Welcome back to The Week That Was. Even tough we’re in the offseason it was still a busy week. Aaron Boone got to keep his job, the Marlins found a manager, Shohei Ohtani underwent surgery, and a bunch of New Yorkers are flying to California to make pitches to Juan Soto.
So let’s just jump right into things.
Roki Sasaki
Our own Brandon Day has already gotten into the excitement about Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki, but you can expect to hear a heck of a lot about him over the coming weeks as he is posted and MLB teams start to fight for the opportunity to sign him.
Because Sasaki is under 25 and hasn’t completed six years of foreign service, he isn’t going to be expecting a huge payday, so teams aren’t going to have to mortgage their stadiums to get him. He’ll be subject to international amateur signing bonus rules (the same rules that applied to Shohei Ohtani when the Angels signed him).
Here’s some more info on Sasaki to dig into:
Juan Soto Sweepstakes
Ohhhh boy, Juan Soto is poised to get PAID this offseason, and teams are already starting to woo the Yankees’ slugger. Soto is likely to net the highest payday of the offseason, but there’s a lot of questions as to where he’s going to wind up.
For starters, Mets’ owner Steve Cohen planned to head to California to meet with Soto and his agent Scott Boras in person over the weekend. He wasn’t the only New York team owner willing to hop on a private jet to make a personal appeal, as Yankees’ owner Hal Steinbrenner had plans to do the same thing.
With Scott Boras in the mix, it’s likely that Soto isn’t going to jump at the first offers he hears, so you can expect a lot of speculation in the coming weeks about which team is going to be willing to spend what it takes.
Yankees Making Moves (But Not Managerial Ones)
The Yankees are doing more than just wooing Juan Soto. On Friday they announced that the team would pick up the 2025 option on manager Aaron Boone’s contract. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise since Boone helped navigate the Yankees through a rough start to the 2024 season all the way to the World Series. However, all was not certain, considering the Yankees were nearly swept in the World Series and superstar slugger Aaron Judge couldn’t seem to get a hit.
It would appear that while the roster is in question for 2025, the managerial position is all locked up.
Marlins Manager Update
BREAKING: The Marlins are hiring Dodgers 1B coach Clayton McCullough as their new manager, sources told ESPN.
McCullough, who has spent the last four seasons on Dave Roberts’ staff in LA, succeeds Skip Schumaker in Miami.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) November 10, 2024
Hot Stove Updates
Quick Hits
Top Social Posts of the Week
Shohei Ohtani today underwent successful arthroscopic surgery, performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, to repair a labrum tear that resulted from a left shoulder dislocation Oct. 26. He is expected to be ready for Spring Training.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) November 5, 2024
FanDuel Sports Network will continue as the television home of the Cardinals!
We have reached a new, multi-year digital rights agreement with @FanDuelSN_MW, which for the first time will include a direct-to-consumer streaming option for fans within the extensive Cardinals TV… pic.twitter.com/pFLDXHewI1
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) November 7, 2024