Mark Polishuk
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Articles by Mark Polishuk
Offseason Outlook: New York Yankees Original
After another postseason letdown, the Yankees will focus on rebuilding the bullpen and figuring out how to remake a one-dimensional offense.
Mets To Interview Kevin Long About Coaching Job Original
The Mets and Kevin Long will meet tomorrow to discuss a possible role on the coaching staff, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. Long is a familiar face in Queens, as he previously worked as the Mets’ hitting coach during the 2015-17 seasons. It’s logical to assume that Long is a candidate for the Mets’ director of hitting role, as Jeff Albert is moving on after four years in the job.
Trade Candidate: Ketel Marte Original
Only Ketel Marte knows if he’s a truly a trade candidate or not, as the ball is in the second baseman’s court when it comes to approving a deal. Marte gained 10-and-5 status back in April, so after accumulating 10 years of MLB service time and spending the last five years with one team, the Diamondbacks second baseman now has full no-trade protection.
Aaron Boone To Return As Yankees’ Manager In 2027
The Yankees will be standing pat in the dugout, as the Bergen Record’s Pete Caldera reports that Aaron Boone will be returning for his tenth season as the team’s manager. Boone was already under contract for 2027, which will be the final season of the two-year, $10.5MM extension he signed in February 2025.
Aaron Boone To Return As Yankees’ Manager In 2027
The Yankees will be standing pat in the dugout, as the Bergen Record’s Pete Caldera reports that Aaron Boone will be returning for his tenth season as the team’s manager. Boone was already under contract for 2027, which will be the final season of the two-year, $10.5MM extension he signed in February 2025.
Hanshin Tigers Agree To Post Teruaki Sato Original
The Hanshin Tigers made it official today, announcing that Teruaki Sato will be posted for Major League teams this offseason. The posting has been rumored to be in the works for months, and at least five (and likely many more) MLB clubs have already shown interest in the reigning Central League MVP. Sato’s stock is high enough that MLBTR’s Steve Adams placed him second among all free agents in the September edition of the free agent power rankings, which rank players based on earning potential.
Trade candidate: Shea Langeliers
It's a little difficult to gauge what the Athletics will do this winter since the team has yet to hire a full-time president of baseball operations or general manager since David Forst was let go back on August 7 .
Yankees Had Past Interest In Jeremiah Estrada
As part of a piece about how the Yankees could rebuild their bullpen this offseason, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman writes that “the Yankees have long eyed” Padres right-hander Jeremiah Estrada. It isn’t specified when or even if the Yankees might’ve engaged San Diego in any trade talks about the reliever, though Estrada was reportedly discussed by the Big Apple’s other team when the Mets tried to line up a deal with the Padres last winter.
Yankees Had Past Interest In Jeremiah Estrada
As part of a piece about how the Yankees could rebuild their bullpen this offseason, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman writes that “the Yankees have long eyed” Padres right-hander Jeremiah Estrada. It isn’t specified when or even if the Yankees might’ve engaged San Diego in any trade talks about the reliever, though Estrada was reportedly discussed by the Big Apple’s other team when the Mets tried to line up a deal with the Padres last winter.
Trade Candidate: Shea Langeliers
It’s a little difficult to gauge what the Athletics will do this winter since the team has yet to hire a full-time president of baseball operations or general manager since David Forst was let go back on August 7.
Trade Candidate: Shea Langeliers
It’s a little difficult to gauge what the Athletics will do this winter since the team has yet to hire a full-time president of baseball operations or general manager since David Forst was let go back on August 7.
Ben Rortvedt elects free agency
Catcher Ben Rortvedt has chosen to become a minor league free agent, according to his MLB.com profile page . This was the expected outcome after Rortvedt was outrighted off the Dodgers' 40-man roster in September, as that outright assignment (without being selected again to the active roster) plus Rortvedt's three-plus years of career MLB service time qualified him for minor league free agency.
Tigers sign Nick Raquet to minors contract
The Tigers have signed left-hander Nick Raquet to a two-year minor league contract, according to 7 News' Ari Alexander . Raquet became a free agent after he was released by the Orioles in early September. The length of the deal reflects Raquet's health situation, as Alexander reports that the southpaw recently underwent a Tommy John surgery.
Ben Rortvedt Elects Free Agency
Catcher Ben Rortvedt has chosen to become a minor league free agent, according to his MLB.com profile page. This was the expected outcome after Rortvedt was outrighted off the Dodgers’ 40-man roster in September, as that outright assignment (without being selected again to the active roster) plus Rortvedt’s three-plus years of career MLB service time qualified him for minor league free agency.
Ben Rortvedt Elects Free Agency
Catcher Ben Rortvedt has chosen to become a minor league free agent, according to his MLB.com profile page. This was the expected outcome after Rortvedt was outrighted off the Dodgers’ 40-man roster in September, as that outright assignment (without being selected again to the active roster) plus Rortvedt’s three-plus years of career MLB service time qualified him for minor league free agency.
The Blue Jays' unexpected deadline sparkplug
The Blue Jays' 5-1 loss to the Cardinals on August 2 dropped Toronto to 52-60, the kind of record that usually would've made a team a clear seller heading into the next day's trade deadline. For the Jays, however, the situation wasn't quite so simple. The Blue Jays came within two outs of winning the 2025 World Series and headed into 2026 still in full win-now mode, so the front office was loath to wave the white flag on the playoff race.
The Blue Jays’ Unexpected Deadline Sparkplug
The Blue Jays’ 5-1 loss to the Cardinals on August 2 dropped Toronto to 52-60, the kind of record that usually would’ve made a team a clear seller heading into the next day’s trade deadline. For the Jays, however, the situation wasn’t quite so simple. The Blue Jays came within two outs of winning the 2025 World Series and headed into 2026 still in full win-now mode, so the front office was loath to wave the white flag on the playoff race.
The Blue Jays’ Unexpected Deadline Sparkplug
The Blue Jays’ 5-1 loss to the Cardinals on August 2 dropped Toronto to 52-60, the kind of record that usually would’ve made a team a clear seller heading into the next day’s trade deadline. For the Jays, however, the situation wasn’t quite so simple. The Blue Jays came within two outs of winning the 2025 World Series and headed into 2026 still in full win-now mode, so the front office was loath to wave the white flag on the playoff race.
The Opener: ALCS, Game 5, Athletics
Happy birthday to former All-Star and three-time Gold Glover Bobby Knopp, who turns 88 years old today. Knopp spent six of his nine MLB seasons (from 1964-72) with the Angels, and his lengthy post-playing career as a coach included 18 more seasons on the Angels’ coaching staff. Prior to an Angels/Blue Jays game in Toronto in 1991, Knopp happened to toss a couple of baseballs to a pair of young fans watching batting practice.
Tigers Sign Nick Raquet To Minors Contract
The Tigers have signed left-hander Nick Raquet to a two-year minor league contract, according to 7 News’ Ari Alexander. Raquet became a free agent after he was released by the Orioles in early September. The length of the deal reflects Raquet’s health situation, as Alexander reports that the southpaw recently underwent a Tommy John surgery.
Tigers Sign Nick Raquet To Minors Contract
By Mark Polishuk | at October 17, 2026 2:37pm CDT The Tigers have signed left-hander Nick Raquet to a two-year minor league contract, according to 7 News’ Ari Alexander. The length of the deal reflects Raquet’s health situation, as Alexander reports that the southpaw recently underwent a Tommy John surgery. More to come…
NL West Notes: Giants, Itoh, Taira, Vesia, Hernandez, R-Rod, Rockies
The Giants are among the big league teams who have scouted Hiromi Itoh and Kaima Taira, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The Japanese right-handers are expected to be posted for MLB clubs this offseason, even though the impending lockout will sure interrupt their 45-day posting window unless a deal is reached between the time of posting (potentially early November) and the lockout-induced transactions freeze on December 1.
The Opener: Game 4, Woodruff, Mariners
October 17 is a banner day in Pirates history, as the Bucs’ last two World Series titles were clinched on this day in 1971 and 1979, both in the form of Game 7 victories over the Orioles. Pittsburgh’s 2-1 triumph in 1971 came on the strength of Steve Blass’ gem of a complete game, plus Series MVP Roberto Clemente hit a solo home run in the fourth inning and Jose Pagan’s RBI double in the eighth drove in the winning run.
Offseason Outlook: Atlanta Braves
The Braves won the NL East and defeated the Phillies in the wild card round before falling to the Dodgers in the NLDS. It was a nice return to form for the Braves after their injury-marred 76-86 season in 2025, but Atlanta will need to fill some roster holes and perhaps address some broader concerns in order to be championship contenders next year.
AL Central Notes: Caminero, Melton, White Sox, Holderman
The ALCS matchup between the Guardians and Rays has put the spotlight back on one of the most infamous trades in Cleveland baseball history — the November 2021 swap that sent Junior Caminero to Tampa Bay in exchange for right-hander Tobias Myers, who never threw a big league pitch in a Guards uniform.
Rockies fire pitching coach Alon Leichman
The Rockies have parted ways with pitching coach Alon Leichman, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Keith Law . Leichman held the position for just one season, as the Rox only hired the 37-year-old last December. On paper, the quick hook isn't necessarily a surprise given that Colorado's pitching staff finished last in baseball in ERA (5.59), SIERA (4.58), strikeout rate (17.5%), WHIP (1.52), and opponents' batting average (.283), plus last or close to last in multiple other categories.
Preller, Stammen discuss Padres' offseason, rotation, injuries
Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and manager Craig Stammen held an end-of-season wrap-up session yesterday, with the San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee MLB.com's AJ Cassavell , and The Athletic's Dennis Lin among the reporters on the video call.
Rockies Fire Pitching Coach Alon Leichman
The Rockies have parted ways with pitching coach Alon Leichman, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Keith Law. Leichman held the position for just one season, as the Rox only hired the 37-year-old last December. On paper, the quick hook isn’t necessarily a surprise given that Colorado’s pitching staff finished last in baseball in ERA (5.59), SIERA (4.58), strikeout rate (17.5%), WHIP (1.52), and opponents’ batting average (.283), plus last or close to last in multiple other categories.
Preller, Stammen Discuss Padres’ Offseason, Rotation, Injuries Original
Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and manager Craig Stammen held an end-of-season wrap-up session yesterday, with the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell, and The Athletic’s Dennis Lin among the reporters on the video call.
Rockies Fire Pitching Coach Alon Leichman
The Rockies have parted ways with pitching coach Alon Leichman, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Keith Law. Leichman held the position for just one season, as the Rox only hired the 37-year-old last December. On paper, the quick hook isn’t necessarily a surprise given that Colorado’s pitching staff finished last in baseball in ERA (5.59), SIERA (4.58), strikeout rate (17.5%), WHIP (1.52), and opponents’ batting average (.283), plus last or close to last in multiple other categories.
Reds Avoid Arbitration With Oswaldo Cabrera Original
The Reds announced that they have agreed to a one-year, Major League contract with utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera. The signing allows the two sides to avoid salary arbitration, and MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon reports that Cabrera will earn $1MM in guaranteed salary plus up to $200K in bonuses related to plate appearances. Cabrera was eligible for arbitration for the second time this winter, with a projected salary of $1.1MM.
Two Players Elect Minor League Free Agency Original
A pair of players from NL East teams have elected minor league free agency, according to the MiLB.com transactions page. The details… Payton Henry (Phillies) Henry played in 20 games with the Marlins in 2021-22, which remains the catcher’s only on-field action in the majors. The 2026 season saw Henry return to a big league roster but without any in-game action, as the Phillies selected his minor league contract in July but then optioned him back to Triple-A four days later.
Offseason Outlook: Texas Rangers
In perhaps the most underwhelming division race in history, the Astros won the AL West with an 81-81 record, while the Rangers finished a game (and a head-to-head tiebreaker) behind at 80-82. While technically not far away from being a playoff team, Texas clearly still has a lot of holes to fill in order to become more than a quasi-contender, and it remains to be seen how much money is available to address those needs.
Each team's penalty for signing a qualifying offer-rejecting free agent
Since we just looked at what teams would stand to receive in draft compensation if they lost a free agent who rejected a qualifying offer, now it's time to explore what each team would have to give up in order to sign a QO-rejecting free agent. To recap the mechanics: if a free agent has played the entire 2026 season with a team and he has never received a qualifying offer in the past, he is eligible to be issued a QO within five days of the end of the World Series.
Each team's draft compensation for losing a qualifying offer-rejecting free agent
The qualifying offer is one of the offseason's key mechanisms, as teams have until five days after the end of the World Series to decide whether or not to issue this specialized one-year contract to eligible free agents.
Alex Anthopoulos Discusses Braves’ Free Agents, Rotation, Profar Original
The NL East champion Braves saw their season ended on Wednesday when the Dodgers eliminated Atlanta from the NLDS in four games. The team’s wrap-up press conference took place today, as Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos met with the media (including the Athletic’s Jesus Cano and MLB.com’s Mark Bowman) to touch on several topics.
Sam Fuld declines offer to become A's president of baseball operations
Phillies president of baseball operations Sam Fuld has declined the Athletics' offer to become the team's new president of baseball operations, ESPN's Jeff Passan reports. Fuld's name surfaced in connection to the A's job earlier this week , but Fuld has now taken himself out of the running and will stay in Philadelphia.
Could The Yankees Move On From Giancarlo Stanton? Original
Aaron Judge and Clarke Schmidt are the only current Yankees who have been in the organization longer than Giancarlo Stanton, who has now logged nine seasons in the Bronx since the slugger was acquired from the Marlins for a three-player trade package in December 2017. To be more accurate, “parts of” nine seasons is probably a better way to describe Stanton’s Yankees tenure, as injuries have come to define his time in the pinstripes.
Braves Weren’t Willing To Include Didier Fuentes In Skubal Trade Offer Original
The Braves were one of the teams looking to acquire Tarik Skubal from the Tigers at the trade deadline, with The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writing a few days after the deadline that Atlanta “never got close to a deal for Skubal, even though they made virtually all of their young players available, including right-handers AJ Smith-Shawver and JR Ritchie.” One of the youngsters apparently not on the table was Didier Fuentes, as the Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham reports that the Braves “wouldn’t...
Sam Fuld Declines Offer To Become A’s President Of Baseball Operations
By Mark Polishuk | at October 10, 2026 11:57am CDT Phillies president of baseball operations Sam Fuld has declined the Athletics’ offer to become the team’s new president of baseball operations, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports. Fuld’s name surfaced in connection to the A’s job earlier this week, but Fuld has now taken himself out of the running and will stay in Philadelphia. More to come…
AL East Notes: Rays, Feduccia, Red Sox, Kittredge, Akin
Bryan Baker, Kevin Kelly, Victor Mesa Jr., Liam Hicks, and Nick Martinez all played huge roles in the Rays’ run to the ALCS this season, and The Athletic’s Will Sammon took a look at the process Tampa Bay used in identifying and acquiring these players.
The Opener: ALDS Game 5, Dodgers, Athletics
On this day 100 years ago, the Cardinals won their first championship by defeating the Yankees in Game 7 of the 1926 World Series. In the only time a caught-stealing play has ever ended a Series, Babe Ruth (who stole 123 bases throughout his career) was thrown out by Cardinals catcher Bob O’Farrell when the Babe tried to steal second in the bottom of the ninth.
Offseason Outlook: St. Louis Cardinals
After a 78-84 record in 2025 prompted the Cardinals to (finally) go into a full rebuild, the team's record dropped to just 77-85 this year. Even after selling at the deadline, the Cards still stayed within range of a wild card slot and held a .500 record into the first week of September before fading. With some progress already being made, the next team's next step is deciding how to further develop and add to the promising young core.
Offseason Outlook: Toronto Blue Jays
The reigning American League champions couldn't even manage a winning record in 2026, as the Blue Jays fell to 79-83 and last place in the AL East. The Jays were set back by a ton of injuries, but beyond just hoping for improved health, the club needs to fix a lackluster offense. Guaranteed Contracts Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B: $450MM through 2039 Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
Taylor Rogers Plans To Pitch In 2027 Original
With his 11th MLB season now in the books, Taylor Rogers intends to make it an even dozen in what will be his age-36 season. The Minnesota Star Tribune’s Bobby Nightengale writes that Rogers would ideally like either another season with the Twins, or to sign with the Blue Jays to reunite with his twin brother Tyler in Toronto’s bullpen.
Ty France’s Homecoming May Have Saved The Padres’ Season Original
Ty France was in the postseason spotlight for the most unusual of reasons on Saturday. The first baseman’s possible game-tying homer in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS was turned into a fly ball out to Jackson Chourio after the ball deflected off a cable hanging from the roof of American Family Field. The bizarre play allowed the Brewers to hang on for a 3-2 victory, leaving the Padres in an early hole in the best-of-five series.
Aroldis Chapman Passes Physical, 2027 Option Vests Original
Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman has passed his end-of-season physical, according to reporter Francys Romero. This was the last detail required to turn Chapman’s mutual option for 2027 into a fully guaranteed deal, so the veteran southpaw is now locked into at least a $13MM salary for his age-39 season.
Details On The Yankees/Orioles Deadline Talks About Adley Rutschman Original
Prior to the blockbuster deal that sent Adley Rutschman to the Red Sox at the trade deadline, the Orioles were also discussing Rutschman with two other division rivals. The Rays and Yankees were known to have shown some interest in Rutschman’s services, and Jon Heyman of the New York Post shared some details on the talks between the Yankees and Orioles.
Dodgers, Braves Announce NLDS Rosters Original
The NL West and NL East champions will square off when the Dodgers host the Braves in Game 1 of the NLDS in Los Angeles. Tarik Skubal will start for the two-time defending World Series champs, while Atlanta counters with Dylan Dodd (as per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman) as the opener in what is expected to be a bullpen game. The Braves have made three changes from the roster of 11 pitchers and 15 position players they carried into their NL Wild Card Series victory over the Phillies.
Brewers, Padres Announce NLDS Rosters Original
The Brewers and Padres play Game 1 of the NLDS tonight in Milwaukee, with Jacob Misiorowski starting against Robbie Ray. The clubs have announced their 26-man rosters for the series, though the Padres have already made one change since the initial announcement this morning. Right-hander Randy Vasquez will temporarily replace fellow righty Walker Buehler, as Buehler has been placed on the paternity list.
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