The Opener

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?

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.

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.

The wait for the World Series to begin is finally over! Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. 2024 World Series Begins:

The World Series is set to begin this evening when the Yankees take the field opposite the Dodgers in Los Angeles, with first pitch scheduled for 5:08pm local time. In Game 1, New York is set to send veteran ace and 2023 AL Cy Young award winner Gerrit Cole to the mound opposite Dodgers deadline acquisition Jack Flaherty. Cole missed the first half of the year due to an elbow injury and didn’t look quite like himself this season overall, with a solid but not elite 3.41 ERA through 17 starts in total. He’s put up similar numbers in the postseason this year, with a 3.31 ERA through three starts. Flaherty, by contrast, has enjoyed an excellent season with a 3.17 ERA in 28 starts split between the Tigers and Dodgers this year but struggled to a 7.04 ERA this postseason, including a three-inning, eight-run blow-up against the Mets during Game 5 of the NLCS.

2. Rosters being finalized:

Of course, both teams will need to finalize their rosters for the series before the Fall Classic can get underway. Manager Dave Roberts discussed some of his club’s roster plans with reporters yesterday, indicating that the Dodgers will likely carry veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas on their roster after sidelining him for the NLCS as he struggled to play through an adductor strain and sports hernia. It also seems as though injured relievers Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol could be added to the club’s bullpen, fortifying an already excellent relief corps. On the other side of the series, the Yankees have fewer potentially impactful injured pieces but do seem likely to activate southpaw Nestor Cortes to pitch out of the bullpen despite the lefty suffering a flexor injury late in the regular season. With that aforementioned quartet all seemingly poised to join their club’s respective rosters when they’re announced later today, the primary question that remains is which players will be left off their team’s roster to accommodate the likely additions.

3. Happy Birthday, Juan Soto:

For the second time in his young career, star outfielder Juan Soto will play in the World Series on his birthday. The offseason’s top free agent turns 26 today, and while he’ll have to wait a bit longer for his likely record-shattering payday he and the rest of the Yankees will nonetheless look to deliver a different kind of gift to Yankees fans today: a win in Game 1 of the World Series. Five years ago today, Soto’s Nationals took on the Astros in Game 3 of the World Series on his 21st birthday but lost the game 4-1 as Soto went an uncharacteristic 0-4 with a walk and three strikeouts at the plate. He’ll look for better results today coming off an utterly dominant ALCS against the Guardians where he hit .368/.478/.895 with three homers and more walks (4) than strikeouts (3) in 23 plate appearances, including his towering go-ahead three-run home run in Game 5 of the series that ultimately sent the Yankees to the Fall Classic.

With the start of the World Series just a day away, here are three things to keep an eye around baseball today:

1. World Series Workout Day:

While the World Series isn’t set to start until tomorrow, both the Dodgers and Yankees will be at Dodger Stadium today as they get in their final team workouts before the series begins. Managers Dave Roberts and Aaron Boone as well as Game 1 starters Jack Flaherty and Gerrit Cole are expected to speak to the media today, and the managers’ respective comments could be illuminating regarding the availability of certain key players.

As things currently stand, the Dodgers expect veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman to be back in the lineup for Game 1 tomorrow. What’s as of now unclear is if he’ll be joined by shortstop Miguel Rojas, who was left off the club’s NLCS roster due to an adductor strain, or if relievers Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol will be ready to rejoin the bullpen. The Yankees, meanwhile, have fewer key injuries of note in play for the World Series but are hoping to roster southpaw Nestor Cortes despite him having suffered a flexor strain towards the end of the regular season. Cortes had a throwing session earlier this week and indeed expects to be on the roster despite the risk of a larger injury. The left-hander gave reporters quite the quote in signaling his willingness to put his health on the line to help his team in the Fall Classic (X link via Newsday’s Erik Boland): “If I have a ring and then a year off of baseball, then so be it.”

2. News from Asia’s top leagues:

While the current focus is obviously on the looming World Series and the start of the offseason for 28 other clubs, we’ve had a few reminders this week already that this time of year also tends to bring notable news from overseas. The Chunichi Dragons of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball announced this week that they’ll post left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara for MLB teams to bid on, and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters announced just yesterday that they’ve re-signed former big league slugger Franmil Reyes for an additional year after a huge 2024 season that saw him hit .290/.348/.564 with 25 homers in just 368 plate appearances.

The days and weeks ahead figure to bring similar items of interest. All eyes are on 22-year-old phenom Roki Sasaki, he of the career 2.02 ERA with the NPB’s Chiba Lotte Marines, and whether he’ll be posted. At last check, the Marines’ GM said the club was still talking the situation over with Sasaki and had not yet made a decision (X link via Yakyu Cosmopolitan). Over in the Korea Baseball Organization, 25-year-old Kiwoom Heroes infielder Hyeseong Kim is widely expected to be posted for MLB clubs after hitting .326/.383/.458 — his fourth straight season hitting at least .304 with at least a .372 on-base percentage.

A few other names will surely pop up. It’s commonplace for an unexpected name or two to surface this time of year and land on MLB radars. There are a handful of former big leaguers who’ve played well overseas and could signal their intent to return to North American ball (or re-sign, as Reyes did). And, once the Korean Series and Japan Series have reached their conclusions, we’ll surely start to see some former big leaguers sign in the KBO or in NPB.

3. Where will the Rays open the 2025 season?

After Hurricane Milton devastated the Tampa Bay area, the Rays’ Tropicana Field has been left with severe damage, including much of the roof being torn off. The damage is so great that the Rays almost certainly won’t be able to open the season at the stadium, and with a new stadium already set to be built for the 2028 season questions remain as to whether or not the local government has interest in financing the repair of a stadium that’s scheduled for demolition in just three short years. Commissioner Rob Manfred has expressed a desire to keep the Rays in their current market for the years leading up to the new stadium’s construction, while potential temporary relocation options such as Montreal and Durham have seemingly taken themselves off the table. Further details are sure to unfold as the team continues to assess the damage at the Trop and explore alternate scenarios.

As the wait for the World Series to begin, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Mets end-of-season press conference:

On the heels of the club being eliminated from the postseason at the hands of the Dodgers, the Mets are now set to shift their attention toward the coming offseason. Part of that process is the club’s end-of-season press conference, which Mike Puma of the New York Post notes will be conducted at Citi Field later today by president of baseball operations David Stearns. Overall, it was quite the successful year for a Mets club that won 89 games and made it to their first NLCS since 2015 despite relatively low expectations regarding the club’s competitiveness just one year after they traded off key pieces like Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

Stearns and the rest of the front office face a new challenge this winter, however. Not only is first baseman Pete Alonso scheduled to become a free agent, but the impending departures of Jose Quintana, Sean Manaea, and Luis Severino mean that the Mets will need to rebuild their rotation nearly from scratch this offseason. Beyond that, speculation has run rampant over the past year that the Mets will be involved in the Juan Soto market, presumably creating a bidding war between the two New York teams as the incumbent Yankees try to retain their young star.

2. Are more injury announcements coming down the pipe?

The lull between the end of the NLCS on Sunday and the start of the World Series this coming Friday has created space for teams to make announcements that otherwise may have conflicted with the postseason, and among the most noteworthy have been a handful of injury updates. So far this week, we’ve received word that Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner underwent forearm surgery and Mets right-hander Paul Blackburn underwent a spinal procedure earlier this month. Those major injury announcements that could impact the players’ timelines for Spring Training aside, the Padres also discussed shortstop Ha-Seong Kim’s recent shoulder surgery ahead of his free agency and indicated he might take longer to return to action than initially believed. Could any more injury announcements or updates crop up over the next few days?

3. Managerial searches continue:

Details surrounding the managerial searches for the White Sox and Marlins have been fairly sparse to this point, though a few names of potential candidates have been rumored for the vacancy in Miami. There have been more rumors surrounding Chicago’s search, with exiting Marlins manager Skip Schumaker joining a list of names that also includes Lombard, Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough and Rangers associate manager Will Venable. Whoever the two clubs ultimately hire to steer their fifth-place teams in 2025 will face plenty of potential challenges; in addition to the abysmal record of both clubs, the Marlins’ new manager will be tasked with overhauling their entire coaching staff, while the new White Sox manager will join the team amid rumors of a potential sale.

With just a few days until the World Series continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on today:

1. Are more coaching hires on the horizon?

Yesterday saw a flurry of coaching hires announced as the Cardinals, Brewers, and Blue Jays all added new voices to their staffs. Will the current lull between playoff games spur even more movement on the coaching front? There’s certainly plenty of vacancies that need to be filled, including a complete overhaul of the coaching staff in Miami. The Marlins are surely going to wait to fill out their coaching staff until they have a new manager in place, but the Red Sox, Cubs, and Orioles are among the large number of teams with coaching vacancies that could be addressed in the coming days. And that’s before considering the possibility of coaches on short-term deals being locked up longer-term, as AJ Preller indicated yesterday he’d like to do for Padres manager Mike Shildt and certain members of his staff.

2. Dodgers media availability:

The Dodgers announced last night that they’ll make a handful of players available to the media later today. That includes first baseman Freddie Freeman, who was sidelined for Game 6 of the NLCS due to the sprained ankle that’s hobbled him since the end of the regular season. It’s possible we’ll learn more today about his availability for the World Series, and manager Dave Roberts also figures to be on tap to discuss the availability of shortstop Miguel Rojas, lefty Alex Vesia, and righty Brusdar Graterol. All three of them were left off the NLCS roster due to injuries but could be in the conversation for the World Series roster.

One other point of intrigue is that the Dodgers will likely announce their choice for Game 1 starter. The club’s entire pitching staff will be on full rest for the coming series, and it seems likely they’ll turn to either Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Jack Flaherty to start Game 1, as they did in both of their previous playoff series this October. Whoever the Dodgers select will be set to face off against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, who has a 3.31 ERA across three postseason starts so far this year and a 2.98 playoff ERA in 120 2/3 career frames.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

With the World Series just a few days away, virtually the entire league has turned their attention towards the coming offseason at this point. If you have any questions about the upcoming winter, your team’s direction, or the impending clash between the Dodgers and Yankees, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 1pm 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.

With the World Series match up now set in stone, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Freeman nursing ankle injury:

Star first baseman Freddie Freeman was not in the Dodgers’ lineup for the club’s series-clinching win against the Mets last night as he continues to struggle with a sprained ankle that’s limited his availability all throughout the postseason. Even when he’s been healthy enough to take the field, Freeman has looked nothing like himself at the plate with a paltry .219/.242/.219 slash line in the postseason, including a .167/.211/.167 slash line during the NLCS. As Freeman looks to rest up over the next four days before World Series rosters are due, a major question figures to face both him and the Dodgers: is he healthy enough to participate, or would the club be better served using his roster spot another way?

2. Are any front office hires on the horizon?

As we enter a brief stretch of days without baseball before the World Series, it shouldn’t be a surprise if teams begin to make announcements (which are often held back to accommodate a focus on the postseason) regarding some personnel decisions this week. There’s been quite a bit of buzz regarding a handful of potential front office hires in recent days, in particular. The Red Sox appear to be on the cusp of hiring another assistant GM, which could be coupled with them promoting internally for their currently vacant GM role. Additionally, the Giants’ search for a GM to serve as a second-in-command to newly-minted president of baseball operations Buster Posey figures to continue in full force this week. The field of potential candidates still appears to be expansive, though one name pulled himself from consideration over the weekend.

3. Mets head into the offseason:

After their club’s run to the NLCS, Mets brass will have little opportunity to celebrate as they turn their attention toward an offseason where a massive number of their current players are slated for free agency. That group is led, of course, by longtime first baseman Pete Alonso. But other key players who are ticketed for free agency this winter include J.D. Martinez, Luis Severino, Jose Quintana, Sean Manaea (who has an opt-out in his deal he’ll surely exercise), Jose Iglesias, Jesse Winker, and Harrison Bader. Under the ownership of Steve Cohen, the Mets have run top-of-the-line payrolls and shown a willingness to sign players even with free agency just around the corner, as they did with Edwin Diaz during the 2022-23 offseason. With more than half a dozen key players headed to free agency this winter, could the club make another surprise preemptive strike?

With one team now on the verge of a trip to the World Series, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. Dodgers one away:

A 10-2 drubbing of the Mets in New York last night in Game 4 of the NLCS leaves the Dodgers just one win away from the World Series. They’ll attempt to wrap the series up in New York at 5:08pm local time this evening with right-hander Jack Flaherty (3.17 ERA in 28 starts) on the mound. Flaherty was roughed up by the Padres in his first start of the postseason but bounced back in a big way during his start against the Mets earlier in this series when he threw seven scoreless frames and struck out six. The Mets will attempt to counter Flaherty with lefty David Peterson, who enjoyed something of a breakout season this year with a 2.90 ERA in 21 starts. He’s worked out of the bullpen to this point in the postseason but has mostly done well for himself with a 2.08 ERA in 8 2/3 frames, though four walks against just five strikeouts is somewhat concerning.

2. Guardians fighting back in ALCS:

The Guardians headed back to Cleveland down 2-0 in the ALCS yesterday but did not disappoint in front of their home crowd, prevailing in a back-and-forth extra innings affair 7-5 on the back of a home run by David Fry that followed a homer by Jhonkensy Noel that tied the game in the bottom of the ninth to keep the club alive. Now, the Guardians will have the opportunity to even the series against their home crowd when they face right-hander Luis Gil (3.50 ERA in 29 starts) in what will be the first postseason outing of Gil’s career at 8:08pm local time this evening. Cleveland will counter with right-hander Gavin Williams, who followed up a strong rookie campaign in 2023 with a lackluster 4.86 ERA in 16 starts this year in what will also be the first postseason appearance of his young career.

3. Hamilton to undergo MRI:

Before tonight’s game in Cleveland, the Yankees will have a decision to make regarding right-hander Ian Hamilton. Hamilton exited last night’s game against the Guardians due to what the team described as tightness in his left calf and is now headed for imaging. Hamilton posted a solid 3.82 ERA with a 3.03 FIP in 37 2/3 innings of work in the regular season but hasn’t seen much action in the postseason. The righty threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings during the ALDS against the Royals, but his lone appearance in the ALCS was last night’s injury-shortened outing where he surrendered a run and recorded just one out. Right-handers Mark Leiter Jr. and Clayton Beeter are among the hurlers who have been floated as possible injury replacements for Hamilton should he go on the IL, which would bar him from participating in the World Series in the event that the Yankees advance.

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

1. ALCS heads to Cleveland:

The Guardians are headed back home to Cleveland today having dropped the first two games of the ALCS to the Yankees in the Bronx. As they look to stop the bleeding in front of their home crowd, the club will turn to lefty Matthew Boyd (2.72 ERA in 8 starts). The veteran southpaw has not yet appeared in the ALCS but drew two starts during the ALDS against Detroit. Those two starts went quite well, as Boyd struck out ten Tigers in 6 2/3 scoreless frames. Now, Boyd figures to square off against Yankees youngster Clarke Schmidt (2.85 ERA in 16 starts) this evening. Schmidt’s lone ALDS start saw him surrender two runs in 4 2/3 innings of work with four strikeouts. Today’s game is scheduled to begin at 5:08pm local time.

2. Mets facing deficit in NLCS:

The Mets suffered an ugly 8-0 loss at the hands of the Dodgers last night as the L.A. pitching staff stymied their offense, allowing just four hits. While Luis Severino managed to handle the Dodgers’ offense decently in 4 2/3 innings of work that saw only two unearned runs cross the plate, the L.A. bats came to life late in the game against the bullpen and torched Mets relievers Reed Garrett and Tylor Megill for six runs.

As the Mets try to avoid dropping back-to-back games, they’ll turn to veteran southpaw Jose Quintana (3.75 ERA in 31 starts). Quintana has been excellent for the Mets so far this postseason, pitching 11 scoreless frames and striking out 11 across two starts split between the NLDS and the NL Wild Card series. His opponent tonight will be Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3.00 ERA in 16 starts), who arrived in the majors to much fanfare earlier this year. Yamamoto’s first taste of postseason action in the big leagues has been a mixed bag so far, as he was rocked for five runs over three innings by the Padres in his first postseason start but settled in to post five scoreless frames in a decisive Game 5 against San Diego later in the series. Tonight’s game is slated to start at 8:08pm local time in Queens.

3. A’s ballpark agreements in Las Vegas moving forward:

The A’s no longer hail from Oakland after playing their last game at the Coliseum last month, and with the Oakland chapter of the club’s history now officially closed, things are moving along toward the construction of the club’s planned ballpark in Las Vegas. As detailed by Mick Akers of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Las Vegas Stadium Authority is scheduled to meet today with a review of updated agreements regarding development and leasing of the stadium as well as relocation stipulations between the city and the A’s among the items on the agenda.

The agreements lay out a framework for a number of subjects, including how many out-of-market home games the Athletics are allowed to play each year and what situations could allow the A’s to relocate out of Las Vegas in the future should they so desire. Per Akers, those agreements will then be put to a vote on December 5, with approval of each of the agreements standing as a necessary step in order for the A’s to unlock public funding for their new stadium. In addition to getting approval on these agreements, the Athletics will also need to present a plan for financing their own portion of the stadium expenses before that aforementioned public funding becomes available.