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2022 MLB playoffs – Dodgers, Braves, Yankees on upset watch?

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Our first look at baseball’s new MLB playoff format was intense, compact, frenetic and, let’s face it, a little bit random. One team whose spot in the tournament wasn’t clinched until the closing days of the season, the Philadelphia Phillies, earned a date with the defending champion Atlanta Braves. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals — a division champion playing a wild-card series — are done after a dispiriting stretch that from start to finish lasted around 30 hours.

Those were just two outcomes from a playoff weekend unlike anything we’d see under the old format. Now we’re about to return to rhythms mostly familiar from postseasons in years past. The “mostly” qualifier is needed because it’s still not quite normal due to schedule tweaks necessitated by baseball’s late start last spring. But it’s still the division series: four series, best-of-five, first team to win three advances.

While the four wild-card round survivors put themselves through initial playoff stress tests, the top two seeds in each league were taking it easy, comparatively. They were holding workouts (or not showing up for them, in the case of the New York Yankees’ Aroldis Chapman), doing a little bit of media and waiting to find out whom they’d face in the division series. Now that baseball’s version of the elite eight is set, let’s peek ahead to the next round through the prism of what we saw over the weekend.

The Braves, Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros won 417 games between them during the season, but that now all rolls back to zero as they face four teams that hope to have momentum on their side after getting through the opening gantlet. Just how have their prospects changed over the past three days — or have they not changed at all?

Houston Astros

Opponent: Seattle Mariners

After all the talk about the American League East being baseball’s best division, the only group with two teams in the division series turns out to be the West. Houston will take on division foe Seattle after winning the division by 16 games over the M’s during the 162-game season. The Astros won 12 of 19 against Seattle en route to their fifth AL West title in six seasons.

However, watching the unflappable Mariners dispatch the Toronto Blue Jays over two days in a frenetic atmosphere at Rogers Centre this past weekend makes exactly none of that feel especially predictive about what we’ll see over the next week. The reason for that is a special kind of postseason momentum, an ethereal concept that we really can prove only after the fact. Whatever it is, it feels like Seattle has it.

Momentum exists only until it doesn’t, which is why it’s not a reliable analytical instrument. But there are things coming together for the Mariners that we saw manifest against Toronto. You have an ace in Luis Castillo on top of his game against a great lineup in a high-impact game. You have a hot reliever in Andres Munoz who can look untouchable. You have the unshakable fountain of youthful confidence in the form of Julio Rodriguez. You have an emergent folk hero in Cal Raleigh. You have an X factor on the pitching staff in rookie George Kirby, a starter who looked right at home closing out the Blue Jays.

Make no mistake, the Astros remain a strong favorite in the series, as they would have been against Toronto. Houston is a complete team with playoff-tested veterans leading the lineup, elite defense and perhaps the deepest and most versatile pitching staff in the postseason. Houston’s Justin Verlander will make his 31st postseason start in Game 1 on Tuesday, while Seattle’s Logan Gilbert will make his first … probably.

Verlander has been resting since a five-inning outing on Oct. 4 to finish what might turn out to be his third Cy Young-winning season. That will end up being six days of rest. This season, Verlander went 6-1 with a 0.63 ERA when going on six or more days of rest. These facts ought to be highly comforting to Astros fans who might be chomping at the bit.

After that, things are more up in the air. The biggest question in the series is how Seattle will maximize Castillo. Because there are scheduled days off after the first and second games of the series, for the Mariners to get two outings out of Castillo, they’ll have to use him on short rest at some point. Castillo has never made a start on three days’ rest in the regular season.

There are two choices: Start Castillo in Game 1 against Verlander and bring him back on normal rest for Game 4, if the series goes that far. Or start him in Game 2, then if the series goes the distance, you can bring him back for Game 5. Either way, for the Mariners, the more they see of Castillo the better. The opposite is true for the Astros.

Other than that, the other factors that might skew toward Seattle are soft and emotion-based — though that doesn’t mean they won’t matter. The Mariners have the look of a team gathering momentum at just the right time, like the Braves did last October. In Game 3, they’ll receive a major boost from a home crowd in Seattle that has been starving for playoff baseball for 21 years. And if there is a Game 4, the atmosphere will be even more intense then.

The Astros have been sitting back, resting up and getting ready to ramp up to playoff intensity. The Mariners will be surfing into Houston riding a wave of it.

Houston’s concern level: Rising

Opponent: Cleveland Guardians

Whether facing the Rays or the Guardians, the Yankees’ biggest concern remains the Yankees. And those concerns may or may not have been accentuated by the news that Chapman skipped a mandatory workout and will not be on New York’s American League Division Series roster. On one hand, this team was designed to have Chapman as an end-of-the-game hammer. On the other, he has been undependable enough that maybe it’s for the best if he watches from Florida.

Anyway, if the Yankees were paying attention to the Cleveland-Tampa Bay matchup, they realized a couple of things. First, that they probably won’t have to score a ton of runs to beat Cleveland. Second, that it’s a good thing, because they aren’t likely to score a ton of runs against Terry Francona’s run prevention dynamo.

Like the Mariners have with their ace Castillo, the Guardians face a quandary about how to set up their rotation against the Yankees. If they wanted to push Shane Bieber on short rest, they could have him in Games 1 and 4. Doing it that way means Triston McKenzie could start Game 2 on normal rest because of the off day after Game 1. Otherwise, he’d be going in Game 3, a full week after his weekend start against the Rays.

More likely, it’ll be Cal Quantrill in Game 1 and again in Game 4, while Bieber would go in Game 2 and McKenzie in Game 3. Bieber could then take the hill on short rest in a Game 5 if the series goes the distance. Quantrill is good enough that optimistic Guardians fans can hold out hope that he, Bieber and McKenzie run the table and short-rest scenarios won’t matter.

No matter what order Francona goes with, the hope for each of the starters will be to just get the game to Emmanuel Clase and Cleveland’s other high-octane relievers, all of whom will begin the ALDS with two full days of rest because of the Guardians’ sweep against the Rays. The Guardians’ edge over the Yankees in the bullpen matchup might not be as stark as that of the Yankees’ offense against the Cleveland offense, but when you factor in the challenge presented by the Guardians’ pitching and defense, it’s in that neighborhood.

None of this will matter if the Guardians don’t score more than the average of 1.2 runs per nine innings they put up against Tampa Bay. Whether or not that happens will be up to a Yankees staff that very much feels like it’s still in flux at just the wrong time of the season.

New York’s concern level: boiling over

Atlanta Braves

Opponent: Philadelphia Phillies

This is another LDS matchup between division opponents who weren’t particularly close to each other in the standings. The Braves beat the Phillies 11 out of 19 head-to-head meetings and finished 14 games better than the Phils in the NL East. In the old format, the Phillies would never have even gotten this opportunity because 6-seeds weren’t a thing.

But here they are, and Philadelphia’s next challenge will be a notch or two tougher than the one it faced against a very good St. Louis club. The Braves are the defending champs, first of all, and most of their roster has been through this before. And while we haven’t had a repeat champ since the 2000 Yankees, that’s a streak that is ripe to be broken, especially by a team that is in most ways better than the one that won it all last year.

There are two big things you look for in a postseason team primed to go on a surprising run: a hot bullpen that almost makes the manager’s decisions for him, and a red-hot hitter or two. The Braves had both things emerge last October. The Phillies didn’t really establish anything like that in their wild-card series win, but you can see what such a thing might look like.

Starting with the hitters, Bryce Harper’s Game 2 homer against the Cardinals was just one hit, but it was an encouraging sign for a club that really could use its best player going on a spree. Harper has had terrible health luck all season and his numbers were headed in the wrong direction down the stretch. The homer, a 435-foot bomb that left the bat at 112 mph off Miles Mikolas, was a bomb.

One hit, even one like that, is just one hit. But sometimes when a slugger squares one up like that it can be a sign that things are coming back into sync. If that’s the case, look out. Even so, the Phillies will need more than a hot Harper to beat Atlanta.

The bullpen part of the equation is also hard to read. Jose Alvarado has been dominant, and manager Rob Thomson can align him with the highest-leverage spots in the late innings to get three, four or even five outs. And Zach Eflin, normally a starter, looked like a promising end-of-game option in both games at St. Louis.

Tack on a one-two rotation punch of Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola that allowed zero runs over 13 innings in St. Louis, and there are some elements that appear to be aligning at the right time for the Phillies. Then again, one could argue that a lot of what went right for the Phillies over the weekend was simply the flip side of the many things that went wrong for the Cardinals.

Either way, the Braves are fully stocked, rested, confident and totally unconcerned about what may or may not be happening on the Phillies’ roster.

Atlanta’s concern level: steady and low

Los Angeles Dodgers

Opponent: San Diego Padres

We already pointed out how the Braves have to re-prove themselves against the Phillies, whom they finished ahead of by 14 games during the season. And the Astros have to do the same against the Mariners, who finished 16 games back of them. Well, the Dodgers might say, “Hold my beer.” That’s because the Dodgers are now matched against a rival whom they buried by 22 games during the season. In fact, the Padres weren’t even within 10 games of the Dodgers after the middle of July. And, oh yeah, the Dodgers beat San Diego 14 out of 19 times the teams played head-to-head.

So even after the Padres beat the 101-win Mets over three games at Citi Field, it’s going to be difficult to build a case that the Dodgers should be concerned about their SoCal foes beyond the usual acknowledgment of the randomness of playoff baseball and the vagaries of a short series.

The Padres’ starting pitching, which was so sharp down the stretch in lifting San Diego into the playoffs in the first place, remains on a roll. Yes, Blake Snell walked everyone from here to Staten Island on Saturday night, but he has been terrific over the past few weeks. Meanwhile, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove both dominated in their outings against the Mets.

However, by virtue of being the one wild-card winner to play on Sunday, the Padres will feel the full brunt of a format designed to reward those who earn a bye. This, along with the fact that the Padres couldn’t bring Max Scherzer or Jacob deGrom along with them on their cross-country flight, is much to the Dodgers’ collective delight.

The rotation puzzle for the Padres is complicated not just by their three-game set in New York because if Bob Melvin wants to keep his starters on normal rest, he’ll have to use his No. 4 starter in Games 1 and 5 against the Dodgers. The other option is a short rest outing in Game 5 by Darvish, if the Padres can get there.

The problem: While Darvish, Snell and Musgrove have been on point down the stretch, the same can’t be said of either Mike Clevinger, who has been ill, or Sean Manaea, the most likely fourth-starter options. It’s hard to envision the Padres getting past the Dodgers without getting more than one start from one or two of their hot starters, but that’s going to mean working on short rest.

This problem is exacerbated by the Padres’ top-heavy bullpen, which might have to put its depth to the test a little more than they’d like. Because of the way the games played out, the Padres didn’t have to ask much from Josh Hader, so maybe he can be leaned on a little more heavily against L.A.

Even so, the best formula for the Padres is to minimize the number of outs they need from the bridge guys between the starters and Hader. That’s going to be challenging not only because of where the rotation is right now in terms of usage but also because the Padres will be going up against a Dodgers lineup that makes it awfully tough to work deep into games even in the best of circumstances.

The win over the Mets was a great achievement for a Padres squad that has been through a lot this season. But there was little in that victory to suggest the Padres have closed the gap with the 111-win Dodgers. If anything, the opposite might have happened. But given the history between those teams, the next round is going to be an awful lot of fun anyway.

Dodgers’ concern level: “It never rains in Southern California”

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Mets’ Jeff McNeil wins NL batting title while sitting on bench in finale

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NEW YORK — Jeff McNeil stayed on top without taking a swing.

Nursing a four-point lead in the big league batting race, McNeil was not in the New York Mets’ lineup Wednesday for their regular-season finale against Washington. He only played defense after entering late and finished with the highest average in the majors — one point ahead of Los Angeles Dodgers star Freddie Freeman.

“It’s definitely a dream come true,” McNeil said. “This is one of my goals in baseball is to win a batting title.”

Mets manager Buck Showalter said it was his decision to sit McNeil as New York prepped for a wild-card playoff series versus the San Diego Padres that begins Friday night.

“Wouldn’t put that on him,” Showalter said. “The most important thing is Friday. Everything else takes second.”

Showalter, however, hinted McNeil could have come off the bench earlier if he needed a hit or two to hold off Freeman for the National League batting crown.

“I don’t trust my math well enough to — I got some help. Don’t want to be wrong,” Showalter said before the game, drawing a laugh. “So at least I’ll have somebody to blame it on, even though I’ll have to wear it.”

McNeil led the majors with a .326 average. Minnesota’s Luis Arraez won the AL batting crown with a .316 average, making it first-time batting champions in both leagues.

“He earned it all the way,” Showalter said of McNeil. “To be able to give him a moment that he deserves — he doesn’t ask for it, and he would have played tonight, and all those things. He earned everything.”

Freeman was at .322 after going 0-for-4 on Tuesday night versus Colorado, and needed to go 4-for-4 or better Wednesday to top McNeil. The 2020 NL MVP went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs to finish at .325.

“I was close,” Freeman said. “I gave it a run.”

McNeil and his teammates were watching, as the start of New York’s game was delayed almost two hours by rain.

“You get a little bit nervous. He’s swinging the bat well. It’s Freddie Freeman. Four hits is normal for him,” McNeil said.

Freeman’s flyout to the center-field warning track in the fifth all but ended his hopes.

“He put a good swing on it,” McNeil said. “Just lucky that one stayed in the park.”

Freeman ended the season with 199 hits and 100 RBIs for the NL West champions.

Once the Dodgers completed a 6-1 victory over Colorado, the Mets flashed a message on the large video board in center field in the middle of the fourth inning congratulating McNeil for winning the batting crown.

He received a standing ovation from the Citi Field crowd, but it appeared he wasn’t in the dugout at the time. A few moments later, he came out in a Mets jacket and smiled as he tipped his cap to cheering fans.

“I expect to be a .300 hitter every single year, so this is where I want to be,” said McNeil, who topped .300 three times before dipping to .251 last year. “I wanted to get back to who I am.”

With the Mets closing in on a 9-2 victory, McNeil entered to play second base in the eighth so Luis Guillorme could slide over to shortstop and Francisco Lindor could come off the field to an ovation from fans.

McNeil knew he could afford to make one out at the plate and still beat Freeman — but his spot in the order never came up.

“Happy the way it worked out,” McNeil said. “I’ve played I think 148 games. I’ve played more than I have my entire career. So it kind of was nice to get a day.”

A while back, Lindor promised to buy McNeil a car if he won a batting crown.

“I will get him a car. I didn’t specify what car,” Lindor said with a smile.

Said McNeil: “I’m sure he’s got something up his sleeve, so we’ll see. Hopefully it’s something pretty cool.”

McNeil became the first Mets player to lead the majors in hitting. Jose Reyes was the only previous player in franchise history to win an NL batting crown, when he hit .337 in 2011.

“I will get him a car. I didn’t specify what car.”

Francisco Lindor on his promise to Jeff McNeil

Reyes drew criticism that year when he opened the season finale with a bunt single, then left the game to protect his lead.

Hall of Fame slugger Ted Williams famously played both games of a doubleheader on the last day of the 1941 campaign when sitting out would have secured a .400 batting average. Williams went 6-for-8 to finish at .406, making him the last major leaguer to hit .400.

But players sitting out on the final day of a season to preserve individual statistics or achievements is hardly unheard of — especially when resting for the playoffs.

McNeil finished the season on a 10-game hitting streak. He batted .465 (20-for-43) with eight multihit games from Sept. 23 on.

He was hitting .287 entering play on July 30, leaving him far behind Freeman (.319) and St. Louis Cardinals slugger Paul Goldschmidt (.334). But the 30-year-old McNeil, a two-time All-Star, batted .378 after that.

The overall major league batting average of .243 was the lowest since the record bottom of .237 in 1968, the last season before the pitcher’s mound was lowered. MLB will ban defensive shifts starting next year, a move likely to help hitters.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Where every team stands after the trade deadline

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Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline was highlighted by the deal that sent Nationals megastar Juan Soto to the Padres. And San Diego didn’t stop there, nabbing multiple other key players to help boost its chances at making the postseason.

However, the Padres weren’t the only team to add elements ahead of the deadline that will impact not only their long-term future but their playoff chances this season, too.

Where does every team stand post-deadline as they head into August?

Our expert panel has combined to rank every team in baseball based on a combination of what we’ve seen so far and what we already knew going into the 162-game marathon that is a full baseball season. We also asked ESPN MLB experts David Schoenfield, Bradford Doolittle, Jesse Rogers, Joon Lee and Alden Gonzalez to weigh in with an observation for all 30 teams.

Week 16 | Second-half preview | Preseason rankings

Record: 70-33

Previous ranking: 1

The Dodgers made a failed run at Soto, took a flier on Joey Gallo, made a modest upgrade to their bullpen in Chris Martin and didn’t add a starting pitcher, which outsiders identified as their greatest area of need. It was a much more conservative deadline approach than Dodgers fans have come to expect — and that’s largely because of the players who are on their way back. Dustin May, nearly 15 months removed from Tommy John surgery, has looked good in his rehab outings and could be a difference-maker for a rotation that already leads the majors in ERA. Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol and Danny Duffy could soon return to help fortify the bullpen. And down the road there’s Walker Buehler, who stands as a major wild card. In short: The Dodgers believe they have enough in house to win it all. — Gonzalez

Record: 70-36

Previous ranking: 2

The Yankees made several moves to improve their roster at the deadline, adding one of the top pitchers in Frankie Montas and shoring up the outfield with Andrew Benintendi and Harrison Bader. In the process, the team dealt Gallo to the Dodgers, Jordan Montgomery to the Cardinals and will no longer need to rely on Aaron Hicks for as much offensive production. New York could use the extra help after struggling throughout July, going 13-13. — Lee

Record: 68-38

Previous ranking: 3

Justin Verlander’s historic comeback from Tommy John surgery will surely turn his surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister, into an industry celebrity. Of course, Verlander himself has had plenty to do with his recovery, which has seen him return all the way back to his previous level at age 39. Going into his start on Thursday, Verlander is 14-3 with a 1.81 ERA, with his win and ERA totals both atop the American League. At this point, Verlander appears to be in a three-pitcher race for AL Cy Young honors, joining Tampa Bay’s Shane McClanahan and Chicago’s Dylan Cease. The amazing Shohei Ohtani is probably in that conversation as well. If Verlander wins it, that will be the ultimate statement that he’s completely back. He won the Cy Young in 2019, the year before he was injured, then appeared in just one game over 2020 and 2021. It’s remarkable. — Doolittle

Record: 65-38

Previous ranking: 4

The Mets added only around the edges — upsetting more than a few of their fans — with a platoon DH in Darin Ruf (.886 OPS against lefties) and reliever Mychal Givens (2.66 ERA with the Cubs). Earlier, though, they had acquired outfielder Tyler Naquin and DH Dan Vogelbach. It’s under the radar, but a Vogelbach/Ruf platoon should give the Mets one of the best DH options in the National League, after getting little production there most of the season. We’ll see if they regret not adding a lefty reliever. Oh, and they had one more addition: Jacob deGrom returned Tuesday, hit 102 mph and allowed one run over five innings with six K’s against an admittedly Triple-A-level Nationals lineup. — Schoenfield

Record: 60-46

Previous ranking: 7

Not sure if you heard, but the Padres did pretty well for themselves at the trade deadline. It took a massive haul of promising young talent — most notably C.J. Abrams, MacKenzie Gore and Robert Hassell III — but the Padres secured arguably the greatest pure hitter since Ted Williams in the middle of his age-23 season. They had put themselves in contention on the strength of a deep, strong pitching staff, and now they have added Soto — and Josh Bell and Brandon Drury — to a lineup that will soon be bolstered by the return of Fernando Tatis Jr. The Dodgers might have a big cushion in the NL West, but they’re in for a fight. — Gonzalez

Record: 63-42

Previous ranking: 5

The Braves made another flurry of trades at the deadline, acquiring starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi from the Astros (for reliever Will Smith), reliever Raisel Iglesias from the Angels (for pitchers Tucker Davidson and Jesse Chavez), outfielder Robbie Grossman from the Tigers and infielder Ehire Adrianza from the Nationals. The biggest news, however, was that somehow in the middle of all that, the Braves signed Austin Riley to a 10-year, $212 million contract extension.

“It’s definitely a goal for me to be here my whole career,” Riley said. “The guys who have come before me, like Hank Aaron and Chipper Jones, it’s pretty special to know you could potentially have that opportunity.” — Schoenfield

Record: 58-46

Previous ranking: 6

As the Blue Jays have climbed to second in the American League East standings, one of the keys for this team moving forward will be Jose Berrios, who has a 4.96 ERA this season. There is cause for optimism with Berrios, however, after the righty posted a 3.00 ERA in 36 innings over the course of July, striking out 42 batters — his highest total of any month so far this season. — Lee

Record: 57-46

Previous ranking: 8

You have to admire the Brewers. They’re willing to do whatever they think is right to win now and keep their contention window open for as long as possible. The trade of Josh Hader was meant for exactly that. Being one step ahead is a fine line to walk while trying to win at the same time, but once the dust settles, Milwaukee might not have lost all that much in the pen. There were some cracks in Hader’s armor recently, and the Brewers were banking on being able to replace him now. They probably would have in the near future anyway, as his salary was only going up. — Rogers

Record: 55-48

Previous ranking: 9

Sure, the Cards didn’t pick up Montas- or Luis Castillo-caliber starters at the deadline, but, like last year, they made moves on the edges that could vault them into first place eventually. Jordan Montgomery and Jose Quintana fill back-end needs, while Chris Stratton does so in the middle of the pen. But is it enough? J.A. Happ and Jon Lester helped the Cards to the postseason after being acquired in July last year, but St. Louis wasn’t able to go deep into October. The same could be true of the roster this season. — Rogers

Record: 57-49

Previous ranking: 12

The Mariners surprised everyone in getting Castillo from the Reds, but it cost them three of their top five prospects, including shortstops Noelvi Marte and Edwin Arroyo. However, Castillo is under team control for another season, giving them a top-of-the-rotation starter to help perhaps limit the innings of George Kirby and Logan Gilbert down the stretch, which means the Mariners will head into 2023 with six good starting pitcher options. They didn’t add anything of note to the offense, however, a lineup that is without Julio Rodriguez for another week after he got hit on the wrist. They’ll get Mitch Haniger back soon, but he’s going to have to make a huge impact. — Schoenfield

Record: 56-48

Previous ranking: 13

The Phillies made three significant deals on deadline day, picking up starter Noah Syndergaard, reliever David Robertson and center fielder Brandon Marsh, while also acquiring shortstop Edmundo Sosa a couple of days before. The Marsh trade, for catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe, might be the most intriguing. Marsh gives the Phillies their best defensive center fielder in years, although he has struggled at the plate in his first full season in the majors, hitting .226/.284/.353 for the Angels. O’Hoppe, who played in the Futures Game, was hitting .275/.392/.496 with 15 home runs at Double-A. The Phillies gave up a good prospect, but they needed a legitimate center fielder and will hope Marsh’s bat comes around as they push for a wild-card spot. — Schoenfield

Record: 55-49

Previous ranking: 11

Depth, depth, depth is the key to the rest of the Rays’ season. The team has 15 players on the injured list — and quite a few of those are members of the pitching staff. Tampa Bay misses Wander Franco, who still ranks second on the team in WAR among position players. The offense has relied on Yandy Diaz, who’s hitting .286/.395/.398 with five homers across 93 games played so far this season. — Lee

Record: 55-49

Previous ranking: 10

The Twins continue to cling to a narrow division lead while stumbling on the field. Minnesota has dropped 12 of 19 games dating back to July 6. During that span, the Twins have given up 5.8 runs per game, the second most in the majors, and only two teams have given up more homers. Of course, the Twins hope their deadline pickups will bolster the staff, but the guys on hand need to get going as well. Since the beginning of July, the Twins’ rotation has posted an aggregate 6.09 ERA, with Joe Ryan faring the best at 4.55. Every other starter with more than one outing has put an ERA of 5.92 or worse since July 1. — Doolittle

Record: 54-50

Previous ranking: 15

The Guardians didn’t do anything at the trade deadline for us to talk about (almost literally), and on the field, Cleveland continues to cling to the break-even line along with the other contenders in its division. To keep things upbeat, let’s focus on the continued dominance of closer Emmanuel Clase. Clase hasn’t given up a run since July 6. Over nine straight outings beginning July 11, Clase threw one inning each time while facing the minimum of three batters. He allowed a sole baserunner against the Rays on July 29, then promptly induced a double play. With 23 saves in 25 chances and a miniscule 1.22 season ERA, Clase has become something close to a sure thing at the back of the Cleveland bullpen. — Doolittle

Record: 51-53

Previous ranking: 14

The Giants mostly stood pat leading up to the deadline, making only minor moves that greatly paled in comparison to the Padres’ haul and put them no closer to the world-beating Dodgers. It was partly a sign of the Giants’ minor league system generally being underwhelming and partly a sign — if you’re an optimist — that the team still believes it can contend coming off a 107-win season. Despite their struggles, the Giants find themselves only 5½ games back of the final playoff spot. And they still have Carlos Rodon. — Gonzalez

Record: 52-51

Previous ranking: 17

For a team that has been mired in mediocrity all season, Chicago not only remains in the thick of the playoff race but has the front-line talent to do damage if it can get back to the postseason. At the same time, an already thin depth chart has been diluted by injuries, which makes the White Sox’s margin for error surprisingly small for a team with that kind of ceiling. That makes things like Tim Anderson’s recent suspension for bumping an umpire that much more egregious. Anderson is passionate and a leader in the Chicago clubhouse, but more than anything, manager Tony La Russa just needs to be able to pencil his star shortstop into his lineup every day. — Doolittle

Record: 53-51

Previous ranking: 18

The Orioles have taken a major step forward in their club development, but the team also traded away first baseman Trey Mancini, who has been one of the faces of the franchise during their rebuild, and closer Jorge Lopez. Baltimore lost back-to-back series against the Rays and Yankees after pulling off a 10-game win streak. This might not be the team’s year to make the playoffs, but it’s hard not to be optimistic. — Lee

Record: 53-53

Previous ranking: 16

With Boston struggling heading into the trade deadline, executive Chaim Bloom took a multipronged approach to the team’s roster building, both adding and subtracting at the deadline. Frustrations seem to be building in the clubhouse as shortstop and team leader Xander Bogaerts expressed frustration over the team’s approach, saying he couldn’t see how the team got better by trading catcher Christian Vazquez. How the team performs for the rest of the season will play a role in how high the pressure will be on the front office heading into 2023. — Lee

Record: 46-57

Previous ranking: 20

Did the Rangers know there was a trade deadline this week? Why are Martin Perez and Matt Moore still on the team? With the season going nowhere and both pitchers having surprisingly good years, it would have made sense for Texas to capitalize on them. Of course, it takes two to tango. Here’s this thought from a rival exec: Teams who are out of the race this year, but think they could be in it for a wild-card spot next year, are holding on to players with that hope in mind. Texas fits that description. — Rogers

Record: 47-57

Previous ranking: 19

In the end, the Marlins made just one minor trade, sending relievers Anthony Bass and Zach Pop to the Blue Jays for minor league infielder Jordan Groshans. They ended up keeping Pablo Lopez. While it didn’t help his trade value that Lopez allowed 12 hits and six runs in 2⅔ innings against the Mets in his last start, the injuries to Max Meyer (Tommy John surgery, meaning he’ll be out all of 2023) and Trevor Rogers (back spasms) just reinforce how thin the Marlins’ rotation actually is. On the bright side, Jesus Luzardo returned and pitched five solid innings in his first start since May 10. — Schoenfield

Record: 46-58

Previous ranking: 21

Outside of sending David Peralta to the Rays and Luke Weaver to the Royals, the D-backs took a conservative approach to the deadline, choosing against dealing a large segment of their veteran players in what would have constituted a rebuild — as has been their custom. Christian Walker and Joe Mantiply, two of their most intriguing trade candidates, stayed. So did everyone else. The reason, it seems, is two-fold: 1. The D-backs want to avoid the misery of another 100-plus-loss season. And 2. They want to surround their young nucleus with veteran players in hopes that it will accelerate their development in the major leagues. — Gonzalez

Record: 44-59

Previous ranking: 23

The prospect of acquiring Ohtani evolved into a pipe dream for rival executives. The Angels were never seriously shopping him, but it does seem as though they attempted to get a feel for his market in the event that they trade him over the offseason. GM Perry Minasian told reporters Tuesday that he still sees a team that can contend, but that the Angels have to “find more depth.” There is no faster way to secure that than by trading Ohtani, but perhaps that’s also the quickest way to trigger the type of rebuild the Angels have long avoided. A fascinating offseason awaits. — Gonzalez

Record: 46-60

Previous ranking: 22

Stay weird, Rockies. They were the only team not to make a single deal prior to the trade deadline, a shocking approach given where they reside in the standings. Starting pitcher Chad Kuhl, shortstop Jose Iglesias and relievers Alex Colome and Carlos Estevez are all pending free agents who could have brought back young players to help bolster the team’s future, to varying degrees. But for some reason, the Rockies held on to them. Their closer, Daniel Bard, would have been one of the most coveted arms in the market, but instead, they extended him with a two-year, $19 million contract. The Rockies are nowhere near good enough to contend in a division headlined by the Dodgers, Padres and Giants, and yet it seems as if they’re content with the status quo. It boggles the mind. — Gonzalez

Record: 41-61

Previous ranking: 24

The Cubs added to their farm system this week but didn’t move bigger names in Willson Contreras or Ian Happ. It means their record in the second half might not be as bad as some predicted, but most of it will be used as further tryouts for younger players, anyway. Contreras will get a qualifying offer, which he’ll likely turn down after the season. At least the Cubs will get some compensation if he leaves as a free agent. — Rogers

Record: 42-61

Previous ranking: 27

The Reds’ dealings are complete after moving Castillo, Drury, Tyler Naquin, Tommy Pham and Tyler Mahle. By all accounts, they maximized their return on all that talent but are now years from contending. Still, the haul they got for Castillo alone provides a glimmer of hope. It’s the same plan the Cubs are following: Developing the talent they have, both from the draft and trade acquisitions, followed by flipping some of that talent when it proves to be redundant. But first, guys have to establish themselves. That starts for the Reds now and into next season. — Rogers

Record: 41-62

Previous ranking: 25

Pittsburgh falls under one of those teams that might think it has a shot next season at a wild-card spot. You can break up your team only so many years in a row before you go the other way. The Pirates are hoping to turn things around, as they debuted a ton of touted prospects. Winning with them, however, is a whole different ball game, so we’ll see if they supplement their roster during the winter. — Rogers

Record: 42-64

Previous ranking: 28

The heat on Tigers GM Al Avila is increasing. After an aggressive offseason, Detroit has face-planted, and the additions of high-profile free agents Javier Baez and Eduardo Rodriguez have not worked, at least so far. Prized rookie Spencer Torkelson struggled and had to be demoted. Then the name of young lefty Tarik Skubal leaked into the deadline rumor mill, though he ultimately wasn’t traded. Finally, with a slew of coveted relievers on the trade market, little actually happened. There will be some hard questions asked in Detroit after the season. — Doolittle

Record: 41-63

Previous ranking: 26

The Royals picked up veteran righty Weaver from Arizona at the trade deadline, a move that flew under the radar with so many other high-profile trades dominating the news. Weaver looked like a rising star a few years ago, when he was a key component in the trade that moved Paul Goldschmidt from Arizona to St. Louis. Then arm problems set in, and Weaver has never gotten back on track. He finished his Diamondbacks career with a 9-19 mark and 92 ERA+. Still just 28, Weaver has been hit harder than ever this season, even though his velocity has actually ticked up. Primarily still a two-pitch pitcher, the Royals will turn him over to pitching coach Cal Eldred in hopes of turning this low-level move into a deadline steal. — Doolittle

Record: 39-66

Previous ranking: 29

After trading away Montas to the Yankees, the foundation of this Athletics team lies with starter Paul Blackburn and outfielder Ramon Laureano. The team had a strong start to the month of July, but now the focus shifts to whether their future lies in Oakland or somewhere else. Casino magnate Phil Ruffin met with the Oakland brass to talk about a potential site for a new ballpark in Las Vegas this past week. — Lee

Record: 36-69

Previous ranking: 30

Soto’s final career stats with the Nationals: 565 games, 119 home runs, .291 average, .427 on-base percentage, one batting title, one World Series title, three World Series home runs and one mega-trade for all time, to cap it off. How did the Nationals make out in the deal with the Padres? Check back in a few years is the easy answer. Abrams and Gore have been two of the highest-rated prospects for a few years, but there are still questions about Abrams’ power potential, and Gore is currently sidelined by a sore elbow. Don’t be surprised if Hassell ends up being the best player of the group — with James Wood, who is built like Aaron Judge, a potential star if it all comes together. — Schoenfield

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Los Angeles Dodgers honoring Vin Scully with commemorative patch on uniforms

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LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers are paying tribute to legendary broadcaster Vin Scully by wearing a commemorative black patch featuring a microphone and “Vin” on their uniforms.

Scully, whose 67-year career calling games in Brooklyn and Los Angeles made him the longest-tenured broadcaster with a single team in sports history, died Tuesday night at age 94.

The Dodgers are out of town until Friday but will honor Scully with a pregame tribute that night.

Dodgers and San Francisco Giants players both lined up along the baselines before Wednesday’s game at Oracle Park for a pregame video tribute to Scully. Also, the Los Angeles Angels held a moment of silence for Scully before their home game against the Oakland Athletics.

Scully was celebrated and remembered by fans throughout L.A. on Wednesday. Some recalled his voice soothing them to sleep as kids.

“It was like listening to your favorite song on the radio all the time, he was always in the background,” said George Esteves, a 58-year-old from Sierra Madre.

Added Mitch Hammontree, a 68-year-old fan from Placentia, “He painted such a picture, you didn’t need a TV.”

Others recalled Scully as a bridge from one generation to the next, including 29-year-old Kenneth Walls of South Los Angeles who tuned in alongside his 90-year-old grandfather.

“He’s been a part of my life since I was born,” Walls said. “Having this opportunity to share this moment with the fans is really important. It’s more appropriate to be in a celebratory mood for such a long, beautifully lived life.”

At one point, a tiny green-colored bird alighted on a Dodgers cap nestled among the flowers.

“Look, it’s Vinny!” a woman exclaimed.

Diana Gutierrez of Downey brought her 8-year-old grandson to view the collection of mementos that included a blue-and-white Dodgers serape, baseball-shaped balloons and baseballs resting on top of the D and tucked in the V on the welcome sign at 1000 Vin Scully Ave.

“My grandson was saying this morning, ‘He’s such a nice person to everybody,”’ Gutierrez said. “I said, ‘Absolutely, that’s definitely a good memory to leave behind and that’s something to be proud of in Los Angeles.”’

Along Hollywood Boulevard, tourists and locals paused at Scully’s flower-strewn star on the Walk of Fame located two doors down from another legend, Musso & Frank Grill. A delivery man hung an arrangement of roses and other flowers in Dodgers colors on a wooden easel.

Back downtown a few miles from the stadium, the weekday lunch crowd was already in line at Philippe The Original.

“I was almost in tears,” 75-year-old Daniel Mirgil of Pomona said of hearing Scully had died. “We used to use our transistor radio just to listen to him.”

Los Angeles City Hall will be lit in blue starting Wednesday night. ESPN2 is re-airing Game 1 of the 1988 World Series featuring Scully’s memorable call of Kirk Gibson’s pinch-hit, walk-off home run that led the Dodgers to a win over the Oakland Athletics.

The self-effacing Scully would have appreciated the tributes but would have likely found them to be “a little bit embarrassing,” which was how he described the hoopla surrounding his retirement in 2016.

“I’ve never wanted to get out in front of the game,” he said then.

Moments of silence were held in Scully’s honor around the majors Wednesday.

“It’s the end of an era,” Hammontree said. “You think he’s going to live forever, and of course his legacy will.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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Rosenthal: What I’m hearing ahead of the MLB trade deadline

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It’s A.J. Preller’s world, and the rest of the baseball industry is just living in it.

OK, maybe that’s an overstatement. But true to form, Preller is pursuing a dizzying number of deals and seems virtually certain to make at least one major move before Tuesday’s trade deadline at 6 p.m. ET.

Will it be with the Nationals for right fielder Juan Soto? The Cubs for catcher Willson Contreras, left fielder Ian Happ and perhaps even reliever David Robertson? The Athletics for righty Frankie Montas and perhaps catcher Sean Murphy or outfielder Chad Pinder, all of whom played for Padres manager Bob Melvin in Oakland?

At this point, probably not even Preller knows. To some degree, he is exploring each of the above possibilities, according to major-league sources. He also has made a run at the Angels for Shohei Ohtani, not that anyone in the industry expects the two-way star to move.

Other GMs keep their pulse on the entire market, but few are as creative and aggressive as Preller. Some teams might act first on players in whom he has interest and close off certain options for the Padres. New avenues might open for certain clubs depending upon the course Preller pursues.

Preller has prospects to trade, shortstop C.J. Abrams and outfielder Robert Hassell III for starters, but also two high-ceiling players from the 2021 draft, shortstop Jackson Merrill and outfielder James Wood, both of whom are from Maryland, making them relative locals for the Nationals. Preller also has contracts he would like to move, most notably that of Eric Hosmer, who is owed the balance of his $20 million salary this season and $39 million from 2023 to 2025.

The Padres and Cubs have spoken about different concepts for the last 12 months, including one last summer that would have sent first baseman Hosmer and a top prospect to Chicago for an unspecified return.  If the Padres land Contreras, it might compel the Mets to move on a J.D. Martinez-Christian Vázquez package from the Red Sox. The Mets, though, are exploring numerous other possibilities, sources said.

Besides the Padres, Montas is a target for the Twins, Yankees and Blue Jays (MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi first noted the Jays’ interest). The Astros, seeking a catcher, are among several clubs reporting a high price on Contreras. According to one source, they are focusing more on Vázquez.

The final hours will be intense. And Preller, as always, figures to be in the middle of the action.

Mookie, Trea, Freddie … And Soto, too?


Freddie Freeman and Juan Soto (Geoff Burke / USA Today)

Don’t rule out the Dodgers on Soto. They have been in contact with the Nationals, and if the Padres make a splash somewhere else, it might create the opening L.A. needs to pull off another deadline stunner.

All this assumes that Preller is willing to concede on Soto (unlikely, particularly if he fears the Dodgers are in the mix) and the Nationals indeed are willing to trade him (something no one will know until 6 p.m. Tuesday).

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman keeps tabs on every big name, a routine he followed even during his days with the budget-minded Rays. A year ago, the Dodgers came seemingly out of nowhere to beat out the Padres for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. A more significant package would be required to land Soto, but imagine the Dodgers if they added him to a lineup that already included Turner, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. Frightening.

Brewers’ Hader: Truly available or not?

The Brewers are again listening to overtures for closer Josh Hader. The conversations might be little more than due diligence. But as the Brewers head toward their fifth straight postseason appearance, their motivation to trade Hader might be increasing.

Three reasons:

• Hader’s $11 million salary likely will increase to the $16 million range next season in his final year of arbitration before becoming a free agent.

• His preference to limit his appearances to one inning restricts his value to the club, and would be of particular concern in the postseason.

• Devin Williams, who has produced 30 straight scoreless appearances, striking out 47 in 28 2/3 innings, could replace Hader as the Brewers’ closer.

Hader, 28, has allowed just one run in his last four appearances, recovering from a difficult six-game stretch that increased his ERA from 1.05 to 4.50. Trading him only would make sense if the Brewers could acquire a hitter they desire, or young players who could help them address various needs.

For Blue Jays, a diminished need

For all the talk about the Blue Jays needing a left-handed hitter, they entered Sunday ranked second in the majors in OPS vs. right-handed pitching and third in runs per game. They do not appear strongly in the mix for Soto. They might not add a left-handed bat at all, focusing instead on relievers with swing-and-miss stuff.

The addition of any meaningful left-handed hitter likely would require the Jays to trade a right-handed bat, a complicated two-step process that likely would be difficult to pull off. The Jays also are mindful of disrupting their chemistry. Their right-handed hitting corner outfielders, Teoscar Hernández and Lourdes Gurriel Jr., are among the most popular players in their clubhouse.

Don’t get caught up in labels

Neither the Giants nor Red Sox are likely to be pure sellers. Both teams will be reluctant to concede when their playoff odds are hovering around 20 percent, and both will want to bounce back quickly in 2023.

Thus, the Red Sox are seeking major leaguers in return for rentals such as designated hitter J.D. Martinez and catcher Christian Vázquez. And the Giants, even if they move some of their own rentals — most notably, left-hander Carlos Rodón and outfielder Joc Pederson — figure to focus on improving their major-league athleticism and defense short-term.

The Rays, following their usual practice, are another club considering all angles. For example, at a time when they need offense, they might actually trade a hitter such as first baseman Ji-Man Choi.

The Astros, according to sources, are showing interest in Choi as a possible alternative to their apparent No. 1 choice at first, the Nationals’ Josh Bell. The Rays currently are playing short-handed with shortstop Wander Franco, and outfielders Manual Margot and Harold Ramirez on the injured list. But if they traded Choi, they would make other moves to recoup the offense they lost, trying to create the best possible 13-man position-player group.

Around the horn

• Bell, a native of Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas, told me over the weekend that he wouldn’t mind a trade to Houston. Bell and his wife, Lia, welcomed their first child, a daughter named Noa, in December. Houston is about a 3 1/2-hour drive from Dallas, and Bell’s parents would be in a better position to help with the baby if he spent the final few months of the season with the Astros. He is a potential free agent.

• Reds infielder Brandon Drury, drawing interest from multiple clubs, is not certain to be traded. The Reds might be interested in exploring an extension with Drury, who turns 30 on Aug. 21 and slugged his career-high 20th homer as a pinch-hitter on Sunday. Of course, the Reds could always trade Drury and re-sign him as a free agent. But if they move him, they would lose their right to negotiate with him exclusively until the market opens.

• The Guardians are among the teams to express interest in the Athletics’ Murphy, but a deal remains more likely in the offseason than at the deadline. The A’s only will move Murphy in the next two days if sufficiently motivated. Otherwise, they prefer to wait until the offseason, when more teams will be open to adding a catcher.

• And finally, Nationals infielder Ehire Adrianza might one day be in the middle of the action of the deadline, but not as a player. Adrianza wants to become a general manager, and to that end, he is taking sports management courses online through the Honors College at Miami-Dade College.

The classes run during the school year on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. While those hours can be difficult for a major leaguer, Adrianza says the work helps take his mind off baseball.

(Top photo of Willson Contreras: Kirby Lee / USA Today Sports)



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Los Angeles Dodgers OF Chris Taylor out with left foot fracture

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Los Angeles Dodgers versatile outfielder Chris Taylor has a left foot fracture and will be sidelined indefinitely, he told reporters on Tuesday.

Taylor exited Monday’s win over the Colorado Rockies in the fifth inning with a swollen ankle and a CT scan revealed the fracture. Taylor described the injury as a “small fracture” but said he was unsure how long he will be out.

“We really haven’t even gotten to that point where we discussed a time frame yet,” Taylor told Spectrum SportsNet LA. “Right now we’re taking it step by step and I don’t think we’ve put an exact date on when a possible return will be.”

Taylor, 31, is slashing .238/.319/.409 with six home runs and 27 RBIs this season. He signed a four-year contract worth $60 million to return to the Dodgers this past offseason.

The Dodgers entered Tuesday night with a five-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the National League West.

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Freddie Freeman’s lingering free agency saga is rife with tears, anger and blame

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We’re all suckers for it. The departed free agent returns to where he started. Fans shower him with affection. Tears are shed, hugs exchanged. The passage of time makes the bittersweet moment less bitter, more sweet.

That’s what you thought you were seeing when Freddie Freeman returned last weekend to Atlanta, right? Well, we know now an undercurrent of anger fueled Freeman’s emotion, the bitter rivaling, perhaps even surpassing, the sweet.

Freeman’s decision to leave the Braves for the Dodgers was one of the most regrettable free-agent outcomes in recent memory, and one for which every party — the Braves, Freeman’s agents at Excel Sports Management, Freeman himself — bears responsibility.

The episode reflected much of what is wrong with professional sports in the 21st century. Teams more concerned with payroll efficiency than showing loyalty to players who rewarded them. Agents more concerned with setting a financial standard than honoring the wishes of their clients. Fan favorites bolting for other clubs because … well, why exactly?

Freeman’s decision to join the Dodgers on a six-year, $162 million free-agent contract seemed unfortunate the moment it happened more than three months ago. It looked even worse over the weekend, when Freeman shed enough tears to irrigate the playing surface at Truist Park for the next three months.

And incredibly, the saga is still not over.

On Sunday night, during ESPN’s broadcast of the Dodgers-Braves series finale, all baseball agents received a “do not contact Freddie Freeman” email from the Major League Baseball Players Association. The union only issues such orders at a player’s request. In such cases, the player generally wants to avoid being overwhelmed by calls or messages from his previous agency, or other agents interested in representing him.

Multiple agents said Sunday night that Freeman had decided to fire Excel. Freeman declined comment to The Athletic on Sunday and again on Monday. Casey Close, the lead agent at Excel, did not respond to requests for comment.

ESPN reported Tuesday that Freeman had left Excel, but Freeman still would not publicly confirm, describing the situation as “fluid.” At this point, it would be a shock if Freeman stayed with the agency. Perhaps he is just not ready, for whatever reason, to make the news official.

Freeman, 32, finally seems to understand he needs to move on, telling reporters Tuesday, “there needs to be closure,” after telling me in an interview for Fox Sports on Saturday, “I’m not looking to have any closure. I don’t want to close something that was so special to me for 15 years.” But to borrow a term that is frequently invoked by players, all of the parties involved need to “wear it.” One by one, here’s why:

The Braves

Let’s start with the Liberty Media ownership, which reported $568 million in total Braves revenue for 2021, a season in which, ahem, Freeman helped lead the team to its first World Series title in 25 years.

Liberty Media and the Blue Jays’ parent company, Rogers Communications, are the only two major-league ownerships that, as publicly traded entities, must report their earnings. The Braves’ success, both on the field and in the Liberty-owned Battery development adjacent to Truist Park, prompted Liberty to establish a second-straight payroll record, jumping from $131.4 million on Opening Day in 2021 to $177.8 million in ’22.

So, why draw the line with Freeman?

That choice, it seemed, rested largely with president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, who, despite Liberty’s recent largesse, does not operate with unlimited resources. The Braves, even after their payroll boost, rank only ninth in the majors. So when Anthopoulos in Aug. 2021 offered Freeman a five-year, $135 million extension — $5 million more than the Cardinals gave an arguably superior first baseman, Paul Goldschmidt — he might not have been comfortable going much further. Whether he increased the offer to $140 million once Freeman was a free agent is in dispute.

My belief — and the belief of a number of agents and executives in baseball — is that Anthopoulos preferred the matter to play out precisely how it did, with the Braves trading for a younger, cheaper reasonable facsimile of Freeman, Matt Olson. Is Olson as good as Freeman right now? Probably not. But his eight-year, $168 million contract covers his age 28 to 35 seasons. Freeman’s deal with the Dodgers covers his age 32 to 37 campaigns.

Olson cost the Braves four prospects in their trade with the Athletics, but his $21 million average annual value left the team with more payroll flexibility than Freeman would have at $27 million or $28 million per. The Braves, who excel in scouting and player development, included catcher Shea Langeliers as the centerpiece of their deal with the A’s in part because they had another young catcher, William Contreras, who is emerging this season as a potential star.

Anthopoulos and the Braves, then, could very well end up looking smart. Their fans had no problem embracing Olson, who grew up in Lilburn, Ga. But Freeman was an immensely popular homegrown talent, a worthy heir to Hall of Famer Chipper Jones, precisely the kind of player who should spend his entire career with one team. If the Braves truly wanted him, they did not push hard enough.

Excel

The emotions Freeman displayed in Atlanta made it obvious that he is sensitive. He said he made it clear to Excel from the outset of discussions with the Braves that he wanted to stay in Atlanta. At that point, Excel’s mission should have been clear. Talk to other teams. Exert as much leverage as possible. But in the end, cut the best deal possible with the Braves.

Freeman wanted six guaranteed years, or at least, Excel wanted six guaranteed years for him. Excel can point to two superior offers made by the low-revenue Rays, according to ESPN  — six years, $140 million or seven years, $150 million — as evidence that the Braves did not make a sufficient effort. But Excel should have known its client and known how he would react to leaving the Braves. If Freeman’s overwhelming priority was to be in Atlanta, nothing else should have mattered.

Excel will collect the commission on Freeman’s deal with the Dodgers, which at the standard baseball rate of 5 percent would be $8.1 million over the course of the deal. The loss of Freeman, however, would mark the second high-profile departure of a newly signed free-agent client from the agency in the past two months. Second baseman Trevor Story, who signed a six-year, $140 million contract with the Red Sox in a deal that became official on March 20, switched to Wasserman Baseball at the end of April.

Freeman had reason to trust Excel, which negotiated his eight-year, $135 million extension with the Braves in Feb. 2014. The agency, highly respected, represents Hall of Famer Derek Jeter as well as a number of current stars, including Goldschmidt, Clayton Kershaw, Kyle Schwarber, George Springer and — ahem — current Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson, who is in his walk year.

Excel, though, should have anticipated Freeman’s reaction. The agency ultimately secured a sixth guaranteed year from the Dodgers, but to what end? Freeman’s $162 million deal, considering higher tax rates in California and deferred payments in the contract, might be comparable in net value to the $135 million the Braves are known to have offered. And according to sources, one of Freeman’s motivations for leaving Excel would be to prevent the agency from trumpeting his deal as its latest triumph.

Freddie Freeman

So, who was running the show here, anyway? Freeman doesn’t work for Excel; the agency works for him. And it’s Freeman’s fault, more than anyone else’s, if he did not end up exactly where he wanted.

As much as he might have thought he made his desires clear to Close and Victor Menocal, the Excel representative with whom he usually communicated, Freeman should have been more directly involved in the process. He is not the first player influenced by his agent to seek the biggest contract over the most comfortable landing spot. He also would not have been the first player to overrule his agent even if it meant less money for both parties.

That said, Freddie doth fret too much.

The Dodgers were not exactly an undesirable landing spot for Freeman, who is from Orange County in Southern California. Freeman and his wife, Chelsea, have spent offseasons at their oceanside house in Corona Del Mar, an hour from L.A. And the team has made nine straight postseason appearances, an even more impressive run than the Braves’ four straight division titles.

Freeman, if he indeed leaves Excel, would not need an agent for contract negotiations until his current deal expires, and an attorney or business manager can help him with endorsements and other matters. He’s going to be just fine, though no one should be surprised if his outpouring of emotions last weekend raised eyebrows among his new teammates.

Kershaw seemed to send a not-so-subtle message to Freeman, telling the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “I hope we’re not second fiddle. It’s a pretty special team over here, too.” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, though, defended his new first baseman’s reaction, telling The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, “If anyone has a problem with it, that’s on them. It shouldn’t be a problem. This guy has helped us win a s—-ton of games this year and will continue to do so.”

Fair enough, but last weekend turned out to be less a celebration than a realization of all that went wrong. A player, team and agency, all accomplished, combined to produce an unfortunate and unnecessary outcome. Too much bitter, not enough sweet.

(Top photo of Freddie Freeman: Bob Andres / Associated Press)



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Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman fires agents who led offseason contract talks

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When Freddie Freeman left the Atlanta Braves and eventually landed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, there was shock within the industry because of Freeman’s long history with the Braves.

Now Freeman has fired the agency that represented him in his offseason negotiations, Excel Sports Management, according to multiple sources. Casey Close, who was the lead agent in Freeman’s talks with the Braves and Dodgers, did not immediately respond for comment.

In a statement to MLB.com, Freeman acknowledged his status with his agent is “fluid,” but did not confirm the firing.

“Last weekend in Atlanta was a very emotional time for me and my family,” Freeman told MLB.com. “I am working through some issues with my longtime agents at Excel. My representation remains a fluid situation and I will update if needed.”

The MLB Players Association sent an email to agents on Freeman’s behalf Monday, ordering agents to not contact the player. This is common practice when players do not want to be besieged by agents. Freeman is listed within baseball’s central system as currently being self-represented.

Freeman, 32, returned to Atlanta for the first time since signing with the Dodgers last weekend and was outwardly emotional, intermittently weeping from the time he first met with reporters before the three-game series began to when he was given a standing ovation by Braves fans near the end of Sunday Night Baseball.

Sources say Freeman indicated to some of his former teammates over the weekend that he was going to change agents, given his frustration with how his free agency concluded in March.

The Braves made a $135 million, five-year offer that was still on the table in the first days after the owners’ lockout ended. As reported in March, Close — the lead negotiator for Excel — contacted Alex Anthopoulos, the head of baseball operations for the Braves, and presented two proposals on behalf of Freeman significantly higher than that $135 million offer, giving the team an hour to respond. The Braves bumped their offer to $140 million, not close to Close’s proposals.

When that deadline passed, sources say, Close and Anthopoulos agreed that there were no offers on the table. The Braves — believing that Close’s deadline meant that Freeman was about to conclude a deal with another team, likely the Dodgers, quickly pivoted to make a blockbuster deal for Oakland Athletics All-Star Matt Olson and signed 27-year-old Olson to an eight-year, $168 million contract. That effectively ended any chance Freeman would return.

Freeman reached out to some of his former Braves teammates and expressed shock that his negotiations had played out as they had. Within a week, Freeman had signed with the Dodgers for six years and $162 million, although the deal contains $57 million in deferred salary. That deal, in the end, could be worth less than the total value of the Braves’ offer, given the heavy deferrals and California state taxes.

Freeman was initially critical of the Braves’ handling of negotiations. Subsequently, Freeman spoke with Anthopoulos about what occurred during the talks and apparently made his peace with the organization. He wholly embraced the ceremonies last weekend, which included a ring presentation from his friend and former manager, Brian Snitker; Snitker, seeing Freeman’s emotion, encouraged him to relax.

Friends of Freeman in the Braves organization believe that his weekend-long emotion was tied, to some degree, to lingering anger and sadness that his negotiations concluded with him playing with a team other than the club that initially drafted him. Freeman was long considered the face of the Braves’ franchise, won an MVP Award in 2020 and shared in the World Series championship last fall.

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Los Angeles Dodgers fear Daniel Hudson suffered season-ending ACL injury in appearance vs. Atlanta Braves

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ATLANTA — Los Angeles Dodgers setup man Daniel Hudson attempted to dart off the mound to field a slow roller in Friday night’s eighth inning and twisted his left knee in the process. After the game, a 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves, the team learned it might have been a worst-case scenario.

“It’s an ACL,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It just doesn’t look good, from all indications. Things can happen, but I just don’t see how it’s not the end of his season. So it’s potentially a huge loss for us.”

Hudson is expected to undergo a CT scan in Los Angeles on Saturday, but Roberts said the initial tests “didn’t look great.”

The Dodgers already are expected to be without Walker Buehler, their ace, and Blake Treinen, arguably their most important reliever, for a prolonged stretch. Earlier Friday, another one of their starters, Andrew Heaney, was diagnosed with a shoulder strain that prompted him to return to the injured list, though the Dodgers are hopeful he’ll only miss a couple of starts.

Hudson, who signed to a one-year, $7 million contract with a team option over the offseason, entered Friday with a 2.25 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP and a 6.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio, thriving in the eighth-inning role vacated by Treinen’s absence. Brusdar Graterol could play a part in forming the bridge to closer Craig Kimbrel moving forward, but Roberts expects other relievers also to get that opportunity.

“Huddy’s a guy that we count on in a lot of different ways — on the field, one of the leaders in the clubhouse, always doing the right thing, saying the right thing,” Roberts said. “Obviously with Blake down, we relied heavily on him in leverage spots. To not have him with us — there’s an exponential effect to our ballclub. But we gotta move forward.”

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Los Angeles Dodgers add newly acquired OF Trayce Thompson to active roster

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LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers added outfielder Trayce Thompson to the active roster on Tuesday after acquiring him from the Detroit Tigers for cash.

Thompson returns to the Dodgers after spending parts of the 2016 and 2017 seasons with them. He hit .207 with 14 home runs and 34 RBIs in 107 games over that span.

The 31-year-old outfielder, whose older brother, Klay, plays for the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, began this season with San Diego. Thompson went 1-for-14 with two RBIs in six games before being cut on May 10. He joined Detroit a week later and was sent to Triple-A Toledo, where he was batting .299 with eight homers and 19 RBIs in 25 games.

Thompson figures to help fill the void left by right fielder Mookie Betts, who is on the injured list because of a cracked rib.

The Dodgers open a nine-game road trip Tuesday night at Cincinnati.

In other moves, left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson went on the injured list because of left forearm tendinitis. It’s his second stint on the IL. He is 0-0 with a 0.00 ERA in five innings.

Right-hander Walker Buehler was transferred to the 60-day IL to make room for Thompson.

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