Pittsburgh Pirates news Friday, November 6, 2026

Akil Baddoo says he is pumped to join the Pirates, calling it 'where I'm supposed to be'.

Source: MLB.com

No. 2 in the 30-second version

Pirates prospect Wyatt Sanford selected to the Arizona Fall League All-Star team.

According to Bucs Dugout, the 20-year-old shortstop is hitting .283/.386/.417 through 15 AFL games. The site says Sanford hit 19 home runs in 2026, up from five the year before.

Source: Bucs Dugout

Pirates are predicted to pursue former All-Star first baseman Ty France in free agency.

According to SB Nation, Pittsburgh went 82-80 last season and could free up more than $20 million from 2026 contracts, including Brandon Lowe and Marcell Ozuna. France, 32, hit .295 with 21 home runs and 72 RBIs for San Diego in 2026. The article says France would be a strong upgrade over Spencer Horowitz, who played 114 games at first base for Pittsburgh.

Source: Bucs Dugout

No. 3 in the 30-second version

Mets hiring Johnny Washington as co-hitting coach.

Joel Sherman reported this afternoon that, according to sources, the Mets are hiring Johnny Washington to be a co-hitting coach. Presumably, by hiring Washington, the Mets are replacing Jeff Albert’s previous role as director of hitting. Washington played minor-league and independent-league ball for several years before moving into coaching.

Sources: SNY · MLB.com · NY Post Sports · Amazin' Avenue

Mariners introduce Jason Kanzler, a 36-year-old first-time manager, after firing Dan Wilson.

According to SB Nation's fan blog, Kanzler previously coached with the Astros and most recently served as the Cubs' farm director. Per Lookout Landing, a fan blog, Jerry Dipoto called Kanzler far and away the most impressive candidate the team interviewed. ESPN describes Kanzler as coming from an analytics and data-friendly background.

Sources: ESPN · CBS Sports · Lookout Landing

Yankees' Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger are named American League Silver Slugger finalists; winners announced November 17.

Rice is a finalist at DH after hitting 41 homers with a .534 slugging percentage, and SNY reports Yordan Alvarez is the other AL DH finalist. Bellinger, a finalist in the outfield, already has a Gold Glove this offseason, and a Silver Slugger would be his third. Per SB Nation, the awards are voted on by coaches and managers, not the BBWAA.

Sources: SNY · Pinstripe Alley

Blue Jays distance themselves from Anthony Santander's anti-Islam Instagram story posts.

USA Today reports Santander reportedly shared two videos to his Instagram story on Wednesday, Nov. 4, one captioned 'America voted for Sharia (law) last night!' and another reading 'Islam is not peaceful,' both after the midterm elections. The posts followed Abdul El-Sayed's Michigan Senate win, which NY Post reports will make him the first Muslim U.S. senator once he takes office in January. Santander, 32, was limited to 54 games in 2025 by shoulder injuries and is on a five-year, $92.5 million contract. Toronto's statement said 'Individual comments do not represent our organization's values and beliefs.'

Sources: USA TODAY Sports · Yahoo Sports · NY Post Sports

Athletics hire Brewers executive Cam Castro as general manager under new president Taylor Smith.

Castro spent seven years in Milwaukee's organization and was most recently the Brewers' senior vice president of player development and performance, according to ESPN. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported the hire, which Castro would be taking from the World Series champion Brewers. Castro will be Smith's second-in-command in the front office.

Sources: ESPN · Athletics Nation