The Baseball Buffet for 2/7/2026

Goldschmidt is 38 years old and has played 15-years in the majors, mostly with Arizona and St. Louis, and then last season with the Yankees. He is a seven-time All-Star, winner of four Gold Glove Awards, and took home the NL MVP Award with the Cardinals in 2022 after batting .317 with 35 HR and 115 RBI.

Overall he has had 372 HR, 1,232 RBI, 174 SB, a .288/.378/.504 slash line, and a 138 OPS+.

In 2025 he batted .274 with 10 HR, 45 RBI, and 76 runs in 146 games.

He has always had strong splits, hitting LHP far better than RHP. In fact, he has a very impressive .324/.422/.584 slash line over his career against LHP, and the split became even more pronounced in 2025 when he only slashed .247/.289/.329 against RHP, but continued to mash LHP to the tune of .336/.411/.570.

Outlook: Before this news, my assumption was that Ben Rice was going to play everyday at 1B, and serve as a third catcher for emergency situations. But Rice, who turns 27 later this month, is a left-handed batter who hits RHP far better than LHP (against whom in 2025 he only slashed .208/.271/.481). So this now appears to be a very natural platoon situation at 1B, with Rice seeing the bulk of the action, but Goldschmidt playing against southpaws and anytime Rice is needed behind the plate. Both guys will get some ABs at DH too, when Giancarlo Stanton gets some rest—or inevitably hits the IL for some period of time.

Barlow has pitched 8 years in the majors, mostly with the Royals, but then more recently with the Padres, Indians, and Reds. His best two seasons came in 2021 when he had 16 saves and a 2.42 ERA, and 2022 with 24 saves and a 2.18 ERA.

In 2025 with the Reds he had a 4.21 ERA with 75 K in 68.1 IP across 75 appearances.

Outlook: Assuming there are no hiccups during Spring Training, it would seem likely Barlow will be in the Athletics’ bullpen come opening day. While he hasn’t been used as a closer since early 2023, the Athletics don’t have a definitive closer at this time, so we’ll see how things shake out in the coming weeks with a closer-by-committee approach being one possibility to start the season.

After several years spent moving up through the minors, 24-year old Victor Mesa Jr. made a brief debut for the Marlins in 2025 batting .188 with 1 HR in 16 games.

He had limited playing time in 2025 in the minors as well, batting .301 with 7 HR and 4 SB for AAA Jacksonsville. In 2024 he hit .259 with 13 HR and 5 SB in 80 games at AAA, and in 2023 he only hit .242 but had 18 HR and 16 SB in 123 games at AA.

Outlook: The Rays’ OF projects to have Chandler Simpson, Cedric Mullins, and Jake Fraley seeing the bulk of the playing time. Mesa Jr. will be competing during Spring Training with several others for a back-up role, but could start the year at AAA.

Now 36 years old, Suter has pitched ten years in the majors with the Brewers, Rockies, and Reds. He was a mixed starter/reliever early in his career, so although primarily a reliever now, he can make spot starts for a few innings if necessary.

In 2025 he had a 4.52 ERA over 67.2 IP in 48 appearances. In 2024 he had a better 3.15 ERA over 65.2 IP in 47 appearances.

Outlook: The Angels have made a lot of moves to change their bullpen for 2026, with Suter being the latest addition. There will be a lot of competition during Spring Training to determine who makes the opening day roster, who is in line for saves, and what everyone’s roles will be.

Ibañez will turn 33 in early April, and has played five years in the major leagues, two with the Rangers, and the last three with the Tigers. Although primarily a 3B and 2B, he has played some games at 1B, SS, LF, and RF too.

In 2025 he hit .239 with 4 HR and 4 SB in 91 games. His best season came in 2023 when he hit .264 with 11 HR in 114 games.

Outlook: Depending on how Spring Training plays out, Ibañez’ versatility should give him a shot at making the Athletics opening day roster as a utility player. He can back Nick Kurtz at 1B, Jeff McNeil at 2B, Jacob Wilson at SS, and Max Muncy at 3B (the spot where he’s mostly likely to see some playing time). He can also backup the corner OF starters (Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler), though the Athletics will likely have other guys helping there too.

RP Billy Wagner - Astros (1995-2003) and four other clubs

3B Álex Rodríguez - Yankees (2004-16)

SS/3B Manny Machado - Orioles (2012-18) and Padres (2019-25)

OF Ronald Acuña Jr. - Braves (2018-25)

C Salvador Perez - Royals (2011-25)

SS Omar Vizquel - Mariners (1989-93), Indians (1994-2004), Giants (2005-08), and two other clubs

SS Dave Concepción - Reds (1970-88)

C Lance Parrish - Tigers (1977-86) and four other clubs

OF Carl Crawford - Rays (2003-10) and Red Sox (2011-12)

SS/3B John Valentin - Red Sox (1992-2001)

3B/2B Edgardo Alfonso - Mets (1995-2002) and three other clubs

3B/1B/2B Max Muncy - Dodgers (2018-25)

SS Ozzie Guillén - White Sox (1985-97) and three other clubs

SP Mort Cooper - Cardinals (1941-45), Braves (1945-47), Giants (1947)

SS/2B/3B Asdrubal Cabrera - Indians (2007-14) and four other clubs

1899: The Orioles and Bridegrooms work out a deal. “Under a joint ownership arrangement, several Baltimore Orioles players are shifted to the Brooklyn Bridegrooms, and that club transfers several to the Orioles. Manager Ned Hanlon takes Willie Keeler, Joe Kelley, Hughie Jennings, and others with him to Brooklyn, while John McGraw and Wilbert Robinson remain in Baltimore to stay close to their businesses there. The powerful new Brooklyn team is now sometimes called the "Superbas", after a stage show in New York called "Superba" that is produced by the Hanlon brothers (unrelated to Ned Hanlon).”

1905: Star pitcher Rube Waddell prevents a fire. “In Lynn, Massachusetts, Rube Waddell prevents a fire by carrying a burning stove out of a store and throwing it into a snow bank. Three days later he flees nearby Peabody to escape charges of assaulting and injuring his wife's parents.”

1908: The Browns acquire Rube Waddell. “The St. Louis Browns purchase future Hall of Fame pitcher Rube Waddell from the Philadelphia Athletics. The Browns pay $5,000 for Waddell, who won 19 games with a 2.15 ERA in 1907. Waddell will win 19 games this season, while lowering his ERA to 1.89.”

1942: The Braves acquire star catcher Ernie Lombardi. “The Cincinnati Reds stir the hometown fans by selling popular catcher Ernie Lombardi to the Boston Braves, where he will win the National League batting title this season with a .330 average.”

1949: Joe DiMaggio signs for $100,000. “New York Yankees superstar Joe DiMaggio signs a one-year contract worth $100,000, becoming the first player to earn a six-figure deal in major league history. In 1948, DiMaggio batted .320, while leading the American League in home runs and RBI.”

1959: Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie dies. “Nap Lajoie dies of pneumonia at the age of 84. Lajoie, who also managed the Cleveland Naps from 1905 to 1909, hit for a .338 batting average over a 21-year career and gained election to the Hall of Fame in 1937.”

1979: The Mets acquire a young Jesse Orosco. “Minor league pitcher Jesse Orosco becomes the player to be named later, going to the New York Mets in compensation for pitcher Jerry Koosman, who had been sent earlier to the Minnesota Twins. Greg Field was the other pitcher Minnesota sent to New York; he will never appear for the Mets, whereas Orosco will have a long stint with them on his way to amassing more games pitched than anyone in major league history.”

1994: Michael Jordan signs with the White Sox. “Former National Basketball Association star Michael Jordan signs a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. Jordan will report to spring training before being assigned to the Class AA Birmingham Barons. After one season in the minors, Jordan will return to the NBA.”

2005: The Tigers sign star OF Magglio Ordóñez. “The Detroit Tigers sign All-Star right fielder Magglio Ordóñez for five years for a reported $75 million. The contract for the free agent slugger, recovering from knee surgery, includes options which could extend his stay in Detroit for an additional two years making the deal worth nearly $100 million.”

2019: Hall of Famer Frank Robinson dies. “Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, a member of the 500 Home Run Club, a Triple Crown winner, the first player to win the MVP Award in both leagues, and the first African-American manager in major league history, passes away in hospice care in Los Angeles, CA at the age of 83. He was also a senior executive for Major League Baseball and was still serving as the honorary President of the American League.”

12-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1979-1990, mostly with the Royals

Three-time All-Star

Led the AL in saves in five out of six years from 1980-1985, and was in the top three in the AL Cy Young Award voting in those five seasons as well

Had an extreme submarine throwing style which kept hitters off balance and led to a lot of groundouts, though not many strikeouts (379 K in 1,043.1 IP)

Overall had 244 saves, a 2.76 ERA, and a 146 ERA+

He died at the young age of 45 due to a form of brain cancer

15-year major league career, spanning from 1946-1964, beginning briefly in the Negro Leagues then playing mostly for the Indians and White Sox in the AL

Was an All-Star in two seasons, including in 1955 for the Indians when he hit .306 with 22 HR, 11 SB, and an AL-leading 123 runs; and again in 1960 for the White Sox when he hit .315 with 12 HR and 31 doubles

Was versatile in the field, playing a mix of 3B and all three OF positions

Overall had 168 HR, 866 runs, a .273/.358/.431 slash line, and a 114 OPS+

18-year major league career, spanning from 1915-1932, starting out with the Senators and Athletics, but then mostly playing for the Indians

Was a high-average hitter and batted .345 in 1923 while leading the AL with 222 hits and also scoring 130 runs

Had career-highs in 1924 with a .359 average and 21 SB

Didn't have much power, with only 18 HR in 7,511 career plate appearances

Overall had 131 SB, 1,062 runs, a .303/.378/.385 slash line, and a 101 OPS+

15-year major league career, spanning from 1978-1992, starting out with the Angels and Red Sox, and then playing mostly with the Athletics

Led the AL with a .336 average in the strike-shortened 1981 season

All-Star in 1988

Had some power with 15-19 HR four times, and some speed too with 20+ SB five times, including a high of 37 SB in 1989

Overall had 151 HR, 224 SB, 1,007 runs, a .290/.343/.411 slash line, and a 111 OPS+

15-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1971-1985, mostly with the Cubs and Dodgers

Went 18-9 with a 3.07 ERA in 1975, then came in second in the NL Cy Young Award vote in 1978 after going 19-10 with a 2.71 ERA

Was an All-Star in strike-shortened 1981 with an 11-6 record and 2.28 ERA

Struggled in the postseason in 1977 and 1978, but was NLCS MVP in 1981 and overall had a 0.81 ERA over 33 IP and five starts to help the Dodgers win the World Series

Overall had a 151-136 record, a 3.38 ERA, and a 108 ERA+

17-year major league career, spanning from 1884-1903, playing mostly for Brooklyn in the NL, but spending some time with five other clubs

Was a catcher early in his career, but then shifted to mostly 2B with some games in the OF

Was a capable batsman with 14 triples in 1893, and a .339 average and 135 runs in the high-offense 1894 season

Led the NL with 38 doubles in 1901 to go with a .315 average

Had 20+ SB nine times, including highs of 51 SB in 1894 and 43 SB in 1899

Overall had 385 SB, 1,025 runs, a .278/.361/.386 slash line, and a 107 OPS+

17-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1923-1939, mostly with the Tigers, Senators, and Indians

Was a consistent workhorse, with 14+ wins in ten seasons, including a 17-9 record in his first full season in 1924, and then a career-best 22-8 mark with a 3.33 ERA in 1933

Had between 12-22 complete games in 13 consecutive seasons

Overall had a 218-185 (.541) record, a 4.36 ERA, and an even 100 ERA+

18-year major league pitching career, spanning from 1957-1974, with the White Sox, Braves, Cubs, Pirates, and four other clubs

Was an All-Star in 1963 for the White Sox with a 16-8 record and 2.39 ERA, and again in 1964 with a 19-9 record and 2.56 ERA

Overall had a 131-105 (.555) record, a 3.43 ERA, and a 104 ERA+

6-year major league career, spanning from 2015-2020, with the Blue Jays and Astros

Had 20+ saves five times, including an AL-leading 38 saves in 2019

Overall had 155 saves with a 2.74 ERA and 159 ERA+

During the short 2020 season it was recommended that Osuna have Tommy John surgery, but he opted to rest his arm instead. The Astros let him go after that season, and since then he has continued to pitch quite well in the Mexican and Japanese leagues.

11-year major league career, spanning from 1978-1989, mostly as a 2B with the Blue Jays

Hit .310 with 54 SB and 89 runs in 1982

Had a .307 average with 31 SB in 1983, and then was an All-Star in both 1984 and 1985

Overall had 203 SB and a .283 average

Brewers = Robin Yount

Mariners = Edgar Martinez

Padres = Tony Gwynn

Phillies = Mike Schmidt

Royals = George Brett

Pitchers with the most games started in MLB history, by Mark Kolier at Almost Cooperstown, 2/6/2026

Braves Need Healthy Infield To Compete Again, by Dan Schlossberg at Here's the Pitch: the IBWAA Newsletter, 2/6/2026