Gus Varland back up with the Nationals

Banner was most recently the assistant general manager for the Cubs, but the 41-year-old worked in the Red Sox front office for 11 years before becoming the farm director for the Mets, and then holding the same position with the Cubs. The Athletic reports that Banner’s experience with the Mets led the Cubs to push for Pete Crow-Armstrong in the 2021 trade for Javier Baez, which wound up being a massive win for the Cubs. Banner will now work under Mike Elias in Baltimore in a front office that has undergone major reconstruction this offseason, with assistant GM Sig Mejdal no longer overseeing analytics and former vice president of player development Matt Blood being let go.

Sato reportedly asked to be posted sooner rather than later because he would like to sign with a team before any potential lockout occurs. The 27-year-old just won the Nippon Professional Baseball triple crown after hitting .308/.385/.613 in 142 games with 39 home runs, 106 RBI, and eight steals. Sato was the first Japanese player to win the triple crown since Munetaka Murakami did. Creating a comparison based on their NPB success, Sato has slightly less power than Murakami but makes more contact in the zone. However, Sato chases outside of the zone far more than Murakami, which could be an issue when he transitions stateside because his power is good but is not on the same level as Murakami and may not carry over at the same level that it did in Japan.

Peralta will start two days after getting two outs in relief in Game 4. He previously started Game 2 of the season, shutting out the Guardians for six innings in the Rays’ 3-1 victory.

Manager Stephen Vogt wasn’t ready to name a starter, but the plan doesn’t include Williams, who saw his velocity dip in his fifth and final inning Wednesday. Tanner Bibee and Joey Cantillo will both be available to go long in Game 6.

DeLauter drove in a run in the sixth on a fielder’s choice, and unfortunately for him and the Guardians it came with Cleveland trailing by three. He also drew a walk and now has a .297/.395/.432 slash in his 10 postseason games in 2026.

Díaz doubled and singled twice, and he came around to score in the second on a Jonathan Aranda knock. He now has five hits in his last two games, and more importantly, he’s a big reason the Rays are just one win away from a trip to the World Series against the Brewers.

Baker issued a walk to open the ninth, but was able to get the next three outs to procure his fifth save of the postseason; an impressive total even before you remember the Rays have only played eight games in the playoffs. Assuming he’s needed, it’s hard to imagine he won’t be called upon again in Game 6 against the Guardians on Monday.

Messick was going to need to be at his best to match Drew Rasmussen, and he wasn’t close. The left-hander allows runs in the first and second inning before exiting, and he needed a whopping 57 pitches to get his six outs. Messick won’t be available in Game 6 — one would think, anyway — but if they can force a Game 7 with a win Monday, it’s feasible that he could be an option for that contest come Tuesday. There’s a very good chance that this is the last time we’ve seen Messick pitch in 2026, and he was one of the best rookie starters in baseball and appears to have a bright future in the coming campaigns.

A brilliant outing from Rasmussen, who has had an exceptional postseason that has seen him forge a 1.29 ERA in his three October starts. He scattered four hits, and outside of a fielder’s choice that scored a run in the sixth, there was very little trouble for the 31-year-old. Rasmussen threw 95 pitches, but could be available for Game 7, if necessary. The right-hander has Tampa Bay just one win away from their second World Series for now, with a chance to clinch that trip Monday at home.

With left-hander Parker Messick on the mound for the Guardians in Game 5, the Rays will change things up with Vilade starting in right field and batting third while Williamson takes over at second base and will bat eighth. Here’s the full lineup that Rays’ skipper Kevin Cash will deploy as the Rays look to take control of the ALCS on Sunday: Yandy Díaz (DH), Jonathan Aranda (1B), Ryan Vilade (RF), Junior Caminero (3B), Chandler Simpson (LF), Jonny DeLuca (CF), Liam Hicks (C), Ben Williamson (2B) and Taylor Walls (SS).