Mining the News (1/13/26)

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

American League

Astros

• The GM mentioned Joseph Sullivan and Lucas Spence as potential outfield options.

In the spirit of Cole’s ascension, two other young, left-handed-hitting outfielders come to mind for this question: Lucas Spence and Joseph Sullivan.

Brown has mentioned both Spence and Sullivan at points this winter as outfield depth in the upper minor leagues. Sullivan acquitted himself well in the Arizona Fall League while Spence, an undrafted free agent, reached Double-A Corpus Christi in his first full professional season.

Neither has the best overall projection, but they stole a decent number of bases last season (Spence: 27 SB, Sullivan: 43 SB).

Orioles

• Gunnar Henderson played through a shoulder injury last year.

Henderson was a call-in guest last night on the “Orioles Hot Stove Show” on WBAL Radio and said he had a shoulder impingement “pretty much for three-quarters of the year.”

“I’m sure that didn’t help, either,” he said.

“I could never get to the spot that I wanted to get to with my swing, but no excuse. Just had to play through it and felt like I still with all those circumstances put up a decent year. Looking forward to being healthy this year and getting back to my normal self.”

The shoulder issue was kept quiet, buried among the litany of Orioles injuries that led to a franchise-record 70 players used.

“I just wasn’t able to hold the plane and my body was adjusting to it, not feeling great, so that didn’t really set up me in the right spot to leverage the ball like I normally do,” Henderson said. “So getting over that and ready to roll this season.”

Rangers

• The team doesn’t have a set closer yet.

Martin and Díaz both have closing experience, as does Robert Garcia — one of few holdovers from last season.

“I think every team would love to have a bona fide lockdown ninth-inning, sure-thing closer that’s never going to give up a run,” Young said. “But the reality is, most teams don’t have that, and teams that go into the season that do have that, oftentimes don’t have it by about halfway through the season. It’s not as ubiquitous as maybe it’s perceived to be in terms of the role.

“I think what we do have are good options we feel like and it’s our job as an organization to put our players in the best positions to succeed. Our hope is that somebody really steps up and establishes themselves and wins that role and takes it.”

Red Sox

• There is a good chance Triston Casas will not be healthy by Opening Day.

Meanwhile, Triston Casas, recovering from a ruptured patellar tendon, admitted that being ready for Opening Day would be tough. He hopes to begin playing games in spring training and praised the Red Sox for signing Contreras to play first.

• Willson Contreras will bat fourth.

On Saturday, manager Alex Cora said Contreras will most likely hit fourth.

Tigers

• The team plans to use a closer-by-committee with …

Yes, manager A.J. Hinch now has no shortage of options for the ninth inning. But he’s just as likely to place priority on those arms for the most dangerous part of the opposing lineup, whether it’s due up in the ninth or not.

“I wouldn’t say the specific [save] stat itself was something we were targeting,” general manager Jeff Greenberg said a couple weeks ago. “We were targeting impact arms that we felt could help this team win games in different situations. … And we have a manager in A.J. who is so good at finding ways to get the most out of these guys, putting those pieces together, using our guys in the right situations to get those wins.”

… Kyle Finnegan and …

[Finnegan said], “We have lots of different guys that can do lots of different things, and anytime you can get more options to throw in leverage, it’s a huge advantage. And you look at a lot of the teams in the postseason, their bullpens are built with multiple guys that you can throw out there in the eighth, ninth inning and have confidence that they can get it done. So I think the more closers you have on your team, the better.

“I think whoever it is, is going to have the mindset of: Tell me when to pitch and I’ll go out there and do my best.”

… Kenley Jansen buying in.

Jansen said. “To me, yes, it’s unbelievable numbers to get this close. But like I told A.J., I didn’t do this to get 500 saves or 400 saves, whatever. You know, I was on a pretty good team, the Dodgers. I’ve had great opportunities, and all our focus is to try to help a team win, and all those things came with it. So at the end of the day, it will be a great accomplishment, but I think the greater accomplishment will be to try to get deep in the postseason and win the World Series with the Tigers. That’s my accomplishment at the end of the day. That’s why I’m here.”

This is a tough situation to believe, but don’t be surprised if a committee does form.

White Sox

• Sean Burke will prepare to be a starter.

During a recent interview with MLB.com, Burke provided his usual in-depth answers to questions asked of the right-hander about himself and the team. But when the inquiry turned to preparing as a starter for the ’26 season, his reply was far more succinct.

“Yes, 100 percent,” said Burke of his targeted offseason work.

National League

Cubs

• Ben Brown, Javier Assad, and Jordan Wicks will stretch out as starters.

The current plan calls for Brown to prepare as a starter (same for Assad and Wicks), but all three could also be contenders for bullpen roles. Each pitcher in that latter trio also has at least one Minor League option, giving the Cubs the flexibility to send any one to Triple-A Iowa to keep starting, if so desired.

Dodgers

• There were reports Freddie Freeman wanted to play for Team Canada in the WBC, but he’s now declined for personal reasons.

Some tough WBC news for Canada as Freddie Freeman withdraws for personal reasons. Dodgers star played in past two tourneys.

Jordan Romano is out too, but on flip side, big boost for Canadian rotation as Jameson Taillon is in. Also now in are C Liam Hicks and INF Tyler Black.

— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) January 10, 2026

Pirates

• The GM mentioned Jared Triolo as a starter.

Cherington continued. “We’ve traded a little bit of pitching, so would like to add back to that. We’d still like to add to the position-player group. You look at the left side of the infield; obviously there are guys we like. [Jared] Triolo emerged [in] the second half of the year. He’s earned opportunity there. But if we could add someone on the left side of the infield, that’s something we’ll keep an eye out for.[“]