The Weekly Rundown: 11/5/23 - 11/11/23
Manager hirings, the start of free agency, and more.
Good morning and Happy Sunday!
The offseason is in full swing. Free agency started on Monday and while we haven’t had any major deals yet, there already are some juicy rumors floating around. It’s shaping up to be an eventful winter.
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It’s a fairly quiet rundown today. Consider it the calm before the storm. Although all was quiet on the free agency front, we did have a few managerial vacancies filled over the last week. Finalists were also named for each MLB award. The winners for those will be announced this week, starting with American League and National League Rookies of the Year tomorrow at 6 p.m. ET.
All that and more, covered below. Let’s jump in…
Manager Hirings
Cleveland Guardians - Stephen Vogt
The former MLB catcher was hired by the Guardians on Monday to replace longtime skipper Terry Francona. Vogt doesn’t have any managerial experience — he played for the Oakland A’s in 2022 — but the 39-year-old is highly regarded across the league after 10 seasons as a player.
New York Mets - Carlos Mendoza
Mendoza initially joined the Yankees’ minor league coaching staff in 2009. He rose through the ranks and was eventually promoted to Aaron Boone’s bench coach after the 2019 season. He’ll replace veteran manager Buck Showalter in the Mets’ dugout.
Chicago Cubs - Craig Counsell
Here’s a surprise. The Cubs shockingly fired David Ross and hired Brewers manager Craig Counsell — a Manager of the Year candidate — to replace him. Counsell led Milwaukee to five playoff appearances in six years and won three NL Central titles. He’ll now become the highest-paid manager in the league with Chicago after reportedly signing a five-year contract worth more than $40 million.
Los Angeles Angels - Ron Washington
Washington will get another shot to manage a club as he’ll replace Phil Nevin as the skipper in Anaheim. The 71-year-old last managed in 2014 with the Texas Rangers, who he helped to two World Series appearances in eight years. He spent the last seven years as the Atlanta Braves’ third base coach.
Award Finalists
American League MVP
Shohei Ohtani, RHP/DH, Los Angeles Angels
Corey Seager, SS, Texas Rangers
Marcus Semien, 2B, Texas Rangers
This one seems like a no-brainer. Even with Ohtani’s injury derailing his season, his numbers in fewer games dwarf everyone else’s.
Prediction: 1. Ohtani, 2. Seager, 3. Semien.
National League MVP
Ronald Acuña Jr., OF, Atlanta Braves
Mookie Betts, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Freddie Freeman, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers
It was close for a while there, but Acuńa separated himself from the pack at the end of the season. It’s his award to lose after making history as the first player ever to have a 40-homer, 70-steal season.
Prediction: 1. Acuña, 2. Betts, 3. Freeman.
American League Cy Young
Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees
Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays
Sonny Gray, Minnesota Twins
This one should be unanimous. Cole will finally earn his first Cy Young award after a dominant 2023 campaign.
Prediction: 1. Cole, 2. Gausman, 3. Gray.
National League Cy Young
Zac Gallen, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Blake Snell, San Diego Padres
Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants
Snell should run away with this one and raise his free-agency price tag even higher.
Prediction: 1. Snell, 2. Gallen, 3. Webb.
American League Rookie of the Year
Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
Triston Casas, 1B, Boston Red Sox
Tanner Bibee, RHP, Cleveland Guardians
Henderson was the clear favorite entering the season and that remains the case today. He’ll win this one handily, but don’t sleep on the tremendous seasons Casas and Bibee had. Their futures are bright.
Prediction: 1. Henderson, 2. Casas, 3. Bibee.
National League Rookie of the Year
Corbin Carroll, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks
James Outman, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers
Kodai Senga, RHP, New York Mets
Another easy one. Carroll had this award won in the spring. Senga was outstanding and Outman had a great year, but Carroll was elite.
Prediction: 1. Carroll, 2. Senga, 3. Outman.
American League Manager of the Year
Brandon Hyde, Baltimore Orioles
Kevin Cash, Tampa Bay Rays
Bruce Bochy, Texas Rangers
Remember, this is a regular-season award. Bochy would be the obvious winner if the postseason were included. Since it isn’t, I’m going with Hyde. The Orioles weren’t expected to be that good, even after a strong 2022 campaign.
Prediction: 1. Hyde, 2. Bochy, 3. Cash.
National League Manager of the Year
Brian Snitker, Atlanta Braves
Craig Counsell, Milwaukee Brewers
Skip Schumaker, Miami Marlins
The Braves weren’t just the best regular-season club, they were historically good. The offense was unlike any we’ve seen. That should be enough to give Snitker the edge.
Prediction: 1. Snitker, 2. Counsell, 3. Schumaker
Rapid Fire
Phillies president Dave Dombrowski announced the team plans to proceed with Bryce Harper as its full-time first baseman. That means Rhys Hoskins’ time with the club has all but certainly come to an end with him hitting free agency.
The Diamondbacks rewarded Torey Lovullo for the team’s surprising World Series run with a contract extension that will keep him around through the 2026 season.
The Rumor Mill
The Brewers, after losing Counsell, are open to trade offers on the majority of their roster, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. That means stars like Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta, Christian Yelich, and Willy Adames could be on the move.
The Dodgers are still considered the frontrunners in the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes. Others already linked to the two-way superstar include the Rangers, Cubs, Red Sox, Mets, and Giants.
The Red Sox spoke with free-agent left-hander Jordan Montgomery’s agent Scott Boras at the GM meetings, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. Montgomery, a World Series champion with the Rangers, would be an ideal addition to Boston’s lackluster starting rotation.
The Dodgers have expressed interest in signing slugging outfielder Teoscar Hernández, per Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times. Hernandez is among the top corner outfield bats available in free agency.
New Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow revealed the club has already received calls from potential trade partners about outfielder Alex Verdugo, who is widely expected to be moved this offseason. Perhaps a rare rivalry trade will occur. The Yankees, who desperately need outfield help, continue to be mentioned as a team interested in acquiring Verdugo.
Thanks for reading! Catch you next Sunday.