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Dodgers Exercise Club Option On Austin Barnes

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The Dodgers have exercised their club option on the services of catcher Austin Barnes for the 2025 season. Barnes will earn $3.5MM in 2025.

Barnes, 35 in December, was a ninth-round pick by the Marlins back in 2011 but has spent his entire big league career with the Dodgers. The veteran first debuted with the club back in 2015 and has now spent parts of ten seasons with L.A. in the majors. While he’s never been an everyday player and only received the lion’s share of playing time behind the plate in 2019 (when he shared duties with veteran Russell Martin and rookie Will Smith), Barnes has proven to be a sturdy and reliable backup catcher for the club throughout his career and has even become something of a personal catcher for franchise legend Clayton Kershaw in recent years.

With Smith under contract for the next decade after signing a ten-year extension back in March, he’s set to remain the club’s starting option behind the plate for the foreseeable future. The Dodgers also have a number of interesting catching prospects in the upper minors including Diego Cartaya and Dalton Rushing. With a number of intriguing internal options at the position, it may come across as something of a shock that the club would pay $3.5MM to retain an aging catcher who has hit just .217/.289/.270 (61 wRC+) over the past two seasons. Surprising as that may seem, however, the veteran remains a fairly well-regarded defender behind the plate with +2 Defensive Runs Saved in just 54 games this year.

For a Dodgers club that routinely runs payrolls at or near the top of the league, $3.5MM is an insignificant price to pay to retain a longtime member of the organization who works well with a franchise icon and offers a reliable, steady option in a year where the club could consider giving those aforementioned youngsters some opportunities to catch at the big league level. It would’ve been a surprise if the Dodgers were willing to commit to either Cartaya or Rushing as Smith’s primary backup on Opening Day of 2025 when neither has so much as a single plate appearance in the majors, and retaining Barnes allows the club to ease those prospects into life at the big league level and give them whatever time they may need at Triple-A to polish their skills and prepare for the big leagues.

Two more option decisions will need to be made over the coming days involving the Dodgers: the team will need to decide whether to bring shortstop Miguel Rojas back on a $5MM option ($1MM buyout), and Kershaw will need to decide whether he wishes to exercise his $10MM player option or head back into free agency (where he’s already indicated he would look to re-sign in Los Angeles).

Offseason Outlook: Boston Red Sox

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Despite end-of-season promises of a "full-throttle" approach to the 2023-24 offseason, things were fairly quiet for the Red Sox during their first year under new chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's guidance as the club prioritized short-term commitments in free agency and on the trade market without making a major splash. That led to another disappointing season at Fenway where the club posted a lackluster 81-81 record that landed them third place in the AL East and four games out of an AL Wild Card spot. After a season that saw a number of youngsters take steps forward and with more prospect talent nearing the majors, Breslow's second winter at the helm figures to be more active than his first.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Rafael Devers, 3B: $284MM through 2033
  • Trevor Story, SS: $77.5MM through 2027 (includes $5MM buyout on 2028 club option)
  • Masataka Yoshida, DH: $55.8MM through 2027
  • Brayan Bello, SP: $53.33MM through 2029 (includes $1MM buyout on 2030 club option)
  • Ceddanne Rafaela, CF/SS: $48.75MM through 2031 (includes $4MM buyout on 2032 club option)
  • Liam Hendriks, RP: $8MM through 2025 (includes $2MM buyout on $12MM mutual option)
  • Garrett Whitlock, SP/RP: $14MM through 2026 (includes $1MM buyout on 2027 club option; additional club option for '28)

Option Decisions

2025 financial commitments: $105.93MM
Total long-term financial commitments: $562.79MM

Arbitration-Eligible Players (projected salaries via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Non-tender candidates: None

Free Agents

Disappointing as the 2024 season was for the Red Sox in terms of their record, one major silver lining for the club this winter is that the majority of their key contributors remain under long-term team control, meaning they'll be able to focus more on upgrading the roster than patching holes created by departing veterans. In particular, they're extremely well set-up in the outfield with Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela all currently locked in at the major league level, not to mention the presence of Masataka Yoshida and (assuming his club option is picked up as expected) Rob Refsnyder.

With top prospect Roman Anthony knocking on the door of the majors and even getting some buzz as Baseball America's #1 prospect, the Red Sox remain flush in outfield talent even as they watch Tyler O'Neill and his 30-homer power depart for free agency. Of course, that's not to say O'Neill's bat won't be sorely missed in the Red Sox lineup. As a team, their 104 wRC+ was a hair above average, placing them in a three-way tie with the Brewers and Mariners for the tenth-best figure in the majors. While that's certainly a respectable number, even a prospect as talented as Anthony can't be expected to seamlessly replace the 131 wRC+ O'Neill provided to the club in a resurgent 2024 season.

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Alex Kirilloff Announces Retirement

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Twins outfielder and first baseman Alex Kirilloff is retiring from his playing career, as he announced on his personal Instagram account this morning. The Twins subsequently confirmed his retirement in an announcement on X. The soon to be 27-year-old would have been slated for his second of four trips through arbitration with Minnesota this winter.

The surprising decision comes due to the numerous injuries Kirilloff has sustained throughout his career. The outfielder was plagued by a number of wrist, shoulder, and back injuries throughout his career that have caused him to make seven trips to the injured list during his four years in the majors, limiting him to just 249 games played at the big league level. That long list of injuries includes three surgeries: two on his wrist and one on his shoulder.

“In my nine professional seasons, I’ve encountered numerous injuries, which led me to search for new ways to overcome the pain. These challenges have taken a toll on me mentally and physically; over time, I’ve realized that my passion for playing the game has shifted,” Kirilloff said in his announcement. “Baseball demands an ‘all-in’ approach, something I’ve brought to every season. However, I can no longer give it the total commitment it requires. I’ve always believed that playing this game requires 110% effort, and anything less would not do justice to my teammates, coaches, fans, or the game itself.”

Kirilloff’s professional career began when he was selected 15th overall by the Twins in the 2016 draft. While he didn’t make his full-season pro debut until 2018, Kirilloff tore through the lower levels of the minors with a .348/.392/.578 slash line in 130 games at the Single-A and High-A levels in that first full season, which immediately catapulted him towards top prospect status. He entered 2019 as a consensus top-20 prospect in the sport, and even following a slight downturn in production in his first taste of Double-A action that year he remained a consensus top-30 prospect in the game when he made his big league debut in 2021.

Though hampered by a torn ligament in his wrist, Kirilloff’s first season in the majors was generally a solid one as he slashed a roughly league average .251/.299/.423 with eight home runs and 11 doubles in just 231 trips to the plate. Unfortunately, those wrist issues continued to plague Kirilloff in his second year as a big leaguer as well, limiting him to just 156 trips to the plate across 45 games and leading him to undergo wrist surgery for the second consecutive season.

After that second wrist surgery, things finally appeared to be looking up for the talented youngster last year. His season debut was delayed until early May by recovery from the aforementioned surgery, but he hit quite well out of the gate with a .314/.448/.486 slash line in that first month back in the majors. While his production tailed off a bit from there, he remained a regular fixture in the Twins lineup throughout the first half and was hitting a solid .270/.357/.442 through the end of July. Unfortunately, he promptly found himself sidelined by a strained right shoulder that would cause him to miss the entire month of August. Though he managed to return late in the year to play another 19 games in September, the ailment ultimately required yet another surgery that left him to spend his third consecutive offseason rehabbing.

When Kirilloff returned to the Twins lineup in 2024, he once again hit quite well early in the season with a .259/.323/.471 slash line through May 1. Unfortunately, the outfielder began to struggle even as his underlying metrics were solid, and he hit just .135/.207/.284 in what would ultimately be the final 30 games of his big league career. Once again hobbled by an injury, Kirilloff was placed on the injured list in mid-June due to a back injury he had been attempting to play through. The injury proved to be due to a nerve issue, and though he began a rehab assignment with the Twins in late August, that lasted just one game before he found himself sidelined once again. With a fourth consecutive offseason set to be dominated by the rehab process, that Kirilloff found himself in his own words unable to give the “110% effort” required to be a professional ballplayer is understandable.

In all, Kirilloff wraps up his big league career with 249 games played in the majors and a respectable .248/.309/.412 slash line across 884 trips to the plate. We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Kirilloff on the hard work and perseverance he showed throughout his career and wish him all the best in retirement.

Daniel Hudson Announces Retirement

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Following the Dodgers’ decisive victory over the Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series last night, veteran reliever Daniel Hudson announced to reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register) that he will retire from playing as a champion. The veteran of 15 big league seasons has played for the Dodgers, Padres, Nationals, Blue Jays, Pirates, Diamondbacks, and White Sox throughout his lengthy career.

Hudson, 37, was selected by Chicago in the fifth round of the 2008 draft. Then a starting pitcher, the right-hander was a fast riser to the majors who made his big league debut just one year after being drafted, in 2009. He made just nine appearances for the team that drafted him across two seasons before being shipped to the Diamondbacks in a deal for Edwin Jackson. Hudson slotted into the Diamondbacks rotation down the stretch and put on a dazzling performance for fans in Arizona, with a 1.69 ERA and 3.22 FIP in 11 starts spread across 79 2/3 innings of work.

That dominant late-season performance suggested the Snakes had landed a quality starter ready for a full season’s workload in the majors. The right-hander’s first full season with the Dbacks seemed to support that, as he posted a solid 3.49 ERA while logging 222 innings across 33 starts for the club in 2011. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse from there. Hudson’s 2012 season saw him post disastrous results through nine starts before going under the knife for Tommy John surgery that July. He’d miss the entire 2013 season while rehabbing and made it back to a big league mound only at the tail end of the 2014 season.

Hudson’s elbow troubles marked the end of his career as a starter, but his time in the majors was just getting started as he began to fashion himself into a reliever. His first season out of the bullpen in Arizona was relatively pedestrian, as the then-28-year-old pitched to a 3.86 ERA in 67 2/3 innings of work while striking out 24.5% of opponents. It was more of the same for the right-hander over the next several years, as he bounced from team to team as a solid but unspectacular middle reliever. From 2015 to 2018, Hudson suited up for Arizona, Pittsburgh, and Los Angeles with rather pedestrian results. His 96 ERA+ was just below league average during that time, and he struck out 23.3% of opponents.

Things changed for Hudson in 2019, however. After latching on with the Blue Jays on a one-year deal, Hudson looked quite good for the rebuilding club in the first half of the season as he posted a solid 3.00 ERA in 48 innings of work. That solid performance was enough to draw interest from the Nationals, who at the time were in a tight race with the Phillies, Brewers, and Cubs for two NL Wild Card spots. The bullpen had been a sore spot for D.C. throughout the year, but Hudson helped to change that with a dominant late-season run that saw him post an eye-popping 1.44 ERA in 24 late-season innings for the Nationals.

That incredible work led Hudson to join closer Sean Doolittle as one of only a handful of trusted pitchers on Dave Martinez’s staff during the postseason. Hudson managed scoreless appearances in seven of his nine outings for the Nationals during that playoff run, highlighted by his save in the NL Wild Card Game against the Brewers to and his scoreless frame of work to close out Game 7 of the World Series and earn the Nats their first World Series championship in club history. After securing his first ring, Hudson remained with the Nationals for two more seasons. After a difficult 2020 campaign, he pitched well enough during the 2021 season to get traded to the Padres down the stretch, though San Diego ultimately missed the postseason.

The final act of Hudson’s career began in 2022 when he signed on to return to the Dodgers. During his second stint in Los Angeles, Hudson was nothing short of electric when on the mound, with a 2.69 ERA a 26.9% strikeout rate when healthy enough to take the mound. Staying healthy proved to be a challenge, however, as ACL and MCL injuries limited the veteran to just 27 1/3 innings of work over the 2022 and ’23 campaigns. He remained with the Dodgers on a minor league deal last winter, however, and was part of the club’s Opening Day bullpen. Now that he was finally healthy, the 37-year-old impressed with a 3.00 ERA in 63 innings of work while collecting ten saves with the Dodgers throughout the year. While a difficult outing in Game 4 of the World Series skewed his overall postseason numbers, Hudson was a generally effective relief arm for the club throughout their playoff run this year, throwing scoreless frames in five of his seven outings en route to his second career championship.

Altogether, Hudson posted a 3.74 ERA (111 ERA+) and a nearly-matching 3.76 FIP over 855 1/3 career innings during the regular season (to go with 21 postseason innings). He won 65 games and saved 43 while striking out 817 batters and appearing in 537 total contests. Those of us at MLB Trade Rumors salute Hudson on a fine career and wish him all the best in whatever comes next for the two-time World Series champion.

The Opener: Offseason, Trade Candidates, Cole

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

1. The offseason has arrived!

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

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

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

3. What’s next for Cole?

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

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

Latest On The Cardinals’ Offseason Plans

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As the postseason nears its conclusion, we’re rapidly nearing the proper start of the offseason for all thirty clubs. Among the first decisions to be made for any club during the offseason is whether or not they’ll exercise club options for the following season. Those decisions are due five days after the end of the World Series, but clubs generally have an idea of where they stand before then. The Athletic’s Katie Woo discussed the Cardinals’ plans for the three club options they hold for 2025 this morning, and noted that the club is “not expected” to exercise its $12MM option ($1MM buyout) on veteran righty Lance Lynn or its $6MM option ($1MM buyout) on reliever Keynan Middleton.

Neither of those decisions are necessarily a surprise. Previous reporting indicated that Middleton was expected to land elsewhere this winter, and while Lynn’s status was more up in the air it’s long appeared that the club may prefer to retain right-hander Kyle Gibson on his team option, which comes with identical terms to Lynn’s, in 2025. That said, Woo makes clear that even Gibson’s option being picked up isn’t a guarantee. Instead, Woo suggests that the club would be “almost guaranteed” to trade either right-hander Miles Mikolas or southpaw Steven Matz this winter if Gibson’s option does end up getting picked up. Woo notes that the odds of Gibson’s option being picked up will “increase” if the Cardinals feel confident they’ll be able to move one of the two this winter, but that’s far from a guarantee.

Matz is surely the more tradable of the duo, even as he’s coming off a largely lost season on the mound that saw him pitch to a lackluster 5.08 ERA amid injuries that limited him to just 44 1/3 innings of work on the mound. While that production is unlikely to entice much in return on the trade market, the increasing price of starting pitching in recent years makes the remaining one year and $12.5MM on Matz’s contract a bit more palatable than it otherwise would be. Overall, the southpaw has been roughly league average (95 ERA+) while swinging between the bullpen and rotation for the Cardinals and figures to be a generally solid serviceable back-of-the-rotation starter in 2025. It’s also possible a club could look to convert him to full-time relief work after the lefty posted sub-3.00 ERAs out of the bullpen in each of his last three seasons, albeit in small sample sizes that total just 33 1/3 innings of 2.43 ERA ball.

Mikolas, however, figures to be quite difficult for the club to move. Woo notes that the 36-year-old is among the club’s many veterans (including Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado) who holds a no-trade clause that will restrict their availability to be dealt this winter. The Cardinals will need to have conversations with all of those players about their futures, but even if Mikolas agrees to waive his no-trade rights to play elsewhere its unclear how interested rival clubs would be in his services. Mikolas just endured the worst season of his Cardinals career in 2024 as he pitched to a subpar 5.35 ERA in 171 2/3 innings of work.

A hurler who will turn 37 in August with three below average seasons by ERA+ over the last four years and a $17.67MM salary for 2025 seems unlikely to garner much interest on the trade market unless St. Louis is willing to pay down a significant portion of his salary. That being said, there are some silver linings in Mikolas’s profile. The veteran’s 4.24 FIP and 4.28 SIERA in 2024 were far better than his actual on-field results, and he remains one of the most durable starters in the game today. Over the past three seasons, Mikolas has made 100 appearances (99 starts) and thrown 575 1/3 innings. That’s good for the sixth-most innings in baseball over that time, behind only Logan Webb, Aaron Nola, Corbin Burnes, Logan Gilbert, and Framber Valdez. If the Cardinals were willing to pay down a portion of Mikolas’s salary, it’s at least feasible that a team in need of innings could take a flier on the veteran in hopes of a bounce-back.

Phillies Sign Cody Stashak To Minor League Deal

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The Phillies have signed right-hander Cody Stashak, according to a report from Ted Schwerzler. Per The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, the arrangement is a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training.

Stashak, 30, was a 13th-round pick by the Twins in the 2015 draft who first made his big league debut with the club back in 2019. It was generally an effective rookie season for the right-hander, who pitched out of the bullpen (barring one start as a two-inning opener) to solid results with a 3.24 ERA and 3.01 FIP in 25 innings. Stashak struck out 24% of opponents that year while walking just one batter all season. That impressive command over the strike zone showed up again during the shortened 2020 season, as Stashak turned in another strong season with Minnesota: across 15 innings of work, Stashak posted a 3.00 ERA with a 3.26 FIP, a 29.8% strikeout rate, and a 5.8% walk rate.

Unfortunately for the right-hander, his performance would take a nosedive during the 2021 season. Stashak saw his walk rate skyrocket to 13.3%, and while his strikeout rate was an excellent 34.7%, the additional traffic on the bases left the right-hander with awful results despite a solid enough 3.62 FIP. In 15 2/3 innings of work, Stashak surrendered 12 runs (all of them earned) for an ERA of 6.89. Despite those ugly run prevention numbers, Stashak’s strong track record and solid peripherals were enough to convince the Twins to keep him around for the 2022 season.

That proved to be a solid enough decision, as Stashak quickly bounced back to his old form. While his 3.86 ERA was somewhat pedestrian and his 23.1% strikeout rate was the lowest of his career, he had clearly recaptured his excellent command as he did not walk a single batter that season. Unfortunately, the righty’s season was cut short in early June when he went under the knife to repair a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. The Twins designated him for assignment the following offseason rather than keep him on the roster while he rehabbed, and he elected free agency rather than remain with the club in the minor leagues.

Since recovering from that surgery, Stashak had a brief stint in the Atlantic League with the Lancaster Barnstormers before signing with the Giants on a minor league deal. He struggled badly in his first outings following his return to affiliated ball late in the 2023 season, but the Giants nonetheless retained him on a minor league deal this past year. Stashak posted mediocre numbers at Triple-A for the club this past year with a 5.45 ERA in 36 1/3 innings of work, though that figure is a bit inflated thanks to the extreme offensive environment in the Pacific Coast League. Stashak’s trademark control was on display this year as he walked just 7.4% of opponents against a 27.2% strikeout rate, however.

Those solid peripherals were evidently enough for the Phillies to be intrigued by Stashak. He’ll join the club for Spring Training and look to show he’s returned to the excellent form he posted early in his career with the Twins in hopes of landing a spot in the Philly bullpen next year. There should be a handful of spots available, as leverage arms Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez are both ticketed for free agency along with swingman Spencer Turnbull.

The Opener: World Series, Freeman, Managerial Searches

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

1. World Series Game 5:

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

2. Freeman makes history:

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

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

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

The Opener: World Series, Marlins, MLBTR Chat

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

1. Dodgers go for the sweep:

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

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

2. Marlins managerial search heating up?

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

3. MLBTR Chat this afternoon:

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

The Opener: World Series, Judge, White Sox

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

1. World Series Game 3:

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

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

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

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

3. Is the White Sox managerial search heating up?

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

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