With Spring Training rapidly approaching, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Pirates, Oviedo kick off arbitration season:
Right-hander Johan Oviedo and the Pirates went to the first arbitration hearing of the winter yesterday, according to a report from the Associated Press. A decision in that case is expected today after Oviedo argued for a $1.15MM salary in 2025 while the Pirates countered with $850K. As the AP notes, players won the majority of cases last winter with a 9-6 record, making 2024 the first time they won the majority of hearings since 2019. Teams have a massive 353-266 advantage overall throughout the history of arbitration hearings, so will 2025 fall in line with historical norms or join 2024 to create a trend of players starting to win arbitration cases more frequently? There are 11 more arbitration hearings scheduled, though it’s still possible for a late agreement on a multi-year deal (or one-year deal with an option) in those cases.
2. MLB The Show highlights three young stars:
The cover art for MLB The Show 25 dropped yesterday, and while the previous eight installments all highlighted just one player, this year’s edition features a trio of the game’s brightest young stars: Pirates ace Paul Skenes, Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz, and Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson. The trio are on the shortlist for the baseball’s most exciting young talents, with Skenes having won NL Rookie of the Year and been a finalist for the NL Cy Young award in his first pro season last year while De La Cruz swiped 60 bags en route to an eighth-place finish in NL MVP voting. Over in the AL, Henderson was perhaps most impressive of all as he delivered an incredible season that earned him 9.1 bWAR, 8.0 fWAR, and a fourth-place finish in AL MVP voting behind Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr. and Juan Soto.
3. Managerial extensions on the way?
Yesterday, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner indicated that the club plans to open up extension talks with longtime manager Aaron Boone this spring, ahead of the final season on his contract. Boone took over in the Yankees’ dugout prior to the 2018 season, and while the club has been generally successful in the years since then, his tenure has overlapped with the second-longest World Series drought in franchise history. Boone’s Yankees have posted a 603-429 record overall during the regular season with postseason berths in six of his seven years at the helm, and he’s finished top five in AL Manager of the Year voting four times, including a second-place finish back in 2019.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers have long been expected to work out an extension with Dave Roberts. Roberts has led the club to nine consecutive postseason berths since taking over in 2016, with four World Series appearances and two championships in that time. He also won the NL Manager of the Year award for his work in 2016 with six other top-five finishes. Overall, L.A. has posted an 851-506 record under Roberts. Club GM Brandon Gomes confirmed yesterday during an appearance on The New York Post’s “The Show” podcast with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman that the club plans to discuss an extension with Roberts before the season begins. Will other clubs open extension talks with their skippers and/or front office personnel? Back on New Year’s Eve, MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk ran through a list of managers and baseball operations leaders entering the final season of their contract in 2025.
I’d be curious to know why Gunnar was chosen instead of Witt.
Witt had the higher WAR, much higher OPS and OPS+, finished higher in MVP voting, carried his team more, and is only a year older than Gunnar.
the players dont just get “chosen.” they have to agree to it as well.
Squeeze – Agreed, therefore that could be the reason Witt wasn’t chosen.
I’d be curious if it is.
Witt might have a real agent. Skenes should fire his agent and get Witts. Both are worthy of their own cover. You wouldn’t think the game would pay 3x more. More like they said lets get 2 or 3 guys who will take less $. Just some ideas.
5 10 years ago this would matter. Now most video games are digital sales. Only hardcore physical media collectors or fans of these players will buy a actual copy of the game. For most it’s just a icon in their screen and will be replaced in a year.
FPG — It was an artistic decision; only Warm color jearsy teams were eligible. Yellow, Red and Orange for the win!
…maybe
Happy Johan Oviedo Day to those who celebrate.
And also with you.
Cheers mate!
Go get him Nutting
Anyone see how the Pirates lowballed (as usual) the kid that pulled the Skenes card? They offered 30 years of seasons tickets behind home plate and one game box seats with Livvy Dunn. The card is going to go for 7 figures and they just offer season tickets to a kid that lives across the country.
Dog turd franchise.
Proklington: Maybe the kid will move.
Kid and his family turned it down instantly and said it’s going to auction. For what the card is worth he could buy season tickets to a good team or move somewhere better.
Kids from Los Angeles, wonder if it was 30yrs of front row season tickets for Dodgers plus the Dunne “date,” if that would have sweetened the pot to accept offer. ?
Pirates can’t afford 30 years of dodger season tickets in the nosebleeds let alone behind home plate.
High ball offer. Who gives a rats as about a piece of card with a photo on it? Does Nutting for the owner. If he could buy it and flip it sure he would be interested but that looks bad. So he makes a offer that no one would accept to get a lil pr. Reminds yinzers we still have Skenes get your tickets. 30 years season tickets sounds impressive as long as you don’t think about the oh the living in LA thing. Maybe you think we’ll he could sell them. Most fans won’t think that much nor know baseball card market. Nor care.
If Skenes wants it he can use his own $. Why should Pirates buy it for him? Well I was going to wait for free agency but since you bought me that card I will take much less $ and sign this team friendly extension. Sure. Maybe Bob does buy it if it goes up for auction.
What’s the gimmick that makes this card so valuable? Does Skenes even love card collecting? You would think being a world class pitcher and making love to hot women would consume his time.
Could have just had a 1 of a kind card made and taken it to all star game and have every legend pitcher or player their sign it. Now that would be a card.
Ask the Pirates dude. They reached out to the kid to buy it not the other way around.
It’s a 1/1 rookie patch card graded 10.
Lots of interesting free agents left out there, let’s see some good pickups today. Who y’all want for your teams?
Grichuk Grichuk Grichuk for Pirates. Have to offer him at least 10m. Go 2 years if need be. Go 3 to save $. Should have done this last year for much cheaper. With Skenes Keller Jones you can’t bet on a new hitting coach fixing Suwinski.
Canha Canha. 1b all star vs RHP. Complete the Platoon with a guy who can play outfield as well.
Pillar for LHP late inning defense.
All these moves make too much sense for Pirates so I probably only 1 or none get done. Should have already been done.
Agreed 100%. Payroll is still lower than last year, will be about the same with Grichuk making 10m. Even if he doesn’t bat as well as last year, will help them a ton. Negotiations should not take that long. Get him in here and used to the clubhouse.
Good for MLB the Show to highlight young players from small markets after Vladdy, Chisholm, Ohtani, Harper etc.
1/3 of the payroll they get 1/3 of the cover. Only fair.
I gotta appreciate MLBTS for giving these stars on smaller markets their due.
On another note, I really hope they revamped Franchise mode.
Their trade evaluator is dog it. You can make trades and make a 60 win team a 100 win team.