With the World Collection match up now set in stone, listed here are three issues we’ll be maintaining a tally of across the baseball world all through the day in the present day:
1. Freeman nursing ankle damage:
Star first baseman Freddie Freeman was not within the Dodgers’ lineup for the membership’s series-clinching win towards the Mets final evening as he continues to wrestle with a sprained ankle that’s restricted his availability all all through the postseason. Even when he’s been wholesome sufficient to take the sphere, Freeman has regarded nothing like himself on the plate with a paltry .219/.242/.219 slash line within the postseason, together with a .167/.211/.167 slash line through the NLCS. As Freeman seems to be to relaxation up over the following 4 days earlier than World Collection rosters are due, a significant query figures to face each him and the Dodgers: is he wholesome sufficient to take part, or would the membership be higher served utilizing his roster spot one other method?
2. Are any entrance workplace hires on the horizon?
As we enter a quick stretch of days with out baseball earlier than the World Collection, it shouldn’t be a shock if groups start to make bulletins (which are sometimes held again to accommodate a deal with the postseason) relating to some personnel selections this week. There’s been fairly a little bit of buzz relating to a handful of potential entrance workplace hires in latest days, specifically. The Pink Sox seem like on the cusp of hiring one other assistant GM, which may very well be coupled with them selling internally for his or her at present vacant GM function. Moreover, the Giants’ seek for a GM to function a second-in-command to newly-minted president of baseball operations Buster Posey figures to proceed in full power this week. The sphere of potential candidates nonetheless seems to be expansive, although one title pulled himself from consideration over the weekend.
3. Mets head into the offseason:
After their membership’s run to the NLCS, Mets brass could have little alternative to have fun as they flip their consideration towards an offseason the place an enormous variety of their present gamers are slated free of charge company. That group is led, in fact, by longtime first baseman Pete Alonso. However different key gamers who’re ticketed free of charge company this winter embrace J.D. Martinez, Luis Severino, Jose Quintana, Sean Manaea (who has an opt-out in his deal he’ll certainly train), Jose Iglesias, Jesse Winker, and Harrison Bader. Beneath the possession of Steve Cohen, the Mets have run top-of-the-line payrolls and proven a willingness to signal gamers even with free company simply across the nook, as they did with Edwin Diaz through the 2022-23 offseason. With greater than half a dozen key gamers headed to free company this winter, may the membership make one other shock preemptive strike?
