Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for 2024

Rockies Name Dustin Garneau New Bullpen Coach

By | at

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

By | at

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

By | at

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

By | at

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

By | at

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!

 

Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription

BENEFITS
  • Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
  • Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
  • Remove ads and support our writers.
  • Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker

Rudy May Passes Away

By | at

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.

Latest On White Sox’ Managerial Search

By | at

Following the club’s decision to fire manager Pedro Grifol midseason, the White Sox have been at work looking to find their next long-term skipper while interim manager Grady Sizemore held down the fort late in the year. A number of potential candidates have seen their names float through the rumor mill this winter, but The New York Post’s Jon Heyman wrote last night that the three “leading candidates” for the role are former Angels manager Phil Nevin, Rangers associate manager Will Venable, and Tigers bench coach George Lombard.

All three were previously known to be in the mix for the club’s managerial gig, although only Venable is confirmed to have scheduled an interview among the trio. Among them, Nevin is the only one with previous experience at the helm of an MLB dugout as he took over for Joe Maddon as Angels manager in June of 2022 and remained in the role through the end of the 2023 season. The Halos posted a paltry 119-149 record under Nevin’s guidance, but for a rebuilding club coming off a 121-loss campaign like the White Sox team record may be less of a factor than Nevin’s handling of youngsters like Reid Detmers, Nolan Schanuel, and Zach Neto.

Meanwhile, Venable and Lombard lack managerial experience at the big league level but are both viewed as up-and-coming managers of the future. Venable, in particular, has been a highly sought-after managerial candidate for years now, though he declined to interview for positions with the Mets and Guardians last winter. Since his big league career came to an end in 2016, Venable has served as a special assistant to the front office, first base coach, and third base coach for the Cubs, bench coach to Red Sox manager Alex Cora, and most recently associate manager under Rangers skipper Bruce Bochy.

Lombard, on the other hand, has reportedly already interviewed for the league’s other managerial vacancy in Miami and was previously a candidate for the Padres’ managerial gig in 2019 and the top dugout job with the Tigers in 2020. While both teams ultimately went in different directions, Detroit was clearly impressed with Lombard as they subsequently hired him to act as A.J. Hinch’s bench coach, a role he’s held ever since. Prior to his stint with the Tigers, Lombard spent five years with the Dodgers as first base coach from 2016-20 following stints with the Red Sox and Braves in a variety of minor league roles.

Heyman also floats a fourth name in the mix for the managerial gig: veteran manager Buck Showalter, who most recently served as skipper of the Mets from 2022 to 2023. As opposed to his framing of Lombard, Nevin, and Venable as “leading candidates” for the role, Heyman suggests the White Sox have merely “considered” the four-time Manager of the Year award winner for their vacancy in the dugout, leaving it unclear how serious the club’s interest is or if Showalter has actually interviewed for the position. Even so, it seems as though Showalter isn’t inherently against leading a club that’s unlikely to contend given his interest in the Angels’ managerial vacancy last winter before that job ultimately went to Ron Washington.

Of course, these four are far from the only candidates that have been connected to the managerial role in Chicago in recent weeks. Former Marlins manager Skip Schumaker and Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough have both been regarded as potential frontrunners for the job at various points in the offseason, while Padres special assistant A.J. Ellis, Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehman, and Cardinals bench coach Daniel Descalso have also seen their names float through the rumor mill in connection with the White Sox job since the offseason began.

The Opener: World Series, Rosters, Soto

By | at

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.

Rangers Aiming To Drop Beneath Luxury Tax Threshold In 2025

By | at

The Rangers spent lavishly in free agency following the opening of their new stadium, inking Corey Seager (10 years, $325MM), Marcus Semien (seven years, $175MM), Jacob deGrom (five years, $185MM) to mega contracts. They also took on notable salary in trades (Max Scherzer, Jordan Montgomery) and doled out more modest but nevertheless notable guarantees for Jon Gray (four years, $56MM), Nathan Eovaldi (two years, $34MM) and Andrew Heaney (two years, $28MM), among others. Generally speaking, they were rewarded. Texas won the 2023 World Series — the first in franchise history.

The sheer magnitude of those expenditures added up, however, resulting in the Rangers paying the luxury tax both in 2023 and 2024. Texas has spent aggressively at times in the past, but not to this extent. As they face the potential of a third straight season as a luxury tax payor, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes that one of owner Ray Davis’ top priorities this winter — perhaps even his No. 1 priority — is to duck under the $241MM luxury threshold in order to reset the team’s penalty level.

For those unfamiliar or simply in need of a refresher, the luxury tax is calculated based on the combined average annual salaries of the players on a team’s roster (plus player benefits and a mandatory payment into the league’s pre-arbitration bonus pool). The tax threshold climbs every season — at predetermined levels stipulated in the collective bargaining agreement — and carries escalating penalties for teams that cross the tax barrier in consecutive seasons.

First-time offenders pay a 20% tax on the first $20MM by which they exceed the threshold. They’re then taxed at a 32% rate for the next $20MM. If they cross into the third tier of penalty, that results in a 62.5% tax on the next $20MM and sees the team’s top pick in the following year’s draft dropped by 10 spots. Exceeding the tax threshold by more than $60MM results in being taxed at 80% or any dollars spent thereafter.

That’s just for first-time offenders, however. Each of those penalty levels increases by at least 10% for a team that crosses the tax line in a second season. For a club crossing the tax threshold in a third straight year, the penalties become more burdensome: 50% for the first $20MM, 62% for the next $20MM, 95% for the next $20MM (plus the same draft pick penalty) and 110% for any dollars thereafter. That’s the set of potential penalties the Rangers would be facing if they cross the tax line again in 2025.

To this point, the Rangers’ penalties they’ve paid have been light, relatively speaking. They paid just $1.8MM for their first year of penalty in 2023. This year’s total has not yet been determined, but RosterResource estimates they were a bit more than $13MM north of 2024’s first-tier threshold of $237MM. At a 30% tax hit as a second-time payor, they’d be looking at roughly $4MM in penalties based on that number.

In theory, the 50% tax isn’t all that daunting, so long as the club only modestly exceeds the threshold once again. But the Rangers have quite a bit of work to do this winter, with as many as 10 players reaching free agency — pending option decisions on Nathan Eovaldi ($20MM player option), David Robertson ($7MM mutual option) and Andrew Chafin ($6.5MM club option). Eovaldi is all but certain to decline his option, as he can command something close to (perhaps even above) that same salary on a multi-year deal. Robertson will turn down his end of that mutual option after a strong season. Chafin’s is a borderline call, but if Texas wants to be conscious about its spending levels, that will probably be bought out for $500K.

At present, RosterResource projects nearly $189MM of luxury commitments already in place for the 2025 season — $52MM shy of next year’s $241MM threshold. That ostensibly leaves a fair bit of wiggle room — at least until considering the fact that the Rangers are losing three starters (Eovaldi, Scherzer, Heaney), their three top relievers (Robertson, Kirby Yates, Jose Leclerc) and several role players. They’ll not only need to remake a significant portion of the pitching staff but also look for ways to augment an offense that was among the game’s best in ’23 before growing stagnant in ’24.

Young has already called re-signing Eovaldi and/or Heaney “a priority” this offseason. Eovaldi, in particular, would eat up a significant portion of the funds available to the club this offseason. In a separate mailbag column, Grant suggests that if another team were interested in taking on the remaining year and $13MM of Jon Gray’s contract, the Rangers would pursue such an opportunity and could conceivably reallocate some of those funds to a reunion with Eovaldi.

Gray has performed reasonably well since signing in Texas but has been injured each season and watched his strikeout rate drop in consecutive years. The 32-year-old righty (33 next month) made only 19 starts this season and pitched to a serviceable 4.47 ERA with a 19.6% strikeout rate, 6.4% walk rate and 40.1% ground-ball rate. In three seasons with Texas, the hard-throwing former No. 3 overall pick carries a 4.16 ERA in 387 1/3 innings. His contract is hardly an albatross, but there also isn’t much (if any) surplus value on the deal.

Speculatively speaking, the Rangers could look to free up money in other ways if they feel crunched. Righty Dane Dunning’s projected $4.4MM salary (via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz) makes him a potential non-tender or trade candidate after a rough season. Leody Taveras ($4.3MM projection) also had a tough year and could be moved with younger outfielders Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter both in the majors now (and hopefully healthier in 2025). Nathaniel Lowe’s $10.7MM projection isn’t unreasonable, but Texas could hypothetically move him and turn first base over to a prospect like Justin Foscue or Dustin Harris (or a cheaper first base option in free agency, such as Carlos Santana). It’d be hard to sell low on Adolis Garcia coming off a down season, and Grant suggests such a scenario isn’t likely.

Any of those trades would only open further holes, though the Rangers have the type of MLB-ready young players (Langford, Carter, Foscue, Harris) to try to address them internally. They also have some young arms on which they could lean in the rotation — Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter — but Leiter struggled in 2024 and Rocker will be on an innings limit in 2025 as he continues working back from Tommy John surgery. The need in the bullpen is arguably more acute, and the in-house options aren’t exactly plentiful.

It’ll be a challenging offseason for president of baseball operations Chris Young. The Rangers should have some money to spend, but the number of holes are as daunting as they are surprising for a team that’s just 12 months removed from hoisting a World Series trophy.

Dodgers Notes: Rojas, Vesia, Graterol, Kelly, Ohtani

By | at

With the start of the World Series less than 24 hours away, the Dodgers are in the process of finalizing their roster as they attempt to win their first championship in a full season since 1988. Manager Dave Roberts spoke to reporters (including Bob Nightengale of USA Today) during today’s scheduled workout day about some of the final roster decisions being made, including the fact that veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas is “likely” to make the final roster.

Rojas, 35, was left off the club’s NLCS roster amid concerns about the adductor strain and sports hernia that have bothered him since late in the regular season. Rojas was only able to play in three of the club’s five games during the NLDS against the Padres and ultimately went two-for-eight at the plate with two singles during that time. During the regular season, however, Rojas emerged as one of the club’s steadiest performances after taking over shortstop for Mookie Betts when he was sidelined by a hand fracture back in June. The veteran posted a solid 111 wRC+ overall this year during the regular season as he hit .283/.337/.410 in 337 trips to the plate for the Dodgers.

Entering this series, Rojas provides the Dodgers with additional depth off the bench that could be helpful as they juggle not only Rojas’s lingering injury woes but also those of first baseman Freddie Freeman and any other positional injuries that could crop up throughout the series. Rojas is the club’s best option at shortstop defensively, though Tommy Edman held down the position quite well during the NLCS and Enrique Hernandez’s .863 OPS this postseason likely warrants consideration for at least some playing time as well.

It seems likely all three players will be in the lineup at up-the-middle positions against southpaws, though Andy Pages and Chris Taylor both enjoyed solid NLCS performances as well. The bigger question could be whether the Dodgers stick with a trio of Edman, Rojas, and Hernandez against right-handers or bench one of Rojas or Hernandez in favor of lefty-swinging second baseman Gavin Lux, who struggled during the NLCS but collected five hits (including a home run) during the division series against San Diego.

Roberts sounded less certain about the status of relievers Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol, though seemed optimistic when he told reporters (including Nightengale) that both players are “trending in the right direction” to make the roster themselves. The addition of a pair of high leverage arms like Vesia and Graterol would significantly deepen the Dodgers’ bullpen, though said relief corps did just fine against the Mets with Michael Kopech, Blake Treinen, Evan Phillips, and Daniel Hudson mixing and matching during the late innings.

Vesia, in particular, would add a lefty reliever to that mix who could help to combat key Yankees hitters like Juan Soto and Anthony Rizzo who bat from the left side. The 28-year-old was left off the club’s NLCS roster as he nursed an intercostal injury but enjoyed a breakout season this year as he pitched to a sparkling 1.76 ERA (219 ERA+) in 66 1/3 innings of work during the regular season while striking out a whopping 33.1% of his opponents. Graterol, meanwhile, missed virtually the entire 2024 campaign with injuries but has been a fixture of L.A.’s late inning mix for years now, including a dominant 2023 season where he posted a 1.20 ERA (359 ERA+) in 68 appearances. If Vesia and Graterol prove to be healthy enough to make the roster, youngsters Edgardo Henriquez and Ben Casparius could be the odd men out.

One reliever who Roberts said won’t be on the club’s World Series roster (as relayed by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic) is right-hander Joe Kelly, who has not yet appeared on the club’s postseason rosters after struggling to a 4.78 ERA and 4.57 FIP in 32 innings of work this year. Kelly, 36, has been battling a right shoulder injury but according to Roberts could be available later in the World Series as an injury replacement if necessary.

Even less likely to pitch in the World Series than Kelly is two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who has been limited to just hitting in his first year with the Dodgers but resumed a throwing program earlier this year. Roberts shut down any suggestion that Ohtani could appear out of the bullpen at any point during the series today, telling reporters (including Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times) that there is “no possibility” of Ohtani pitching against the Yankees during the Fall Classic. Of course, Ohtani delivered a 50-50 season that’s likely to earn him his third career MVP trophy and so far boasts a .286/.434/.500 slash line during the playoffs, so he’s still providing the Dodgers with plenty of value even without throwing a single pitch.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

hide arrows scroll to top