Connect with us

Published

on

Three of the teams in this year’s league championship series are expected to be major players in the Juan Soto free agent sweepstakes this winter: his current team, the New York Yankees, the crosstown rival New York Mets and the West Coast behemoth Los Angeles Dodgers. The Cleveland Guardians are … also playing in the LCS. (Hey, you never know.)

With MLB’s final four on center stage this week, we figured we’d give them the chance to make a preemptive pitch to this offseason’s soon-to-be most sought-after superstar. For each team — including the Guardians — we’ve tagged one of ESPN’s MLB experts to present the case for why Soto should sign there. Additionally, Judge Jeff Passan has put on his robe and will bang his virtual gavel to rate each pitch.

Here we go.


New York Yankees

Jorge Castillo: Throughout his season in the Bronx, Soto has pointed to this franchise’s history and how winning a World Series title would cement his place in it. Now imagine what winning multiple championships would do. Imagine multiple parades through the Canyon of Heroes and Soto’s No. 22 entering Monument Park alongside all those legendary numbers. Imagine returning to Yankee Stadium in 20, 30, 40 years for Old Timers’ Day to reminisce with teammates, to receive the perpetual adulation from one of the most intense fan bases in this sport.

In one year, Soto seamlessly fit into the clubhouse and teamed with Aaron Judge to become the modern Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The Yankees won the AL East and are still competing for a World Series title. But it could be just the beginning. The Yankees have the money to sustain a winner and the brand to attract talent. Soto has had a one-year opportunity to feel the warmth from the crowd every night. With every jog out to the outfield. During the roll call. The Dominican flags. The “Re-sign So-to!” chants. The back-and-forth with the Bleacher Creatures. Soto relished the stage. It was obvious. Now he can make it forever.

Judge Jeff’s verdict: That’s a pretty good case. It’s not just that the Yankees and their fans love Soto. He reciprocates it. Certainly the trajectory of New York’s season will have bearing on his ultimate decision, as well as the teams’ willingness to chase Soto as his price tag jumps into the $500 million-plus range. Which, to be clear, is warranted, because between Soto’s production (.288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 home runs) and age (26 next season), he is squarely in his prime. Winning their 28th World Series would almost force the Yankees to re-sign Soto. Even if they don’t, the need for a Paul to Judge’s John is acute.


New York Mets

Kiley McDaniel: The Yankees can try to sell Soto a winning tradition in the biggest market, but the Mets have actually been to a World Series more recently than their New York rivals. The Mets also have about $191 million coming off the books after this season, and Steve Cohen is going to approve spending all of that money — with arguably the best president of baseball operations in the sport overseeing the decisions in David Stearns.

Soto simply signing with the Mets — let alone leading them to their first World Series title since 1986, if they don’t win one this year — would electrify the fan base. He could end up the most beloved Met of all time. Soto won’t take Judge’s spot as the most iconic or popular current Yankee, much less pass Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle or DiMaggio. Does he want to be just another great slugger for a team or the face of a franchise for decades to come?

And, if it matters, a majority of people in baseball think the Mets will offer Soto the most money this winter, enough to ensure the Yankees wouldn’t be willing to match or even come close. Does Soto want to be able to appeal to his owner directly to add more talent when it matters most, or be told Hal Steinbrenner wants to manage his yearly profit and CBT status a certain way, so the team can’t add another star?

Biggest market, equal or better team, biggest contract … what else is Soto looking to get?

Judge Jeff’s verdict: Not a bad sales job here, either, and the notion Soto could go down as the all-time Met — a title currently held by Tom Seaver, with Mike Piazza, David Wright, Darryl Strawberry and Keith Hernandez all in the running as the top position player — is quite alluring. Pairing him with Francisco Lindor also doesn’t hurt the Mets’ case. One element not noted is the villainy that would accompany a crosstown move, particularly if the Yankees’ season ends without a ring. No star has left the Yankees for the Mets while near his apex. Soto doing that would immediately make him the most polarizing player in the city’s history, and as heroic as he’d be in Flushing, living as Public Enemy No. 1 in the Bronx is a cloak few, if any, would care to wear.


Los Angeles Dodgers

Alden Gonzalez: An amazing thing happens during summers in Los Angeles. It gets hot, but it also stays cool. You can feel the sun beating down on you and at the same time experience a crisp, subtle breeze — faint enough to feel some warmth, strong enough to keep it from bogging you down. It’s like the best of both worlds.

Oh, that reminds me: The Dodgers have a dude who can pitch and hit. Ever heard of him? His name is Shohei Ohtani, and he’s the best baseball player in the world. Maybe ever. They also have Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman and — for one more year, at least — Clayton Kershaw. They’re as much a lock to win the division as there can possibly be in this highly unpredictable sport.

In L.A., Soto can star in a market that is enormous but also not suffocating. He can play alongside some of the best players in the world. He can carve out a legacy for a historic franchise. And he’ll hardly break a sweat while doing so.

Judge Jeff’s verdict: Sunny Los Angeles days do enchant even the most cynical people, and the prospect of turning the Dodgers’ trio of Hall of Fame bats into a quartet has real appeal. But remember: Soto spent a year in San Diego, where the weather is better and the talent similar, and he didn’t lament his trade from there to the Yankees. There are no direct flights from California to the Dominican Republic, either, and for a player as close with his family as Soto, that’s the sort of impediment that can make a difference. Plenty of players shrug off whatever inconveniences West Coast teams provide, but for someone who can pick his destination such as Soto, these factors often are the differentiator in a close race.


Cleveland Guardians

Jesse Rogers: Cleveland might seem like a heavy underdog on this list, so let’s get right to the point. Cleveland can offer one thing those other teams can’t: The fame of being a superstar, but with the anonymity of living in a Midwest city. There will be pressure, but not the overwhelming kind experienced in New York — and L.A. is really no different.

Soto can be a part of a winner in Cleveland, and just like on those other teams, he would be paired with another great player in the lineup. Jose Ramirez is beloved by Guardians fans in a way few other players are by any fan base, and the Soto/Ramirez pairing can be just as magical as the Soto/Judge pairing was in New York this season. And if this duo can lead the Guardians to a World Series title, the franchise and the entire city will always remember Soto in a way that just doesn’t exist in a big market such as New York or L.A.

Sure, Cleveland’s payroll pales in comparison with the rest of these teams’, but that means there is room for a going-rate salary for a generational hitter, with the chance to use what has worked to get Cleveland this far to supplement the roster. And if you like competition, the AL Central is pretty darn fun these days.

Judge Jeff’s verdict: An A for effort. But Soto already has been in a smaller market in San Diego, and the appeal of relative anonymity wasn’t strong enough to compel him to consider an extension. Beyond that is the fact the largest free agent contract ever given out by Cleveland is the three-year, $60 million deal signed by Edwin Encarnacion, who was traded after his second season in Cleveland. Soto makes sense for Cleveland because Soto makes sense for every team, but it’s no stretch to suggest that him signing with the Guardians is about as likely as the team reconsidering its nickname change and going back to the Indians. It’s not happening.

Continue Reading

Sports

Sources: Tkachuk dodges discipline, will play G4

Published

on

By

Sources: Tkachuk dodges discipline, will play G4

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk will not receive supplemental discipline for his hit on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Geuntzel in Game 3, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

Tkachuk’s hit, in the third period of his team’s 5-1 loss, received a five-minute major. According to sources, the NHL Department of Player Safety determined that was enough, considering Guentzel had recently touched the puck and Tkachuk didn’t make contact with Guentzel’s head.

The department also believed that the force in which Tkachuk hit Guentzel was far lesser than the hit Tampa’s Brandon Hagel made on Florida captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2, which earned Hagel a one game suspension.

The plays led both coaches to trade jabs in the media. After Barkov went down in Game 2, Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice said: “The only players we hit are the one with pucks.”

Barkov missed the end of the third period, but played in Game 3. Game 4 is Monday at Amerant Bank Arena.

At his postgame press conference, following Tkachuk’s hit on Guentzel, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper deadpanned the exact same line as Maurice.

Tkachuk leads the series in scoring with three goals and an assist through three games. Guentzel has two goals and two assists for Tampa Bay.

The Battle of Florida is living up to the billing as one of the most contentious rivalries in hockey; either Tampa or Florida has made it to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the last five seasons.

Continue Reading

Sports

Jets’ Hellebuyck allows five goals, pulled again

Published

on

By

Jets' Hellebuyck allows five goals, pulled again

ST. LOUIS — Connor Hellebuyck, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner who is among the favorites to win the award again this season, allowed five goals before being pulled early in the third period as the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets fell to the St. Louis Blues 5-1 on Sunday, evening their Western Conference first-round series at 2-2.

Hellebuyck has now been pulled in back-to-back games in St. Louis, during which he has allowed 11 goals and posted a paltry .744 save percentage. Eric Comrie made five saves in relief of Hellebuyck on Sunday, but the game had long been decided by that point.

His performances have not only energized the Blues, the No. 8 seed who lost the first two games of this series, but their fans, as well. In the third period Sunday, the St. Louis faithful chanted, “We want Connor” as he sat on the Jets’ bench.

Brayden Schenn, Tyler Tucker and Justin Faulk each scored second-period goals to give the Blues a 4-1 lead, and Robert Thomas scored 2:01 into the third, ending Hellebuyck’s day.

Across the ice, St. Louis goaltender Jordan Binnington, who defeated Hellebuyck in the 4 Nations Face-Off final in February when Canada outlasted Team USA, made 30 saves in the win. The Blues have now won 14 straight regular-season and playoff games at home dating back to Feb. 23.

“The last 10 minutes, we gave up three goals,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said of the second period. “Those are coverage goals, and those are situations that we usually handle pretty well. They are finding ways to get that puck in the net.”

Kyle Connor scored for the Jets, staking the road team to a 1-0 lead, but the powerful Winnipeg offense that helped the club win the Presidents’ Trophy was never heard from again.

“This is obviously not what we wanted,” Winnipeg forward Mark Scheifele said. “But it’s a best two-of-three series now.”

Hellebuyck has been pulled in consecutive games only one other time in his career, and given the Jets lost in Round 1 last season to the Colorado Avalanche, the Winnipeg goaltending situation figures to be a storyline the rest of this series.

“At the end of the day, you know what, they took advantage of home ice,” Arniel said of the Blues. “We’ve put ourselves in this position. And our best players have to be better than their best players.”

The Jets and Blues return to Winnipeg for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Sports

Williams out as Yanks’ closer; Weaver to get a shot

Published

on

By

Williams out as Yanks' closer; Weaver to get a shot

NEW YORK — Devin Williams has been removed from his role as New York Yankees closer “for right now,” manager Aaron Boone said Sunday.

The move comes two days after Williams endured another rough outing and was booed off the mound at Yankee Stadium in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. The 30-year-old right-hander has a 11.25 ERA with career-worst marks in strikeout rate (18.2%), whiff rate (24.1%) and walk rate (15.9%) in eight innings across 10 appearances this season.

“He’s still got everything to be great, right? This is a guy that is in the prime of his career and he’s just going through it a little bit,” said Boone, who informed Williams of the decision Saturday. “I tell our players all the time, you make a career that’s long enough and you’re going to face some challenging moments. You’re going to face some adversity along the way. And good news for Devin is he’s got everything to get through this and come out better on the other side. And that’s my expectation.

“But, for right now, I think it’s best for everyone that we pull him out of that role and try and start building some good rhythm and confidence and momentum and fully expect him to be a central figure for us moving forward.”

Boone said setup man Luke Weaver, who has a 0.00 ERA in 13 innings pitched this season, will assume “a lot of” the team’s save opportunities. Boone maintained he is open to using Weaver in high-leverage spots earlier in games and other relievers to close.

As for Williams, Boone said he won’t have a specific role — whether pitching in low-leverage situations or tight spots just earlier in games — as he seeks to re-establish himself for a team with the ninth-best bullpen ERA in the majors despite his struggles.

The key will be for Williams to avoid falling behind in counts as he did against the three hitters he faced Friday, leading to the home crowd again showering him with loud boos while adding a “We want Weaver!” chant.

Williams wound up surrendering two runs on three hits without recording an out to blow the save and continue his alarming troubles.

The Yankees hope his changeup-fastball mix will baffle hitters again and allow him to return to the pitcher he has been for his entire career.

“Count leverage is a big thing for pitchers, understandably, as it is for hitters,” Boone said. “And I think he’s been behind a number of times. He’s also had it not bounce his way in a number of these games where it’s gotten away.

“But I think the biggest thing for a guy as good as he is, as good as his track record is, and where he is from an age standpoint in the prime of his career, it’s just about, I think, man, having it start to click, getting in a good rhythm and then off we go.”

The Yankees acquired Williams in December to replace Clay Holmes as the club’s closer with one year of team control remaining before reaching free agency. The trade, which sent left-hander Nestor Cortes and prospect Corbin Durbin to Milwaukee, figured to cement the Yankees’ bullpen as one of the best in the majors.

Williams established himself as one of baseball’s premier relievers over six seasons with the Brewers using a singular screwball-like changeup known as “The Airbender.” The right-hander posted a 1.83 ERA with a 39.4% across 241 appearances in Milwaukee. He won the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year Award as a setup man for Josh Hader and made two All-Star teams. His status was undisputed.

But Williams’ Yankees tenure has been turbulent from start. After emerging as the catalyst to have the Yankees’ decades-long no-beard policy changed during spring training, he was booed at Yankee Stadium during his sloppy debut on Opening Day against his former club.

Boone acknowledged the fans’ treatment could have an impact on Williams’ performance.

“I think there’s that adjustment,” Boone said. “Devin’s really been nothing but successful at the big-league level. He’s dominated. So, that’s all part of it. That’s what I talk to these guys all the time about is like, again, you’re going to go through a tough moment. When I came here in 2003 at the trade deadline, Mariano Rivera was getting booed in August. I couldn’t believe it. And then he’s still Mariano Rivera, recoups and goes on to do what he does.

“So, I’m sure there’s some shock to that and some … getting settled. He’s with a new team in a new environment. That’s all part of it. But my reminder to him is you have all the equipment to do this at an elite level and that’s still a reality.”

In other developments, Luis Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year Award winner, started his throwing program Sunday. He has been sidelined since Feb. 28 because of a high-grade lat strain, is on the 60-day injured list and is projected to return in June at the earliest.

Also, right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga, who is returning from internal brace elbow surgery, started his rehab assignment for Class A Tampa on Saturday and threw 11 pitches with one strikeout in a clean inning. He could rejoin the Yankees as early as late May.

Continue Reading

Trending