It is now more than two months since the Texas Rangers lifted the World Series title and only about six weeks until spring training gets underway again. Feb 22 will be the first game in spring training with pitchers and catchers reporting the week before that. The boys of summer will be back in action before we know it.
There have been some big moves over the winter so now that the calendar has ticked over to 2024, it is time to take an early look at these moves and see how the season could shape up with less than three months until the regular season gets underway on March 20 in South Korea when the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres will play a two-game series. Major League Baseball is one of the most popular sports on the betting sites in Canada, especially when the Toronto Blue Jays are involved.
The Texas Rangers lifted their first-ever World Series trophy in November and their fans will be hoping that the team is still hungry enough to try and go back to back in 2024. Their big problem has been the string of free agents from the winning team, with it being impossible to keep them all.
Perhaps the most important of those is the left-handed starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery. Montgomery took off in Texas after being traded from the St Louis Cardinals and was a huge part of their postseason success.
There is a lot of quality on the injury list at present, Jacob DeGrom and Max Scherzer are both on the shelf after surgery, as is new signing Tyler Mahle. It will be some rotation once they are back later in the year but piecing it together unless they get Montgomery back will be tough. Aroldis Chapman is another free agent so the Rangers’ pitching staff could have taken a serious step backwards. There is a chance that the big players will re-sign of course but if they don’t, the Rangers could have a tough time defending their World Series crown.
The Arizona Diamondbacks need to shake the dust off and get straight back to business and try to avoid the disappointment hanging over the franchise. They did not have a big list of free agents like the Rangers did so the offseason is easier in the desert.
They have re-signed Lourdes Gurriel Jr to a three-year contract and added starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez from the Detroit Tigers. E-Rod had a 3.30 ERA in 2023, the best of his career.
An interesting pick-up is that of Eugenio Suarez from the Seattle Mariners. He has strikeout numbers that will frustrate the fans but he has serious pop in his bat and his time in the National League with the Reds saw him finish with the second-most home runs in the entire league in 2019 with 49. He hit 31 and 22 in his two seasons in Seattle with 30 reasonable to expect in Arizona.
Their other free agents are players well into the twilight of their careers who will be missed more as a clubhouse presence rather than what they are able to produce on the field these days. They include Evan Longoria and Mark Melancon who are both much closer to 40 than 30.
It has been a relatively quiet offseason so far in Toronto. Kevin Kiermaier has re-signed and Isiah Kiner-Falefa has been picked up from the Yankees. Kiermaier had an excellent 2023, solidifying the outfield and managing to stay healthy in the main, 2015 was the last time that he had played more games than the 129 he appeared in in 2023.
Kiner-Falefa played all over the field for the Yankees last season so he can plug whatever gaps the Jays need on the field. One of those gaps could be at 3rd base but it would not be a surprise if Matt Chapman ended up back in Toronto. The four-time gold glove winner is worth spending money on to shore up the hot corner.
Whit Merrifield, Brandon Belt and Hyun-Jin Ryu are also free agents but all mid to late 30s so it is easy enough to move on from them and give some of the younger players in the system a shot.
The one big name that is still up in the air is Jordan Hicks. A poor 2023 with the St Louis Cardinals saw him move to Toronto where he put up a 2.63 ERA, notching up seven holds and four saves from four chances. There are few harder throwers in the league and the late innings experience will prove crucial to someone.
It is the Los Angeles Dodgers who will be the red-hot favourites to win the 2024 World Series after a double swoop that saw them pick up Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. They have thrown the money around, and for all that the Ohtani deal has been deferred, that has to come with a World Series ring.
Another team that has never been shy of spending money are the Yankees. They made a huge splash when they picked up Juan Soto. The left-hander clubbed 35 home runs in San Diego last year and 34 in 2019 when with the Washington Nationals. How many he’ll hit with that short right porch in Yankee Stadium is anyone’s guess!
Although the offseason has been relatively quiet across most of the league, there have still been some interesting players who will be with a new team in 2024.
Sonny Gray has moved from the Minnesota Twins to the St Louis Cardinals. A 2.79 ERA in 2023 followed a season with a 3.08 mark in 2022 so even at the age of 34, the Cards are picking up a starting pitcher who can get the job done.
Lucas Giolito is heading to Boston from Cleveland but the Red Sox then moved Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves so that is hardly a plus for their rotation for all that Sale has had more than his share of injury issues in recent seasons.
The Kansas City Royals have got Michael Wacha from the Padres but perhaps more importantly for their fans, they have picked up Will Smith from the Rangers. Smith has won the World Series in three straight seasons for three different teams!
There is still a veritable who’s who without a team for 2024 so there should be some fireworks still to come in the offseason.
Probably the most sought-after free agent on the market at present after winning his second Cy Young award in 2023. A 2.25 ERA was his lowest since winning his first Cy Young in 2018 when with the Tampa Bay Rays.
He struck out 234 batters in 180 innings of work and at the age of 31, there should be plenty in the tank for the right team. Who that team is going to be is very much still up in the air but the rumours surrounding the Yankees wanting him in a one-two punch with Gerrit Cole would be dangerous for the rest of the AL East.
The deadline on Imanaga is ticking. MLB clubs have until January 11 to sign the player who was posted by the Yokohama Baystars in November. There has been plenty of interest and even more rumours surrounding the lefty starter.
His 2023 was not as strong as his 2022 and given the rate that he game up home runs last year, a move to a team like the San Francisco Giants who have a big ballpark is going to make more sense than a move to a team like the Yankees where he could end up giving too many bombs.
With the San Diego Padres picking up Korean-born closer Woo-Suk Go, there is no chance that Hader (who has opted for free agency) will return to San Diego. With 33+ saves in his last four full seasons to go with a 1.23 ERA in 2021 and a 1.28 ERA in 2023, Hader will be a hot property.
He is talking about looking for the biggest deal ever given to a closer. He is an exceptional player when he is on it and with the money being thrown around, he may well get it as having a lights-out closer is on the hit list of plenty of teams in the league.
The comeback player of the year in the National League in 2023, Bellinger enjoyed his first season in Chicago as a Cub. Five of his seven seasons in the league have seen him hit 26+ home runs and one of the years that he didn’t was the shortened 2020 campaign.
An average of .307 was the best that he has produced in his career while he has just 22 more home runs before he reaches 200. Given that he is not 30 until July 2025, there is a huge upside for whoever signs Bellinger but they are going to have to pay well for his services. It would not be a surprise if he ends up back with the Cubs given how well the 2023 season went.
As we mentioned briefly earlier, Chapman is a free agent and might finally get some recognition. In some ways, that would be a bad thing for the Blue Jays chances of being able to get him back in Toronto but for Chapman himself, he can finally get the payday that his talent deserves.
With four gold glove awards, there are few better at 3rd base than Chapman. He has always been known for his defence but he is more than capable of slugging as well. Four times in his career he has hit 24 or more home runs in a season and three with 36 or more doubles. His hard hit rate is among the best in the entire league so he is going to have plenty of World Series-chasing suitors looking to sign him.
The big first baseman missed the entire 2023 season which could put some teams off but also, it means that Hoskins is going to be hungry to prove that he is still the player he was. Four seasons of 27+ home runs and four of 29+ doubles are eye-catching figures that should have Hoskins on the radar of plenty of World Series contenders.
A one-year contract somewhere looks like the most likely option to show that he is still capable before trying free agency again at the end of 2024. He is not likely to get huge bucks as he has a bit to prove but could be an excellent rental for one season for anyone who is willing to take a risk on him.
A player that the Blue Jays know plenty about, the outfielder put up solid numbers in 2023 as part of the Mariners. Take out the shortened season in 2020 and he has five straight years with 22+ home runs, numbers that will look good in the middle of the order in a number of cities.
He can play any of the three outfield positions and cover at DH but he will be looking to strike out less than he did in 2023. Although he only missed two games, he still ended up a couple of hits short of his career best.
February 22 – First spring training game.
March 20 & 21 – Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres play in South Korea to start the regular season.
March 28 – Opening Day in North America with all 30 teams playing. The Blue Jays will start on the road in Tampa Bay.
April 8 – The Blue Jays home opener as they take on the Seattle Mariners.
June 20 – The Field of Dreams game will see the St Louis Cardinals take on the San Francisco Giants at Rickwood Field, the home of the Birmingham Barons.
July 16 – The 94th All-Star Game will be played in Arlington, Texas.
August 18 – The Little League Classic sees the New York Yankees taking on the Detroit Tigers from Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
October 1 – The MLB Playoffs begin.
November 2 – As late as the season can go if the World Series goes to a Game 7.
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