Following a busy first day of the offseason, listed here are 4 issues we’ll be keeping track of across the baseball world headed into the weekend:
1. Dodgers rejoice their win:
Wednesday night time’s victory over the Yankees could have sealed the membership’s second World Collection win in 5 years, however the then-ongoing pandemic meant the 2020 Dodgers didn’t get to correctly rejoice that championship with the town of Los Angeles. That’s not the case this yr, because the membership gears up for its first World Collection parade since 1988. As laid out on MLB.com, the Dodgers will even have two totally different celebrations right now: the aforementioned parade and a second, ticketed celebration at Dodger Stadium. The parade is scheduled to start at 11am native time at Gloria Molina Grand Park and journey alongside a 45-minute route earlier than coming to its conclusion.
Shortly thereafter, at 12:15pm native time, the celebration at Dodger Stadium is scheduled to start. MLB.com notes that as a result of “logistics, visitors and timing,” followers will likely be unable to attend each occasions. The stadium’s gates will open at 9am native time and protection of the parade will likely be broadcast on the Dodgers’ video boards within the stadium for these in attendance.
2. Choice selections proceed:
We noticed a large slate of selections on membership and participant choices yesterday on day one of many offseason, however there are nonetheless dozens of gamers with 2025 choices which have but to be formally resolved. Some selections are apparent. The Braves already signaled their intent to train membership choices on Marcell Ozuna, Travis d’Arnaud and Aaron Bummer final month, even earlier than official selections had been due. The Orioles aren’t going to select up a $16.5MM membership choice on Eloy Jimenez, nor will the Pirates decide up a $15MM choice on the at present injured Marco Gonzales. Most of the selections all through the league are simply as simple. There are some extra borderline calls, nonetheless, such because the Orioles’ $8MM choices on Ryan O’Hearn and Seranthony Dominguez.
Participant opt-outs particularly will likely be value monitoring. Gerrit Cole can choose out of his contract’s remaining 4 years and $144MM, although the Yankees can override the opt-out by tacking on a further $36MM for the 2029 season. Cody Bellinger (two years, $50MM), Nick Martinez ($12MM), Michael Wacha ($16MM), Sean Manaea ($13.5MM), Rhys Hoskins ($18MM) and Nathan Eovaldi ($20MM) are among the many many gamers who’ve opt-outs/participant choices on their present offers.
3. What’s subsequent for the Angels?
The offseason kicked off with a bang yesterday, because the Braves and Angels swapped Jorge Soler and Griffin Canning to finish the primary notable commerce of the winter simply 12 hours after the tip of the World Collection. From Atlanta’s perspective, it was hardly a shock; Soler was an imperfect match at finest for the membership’s roster, and Canning gives the membership an attention-grabbing depth piece for a rotation that might lose Max Fried and Charlie Morton to free company (or retirement, in Morton’s case). The match from the Angels’ perspective isn’t as simple. That’s to not say Soler received’t enhance the membership, as solely the White Sox delivered a worse offensive efficiency than Anaheim’s staff wRC+ of 90 in 2024. Soler is all however sure to assist enhance that quantity.
Even so, Soler’s match is sophisticated. As a participant finest suited to common at-bats at DH, Soler’s presence figures to maintain the membership from getting oft-injured celebrity Mike Trout off his toes with time away from the outfield grass. That might seemingly power the membership to proceed utilizing Trout in middle subject, the place he’s extra prone to maintain additional accidents, except the membership had been to observe this transfer up by dealing one other outfielder like Taylor Ward. The commerce additionally left the Angels even thinner within the rotation than they had been earlier than. Whereas Canning’s outcomes had been subpar in 2024, he was second on the staff to Tyler Anderson in innings. His departure solely highlights the membership’s want for pitching assist this winter in the event that they hope to dig themselves out of final place within the AL West.
4. Gold Glove Winners to be introduced:
Awards season kicks off this weekend with the announcement of this yr’s Gold Glove winners on Sunday night. Twenty awards will likely be given out in whole: one per league for every place on the diamond plus one utility award for every league. This would be the third yr with a utility award class, with Mauricio Dubon, Ha-Seong Kim, Brendan Donovan, and DJ LeMahieu standing because the class’s previous winners. This yr, the Diamondbacks lead the majors with 5 Gold Glove nominees: catcher Gabriel Moreno, first baseman Christian Walker, second baseman Ketel Marte, left fielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and proper fielder Jake McCarthy. Winners are scheduled to be introduced at 7:30pm CT on Sunday.
