Issue #509

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 gave us one significant trade, as reported in an article by Jordan Bastian at MLB:

  • Cubs get starting pitcher Edward Cabrera

  • Marlins get top OF prospect Owen Cassie, plus infield prospects Cristian Hernandez and Edgardo De Leon

Right-handed SP Edward Cabrera will be 28 years old in April, and has pitched five years in the major leagues. A high-strikeout pitcher who has struggled with his control in the past, his 2025 season was his best so far with a 3.53 ERA, 150 K in 137.2 IP, and a career-low 3.1 walks per nine IP.

Cabrera will presumably join Cade Horton, Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, and Jameson Taillon in the Cubs 2026 starting rotation. If something slips during Spring Training, they also have Colin Rea who could slot in, and then it won’t be too long before Justin Steele returns from rehab as well. If everyone is healthy and doing well, the Cubs would then have significant SP depth to guard against injuries and/or use as trade options to bolster other areas of need.

To get Cabrera, the Cubs had to part with top prospect OF Owen Cassie. Drafted in the second round in 2020 by the San Diego Padres, Cassie was part of the package sent that December to the Cubs for pitcher Yu Darvish. Since then he has been climbing up through the minors, with 19 HR and 75 RBI at AAA in 2024 and 22 HR and 55 RBI in 99 games at AAA in 2025. He was going to struggle for playing time with the Cubs in 2026, but with the Marlins he can compete during Spring Training for the starting LF job.

The two infielders the Marlins have acquired here are a bit further away from the majors. Cristian Hernández is 22 years old, has played a mix of SS and 2B, and has good speed on the bases. In 2025 he primarily played SS and had 52 SB with a .252 average in 115 games at A+ level South Bend. Edgardo De Leon turns 19 in February, and last year played 1B/3B for the Cubs rookie-level team in the Arizona Complex League, batting .276 with 5 HR in 43 games.

Today’s Trivia Question

One of today’s Birthday Boys (see below) is Hall of Fame reliever Bruce Sutter. He had 195 of his 300 career saves during the 1980s, which ranks him fifth for that decade (he was dominant in the first half of the 80s, but less so in the second half of the decade, including missing 1987 entirely and retiring after 1988.) Who are the top four pitchers in saves from 1980-1989? (Hint: They all pitched for two or more teams during the 1980s decade.)

Countdown to Spring Training!

Continuing with this fun series… Spring Training games are now just 43 days away, so here are some top players who had uniform #43 for extended periods of time:

  • SP/RP Dennis Eckersley - Red Sox (1978-84, 98), Cubs (84-86), Athletics (1987-95), Cardinals (1996-97)

  • OF Bill Nicholson - Cubs (1943-48)

  • SP Johnny Antonelli - Giants (1954-60), Braves (1961)

  • OF Raúl Mondesi - Dodgers (1993-99) and six other clubs

  • SP/RP Ken Forsch - Astros (1970-80), Angels (1981-84, 86)

  • SP R.A. Dickey - Mets (2010-12), Blue Jays (2013-16)

New Baseball Books!

The following are some new titles that are being published during January, 2026.

A League of His Own: A.G. Spalding and the Business of Baseball
by Mark A. Stein
Lyons Press
January 6, 2026
352 pages

Black Baseball in Alabama: Rough Diamonds of Dixie
by Shane J. Earnest
The History Press
January 27, 2026
224 pages

Simulating Satchel: A What-If History of Integrated Major League Baseball in 1934
by John Graf
McFarland
January 25, 2026
341 pages

We Would Have Played Forever: A History of the Coastal Plain Baseball League, Revised Edition
by Robert Gaunt and Chris Holaday
McFarland
January 25, 2026
120 pages


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 8…

  • 1898: Clarifying the changes to umpiring. “National League president Nick Young announces the more experienced umpire will stay behind the plate when the new two-umpire system is instituted. Previously, the single umpire would stand behind the pitcher only with men on base.”

  • 1986: Willie McCovey is elected to the Hall of Fame. “Willie McCovey is the only player elected this year to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA. McCovey, who receives 346 votes, becomes the 16th player to gain election in his first year of eligibility. The slugging first baseman played 22 years for the Giants, Padres and Athletics, hitting 521 home runs to put him in a tie for tenth place on the all-time list.”

  • 1991: Perry, Jenkins, and Carew are elected to the Hall of Fame. “For the first time since 1984, three players are elected to the Hall of Fame: Gaylord Perry and Ferguson Jenkins, and a member of the 3,000-hit club, Rod Carew, who becomes the 22nd player to be named in his first year of eligibility. Ironically, none of the three players ever appeared in a World Series.”

  • 1995: Mike Schmidt is elected to the Hall of Fame. “Mike Schmidt, who hit 548 home runs and won three MVP Awards in 18 years with the Philadelphia Phillies, is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.”

  • 2002: The Wizard of Oz is elected to the Hall of Fame. “Ozzie Smith, a 15-time All-Star shortstop, is elected to the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA in his first year of eligibility. Smith is named on 91.7 percent of the ballots. Dubbed the "Wizard of Oz" due to his remarkable defensive abilities, Smith won 13 Gold Glove Awards during his 19-year career with the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals.”

  • 2003: Eddie Murray is elected to the Hall of Fame. “Eddie Murray, the only switch-hitter in major league history with 500 home runs and 3,000 hits, is elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility by being chosen on 85 percent of the ballots cast by the BBWAA. Former All-Star C Gary Carter also is elected on his sixth try after falling 11 votes short last year.”

  • 2014: Maddux, Glavine, and the Big Hurt are elected to the Hall of Fame. “One year after failing to elect anyone, the BBWAA atones by giving three players their ticket to Cooperstown in this year's Hall of Fame election. Ps Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine, 300-game winners both, and 1B Frank Thomas are all elected on their first try.”

🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys 🎉

Row 1: Bruce Sutter, Walker Cooper, Jason Giambi
Row 2: Mike Cameron, Jeff Francoeur

Bruce Sutter (1953-2022)

  • Hall of Famer

  • 12-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1976-1988, with the Cubs, Cardinals, Braves

  • Six-time All-Star, including in his second season when he had 31 saves and an impressive 1.34 ERA

  • Led the NL in saves five times, and had 25+ saves seven times, including a high of 45 saves with a 1.54 ERA in 1984

  • Overall had 300 saves, a 2.83 ERA, and 136 ERA+

Walker Cooper (1915-1991)

  • 18-year major league career, spanning from 1940-1957, as a catcher and pinch hitter with the Cardinals, Braves, Giants, and three other clubs

  • Eight-time All-Star

  • Had 15+ HR four times, including a career high 35 HR and 122 RBI in 1947

  • Overall had 173 HR, 812 RBI, a .285/.332/.464 slash line, and a 116 OPS+

Jason Giambi (1971)

  • 20-year major league career, spanning from 1995-2014, mostly as a 1B and DH with the Athletics, Yankees, and Rockies

  • Five-time All-Star, including in 2000 when he won the AL MVP Award after batting .333 with career highs of 43 HR, 137 RBI, and 137 walks

  • Had 25+ HR nine times, 100+ RBI seven times, and 100+ runs four times

  • Led the AL with 47 doubles in 2001 and led the AL in walks four times

  • Overall had 440 HR, 1,441 RBI, a .277/.399/.516 slash line, and a 139 OPS+

Mike Cameron (1973)

  • 17-year major league career, spanning from 1995-2011, with the White Sox, Mariners, and six other clubs

  • Was an All-Star in 2001 with the Mariners and had 25 HR, 99 runs, 110 RBI, and 34 SB

  • Was a good defender in CF, winning three Gold Glove Awards

  • Had 20+ HR eight times, 20+ SB eight times—and had a 20/20 season five times

  • Overall had 278 HR, 297 SB, a .249/.338/.444 slash line, and a 106 OPS+

Jeff Francoeur (1984)

  • First-round draft pick (23rd overall) in 2002 by the Braves

  • 12-year major league career, spanning from 2005-2016, with the Braves and seven other clubs

  • Even though he only played 70 games in his rookie season, he batted .300 with 14 HR and 45 RBI

  • Had 29 HR and 103 RBI in 2006, and then 19 HR, 105 RBI, and 40 doubles in 2007

  • Was a good defensive RF, winning a Gold Glove Award in 2007

  • Overall had 160 HR, a .261/.303/.416 slash line, and a 91 OPS+

Currently active players who were born on January 8 include PHI Jhoan Duran, TOR Jeff Hoffman, Chris Paddack (free agent), and Nic Enright (free agent).

Baseball Quote of the Day

Here are several quotes from one of today’s Birthday Boys, Bruce Sutter:

"The Cubs gave me a chance to play. They signed me as a free agent and brought me to the Major Leagues. The first day I walked into Wrigley Field was one of the best days of my life. And I owe them an awful lot."

"I feel like a pioneer with the split-fingered fastball. I was the first one to really throw it pretty much 100 percent of the time. It was a pitch that I had to have. If I didn't have it, I wouldn't have been in the big leagues."

"When I played, I never needed the spotlight, nor did I want it. I simply wanted to play baseball and be respected by my teammates and the opposing players."

"Pitchers are going to break. You can limit their pitches and limit their innings, and they're still going to blow out. Pitching is hard on the arm."

⚾ I hope you enjoyed the newsletter today! ⚾

Today’s Trivia Answer

The top five pitchers in saves during the 1980s are:

  • 264 - Jeff Reardon

  • 239 - Dan Quisenberry

  • 234 - Lee Smith

  • 206 - Rich Gossage

  • 195 - Bruce Sutter

They are followed by Dave Righetti, Dave Smith, Steve Bedrosian, John Franco, and Greg Minton.

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.

See recent issues of The Baseball Buffet for more recent good reads!

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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