arizona draft pick originally, being selected in the third round of the 2015 draft. He made his debut as a Diamondback in 2019, and appeared in […]
Today marks the beginning of MLB’s 2026 international prospects signing period, as all 30 teams can now freely vie for the top amateur talent across the globe. Of course, verbal agreements with a number of prospects have likely already been reached, so even as the period only just opens on January 15th, we’re likely to […]
In the first somewhat surprise of the 2026 Community Prospect Rankings, outfielder Hector Rodriguez has claimed the #4 spot in one of the tightest votes I can remember. In fact, I let it run a few hours longer than originally intended since on three separate occasions this morning I checked the results only to find […]
I know there are hockey traditionalists who still think that Jessica Campbell being on an NHL bench is, in some way, wrong, but she made it to where she is on merit, skill, and knowledge. She is one of many women who took part in the NHLCA Female Coaches Program, and it led to her landing a job with the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds where the team found immense success under head coach Dan Bylsma and assistant coach Jessica Campbell. Campbell will tell you that her time with the Firebirds w...
The Edmonton Oilers have a problem. They’re pressed up tight to the salary cap, and while they’ve been able to manoeuvre by activating Jake Walman and Tristan Jarry from the Long-Term Injured Reserve by placing an injured Adam Henrique there, they won’t be able to do that forever. In fact, when the time comes to…
The Orioles kicked off another year’s international amateur signing period with some of their most high-end investments in signing bonuses yet. The 2026 signing class from the Orioles is the smallest they’ve had since Mike Elias’s team got rolling in this market, but that’s only because the team has signed four players to bonuses of […]
The Arizona Cardinals are in the middle of submitting interview requests from coaches on existing NFL teams. Plus, they are active in getting guys in whose teams have either lost in this year’s playoffs or did not qualify for the postseason. The big question seems to be whether Michael Bidwill and GM Monti Ossenfort will […]
For the most part, introducing a newly-signed star free agent is simply about the celebration. It’s a definitive moment – completely with the new jersey and cap – to enjoy that this guy is truly part of the Chicago Cubs. So it was today with Alex Bregman, and I’m ready to contemplate all the permutations of what the 2026 Cubs could and will be with Bregman in the fold. That said, if you’re lucky, you also get a little bit of insight from these things. Maybe about the player. Maybe about t...
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a shrine to Remembering Some Guys. While some hold distaste for the organization’s arcane machinations, the Hall is a critical resource for something preciously integral to sports fandom: arguing passionately about things that only matter *because* we care about them. In this tradition, the staff of […]
—It’s game day for the red hot Louisville women’s basketball team. The Cards will face Notre Dame for a matchup of top 25 teams in South Bend. Here’s a preview. —The big story in the world of college basketball today is that 20 men were charged in a point-shaving scheme involving more than 39 college […]
Today is January 15 (or the new July 2): The date for the international free agents in the current class to finally sign with their potential future big league clubs. The Braves are in the process of signing their 2025/2026 crop right now. At the moment four players are considered signed, with a number of […]
Good afternoon, Dawg fans. With the 2026 College Football season officially coming to a close Monday night and the College Basketball season nearing its midway point, that can only mean one thing: baseball season is fast approaching. The Georgia Bulldogs baseball program is gearing up for what they hope will be another impressive year in […]
In December I began a mini-series called “polarizing prospects,” also known as “who can win the coveted Daric Barton award?” First on the list was Henry Bolte, who is now knocking on the MLB door. Next up is another fast outfielder who is “MLB ready” — if he’s ever ready at all. Is he a […]
At the introductory press conference today , Jed Hoyer mentioned off-hand that new Cub Alex Bregman had told him during the signing process that he’d committed to play in the World Baseball Classic and wanted to make sure that was going to be OK with the Cubs. He added, according to Hoyer, that he would come in those days and make sure he was still connecting with the guys in Spring Training. That’s how important that part is to him. But, of course, it’s also important to represent your n...
Now that it is January 15th, the Washington Nationals have officially signed their IFA class. We discussed this in an article a couple weeks back, but the signings are now totally locked in. The Nationals have a strong IFA class which is headlined by outfielders Samil Serrano and Isaias Suarez. Both signed today for around […]
The Giants are historically inept, especially in recent years, but it seems they finally made a good decision and have landed John Harbaugh as their next head coach. Terms of a deal are still being ironed out, but initial expectations will keep Harbaugh in New York for five years and nearly $100 million. Harbaugh is […]