The Baseball Buffet for 12/18/2025

NYM signs RP Luke Weaver. According to an article by David Adler and Anthony DiComo at MLB, the Mets are signing right-handed reliever Luke Weaver to a 2-year $22 million deal. The 32-year old Weaver had reinvented himself as a reliever for the cross-town Yankees, after spending eight years as a starter with five clubs but struggling with a 5.14 ERA across over 500 innings. In 2024 he posted a 2.89 ERA with 103 K in 84 innings of relief work, and then in 2025 had a 3.62 ERA with 72 K over 64.2 IP. With the Mets he will be rejoining his Yankees teammate Devin Williams from last year, and it will be interesting to see if Weaver will be the setup man or if they will share the closer duties.

PHI signs RP Brad Keller. According to an article by Todd Zolecki at MLB, the Phillies are signing right-handed reliever Brad Keller to a 2-year, $22 million contract. The 30-year old Keller was outstanding last year with the Cubs, posting a 2.07 ERA in 68 appearances. Early in his 8-year major league career Keller was a starter for the Royals, but the past three years he has been mostly a reliever. He joins a Phillies bullpen that already has closer Jhoan Duran, José Alvarado, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, and Tanner Banks.

SFG signs SP Adrian Houser. According to an article by Brian Murphy and Maria Guardado at MLB, the Giants are signing right-handed starter Adrian Houser for a 2-year, $22 million deal. He will turn 33 in February, and had very mixed results in 2025. He started the year at the Rangers’ AAA club at Round Rock, but was released after posting a 5.03 ERA over nine games. He did great for the White Sox with a 2.10 ERA over 11 starts, but then was traded at the deadline to the Rays and struggled again with a 4.79 over 10 starts. The Giants are hoping he can perform like he did in Chicago, or in some of his earlier seasons for the Brewers. He will presumably slot in their rotation behind Logan Webb and Robbie Ray, with other spots still up for grabs during spring training.

CIN signs RP Caleb Ferguson. According to an article by Alex Stumpf at MLB, the Reds are signing left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson. The 29-year old has pitched seven years in the majors, first five years with the Dodgers, and then spending time with four clubs over the past two years. In 2025 he had a 3.58 ERA and 51 K in 65.1 IP for the Pirates and Mariners.

CHC re-signs RP Caleb Thielbar. According to an article by Thomas Harrigan at MLB, the Cubs are re-signing left-handed reliever Caleb Thielbar to a 1-year deal. He will turn 39 at the end of January, and pitched 8 years for the Twins before joining Cubs in 2025 and posting a 2.64 ERA with 56 K in 58 IP.

WAS signs SP Foster Griffin. According to an article by Jessica Camerato at MLB, the Nationals are signing left-handed starter Foster Griffin to a 1-year deal for $5.5 million. The 30-year old Griffin briefly pitched in the majors for the Royals and Blue Jays in 2020 and 2022. Since then, he has been very successful in Japan, including posting a 1.52 ERA with 87 K over 89 IP and 17 appearances in 2025. As of now, the top two Nationals rotation spots belong to MacKenzie Gore and Cade Cavalli—but trade rumors swirl around Gore. Regardless, I assume Griffin will be competing for a spot with Brad Lord, Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker, plus Josiah Gray and DJ Herz, if they are ready to go after rehabbing from surgeries.

SS/1B Ernie Banks - Cubs (1953-71)

2B/3B/OF/1B Pete Rose - Reds (1963-78, 84-86), Phillies (1979-83)

SP Jim Bunning - Tigers (1956-63), Phillies (1964-67, 70-71)

OF Larry Doby - Indians (1947-55, 58)

1B Gil Hodges - Dodgers (1947-61)

OF Jim Rice - Red Sox (1974-89)

3B Ken Boyer - Cardinals (1955-65)

SP Vida Blue - Athletics (1973-77), Giants (78-81, 85-86)

1B Kent Hrbek - Twins (1982-94)

1B Andrés Galarraga - Expos (1987-91, 2002), Rockies (93-97), and other clubs

OF Del Ennis - Phillies (1946-56)

1B Paul Konerko - White Sox (1999-2014)

1B Bill Skowron - Yankees (1955-62)

1903: The AL makes 1B and 3B coaches permanent. "The AL votes to allow coaches at third base and first base at all times: till now, only one coach was permitted except if there were two or more baserunners."

1918: The Red Sox and Yankees make a big trade. "Duffy Lewis returns from the military, and is traded by the Red Sox to the Yankees. He goes along with front-line pitchers Ernie Shore and Dutch Leonard for P Ray 'Slim' Caldwell, Slim Love, Roxy Walters, Frank Gilhooley, and $15,000. The Tigers had turned down a deal for Leonard on the 16th. The Boston Post reports that 'it will take a lot to convince Boston fans that they got the best of this one.'"

1990: Six potential NL expansion cities. “The National League announces the six finalist cities for the two expansion clubs that will join the league in 1993: Buffalo, Denver, Miami, Orlando, Tampa-St. Petersburg, and Washington, DC.”

1993: Yankees draft Brien Taylor with the first overall pick. “Top Yankees prospect P Brien Taylor, the first overall pick of the 1991 Amateur Draft, injures his shoulder in a bar fight near his home in North Carolina. The injury will require surgery and cause Taylor to miss the entire 1994 season. Taylor, who signed for a $1.55 million bonus will never regain effectiveness and won't make it to the major leagues.”

Hall of Famer

24-year major league career, spanning from 1905-1928, mostly with the Detroit Tigers

Won a record 12 batting titles, hitting over .400 three times and .380+ another six times. He therefore has the all-time highest AL/NL career average at .366.

Led the AL in hits eight times, runs five times, RBI four times, triples four times, doubles three times, and stolen bases six times.

Mostly played CF with a fair amount of time in RF as well

Was player/manager for the Tigers from 1921-1926, and they had a winning record in five of those six seasons

Overall had 4,189 hits, 2,245 runs, 1,944 RBI, 724 doubles, 295 triples, 897 SB, a .366/.433/.512 slash line, and a 168 OPS+

So far has had an 8-year major league career, all with the Atlanta Braves

Won the NL Rookie of the Year Award after batting .293 with 26 HR and 16 SB in 111 games

Five-time All-Star, with 41 HR and 100+ RBI in both 2019 and 2023. Led the NL with 127 runs and 37 SB in 2019, and then was NL MVP in 2023, when he batted .337 and led the NL with 217 hits, 149 runs, 73 SB, and a .416 OBP.

His 2023 season started the new 40/70 HR/SB club, in which he remains the lone member.

Started mostly as a CF but for the past five years has played more RF

Overall so far has 186 HR, 205 SB, a .289/.384/.524 slash line, and a 141 OPS+

Part of a broader major league family, as he is brrother of Luisangel Acuña; Cousin of Jose Campos, Alcides Escobar, Edwin Escobar, Kelvim Escobar, Maikel Garcia; and nephew of José Escobar

First-round draft pick (second overall) in 2012 by the Twins

So far has had an 11-year major league career, as a CF for the Twins

Won a Gold Glove Award in 2017 and also had 16 HR and 29 SB that year

However, that has been his only season in which he has played 140 or more games, as injuries have been an issue nearly every season

Two-time All-Star, including in 2022 when he had 28 HR in only 92 games, and then in 2025 when he had his best season to-date with 35 HR, 97 runs, 83 RBI, and 24 SB in 126 games

Overall so far has 168 HR, 117 SB, a .248/.308/.487 slash line, and a 114 OPS+

14-year major league career, spanning from 1954-1967, as a 1B mostly for the Yankees and White Sox

All-Star in six seasons

Hit 20+ HR four times

Often did well in the postseason with a .293 average and 8 HR in 39 World Series games

Overall had 211 HR, a .282/.332/.459 slash line, and a 119 OPS+

Nicknamed "Moose", Wikipedia gives this explanation: "One day his grandfather gave the seven-year-old Skowron a haircut resembling that of Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini. His friends jokingly calling him "Mussolini", which his family shortened to 'Moose.' The name stuck throughout his career."

12-year major league career, spanning from 1959-1971, mostly with the Senators/Twins franchise

Two-time All-Star

Was a good defensive SS, winning two AL Gold Glove Awards

Had some pop, with 15+ HR three times, including in 1965 when he took home AL MVP honors after hitting .273 with 19 HR, 27 SB, and leading the AL with 12 triples, 45 doubles, and 126 runs

Overall had 95 HR, 97 SB, but only a career .242 average and .290 OBP

15-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1977-1991, mostly with the Blue Jays and Astros

Won between 13-16 games six times, including his one All-Star campaign in 1982 when he went 16-14 with a 3.71 ERA over 40 starts

Overall had a 140-167 record and a 4.23 ERA

3,900 - Ty Cobb

3,007 - Al Kaline

2,839 - Charlie Gehringer

2,499 - Harry Heilmann

2,466 - Sam Crawford

2,369 - Lou Whitaker

2,365 - Alan Trammell

2,332 - Miguel Cabrera

3 factors that could make or break Dodgers' bid for three-peat, by Thomas Harrigan at MLB, 12/17/2025

New year, new looks: Jays covering all angles in building '26 pitching staff, by Mike Petriello at MLB, 12/17/2025

Torpedo bats resurfaced in 2025 and went back down under, by Mark Kolier at Almost Cooperstown, 12/17/2025