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AL East Notes: Berti, Leonsis, Orioles, Holliday, Rays

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Jon Berti was the lone member of the Yankees’ ALCS roster that wasn’t included on the club’s roster for the World Series, though beyond tactics, health was the key factor in Berti’s absence.  Manager Aaron Boone told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other media that Berti suffered a flexor strain in his right hip while running the bases in Game 4 of the ALCS.  Berti entered that game in the top of the ninth as a pinch-runner for Anthony Rizzo, came around to score what ended up as the game’s winning run, and then played second base in the bottom half of the frame.

“Unfortunately, time ran out for [Berti] to be ready,” Boone said.  “So that’s a blow for us.  I feel for him because he was playing a really important role for us, especially in those first two rounds.”

With Rizzo sidelined by two broken fingers until the ALCS, Berti found himself in the unlikely role of New York’s starting first baseman for two ALDS games against the Royals, and again for Game 3 of the ALCS (with Rizzo on the bench against Guardians left-hander Matthew Boyd).  Though Berti has carved out a niche as a super-utility player over his seven Major League seasons, he had never before played first base during his entire pro career before taking on the cold corner for this year’s playoffs.  Berti can only watch from the sidelines as his teammates will try to dig themselves out of an 0-1 hole in the Series after yesterday’s heartbreaking walkoff loss.

More from around the AL East…

  • Ted Leonsis looked into buying the Orioles when the Angelos family put the team up for sale, the Washington Post’s Rick Maese write as part of a long profile of the billionaire.  Already the owner of the NHL’s Washington Capitals and NBA’s Washington Wizards, Leonsis was heavily considered as the prime contender to buy the Nationals when the Lerner family announced they were looking into selling the team in April 2022, though the family reversed course last February and said the Nats were no longer for sale.  Leonsis reiterated earlier this year and within Maese’s piece that he remains interested in the Nationals if the Lerners do decide to sell, though it also makes sense that he would’ve at least checked into the Orioles once they came on the market.
  • Jackson Holliday had some success after adopting a toe tap into his swing late in the 2024 season, and the Orioles shortstop told Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun that he’ll now look to continue using this adapted approach next season.  Though Holliday had used the toe-top technique on occasion during his high school days, he gave it another shot while “just messing around in the cage, trying to imitate [Shohei] Ohtani,” but Holliday then felt quite comfortable with his swing.  Holliday hit only .189/.255/.311 over his first 208 plate appearances in the big leagues, striking out 69 times as pitchers took advantage of the big leg kick Holliday used in his old swing.  Obviously it’s too soon to tell if this adjustment might truly unlock something for Holliday, but as he heads into his sophomore season, the sky is still the limit for the first overall pick of the 2022 draft.
  • MLBPA head Tony Clark told reporters (including The Athletic’s Evan Drellich and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale) that he and the union haven’t yet heard from the league about any plans for the Rays’ playing future, as Tropicana Field was heavily damaged by Hurricane Milton.  Assessment of that damage is still taking place, but since the Rays will surely have to spend at least the start of the 2025 season in a new home ballpark, plenty of options have already been floated as interim locales.  As Clark noted, the players’ union “do not have a hand in the facility.  We don’t have a hand in the move.  We have a hand in what’s called effects bargaining: How are players affected by the league’s decision?  At the end of the day, if the decision puts players in harm’s way, it depends on what harm’s way means.”  This would mean making sure everything involved in a new ballpark is up to Major League standards, as several minor league stadiums and Spring Training facilities are under consideration for the Rays.

Offseason Outlook: Pittsburgh Pirates

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The Pirates were 54-52 on August 3 before a ten-game losing streak tanked their hopes of contention, and the Bucs ultimately finished with the same 76-86 record as they had in 2023.  Amidst some larger questions about how well the rebuild is progressing, there will be a clear focus on upgrading the lineup this winter.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Bryan Reynolds, OF: $88MM through 2030 (includes $2M buyout of $20MM club option for 2031)
  • Mitch Keller, SP: $69.5MM through 2028
  • Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B: $43MM through 2029 (includes $6MM buyout of $12MM club option for 2030)
  • Isiah Kiner-Falefa, IF: $7.5MM through 2025 (Blue Jays covering roughly $1.22MM as per the terms of their July 2024 trade)

2025 financial commitments: $41.5MM
Total future commitments: $208MM

Option Decisions

Arbitration-Eligible Players (projections from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Free Agents

Paul Skenes lived up to the hype, wowing the baseball world with a 1.99 ERA over 133 innings and looking all the world like a franchise player.  Though he was somewhat overshadowed by Skenes and spent almost eight weeks on the injured list due to a lat strain, Jared Jones also had an impressive rookie season.  Behind these two star rookies, Mitch Keller was his usual solid self, Bailey Falter pitched well in his first full season as a Pirate, and Luis Ortiz had a lot of success after moving from the bullpen back into the rotation at midseason.

Since Marco Gonzales' club option won't be exercised, this group stands as the Pirates' provisional starting five heading into Spring Training.  However, Johan Oviedo will also be healthy after missing all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery.  Down on the farm, top-100 prospects Bubba Chandler, Thomas Harrington, and Braxton Ashcraft are all knocking on the door for their MLB debuts, and other pitching prospects like Mike Burrows (who did toss his first 3 1/3 big league innings in 2024), Hunter Barco, and Anthony Solometo aren't far behind.

In short, Pittsburgh might soon become Pitch-burgh, with all of these young, controllable, and (except for Keller) inexpensive arms either in the majors or coming up the pipeline.  Developing this much promising starting pitching is no small thing, and with Skenes leading the way, general manager Ben Cherington can certainly point to the Pirates' rotation as the key to the team's rebuilding efforts.

However, this rebuild has now resulted in six straight losing seasons, with the last five coming under Cherington's watch.  While nobody expected Rome to be built in a day, the last two years have shown just enough promise to leave Pittsburgh fans disappointed when things fizzled out, and left wondering when exactly the Bucs will be turning the corner towards real contention.

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How The Dodgers Built Their World Series Roster

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As the World Series gets underway, we’ll take a look at how both teams’ rosters were constructed. In a battle of big-market behemoths, much of the heavy lifting was accomplished via free agency. The Yankees and Dodgers have each done a lot in trade and graduated some key homegrown contributors to complement their splashes on the open market.

A player drafted or acquired in trade who subsequently hit free agency and re-signed will be classified as a free agent acquisition. The player’s history with the organization is a key part of why they returned, of course, but the most recent transaction was nevertheless to sign them to a free agent deal.

After looking at the Yankees earlier this evening, we turn to the Dodgers in their quest for a second title in five years.

Trade (9)

The Yankees had massive trades for Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton. The Betts blockbuster may have been even more impactful. Los Angeles also landed Graterol from the Twins in that three-team deal. They dealt Kenta Maeda to Minnesota while sending Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong and Jeter Downs to Boston and taking on a chunk of the underwater David Price contract. L.A. immediately signed Betts to a $365MM extension. He has a trio of top five MVP finishes since donning Dodger blue. It’s one of the most impactful trades in MLB history.

Nothing quite matches up to the Betts deal, but L.A.’s World Series team is benefitting from a couple more big deadline trades. Game 1 starter Flaherty came over from the Tigers in a trade sending rookie infielder Trey Sweeney and catching prospect Thayron Liranzo to Detroit. That transaction, which dropped just minutes before the deadline, reportedly came within hours of the Yankees pulling out of a potential Flaherty trade because of concerns about his back.

For as well as Flaherty pitched down the stretch, the Dodgers’ bigger July move was another three-team trade. Los Angeles landed eventual NLCS MVP Edman from the Cardinals and future closer Kopech from the White Sox in a deal that cost them young infielder Miguel Vargas and prospects Alexander Albertus and Jeral Perez. Edman was recovering from wrist surgery and had yet to make his season debut at the time, while Kopech was sitting on a 4.74 ERA despite huge swing-and-miss numbers.

The oldest trade on this list happened a decade ago. The Dodgers and Marlins lined up on a seven-player deal that continues to have ripple effects. Los Angeles sent Dee Strange-Gordon, Miguel Rojas and Dan Haren to Miami for four players: Enrique Hernández, Andrew Heaney (immediately flipped to the Angels for Howie Kendrick), Chris Hatcher and Barnes. They’ve kept Barnes as a backup catcher ever since. Los Angeles would bring Rojas back nine years after moving him. The Dodgers acquired the veteran infielder in a one-for-one swap that sent infield prospect Jacob Amaya to the Fish. Amaya played four games for Miami before they waived him.

Los Angeles continues to benefit from another minor trade with the Marlins. In 2021, the Dodgers sent middle reliever Dylan Floro to Miami for Vesia and Kyle Hurt. Vesia has a 2.57 ERA over four seasons in Los Angeles. He is Dave Roberts’ top lefty bullpen arm. Vesia is backed up by Banda, a well-regarded prospect turned journeyman. The Dodgers acquired him in a cash trade with the Guardians in May.

MLB Free Agency (8)

Most of L.A.’s biggest free agent pickups came last winter. The Ohtani signing will go down as one of the biggest transactions in MLB history. The deferral-laden structure made it one of the most controversial sports contracts ever. After accounting for the deferred money, MLB values the $700MM as an approximate $461MM deal for luxury tax purposes. By any measure, it’s still the largest deal of all time — a record it’ll hold until Juan Soto signs this offseason. Ohtani became the first player in league history to go 50-50 and is going to win the NL MVP in year one.

Within weeks of landing Ohtani, the Dodgers signed Yamamoto to the biggest pitching contract ever. The 25-year-old righty signed for 12 years and $325MM before throwing his first pitch in MLB. A rotator cuff injury cost him a chunk of his first big league season, but he turned in an even 3.00 earned run average through 18 starts. Teoscar Hernández inked a one-year, $23.5MM pillow contract that was also deferred. The two-time All-Star was coming off a down year with the Mariners but rebounded with a 33-homer showing reminiscent of his best days with the Blue Jays.

Freeman was a big-ticket signee coming out of the lockout in 2022. He inked a six-year, $162MM deal (deferrals knocked the NPV closer to $140MM). The former MVP has picked up where he left off in Atlanta. He’s a .314/.399/.520 hitter in more than 2000 plate appearances across three seasons with Los Angeles.

Taylor, Brasier, Enrique Hernández and Treinen have all re-signed with the Dodgers in recent years. Los Angeles acquired Taylor from the Mariners in 2016 for righty Zach Lee. Taylor developed into a key super utility piece whom the Dodgers eventually re-signed for $60MM.

Treinen has signed successive short-term contracts and continues to pitch well at the back of Roberts’ bullpen when healthy. Enrique Hernández is a clubhouse favorite who has tended to elevate his game in October. The Dodgers reacquired him from the Red Sox at the 2023 deadline and brought him back on a $4MM free agent pact last winter. Los Angeles signed Brasier to a minor league deal midway through the 2023 season after he was released by the Red Sox. He dominated in Southern California and returned on a two-year, $9MM contract.

First-Year Player Draft (5)

Buehler, Lux and Smith are former first-round picks. Buehler fell to 24th overall coming out of Vanderbilt in 2015 because of concerns about his arm health. He underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after being drafted but developed into an ace before going under the knife again in 2022. He has been a shell of his former self this year. The Dodgers grabbed both Lux and Smith the following year. L.A. took Lux 20th overall out of a Wisconsin high school before grabbing Smith, a Louisville product, 12 picks later.

He has three career MLB appearances. Knack was a senior sign out of East Tennessee State in 2020. He started 12 of 15 appearances with solid results, but he’s working in low-leverage relief in October. Casparius, a UCONN product, went in the fifth round in 2021.

Minor League Contracts (2)

Muncy was an excellent find. A career .195/.290/.321 hitter when he was waived by the A’s, he signed a minor league deal in April 2018. He has four 35-homer seasons and three years with appearances on MVP ballots in the seven years since then. Muncy has signed successive extensions and has a .230/.356/.487 line in nearly 3000 plate appearances in a Dodger uniform.

Hudson re-signed with L.A. on a minor league deal last offseason. There seemed to be a handshake agreement that the Dodgers would carry him on the Opening Day roster. Hudson was coming off consecutive seasons wrecked by knee injuries but stayed healthy and tossed 65 innings of 3.00 ERA ball this year.

International Amateur Signing (1)

The Dodgers signed Pages for $300K out of Cuba in 2018. The outfielder has improved his stock to become one of the organization’s top prospects. He debuted this season and hit .248/.305/.407 with 15 homers.

Waivers (1)

Los Angeles claimed Honeywell off waivers from the Pirates in June. They waived him themselves but called him back up at the end of August.

How The Yankees Constructed Their World Series Roster

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As the World Series gets underway, we’ll take a look at how both teams’ rosters were constructed. In a battle of big-market behemoths, much of the heavy lifting was accomplished via free agency. The Yankees and Dodgers have each done a lot in trade and graduated some key homegrown contributors to complement their splashes on the open market.

A player drafted or acquired in trade who subsequently hit free agency and re-signed will be classified as a free agent acquisition. The player’s history with the organization is a key part of why they returned, of course, but the most recent transaction was nevertheless to sign them to a free agent deal. There are three such players for the Yankees, headlined by the expected AL MVP.

Let’s begin with a breakdown of how the Yankees built their first pennant winner since 2009.

Trade (11)

Nearly half the Yankees’ World Series roster was built via trade. There was none bigger than last winter’s blockbuster bringing Soto and Grisham to the Bronx. Soto is in line for another top five MVP finish after hitting .288/.419/.569 with a career-best 41 homers during his first season with the Yanks. Grisham hasn’t produced much in a fourth outfield role. The Padres aren’t kicking themselves either. San Diego got ace-caliber production from Michael King, while Kyle Higashioka took over starting catching duties down the stretch. Prospect Drew Thorpe, the secondary piece of the Soto return, was subsequently flipped to the White Sox as the headliner of the Dylan Cease package.

The Stanton trade isn’t far behind the Soto deal as a headline transaction. New York acquired the slugger coming off a 59-homer season in which he’d won the NL MVP award for the Marlins. It was largely a salary dump for Miami, which offloaded Stanton just three seasons into a 13-year, $325MM extension. New York sent back Starlin Castro and prospects Jorge Guzmán and José Devers, both of whom barely played at the MLB level. Stanton’s tenure in the Bronx has been often maligned, but he has three 30-homer seasons as a Yankee and is on a heater for the ages this fall.

New York landed Verdugo in a rare trade of significance with the Red Sox. While Verdugo has been the Yankees’ everyday left fielder, Boston will probably come away with more long-term value. The Sox landed middle reliever Greg Weissert and prospect Richard Fitts in a three-player return.

Chisholm and Leiter were deadline acquisitions this summer. New York sent three minor leaguers, headlined by well-regarded prospect Agustín Ramírez, to Miami for Chisholm. They sent two prospects (Ben Cowles and Jack Neely) to the Cubs for Leiter, a deal they’d probably like back after the righty struggled down the stretch.

Holmes, Trevino and Cousins were all wins for the pro scouting staff. The Yankees stole Holmes from the Pirates in a 2021 deadline deal that didn’t get much fanfare. New York sent infielders Hoy Park and Diego Castillo, neither of whom stuck in Pittsburgh, to take a flier on Holmes as a ground-ball specialist. He developed into one of the game’s top relievers, this year’s shaky second half notwithstanding.

New York landed Trevino just after Opening Day in 2022 in a deal that sent middle reliever Albert Abreu to the Rangers. Trevino has become a Gold Glove catcher in the Bronx. Abreu pitched in seven games with Texas before they lost him on waivers. He’s now pitching in Japan. (Left-hander Robby Ahlstrom remains in the Rangers’ system but isn’t a prospect of note.) The Yankees gave up nothing for Cousins, who was on a minor league deal with the White Sox when New York acquired him for cash in March. He went on to throw 37 innings with a 2.38 ERA.

The Yankees acquired Torres and Gil before either player made his MLB debut. Torres was the headliner of the 2016 deadline deal sending Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs. Chicago won’t have any regrets after going on to win the World Series, but Torres was a top prospect who developed into an All-Star second baseman. That’s the kind of prospect teams essentially never trade for rentals anymore. Gil was a teenager pitching in the Dominican Summer League with the Twins in 2018. New York landed him in a Spring Training swap for upper level outfielder Jake Cave, who has had a journeyman career. That’s a clear win for the Yanks’ scouting and player development staffs.

MLB Free Agency (8)

Judge went from supplemental first-round pick in 2013 to homegrown MVP. He hit the market on the heels of his 62-homer season in 2022. Judge fielded offers from the Giants and Padres before returning to New York on a nine-year, $360MM deal. The largest free agent contract in MLB history at the time, it dropped to second on that list when Shohei Ohtani signed with Los Angeles. Judge is on track for his second MVP and seems as if he’ll spend his entire Hall of Fame career in the Bronx.

The Cole contract was also a record which the Dodgers topped last offseason. New York signed Cole to a nine-year, $324MM deal during the 2019-20 offseason. That stood as the largest pitching contract ever until Yoshinobu Yamamoto signed for $325MM — albeit over a much longer term — in December. The Cole deal has been one of the most successful massive free agent signings in history. He’s coming off a Cy Young award and gets the ball in Game 1 tonight.

Rodón was another big investment from GM Brian Cashman and his staff. The hard-throwing southpaw landed six years and $162MM during the 2022-23 offseason. The first season was a disaster but Rodón righted the ship with a solid 3.96 ERA in 32 starts this year. That same winter saw New York bring back Rizzo on a two-year, $40MM free agent deal. The Yanks had initially acquired Rizzo in a ’21 deadline trade with the Cubs. He had a strong first season and a half in the Bronx, but the most recent contract has not panned out. They have gotten similarly middling results from last winter’s two-year, $37MM investment in Stroman. He had a 4.31 ERA across 30 regular season appearances and is in long relief for the postseason.

A couple low-cost bullpen investments have turned out brilliantly. New York first claimed Weaver off waivers from Seattle in September. They brought him back in free agency on a $2MM deal with a cheap club option for 2025. The move was generally met with derision from fans, but Weaver has been a godsend in the late innings and will close games in the World Series.

New York invested a bit more in Kahnle, inking him to a two-year, $11.5MM pact on the heels of an injury-plagued 2022 season. Kahnle has continued to battle injuries but been effective during his most recent stint in the Bronx. Hill signed for the league minimum in June after being released by the White Sox. He turned in a 2.05 ERA in 44 innings after posting a near-6.00 ERA with Chicago.

First-Year Player Draft (3)

All three of these players were selected in the first round. The Yanks grabbed Schmidt 16th overall out of South Carolina in 2017. Volpe was the 30th pick out of a New Jersey high school in 2019. New York took Wells a year later, grabbing the University of Arizona product with the #28 selection in 2020.

International Amateur Signings (2)

Domínguez was one of the highest-profile amateur signees in recent memory. New York signed him for a $5.1MM bonus out of the Dominican Republic. Injuries have kept him from getting an extended MLB opportunity thus far, but he’s still an incredibly touted young talent at age 21. Cabrera signed with minimal attention out of Venezuela in 2015. He has played a utility role for the past two-plus seasons.

Minor League Contract (2)

Cortes started his career as a Yankee draftee. The Yanks dealt him to the Mariners over the 2019-20 offseason. Seattle waived him a year later and every team opted against putting him on the 40-man roster. Cortes elected minor league free agency and returned to his original organization on a minor league deal. He made the team again in 2021 and turned in a 2.90 ERA in 93 innings down the stretch. That secured his spot on the MLB roster even before he made an All-Star team and earned a top 10 Cy Young finish with a 2.44 ERA in 2022.

Mayza was a longtime member of the Blue Jays. Toronto cut him loose in July. He signed a minor league deal with New York a few days later and has been in Aaron Boone’s bullpen since the middle of August.

Waivers (0)

  • None

Rockies Name Dustin Garneau New Bullpen Coach

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Dustin Garneau has a new job with the Rockies. After spending the past two seasons as the organization’s catching and game planning coordinator, he will take on the role of bullpen coach in 2025. The team announced the news on Thursday.

The Rockies selected Garneau with the 571st overall pick in the 2009 draft. After five years in the club’s minor league system, he made his MLB debut at Coors Field in 2015. Over the next eight seasons, Garneau caught for the Rockies, Athletics, White Sox, Angels, Astros, and Tigers, playing a total of 168 big league games. He announced his decision to retire following the 2022 season.

During his playing career, Garneau appeared in far more games for the Rockies than any other team: 68 contests over parts of three seasons from 2015-17. He even returned to Colorado on a minor league deal in his penultimate season, although he was traded less than a month later and did not play another game with the big league club. After he hung up his catching gear, it wasn’t long before he returned to the Rockies. Indeed, the organization was so pleased to bring him back that they created the position of catching and game planning coordinator (specifically the “game planning” part) just for him (per Jack Etkin of the Rockies Blog).

While Garneau was not a pitcher himself, the Rockies must believe his experience handling pitchers and calling games will help him succeed as a bullpen coach. He will replace veteran bullpen coach Reid Cornelius, who was relieved of his duties at the end of the season. The team also parted ways with assistant hitting coach P.J. Pilittere earlier this month, though it’s unclear if they plan to replace him. With hitting coach Hensley Meulens and assistant hitting coach Andy González still in the organization, the Rockies don’t necessarily need to add another assistant hitting coach to the staff.

Yankees Announce World Series Roster

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Shortly after the Dodgers released their World Series roster, the Yankees did the same, officially revealing the 26 players who will suit up for the club in the Fall Classic.

The only change the Yankees made to their ALCS roster was swapping out infielder Jon Berti for left-handed pitcher Nestor Cortes. Cortes hit the injured list in late September with a flexor strain in his pitching arm and was unavailable for the ALDS and ALCS. However, he continued to work toward a possible return, going so far as to tell reporters (including Brendan Kuty of The Athletic), “If I have a ring and then a year off of baseball, so be it.”

Presumably, he will only be available out of the bullpen, but manager Aaron Boone is surely pleased to have the All-Star hurler back in any capacity. Cortes made 30 starts this season with a 3.77 ERA and 4.02 SIERA over 174 1/3 innings pitched. The Yankees went with an 11-man pitching staff against the Royals in the ALDS and a 12-man staff against the Guardians in the ALCS. By replacing Berti with Cortes, they are now carrying the maximum of 13 pitchers. That seems like a wise decision; Boone is going to need as many options as possible to keep this powerhouse Dodgers lineup at bay.

It’s not necessarily shocking that Berti was the odd man out, considering his poor performance so far in October. Over four games, he had two singles and a walk in 12 trips to the plate. That being said, one might have thought his top-tier sprint speed and ability to play all over the infield would help him keep his spot on the roster. Berti is the fastest player on the team, making him a strong asset as a late-inning pinch runner. The Yankees also have an abundance of outfielders, including Trent Grisham, who has yet to appear in a game this postseason. Meanwhile, Oswaldo Cabrera is now the only infielder on the bench.

In one additional item of note, Mark Leiter Jr. remains on the roster in place of Ian Hamilton. Hamilton was removed from the ALCS with a left calf strain and thus was unable to rejoin the team for the World Series.

The full roster:

Dodgers Announce World Series Roster

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With Game 1 of the Fall Classic set to begin tonight at 7:08 pm CT, the Dodgers officially revealed their World Series roster. While 23 of the 26 players from the NLCS roster are sticking around for the World Series, the team made three substitutions. Right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol, left-handed pitcher Alex Vesia, and infielder Miguel Rojas have been added to the roster, while right-handed pitchers Evan Phillips and Edgardo Henriquez and outfielder Kevin Kiermaier have been left off.

Rojas had an excellent regular season for the Dodgers, but he has been nursing a partially torn adductor muscle since late September. He played in the NLDS, going 2-for-8 across three games, but was left off the NLCS roster after re-aggravating his injury. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters yesterday that Rojas was likely to make the World Series roster. With Rojas back in action, Roberts will have more flexibility to use Tommy Edman, Chris Taylor, and Enrique Hernández in the outfield, therefore leaving Kiermaier as the odd man out. Kiermaier was not on the NLDS roster but joined the team in the NLCS in place of Rojas.

As for Graterol and Vesia, their inclusions on the roster come as a bit more of a pleasant surprise. Roberts was less certain about their status when he spoke to the media on Thursday, but clearly, the team has since decided they’re both ready to return.

Graterol has dealt with injuries almost all year and was unable to pitch in either the NLDS or NLCS. However, he was one of L.A.’s best relievers from 2022-23, and he has a career 1.64 ERA in 22 postseason games. If he is back at full strength, he should represent a huge upgrade to the Dodgers’ arm barn. The same is true of Vesia, who has quietly been one of the best relievers in baseball since joining the Dodgers. Over 227 appearances with the club, he has a 2.57 ERA – plus a 1.50 ERA in 15 postseason games. Vesia pitched in the NLDS against the Padres but suffered a minor intercostal injury during Game 5. His return will be especially important considering the Dodgers were down to just one left-handed pitcher on their entire pitching staff during the NLCS. He is sure to play a vital role against some of the dangerous lefties in the Yankees’ lineup.

Subbing out for Graterol and Vesia are Phillips and Henríquez. Phillips struggled at times in the second half, seemingly losing his job as the Dodgers’ primary closer in the process. Nonetheless, losing the right-hander is a big blow for L.A. Even in an up-and-down season, Phillips finished with a 3.62 and 3.15 SIERA over 61 games. He also made five scoreless appearances in this year’s playoffs; he has yet to allow a run in 15 1/3 career postseason innings. Unfortunately, it seems as if the arm fatigue he felt in Game 6 of the NLCS (per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times) continues to be a problem. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic also notes that Phillips has been pushing through “lat, biceps and triceps tightness” for about a month, so it is not hard to see why the Dodgers would exercise caution. It’s also worth noting, as POBO Andrew Friedman told reporters, that the Dodgers would not have been able to remove Phillips from the roster mid-series if his injury worsened, because it was a pre-existing condition (per Harris).

As for Henriquez, the hard-throwing rookie was lucky enough to make the NLDS and NLCS rosters after pitching just 3 1/3 innings in the regular season. He gave up four earned runs on eight hits over five innings of work in his first taste of October baseball. It’s hardly surprising to see him bumped off the roster now that Graterol and Vesia are available once again.

The full roster:

Craig Albernaz, Clayton McCullough Interviewed For Marlins Managerial Opening

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The Marlins interviewed several candidates to be their next manager this week, including Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz and Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. Earlier this week, Isaac Azout of Fish On First noted that McCullough would be interviewing for the position. As for Albernaz, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported earlier this month that the Marlins were interested in his services, but Jackson’s report is the first to confirm his interview. What’s more, Jackson notes that Albernaz is now “viewed as one of the top candidates” for the position, perhaps due to his time working alongside Marlins POBO Peter Bendix in the Rays organization. Albernaz and McCullough join Tigers bench coach George Lombard as the three candidates known to have interviewed for the job.

McCullough has never been a major league manager, although he has experience managing in the minor leagues with the Blue Jays organization from 2007-14. He has spent the past ten seasons with the Dodgers, first as a minor league field coordinator and more recently as the major league first base coach. McCullough has also been a candidate for several other managerial openings in recent years, having been connected at one point or another to such teams as the Mets, Brewers, Guardians, and Royals. Funnily enough, he interviewed to be the Marlins’ manager just two years ago, a job that ultimately went to Skip Schumaker. It’s worth mentioning that McCullough is also thought to be a contender for the White Sox’s current managerial opening. Bruce Levine of 670 The Score called him “a leading candidate” for the role in September, although his name was noticeably absent from Heyman’s list of “leading candidates” published earlier this week.

Like McCullough, Albernaz is a former catcher who has experience as a minor league manager, minor league field coordinator, and major league coach. From 2006-13, he played eight seasons in the Rays minor league system, and from 2015-19 he worked as a coach, manager, and minor league field coordinator in the Rays organization. His first big league coaching gig came with the Giants, where he worked under Marlins assistant GM Gabe Kapler, the Giants’ manager at the time. Funnily enough, McCullough has also worked alongside Kapler, when the two were employed in the Dodgers organization. Albernaz took on his current role as the Guardians’ bench coach last November. Before he was hired as Cleveland’s bench coach, he interviewed for the managerial position that ultimately went to Stephen Vogt.

Jackson suggests the Marlins are still in the early stages of their managerial hiring process. They will speak with at least six candidates over video chat before inviting the finalists to attend in-person interviews. It is unclear how many other candidates have had Zoom interviews so far – and who those other candidates might be – but former Marlins bench coach Luis Urueta and Giants assistant coach Alyssa Nakken are two more names who have been linked to the position in recent weeks.  Former Marlins pitcher Anibal Sanchez also expressed interest in the gig, although there is no reason to believe his interest was reciprocated.

 

Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

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MLBTR’s Anthony Franco held a live chat today, exclusively for Front Office subscribers. Anthony took questions on Jarred Kelenic, rotation trade candidates, a Luis Arraez extension, the Blue Jays' infield, where the Nationals can look for a middle-of-the-order bat, contract projections for Juan Soto and Max Fried, a World Series prediction and much more!

 

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Rudy May Passes Away

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Former MLB pitcher Rudy May passed away earlier this week at the age of 80, according to an obituary published in local North Carolina newspaper The Daily Advance. Jeff Pearlman first reported May’s passing yesterday. A veteran of 16 MLB seasons, May pitched for the Angels, Yankees, Orioles, and Expos during his lengthy career in the big leagues.

A left-handed pitcher, May grew up in Oakland alongside childhood friend and future Hall of Famer Joe Morgan. He impressed as one of the best pitchers in the area during his high school days before being signed by a Twins scout in 1962 and subsequently selected in the first-year player draft by the White Sox in 1963. By the end of 1964, May was already on the fourth organization of his professional career as he was traded to the Phillies by the White Sox ahead of the Rule 5 draft before being flipped to the Angels shortly thereafter.

It was with Anaheim that May finally made his big league debut in 1965, and the then-20-year-old hurler posted decent but unexceptional numbers in his rookie campaign. In 30 appearances (including 19 starts), May logged 124 innings of work but surrendered a pedestrian 3.92 ERA, which was 14% below average in the era just before the year of the pitcher in 1968. That would be May’s only big league action for years due to injuries he suffered in the minor leagues in 1965, but he eventually resurfaced at the big league level as a 24-year-old in 1969. That year, May posted a league average 3.44 ERA in 180 1/3 innings of work that solidified his spot on the Angels’ roster, and he’d spend the next five seasons as a quality back-of-the-rotation arms for the club with a 3.51 ERA (96 ERA+) across 948 2/3 innings of work.

He once again began the season with the Angels in 1974, but a brutal 7.00 ERA in his first 27 innings of work that year upon being pushed into a bullpen role prompted the club to deal him to the Yankees that summer. May experienced a revival in New York down the stretch, dominating the competition to the tune of a 2.28 ERA (156 ERA+) with 90 strikeouts in 114 1/3 innings of work over his 17 appearances (15 starts) in the Bronx following the trade. He followed up on that performance with an excellent 1975 season where he pitched to a 3.06 ERA (122 ERA+) in 212 innings of work in a mid-rotation role behind club ace (and future Hall of Famer) Catfish Hunter. Unfortunately, a step back in performance in 1976 led May to be traded once again, this time to the Orioles.

That 1976 season kicked off something of a lull in May’s career, as he reverted to the back-of-the-rotation form he had shown throughout his time with the Angels. In three seasons split between the Yankees, Orioles, and Expos from 1976 to 1978, May pitched to a pedestrian 3.71 ERA in 99 appearances, 92 of which were starts, and racked up 616 innings of work. That led the veteran southpaw to be moved to a relief role during his second year with the Expos in 1979, but the lefty dominated in the role with a sterling 2.31 ERA (160 ERA+) in 93 2/3 innings of work across 33 appearances, only seven of which were starts.

He’d continue to pitch in that sort of hybrid role upon being re-acquired by the Yankees in 1980, which turned out to be perhaps the best season of his career. Although May started only 17 of his 41 games played that year, he posted phenomenal numbers in the role as he led the American League with a 2.46 ERA (160 ERA+) while throwing 175 1/3 frames. The 1980 season also saw May, then 35, appear in the postseason for the first time in his career. The lefty was dealt a tough-luck loss in Game 2 of the ALCS against the Royals that October, as the Yankees lost 3-2 despite May pitching eight strong innings of three-run ball.

He’d return to the postseason in 1981 on the heels of a lackluster regular season, but this time he and the Yankees enjoyed some success. May made a solid relief appearance against the Brewers in the ALDS before posting a lackluster start against Oakland in the ALCS, but when the Yankees made it to the World Series opposite the Dodgers he managed to turn in 6 1/3 strong relief innings across three appearances even as his club eventually lost in six games. Overall, May posted a respectable 3.66 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 19 2/3 postseason innings during those years with the Yankees, which wound up being the only postseason outings of his career.

May pitched two more years with the Yankees following the club’s loss in the 1981 World Series and enjoyed a strong rebound campaign in 1982, and though he re-signed with New York on a two-year contract he made just 15 appearances in 1983 due to injury and missed the entire 1984 season with back issues before retirement. In all, May appeared in 535 games at the big league level and drew the start in 360 of those contests. He pitched to an above-average 3.46 ERA during his career and collected 152 wins and 1760 strikeouts across his 2622 innings of work in the majors. Those of us at MLBTR extend our condolences to May’s family, friends and loved ones.

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