Free company formally began Monday however the managers, not the gamers, stole the present, headlined by the Cubs’ gorgeous swoop to land Craig Counsell. Frankly, I’m nonetheless in shock after yesterday’s collection of managerial strikes, which additionally included hires by the Mets (Carlos Mendoza) and Guardians (Stephen Vogt).
One other unpredictable MLB offseason is right here and though the trades and signings haven’t began in earnest, we now have seen some noteworthy transactions, together with a number of groups exercising membership choices on potential free brokers akin to Alex Cobb (Giants), José Leclerc (Rangers) and Kyle Hendricks (Cubs). We’ve seen groups lower ties with the faces of their franchise, because the White Sox declined their possibility on Tim Anderson and the Reds did the identical with Joey Votto. We’ve seen gamers akin to Eduardo Rodriguez and Marcus Stroman decide out of contracts (with the Tigers and Cubs, respectively) and gamers like Josh Bell decide into contracts (with the Marlins). We’ve even seen a commerce, because the Tigers acquired Mark Canha from the Brewers for a minor-league reliever. The Marlins have employed Peter Bendix to be their president of baseball operations and the Purple Sox selected Craig Breslow to be their chief baseball officer. Bought all that?
The large strikes, those that may preserve us on the sting of our seats for weeks, are nonetheless to come back. So let’s attempt to guess how this might all play out. Listed here are 24 predictions for the 2023-24 offseason, what ought to be one other enjoyable and wild winter. Please share your individual predictions within the feedback part.
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1. Not one of the seven gamers who acquired the one-year, $20.325 million qualifying supply (Shohei Ohtani, Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, Josh Hader, Blake Snell, Aaron Nola and Sonny Grey) will settle for it, as all of them will pursue longer-term offers in free company.
2. Ohtani will shock many by signing with the world champion Texas Rangers. The contract consists of incentives, escalator clauses and award bonuses that may make him the highest-paid participant within the historical past of the game. The Dodgers and Mariners end because the runner-ups within the Shohei sweepstakes.
3. Aaron Nola indicators a five-year, $125 million take care of the Dodgers about 24 hours after they be taught that they’ve misplaced out on Ohtani.
4. The Phillies, after falling brief of their makes an attempt to deliver again Nola, shortly pivot and land lefty Jordan Montgomery on a five-year, $127 million contract.
Juan Soto can be a free agent after subsequent season. Will the Padres commerce him? (Brad Penner / USA At the moment)
5. The Yankees pull off a blockbuster commerce with the Padres to land three-time All-Star Juan Soto. After which …
6. … New York turns round and inks Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a seven-year, $211 million deal that finally pushes the Yankees’ payroll to the best it’s ever been underneath proprietor Hal Steinbrenner.
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7. The Giants signal outfielder Jung Hoo Lee to the most important contract of any place participant on this yr’s free-agent class exterior of Ohtani, Bellinger and Chapman.
8. The Cubs deliver again Bellinger on a six-year, $144 million deal to play first base.
9. The Astros rent Joe Espada to be their subsequent supervisor, selling him after six seasons as their bench coach.
10. Managers Lou Piniella and Jim Leyland are elected to the Corridor of Fame by the Modern Baseball Period Committee within the vote through the Winter Conferences.
Coming off a 101-win season, will the Orioles prolong any of their younger core? (Tommy Gilligan / USA At the moment)
11. The Orioles shock the baseball world and signal each Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson to long-term offers that break franchise information. In response, O’s followers break the single-season file for season ticket gross sales through the Angelos household’s possession tenure.
12. Julio Urías of the Dodgers and Wander Franco of the Rays obtain prolonged suspensions following critiques of their respective circumstances that make each ineligible to play major-league baseball in 2024.
13. The Twins, coming off an AL Central-winning marketing campaign, stand pat and make no really important strikes through the offseason.
14. The Angels flip to one in every of their very own, hiring Darin Erstad as their new supervisor to succeed Phil Nevin.
15. The Washington Nationals are lastly bought and the brand new possession group consists of future Corridor of Fame government Theo Epstein, who will function CEO and president of the membership.
16. Bruce Bochy of the Rangers and Skip Schumaker of the Marlins are named managers of the yr for his or her respective leagues. Bochy’s GM, Chris Younger, is called MLB Govt of the 12 months.
17. Joe Maddon and Buck Showalter aren’t employed as managers this offseason. Each of them, together with Dusty Baker, by no means handle once more within the majors. Baker finally serves as a marketing consultant with a staff whereas ready for the decision from Cooperstown.
The Cardinals missed Yadier Molina in 2023. May he return to the dugout in 2024? (Jeff Curry / USA At the moment)
18. Yadier Molina joins the Cardinals teaching workers and turns into essentially the most distinguished “supervisor in ready” within the sport.
19. The Oakland A’s much-debated transfer to Las Vegas is accredited by MLB. The A’s will play the 2024 season within the Coliseum and the following three years in Vegas of their Triple-A ballpark, which is upgraded to function their residence till a brand new major-league stadium is constructed.
20. MLB begins extra concrete discussions about growth however specifies that it gained’t occur for not less than 5 to seven years. Nashville, Charlotte and Montreal develop into the early favorites to land new franchises. The league plans to have 4 divisions of 4 groups in every league.
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21. MLB approves the Automated Ball-Strike System with a problem format for the 2024 season.
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22. Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuña Jr. are named the MVPs of their respective leagues.
23. Gerrit Cole and Blake Snell are named Cy Younger Award winners.
24. Gunnar Henderson and Corbin Carroll take residence Rookie of the 12 months honors.
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(Prime picture of Shohei Ohtani: John McCoy / Getty Photographs)
