As the opening act of MLB’s offseason continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. GM Meetings continue:
The GM Meetings in Arizona are now in full swing, with the Yankees, Mariners, and Giants among the teams to address their offseason needs and plans yesterday. The meetings are set to continue today as GMs and agents around the game continue laying groundwork for future trades and free agent deals. While the GM Meetings are usually not a time of year where teams are already looking to make moves, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi indicated yesterday that the trade market is more advanced than usual this time of year, particularly on the position player side of things. Morosi suggests that this could be due to the weaker positional free agent class this offseason.
2. How will the Twins balance their budget?
Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey discussed the club’s plans regarding payroll for 2024 yesterday, and the update was a disappointing one for fans in Minnesota. Falvey suggested that the club’s payroll next season will likely be lower than their 2023 mark, with current indications that the club hopes to pare down payroll to a figure in the $125MM-$140MM range. The payroll in Minnesota already projects to be in that range, with RosterResource estimating a $125MM payroll for 2024 as things stand.
With that being said, the payroll constraints could make replacing or retaining the club’s outgoing free agents difficult as right-handers Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda as well as center fielder Michael A. Taylor are depart for free agency, among others. One way the club could free up payroll space is by dealing infielder Jorge Polanco, as MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald explored last month, or outfielder Max Kepler. Both players had their options picked up by the Twins for $10.5MM and $10MM, respectively, and come from areas of significant depth for the Twins, who feature a glut of young position players all around the diamond.
3. Could the Angels be nearing a managerial decision?
The Angels are reportedly making progress in their efforts to replace Phil Nevin as manager, with recent indications suggesting the club could finalize their decision by the end of the week. Recently-dismissed Mets manager Buck Showalter is known to be among the finalists for the position, which is hardly a surprise given the club has seemed to prefer an experienced manager for the role throughout their search. That trend continued yesterday as reports indicated Braves third base coach Ron Washington, who led the Rangers to back-to-back World Series appearances in 2010 and 2011, has interviewed for the position. The club has also looked into less experienced options, including Benji Gil and Gary DiSarcina.
Makes sense that the trade market will be hot this offseason. There is a real lack of good position players in free agency this year.
Really looking at Ohtani (dh only this year), Martinez (dh only), Turner (pretty much a dh only), then you have Hernandez and Bellinger.
I’m sure I’m missing some but from a bigger bat prospective that’s about it.
Kenny Pickett.
Will KP sign with Toronto because they are in, wait for it, CANADA!?
has Gallo really re-established his career in MN? I haven’t looked at his stats but it seemed last off-season that he was lucky to get another chance as a strikeout machine with a poor OBP.
Gallo got worse.
Gallo was left off the Twinkies ’23 playoff roster, I believe. That tells you everything you need to know about Joey Gallo.
He had a great April and then was bad after that.
I predict a lot of payroll shedding due to the Bally’s uncertainty. The large markets will probably clean up because of that.
Of course Robby the robot can just work to end the RSNs, take it all to mlb.tv and end the blackout nonsense. Then all 30 teams share equally in the proceeds. The free agent competition would be much greater then.
But of course his masters don’t want that local TV advantage they have to end.
Actually, Manfred can’t do that.
The free agent market this year is underwhelming, or at least thin.
I think the most intriguing options are the NPB guys.
Hopefully that means more trades. Trades are more fun to discuss.
I hope the Angels do not hire DiSarcina or Washington. Benji Gil or Showalter. would work out.
I am hoping for Gill. I am thinking who they pick will be an indication of how the off-season might go. If they go with Showalter they will try and re-sign Ohtani. If they go with Gill they are going to do a total rebuild, no Ohtani and possibly trade Trout. Of course either of those scenarios makes sense so it will probably be, sign Gill, not trade Trout, not re-sign Ohtani, get some mediocre pitching, some amateur hitters around Trout, Overpay on some big name free Agent and limp their way to a .500 season then blame it all on the GM next season.
That’s the Arte way.
I’m holding out hope for Gandalf. Conjuring spells is the best course of action.
The Twins having the 4th richest owner in baseball but only winning one playoff series in the last 20 years and flat-out stating “We’re going to cut payroll” and their hesitation to spend because their loyal-to-a-fault-to-their-own-guys attitude resulted in one (1) bad contract to Byron Buxton is everything that is wrong with the Midwest rolled into one team
The link for Ron is incorrect. Unless a 24yr old independent league outfielder is in the running for the Angels managerial job.
That would be unique though!
Stranger things have happened.. maybe.
Ron Washington is 71 years old. Does he really want this? Is he growing tired from all of that wind milling as the Braves 3rd base coach?
I highly doubt that Washington will be the guy. His age, drug use and personal issues are likely behind him, but Josh Hamilton’s issues were suppose to be behind him.
I don’t think Arte will tread there again.
That includes the signing of Chapman and Clevinger. I highly doubt Arte will go there.
Halo11Fan, unfortunately, I don’t think Wash’s old age is behind him.
He’s not getting any younger? Damn!!!! Now I’m really depressed.
Angles job is a death wish.
I wouldn’t call the Angels manager job a “death wish,” but dead end fits.
It’s pretty funny reading the knocks against Ron Washington. He’s too old. Meanwhile Buck Showalter is just 4 yrs younger but looks older. I don’t read anyone knocking his age. Or his “past drug use” and somehow “Artie doesn’t want to go there”. That was 15 years ago! It’s in the past. I think if it were a problem again it would have sprung up by now
and maybe that’s what the organization needs, someone who has dealt with their problems and can openly talk about it. He’s experienced it all. What does Showalter bring to the table exactly? I don’t know why so many Angel fans are jockeying for him.
I do agree with you. I did some stuffs myself in college. But that was it. Drinking and smoking are more harmful in the long run.
I think Washington will bring better order to the team and will not just be another puppet of Minasian.
With the exception of Hamilton, which was a disaster, Arte doesn’t bring in cheats, drug users, or people with domestic issues.
Until he does, you have to believe in the inertia to continue.
I guess MLB’s cheating druggies who beat their wives will have to find baseball work elsewhere. 😉
Arte doesn’t bring them in. There are plenty of teams that couldn’t care less.
Maybe Ron Washington still thinks the Angels can get him in touch with Tyler Skaggs connection.
How many people have died of spiked Fentanyl the last five years?
Why people make stupid jokes about this is beyond me…..thank God.
How many of those were MLB baseball players? One.
And how many would have been big league players? Are you going to joke about cancer next?
You’re an idiot.
Not even I would say something so stupid. China supplies the chems to Mexico. It’s a deliberate attack on our country.
My condolences to Mr. Skaggs family.
His death was preventable. So are many forms of cancer.
Actually it’s a washout of the weak.
So joke about cancer. Joking about something that’s kills more Americans in one year than the number of American killed during the entire Vietnam or Korean War makes you an idiot.