Morning Baseball Briefing – February 18
By Morgan Davis · Wed Feb 18 2026
Tony Clark exits the MLBPA : The union accepted Tony Clark's resignation less than a year before CBA talks, citing ongoing investigations while the player board meets this week on succession and bargaining strategy. (Source) Twins lose Pablo López to likely Tommy John : GM Jeremy Zoll said López has a significant UCL tear and is seeking a second opinion, but Minnesota is preparing for him to miss 2026 and skip Venezuela's WBC rotation. (Source) Padres scoop up Walker Buehler : San Diego signed the former Dodger to a minor league deal with a big-league camp invite, betting he can win a rotation spot after bouncing between Boston and Philadelphia last year. (Source) Mets slow-play several core bats : Manager Carlos Mendoza said Francisco Álvarez, Luis Robert Jr., Jorge Polanco, and Brett Baty will skip early Grapefruit League games to manage prior injuries and conditioning, leaving more reps for depth players. (Source) Stanton calls Yankees tenure "incomplete" : Giancarlo Stanton said a title is the only acceptable finish to his $325M deal as he monitors chronic elbow issues that limited him to 77 games last year. (Source) Prospect invitations worth tracking : Baseball America's roundup spotlights contenders like Ryan Waldschmidt (D-backs) and Jamie Arnold (A's) among notable non-roster invites who could steal Opening Day jobs. (Source)