The Opener

On the heels of a wild win by the Braves and a crushing defeat for the Dodgers in last night’s NLDS games, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. ALDS heads to Minnesota, Arlington:

Game 3 of the ALDS is scheduled today for both the Astros’ series against the Twins and the Orioles’ series against the Rangers. Baltimore is fighting for their playoff lives today in Arlington after the Rangers took the first two games of the series at Camden Yards. The Orioles figure to send right-hander Dean Kremer (4.12 ERA) to the mound while the Rangers counter with veteran hurler Nathan Eovaldi (3.63 ERA). While plenty of playoff games were played at Arlington’s Globe Life Field during the pandemic, including the 2020 World Series, tonight’s game will be the Rangers’ first ever postseason game at their new stadium. Baltimore’s last stand will begin at 7:03pm CT.

Meanwhile, the Astros and Twins head to Target Field in Minnesota after splitting two games in Houston. Houston will send right-hander Cristian Javier (4.56 ERA) to the mound opposite the veteran Sonny Gray (2.79 ERA). The matchup is sure to be an exciting one; Gray, of course, leads the majors with a sterling 2.83 FIP and is one of the top candidates for the AL Cy Young award this year. Javier, on the other hand, has had a difficult season on the mound but made history during his last postseason outing. He threw six shutout innings against the Phillies during Game 4 of the World Series last year, leading the Houston pitching staff to a combined no-hitter for just the third postseason no-no in baseball history. The teams will play at 3:07pm CT.

2. Brewers to hold press conference:

The Brewers saw their season cut short last week when the club was swept out of the Wild Card Series in Milwaukee at the hands of the Diamondbacks. With the end of the club’s season comes an end-of-season press conference, and Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relays that Brewers GM Matt Arnold will hold the presser today at 11:30am CT. Plenty of questions face the Brewers this offseason, with co-aces Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff as well as shortstop Willy Adames all set to go through arbitration for the final time and manager Craig Counsell’s contract set to expire at the end of the month. A transitional year could be in the cards for Milwaukee in 2024, despite the club winning 92 games in 2023 en route to their third division title and fifth postseason appearance in the last six years.

3. Offseason Outlook Chat today:

As the postseason continues for the eight teams fortunate enough to have made it this far, our annual Offseason Outlook series is back to take a look ahead at what’s in store for all 30 clubs this winter. Last night, MLBTR published the Angels installment of the 2023-24 series, which you can read here. If you have any questions regarding what the future might hold in Anaheim, including those about the future of a certain two-way superstar poised to hit free agency next month, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco will be hosting an Angels-centric live chat at 2:00pm CT this afternoon. You can click here to leave a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to participate live or read the transcript of the chat after it’s completed.

The Division Series got underway over the weekend, with the visitors off to strong starts. The Rangers put the Orioles on the brink of elimination by taking two in Baltimore, while the Twins leave Houston with a split. Over in the National League, both Wild Card teams took Game 1 over their 100-win opponents.

With the NL series continuing this evening, some storylines to follow over the next few days:

1. National League Division Series

While the American League clubs are on a travel day, the NL teams square off in Game 2. Starting at 5:07 pm CDT, the Braves’ elite lineup will look to bounce back after being blanked in Game 1. They’ll have their work cut out for them against Zack Wheeler, who allowed one run while fanning eight over 6 2/3 innings to beat the Marlins last week. Atlanta counters with Max Fried in what’ll be the southpaw’s first appearance since September 21. The star lefty was hampered by a blister late in the regular season.

The nightcap, which begins at 8:07 pm CDT, sees the D-Backs headed back to Dodger Stadium after their 11-2 drubbing of L.A. in Game 1. Arizona sends ace Zac Gallen to the hill as they try to stretch their lead. The Dodgers counter with hard-throwing rookie Bobby Miller, who turned in a 3.76 ERA over 22 starts in his debut campaign. Miller is the most in-form pitcher on a patchwork Dodger rotation, working to a 3.36 ERA with a 24% strikeout rate since the All-Star Break. They’ll need him to carry that over in his first playoff start to avoid digging themselves a significant hole.

2. Kim Ng’s contract status

The Marlins’ surprising run came to an end when they were rather easily dispatched by the Phillies in the first round. Tough postseason aside, it was an exciting year for the Fish, who made the playoffs despite generally being viewed as the fourth-best team in the NL East going into the season. They’re on to offseason mode, although they’ll first need to address the contract of their top executive. General manager Kim Ng is reportedly in the final season of a three-year deal. It’s hard to envision owner Bruce Sherman making a change atop baseball operations just weeks after the franchise’s first full-season playoff berth in two decades. An extension feels the likeliest outcome, but there’ll be some amount of uncertainty regarding the Fish until Ng puts pen to paper.

3. Managerial interviews

Four teams presently sit without a manager. The Giants, Mets and Angels all moved on from their previous skippers, while Terry Francona stepped aside after an 11-year run in the Guardians’ dugout. There’s still not a ton of clarity on those situations, but prospective candidates are likely to interview in the coming days. San Francisco president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told reporters last week they were beginning the interview process imminently, while there’s been speculation about a few candidates (e.g. Will Venable, Carlos Mendoza, Craig Albernaz) who might be on Cleveland’s radar. One wild card: Brewers manager Craig Counsell, whose contract with Milwaukee reportedly expires at the end of this month.

As the baseball world gears up for the second round of the playoffs, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. Division Series begins tomorrow:

With all four Wild Card Series matchups having been settled on Wednesday, baseball fans are already looking ahead to the four matchups of the Division Series, which will begin tomorrow. The Braves, Orioles, Dodgers and Astros all secured byes through the Wild Card Series, meaning each club is fully rested as they gear up to face their first opponents of the postseason. First up on the schedule at 12:03pm CT tomorrow is the Orioles, who will take on the Rangers at Camden Yards. Next up at 3:45pm CT will be the Astros, who figure to face the AL Central champion Twins in Houston. The NL, meanwhile, features a pair of division rivalries. At 5:07pm CT the Braves will square off against the Phillies in Atlanta before the night concludes at 8:20pm CT with the Dodgers facing the Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium.

2. What’s next for the Mets?

The Mets had a tumultuous evening yesterday, as GM Billy Eppler abruptly stepped down from his role as the club’s second-in-command under new president of baseball operations David Stearns. Eppler’s sudden resignation was brought on by an MLB investigation into both Eppler himself and the Mets regarding so-called “phantom IL” stints, when teams place healthy players on the injured list in order to give the player a physical and/or mental resist while freeing up their 26-man roster spot temporarily. The practice widely utilized around the league, though it’s technically against MLB’s rules.

In any case, the situation is sure to have effects going forward not only on the Mets, but on the league as a whole. It’s likely that the Mets and/or Eppler himself are at risk of facing fines or other disciplinary action from MLB, depending the results of the league’s investigation, while the league’s other clubs will surely watch the situation with interest, as it may signal a crackdown on the widespread practice by the league. In the more immediate term, the Mets now figure to look for someone to fill Eppler’s shoes in the Mets front office, with Stearns now in position to choose his own number two.’

3. Showalter eyeing Anaheim:

The Angels recently parted ways with manager Phil Nevin, whose contract with the club expired at the end of the season. GM Perry Minasian recently indicated that the club’s search for a new manager was still in a very preliminary stage, noting that they had not yet established a timeline for the new hire or even assembled a list of potential candidates. One candidate has thrown his own hat into the ring, however: recently-fired Mets manager Buck Showalter has reportedly expressed interest in the vacancy in Anaheim.

On the surface, the pairing seems to be a good fit given Showalter’s desire to return to the dugout in 2024 and the tumultuous situation the Angels are facing, with the likely departure of two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani this offseason, perhaps calling for a more experienced hand to guide the club as they look to avoid missing the playoffs for the ninth-consecutive time. Organizations looking to fill managerial vacancies around the league appear to be gearing up to begin external interviews in earnest next week; could one between Showalter and the Angels be among them?

With the first round of the playoffs now in the rearview mirror, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Wild Card ends in four sweeps:

None of the newly-minted three-game Wild Card Series will actually reach a third game this year, the second of MLB’s new postseason format. Each of the Twins, Rangers, Phillies, and Diamondbacks completed two-game sweeps yesterday, ending the 2023 campaign for the Blue Jays, Rays, Marlins, and Brewers respectively. With the Wild Card Series wrapped up, the four winners can look ahead to the Division Series, where the Astros, Orioles, Braves, and Dodgers await them for a five-game set.

Yesterday’s games were characterized by excellent pitching performances, with three of four winning pitchers registering quality starts and the fourth, AL Cy Young award candidate Sonny Gray, striking out six in five scoreless innings of work. NL Cy Young award candidate Zac Gallen, meanwhile, allowed two runs on five hits and three walks over six innings. The night’s longest performances came from Rangers veteran Nathan Eovaldi, who struck out eight across 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball, and free-agent-to-be Aaron Nola’s seven scoreless innings for the Phillies. Nola was also assisted by the night’s strongest offensive performances. Veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto slugged both a double and a homer, but the star of the Phillies offense last night was 25-year-old second baseman Bryson Stott, who continued a strong sophomore season in 2023 with a grand slam off Marlins lefty Andrew Nardi.

2. Counsell’s decision looms:

Brewers manager Craig Counsell is widely considered to be among the best managers in today’s game, but entered the 2023 campaign on an expiring contract. While Brewers ownership has expressed a strong desire to see Counsell return to the manager’s seat in 2024, the sides agreed to postpone discussions of a new contract until after the club’s season came to an end. With Milwaukee having been swept out of the NL Wild Card series by Arizona last night, the NL Central champions are surely now going to turn their attention to whether or not Counsell will helm the team next year.

If Counsell departs the Brewers but would like to continue managing in 2024, he’d immediately become the most attractive managerial candidate on the market, with a fair few options at his disposal. The Guardians are seeking a replacement to the widely-respected Terry Francona, while the Giants and Angels have each parted ways with the managers in recent days. Still, no team has fueled speculation regarding Counsell’s future more than the Mets. The club just hired former Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns to take over the organization’s helm, with Stearns’s first act in his new role being to fire manager Buck Showalter.

3. Arizona hopeful Moreno avoided concussion:

After a scary incident on the field during last night’s win over the Brewers, Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins) that rookie catcher Gabriel Moreno has not yet been placed into the concussion protocol after being hit in the head by the backswing of Brice Turang’s bat. Lovullo said the club is still “finding out” what his status is, but that after Moreno entered the dugout following the second inning, team trainers insisted he be taken out of the game. Moreno noted after the game that he was feeling “a little bit dizzy” but that he was feeling better by the end of the game.

The loss of Moreno for the coming five-game set against the Dodgers could be devastating for the Diamondbacks. After coming over from the Blue Jays in the Daulton Varsho trade this past offseason, Moreno has combined excellent defense behind the plate with a solid offensive performance as he slashed .284/.339/.408 in 380 trips to the plate this season. If Moreno misses time, the club figures to use glove-first backup Jose Herrera as the starting catcher while he’s away. The only other catcher on the 40-man roster is former-White Sox backstop Seby Zavala, who was claimed off waivers in early September and is ineligible to participate in the postseason. Adrian Del Castillo and Ali Sanchez are the club’s top catching options from the Triple-A level this season.

Three headlines from the baseball world, as the first round of the postseason could potentially end today…

1. AL Wild Card Series matchups

The Rays will turn to starter Zach Eflin to keep their season alive when Tampa Bay hosts the Rangers in Game 2 this afternoon.  Signed to a three-year, $40MM deal this past offseason, Eflin delivered a very strong season, becoming a rock of stability within an injury-riddled Rays rotation.  Texas will try to clinch the series with Nathan Eovaldi (a former Ray) on the mound, and Eovaldi will be looking to add to an impressive postseason resume.  The winner of a World Series ring with the Red Sox in 2018, Eovaldi has a 3.14 ERA over 43 innings in 11 career playoff games.

In the other ALWC series, Jose Berrios and Sonny Gray are the starting pitchers for the Blue Jays and Twins.  Berrios is a longtime former Twin who came to Toronto in a deal at the 2021 trade deadline, and he is now tasked with beating his ex-club in an elimination game.  The Blue Jays’ inconsistent offense again surfaced in Game 1’s 3-1 loss, and things won’t get much easier for Toronto against Gray, who enjoyed arguably the best season of his 11-year career in 2023.

2. NL Wild Card Series matchups

The Diamondbacks can complete the upset over the Brewers with a victory in Game 2, with ace Zac Gallen taking the mound for his first career postseason game.  Gallen and Merrill Kelly (scheduled to start a Game 3, if necessary) have carried an otherwise shaky D’Backs rotation throughout the season, and Milwaukee will now have to try to make the comeback against Arizona’s two best pitchers.  The Brewers will counter with a big arm of their own in Freddy Peralta, but the lineup also needs to be better after stranding 11 baserunners in a 6-3 loss in Game 1.

Speaking of shaky offenses, the Marlins were one of the lower-scoring teams in baseball this season, and the bats weren’t there in a 4-1 loss to the Phillies in Game 1.  Braxton Garrett will make his first career playoff start, looking to continue his good form after posting a 2.56 ERA over his last 11 regular-season starts (59 2/3 innings).  Aaron Nola starts for the Phillies, and while Nola’s upcoming free agency will be one of the primary storylines of Philadelphia’s offseason, the Phils obviously hope their offseason is still a ways off.

3. Status quo in San Diego?

In the wake of a disappointing Padres season, there has been much speculation that either manager Bob Melvin or president of baseball operations A.J. Preller could be losing their jobs.  However, team chairman Peter Seidler gave both men a vote of confidence on Monday, and Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that a “productive” meeting took place Monday between Melvin and Preller.  There has yet to be a formal announcement from the team on either man’s status for 2024, and it is possible there might not be one if both Melvin and Preller are indeed staying.  Acee writes that for now, it seems like both will be keeping their jobs.

As the postseason officially kicks off this afternoon, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball today:

1. Postseason rosters to be revealed

All eight teams playing in the upcoming Wild Card round will announce their rosters for the first series of the playoffs. While expanded rosters in September allow teams to carry up to 28 players (max. 14 pitchers), postseason rosters revert back to a limit of 26 (max. 13 pitchers).

Any player who was on his current team’s 40-man roster (or 60-day injured list) as of 11:59 PM ET on August 31 is eligible to play in the postseason. In addition, a player who was in the organization prior to that deadline (but not on the 40-man roster or 60-day IL) can be added to the postseason roster via petition to the commissioner’s office if he is subbing in for a teammate on the IL who has already served the minimum amount of time required for activation.

2. Game two starter announcements

The pitching matchups are all set for game one of each Wild Card series, and while most managers have already revealed their game two starters as well, the Brewers and Rangers still have an important decision to make before Wednesday.

In the AL, Sonny Gray will toe the rubber for the Twins in game two against José Berríos of the Blue Jays, while Zach Eflin will start for the Rays against the Rangers. On the Senior Circuit, Aaron Nola will take the mound for the Phillies, facing off against Braxton Garrett of the Marlins, while D-backs ace Zac Gallen will take on the Brewers.

The Brewers have yet to name a replacement for Brandon Woodruff, who was ruled out for the Wild Card round yesterday with a right shoulder injury. Freddy Peralta is the most likely candidate, but manager Craig Counsell could opt to separate his righties with the southpaw Wade Miley, especially if Peralta was already preparing for a game three start.

As for the Rangers, it seems like little more than a formality that manager Bruce Bochy has yet to announce Nathan Eovaldi as the game two starter. While Eovaldi has looked the worse for wear in September since coming off the IL, his track record of regular and postseason success speaks for itself. Dane Dunning would be on short rest for a Wednesday game after starting on Sunday. After that, the team’s remaining options would be Andrew Heaney and Cody Bradford, both of whom spent most of September pitching out of the bullpen.

3. Perry Minasian to hold press conference

Angels GM Perry Minasian will address the media over Zoom on Tuesday to discuss the team’s brand-new managerial opening. The team announced yesterday that manager Phil Nevin will not return in 2024. As Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports, the Angels will begin the search for a new skipper straight away, and presumably, Minasian will talk about the hiring process later today.

The fact that Minasian is hosting this end-of-year press conference is a good sign that he’ll be keeping his job next season. Like Nevin, Minasian was on the hot seat after the Angels failed to make the postseason for the third consecutive season under his leadership. He is believed to be under contract through 2024. While contracts and extensions for executives aren’t always announced publicly, Minasian signed a four-year deal with Los Angeles ahead of the 2021 season.

With the 2023 regular season now officially in the rearview mirror, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Mets to announce Stearns:

In a statement yesterday regarding the departure of manager Buck Showalter, Mets owner Steve Cohen revealed that he would be made available to the media this afternoon, when he will unveil the club’s new president of baseball operations. It’s been an open secret for weeks that former Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns has agreed to helm New York’s front office, but the press conference could illuminate the decision to fire Showalter, who won 101 games with the club last year en route to the fourth Manager of the Year award in his career, as well as the club’s direction under Stearns headed into 2024.

2. Padres ownership to meet with Preller, Melvin:

The Padres are coming off a disappointing season that saw them miss the postseason while barely scraping through with a winning season with an 82-80 record. Despite the downturn in performance this year, however, it’s been reported that the club’s preference is to retain both president of baseball operations A.J. Preller and manager Bob Melvin for the 2024 campaign. That said, given the widely-reported acrimony that’s developed between the two men, it’s still possible San Diego parts ways with one or both of them in the coming days. Today figures to play a pivotal role in determining the future of leadership of the club. As noted by The Athletic’s Dennis Lin, a meeting between Melvin, Preller, and ownership is expected to take place today.

3. Nevin’s future in Anaheim uncertain:

With the regular season having wrapped up yesterday evening, plenty of personnel are in uncertain situations regarding their respective futures with their current organizations. One such person is Angels manager Phil Nevin, who’s contract with the club expired with the end of the club’s season last night. Nevin was the club’s third base coach entering the 2022 campaign, but took over as manager after the Angels fired Joe Maddon in early June of that year. He’s managed the club ever since, with a record of 119-149 as the club’s manager including this year’s disappointing 73-89 season. As of yesterday afternoon, Nevin’s situation was still uncertain, as he told reporters (including Sam Blum of The Athletic) that he didn’t know whether or not he’d be back as the club’s manager in 2024. Regardless of whether or not Nevin returns, the club could look very different come Spring Training 2024 as superstar Shohei Ohtani heads into free agency for the first time in his career.

As the 2023 regular season’s final weekend begins, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Miggy’s Final Series:

Future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera will put the finishing touches on an illustrious career in Detroit this weekend. The 40-year-old veteran owns a career slash line of .306/.382/.518 with 3,168 hits (17th all-time), 510 home runs (26th), and 624 doubles (T-13th). Though he started his career with the then-Florida Marlins, Cabrera suited up for the Tigers in nearly 75% of his career games, allowing him to stand along side franchise legends like Ty Cobb and Al Kaline on the club’s offensive leaderboards. With three games against the Guardians left to go in the 2023 campaign for Detroit, Tigers fans will get their final chance to say goodbye to the twelve-time All Star and back-to-back AL MVP award winner. As manager A.J. Hinch told reporters recently (including Chris McCosky of The Detroit News), the plan is for Cabrera to play all three games in the series.

2. NL Playoff Picture Muddied By Suspended Game:

Last night’s game between the Mets and Marlins was suspended with two outs in the top of the ninth after a delay of over three hours, with the Marlins leading 2-1. The game, as noted by Craig Mish of the Miami Herald, is set to be completed at 12:10pm CT on Monday, after the regular season is completed, should the game be necessary for determining the playoff field or seeding. With Miami’s game last night incomplete, the club heads into today with a half-game lead on the Cubs and a 1.5 game lead on the Reds for the third and final NL Wild Card spot. They also trail the Diamondbacks by 1.5 games for the second spot.

Last night’s suspension is surely frustrating for the Marlins, particularly in the event that they have to finish the suspended game en route to a postseason appearance. Miami would then figure to travel from Pittsburgh to New York for the game on Monday, after the regular season has concluded, before hitting the road again to start the Wild Card series in Milwaukee or Philadelphia the very next day.

3. Series Preview: Astros @ Diamondbacks

No series this weekend figures to have more impact on the postseason picture than the three game set between the Astros and Diamondbacks in Arizona. Both teams are currently in playoff position, but have not clinched a spot in the postseason, much less what seed they’ll occupy. In the NL, the Diamondbacks have the aforementioned 1.5 game lead on the Marlins for the second NL Wild Card spot, with the Cubs lurking two games behind them. Meanwhile, the Astros occupy the final AL Wild Card spot, with the Mariners sitting just a game behind them. An additional wrinkle for Houston is that the AL West is still winnable for them, as they sit just two games behind the Rangers for the division lead and the first-round bye that comes with it.

The series with kick off at 8:40pm CT with Astros rookie J.P. France (3.83 ERA) facing off against DBacks ace Zac Gallen (3.49 ERA). Future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander (3.32 ERA) will take the mound on Saturday opposite Arizona’s as-of-now unannounced starter, while neither club has announced a start for the regular season finale on Sunday.

There are only four days left in the regular season, so here are some of the top stories entering Thursday’s action…

1. Orioles on verge of clinching:

Four of the six division winners have already been crowned, but the Orioles could join the club with a win over the Red Sox today.  Baltimore’s magic number has dropped to one, so just a single O’s win or Rays loss would make the Orioles AL East champions for the first time since 2014, and for just the third time in their last 40 seasons.  In addition to a first-place finish in the AL East, the Orioles would also secure the top seed and home-field advantage throughout at least the American League’s side of the postseason bracket.  (At 99-59, the Orioles probably aren’t catching the 102-56 Braves for the top seed throughout the playoffs.)  It was just in 2021 that the Orioles were 52-110 and still seemingly caught in the throes of a rebuild, making their sudden rise back to prominence all the sweeter for Baltimore fans.

2. Rangers and Mariners begin a critical series:

The Rangers are also closing in on the AL West, though with a magic number of two and with the Astros not playing on Thursday, Texas won’t be able to clinch the division until Friday at the earliest.  Still, heading into the start of this big four-game series between the two AL West rivals, the wild card race will also be a focus since the Mariners sit 1.5 games behind Houston for the third and final AL wild card berth.  With a 9-16 record in September, the Mariners are no longer in control of their own playoff fate, as they’ll have to both pick up at least a couple of wins over Texas and hope for collapses from either the Astros or Blue Jays to sneak into the playoffs as a wild card.  If the Mariners sweep Texas, a longshot scenario also exists that would see the M’s still capture the AL West.  Jordan Montgomery is the Rangers’ scheduled starter tonight, while Logan Gilbert will take the hill for the Mariners.

3. Acuna founds the 40-70 club:

Okay, so it’s technically the 41-70 club, and Ronald Acuna Jr. had also been the only person in the 41-68 club, the 40-68 club, the 39-68 club, and so forth.  But, since round-number achievements just have a bit more of a ring to them, Acuna’s incredible season at both the plate and on the basepaths hit yet another big milestone yesterday when he stole his 69th and 70th bases of the season.  No player with at least 40 homers in a season had ever stolen as many as 46 bags in the same year before Acuna exponentially raised the bar in 2023.

While Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Braves teammate Matt Olson will have something to say in NL MVP voting, Acuna’s huge season is increasingly looking like the favorite to capture the award.  Hitting the 70-steal plateau is also of particular note for a player who suffered a torn ACL just two years ago, making Acuna’s return to not just his old form but to new stolen-base heights all the more remarkable.  MVP results aside, Acuna’s biggest goal is to help lead the Braves to a championship, as his ACL tear forced him to miss Atlanta’s run to the 2021 World Series.