4 weeks agoMinnesota Twins senior vice president/general manager Thad Levine has stepped down from his post after eight seasons with the organization. Levine joined the Twins in November of 2016 as the team's senior VP and GM and played a pivotal role in helping drive the success of the Twins in the last eight years. In his time with the team, Minnesota captured three division titles and made the playoffs four times. Meanwhile, Derek Falvey will remain the team's president of baseball operations heading into the 2025 season. Levine and Falvey were both hired together eight years ago, but Levine has been less visible for the organization in recent seasons and will leave the organization with his contract expiring after the 2024 campaign. Levine interviewed for the Phillies president of baseball operations job back in 2020 and was one of the finalists last year for a front-office job with the Red Sox.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoJapanese right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano will be signing with an MLB team as an international free agent this winter, according to sources. Sugano, who turns 35 in a week, posted a tidy 1.67 ERA over 24 starts for the Central League champion Yomiuri Giants in Nippon Professional Baseball this year. He has won the Sawamura Award -- the equivalent of the Cy Young -- two times and has also been named the Central League MVP twice and is a four-time ERA champion. Sugano features a diverse six-pitch mix that features a four-seam fastball, two-seamer, slider, cutter, splitter and changeup. What he lacks in velocity he has made up for in command and pitchability. Over his 156 2/3 innings in 2024, Sugano walked only 16 batters and gave up six home runs while striking out 111. He spent a dozen seasons with the Giants, going 136-75.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
4 weeks agoNew York Mets shortstop
Francisco Lindor came up clutch for the Mets in Game 3 of the Wild Card series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, getting on base three times and scoring a run in a 4-2 win. Lindor had a double and a single early on in this one, but his biggest plate appearance came in the ninth inning. He went down 1-2 in the count to Brewers closer
Devin Williams before drawing a walk, which set the table for
Pete Alonso to smash a three-run homer later in the inning. Lindor has been fantastic all season and so far has continued that in the playoffs. He and the Mets will head to Philadelphia for the NLDS against the Phillies.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoMilwaukee Brewers first baseman
Jake Bauers delivered a clutch pinch-hit solo home run in the seventh inning of Game 3 in the Wild Card series against the New York Mets on Thursday. Bauers homer put the Crew in the lead, but unfortunately they could not hold on and ended up losing 4-2. Bauers finished the postseason 2-for-6 with a homer and an RBI. He will have a good chance to make the Brewers roster out of Spring Training next year if he remains with the team, but he would likely be a platoon option at best.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoMilwaukee Brewers outfielder
Sal Frelick came up clutch in Game 3 of the Wild Card series against the New York Mets, smashing a seventh-inning solo home run to give the Crew a 2-0 lead. Unfortunately for Frelick and the Brewers, they would end up blowing the game in the ninth inning and losing 4-2. The 24-year-old had a solid postseason, going 4-for-11 (.363) with a homer, a double, two runs scored, and one RBI. He will have a chance to earn an everyday role with the Brewers next season, although it may be difficult with
Christian Yelich returning and
Jackson Chourio solidified into a spot.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoNew York Mets closer
Edwin Diaz picked up his first win of the postseason on Thursday, tossing 1 ⅔ innings against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 of their Wild Card series. Diaz came in after
Jose Butto gave up back-to-back homers and put the Mets down 2-0. He got the next five outs and set the stage for a big comeback in the top of the ninth. Diaz did end up throwing 39 pitches in this one, so his availability for Game 1 of the NLDS on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies could be up in the air. It is the postseason though, so if Diaz is needed, he will probably be ready to go.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoNew York Mets left-handed pitcher
David Peterson finished off the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, picking up the first save of his career in a 4-2 win in Game 3 of their Wild-Card series. Peterson was tasked with facing the bottom of the Brewers lineup, which included two lefties. After giving up a leadoff single, Peterson induced a strikeout and a double play to finish off the series. It was a gutsy inning for the lefty, who could be in line for a multi-inning role out of the bullpen in the NLDS or could end up making a start. Any way you slice it, Peterson is a terrific weapon to have for the Mets.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoNew York Mets first baseman
Pete Alonso came up huge on Thursday, belting a three-run homer off
Devin Williams in the top of the ninth to lead the Mets to a 4-2 win in Game 3 of their Wild Card series. The homer was Alonso's only hit on the day, but he won't care about that. The Polar Bear finishes the Wild Card series 2-for-9 with a homer, three walks, and three RBI, but more importantly, he will leave with the biggest moment of the postseason so far. Alonso and the Mets will now head to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies in the NLDS.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoMilwaukee Brewers closer
Devin Williams had a disastrous appearance on Thursday, blowing the save and taking the loss in a 4-2 defeat against the New York Mets in Game 3 of their Wild Card series. Williams allowed four runs on three hits and a walk in just two-thirds of an inning. The Airbender has been nails since his mid-season return from injury, but he came up short at the worst possible time for the Crew, who will head home for the offseason. Williams should be back in 2025 as the Brewers' closer, but it will be tough for him to forget this one.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
4 weeks agoNew York Mets starting pitcher
Tylor Megill appears to be the leading candidate to start Game 1 of the ALDS against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. Nothing has been set in stone, but
Luis Severino,
Sean Manaea,
David Peterson, and
Jose Quintana all pitching in the Wild Card round, Megill is the only Met on the active roster that will be fully rested.
Kodai Senga could technically return as well, but he would likely pitch out of the bullpen. Megill would have a tough matchup against
Zack Wheeler if he does get the nod, but he pitched well against the Phillies in a September start and has the stuff to do it again.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Anthony DiComo
4 weeks agoNew York Mets starting pitcher
Kodai Senga (calf, triceps) has a chance to be added to the postseason roster for the NLDS. The Mets will take on the Philadelphia Phillies in a best-of-five series, and the team is discussing whether they should make him available to pitch. Senga threw batting practice on Monday and is progressing well according to the team. The 31-year-old has battled injuries all season and has only made one start with the big league club. If he is added to the roster, he will likely be on a pitch count and could be used out of the bullpen.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: Will Sammon
4 weeks agoThe Cincinnati Reds are hiring Terry Francona as their next manager, according to sources. Francona will come out of retirement just one year after stepping away from the Cleveland Guardians and will now take over a young and talented Reds club. The 65-year-old managed the Guardians for 11 seasons before retiring. He won almost 55% of his games with Cleveland after winning two World Series championships with the Boston Red Sox. Before retiring a year ago, Francona cited health issues that caused him to miss some time. He'll take over a Reds team that finished 82-80 in 2023 but regressed in 2024 to finish 77-85. Cincy fired previous manager David Bell less than a year after giving him a contract extension. Francona has 1,950 wins in his career (13th all time), including 285 in his first job with the Philadelphia Phillies more than a quarter century ago.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeff Passan
4
weeks
agoLos
Angeles
Dodgers
first
baseman
Freddie
Freeman
(ankle)
hit
during
the
team's
simulated
game
on
Thursday,
but
he
didn't
play
first
base.
Freeman
was
injured
last
week
against
the
San
Diego
Padres
and
was
held
out
of
the
final
series
against
the
read more...
4
weeks
agoThe
Los
Angeles
Dodgers
originally
announced
right-hander
Jack
Flaherty
for
Game
1
of
the
National
League
Division
Series
on
Saturday
at
Dodger
Stadium
against
the
division-rival
San
Diego
Padres,
with
right-hander
Yoshinobu
Yamamoto
going
in
Game
read more...
4
weeks
agoLos
Angeles
Dodgers
right-hander
Yoshinobu
Yamamoto
is
lined
up
to
start
Game
2
of
the
National
League
Division
Series
on
Sunday
against
the
division-rival
San
Diego
Padres
at
Dodger
Stadium.
He
will
be
opposed
by
fellow
Japanese
hurler
read more...
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