With the Wild Card Series behind us, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:
1. Reds under new management:
The Reds’ managerial search came to a shocking end last night when it was reported that three-time Manager of the Year and two-time World Series champion Terry Francona is being hired to replace David Bell in the dugout. The Reds have not yet announced Tito’s hiring, but are expected to do so as soon as today. In a year that hasn’t seen much upheaval in the league’s dugouts to this point, Cincinnati’s surprise hiring of Francona takes perhaps the most attractive managerial gig available off the market though both the White Sox and Marlins have yet to name a manager for 2025 and it remains at least theoretically possible that one or more of the teams currently in the playoffs could make a change in the dugout following the postseason, though no club is an obvious candidate to do so.
2. NLDS starts this weekend:
There’s no playoff baseball scheduled for today as the remaining Wild Card teams rest up and prepare for their upcoming division series matchups. In the NL, there’s plenty of roster-related intrigue that figures to be settled this weekend before two pairs of division rivals clash. The Dodgers and Padres have already announced their starters for the first two games of the series, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3.00 ERA in 18 starts) set to face Dylan Cease (3.47 ERA) in Game 1 before Jack Flaherty (3.17 ERA) faces Yu Darvish (3.31 ERA in 16 starts) the next day. Of note, Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times) that the left-adductor strain that left him sidelined for the final games of the Dodgers’ regular season is still bothering him with minimal progress. Rojas indicated that he intends to play through the issue, although Tommy Edman stands as a capable replacement at shortstop if necessary.
Meanwhile, the Mets and Phillies prepare to play this weekend with only one starter announced between the two teams: Philadelphia ace Zack Wheeler (2.57 ERA) is set to take the ball for Game 1. Neither team has made any sort of indications regarding who their Game 2 starters may be, and the Mets also haven’t announced who they’ll send to the mound opposite Wheeler. Even so, there’s at least some roster-related intrigue in this series as well: the Mets are reportedly contemplating the addition of right-hander Kodai Senga to their NLDS roster. Senga has spent most of 2024 on the IL after a breakout 2023 season, and while he won’t be available as a starter this series it is possible that the club could lean on him for short relief, bolstering a bullpen that has seen closer Edwin Diaz used heavily in recent days.
3. ALDS starts this weekend:
Along with the NLDS, the ALDS will also begin this weekend. Unlikely its National League counterpart, however, the American League will only see the first game of its series take place this weekend before a day off on Sunday. This year’s Division Series is flooded with AL Central teams, as the division champion Guardians will take on the Tigers after Detroit knocked the Astros out last round, ending their long streak of ALCS appearances. The Tigers haven’t announced a starter for tomorrow’s game, though whoever they choose will face Guardians righty Tanner Bibee (3.47 ERA). Meanwhile, the Royals managed to sweep the Orioles out of the Wild Card series and prevent a fourth intradivision LDS matchup. In Baltimore’s stead, Kansas City will now face the Yankees in the Bronx with veteran right-hander Michael Wacha (3.35 ERA) scheduled to face ace righty Gerrit Cole (3.41 ERA) in tomorrow’s game.
This one belongs to the Reds
To say that great hire by the Reds was a shock is an understatement. Well done for once in many moons.
solaris602
Francona will arguably be the best manager the Reds have had since Lou Piniella.
CO Guardening
If the AL Central is mediocre, the rest of the AL must be terrible.
layventsky
The AL Central was dragged down by the historically bad White Sox. The AL West was probably the weakest division overall this season.
avenger65
layventsky: The Sox gave Central teams some easy wins, but each teams played a lot more games than those so I think the ALC teams deserved to be where they are. And to think, it was always a foregone conclusion that the ALC wouldn’t earn a WC spot. GO TIGERS AND ROYALS!!!!
utah cornelius
I’m sorry, I don’t see where the article says the AL Central is medicore. Historically both central divisions are weaker, but with Cleveland’s 91 wins (vs. the Yankees 94 wins) and Detroit and KC’s 86 wins, the AL central was reasonably strong. There was an unsual degree of parity most of this year, though the final month or so did see Boston and Minnesota fall out of the packs (though Seattle did not make the postseason, it still put in a competitive 85 win performance, behind Houston’s 88 wins), Notably, the Orioles tied the Guardians with 91 wins, and would have done even better, maybe surpassed the Yankees, if they had not had that perplexing .500 second hald. .Interesting year. Personally, I like it when you have a lot of teams in competitive positions throughout the year. And it gives more cities reason to pay attention and hope. If they come up short, like the Mariners and Twins, their is going to be disappointment, but in my opinion that is preferable to experiencing seasons like those the White Sox, Angels, and even Rangers (given the great fall off from w0o23(. Like I said, interesting year,
Btw, in 2023, the divisions were won with the following number of wins:
For comparison, this was 2023:
AL East: Orioles (101), Rays (99), Jays (89)
AL Central: Twins (87), Tigers (78)
AL West: Astros & Rangers (90), Mariners (88)
BlueSkies_LA
Run Differential by Division:
ALE +107
NLW +92
NLC +87
NLE -27
ALC -81
ALW -178
BaseballisLife
White Sox run differential. -306.
Rest of ALC. +225
MysteryWhiteBoy13
Not that he would have accepted the Job, but I guess it goes without saying that Shapiro and Atkins ineptness continued into the search for a potential new Manager. Embarrassing as always
letitbelowenstein
I didn’t even know Tito was looking to return. John Henry should have gotten on his knees, apologized, hired Tito back and kicked Cora to the curb.
YankeesBleacherCreature
No way the Red Sox fire Cora after they rehired him after serving his 1-yr. suspension. He’ll get promoted to a front office role.
solaris602
I speak for MANY Guardians fans when I say it came out of nowhere and knocked us all back on our heels. He was in really poor health when he stepped away after last season. I really hope he is truly recovered and can withstand the rigors of a season. But one thing is for sure – Francona is the perfect antidote to David Bell.
Lifelong Reds Fan
The Reds finally have a legit manager to lead this young core. Hopefully they listen to and absorb his experience and begin to play the right way. The future looks bright with this hire!!!
avenger65
While this is a great move for the Reds, the White Sox’ next manager will either be someone as clueless as Grifol or have suffered a serious head wound.
utah cornelius
Off topic but mlb correctly says that the way for the Guardians to beat the Yankees is to make players other than Judge and Soto beat them. When mlb.com talks about how to beat the Dodgers, however, even though they talk about the Ohtani threat, they neglect to mention that the way to beat the Dodgers MUST start with making players OTHER THAN Ohtani (and Betts) do it. And that’s the way I feel teams failed against the Dodgers all year long. They failed to exclude Ohtani from the equation. They walked Judge and Soto a ton, but not Ohtani. They almost always pitched to him right in the strike zone. And he consistently punished them. It’s like they all have Stockholm syndromed. A real headscratcher.
(I realize he presents the interesting challenge of stealing bases, and that walks put him in a position to do so; but I would much prefer that than the one of having him smash extra base hits–like 54 HRs (see his XBH and TB totals)–with reckless abandon.). When they pitch to him, it’s often like watching a pinball wizard.
We’ll see if teams wake up in the postseason or if he is simply allowed to crush them all.
ButCanHePitch
You have a great point here. I’m very happy for what Ohtani accomplished this year, that is not an easy thing to do, but you’re right. It’s almost as if they pitched to him on purpose just to see what happens.
vjwhitmore
AL Central went a collective 43 wins with only 10 loses
That approximates to 10 wins over the worst with only 2.5 losses
Thus padding the numbers for the Central Division
Landini
They also went 4-0 in the wild card games
ButCanHePitch
If the Phillies beat the Mets are fans going to complain that it’s not fair, because they Phillies had that long layoff? I know stuff like this has been said in past seasons.
Dice 66
Thank goodness Brewers out. 3rd or 4th place in other division’s. Never understood why they went to NL? Then Astros to AL? Wish they would swap back. Another note Pete Rose ban should be lifted! Compete joke. There is no telling what Mantle, Whitney Ford, Billy Martin were into!Never got publicized because they were toast of town in New York. Let the guy in for Christ sake.
JohnnyUtahSmells
harebrained ramblings