#roster-construction

#roster-construction

They're in the Super Bowl because they made every right move in constructing their roster. And the Commanders should take notes. The Seahawks have been led primarily by their defense, which leads the league in fewest points allowed. This is despite a unit that lacks big-name superstars or high-profile draft picks, aside from cornerback Devon Witherspoon. Mainly, it's been elite scheming by Macdonald and the youth of Seattle's roster, allowing them to fly around the field.

After spending 12 of his 18 Major League seasons with the Pirates, Andrew McCutchen said back in August that he wanted to return for another season in the black-and-gold, while acknowledging that his shortcomings during the 2025 season. " I have to do what I need to do to...show that I was able to have a good year and still can play the following year," McCutchen said, noting that he didn't want to be just " filling in a spot " and not contributing.

The Cubs made a major splash over the weekend by landing star third baseman Alex Bregman on a five-year deal. As a multi-time All-Star who reliably offers Gold Glove defense at third base and posts offense in the 125 wRC+ range, Bregman is sure to provide a major lift to the club headed into 2026. Strong as the signing is for the team, however, it also creates questions about the future of some of their other players.

According to NBA insider Zach Lowe, there have been teams calling the Heat about Bam's availability via trade. The response has been a resounding "no" from Miami. Even though the Heat continues to have an uneven first half of the season, it does suggest that the team still feels Bam is a huge part of what they're building for the future.

Not too concerned just yet. There's a lot of winter left, and the Mets are going to make moves. They have the money and the prospects to add elite talent. It's clear that Stearns believes the Mets' core wasn't good enough after such a disappointing season. Losing Díaz and Alonso -- on top of trading Brandon Nimmo -- is certainly tough to swallow for Mets fans because those three players were so beloved. The Mets aren't going to stand pat.

Morel finished the 2024 season with a 50 OPS+ in 49 games with the Rays, hitting three home runs and driving in only nine runs. For the season, he slashed .196/.288/.346 with an 81 wRC+ and -1.0 fWAR.

It's easy to find a lot of negative with the Rangers, so we try to focus on the positive. Though it's only 11 games, the Rangers have a lot of both going on. The defensive process as a whole is strong, with the Rangers looking like a top-10 team in terms of puck possession and play driving at 5v5. The problem is the offense is non-existent due to a number of factors, some that will work themselves out and some that won't.

The Braves' recent roster construction strategy has given the last position player spot to a player who could do all the specialty roles on the team without having to be counted on as an offensive performer. That role, for much of the last two years, has been filled by Luke Williams who added more to his non-offensive repertoire this year - position-player-pitcher guy.