Victor Conte has passed away.

The Red Sox and OF Jarren Duran have reached a deal to avoid arbitration Tuesday.

Per league source, Duran will get:

$100k buyout for 2025
$7.7 million salary in 2026
$25k each for
450, 500, 550 plate appearances pic.twitter.com/ksZGJnENy3

— Ari Alexander (@AriA1exander) November 4, 2025

Breaking Cubs news: Lefty starter Shota Imanaga is a free agent, sources tell ESPN. The team rejected their option to extend his contract out to a fifth year. That triggered his ability to exercise a $15 million player option for 2026. He declined that as well.

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) November 4, 2025

EastCoastAgNc said:

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Breaking Cubs news: Lefty starter Shota Imanaga is a free agent, sources tell ESPN. The team rejected their option to extend his contract out to a fifth year. That triggered his ability to exercise a $15 million player option for 2026. He declined that as well.

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) November 4, 2025

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Stupid move by the Cubs, who are clearly going in cost cutting mode.

Gearing up to back up the brinks truck to Tuck?

Mathguy64 said:

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I'm not sure if I would laugh, cry or throw something, but imagine Chas going to the Rangers where Cintron "fixes" him. And then he beats us.

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If Cintron was capable of "fixing" Chas, why would he not have done so in 2024 or 2025? If Chas gets fixed anywhere else, including the Rangers, my assumption will be that it was somebody other than Cintron or Snitker that made it happen.

Mathguy64 said:

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I'm not sure if I would laugh, cry or throw something, but imagine Chas going to the Rangers where Cintron "fixes" him. And then he beats us.

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I missed cintron went to rangers. I could see chas being a future Astros killer a la Tony kemp.

Quote:

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2022-2023 Chas was damn good.

.260 BA
.343 OBP
.450 SLG
.793 OPS
5.6 WAR
124 WRC+

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Ironically enough, that was when Dusty was really riding him hard and there seems to be a lot of tension. It was prime "big puddin'" time.

MaxPower said:

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EastCoastAgNc said:

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Breaking Cubs news: Lefty starter Shota Imanaga is a free agent, sources tell ESPN. The team rejected their option to extend his contract out to a fifth year. That triggered his ability to exercise a $15 million player option for 2026. He declined that as well.

— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) November 4, 2025

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Stupid move by the Cubs, who are clearly going in cost cutting mode.

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Is that it or do they feel like they can spend 20M better on the SP FA market? Maybe both. Maybe they think he's a high risk for TJ.

Regardless, on the surface, it looks dumb.

Mathguy64 said:

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Quote:

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2022-2023 Chas was damn good.

.260 BA
.343 OBP
.450 SLG
.793 OPS
5.6 WAR
124 WRC+

---

Ironically enough, that was when Dusty was really riding him hard and there seems to be a lot of tension. It was prime "big puddin'" time.

---

Almost like he worked better when he felt he had to prove himself than he did when he was playing for a good friend?

'23 Chas + 23 Yanier

45 HR, 130 RBi, 110 runs scored, 210 hits, 39 doubles. Chas OPS .842 / Yainer .846

So the solution to Chas and Yainer is to bring back the Lizard?

#Brewers 1B Rhys Hoskins’ 2026 mutual option was declined and he will become a free-agent, per @francysromeroFR pic.twitter.com/P76OXeGInG

— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) November 4, 2025

Mathguy64 said:

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So the solution to Chas and Yainer is to bring back the Lizard?

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Nope, bring in Maldy and let him cook.

9 Astros minor leaguers on Scottsdale and not one is playing. Jeez.

Lots of guys seem to be taking options to be FA a year before the CBA ends. I wonder if they are trying to game the system look for a one year big payday knowing 27 may be a bust.

MosesHallRAB04 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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I'm not sure if I would laugh, cry or throw something, but imagine Chas going to the Rangers where Cintron "fixes" him. And then he beats us.

---

I missed cintron went to rangers. I could see chas being a future Astros killer a la Tony kemp.

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I don't see it... he's been terrible for an extended period of time.

97 days until spring training 2026

September 25, 1997
The Astros beat the Cubs 9-1 on Thursday, September 25th to set off a cascade of confetti and the strums of Tina Turner's "Simply The Best" as the team won the NL Central for the first time and made the playoffs for the first time in 11 years.

It was hard to envision the team as being "The Best" to be honest. The win improved them to 82-77 on the year. Just days ago they were 77-76 after losing 4 out of 6, but still had a 3-1/2 game lead in the NL Central. They would finish the year with an 84-78 record, Only the 2005 San Diego Padres (82-80) have won a division title with a worse record.

But it was the year that finally brought the playoffs to the land of Biggio and Bagwell and make no mistake they were just about the entire team. They tied for the lead league in games played with 162 each. They combined for 255 runs scored (146 by Biggio).

Bagwell destroyed the existing club records for HR and RBI with 44 and 135, they both had OBPs over .415, and Bagwell's OPS was 1.017.

Nobody else in in the lineup hit more than 15 HR or drove in more than 71 runs. Bill Spiers was the super-sub off the bench, hitting .320 with a .919 OPS in 355 plate appearances.

The pitching staff was led by a breakout performance from Darryl Kile at age 28. After going 52-58 in his first 6 seasons, he put it all together for a 19-7 record with a .257 ERA and 205 strikeouts, finishing 5th in the Cy Young race. Two months after the season was over, he left the team in free agency for the Colorado Rockies, which didn't go so great - he went 21-30 the next two years with a 5.84 ERA. Just 5 years later, he would suffer an untimely death at age 33 of a massive heart attack.

24-yearold Mike Hampton, a project in the deal that made Eric Anthony go away, went 15-10 to give the Astros a vicious 1-2 punch at the top of the lineup, and 25-year-old Billy Wagner went 7-8 with 23 saves, striking out 106 batters in 66.1 innings.

Kile went toe to toe with Greg Maddux in Game 1 of the NLDS, giving up 2 earned runs on 2 walks, but it was all Maddux needed. He pitched a complete game for a 2-1 win. The Braves trounced the Astros 13-3 in Game 2, blowing up Hampton for 8 walks and 6 earned runs, then getting 5 more after the dream team of Mike Magnatne and Ramon Garcia. Tom Glavine wasn't great - Brad Aumus went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI, which is like a normal hitter going 30-for-30 with 29 home runs in a game. Game 3 was the first home playoff game since Game 6 in 1986 vs the Mets.

Shane Reynolds pitched well - 2 earned runs in 6 innings, but John Smoltz was almost perfect - complete game 3 hitter with 11 strikeouts. Would have been a shutout except for the heroics of Chuckie Carr, who hit the most unlikely home run in post-season history.

txags92 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

---

Quote:

---

2022-2023 Chas was damn good.

.260 BA
.343 OBP
.450 SLG
.793 OPS
5.6 WAR
124 WRC+

---

Ironically enough, that was when Dusty was really riding him hard and there seems to be a lot of tension. It was prime "big puddin'" time.

---

Almost like he worked better when he felt he had to prove himself than he did when he was playing for a good friend?

---

That's great, but he only got 864 PA while playing at an All-Star level. I don't think Dusty gets credit here. Baseball is baseball.

Farmer1906 said:

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txags92 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

---

Quote:

---

2022-2023 Chas was damn good.

.260 BA
.343 OBP
.450 SLG
.793 OPS
5.6 WAR
124 WRC+

---

Ironically enough, that was when Dusty was really riding him hard and there seems to be a lot of tension. It was prime "big puddin'" time.

---

Almost like he worked better when he felt he had to prove himself than he did when he was playing for a good friend?

---

That's great, but he only got 864 PA while playing at an All-Star level. I don't think Dusty gets credit here. Baseball is baseball.

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I actually think it had more to do with Dusty platooning he and Yainer into situations better suited for their hitting, which we didn't have much opportunity to do this year since we faced so few lefties.

The Padres announce Yu Darvish underwent Ulnar Collateral Ligament repair surgery last Wednesday.

Darvish is expected to miss the entirety of the 2026 season. pic.twitter.com/RkLizq2Se3

— MLB (@MLB) November 4, 2025

texasaggie2015 said:

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Chas' worst enemy is himself. Just shows how tough this sport is... especially mentally. Hope a change of scenery is what he needs to find it again.

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I really wish we had been able to get something in return for him before he cratered

The Astros have placed outfielder Chas McCormick on outright waivers, source tells @TheAthletic, along with John Rooney, Kenedy Corona, Luis Garcia and Pedro León.

— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) November 4, 2025

Dusty ruined Chas. He earned the CF spot in '22, then Dusty doesn't start him until game three of the following season. I seem to recall that we wore the gold WS jerseys the first two games, neither of which Chas started in. That was pretty crappy if you ask me.