Nearly a month into the MLB offseason, we’re still awaiting the first big splash.
While we wait for the movement to pick up entering next week’s winter meetings in San Diego, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in on what they think the rest of the offseason will bring.
Where will Aaron Judge sign? Who will sign the four star shortstops? Which ace is most likely to leave his current team? And who will be the big names in the trade market?
We polled a dozen team executives and MLB insiders from across both leagues about free-agent landing spots and who’s likely to get moved in trades this offseason. Voters were assured anonymity and were given the option to skip any questions that hit too close to home.
Here’s how they voted — and what they had to say about their picks.
Will Aaron Judge get a package worth more than $320 million and who will he sign with?
Our voters think Judge is going to one of three teams, but there is a split on which one and how much money he’ll get. Either way, he’ll likely end up with a contract for about $100 million more than the Yankees offered ($213.5 million) last spring.
“He gambled and showed up, but I’m going to say he comes in a bit below [$320 million] and comes home to the West Coast,” one voter said of the California native. “Dodgers or Giants. Sounds like Dodgers to me.”
Which shortstop will get the most dollars and years in free agency?
There are four coveted shortstops in this free-agent class, but our panel believes Turner and Correa are in line for the biggest paydays. Correa, 28, was a popular answer due to his age, but Turner, 29, won the vote.
“I think his [Turner’s] skill set ages the best,” one voter said. “Correa has had a couple injuries, while speed doesn’t slump, right? All long-term contracts are a risk, but give me a guy with Turner’s athleticism any day.”
Where will the four big free-agent shortstops sign?
Amazingly, the Giants showed up in the vote for every shortstop. Of course, San Francisco’s public stance on a willingness to spend could have influenced this. But as you might expect, there’s no real consensus on where each shortstop will sign. Executives showed the same uncertainty for last offseason’s shortstop class. It should make for a wild winter of musical chairs at the position.
“Dave Dombrowski isn’t going to sit on his hands,” said one voter who chose Turner to the Phillies. “His owner seems to be on the same page. I almost wonder how the Phillies don’t get one of them.”
“I just think if the Giants don’t get Judge, where else can they sign up a star player?,” another voter responded.” If they get Judge, then I would vote no on a shortstop. Until then, I think they will get one.”
Yes: 4 No: 8
The majority of our voters believe deGrom will return to the team he has spent his entire career with despite the ace testing the free-agent market this winter. Should he leave New York, it would be a surprise to at least one of our respondents if the Mets didn’t do something else soon after losing him.
“I think deGrom will leave the Mets, but they’ll move to quickly replace him,” a voter said.
Yes: 9 No: 3
On the other hand, our participants think that the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner will start the new season with someone other than the reigning World Series champions.
“Houston has so much pitching, they can let Verlander walk and spend elsewhere [like they did on Jose Abreu],” one executive said.
The fact that Senga got votes says a lot about his reputation as an ace in Japan considering he has yet to pitch in the big leagues. Meanwhile, the left-handed Rodon appears to have shed any durability questions after making 31 starts and pitching 178 innings in 2022. But it was the right-handed Bassitt who won this vote. Bassitt’s ERA has been higher than Rodon’s in each of the past two seasons, but in terms of pure value, the righty edged out the lefty.
“I like Rodon in one game for my season, but long term, I think Bassitt is probably the best value,” one voter said.
“It’s really not fair to judge Senga, so I voted for Bassitt as the safest bet,” another voter said.
Which team (outside of yours) will make the biggest splash this offseason?
The variety of teams given in this answer is a good indication of where baseball is right now: with a lot of teams that think they can make the postseason and, more importantly, win the World Series — and with money to spend to help that cause. Texas might not be an October favorite today, but it should be a hot stove player.
“I know the Rangers did it [spent] last season,” one voter opined, “but I don’t see why they won’t again. Bruce Bochy didn’t unretire to sit at home in October. This year they’ll add pitching. You can count on that.”
Who will be the most notable player traded this winter?
Some executives answered who was most likely to be traded as much as who will be the most notable, while the Tatis voter didn’t explain his choice — but certainly raised eyebrows with his pick.
“Lopez is such a good trade option at a much lower monetary cost for teams after some of the big free-agent pitchers come off the board,” one evaluator said. “With two seasons of control, Miami should get a nice haul.”
How much do MLB’s 2023 rule changes impact your offseason’s decision-making:a lot, some or not at all?
Not at all: 6 Some: 4 A lot: 0
Among the new rules, the elimination of the shift is most likely to impact roster construction, according to executives at the general manager’s meetings earlier this month. But they also say they don’t have a complete picture yet. Teams need to see it all in action before they know how it will impact decision-making in the future.
“Obviously, you can’t hide nonathletic second basemen anymore, but what we don’t know is how much the running game will be impacted by all these changes — both behind the plate and on the bases,” one voter said. “I don’t think the pitch clock will do much to roster construction long term.”
DEL MAR, Calif. — Forever Young beat defending champion Sierra Leone by a half-length to win the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic on Saturday at Del Mar, giving Japan a victory in North America’s richest race.
Ridden by Ryusei Sakai, Forever Young ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:00.19 and paid $9 to win at 7-2 odds. The colt was third in last year’s Classic behind Sierra Leone and Fierceness.
The race lost Kentucky Derby and Belmont winner Sovereignty when the colt was scratched after spiking a fever earlier in the week.
Trainer Yoshito Yahagi earned his third career Cup victory, while Sakai claimed his first.
“Forever Young is an amazing horse,” Yahagi said through a translator.
Fierceness was third and Preakness winner Journalism was fourth. Mindframe finished fifth, followed by Baeza, Nevada Beach, Antiquarian and Contrary Thinking.
Forever Young increased his career earnings to $19,358,590, with 10 wins in 13 starts.
In Saturday’s other races:
– Ireland-bred Ethical Diamond won the $5 million Turf by 1 1/4 lengths and paid $57.40 to win.
– Bentornato scored a two-length victory in the $2 million Sprint after finishing second last year. Irad Ortiz Jr. earned his second Cup win of the day and 23rd in his career.
– Scylla won the $2 million Distaff by five lengths for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.
– Britain-bred Notable Speech won the $2 million Mile by 1 1/2 lengths. He ran the distance on the grass in 1:33.66. It was the fourth time trainer Charlie Appleby and jockey William Buick have teamed to win the race.
– Gezora won the $2 million Filly & Mare Turf and paid $20.20 to win at 9-1 odds.
– Splendora roared past her favored stablemate Hope Road at the top of the stretch for a four-length victory in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint. Trainer Bob Baffert earned his 20th career Cup victory.
– Nysos held off stablemate Citizen Bull by a head to win the $1 million Dirt Mile, giving Baffert a 1-2 finish. The Hall of Fame trainer’s 21st career Cup win put him in a tie for the all-time lead with Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien.
– Shisospicy won the $1 million Turf Sprint by two lengths under Ortiz.
TORONTO — The Blue Jays have joined their counterparts on the Los Angeles Dodgers in paying tribute to Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia during the World Series.
Vesia is away from the team because of a “deeply personal family matter,” the Dodgers said in a statement posted on social media before Game 1. Pitchers on the Dodgers have been playing with Vesia’s No. 51 on the side of their caps.
In a show of solidarity, Blue Jays relievers have started doing the same thing. Toronto’s Chris Bassitt, Seranthony Dominguez, Mason Fluharty and Louis Varland all had the No. 51 written on the side of their caps in Friday’s Game 6, a 3-1 Dodgers win that forced Game 7.
Vesia, 29, has been a dependable bullpen arm for the defending champions. The left-hander went 4-2 with a 3.02 ERA in 68 regular-season games. He was 2-0 with a 3.86 ERA in seven postseason appearances.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he was touched to see the Blue Jays recognize an opponent amid the heightened competition of the World Series.
“It’s everything,” Roberts said before Saturday’s Game 7 in Toronto. “I didn’t learn that until after the game last night. I think it really speaks to the brotherhood of athletes. … It just speaks to how much respect and love they have for one another. It’s a huge, huge tribute to Alex.”
Dodgers outfielder Enrique Hernandez was staring at the stadium big screen as he walked back to the dugout after striking out in the ninth inning Friday when he noticed the number written on Bassitt’s cap.
“I was looking up at the board to see the replay, and that’s when I saw that he had 51,” Hernandez said Saturday. “Instead of being mad that I struck out, I was kind of going back to the dugout thinking ‘Did Bassitt play with Vesia at some point?’ And then after the game I saw that everybody had them. For those guys to do that, it’s incredible. They’re trying to win a World Series, but they understand that life is bigger than baseball, and baseball’s just a game.”
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said the tribute to Vesia showed the quality of character among the players in his team’s clubhouse.
“We have a lot of good people, a lot of good humans in there that are husbands and fathers and all that kind of stuff, that just appreciate what we all do and the hardships that come with it,” Schneider said.