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The Opener: NLCS, Lux, Rizzo, MLBTR Chat

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As the Yankees and Guardians head to Cleveland with New York up 2-0, here are a few things to watch for today:

1. NLCS Game 3:

The Dodgers and Mets left L.A. with the NLCS all tied up, and tonight they’ll take the field in Queens to continue the series. The Dodgers will send right-hander Walker Buehler (5.38 ERA in 16 starts) to the mound in hopes of stronger results after the righty was lit up for six runs in five innings while striking out just one against the Padres in his most recent postseason start. The Mets will counter with right-hander Luis Severino (3.91 ERA in 31 starts) on the heels of a quality start by the righty in the NLDS where he struck out seven Phillies over six innings while surrendering three runs. The matchup between the two hurlers is scheduled to start at 8:08pm local time this evening.

2. Lux day-to-day?

Headed into tonight’s game, one question facing the Dodgers is the availability of second baseman Gavin Lux. As noted by MLB.com, Lux was out of the starting lineup in Game 2, replaced by Enrique Hernandez at second base. The move to not start Lux came on the heels of the 26-year-old being removed from Game 1 due to hip tightness. While manager Dave Roberts indicated prior to the game that Lux would be available off the bench, he ultimately did not make an appearance in Game 2. Following a day off and with a right-handed starter on the mound, will Lux be healthy enough to take the field? While the infielder’s 100 wRC+ during the regular season doesn’t stand out, Lux had a huge finish to the year, hitting .304/.390/.508 in 210 plate appearances after the All-Star break, and he went 5-for-18 with a homer and a walk during the NLDS against San Diego.

3. Rizzo day-to-day:

Coming off a second consecutive win against the Guardians in the ALCS, one focus for the Yankees on their day off will be monitoring the status of veteran first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Rizzo was unavailable for the ALDS but returned to the roster for the championship series to play through two fractured fingers on his right hand. The 35-year-old has done quite well for himself on the field so far, going 3-for-7 with a walk and a double, but Brendan Kuty of The Athletic noted before yesterday’s game that Rizzo’s availability is truly day-to-day after he was pulled from Game 1 of the series early and entered the day of Game 2 with his availability uncertain. Rizzo managed to play the full game yesterday, however, and with a day off today there’s certainly reason for optimism that he’ll be able to remain in the club’s lineup as the series heads to Cleveland tomorrow.

4. MLBTR Chat today:

MLBTR’s Steve Adams wasn’t able to host his usual Tuesday chat with readers this week, so it’ll take place this afternoon instead. If you have a question about free agency, your favorite team’s offseason direction, potential winter trades, the ongoing postseason, etc. — you can click here to submit a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to participate live at 3pm CT or read the transcript after the chat has been completed.

Phillies Notes: Realmuto, Outfield, Thomson

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Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski spoke to reporters (including Matt Gelb of The Atheltic) during his end-of-season press conference today regarding the club’s plans headed into 2025 after a disappointing end to their season that saw them knocked out of the NLDS by the division rival Mets in four games. With the club’s entire lineup and starting rotation under team control for 2025, at first glance it may seem as though the Phillies don’t have many obvious places where they can improve. That won’t stop the club’s front office from looking for upgrades, however, as Gelb relays comments from Dombrowski about being “open-minded” and “exploring” possibilities when other teams inevitably come calling this winter.

That could mean making changes to the players on the roster, of course, but one possible change Dombrowski highlighted could come internally: less of J.T. Realmuto behind the plate. The 33-year-old veteran has spent the past six seasons in Philadelphia and is entering the final year of his contract with the club in 2025. The three-time All-Star finished in the top seven of NL MVP voting as recently as 2022 and has been an above average hitter in every season he’s spent with the Phillies, but also endured one of the worst seasons of his career in 2024.

The veteran backstop missed just over a month after undergoing knee surgery in June, and while he posted a solid .266/.322/.429 (109 wRC+) slash line in the 99 games he did play, he did so with lackluster defensive numbers behind the plate that stand in sharp contrast to the reputation he earned as one of the game’s elite defensive catchers earlier in his career. Realmuto’s blocking and framing were both well below average per Statcast, and Fangraphs’s Defense metric rated him as just the tenth most valuable defender of 16 catchers with at least 400 plate appearances this year. Given Realmuto’s waning defensive value behind the plate and the possibility that more rest could help him stay healthy and productive, it’s not entirely a surprise that the club would consider broaching the possibility of Realmuto taking on less of the team’s catching duties with the veteran.

With that being said, however, the possibility of Realmuto playing less frequently behind the plate raises questions about whether he’ll spent the extra time playing elsewhere in the lineup or on the bench. It’s hardly unheard of for even the most well-regarded veteran catchers to start spending more time at DH or first base as they enter their mid-30’s, with Royals veteran Salvador Perez (who played just 91 of his 158 games in 2024 at catcher) standing out as a prime example. That may be easier said than done for the Phillies, though, as the club currently has Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber installed at first base and DH on a regular basis. Both sluggers have experience in the outfield and could theoretically play left field on occasion to free up time away from catcher for Realmuto, though it’s unclear if the Phillies are willing to move either star out of their usual position to accommodate Realmuto.

Finding playing time away from catcher for Realmuto could be even more complicated depending on how the club looks to overhaul its outfield mix. Dombrowski indicated that both Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos figure to feature prominently in their outfield mix next year, but he did not offer those same guarantees to Johan Rojas after a disappointing season where he posted a lackluster 68 wRC+ in 363 trips to the plate. If the club plans to move Rojas into something closer to a fourth outfielder role, they’d have the ability to make an addition in either left or center field, depending on their willingness to move Marsh back to center on a regular basis after he started just 35 games at the position in 2024.

While a pursuit of superstar outfielder and top free agent Juan Soto would be a shock for a Phillies club that already has lots of money tied up in a number of star players, the coming outfield class is deep in interesting bats such as Tyler O’Neill, Jurickson Profar and (depending on his player option decision) Cody Bellinger who could slide into the club’s outfield mix to improve the offense. Of course, any addition to the outfield mix would only serve to further limit the club’s flexibility in playing Realmuto away from the catcher position, but that could be well worth it if it meant upgrading the offense overall.

As the Phillies ponder where to make changes this winter, one place that won’t be happening is the dugout. Dombrowski revealed earlier today that manager Rob Thomson has been extended through the end of the 2026 season, adding an additional year to a contract that otherwise would have left the skipper a lame duck headed into next season. When discussing his newest contract with reporters (including Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer) Thomson made it clear that he expects Philadelphia to be the final stop in his lengthy coaching career. Thomson famously planned to retire following the 2022 season when he was still bench coach of the Phillies, but plans changed when the club fired then-manager Joe Girardi, promoted Thomson to the top job, and the club went on an improbable run to the World Series.

In all, the Phillies have posted a strong 250-185 record under Thomson’s management in the regular season, to go with a solid 20-11 record in postseason games after the club made it to the playoffs in all three years he’s been at the helm. In spite of all that success, however, the 61-year-old hardly seems interested in committing to a lengthy tenure in the Phillies dugout as March relays that Thomson plans to take things year-by-year after his latest contract expires following the 2026 season. That’s hardly an unheard of arrangement for veteran managers, with Rockies skipper Bud Black standing out as a notable current example of a manager who has taken a number of one-year extensions rather than work out a longer-term arrangement, including one just last week.

Colton Cowser Undergoes Surgery On Fractured Hand

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The Orioles announced today that outfielder Colton Cowser underwent successful surgery to repair his fractured left hand. Cowser, who the O’s announced is expected to be ready for Spring Training in 2025, was diagnosed with the fracture shortly after the Orioles were eliminated from the playoffs at the hands of the Royals. In the final game of Baltimore’s season, Cowser swung at an up-and-in pitch from Kansas City southpaw Angel Zerpa and was called out on strikes despite being struck in the left hand by the pitch.

The news is somewhat surprising, as there were no immediate indications that Cowser’s fracture would require surgery in the aftermath of the injury. All the same, the Orioles are surely relieved that the 24-year-old figures to avoid missing the early part of next year due to the issue after a banner year in 2024. The rookie’s first full season in the majors was very impressive, as he slashed a solid .242/.321/.447 with a wRC+ of 120, 24 homers, and nine steals.

That strong offensive performance combined with solid glove work in the outfielder, where he split time between all three outfield spots. That proved to be enough to not only cement Cowser’s role as the Orioles’ everyday left fielder but also allowed him to lead AL rookies in fWAR with a 4.0 figure that was only eclipsed by Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill and Pirates righty Paul Skenes among MLB rookies this year. In terms of left fielder’s Cowser’s performance tied with Tigers outfielder Riley Greene for the fifth-most fWAR in the majors, trailing only Jarren Duran, Yordan Alvarez, Jurickson Profar and Steven Kwan.

Looking ahead to 2025, Cowser’s excellent performance in the outfield this year figures to make him a key cog in the Baltimore lineup next season, particularly given the impending free agency of right fielder Anthony Santander next month. With Santander seemingly unlikely to return next year, the Orioles figure to rely more heavily on the production of Cowser and fellow youngster Heston Kjerstad in the outfield alongside Cedric Mullins next year, though infield prospect Coby Mayo’s name has also been floated as a potential outfield option for the club next year. Of course, even an outfield mix that features strong seasons from both Kjerstad and Mayo would surely miss the production offered by Santander, who slugged a career-best 44 homers in 2024.

Given that, it would hardly be a surprise if the Orioles explored adding a veteran bat to their outfield mix in order to help safeguard against injury or potential struggles from the club’s young outfielders. While the Orioles figure to primarily focus on bolstering a pitching staff that figures to lose Corbin Burnes to free agency and be without key pieces such as Kyle Bradish in the early part of next year, there should be a number of affordable veteran bats available such as Michael Conforto or Mark Canha who could be added without a significant financial burden if the club wants to add depth to its outfield mix.

The Opener: ALCS, Phillies, Managerial Searches

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As the 2024 postseason continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1: ALCS Game 2:

The Yankees took Game 1 of the ALCS last night thanks to a gem from left-hander Carlos Rodon that saw him strike out nine Guardians across six innings of one-run ball. Now, Cleveland will look to rebound with right-hander Tanner Bibee (3.47 ERA in 31 starts) on the mound. It’ll be the third start of the postseason for Bibee, who already posted 8 2/3 innings of two-run ball with nine strikeouts and three walks against the Tigers in the ALDS. The Yankees will turn to ace Gerrit Cole (3.41 ERA in 17 starts) as they look to keep their momentum rolling. Cole has a lengthy and accomplished postseason resume with a 2.94 ERA across 19 playoff starts, and his performance in the ALDS against the Royals mostly matched his reputation: he surrendered five runs (four earned) in 12 innings of work while striking out eight batters.

2: Phillies end-of-season presser:

After a frustrating defeat at the hands of the Mets in the NLDS, the Phillies have entered the offseason earlier than they were hoping. The club will formally kick off its offseason later today with an end-of-season press conference where both president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and manager Rob Thomson are expected to be available to field questions from the media. The Phillies could be in for a relatively quiet offseason by their standards with their entire starting rotation and lineup under team control for 2025, although it wouldn’t be a surprise if the club looked to upgrade in the outfield or address a bullpen that could lose Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez to free agency next month.

3. Managerial searches underway

While winning teams spend October focused primarily on the playoff push, teams that missed the postseason often spend the month focusing on personnel changes in the dugout and front office. This winter, the two most high-profile jobs up for grabs are managerial gigs in Miami and on the south side of Chicago. The rumor mill as been relatively quiet regarding both the Marlins’ and White Sox’ plans so far, though a handful of candidates have seen their names floated already including Angels manager Phil Nevin for the job in Chicago and current bench coach Luis Urueta for the Marlins gig. Whoever is ultimately hired to fill those vacancies will have their work cut out for them as the White Sox look to bounce back from the worst season in modern MLB history and the Marlins plan to rebuild their entire coaching staff from the ground up.

The Opener: NLCS, ALCS, Yankees

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Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on today:

1. NLCS Game 2:

The NLCS kicked off yesterday as the Dodgers completed a 9-0 rout of the Mets following a tough start from right-hander Kodai Senga where he allowed three runs in 1 1/3 frames without recording a strikeout. L.A. countered with a brilliant performance from righty Jack Flaherty, who notched six strikeouts across seven scoreless innings. The Mets will hope to turn things around today with lefty Sean Manaea (3.47 ERA) on the mound. Manaea has been perhaps the club’s most reliable starter to this point in the postseason, with a 2.25 ERA and ten strikeouts in 12 innings of work between the Wild Card and Division Series. The Dodgers, on the other hand, will look to extend their record-tying streak of 33 scoreless postseason innings with Ryan Brasier on the mound to start a bullpen game. Brasier struggled a bit in the NLDS, surrendering two runs on three hits (including a homer) and striking out two across 3 2/3 innings of work.

2. ALCS Game 1:

While the Mets look to make up their deficit in the NL, the ALCS will get underway in New York as the Yankees welcome the Guardians to the Bronx. Lefty Carlos Rodon (3.96 ERA) will take the mound for the Yankees on the heels of a tough outing against Kansas City during the ALDS where he surrendered four runs in 3 2/3 innings of work despite striking out seven Royals and walking none. The Guardians will counter with Alex Cobb. The 37-year-old veteran made just three regular season starts due to injury (2.76 ERA). In his lone postseason start against the Tigers last week, Cobb struck out two while surrendering two runs in three innings of work.

3. Yankees facing roster decisions:

With ALCS rosters due later today, the Yankees spent yesterday working out at Yankee Stadium while club brass worked toward finalizing their roster plans. Two injured players in particular appear to be on the bubble of the playoffs roster: first baseman Anthony Rizzo and lefty Nestor Cortes. Rizzo did some fielding work during yesterday’s workout, though Dan Martin of the New York Post writes that the club has yet to make a decision on his availability and could once again turn to Oswaldo Cabrera and Jon Berti at the position, as they did against the Royals.

Meanwhile, Greg Joyce of the New York Post was among those to note yesterday that the Yankees are “considering” activating Cortes for the ALCS. Cortes has been sidelined since late September due to a flexor strain in his left elbow, but imaging revealed an undamaged UCL so the lefty received a platelet-rich plasma injection and returned to rehabbing. The southpaw posted a 3.77 ERA across 174 1/3 innings of work for the Yankees this year but would surely be relegated to a relief role if activated, adding another lefty to the club’s bullpen alongside Tim Hill and Tim Mayza.

Luis Arraez Interested In Extension With Padres

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After being traded for the second time in as many years back in May when he was acquired by the Padres in a deal that sent a four-player package back to Miami, Luis Arraez told reporters (including MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell) that he’s looking forward to the stability of knowing where he’s going to play next year. Not only that, Arraez even expressed interest in a longer-term deal to keep him in San Diego beyond the end of the 2025 season, when he’s scheduled to reach free agency for the first time.

“It means a lot of good things,” Arraez said, as relayed by Cassavell. “If they want to sign me, I want to stay here. This is business. I understand the business. But I hope I stay here for a long time.”

Arraez is in for a healthy payday this winter, as MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a $14.6MM salary for the infielder in his final trip through arbitration. It’s a hefty price to pay for Arraez unique but somewhat limited skill set. Arraez has never provided much defensive value even when he primarily played second base with the Twins and Marlins. That changed upon Arraez’s arrival in San Diego, as the Padres used him at the keystone in just nine games while otherwise splitting his time between first base (where he profiles as a below average defender) and DH.

Meanwhile, Arraez’s elite contact is held back by lackluster plate discipline and a lack of power. While Arraez just won his third consecutive batting title with an excellent .314 average, he was just 9% better than the league average hitter by wRC+ thanks to a paltry 3.6% walk rate and a minuscule .078 ISO that leaves him with the third-lowest power production among all qualified hitters this year. An injury could help explain Arraez’s downturn in production after back-to-back 130 wRC+ seasons in 2022 and ’23, however: the infielder told reporters (including Cassavell) that he’s been playing through a thumb injury this year and is set to undergo an MRI to further explore the situation now that the Padres’ season has come to a close.

If Arraez would be open to a long-term deal at a lower average annual value than the $14.6MM figure he’s currently projected to earn via arbitration this winter, it’s not hard to imagine the Padres having incentive to put a deal together. After all, RosterResource projects the club for a luxury tax payroll just over $243MM in 2025, around $2MM above the lowest tax threshold of $241MM. Meanwhile, the club’s actual payroll is projected for just over $207MM, an increase of nearly $50MM over 2024’s $169MM figure. While specifics of the club’s payroll plans for 2025 are not yet clear, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that the Padres are “committed” to a payroll closer to their 2024 figure than 2023, when they ran an estimated payroll of $257 per Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

With needs in the starting rotation and outfield that will have to be addressed this winter, San Diego brass may wind up needing to get creative in order to afford the additions necessary this winter. Extending Arraez could be one such creative route to a lower payroll, and it’s one the Padres have used under A.J. Preller in the past. Lefty Wandy Peralta and right-hander Yu Darvish are two of the most notable recent examples of players who were signed or extended on contracts designed to mitigate their luxury tax impact, and it’s even possible an Arraez extension could be somewhat back-loaded in order to free up more dollars for the 2024 team.

Of course, such an arrangement would require the Padres to have Arraez in their plans beyond the 2025 season. It’s not yet clear if Arraez’s desire to remain in San Diego beyond the life of his club control is reciprocated by club brass, though The Athletic’s Dennis Lin did highlight Arraez recently as an “obvious” extension candidate for the club and emphasized San Diego’s respect for the 27-year-old’s unique skill set. There would surely be other obstacles to workaround in order to make a long-term deal into reality even if the interest is mutual, of course, not least of which would be Arraez’s status as one of the league’s most difficult to value players.

Padres Notes: Profar, Higashioka, De Vries, Salas

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The postseason will move on without the Padres involved tonight when the Mets travel to Dodger Stadium for Game 1 of the NLCS, and the Padres now figure to turn their attention to building for the 2025 season. Among the top needs to address on the club’s offseason to-do list figures to be addressing the needs created by the possible departure of pending free agents. Infielder Ha-Seong Kim is perhaps the club’s most high-profile free agent, though between his recent surgery leaving questions regarding his market and San Diego’s considerable depth in the middle infield, left fielder Jurickson Profar and catcher Kyle Higashioka are likely higher priorities for the club to either return or replace.

In the case of Profar, the 31-year-old has made clear that he prefers to stay with the Padres. Profar told reporters (including MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell) yesterday that he hopes to return to San Diego next year before acknowledging that the decision isn’t “totally in [his] hands,” adding that the Padres “have got to want [him], too.”

After signing a one-year deal with the Padres over the offseason that guaranteed him just $1MM last year, Profar enjoyed a breakout season that is sure to earn him a significant pay raise headed into 2025. In 158 games with San Diego this year, Profar slashed an excellent .280/.380/.459 (139 wRC+) with 24 home runs, 10 steals, a strong 11.1% walk rate and an excellent 15.1% strikeout rate. That strong all-around play came together to create by far the most valuable season of Profar’s career as he posted 4.3 fWAR, leaving him sandwiched between Mookie Betts and Kyle Tucker as the seventh most valuable outfielder in baseball this year.

That strong season should make Profar among the most interesting free agents of the winter. Valuable as his offense was this year, he provides virtually no defensive value as a below-average glove limited to left field and his track record on offense is spotty at best. Profar’s career wRC+ is actually below league average (99) even after this year’s phenomenal campaign, and even his 107 wRC+ since first joining San Diego in 2020 is closer to solid than spectacular for a player of Profar’s limited defensive value. If those possible red flags leave teams cautious about giving Profar a hefty guarantee, it’s certainly feasible to imagine the sides working something out to keep the veteran in San Diego going forward.

Of course, a Profar reunion would only serve to further elevate what already figures to be a complicated payroll picture for the Padres next year. The club is currently set to be on the hook for just over $207MM according to RosterResource next year, with a payroll of more than $243MM for luxury tax purposes. It’s possible that offseason trades or perhaps even a creative extension for an arbitration-level player like Luis Arraez could lower those numbers, but the Padres nonetheless appear likely to be nearing their payroll capacity even before reuniting with Profar or addressing the multiple holes in the club’s rotation.

That could leave the Padres needing to scrimp on other parts of the roster, particularly if they hope to retain Profar. One position where the club could look to save money is behind the plate, where Kyle Higashioka impressed in his final year before free agency with 17 homers in 263 trips to the plate for the Padres this year. Much like Profar, Higashioka indicated an interest in returning to the Padres as he heads into free agency, telling reporters (including Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune) that he loved playing in southern California and that his time with the Padres has been the most fun he’s had with a team.

With Higashioka potentially in line for a hefty raise this winter, however, Acee suggests that San Diego brass could instead look to part ways with both him and Kim this winter as they wait for the impending arrival of the club’s top prospects. Catcher Ethan Salas entered the 2024 season as a consensus top-10 prospect in baseball after reaching the Double-A level as a 17 year old, but Acee notes that shortstop prospect Leodalis De Vries, who turned 18 just two days ago, is even more highly regarded by Padres brass.

What’s more, Acee notes that there have been discussions within the organization about the possibility of both teenage phenoms making their big league debuts as soon as 2025. If the Padres truly believe both players could be ready for the majors sometime next year, that could incentivize them to focus on other areas of the roster this winter and stick to relatively short-term options behind the plate and at shortstop who could be pushed aside in the event that Salas or De Vries cracks the big league roster.

Of course, both players would need to rocket through the minor leagues at a breakneck pace to reach the majors next year. Salas spent the entire 2024 season at the High-A level and slashed a lackluster .206/.288/.311 in 111 games with the club, while De Vries slashed an excellent .238/.361/.442 across 75 games in his first taste of professional action this year but has not yet played above the Single-A level. While breakout rookie Jackson Merrill stands as an example of San Diego’s willingness to push top prospects aggressively, even he had nearly 50 games of success in the upper minors before cracking the big league roster.

NLCS Roster Notes: Rojas, McNeil, Vesia

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The Dodgers and Mets have announced their 26-man rosters for the NLCS this afternoon. Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas was a notable omission from the L.A. roster, while Mets infielder Jeff McNeil is notably joining the club’s roster after a wrist fracture sidelined him throughout the final month of the regular season and the early part of the playoffs. Rojas was replaced on the club’s roster by outfielder Kevin Kiermaier, while right-hander Adam Ottavino was dropped from the Mets’ roster to accommodate McNeil. Left-hander Alex Vesia was also left off the Dodgers’ latest roster, with right-hander Brent Honeywell Jr. added to the roster as Vesia’s replacement. Rojas, Ottavino, and Vesia will be eligible for the club’s World Series roster because they were not removed from the roster mid-series.

Rojas departs the club’s postseason roster after suffering a partially torn adductor muscle late in the regular season. The 35-year-old veteran was able to rest up during the Wild Card Series, which the Dodgers did not participate in after capturing a bye through the first round, and participate in the NLDS against the Padres. He re-aggravated the injury while playing in the series, however, and appeared in just three of the five games while going 2-for-8 at the plate. While Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times notes that Rojas believes that he’s currently healthy enough to play, the Dodgers were evidently concerned that if Rojas aggravated the injury further he would be unavailable for the World Series in the event that the club advances. By leaving him off the NLCS roster entirely, the Dodgers hope to give Rojas the opportunity to rest up for the World Series.

With the Dodgers’ primary shortstop no longer available, Tommy Edman now figures to slide from center field to shortstop on a regular basis. That opens up center field for utility bat Enrique Hernandez, who impressed during the NLDS with a three-for-nine performance that included a home run. The strong showing added to Hernandez’s lengthy postseason resume, as he’s a career .277/.351/.548 hitter in 211 trips to the plate across 75 playoff games, 64 of which have come in a Dodgers uniform. Kevin Kiermaier and Andy Pages are both on the roster as potential backup options in center field should an injury occur, while Mookie Betts, Chris Taylor, and Hernandez himself all have experience at shortstop should a replacement for Edman be necessary at any point during the series.

While the Dodgers are losing a key member of their middle infield ahead of the series, the Mets are returning one of their own from the injured list in McNeil. The 32-year-old struggled through a second consecutive down season at the plate this year, posting just a .238/.308/.384 slash line (97 wRC+) in 128 games before going on the shelf due to a fractured wrist in early September. Five weeks after hitting the injured list, McNeil now returns to the roster to provide the Mets with a versatile lefty bat capable of slotting into second base, third base, and the outfield corners as needed. Journeyman Jose Iglesias has handled the keystone in McNeil’s absence but could take a seat on the bench for the NLCS after hitting just .207/.233/.207 in 30 trips to the plate across seven games this postseason. Rookie Luisangel Acuna is also on the postseason roster as a middle infield option but has primarily found usage as a defensive replacement to this point in the club’s playoff run.

The addition of McNeil’s lefty bat to the lineup could be particularly valuable for the Mets given the Dodgers’ loss of Vesia. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters yesterday that Vesia was unlikely to make the NLCS roster due to an intercostal injury, and that eventuality has now come to pass. While Roberts floated the possibility of right-hander Tony Gonsolin (who missed the entire 2024 regular season while rehabbing Tommy John surgery) replacing Vesia on the club’s NLCS roster, it seems that L.A. ultimately decided to turn to Honeywell rather than lean on Gonsolin to get postseason outs in his first big league appearance in over a year. The 29-year-old Honeywell has posted a solid 2.63 ERA in 37 2/3 innings of work for the Pirates and Dodgers this year despite a lackluster 4.28 FIP and figures to provide L.A. with a much-needed multi-inning option as the club weighs the possibility of multiple bullpen games during the course of the seven-game series.

Poll: Who Will Win The ALCS?

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Yesterday, the Guardians punched their ticket to the ALCS with an emphatic 7-3 win over the Tigers that included a Lane Thomas Grand Slam off of likely AL Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal, allowing Cleveland to take the fifth and and final game of the series.

As the NLCS (the result of which you can vote on here) kicks off between the Dodgers and Mets today, the Guardians will be traveling to New York for Game 1 against the Yankees, which is scheduled for tomorrow night. The Yankees spent the early part of the weekend waiting to see who their opponent would be after dispatching the Royals in four games. The early finish to the series gave the club three days off to realign their rotation and rest their bullpen for the upcoming seven-game set, a welcome breather given the fact that the Orioles hung around the AL East race deep into September.

No one should be surprised the Yankees have made it this far. After all, just two years after Aaron Judge’s herculean 62-homer effort delivered the club to the postseason despite virtually no support from the rest of the lineup throughout the second half of the season in 2022, Judge delivered arguably an even more impressive season in 2024 that should earn him his second AL MVP trophy. Perhaps even more important than Judge’s dominant season, however, is the fact that this year he had help in the form of Juan Soto. The Yankees were aggressive in pursuing Soto when the Padres made him available last winter, and ultimately gave up a five-player package headlined by right-handers Michael King and Drew Thorpe to acquire another star who could complement Judge in the lineup. Soto delivered on that promise and then some, slashing a sensational .288/.419/.569 in 157 games amid the best season of the 25-year-old’s career.

While the Yankees were widely expected to make some noise this season after adding Soto, the Guardians entered the 2024 season as little more than an afterthought. The club went just 76-89 last year and made few major changes over the offseason besides hiring Stephen Vogt to take over in the dugout after longtime manager Terry Francona elected to depart the club amid health issues, and an early-season injury to Shane Bieber in his final year under club control appeared to many to be the final nail in the club’s coffin this year.

That’s not how things turned out, however, as the Guardians managed to ride strong production from Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan in the lineup in conjunction with an otherworldly effort from the club’s bullpen to 92 wins, enough to dominate a resurgent and highly competitive AL Central division. While the entire Cleveland bullpen was extremely impressive, with a collective 2.57 ERA that was more than half a run better than the league’s second-best relief corps, closer Emmanuel Clase put together one of the most impressive seasons by a reliever in MLB history. Among all relief seasons with at least 50 innings of work since the start of the modern era in 1901, Clase’s ERA- of 15 ranks second to only Zack Britton’s dominant 2016 season. Even looking beyond Clase, however, the Cleveland bullpen has been something to behold this year as Eli Morgan, Hunter Gaddis, Tim Herrin, and youngster Cade Smith each joined Clase in posting sub-2.00 ERAs, though none were quite as dominant as their closer’s 0.61 figure.

The Guardians, without any notable players on the verge of returning from injury or suffering from known day-to-day issues that could take them out of discussion for the roster, aren’t facing much uncertainty regarding their roster as they prepare to submit their final roster decisions tomorrow. The same cannot be said for the Yankees, who plan to wait until Monday to finalize decisions not only on how many pitchers the club will carry into the ALCS but also on the status of first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who suffered two broken fingers in the final days of the regular season and was unavailable during the ALDS.

In the rotation, it seems fair to say the Yankees have a substantial advantage. While neither side has announced a probable starter for Game 1, the club has penciled veteran ace Gerrit Cole in to start Game 2 and with breakout rookie Luis Gil expected to take the ball later in the series, it seems likely that either lefty Carlos Rodon or righty Clarke Schmidt will be on the bump for New York in Game 1, with Marcus Stroman also available as a potential depth option for the rotation if necessary.

The Guardians, meanwhile, relied on the trio of Tanner Bibee, Matthew Boyd, and Alex Cobb to get them through the ALDS. Cobb will be the only one on full rest in time for Game 1, making him the club’s most likely option to start the game, but it’s worth noting that both he and Boyd combined for just 11 starts during the regular season and managed just 9 2/3 innings across their three starts during the ALDS. Dominant as the Guardians’ bullpen has been this postseason, it remains to be seen if the club can rely on their relievers to throw nearly 60% of the team’s innings in a seven-game series as they did during their five-game set against the Tigers.

How will the ALCS play out? Which team is headed to the World Series, and how competitive will this series be?

What Will Be The Results Of The ALCS?
Yankees In 6 32.40% (2,434 votes)
Guardians In 6 21.42% (1,609 votes)
Yankees In 5 20.86% (1,567 votes)
Guardians In 7 12.29% (923 votes)
Yankees In 7 4.66% (350 votes)
Guardians In 5 3.53% (265 votes)
Yankees In 4 3.08% (231 votes)
Guardians In 4 1.77% (133 votes)
Total Votes: 7,512

Gavin Stone Likely To Miss 2025 Season Following Shoulder Surgery

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The Dodgers announced this evening that right-hander Gavin Stone underwent surgery on his right shoulder on October 9. The surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache and figures to cause Stone to miss the entire 2025 season.

Stone, 26 next week, made his big league debut with the Dodgers last year to lackluster results but enjoyed a breakout campaign this season upon being forced into the rotation by a number of pitching injuries. Stone wound up being one of the club’s most reliable pitchers for most of the year as key players like Bobby Miller, Walker Buehler, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Tyler Glasnow all fell by the wayside throughout significant portions of the season due to injuries, ineffectiveness, or a combination thereof. During that time, Stone stepped up to post a solid 3.53 ERA (109 ERA+) with a 4.01 FIP in 140 1/3 innings of work across 25 starts, including an utterly dominant 2.73 ERA in his first 15 starts of the season.

Unfortunately for the Dodgers, Stone began to flag late in the season as he made it out of the fifth inning just three times after the All-Star break, pitching to a 4.12 ERA and 5.00 FIP in his final eight starts of the year before he too was placed on the IL in early September due to what at the time was termed right shoulder inflammation. The soreness persisted throughout the month of September and eventually led to him being more or less ruled out for the club’s postseason push just under a month ago. At the time, there was little indication that Stone wouldn’t be ready to go come Spring Training 2025 but that’s no longer the case as the youngster will likely have to wait until 2026 to follow up on an impressive rookie campaign.

While the news changes little for the Dodgers as they look to take on the Mets in the NLCS tomorrow in hopes of advancing to their first World Series since the shortened 2020 season, Stone’s absence is a devastating blow to the club’s 2025 starting rotation. With Shohei Ohtani expected to return to the club’s rotation early next year, it seems likely that the Dodgers will employ a six-man rotation next year as the Angels did while Ohtani was pitching for them. Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Glasnow figure to occupy three of those six slots, but the Dodgers have little in the way of certainty beyond that group.

Miller will return to the club next year but struggled to an 8.52 ERA in 13 starts this year, leaving questions regarding how willing the club would be to rely on him for a significant number of starts next year. Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May both figure to return to the mound early next year, but will be coming off lengthy absences that could make them questionable choices to pencil in for 30 starts a piece. Clayton Kershaw could return but is undecided about his future after a mostly lost season due to injury, while both Buehler and Jack Flaherty are ticketed for free agency this November.

Given the numerous questions the Dodgers face regarding their rotation depth this winter, it seems likely that bolstering their starting pitching corps will be a priority for the club this winter even as they boast a number of potentially strong options. This winter’s free agent class of starters is headlined by Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell, Max Fried, and Flaherty. The Dodgers have shown little hesitance about shopping at the top of the free agent market, so it’s certainly feasible to imagine that caliber of name being in play for the club. Even looking beyond that group, however, L.A. could still bolster their rotation depth with mid-tier options like Nathan Eovaldi, Sean Manaea, or Luis Severino or even search for a bounce-back candidate or two as they’ve done with Tyler Anderson and Noah Syndergaard in recent years.

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