Padres closer Josh Hader linked to Rangers this offseason
The San Diego Padres were supposed to be back in the NLCS in 2023 after falling in five games the year prior. The team showed that they are willing to spend as much much money as possible to bring all of the big stars to San Diego to help them win their first-ever World Series title. Instead, the team couldn't even make the playoffs. With that, the team has an important offseason in front of them, as they try to figure out what they can do to right the ship.
However, there are some big names set to hit the open market, one of them being closer Josh Hader. Having a stout bullpen is the way to go if you are a team planning on making a deep postseason run, and Hader is probably the best reliever available. So, which teams would make the most sense for Hader?
Jon Heyman of the New York Post noted in a recent article that Hader "makes sense" for the Texas Rangers. Heyman notes that the team will have two relievers hitting free agency this offseason in Aroldis Chapman and Will Smith.
The Rangers have made it a priority to spend big the past two winters to make it back into the playoffs for the first time since 2016. That was evident when the team spent big on free agents like Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Jacob deGrom, and Nathan Eovaldi. Oh, and they brought three-time World Series champion manager Bruce Bochy out of retirement. Those moves have paid off, as they swept the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Wild Card Series and the Baltimore Orioles in the AL Division Series to make it back to the AL Championship Series for the first time since 2011.
Texas' bullpen has been an area of concern throughout the regular season, as they accumulated a 4.77 ERA through the regular season. Yet, this postseason, they have held up pretty well, as evidenced by their 2.16 ERA, per FanGraphs. With the Rangers potentially losing their closer and late relief pitcher, adding a Hader makes sense, especially if the team is looking to make another deep postseason run in 2024.
This season, Hader recorded a 1.28 ERA, a 1.101 WHIP, 85 strikeouts, and 30 walks in 56.1 innings. Hader recorded 33 saves in 38 opportunities.
Hader's market value is set at $17.5 million per year by Spotrac.
Braves starter Kyle Wright undergoes surgery for torn capsule in shoulder
The Atlanta Braves' season once again ended at the hands of their rivals, the red-hot Philadelphia Phillies. This comes after a historic season in which they tied the single-season home run record as a team and clinched the No. 1 seed in the National League with a 104-58 record. Yet, they could pick up just one win in the postseason and fell short of winning their planned second World Series title in three years.
Ahead of the start of the NLDS, reports circulated that starting pitcher Kyle Wright is expected to miss the entirety of the 2024 season, as he needed shoulder surgery. There were no details as to what the surgery was for.
The Braves announced on Friday that Wright underwent surgery to repair a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder this past Wednesday. The team confirmed reports that Wright is expected to miss the entire 2024 campaign.
This is confirmed brutal news for the Braves, as their rotation was hit hard by injuries throughout the year, including Michael Soroka, who was shut down this season due to forearm inflammation.
Wright dealt with shoulder soreness throughout the year, dating back to spring training. After making five starts at the start of the season, Wright was shut down in May and sidelined until September. But when he returned, he struggled. By the start of the NLDS, Wright was placed on the 60-day injured list.
Through nine games (seven starts), Wright recorded a 6.97 ERA, a 1.84 WHIP, a 1-3 win-loss record, 34 strikeouts, and 17 walks in 31.0 innings.
With the procedure confirmed to be a torn capsule, the recovery will be a long one for Wright, who will likely miss all of the 2024 season for the Braves.
Cody Bellinger named Yankees 'most obvious' free agency target
The New York Yankees' fanbase is awaiting updates on what the team is expected to do this offseason. After finishing 82-80 on the year and missing out on the postseason since 2016, there are discussions regarding the Yankees making changes. What is known is general manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone are returning, the reported audit of the organization and analytics department is not really going to be an audit, and the team is installing new nap rooms and dining areas in the clubhouse. Not the wholesale changes that the fans were hoping for.
One of the more obvious solutions to the Yankees' various problems is to spend in free agency. That is something the Yankees haven't done as frequently as they have done in the past, with their most recent big signings being Gerrit Cole, Aaron Judge, and Carlos Rodon. Cashman had swung and missed on some cheaper options, banking on their potential. But could the Yankees finally return to their old spending ways? If so, who would be the most obvious target?
Jon Heyman of the New York Post discussed the Yankees' offseason in a recent article and spoke about how their best strategy would be to spend in free agency. When discussing targets, Heyman says that Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger is "the most obvious free agent to pursue."
"Anyway, the reality is their last World Series title followed monster winter expenditures for Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett," writes Heyman. "So while we applaud their willingness to listen to an outside agency (and their two megastars), their proven route to their usual postseason spot remains free agency.
"To that end, the most obvious free agent to pursue remains Cody Bellinger, in a market short of obvious offensive stars. Bellinger should be top-10 MVP for a third time (he won it with the Dodgers), he's an elite, versatile defender and left-handed."
Heyman isn't lying, as the Yankees desperately need help in the outfield. Cashman neglected to bring in a free agent to start in left field, instead trusting cheap options on the outside ad those inside the organization, highlighted by 10 players starting in the position last year. There's also a void in center field, as Harrison Bader was waived one year after he was acquired by the Yankees in a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher Jordan Montgomery.
Bellinger signed a one-year deal with the Cubs last winter, and proved that he could still play at an MVP-caliber level as he did early on in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now, he has the chance to cash in this offseason.
Through 130 games, Bellinger recorded a .307 batting average, a .356 on-base percentage, a .525 slugging percentage, 26 home runs, 95 runs, 97 RBI, 153 hits, 87 strikeouts, and 40 walks in 499 at-bats.
The Yankees will likely have to bid a lot of money to acquire Bellinger, as he is the top outfielder option available this offseason. The question remains if the team will actually do everything in their power (i.e. spend the money) to acquire the former 2019 NL MVP.