Issue #522
The goal with The Baseball Buffet series is to provide the best daily dose of relevant baseball info in a smart-brevity format (mostly short bullets, getting to the point, with quick analysis/insights.) Think of it like what baseball fans of a certain age would look forward to in their morning newspaper’s sports section each day!
⚾ Welcome! ⚾
Yesterday’s big news was the 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame voting results. But before I get to that, there were a few offseason transactions as well:
Mets trade Luisangel Acuña, Truman Pauley to the White Sox for CF Luis Robert Jr. According to an article by Scott Merkin at MLB, the Mets are acquiring CF Luis Robert Jr. in exchange for infielder Luisangel Acuña and right-handed pitcher Truman Pauley (the Mets’ 12th round 2025 draft pick). Robert Jr. has played six seasons in the major leagues, all with the White Sox, but had been the subject of trade rumors for the past two years. In 2023 he was an All-Star and finished the year with 38 HR, 90 runs, 80 RBI, and 20 SB. He is a good defensive CF as well, having won a Gold Glove Award in his rookie season in 2020. But injuries have been an issue, as has a high strikeout rate, limiting his batting averages to .224 and .223 the past two seasons, and his HR total to only 14 HR each year. His baserunning has remained solid, with 23 SB in 100 games in 2024 and a career-high 33 SB in 110 games in 2025.
The Mets have had a very active offseason, losing Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz to free agency, trading away Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil, but acquiring Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, and now Luis Robert Jr. Their reconfigured made Luisangel Acuña, who turns 24 years old in March, more expendable. Capable of playing 2B, 3B, SS, and the OF, Acuña hit .234 with 16 SB in 95 games in 2025. The brother of superstar Ronald Acuña Jr., we’ll see how Luisangel does during Spring Training—but with the White Sox he might have the best chance of sticking as their CF, since their infield seems fairly set with 1B Munetaka Murakami, 2B Chase Meidroth, SS Colson Montgomery, and 3B Miguel Vargas.
Marlins trade for SP Bradley Blalock. According to an article by Thomas Harrigan at MLB, the Marlins have traded minor league (AA) right-hander Jake Brooks to the Rockies for right-handed starter Bradley Blalock. Originally drafted by the Red Sox in 2019, Blalock did well at A-ball in 2023, and fairly well at AA/AAA in 2024. His major league results have been less impressive, including his 2025 numbers for the Rockies which include an unattractive 9.36 ERA over 58.2 IP and 12 starts. But the Fish recently traded away two starters in Ryan Weathers (Yankees) and Edward Cabrera (Cubs), so I guess they see something in Blalock and hope he can compete for a rotation spot or at least a bullpen depth role in 2026.
Rangers re-sign reliever Josh Sborz. The Rangers are bringing back Josh Sborz on a minor-league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. The 32-year old right-hander has pitched in the majors in six seasons, most notably for the Rangers from 2021-2024. He has a career 4.96 ERA with 193 K in 163.1 IP. In 2025 he was recovering from a late-2024 surgery and only pitched in the minors, so he’ll need a good spring to earn a spot in the Rangers bullpen which has been bulked up this offseason by acquisitions including Jakob Junis, Alexis Díaz, and Tyler Alexander.
2026 Baseball Hall of Fame Voting Results
This year two players were elected by the BBWAA (Baseball Writers' Association of America) to the Baseball Hall of Fame, both of them long-time CF in Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones. In his 4th year on the ballot, Beltrán got 84.2% of the vote, up from 70.3% in 2025 (75% is required for election). Jones had 66.2% of the vote in 2025, but jumped up to 78.4% in 2026, his ninth year on the ballot.
Something I’m not seeing reported far and wide—even though to me this a fun and big headline—is that it seems like destiny that these two should be getting elected together in the same year. They weren’t just both great defensive CF with power… they were literally born one day apart! Yes indeed, Andruw Jones was born on April 23, 1977 in Curacao, and Carlos Beltrán was born on April 24, 1977 in Puerto Rico. Weird, huh? Here are some actual highlights from each player:
Carlos Beltrán
20-year major league career, spanning from 1998-2017, spending seven years each with the Royals and Mets, and the rest of his time spread across the Yankees, Cardinals, Astros, Rangers, and Giants
Was AL Rookie of the Year in 1999 when he hit 22 HR with 112 runs, 108 RBI, 27 SB, and a .293 average
Nine-time All-Star, and won three consecutive NL Gold Glove Awards in CF from 2006-2008
Provided an impressive combination of speed and power, with 25+ SB in six seasons and 25+ HR in eight
Was also a significant postseason contributor, with 16 HR in 65 games and a .307/.412/.609 slash line
Overall had 435 HR, 312 SB, 1,582 Runs, 1,587 RBI, a .279/.350/.486 slash line, and a 119 OPS+
Andruw Jones
17-year major league career, spanning from 1996-2012, mostly as a CF with the Braves, but playing his last five seasons with the Dodgers, Rangers, White Sox, and Yankees
First called up as a 19-year old in 1996, he went 8-20 with 2 HR in the World Series against the Yankees
Five-time All-Star, and winner of 10 Gold Glove Awards as an outfielder, which is tied for third among OF behind only Roberto Clemente and Willie Mays (12 each)
Hit 25+ HR ten times and posted 100+ RBI five times, including 2005 when he paced the NL with 51 HR and 128 RBI, coming in second to Albert Pujols in the NL MVP vote.
Overall had 434 HR, 1,289 RBI, 152 SB, a .254/.337/.486 slash line, and a 111 OPS+
I’m glad to see both Beltrán and Jones get elected finally. As for the rest of the 2026 voting results, here is what MLB has reported out (with their years on the ballet in parentheses):
59.1% Chase Utley (3rd)
48.5% Andy Pettitte (8th)
46.1% Félix Hernández (2nd)
40.0% Alex Rodríguez (5th)
38.8% Manny Ramírez (10th and final time on the ballot)
30.8% Bobby Abreu (7th)
25.4% Jimmy Rollins (5th)
23.8% Cole Hamels (1st)
20.7% Dustin Pedroia (2nd)
20.0% Mark Buehrle (6th)
18.4% Omar Vizquel (9th)
14.8% David Wright (3rd)
11.8% Francisco Rodríguez (4th)
8.7% Torii Hunter (6th)
Among first-timers on the ballot, only Cole Hamels as noted above received 5% or more which is the cutoff to stay on the ballot for next year. Ryan Braun received 3.5%, Edwin Encarnación got 1.4%, and all of the other first-timers got less than 1% including Shin-Soo Choo, Matt Kemp, Hunter Pence, Rick Porcello, Alex Gordon, Nick Markakis, Gio Gonzalez, Howie Kendrick, and Daniel Murphy.
Today’s Trivia Question
Carlos Beltrán is now the fifth player who was born in Puerto Rico to become a Hall of Famer. Who are the other four?
Countdown to Spring Training!
Continuing with this fun series… Spring Training games are now just 30 days away, so here are some top players who had uniform #30 for extended periods of time (and the teams they wore it with):
SP Nolan Ryan - Mets (1968-71), Angels (1972-79)
OF Tim Raines - Expos (1980-90, 2001), White Sox (1991-95), and three other clubs
1B/OF Orlando Cepeda - Giants (1958-66), Cardinals (1967-68), Braves (1969-72), Royals (1974)
2B Willie Randolph - Yankees (1976-88) and two other clubs
SP Dennis Martinez - Orioles (1977-86)
SP Mel Stottlemyre - Yankees (1964-74)
SS Maury Wills - Dodgers (1959-66, 69-72), Pirates (1967-68), Expos (1969)
OF Magglio Ordonez - White Sox (1997-2004), Tigers (2005-11)
SP/RP Bobby Shantz - Athletics (1949-54), Yankees (1957-60)
OF Ken Griffey Sr. - Reds (1973-81, 89-90), Mariners (1990-91)
SP John Tudor - Red Sox (1979-83), Cardinals (1985-88, 90), Dodgers (1988-89)
SP Eddie Lopat - Yankees (1948-55)
SP Ken Holtzman - Cubs (1965-71, 78-79), Athletics (1972-75), Orioles (1976)
SP Rip Sewell - Pirates (1940-49)
SP Paul Skenes - Pirates (2024-25)
On this day in baseball history…
Here is what stands out to me for this day in baseball history. All quoted descriptions are from baseball-reference.com.
📅 On January 21…
1947: Mickey Cochrane, Frankie Frisch, Lefty Grove, and Carl Hubbell were elected to the Hall of Fame. “A rule change that allows voting only for players who were active after 1921 produces four new Hall of Fame members, breaking a logjam after years of the BBWAA electing hardly anyone: catcher Mickey Cochrane, second baseman Frankie Frisch, and pitchers Lefty Grove and Carl Hubbell, all former Most Valuable Players and World Series winners. Pie Traynor misses selection by two votes. Hubbell was forbidden by Ty Cobb to throw his screwball in Detroit's farm system, but used it to win 253 games for the New York Giants; Frisch went to the World Series eight times and batted .316 over 19 seasons; Grove won 300 games, and his battery-mate Cochrane retired with a .320 lifetime batting average, the highest of any catcher.”
1953: Dizzy Dean and Al Simmons were elected to the Hall of Fame. “The Baseball Writers Association of America passes over Joe DiMaggio in his first year of eligibility and elects pitcher Dizzy Dean and outfielder Al Simmons to the Hall of Fame. Dean gathers 209 votes while Simmons' total of 199 is one more than needed. The colorful Dean had a .644 career winning percentage and won 120 games from 1932 through 1936, including 30 wins in 1934. Simmons, who drove in 100 runs in each of his first eleven major league seasons, was one of the most feared hitters of his time. Also joining DiMaggio, who finishes eighth in the voting, are in order Bill Terry, Bill Dickey, Rabbit Maranville, Dazzy Vance, Ted Lyons, Charles Bender (ninth) and Gabby Hartnett (tenth). All will eventually make it. DiMaggio's low total can be explained by the fact that there is no actual ballot, only write-in votes, and it is not clear whether DiMaggio is eligible since he played his last game only two years earlier.”
1960: Stan Musial requests a pay… decrease. “In an unusual request, Stan Musial tells the St. Louis Cardinals management that he is overpaid and should have his salary reduced after a subpar 1959 season. He receives a pay cut from $100,000 to $80,000 a year.”
1969: Roy Campanella and Stan Musial are elected to the Hall of Fame. “Roy Campanella and Stan Musial are elected by the BBWAA to join the elite group of players enshrined in the Hall of Fame.”
🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys 🎉
Row 1: Mike Tiernan, Brandon Crawford, Rusty Greer
Row 2: Lew Fonseca, Dave Smith, Jake Cronenworth
Mike Tiernan (1867-1918)
13-year major league career, spanning from 1887-1899, all as an OF with the New York Giants
One of the leading offensive players of his era, he led the NL with 13 HR in 1890 and 16 HR in 1891, and had 10+ triples in eleven seasons, including 21 triples in both 1890 and 1895
Had 100+ runs seven times, including a career-high and NL-leading 147 runs in 1889
Had 20+ SB eleven times, and 50+ SB three times
Overall had 162 triples, 1,316 runs, 428 SB, a .311/.392/.463 slash line, and a 138 OPS+
Brandon Crawford (1987)
14-year major league career, spanning from 2011-2024, mostly as a SS with the Giants
Three-time All-Star, and won four NL Gold Glove Awards
Had some pop with 20+ HR twice, including career highs of 24 HR and 90 RBI in 2021
Led the NL with 11 triples in 2016
Overall had 147 HR and a .249 average
Rusty Greer (1969)
9-year major league career, spanning from 1994-2002, all as an OF with the Rangers
Had 15+ HR four times, including a high of 26 HR in 1997
Had 100+ RBI three times, and 100+ runs three times
Injuries and the need for several surgeries cut his career short after his age-33 season
Overall had 119 HR, a .305/.387/.478 slash line, and a 119 OPS+
Lew Fonseca (1899-1989)
12-year major league career, spanning from 1921-1933, mostly with the Indians, Reds, and White Sox
Played a mix of 2B, 1B, and OF
Had by far his best season in 1929 with the Indians when he led the AL with a .369 average and had 209 hits, 44 doubles, 15 triples, 6 HR, 103 RBI, and 19 SB
Overall had a .316/.355/.432 slash line and a 103 OPS+
Dave Smith (1955-2008)
13-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1980-1992, mostly as a reliever for the Astros
Had a strong rookie campaign in 1980 with 10 saves and a 1.93 ERA over 102.2 IP
Became the Astros primary closer by the mid-80s, with six seasons with 20+ saves
Two-time All-Star
Overall had 216 saves, a 2.67 ERA, and a 130 ERA+
Jake Cronenworth (1994)
So far has had a six-year major league career, all with the Padres
Two-time All-Star, with 21 HR and 94 runs in 2021, and then 17 HR, 88 RBI, and 88 runs in 2022
Versatile in the field, has mostly played 2B but with some time at 1B and SS also
Overall so far has 80 HR, a .247/.335/.406 slash line, and a 107 OPS+
In addition to Jake Cronenworth, other currently active players who were born on January 21 include COL Antonio Senzatela, Zach Plesac (free agent), Jake Diekman (free agent), and Matt Sauer (free agent).
Baseball Quote of the Day
One of today's Birthday Boys (see above) is Brandon Crawford, and he provided plenty of good quotes over his time in the majors. Here is just a sample:
"Growing up a Giants fan, I thought it was a dream come true just to get drafted by this organization."
"When I was five years old playing T-ball in Menlo Park, Calif., Royce Clayton was my favorite player. In T-ball, you play every position. Shortstop was my favorite. Royce was the shortstop for the Giants - my favorite position, on my favorite team. So he was my favorite player."
"I always prefer to be the everyday guy whether it's a righty or lefty on the mound because I think consistent playing time will keep your swing more consistent."
"That's probably the most crucial part of being a shortstop, working on your footwork and having good footwork. Because almost everybody in the big leagues, if you're an infielder in the big leagues, you have pretty good hands."
"They say hitting is contagious, but I think defense is, too."
"That's just baseball. One day you feel like you can't square anything up and the next day you get a couple that squeak through and you barrel a couple up."
"I doubt many guys have played only shortstop for 1,600 games and pitched one game. I'm on a list by myself, I think."
"I was always out back swinging off the tee, pretending to be different Giants players. My parents held onto an assignment I did in kindergarten where we were supposed to say what we wanted to do when we grew up. I think you can guess what I said."
"The best part about having a family while playing baseball is that no matter how I did at the game that day, whether it was 4-4 with a homer or 0-4 with a couple strikeouts, they love me either way."
Today’s Trivia Answer
Carlos Beltrán joins the following Hall of Famers who were also born in Puerto Rico:
Roberto Clemente
Orlando Cepeda
Roberto Alomar
Iván Rodríguez
Many readers might have understandably also guessed Edgar Martínez, as he was raised in Puerto Rico… but was born in New York City.
Good Reads
Here I am providing one or more links to baseball articles I’ve enjoyed recently, whether by writers at MLB.com or elsewhere.
Every Baseball Hall of Fame class, ranked, by Mike Petriello at MLB, 1/20/2026
It’s Hall of Fame Day!, by Joe Posnanski at JoeBlogs, 1/20/2026
See recent issues of The Baseball Buffet for more recent good reads!
How did you like this edition of Now Taking the Field?
Did you know? I wrote a 600+ page book with the same title as this newsletter/blog? Now Taking the Field: Baseball’s All-Time Dream Teams for All 30 Franchises was published in early 2019, by ACTA Sports. It is available at Amazon and most other major booksellers.
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