Author: Deesha Thosar Rowan Kavner

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The Dodgers remain the talk of the sport this offseason as they continue hauling in MLB’s top talent. Their latest flurry of activity has increased their projected 2025 payroll to above $370 million, which clears the next-closest teams, while giving the defending champions perhaps their best roster yet. 

It all has many wondering what’s next, not just for the Dodgers but Major League Baseball.

FOX Sports MLB experts Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner weighed in on the Dodgers’ sweeping supremacy and how it could impact the future of the league.

Moderator: The Dodgers, coming off a dominant World Series run, have only added to their superteam and assembled one of the best rosters we’ve ever seen. It has the makings of a potential dynasty and has made them the sport’s biggest villains since the Yankees of the late 90s/early 2000s. Is this ultimately good or bad for baseball?

Rowan Kavner: The payroll discrepancy is not a good thing for baseball, but we also haven’t seen repeat winners since the early 2000s. There is still parity in the sport (for now), and what the Dodgers are doing also shouldn’t be maligned so much. Yes, they can outspend teams, but their success goes far beyond that. There’s a reason players want to go there. They’ve built a machine through spending, development and opportunism. 

The Red Sox could have paid Mookie Betts what he was worth, but they didn’t. The Braves could have made more of an effort to keep Freddie Freeman, but they didn’t. The Angels didn’t even try to match the offer for Shohei Ohtani that most other contenders would’ve gladly taken. I would argue the bigger issue is the lower payroll teams not doing more to field a competitive group.

Deesha Thosar: One way or another, what the Dodgers are doing is good for baseball — even if they are irritating 29 other fan bases — because they are prioritizing winning. To lean on what Rowan said, owners who are crying poor should either look at the Dodgers’ model and be inspired to change their own methods, or they should sell their teams to someone who will develop good players and find, at the very least, creative ways to stretch the payroll into building an exciting roster. 

What’s the point of punishing teams that are successful within the existing MLB rule book, while rewarding incompetent ownership groups, largely made up of billionaires, who are apathetic to winning?

Kavner: And to go back to the unfairness/competitiveness aspect, yes, it would have kicked up the Dodgers/Padres rivalry a notch — which I would say right now is the best in baseball — had Roki Sasaki chosen to join San Diego and face Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto rather than play alongside them, but can you really blame him? He’s trying to maximize his value while he has the chance, and the Dodgers’ spending and successful operation show players they’re serious about winning for the long haul. 

Credit to the rest of the NL West, too, which rather than crying foul is also still trying to win. The D-backs, Padres and Giants aren’t going anywhere. (Well, most of the rest of the NL West, at least.)

Do you believe Japanese ace Rōki Sasaki would have insisted on being posted two years early if he weren’t signing with the Dodgers this winter?

Thosar: Based on how this all played out, there seems to be little to no evidence that Sasaki was ever considering going anywhere but with the Dodgers — whether he was posted earlier or later. Los Angeles targeted Sasaki for years, and from his point of view, what’s the point of waiting? The Dodgers can help Sasaki develop his arsenal now, rather than the 23-year-old potentially harming his arm and increasing his chance for injuries by placing more focus on just high velocity. (Already, his four-seamer touches 102 mph.)

Kavner: I’m surprised he did it now, but I don’t think the Dodgers are the reason for that decision. Wherever he ended up, he was forfeiting a huge sum (at least for the next six years) by making this choice. At the winter meetings, even Sasaki’s agent, Joel Wolfe, had a hard time saying definitively why Sasaki didn’t wait two more years, when he would have almost certainly made nine figures. 

It sounds like, especially after playing in the WBC, Sasaki just decided he wanted to get to MLB as quickly as possible. Wolfe mentioned the tragedies that Sasaki has experienced — Sasaki lost his father and paternal grandparents in the devastating 2011 tsunami in Japan — have shaped his outlook on life. He knows there are no guarantees, so if he has the chance to do something now, he doesn’t want to wait. I can’t blame him for that.

What was the Dodgers’ smartest move this offseason?

Thosar: Loading up on arms. More specifically, adding Blake Snell to the mix and getting him to agree by increasing his annual average value (he actually received the highest AAV among Corbin Burnes and Max Fried) while offering the smallest overall contract within that trio. To further sweeten the deal, and perhaps get Snell to take deferred money, the Dodgers seemed to blow Snell away with a colossal $52 million signing bonus. The deferred money allowed the Dodgers to keep adding to build the roster on the margins, and they now have a rotation, on-paper, that is made up exclusively of aces. 

I view their biggest concern as their recent negative trend of pitching injuries, and that’s still something to look out for as Shohei Ohtani returns to the mound and Roki Sasaki begins his development in Los Angeles, but they have at least safeguarded the likely possibility of arm injuries by creating a significant pool of depth.

Kavner: Can I say enticing Sasaki for hundreds of millions less than he would have gotten on the open market? If we’re sticking to the more traditional free agents, though, I’ll go with bringing back Teoscar Hernández. It’s not that three years and $66 million is some sort of massive steal, but I thought he was the best outfielder on the market behind Juan Soto and wondered if he’d end up getting more from a team desperate to make a splash. 

As stacked as the Dodgers’ roster is, there were a ton of question marks in the outfield had he not returned (especially with Mookie Betts expected to return to the infield). Hernández, a fan favorite and seed-throwing joy in the clubhouse, provides stability to a group determined to preserve its championship mojo.

Is there any move the Dodgers made this winter that you didn’t like?

Kavner: I’m surprised they’re planning to put Mookie Betts at shortstop and not second base, but extending Tommy Edman with Miguel Rojas and now Hyeseong Kim on the roster at least gives them options if it doesn’t work out. It’s really difficult to poke holes in anything they’ve done. A+.

Thosar: This is nitpicking, but I thought the addition of Michael Conforto was weird to begin with, and then to give him $17 million was way more than I expected for someone who is five years removed from his best season. The deal would make more sense if they didn’t re-sign Teoscar Hernández.

What do you think is the ceiling for this team in the regular season?

Thosar: A lot of things have to go right (health, primarily) but in their best-case scenario, if everything is clicking on all cylinders, I’ll go with 105 wins. They wanted the pressure, they got it.

Kavner: They set their franchise record for wins with 111 three years ago; I’ll say 115. The team is absolutely stacked, but how many times will we actually see Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki all pitch in order? There are a lot of health question marks, but this is undoubtedly the most talented group they’ve assembled during their run of excellence. (I’m taking the over on 105.)

What seems more likely for MLB when the next CBA expires after the 2026 season: a salary cap or a lockout?

Kavner: Seeing how the discrepancies in payrolls are only getting worse, it seems like the latter. The players absolutely do not want a salary cap, although one positive with that would be a salary floor (which I think is the bigger issue). You’re not getting one without the other, and where do you set either when the highest-payroll teams are so high and the lowest-payroll teams are so low? I could see rules about deferrals getting modified, but this is probably shaping up for an ugly battle.

Thosar: At this point, I would be surprised if there wasn’t a lockout. The industry seems to be expecting it, which likely means it will be ugly, as Rowan alluded to. But I still think there are way too many moving parts with a salary cap that would allow the league to actually pull it off. 

A primary talking point in the next CBA will be the future of local TV rights, and there’s probably enough overlapping concern among MLB owners and players to find a solution that works for everyone (pooling all the TV money for both high and low revenue teams, for example) that will push the possibility of a salary cap to the CBA after this next one.

So, could you see the players possibly caving on a salary cap if it meant avoiding being locked out for a full season? The ghost of Marvin Miller eagerly awaits your answers.

Thosar: Things could change, but I don’t think all 30 owners are aligned on wanting a salary cap well enough to be able to pull off that kind of ultimatum.

Kavner: If the owners make a salary cap a hard stance, any number of missed games will be possible. It’s just too early to know at this point how far owners are going to go with that demand, and that gets back to the griping about what the Dodgers are doing. We still have two seasons before we know how this is going to play out (although we’ll rightfully be talking about this throughout the 2026 season). So, enjoy next season, everyone! I promise there will still be 11 teams other than the Dodgers who’ll get a chance to play in October.

Thosar: Especially because Rob Manfred & Co. made it easier for small-market, low-revenue teams to sneak into October when they expanded the playoffs. Superteams going for it and inviting public pressure to be successful is fun to talk about, right? Right!

Kavner: If the Padres beat the Dodgers in the NLDS, which many expected to happen, how much are we talking about demands to fix the game?

Thosar: Well, I think the damage is done in that sense. Whether or not the Dodgers repeat as champions, the calls to fix the game have been put in motion by the way they conducted their offseason and the previous one. The league will remember their exorbitant spending, including the topic of deferrals, either way.

Kavner: That’s fair. The deferrals are significant and noteworthy, but if other teams want to offer exceptionally high signing bonuses to get players to agree to defer some money, by all means, they’re free to do so. The highest payroll in the sport doesn’t always win the World Series, we haven’t seen a repeat championship winner since 2000, and until a new CBA is put in place, there’s not much to do about it other than try to field a competitive roster. 

The D-backs made the World Series with a payroll that ranked in the bottom half of the sport two years ago. That’s not a sustainable recipe for success, but they saw the possibilities when you secure a spot in the dance, and they’ve spent the past couple of years spending enough to stay relevant. Not every deal has worked out, but they’re going to be a formidable group in 2025. More teams should follow suit. Or sell to someone who will try harder.

Rowan Kavner covers the Dodgers and NL West for FOX Sports. He previously was the Dodgers’ editor of digital and print publications. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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With Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell and Max Fried having already made their decisions in free agency, the top pitcher remaining on the market presents an unconventional case.

Money won’t play much of a factor in the decision for Rōki Sasaki, who has reportedly narrowed down his destination to three contenders — the Dodgers, Padres and Blue Jays — but can’t take anything more than a team’s international bonus pool money. Beyond Sasaki, though, there are plenty of more standard free agents left on the board for teams to fill their needs, pitching or otherwise.

Three of the top sluggers on the market, Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso and Anthony Santander, remain unsigned. Tanner Scott, the top closer in free agency, has also yet to sign and could ignite a slow relief market once he makes his decision. In addition, helpful depth pieces remain available both on the mound and in the field.

Certainly, money will play a factor in every player’s decision. But as far as team fits go, Rowan Kavner and Deesha Thosar identify the best landing spots for 10 of the most intriguing free agents still on the board.

10. SP Max Scherzer: Washington Nationals

Not one starting pitcher in the Nationals’ projected rotation is older than 27, and while MacKenzie Gore has shown promising swing-and-miss stuff, the staff is green and largely unproven. Those arms could really use some veteran leadership to take them to the next level. So, why not welcome a reunion with Scherzer, who spent the bulk of his prime with the Nationals?

The market for starters has been incredibly expensive this winter, and Washington was never expected to be competitive for top-end arms. Scherzer’s age and myriad injuries last year (back surgery, shoulder pain, hamstring injury) should bring his price down to a range the Nationals are comfortable spending. And even if he needs to spend some time on the injured list again, his insight and experience in the game are invaluable, particularly for a Nationals team that should be competitive enough to push for a wild-card berth given their exciting young offensive core. Don’t forget, Scherzer can still pitch. He had a sub-4.00 ERA and low walk rate when he was healthy enough to be on the mound for the Rangers last year — and the Nationals would happily take that kind of performance. 

If 2025 is Scherzer’s swan song before Cooperstown, a homecoming with the Nationals could be something that works wonders for both sides. They could even retire his jersey while he’s on the mound. — Thosar

9. SP Nick Pivetta: Atlanta Braves

A year after the Chris Sale renaissance, could the Braves get the best out of another former Red Sox starter? Max Fried and Charlie Morton are gone. Spencer Strider will be back, but unlikely by Opening Day. Sale was the best pitcher in the National League last year, but the 2024 season was the first time he logged more than 20 starts since 2019. It was also the first time Reynaldo López was a full-time starter in four years, and his body started to wear down late in a terrific return to the rotation. The Braves should be excited about the follow-up campaign for Spencer Schwellenbach, and it’s more than reasonable to expect AJ Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep or one of their young arms to take a leap forward. Still, this is a team that has done nothing of note this offseason and could use more depth to complete a thinned-out rotation.

If the Braves want to keep the honor of the best strikeout-to-walk ratio in the majors, Pivetta would help. He pitched much better in 2024 than his 6-12 record or 4.14 ERA would indicate (his expected ERA was 3.51), putting together the 10th-best K/BB ratio among all starters with at least 100 innings. The qualifying offer he rejected could be a hold-up in finding a new team, but perhaps the Braves — who will be getting a compensation pick after Fried went to the Yankees — would be a willing suitor. — Kavner

8. RP Carlos Estévez: Arizona Diamondbacks

After shocking the industry with the Corbin Burnes signing, the D-backs need to shore up their bullpen depth before spring training rolls around. Their relievers recorded a 4.41 bullpen ERA that ranked 25th in baseball last year and now that they lost Paul Sewald to free agency, the need to supplement the relief corps with a top closer or setup man is pretty apparent. Lucky for them, Estévez is flying a bit under the radar while Tanner Scott remains unsigned. But the former Angels and Phillies closer could be a steal for the cost-conscious D-backs. 

A two- or three-year deal with the 32-year-old Estévez should only cost the D-backs around $9-10 million per year, whereas Scott is likely looking for a deal with an AAV upwards of $10 million. Estévez’s 57 saves and 3.22 ERA since 2023 indicate that he’ll provide the back-end reliability they need to contend in 2025. Arizona has solid internal bullpen options like southpaw A.J. Puk and right-handers Justin Martinez and Kevin Ginkel, but general manager Mike Hazen indicated at December’s winter meetings that he’d like to add someone else to the mix. Estévez’s hard-throwing, high-leverage experience should be the answer. — Thosar

7. INF Ha-Seong Kim: New York Yankees

Despite the flurry of needle-moving additions the Yankees made after they lost Juan Soto to the Mets, they still have a major hole in the infield following the departure of longtime second baseman Gleyber Torres. The Bronx Bombers need more guys who can get on base and create runs, and that’s where Kim can come in and put his savvy baserunning to use. Plus, his excellent plate discipline (18.6% chase rate in the 98th percentile, per Baseball Savant) will do wonders if he’s batting alongside Aaron Judge.

Kim’s high baseball IQ and defensive versatility and prowess would be a breath of fresh air for a Yankees team that ranked 30th in FanGraphs’ baserunning metrics in 2024 and routinely suffered from defensive miscues, poor fundamentals, and mental lapses in the infield (see: the World Series). The Yankees don’t need more flashy free-agent signings now; they need a dynamic jack-of-all-trades Gold Glover like Kim who can quietly transform their offensive production. — Thosar

6. OF Jurickson Profar: Kansas City Royals

A more traditional slugger in the middle of the order wouldn’t hurt, but in the cavernous domain of Kauffman Stadium, a player who can get on base at a high clip and lengthen the lineup might be more important to help jump-start the Royals offense. Adding Jonathan India was a start, but more needs to be done for a team that last year ranked 19th in on-base percentage and had the second-lowest OPS out of the leadoff spot. More specifically, they need more pop in an outfield that ranked in the bottom two in every slash-line category last season. Profar should provide a boost in every regard.

While his breakout season seemed to come out of nowhere at age 31, it wasn’t just luck. Profar hit the ball harder than ever before and chased and whiffed less than ever before. Whether Profar can replicate his power numbers remains to be seen, but he has always been someone with a keen eye for the strike zone and would represent a difference-making upgrade from the pieces in place. — Kavner

5. RP Tanner Scott: Chicago Cubs

All 30 teams could use a reliever of Scott’s caliber at the back end of the bullpen. So, sure, the odds might be better that the most coveted closer on the market ends up with the Dodgers or Mets — who are both interested in Scott — than the Cubs, who finally got the superstar they’ve needed only to now be arguing over a couple million dollars in arbitration with Kyle Tucker. They’ve yet to open up the pocketbooks in a significant way this winter, but they’re now off Cody Bellinger’s contract and should have considerable room to add before they even approach their 2024 payroll or the first CBT threshold. It would be inexcusable to save all that money and end up with Matthew Boyd as their biggest pitching addition.

You could make the argument they’d be better off using the extra room to continue making depth moves rather than one big reliever splash, but given how uncertain the closer role was last season, Scott could help balance a righty-heavy bullpen that needs more proven commodities and help take the late-inning weight off 23-year-old Porter Hodge. If they only have Tucker for one season, it’s especially important that they strike now as they seek to end their four-year playoff drought in a winnable division. — Kavner

4. SP Jack Flaherty: Detroit Tigers

The emergence of Tarik Skubal as a Certified Ace™ (and of course, reigning AL Cy Young/triple crown winner) is a source of luxury for the Tigers rotation, but their magical postseason run was cut short, in part, because they severely lacked a dependable, experienced arm behind Skubal. Now, Detroit only has to look as far back as last summer to find a solution in Flaherty. 

He thrived alongside Skubal in the four months he spent in Motown, posting a 2.95 ERA before being traded to the Dodgers. The Tigers need a more reliable 1-2 punch in their staff to make the most of their exciting, youth-driven window of contention. Flaherty is the only free-agent starting pitcher in his 20s outside of Sasaki, and he’s coming off some really mixed results in the 2024 postseason. He was better for the Dodgers in the regular season and hurled a gem in the NLCS opener, so the upside is certainly there. The Tigers could point to his successful track record in Detroit and perhaps convince him to accept a short-term deal that would make sense for both sides. — Thosar

3. OF Anthony Santander: Toronto Blue Jays

Santander is sort of the Alonso of the outfield market. It’s not a perfect comparison — Santander doesn’t barrel the ball as often and chases more (while whiffing less) than Alonso — but the two players both belt a ton of homers without providing much with their gloves or their legs. For the Blue Jays, though, Santander’s power bat fills a clear need. Toronto’s outfielders had the fifth-lowest slugging percentage in the majors last year, and only four teams hit fewer homers than the Blue Jays.

Toronto has been linked to several top free agents each of the past couple years and whiffed. This offseason, the Blue Jays have yet to extend Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or do anything to impact the power shortage that has held the offense back. They’re running out of time to strike with this core, but adding Santander would represent a meaningful step forward toward relevance. Over the past three years, only five hitters — Alonso, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Schwarber and Matt Olson — have launched more home runs than Santander. — Kavner

2. 1B Pete Alonso: New York Mets

The number of teams who need a first baseman with Alonso’s skill set are dwindling. The Astros and Yankees signed their answers at the spot in Christian Walker and Paul Goldschmidt, respectively. The Diamondbacks filled the vacancy left by Walker by trading for Josh Naylor. The Nationals traded for Nate Lowe and signed Josh Bell.

The Giants and Mariners could both use the right-handed power at first base, but San Francisco already forfeited its second- and fifth-highest selections in the 2025 draft after signing Willy Adames, who had a qualifying offer attached. If the Giants signed Alonso, they’d also forfeit their third- and sixth-highest selections after exceeding the luxury-tax threshold last year at a time when their farm system could use an injection of talent. The Mariners seem unlikely to pay what would be required for Alonso, and if he signs a short-term deal to re-establish his value — say, a structure similar to Cody Bellinger’s last year — it’s unlikely that T-Mobile Park would be an attractive venue. 

The Mets might be better off signing Alex Bregman and bumping Mark Vientos to first base, but as currently constructed, a return to Queens for Alonso seems like the logical fit. — Kavner

1. 3B Alex Bregman: Boston Red Sox

Just like last year, when we all thought Juan Soto would flourish with Yankee Stadium’s short porch, Bregman and the Green Monster have always seemed like a perfect match. Boston’s lefty-heavy lineup needs a power-mashing righty to take advantage of that towering left field, and Bregman’s penchant for crushing home runs over the Crawford Boxes should translate well at Fenway Park. He’d also represent a notable defensive upgrade at third base over Rafael Devers, who could slide over to first or DH. Moreover,  he Red Sox would get the public-facing, face-of-the-franchise competitor they’ve been seeking long term.

Bregman is five years removed from his best season (41 home runs, 1.1015 OPS, 8.9 bWAR) in 2019, and has racked up a lot of mileage before entering free agency (he’ll reach 5,000 career plate appearances sometime in May 2025). But he remains one of the top all-around players and one of the few remaining available difference-makers in baseball. The Red Sox have the capital — and perhaps even the desperation — to get this deal done. — Thosar

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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The hot stove hasn’t cooled off during the holidays.

Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell and Max Fried are all finally signed, and each one of their contracts surprised to some degree. But which team negotiated the best deal between that trio? Which American League contender is having the best offseason? Where will Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman sign, and for how much?

FOX Sports MLB experts Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner weigh in on those topics and more in our latest roundtable.

1. Which of the big three pitcher contracts do you like best from the respective teams’ perspective?

Thosar: Maybe it’s partly due to the shock of the signing, but I like the deal the Diamondbacks worked out with Corbin Burnes. Even though they weren’t linked to him all winter, Burnes’ residency in Arizona clearly made the organization a top candidate internally, and they capitalized on that advantage to secure the top free agent starting pitcher left on the market. The D-backs already had a strong rotation (Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Brandon Pfaadt, Eduardo Rodriguez and Jordan Montgomery) without Burnes, and those supporting arms will decrease the pressure for him to uphold an entire pitching staff. 

The NL West, dominated by the Dodgers, is arguably baseball’s toughest division, and the D-backs needed someone with the top talent of Burnes (2.94 ERA since 2021) to become a viable contender. As far as the money (six years, $210 million), Burnes was always expected to earn at least $35 million per year on a long-term deal, and the D-backs deserve credit for being able to deliver.

Kavner: Blake Snell with the Dodgers. I didn’t anticipate Max Fried getting the biggest contract (both by years and total value) of any pitcher this winter. I would have been hesitant to give eight years to a 30-year-old with recent forearm issues, so then it comes down to Snell and Corbin Burnes for me, and while I give major credit to the D-backs for swooping in to add an ace to a pitching staff that needed an upgrade, I’ll still take Snell for five years and $182 million on the Dodgers over Burnes for six years and $210 on the D-backs for a few reasons.

For starters, Burnes can opt out after two years. In addition, the deferrals in Snell’s deal lower his average annual value to between $3-4 million less per season than what Burnes is making. Plus, the Dodgers get added protection with their conditional club option on Snell’s contract for a sixth season at just $10 million should Snell suffer a serious injury at some point during his Los Angeles tenure. Burnes is certainly the bigger workhorse, but the upside is higher with Snell, who stabilizes a Dodgers rotation that had a lot of injury questions and whose overpowering swing-and-miss stuff can make him the best pitcher in the game when he gets on the type of roll he was on in the second half of the 2024 season. He’s a game-changer in October like few others.

2. The Yankees and Astros have been among the more active teams this winter among American League contenders. Which club has had the better offseason?

Kavner: Right now, I would not project either team to be better than what they were last year. But you can at least see a clearer path toward that potentially being possible for the Yankees, and I think they’ve had the better offseason of the two teams. Christian Walker is one of the more underrated players in baseball and was my favorite first baseman on the market (at least for the next 2-3 years), and I also think Isaac Paredes should have a field day with the Crawford Boxes, but I would much rather have Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman than what the Astros have now.

That’s not to say what the Yankees are doing will make up for the losses of Juan Soto, Nestor Cortes and Clay Holmes. The additions of Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt don’t exactly ease my concerns about that offense without Soto, but the pitching upgrades give them the nod here.

Thosar: Both teams lost at least one star player this offseason, but the difference for me is the Yankees’ strong response to losing Juan Soto in free agency, versus Houston’s game plan and execution once they decided to trade Kyle Tucker to the Cubs and most likely let Alex Bregman walk away in free agency. After Soto’s decision to decamp to Queens, the Yankees pivoted by acquiring Max Fried, Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt. Sure, we can go back and forth about the value of each of those contracts and how risky it could be to improve the lineup with two questionable/inconsistent bats, but the sheer volume of star players the Yankees added gives them the trophy for the better offseason when comparing them to Houston. 

The Astros’ big move was signing first baseman Christian Walker, but that was a necessity for a while now (they had among the worst offensive production in MLB at the corner infield position in 2024). Often, the team’s financial limits in free agency are forgiven just because Jim Crane has set the standard that he won’t go above a certain payroll threshold to win. In the end, the Astros are a weaker team without Tucker and Bregman, just like the Yankees have a weaker lineup without Soto. But New York’s fully committed response to improve the entire roster gives it the better offseason.

3. What’s been your favorite short-term deal thus far?

Thosar: This isn’t the sexiest answer, but I like the Tigers’ deal with Gleyber Torres because it works out for everyone involved. Detroit is gambling just $15 million on a one-year deal — and that’s just about how much Torres was expected to earn on the market after recording his worst career OPS (.709) in his walk year with the Yankees. The Tigers have the opportunity to improve Torres’ defensive shortcomings at second base within the backdrop of an exciting, youth-driven roster that exceeded expectations last season. 

As for Torres, he’s betting on himself with a prove-it deal to improve his value before he hits free agency again next winter, when he’ll still only be just 29 years old. It has always seemed like Torres would excel outside of the high-pressure New York market, and now he finally has the chance to improve his slugging (his high-water mark, astonishingly, was when he crushed 38 home runs in the 2019 season) and find his form again amid what is still the prime of his career. It’s a good deal for both sides in a world where overpayments are the norm.

Kavner: It’s one of Gleyber Torres, Shane Bieber or Walker Buehler for me, and I’ll go with Torres for one year and $15 million to the Tigers. This wasn’t the walk year he envisioned in New York, but if he performs to his capabilities in Detroit, this could be the steal of the offseason.

I thought the Tigers might try to upgrade at corner infield first, but wherever it was, they desperately needed another right-handed bat to both balance the lineup and raise its floor. Torres was a league-average hitter this year with the Yankees, but he’s a 28-year-old two-time All-Star who should have some extra motivation and a chance now to re-establish his value in a lower-pressure environment. He might never fully realize the upside many expected when he launched 38 home runs as a 22-year-old, but for just $15 million, it’s a low-risk chance that could reap big rewards for Detroit.

4. What are your best guesses for the teams and terms for Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso?

Kavner: I don’t feel particularly confident that either player reaches the $200 million mark, though Bregman certainly has the better chance. At 30 years old, he’s still a terrific defender who packs 20-plus homer pop with elite plate discipline. And now that a reunion in Houston appears out of the question, the possibilities are numerous. Any contending team with a need at third base (or second base) should be interested. The Tigers make the most sense for me as a fit, but I don’t anticipate their best offer will be enough. So, I’ll say the Blue Jays, coming off their massive 2024 disappointment, do what it takes to land the star that has eluded them and give him seven years and $196 million.

I don’t expect quite the same robust market for Alonso, given his defensive deficiencies and troubling offensive trends outside of his prodigious power. Now that the Astros and Yankees have already found their answers at first base in free agency, I think it comes down to the Mets and Giants for Alonso with a return to Queens ultimately in the cards. I could see this contract getting creative, but let’s say six years, $156 million.

Thosar: I have always expected Alonso to end back up with the Mets, and I’m not changing my answer now. The Mets know firsthand how pivotal Alonso’s role was in their 2024 playoff run — and even though he had a substandard regular season, his ninth-inning go-ahead home run off Devin Williams in the wild-card series propelled his club all the way to the NLCS. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns can try his best to take sentimentality out of the equation, but I think the emotional tie to Alonso might just push Steve Cohen to get the deal done somewhere around $130 million for five years. 

As for Bregman, the Red Sox seem like the ideal landing spot for the two-time World Series champion. He would likely have to switch positions and play second base in Boston, but a potential Bregman signing would make the Red Sox contenders in the AL East. I would hesitate to give Bregman more than five years since he’s entering his age-31 season, but I think if the Sox are desperate enough, going to six years for around $165 million could make sense for both sides, which would include a reunion with his former Houston manager, Alex Cora.

5. Would signing Rōki Sasaki cap off an ideal offseason for the Dodgers? Do you have any real concerns with their roster?

Thosar: The Dodgers signing Sasaki would make for a fantastic offseason for the club. They have already addressed several roster concerns by paying up for typical top free agents (Blake Snell and Teoscar Hernandez), further signaling to the industry that they have every intention to defend their title. And landing Sasaki through an unusual free agency, plus adding yet another Japanese pitcher, would send the message that they have cemented themselves as the premiere landing spot for overseas talent. 

The roster — mainly the outfield — would be more concerning if the Dodgers hadn’t reached a deal with Hernandez. But now, with Mookie Betts set for another move to the infield, the outfield looks like it will be Michael Conforto in right, Tommy Edman in center, and Hernandez in left, which makes for a solid roster construction that will in no way limit their offensive strength. The only concern they have left is making sure their arms stay healthy — and that can be safeguarded by adding more depth.

Kavner: It would make for an unbelievable offseason. There’s an argument to be made that even without Sasaki, a rotation featuring Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani might already be the best in baseball. Add Sasaki (and eventually free agent Clayton Kershaw) to that list, and it’s easily the most talented group in the game.

Now, talent and availability are two different things. Glasnow missed the end of the season with an elbow issue, Yamamoto missed nearly three months with a rotator cuff strain, and Ohtani, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin all didn’t pitch in 2024, so it’s hard to know exactly what to expect from the group. But if health is more on their side this year, the ceiling is massive for that unit, even after losing Walker Buehler and Jack Flaherty.

The Dodgers already answered the two biggest concerns on their roster — starting pitching and outfield — by signing Snell, retaining Teoscar Hernández and adding Michael Conforto. You could quibble about their apparent decision to go with Mookie Betts at shortstop rather than second base or right field, but Tommy Edman and Miguel Rojas provide some insurance at the spot, and they already demonstrated they can win a World Series with those pieces as the options at the position. I’d expect them to try to further bolster the back end of their bullpen before offseason’s end, but even if they do nothing else from here, the moves they’ve made have positioned them to be an even more formidable group in 2025.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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DALLAS — The Yankees didn’t get what they ultimately wanted. But there’s still time for them to get what they need. 

Despite October’s World Series run, New York entered the offseason with more than a few holes on its roster. The starting rotation might not have appeared to be one of them, but the addition of Max Fried gives the Yankees arguably the best staff in the American League. While it was a surprise that they guaranteed the 31-year-old Fried the most money for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history ($218 million over eight years), their quick pivot to a second ace could provide flexibility in how they address the offensive void created by losing the Juan Soto sweepstakes. 

That prompted the following debate between our MLB writers: 

Given what it would have cost to sign Juan Soto, how do you feel about the Max Fried contract? Could you see the Yankees being better off in the aggregate without Soto?

Deesha Thosar: Finally, Yankees fans can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the team has shrugged off the loss of Soto and moved on in a significant way. Brian Cashman revealed the Yankees weren’t able to go all-in on a competitive offer for Blake Snell because they were waiting to see how their payroll would be impacted by Soto’s decision. That ultimately cost them when Snell quickly signed with the Dodgers. So, it was smart of the Yankees front office to go right after Fried, the other top left-handed pitcher on the market, less than 48 hours after they lost Soto to the Mets.

I’m more surprised at the length of the Fried contract than I am with the expenditure. Giving an eight-year deal to a 31-year-old with a history of recent forearm injuries is certainly a risk. Fried has the third-best ERA (2.81) among all major-league starting pitchers since 2020, but the Yankees betting on him to be anywhere near that productive into his age-39 season is bold. 

Those extra years the Yankees tacked on to the deal, however, allowed them to lower his annual average value to $27.25 million, which means they can keep spending this winter.

Reading Cashman’s tea leaves, it sounds like the Yankees would not have been in the mix for Fried if they had acquired Soto. So, in that vein, the Yankees are beginning to improve their roster — in potentially multiple ways — without Soto. 

The rotation now consists of seven starters. In addition to Fried, Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón figure to be the only mainstays, with at least one of Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman likely to be traded. There is no denying that the Yankees offense is worse without Soto, but they can bolster it by swapping an arm or two for an impact bat.

That’s where a trade for Cody Bellinger is beginning to make too much sense for the Yankees. Bellinger’s versatility allows the Yankees to plug him in at first base, center field or right field, and even though he’s no Soto (no one is), his left-handed bat figures to play well in Yankee Stadium. Bellinger is set to make $27.5 million this season and has a player option for $25 million in 2026, and the Yankees still have payroll flexibility for him even after signing Fried. 

Signing Fried alone doesn’t make the Yankees better off without Soto, but they’re positioned well to make a couple more splashy moves to try and get there.

Rowan Kavner: This is more than I expected for Fried, but in this post-Soto world, my brain might not work anymore. The average annual value is completely reasonable — his $27.25 million per year is just a tick ahead of what his rotation mate Carlos Rodón will be making — but the length of the contract came as a surprise as Fried enters his age-31 season coming off back-to-back years of forearm issues. 

That’s a long time for a starting pitcher in his 30s, particularly one with an injury history. Then again, the Yankees clearly felt like they had to do something quickly to save face in the aftermath of Soto’s departure, and they aren’t wrong. I would’ve liked Snell more for them, but after missing out on him during their pursuit of Soto, it certainly doesn’t hurt their cause to grab one of the top pitchers on the market, even if eight years is one or two more than I would’ve felt comfortable with.

Fried’s consistency is exemplary. His ability to keep the ball on the ground and induce soft contact has led to a 2.81 ERA over the past five years — the best mark among pitchers who have logged at least 500 innings in that time — and he has posted a 3.25 ERA or lower every year in that stretch. 

He was clearly in the upper tier of free-agent pitchers this winter, but for a contending team looking for a difference-maker in October, I would have slotted him just behind Corbin Burnes and Snell, given Fried’s inability to consistently miss bats. That has gotten him into trouble in recent postseasons — he has allowed 14 runs (12 earned) in his past three playoff appearances dating back to 2022 — but he did throw six shutout innings in Game 6 of the 2021 World Series while helping the Braves to a championship.

It’s still hard to imagine any non-Shohei Ohtani player being worth more than $700 million, but to be better in the aggregate without Soto, it will take a LOT more work from the Yankees this winter. I don’t see that happening without multiple impact bats, at minimum. 

They’d probably have to get two of Alex Bregman, Christian Walker or Teoscar Hernández to start building an argument. On the trade market, it also wouldn’t be a surprise at all to see them go after Cody Bellinger, given his ability to help in center and at first.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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We’re in Week 5 of the Juan Soto sweepstakes, and with every report, the Yankees appear more vulnerable to losing him. The Dodgers, meanwhile, are rumored to be weighing potential trades for at least three stars.

Speaking of stars, Willy Adames isn’t a household name but is by far the best free agent among shortstops. Where would he make the most impact? Pete Alonso is the top first baseman on the market, but would he be a better buy than Christian Walker? What position players and pitchers will be the steals of free agency? 

FOX Sports MLB experts Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner weigh in on those topics and more in our latest roundtable.

1. What potential trade target do you like best for the Dodgers: Cody Bellinger, Carlos Correa or Nolan Arenado?

Kavner: I’d rank them Correa, Arenado and then Bellinger. Correa — if the Dodgers and their fans can look past any lingering disdain from what transpired in 2017 — makes the most sense, even if outfield is the more pressing need with Teoscar Hernández hitting free agency and Mookie Betts supposedly moving back to the infield. The Dodgers moved on from Bellinger once when they thought his salary would no longer be commensurate with his value two years ago. I highly doubt their opinion changes now, with Bellinger set to earn $27.5 million in 2025 with a player option for 2026 after his power dipped and he hit just 11% better than league average in a more pedestrian 2024 season. There are more obvious fits for him elsewhere, where he can utilize his versatility and move between the outfield and first base. Plus, it’s easier for a team to patch together an outfield than it is to find an All-Star caliber everyday shortstop, which is something the Dodgers have lacked since letting Corey Seager and Trea Turner go and is now a bigger need than third base.

Arenado could get moved, and the Dodgers have long held interest in the eight-time All-Star, but they’d have nowhere to put Max Muncy after his strong 2024 season if they trade for Arenado and Betts is occupying second base. Plus, Correa was a more valuable player in 86 games last year (3.7 bWAR) than Arenado was in 152 (2.5) and Bellinger was in 130 (2.2). He has the most upside of this trio and would provide the Dodgers a lot more certainty in their infield. Miguel Rojas, Tommy Edman and Betts are capable of taking down innings at shortstop, but Betts is better suited at second, Edman graded out better in center than at shortstop last year, and the Dodgers have preferred to keep Rojas in a part-time utility role. They demonstrated last year they don’t need a prototypical everyday shortstop to win a World Series, but having one the caliber of Correa would certainly be a nice luxury.

Thosar: I’m going with Bellinger. Even beyond the sentimentality, the Dodgers will need Bellinger’s expertise in the outfield if they don’t bring Teoscar Hernandez back in free agency. The Cubs are reportedly looking to trade Bellinger after he exercised his $27.5 million player option for 2025, and that kind of financial cost is a big risk for a player who was beset by injuries in 2024 after a promising season in 2023. But the Dodgers know Belli best, and the former MVP is a better option than Correa (who is still hated in Los Angeles after his bad blood with the 2017 championship Astros) and Arenado (who’s coming off his worst career season). 

Arenado might want to be traded to the Dodgers, but do they want him? Max Muncy is signed through 2025, so they would have to shift him to second to accommodate the 10-time Gold Glove winner … but they also declared that Mookie Betts was returning to the infield next season. A reunion with Bellinger isn’t as risky or complicated as acquiring the other two trade targets.

2. Would you bet on the Yankees or The Field to sign Juan Soto? If the Yankees miss, what must they do to make this a successful offseason?

Thosar: The Yankees have to finish what they started and sign Juan Soto. They just have to, and the sky is falling if they don’t. Giving Soto a blank check in free agency was always a possibility when they traded for him in the first place, and after he enjoyed his best career season in the Bronx and took the Yankees to the World Series, presenting Soto with an offer he can’t refuse has become their only option to survive the offseason without angering the fan base. Soto was so clearly the missing piece for Aaron Judge’s Yankees, and the hope would be that if he sticks around, they might close the gap against the almighty Dodgers. 

It’s hard to imagine a Soto-less Yankees team having anywhere close to the talent needed to win the American League pennant, let alone win it all, what with ace Gerrit Cole being a year older and Giancarlo Stanton on the verge of playing in his age-35 season. But landing Corbin Burnes, Teoscar Hernandez, and one of Pete Alonso/Christian Walker would qualify for a productive offseason … but the Yankees run the risk of seeing those impact players drop off the board while they wait it out for Soto.

Kavner: While Soto has to be the top priority for the Yankees (who remain among the few favorites to sign the unquestioned top player on the market), I’m going with the field, especially after hearing Hal Steinbrenner’s uncertainty following his meeting with Soto. If they don’t land him, they better get to work quickly trying to save the offense. A successful offseason would require at least two impact bats, one of which has to be a corner infielder. And even then, it might also take a difference-making starter to prevent bedlam in the Bronx. 

One of Christian Walker or Alex Bregman would make a lot of sense, but Soto’s absence would also open a door in the outfield, where Teoscar Hernández or Anthony Santander linger as the top options behind Soto. A trade for someone such as Cody Bellinger, who can play both center and first, would also be in play. I want to make clear: keeping Soto is and should be the top priority. But if they could land two of those players and get Corbin Burnes or Max Fried, it might not fully make up for losing Soto, but it would provide plenty more optimism, help them save face and still cost less than what Soto will make.

3. Which team would Willy Adames make the biggest difference for? What would be your max offer for him?

Kavner: The San Francisco Giants.  I have a hard time believing they won’t try to do something substantial to start the Buster Posey era, especially after their whiffs for big-ticket players in recent offseasons. Even if they do reduce payroll in 2025, as it sounds like they might, they have $30 million that they now won’t be paying Blake Snell next year. This is an offense that desperately needs a difference-making piece in the middle of the order to contend again, and the Giants could also use the help up the middle defensively. 

Posey already made it clear at the GM meetings that finding a shortstop is a priority this winter, and Adames checks every box. He knocked in more runs than any shortstop in the majors this year, ranks third among all shortstops in homers over the past three seasons and plays plus defense. His presence would allow Tyler Fitzgerald to bump over to second base after his breakout rookie season. I’d expect Adames’ deal to look closer to Dansby Swanson’s than Trea Turner’s or Xander Bogaerts’. So, let’s say seven years, $182 million for my max offer.

Thosar: The Mets. Hear me out … Adames is reportedly willing to change positions if the team is a good fit for him. Since Francisco Lindor will be holding it down at short for the Mets for the next seven years, Adames would make sense in New York at either third or second base — regardless of whether they sign Juan Soto and/or keep Pete Alonso in Queens. Without the Polar Bear, Mark Vientos will likely shift to first, and the Mets could use Adames at third. Even if Alonso is re-signed, then Vientos will presumably stay at third, and Adames can take over at second base while Jeff McNeil shifts to the outfield. If Soto becomes a Met, that could limit how much the front office is willing to spend on Adames. But since finances are abundant in Steve Cohen’s neighborhood, signing Soto shouldn’t entirely stop David Stearns and company from going for it. 

Adames and Lindor could team up to create the top middle infield in the National League, rivaled only by the Rangers pairing of Corey Seager and Marcus Semien across MLB. Depending on how desperate teams are, I wouldn’t go higher than $180 million, seven years for Adames, who set career highs in home runs (32), RBIs (112), and doubles (33) in his best major-league season in 2024. Realistically, I think he ends up signing in the $150-160 million range.

4. What’s the better buy: Pete Alonso for $160 million over six years or Christian Walker for $70 million over three years? Where’s the ideal landing spot for each player?

Thosar: Alonso. Even though that’s probably one year too many for a potential Polar Bear deal, the fact that his future home is likely at designated hitter shouldn’t entirely scare executives from agreeing to that deal. Alonso has power that few hitters possess in the major leagues, and he’s been able to do it at a mostly consistent clip since his 2019 rookie season. Removing the shortened 2020 pandemic season, Alonso has hit at least 34 home runs every year, and Walker has crossed that threshold just once (36 home runs in 2022) since his first full season in 2019. Alonso is also four years younger than Walker, and has shown he can dominate in the toughest media market, too. 

While Walker has been consistent in Arizona, it’s entirely unknown if he can reproduce that production on a new team in a new city while entering his age-34 season. I still think Alonso makes the most sense on the Mets, with the Yankees being an ideal landing spot for Walker, who would be a solid replacement and upgrade over Anthony Rizzo.

Kavner: Walker. I think he’s one of the most underrated players in the game, and at 33, he’s demonstrating no signs of slowing down. In fact, his quality of contact numbers were considerably better in 2024 than they were in 2023. He was arguably MLB’s biggest All-Star snub this year after launching 22 homers in the first half, and even after his production dipped in the second half following an oblique issue, he still posted an OPS over .800 for the third straight year in his third straight Gold Glove season. Over those three years, he has been a more valuable player (10.8 fWAR) than Alonso (8.7), whose overall production has started to trend the wrong way.

Alonso can certainly still help a team that needs the pop, but a six-year, nine-figure deal for an inferior defender who has seen his batting average and on-base percentage decline the past two years would scare me. He’s a better bet to launch more homers than Walker over the next few years, as he has throughout his career, but I’m not sure what else he will reliably do better. Give me Walker for half the cost and time. Alonso in Houston and Walker in Seattle would make for great fits, though I’m not sure either will fork over the cash required to get them. Walker would be a great fit for the Yankees, too, so (going back to question No. 2) that’s a player they would probably need to be in on if they don’t get Soto.

5. Who is one position player and pitcher you predict will be a steal for the teams that sign them?

Kavner: Speaking of Walker, I’d expect him at his age to probably get a 2-3 year deal. For all the aforementioned reasons, I think he will be a steal in that shorter timeframe. There’s still a lot of juice in that bat — he has had an OPS+ over 120 in each of the past three seasons — and the elite defense provides a high floor. 

For the pitcher, I assume it’s unfair to pick Roki Sasaki here (as long as he stays healthy, he should far outpace the capped salary he’s set to get as an international amateur). So, let’s go with Shane Bieber. It was an unfortunate situation for him injuring his elbow and undergoing Tommy John surgery right before free agency. That will surely depress the earnings on his next contract and add risk for any team signing him, but it also creates a fascinating buy-low opportunity on a former Cy Young Award winner who saw his strikeout rate skyrocket in two dazzling starts before being sidelined. It will require patience for any interested buyer, but the reward could be significant.

Thosar: Gleyber Torres and Walker Buehler. Torres was shrouded by superstars and the bright lights in the Bronx, getting heavily criticized (often, rightfully so) for misplays and sluggish decision-making in some of the Yankees’ biggest moments. Though he had a down year in 2024, he’s a two-time All Star, is only 27 years old, and has a career OPS+ of 112. It has always seemed like he would thrive in the right city, and I think he’ll end up being an under-the-radar difference-maker for whatever club signs him. 

As for Buehler, it looks like his revenge era is just getting started after the dominance he showed in big-time October and World Series moments for the Dodgers. He seems to operate with a chip on his shoulder after the injuries that sidelined him, and he found new ways to be effective with a nasty knuckle curveball even after his second Tommy John surgery took away some of his elite fastball prowess. Buehler seems like the perfect candidate to be a hidden gem.

Bonus: What do you make of Rob Manfred saying there is “buzz” around adding a “Golden At-Bat” rule that would allow teams to use anyone in their lineup for one at-bat per game, regardless of where they’re at in the order?

Thosar: I had two words when I learned about the possibility of the golden at-bat: no thanks. This rule change would, in my opinion, mess with the integrity of baseball because it would minimize the importance of it being a team sport. Sending the best hitter to the plate in the game’s biggest moment takes away the opportunity for the supporting cast members to try and do something special and get their flowers. The unsung hero coming through is one of any sport’s most joyful moments. The idea that every hitter could be as critical to a team win would be negated. And then the possibility of intentionally walking Aaron Judge only for him to remain at the plate for a second straight at-bat because the Yankees would enact the golden rule is not only bizarre, it’s just plain weird. The golden at-bat rule just isn’t baseball. Hard pass.

Kavner: No thanks! For some background, this rule would allow a team to choose one at-bat in every game to send its best hitter to the plate, even if it wasn’t that player’s turn to hit. Fun idea, right? Sounds like something you and your buddies might throw around at the bar. If MLB wanted to do this in an All-Star Game setting, sure. I’m all for finding a way to spice that up in an otherwise inconsequential contest. But while I understand the effort to try to appeal to a bigger audience by finding ways to create more tension and make the game more compelling and exciting, this feels like a step too far. It’s a quick way to undo the progress made by some really great and beneficial rule changes in recent years and would fundamentally alter the game in a way that I think is too drastic.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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NEW YORK — The roller-coaster ride that was Game 5 was the only way this iconic World Series between two baseball titans should end. After the Yankees took the lead early on an Aaron Judge home run and kept piling on for a five-run advantage, New York got in its own way with too many defensive mistakes and allowed the Dodgers to scratch and claw their way back into the game. 

After the Yankees retook the lead late, the Dodgers rallied again and claimed their eighth World Series title in franchise history with a wild 7-6 win Wednesday night in the Bronx. 

Here are our top takeaways from MLB’s 2024 finale.

[RELATED: Full coverage of the World Series] 

1. After Flaherty falters early, even a well-rested Dodgers bullpen had to get creative late

The Dodgers essentially punted the end of Game 4, a matchup that was within a run after five innings, choosing to save the bullpen pieces they trust the most to be ready behind Jack Flaherty in Game 5.

One night later, in a matchup that was within a run after six innings, they had used all of those fresh high-leverage arms.

The plan went awry when they had to start deploying them in the second inning. What unfolded was far from the blueprint, as Flaherty recorded just four outs while allowing four hits, four runs and a walk. He made it just one time through the order before being pulled. It was basically a replica of the previous series for Flaherty, who looked like a completely different guy on extra rest in the opening game of the NLCS and World Series (1.46 ERA, 12 K, 3 BB between the two starts) than on regular rest the second time against NLCS and World Series opponents in Game 5s (24.92 ERA, 5 BB, 1 K).

In this one, with the World Series up for grabs, the Dodgers couldn’t afford to let him wear it the way they did last series, so Anthony Banda entered in the second. The parade of arms kept the Dodgers within striking distance, buying enough time for the game-tying five-run explosion that arrived behind a calamitous medley of Yankees miscues in the fifth.

But a predicament would unfold, with the Dodgers having deployed all their top relievers. After Blake Treinen threw a clean seventh, they had no fresh arms left. Walker Buehler, who had already trotted out to the bullpen, began warming. Then it was Daniel Hudson, who threw 20 pitches in Game 4, one of which had left the yard. Every other available option for the Dodgers had thrown more than 40 pitches the night before. 

Roberts decided to keep Treinen in for the eighth. Disaster appeared close when Aaron Judge delivered a one-out double. Exhaustion seemed to be setting in when Jazz Chisholm Jr. drew a walk. But Treinen buckled down, retiring the next two hitters. He recorded seven outs in the performance, marking the first time in more than six years that he had gone more than two innings. With the bullpen mostly emptied, Dave Roberts turned to Buehler in the ninth. And the October star delivered the team a championship. — Rowan Kavner

2. Cole’s dominance turned into disaster

Gerrit Cole was untouchable the first four innings against L.A., boasting a sharper fastball and better command of his secondary pitches than he did in Game 1. At the same time, the Yankees offense gave him five runs of support, and he was pitching efficiently, too. The veteran right-hander hadn’t allowed a hit through the first 14 batters he faced. Things were going better than the Yankees could have hoped … until the nightmare that was the fifth inning. 

The Yankees committed three game-altering mistakes on defense in the fifth, but after Judge dropped a routine fly ball and Anthony Volpe made a fielding error at short, no mental gaffe was worse than Cole’s failure to cover first base on a Mookie Betts ground ball. All Cole had to do was sprint to first base so that Anthony Rizzo could toss him the ball, and the Yankees would’ve escaped a no-out, bases-loaded jam. But Cole just pointed to Rizzo, expecting the first baseman to make the unassisted out. The Dodgers came all the way back from their 5-0 deficit to tie the game in the fifth following Cole’s inning of horrors. All five runs were unearned. 

So it took a lot of guts and grit for Cole to come back out for the sixth and the seventh to completely empty the tank against the Dodgers. He pitched a clean sixth inning, and then retired Shohei Ohtani and Betts in the seventh before walking Freddie Freeman for his final batter. Cole’s season-high 108-pitch outing would’ve been so much sweeter without his one mistake of failing to cover first. The crowd still gave him a standing ovation as he walked off the mound in the seventh. He responded with a small salute. — Deesha Thosar

3. Superteam Dodgers can also win small

A catastrophic inning gave the Dodgers’ offense a chance. The Yankees had struggled with the little things all series. The Dodgers, as their go-ahead inning demonstrated late, had not.

Yankees relievers had gotten the better of the Dodger offense all series, forcing them to chase more than usual and into uncharacteristic at-bats. That changed in the eighth inning of Game 5, when the Dodgers put the first three runners on against Tommy Kahnle with two walks and a single. More productive at-bats put them ahead when the Yankees turned to Luke Weaver. Gavin Lux hit a sac fly. Shohei Ohtani reached on a catcher’s interference. Mookie Betts delivered another sac fly, and the Dodgers had their first lead of the night, moving them six outs away. — Kavner

4. Judge’s breakout too little, too late

Facing the same pressure as Game 4 to get out to an early lead, Judge finally provided the big swing the Yankees were waiting for from their captain with a huge two-run home run in the first inning — on the first pitch — against Jack Flaherty. It was Judge’s third home run of this postseason, and his first since Game 3 of the ALCS in Cleveland. The entire Yankees dugout seemed to relax after Judge’s first World Series home run, because that’s who this team is at its heart. When Judge is cashing in, the rest of the supporting cast typically follows his lead. 

While Judge bolstered his postseason numbers in Games 4 and 5 of the World Series, his help arrived too late to save the Yankees’ season. The way that this year’s team was built, the Yankees needed Judge to produce throughout the Series if they’re going to win the franchise’s first title since 2009. Instead, his 1-for-12, seven-strikeout output through the first three games of the Fall Classic put the Yankees in a hole they couldn’t climb out of. The narrative of his postseason struggles, and how it seems to take Judge at least a dozen at-bats to warm up, will follow him into his next October. — Thosar

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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NEW YORK — The Yankees finally broke through for their first win of the World Series in front of a rocking Bronx crowd and, in doing so, reminded everyone that they’re not going down without a fight. Whether it was the pressure of competing in an elimination game and playing with urgency, or seeing multiple relief arms and capitalizing on the Dodgers‘ bullpen game, the Yankees’ 11-4 win on Tuesday night was just what they needed to get their confidence back in the Fall Classic. 

They are, after all, the best team in the American League for a reason.

Here are our four biggest takeaways from Game 4 in the Bronx. 

[RELATED: Full coverage of the World Series] 

1. Volpe’s signature Yankees moment

It was sweet, sweet redemption for Anthony Volpe. One inning after he didn’t score from second base on an Austin Wells double, the opportunity to atone for his mistake was his to take when the Yankees, trailing 2-1, loaded the bases for him in the third. The Yankees were finding ways to get on base, but they still needed that big hit, and it appeared unlikely that they would actually capitalize after Anthony Rizzo popped out with the bases juiced for the second out. But it was also pretty clear that Daniel Hudson, who was the second man out of the bullpen in the Dodgers’ bullpen game, didn’t have it.

Volpe pounced on the first pitch Hudson offered him, an 89 mph slider that nicked the bottom of the zone before the Yankees shortstop barreled it to left field. Fans couldn’t believe it as the ball kept sailing over left fielder Teoscar Hernández’s head and into the seats. Only when it safely landed beyond the left-field wall did an anxious and restless home crowd of 49,354 finally erupt for the first time in this World Series. 

Volpe’s grand slam gave the Yankees a lead it wouldn’t relinquish. The first home run of his postseason career was just his second overall since Aug. 4. — Deesha Thosar

2. Freeman does it again

No, that wasn’t a replay. Freddie Freeman had no extra-base hits, just one run scored and one RBI in the first two rounds of the postseason. He was too hobbled from his ankle sprain to play in the Dodgers’ deciding Game 6 of the NLCS, and there were questions whether his valiant effort to be in the lineup — despite his obvious pain, and despite how much it seemed to be a galvanizing force for his teammates, who admired the daily efforts it took for him to get on the field — was doing more harm than good.

The Yankees haven’t seen that version of the All-Star first baseman. A week off transformed Freeman from a singles hitter into a slugging juggernaut. His teammates thought he had started to find his stroke again watching him take batting practice a couple of days before the start of the World Series, watching him line baseballs over shortstop the way he typically does when he’s swinging right.

The Yankees didn’t get that version of Freeman, either. Instead, they’ve seen the one who’s on a historic postseason home run pace. Freeman hit the first walk-off grand slam in World Series history in Game 1, added a solo shot in Game 2, quieted the opposing crowd at Yankee Stadium in the first inning of Game 3 with a two-run shot, then did so again in Game 4. In the process, Freeman — who also homered in the final two games of the Braves‘ 2021 title run — has set a major-league record by hitting a home run in six straight World Series games.

He has now homered in four straight games to start this World Series. At the time of his Game 4 blast, Freeman had knocked in more runs this series than the entire Yankees team. His 10 RBIs are the most by a Dodgers player in a World Series. This time, though, it wasn’t the dagger that it was in Game 3, as the Yankees’ lineup battled back. — Rowan Kavner

3. With a little help from Judge’s friends

It was hard to imagine the Yankees getting a single win in this World Series without one of two things happening: Either Aaron Judge wakes up, or the guys that he’s carried all year finally give him some of that support back. It was mostly the latter Tuesday, as the bottom of the Yankees order finally put together quality at-bats for the first time in this Series. Austin Wells, one of the Yankees’ best hitters in July and August and who played his way into the American League Rookie of the Year conversation, cranked a solo shot to right field in the sixth inning for a much-needed insurance run. That homer came after an excellent at-bat in the second inning, when he skied a double off the padding in center field. 

No lead is safe with the Dodgers in the other dugout, as the Yankees learned the hard way in Game 1. That might explain New York’s five-run outburst in the eighth inning, with Volpe and Wells reaching safely again to set the table for a Gleyber Torres three-run home run. Amazingly, the Yankees scored their first 10 runs of this game without Juan Soto or Judge being prominently involved. — Thosar

4. Dodgers’ bullpen game goes south quickly

Tuesday was the fourth bullpen game of the postseason for the Dodgers. The first, in an elimination Game 4 in the NLDS, was a clinic, with eight different pitchers combining to hold the Padres scoreless in an 8-0 shutout that came in the midst of a record-tying 33 consecutive scoreless innings for the Dodgers’ pitching staff.

The last three haven’t gone so smoothly, including the first of the World Series on Tuesday in the Bronx. With four chances to win one game, manager Dave Roberts decided against deploying all of his best high-leverage pieces the way he needed to in that first do-or-die matchup in San Diego. It looked a little more like Game 2 of the NLCS, when, after the Mets tagged Landon Knack for five runs, the Dodgers essentially punted. Roberts didn’t want to tire his best arms out in a long series, and he didn’t want the Mets to get another look at those arms in a minus situation. The move ultimately paid off.

It was a similar situation Tuesday against the Yankees. While Roberts said everyone was available, it was clear he would need some length from rookies Ben Casparius and Knack and would decide who to use based on the game situation from there. “Every guy will be with a cost going forward,” Roberts said. Michael Kopech had pitched in each of the first three games. Blake Treinen, Anthony Banda, Alex Vesia and Brusdar Graterol had pitched in two apiece. None of them saw the field after Volpe’s grand slam off Daniel Hudson put the Yankees in the driver’s seat. 

Roberts has pushed a lot of the right buttons so far this October, so we’ll see if saving his best guys for Game 5 and beyond was the right call again. — Rowan Kavner

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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NEW YORK — From lifeless Yankees at-bats to more suffocating dominance from the Dodgers rotation and Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles has cruised to a 3-0 World Series lead. 

The Dodgers have backed the Yankees into the tightest and narrowest of uncomfortable corners, and are only 27 outs away from sweeping the American League’s top team to win a championship. 

Here are our top four takeaways from the Dodgers’ 4-2 win over the Yankees in Game 3 on Monday night in the Bronx. 

[RELATED: Full coverage of the World Series] 

1. Is it too early to name the MVP?

He’s at it again.

Freddie Freeman, the hobbled first baseman who conjured memories of Kirk Gibson when he ended Game 1 in heroic fashion with a walk-off grand slam, then helped ensure the Dodgers took Game 2 with a solo shot, immediately took the life out of a crowd of 49,368 fans who were buzzing before the Yankees’ first home game in nearly two weeks by going deep again.

It was not only Freeman’s third straight game with a homer to begin the 2024 World Series, it was also his fifth straight World Series game with a home run dating back to the Braves’ championship run in 2021. He joined George Springer as the only players in MLB history to accomplish the latter feat. 

The early blast, three batters into the night, not only stunned a stadium full of midnight navy blue and white but also allowed another Dodger dealing with physical limitations the chance to leisurely jog around the bases.

Shohei Ohtani, in his first game since suffering a subluxation of his left shoulder, did not look particularly comfortable. He wore a black harness on his left shoulder when he made the jog onto the field during player introductions, keeping his arm against his chest the whole time so as not to extend it. But in his first plate appearance of the night, the Yankees didn’t make him swing. A four-pitch walk gave him first base, where he continued to hold his left arm against his chest, making sure not to extend it. Freeman’s two-run blast ensured he would not need to sprint around the bases.

Through three games, Freeman has knocked in as many runs as the Yankees’ entire lineup. If you can name an MVP this early, there’s no doubt who would take home the honor. — Rowan Kavner

2. Giancarlo Stanton is still hitting but still not running

The buzz was back in the air after Nestor Cortes, making an appearance from the bullpen to face Ohtani, escaped a bases-loaded jam to end the third inning. After all, the Yankees were only trailing the Dodgers by three runs with a lot of game still left to play, and Aaron Judge was due up (and due) to atone for his disappointing World Series performance. After Judge wasted yet another opportunity by flying out to left, Stanton got the Yankees their first hit of the night with a double. Finally, things were cooking. 

Anthony Volpe followed with what’s become a rare, clutch single to left that should have scored a run. The only problem was, one of the slowest players in the major leagues was the guy sauntering from second to home. As Teoscar Hernandez picked up the ball in left field, Stanton rounded third base in slow motion — like he was running underwater — and was thrown out by a perfect throw. The Yankees didn’t have a single at-bat with a runner on third the entire game. 

Stanton’s complete absence of anything resembling speed after multiple lower-half injuries hurt the Yankees in the regular season. But it was a little surprising to learn that Stanton doesn’t even have another gear of speed for the World Series, especially given how he’s been able to lock in at the plate this postseason. The difference in athleticism between the Dodgers and Yankees is one reason among many that New York has found itself trying and failing to catch up with Los Angeles. — Deesha Thosar

3. Walker Buehler further cements his big-game rep

The second inning of Game 3 of the NLDS looked rough in the box score for Buehler, who was charged with six runs while being let down by his defense. Since then, he’s been flawless.

Buehler finished that game with three scoreless innings — vital work, considering the Dodgers would be utilizing a bullpen game the following day — then tossed four scoreless innings in Game 3 of the NLCS, getting more swings and misses than he had in any game since the 2021 season. On Monday, he added five more spotless frames to his ledger. The Yankees didn’t have a hit off him until a Stanton double in the fourth inning. Stanton was then thrown out by Hernández while trying to score from second on a single to left field. That extinguished the Yankees’ biggest threat against Buehler, who has now fired 12 straight scoreless innings.

In his three career World Series starts, Buehler has allowed just one run and struck out 22 in 18 innings.

After a rocky regular season in which he struggled to miss bats and exhibited shaky command coming off a second Tommy John surgery, he has again found another level in October and earned his reputation as a big-game pitcher. — Kavner

4. Clarke Schmidt picked a bad day to have a bad day

Schmidt only being able to last 2.2 innings isn’t what sunk the Yankees in Game 3 (we can credit their lack of offense for that), but it certainly didn’t help. When the 1996 Yankees fell behind 0-2 to the Atlanta Braves in the World Series, David Cone’s incredible Game 3 start (six innings of one-run ball) is what galvanized the club to its championship comeback. The tone is always set by dominant pitching, and in that department, Schmidt picked a bad day to lose his command.

The relentless Dodgers lineup that doesn’t expand the zone forced Schmidt to work up his pitch count, resulting in his shortest start since August … of 2023. Los Angeles never allowed Schmidt to settle in, because its third batter of the night parked a two-run shot off of him. Schmidt’s early exit forced Yankees manager Aaron Boone to go to his bullpen, and to its credit, New York’s relievers wiggled out of catastrophic damage multiple times. It was the Yankees lineup that, once again, fell flat. — Thosar

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers stormed ahead to a 2-0 World Series lead after winning the first two games at home. The Yankees‘ offense was all but shut down by Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Game 2, which also featured an injury scare for Shohei Ohtani after he was caught stealing second base in the seventh inning. 

Here are our top four takeaways from the Dodgers’ 4-2 win Saturday.

1. Aaron Judge’s disappearing act

It’s extremely difficult to believe the Yankees will force this World Series to go the distance, much less win, without the MVP version of Judge. For the second straight day, the Dodgers’ starting pitcher completely neutralized Judge’s bat. Game 1 starter Jack Flaherty and Game 2 starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto combined to strike out Judge five times in six at-bats and didn’t allow him to reach base. Yamamoto especially looked confident facing the player who recorded the highest OPS (1.159) in baseball in the regular season.

Judge is now 1 for 9 with six strikeouts in the Fall Classic. He’s 6-for-40 in this postseason with 19 strikeouts to accompany just two home runs and six RBIs. Within a span of a few weeks, he’s gone from being the best hitter in the universe to waving at offspeed pitches like he’s an automatic out. 

The Yankees have had a hard time publicly admitting that Judge is missing pitches in the postseason that he would normally get to. Whether it’s the long layoff before the playoffs began or the break between the ALCS and the World Series, it seems entirely plausible that the lack of everyday at-bats and games have messed up Judge’s timing. That could be why he finally broke out in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Guardians with a game-tying two-run home run off top closer Emmanuel Clase. If he just needs time to warm up, then he could have a huge week ahead of him when the Series goes to the Bronx on Monday. With a championship on the line, the Yankees can only hope that’s the case. — Deesha Thosar

2. Time to give Tommy Edman his flowers

Turns out Edman’s MVP performance in the Dodgers’ NLCS against the Mets wasn’t a fluke. Los Angeles’ Swiss-army knife has picked up right where he left off, going 4-for-8 with two runs scored and an RBI in the World Series so far. His latest trick was a solo shot to left field off Carlos Rodón in the second inning to put the Dodgers on the board. 

Edman hadn’t even played this season when Andrew Friedman traded for him this summer. The Dodgers needed an infielder at the time, knowing that they didn’t want to play Mookie Betts at shortstop anymore, while factoring in that Gavin Lux and Kiké Hernandez are not everyday players. There was real risk in making him the lone position-player addition at the deadline. Nobody really knew how Edman would play after his offseason wrist surgery, which included a setback in spring training. While his performance in August and September was serviceable, Edman has been huge for the Dodgers in October. 

Not only is he showing up at the plate, but the former Gold Glover has seamlessly shifted between shortstop and center field from game to game. While his name won’t often come up on a team full of superstars, he’s been a huge coup for the Dodgers — and he could be an enormous factor in them winning the whole thing. — Thosar

3. The Carlos Rodón roller-coaster continues

Given the southpaw’s turbulence this postseason, the Yankees had to know there was a fat chance that Rodón would unravel the way he did on Saturday. Aaron Boone and the Yankees’ decision-makers are just as responsible for this poor outing as the left-hander himself is. Rodón took the mound for Game 2 having surrendered seven earned runs in his previous three playoff starts (14.1 innings) this October. He spiraled against the Royals in the ALDS, then course-corrected in his first outing of the ALCS, only to struggle again in the clincher versus Cleveland. 

On Saturday, he surrendered home runs to Edman, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández by the third inning and was pulled in the fourth.

[RELATED: Full coverage of the World Series] 

The up-and-down nature of Rodón’s postseason spelled trouble the moment New York lost Game 1 to Los Angeles. More than anything, the Yankees needed a reliable starter who would give them the best chance to return to the Bronx with a series split. That made right-hander Clarke Schmidt the superior option for Game 2, not only because he has been more consistent on the road than Rodón, who pitches better at home, but also because the Dodgers hit lefties so well. Why take that chance when the Yankees had to get even? 

Beyond the team’s culpability, Rodón being unable to deliver on the sport’s biggest stage is a huge blow to the Yankees. Nights like Saturday were precisely why they signed him to a six-year, $162 million deal before the 2023 season. That he stayed healthy all year, ate up innings and delivered quality starts in half of his 32 outings when ace Gerrit Cole missed the first two-plus months of the season with an elbow injury was invaluable. His instability since then made him a questionable choice to start Saturday in the first place, and it now has the Yankees in a potentially insurmountable 0-2 hole. — Thosar

4. A potentially costly loss in victory

A commanding 2-0 lead in the series did not come without a potentially significant cost, as an already injury-ravaged Dodgers roster might have taken its biggest hit.

Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani suffered a subluxation of his left shoulder when he was caught stealing in the seventh inning. Roberts was encouraged by the initial strength and range of motion tests and said he’s “expecting him to be in the lineup,” but he won’t know more until scans are completed.

“Obviously when you get any one of your players that goes down, it’s concerning,” Roberts said. “But after kind of the range of motion, the strength test, I feel much better about it.”

Dodgers players after the game did not seem to know the severity of the injury. Ohtani left the stadium immediately after the game and was not available to provide an update. Based on initial testing, though, Roberts believes Ohtani will be available to play as the series moves to New York.

“I’m expecting him to be there,” Roberts said.

Ohtani had been caught stealing just four times while recording 59 stolen bases during the regular season, but he has been caught stealing on both of his attempts this postseason. — Rowan Kavner

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto were the three best hitters in baseball this year. Mookie Betts, an MVP front-runner before being beset by injury, has found his superstar swing in the postseason. 

The Dodgers‘ pitching staff already posted a record-tying 33 innings without allowing a run this October. The Yankees have surrendered three runs or fewer in five of their past seven games.

These are the two best teams in baseball, and they represent a historical and heavyweight matchup in the Fall Classic. So, who’s going to win, and how?

For that, FOX Sports MLB experts Deesha Thosar and Rowan Kavner preview and predict the 2024 World Series in this week’s roundtable.

[RELATED: Full coverage of the World Series]

1. Who has the better offense?

Thosar: Any comparison between these two teams is splitting hairs, but I’ll give the edge to the Yankees because Giancarlo Stanton is back to turning into Babe Ruth in the postseason. Stanton’s clutch power combined with Juan Soto’s confidence at the plate in high-pressure situations and Aaron Judge’s threat to reach base in every plate appearance makes the Yankees a force that is difficult to overcome for any pitching staff, let alone Los Angeles’ questionable arms. 

The Yankees also have better depth in their lineup right now than they did for parts of the regular season, thanks to Gleyber Torres‘ excellent leadoff production (he and Judge both have seven walks this postseason) and Anthony Volpe taking better at-bats. On the flip side, the Dodgers overall have more depth in their lineup, with the bottom of the order being tough to navigate if guys like Max Muncy, Will Smith and Kiké Hernández are routinely coming through. But I still think the Yankees’ top hitters give them the ever-so-slight advantage here.

Kavner: The Dodgers. It doesn’t get better than the 1-2 punch of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton is blasting home runs seemingly every day this October, but the depth of the Dodgers’ lineup gives L.A. the edge as a whole. Kiké Hernández continues to find a new level this time of year, Tommy Edman just had more hits and RBIs than any player in the LCS, Max Muncy recently set a single-season postseason record by reaching base in 12 straight plate appearances, and the Dodgers scored an NLCS record 46 runs despite Teoscar Hernández going hitless in the first five games, Will Smith hitting .182 in the series and Freddie Freeman missing two of the last three games. 

I haven’t even mentioned Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, who combined for 17 hits — including eight extra-base hits — and 15 runs in the NLCS. The Dodgers had the highest OPS in MLB this season, and if there were any questions about which lineup was the scariest in the postseason field, they answered it this October. Most importantly, they’re batting .311 with runners in scoring position in the playoffs; the Yankees are hitting .181 in those situations.

2. Who has better pitching?

Kavner: The Yankees. Their starting pitching advantage mitigates any edge the Dodgers hold in the bullpen. One team will need to resort to at least one bullpen game. The other team’s fourth starter is an American League Rookie of the Year candidate. The Yankees will trot out last year’s Cy Young Award winner in Game 1. The Dodgers will turn to Jack Flaherty, who is coming off an outing in which he dealt with diminished velocity — which was a problem late in the year as well — and surrendered eight runs in three innings. Despite some encouraging signs from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who was at his best earlier this year in the Bronx, the Yankees will arguably hold the upper hand in every starting pitching matchup this series.

The Dodgers have managed to get by despite up-and-down performances from each of their three starting pitchers — the way Yamamoto and Walker Buehler missed bats their last time out was especially encouraging — mostly because of a medley of relievers who at one point helped the club tie a postseason record with 33 consecutive scoreless innings. But the Dodgers’ scarcity of arms have forced manager Dave Roberts to make tough decisions, including punting on games when they get behind so as not to burn the high-leverage relievers they know they’ll need over the course of a long series. That’s a tough tightrope to walk, even for a team that can put up runs the way the Dodgers can. At some point in this series, they will likely need a lengthy performance from one of their starters — like the one Flaherty was able to deliver in Game 1 of the NLCS — to be the last team standing.

Thosar: The Yankees. Gerrit Cole is the best pitcher in the World Series, and the rotation arms behind him have been more encouraging than I expected going into the postseason. Carlos Rodón showed enormous growth between playoff starts, being able to contain his emotions and focus on just dealing, which led to solid results. Now, with Nestor Cortes likely coming back from injury, that gives the Yankees another left-handed weapon, most likely from the bullpen. 

But out of all the factors here, I think what gives the Yankees the pitching advantage is simply that they do not have to rely on a bullpen game or two to get through a long series. There is something to be said about having big-name starters who can pitch deep into their outings, especially in the playoffs. And Yoshinobu Yamamoto is still working his way back up from injury, Jack Flaherty experienced a drop in velocity his last time out, and Walker Buehler can be turbulent depending on the day. The Dodgers’ bullpen was overused in the NLCS against the Mets. I think that might come back to haunt them.

3. Which manager is under more pressure to win this title?

Thosar: They’re both under pressure to win, but I think Aaron Boone is facing more of a burden since the Yankees haven’t won a World Series under his management, and not since 2009 overall. Consequently, this postseason has actually featured Boone’s best decision-making over his seven trips to the playoffs as Yankees skipper. 

Boone, too, seemed to understand how much pressure he was facing to win a title this year because he made sure to spend ample time in spring training with former Yankees manager Joe Torre, who won the World Series four times with the Bronx Bombers. Boone said this week that he leaned on Torre a lot this year, and he has tried to emulate some of Torre’s demeanor in the dugout, as well as better understand his managing tactics.

Kavner: I lean Aaron Boone here, although there are a lot of parallels between the two beyond the fact that Boone and Dave Roberts both grew up in Southern California, concurrently attended rival colleges in USC and UCLA, respectively, and had defining moments as players in the postseason. They both have also been criticized for their team’s shortcomings in postseasons past, and both have done a tremendous job to quiet those critics this October. 

In different circumstances, I might go with Roberts. A third straight NLDS knockout would have raised the alarms. But considering the job he did piecing together a beleaguered pitching staff to get to this point — seemingly pushing all the right buttons in the process — and how vital it is for the Yankees to strike now while they have Juan Soto, I think the answer is Boone.

4. Which team has a greater need for a big series from their 2024 MVP: the Dodgers with Shohei Ohtani or the Yankees with Aaron Judge?

Kavner: The Yankees. I mentioned that I don’t think their lineup is as deep, which puts more pressure on Judge to perform. He had some big moments in the ALCS, including homers in Games 2 and 3, but I don’t think the Yankees can survive without more production from the likely runaway AL MVP against a Dodgers team with far more offensive firepower than anything New York has seen thus far.

Thosar: It’s hard to imagine either of these teams winning the championship without big performances from their respective MVPs. But the way the Yankees have been winning this postseason, even when Judge wasn’t putting up the insane numbers we’ve been used to seeing from him, makes me think the Dodgers have a greater need for Ohtani to show up big in the World Series. The Japanese phenom ended the narrative that he could only hit with men on base when he launched a leadoff home run in Game 4 of the NLCS, and he’s even more dangerous with runners in scoring position. 

When Ohtani is at his best, the Dodgers are seemingly always going to be on base doing their silly arm-wave thing, and I think that’s their recipe for success against the Yankees. A drop-off in production from Ohtani will put Los Angeles in a much tighter spot to win.

5. Who’s going to win the World Series? Who’ll be MVP?

Thosar: The Yankees, and Juan Soto. It’s not hard to imagine the World Series ending with Soto carrying the Yankees to a title in his first, and potentially only, season in New York. Remember that dramatic, theatrical seven-pitch at-bat he had against the Guardians‘ Hunter Gaddis in Game 5 of the ALCS that sent the Yankees to the Fall Classic? I’m expecting Soto to replicate that confidence and plate approach every single time he’s batting in the World Series. When the stakes are highest, Soto’s determination only seems to go up, too.

Kavner: I’ll take the Dodgers. There’s always the potential their starting pitching dooms them, but it hasn’t happened yet. I think Roberts has done a terrific job deploying his relievers at the right time and keeping his most trusted leverage arms as rested as possible, given the unfavorable circumstances. If they can get at least one lengthy starting pitching performance, that might be enough considering the way their offense is overwhelming opponents right now. They’re hitting in the clutch in a way they hadn’t in recent Octobers, and there seems to be a belief with this group that differs from previous iterations.

Ohtani went to the Dodgers for this opportunity, and all year he has delivered memorable performances in the biggest moments. He hit a walk-off grand slam to get to 40/40, had arguably the greatest single-game performance ever to get to 50/50, and now has hits in 18 of his past 23 at-bats with runners in scoring position. I think he leaves us with something special as World Series MVP, conjuring memories of his WBC performance (even if it’s only with the bat this time).

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Bonus: Which stadium offers more of a home-field advantage?

Kavner: This one’s tough for me to answer, having not been to Yankee Stadium before, but it’s worth noting how many veteran Dodgers players have made it a point to reference the atmosphere of the stadium on this run in particular. Sure, there was an embarrassing night in the Padres series. But the players can feel the desire of the fans, who weren’t able to celebrate the 2020 championship with a parade. “If there’s something that this crowd is, it’s hungry,” Kiké Hernández said.

During the deciding Game 5 of the NLDS, Max Muncy said he thought the home crowd matched or exceeded the intensity at Petco Park, which is saying something. “We kept coming back into the dugout saying, ‘Hey, look at these guys out there,” Muncy said. “The fans were going nuts. The stadium was shaking.” The Dodgers routinely lead the majors in attendance, this year included. With a capacity to hold 56,000, multiple opposing players have noted how Dodger Stadium feels like the fans are on top of you. I do think it makes a difference that the Dodgers get an extra game at home, where they were 52-29 this year.

Thosar: Yankee Stadium. The Bronx crowd’s raucous energy will be unmatched and could be quite intimidating for some Dodgers pitchers. Funnily enough, Judge and Stanton are both from California and will have a ton of family at Chavez Ravine in the World Series, so I think they’ll feel extra comfortable there and primed to deliver in front of their loved ones.

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

Rowan Kavner is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. He previously covered the L.A. Dodgers, LA Clippers and Dallas Cowboys. An LSU grad, Rowan was born in California, grew up in Texas, then moved back to the West Coast in 2014. Follow him on Twitter at @RowanKavner.

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