The Baseball Buffet for 11/25/2025

Issue #464

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! ⚾

Leading off today is the news that the final 2026 team manager decision has been made. The Rockies have announced that Warren Schaeffer, who took over as interim manager last season when Colorado let go of Bud Black in May, has been named the team’s manager in 2026.

The decision can’t really be based on success on the field, as the Rockies were 36-86 (.295) under Schaeffer. While that was an improvement over the abysmal 7-33 (.175) start they had with Black last year, it would seem this is more about consistency in leadership at a time when the club needs to improve in so many ways. For more, see MLB’s Manny Randhawa’s article “Schaeffer returning as Rockies' full-time manager”.

While Schaeffer went from interim to full-time manager with the Rockies, eight other teams have new managers for 2026. Here is a recap (for more on each, see this article by Thomas Harrigan at MLB):

• Texas Rangers - Skip Schumaker

• Los Angeles Angels - Kurt Suzuki

• San Francisco Giants - Tony Vitello

• Baltimore Orioles - Craig Albernaz

• Minnesota Twins - Derek Shelton

• Washington Nationals - Blake Butera

• Atlanta Braves - Walt Weiss

• San Diego Padres - Craig Stammen

Today’s Trivia Question

As noted below, today is the great Joe DiMaggio’s birthday. Even though he only played 13 seasons, he still ranks third all-time in RBI for the mighty New York Yankees, behind only Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth (and ahead of Mickey Mantle, Yogi, Berra, Derek Jeter, and many other greats). DiMaggio is also third, with 131, on the All-Time Yankees triples leaderboard. Who are the two players who had more triples while with the Yankees?

Free Agents

Today I’ll wrap up my series that draws attention to current free agents, position by position. MLB provides a single webpage that tracks all of them, position by position, so by all means go there for the latest signings overall.

Relief Pitchers

The above MLB webpage lists 111 (!) relievers who are currently free agents. That is down five as Braves closer Raisel Iglesias already re-signed with Atlanta, and four others (Phil Maton, Joel Payamps, Keegan Thompson, Richard Lovelady) are also off the board. I’m not going to cover all of the others in the below listing, but I’ll cover 20 or so of the biggest names as there is clearly a deep well of talent here.

• Edwin Díaz (NYM) - (R) 31 years old, returned to dominance in 2025 with 28 saves, a 1.63 ERA, and 98 K in 66.1 IP.

• Robert Suarez (SDP) - (R) 34 years old, pitched for a long time in Japan and has finally become a very effective major leaguer with 36 saves and a 2.77 ERA in 2024, and then 40 saves and a 2.97 ERA in 2025. Became expendable in San Diego after they acquired fireballer Mason Miller (unless they intend to convert Miller into a starter?)

• Ryan Helsley (NYM) - (R) 31 years old, posted a 2.04 ERA and led the NL with 49 saves in 2024, but then wasn’t doing quite as well for the Cardinals in 2025 with 21 saves and a 3.00 ERA before they traded him to the Mets at the deadline. He then really struggled as a setup man in New York with a 7.20 ERA over 22 appearances.

• Kenley Jansen (LAA) - (R) 38 years old, continued to do well with 29 saves and a 2.59 ERA in his first (and perhaps only) season for the Angels. Now has 476 career saves, which ranks fourth all-time.

• Pete Fairbanks (TBR) - (R) 31 years old, had his third consecutive 20+ save season in 2025, with 27 saves and a 2.83 ERA for the Rays.

• Emilio Pagán (CIN) - (R) 34 years old, had a career-high 32 saves, along with a 2.88 ERA for the Reds in 2025.

• Kyle Finnegan (DET) - (R) 34 years old, after posting 28 saves for the Nationals in 2023, and then 38 saves in 2024, he had 20 saves but a higher ERA of 4.38 when he was traded to the Tigers at the deadline. Had a 1.50 ERA the rest of the way, with 4 saves in 16 appearances.

• Devin Williams (NYY) - (R) 31 years old, after three seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA, he had a very frustrating 2025 campaign for the Yankees, posting 18 saves with 90 K in 62 IP, but with a 4.79 ERA.

• Luke Weaver (NYY) - (R) 32 years old, saw his ERA rise from 2.89 in 2024 to 3.62 in 2025, but still had 8 saves and a tidy 1.021 WHIP.

• Shawn Armstrong (TEX) - (R) 35 years old, was very effective in 2025 with 9 saves, 74 K in 74 IP, a 2.31 ERA, and a 0.811 WHIP

• Tyler Rogers (NYM) - (R) 34 years old, continued to be very effective with a 1.98 ERA and 1.098 WHIP over 77.1 IP in 81 appearances.

• Brad Keller (CHC) - (R) 30 years old, had his best season so far in 2025, with a 2.07 ERA and a 0.962 WHIP over 68 appearances and 69.2 IP

• Hoby Milner (TEX) - (L) 34 years old, lowered his ERA from 4.73 with the Brewers in 2024 to 3.84 across 70.1 IP with the Rangers in 2025.

• Sean Newcomb (ATH) - (L) 32 years old, was a mixed starter/reliever for the Red Sox, but was then picked up by the Athletics and was used only as a reliever and did very well with a 1.75 ERA over 51.1 IP.

• Jakob Junis (CLE) - (R) 33 years old, was a starter several years ago, but then became primarily a reliever in 2023 and 2024, and exclusively so in 2025 with the Guardians, posting a 2.97 ERA over 66.2 IP.

• Chris Martin (TEX) - (R) 39 years old, continued to be effective in 2025, with a 2.98 ERA over 49 appearances and 42.1 IP.

• Caleb Thielbar (CHC) - (L) 38 years old, after many years with the Twins had a good season with the Cubs in 2025, posting a 2.64 ERA and 0.879 WHIP in 67 appearances and 58 IP.

• Danny Coulombe (TEX) - (L) 36 years old, was doing well in a second tour with the Twins, with a 1.16 ERA in 40 appearances and 31 IP. But after being traded at the deadline to the Rangers, he struggled with a 5.25 ERA over 15 appearances.

• Shelby Miller (MIL) - (R) 35 years old, former first-round pick and effective starter early in his career, he has become a journeyman reliever in recent years. He was doing great for the D-Backs in 2025, with a 1.98 ERA and 10 saves over 36.1 IP, but then struggled after being traded at the deadline to the Brewers where he posted a 5.59 ERA in 11 appearances.

• Gregory Soto (NYM) - (L) 30 years old, is several years removed from his 30-save campaign with the Tigers in 2022. Had a 4.18 ERA with 70 K in 60.1 IP in 2025, split between the Orioles and Mets.

• Steven Matz (BOS) - (L) 34 years old, split the year between the Cardinals and Red Sox, posting a 3.05 ERA over 76.2 IP

• Caleb Ferguson (SEA) - (L) 29 years old, split the year between the Pirates and Mariners, posting a 3.58 ERA over 70 appearances and 65.1 IP

• Seranthony Domínguez (TOR) - (R) 30 years old, split the year between the Orioles and Blue Jays, posting a 3.16 ERA over 67 appearances and 62.2 IP

On this day in baseball history…

Here is what stands out to me for this day in baseball history. Unless otherwise noted, the descriptions are from baseball-reference.com.

📅 On November 25…

• 1941: 24-year old Lou Boudreau is named player/manager of the Cleveland Indians. “With only three years of major league experience, shortstop Lou Boudreau is named as the Cleveland Indians' manager. He takes over for Roger Peckinpaugh, who moves up to the front office as the Indians' general manager. At the age of 24 years, four months, and eight days, Boudreau becomes the youngest skipper to pilot a team in the 20th century. Scotland-born Jim McCormick managed Cleveland in 1879 at age 23.”

• 1949: Ted Williams wins the AL MVP Award. “Ted Williams, who lost the Triple Crown when his batting average was .0002 below that of George Kell, wins the American League MVP Award vote in a landslide. Phil Rizzuto and Joe Page finish second and third in the voting.”

• 1970: Thurman Munson nearly unanimously wins AL Rookie of the Year honors. “New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson receives 23 of 24 votes and is named American League Rookie of the Year. Munson batted .302 during the regular season. Cleveland Indians outfielder Roy Foster is also named on a ballot.”

• 1981: Rollie Fingers becomes the first relief pitcher to win the AL MVP Award. “Rollie Fingers of the Milwaukee Brewers becomes the first relief pitcher ever to win the AL Most Valuable Player Award, edging Rickey Henderson of the Oakland Athletics, 319-308. Fingers saved 28 games while posting an outstanding 1.04 ERA.”

• 1986: Jose Canseco wins the AL Rookie of the Year Award. “Oakland Athletics outfielder Jose Canseco wins the American League Rookie of the Year Award, becoming the first Athletics player to do so since pitcher Harry Byrd in 1952.”

🎂 Today’s Birthday Boys 🎉

Joe DiMaggio (1914-1999)

• Hall of Famer

• 13-year major league career, spanning from 1936-1951 (missing 1943-1945 for military service), all as a CF with the New York Yankees

• All-Star in all 13 years of his major league career

• Had an outstanding rookie campaign in his age-21 season in 1936 with a .323 average , 29 HR, 125 RBI, 132 runs, and an AL-leading 15 triples

• Led the AL with career highs of 46 HR and 151 runs in 1937

• Won three AL MVP Awards (1939, 1941, 1947)

• Had 30+ HR seven times, 100+ RBI nine times, and 100+ runs seven times

• Won two AL batting titles with a .381 average in 1939 and a .352 mark in 1940

• Overall had 361 HR, 1,537 RBI, 1,390 runs, a .325/.398/.579 slash line, and a 155 OPS+

Nick Swisher (1980)

• First-round draft pick (16th overall) by the Athletics in 2002

• 12-year major league career, spanning from 2004-2015, mostly with the A's, Yankees, and Indians

• All-Star in 2010 when he batted .288 with 29 HR, 89 RBI, and 91 runs

• Had 20+ HR in nine consecutive seasons, including a career-high of 35 in 2006

• Was primarily a RF, but also played CF, LF, and 1B

• Overall had 245 HR, 803 RBI, a .249/.351/.447 slash line, and a 113 OPS+

• Son of major league catcher Steve Swisher, who played from 1974-1982 with the Cubs, Cardinals, and Padres

Bucky Dent (1951)

• First-round draft pick (6th overall) by the White Sox in 1970

• 12-year major league career, spanning from 1973-1984, mostly with the White Sox, Yankees, and Rangers

• Good defensive SS who was frequently amongst the league leaders in various fielding statistics

• Three-time All-Star

• Light hitter with only a .247 career average, .297 OBP, and 40 HR in 5,026 plate appearances

• Was 1978 World Series MVP after going 10-24 (.417) with 7 RBI

• Famous for his HR in a tie-breaker game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park at the end of the 1978 regular season

Octavio Dotel (1973-2025)

• 15-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1999-2013, spending time with 13 different clubs

• Struggled early on as a starter, but quickly became an effective relief pitcher with a 2.66 ERA and 145 K in 105 IP in 2001

• Working as a setup man for the Astros he had an impressive 1.85 ERA in 2002 and a 2.48 ERA in 2003

• Became a closer in 2004 and had 36 saves with 122 K in 85.1 IP in 77 games for the Astros and A's

• Overall had 109 saves, a 3.78 ERA, a 119 ERA+, and 1,143 K in 951 IP

• Died tragically on April 8, 2025 from injuries sustained in the Jet Set nightclub roof collapse in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Mark Whiten (1966)

• 11-year major league career, spanning from 1990-2000, playing for eight different clubs

• Had 20+ HR twice, with career highs of 25 HR and 99 RBI in 1993 for the Cardinals

• Had 15+ SB three times

• Famous for his performance on September 7, 1993, when he became the 12th player in major league history to hit 4 HR in a single game, and tied the all-time single game RBI record with 12.

• Overall had 105 HR, 78 SB, a .259/.341/.415 slash line, and a 102 OPS+

Currently active players who were born on November 25 include STL Alec Burleson, PIT Justin Lawrence, TEX Cole Winn, and Seranthony Domínguez (free agent).

Baseball Quote of the Day

One of the new features I’m starting up during the offseason is a baseball-related quote of the day. These will include quotes by players or managers that are insightful or funny, and interesting quotes from others about the game itself. I’ll try to mix it up over time.

Here are a some quotes from one of today’s Birthday Boys, Joe DiMaggio:

“I want to thank the Good Lord for making me a Yankee.”

“There’s nobody taking center from me until I give it up.”

“There is always some kid who may be seeing me for the first time. I owe him my best.”

“You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.”

“The phrase 'off with the crack of the bat', while romantic, is really meaningless, since the outfielder should be in motion long before he hears the sound of the ball meeting the bat.”

“Motivation is something nobody else can give you. Others can help motivate you, but basically it must come from you and it must be a constant desire to do your very best at all times and under any circumstances.”

“If you keep thinking about what you want to do or what you hope will happen, you don't do it, and it won't happen.”

“You ought to run the hardest when you feel the worst. Never let the other guy know you're down.”

⚾ I hope you enjoyed the newsletter today! ⚾

Today’s Trivia Answer

Lou Gehrig and Earle Combs. Here are the six players who have had 100+ triples for the Yankees:

• 163 - Lou Gehrig

• 154 - Earle Combs

• 131 - Joe DiMaggio

• 121 - Wally Pipp

• 115 - Tony Lazzeri

• 106 - Babe Ruth

In case you are wondering… Derek Jeter, who had by far the most at-bats of any Yankees’ player, had 66 triples.

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.

• Best free agents available at every position, by Mark Feinsand at MLB, 11/24/2025

• The biggest challenge for each of the 9 new managers, by Thomas Harrigan at MLB, 11/24/2025

• Why the Orioles are the most fascinating team of the offseason, by Will Leitch at MLB, 11/24/2025

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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