As the early part of MLB’s offseason continues, here are three things to keep an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today…
1. MVP awards to be announced:
MLB’s awards season will conclude today with the reveal of the AL and NL’s Most Valuable Player award winners at 5pm CT this evening on MLB Network. In the American League, voting is expected to be dominated by Shohei Ohtani, the two-way superstar who won the award in 2021 and fell just short of repeating in 2022 with a second-place finish. Now perhaps the greatest free agent in MLB history, Ohtani slashed .304/.412/.654 — good for an MLB-leading 180 wRC+ — while leading the AL with 44 homers at the plate. On the mound, Ohtani was limited to just 23 starts due to injury but posted a 3.14 ERA with a whopping 31.5% strikeout rate over 132 innings of work. Though Ohtani’s excellence takes nothing away from Rangers up-the-middle stars Corey Seager and Marcus Semien, the other two finalists for the award, it would be a shock if Ohtani didn’t take home the trophy in the AL.
The NL award is more competitive. The favorite is Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. who slashed an incredible .337/.416/.596 (170 wRC+) in 735 trips to the plate while crushing 41 home runs and swiping 73 bases. That performance gave him just the fifth 40-40 season in MLB history but also made him the inaugural member of the 40-50, 40-60, and 40-70 clubs. Still, Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts warrants plenty of consideration in his own right. Betts slashed .307/.408/.579 with a 167 wRC+, but perhaps the most interesting piece of his MVP case is his unusual versatility. Despite having just 228 innings of work in the infield at the big league level in his career entering the season (all at second base), Betts logged considerable time at both the keystone and shortstop this season, appearing in 86 games on the infield dirt while starting there in 74 of them. The third finalist, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, was incredible in his own right as he posted a 20/20 season while hitting a whopping 59 doubles, but appears destined for third place due to the excellence of both Betts and Acuna this season.
2. Owners vote on A’s relocation:
MLB’s offseason Owners Meetings are underway, and one major order of business is expected to be conducted today. Per The Athletic’s Evan Drellich, owners are expected to vote on the A’s plan to relocate from Oakland to Las Vegas today. That vote is expected to go smoothly, with the A’s proposal easily clearing the 75% threshold necessary for relocation to be approved. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has a news conference scheduled later today during which he’s likely to discuss the outcome of the vote and the A’s relocation plan. Importantly, one part of the A’s plan that is still unclear is where they will play following the expiration of their lease at the Coliseum after 2024, with their stadium in Las Vegas expected to be ready for the 2028 season. Some possibilities that have been floated include a short-term extension of the Coliseum lease, using their Triple-A affiliate’s stadium in Las Vegas, or perhaps even sharing Oracle Park with the Giants.
3. Will the trade market heat up prior to tomorrow’s deadline?
The early parts of the offseason have been fairly quiet this November, with the biggest trade of the offseason so far being an early November swap that sent outfielder Mark Canha from Milwaukee to Detroit. That being said, it’s possible that tomorrow’s non-tender deadline could spur some activity over the next day and a half. Last night saw the Brewers ship infielder Abraham Toro, who is projected by MLBTR’s Matt Swartz to make $1.3MM in arbitration this offseason, to Oakland. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco compiled a list of potential non-tender candidates late last month, any of whom could at least feasibly be shopped over the next day if their club is considering a non-tender.
Nick Senzel and Derek Law almost certain to be non-tendered by the cheap Reds.
Law may be back on a minor league deal after the Rule 5 draft.
Has nothing to do with being cheap. Those guys aren’t good enough to make the team.
Right now there is no one better because of the lack of pursuit of upgrades.
Lack of pursuit? How do you know what they’re doing? No one has signed anyone yet. I understand complaining in February, but everyone is just getting started.
It goes back almost two years. You seriously think that is changing now?
There’s a bridge between Cincinnati and Covington I’d love to sell you.
But he’s right the reds are cheap, cheap cheap
Derek Law yes. Nick Senzel could be traded, however.
I think they tried at the deadline and no one was interested. He’ll probably only bring back a 27 year old minor league reliever that’s not in a team’s top 30. That’s fine with me though. Better than nothing.
They both suck
They take way too long to announce the awards. Why is it so drawn out?
They do that traditionally to stay in the news longer.
SUSPENSE!
Why doesn’t the City of Oakland just decline to extend the lease for any length of time less than 30 years? If it’s a messy divorce, the City has no stake in where the A’s play in 2025-2027. Leave them out to dry like MLB did the City and its fans
With all the multitude of reported issues with the stadium, why would any team be willing to sign a long term lease? Just wouldn’t make good business sense.
Oakland(I got the right city today.) shoul get a MLS team to become a rival of the San Jose team.
What a stellar year by Mookie! Position versatility and great with bat. Just don’t think it will beat 30-point batting average deficit and Ronald’s record-setting performance. But if it does, way to go!
Him and seager ! Seager would have gave ohtani and run for his money if he played a full season
Ohtani didnt play a full season either, calm down
Nobody cares about batting average
Yes we do
Okay… nobody should care about batting average. Just because someone mistakenly gave it credence 150 years ago doesn’t mean it should be considered important now that we know it isn’t.
Wrong gbs, not important to u, but it is to the important people who build teams. It’s not the end all stat anymore, but it is important in team building.
Plugnplay, teams care very little about batting average. Kyle Schwarber and Max Muncy are Exhibits 1A and 1B to support this.
You still need skilled bat to ball guys, hints Batting ave..
If you have 9 Schwarbers and Muncy’s in your lineup. You will hit 3 solo HR’s a game, and have the worst offense in the game at 3 runs a game.
Bye Wisdom! Chicago will always remember that two week stretch where you were actually a good ball player.
Dras—you think Heuer gets tendered or not? 40 man currently at 40—Wisdom gets to 39. I don’t think the Cubs will be able to bury a guy on the 26 man with a pickup in Rule 5.
I don’t know enough about when Heuer can be placed back on the 60 day IL so not sure how much roster gymnastics will need to take place during the free agent season. I can’t imagine that there won’t be more than a single signing.
Rumor is Soto to cubs for wisdom and minor leaguers
Are you trying to start this rumor?
So we are supposed to pretend that Acuna is not gonna win??
A’s can play in the Sphere until their new home is built.
Looking forward to Ohtani accepting the MVP award tonight, and then announcing at end of his acceptance speech the team he’s signing with.
If I’m Oakland’s mayor, I’m telling Fisher to kiss off after their last 2024 home game.
Sell the coliseum to a developer who immediately turns it into a supercross arena.