The Boston Red Sox have deconstructed their latest World Series winning team. Jackie Bradley Jr.'s free agency is the latest episode in the tear down of the 2018 champions.
Projected for around $10 million in arbitration, the Minnesota Twins opted not to tender a contract to slugging outfielder Eddie Rosario. Rosario becomes a free agent, joining fellow hard-hitting outfielders like Kyle Schwarber and Joc Pederson on the market.
The free agency of Joc Pederson is a tester for this MLB offseason. Pederson is a limited, but ultimately effective, player. He’s coming off a down year in 2020.
The Houston Astros face an important offseason. Gerrit Cole departed last winter, and they face the prospect of an outfield clearout this time round with George Springer, Michael Brantley and Josh Reddick all heading for free agency.
The MLB trade deadline was one of the busiest in recent years. Teams were moving pieces constantly. While the uncertainty over finances made some front offices more cautious, it was certainly eventful with teams either pushing for a postseason berth or quickly retooling to bolster the farm.
The last three years in the AL West have been mostly been straightforward wins for the Houston Astros, but after a tumultuous offseason and now a difficult start to the abbreviated season, they are facing a fight to even make the expanded playoffs.
The Astros have dominated the AL West for the past few years, but their staring depth has steadily diminished over the years to the point that the Angels and their line up of superstars will provide a legitimate threat to their crown.
Look out, AL teams. There’s a new dynasty in town in the Houston Astros. They’re playing in the World Series for the second time in the last three years after finishing with league-high 108 regular-season wins and are widely regarded the favorites to win it all against the Washington Nationals.
Sadly, the time has come to face the ending moments of a very competitive 2019 season in Major League Baseball. But while much of the playoff picture has already been determined, a few crucial battles are yet to conclude.
The American League was thought to have four superteams at the start of 2019, you could have just played the playoffs then with the Red Sox, Yankees, Indians, Astros. One of these is eliminated and the Indians are still competing for a place with a week to go in the season.