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Erasmo Ramirez Clears Waivers

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TODAY: Erasmo Ramirez has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment, the Rays announced. He will report to the team’s alternate training site in Sarasota, where he will be available in case he’s needed as an injury replacement for the postseason.

SATURDAY: The Rays announced that right-hander Erasmo Ramirez has been designated for assignment.  Right-hander Cooper Criswell was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding transaction.

After first pitching for the Rays during the 2015-17 seasons, Ramirez made his return to Tampa when he signed a minor league deal with the club back in June.  He has been on the MLB roster since the end of July, and has a 6.48 ERA over 33 1/3 innings and 15 appearances in a Rays uniform this season.  This includes a tough outing yesterday, when Ramirez allowed six runs (four earned) over three innings in a long relief effort in the Rays’ 11-4 loss to the Blue Jays.

Ramirez’s numbers with the Rays aren’t much different than the 6.33 ERA he posted in 27 innings with the Nationals to begin the season, before Washington DFA’ed and then released the 33-year-old in June.  It was just last year that Ramirez seemingly resurrected his career with a 2.92 ERA over 86 1/3 innings for the Nats, but the veteran now finds himself once more looking to turn a new page.

Ramirez will surely clear waivers and might end up being released again, since it didn’t seem like he was going to be part of Tampa Bay’s postseason roster plans.  In the event that Ramirez clears waivers and is then outrighted off the 40-man roster, he has more than enough service time to reject a Triple-A assignment and choose free agency anyway, so it could be that he’ll be getting a jump on the rest of the free agent market.

Now in his 12th MLB season, Ramirez has mostly worked in a swingman capacity, able to both step into a rotation on occasion or just soak up innings as a long reliever.  Ramirez has pitched with six different teams at the Major League level, mostly with the Rays (356 2/3 innings) and the Mariners (314 1/3).

Brandon Woodruff Out For Wild Card Series With Shoulder Injury

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Brewers starting pitcher Brandon Woodruff has a right shoulder injury, which will keep him from playing in the upcoming NL Wild Card Series, manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel). Whether or not he can pitch later in the postseason, should the Brewers advance, remains to be seen.

The All-Star right-hander spent four months of the 2023 campaign on the injured list with a subscapular strain in his right shoulder. However, he returned in early August and looked healthy down the stretch, pitching to a 2.59 ERA in nine starts while averaging more than six innings per game. His shoulder bothered him during his final outing of the regular season, but initially, he responded well to treatment. Thus, the severity of his injury came as a surprise for the Brewers; the team was counting on him to start game two of the Wild Card series against the Diamondbacks.

Woodruff plans to get a second opinion on his shoulder, but the team isn’t expecting an update until the end of the week. While they will hope for the best, Counsell and his staff will have to prepare for the worst-case scenario, in which their number two starter is out for the rest of the playoffs.

The Brewers have not yet announced who will start on Wednesday in Woodruff’s place, although Freddy Peralta seems to be the most likely candidate. The 27-year-old pitched his first qualifying season this year, making 30 starts with a 3.86 ERA. It’s harder to guess who will start for Milwaukee in a potential game three. Wade Miley and Adrian Houser are presumably the leading candidates; each had a solid year in 2023, and each is coming off a strong September. Miley pitched to a 3.04 ERA in his final five games, while Houser put up a 2.14 ERA in four September starts. The elder Miley probably has the edge, thanks to his veteran experience and his lefty arm, but Counsell will surely take his time thinking about individual matchups before he makes a decision.

While the Brewers have rotation depth to call upon, this still comes as a huge blow to their postseason hopes. At full strength, Woodruff is one of the better starting pitchers in the National League, and this team was counting on a powerful one-two punch of Corbin Burnes and Woodruff to lead them over the Diamondbacks. No one was more upset about the news than Woodruff himself, who choked up as he told reporters, “We’ve got a good clubhouse. And I want to be a part of that. Sitting here now, I may not.”

Scott Harris, A.J. Hinch Discuss Tigers’ Offseason Plans

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Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris and manager A.J. Hinch addressed the media on Monday (including Evan Woodberry of MLive Media Group) to discuss the offseason ahead. Topics on the table included Eduardo Rodriguez and Javier Baez, each of whom has an opt-out after the 2023 season; Carson Kelly, who has a club option for 2024; and Austin Meadows and Spencer Turnbull, who will both be eligible for arbitration this winter. Harris also touched on how much the team plans to spend in free agency, while Hinch praised his coaching staff without promising that everyone would be back next season.

Rodriguez has three years and $49MM remaining on his contract, but he is likely to exercise his opt-out clause after the World Series. The lefty won’t turn 31 until next April, and he’s coming off a strong season in which he pitched to a 3.30 ERA in 26 starts. While he spent June on the injured list and wasn’t quite as imposing upon his return (4.24 ERA in 15 starts), he still looked like a solid mid-rotation pitcher throughout the second half of the season. That being the case, he should be able to command significantly more than $49MM this winter.

Speaking on Rodriguez, Harris said he isn’t planning to negotiate an extension with the veteran starter. The team will wait and see if he chooses to exercise his opt-out.

On the one hand, if the Tigers want Rodriguez back in the rotation next season, now would be the perfect time to discuss a new deal. The club has exclusive negotiating rights until he elects free agency, giving them a head start on other potential suitors. As a dependable left-handed starter, Rodriguez will certainly draw plenty of interest – especially because he is ineligible to receive the qualifying offer, having already received one in 2021. On the other hand, perhaps the team is hoping Rodriguez will decide not to exercise his opt-out after all. He chose to stay in Detroit at the trade deadline instead of accepting a trade to the Dodgers, citing a desire to stay closer to his family. It’s more than possible he’s content to stay in a location he likes and avoid the hassle of free agency altogether.

Harris also mentioned Báez, who has the chance to opt out of his contract after the season. The Tigers president isn’t planning to negotiate with the shortstop either, although that comes as less of a surprise. The two-time All-Star has four years and $98MM remaining on his deal, and coming off a season with an OPS below .600, he’s not going to beat that number on the open market. Thus, the chances of him opting out are slim to none.

While Harris is choosing to let Rodriguez and Báez make their decisions before deciding his next move, he will have to make a call about Kelly. The Tigers signed the backstop in August after he was released by the Diamondbacks. Over the final few weeks of the season, he caught 16 games for Detroit, allowing only a single passed ball and throwing out six of 12 would-be base stealers. He slashed .173/.271/.269. The 29-year-old has a $3.5MM club option for the 2024 campaign.

Given Kelly’s unimpressive offensive numbers, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Tigers cut ties with him following the season. After all, they only paid him a prorated portion of the league minimum in 2023, while the D-backs were on the hook for the rest of his $4.275MM guaranteed salary. Then again, Detroit wouldn’t have put the option in his contract if they weren’t going to consider it. Indeed, Harris suggested the team is seriously thinking about keeping Kelly in the fold. “That’s very much an open question for us,” he explained. “We’re going to spend a lot of time on it.”

The Tigers have a capable starting catcher in Jake Rogers, so Kelly would continue to serve as a backup if he returned in 2024. While he isn’t a threat with the bat, he’s a solid defensive catcher with several years of experience in the big leagues. He also comes with a bit more potential than most backup catchers, considering he was once a top-100 prospect.

Two more players Harris discussed were Meadows and Turnbull, both of whom missed the majority of the 2023 campaign. Meadows has been out since early April battling anxiety, while Turnbull hit the IL in May with a neck injury and never made it back to the big league club. The club could non-tender either player this offseason. However, Harris told reporters that he expects Turnbull to compete for a role in the starting rotation next year, which certainly suggests that he is planning to tender the righty a contract. When Turnbull was last fully healthy, he looked like a great starting pitcher, making nine starts and posting a 2.88 ERA in 2021. Harris hopes he can rediscover some of that success in 2024.

Regarding Meadows, the situation is a little more complicated. Without further comment from Meadows or his representatives, there’s no way to know when he could return to the field. Harris says he hasn’t spoken to Meadows in a few months, so he will need to have a conversation with the outfielder before making any further decisions. The executive called such a conversation a “priority.” If the former top prospect remains uncertain about his status for next season, it’s more than possible he could be non-tendered, although as Woodberry notes on Twitter, the team could leave the door open for him to return someday on a minor league deal.

As for potential spending in free agency, Harris didn’t promise any big moves, but he didn’t rule out making some acquisitions. Most importantly, he emphasized that the Tigers aren’t going to buy a core, and any transactions he makes in free agency or on the trade market will be to complement the young players already on the roster. In other words, he isn’t going to try to accelerate his team’s rebuild with a huge signing or a blockbuster trade. Therefore, if the Tigers are to contend in the AL Central next season, it will be thanks to young players like Kerry Carpenter, Spencer Torkelson, and Tarik Skubal taking a step forward. Most likely, this means the team’s competitive window won’t open until at least 2025.

In non-player news, Harris spoke about various infrastructure improvements in the works, including new dorms and a covered field, batting cages, and pitching mounds at Lakeland, the spring training locale for the Tigers and the regular season home of team’s Single-A and Rookie Ball affiliates. The team is also building a new training complex in the Dominican Republic and renovating the clubhouse at Comerica Park.

Meanwhile, Hinch reflected on the work his coaching staff did this season, praising their performance. However, he would not say if everyone would return in 2024. This doesn’t mean the Tigers are planning to replace any coaches, but it suggests they’re evaluating the staff and considering various possibilities.

Brewers Release Brian Anderson

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October 2: The Brewers released Anderson today, per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy. The move officially rules out Anderson for the club’s postseason roster, though it was already unlikely the club would have added him back to the 40-man roster to make him eligible for the postseason. Anderson heads into the offseason early, where he’ll look to catch on with a new club as he attempts to return to the form he demonstrated from 2018-2020.

September 28: The Brewers announced that outfielder Garrett Mitchell has been activated from the 60-day injured list.  In the corresponding move, third baseman/outfielder Brian Anderson was designated for assignment.

Mitchell’s official return to the active roster has been expected for a couple of days, after he rejoined the Brewers upon the completion of the Triple-A season.  The outfielder played in only 16 games in April before undergoing shoulder surgery, leaving some doubt to whether or not Mitchell would even make it back before the end of the 2023 campaign.  Fortunately, Mitchell was able to start a Triple-A rehab assignment earlier this month, and played in eight games in the minors.

The 25-year-old figures to get a bit more time to ramp up over the Brewers’ last few games of the regular season, as Milwaukee has locked up the NL Central title and the third seed in the NL bracket.  This gives the Brew Crew some extra time to rest some regulars and figures out who might make the cut for the playoff roster before the start of the Wild Card Series on October 3.

The 20th overall pick of the 2020 draft, Mitchell made his MLB debut last season and was expected to see regular action this year, even beginning 2023 as Milwaukee’s Opening Day center fielder.  Mitchell naturally still figures into the Brewers’ future plans, and what might’ve been an entirely lost season for the younger can be salvaged if he can play a role in any postseason success.  Mitchell likely won’t be line for regular duty ahead of Blake Perkins or Sal Frelick in center field, but he could contribute off the bench as defensive or pinch-running depth.  With Mitchell as an additional outfield option, the Brewers could use then use Mark Canha more regularly at first base or DH rather than in the outfield corners.

While Anderson’s DFA doesn’t technically rule him out of contention for the postseason roster if he clears waivers and is then eventually re-added to the 40-man roster, the writing has seemed to be on the wall that Anderson isn’t in the Brewers’ plans.  His start in yesterday’s game marked his first time in the lineup since August 22, and he has played in only 11 games total since returning from a 10-day IL stint on August 3.

The Marlins non-tendered Anderson last offseason after a pair of injury-riddled down years, and the Brewers signed him to a one-year, $3.5MM deal in the hopes of a bounce-back.  The experiment seemed to be working great in the first few weeks of the season, but Anderson quickly faded after that hot start, and he has a .226/.310/.368 slash line and nine home runs over 361 plate appearances while seeing a lot of action at third base and in right field.

Andruw Monasterio essentially took over the starting third base job after the All-Star break, though his own struggles led the Brewers to make the low-cost signing of Josh Donaldson on a minor league deal.  Donaldson hasn’t been overly impressive since joining the active roster, though his .191/.296/.447 slash line in 54 PA in a Brewers uniform is at least better than the .659 OPS he posted in 120 PA with the Yankees.  With Anderson now likely out of the picture, the Brewers look to be using Donaldson as their chief third base option for the postseason, with Monasterio perhaps acting as a utility infielder backing up Donaldson, shortstop Willy Adames, and second baseman Brice Turang.  Canha, Carlos Santana, and Rowdy Tellez are the first base/DH options.

Mets Officially Introduce David Stearns As President Of Baseball Operations

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The Mets formally announced David Stearns as the club’s new president of baseball operations today, making official the long-speculated upon move weeks after a deal was between the sides was first reported. Club owner Steve Cohen released a statement this morning ahead of Stearns’s introductory press conference this afternoon.

“I’m incredibly excited to welcome David back to Queens,” Cohen said in the statement, “I said numerous times I wanted to find the right person for this position, and I believe David is exactly that – an experienced executive with a wide range of skillsets that will push our baseball operations forward.” Stearns, meanwhile, said in the statement that “there is not an opportunity in baseball more meaningful to me than the chance to help lead this franchise” before recounting his childhood as a Mets fan. Later in the day, the club introduced Stearns in a press conference.

During the presser, Stearns thanked recently-fired manager Buck Showalter for his contributions to the organization and, as relayed by Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News, emphasized that he was not able to talk with the former manager before today because he was still under contract with the Brewers. As far as the search for a new manager goes, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com relayed that Stearns plans on casting a wide net and has no one in particular in mind. Stearns’s comments come amid widespread speculation that current Brewers manager Craig Counsell, whose contract in Milwaukee expires after the 2023 campaign, could follow his former boss to New York. Of course, Counsell has made no indication on whether he intends to manage at all in 2024, much less whether he intends on leaving the Brewers.

Perhaps the most significant news to come from Stearns’s introductory presser is that the club’s new executive plans to retain first baseman Pete Alonso headed into next season. Stearns told reporters (including Newsday’s Tim Healey) that he expects Alonso to be the club’s Opening Day first baseman in 2024, with DiComo adding praise for Alonso from Stearns. “Pete is a great player,” Stearns said, “He is also good in the clubhouse, and he is also homegrown. All of that matters.”

The assurance from Stearns that Alonso will be part of the 2024 club is surely a relief to Mets fans, given reporting in recent months that the Mets looked into trades involving Alonso ahead of the trade deadline this year, with the Cubs and Brewers among interested parties. Those reports, combined with comments from recently-traded ace Max Scherzer following the trade deadline indicating a potential step back in 2024, led to plenty of speculation about whether or not the club would deal Alonso this offseason, ahead of the slugger’s final year of club control. Alonso slashed .217/.318/.504 with 46 home runs in 658 trips to the plate this season.

Padres Chairman Peter Seidler: “Current Leadership Continues To Have My Full Support”

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The Padres release a statement from chairman Peter Seidler this morning, seemingly offering a vote of confidence for president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and manager Bob Melvin, though neither was mentioned by name.

“We entered 2023 with expectations that we would build on last year’s NLCS appearance and contend for a World Series Championship. We fell short of that goal,” the statement reads, “The Padres organization will learn from this season and emerge in 2024 with the pieces in place to compete for San Diego’s first World Series title. Our current leadership team has my full support, and I have asked them to perform a thorough assessment of our organization, beginning today. We will make the changes necessary to play championship-caliber baseball for our extraordinary fans in 2024.”

The statement largely tracks with previous reporting, which indicated not only Seidler’s preference to retain both Melvin and Preller in 2024, but also that the club would be undergoing an internal review. Importantly, despite the seeming vote of confidence for the duo, the statement does not guarantee their return for the 2024 season, instead noting that the club plans to “make the changes necessary” to return to the postseason next year. After all, reports of philosophical differences that lead to the personal relationship between the Padres’ manager and GM fraying are well documented. Melvin is under contract through the end of the 2024 season, while Preller is signed through the end of the 2026 season.

Whoever is at the helm of the Padres next season, they’ll have a difficult task set before them as they look to improve the club’s roster following an 82-80 season. Shutdown closer Josh Hader and NL Cy Young award candidate Blake Snell are both poised to depart the club for free agency this offseason, and the club is reportedly looking to trim payroll down to $200MM for next season. While RosterResource indicates the club’s payroll in 2024 stands at just over $128MM at this point, that figure doesn’t include arbitration-level contracts for players like Juan Soto, Scott Barlow, and Trent Grisham, among others.

Those arbitration-level contracts could approach $50MM or more this offseason, with Soto alone expected to get a significant raise on his $23MM salary in 2023. That leaves the club with minimal space to take on additional financial commitments despite significant holes to fill in the rotation and bullpen, not to mention the need to deepen a position player group that suffered from an extremely thin bench throughout the season.

The Mariners Had An Elite Shortstop In 2023 After All

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While the Mariners were officially eliminated from postseason contention on the second-to-last day of the regular season, the club saw many positive developments throughout the 2023 campaign, including the emergence of Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo as capable big league starters and the emergence of Jarred Kelenic as a quality regular in the outfield. Perhaps most noteworthy for Seattle going forward, however, is the offensive breakout of a player who’s already been with the club for several years: shortstop J.P. Crawford.

Seattle was widely viewed as a potential landing spot for one of the 2022-23 free agent class’s marquee shortstops: Trea Turner, Dansby Swanson, Carlos Correa, and Xander Bogaerts. MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald was among those who urged the Mariners to jump into the fray of the middle infield market last offseason, and for understandable reasons. Not only had the club’s one-year deal for second baseman Adam Frazier proved to be a disappointment- the veteran slashed just .238/.301/.311 in 602 plate appearances with Seattle that year- but Crawford was in the midst of a difficult year as the club’s primary shortstop.

The 2022 campaign started off extremely well for Crawford, as the lefty slashed .340/.435/.546 in the first month of the season. Unfortunately, Crawford scuffled the rest of the way, slashing just .221/.317/.287 the rest of the way. Crawford’s brutal performance at the plate through most of the year can be attributed to power numbers that were nothing short of dreadful. He hit just two home runs over his final 117 games in 2022, and his BABIP over that stretch was just .254 thanks to extremely poor quality of contact. Crawford’s 2% barrel rate, 85.1 mph average exit velocity, and 29.7% hard-hit rate were all in fifth percentile or worse among qualified hitters last season, per Statcast. Though Crawford was a solid defender at shortstop the previous season, defensive metrics indicated Crawford’s lack of production last year included his glovework, as well: among 37 qualified shortstops last year, Crawford’s -11 Outs Above Average was second lowest.

Given Crawford’s down season in 2022, calls for the Mariners to pursue a franchise shortstop were understandable. As such, comments from president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto early this past offseason that while the Mariners would pursue the coming class of shortstops, his “great preference” was to acquire a player willing to play second base were puzzling to some. Ultimately, the club worked out a swap with Milwaukee to bring in second baseman Kolten Wong as Crawford’s partner up the middle rather than sign one of the four star shortstops, none of whom ended up moving to the keystone with their new clubs this year.

The deal for Wong proved to be a blunder, as the 32-year-old slashed a dreadful .165/.241/.227 across 67 games with Seattle this year before being designated for assignment on the day of the trade deadline this year. Despite that major misstep, Crawford’s managed to make the club’s deference to him as the regular shortstop look perfectly reasonable as he developed from an average everyday player to the fifth most valuable shortstop in the majors this season. Crawford’s defense didn’t return to form, as his -8 OAA still placed him in the bottom five among qualified shortstops this year. The 28-year-old’s bat, on the other hand, saw some major improvements.

Perhaps most obvious among the improvements to Crawford’s offensive output this season is his walk rate. While Crawford has generally been better than average at drawing free passes in his career, he took that to another level in 2023. Crawford’s staggering 14.7% walk rate this season was the fourth-best figure among qualified major leaguers, trailing only Juan Soto, Kyle Schwarber, and Shohei Ohtani while finishing just ahead of Max Muncy and Bryce Harper.

That sort of elite company in terms of plate discipline is made all the more impressive when you consider Crawford’s strikeout rate. While the 19.6% figure was actually his highest since 2019, only Soto struck out less often in 2023 among the aforementioned group of five hitters surrounding Crawford. Indeed, Crawford and Soto are two of just seven hitters in the majors this season with strikeout rates below 20% and walk rates above 12%, joined by the likes of Mookie Betts, Adley Rutschman, and Alex Bregman.

In addition to top-tier plate discipline, Crawford improved his power output significantly in 2023. While he didn’t become an elite or even average slugger at the plate, his power numbers still saw considerable improvements across the board relative to last year. His barrel rate more than doubled to 4.8%, he added more than three mph to his average exit velocity, and his hard-hit rate jumped from the fifth percentile among qualified hitters in 2022 to the 21st percentile in 2023, an impressive feat over the course of just one season.

Put together, Crawford’s improvements at the plate saw him slash an impressive .266/.380/.438 with a wRC+ of 134, a 31-point increase from his roughly-league average 2022. Crawford slugged 19 home runs, up from last season’s six, to raise his ISO from .093 last year (sixth-worst among 130 qualified regulars) to .172 (72nd among 133 qualified regulars). By measure of wRC+, Crawford went from being the 14th-best offensive shortstop in 2022 to being this year’s second-best, trailing only Corey Seager.

The Mariners would still do well to improve at the keystone headed into 2024; the keys to the position figure to be handed over to Josh Rojas (78 wRC+) and Jose Caballero (96 wRC+) without any external additions. With that being said, the club’s position up the middle has substantially improved relative to where they were this time last year, as Crawford has provided Seattle with an impact player to slot into their middle infield mix while the Mariners prepare for 2024 with a return to the postseason on their minds.

Julio Teheran Elects Free Agency

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TODAY: Teheran rejected the outright assignment and opted for free agency, according to MILB.com’s transactions page.

OCTOBER 2: The Brewers sent righty Julio Teheran outright to Triple-A Nashville, according to the transaction log at MLB.com. Milwaukee had designated the veteran for assignment last week.

Teheran going unclaimed on waivers was a virtual lock. He is headed back to free agency at season’s end and would not have been eligible for postseason play with another team. There was no incentive for anyone else to claim him. Teheran has more than enough experience to reject the assignment and hit the open market a couple weeks early, though he could elect to stick with the organization on the chance they’d decide to call upon him during a playoff run.

The 32-year-old signed a big league contract with Milwaukee in May. It marked his return to the majors after spending 2022 in independent ball and the Mexican League. Teheran logged 71 2/3 innings across 14 appearances, his heaviest MLB workload since a 2019 season that marked the end of a nine-year run in Atlanta. He provided the Brew Crew with a 4.40 ERA, striking out a below-average 17.4% of opponents but limiting his walks to a meager 4.5% clip. Teheran should find some interest as a depth starter this offseason, though it might be limited to minor league offers.

Milwaukee will open their Wild Card Series against Arizona tomorrow with Corbin Burnes against rookie Brandon Pfaadt. They’d seemed set to turn to Brandon Woodruff to oppose Zac Gallen in Game 2 before the unfortunate revelation that Woodruff would miss the series (at least) with a shoulder issue. Their starter for Wednesday’s contest is still listed as TBD, though Freddy Peralta seems the likely choice. Wade Miley, Adrian Houser and Colin Rea would be the top options if the Brewers wanted to hold Peralta for a potential Game 3 matchup with Arizona’s Merrill Kelly.

The Opener: Mets, Padres, Angels

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With the 2023 regular season now officially in the rearview mirror, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Mets to announce Stearns:

In a statement yesterday regarding the departure of manager Buck Showalter, Mets owner Steve Cohen revealed that he would be made available to the media this afternoon, when he will unveil the club’s new president of baseball operations. It’s been an open secret for weeks that former Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns has agreed to helm New York’s front office, but the press conference could illuminate the decision to fire Showalter, who won 101 games with the club last year en route to the fourth Manager of the Year award in his career, as well as the club’s direction under Stearns headed into 2024.

2. Padres ownership to meet with Preller, Melvin:

The Padres are coming off a disappointing season that saw them miss the postseason while barely scraping through with a winning season with an 82-80 record. Despite the downturn in performance this year, however, it’s been reported that the club’s preference is to retain both president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and manager Bob Melvin for the 2024 campaign. That said, given the widely-reported acrimony that’s developed between the two men, it’s still possible San Diego parts ways with one or both of them in the coming days. Today figures to play a pivotal role in determining the future of leadership of the club. As noted by The Athletic’s Dennis Lin, a meeting between Melvin, Preller, and ownership is expected to take place today.

3. Nevin’s future in Anaheim uncertain:

With the regular season having wrapped up yesterday evening, plenty of personnel are in uncertain situations regarding their respective futures with their current organizations. One such person is Angels manager Phil Nevin, who’s contract with the club expired with the end of the club’s season last night. Nevin was the club’s third base coach entering the 2022 campaign, but took over as manager after the Angels fired Joe Maddon in early June of that year. He’s managed the club ever since, with a record of 119-149 as the club’s manager including this year’s disappointing 73-89 season. As of yesterday afternoon, Nevin’s situation was still uncertain, as he told reporters (including Sam Blum of The Athletic) that he didn’t know whether or not he’d be back as the club’s manager in 2024. Regardless of whether or not Nevin returns, the club could look very different come Spring Training 2024 as superstar Shohei Ohtani heads into free agency for the first time in his career.

Buck Showalter Will Not Return As Mets Manager In 2024

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5:52PM: Cohen told Tim Britton and other reporters that Stearns made the decision to fire Showalter.  “When you bring in a president of baseball ops, they’re entitled to bring in their own people….It became clear [Stearns] wanted to go in a different direction.  That was his right, and I gave him that right,” Cohen said.

1:35PM: Buck Showalter told reporters this afternoon (including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com) that he will not return to the Mets as manager in 2024. Per Mike Puma of the New York Post, Showalter was told he would be fired if he did not step down as manager. The Mets released a statement on the matter, confirming that Showalter would not return.

“We are heading in a new direction, with a new president of baseball operations and we let Buck know we’ll be parting ways. We will begin the search for a new manager immediately,” owner Steve Cohen said in the statement. “Buck is a generational manager, and we value what he has done for our team… The commitment and heart that Buck brings to the game will be felt by our organization for years to come. We wish Buck all the best in the next chapter of his career.”

The statement also noted that Cohen will be made available to the media tomorrow afternoon to address Showalter’s departure and announce the club’s new president of baseball operations. The club has reportedly agreed to terms with former Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns to take over baseball operations in Queens earlier this month. GM Billy Eppler also commented in the statement, while Showalter spoke to reporters before today’s game against the Phillies.

“I was honored to get a chance to manage a second New York team,” Showalter said (as relayed by DiComo), “I’m proud of what the Mets did. We won close to 180 games in two years. Especially last year, as much fun as I’ve ever had in the game. It reminded me of why I always loved this kind of work.” Showalter added (per Tim Britton of The Athletic) that he “wishes things could have gone better this season because Mets fans deserve that” and that he “still loves the city and the players” despite this not being the ending to his tenure as Mets manager that he hoped for.

Showalter’s first managerial gig was with the Yankees back in 1992. Since then, he’s spent a combined 22 years at the helm of a big league club, with stints as manager of the Diamondbacks, Rangers, and Orioles before joining the Mets ahead of the 2022 season. Showalter has won Manager of the Year four times in his career: in 1994 with the Yankees, 2004 with the Rangers, 2014 with the Orioles, and most recently in 2022 with the Mets. In 3,392 career games managed, Showalter has a record of 1726-1664, with a winning percentage of .509.

Though Showalter won 101 games with the Mets en route to his aforementioned fourth Manager of the Year award last year, this season’s club fell well below the lofty performance of the 2022 team despite the addition of future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. The club’s struggles led the front office to deal away Verlander, fellow Hall of Fame-bound ace Max Scherzer and closer David Robertson prior to the trade deadline on August 1, with the Mets being mathematically eliminated from postseason contention six weeks later. With the Giants having fired manager Gabe Kapler earlier this week and Cleveland’s Terry Francona widely understood to be retiring following the 2023 campaign, Showalter’s departure in New York makes three managerial vacancies to be filled this offseason.

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