Thread: Baseball

Athletics to play on grass, not turf, in 2025

The A’s will play on natural grass when they move to Sutter Health Park in Sacramento next season, rather than on synthetic turf. The club will share the ballpark with the Sacramento River Cats, Triple-A affiliate of the Giants, until a planned stadium in Las Vegas is ready.

“Based on feedback from players, as well as guidance from MLB’s long-time field expert, MLB, the A’s and Sutter Health Park have decided to maintain a natural grass field,” an MLB spokesperson said. “Our shared, primary concern is ensuring the best and safest playing surface for the A’s, River Cats, and visiting players.

“In light of the players’ clear preference for natural grass, and after weighing with the MLBPA the potential risks and benefits of maintaining natural grass versus replacing the playing surface with synthetic turf, all the parties are aligned in moving forward with a natural grass field for Opening Day 2025.”

One of the main concerns with synthetic turf at Sutter Health Park was the climate and conditions in Sacramento during the summer, when temperatures regularly top 100 degrees. Synthetic turf would retain more heat than natural grass, making conditions more uncomfortable for players on the field on days with very high temperatures.

Jon Jay, Brant Brown join Cardinals coaching staff

Brant Brown named hitting coach; Jon Jay joins staff

Brant Brown, who got a strong endorsement from two-time World Series champion and former Cardinals bench coach Skip Schumaker, was named St. LouisÂ’ hitting coach for the 2025 season on Tuesday.

Along with the Brown hiring, the club also announced that Jon Jay, a fixture with the Cardinals from 2010-15 and a member of the franchiseÂ’s World Series championship team in 2011, was named a member of manager Oliver MarmolÂ’s coaching staff for the 2025 season.

Brown, 53, comes to the Cardinals following a stint as the offensive coordinator and bench coach for the Mariners, where he was fired in May following that teamÂ’s slow start offensively. Brant previously worked as an assistant hitting coach and hitting strategist with the Dodgers (2018-22) and as the Marlins' head hitting coach in 2023 with Schumaker. The Marlins were one of baseballÂ’s surprise teams in '23, making the playoffs and earning Schumaker the National League Manager of the Year Award.

“I definitely think he brings a lot of energy -- there’s no doubt about it -- and that showed up in his interviews,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said of Brown. “The way he thinks about hitting and approaches it, it’s going to be a change from where we’ve been. Keeping with a changed model, that will be healthy for us. How he goes about [teaching hitting] from a strategic standpoint, I think it will help our younger hitting coaches and he’ll be a good mentor. But I also think he’ll be a new voice for our hitters, which will be good.”

Brown is replacing Turner Ward, who was let go after the franchise missed the playoffs for a second straight season in 2024. While going 83-79, the Cardinals' offense ranked 12th in the NL in runs (672), 12th in homers (165) and 13th in RBIs (639). The Cardinals had a minus-47 run differential on the season largely because of their offensive struggles. Primarily, their success in one-run games -- they were 29-22 -- kept them in the race for an NL Wild Card spot until mid-September.

The club also announced that Cardinals Hall of Famer Willie McGee, who has served as a coach on the team since 2018, will transition to special assistant to Mozeliak, and Robert Cerfolio was added to the front office as an assistant general manager of player development and performance.

“Really, this was done just to allow him more control of his own time,” Mozeliak said of McGee, who will work with young players in the organization while visiting Minor League sites throughout the season. “Willie’s a special person and obviously his connection to the Cardinals is legendary and something that we all respect. The travel and the demands of the day-to-day job are tough, and this will give him a lot more flexibility going forward.”

Yankees-Dodgers World Series May Be Best-Selling In History, StubHub Says

StubHub Says This Year Is On Track To Have Best-Selling World Series In History

This year’s World Series between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers—which starts in Los Angeles on Friday—is on track to be the best-selling World Series in StubHub’s history, the resale ticket company said Wednesday, with the average ticket price for the series already exceeding $1,600.

Key Facts

The average price of tickets sold on StubHub for this World Series was $1,667 as of Tuesday—outpacing the average price of tickets for the last six World Series, according to data provided by StubHub.

So far, the Yankees are leading in demand for tickets with sales for games 3 through 5 in New York City outpacing sales for the first two games and last two games, taking place in Los Angeles.

The cheapest ticket on StubHub for the first game in the series was $1,080, as of 4 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, and the cheapest ticket for the third game in the series—the first in New York City—was $1,505 including fees.

Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani wins Sporting News MLB player of the year

Shohei Ohtani figures to rack up awards on honors for his historic first season with the Dodgers. Included among them is from The Sporting News, which named the star designated hitter the MLB Player of the Year on Thursday.

This award is voted on by MLB players, managers, and executives, and the weight of Ohtani’s 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases (the first 50-50 year) carried the day. From Mike Decourcy at The Sporting News:

This time, Ohtani received 60 percent more votes than runner-up Aaron Judge, who hit 58 home runs, drove in 144 and generated an OPS of 1.159. There is a strong case for Judge’s performance in a typical year, but the fact the vote was this close given Ohtani’s singular achievement suggests there was resistance to anointing a player who filled no defensive role whatsoever.

Ohtani and Judge are going to win their respective league MVP awards this year, which will be announced in a few months. But they aren’t competing with each other on those ballots. This Sporting News award, because it is voted on by players, managers, and execs, at least adds intrigue to the Players Choice Awards, with MLB Player of the Year announced on Saturday prior to Game 2 of the World Series. I guess we’ll see if these two awards had different participation rates among player voting.

This is the second Sporting News player of the year award for Ohtani, who also won in 2021 while with the Angels. He was both hitting and pitching then, but after September 2023 elbow surgery hasn’t pitched this year. Instead, he had the best hitting season of his career.

Ohtani hit .310/.390/.646 with a 181 wRC+, and not only founded the 50-50 club but blew past it with 54 homers and 59 steals, to go with career-highs with 134 runs, 130 RBI, 99 extra-base hits, and 411 total bases, all of which led the league.

He’s the first Dodger to win the Sporting News player of the year since Clayton Kershaw in 2014.

The Sporting News also selected All-Star teams for each league, as voted on by MLB executives. Ohtani is the All-Star DH for the National League, and Mookie Betts for a third straight year was voted as an outfielder.

Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani wins major award chosen by top MLB executives

The wanker opens so many threads he forgets all about them.

Major League Baseball 2024 Season

Yankees vs. Dodgers World Series Game 1 Highlights (10/25/24) | MLB Highlights

FULL INNING: Dodgers win Game 1 after Freeman hits FIRST WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM in WORLD SERIES HISTORY

DODGERS ARE 2 WINS AWAY from being 2024 WORLD CHAMPIONS! (The full DRAMATIC 9th inning)

Yankees vs. Dodgers World Series Game 2 Highlights (10/26/24) | MLB Highlights

Shohei Ohtani expected to play in World Series Game 3

Dodgers 'banking on' Ohtani to start in Game 3 following shoulder injury

Although initial indications were positive, the Dodgers left Dodger Stadium on Saturday night with legitimate concern about whether Shohei Ohtani would be forced to miss some -- if not the rest -- of the World Series against the Yankees with a left shoulder subluxation.

But on Sunday, Ohtani’s injury was in a better spot than the Dodgers anticipated. So much, in fact, that manager Dave Roberts said the expectation is for the superstar designated hitter to be in the Dodgers’ lineup for Game 3 on Monday night at Yankee Stadium.

“He still has to go through the workout and swing the bat,” Roberts said before the Dodgers’ workout on Sunday at Yankee Stadium. “But today feels better than yesterday, and our assumption is tomorrow’s going to feel better than today. So with that, that’s what I’m banking on.”

Ohtani suffered the shoulder subluxation, which is partial dislocation, when he landed awkwardly on his left arm during a stolen-base attempt that ended the seventh inning of the Dodgers’ 4-2 win in Game 2. He immediately signaled for a timeout to the second-base umpire and walked off the field with the training staff while holding his left arm gingerly.

Ohtani underwent further testing on Sunday, but Roberts said he didn’t have the exact diagnosis. Ohtani, who flew separately from the team on Sunday, did not participate in the team’s workout during the two-hour window on the field but was seen entering the stadium at around 7:30 p.m. ET.

Dodgers vs. Yankees World Series Game 3 Highlights (10/28/24) | MLB Highlights

GRAND SLAM!! Anthony Volpe gives the Yankees THE LEAD in World Series Game 4!

Dodgers vs. Yankees World Series Game 4 Highlights (10/29/24) | MLB Highlights

World Series Game 3 Draws 13.6 Million Viewers Across Fox Platforms

Game 3 of this year’s World Series scored a 63% bigger audience than last year.

As the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees went head-to-head for the third game of the series, Game 3 brought in 13.64 million viewers across Fox, Fox Deportes and Fox Sports streaming platforms, according to Nielsen figures. On Fox alone, the game averaged 13.21 million viewers, and peaked with 14.25 million viewers on Fox from 9-9:15 p.m. ET.

That’s up 63% from last year’s Game 3 between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks, which scored a viewership of 8.13 million. In fact, Monday’s Dodgers-Yankees matchup marked the most-watched Game 3 since 2018, when the Boston Red Sox and the Dodgers brought in 13.3 million viewers.

In addition to ranking as Monday’s most-watched TV program, Game 3 also became Fox’s most-watched Monday primetime telecast since 2013’s World Series Game 5, which saw the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals bring in 14.45 million viewers.

When combining the first three games between the Dodgers and the Yankees, the 2024 World Series has averaged 14.42 million viewers across all networks, marking the sporting event’s best viewership since 2017.

On Saturday, Game 2 brought in 13.44 million viewers, and peaked with 16.35 million viewers on Fox from 11 p.m. ET to its conclusion. Viewership for the Dodgers-Yankees Game 2 saw a 65% uptick from last year’s Game 2, which scored 8.15 million viewers, and also ranked as the most-watched World Series Game 2 on Fox since 2018, when the Dodgers-Red Sox game scored 13.51 million viewers.

THE DODGERS ARE 2024 WORLD CHAMPIONS! (FULL FINAL INNING OF THEIR CLINCH!)

Dodgers vs. Yankees World Series Game 5 Highlights (10/30/24) | MLB Highlights

Freddie Freeman named 2024 World Series MVP

Freeman named World Series MVP after record-setting homer spree

He hobbled into this World Series with nothing to prove, really. Yes, of course, Freddie Freeman wanted that second ring after earning one with Atlanta in 2021. Yes, of course, he wanted to do his part to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers, who had swooped in and signed him when his “hometown” Braves found a different fit at first base in 2022.

But considering he severely sprained his right ankle near season’s end, little was expected of Freeman offensively. And anyway, he had already done enough in 15 big league seasons to earn the respect of the MLB world, to prove himself one of the most reliable run-producers in the sport, to solidify his standing as an annual All-Star and to probably get the call from Cooperstown five years after he finishes.

The World Series, though, is a call of a different sort. For a fortunate few, it is not just an opportunity to win some bling but to become an October legend. And after swatting one of the most dramatic dingers in Fall Classic history and then piling on in an epic personal performance, Frederick Charles Freeman has become exactly that. He is the man we will most associate with the Dodgers’ defeat of the New York Yankees that was completed with a 7-6 victory in Game 5 on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, and he was the obvious choice for the Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet.

“I did a lot of work in between the NLCS and the World Series,” Freeman said. “Thankfully, my ankle got into a good spot where I could work on my swing, and I found a cue that really worked for me. I was able to slow things down. All you're trying to do is swing at strikes, take balls and hit the mistakes. Thankfully, I was able to do that for five games.”

Freeman made history in the 10th inning of Game 1 with the World Series’ first walk-off grand slam. And then he kept going.

In only five games, Freeman drove in 12 runs to tie the World Series record set by the Yankees’ Bobby Richardson in 1960 (in seven games). He swatted homers in each of the Fall Classic’s first four games to join the Astros’ George Springer (2017) as the only player to homer in four straight games within a single World Series. And in doing so, he extended his record-setting personal World Series homer streak to six, dating back to 2021. His final World Series slash line was a ridiculous .300/.364/1.000.

This capped an emotional year for Freeman, who missed eight games during the regular season while his 3-year-old son, Max, battled Guillain-Barré syndrome, a serious auto-immune disorder.

Max is doing much better now, and his dad sure gave him a lot to cheer.

“I'll never compare Maximus to baseball,” Freeman said. “I won't. It's just two separate things. But with him doing really well now, [this outcome] does mean a little bit extra.”

_________

Los Angeles Dodgers' World Series Trophy ceremony, Freddie Freeman wins MVP | MLB on FO

Biden, Harris call Dodgers manager to congratulate team on World Series win

President Biden and Vice President Harris spoke separately on the phone with Los Angeles Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts to congratulate him on the team’s World Series win.

The White House confirmed to The Hill that Biden talked to Roberts on the phone and congratulated him and the team, which beat the New York Yankees in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff called Roberts separately and congratulated him on the win, a video posted to the social platform Instagram showed.

“We couldn’t be more proud of the team and your leadership and that incredible win,” Harris said on the phone, admitting that while she couldn’t watch the game live, her husband — the Dodgers’ “biggest fan”— did.

“Congrats, we were actually doing events and we had out phones out and so when we got in the car after one event, you were down five [to] nothing. By the time we got to our next event, it was 5-5, but the time we were done for the evening, we saw you celebrating and it was such a thrill,” Emhoff said in the video.

Good interview

World Series MVP Freddie Freeman on Grand Slam, Love from Dodgers Fans & His Celebration Dance

Dodgers''' Mookie Betts Expected to Move Back to Infield for 2025 MLB Season, GM Says

Mookie Betts, who has won six Gold Glove Awards in right field, is set to move back to the infield in 2025.

Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said on Wednesday that the team expects the 32-year-old to play at second base or shortstop next season, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Betts began the 2024 season in the infield, where he played 65 games at shortstop and 16 at second base. After returning from a broken hand in August he switched back to the outfield, where he helped the Dodgers win the World Series in October.

L.A manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Aug. 6, as Betts prepared to return from IL, that he expected the star to slot in at shortstop.

That plan changed in the next three days. Roberts said on Aug. 9 that the eight-time All-Star would move back to the outfield because he "feels more comfortable playing in right field."

Betts told reporters the same day that the decision "was kind of a mutual thing, but I would say I mostly went to them."

"I said, 'Listen, I believe I can do it, but I want to win, man. I want to win. And I don't know if me [at shortstop] is the best solution," Betts said, per Mike Digiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. "I loved the challenge of playing shortstop, but you also have to be real with yourself and the team, and do what's best. That's what I've preached from the beginning.

Yankees Exercise Aaron Boone's Contract Option for 2025 MLB Season

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone is returning to the team in 2025.

The Yankees announced on Friday they have exercised Boone's contract option for next season after leading the team to a World Series appearance in 2024.

Boone's tenure as Yankees skipper has been a constant tightrope in which he seems to be on the verge of getting fired. He appeared to be in the most serious jeopardy last year when the team finished 82-80 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Despite their struggles in 2023, Boone had plenty of support within the organization.

"Boone is an asset, not part of the problem," said one high-ranking Yankees official to SNY's Andy Martino in August 2023.

That sentiment proved to be right when Boone was brought back for the 2024 campaign. The Yankees performed much better with the addition of Juan Soto hitting in front of Aaron Judge and a breakout performance from Luis Gil in the starting rotation.

New York made it back to the postseason and won the AL pennant for the first time since 2009. USA Today's Bob Nightengale noted that any decision about the manager for 2025 would be dependent on the team's postseason performance.

The Yankees wound up losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. Boone wasn't the main culprit for why they lost that series, but his decision to use Nestor Cortes in relief in Game 1 when he gave up the walk-off grand slam to Freddie Freeman raised some eyebrows.

The main criticism of Boone has stemmed from his bullpen management, particularly in the postseason. Former Yankees starter Luis Severino publicly questioned how the relievers were deployed after a Game 3 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in the 2022 ALDS.

On the whole, though, Boone has done a good job of navigating all of the pressures that come with managing in the Bronx. The Yankees certainly value his presence in the dugout, though it will be interesting to see if they extend his contract or let him play things out in 2025 before deciding whether or not to offer him a new deal.

Boone was originally hired by the Yankees in December 2017 after the team decided not to renew Joe Girardi's contract. He will become just the eighth person in franchise history to manage at least eight seasons. His 603 wins are the seventh-most ever for a Yankees skipper.

Miami Marlins hiring Clayton McCullough as manager, AP source says

The Miami Marlins are hiring former Los Angeles Dodgers first-base coach Clayton McCullough as their next manager, a person with knowledge of the hiring told The Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement hadn't been announced. ESPN first reported the hiring.

McCullough, 44, was hired by the Dodgers in 2015 as their minor league field coordinator and had been the first-base coach on Dave Roberts' staff since the 2021 season. The Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in five games last month to win their eighth World Series title.

A former minor league catcher, McCullough was a manager in the Blue Jays' minor league system for seven seasons.

He takes the job previously held by 2023 NL Manager of the Year Skip Schumaker, who parted ways with the team in September after just two seasons. The Marlins went 146-178 under Schumaker, who was hired in 2022.

McCullough, a Greenville, North Carolina, native, spent one season at Vanderbilt before transferring to East Carolina University. He was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 22nd round in 2002 and played in their minor league system from 2002-2005.

The Marlins also considered former Cleveland Guardians bench coach Craig Albernaz and Will Venable, a former associate manager for Texas. Venable was hired by the Chicago White Sox as their manager on Oct. 30, and Albernaz reportedly withdrew from Marlins' managerial consideration.

Japanese ace Roki Sasaki to become available to MLB teams this offseason

Japanese ace Roki Sasaki will be available to Major League Baseball teams this offseason.

The Chiba Lotte Marines announced Saturday they have chosen to start the process of moving the pitcher to a big league club in North America via the posting system.

Sasaki, who turned 23 this month, is expected to become one of the most sought-after pitchers on the open market. The right-hander went 10-5 with a 2.35 ERA in 18 games this year, striking out 129 hitters in 111 innings.

Because he is younger than 25, Sasaki will be classified as an international amateur free agent subject to bonus pool limits, according to MLB rules. That means his first contract would be a minor league deal no larger than seven figures.

The Marines will receive a posting fee from the acquiring MLB team equal to 25% of the signing bonus.

When Shohei Ohtani agreed to join the Los Angeles Angels in December 2016 at age 23, he received a $2,315,000 signing bonus.

It’s unclear yet when Sasaki will be posted, starting the 45-day clock for him to sign with a major league club. The 2024 international signing period ends Dec. 15 and the 2025 period opens Jan. 15.

Most teams committed most or all of their bonus pool to Latin American prospects in January. The Los Angeles Dodgers have kept the most available space left in their 2024 signing bonus pool, $2,502,500.

On the day before the World Series began, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman refused to answer a question about the amount left open, saying: “This is outrageous. You want to talk about our hitting philosophy and the player development, seriously, this is not important for right now.”

Baltimore has $2,147,300 remaining, the New York Yankees $1,487,200 and San Francisco $1,247,500. The other teams have under $1 million, including Tampa Bay and Texas with no money available and eight other clubs with less than $100,000.

The last day to post a player is Dec. 15, so by waiting the Marines could extend his availability into the new signing period.

Pools this year range from Arizona at a high of $7,129,800 to Atlanta, Boston, the Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets at $5,925,000.

After the Dodgers signed Ohtani to a $700 million, 10-year contract and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a $325 million, 12-year deal last December, Los Angeles won the World Series and drew a Japan-record 12.9 million average television viewers for the five games against the Yankees.

Asked during the NL Championship Series whether the success of the team’s brand in Japan could help recruit Sasaki if he became available, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said: “I hope so, absolutely. We’re thinking alike now.”

Sasaki helped Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic. His fastball has been clocked at 102.5 mph, and he has a 29-15 career record with a 2.10 ERA over four injury-shortened seasons with the Marines. He pitched a perfect game against the Orix Buffaloes in April 2022 — racking up 13 straight strikeouts and finishing with 19.

“Since I joined the team, the team has been listening to my thoughts about my future MLB challenge, and I am very grateful to the team for officially allowing me to post,” Sasaki said in a statement posted by the Marines on the social platform X.

“There were many things that did not go well during my five years with the Marines, but I was able to get to this point by concentrating only on baseball, with the support of my teammates, staff, front office, and fans. I will do my best to work my way up from my minor contract to become the best player in the world, so that I will have no regrets in my one and only baseball career and live up to the expectations of everyone who has supported me.”

Rays stadium will cost $55.7M to fix before 2026

It will cost around $55.7M for Tropicana Field to be repaired “in time for the Rays’ 2026 season,” according to a damage assessment report sent to the St. Petersburg City Council. The report stated that Hurricane Milton caused around $39M in damage and an additional $16M in costs. Repairs to the roof account for around $23.6M of the damage. The “big question is whether the city will want to spend that much for two seasons of use” since the Rays are scheduled to open a new ballpark in time for the 2028 campaign

Pirates To Hire Matt Hague As Hitting Coach

The Pirates are hiring Matt Hague away from the Blue Jays to fill their vacant hitting coach position, reports Scott Mitchell of TSN. He served as Toronto’s assistant hitting coach in 2024.

Prior to his time on the Blue Jays’ major league staff, Hague served as the hitting coach at three minor league levels in Toronto’s system. The 39-year-old played in parts of three major league seasons — all with the Jays and Pirates — but only appeared in 43 games and took just 91 plate appearances.

The Pirates drafted Hague in the ninth round back in 2008, and he played in parts of 10 minor league seasons in addition to a season in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and multiple stints in the Dominican Winter League. Though Hague never got much of a big league look, he posted a career .298/.376/.423 line in nearly 800 Triple-A games.

Hague departs one coaching staff that’s undergoing turnover in the hitting department for another. Toronto parted ways with lead hitting coach Guillermo Martinez in late September and hired David Popkins, who’d been the hitting coach in Minnesota but was also cut loose at season’s end, a few weeks later. The Pirates, meanwhile, dismissed hitting coach Andy Haines back on Oct. 2 after a three-year stint in that role.

_______

The Sporting Tribune

Angels Sign Travis d'Arnaud to Address Backup Catching Position

Continuing their aggressive start to the off-season, the Angels announced on Tuesday that they had signed veteran catcher Travis d'Arnaud to a two-year, $12 million contract.

Attempting to put a contending team on the field for 2025 after a franchise-worst 63-99 season in 2024, the backup catching position was a point of emphasis for the Angels going into the winter.

"Going through the off-season we felt like adding some experience behind the plate would be really, really important," Angels general manager Perry Minasian said. "Travis just really stuck out for us as someone that can not only play at a high level, but the makeup is off the charts."

The 12-year veteran backstop and Southern California native has served as a stable platoon behind the plate for the last half decade who can impact the game offensively against left-handed pitchers, including an All-Star nod in 2022.

Tampa Bay Rays to play 2025 season at Yankees spring training field in Tampa

After Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof of the Tampa Bay Rays home stadium, the question of where they would play in 2025 swirled around the team. Thursday, the question was answered.

The Tampa Bay Rays will play their 2025 home games at the New York Yankees' nearby spring training ballpark as questions about the future of Tropicana Field remain.

Stuart Sternberg, the Rays' principal owner, said in an interview with the Associated Press that Steinbrenner Field in Tampa is the best fit for the team and its fanbase.

“It is singularly the best opportunity for our fans to experience 81 games of major league Rays baseball,” Sternberg said. “As difficult as it is to get any of these stadiums up to major league standards, it was the least difficult. You're going to see Major League Baseball in a small environment."

The Rays said the Yankees will continue to play Spring Training games at Steinbrenner Field, and the Rays will continue to use Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte for its spring training games.

According to the Rays, Steinbrenner Field was chosen because "it is the best-prepared facility in the Tampa Bay region to host regular-season Major League Baseball Games."

Steinbrenner was already undergoing renovations to improve clubhouse and playing facilities and will hold a maximum of 11,000 fans. The Rays said additional improvements are expected to be made before the regular season to ensure fans continue to have "a wonderful experience at Rays games."

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said the Rays-Yankees deal is good for the sport and the Tampa Bay region.

“This outcome meets Major League Baseball's goals that Rays fans will see their team play next season in their home market and that their players can remain home without disruption to their families,” Manfred said in a news release.

The Rays' home since 1998, the domed Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg was hit hard by Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9, with most of its fabric roof shredded and water damage inside.

Aaron Judge takes home 2024 Hank Aaron Award alongside Shohei Ohtani

Both World Series participants voted unanimously as the winners in their respective leagues by Hall of Fame Players, former winners and fans each player wins their second Hank Aaron Award, with Ohtani’s consecutive win coming in his first season in the National League.

Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Shohei Ohtani, of the Los Angeles Dodgers have been named the recipients of the 2024 Hank Aaron Awards in their respective leagues, Major League Baseball announced today. The winners were unveiled earlier this evening in Las Vegas, Nevada on MLB Network’s “All-MLB Awards Show” presented by MGM Rewards during a presentation featuring Mrs. Billye Aaron and Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr.

The Hank Aaron Awards recognize the most outstanding offensive performers in each League. Each Club nominates players to be considered for the Hank Aaron Award, and a panel of MLB.com writers determined the finalists for each league from the list of Club nominees. A fan vote is added to the votes of a special panel of Hall of Fame players and former winners to determine the winners of the award, which is officially sanctioned by Major League Baseball. The panel includes Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Craig Biggio, Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter (two-time Aaron Award winner), Chipper Jones, Pedro Martínez, Eddie Murray, David Ortiz (two-time Aaron Award winner), John Smoltz and Robin Yount, as well as two-time Aaron Award recipient Albert Pujols. This year’s recipients won first place honors unanimously across panel voters and the cumulative fan ballot.

Judge was the American League recipient of the Hank Aaron Award in 2022, a year in which he belted a historic 62 home runs and 2024 was arguably a better offensive year for the Yankees’ captain. Besides leading the Majors with 58 homers, Judge became the first player to record at least 140 RBI since Prince Fielder and Ryan Howard in 2009. Judge turned in a .322 batting average, and his 1.159 OPS was the best by any qualified hitter over a full season since Barry Bonds in 2004.

In 2024, Ohtani become the first player in Major League history to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in one season. In this his seventh Major League season, he totaled 54 homers, 130 RBI, 38 doubles, seven triples, 81 walks, 134 runs scored and 59 stolen bases, while picking up his fourth consecutive Edgar Martinez Outstanding Designated Hitter Award. He chartered the 50/50 Club in historic fashion with a 6-for-6 day on September 19th vs. Miami, hitting three home runs with 10 RBI, two stolen bases and 17 total bases. His stellar day at the plate was the first three-homer game in MLB history where the player also had multiple stolen bases, and he became the first player with at least five extrabase hits and multiple stolen bases in a game since at least 1901. Ohtani becomes the first player to win the Aaron Award in both leagues, and he also is the sixth to earn the honor in consecutive seasons, joining Barry Bonds (2001-02), Alex Rodriguez (2001-03), José Bautista (2010-11), Miguel Cabrera (2012-13) and Christian Yelich (2018-19).

Both players capped phenomenal regular seasons by leading their respective teams to face off in the 2024 World Series. With Judge (58 HR) and Ohtani (54 HR) each slugging at least 50 homers, this World Series marked the first time ever that two players with at least 50 regular season home runs played each other for the championship. This was also the first time since 1956 that the home run leaders of both leagues met in the World Series, when Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle and Duke Snider faced off in a previous Yankees-Dodgers Fall Classic.

The Hank Aaron Award was introduced in 1999 to honor the 25th Anniversary of Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record, and, at that time, was the first major award introduced by Major League Baseball in more than 25 years. Earlier this season, MLB celebrated the 50th anniversary of Hank Aaron’s historic 715th record-breaking home run.

Blue Jays Hire David Bell As VP, Baseball Operations

The Blue Jays announced the hiring of former Reds manager David Bell as their vice president of baseball operations and an assistant general manager. Ben Nicholson-Smith and Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reported the news (on X) before the club announcement.

“Bell will oversee the Player Development and Physical & Mental Performance departments, while also contributing to Major League strategic planning decisions and advising on player evaluations and acquisitions,” Toronto announced in a press release. Bell becomes the third assistant GM under Ross Atkins in the baseball operations hierarchy. Michael Murov and Joe Sheehan also hold that title. Former Astros general manager James Click plays a key role as vice president of baseball strategy.

The 52-year-old Bell moves back into player development after six seasons in the dugout. Bell has experience in that capacity, as he worked in the Giants’ player development department in 2018. The Reds hired him to manage going into the ’19 season. The Reds went 409-456 during Bell’s managerial run. Their only postseason appearance came in the expanded field in 2020.

Things looked to be trending up when the Reds surprisingly won 82 games in 2023. They took a step back this year and Cincinnati fired Bell in the final week of a losing season. They coaxed Terry Francona out of retirement at the start of the offseason. Bell’s contract with the Reds ran through the 2026 season.