21 more shopping days till Christmas

It's almost December, and the Yankees are still without a manager. More than a month after dismissing Joe Girardi, the search marches on, though things appear to be picking up steam.

New York is known to have interviewed five candidates: their own bench coach Rob Thomson, former Cleveland/Seattle manager Eric Wedge, Giants bench coach Hensley Meulens, TV analyst (and former Yankee) Aaron Boone, and Dodgers third base coach Chris Woodward.

Evidently, nobody has knocked Brian Cashman and Co. off their feet because they intend to look into at least one more name and it's an interesting one: Carlos Beltran.

Last seen helping Houston win the World Series before announcing his beautifully timed retirement, Beltran has been frontal with his desire to manage. There's risk in his lack of experience, but the 40-year-old was very popular as a player, and could uniquely resonate in the clubhouse.

He'd be facing sky-high expectations in his first year. Oh, and maybe the responsibility of handling Shohei Ohtani. All in the most demanding environment possible. But, outside of that, no pressure!

Speaking of Ohtani, he's expected to be posted this weekend, and then the derby for his services will begin. It goes without saying the Yankees will help their cause by getting a manager in place sooner than later.

Rehabbing Iwakuma Stays in Seattle

To whatever extent NPB connections are a factor in Ohtani's decision, the Mariners upped their pitch this week by re-signing starter Hisashi Iwakuma to a minor-league deal.

The timing seems a little odd. Iwakuma is still months from even being able to throw after undergoing shoulder debridement surgery in September. The M's could have likely waited until January or even February to check in on his rehab progress before pulling the trigger. But, it's a risk-free move, and we'll see if it's a selling point for Ohtani.

Iwakuma was never right this year, posting a 4.35 ERA with severely reduced velocity in six starts before going on the shelf. Even if he beats the odds and bounces back from major shoulder surgery at age 37, it's hard to see much upside given his pedestrian results when healthy in 2016.

Stanton Standoff

From the outside, it sure looks as though Giancarlo Stanton is making matters awfully difficult for the Miami Marlins. He seems intent on dictating his own destination in a trade, pushing for a deal with his hometown Dodgers, and that makes life tough for a front office already hamstrung in negotiations by his $300 million contract.

Then again, Stanton has every right. He signed a 13-year pact with Miami, with a no-trade clause. It's no fault of his that ownership decided to bail three years after making that commitment.

Attempting to gain some sort of leverage, the Marlins have reportedly threatened him with the prospect of being stranded amidst an all-out rebuild should he refuse to accept their desired trade.

It's an ugly situation and the outcome is anybody's guess. Fantasy players everywhere are just hoping like hell he gets out of Miami.

Quick Hits: After being designated for assignment by the Phillies last week, former No. 1 overall draft pick Mark Appel cleared waivers, so he'll stick in the organization and head to Triple-A ... Charlie Blackmon, looking ahead to a potentially massive payday next offseason when he's set to hit free agency, hired a new agent ... The Rangers finalized their one-year, $4 million deal with Doug Fister ... The Braves are said to be shopping first baseman Matt Adams ... Jung Ho Kang was released from his Dominican Winter League team after playing terribly, and his big-league prospects look bleak at this point.

Otani coming to MLB

Negotiations lingered well beyond Monday night's deadline, but by the time the dust settled on Tuesday, an agreement had finally been reached that paves the way for Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani to make his way stateside this offseason.

MLB and its Players Association settled on using the existing NPB posting system this year, so $20 million is all it will take for the rights to bring Ohtani aboard on a minor-league deal. There's not a team in the league that wouldn't want to take that gamble so competition for the 23-year-old's services will be fierce.

It will take 10 days for the new deal to be ratified, so the phenom is officially set to be posted next weekend. Buckle up.

In Japan, Ohtani starred on the mound and at the plate. He sounds adamant about doing both in the major leagues. And here's the thing: If he feels strongly about it, he can basically command it. He holds all the cards. Some team will offer that opportunity – maybe most will. The tools on both sides are legit.

If Ohtani's big strikeout stuff transfers over every fifth day, and he gets any kind of regular at-bats in between, it goes without saying he could be a game-changing figure in fantasy baseball the likes of which we've never seen.  

Elsewhere around the league, it's been a busy week already. Here are some more developing stories to chew on over the next couple days, along with your turkey and stuffing.

Mets and Tigers Talking Kinsler

Now that the Tigers have formally committed to a rebuild, Ian Kinsler is a bit of an odd fit on the roster. The 35-year-old has one year on his contract and won't be all that useful to a team with little hope of contention, so it's unsurprising to see his name already floating around in trade rumors.

According to Jon Morosi, the Mets have engaged in preliminary talks over the veteran second baseman, and their involvement is even less surprising. Unlike Detroit, New York is in win-now mode with a pitching staff built for October. But they need help offensively, especially at second base with Neil Walker hitting free agency.

This seems like a very logical match and it's likely that Kinsler, owed $11 million next year coming off a career-low .725 OPS in 2017, wouldn't cost the Mets all that much to acquire.

Judge Gets Shoulder Scoped

Aaron Judge hit 52 home runs, posted a 1.049 OPS, won AL Rookie of the Year, and finished as MVP runner-up. Imagine what he could do with a healthy left shoulder all season.

The Yankees are hoping that will be the case in 2018, after the 25-year-old underwent arthroscopic surgery this week to remove loose bodies and clean up cartilage. The issue was known to be bothering Judge at times during the second half and surely contributed to his immense slump following the All Star break, though he shook it off enough to finish with a spectacular September.

He's expected to be ready to go next spring, and barring setbacks or complications this surgery doesn't figure to affect his draft positioning.

Hammer Drops on Atlanta

Penalties have now been levied upon the Atlanta Braves in connection with their violation of international signing rules under former GM John Coppolella.

Most notably, the Braves will be forced to part with 13 of their international signees, including highly regarded shortstop Kevin Maitan, who inked a $4.25 million bonus last summer. Maitan and 12 others are now free to sign with other MLB organizations, and many will be in high demand. It will be especially interesting to see where the 18-year-old Maitan lands.

Appel Falls Far

In June of 2013, Mark Appel was the No. 1 overall selection by the Houston Astros in the MLB draft, one year after declining to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who'd taken him eighth. On Tuesday, he was designated for assignment by the Philadelphia Phillies following a completely unimpressive season with their Triple-A affiliate.

It's been a winding road for the Stanford product but since joining the pro ranks, it has pretty much been all downhill. He never really dominated any level of the minors and has been outright lousy at the higher levels. Still only 26 and clearly possessing tremendous innate talent, Appel will undoubtedly catch on with another organization. Maybe the right pitching coach can help him turn things around.

Quick Hits: The Marlins acquired first baseman Garrett Cooper from the Yankees, and he's a candidate to share playing time with Justin Bour at first base next year ... Reports indicate that the Giants are early front-runners in Giancarlo Stanton trade talks, which makes sense because they are desperately in need of the transformative offensive jolt his bat could provide ... With Jimmy Nelson expected to miss a sizable chunk of the 2018 season coming off shoulder surgery, the Brewers are eyeing frontline starters in the free agency marketing and Lance Lynn is said to be high on their list ... The Twins, meanwhile, are surveying the trade market in hopes of an upgrade, and have reportedly inquired about Gerrit Cole and Jake Odorizzi.

Arizona Fall League standouts

The 2018 Arizona Fall League season has come and gone, and while the overall talent level paled in comparison to previous years -- particularly with the pitching -- there were still players who had scouts buzzing.

Here’s a look at the standouts of the 2018 AFL season.

Hitters:

Ronald Acuna, OF, Atlanta Braves -- Acuna had the most hype of any prospect coming into the AFL -- with all due respect to Washington’s Victor Robles, who also performed well -- and to say he lived up to that hype is an understatement. He took home the league’s MVP award after hitting .325/.414/.639, and he lead all AFL hitters with seven homers. We’ve written ad nauseum about how talented the 19-year-old outfielder is, but seeing him perform like this as a teenager is still undeniably impressive. He’s going to spend time with Atlanta next year.

Francisco Mejia, C/3B, Cleveland Indians -- Mejia is certainly an offensive standout. Cleveland’s best prospect hit .365 in his 15 games, and the switch-hitter struck out just six times in his 63 at-bats. The switch-hitter has outstanding hand-eye coordination and can make harder contact everywhere. The one caveat here is that Mejia didn’t look good with the glove at third, and it’s very unlikely based on what he showed in the AFL that the Indians would trust him at the position right now. Still, it’s tough to ignore this kind of offensive prowess, and he has more value behind the plate, anyway.

Sheldon Neuse, 3B, Oakland Athletics -- Acquired in the deal that sent Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle to the Nationals, Neuse was outstanding for Mesa, posting a .935 OPS and five homers in his time in the league. The 2016 second-round pick doesn’t have a standout tool, but he also doesn’t have a true weakness. These type of prospects are often underrated, especially in fantasy circles. If you’re looking for an under-the-radar prospect who is going to be able to stick at third, you should take a look at Neuse.

Nicky Lopez, SS, Kansas City Royals -- The Kansas City system is a bit of a disaster, but Lopez was one of the few breakout prospects in 2017, and that continued in the AFL as shown in his .383/.433/.568 line. A left-handed hitting shortstop, Lopez doesn’t have much power, but he can take advantage of mistakes, and every other tool has a chance to be above-average. He’s not a lock to stick at shortstop, but even if he has to move to second base, he has a chance to be a regular.

Pitchers

Mitch Keller, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates -- Keller was the best pitching prospect coming into the Arizona Fall League, and he leaves with the same title. He ‘only’ struck out 13 batters in his 23 innings, but his 1.52 ERA in that time frame illustrates how little hard contact he allowed. With a sinking mid-90s fastball and plus curveball along with above-average command, he has the arsenal and wherewithal to pitch at or near the top of the rotation.

Max Fried, LHP, Atlanta Braves -- After pitching well in his limited big-league time, Fried continued his good run in Arizona; registering a 1.73 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 26 innings. The southpaw showed off his plus fastball/curveball combination, and the change continues to make progress. The command still isn’t where it needs to be just yet, but if it can be even average, he’s a mid-rotation starter.

Albert Abreu, RHP, New York Yankees -- In the loaded Yankees farm system, Abreu somehow became a forgotten man. He refreshed some memories this fall. The 22-year-old right-hander showed off his three potentially plus pitches, and he allowed one run or fewer in four of his six starts. Like Fried, the control still leaves a bit to be desired, but his upside competes with any pitcher in the AFL not named Keller.

TJ Zuech, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays -- A 2016 first-round pick, Zeuch disappointed in his first professional season, striking out just 51 batters in 65 ⅔ innings. He was much better in the AFL, however, fanning 15 hitters in just under 19 innings with a respectable 3.44 ERA. The 6-foot-7 right-hander gets downhill with a mid-90s fastball, and his curveball is another swing-and-miss option when he stays on top of it. Add in an average slider and developing change, and he has the arsenal and size you’re looking for in a mid-rotation option. It’s just a matter of showing that stuff consistently.

Searching

Searching for a Skipper

The Yankees’ search for a successor to Joe Girardi marches on.

On Friday, ESPN broadcaster and former Yankee Aaron Boone interviewed for the gig. Boone has no coaching or managerial experience at any level, but the Yankees are casting a wide net in their search. Many clubs have started to lean toward a new-age, data-driven, analytical type of manager, rather than relying solely on previous experience. Boone would certainly fit the bill in that case.

The club also interviewed Dodgers’ third base coach Chris Woodward over the weekend. While Woodward does have coaching experience, his meeting with the Bombers was his first managerial interview. Woodward served as the manager for New Zealand’s squad during the 2016 World Baseball Classic. He also fits the analytical mold that the Yankees are reportedly looking for.

Boone and Woodward join three other candidates who have already met with general manager Brian Cashman, Yankees’ bench coach Rob Thomson, former Indians’ and Mariners’ manager Eric Wedge and Giants’ bench coach Hensley Meulens. Jerry Hairston Jr. has also been rumored as a potential candidate for the job, though he has yet to interview with Cashman.

Cashman noted on Sunday that he has yet to reach out to every prospective candidate that they would like to grant an initial interview to.

Quick Hits: Peter Gammons of Gammons Daily.com believes that the battle for Alex Cobb will come down to a bidding war between the Yankees and Cubs. The Orioles have also thrown their hat into the ring for his services and are desperate for an upgrade to their historically-terrible starting rotation… Gammons also notes that the Red Sox may try Blake Swihart at second base this spring, as they are looking to cover for Dustin Pedroia who is expected to miss the first two months of the season following knee surgery… Jose Peraza has left his team in the Venezuelan Winter League for an undisclosed personal reason… Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported Sunday that the Red Sox and Phillies have expressed continued interest in Carlos Santana… Morosi also reports that former Rockies’ right-hander Tyler Chatwood is drawing “widespread interest” and could net a multi-year deal this winter… Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times believes that the Rays’ plan this offseason will be to trade a couple of veterans to shed payroll. If that’s the case, he believes that Evan Longoria and Alex Colome could be on the move… There has been mutual interest between the Rays and free agent slugger Mike Napoli… The Mariners acquired Nick Rumbelow from the Yankees in exchange for a pair of pitching prospects, JP Sears and Juan Then… The Nationals filled out their coaching staff by naming Henry Blanco as their bullpen coach… Matt Williams was named as the third base coach for the Athletics… The Reds re-upped with Patrick Kivlehan on a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training… They also inked Rosell Herrera and Mason Williams to minor league pacts… The Mets signed left-hander Matt Purke to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league spring training… John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants have had discussions with free agent outfielder J.D. Martinez, who is expected to command a deal north of $200 million this winter… According to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN, multiple big league clubs have shown interest in right-hander Jay Jackson. The former Cubs’ prospect has been dominating out of the bullpen for the Hiroshima Carp in Japan over the last two seasons.

Gio pushing buttons

Free agency officially opened for business earlier this week, but one of the biggest story lines to watch in this year’s Hot Stove is the future of Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton. With the new ownership in Miami looking to drastically cut payroll, a trade is basically a foregone conclusion at this point, especially coming off a year where Stanton managed to avoid injury while slugging 59 homers. He could very well win the National League MVP award later this month. However, finding the perfect match isn’t so easy.



Consider the different factors of Stanton’s situation. The contract complicates things to an extent, as he’s owed $295 million over the next 10 years as part of his record-breaking extension. The Marlins will likely have to pick up some of the tab in order to make a trade more palatable for interested teams. Stanton has a full no-trade clause, so he can control his own destiny. He also has an opt-out clause in his contract after the 2020 season.

The Giants have been mentioned as a potential landing spot for a while given the team’s need for a slugger and Stanton’s California roots, but Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports wrote Thursday that the Cardinals “are believed to be the team that the Marlins would most like to make a deal with” because of their young pitching depth. Luke Weaver, Jack Flaherty, Alex Reyes, and Sandy Alcantara are all possible targets for Miami. The question is whether Stanton would accept a deal to a Midwest team when it’s believed that he’d prefer to play on one of the coasts. The Giants can’t compete with the Cardinals when it comes to prospects, but the money looms as an important factor here.

While we’re on the topic of money, we can’t rule out deep-pocketed teams like the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Yankees from checking in, even if they aren’t being mentioned prominently right now. Assuming the Marlins aren’t against trading in the division, the rebuilding Phillies have plenty in the way of young players and few payroll commitments. It should be a fun rumor mill in the coming days.

In the newest edition of the Rotoworld Baseball Podcast, myself and Drew Silva went over Stanton’s situation and other Hot Stove storylines to watch. Check it out here and make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.










Twins Seeking Arms

Fresh off a historic turnaround which led to the AL Wild Card game, the Twins are going into the offseason with a purpose. Per Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the club is considering making a run at one of the big free agent starting pitchers on the market.



The Twins typically don’t spend big on free agents — Ervin Santana’s $54 million deal is the richest free agent deal in team history — but they’ll have to up the ante in order to land the likes of Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb, or Lance Lynn. Many have Darvish and Arrieta pegged for contracts exceeding $100 million. This means that Cobb and Lynn are the more realistic possibilities, but there will be plenty of competition for them as well. There’s a clear drop in quality among free agent starters after this quartet.





As I wrote in the Twins’ Team Roundup piece last month, the roster is already in good shape as far as impact position players, but upgrades on the pitcher side are essential. Starters not named Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios combined for a 5.57 ERA this past season. The club is also expected to make an effort to improve the back-end of their bullpen. With that in mind, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported Thursday that the Twins have expressed early interest in a reunion with former closer Brandon Kintzler.

Quick Hits: ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that Aaron Boone is among the candidates for the vacant manager position with the Yankees … Free agent reliever Brandon Morrow told MLB Network Radio on Thursday that he’d prefer to return to the Dodgers … The Nationals announced Dave Martinez’s staff on Thursday, including Chip Hale as bench coach, Derek Lilliquist as pitching coach, and Tim Bogar as their new first base coach … Yankees bench coach Rob Thomson interviewed for the team’s managerial vacancy on Thursday … Logan Morrison told MLB Network Radio on Thursday that it “would be a dream come true” to play for the Royals … Jae-gyun Hwang’s agent, Han Lee, told NBC Sports Bay Area that his client plans to return to Korea following a disappointing season in the Giants organization …

Lowdown: Trade Rumors Rumbling

The GM Meetings are underway in Orlando, providing an opportunity for many of the league's front office execs to start laying groundwork for trades and free agent signings. So it's no surprise that we've begun to hear rumors trickling out from the Sunshine State.

Let's run through some of the most noteworthy trade rumblings that are catching our attention, along with the rest of the biggest offseason news updates from the past couple of days.

White Sox Unloading Again?

As we all know, Chicago's all-out firesale was one of the commanding story-lines in baseball last offseason. Although they've already shipped out most the pieces that comprised their previous core, it sounds like they might not be done.

White Sox GM Rick Hahn said recently, "We're still in the same spot that we were a year ago, in that we're focused on the long term." He added that the club has received interest in names like Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia.

Garcia's a nice player coming off a career year, so the sell-high opportunity there is evident. Abreu, meanwhile, is coming off his best season since 2014, when he won AL Rookie of the Year and finished fourth in the MVP voting. He has driven in 100 or more runs in each of his four seasons as a big-leaguer and is two years away from free agency. The Cuban slugger would be a huge addition to the middle of any lineup, so we'll be tracking his market closely.

Giants Eyeing Hamilton?

It's been awhile since Bruce Bochy and the Giants have had a true speedster at their disposal. No San Francisco player has topped 25 steals since 2010, and none have reached 30 in the past decade. Perhaps this is driving their reported interest in Billy Hamilton, who might be the game's fastest player and is certainly its most prolific base-stealer.

Hamilton has swiped 230 bags in four full seasons with the Reds, and that's 28 more than the next-highest finisher (Dee Gordon). He's also extremely rangy in center field, which is undoubtedly a factor in San Fran's interest with an aging Denard Span currently holding down the position.

Adding Hamilton would certainly provide an electrifying jolt to an offense that ranked as one of the league's worst in 2017, though his overall production has never come close to matching his world-class wheels.

Top NL Contenders Closing In On Britton?

His value certainly isn't where it was a year ago, when he was coming off one of the best seasons for a closer in history, but Zach Britton is still a highly enticing piece, and he's drawing interest from some of the National League's biggest heavy-hitters. Among them? The Dodgers and Cubs, who recently faced off in the NL Championship Series.

It would certainly make sense for the Orioles to make their star reliever available, as they're coming off a last-place finish and he's entering his final year of team control. From a fantasy perspective it'd obviously be preferable to see him land in Chicago as Wade Davis's replacement in the ninth, but if the Dodgers were able to acquire Britton they'd be able to pair him with Kenley Jansen for an absurd two-headed monster in the late innings.

The upside is huge but concerns around Britton's knee, which hampered him for much of the summer and required a PRP injection in September, will carry weight.

Quick Hits: The Blue Jays and Mets have reportedly shown early interest in free agent outfielder Lorenzo Cain ... Minnesota's Paul Molitor and Arizona's Torey Lovullo were named Managers of the Year for the AL and NL, respectively ... Some rival execs view the asking price for Giancarlo Stanton in trade discussions to be "shockingly high," per Buster Olney ... The Mets are weighing a pursuit of Japanese star Shohei Otani, and have reportedly reached out to free agent Carlos Santana's reps ... Cards GM John Mozeliak stated that he expects electric young righty Alex Reyes to return to the mound as a reliever for St. Louis around mid-May of next year following his Tommy John surgery rehab.

The Brain moves east

Both the Celtics and the Patriots are 6-2, while the Red Sox have made multiple changes to their coaching personnel.
Tony La Russa says he’ll ‘just be a resource’ to the Red Sox: On Thursday, Boston announced it had hired La Russa as a special assistant to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. According to the team’s announcement, he’ll work under Dombrowski “in all areas of baseball operations, including player development and consultation with the major and minor league staffs.”
La Russa, who previously managed 33 seasons of baseball, described his role as “a resource” in a conference call with reporters. The 73-year-old says he plans to assist new manager Alex Cora in whatever ways he can, without stepping on his toes.

 “I’m going to be very sensitive to his position is the best way to put it,” La Russa said. “He’s the one who has to establish his leadership position with the major league team and his staff. I’ll be available. When he asks, I’ll give him the best answer. But I’m not getting in his way or try to influence him because I know he knows the direction he wants to go. I’ll just be a resource.”
He has the utmost faith in Cora, however, calling him “a very bright young man that’s going to be an outstanding manager.” The three-time World Series champion said that he’s going to call upon his most recent experience as Arizona Diamondbacks chief baseball analyst to help guide his time in Boston.

 “I think it’s the way to do it here, too,” he said. “To be sure that Alex and his major league coaches are clearly in charge of the major league situation. They’re the people who are going to be there every day creating relationships with their players, so any of us that are on the periphery, you’re there to help without getting in the way.”

 Red Sox hire three new coaches: “Former major league manager Ron Roenicke will be the bench coach for new manager Alex Cora. Tom Goodwin returns to the Sox as first base coach and outfield instructor. Double A Portland manager Carlos Febles was promoted to third base coach and infield instructor.”

The Carmine Hose

What Went Right

Boston boasted the AL’s second-best pitching staff even though David Price was limited to 11 starts and 2016 All-Star Steven Wright and eighth-inning guy Tyler Thornburg both missed the season. Chris Sale was the AL’s second-best starter, and Drew Pomeranz ranked somewhere in the top 10. Craig Kimbrel was the league’s best reliever. On the offensive side, no one excelled, but there were also no huge holes; the worst OPS belonging to a regular was Jackie Bradley Jr.’s .726. Rafael Devers came up at age 20 and looked like a star in the making. Christian Vazquez showed some offense to go with his excellent defense, batting .290/.330/.404 as he overtook Sandy Leon to become the Red Sox’s starting catcher. Andrew Benintendi didn’t quite match the hype, but he was a solid regular as a 22-year-old rookie, hitting .271/.352/.424.


What Went Wrong

The David Ortiz-less lineup suffered from a power outage all year long. 74 different players hit 25 homers last season and not one played for the Red Sox. Mookie Betts, though still one of the 10-best players in the league, lost 50 points off his average from his near-MVP season in 2016. Xander Bogaerts and Bradley likewise took steps back. Hanley Ramirez had just a .750 OPS as the primary DH. Pablo Sandoval got himself released, even though he was signed through 2019. 2016 AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello plummeted to 11-17 with a 4.65 ERA.


Fantasy Slants

**Benintendi surprised with 20 steals to go along with his 20 homers, and if he wants to keep running, he should be at least a top-20 and maybe even a top-10 fantasy outfielder next year. The Red Sox might not have hit much as a whole last season, but things will almost have to be better next year and Fenway remains one of the game’s top parks for hitters. As a likely No. 2 or No. 3 hitter next year, Benintendi could fill it up in all five categories.


**Betts was the second overall pick in many mixed leagues this year. That won’t be the case next year, but he shouldn’t fall too far. Even in a disappointing year, he still managed 24 homers, 101 runs, 102 RBI and 26 steals to go along with his .264 average. The low average was probably a fluke, too; he fanned just 79 times in 712 plate appearances. His average on balls in play was .310 in 2015 and .322 in 2016 before tumbling to .268.

**Devers managed to slug .482 in 222 major league at-bats as a 20-year-old, putting him in Stanton-Harper-Correa territory (Mike Trout was a couple of notches above that, coming in at .564 when he was 20). He’s shaky at third and probably won’t stay there for the long haul, but he should be a 30-homer threat next year and a potential monster down the line.

** Porcello’s bad year came with no drop in velocity and actually the best strikeout rate of his career. Of course, he’s had similar seasons in the past. In fact, he’s finished with ERAs over 4.50 in five of his nine seasons. One would think he’d bounce back to being average, but with everything hit in the air these days a threat to leave the yard, he needs to get his groundball rate back up some.


**The Red Sox have already lost Dustin Pedroia and Eduardo Rodriguez for the start of 2018, both due to offseason knee surgeries. It doesn’t sound like either will be back before June, and the Red Sox will have to factor both injuries into their offseason plans.


Key Free Agents: Addison Reed, Eduardo Nunez, Mitch Moreland, Doug Fister, Chris Young, Rajai Davis, Fernando Abad

Team Needs: The Red Sox will be looking to inject some power, probably in an upgrade over Moreland at first base. Bringing in a top free agent (or Giancarlo Stanton) would have big consequences when it comes to the luxury tax, but ownership might take the hit anyway. Rotation depth would also be nice, and a second baseman to fill in for Pedroia is a necessity. Re-signing Nunez will be considered, but he’s in line for a healthy multiyear deal after his strong season.

Around the league

The Astros were just crowned World Series champions late Wednesday night, but the Hot Stove waits for nobody. The first major offseason domino fell on Thursday afternoon, as outfielder Justin Upton decided against testing free agency by agreeing to a five-year, $106 million contract with the Angels. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported the terms involved.



In recent weeks, Upton was mulling over whether to opt out of the remaining four years and $88.5 million on his contract, which was originally signed with the Tigers in January of 2016. Many expected that he would indeed test the open market, but the Angels tacked on another year at $17.5 million to hammer out an agreement. The new deal includes a full no-trade clause and will take Upton through his age-34 season in 2022. It’s a crucial move for the Angels, as left field has been a major trouble spot in recent years. His bat is desperately needed in this lineup.

Upton amassed career-highs in homers (35) and RBI (109) this season while posting a .273/.361/.540 batting line. This includes seven homers and 15 RBI over 27 games after the Angels acquired him from the Tigers for right-handers Grayson Long and Elvin Rodriguez (originally announced as a player to be named later) on August 31.


While it’s true that Upton will play half of his games in one of the most pitcher-friendly ballparks in the majors, fantasy owners can live with that now that he’ll be slotted behind Mike Trout (.441 OBP over the last two seasons) in the Angels’ lineup for the foreseeable future. Remember, Albert Pujols managed 101 RBI this season despite some otherwise horrible numbers. It’s a great gig.

With Upton officially off the market, J.D. Martinez is now the clear No. 1 outfielder on the free agent market. Martinez’s new agent, Scott Boras, has to be thrilled with that. Other outfielders of note in this year’s free agent class include Lorenzo Cain, Jay Bruce, and Carlos Gonzalez. For a full breakdown, be sure to check out Matthew Pouliot’s Top 111 free agents.

Surgery for Sano

After being hampered down the stretch with a stress reaction in his left shin, Twins slugger Miguel Sano is scheduled to undergo surgery on November 13 address the injury. The procedure will involve having a titanium rod permanently inserted into his leg.

It sounds scary, but Twins general manager Thad Levine recently told reporters that if surgery was required, Sano would likely be facing 6-8 weeks of recovery time before resuming baseball activities. Assuming all goes well here, that should give Sano enough time to participate in spring training in preparation for the season.

Sano took a step back in his sophomore campaign, but he bounced back when healthy this year, batting .264/.352/.507 with 28 homers and 77 RBI over 114 games. He earned his first All-Star Game selection in the process. The 24-year-old was limited to three games after August 19 due to his shin injury and was forced to sit out the AL Wild Card game against the Yankees.

Quick Hits: The Red Sox had the easy calls of picking up their club options on ace Chris Sale ($12.5 million) and closer Craig Kimbrel ($13 million) for 2018 … Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports that Japanese hitting and pitching sensation Shohei Otani has yet to hire an agent stateside, which could potentially be linked to uncertainty of the expired posting system … Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said Thursday that he’s “optimistic” that Daniel Murphy (knee) will be ready for the start of the 2018 season … According to Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star, The Royals are expected to make qualifying offers to impending free agents Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, and Lorenzo Cain … Adam Lind became a free agent after his $5 million mutual option with the Nationals was declined … As expected, the Tigers declined their $16 million club option on right-hander Anibal Sanchez … The Athletics exercised their $6 million club option on second baseman Jed Lowrie … The Mariners declined their club options on Hisashi Iwakuma ($10 million) and Yovani Gallardo ($13 million for 2018 … The Angels declined club options on Huston Street ($10 million) and Ricky Nolasco ($13 million) … According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Rays infielder Brad Miller underwent core muscle surgery last month … The Diamondbacks picked up their $2 million club option on infielder Daniel Descalso … The Rays exercised Nathan Eovaldi’s $2 million club option for 2018 … The Red Sox have hired Tony La Russa as vice president and special assistant to their baseball operations staff … The Nationals have hired Kevin Long as their new hitting coach … The Mets and Red Sox essentially swapped first base/baserunning/outfield coaches, as Ruben Amaro has joined Mickey Callaway’s staff in New York while Tom Goodwin was hired for Alex Cora’s staff in Boston … Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the Rangers are set to hire Don Wakamatsu as their bench coach …

Astro - Nomical

This may have been one of the best and most evenly matched World Series ever, but in Game 7, it didn’t look like it.

The Houston Astros scored five runs in the first two innings, the Los Angeles Dodgers were unable to take advantage of being able to put runners on base in seemingly every inning, and the Astros came up with a 5-1 victory on Wednesday in Game 7 of the World Series to give Houston their first ever world championship.

The game took an immediate ugly turn for the Dodgers. The white-hot George Springer led the game off with a double down the third base line, and Alex Bregman hit a chopper that should have just advanced him to third. Cody Bellinger inexplicably cut the ball off, and made a disastrous throw to starter Yu Darvish that wasn’t close, allowing Bregman to get to second and Springer to score. After Bregman stole third, a ground out to Bellinger -- who appeared shy to throw the baseball -- scored him to give the Astros a 2-0 lead.

One inning later, things got worse for L.A. After walking Brian McCann and giving up a double to Marwin Gonzalez, Darvish was able to get Josh Reddick out. With runners on second-and-third and pitcher Lance McCullers at the plate, the Dodgers inexplicably didn’t have the infield in, and McCullers weak ground ball was hit just far enough to allow McCann to score from third to make it 3-0. On the next pitch, Springer clobbered a 438 foot dinger to left-center to make it 5-0, and chase Darvish from the game.

After Darvish left, the Dodgers bullpen -- particularly Clayton Kershaw -- was able to keep Houston from adding on, but it didn’t matter. Even though McCullers gave up more baserunners (eight) than outs (7), and the Dodgers routinely put runners on against the rest of the Houston staff, they were unable to take advantage of their opportunities.

Even if this game was borderline anticlimactic, what a tremendous series this ended up being. These two teams were clearly evenly matched, and they became even more when the pitching staff of both clubs faltered; be it due to ineffectiveness, fatigue or a combination of both. Simply put, you’d be hard-pressed to find better back-to-back Fall Classics in this sport when you combine this with last year’s Cubs vs. Indians seven-game thriller.

This sport is gonna be okay, folks. Here’s hoping we have another classic on our hands at this point in 2018.

Quick hits: Tony La Russa is expected to join the Red Sox organization on Thursday. The former Athletics, Cardinals and White Sox manager has served the last three years in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization … Diamondbacks OF J.D. Martinez hired Scott Boras to be his new agent. Martinez is a free agent after hitting 45 homers for Arizona and the Tigers, respectively … The Brewers outrighted OF Quintin Barry and RHP Carlos Torres to Triple-A Colorado Springs on Thursday … The Blue Jays outrighted three players on Thursday; RHP Bo Schultz, RHP Cesar Valdez, and OF Darrell Ceciliani … Astros assistant hitting coach Alonzo Powell will be named the hitting coach of the Giants this week.

Seventh Heaven

This edge-of-your-seat 2017 World Series deserves a Game 7. And it will get one.

Astros starter Justin Verlander was dominating Tuesday night’s World Series Game 6 until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Austin Barnes slapped a lead off single to left field, Chase Utley drew a hit-by-pitch on a wayward slider, and Chris Taylor banged a game-tying double to right field. The next batter, Corey Seager, put the Dodgers ahead 2-1 with a sacrifice fly that dropped just shy of the wall in center field. Joc Pederson would tack on an insurance run with an opposite-field homer to left field in the bottom of the seventh as Los Angeles earned a 3-1 victory over Houston and forced a winner-takes-all tilt on Wednesday.

George Springer provided the only run of the night for Houston with his solo homer off Dodgers starter Rich Hill in the top of the third inning. Hill was pulled with two outs in the top of the fifth and the quick hook worked out this time for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, with Brandon Morrow, Tony Watson, Kenta Maeda, and Kenley Jansen combining for 4 1/3 scoreless frames to close out the all-important win.

Roberts told reporters before the game that Jansen, who had shown real signs of fatigue in his last few appearances, would be limited to three outs on Tuesday night. But you can ignore all pregame designs at this time of the year, however well-conceived. Jansen earned a six-out save to finish out Game 6 on Tuesday, retiring all six batters he faced -- three via strikeout.

It’ll be all-hands-on deck for both teams in Game 7 on Wednesday, though Lance McCullers and Yu Darvish are the listed starting pitchers. Clayton Kershaw figures to work at least one inning.

This series deserves this. You deserve this. We all deserve this. See you tomorrow night.

Quick Hits: Angels general manager Billy Eppler said Monday that J.C. Ramirez has shown continued healing in his right elbow … Starling Marte has been added to the roster of Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League … Matt Shoemaker (forearm) threw three simulated innings in Arizona on Monday … Ramon Santiago officially announced his retirement Tuesday and has joined the Tigers as their new first base and infield coach … Mariners sent right-hander Casey Lawrence outright to Triple-A Tacoma … Diamondbacks sent utility man Kristopher Negron outright to Triple-A Reno.