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There are too many MLB teams not even trying to compete
There is a harsh reality in Major League Baseball that is difficult to overlook, and Thursday's news offered a reminder of it — there are too many teams in the league that are not only bad, they are embarrassing themselves and their organizations.
They are teams that are not even pretending to make a meaningful attempt at competing.
A quick rundown of some of the news that highlights the incompetence.
- The Pittsburgh Pirates fired manager Derek Shelton on Thursday after a 12-26 start that has them with the third-worst record in the league. Shelton is the first scapegoat to fall in Pittsburgh, and he will almost certainly not be the last. Whatever you think of his managing abilities, the reality in Pittsburgh is the roster is just lacking in Major League talent after a few players (Oneil Cruz, Paul Skenes, Bryan Reynolds) at the top. The offseason was an embarrassment, and they remain one of the cheapest teams in baseball from an ownership standpoint.
Over the last seven seasons, the Pirates have spent about $200 million less in payroll than the Milwaukee Brewers.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) May 8, 2025
They are on a 111-loss pace as of Thursday. That would be the fourth time in six years they have played at a 100-loss pace under general manager Ben Cherington (that includes the shortened 2020 season where they were on a 100-loss pace).
- The Chicago White Sox, fresh off a season where they set a new record for futility by losing 121 regular season games, were blown out by the Kansas City Royals, 10-0, to fall to 10-28. They are not only on pace to lose 100 games for the third consecutive season, they are on pace to lose 120 games for the second year in a row and could challenge their own single season loss record just one year later.
- Then there are the Colorado Rockies who were swept in a doubleheader by the Detroit Tigers by a combined score of 21-3 (11-1 in Game 1; 10-2 in Game 2) to drop to a staggering 6-31 on the season. That is a 136-loss pace over 162 games, which is almost impossible to believe. Even if they do not maintain that pace, they still seem on track to lose 100 games for a third consecutive season.
There is only one reason for so many teams to be this bad, for this long. It's a lack of effort. It's a lack of seriously trying to be a competitive Major League Baseball team.
That is not a slight on the players on these rosters and is not a way of saying the players are not trying, because they are. It's just that they are not good enough to compete and are outmanned on a nightly basis against better, superior teams.
The lack of effort is coming from ownership in the form of money spent and resources, and the management teams for not putting better products on the field.
It's difficult to lose 100 games in a season. It takes a lot of things going wrong at the same time to produce that sort of failure. To have this many teams losing 100 games this often is a black eye on baseball, and these owners should be facing more heat for being bad for baseball than the owners that spend every dollar possible to try and win.
With the expanded playoff field it is easier to make the playoffs now than ever before. You can compete for a playoff spot and get in with 84-86 wins. It doesn't take that much spending and creativity to build a team capable of that. But every year there are at least three or four teams that are not even attempting to make a meaningful effort to get there.
These teams are the worst and most consistent offenders.
More must-reads:
- Derek Shelton becomes fall guy for Pirates' offseason failures
- Pirates make long overdue change in leadership
- The 'Most multi-HR games by MLB team' quiz
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Milwaukee Brewers: Craig Counsell Blasts Former Team’s 14-Game Winning Streak, Gets Caught Lying
Brewers achieve new franchise record after improbable win
The 2025 Milwaukee Brewers can now claim to own an impressive franchise record that's indicative of the success of the season so far. Now a new franchise record, the Brewers' 6-5 extra-inning win over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday marked the team's 14th consecutive victory. Just when it looked like Milwaukee was about to fall for the first time in the month, the Brewers scored one in the ninth to tie the game and then had to wait until the 11th inning to hold on for the win. And the way the Brewers avoided defeat required plenty of luck as well. With one out and two runners on base, the Reds were in the process of turning a double play that would've won the game. However, the throw to first for the third and final out had too much on it and got by Cincinnati first baseman Spencer Steer. This allowed a run to cross home plate, tying the game 2-2. Then, in the 10th, Milwaukee took the lead thanks to the ball getting away from Jake Fraley in left field. While Fraley's error wasn't enough to secure the record-setting win, the game would end soon enough when the Brewers sent Andruw Monasterio to the plate at the top of the 11th. Entering the game with only one home run all season and just four in his career, Monasterio crushed a pitch to the fair side of the foul pole in left field. Monasterio's three-run shot became the game-winning blast despite Cincinnati almost mounting a comeback of their own by scoring a pair of runs themselves in the bottom of the inning. Milwaukee, still amid its amazing streak, is now 78-44 as the best team in baseball and holds a nine-game lead in front of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central. Next up is one more at the Great American Ballpark on Sunday afternoon. And if the Brewers achieve another series sweep, they will look to increase their advantage in the division at Wrigley Field. But no matter when the streak comes to an end, this Brewers team is shooting for the most wins in a season. Ninety-seven wins is the goal to become the winningest regular-season Brewers team ever, surpassing the 2018 club. Just seven years ago, that 2018 Brewers team set a new standard for the franchise in terms of a top single-season win total, going 96-67 in the regular season before falling in the National League Championship Series. Before that, the only Brewers team to ever win a league championship was the 1982 squad, which won 95 games and the AL pennant before losing the World Series in seven games.
TSN Analyst Shoots Down Bold Canadiens-Ducks Trade Idea
Speculation swirled this week about a possible blockbuster trade between the Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks, but TSN/Forbes legal analyst Eric Macramalla was quick to pour cold water on the idea. The proposed deal centered around swapping top prospects: Montreal defenseman David Reinbacher and Anaheim forward Mason McTavish. On the surface, the trade has appeal. Reinbacher, a right-shot blueliner with legitimate top-pairing potential, would give the Ducks the kind of defensive cornerstone they’ve been searching for. Meanwhile, McTavish could provide the Canadiens with a much-needed second-line center behind Nick Suzuki, filling a hole that’s lingered for several seasons. But as Macramalla pointed out, the trade simply doesn’t add up for Montreal. Moving Reinbacher would leave the Canadiens dangerously thin on the right side of their defense, an area that already lacks long-term depth. While McTavish would be a strong addition, sacrificing a potential top-pairing defenseman is a price too steep for GM Kent Hughes to consider at this stage of the rebuild. Ultimately, while the concept may generate fan debate, Macramalla stressed that the Canadiens aren’t in a position to weaken their blue line just to address their center depth. For now, the deal “won’t work.” Fan Feedback: A Split Reaction Canadiens fans were quick to weigh in on the trade chatter, with opinions ranging from firm rejection to cautious interest. Some backed Macramalla’s stance, with one fan suggesting Montreal could use “other assets the Ducks would like” and another noting the Habs’ young defense core “will be a strength of the team for the next decade.” The Curfew Boys Podcast called it “1 step forward, 2 steps back.” Others saw more merit. One account argued he’d, “Do it one for one,” calling McTavish “more established at this point.” Another echoed that sentiment: “McT is a proven player, make the trade!!” Skeptics highlighted Reinbacher’s lack of NHL experience, and others questioned his durability. Meanwhile, Gord of Thunder took a playful shot at the concept, invoking The Princess Bride: “You never trade a defenseman with top pairing ability for a second line player — it’s inconceivable.” Even creative alternatives emerged, with one fan proposing a three-way deal involving Calgary. The verdict? While many fans respect McTavish’s value, most agree that giving up Reinbacher would leave the Canadiens with a hole too big to fill.
Jets QB Justin Fields under fire for limited 'processing' in preseason
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Vikings found another UDFA hidden gem who is exceeding every expectation put in front of him and everyone is taking notice
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has done a fantastic job in his tenure at finding undrafted free agents. After signing a class of just seven in 2022, where he did find one that made the 53-man roster in edge rusher Luiji Villain, the last two classes have been expansive and have netted a whopping seven have landed on the 53-man roster. Where things get interesting when you look at the entirety of the UDFAs who have made the roster. Of all eight UDFAs, they all have been on the defensive side of the football. This year, the first offensive UDFA is likely to make the roster in quarterback Max Brosmer. Max Brosmer shines in second preseason game The Vikings preseason game against the New England Patriots ended in a 20-12 tie, and it gave Brosmer an entire half to play. We got to hear from head coach Kevin O'Connell during the third quarter when Brosmer was in and he had a lot of good things to say. Those positive comments continued after the game. "What I love about Max is there were some breakdowns up front, and maybe he couldn't progress and read through concepts, but he plays with very fast eyes, and very rarely puts the ball at harm's way when he's doing it, which is a, which is a unique trait." That isn't the only positive trait that Brosmer has. Just like his time at the University of Minnesota, he's been a tremendous anticipatory thrower. O'Connell mentioned that on the broadcast. “Max Brosmer is not waiting to see if the WR is open. He is throwing some of these balls before the WR breaks. He has command of the offense.” It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Brosmer is thriving in O'Connell's offense. Not only is it difficult to find a quarterback, but there are so many elements to it other than just talent. Fit matters so much, and Brosmer's ability to anticipate throws over the middle matters a ton. Think about Brock Purdy. He's obviously a good quarterback, but does he have the kind of success he's having if he plays for someone other than Kyle Shanahan? Fit matters more than most would think. If you have a good fit, it amplifies everything. Look at this thrown on fourth down and 17 to extend the drive inside of two minutes to go. At this point, Brosmer is making a major push to not just be on the roster, but potentially be the backup quarterback. Sounds insane right? Even though it's somewhat absurd for a rookie UDFA to be the backup quarterback, there is some precedent for it. Tyson Bagent went undrafted out of Shepherd, a D-II school. He started four games when Justin Fields got hurt, including extensive playing time against the Vikings at Soldier Field. "I just view it right now as we've got to learn about these guys. We've got to try to see who's able to go in there and function and execute the offense when the circumstances aren't perfect. You know, they're not throwing the ball to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and T.J. (Hockenson) or playing behind our first offensive line. So you take that into account, but you're looking for just the traits out of those three guys. And I think Sam (Howell) had a really good week of practice, and I think Brett Rypien had a good week stepping in there. "Max (Brosmer) made some throws that were really impressive as well. So there's a reason why we're playing all three of them, as far as what that means, and the overall competition, I think I would just say it's still open, and we're trying to figure out what that room is going to look like for the season. But I do like all the players." Brosmer's impressive training camp is getting him in position to make major waves, and everyone is taking notice.
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