Baseball Offseason Update

LOTS has happened

The+Gold+Glove

Matthew McLellan

The Gold Glove

Alex Cora Ring Leader In Cheating Scandal

The Red Sox manager Alex Cora led the Red Sox to a World Series Championship in 2018. But an MLB investigation shows that he (when he was a bench coach for the Astros) was using the replay room to find out what type of pitch that the pitcher would throw and find a way to let the batter know. In 2018 and 19 as the Red Sox manager he was also using the replay room so that they would be able to time their swings and get hits. The Astros had been caught like the Red Sox and they got a very bad punishment like the Red Sox will. The Astros Coach and General Manager were suspended for a year and were fired soon after. They also lost their first and second round picks for 2020 and 2021, they were also fined 5 million dollars. It is possible the Red Sox will be fined the amount and Cora and the general manager will be suspended for a year and will also lose first and second round picks for 2020 and 2021. Alex Cora was fired by the Red Sox and it will not let him get a job any time soon. This is probably because they were angry that their team looks like a cheating team. The Red Sox are now without a manager and will have to sign a new one. A Red Sox manager candidate is former Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek. The Red Sox also will have to have their team not rely on the video room so that will be a huge problem for players on the team.  

Mookie Betts Trade Rumors

We all know who Mookie Betts is. He is a young outfielder for the Red Sox. He is a great defensive player as well as offense. His 2019 season was not great but he got a gold glove, his fourth, and he hit 29 home runs and 80 RBI’s. Sadly the Red Sox might trade him because they need a second basemen. I honestly don’t see the logic in trading him because that is your best outfielder and you will also lose a good batter who has hit around 30 home runs a year for you. 

A trade to the Mets would get the Red Sox their second base need, but they could just sign Howie Kendrick.

Mets would acquire: Mookie Betts, Naithen Eovoldie

Red Sox acquire: second baseman Jeff McKneil 

 They would move over their second baseman to first. I really think if they trade Mookie Betts it will not be a great season. He could go to many different teams like the Braves, Dodgers, Mets, Cardinals, Reds, and the Padres.

Gerit Cole With Yankees

Gerrit Cole signed a contract with the New York Yankees for nine years and $324 million dollars on Tuesday, December 10th 2019 at midnight! That means if he has thirty starts a year he will get paid $1.2 million dollars per start. He is going to make their starting rotation one of the greatest the MLB has ever seen. Here is what might be the New York Yankees rotation. Gerrit Cole, Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, James Paxton, and J.A. Happ. This is going to be a good playoff contender team with the way they are getting these players. The Yankees will need a shortstop though, as Didi Gregoius signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. But in the end the have a good starting rotation, a great bullpen, and a great starting line up. This is a great team and I just hope the Boston Red Sox get a few good players so that they can take on this large threat. They could sign Anthony Rendon as a third basemen and Devers can swap with him, as Devers is also a first basemen. In my opinion I think that the Yankees are World Series contenders at this rate, if they get Brett Gardner back they could fill in center field and they would be a big threat.

Anthony Rendon With The Angles

 Recently, Anthony Rendon, former World Series hero and MVP candidate, has signed a seven year $245 million dollar contract with the Los Angeles Angels Of Anaheim. After the Washington Nationals signed Strasburg they were also going to get Rendon back, but he signed with the Angles. This will make the Angels a great defensive team but also offensive. They just need to get a few starting pitchers. The Angel have Albert Puhols, Mike Trout, Simmons, and now Rendon. They will be a playoff team if they can get some starting pictures and that could lead them to a World Series. They could end up being better than the New York Yankees. Rendon in 2019 had a .319 batting, he hit 34 home runs, and had 126 runs batted in. He also led the Nationals to the 2019 World Series, their first ever.

Corey Kluber Trade

  This year starting pitcher Corey Kluber of the Clevland Indians was traded to the Texas Rangers for a pitching prospect, Emmanuel Clase, and Delino DeShields an outfielder. Corey Kluber had a 5.80 earned run average and was 2 and 3. He was injured, but he stunk this year. He had a very poor year and stats for the year. However because he has a chance that he could recover from his injuries and be a really good player for the Rangers. The Indians did get a few good players like Delino DeShields, and a very good prospect named Emmanuel Clase. DeSheilds is a speedy outfield.

Edwin Encarnacion and Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gondzalaz with the White Sox

In 2019 Edwin Encarnasion signed with the Chicago White Sox. He was with the Settle Mariners before being traded to the Yankees. He hit with the Mariners, in 65 games, .241 with 21 home runs and 49 runs batted in. With the Yankees, in 44 games, .249 with 13 home runs and had 37 runs batted in. He, as a free agent in 2020 signed with the Chicago White Sox for a 1 year 12 million dollar contract. The Whit Sox have done a great job in getting solid players this year by getting Dallas Keuchel and Encarnacion. Keuchel in 2019 had a 3.75 era with 91 strikeouts and 39 walks. They could be a wild card or even division team. I think the most games they will win are 75-90 games. I think this will help them a lot going into 2020. The 2020 season is going to be a good win for a lot of teams this year but only one can come on top in the end. They also got left hander Gio Gonzalez. He is an other good pitcher that will help out their rotation.

Madison Bumbgerdner Signs With The Diamiond Backs

 The Arizona Diamondbacks have signed Madison Bumgarner, an ace for the San Francisco Giants. He did not have the greatest 2019 season but he did ok. He had a 3.90 earned run average, he walked 43 batters, he struck out 203 batters, and had 207.2 innings pitched. He has a career ERA of 3.13, he has 1794 career strikeouts, he also has 428 walks. The Diamondbacks have had a good starting pitcher for a very long time, Zack Greinke, but he was traded to the Astros. This will help them at least get a few wins. Bumgarner can help this team and maybe even win a pennant or world series. The DiamondBacks have also signed outfielder Cole Kalhoon. They will have a fairly strong 2020 regular season.

Josh Donaldson With The Twins

 Third Basemen Josh Donaldson has signed with the Minnesota Twins. This is not so good for the nationals because they would be stuck with Asdrubal Cabrera if they don’t get another third base men. He isn’t bad he just is not great. He is a back up but they might just have to let it happen. In my opinion this is a huge steal for the Twins. They now have two defensive and offensive third basemen. Miguel Sano is a third basemen but they can move him to first and they can change back in forth between third and first. Or one of them could DH and the other on the field. The Twins in 2019 hit 307 home runs last last year but they were not as electric in the postseason against the Yankees.

Didi Gregorius With The Phillies

 This year once Yankee shortstop Didi Gregorious signed with the Philadelphia Phillies. Didi Gregorious had an average 2019 season with the Yankees. He hit 2 triples, 14 doubles, 16 home runs, 61 runs batted in, and had a .238 batting average. He did this all in 82 games. In the postseason he hit a grand slam against the Twins. He signed with the Phillies for 1 year $14 million dollar deal. He will be a good member of the team because he can hit pretty good and the phillies have Bryce Harper. So there will be an average hitter and a good hitter. Didi is also a great defensive player and can throw the ball. I only think the Phillies need some more starting pitchers.

 

Silver Slugger

 The silver slugger award winners were announced. The winner was Mike Trout who had 45 home runs, 104 runs batted in, and a .291 batting average. He has won the silver slugger 5 times in a row in only 7 years in the majors. He has hit, in hi career 285 home runs. I was surprised that Cody Bellinger did not win it because he had 47 home runs, 115 runs batted in, and a .305 batting average. The rest of the players that won in the american league were Gorge Springer outfield, Mookie Betts outfield, Nelson Cruz DH, Xander Bogaerts SS, Alex Bregman third base, Dj LeMahieu second base, Carlos Santana first base, and Mitch Garver catcher. In the National League the picture that won the silver slugger was Zack Greinke with 3 home runs in the season. The other winners were Chistian Yelich outfield, Cody Bellinger outfield, Ronald Acuna jr outfield, Trever Story SS, Anthany Rendon third base, Ozzie Albies second base, Freddie Freeman, and J.T. Realmuto catcher.

World Series Mvp, ALCS/ALDS Mvp, NLCS/NLDS Mvp

The World Series Mvp was Stephen Strasburg, he had 47 strikeouts in 5 postseason starts. Strasburg is now a free

agent and is up for grabs. In the NLDS Howie Kendrick won mvp. He hit 1 homerun (a grand slam) and had 5 RBI and

that was just the NLDS he hit a very needed home run to help them win the world series. In the ALDS Jose Altuve won

the Mvp. He hit 5 home runs and had 8 runs batted in, in 11 games.  Jose Altuve did not hit any home runs in the world

series but he had 3 doubles and 1 runs batted in. 

Gold Glove Awards

National League 

 

Pitcher: Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks 

 

Catcher: J.T. Realmuto, Philadelphia Phillies

 

First base: Anthony Rizo, Chicago Cubs

 

Second base: Kolten Wong, St.Louis Cardinals 

 

Third base: Nolan Aronado, Colorado Rockies 

 

Left field: David Perelta, Arizona Diamondbacks

 

Center field: Lorenzo Cain, Millwakee Brewers 

 

Right field: Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers

 

American League

 

Pitcher: Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners

 

Catcher: Roberto Perez, Cleavland Indians

 

First base: Matt Olson, Oakland Athletics 

 

Second Base: Yolmer Sanchez, Chicago Whight Socks 

 

Third Base: Matt Chapman, Oakland Athletics 

 

Left field: Alex Gordan, Kansas City Royals 

 

Center field: Kevin Kiermaier, Tampa Bay Rays

 

Right field: Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox