The Baseball Buffet for 2/16/2026

Brennan recently turned 28 years old, and has seen action in the majors with Cleveland in each of the past four seasons. He hit .266 over 138 games for the Guardians in 2023, and then .264 over 114 games for them in 2024.

Injuries limited him to only 6 games in the majors last year, though he did bat .304 over 35 games at AAA Columbus.

Outlook: He is capable of playing all three OF spots, so will compete for a backup role as the Giants’ OF starters are likely set with Heliot Ramos in LF, Harrison Bader in CF, and Jung Hoo Lee in RF.

Canha just turned 37 yesterday, so this must have come as welcome Birthday news for him. He has played 11 years in the majors, and has hit 15+ HR four times, including a career-high 26 HR in 2019.

He played his first seven seasons with the Athletics, but since 2022 has moved around with six different clubs. In 2025 he hit only .212 with 1 HR and 6 RBI in 125 plate appearances for the Royals.

Outlook: Canha has played 1B and all three OF spots during his career, and will be competing for a backup role at those positions during Spring Training. The starting jobs seem pretty secure with Jake Burger at 1B, Wyatt Langford at LF, Evan Carter at CF, Brandon Nimmo at RF, and even Joc Pederson at DH.

Biggio will turn 31 years old in early April, and has played seven years in the major leagues. His first five were with the Toronto, including his rookie season in 2019 when he had 16 HR and 14 SB in 100 games.

In 2024 he struggled at the plate for three different clubs (Blue Jays, Dodgers, Braves), batting .197 with 5 HR in 78 games. Then last year he only hit .174 with 1 HR in 83 plate appearances for the Royals, though hit .268 with 5 HR and 47 runs at AAA.

The son of Hall of Famer and lifetime-Astros star Craig Biggio, Cavan is versatile in the field and has played 90+ games at 2B, 3B, 1B, and RF, with a few games at SS, CF, and LF too.

Outlook: Biggio bats left-handed and will compete for a bench role with the Astros. It seems like a longshot for him to make the Opening Day roster, but a lot can happen during Spring Training in the coming weeks.

1B Lou Gehrig - Yankees (1929-39)

OF Mel Ott - Giants (1933-47)

SS Luke Appling - White Sox (1933-43, 45-50)

3B/2B/DH Paul Molitor - Brewers (1978-92), Twins (1996-98)

OF Duke Snider - Dodgers (1947-62), Mets (1963)

SS Joe Cronin - Senators (1931-34), Red Sox (1935, 37-45)

OF Ralph Kiner - Pirates (1947-53), Cubs (1953-54)

2B Bobby Grich - Angels (1977-86)

OF George Springer - Astros (2014-20), Blue Jays (2021-25)

C Yadier Molina - Cardinals (2006-22)

SS Miguel Tejada - Athletics (1997-2003)

OF Lenny Dykstra - Mets (1985-89), Phillies (1989-96)

2B Ketel Marte - Mariners (2015-16), Diamondbacks (2017-25)

OF Alex Gordon - Royals (2008-20)

OF Bob Allison - Twins (1961-70)

SS Marty Marion - Cardinals (1940-50), Browns (1952-53)

3B Carney Lansford - Red Sox (1981-82), Athletics (1983-92)

C/1B Rudy York - Tigers (1938-45)

2B Brandon Phillips - Reds (2006-16) and two other clubs

SP Blake Snell - Rays (2016-20), Padres (2021-23)

1952: Honus Wagner retires as a coach. "Hall of Famer Honus Wagner, 77, retires after 40 years as a major league player and coach. He receives a pension from the Pittsburgh Pirates, with whom he spent most of those years."

1953: The Braves have a busy day of deals. "The Braves send 1B Earl Torgeson to the Phils for P Russ Meyer. They then send Meyer to Brooklyn for Rocky Bridges and Jim Pendleton, and complete the day's activities by sending Bridges to the Cincinnati Reds for slugger Joe Adcock."

1989: Orel Hershiser signs a record contract. "Orel Hershiser becomes the first player in major league history to sign a contract that calls for a $3 million salary by inking a three-year, $7.9 million contract with the Dodgers that will pay him $3,166,667 in 1991."

2012: Gary Carter dies at the age of 57. "Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter dies of brain cancer in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. After becoming a perennial All-Star with the Montreal Expos, Carter led the New York Mets to a World Series title in 1986."

11-year major league career, spanning from 2000-2010, mostly with the Athletics and Diamondbacks

Played all three OF positions

Hit 20+ HR three times

Had 25 SB in 2006, and then by far a career-high of 50 SB in 2007

Overall had 109 HR, 129 SB, and a .258/.320/.439 slash line

Both during his career and then after he retired, Byrnes has served as an analyst and broadcaster for various networks, including ESPN and MLB Network

According to Wikipedia, "On April 22–23, 2019, Byrnes set a Guinness Book of World Records mark for most holes of golf in a single day, 420 holes. Byrnes has written three books, F*It List: Life Lessons from a Human Crash Test Dummy in 2019, The Daily Hustle 222 in 2022, and Let Them Play: A Parenting and Coaching Guide to Youth Sports in 2024."

13-year major league pitching career in the Negro Leagues, spanning from 1922-1939, mostly with the St. Louis Stars

According to the data available at baseball-reference.com, in 1926 he led the Negro National League in wins with an 18-8 record, and also in IP and strikeouts

In 1930 he again led his league in wins with a 16-4 record, then in 1931 he led the league with a 1.63 ERA

Overall the numbers we have indicate a career 85-43 (.664) record, a 4.01 ERA, and a 112 ERA+

Does trading defense for better bats work? Here's what history says, by Travis Sawchik at MLB, 2/15/2026

X-factors who can push their teams back to October, by Brent Maguire at MLB, 2/15/2026

What are the most stacked positions in baseball?, by Anthony Castrovince at MLB, 2/15/2026

The six teams that may surprise at the World Baseball Classic, by Michael Clair at MLB, 2/13/2026

A complete guide to watching MLB.TV in 2026, by Anthony Castrovince at MLB, 2/10/2026

5 Baseball Cards Waddling in the Shadows of Bigger Stars, at Wax Pack Gods Newsletter, 2/15/2026