After the morning signings, here are three things we’ll be looking at around the world of baseball today:
1. Rookie of the Year announced:
Four major BBWAA awards are announced this week, and today things kick off with the Rookie of the Year announcement. In the NL, the Pirates are good Paul Skenes and the outfield Padres Jackson Merrill are the best contenders, and the Brewers quarterback Jackson Chourio putting together the winners of one of the strongest rookie classes in recent memory. Meanwhile, in the AL, the Orioles’ outfielder Colton Cowser generally considered a slight favorite over the right-wing Yankees Luis Gil and the Yankees catcher Austin Wells with a prize. Winners are expected to be announced at 5pm CT tonight.
Today’s awards come with more quirks beyond the hardware itself, too. Skenes didn’t get a full year of service time in 2024 because his debut was delayed until mid-May, but he will get that full year of MLB service if/when he finishes in the top three of the Rookie of the Year voting. . Meanwhile, the Padres, Orioles, and Yankees have the opportunity to earn a Prospect Promotion Incentive pick. The Padres will be awarded a PPI pick if Merrill wins the NL award tonight, while the Orioles or Yankees will be awarded a pick if Cowser or Wells win the AL series. Skenes, Gil, and Chourio all failed to receive their PPI-choice clubs for various reasons: Skenes was not drafted long enough to accumulate a full year of MLB service as previously stated, while Gil was not exposed to the 100 most eligible. prospect list and Chourio signed a previous extension with the Brewers, making him ineligible for selection.
2. Future QO Decisions:
The deadline for players to accept a Fair Offer is tomorrow, and this weekend there were a few reports about players in the QO decision bubble: Reds right Nick Martinez expected to accept a one-year offer, while the Mets are ready Luis Severino he is expected to join the Red Sox in right-hander Nick Pivetta in rejecting the offer. Those three players are generally considered the three most likely to accept the QO among the players to whom it has been extended. Obviously, the top players of the market like it Juan Soto again Corbin Burns sure they’re rejecting QO as they want nine man contracts in free agency, but it’s possible a mid-level free agent like Christian Walker or Sean Manaea surprised the baseball world and accepted?
Even if all the remaining players intend to decline their QO and free agency, the upcoming deadline can serve as a basis for multi-year contract negotiations, either with their current team or a new one. Left hand Tyler Anderson and first baseman Anthony Rizzo are among the latest examples of players signing multi-year contracts after being tagged with a QO but before the deadline to accept or reject it.
3. Soto to meet the Yankees:
Speaking of Soto, the most sought-after free agent on the market met with the Mets team led by owner Steve Cohen over the weekend. That came on the heels of Soto reportedly meeting with the Red Sox and Blue Jays. Today, Jon Heyman of the New York Post notes that Soto is scheduled to meet with the incumbent Yankees, where the reigning AL pitchers are scheduled to approach Soto and agent Scott Boras about why he should stay in the Bronx with the star outfielder. Aaron is the judge. These initial meetings between Soto and the clubs appear to be more introductory in nature without formal offers being made or figures being exchanged, although that may not be the case for the Yankees given the fact that Soto is already very familiar with the organization. Will today’s meeting get the big free agent market moving this winter?
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