The Baseball Buffet for 12/12/2025

KCR signs OF Lane Thomas. According to an article by Anne Rogers and Jeffrey Lutz at MLB, the Kansas City Royals are signing OF Lane Thomas to a one-year, $5.25 million deal. The 30-year old Thomas can play all three OF positions and is clearly a bounce-back candidate for 2026 after a wrist injury, and then plantar fasciitis (notoriously difficult to shake for many people), limited him to 39 games and 125 at-bats in 2025. As recently as 2023 Thomas had hit .268 with 28 HR, 20 SB, and 101 runs for the Nationals.

CLE signs RP Colin Holderman. According to an article by Tim Stebbins at MLB, the Cleveland Guardians are signing right-handed reliever Colin Holderman, formerly of the Pirates. The 30-year old Holderman had a rough 2025, missing a couple of months with a thumb injury, and only posting a 7.01 ERA over 25.2 innings for the Pittsburgh (and a 5.59 ERA over 19.1 innings in the minors). He was, however, effective the prior two seasons for the Pirates, with a 3.52 ERA and 114 K in 107.1 IP.

1903: John McGraw and the New York Giants acquire SS Bill Dahlen. “Continuing efforts to build a winner in New York, John McGraw acquires 34-year-old SS Bill Dahlen from Brooklyn in exchange for pitcher Jack Cronin and iron-fingered SS Charlie Babb. McGraw says this is the trade that makes the Giants into winners. In 1904, Dahlen will top the National League with 80 RBI. When he retires in 1911, he will have fielded more chances than any other SS.”

1913: The Pirates and Cardinals to an 8-player trade. ‘The Pirates clean house in an eight-player swap with the Cardinals. Going to St. Louis is Dots Miller, a 1909 World Series hero, 14-game winner Hank Robinson, 3B Cozy Dolan, infielder Art Butler, and OF Owen Wilson, king of the triple. The Pirates receive pitcher Bob Harmon, 3B Mike Mowrey, and 1B Ed Konetchy, whom the Bucs had been after for years.”

1949: The AL doesn’t bring back the spitball, but does update the strike zone. “By a 7-1 vote, the American League rejects a proposal to bring back the legal spitball. The rules committee also alters the strike zone to the space between the armpits and the top of the knees. The new rule eliminates the batter's shoulders being within the strike zone.”

1980: The Brewers make an outstanding trade. “The Cardinals make their third major trade of the off-season, sending the recently-acquired Rollie Fingers, C Ted Simmons, and P Pete Vuckovich to the Brewers in exchange for P Lary Sorensen, OF Sixto Lezcano, and minor league OF David Green and P Dave LaPoint. Fingers and Vuckovich will win the American League Cy Young Award for the Brewers in 1981 and 1982, respectively.”

1998: Pitcher Kevin Brown signs for $100+ million. “In a deal which upsets many other owners, pitcher Kevin Brown (18-7, 2.38) becomes baseball's first 100+ million dollar man as the right-hander signs a seven-year deal with the Dodgers for an average yearly salary of 15 million dollars.”

So far has had a 9-year major league pitching career, all with the Reds and Mariners

Three-time All-Star, first in 2019 when he had a 15-8 record, a 3.40 ERA, and 226 K, and then most recently in 2023 when he had a 14-9 record, a 3.34 ERA, and 219 strikeouts

Overall has an even 84-84 record, 1,493 K in 1,410.2 IP, a 3.55 ERA, and a 118 ERA+

16-year major league pitching career, spanning from 2005-2021, mostly with the Angels, Twins, and Royals

Two-time All-Star, first in 2008 for the Angels when he had a 16-7 record, 214 K, and a 3.49 ERA, and then again in 2017 for the Twins when he had a 16-8 record, 167 K, and a 3.28 ERA

Overall had a 151-129 (.539) record, a 4.11 ERA, and a 101 ERA+

First-round draft pick (21st overall) in 1969 by the Seattle Pilots

13-year major league career, spanning from 1973-1986, mostly with the Brewers and Mariners

Had 30+ HR five times, and led the AL with 45 HR in 1979 and then again with 39 HR in 1982

Was an All-Star once, in the strike-shortened 1981 season, when he batted a career-high .259 with 21 HR and 65 RBI in 103 games

Yes that was his career-high average (!), as he struck out a lot with 125+ K six times, including leading the AL with 175 K in 1979 and 170 K in 1980

Played mostly CF, and then DH at the end of his career

Overall had 268 HR, a .225/.324/.448 slash line, and a 114 OPS+

13-year major league career, spanning from 1968-1980, mostly playing a mix of LF and RF with the Braves and White Sox

Hit .343 with 30 SB and 101 runs in 1971, then hit .325 with 25 SB and 12 HR in 1972

Was an All-Star in 1974 and led the NL with a .353 average, 17 triples, and 214 hits, to go along with 11 HR and 26 SB

Overall had 172 SB, a .306/.339/.416 slash line, and a 108 OPS+

11-year major league career, spanning from 2002-2012, mostly with the Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, and Padres

Two-time All-Star, in 2007 when he hit .294 for the D-Backs, and in 2009 when he hit .283 for the Dodgers

Had a little power (10+ HR four times) and a little speed (10+ SB three times), but was most valuable for his defense at 2B, as he took home four Gold Glove Awards

Overall had 93 HR, 85 SB, and a .273/.341/.412 slash line

8-year major league career in the Negro Leagues, spanning from 1920-1928

According to the statistics available at baseball-reference.com, he was a high-average hitter with a .405 mark in 1921 when he also had 12 HR, 11 triples, 88 runs, 89 RBI, and 25 SB in only 79 games

Also hit .361 the following season in 64 games

Overall had a .326/.416/.499 slash line and 148 OPS+

352 - Ryan Braun

251 - Robin Yount

230 - Prince Fielder

212 - Geoff Jenkins

208 - Gorman Thomas

201 - Cecil Cooper

Your post-Winter Meetings questions, answered, by Thomas Harrigan at MLB, 12/11/2025

Debating Baseball's Biggest Villain, by Joe Posnanski at JoeBlogs, 12/10/2025

Panic to Perspective: The Case For Believing in Steve Cohen to Rescue the Floundering Mets, by Allen Settle at Here's the Pitch: the IBWAA Newsletter, 12/12/2025