State of the Position, 2026: Ownership — and more

It’s a long-standing feature of this article to point out previous iterations of this article. When I wrote my first one eight years ago (holy crap, I’m getting old), the Rockies were trending in the right direction, and the ownership got precious little credit for it. So I wrote a string of articles focused on countering the narrative that the Monforts (“Cheapfarts”) didn’t want to spend to win, preferring to turn Coors Field into the best bar in LoDo. I stand by those takes at the time. 

Since then, an altogether different narrative has emerged: The Monforts were the baseball equivalent of the golden retriever wearing a necktie sitting at a computer. Sure, they demonstrated a willingness to spend their money on the roster, but after a Super Bullpen, the Ian Desmond Experiment, and especially the Kris Bryant Experience, it cannot be said that they had any idea what they were doing. Had the failures only been with the top-level signings while everything further down the roster functioned, we might be able to find a way to extend ample credit. Unfortunately, the “draft and develop” identity of roster construction has consistently failed to identify and develop MLB-level talent. The Rockies were increasingly viewed as a team stuck in the past, unable or unwilling to change. This was not only a narrative I had evidence with which to counter, but I believe these previews played a part in reinforcing it. 

That was the main theme of last year’s article, even with looming labor unrest between players and owners after the expiration of the 2026 collective bargaining agreement. While I did and do support MLB making structural changes (I wrote an only half-joking article last October titled “Contract the Dodgers”), my point then was that those changes would have no bearing on the Rockies because the team’s struggles ran deeper. At their core, the Rockies were dinosaurs stuck in the La Brea Tar Pits, with (most of) the rest of the league having evolved with the changing conditions of the game. And the reason they were stuck in those pits was because of loyalty, inability, or a tragic mix of both. (Stop picturing Dinger in tar pits! He’s a national treasure, you monster!)

So what should it tell us when a team that could never change actually changes? Yes, they have made changes before, but this time seems different somehow. This time, something at the core seems to have changed. My colleagues will address the front office and coaching staffs in the coming days, and there is a lot of evidence of structural change in those areas beyond mere swapping of personnel. But the changes manifesting at those levels start at the top. After three 100+ loss seasons, including a puncher’s chance at the modern loss record, the Monforts seem to have finally understood that the thing to do when you hit rock bottom is stop digging—you’re more likely to find tar at the bottom of that pit than oil. 

Obviously it’s too soon to tell: the team could improve by 19 games and still lose 100 again. But for those of us still left who care about the Rockies (and if you’re reading this article after the last four seasons, that includes you—and I just have to ask, who hurt you?), we may need to consider the possibility of hope. Yes, I know: it’s the hope that kills you. But we’ve been as good as dead with regard to hope for a long time with this team. And the way this offseason played out indicates that there is certainly something different happening. It remains to be seen whether or not “different” translates into improvement, and even if it does it may be a long time before we actually see results. After all, in sports as in life, nothing is guaranteed; there are only ever a small number of things in your control.

We may as well allow ourselves a little glimmer that we could be looking at the beginning of something…not big maybe, but at least not terrible. We should allow ourselves to hope, not only for the sake of our interactions with a (previously?) moribund baseball franchise in a cow town at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, but for the sake of what it may signal about our own lives.

After all, if Rockies ownership can change, who’s to say you, me, we, or they can’t change, too?

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The Trojans' leading scorer is no longer with the team as the postseason approaches.

For the first time since the spring training Grapefruit League slate began on February 20th, the New York Yankees will not play a baseball game today. Since we don’t have new Statcast data and game film to analyze, that makes today the perfect opportunity to kickstart what is, in my opinion, the best preseason series we do here at Pinstripe Alley: the annual Making the Team Meter.

For those new to Pinstripe Alley or who need a refresher: every year, we track the roster throughout the spring through this weekly series, helping fans keep pace with which players are most likely to break camp with the team. Here’s the key that we use:

As one can see, it’s fairly straightforward: red means that a player is almost certainly not going to make the roster, yellow tells us that a player has a shot if things break right, and green says, “We’ll see you in San Francisco for Opening Day on March 25th.”

Every spring, the pitching staff always generates the most discussion, and this year is no different. Heading into camp, the Yankees had a trio of starters already guaranteed to miss Opening Day — Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt, and Carlos Rodón — while the bullpen has seen almost a complete makeover since last spring and will have several spots up for grabs. Since the start of camp, though, minor injuries may have put more spots in play, while multiple top prospects have captured a lot of attention with their performance on the mound.

Note that, within this list, I use the FanGraphs Depth Chart to decide whether to mark a pitcher as either a starter or a reliever. Because of this, several pitchers on the roster bubble — particularly prospects and non-roster invites — will be listed as starters to represent the fact that they will fill out the Scranton rotation; if they make the major league club, however, there’s a good chance they’ll work out of the bullpen. We’re also a little more lenient with the yellow ratings this early in camp because some names can truly come out of nowhere to make an impression. Call it the 2021 Lucas Luetge Principle.

The Yankees’ plan for the starting rotation has been clear for months. Max Fried will almost certainly get the ball on Opening Day, 2025 playoff phenom Cam Schlittler will get the ball behind him, and some combination of 2024 Rookie of the Year, new trade acquisition Ryan Weathers, and the second-year Will Warren will fill out the rotation behind them.

Although at the moment, I still expect that to be the case, two major wrenches have been thrown into the conversation. One, Schlittler was sidelined early in the spring due to back inflammation, and although manager Aaron Boone says that he will be ready to go Opening Day even if he’s only built up to 70-80 pitches instead of the normal 90-100 you’re looking for, until we see him pitch in a spring training game, we can’t mark him down as a certainty. And two, Elmer Rodriguez has looked electric in his two spring training starts, striking out five and walking just one in six innings of work; sure, he has a long way to go towards seizing a starting job out of camp, but as Joe Girardi said on the YES broadcast, Jordan Montgomery was able to do exactly that in 2017. How quickly Schlittler returns to the mound, and how Rodriguez looks in the World Baseball Classic, could upend our calculus on the Yankees’ rotation, and bears watching.

The bullpen, on the other hand, is much more unsettled. David Bednar will be the closer. Camilo Doval and Fernando Cruz will work the late innings in front of him. Tim Hill, Ryan Yarbrough, and Paul Blackburn will be there too (although it must be noted that any of the latter two could wind up in the rotation depending on injuries). That leaves two spots up for grabs. The early favorites are probably Jake Bird, who the Yankees acquired at last year’s Trade Deadline, Angel Chivilli (a more recent Rockies trade acquistion), and Cade Winquest, who they acquired in the Rule 5 Draft and thus must stay on the active roster all year. But at this point, it’s far too early to truly rule anybody out.

Anybody except the Yankees’ top pitching prospects, that is. Is the idea of putting Carlos Lagrange and his 103-mph fastball in the bullpen to start the year enticing? For sure. Would the Yankees much prefer to keep him working as a starter and possibly bring him up in, say, July or August, and unleash that 103-mph fastball in the starting rotation? Absolutely.

Next, let’s take a look at the catchers.

Last year was the first time in literal years that the Yankees had a true battle for the backup catcher job in spring training. This year, we once again now from the beginning of the spring who the Yankees’ main catchers are …albeit with a catch (rimshot). Austin Wells is the starter, certainly, and should he get hurt, J.C. Escarra will probably slide into the starting job. But will he be continuously rostered, or will the Yankees opt to use Ben Rice as the backup catcher to keep his bat in the lineup when they want to play Paul Goldschmidt against a tough lefty? It’s unlikely, as the Yankees have yet to give Rice any time behind the plate this spring, but it’s still early.

That being said, if Rice exclusively plays first base this week, then we can safely assume it’ll be Wells and Escarra. One can’t fully rule out a last-second trade acquisition either, like when the Yankees brought Jose Trevino aboard days before Opening Day 2022 to join Kyle Higashioka in a better tandem behind the plate than the in-house options of the moment.

Last, and certainly not least, we have the rest of the position players:

Let’s get one thing out of the way from the beginning. Yes, I love Spencer Jones’ moonshot home runs. Yes, the idea of him hitting behind/in front of Aaron Judge and giving opposing pitchers something truly scary to think about is really, really enticing. The truth is, though, he’s not making the Opening Day roster, and he may not even get the call-up to the Show this season. Jones has regularly performed well in spring training, only to strike out a ton in the minor leagues, and while there’s hope that his new Ohtani-esque batting stance may help him cut down on the K’s, we need to see it in action over a long period of time in Triple-A before we’ll even have a chance to see it in the Bronx. The contact issues simply need to improve in games that matter.

Moving on, let’s turn to the real drama: the bench. Once the Yankees re-signed Paul Goldschmidt, the bench immediately got crowded, as Amed Rosario, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Jasson Domínguez appeared to have the three non-catcher bench spots locked up; in fact, it was this jam that led to the speculation that the team could use Rice as the backup catcher, freeing up another spot. The last two weeks, however, have significantly changed this calculus.

For starters, barring an injury to Giancarlo Stanton or one of the outfielders, it seems likely that the Yankees will start the Martian in Triple-A Scranton so he can get everyday at bats against left-handed pitchers and regular reps in left field; reinforcing this inclination is the team’s recent decision to sign Randal Grichuk, a corner outfielder who has historically crushed southpaws, to a minor-league deal worth $2.5 million if he makes the team. Then, it was reported that Oswaldo Cabrera’s ankle hasn’t quite recovered to the point where they’re comfortable having him practice sliding, and he seems to be on track to start the season on the IL. And lastly, the organization has given Paul DeJong the number 18 — and while vets on minor-league deals don’t typically receive high numbers like prospects generally do, such a low number suggests the Yankees may be inclined to have him start the season as the starting shortstop. With Anthony Volpe out, the team doesn’t have a true backup shortstop to Caballero, as Rosario doesn’t seem like a viable option there anymore and the only other remote alternative with Cabrera injured is the standard third baseman Ryan McMahon.

Right now, FanGraphs lists the Yankees’ bench as Escarra, Goldschmidt, Rosario, and Grichuk, with the latter three serving as platoon partners of sorts with Rice, McMahon, and Trent Grisham, respectively. Brendan Kuty and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic have Escarra, Goldschmidt, Rosario, and Cabrera, seemingly believing that the utilityman will get up to speed in time — although it must be noted that their projection came before Grichuk’s addition. Both projections ignore Max Schuemann and Jorbit Vivas, a pair of infielders who may have a leg up in the roster battle because they’re already on the 40-man roster.

Personally, I think FanGraphs is likely right on the nose here; the Yankees can cover all infield positions besides shortstop with Rosario, and if McMahon takes reps at shortstop as reported, they won’t need to worry about carrying a dedicated backup to Caballero to start the season. This flexibility allows them to focus on their main need, a right-handed bat to balance out their very left-handed lineup. But it’s March 3rd, and Opening Day is March 25th — a lot always changes between now and then.

And that is where the Yankees roster stands coming into today. Do you agree with our assessments? Tune in again next week to see how things change after another week of game action.

The Coppa Italia is back: Inter are set to face Como away from home in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final tie between the sides, with kick-off at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia scheduled for 21:00 CET on Tuesday 3 March.

The Nerazzurri reached the semi-finals after a 5-1 win over Venezia in the round of 16 in December and a 2-1 victory over Torino in the quarter-finals in February. Como, meanwhile, have had a longer road to the last four, starting their Coppa Italia campaign in the first round in August. To reach the semi-finals, the Lariani knocked out Südtirol, Sassuolo, Fiorentina, and Napoli.

The clash between Como and Inter promises to be an intriguing one, with a place in the final at the Olimpico in Rome at stake. Unlike previous rounds, the semi-finals are played over two legs. If the tie is level after 180 minutes, extra time will be played, followed by penalties if necessary.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Inter and Como have met nine times in the Coppa Italia. The record stands at six wins for the Nerazzurri and three draws. Their first encounter dates back to 1968, while the most recent meeting in Italy's national cup competition came in the round of 16 in 1991. The first leg at San Siro ended 2-2, with Inter winning 2-1 in the return fixture in Como thanks to goals from Berti and Klinsmann. That match at the Sinigaglia remains the last time Como and Inter faced each other outside of Serie A. The two teams will meet again in the Coppa Italia 34 years and 79 days on from that encounter.

Inter have won five of the seven Coppa Italia matches they've played in Como (with two draws), including the two most recent meetings. Como will contest a Coppa Italia semi-final for only the second time in their history, following their two-legged tie against Sampdoria in the 1985/86 season.

THE NERAZZURRI'S FORM

Inter are the team from the top five European leagues that have won the most away games this season across all competitions while keeping a clean sheet: twelve times in total, including seven of their last eight (L1).

The Coppa Italia has also delivered some excellent stats for Inter. They are the only team in the tournament to have scored more than one goal from outside the box this season (two – Esposito and Thuram against Venezia). Furthermore, Como (eight) and Inter (four) are the sides with the most first-half goals so far in this edition of the competition. However, while the Lariani have conceded two in the opening 45 minutes, the Nerazzurri haven’t shipped a single goal in the first half.

The clash is also interesting when it comes to headers: Inter have scored the most headed goals in Serie A this campaign (14), while Como are one of three teams to have conceded the fewest goals in this manner in the league so far (just two, the same as Inter and Roma).

LONG-RANGE GOAL SPECIALISTS

The tie features the three Serie A players who have scored the most goals from outside the box across all competitions since August: Nico Paz (five), Piotr Zielinski (four), and Hakan Çalhanoglu (four).

UNSTOPPABLE DIMARCO

Federico Dimarco (83 – 38 shots and 45 chances created) ranks third in terms of shot participations across the top five European leagues in 2026, behind only Lamine Yamal (100) and Deniz Undav (84)

Federico Dimarco (22, seven goals and 15 assists) and Alessandro Bastoni (eight, two goals and six assists) are the two Serie A defenders who have been involved in the most goals since August across all competitions.

OPPONENTS: COMO

Fresh off a 3-1 win over Lecce (goals from Douvikas, Rodriguez, and Kempf), Cesc Fàbregas' Como have leapfrogged Juventus in the Serie A standings, moving up to fifth place with 48 points – one more than the Bianconeri. With 46 goals scored, the Larians have the third-best attack in the league behind Inter and Juventus. At the other end, they have the second-best defensive record with just 20 goals conceded, level with AC Milan and just one more than Roma.

In their last five league matches, Fabregas' side have beaten Lecce and Juventus, drawn with Atalanta and AC Milan, and lost to Fiorentina. In the Coppa Italia, Como have had a long journey, starting from the first round: they defeated Südtirol 3-1 in August (Douvikas brace, Da Cunha) before knocking out Sassuolo with a 3-0 victory thanks to a Rodriguez brace and a goal from Douvikas. The Lariani then eliminated Fiorentina in the round of 16 (3-1, goals from Sergi Roberto, Nico Paz, and Morata), followed by a 7-6 penalty shootout victory over Napoli after a 1-1 draw in the 90 minutes (Baturina scoring).

Como are known for their possession-based, attacking style, and Fabregas sets his side up in a 4-2-3-1 system that relies on the skill and imagination of his players. Greek forward Tasos Douvikas leads the scoring charts with twelve goals across all competitions, followed by Nico Paz on ten.

DISCIPLINARY SITUATION

SUSPENDED Como: -Inter: -

ONE BOOKING AWAY FROM SUSPENSION Como: Diego Carlos, Kühn, Morata, Paz, Ramón J., Roberto S., Van der Brempt Inter: Esposito, Kamate, Sucic

REFEREE

Marco Di Bello will take charge of the match at the Sinigaglia. Referee: Di Bello Assistants: Peretti - Colarossi Fourth official: Zufferli VAR: Mazzoleni AVAR: Maresca

UPDATES ON INTER TV

You'll find all the usual updates and pre-match coverage on Inter TV. Our Livematch show before Como vs. Inter will go live at 20:15 CET and also be available on the Club's official YouTube channel until 20:50 CET. After the game, stay tuned for full post-match coverage, including analysis, insights, and interviews.