American League
Angels
• Kyle Hendricks will begin the season within the rotation.
Minasian stated Hendricks will begin and be a part of a rotation that’s additionally anticipated to incorporate veteran left-hander Tyler Anderson and right-handers José Soriano and Jack Kochanowicz. They produce other inside choices, akin to lefties Reid Detmers and Sam Aldegheri and right-handers Chase Silseth, Caden Dana, Sam Bachman and George Klassen. The Angels are nonetheless wanting so as to add another starter to that blend, and Minasian wouldn’t rule out bolstering the bullpen as properly.
• Zach Neto will possible begin the season on the IL after having shoulder surgical procedure.
Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto may miss the beginning of the 2025 season after having proper shoulder surgical procedure earlier this week.
Neto injured his shoulder within the remaining week of the season whereas trying a stolen base towards the White Sox in Chicago. Angels GM Perry Minasian declined to say what the harm was, or what process he acquired.
“There’s an opportunity he misses a few of the begin of the season,” Minasian stated. “… He’ll miss a while. How a lot time that’s, we’ll see.”
He possible received’t be a full participant in spring coaching. Minasian declined to say whether or not the size of his absence might be measured in months. Neto, 23, has grow to be among the finest younger shortstops within the recreation. He posted 5.1 WAR in 2024, clubbing 23 homers, whereas stealing 30 bases.
Astros
• Zach Dezenzo won’t play third base however first base and left discipline.
Houston’s most major-league-ready infield prospect is Zach Dezenzo, a university shortstop whom Brown acknowledged “has received just a little extra work to do at third base.” That Dezenzo earned a call-up after simply 11 Triple-A video games and made the Astros’ Wild Card Sequence roster alerts how extremely the group thinks of him. It’s simple to check him making a large influence on the 2025 Astros — simply not at third base.
“Can he get it executed? Sure. But when now we have Bregman, it is going to be powerful for him to get reps there,” Brown stated. “I believe extra so first base with some potential to play left (discipline), perhaps on sure video games if we’re dealing with a right-handed pitcher. … Or if he comes into camp and he performs properly, perhaps first base will probably be his on a regular basis job.”
• Beforehand, I reported {that a} left-handed bats was coming for Chas McCormick. Now it looks like Jake Meyers may additionally get platooned.
“Then, if we will do one thing to agency up manufacturing at first base and get some assist in the outfield, perhaps with a pleasant left-handed bat to work out with [Jake] Meyers and [Chas] McCormick, that will be good, as properly,” Brown stated.
Mariners
• Prime prospect, Cole Younger, won’t begin within the majors enjoying second base. The group is contemplating utilizing Dylan Moore, Ryan Bliss and/or Josh Rojas to fill the void at second base.
That’s no shock, even with a void at second base in gentle of the group declining Jorge Polanco’s $12 million membership possibility final Friday. Younger will “possible” start the 12 months at Triple-A Tacoma, Mariners normal supervisor Justin Hollander stated this week on the GM Conferences in San Antonio, placing the 2022 first-round Draft decide one step nearer to the Majors after spending all of final 12 months at Double-A Arkansas.
So, with Polanco’s departure and Younger needing extra seasoning, the Mariners’ plans to handle a place that has largely plagued them for the reason that Robinson Canó period are in flux.
“Now we have some inside choices,” Hollander informed MLB.com’s Sonja Chen, pointing to Dylan Moore, Ryan Bliss and Josh Rojas. “And clearly, as we get by way of the winter and the offseason, we’ll have a look at the free-agent market, we’ll have a look at commerce market and try to discover the right combination of gamers, whether or not that’s one participant to fill the spot, or a participant to combine in with our current in-house choices to assist solidify the place.”
Orioles
• The group expects Jorge Mateo to contribute all of subsequent season.
Elias twice introduced up Mateo’s title through the interview, in reference to therapeutic gamers and an infield that’s an excessive low amongst offseason priorities.
“I believe he was an underrated absence for us within the second half,” Elias stated. “Whether or not he’s 100% full-go on the very, very first day of spring coaching remains to be TBD, however suffice to say, he’s going to have a really full, if not a 162, one thing near that season. So, he’s actually any person that we’re capable of plan round totally, roughly, in 2025 and that hasn’t modified.”
• Grayson Rodriguez’s lat harm is not a priority.
#Orioles GM Mike Elias is optimistic that Grayson Rodriguez could have a standard, full Spring Coaching. The lat challenge is not a priority.
— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) November 15, 2024
• Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells are anticipated again mid-season.
Rehabs on elbow surgical procedures for Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells
“We’re anticipating a midseason return from these guys indirectly, form or type. I believe it’s too early to specify a month, however the surgical procedure went properly. Knock on wooden, their rehabs are on schedule or higher proper now and at the moment, nothing new to report apart from excellent news with the continued passage of time.”
Royals
• For now, Alec Marsh will probably be within the rotation with Kris Bubic and Daniel Lynch IV additionally being thought-about as starters.
“We’re very comfy with our beginning pitching proper now. You’ve received Wacha, [Seth] Lugo, [Cole] Ragans, [Brady] Singer, [Alec] Marsh. Kris Bubic was within the bullpen this previous 12 months, however we consider he’s a starter. Daniel Lynch went to the bullpen and did a pleasant job, however he’s one other one who might be a starter. We don’t count on to be out there for a starter transferring ahead. We’re going to concentrate on another issues.”
Twins
• Royce Lewis might transfer to second base.
Shifting Lewis to second base opens up enjoying time for Lee, Miranda and utilityman Willi Castro. There’s additionally a perception Lewis may thrive at second base, which might be much less taxing on his physique than his authentic place, shortstop, whereas permitting Lee, a a lot better defender at third, to stay there.
Final week, Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey stated the Twins aren’t but committing to transferring Lewis as a result of they don’t know what their roster will seem like when spring coaching opens in just a little greater than three months. However on the very least, they intend to inform Lewis of the chance to present him ample time to arrange.
• Jose Miranda and Edouard Julien may platoon at first base with Brooks Lee enjoying third base.
Jose Miranda (who rebounded properly from a 2023 season ruined by shoulder surgical procedure) and utilityman Willi Castro (.251/.334/.395 with 21 homers, 47 steals in 282 video games with the Twins).
Carlos Santana’s potential departure in free company and the stunning retirement of injury-plagued former prime prospect Alex Kirilloff opens some at-bats at first base, which might be dealt with by Julien and/or Miranda. Lee, thought-about a greater defender at third base than Lewis, would presumably be in line for the majority of the enjoying time on the scorching nook if he makes the roster. Lee missed appreciable time with harm and struggled in his first style of the massive leagues final 12 months, nevertheless, so if he opens the season in Triple-A, that’d depart Miranda and Julien to share the corners early within the season, with Castro (who has intensive outfield expertise as properly) mixing in all around the discipline. The Twins even have fast-rising prospect Luke Keaschall to think about; the 2023 second-rounder has performed second, third, first and heart discipline within the minors and at the moment ranks thirty ninth on Baseball America’s rating of the sport’s prime 100 prospects.
Yankees
• The supervisor likes what he noticed of second-baseman Caleb Durbin.
Boone additionally spoke extremely of infield prospect Caleb Durbin, who’s placing forth a superb efficiency within the Arizona Fall League.
“I believe he’s a stud, frankly,” Boone stated. “Nice bat-to-ball [skill], elite potential on the bases as a basestealer and a very good defender in the midst of the diamond at second base.”
Nationwide League
Cubs
• Cade Horton and Jordan Wicks are not coping with accidents.
First, Jordan Wicks has recovered from his recurrent indirect challenge, which it seems was not totally to indirect. Through the Solar-Occasions: “Left-hander Jordan Wicks’ season ended a pair weeks early, when he started feeling discomfort close to his indirect. He’d already spent two and a half months on the IL for a strained proper indirect. However he and the Cubs had been inspired when imaging confirmed that his late-season harm was truly a rib challenge, which was inflicting tightness within the space.”
…
The excellent news is that there’s optimism for Horton, 23, to have a standard throwing program this offseason. The Solar-Occasions reviews that Horton is on monitor to start out a throwing development this offseason, which might seemingly put him in line to have a comparatively regular Spring Coaching. I are inclined to assume his begin to the season could be delayed in any case (each as a part of a cautious ramp up and in addition as a result of he’s not going to have the ability to leap to 150 innings subsequent 12 months), however it’s good to listen to that issues are normal-ish as of this second.
Diamondbacks
• If Jordan Lawlar will get promoted to the majors, he’ll play each recreation.
Hazen stated he expects Lawlar to be on the MLB group sooner or later subsequent 12 months, however that might not be Opening Day relying on how the D-backs proceed to construct this winter.
“I’m actually glad he went all the way down to the D.R. and is enjoying a winter ball and is beginning to decide up a few of these reps, as a result of I undoubtedly assume that can begin to shut the hole,” Hazen stated.
“From an offensive standpoint, consistency standpoint, there’s clearly nonetheless room to develop right here. He’s nonetheless so younger. We wish to be sure that he’s able to go when now we have him up right here. I nonetheless don’t assume we’re at that stage of his profession the place placing him on the bench on the main league stage does anyone any good. So wherever that chance might come, it’s going to come back sooner or later subsequent 12 months.”
Dodgers
• The group believes Bobby Miller’s shoulder bothered him greater than he let on.
His season was complicated. Miller struck out 11 over six scoreless innings in his season debut — “I believe you noticed Bobby’s first outing and also you’re like, ‘This man may compete for the Cy Younger,’” Gomes stated — and backslid after that. His shoulder started to bark, and his mechanics went together with it. He’d enable seven runs over his subsequent two begins earlier than happening the IL. Within the 10 begins upon his return, with a demotion to the minors in between, he had a 9.34 ERA. Opposing hitters had an OPS of 1.014. A pitcher seen as one of many future faces of the group was an afterthought whilst they scrambled for pitching.
“I don’t assume he was main on, he wasn’t speaking about it,” Gomes stated of Miller’s shoulder, which he says is totally wholesome now. “I believe it affected him greater than he’ll truly admit. Then coming off of that harm it was simply a very long time of getting again to his supply, his totally different cues. I believe a full, wholesome offseason speaking by way of some supply cues, potential changes, I believe will probably be one thing we get into this offseason.”
• Brusdar Graterol will return from an elbow surgical procedure mid-season.
Dodgers right-hander Brusdar Graterol introduced at the moment (Spanish-language X put up) that he underwent shoulder surgical procedure yesterday, although with no return timeline. The membership later introduced that Graterol underwent proper shoulder labrum surgical procedure and isn’t anticipated again on the mound till the second half of the 2025 season.
Giants
• The group needs its hitters to commerce off energy for extra contact.
“Numerous it was primarily based on swing selections and chase charges and I get that: you get good pitches to hit, you’re going to have a greater likelihood to have success and hit the ball onerous,” Melvin stated in a cellphone interview. “Exit velocities, swing selections and (decreasing) chase: that was an actual precedence within the group. To an extent, that must be a precedence anyplace. But when we’re going to be just a little extra athletic, there must be a ‘put the ball in play extra’ dynamic, particularly with two strikes.
“Which may imply speaking about choking up. It would imply having several types of swings. Everybody needs to get in a very good rely and get their ‘A’ swing off on a regular basis. However in situational at-bats, it doesn’t all the time take a 108-mph line drive to get the run in. Typically it’s an 80-mph floor ball. It’s received to be case-specific.”
• Additionally, the group needs to bunt extra.
“We’re in all probability going to bunt extra,” stated Melvin, who may need been tempted to facepalm final season when he watched minor-league call-ups starting from Donovan Walton to Fitzgerald to McCray battle in sacrifice conditions. “We’ll do some hit-and-run in sure conditions towards ground-ball pitchers. Buster has talked about this: ‘Hey look, we would like all people we’re growing to not less than know learn how to sacrifice bunt. As a result of if you want one run late within the recreation, it’s prudent we put emphasis on that.’
Mets
• Tyrone Taylor had elbow surgical procedure.
Taylor underwent a umbilical hernia restore on Oct. 30 with Dr. Venkata Evani in Phoenix, and he additionally had a proper elbow unfastened physique removing on Nov. 7 with Dr. James Carr in New York. The typical timeline to return from these procedures is roughly two months.
Pirates
• Jared Jones added a curveball.
4-seam fastball and slider. They’re two of the perfect pitches on the employees, but when one pitch wasn’t clicking on a selected evening, it often spelled hassle.
That’s why his September was so intriguing. The outcomes had been up and down, however he leaned on his curveball extra, doubling his utilization to fifteen.7%. The pattern dimension was too small to derive any huge takeaways, however it was one thing he centered on throughout his rehab project the month prior.
“I believe the scouting report is fastball-slider, and if it’s the rest, simply spit [on it], it’s in all probability not going to be a strike,” Jones stated in September.
• Henry Davis is engaged on his mechanics.
Davis was prolific on the plate within the Minors (.936 OPS), however struggled within the Majors (.454 OPS) in 2024. He totally acknowledged his points and tried making some changes in-season, like reverting again to his previous mechanics and utilizing a smaller bat. He’s once more engaged on some modifications this offseason to attempt to reside as much as his offensive potential. Whereas Cherington didn’t share what Davis is tweaking this offseason, with the ability to catch as much as excessive fastballs and take exterior pitches the opposite means would go a great distance for him.
