The Weekly Rundown: 11/3/24 - 11/9/24
Offseason rumor SZN is in full swing.
Good morning and happy Sunday!
The MLB offseason is in full swing. We’ve barely had time to digest the Dodgers’ World Series title, but multiple moves have already been made to kick off what should be an eventful few months for the sport. There’s also no shortage of free agency and trade rumors flying around.
We’ll cover all of it in the rundown below. First, consider subscribing to the newsletter if you haven't already:
Thanks! Now let’s jump in…
Roki Sasaki to MLB
Japanese ace Roki Sasaki will be posted to MLB and be eligible to sign with any team. The 23-year-old right-hander will immediately become one of the top free-agent pitchers available this winter.
"I am very grateful to the team for officially allowing me to post," Sasaki said in a statement via his Nippon Professional Baseball team, the Chiba Lotte Marines.
“There were many things that did not go well during my five years with the Marines, but I was able to get to this point by concentrating only on baseball, with the support of my teammates, staff, front office, and fans. I will do my best to work my way up from my minor contract to become the best player in the world, so that I will have no regrets in my one and only baseball career and live up to the expectations of everyone who has supported me."
Sasaki boasts a 100 mph fastball and one of the nastiest splitters you’ll see. He posted a 2.02 ERA with 524 strikeouts and 91 walks in 414.2 innings during his career in Japan.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Sasaki pitched a perfect game in 2022 while tying the NPB record with 19 strikeouts and setting a record with 13 consecutive Ks.
The red flags? Sasaki’s velocity dipped in 2024 while he dealt with arm discomfort, which forced him to miss a few starts.
Since he’s only 23, Sasaki will be subject to international amateur free-agent restrictions. Players who are posted under 25 can only sign a minor-league contract from a club’s international bonus pool money.
Royals Retain Michael Wacha
One of the top free-agent arms was quickly plucked off the market when the Royals re-signed veteran righty Michael Wacha to a three-year contract worth $51 million. The deal includes a club option for the 2028 season.
Wacha went 13-8 with a 3.35 ERA and 1.19 WHIP in 39 starts (166.2 IP) for Kansas City last season. The 33-year-old has quietly been one of the better pitchers in the league over the last three years.
Padres Extend Mike Shildt
The Padres signed manager Mike Shildt to a two-year extension that will keep him in San Diego through 2027.
Shildt led the Padres to a 93-69 record in 2024, his first season with the club. San Diego fell to the Dodgers in the NLDS.
Gold Glove Winners
American League
C: Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
1B: Carlos Santana, Minnesota Twins
2B: Andrés Giménez, Cleveland Guardians
SS: Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
3B: Alex Bregman, Houston Astros
LF: Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians
CF: Daulton Varsho, Toronto Blue Jays
RF: Wilyer Abreu, Boston Red Sox
P: Seth Lugo, Kansas City Royals
Utility: Dylan Moore, Seattle Mariners
National League
C: Patrick Bailey, San Francisco Giants
1B: Christian Walker, Arizona Diamondbacks
2B: Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers
SS: Ezequiel Tovar, Colorado Rockies
3B: Matt Chapman, San Francisco Giants
LF: Ian Happ, Chicago Cubs
CF: Brenton Doyle, Colorado Rockies
RF: Sal Frelick, Milwaukee Brewers
P: Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves
Utility: Jared Triolo, Pittsburgh Pirate
Rapid Fire
Guardians utilityman David Fry underwent surgery to address a flexor strain and a “chronically insufficient” UCL. He will need 12 months to return to action as a fielder and 6-8 months to return as a designated hitter.
Braves right-hander Joe Jimenez underwent left knee surgery and could miss the entire 2025 season.
The Guardians re-signed catcher Austin Hedges to a one-year deal.
The Angels signed veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million.
The Yankees exercised their 2025 club option on manager Aaron Boone.
The Rumor Mill
Giants right-hander Camilo Doval is drawing trade interest from multiple clubs, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports that right-hander Nathan Eovaldi is drawing serious interest from the Braves.
The Astros have discussed the possibility of trading reliever Ryan Pressly, according to Chandler Rome of The Athletic.
The Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Giants, Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Rays have expressed interest in signing the top free agent on the market Juan Soto, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Free agent shortstop Ha-Seong Kim is drawing interest from the Giants and Blue Jays, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.
Free agent reliever Jeff Hoffman could draw interest from teams as a starting pitcher for 2025, per ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.
Free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez has drawn interest from the Red Sox and Orioles, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network.
Left-hander Max Fried has drawn interest from the Blue Jays, Orioles, Red Sox, and Yankees, according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals will gauge which teams have interest in trading for star third baseman Nolan Arenado.
The Mets are among the teams interested in trading for White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet, per The New York Post’s Jon Heyman.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reports that the Yankees are interested in free agent reliever Carlos Estevez.