MLB in brief: Aroldis Champan is not British

Aroldis Chapman is not British

He won't be able to pitch for Great Britain (as he wanted) in the World Baseball Classic. He was told no.

Aroldis Chapman was not approved to pitch for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic because his lineage-based documentation did not prove eligibility, per @ChrisCotillo

Chapman received an offer from the team in June and planned to accept it pic.twitter.com/tOEQIOA4oC

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 3, 2026

The importance of the Tarik Skubal case

If the Tigers were to lose in arbitration, adding another pitcher would be more difficult.

The outcome of Tarik Skubal's arbitration case will likely influence the Tigers' next move, says @Ken_Rosenthal.

“If they lose, I don't expect the Tigers to play for a starting pitcher.” pic.twitter.com/2sT7pWNXuA

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) February 3, 2026

The Reds stretched their budget to sign Eugenio Suarez

Not all clubs want to do that.

Reds say ownership signed off on extending payroll to land Suarez.

— Gordon Wittenmyer (@GDubMLB) February 3, 2026

The Hall of Fame caps

Carlos Beltran will represent the Mets, Jeff Kent will represent the Giants, and Andruw Jones will represent the Braves.

The Hall of Fame has announced the cap selections for the plaques of the Class of 2026:

Carlos Beltran: Mets
Jeff Kent: Giants
Andruw Jones: Braves

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 3, 2026

The Red Sox wanted Brendan Donovan

But it didn't work out.

The Red Sox, among other teams, were involved in Brendan Donovan trade talks, says @Ken_Rosenthal. pic.twitter.com/aq2FmcraGC

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) February 3, 2026

Bruce Bochy likes the Giants' manager

We'll see how things turn out for Tony Vitello.

“I wanna see the Giants win another championship.”

Bruce Bochy LOVES the Tony Vitello hire and is going to be there any way he can to help him succeed. pic.twitter.com/jnM48Hxmsp

— Splash Hit Territory (@SplashHitPod) January 30, 2026

Carlos Santana in Arizona

That closes the door on Paul Goldschmidt.

Free-agent first baseman Carlos Santana in agreement with Diamondbacks, pending physical, sources tell me and @WillSammon

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 3, 2026

This content was created with the help of AI.