#mlb-offseason

#mlb-offseason

Arbitration filing deadline: Today is a big day on MLB's offseason calendar, as Thursday marks the deadline for teams and players to exchange figures ahead of salary arbitration. Most of those cases will end in the two parties settling on a salary to avoid arbitration, but any team that still has unsigned players after today will be scheduled for a hearing in front of a three-person arbitration panel.

The MLB offseason slowed down in recent weeks after a few big name free agents were taken off the board, including the best closer in baseball: Edwin Diaz. Since the Dodgers signed Diaz to a three-year, $69 million deal, the defending champions have been quiet as have most other teams around the league. Things are expected to pick up as 2026 begins, and the Dodgers have continued their offseason moves by trading Ruiz.

With Christmas in the rear view mirror and start of a new week here, it could make sense for some more free agents to find new homes in the coming days. While still in the midst of the holiday season, recent years have shown activity can still be fast and furious. Perhaps the Braves can end 2025 and enter 2026 with their off-season basically complete if they can find a move for a starting pitcher they like this week.

Thankfully the emergence of Daulton Varsho as an elite defensive centre fielder and a power bat has temporarily put to rest the yearly referendum on whether trading for him made sense. On December 23, 2022, the Blue Jays pulled off a surprise move by dealing outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and catching prospect Gabriel Moreno for Varsho. This transaction was the first of many in an organizational shift towards acquiring or signing defensive-minded players in the vein of promoting run prevention over run creation.

I am getting more feedback that, look, the Cubs are doing a better job of at least engaging on the top of the market than they were in previous years,

A thrilling World Series came to an end in Game 7 last night. The Dodgers won in an extra-inning affair after Miguel Rojas hit a game-tying home run in the ninth inning, while World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto came out of the bullpen to finish off the Blue Jays despite starting Game 6. The offseason is officially underway. Last year, the Braves and Angels lined up on the Jorge Soler deal within the first few hours of the reopened trade window.