The Boston Red Sox have acquired veteran right-hander Sonny Gray and cash from the St. Louis Cardinals, in exchange for pitchers Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke, and either cash or a player to be named later. Seems straightforward enough.
After 13 seasons in the majors, you all know Gray by now: short guy out of Vanderbilt. Big, slow curveball, but not a ton of velo. Changes teams every two or three years. In those 13 seasons, Gray’s two best WAR seasons are 5.4 and 4.5, but he’s posted four additional seasons of between 3.5 and 3.9 WAR, and three others of between 2.4 and 2.7 WAR. This is the Toyota Sienna of pitchers: You don’t stay up nights dreaming about him, and he can be a little pricey, but he’ll get you and your family where they need to go with an absolute minimum of fuss.
The Red Sox made the playoffs in 2025. I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by assuming they’d like to make the playoffs again in 2026. If I were in the playoff-making business, I’d welcome the opportunity to add Sonny Gray to my team. Read the rest of this entry »
The following article is part of Jay Jaffe’s ongoing look at the candidates on the BBWAA 2026 Hall of Fame ballot. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, and other candidates in the series, use the navigation tool above; an introduction to JAWS can be found here. For a tentative schedule, and a chance to fill out a Hall of Fame ballot for our crowdsourcing project, see here. All WAR figures refer to the Baseball-Reference version unless otherwise indicated.
Carlos Beltrán was the quintessential five-tool player, a switch-hitting center fielder who harnessed his physical talents and became a superstar. Aided by a high baseball IQ that was essentially his sixth tool, he spent 20 seasons in the majors, making nine All-Star teams, winning three Gold Gloves, and helping five different franchises reach the playoffs, where he put together some of the most dominant stretches in postseason history. At the end of his career, he helped the Astros win a championship.
Drafted out of Puerto Rico by the Royals, Beltrán didn’t truly thrive until he was traded away. He spent the heart of his career in New York, first with the Mets — on what was at the time the largest free-agent contract in team history — and later the Yankees. He endured his ups and downs in the Big Apple and elsewhere, including his share of injuries. Had he not missed substantial portions of three seasons, he might well have reached 3,000 hits, but even as it is, he put up impressive, Cooperstown-caliber career numbers. Not only is he one of just eight players with 300 home runs and 300 stolen bases, but he also owns the highest stolen base success rate (86.4%) of any player with at least 200 attempts.
Alas, two years after Beltrán’s career ended, he was identified as the player at the center of the biggest baseball scandal in a generation: the Astros’ illegal use of video replay to steal opponents’ signs in 2017 and ’18. He was “the godfather of the whole program” in the words of Tom Koch-Weser, the team’s director of advance information, and the only player identified in commissioner Rob Manfred’s January 2020 report. But between that report and additional reporting by the Wall Street Journal, it seems apparent that the whole roster, as well as higher-ups including bench coach Alex Cora, manager A.J. Hinch, and general manager Jeff Luhnow, was well aware of the system and didn’t stop him or his co-conspirators. In that light, it’s worth wondering about the easy narrative that has left Beltrán holding the bag; Hinch hardly had to break stride in getting another managerial job once his suspension ended, and Cora was rehired as Red Sox manager after he served his suspension. While Beltrán was not disciplined by the league, the fallout cost him his job as manager of the Mets before he could even oversee a game, and he has yet to get another opportunity. Read the rest of this entry »
The following article is part of my ongoing look at the candidates on the 2026 Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot. For a detailed introduction to this year’s ballot, use the navigation tool above. An introduction to JAWS can be found here.
Though he won the Rookie of the Year award, a Cy Young, and a World Series all in his first full season while beginning a six-year streak of All-Star selections — the first of those as the game’s starter — Fernando Valenzuela wasn’t just a star pitcher. He was an international icon, the centerpiece of a cultural phenomenon, and a beloved global ambassador who brought generations of Mexican American and Latino fans to baseball while helping to heal the wounds caused by the building of Dodger Stadium, the very ballpark in which he starred.
“Roberto Clemente is ‘The Great One,’ but culturally, Fernando Valenzuela has been more significant in terms of bringing a fan base that didn’t exist in baseball,” José de Jesus Ortiz, the first Latino president of the BBWAA, told author Erik Sherman for Daybreak at Chavez Ravine, a 2023 biography of Valenzuela. Sherman himself described the pitcher as “like a composite of the Beatles — only in Dodger blue. His appeal was universal.”
After excelling in a relief role during a September 1980 cup of coffee with the Dodgers — as a 19-year-old in the heat of a playoff race, no less — Valenzuela took the world by storm the following spring. Pressed into service as the Opening Day starter, he threw a five-hit shutout, then reeled off four more shutouts and six more complete games within his first eight starts, a span during which he posted a 0.50 ERA. Despite speaking barely a word of English, the portly portsider (listed at 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, but generally presumed to be at least 20 pounds heavier) charmed the baseball world with his bashful smile while bedeviling hitters with impeccable command of his screwball, delivered following a high leg kick and a skyward gaze at the peak of his windup.
We’re less than a month from the Winter Meetings and the Rule 5 Draft, which means it’s a good time to evaluate every team’s 40-man roster situation. This is the time of year when teams have one final chance to protect Rule 5 eligible players by placing them on the 40-man. Eligibility is determined by a mix of how long a player has been with their parent organization and how young they were when they signed: Players who signed at 18 or younger must be added to the 40-man within five seasons, while everyone else must be added within four. RosterResource monitors Rule 5 eligibility, if you’re curious to see the lay of the land.
During the season, teams can free up roster space by placing an injured player on the 60-day IL. In the offseason, teams don’t get extra slots for injured players, which tends to put pressure on the back of the roster. The Diamondbacks are a good example of how space can tighten quickly, as they’ve currently got six pitchers battling long-term injuries occupying a spot. You may have noticed a flurry of moves immediately following the World Series, with many teams outrighting players off the 40-man in order to make room for all the guys who were on the IL.
Below, I’ve assessed every National League team’s 40-man roster situation (Eric will sort through the American League tomorrow). Some teams, like the Braves, have plenty of roster space, and thus a lot of flexibility in adding whoever they like. Others, like the Cardinals and Marlins, will face some tough choices as they seek to balance protecting interesting prospects with retaining players already on the roster, as well as finding room for prospective additions via trade or free agency. Some clubs don’t have many impact players to add, while others may need to protect a half-dozen or so guys. I’ve tried to identify which players are most likely to be added, which guys on the 40-man are vulnerable to getting lopped off in a roster crunch, and who could be moved in a deal to free up roster space. Let’s dig in. Read the rest of this entry »
The General Managers Meetings are currently taking place in Las Vegas, and as always, FanGraphs is on hand to report on what the executives have to say. We’ll hear from a number of them this week, beginning with a trio of National League execs, Matt Arnold of the Brewers, Paul DePodesta of the Rockies, and Chaim Bloom of the Cardinals.
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MATT ARNOLD — MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Brewers hitters had both a low strikeout rate and a relatively high walk rate this season; they ranked top five in both metrics. How was that achieved, and to what extent was it a focus?
“I think it was achieved by Murph letting people know, ‘You better put the ball in play and you better not chase,’” Arnold replied, crediting National League Manager of the Year Pat Murphy. “He’s relentless about that. Those are good things that we were able to execute this year, and it’s easier said than done. It starts with the players buying in and Murph enforcing that in the dugout, making sure our guys have that as a focus: the ball-strike, the ball in play. Having those types of skills in your pocket can lead to better at-bats and better outcomes.”
Needless to say, it’s not all Murphy. Milwaukee’s hitting coaches play a role as well.
“It’s a combination of all of them,” Arnold agreed. “Our coaches do a really good job of that. They want our guys to focus on getting a good pitch to hit, and again, while it’s easier said than done, we’ve done a good job of that. We try to focus on it as much as we can in our [minor league system] Marrying your scouting and player development is also super important. We try to communicate it with both of them.”
Jackson Chourio had a perfectly acceptable 20.5% strikeout rate, but also a 5.1% walk rate that ranked lowest on the team. How does he take the next steps to better fit that mold?
“He’s so young, and so athletic, and so talented,” Arnold said of the team’s 21-year-old phenom. “He’s got every ingredient to do it. He’s already doing it at a pretty high level. Whatever he does beyond this is even more special. The sky is the limit for this kid.”
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PAUL DEPODESTA — COLORADO ROCKIES
Colorado’s new top executive is inheriting a team whose hitters had both a high strikeout rate (second-worst in the majors) and a low slugging percentage (tied for sixth worst). If he had to pick one or the other, which is more in need of improvement?
“I would say it’s not the combo we want,” said DePodesta, stating the obvious. “And it won’t ultimately be one or the other. I said earlier what we want our identity to be, in Colorado especially, but… put it this way: If that’s a dial from one to the other, it’s not necessarily going to be one or the other. We need to find the right combination for us.”
Following up, I asked the well-traveled exec if he has an idea of which direction that combination might trend.
“I do, but I probably won’t share it,” he replied. “For us, it’s how we go about scouting and developing, or even setting up a major league roster. So yeah, ultimately it will be proprietary, what we feel is going to work well for us.”
And then there is the organization’s longest-standing question: What is the best way to pitch effectively in Colorado? Is there an actual answer to be found?
“We’ll find out,” DePodesta said. “I’m encouraged. There have been plenty of successful teams in Colorado. When I was in San Diego in 2007, 2008, 2009, and obviously the teams that Buddy [Black] had in 2017 and 2018, those teams were very successful. There were teams that had winning records on the road.
“My approach, at least as of today, is that I know it’s not impossible,” he added. “It’s been done. Are there things we have to consider that other teams don’t? Probably so. Are there adjustments we’re going to have to make that will look a little different than everybody else? Probably yes, but I’m confident that it’s not impossible. We’re going to figure something out.”
One more follow-up seemed in order. Given the Rockies’ reputation of lagging behind other organizations in terms of analytics, are there maybe things that have been overlooked?
“That I don’t know,” said DePodesta, who has spent the last decade working in the NFL as the chief strategy officer of the Cleveland Browns. “I’m looking forward to diving in deeper to the organization and figuring out all the things they have tried. I have a handful of ideas right now, but I would imagine they’re pretty naïve. Coors Field has been around since 1995 [and] they’ve tried a lot of things. I don’t have to reinvent the wheel. I want to understand what all of those things were and what they felt worked, and what didn’t. I don’t want to try things a second time if they’ve already tried them.”
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CHAIM BLOOM — ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Cardinals pitchers didn’t strike out a lot of batters this year; they were second worst in the majors. How much of a concern is that?
“It’s definitely a concern,” replied Bloom, who succeeded John Mozeliak as St. Louis’ president of baseball operations at the conclusion of the regular season. “It’s not the only thing that matters, but it does matter. Having stuff that can beat people in the strike zone, that can miss bats — both in and out of the strike zone — is really important. It’s hard to have an elite staff without being able to do that. It’s not something you want to chase at the expense of throwing strikes — you’re not trying to put people in positions where they can’t succeed, or stay healthy — but it’s super important.”
How close is Liam Doyle to helping out in that respect?
“He’ll tell us that as the season unfolds,” Bloom said of the 21-year-old southpaw whom the Cardinals drafted fifth overall this year out of the University of Tennessee. “We gave him a little taste of [pro ball] at the end; he got his feet wet a little bit. Obviously, a first full season will tell you a lot. A first full season in and of itself is a big developmental step for guys, because they haven’t been asked to pitch that regularly for that long. But he came in and showed everything you want to see. He got after his work. He showed openness, a desire to get better, a willingness to listen. There is obviously some work to do before we can call him a big leaguer, but we’re really happy with the pitcher we got.
“The player will move himself,” added Bloom. “The player tells you where he should be. If you try to force something that’s not there, you usually end up paying a price. You might end up picking the pieces up from that for quite some time. When a player is ready and you give him that opportunity, he can carry it. It’s really just what the game is telling us, letting the player’s performance and his progress on the mound carry the day.”
Balls in play are less of an issue when you have a strong defense, which St. Louis largely had in 2025. Just how strong depends on the numbers you favor. I asked Bloom if he could explain how the Cardinals led all teams in Outs Above Average, yet were well below average in Defensive Runs Saved.
“That is a bigger conversation than one we could have here today,” Bloom said. “There are some differences between those metrics, some differences in [how they] get calculated that might disproportionally help or hurt certain types of players. Sometimes those things… they usually will even out year over year. I’ve seen specific players where that might not be the case, because of certain things that the player does or doesn’t do well that some metrics favor — or don’t — but typically over the course of time, they tend to [even out].”
What does it say about the 2025 Cardinals specifically?
“I’d be hesitant to draw too much of a big picture about specific players or player seasons,” Bloom responded. “If it persists over two or three years, then we can look at it as a trend and see if there is something underlying.”
Job Summary:
The role of the Senior Data Scientist will be to build, maintain, test, and communicate a wide variety of predictive models and analyses that will help to inform all aspects of baseball operations.
Job Duties:
Build and support predictive models for player evaluation, player development, advance scouting, and other baseball-related topics.
Collaborate in the design and planning of new predictive models and assist others with machine learning and statistical projects.
Evaluate new sources of data for quality and predictive power.
Work closely with data engineers, analytics engineers, and application developers in developing end to end analytical pipelines.
Present conclusions and recommendations to others in Baseball Operations and incorporate their feedback.
Help ensure that leaders in Baseball Operations have up to date information in terms of player projections and statistics.
Education/Experience Required:
Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, or PhD in statistics, data science or related field.
3+ years professional experience using baseball data to build predictive models.
Expertise in R and/or Python for data science.
Expertise in SQL.
Ability to independently apply machine learning, advanced statistical methods, and deep learning to solve business problems.
Strong ability to communicate and explain statistical topics to a wide variety of audiences.
Experience interacting with the cloud such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud.
Job Summary:
The St. Louis Cardinals are looking for a Cloud Engineer to join our St. Louis-based Baseball Development team. Candidates should either live in, or be willing to relocate to, the St. Louis metro area. Candidates should also have a deep love of baseball, like the idea of being on a small, dynamic team with high individual flexibility and responsibility, and be competitively driven with a growth mindset. We compete with other teams in our domain just like our MLB players compete with other teams on the field. This position must have open flexibility during the season with hours and availability.
Job Duties:
The role of Cloud Engineer will be a cross-functional role that balances Google Cloud Platform systems engineering with software engineering and data engineering. Some example projects this position would be working on:
Profiling a BigQuery procedure to determine a way to improve performance and reduce costs
Writing a tool in Go to automate some common data engineering task
Assessing options to improve resource utilization in a Kubernetes cluster
Extending our Python ETL framework to support a new data source
Planning, testing, and upgrading a database server to the latest version
Other essential job functions include:
Maintain a small number of hosted servers/services: Google Composer, Google Kubernetes Engine, Cloud SQL (PostgreSQL)
Diligently monitor cloud performance and cost
Maintain a self-managed Microsoft SQL database server
Experience Required:
Advanced knowledge of Google Cloud Platform offerings and best practices
Intermediate knowledge of either Go or Python or two other programming languages
Job Summary:
The role of Major League Strategy Fellow will utilize Baseball Development applications to identify actionable insights for the MLB team. This position will report to the MLB Analyst and will be based in St. Louis in the MLB clubhouse. Travel to Jupiter for Spring Training will be required. Even though not always there in person, this person should be available on the MLB team’s schedule from the start of spring training to the end of the MLB season.
Job Duties:
Provide MLB staff with detailed analyses of player data trends and deviations from their typical performance
Give strategic insights and recommendations based on Baseball Development information
Be a point of contact within Baseball Development for MLB staff with data related questions and ideas
Identify new tools that Baseball Development can build to better serve MLB team
Collaborate with Baseball Development in building new predictive models or actionable metrics
Build prototypes, or collaborate with Baseball Development in building production versions, of future automated reports and applications
Assist in the capture, dissemination, and utilization of video and data
Assist in quality control of reports and applications created by Baseball Development and sent to MLB staff
Experience Required:
Strong ability to communicate clearly and concisely in both written and verbal form
Ability to work effectively with various stakeholders in a fast-paced team environment
Humility, curiosity, and ability to interact productively with others
Experience with modern baseball data including ball tracking, player tracking, and limb tracking data
Demonstrated ability to communicate technical baseball data to non-technical audiences
Experience communicating with baseball coaches and staff
Familiarity with database querying languages
Awareness of predictive modeling and machine learning concepts
Proficiency at building easy to read data visualizations and reports is a plus, but not required
Ability to build automated applications and/or websites is a plus, but not required
Experience writing published articles and/or speaking on radio/podcasts/television about modern baseball data is a plus, but not required
Job Summary:
The Minor League Affiliate Fellow will manage all aspects of video and technology at a domestic minor league affiliate location in supporting the minor league coaching staff (manager, hitting coach, and pitching coach, etc.). The data collected from video and technology will be utilized to provide feedback to players for development. This position will be placed at one of our minor league affiliates during the 2026 season.
Pre-game tasks will include managing distribution, set up and usage of all baseball technology along with any advance scouting needs from staff. During the game, this position will manage technology resources for the minor league coaches from the dugout. Post-game tasks will ensure all data and video collected from the day is available for reporting & analysis and create reports for players and coaches as required. This position will work directly with the Baseball Technology Department and reports to the relevant minor league manager for day-to-day responsibilities at the affiliate.
The ideal candidate will have demonstrated a strong work ethic and impressive intellect. The position is a seasonal job for the 2026 season but may lead to full-time employment in Baseball Technology or elsewhere within Baseball Operations.
Job duties:
Manage baseball technology and video capture at the affiliate (e.g. Trackman, Blast Motion, Edgertronic Camera, etc.).
During the game, depending on staff needs:
Manage in-game capture of technology and video from the dugout
Quality assurance of the video and data collected for analyses
Setup video camcorders for game recording
Communicate any implementation issues to the Baseball Technology Coordinator that are not remediated through initial troubleshooting
Attend Spring Training and travel with assigned minor league team on the road throughout the season
Experience/Education Required:
Postgraduate or college senior available to start work during Spring Training
Proven ability to use and troubleshoot baseball or sport science technology (like pairing portable trackman to an Edgertronic camera, syncing wearable technology to a mobile device, etc.)
Familiar with and/or demonstrate the willingness to learn technology such as Blast Motion, Trackman, and video integration
Ability to communicate effectively and efficiently
Proficient with computers, iPads, and other electronics
Ability to work weekdays, nights, weekends and holidays
Welcome to the final Five Things I Liked (Or Didn’t Like) This Week of the year. As we prepare to leave the normal cadence of regular season baseball behind, we’re all already mentally preparing for the madcap pace of the playoffs, when the games are fewer but more momentous. This last week is more of a transitional phase; some of the series are monumentally important, while others feature the Royals and Angels (just to pick a random set) playing out the string. Maybe this is the best time for baseball, actually. If you’re looking for it, there’s more drama in the back half of September than in any other regular season month. But if you just want silly baserunning in inconsequential games, or role players making the most of big opportunities, there’s plenty of that too. I love October baseball, but I’ll be sad when September ends.
Of course, no Five Things intro would be complete without me thanking Zach Lowe of The Ringer for the format I’ve shamelessly copied. So Zach, I hope your Mets fandom isn’t too painful this week. To the things!
1. Playoff Races
Obviously. If this isn’t the thing you like most in baseball this week, you’re probably a Mets or Tigers fan, and even then, you’re probably lying to yourself a little. The thrill of a pennant race coming down to the wire is one of the great joys of this sport. Most of the time, I like baseball because no single outcome matters all that much. Lose a game? Play the next day. Strike out in a big spot? Everyone does that sometimes. Give up a walk-off hit? I mean, there are 162 games, you’re going to give up some walk-offs. But every so often, as a treat, it’s fun when the games suddenly transmute from seemingly endless to “must have this next one.”
Has the new playoff format played a role here? It’s hard to argue it hasn’t. This is the fourth year of the 12-team field, and it’s the fourth straight year with an unsettled playoff race in the last week of the season. It’s the third straight year with multiple good races, in fact. That’s not exactly unimpeachable evidence – the final year of the old format saw its own thrilling conclusion to the regular season – but the point is that when the last week of the regular season is filled with drama, it makes for a great playoff appetizer. I’m still unsure what the new format does to the competitive structure of the game, and I haven’t liked the way trade deadlines work when the line between contender and pretender is so hazy. But in late September, it sure seems to be giving me more of what I want. Read the rest of this entry »
Job Summary:
This position supports the Advisor to the President in preparation for, and then through, the upcoming transition to the President role at the end of the 2025 season. Prior to the transition, responsibilities may include research projects, presentation writing, meeting planning and summaries, note-taking and correspondence, and other tasks as assigned. Following Advisor’s transition to the President role, this Assistant will continue in a support role, working closely with the Sr. Executive Assistant to the President. The Assistant will have wide exposure to the baseball operations senior leadership team and all underlying sub-departments. The role will then help ensure top-notch communication and execution throughout baseball ops, provide strategic support for processes and decisions and for the President, and help with projects and research as appropriate.
Job Duties Beginning Immediately:
Design and produce complex documents, reports, and presentations, for a variety of internal audiences.
Conduct baseball research projects as directed by Advisor to the President.
Compose memos and correspondence and assist with other writing and communication projects.
Become a power user of internal systems and valuation materials. Assist in ongoing efforts to improve and streamline those systems and materials.
Work to stay current on industry best practices and developments relevant to Cardinals current and future initiatives. Regularly summarize and communicate findings of note.
Job Duties Following the 2025 Season:
Provide strategic support on various issues, including staffing and department administration, operational process improvements, and player personnel matters.
Attend various baseball operations staff meetings, take notes, and monitor action items for proactive follow-up as appropriate.
Work with Sr. Executive Assistant as appropriate to support President, including with scheduling and preparation for internal and external meetings and engagements. Anticipate needs in advance and attend meetings as requested, in a support/documentation role.
Serve as conduit between and among President and department leaders, to ensure ongoing communication and alignment, and to monitor execution of strategic decisions and planned initiatives.
Work to gain familiarity with all aspects of baseball operations, in particular to better support President’s oversight of those areas, to promote better communication across departments, and to improve efficiency and excellence of processes.
Travel to spring training, winter meetings, and occasional other trips as appropriate.
Experience/Qualifications Required:
Proficiency in Microsoft Office (PowerPoint, Excel, and Word) is required.
Existing familiarity with data analysis and basic SQL knowledge is desirable, but candidates willing to learn are also encouraged to apply.
Prior baseball experience is a plus but not required. Experience in other private or public sector jobs (e.g. sports, politics, management consulting, investment banking, technology and/or startups) with fast-paced environments requiring strong communication, organization, writing, and presentation skills is also helpful.
Humility, curiosity, and ability to interact productively with others.
Ability to work effectively with various stakeholders in a fast-paced team environment.
Organized, detail-oriented, and observant.
Solution-oriented and team-focused, with great ability to build relationships and collaborate.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to create effective presentations.
Proactive in finding ways to improve existing processes and contribute to the organization’s success.
Trustworthy; can handle sensitive/confidential info and conversations well.
Great work ethic; available to work evening, weekend, and holiday hours.
This is the second post in a series I’m working on in which I not only do a deep dive analyzing shortstop prospects’ defense, but also cut together a video package so that you can too. The first installment can be found in the navigation widget above. Today, I’m tackling Red Sox prospect Franklin Arias, Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr., Cardinals prospect JJ Wetherholt, and Reds prospect Edwin Arroyo. Let’s get started. Read the rest of this entry »
