I just want to start off by acknowledging my wife, Kayla, who is not only the strongest person that I know, but a support system for me every bit as much as I am for her. Part of what I am here to share is on behalf of the both of us. I will start off by thanking the Dodgers: Andrew Friedman, Brandon Gomes, Doc, the whole coaching staff, and all of my teammates.
Probably not. They've got stars all over the damn place, and to judge from years of vitriol you have to assume that by jettisoning Nick Castellanos the Phillies have banked another 20 wins, easily. The loss of Ranger Suárez stings, I'm sure, but the Phillies still go at least six deep in trustworthy starting pitchers. Barring several disasters, the Phillies will contend for the crown of the punishing NL East.
During the 2021 International Free Agency period, the Miami Marlins signed the catcher to a bonus of $450,000. He received only 60 plate appearances that season with the Marlins' Dominican Summer League team, where he failed to hit a home run, but slashed .340/.450/.440 for a 159 wRC+. Duran repeated the level in 2022, slashing .224/.325/.406 with no home runs in 169 plate appearances.
Ben Rortvedt has had an interesting few months since winning the 2025 World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was recently designated for assignment by the Dodgers for a second time since the end of last season, and he has once again been claimed. This time, Rortvedt heads to the New York Mets, giving him the opportunity to compete for their backup job with Austin Barnes.
"Kike's progressing well, obviously he's in a place where he should be starting swinging here pretty soon," Gomes said. "We're going to be very mindful of how we progress into this, making sure that when he comes back he's not only healthy, but healthy and ready to perform. ...He's in a good place and really where he should be as far as the rehab schedule."
I have conflicted feelings on these comments. A guy like Chris Bassitt would have made this roster better on paper. That's not really something disputed. I think there is an argument if you think that Bryce Elder and/or Joey Wentz are 1-1.5 fWAR/162 starting pitchers, then adding a 2-2.5 fWAR/162 starter for just under $20 million isn't good return on investment and doesn't substantially improve depth when it results on the likely loss of a guy like Elder from the roster entirely.
The veteran had a rough season in Kansas City last year, slashing just .212/.272/.265 in 46 games with the Royals. He suffered an adductor strain and an elbow injury that sent him to the injured list for two separate stints, and after a trade deadline that saw Kansas City add Mike Yastrzemski, Adam Frazier, and Randal Grichuk to the roster the team had little room to squeeze him back onto the roster when he was healthy enough to return.
While re-signing both could be possible, extending Gausman should be the preferred choice if it ends up being one or the other situation. Very few starting pitchers in the game are as consistent as Gausman. He's made at least 31 starts each of the past five seasons with an ERA of 3.83 or better. All signs point to him putting up strong numbers again after showing no signs of slowing down in 2025.
Starting pitcher Chris Bassitt remained stuck on the free agent market until a few days ago when he signed with the AL East rival Baltimore Orioles. It's a solid move for an intimidating Orioles squad that wants to return to the postseason in 2026. In any event, Bassitt made sure to broadcast his appreciation for Toronto baseball fans in a touching post right after the free agency signing.
A torn lat muscle last March ended up costing Zack Thompson the entirety of his 2025 season, though the Cardinals left-hander was also dealing with another injury. According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Thompson had an arthroscopic surgery on his throwing shoulder in August, described as "a cleanup procedure." The recovery from this surgery has delayed Thompson's mound work at the start of Spring Training, though he is playing catch and planning to ramp up his throwing.
Laweryson returns to the only organization he'd known until November. Minnesota selected him in the 14th round in 2019 out of the University of Maine. They called him up for the first time last September. The 6'4″ righty made five appearances, allowing two runs (one earned) across 7 2/3 innings. He struck out seven without issuing a walk. Laweryson also pitched well in Triple-A, turning in a 2.86 earned run average while striking out a quarter of opposing hitters.
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced their lineup of theme nights for the 2026 season, which includes returning favorites such as Star Wars Night, Mexican and Japanese Heritage Nights, and LGBTQ+ Pride Night. Each day includes an exclusive giveaway item that can only be acquired with the purchase of a ticket pack at Dodgers.com/promotions. The theme nights start with Teacher Appreciation Night on April 11 against the Texas Rangers with a special sweatshirt giveaway.
