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Two players who could prevent Trey Yesavage from being Rookie of the Year

As fate would have it, Trey Yesavage’s 2025 series caused many eyes to turn to him.

His story (drafted in 2024, started pitching in the pros in 2025, pitched in the World Series and dominated against the Dodgers) was all over baseball.

And with good reason: he was something.

The result? We knew he was good in Toronto, but now we have confirmation that by 2026, he’s capable of pitching on a regular basis in Major League Baseball – and in the Blue Jays rotation.

It would take a disastrous practice camp for him not to make the club…

So, on the scale of the baseball world, he’s become a big name – and with good reason. He’s still high up in the rankings when it comes to predicting who will be the American League’s Rookie of the Year in 2026.

But what are his chances?

When you see what Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo (two big experts on prospects in Major League Baseball) think about him, you realize that yes, his chances are good of being the next American Rookie of the Year.

But of course, he’ll have to compete (especially via upsets) for the title, and he’ll have to be strong.

One name to keep an eye on: Samuel Basallo. The young Orioles catcher, who signed a long-term contract in recent months, made his way to Baltimore at the end of the season. His chances are excellent, and both MLB experts have him as a title favorite.

The other name in the top-3 for both gentlemen (along with Yesavage): Kevin McGonigle, a young man who plays the shortstop position. It’s unclear whether he’ll make the club in Detroit as early as March, since he spent much of the 2025 season in the A’s.

Yesavage has shown that experience is worth what it’s worth in 2025, that said.

But the Tigers’ youngster, who is the second-best prospect in Major League Baseball, is said to have the best bat in the minors. So even though he’s only 21, his chances are good of playing in the Majors in 2026.

So it’s something to keep an eye on next year.

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Isiah Kiner-Falefa withdrawn from home plate: Don Mattingly takes the blame

The Blue Jays, as we all know, lost the last World Series. The club took the series to seven games against the mighty Dodgers, and even though they had the lead in the ninth inning, they lost.

Miguel Rojas, Will Smith and Yoshinobu Yamamoto were the heroes of this wild comeback.

One play in the final game that got everyone talking was when Isiah Kiner-Falefa was called out at home plate on a ball in play. Rojas’ throw to Smith was just in time, and IKF was unable to add an insurance run (which would have made the difference, down the stretch).

Having said that, we know that Kiner-Falefa was glued to the goal because that’s what he was told. He was the victim of insults and threats (which is inexcusable), but in reality, he was only following the instructions of his coaches.

And Don Mattingly, who was one of the group’s coaches, took the opportunity of his appearance on The Mayor’s Office to look back at the game. And the important thing to remember is that he takes the blame.

He explains that, at the time, the Jays were afraid Varsho would hit an arrow toward first or third base. That’s why both runners were glued to their bases… but in hindsight, he recognizes that Kiner-Falefa should have been less glued to the base.

The reason? Varsho was pulling the ball, so the chances of him hitting an arrow to third base were really, really slim.

So, in Mattingly’s eyes, the runner at first base (Alejandro Kirk) was well placed and he would make the same decision. But Kiner-Falefa should have been a little closer to home plate.

If Varsho had been a right-handed hitter, he would have wanted to see IKF stuck on third base. But as a left-handed pull hitter, Varsho wouldn’t have put Kiner-Falefa in a precarious position.

These are interesting words from Mattingly about a mistake by the Jays’ coaching group. And in the end, it’s a mistake that will have cost the club a World Series.

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Relations between Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto are “strained”

The New York Mets had an ugly 2025 season. Everyone knows about it.

There’s little doubt that a lack of depth on the mound is one element that caused the Mets (and their massive payroll) to miss the playoffs last October.

But is there more to it than that?

According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil had another confrontation. After the one in 2021, which was physical, the one in 2025 was reportedly verbal.

After a nasty defensive play on June 20, Lindor reportedly criticized his double-play partner in the infield for not being quick enough to allow the club to go for the two outs.

And since we know they have a history, it’s a talking point. This must explain, in part, the rumours surrounding McNeil on the market?

But the situation that will undoubtedly attract more attention is the fact that Puma also reports that relations between Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor were strained this season.

Both are in New York to stay, and they’re going to have to work it out, clearly.

According to reports, Soto and Lindor don’t have the same personalities. Soto is very businesslike and comes to the stadium to work. He’s not interested in fashion the way Lindor might be.

But that’s no reason for friction

You know who’s interested in fashion? Juan Soto’s mom, who pushed her son to sign with the Mets instead of the Yankees in part to have a wardrobe on Steve Cohen’s arm.

Do you think Soto currently misses the Yankees and Aaron Judge, with whom his relationship was obviously better than Lindor’s?

But hey. Soto made the choice to leave the Yankees like a big boy. And it’s clear that he understands more and more what he’s getting into. He’ll have to work things out with Lindor as the guys are called upon to do everything together to make the Mets win.

Soto, who considered Starling Marte to be the club’s captain, could start by following Lindor on Instagram…

Note that many people want to see Lindor named captain of the Mets. I wonder, under the circumstances, if this is really the best idea for the New York club.

Finally, one wonders if there was a similar situation involving Brandon Nimmo, who recently agreed to waive his no-trade clause to go with the… Rangers.

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Brewers: once again, the club wants to lower its wage bill

The Milwaukee Brewers have been very successful over the past decade. Unquestionably a small-market team, the Brewers find a way to stick to great regular seasons year after year.

Unfortunately, things often get complicated once they reach the playoffs. But every year, they find a way to surprise in the regular season.

That said, just like every year, the off-season doesn’t look good for Milwaukee. Unfortunately, this is the reality for these teams: the off-season is often the time when they are forced to cut payroll.

And, by the same token, to trade guys who are expensive or approaching complete autonomy.

According to The Athletic, the Brewers are beginning to find their payroll high, and are considering a trade.

In the past, we’ve seen the Brewers trade guys like Josh Hader, Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams when they were a year away from free agency. The club felt it couldn’t afford them, so it used them as trade chips to replenish the coffers with young talent.

And in reality, it didn’t really work. Except that, at some point, it will catch up with them.

With Brandon Woodruff having accepted the $22M qualifying offer, the Brewers may have to trade guys who are approaching free agency. And of course, they’ll have to keep an eye on their ace pitcher, Freddy Peralta, who’s a year away from free agency.

He’ll be in demand, if the Brewers make him available.

It could also come through other players (Trevor Megill and Nick Mears are also ones to watch, according to The Athletic), but expect big pieces of the club’s 2025 edition to find themselves under other skies in 2026.

Let’s see if this affects the club’s performance.

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Payton Tolle: the Red Sox see Jon Lester in him

This season, we saw the future of the Boston Red Sox on the mound. Garrett Hook, acquired at a high price last winter, has been dominant all year… and we’ve seen some youngsters start to grow.

The big name is undoubtedly Connelly Early, who even started a playoff game for the club. But Early wasn’t the only one: we also saw Payton Tolle make his show debut.

He played seven games, including three starts.

It hasn’t necessarily been easy for him, but generally speaking, we’re talking about a guy who’s held in high esteem by the Red Sox. In fact, we’d go so far as to compare him to none other than Jon Lester, a guy with quite a reputation in Boston.

It was his AA manager, Chad Epperson, who compared him to Lester.

And in actuality, it’s pretty easy to see the similarities between the two guys. We’re talking about two big, burly left-handers who are dominant on the mound.

They differ a bit in how they do it (Tolle does it with strikeouts, while Lester was great at avoiding safe hits), but they both fit the profile of an important piece of a rotation.

At just 23, Tolle still has a lot of work to do to become a pitcher of Lester’s calibre. However, he is undoubtedly one of the organization’s bright prospects on the mound, especially as the club already has a nice long-term foundation.

Hook has already established himself as an ace pitcher, Brayan Bello still has many years ahead of him and Connelly Early has also shown great promise. So Tolle doesn’t have the pressure of being the saviour.

So, we’ll see if Tolle can eventually establish himself as a top-of-the-rotation pitcher in Boston, but there’s optimism in that direction. To be continued.

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MLB en bref : Les tirs de Dylan Cease | Les besoins des Orioles

Les tirs de Dylan Cease

Son arsenal est bien rempli.

Apprendre du passé

Il ne faut pas toujours attendre pour bouger.

À garder en tête

Les Blue Jays pourraient obtenir un bon choix au repêchage en 2027 grâce à Trey Yesavage. Voici comment.

Les besoins des Orioles

Ils veulent un lanceur qui peut lancer en neuvième et qui a de l’expérience dans le rôle. Un closer, donc?

Le leadership d’Alex Bregman

Connelly Early s’est fait aider à ses débuts dans les Majeures.

En parlant des Red Sox : Vinny Capra a signé un contrat des mineures.

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World Classic: Dodgers consider keeping Roki Sasaki out

The Dodgers know that the chances of a player getting hurt exist, in Major League Baseball. And not just on an MLB field…

Their goal? To make sure they have the healthiest club in the game, so they can play up to their talent, their expectations, the fans’ expectations… and their payroll.

Obviously, we expect to see the Dodgers well represented on the heels of the World Classic, which will take place next spring. In particular, there should be a few Japanese players from the L.A. club at the tournament.

We know that Shohei Ohtani will be there. We don’t know what his precise role will be yet as far as the starting pitcher position is concerned, but he’ll definitely be the DH at the very least.

There’s also a good chance that Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the hero of the most recent series, will be keen to represent his country. If he wants to go, the Dodgers will find it hard to say no.

And then there’s Roki Sasaki.

The pitcher spent time on the 60-day injured list in 2025, and the Dodgers have the right to deny him access to the tournament. Rumor has it that club officials would like to say no to him, in the (likely) event of an invitation.

But whether they will do so remains to be seen.

Because while it would be better for his preparation in the club’s eyes, the last thing the MLB outfit wants is to insult Sasaki and have him in a bad mental place going forward.

There’s still time to see what will be done, but it’s a case to watch, in any case.

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Dylan Cease or Framber Valdez: have the Blue Jays made the right choice?

The Toronto Blue Jays pulled off the first coup of the off-season by acquiring pitcher Dylan Cease, who signed a seven-year, $210 million deal.

At first glance, the Blue Jays appear to have overpaid for the 29-year-old’s services. Toronto thus banked on what Cease could bring to the table in the future, not on what he has done in the past.

Because otherwise, as long as you’re spending all that money, why not invest it on Framber Valdez?

Although he’s three years older than Cease, Valdez boasts an impressive resume. Over the past 25 years, he is one of only three pitchers, along with Max Fried and Felix Hernandez, to have at least four seasons with a strikeout rate of at least 23%, a ground ball rate of 50% and a FIP of 3.50 or less over at least 130 innings pitched.

Since 2020, no one has pitched more innings in the playoffs (85) than Valdez, who boasts an earned run average of 4.34 at the fall dance. By comparison, Cease has an 8.74 earned-run average in October.

Among the 78 pitchers who have thrown at least 500 innings over the last five campaigns, the 32-year-old ranks first in ground ball rate and third in long ball rate.

In his eight years with the Houston Astros, Valdez posted an earned run average of 3.36 (3.88 for Cease’s career) and was invited to the All-Star Game in 2022 and 2023. In 2025, Valdez posted an earned run average of 3.66 (4.55 last year for Cease) and remained one of the most feared pitchers in all of MLB.

So the reason the Jays didn’t give Valdez the money they gave Cease has to be the former Astros’ questionable attitude, when among other things he intentionally hit his catcher this season. And that’s understandable.

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Did the Blue Jays really overpay Dylan Cease?

After failing to land a big free agent in the past – Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto come to mind – the Toronto Blue Jays have finally landed a big fish in the ocean of free agents. Dylan Cease is certainly not in the same class as the two aforementioned protagonists, but the fact remains that he was one of the three best starting pitchers available this winter.

And to get there, the Blue Jays had to dig deep into their pockets, with Cease initialing a massive seven-year deal worth $210 million.

This is the largest free agent contract in Blue Jays history, surpassing their six-year, $150 million deal with George Springer. It’s also the biggest investment ever made for a pitcher, although it pales in comparison to the historic $500 million extension given to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

But the question remains: did he really deserve all that money?

Cease is now one of the highest-paid pitchers in Major League Baseball history, while among all-time pitchers, his contract ranks seventh in average annual value ($30 million) and fifth in total value.

The 29-year-old will earn more annually than Max Fried and Garrett Crochet, both of whom are better and more consistent than Cease, with Captain Crochet even several years younger.

Crochet, however, signed before becoming a free agent, which makes a difference.

That’s a lot for a player with a record of 29 wins against 32 losses and a 4.18 earned run average over the last three seasons combined. What’s more, he’s never won a playoff start and has an 8.74 earned points average in the fall dance.

Not to mention his inconsistency, with his earned run average fluctuating by at least one point over the last five campaigns, between 2.20 and 4.58. That’s not just a little oscillation. Cease has only had one season in seven years when he played like an ace pitcher, and that was in 2022. Since then, his earned run average has hovered around four.

And yet, Cease will receive a Hall of Fame-level salary even as he enters his 30th season. Now it’s up to him to prove his detractors wrong.

In any case, money is no object in Toronto. But if it were to prevent Kyle Tucker from landing in town, or Bo Bichette from returning to the Ontario metropolis, Cease’s contract would look even worse.

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Red Sox: Alex Cora thinks big for 2026

In 2025, the Red Sox played playoff baseball for the first time since 2021. The club had had a big off-season, and it was known that it was capable of success.

Although, according to Alex Cora, nobody believed in his club. But hey, I digress.

And in 2026, the Bas Rouges are still likely to have a great team. The club has money to spend on attracting big names, and Roman Anthony will be there from Day 1.

And, of course, he can close deals to improve. That’s what he’s done with Sonny Gray in the last few days.

All this means that the energy surrounding the Sox is really, really positive right now. And that includes the manager.

Because Cora, clearly, is thinking big for his club in 2026.

We know that in 2025, the Red Sox faced some hardships. Injuries to Alex Bregman and Triston Casas hurt, and the Rafael Devers trade was a real blow to a team hoping to turn the corner.

Devers was, after all, the big name in Boston’s line-up.

But by 2026, the club will have a clean slate, and should be able to avoid such a distraction. Because no, Roman Anthony won’t be traded in May.

The acquisitions made over the next few months will obviously be key, and only then can we really assess what the Red Sox can aspire to in 2026.

But despite the presence of the Blue Jays and Yankees, who will be strong in 2026, Boston can well and truly dream of its first division title since 2018.

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