BFP Winter Update

In less than two months from now, pitchers and catchers report to camp. There's plenty to get to this offseason, and in a couple of weeks, Baseball Fan Perspective returns to a normal schedule.

Happy Holidays, folks. It’s been about a month since we last spoke. I think most everyone in my neck of the woods is ready for Christmas break as the new year approaches. It’s hard to believe that pitchers and catchers report for spring training in six weeks. That’s it. It’s coming fast, and so too is the next World Baseball Classic, which begins in early March. That’s right, the new season is coming, and there’s a lot to get to before the ‘26 campaign begins.

As is usually the case, Baseball Fan Perspective kind of lies low from November awards time until the new year. My last post was on November 19, titled Thoughts on the 2025 MLB Awards. So, in case there was any doubt that you might have missed an article or two in the meantime, you haven’t. Feel free to check out the awards article in the link above if you haven’t done so.

I’ll be getting more into the offseason topics in a couple of weeks with the return of Impressed or Unimpressed and Five…(the series where you’re given five answers from me based on a certain topic of choice). Five… was a popular series last offseason and drew a lot of feedback from readers. The biggest hit of the four episodes came in mid-February when I wrote about the five MLB franchises I would get rid of as the commissioner if the league went to 25 teams. You can read that here. That piece is still the most-read post and certainly had the most reader comments of anything I’ve written in the three years of BFP. It stirred a lot of emotions, which was great. The feedback was phenomenal. I had a feeling any topic regarding dismantling franchises could cause some blood to boil. And it did. It was a fun discussion. And now, a year later, my mind hasn’t changed on any of the five teams I would delete from MLB if forced to as the commissioner, but it’s certainly debatable.

Anyway, take a look back if you’d like. You can also visit the BFP website by clicking here. If you haven’t subscribed, I would love to have you aboard for the new year. Every article ever written on the site can be found in one of the categories at the top of the homepage, as shown in the picture below.

Other news. A couple of weeks ago, I had some time off and did something I’ve never done before. I watched every major happening at the Winter Meetings from Sunday to Wednesday (Dec. 7 - Dec. 10). From the Contemporary Era Committee’s Hall of Fame announcement (former Giants second baseman, Jeff Kent, was the only inductee), the Draft Lottery, and even the Rule 5 Draft. I had never watched any of those live, and made it a point to do so while having some downtime. I was curious about the energy and enthusiasm at these events in real time.

What would I get out of it as a fan? Was it impressive or unimpressive? I’ll talk more about it in the next episode of Impressed or Unimpressed. In the meantime, here is the quick answer to the latter question above…Unimpressive. I’ll tell you my reasons why in two weeks.

I’ll also be getting into some of the major signings and trades that have already gone down, and surely will be coming between now and early January. There’s been a lot of player movement, especially on the Mets roster. I don’t know where they’re headed in 2026, but it doesn’t look promising, even though there’s plenty of time between now and March 25 (Opening Day) to make a splash.

We’re in that period where baseball discussions heat up. Stories arise, players sign for ridiculously high amounts of cash, and there is fresh hope in the air for everyone. Sometimes it’s false hope, but at least there’s always something for a fanbase to potentially get excited about.

Right now, every franchise has an opportunity to make major improvements to its roster. It baffles my mind each offseason how many of these organizations sit still and do barely anything to at least put a respectable team on the field. And I get it to a degree. We’re one year away from the inevitable MLB lockout, where that same old discussion will certainly be on the table between players and owners — To have a salary cap or not. Which will it be? If I were to guess, there won’t be much change in that regard. I hope there is something that raises the spending floor and lowers the ceiling, but does anyone reading this see a realistic path to that arrangement? It’s a mess, and as Brad Pitt said in Moneyball while portraying A’s GM Billy Beane, “It’s an unfair game”…

And he’s right. It is an unfair and unbalanced game. I’d love to see it change so that the best teams are those that are the best run on an even playing field. Not just those with the most money, without care about how much is spent, being able and allowed to outbid the majority for the top players every single year. The NFL and NBA, for the most part, have this right.

I’ll be honest, I don’t want to think about next offseason just yet. This will certainly come up again on BFP, probably around this time in 2026. I have a feeling the ‘27 season will be delayed in some way. It’s a sad thought, but a reality given how far apart the two sides always are. Let’s just enjoy this final year of non-disrupted baseball. As fans, we’ll worry about the new CBA next December.

Speaking of December. That’s all I have for you this month. Check back in two weeks for the first 2026 edition of Impressed or Unimpressed. Until then, enjoy Christmas and New Year’s. Keep your ears and eyes open for trades and signings. There are still some big names in free agency yet to commit.

Talk to you soon.