It is very interesting to watch the off season moves by the MLB Clubs. The small market teams are always operating on the fringes with trades of role players and trying to manage to microscopic payrolls compared to the big players in baseball. The Dodgers do whatever they want and don’t worry about the cost. And then you have those next tier Clubs like the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, Blue Jays, Phillies (at least these days) and perhaps the Giants here and there.

The Yankees are more than happy to run it back from 2025 where they scored a lot of runs (although not in the playoffs) and will bank on a slew of starting pitchers returning to form from major surgeries (we all know how that usually goes – not well). Meanwhile, Steve Cohen instructed his President of Baseball Operations to to retool the roster – and fast. The Mets made a number of moves via free agent signings and then pulled off the trade for Peralta on the Brewers last night to really bolster their rotation in 2026. His contract expires after this year and he will make a ton more in free agency assuming there is even a season in 2027.

Cohen is rolling the dice for 2026 with a totally revamped lineup and of course, former Yankee relievers in the bullpen (hmm… good luck with that). SU says Met fans have to be happy with that as Cohen is not standing pat after an underachieving 2025 season. It may or may not work but at least he is going for it.

SU believes that the Bellinger signing by Cashman which was finally achieved yesterday was supposed to then potentially trigger a trade for Peralta. But the Mets got in first and that is a huge loss for the Yankees. The Yankees will head into this season with 6 left-handed hitters in the starting lineup and that assumes Stanton will be a regular contributor for the whole season which we all know is a physical impossiblity (anxiously awaiting the news on the first day of Spring Training to see which body part fell apart in the off season, e.g., tennis elbow, calf, hamstring). Rodon and Cole will be coming back from surgeries and you are banking on Schlittler being the real deal.

The Knicks finally showed some effort last night after a players’ only meeting and some soul searching. SU says coach Mike Brown is on the clock and it remains to be seen if he will survive the rest of the season. So many trade rumors for Giannis on the Bucks but the Knicks don’t have the draft picks that Milwaukee would even want in that type of deal. It does not seem like the Knicks can get to the next level with KAT (defensive liabilty and struggling for points this season) and SU has always felt that Bridges, while a nice player, is not that nice of a player. Could have done better in that spot. No doubt they will make some move at the trade deadline but only for a role player. The reality may be that their best shot was last season. We shall see.

Props to Indiana for running the table and winning it all this year as the Big Ten counts national championships for 3 years in a row. No doubt the SEC is increasingly pissed off about that. Cignetti is a great coach but a better judge of talent given his transfer portal moves. SU is sure he is very skilled with his NIL money as well.

So, Met fans: are you energized for 2026? I know Yankee fans are not. Oh how the tables have turned…

Full disclosure: the SU research staff has not done the usual in-depth statistical analysis on Kyle Tucker. I mean, there are only so many hours in a day. But for SU, at first blush, the 4-year, $240 million deal for Tucker with the deferred cash (OK, it’s only $57 million a year in present value terms) and the two opt outs makes SU think that he will play 1 and a half years for the Dodgers in the end.

Sure, they overpaid to get him for 2026 when they are going for the 3-peat. There will be a lockout in 2027 as the owners push for a salary cap, and SU estimates at best we have a half season of baseball. Tucker can, I believe, opt out after year #2 and you know he will as he wants the 8 – 10 year deal.

SU views Tucker as a solid player but not someone who carries the franchise like a Judge or a Soto. He doesn’t crave the limelight and will fit in nicely with the Dodgers who are loaded with global superstars. Does he put them over the top for 2026? Maybe but they may have already been over the top for this coming season with their current roster. SU says the Dodgers were smart to overpay for the shorter term contract. That is always the right strategy.

The bigger concern for SU is Bellinger and whether the Yankees have a chance to re-sign him now. The Mets were willing to give Tucker $50 million: does Steve Cohen now look to steal another star from Hal a year after he backed up the truck for Soto? He could also do a shorter term, over paid contract along the lines of Tucker. Or does Hal now have to add another year to give Bellinger a 6-year deal? And is Toronto still in the mix as they were also willing to give Tucker big dollars?

SU is worried that Cashman is putting too much faith in Jasson Dominguez, the latest in the Yankees’ line of overhyped prospects. Very good left-handed hitter who really can’t hit right handed and is somehow a terrible outfielder (I mean, how do you not teach these guys to catch the ball in the minor leagues? He has been in their system since he was 16). He is still very young and perhaps will show some good progress this year but the absence of moves this off season is worrying to Yankee fans. SU will put its faith in Cashman that he actually has a game plan now and will execute on that. But I am telling you: do not expect Trent Grisham to ever have a season like 2025 again.

Yankee fans are a spoiled group – no doubt about it. It comes from being in New York where the fans really care about wins and losses every game, and where there are high expectations to justify the ridiculous ticket and food prices. Plus this might be the last season we have baseball for a while.

We will soon see if Tucker is worth $60 million a year. The rich are getting richer in LA but Yankee fans can’t complain as there were many years where the Steinbrenner family did the exact same thing. Get over it and get to work Hal.

There is a new sherriff in town in New York and he does not live in the Bronx. One year after grabbing Juan Soto, Steve Cohen at the Mets has, reportedly, put an offer together for Kyle Tucker of $50 million a year according to espn.com. Whoa. That is $10 million a year more than Judge.

Supposedly, Toronto is also in the mix for Tucker. Wonder if this will boost the deal for Bellinger then?

Yankee fans, your days of being the big spenders are clearly over. Dodgers, Mets and Blue Jays are all ready to invest more than Hal Steinbrenner.

What is next for Mike Tomlin? Do a year on TV yukking it up in one of the pre- and post-game shows where you laugh and talk over each other? Hey, it’s a living. Or does someone grab him for one of the 9 openings for NFL head coaches?

Ian O’Connor thinks the Giants have a slight lead to land John Harbaugh although Tennessee has a ton of cap space and a young QB making them very attractive. Does Tomlin change the equation now?

Enough is enough. SU has been reading that the Yankees have offered Cody Bellinger 5 years for $155 – 160 million with no deferrals. Alex Bregman just signed with the Chicago Cubs for 5 years and $175 million with deferrals. Rumor has it that Bellinger wants a 7-year deal.

Bellinger is 30 years old. His track record over the past number of years has been up and down. He was great for the Yankees in 2025, and SU hopes they can get him to return. He hits left-handed pitchers well, and can play all of the outfield positions and 1st base. But 5 years is more than fair, and Yankee fans have lived through its share of aging player contracts over the years (see Giancarlo Stanton now who averages about 80 games a year).

If Hal Steinbrenner actually cares about winning a World Series (unclear), he knows that last year’s roster is not going to get them there. The bullpen needs additions and the team is still not that athletic. There is talk of dealing Jazz Chisholm for a pitcher; SU would not do that. OK, he can be a bit of a knucklehead sometimes but he steals bases, is a good fielder and hits home runs. He needs to stay. Lots of talk about dealing Jasson Dominguez for Freddy Peralta on the Brewers. SU is good with that one as he appears to be the latest in a long line of over hyped Yankee prospects.

It feels like the market is waiting for Kyle Tucker to land somewhere and see what that price tag is. The Blue Jays are in the mix for him, and all of a sudden, the Yankees are acting like a small market team. Spring training is right around the corner. SU says the next week is going to see a lot of activity but unclear where the Yankees stand in that. Bo Bichette? No thank you. The Yankees have enough offense to not need a bad fielding shortstop. Corey Seager? Sure, happy to consider him as the answer at short.

Bottom line: do not run it back with basically the same lineup in 2026.

Great NFL playoffs weekend. It’s wide open this year. SU is feeling a Buffalo – Seattle Super Bowl but clearly, all of the remaining teams are contenders at this point. It felt good to see the Eagles go away. So much drama all year around an under-achieving offense. Move on.

John Harbaugh? Apparently, it’s up to him to pick his team. The Giants are hot on him. He would bring stability but he would also have to bring along some top assistants. Keep an eye on Jesse Minter, the Chargers’ defensive coordinator. He will be a head coach this coming year and SU likes him.

The college football transfer portal is open for business, and virtually everyone is on the market. For SU, you read about a player leaving a great program and you ask why but then you quickly realize it’s for NIL money. And you can’t fault someone for leaving for more money even if it hurts their chances for a college football championship. Their goal is the NFL and if they get paid now and will still be a high draft pick, then why not? Unless they really wanted to take that Economics class with that professor senior year and therefore stayed one more year :).

Miami vs. Indiana should be an interesting finals. Indiana has locked in their coach with a long-term deal but no doubt the NFL will be sniffing around this off season. SU says stay in school. Same money plus he is golden now at Indiana. Quite the story.