What is the story about?
Good
morning. Quite a lot of news today.
- The Mariners landed the white whale they’ve been after all season as the Cardinals traded infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan to the Mariners as part of a three-team deal with the Rays. The Cardinals got three prospects and a draft pick for Donovan, the best of which is pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje. Cijntje was announced as a right-handed pitcher, which is a bummer for those of us who hoped he would remain a switch-pitcher. The Cardinals hate fun. And amphibians.
- Ken Rosenthal has the story of the Mariners front office trying to complete the deal while being honored at the state capital in Olympia. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Ben Clemens breaks down what all three teams got in the deal.
- Jordan Schusterman offers his take on the three-way swap.
- R.J. Anderson hands out grades to all three teams.
- Andy McCullough and Sam Blum also chime in with their grades for the M’s, Rays and Cards. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Andrew Simon has all the notable three-way deals this century. Plus a four-way deal that the Cubs were in a while ago.
- Former Cub Carlos Santana signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Diamondbacks.
- The Athletics signed young shortstop Jacob Wilson to a seven-year, $70 million extension.
- Davy Andrews breaks down the deal and how the A’s are trying to lock up a foundation of a good team before they head to . . .are we still saying Las Vegas? Sure. Las Vegas.
- Martin Gallegos also looks at the loosening of the pursestrings by the A’s ahead of their move to Nevada.
- Ben Clemens examines the Reds’ one-year deal with free agent Eugenio Suárez.
- Jay Jaffe evaluates the Giants deal with infielder Luis Arraez.
- Dayn Perry looks at how new team president Chaim Bloom is tearing down the Cardinals to rebuild it in what he hopes will be a new and better team. The Cardinals have never really gone into rebuilding mode before, having just three losing seasons this century—two of which came over the past three seasons.
- Jay Jaffe has some useful role players who are still free agents. They’re probably almost free to a good home by now.
- The Dodgers claimed outfielder Mike Siani off of waivers and designated infielder Andy Ibanez for assignment. That’s notable because the Dodgers DFA’d Siani a month ago and also signed Ibanez to a $1.2 million major league deal a month ago.
- David Schoenfield asks if the Dodgers make the National League stronger than the American?
- Dan Szymborski has a fun exercise. How many of MLB’s worst teams to you have to combine to get a team that could beat the Dodgers in a seven-game series?
- Former Marlins outfielder Avisaíl García has announced his retirement.
- David Adler looks at teams that trending up and down in the most-recent forecasts.
- Will Leitch has six teams with a lot on the line in 2026.
- Thomas Harrington has seven players who will need to step up and replace others who have left. Moisés Ballesteros is on the list.
- Ken Rosenthal recounts and laments how relations between the Pirates and Andrew McCutchen have deteriorated. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Brian Murphy has three Yankees whom he thinks will exceed expectations in 2026.
- Anthony DiComo takes a look at the Mets starting rotation as it stands now.
- Orioles starter Kyle Bradish won his arbitration hearing. He’ll make $3.55 million in 2026.
- Later today, the Tigers and Tarik Skubal will have their arbitration hearing. (The Athletic free reg. req.) Cody Stavenhagen has what you need to know.
- R.J. Anderson offers his Top 100 prospects. Only Ballesteros made it for the Cubs.
- The Hall of Fame announced that Carlos Beltrán will wear a Mets cap on his plaque. He’s only the third player to go in as a Met after Tom Seaver and Mike Piazza.
- Florida governor Ron DeSantis and commissioner Rob Manfred held a press conference in support of a new stadium for the Rays in Tampa. The Rays want half the stadium paid for by the taxpayers.
- Jake Mintz explains why insurance issues have been costing World Baseball Classic rosters several big stars.
- Francys Romero and Sarah Langs look at some amazing WBC records.
- Manny Soloway wonders why you can easily watch international soccer in the US but you can’t watch international baseball?
- Alden Gonzalez has a great inside look at Driveline Baseball’s hitting lab.
- With the signing of Munetaka Murakami, the White Sox are upgrading the toilets in their clubhouse with bidets.
- And finally in honor of Monday’s 150th anniversary of the founding of the National League, official baseball historian John Thorn re-published this look at a new discovery of some founding documents of the league as well as the general story of how the National Association gave way to the National League.
