BWDIK: Berrios, Clarke, Hicks, Smith, Soroka, Thomson

Chilliwack Cougars and Junior National Team grad Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.) led all major league relievers with a 2.7 fWAR in 2025.

November 16, 2025

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes from the past week:

Smith deserves more recognition

Set-up men don’t get nearly enough respect.

If you want evidence of this, take a close look at the numbers put up by Cleveland Guardians reliever Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.) over the past two seasons.

As Guardians Prospective pointed out on Friday, Smith has topped all major league relievers in fWAR (FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement) in each of the last two seasons (2.7 in each campaign), but he has failed to garner much support for the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year award. Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman took home the honour on Thursday.

Here are Smith’s combined numbers over the last two seasons (his first two in the big leagues):

Smith did move into the Guardians’ closer’s role in late July when Emmanuel Clase was placed on leave while MLB investigated allegations of his involvement in sports betting.

Next year, Smith will likely be the Guardians’ closer, so maybe then he’ll finally get the recognition he deserves.

Thomson finishes third in National League Manager of the Year voting

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) finished third in the National League Manager of the Year voting that was revealed on Tuesday.

Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy captured the honour for a second consecutive year while veteran Cincinnati Reds dugout boss Terry Francona placed second.

Thomson received one first-place vote (from Dan Gelstonn, of the Associated Press), seven second-place votes and six-third place votes.

His third-place finish is the highest a Canadian manager has ever placed in MLB Manager of the Year voting. Thomson finished fifth in 2022 and 2024.

In 2025, in his fourth season as Phillies manager, the 62-year-old Canadian guided the Phillies to a 96-66 record and a National League East division title before they were ousted in four games by the eventual World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

Clarke, Hicks get official Topps rookie cards

Released on Wednesday, the 2025 Topps Update set includes rookie cards (pictured below) of A’s outfielder Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) and Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.), both are Toronto Mets graduates.

After his promotion to the A’s in May, Clarke made several highlight reel catches in centre field for the A’s, which made him the first player to win the MLB Electric Play of the Week award in three consecutive weeks and earned him the Capital One Premier Play of the year at the MLB Awards. In total in 47 major league contests, he batted .230 with three home runs, eight doubles and two triples.

In his rookie season with the Marlins, Hicks batted .247 with a .346 on-base percentage with six home runs and 45 RBIs in 119 games. The 26-year-old catcher’s 43 walks were the fourth-most by a rookie and his on-base percentage ranked eighth among first-year players. His 45 RBIs were the fourth-most by a Canadian in the majors in 2025.

Pivetta 10th Canadian to receive Cy Young Award votes

After Victoria Eagles alum and San Diego Padres pitcher Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) finished sixth in the National League Cy Young Award voting on Wednesday (which I wrote about here), I wondered how many other Canadians have received Cy Young Award votes over the years?

Well, Scott Crawford at the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, to the rescue. He shared this post on Thursday:

Two years ago, Braves traded Soroka to White Sox

It was two years ago today that the Atlanta Braves traded right-hander Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) to the Chicago White Sox as part of a package for left-handed reliever Aaron Bummer.

Soroka had a rough start to his sole season with the Sox as a starter. But after he was moved to the bullpen in mid-May, he posted a 2.75 ERA and struck out 60 batters in 36 innings in 16 appearances.

Following the 2024 campaign, he signed a one-year, $9-million with the Washington Nationals.

Cobb stayed in touch with Saskatchewan native

Ty Cobb is one of the greatest players in major league history. But despite his legendary talent and long list of accomplishments, he’s generally remembered as an angry, spike-sharpening villain. Well, this wonderful article by Saskatchewan baseball researcher Robyn Jensen shows Cobb’s softer side.

Jensen uncovered that Cobb corresponded and generously shared tips with a teenage boy from Saskatoon, Sask. named Koozma Tarasoff after Tarasoff attended a baseball camp that Cobb had taught at in Missouri in the summer of 1952.

“It’s a story about mentorship and mystery—how baseball’s fiercest competitor may have found something familiar in a young player from the prairies,” writes Jensen.

You can read the full story here. You can also check out Jensen’s blog, Home Runs and Dirt Roads: Stories of Baseball in Saskatchewan, here.

Fourth anniversary of Blue Jays’ long-term deal with Berrios

It was four years ago today that the Toronto Blue Jays signed right-hander Jose Berrios to a seven-year, $131-million contract. Until late this past season, when he was sidelined with an elbow injury, Berrios had been one of the Blue Jays’ most durable starters.

In parts of five seasons with the Blue Jays, he is 53-39 with a 4.09 ERA in 139 appearances (138 starts). He has 702 strikeouts in 790 1/3 innings and has not made less than 30 starts in any of the past four seasons.

His contract works out to an average of $18.7 million a season, which makes him a good value in today’s market.

Berrios was conspicuously absent from the Blue Jays’ dugout during the World Series, which had some speculating that there may be a rift between him and the Blue Jays. But Jays GM Ross Atkins insisted at his year-end press conference that everything is OK between the two sides and that Berrios should have a normal off-season and be ready for spring training.

Blue Jays’ 50th anniversary promo idea

Next season will represent the Blue Jays’ 50th major league campaign, so I asked my Cooperstowners in Canada Facebook followers what types of promotions or giveaways they would like to see at Rogers Centre to celebrate the anniversary in 2026.

Blue Jays super collector Paul Bychko had the most original idea. He suggested a Bill Singer/Doug Ault snow globe to reflect the snow on the field on Opening Day at Exhibition Stadium on April 7, 1977. That’s a great and original idea.

Support the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Holiday Silent Auction

The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s annual Holday Silent Auction begins tomorrow.

You can bid on items ranging from signed balls to bobbleheads to a Toronto Maple Leafs ticket package.

You can view the auction items here.