The ALCS is suddenly even again.
The Rays answered in Game 4 at Progressive Field, beating the Guardians 7-3 to square the series at two games apiece. Jonathan Aranda drove in two runs, and Yandy Díaz put it away with a two-run homer in the ninth. That result sets up a dead heat heading into the next stretch, with the Brewers waiting in the wings.
History says the team that gets there first doesn’t always finish the job. Twelve of the last 16 clubs to clinch the pennant first wound up losing in the World Series. The bigger question now is whether the extra rest that comes with being the Brewers will work in their favor.
Elsewhere in the majors, the Dodgers are still drawing plenty of attention as the next phase of their run comes into view. Katie Woo and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic dug into what’s ahead for Los Angeles, while Tyler Kepner - looking back as someone who covered the end of the Yankees’ dynasty in 2001 - argued that the Dodgers aren’t going to stop winning, even if the road ahead looks different, much like it did for those Yankees.
On the Mets side of things, top prospect Jefferson Rojas kept rolling in winter ball, blasting two home runs last night for Cibao. The 21-year-old Dominican is 4-for-7 through his first two games there.
Around the division, former Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was a candidate for the Mariners’ managerial opening before pulling his name out and instead joining the Phillies as their third base and infield coach, according to ESPN’s Jorge Castillo. Philadelphia also has a future workload plan in mind for J.T. Realmuto, with Dave Dombrowski telling reporters the club expects to reduce his catching duties in 2027.
The rest of the NL East had its own offseason chatter, too. MLB Trade Rumors released its outlook on the Braves, while in Miami, Marlins prospect Max Williams is working to make up for time lost to injury during a large chunk of his first full professional season. And in Washington, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com examined three Nationals prospects who could be in line to debut in 2027.
In Other News...
Mets Could Keep Winning From The Brooks Raley Trade
Brooks Raley gave the Mets a useful left-handed arm out of the bullpen before the club moved him to Philadelphia, and his results since the deal have only sharpened the contrast. New York turned that reliever swap into a pair of prospects, John Spikerman and Luke Gabrysh, and the early read is that the return could end up mattering more than a simple midseason bullpen upgrade ever would.
Gabrysh, in particular, has already drawn attention for strong pitching metrics, which gives the Mets something tangible to track as the trade ages. Even with Raley's decline after leaving New York, the bigger question for the Mets is whether the value they picked up will keep growing into something more than a useful piece of deadline business. [Read more 🡒]
Mets May Have To Cash In Prospects To Fix Costly Holes
The Mets entered the winter with a familiar kind of roster math to solve, one made trickier by the contracts already on the books and the possibility that baseballs financial system could look different soon. After being viewed as sellers at the deadline, the tone is now more cautious and more targeted, with the front office weighing whether the quickest path to fixing the biggest holes is to deal from a farm system that has real value but also real vulnerability.
Among the names that could come into play are Jacob Reimer, Sammy Stafura and Jack Wenninger, and the key detail is that none of them are being treated as untouchable. Each has a different track record and a different fit on the field, which gives the Mets room to be selective if they decide to chase immediate help. The harder part is knowing how far they want to go in giving up prospect capital when the roster still needs both answers and flexibility. [Read more 🡒]
Mets May Need To Act Fast On A Breakout Building Block
Carson Benge has given the Mets plenty to think about as they look ahead to the next phase of building around a young core. After a strong rookie season, the question is no longer whether he belongs in the mix, but how quickly the organization should move if it wants to keep him in Queens for the long haul. The idea of striking early on an extension has real appeal, especially for a club that could use more certainty around its emerging talent.
The Braves have made a habit of locking up young players before their prices climb, and the Mets have every reason to study that model closely. Benge is part of a broader wave of youth the team hopes can add speed and energy, with stolen bases still a need and prospects Jefferson Rojas and Nick Morabito potentially part of that answer. The challenge now is deciding whether to act before Benges breakout season turns into something even more expensive to buy into. [Read more 🡒]