The Opener

As the offseason continues to get underway, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. GM Meetings continue:

The annual GM Meetings are currently underway in San Antonio, Texas, with top decision-makers around the baseball world having gathered to open negotiations as hot stove season gets underway. While these meetings are far less active than the Winter Meetings in December, they nonetheless offer important clues as to the direction each franchise plans to move in for the coming offseason. Today, in particular, figures to be significant as Chandler Rome of The Athletic noted yesterday that agent Scott Boras is set to make his annual address to reporters regarding the state of the game and the coming offseason. One of the most powerful agents in the sport, Boras represents a number of the winter’s top free agents including Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, Alex Bregman, and Blake Snell.

2. Padres, Shildt nearing deal:

It was reported yesterday evening that the Padres are finalizing an extension for manager Mike Shildt. The possibility of San Diego looking to lock up their manager longer-term has been on the table for some time now, but the sides have clearly made progress on the deal and it could be officially announced in the near future. Shildt spent four years at the helm of the Cardinals and won NL Manager of the Year in 2019. 2024 was his first season with the Padres after Bob Melvin departed to manage in San Francisco, and it hardly could have gone better for the club as he led San Diego to a 93-69 record and a win in the NL Wild Card series over the Braves, though they eventually fell in five games to the Dodgers during the NLDS.

3. Big names coming off the trade market?

As fans around the league begin speculating about their team’s plans for the coming offseason, many focus on the possibility of finding a star on the trade market rather than paying the hefty prices to be seen in free agency. Such a maneuver might be difficult to pull off this winter, however, as even teams that weren’t competitive in 2024 seem reluctant to part ways with their stars. Yesterday saw both the Athletics and Blue Jays throw cold water on the possibility of trading a frequently speculated upon star (Brent Rooker and Bo Bichette, respectively). Those comments from Toronto also notably come after frequent indications in recent months that the club has no interest in dealing away first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. With so many offensive talents thought to be possible trade candidates now seemingly off the board, will other surprise hitters reach the trade market or will teams have to settle for improving on offense through free agency?

With the offseason now fully underway, here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on today:

1. GM Meetings underway:

Amid all the chaos of yesterday’s deadlines, decision-makers around the baseball world arrived in San Antonio, Texas for the annual GM Meetings. Top executives from all 30 clubs gather at the meetings near the beginning of the offseason each year, serving as something of an unofficial beginning to hot stove season. While the GM Meetings are typically nowhere near as active as the Winter Meetings that occur in December given their early date on the offseason calendar, they serve as a first opportunity for agents and clubs to begin discussion of free agents and for front offices to gauge rival teams’ early interests on the trade market.

This will be newly-minted Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey’s first major event in his new role, while Chaim Bloom will be attending for the first time since being announced as the heir to John Mozeliak at the top of baseball operations in St. Louis. Executives around baseball figure to speak with the media throughout the meetings, and those comments could provide a peek at their organization’s plans for the winter.

2. Free agents open for business:

As of 4pm CT yesterday afternoon, free agency has now properly begun and players are free to sign with any club they choose. While it could still take some time for signings to actually begin in earnest as agents and executives open negotiations, the month of November nonetheless sees a handful of signings every year. For example, 16 free agents signed big league deals in November of last year, including six multi-year deals. Right-handers Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray, and Reynaldo Lopez were perhaps the most significant free agents to sign early last year as the pitching market developed more quickly that the market for hitters, although it’s impossible to say at this point if this year’s free agent class will follow a similar trend. While waiting for news from the hot stove, be sure to check out MLBTR’s Top 50 MLB Free Agents list, our Free Agent Prediction Contest, and our comprehensive list of this winter’s free agents.

3. MLBTR chat:

With the players available in free agency now set in stone and able to sign with any club, it’s time for the first weekday chat of the offseason! Whether you have questions about our recently-published Top 50 Free Agents list and who your favorite team will be targeting this winter or a trade proposal in the back of your mind, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be here to answer your questions during a live chat scheduled for 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

Also note that on Thursday morning this week, the MLBTR staff will be hosting a joint chat focused specifically on our Top 50 Free Agent list and predictions. Check back in Thursday’s Opener for further details. Additionally, this week’s episode of the MLBTR Podcast will feature Tim, Steve, Anthony and Darragh all discussing the work and thought that went into our Top 50 rankings and predictions. That extra-long episode will release tomorrow morning!

With free agency scheduled to begin in earnest later today, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Deadline for option decisions:

A number of option decisions were settled over the weekend as players like starters Blake Snell and Sean Manaea opted out of their contracts while outfielder Cody Bellinger and starter Robbie Ray were among those to stick with their current clubs. A handful of option decisions remain, however, and will need to be sorted out before 4pm CT this afternoon. Among the most notable are Rangers right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw, and Braves slugger Marcell Ozuna. Eovaldi and Kershaw both have the ability to opt out of the final year of their contracts, while Atlanta holds a club option on Ozuna’s services for 2025. While most remaining options will either be straightforwardly picked up or declined, it’s possible some players and clubs could look to get together on a longer, reworked contract as the Royals and right-hander Michael Wacha did yesterday.

Perhaps the most interesting option decision of the day is the one facing the Yankees. Veteran ace Gerrit Cole opted out of the remaining four years and $144MM on his contract with the club on Saturday, but unlike most opt-out decisions that doesn’t automatically make him a free agent. Instead, the Yankees have until this evening to decide whether to allow Cole to test free agency or tack on an additional year and $36MM to the end of his deal, guaranteeing him $180MM over the next five years. $36MM annually through Cole’s age-38 season might be more than he’d earn in free agency coming off an injury-shortened season, but it nonetheless wouldn’t be a surprise if the Yankees went the extra mile to make sure they keep their ace in the fold during an offseason where their attention is going to be squarely focused on retaining Juan Soto.

2. Qualifying Offers to be made today:

Option decisions aren’t the only order of business due by 4pm CT this afternoon. That deadline also applies to clubs wishing to make a qualifying offer to their departing free agents. The QO, which is set at $21.2MM this year, is a one-year contract offer that clubs must make to players in order to receive draft pick compensation should they sign elsewhere in free agency. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco previewed QO decisions for both position players and pitchers last month, with Mets right-hander Luis Severino standing out as perhaps the most interesting borderline candidate to receive a QO. The majority of the winter’s top free agents, including Juan Soto and Corbin Burnes, are locks to receive (and reject) the QO. Once the QO is extended to a player, he has until 3pm CT November 19 to decide whether to accept or reject that offer.

3. MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents:

With the 2024-25 class of free agents on the verge of being mostly set in stone this afternoon, we here at MLBTR are excited to unveil our annual Top 50 Free Agents list later today. Some outlets have already published theirs, but we like to wait until the QO decisions have been revealed because they can have such a significant impact on a free agent’s market. This makes us a little bit late to the party but allows us to provide a bit more analysis and (hopefully) more accuracy. It’s our biggest post of the year and you should keep an eye out for it later today! Shortly after that comes out, we will also launch our annual prediction contest, where you can do your best to try and predict the events of an unpredictable offseason.

Following a busy first day of the offseason, here are four things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. Dodgers celebrate their win:

Wednesday night’s victory over the Yankees may have sealed the club’s second World Series win in five years, but the then-ongoing pandemic meant the 2020 Dodgers did not get to properly celebrate that championship with the city of Los Angeles. That’s not the case this year, as the club gears up for its first World Series parade since 1988. As laid out on MLB.com, the Dodgers will actually have two different celebrations today: the aforementioned parade and a second, ticketed celebration at Dodger Stadium. The parade is scheduled to begin at 11am local time at Gloria Molina Grand Park and travel along a 45-minute route before coming to its conclusion.

Shortly thereafter, at 12:15pm local time, the celebration at Dodger Stadium is scheduled to begin. MLB.com notes that due to “logistics, traffic and timing,” fans will be unable to attend both events. The stadium’s gates will open at 9am local time and coverage of the parade will be broadcast on the Dodgers’ video boards in the stadium for those in attendance.

2. Option decisions continue:

We saw a wide slate of decisions on club and player options yesterday on day one of the offseason, but there are still dozens of players with 2025 options that have yet to be formally resolved. Some decisions are obvious. The Braves already signaled their intent to exercise club options on Marcell Ozuna, Travis d’Arnaud and Aaron Bummer last month, even before official decisions were due. The Orioles aren’t going to pick up a $16.5MM club option on Eloy Jimenez, nor will the Pirates pick up a $15MM option on the currently injured Marco Gonzales. Many of the decisions throughout the league are just as straightforward. There are some more borderline calls, however, such as the Orioles’ $8MM options on Ryan O’Hearn and Seranthony Dominguez.

Player opt-outs in particular will be worth monitoring. Gerrit Cole can opt out of his contract’s remaining four years and $144MM, though the Yankees can override the opt-out by tacking on an additional $36MM for the 2029 season. Cody Bellinger (two years, $50MM), Nick Martinez ($12MM), Michael Wacha ($16MM), Sean Manaea ($13.5MM), Rhys Hoskins ($18MM) and Nathan Eovaldi ($20MM) are among the many players who have opt-outs/player options on their current deals.

3. What’s next for the Angels?

The offseason kicked off with a bang yesterday, as the Braves and Angels swapped Jorge Soler and Griffin Canning to complete the first notable trade of the winter just 12 hours after the end of the World Series. From Atlanta’s perspective, it was hardly a shock; Soler was an imperfect fit at best for the club’s roster, and Canning offers the club an interesting depth piece for a rotation that could lose Max Fried and Charlie Morton to free agency (or retirement, in Morton’s case). The fit from the Angels’ perspective isn’t as straightforward. That’s not to say Soler won’t improve the club, as only the White Sox delivered a worse offensive performance than Anaheim’s team wRC+ of 90 in 2024. Soler is all but certain to help improve that number.

Even so, Soler’s fit is complicated. As a player best suited to regular at-bats at DH, Soler’s presence figures to keep the club from getting oft-injured superstar Mike Trout off his feet with time away from the outfield grass. That would seemingly force the club to continue using Trout in center field, where he’s more likely to sustain further injuries, unless the club were to follow this move up by dealing another outfielder like Taylor Ward. The trade also left the Angels even thinner in the rotation than they were before. While Canning’s results were subpar in 2024, he was second on the team to Tyler Anderson in innings. His departure only highlights the club’s need for pitching help this winter if they hope to dig themselves out of last place in the AL West.

4. Gold Glove Winners to be announced:

Awards season kicks off this weekend with the announcement of this year’s Gold Glove winners on Sunday evening. Twenty awards will be given out in total: one per league for each position on the diamond plus one utility award for each league. This will be the third year with a utility award category, with Mauricio Dubon, Ha-Seong Kim, Brendan Donovan, and DJ LeMahieu standing as the category’s past winners. This year, the Diamondbacks lead the majors with five Gold Glove nominees: catcher Gabriel Moreno, first baseman Christian Walker, second baseman Ketel Marte, left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and right fielder Jake McCarthy. Winners are scheduled to be announced at 7:30pm CT on Sunday.

On the heels of last night’s wild finale to the 2024 season, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. The offseason has arrived!

Game 5 of the World Series was a rollercoaster ride as the Yankees jumped out to a five-run lead in the early innings, only for the Dodgers to respond with five unearned runs off Gerrit Cole in a disastrous fifth inning full of defensive miscues. The Yankees managed to take the lead back, but only briefly as the Dodgers scored two runs in the eighth to put them ahead 7 to 6 before slamming the door on the Yankees offense for the final six outs of the 2024 campaign. While the Dodgers plan a parade and the Yankees lick their wounds, the rest of the baseball world will be turning their attention to the offseason, which officially arrives today. While it’s likely that things won’t really start to pick up for a few more days, today kicks off what’s sure to be a busy winter full of rumors, trades, and signings to discuss here at MLBTR.

2. Who are the winter’s top trade candidates?

While transactions may not be picking up just yet, it’s only a matter of time before trade and free agent rumors begin to fly. MLBTR’s annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list is still a few days away, but readers looking for an offseason primer can look forward to a look at the Top 35 MLB Trade Candidates for the coming offseason later today! With teams like the White Sox and Marlins in the midst of rebuilds and even more competitive clubs like the Cardinals and Rangers looking to cut payroll this winter, plenty of intriguing names figure to be on the trade block this winter. The list doesn’t exclusively focus on clubs that appear certain to be active on the trade market, however, and features players from 23 of the league’s 30 clubs. Which players might your favorite club look to dangle this offseason? Tune in later today to find out!

3. What’s next for Cole?

While the vast majority of the attention was rightfully focused on star Yankees outfielder (and pending free agent) Juan Soto’s future last night, there’s one other star player on the Yankees who’s facing a decision this winter. That’s veteran right-hander Gerrit Cole, who has the ability to opt out of the remaining four years and $144MM on his contract with the Yankees if he so chooses. Should he decide to do so, the Yankees would then have the option to tack on an additional year and $36MM to Cole’s contract in order to stop him from hitting the open market.

A year ago, it looked all but certain that things would play out exactly that way, with Cole opting-out and the Yankees voiding that decision by exercising their option. Things don’t appear quite that certain anymore, however, as Cole is coming off an injury-shortened 2024 campaign where he was limited to just 17 starts. Those starts saw him pitch to a solid 3.41 ERA (121 ERA+), but that figure constitutes a step back from both his Cy Young 2023 (163 ERA+) and his overall figure (134 ERA+) as a Yankee. Will Cole attempt to beat that $144MM on the open market ahead of his age-34 campaign? And if he does, will the Yankees let him go?

As the World Series continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. World Series Game 5:

The Yankees extended their season yesterday with a 11-4 win over the Dodgers last night. An Anthony Volpe grand slam put the club in front in the third inning, and while L.A. scored a pair in the fifth the Yankees responded in the sixth before pouring on five runs in the bottom of the eighth to seal the deal. After the club’s bats appeared to be largely absent throughout the series, the club is surely hoping yesterday’s offensive explosion will carry over into Game 5, which will be a rematch of Game 1’s duel between Gerrit Cole and Jack Flaherty. The Yankees ace threw six innings of one-run ball while striking out four in his first World Series outing since 2019, while Flaherty countered with six strikeouts and two runs over 5 1/3 innings of work. The game is scheduled to begin at 8:08pm local time this evening.

2. Freeman makes history:

Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman made history last night when he became (as noted by MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell) the first player in World Series history to hit a home run in six consecutive World Series games. After hitting homers in the final two games of the 2021 World Series against the Astros as a member of the Braves, Freeman has gone yard in all four games of the 2024 World Series to this point, including his walk-off grand slam in Game 1. Last night’s history-making blast was a two-run shot in the first inning that gave the Dodgers the only lead they’d have all night. No player has ever homered in every game of a single World Series, though Freeman could change that with a home run and a Dodgers win this evening. Will he and the Dodgers make history again today?

3. As White Sox wrap up managerial search, all eyes on Miami:

The White Sox are reportedly set to hire Rangers associate manager Will Venable as their next manager, giving the 42-year-old his first managerial gig after he previously served as the #2 in both Arlington and Boston. The White Sox have not yet officially announced the decision, as teams generally avoid announcing news on days where a playoff game occurs. While the baseball world waits for Chicago’s decision to become official, all eyes will be on the final managerial vacancy remaining this offseason: that of the Marlins. Venable was reportedly a finalist for the job in Miami alongside Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz. Will the Marlins’ managerial search conclude quickly in an Albernaz hire now that Venable is off the board, or is there a dark horse candidate who could emerge in the coming days?

With the 2024 season nearing its conclusion, here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on today:

1. Dodgers go for the sweep:

Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium last night ended much the same as Games 1 and 2 did in L.A. over the weekend — with a Dodgers victory. In a game where struggling right-hander Walker Buehler delivered five scoreless innings for the Dodgers, the Yankees were unable to score until they already had two outs in the ninth inning. They now enter Game 4 in need of the first 0-3 World Series comeback in history to win their first World Series since 2009.

Today is scheduled to be a bullpen game for the Dodgers, a reality that theoretically could create an advantage for the Yankees as they send talented righty Luis Gil (3.50 ERA) to the mound. This will be only Gil’s second appearance in the postseason after he started against the Guardians and surrendered two runs in four innings while striking out three. The Yankees need a strong start from the rookie right-hander and/or a wake-up call for their dormant offense in order to stay alive and pass the ball back to Gerrit Cole in Game 5.

2. Marlins managerial search heating up?

After the weekend brought about some buzz regarding the managerial vacancy in the White Sox dugout, yesterday saw the rumor mill kick into gear with reports about the other ongoing managerial search being conducted in Miami. The Marlins are seemingly down to two finalists for the role: Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz and Rangers associate manager Will Venable. Both have received interest from the White Sox as well, with Venable having already interviewed for that position and seemingly remaining in the mix in Chicago. While it’s unlikely that Miami will formally announce anything while the World Series is ongoing, news regarding their decision appears to be on the horizon.

3. MLBTR Chat this afternoon:

With the World Series on the brink of an early conclusion, the 2024-25 offseason is now closer to getting underway than ever. If you have any questions about the upcoming winter, your team’s direction, or the ongoing World Series that could end as soon as tonight, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 3pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

As the World Series continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. World Series Game 3:

The Dodgers won both of their home games over the weekend, but after a travel day yesterday the series will resume this evening on the Yankees’ home turf at 8:08pm local time. Right-hander Clarke Schmidt will be on the mound for New York after posting an impressive 2.85 ERA in a season shortened to just 16 starts by injury. In the postseason so far, Schmidt has drawn two starts and sports a 3.86 ERA with six strikeouts and three walks in 9 1/3 innings of work.

His opponent this evening will be Dodgers right-hander Walker Buehler, who struggled to a 5.38 ERA in 16 regular season starts this year and was shelled for six runs in five frames during his NLDS start against the Padres. Despite that shaky track record this year, Buehler did manage to put up four scoreless innings while striking out six in Game 3 of the NLCS against the Mets. On offense, meanwhile, the Dodgers are currently expecting to have star slugger Shohei Ohtani back in the lineup after a shoulder injury Saturday night gave baseball fans a scare.

2. Can Judge break out of his slump before it’s too late?

With the question of Ohtani’s status likely answered, the other likely MVP winner in the series is facing his own set of questions. Aaron Judge has struggled to a meager .105/.280/.325 slash in 50 plate appearances across 11 postseason games this year. Any hitter can have a tough stretch in a sample that small, of course, and Judge even had two separate 11-game stretches not dissimilar to this one back in April alone. His slump has deepened even more since the World Series began, however, as he’s struck out six times in nine trips to the plate over the last two games while collecting just one hit. Can Judge get back to his dominant regular season form in time to help the Yankees fight back from their current 0-2 deficit?

3. Is the White Sox managerial search heating up?

This weekend saw some noticeable movement on the managerial front in Chicago. Three candidates were noted to be out of the running for the White Sox vacancy yesterday, and Jon Heyman of the New York Post suggested last night that the Sox were taking a “hard look” at Rangers associate manager Will Venable for the role. Heyman cautioned that there was no indication that an agreement was close just yet, but the report nonetheless adds to the sense of movement that’s begun to surround the search for the South Siders’ next manager. Other candidates who are not yet known to have been eliminated from the running include current interim skipper Grady Sizemore, Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz, former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker, former Angels skipper Phil Nevin, Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann and Cardinals bench coach Daniel Descalso.

The wait for the World Series to begin is finally over! Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. 2024 World Series Begins:

The World Series is set to begin this evening when the Yankees take the field opposite the Dodgers in Los Angeles, with first pitch scheduled for 5:08pm local time. In Game 1, New York is set to send veteran ace and 2023 AL Cy Young award winner Gerrit Cole to the mound opposite Dodgers deadline acquisition Jack Flaherty. Cole missed the first half of the year due to an elbow injury and didn’t look quite like himself this season overall, with a solid but not elite 3.41 ERA through 17 starts in total. He’s put up similar numbers in the postseason this year, with a 3.31 ERA through three starts. Flaherty, by contrast, has enjoyed an excellent season with a 3.17 ERA in 28 starts split between the Tigers and Dodgers this year but struggled to a 7.04 ERA this postseason, including a three-inning, eight-run blow-up against the Mets during Game 5 of the NLCS.

2. Rosters being finalized:

Of course, both teams will need to finalize their rosters for the series before the Fall Classic can get underway. Manager Dave Roberts discussed some of his club’s roster plans with reporters yesterday, indicating that the Dodgers will likely carry veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas on their roster after sidelining him for the NLCS as he struggled to play through an adductor strain and sports hernia. It also seems as though injured relievers Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol could be added to the club’s bullpen, fortifying an already excellent relief corps. On the other side of the series, the Yankees have fewer potentially impactful injured pieces but do seem likely to activate southpaw Nestor Cortes to pitch out of the bullpen despite the lefty suffering a flexor injury late in the regular season. With that aforementioned quartet all seemingly poised to join their club’s respective rosters when they’re announced later today, the primary question that remains is which players will be left off their team’s roster to accommodate the likely additions.

3. Happy Birthday, Juan Soto:

For the second time in his young career, star outfielder Juan Soto will play in the World Series on his birthday. The offseason’s top free agent turns 26 today, and while he’ll have to wait a bit longer for his likely record-shattering payday he and the rest of the Yankees will nonetheless look to deliver a different kind of gift to Yankees fans today: a win in Game 1 of the World Series. Five years ago today, Soto’s Nationals took on the Astros in Game 3 of the World Series on his 21st birthday but lost the game 4-1 as Soto went an uncharacteristic 0-4 with a walk and three strikeouts at the plate. He’ll look for better results today coming off an utterly dominant ALCS against the Guardians where he hit .368/.478/.895 with three homers and more walks (4) than strikeouts (3) in 23 plate appearances, including his towering go-ahead three-run home run in Game 5 of the series that ultimately sent the Yankees to the Fall Classic.

With the start of the World Series just a day away, here are three things to keep an eye around baseball today:

1. World Series Workout Day:

While the World Series isn’t set to start until tomorrow, both the Dodgers and Yankees will be at Dodger Stadium today as they get in their final team workouts before the series begins. Managers Dave Roberts and Aaron Boone as well as Game 1 starters Jack Flaherty and Gerrit Cole are expected to speak to the media today, and the managers’ respective comments could be illuminating regarding the availability of certain key players.

As things currently stand, the Dodgers expect veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman to be back in the lineup for Game 1 tomorrow. What’s as of now unclear is if he’ll be joined by shortstop Miguel Rojas, who was left off the club’s NLCS roster due to an adductor strain, or if relievers Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol will be ready to rejoin the bullpen. The Yankees, meanwhile, have fewer key injuries of note in play for the World Series but are hoping to roster southpaw Nestor Cortes despite him having suffered a flexor strain towards the end of the regular season. Cortes had a throwing session earlier this week and indeed expects to be on the roster despite the risk of a larger injury. The left-hander gave reporters quite the quote in signaling his willingness to put his health on the line to help his team in the Fall Classic (X link via Newsday’s Erik Boland): “If I have a ring and then a year off of baseball, then so be it.”

2. News from Asia’s top leagues:

While the current focus is obviously on the looming World Series and the start of the offseason for 28 other clubs, we’ve had a few reminders this week already that this time of year also tends to bring notable news from overseas. The Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball announced this week that they’ll post left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara for MLB teams to bid on, and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters announced just yesterday that they’ve re-signed former big league slugger Franmil Reyes for an additional year after a huge 2024 season that saw him hit .290/.348/.564 with 25 homers in just 368 plate appearances.

The days and weeks ahead figure to bring similar items of interest. All eyes are on 22-year-old phenom Roki Sasaki, he of the career 2.02 ERA with the NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines, and whether he’ll be posted. At last check, the Marines’ GM said the club was still talking the situation over with Sasaki and had not yet made a decision (X link via Yakyu Cosmopolitan). Over in the Korea Baseball Organization, 25-year-old Kiwoom Heroes infielder Hyeseong Kim is widely expected to be posted for MLB clubs after hitting .326/.383/.458 — his fourth straight season hitting at least .304 with at least a .372 on-base percentage.

A few other names will surely pop up. It’s commonplace for an unexpected name or two to surface this time of year and land on MLB radars. There are a handful of former big leaguers who’ve played well overseas and could signal their intent to return to North American ball (or re-sign, as Reyes did). And, once the Korean Series and Japan Series have reached their conclusions, we’ll surely start to see some former big leaguers sign in the KBO or in NPB.

3. Where will the Rays open the 2025 season?

After Hurricane Milton devastated the Tampa Bay area, the Rays’ Tropicana Field has been left with severe damage, including much of the roof being torn off. The damage is so great that the Rays almost certainly won’t be able to open the season at the stadium, and with a new stadium already set to be built for the 2028 season questions remain as to whether or not the local government has interest in financing the repair of a stadium that’s scheduled for demolition in just three short years. Commissioner Rob Manfred has expressed a desire to keep the Rays in their current market for the years leading up to the new stadium’s construction, while potential temporary relocation options such as Montreal and Durham have seemingly taken themselves off the table. Further details are sure to unfold as the team continues to assess the damage at the Trop and explore alternate scenarios.