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Cardinals Announce Multiple Front Office Hires

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The Cardinals have made a couple of additions in the front office, reports John Denton of MLB.com. Joe Douglas has been brought aboard as the director of pro acquisition. Jacob Buffa will serve as the senior director of international scouting. President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom has made adding to the scouting department a point of emphasis this offseason, adds Denton.

Douglas has spent the past eight years in the Pirates organization. He will work under assistant GM and director of scouting Randy Flores, per Denton.

Buffa has been with Houston for nearly seven years. He’s been the senior director of player development and performance science for the past two seasons. Buffa will report to assistant GM, international scouting Moises Rodriguez, per Denton.

Bloom is entering his first offseason at the helm of the Cardinals. He spent a couple of seasons with the team in preparation for taking over from John Mozeliak. Bloom has said he likes the current structure of the front office and doesn’t anticipate widespread changes. “I have a lot of respect for the people who have been here,” Bloom told Denton. “I would like, hope and expect [that] our senior folks will all go forward with us. I do anticipate that we will have some additions to the front-office group.”

The new front office members are attempting to turn around a team that’s missed the postseason the past three years. St. Louis hasn’t won a playoff series since 2019. The organization did a solid job adding and developing impact prospects this season. The Cardinals’ farm system improved from 20th to 12th in MLB.com’s midseason rankings update. Lefty Liam Doyle was the fifth overall pick in the most recent draft and immediately became the top arm in the system. Shortstop JJ Wetherholt, their first-rounder from 2024, hit the ground running in his first full season of pro ball.

Kyle Finnegan Open To Returning To Detroit

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Closer Kyle Finnegan ended up being one of the star acquisitions of the 2025 trade deadline. The right-hander was one of the most dominant relievers in the game after coming over to the Tigers from the Nationals. Finnegan is now a free agent, but he’s open to returning to Detroit, reports Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. “Getting traded over here was big for me. I unlocked a lot of things that will help me moving forward in my career, and that’s a testament to the people that this organization has,” Finnegan said.

Finnegan will officially become a free agent after the World Series wraps up tonight. As Petzold points out, he won’t be eligible to sign with a new team for five days, giving the Tigers an exclusive window to negotiate with him. Finnegan signed a one-year, $6MM deal with Washington last offseason.

Detroit landed Finnegan on July 31, sending righty pitching prospects Josh Randall and R.J. Sales back to Washington. He immediately took the lead in the Tigers’ closer committee, notching saves in his first three appearances. Finnegan didn’t allow a run in his first month with the club. His strikeout rate spiked from 19.6% in 39 innings with the Nationals to 34.8% in 18 innings with the Tigers.

The postseason began as more of the same for Finnegan. He tossed three scoreless innings in the Wild Card round, earning the win in the series clincher. The ALDS didn’t go as smoothly. Finnegan was charged with runs in three of his four appearances against Seattle, including the game-tying tally in the seventh inning of Game 5.

Washington took a flyer on Finnegan as a minor league free agent following the 2019 season. He received a major league deal and soon emerged as a crucial part of their late-inning relief corps. Finnegan piled up 108 saves over the past five seasons with the Nationals. He slammed the door a career-high 38 times in 2024, earning an All-Star nod. Washington surprisingly non-tendered Finnegan after that season, only to bring him back on a one-year pact in February of this year.

Finnegan hasn’t posted shutdown closer numbers, or at least he hadn’t before coming to Detroit. He’s typically been around a strikeout per inning with fine control numbers and a few too many home runs allowed. Even in his standout 2024 campaign, Finnegan ranked in the first percentile for average exit velocity and in the second percentile for hard-hit rate.

Detroit overhauled Finnegan’s pitch mix, having him favor the splitter over the fastball. He used the heater just 40.9% of the time with the Tigers. That number had never been lower than 67.6% for a full season. Finnegan’s swinging-strike rate jumped from a mediocre 9.2% with Washington to an elite 14.3% with Detroit this year.

The new approach might help Finnegan find more suitors in free agency than he did last offseason. He’ll have plenty of competition, though. Devin Williams, Ryan Helsley, and Raisel Iglesias are the big names on the market. Edwin Díaz and Robert Suarez could join them if they opt out of their current contracts. Emilio Pagan, Luke Weaver, and Shawn Armstrong are coming off strong seasons. Kenley Jansen and Kirby Yates have lengthy track records as strong backend relievers.

If Finnegan doesn’t return, Detroit can replace him with several in-house options. Will Vest was effective in a closing role for much of the season, and tag-teamed the job with Finnegan following the trade. Tyler Holton, Brenan Hanifee, and Brant Hurter all had strong seasons in multi-faceted roles. Former closers Jason Foley and Alex Lange remain in the organization. Free agent Tommy Kahnle would be the only other notable bullpen loss if he isn’t re-signed.

Dodgers Notes: Ohtani, Yamamoto, Lineup

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Shohei Ohtani is slated to start Game 7 on the mound tonight. The two-way star will be pitching on three days’ rest after tossing six innings in Game 4 on Tuesday. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, that he’s “not sure” how long Ohtani will pitch. Roberts added that he wants to “withhold expectations and kind of read and react.”

After tearing his left shoulder labrum in the 2024 World Series, Ohtani was brought along slowly as a pitcher this season. He didn’t make his first appearance on the mound until mid-June. Since he’s a crucial part of the offense, Ohtani couldn’t take a few weeks off to go on a rehab assignment. Instead, he had to build back up at the major-league level. Ohtani tossed a single inning in each of his first two appearances. He eventually built up to three innings by the end of July. Ohtani made it through five innings in his final start of August, then capped off his regular season with his first six-inning outing.

Ohtani has had at least five days of rest between every pitching outing this season. The spread-out postseason schedule (along with LA’s success) has afforded him even more time off. Ohtani had 12 days between his NLDS and NLCS starts, then another 10 days until his first World Series outing.

While the workload has been a question for Ohtani, performance has not. He posted a 2.87 ERA across 47 innings in the regular season, and his xFIP (2.45) and SIERA (2.67) were even better. Ohtani rattled off three straight scoreless starts heading into the playoffs. He then posted quality starts in the NLDS and NLCS, winning both games. Toronto did get to Ohtani for four earned runs in Game 3, though he had six strikeouts and went six innings yet again.

Game 7s are typically all-hands-on-deck situations for the pitching staffs. Could that possibly include Yoshinobu Yamamoto? A video from Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times surfaced of the Game 6 victor throwing ahead of tonight’s game. Yamamoto wasn’t expected to be available tonight, but Roberts was asked about his status for Game 7. “He’s definitely interested,” Roberts told reporters, including Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.

Yamamoto followed his dominant complete game in Game 2 with another sterling effort on Friday. He allowed just one earned run over six innings, throwing 96 pitches. Yamamoto now has a 1.56 ERA over 34 2/3 innings this postseason. He would be in the World Series MVP conversation if it weren’t for Ohtani’s impressive contributions. While Yamamoto seems ready to go 2001 Randy Johnson, he’s probably pretty deep on the depth chart tonight. Roberts only had to use relievers Roki Sasaki and Justin Wrobleski in Game 6, plus an inning from starter Tyler Glasnow, though he only threw three pitches. Every other pitcher, including Game 5 starter Blake Snell, has had at least a couple of days off.

Roberts is largely running back the same lineup tonight, outside of flip-flopping Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernandez. That means Mookie Betts is back in the cleanup spot. Roberts bumped the scuffling Betts from second to third in the order for Game 5, then moved him to fourth for Game 6. The move paid off, as Betts came through with the biggest hit of the game. With the bases loaded and two outs in the third inning, the shortstop lined a Kevin Gausman fastball through the left side, knocking in a pair of runs. Betts had been 3-for-24 in the series prior to the single. It was his first RBI since Game 3 of the NLCS.

Muncy will move up to fifth in the order for the second time this series. Both instances have come against Max Scherzer. While righties got on at a higher clip against Scherzer this season, lefties had far more power. The veteran yielded 13 home runs and a hefty .545 slugging percentage in 200 plate appearances against left-handed hitters. The lineup adjustment will allow Muncy to get an earlier look at Scherzer.

Justin Willard “Emerging As The Favorite” For Mets’ Pitching Coach Job

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The Mets may be zeroing in on a replacement for Jeremy Hefner. Red Sox director of pitching Justin Willard is “emerging as the favorite” for the position, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic. Joel Sherman of the New York Post seconded Sammon’s report, writing that Willard is “poised to be named the Mets pitching coach.”

Willard has been with Boston since November 2024. He had previously worked in Minnesota as a pitching coach and coordinator. Willard got his coaching start in the college ranks, first as a graduate assistant at Concord University. He then spent seven years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Radford University.

Boston brought in Willard to improve the organization’s pitching development. In a story written by Ian Browne of MLB.com ahead of his first season with the team, Willard said he has a “really simple” approach when it comes to his pitching philosophy. “Throw nasty stuff in the zone. You can have nasty stuff, but it’s not gonna be maximized if you’re not in the zone.” That plan could play well in New York. The Mets’ pitching staff ranked fourth in Stuff+ in 2025, but had the sixth-highest walk rate. The club finished 18th in ERA.

New York made a slew of coaching changes this offseason, including moving on from Hefner. He had spent the past six seasons with the team. After ranking 22nd in ERA in his first season, the Mets improved to ninth and then seventh under Hefner. They’ve been 15th or worse the past three years.

If he lands the gig, Willard will have plenty to work with in 2026. Top prospect Nolan McLean debuted in August and excelled over eight starts. He leads a young core that also includes Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, and Christian Scott. New York’s rotation was buoyed by veterans David Peterson, Clay Holmes, and Sean Manaea. The trio struggled over the final couple of months of the season as New York coughed up a playoff spot, but they should be reliable sources of innings next year until the youngsters can take over.

The main task for Willard, if he were to be hired, might be to get Kodai Senga back on track. The NPB import dominated in his first MLB season in 2023, posting a sub-3.00 ERA to go with a 29.1% strikeout rate. Shoulder and calf injuries cost Senga nearly all of 2024, but he looked to have returned to ace status to begin 2025. Senga allowed two earned runs or fewer in 12 of his first 13 starts to open the season. A hamstring injury cost him a month of action, and he couldn’t regain his form upon return. Senga stumbled to a 5.90 ERA over his final nine starts of the season. His walk rate ballooned to 12.7%. Miami tagged Senga for five earned runs on the final day of August, and New York demoted the struggling starter to Triple-A. Senga will likely be back with the big-league club in 2026, but he’ll need to perform better to hold on to his spot.

Nationals Hire Blake Butera As Manager

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Just weeks after hiring Red Sox assistant GM Paul Toboni as their new president of baseball operations — thus making the 35-year-old the youngest front office leader in MLB — the Nationals announced the hiring of 33-year-old Blake Butera as their new manager. Butera had spent the past two seasons as the Rays’ senior director of player development. Like Toboni, he’s the youngest in the sport at his position.

“I’ve always believed that you win with people, and from our very first conversation, it was clear that Blake is the right person and the right leader for this role,” Toboni said in a press release. “Blake comes into this position with experience in a variety of roles in player development, including as a successful manager, making him uniquely qualified to get the most out of the players in the clubhouse and help us reach the next level. He possesses a strong baseball acumen and has a reputation for building strong relationships with players and staff, making him a great fit for us in Washington, D.C. We’re so excited to welcome him to the Nationals family.”

Butera, who’s already spent four years as a minor league skipper, will be the youngest manager since Frank Quilici in 1972. It’s been a theme for the former Rays farmhand. After a couple of seasons as an infielder in the low minors, he moved to the coaching side, taking over as skipper of High-A Hudson Valley in 2018. At 25 years old, Butera was the youngest manager in organized baseball that season, per Baseball Reference.

After two seasons with Hudson Valley, Butera became the manager of Single-A Charleston. After winning a league title in 2021, he was named Low-A East Manager of the Year. Tampa Bay promoted Butera to Minor League Assistant Field Coordinator in 2023.

Butera also has coaching experience at the international level. He worked for the Perth Heat in the Australian Baseball League from 2019 to 2020. He served as a quality control coach with Leones del Escogido in the Dominican League in 2021. Butera was also a bench coach for Italy in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Washington fired manager Dave Martinez in July. He had been at the helm since 2018. Martinez won a World Series with the team in 2019, but the team had struggled since then. The Nationals had lost 90+ games in four straight seasons heading into 2025. They were 37-53 when Martinez was dismissed.

Bench coach Miguel Cairo took over as interim manager. He was a candidate to take over full-time in 2026, but was removed from consideration earlier this week. Cairo, Brandon Hyde, and Craig Albernaz were the only three candidates known to have interviewed for Washington’s vacancy. Albernaz ended up landing the Baltimore job.

Washington also moved on from longtime president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo during the season. Assistant general manager Mike DeBartolo took over as interim general manager to close the year. The Nationals then hired former Red Sox assistant general manager Paul Toboni as their president of baseball operations in late September.

With Butera now installed in D.C., seven of the offseason’s incredible ten managerial vacancies have been filled. Colorado, San Diego, and Atlanta are still in the market for a new skipper. Minnesota (Derek Shelton), Baltimore (Albernaz), San Francisco (Tony Vitello), Texas (Skip Schumaker), and the Angels (Kurt Suzuki) have all filled the position this offseason.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported that the Nationals had chosen Butera and were finalizing a contract.

MLBPA-Owned Company Under Federal Investigation

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This morning, ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Don Van Natta Jr. reported that Players Way, a company owned by the Major League Baseball Players Association, is under federal investigation. The MLBPA is already under investigation for its association with OneTeam Partners, which Passan and Van Natta reported on back in May.

Players Way is a youth baseball company founded in 2019. The Union purports to have spent $3.9MM on the venture, though Passan and Van Natta cite multiple sources who have pegged the figures closer to $10MM. “I don’t think any of us realized it cost as much as it did,” one anonymous player told ESPN.

An anonymous whistleblower complaint from November 2024 cited Players Way, which led to a criminal investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn. The complaint lodges multiple accusations against MLBPA executive director Tony Clark, including nepotism related to hiring decisions involving Players Way.

“Any suggestion that Players Way has not been supported by our elected Player representatives and broader membership is patently false,” Clark said in a statement to ESPN. “Players Way has been front and center at every annual meeting of the MLBPA Executive Board in recent memory, and our dialogue with Players regarding youth development continues throughout the calendar.”

Readers are encouraged to check out Passan and Van Natta’s full story on the investigation, which contains more info on Players Way and MLBPA’s connection to it. Details include the company headquarters being a mailbox at a UPS Store in Florida and a YouTube channel with one subscriber. Allegations against Clark include abuse of power and improper usage of the union’s resources.

OneTeam Partners is a joint venture between the MLBPA and the NFL Players Association, along with a private equity firm, focused on player-related issues outside the collective bargaining agreement. That investigation stemmed from an anonymous complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board that included accusations against Clark regarding “improperly (giving) himself and other executives equity” in OneTeam, according to the May report from ESPN, cited above.

Clark has led the MLBPA since 2013. He had previously been the organization’s director of player relations, beginning in 2010. Clark faced internal pressure to replace deputy director Bruce Meyer back in March of last year, a change that could’ve also resulted in his own departure. Clark and Meyer ultimately survived the attempted ousting.

The allegations surrounding the MLBPA come at a crucial time for the players and the league, with the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire in December 2026. The CBA and a potential lockout will be hot topics over the coming 13 months.

Tigers Agree To New Minor League Deal With Tomas Nido

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4:00pm: Nido will make $1.5MM if he makes the major league roster, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.

1:56pm: Tomas Nido is heading back to Detroit on a minor league deal, according to the MiLB transactions log. Nido was outrighted to Triple-A Toledo in May. He elected free agency in mid-October, but will stick with the Detroit organization. Nido is represented by ACES.

Nido first joined the Tigers on a minor league deal in September 2024 after getting released by the Cubs. He elected minor league free agency at the end of the 2024 season, but reupped with Detroit in January 2025. This offseason played out similarly for the two sides.

Jake Rogers went down with an oblique injury in April, leading to an early call-up for Nido. He hit .343 in 11 games with the big-league club. All 12 of Nido’s hits were singles. He also struck out at a 27% clip. Rogers returned in May, bumping Nido back to Toledo.

The 31-year-old Nido has spent parts of the past nine seasons with four MLB teams. The majority of his professional career has been spent in the Mets organization. He was drafted by New York in 2012.

Nido handled backup catcher duties for the Mets in varying stints from 2017 to 2024. His most active year was 2022, when he appeared in 98 games and reached 313 plate appearances. Nido scuffled to a .600 OPS that season. His tenure with the Mets ended in June of 2024. The Cubs quickly scooped up Nido after his release from the Mets. He made 17 appearances with Chicago before they moved on from him.

Defense has always been Nido’s calling card. Statcast’s Fielding Run Value grades him as a positive contributor in each season going back to 2018. Nido exceeded double-figures in fielding run value in both 2021 and 2022.

Dillon Dingler emerged as a strong option behind the plate for Detroit this past season, slashing .278/.327/.425 as the primary starter. Rogers remains in the fold as a reliable backup. Nido would likely need an injury to one of those two options in order to return to the MLB squad. Detroit also has catching prospects Josue Briceno and Thayron Liranzo looming in the minors. MLB.com ranks both Briceno and Liranzo as top 5 prospects in the organization.

Bryce Miller Expected To Avoid Elbow Surgery

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Seattle right-hander Bryce Miller is not expected to need elbow surgery this offseason, reports Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. Miller had multiple stints on the injured list this past season due to elbow inflammation. He returned for the final six weeks of the regular season and made three starts in the playoffs. “I finished the year the best I felt all year — three good starts, I felt like,” Miller told Jude. “My body and my arm feel good, so just get better, get fully healthy and be ready to go from Day 1 next year.”

Miller was diagnosed with a bone spur in his elbow and received a PRP injection in early June. He relayed to Jude that he has an upcoming appointment to determine the next steps in treatment. Miller said the likely route is a gel cortisone injection early this offseason, and potentially another one at the start of spring training. “Now that we know how to deal with the bone spur, we can figure out what we need to do exactly with it and go from there,” Miller told Jude. He added that he’d be “surprised” if the appointment led to an invasive procedure.

The elbow injury seemed to derail the early portion of Miller’s 2025 campaign. He struggled to a 5.22 ERA through his first eight starts. The control was the biggest red flag. After posting a solid 6.4% walk rate in 2024, Miller nearly doubled that mark to 12.1% over his first 39 2/3 innings. He hit the IL on May 14, though it was a minimum stint. Miller returned at the end of May, but only lasted two starts. He was hammered for eight earned runs over nine innings and headed back to the IL.

The results following Miller’s second absence weren’t much better. He closed the regular season with a 5.62 ERA over eight starts, but there were encouraging signs heading into the playoffs. Miller’s fastball velocity improved by nearly one mph. He cut his walk rate to 6.3%. Miller was mostly done in by a massive 24.5% home run to fly ball rate, which should be expected to regress over a larger sample.

Miller put everything together in the postseason. He limited the Tigers to two runs over 4 1/3 innings in Game 4 of the ALDS. Miller then came through with six dominant innings in a win over Toronto to kick off the ALCS. He returned in Game 5 with four innings of one-run ball, though Toronto’s bullpen couldn’t hold a late lead. Miller’s fastball velocity topped out at 98.1 mph in his second start against the Mariners.

The uneven 2025 season was a disappointing follow-up to a tremendous 2024 for Miller. He built on a solid rookie year, putting together 180 1/3 innings of a sub-3.00 ERA and nearly a strikeout per inning last season. Miller’s 3.85 xFIP and 3.80 SIERA suggested he might not have been as good as his 2.94 ERA, but he looked like a fixture in a talented rotation.

After a remarkably healthy 2024, Seattle’s starters were hampered by injuries this past season. Logan Gilbert spent all of May and part of June on the IL with an elbow flexor strain. George Kirby missed the first two months of the season with shoulder inflammation. Bryan Woo went down with a pectoral injury in September. He was available for just 4 1/3 innings in the playoffs.

Seattle’s rotation led the league in ERA in 2024. The staff slipped to 13th this past season. With Miller managing his elbow injury without surgery, and an offseason for Woo to get back to full health, the rotation should once again be among the best in the league next season. The unit will be key in getting the team back to the postseason in 2026.

The Case For The Reds To Sign A Big Bat

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The Reds’ immediate exit from the playoffs makes it easy to forget the successes of the regular season. Cincinnati snapped a four-year postseason drought in manager Terry Francona’s first season. They won 83 games for just the second time since 2013. This team has something to build on heading into 2026, and now is the time to make a splash in free agency.

As MLBTR’s Anthony Franco explored in Cincinnati’s Offseason Outlook for Front Office subscribers, improving the offense will be key this offseason. The club did not have the depth or high-end talent to compete with the best of the National League. Cincinnati could make smaller moves around the margins, as they’ve done in recent seasons, but why not take a bigger swing?

Financially, the team is in a decent spot. FanGraphs’ RosterResource tool has the Reds with an estimated payroll of around $94MM heading into next season. They were close to $120MM this past season, and have been above $130MM in each season from 2020 to 2022. The biggest current commitment for 2026 is the $13MM owed to Jeimer Candelario. While it stings to be shelling out that amount to a player no longer in the organization, Candelario is the only one on the books for eight figures right now, assuming the team declines Austin Hays’ $12MM mutual option. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz has Brady Singer projected to earn $11.9MM in arbitration, but the righty will likely be the only significant commitment coming from the arbitration process.

Cincinnati’s largest free agent contract by total value is a tie between Nick Castellanos and Mike Moustakas at $64MM over four years in 2020, as shown on MLBTR’s Contract Tracker. The club will have to go well beyond a $16MM average annual value to entice Kyle Schwarber or Pete Alonso, but maybe combining the outlay on Castellanos and Moustakas would be enough to make an interesting offer.

Part of the reason for the offense being the offseason focus is that the pitching staff was excellent in 2025. Hunter Greene looked like an ace when healthy. Andrew Abbott delivered a breakout season. Singer and Nick Lodolo provided stable innings. Chase Burns posted electrifying strikeout numbers upon getting called up. Cincinnati ranked ninth in starting pitcher ERA. Only six other starting staffs had more strikeouts.

The success on the mound is made more impressive by Cincinnati’s home venue. Great American Ball Park ranks third in StatCast’s Park Factor metric. It’s the second-highest rated park for home runs. The strides made by the starting pitching unit make the shortcomings of the offense harder to swallow, especially given the favorable hitting environment.

Though they snuck into the playoffs after chasing down the Mets, the Reds finished third in the NL Central. They haven’t been better than third in the division since winning it in 2012. This might be the perfect time to buck that trend.

Pittsburgh and St. Louis are in rebuilding mode, making this a three-horse race heading into next season. Milwaukee and Chicago both won 90+ games in 2025, but could be facing significant losses. Kyle Tucker is a free agent. He would fit the bill as a significant splash for Cincinnati, though he’s likely out of their price range. The more likely impact is removing a key contributor from the middle of the Cubs’ lineup. Speaking of important losses, Milwaukee could be considering a Freddy Peralta trade. It would be a massive loss for a rotation without much proven depth and some health questions.

The Brewers and Cubs are still likely the favorites to win the NL Central next season, but the Reds can close the gap. Their finances make a big move possible, and their pitching staff deserves better support. Schwarber said it would be “cool” to suit up for his hometown team. The Reds might as well try to make that happen.

Blue Jays Notes: Bichette, Scherzer, Defense

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After getting shut down offensively in Game 2 of the World Series, Toronto will get an important bat back in the lineup tonight. Bo Bichette will draw the start at second base for Game 3, batting fourth. “[He] felt good coming out of yesterday,” manager John Schneider told reporters on Sunday, including David Singh of Sportsnet. “I think with each day that goes on, he’ll probably get as close to normal as he can at this stage of the year.”

Bichette made his long-awaited return in Game 1 after missing close to two months with a knee injury. He singled on a 3-0 pitch in his first at-bat. Bichette began Toronto’s game-breaking sixth inning, drawing a walk against Blake Snell to lead off the inning. Isiah Kiner-Falefa replaced him on the bases and came around to score the go-ahead run. Toronto would go on to tag Snell and two relievers with nine runs in the frame.

It was Kiner-Falefa, not Bichette, who drew the start at second base in Game 2. Bichette grounded out as a pinch-hitter in the seventh inning. He played a couple of innings in the field in relief of Kiner-Falefa. “Seven weeks is a long layoff, so you don’t want to just go back to 100 percent,” Schneider told reporters, including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, regarding Bichette’s usage.

Bichette is playing second base for the first time at the professional level since 2019 at Triple-A. The early returns have been acceptable, as Bichette has handled the few chances he’s had so far. Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports that Toronto is adjusting their infield strategy to support him. The team is having shortstop Andres Gimenez and first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. shade closer to Bichette to provide extra coverage. “I think the positioning part of it plays a big component,” Schneider told Bannon.

Toronto hasn’t had an error in either game of the World Series. They were a middling defense during the regular season, ranking 18th in fielding percentage. The Blue Jays had the 12th-most errors. Kiner-Falefa is known for his defensive ability and is capable of handling multiple infield positions. While he did go 5-for-15 in the ALCS, the utilityman is hitless so far against the Dodgers. Getting Bichette’s bat in the mix will be a boost, especially after Yoshinobu Yamamoto silenced the lineup on Saturday. Kiner-Falefa is a candidate to replace Bichette on the bases or in the field in a late-game situation.

The Blue Jays will send Max Scherzer to the bump on Monday. Schneider is expecting the same intensity he showed in Game 4 of the ALCS. “Wonder how many coaches he’ll knock over tonight,” Schneider told reporters, including Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The fiery right-hander had a handful of animated moments during his last outing, a near-quality start against Seattle. Scherzer allowed two earned runs over 5 2/3 innings to earn the win and knot the series at 2-2.

Scherzer’s appearance for Toronto tonight will make him the first player to pitch for four different teams in the World Series, per MLB. The 40-year-old also made Fall Classic starts for Detroit, Washington, and Texas, winning the title with the latter two teams.

Scherzer came into the postseason in a rut, giving up 17 earned runs over 15 innings to close the regular season. He did not make the ALDS roster, with Schneider citing the matchup against the Yankees as the reason for the veteran’s omission. Scherzer tossed a quality start in his lone appearance against the Dodgers this season, holding them to two earned runs over six innings in early September.

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