With just a few days until the World Series continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on today:
1. Are more coaching hires on the horizon?
Yesterday saw a flurry of coaching hires announced as the Cardinals, Brewers, and Blue Jays all added new voices to their staffs. Will the current lull between playoff games spur even more movement on the coaching front? There’s certainly plenty of vacancies that need to be filled, including a complete overhaul of the coaching staff in Miami. The Marlins are surely going to wait to fill out their coaching staff until they have a new manager in place, but the Red Sox, Cubs, and Orioles are among the large number of teams with coaching vacancies that could be addressed in the coming days. And that’s before considering the possibility of coaches on short-term deals being locked up longer-term, as AJ Preller indicated yesterday he’d like to do for Padres manager Mike Shildt and certain members of his staff.
2. Dodgers media availability:
The Dodgers announced last night that they’ll make a handful of players available to the media later today. That includes first baseman Freddie Freeman, who was sidelined for Game 6 of the NLCS due to the sprained ankle that’s hobbled him since the end of the regular season. It’s possible we’ll learn more today about his availability for the World Series, and manager Dave Roberts also figures to be on tap to discuss the availability of shortstop Miguel Rojas, lefty Alex Vesia, and righty Brusdar Graterol. All three of them were left off the NLCS roster due to injuries but could be in the conversation for the World Series roster.
One other point of intrigue is that the Dodgers will likely announce their choice for Game 1 starter. The club’s entire pitching staff will be on full rest for the coming series, and it seems likely they’ll turn to either Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Jack Flaherty to start Game 1, as they did in both of their previous playoff series this October. Whoever the Dodgers select will be set to face off against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, who has a 3.31 ERA across three postseason starts so far this year and a 2.98 playoff ERA in 120 2/3 career frames.
3. MLBTR Chat today:
With the World Series just a few days away, virtually the entire league has turned their attention towards the coming offseason at this point. If you have any questions about the upcoming winter, your team’s direction, or the impending clash between the Dodgers and Yankees, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.
No need to add Rojas to the roster at the expense of sitting Kike. You’ve been winning with Edman at SS and Kike in CF or 3B depending on Freeman’s availability. I also prefer Pages on the roster over Rojas.
Rojas will be a bench guy if he’s healthy….
How can the World Series continue when it hasn’t started yet?
It’s a mystery
More interested on who Tito will have on his coaching staff than anything about the big money series.
Reds – Wouldn’t be surprised if Tek is Tito’s bench coach.
You and the five other guys who love watching quadruple-A baseball….
If the Dodgers are still committed to giving Yamamoto 5 days off between starts (the cited reason why he was only on hand for NLCS game 4), then I’d expect the Dodgers to start him in game 2. Games 2 and 6 are typically started by the same pitcher and have 5 days in between (in this case, Saturday and the following Friday). Starting him in game 1 will make such a schedule awkward, as there are only 4 days between game 1 (Friday) and game 5 (Wednesday).
Being the Dodgers, they could always pull some bullpen shenanigans, but I’m expecting Flaherty game 1 and Yoshi game 2 to make it easier on them.
Shenanigans….right…..because using a bullpen game is against the rules, as everyone knows. And they are allowed to get away with it!
Hey, buddy, let’s calm down. I said “shenanigans” because using more than one bullpen game in a 7-game set is unusual (though obviously not unprecedented, given that they did it in the NLCS). Wasn’t meant to assert any sort of value judgment.
That’s good. That would allow Buehler to start twice (3 and 7) with only one bullpen game (4). If they have more confidence in a pen game for game 7, Buehler could start game 4 with pen games 3 and 7. Good times.
Why would you want Buehler to start a potential game 7?
Not a question of want. If the series goes seven the Dodgers will be piecing the pitching together. Buehler gets a “start” that goes maybe three innings, or maybe a few middle innings after an opener.
I would start Flaherty in games 1,4 and 7. They have days off in the World Series. A Flaherty with 4 days of rest is more reliable then Buehler.
metsin4: The days of 1-4-7 for the same pitcher are behind us. Even with the days off, that would see Flaherty pitching on 3 days’ rest both times (Friday, 3 off, Tuesday, 3 off, Saturday). They’re not going to do that when their bullpen game strategy has been successful. Theoretical game 7 would likely be bullpen heavy regardless of who starts games 3 and 4. As someone else suggested, a Buehler “start” in game 7 would likely only be one time through the order max.
That someone else being me…. 🙂
And it’s official. Flaherty starts game one.
I believe you made the right call. Flaherty for games 1 and 5 and Yamamoto for 2 and 6. If the DS had gone only four Yamamoto would have been able to make two starts in the CS.
Whoever the Dodgers select will be set to face off against Yankees cheater Gerrit Cole.
And he will face the cheater of Mookie Betts
Since he’s going to be on the Zoom call, I am guessing that Freddie will be on the roster. If Rojas can go, poor KK won’t. If both Bazooka and Vesia are ready it will be at the expense of Henriquez and Casparius with the latter sticking if only one of the former is fit enough.
I’m sure we’ll see every available pitcher on the Dodgers’ staff during the WS. They’ll cycle through arms, since they don’t have any length in the rotation. This being the last series of the season….
I’d lose Knack or Honeywell before Casperius. Honeywell is meh, Knack has imploded twice, and Casperius has ice in his veins
Casparius has been impressive, especially since he started the season in Double A, but he is also on the roster because Brusdar, who is used similarly, couldn’t go in the NLCS.
Honeywell is valuable because he pitched 7.2 in the two mop up NLCS lost cause games to save the high leverage arms. In turn, after each of those games (Buehler’s four inning outing that wasn’t a blowout until he left and the bullpen game in G6), they had all their top relievers available. There’s something to be said for one long reliever who can eat innings a couple of times in a series while taking it for the Dodgers and their inconsistent pitching.
That said, I’d keep Knack and Henriquez off before any of the other two.
Keep Casparius and Honeywell. Definitely keep K. Hernandez!
@fox471Dave I was actually referring to rookie reliever Edgardo Henriquez who was on the Dogs NLCS roster. Of course they gotta keep Kike’! He’s too valuable.
I guess the Pirates are waiting until the next worst hitting coach is available to replace the worst, Andy Haines
I am ready for the offseason. Most years I have a team to root for even if it isn’t my own. This year not so much. I really wish there was a salary cap and floor so that we could have fair competition instead of this.
Unlike last year when small market teams flooded the postseason
This isn’t a problem that started this year.
The Owners have balked at a Floor and the Players said “absolutely no way” to a Cap. Round and round the tables turn…
A cap with a floor is a better way to ensure teams spend and the sport grows. What we have now is not working.
I’m just saying, the powers that be continually shoot it down. You can hope for it all you want, but it’s not trending.
The commissioner is in charge. He’s supposed to do what’s best for baseball.
The commissioner works for the owners, not the players or the fans.
If an owner doesn’t want to spend a certain amount then they can find a new owner. Look at what the NHL is doing. It’s working. What baseball is doing is not working.
Not working for your team. Sorry that your team’s owner is using the franchise as their personal piggy bank….
My team is the Cardinals. They have a consistently large payroll and last time I checked more championships than every team in the history of the game besides the Yankees.
So…….
It only works when both sides can come to an agreement. Manfred does what’s best for team owners from which he draws a $25MM annual salary incl. bonuses.
They need some lessons from the Brewers on spending money wisely….
Also, half the teams in the playoffs were in the bottom half of payroll. So….
Perhaps this isn’t a conversation for a Yankees fan today right now. You are a good guy but clearly you have a bias.
My Yankees’ bias doesn’t change the absolute facts of my comment no matter how you slice it.
Manfred has a responsibility to do what’s best for the game. That comes before the owners. Of course a Yankees fan thinks the system is fine the way it is but it isnt.
Where did I say that the system should remain status quo or that the CBA should have no expiration date? Lol. Weak strawman dude.
Hey man you aren’t the guy to have this discussion with today right now. The system is working for iconic franchises who spend insane amounts of money. It isn’t working for anyone else.
He can’t implement a collective bargaining agreement. It is agreed upon by owners and the players union.
The NHL had to cut players salaries in half a few years ago. It’s absolutely not the model to go off of.
And salaries in the NHL have been rising ever since. It absolutely is the way to go.
Silence! You’re a biased high-payroll Mets fan.
LOL.
Well……he is……plus he was arguing with me yesterday so extra bias.
The values of a hockey team is probably around 10x less than a mlb team. No one is looking at the NHL to replicate as a sports ran business.
Admittedly, you’re seeking confirmation bias while the basis of your argument for Manfred’s primary role is factually incorrect.
espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39539575/mlb-commissioner-…
“Manfred’s job is to serve 30 billionaires, and in those team owners’ eyes, his tenure has been a success.”
Written by Jeff Passan – one of the most respected baseball writers today.
It doesn’t matter that Manfred’s job title is commissioner. The easiest way to understand his job is to think of him as the CEO of MLB, Inc. “The best interests of the baseball” is defined by the best interests of the team owners. Historically, any commissioner who dared to deviate from this definition did not keep his job for very long.
The Dodgers fan is correct. Manfred real boss is the game itself. If he doesn’t do what’s best for the game nothing else matters he’s in trouble.
YBC & Blue- good luck in the Series, y’all had a great year. First round’s on me, cheers fellas
I’m going to drink that virtual beer now, if you don’t mind!
*mug tap*
Enjoy!
Yeah. Cards’ fan not making a good argument. Especially when his team spent $60 million more this season than the eventual NL central champs….
Cubs spent over 100 million more than the Brewers. How did they do?
Pay attention! Manfred works FOR THE OWNERS. If they don’t want it, it doesn’t happen. You are tilting at windmills, Bud.
Oh please, Blackpink. Almost every MLB owner is a billionaire. If your team owner wanted to spend money, he/she would. Period.
It’s the owners choice to spend or not. When the teams go over the salary cap the money split between all the teams. The owners are pocketing the money.
ML pitchers should be grateful Roger Beshens came out in May 2018 on Twitter and literally taught them his Football Slider. On center grip, throw like football, stiff wrist. There would be no Cole, Rodon, Holmes…the whole staff throws the Roger Beshens Football Slider. Matt Blake got hired in 2019 to teach it. Instead of giving Roger Beshens credit, BS like data driven technology was the smokescreen. There is no technology or pitching lab NEEDED to learn the Roger Beshens Football Slider.
Sure you can look at the vert Horiz numbers but it’s the shaping of it which many don’t know how to do is what’s the most important part.
So the Matt Blake, Ethan Katz getting hired is all cause of Roger Beshens coming out with his Football Slider in 2018. What was Blake and Katz doing in 2018? Blake nothing in Cleveland, he had nothing IMPORTANT to offer until the RB Football Slider.
There is no Paul Skenes without the Roger Beshens Football Slider, his coach NEVER would have known about it, if that PC did he would have been teaching it before 2018 when RB came out with it.
There is no Wake Forest pitching lab without Roger Beshens.
There is no Glasnow, Clay Holmes, Mitch Keller, Taillon, Sonny Gray with without the Roger Beshens Football Slider.
So glad you said something! I had no idea! Tell me more about the origins of this pitch and a complete history of Roger Beshens, please!
Contact him, I just watched on you tube, Dbacks, Roger Beshens football slider, in that video he tells Strom and 11 pitchers in the bullpen how to throw his football slider. He has another one Lovullo acknowledging that football slider and like 20 seconds later Roger is telling Strom get the guys to move on the rubber, this slider is gold.
Many others are thankful for the Mario Soto circle change that saved a lot of careers.
Maybe they need to name the high fastball after me because I had my pitchers throwing it a lot in the 80s.
Anyone can throw a high fastball.
You got any cues we can use?
I can tell you from real life experience that not everyone has good enough control of their fastball to keep from getting clobbered. Just as not everyone can throw a good slider, change, etc.
Pitchers need more than just a fastball.
The blueprint for ML teams is teach the Roger Beshens Football Slider to select pitchers in the organization and spend the big money on the hitting. The Rays have been doing it now for years. The Rays had no idea about the RB Football Slider until they saw Glasnow throw it in PItt June 2018.
I felt bad for ML pitchers before 2018, they were getting creamed just throwing 97 mph fastballs.
Good lord! Stop with Beshens.
It only works when both sides can come to an agreement. Manfred does what’s best for team owners from which he draws a $25MM annual salary incl. bonuses.
I love Ohtani but as great as he is, I feel like mlb turns a blind eye to his general lack of media availability. Not saying World Series specifically, but in general. He should be held to the same standards as all players.
I am mystified by this comment. He’s interviewed after practically every game. In fact I have wondered if all the media attention he gets doesn’t irritate his teammates sometimes. Maybe you want to see more of his dog? Unsure what else you are expecting.
一平?
Ohtani and his interpreter sat in between Big Papi and ARod during FOX’s last post-game show. He also does frequent interviews with the Japanese media. Dude is probably the most interviewed player in MLB and never shies away.
I just wish Ohtani would stop the “I-don’t-speak-English” crap and give interviews without an interpreter.
See Ichiro. It’s a smart move so nothing he says gets misinterpreted nor taken out of context. It preserves his image and brand back home. How else can he afford his massive deferrals?
His words could be taken out of context since he doesn’t speak English fluently. I speak English fluently and broke Spanish and I would never do an interview in Spanish.
I believe this is as much team policy as anything else. He seems to speak enough English to communicate with his teammates but probably not fluently enough to conduct interviews.