Marlins hiring Dodgers 1B coach Clayton McCullough as manager (report)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Dodgers’ Jack Flaherty on World Series win, first Shohei Ohtani ‘wow’ moment

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Jack Flaherty came over from the Detroit Tigersat the MLBtrade deadline and helped the Los Angeles Dodgers win their second World Series in five years in a five-game series win over the New York Yankees.

Flaherty stopped by “The Herd” on Friday to discuss how he was embraced by the Dodgers this season.

“I felt like it wasn’t a bunch of, ‘Hey, nice to meet you,'” Flaherty told host Colin Cowherd. “It was a bunch of, ‘Hey, man, good to see you.’ We all knew each other. … They brought me in, embraced me — and I felt like I just seamlessly fit in and was able to go out and have a good start in Oakland, and just go from there.”

Flaherty — who grew up in Burbank, California, which is located roughly 25 minutes from Dodger Stadium — went on to share what suiting up for the Dodgers meant to him on a personal level.

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“You feel that any place they go, they’re the bigger, better team,” Flaherty said. “Matt Kemp told me, ‘It’s just different wearing the Dodger blue, and it’s different having ‘Dodgers’ across your chest.’ He said, ‘Guys just come here, and the level of their game just steps up, for whatever reason.’” 

Kemp, a two-time Gold Glover and three-time All-Star, played for the Dodgers from 2006-14, averaging 24 home runs, 83 RBIs and 22 stolen bases per season from 2008-14, while slashing .290/.350/.495.

Flaherty was a first-round draft pick by the St. Louis Cardinals and spent the first five-plus seasons of his MLB career with them (2018-23) before a midseason trade to the Baltimore Orioles in 2023. He then spent the first four months of the 2024 season with the Tigers, before being acquired by the Dodgers in July.

Flaherty posted a combined 3.17 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 194 strikeouts over 162.0 innings (28 starts) this season. The right-hander was then a mixed bag in the postseason, posting a combined 7.36 ERA in five starts.

Jack Flaherty reflects on Game 5 and Dodgers’ World Series title

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Flaherty’s best postseason starts came in Game 1 of both the National League Championship Series against the New York Mets (seven shutout innings) and Game 1 of the World Series against the Yankees (two earned runs over 5 1/3 innings). That said, he struggled in closeout games, surrendering eight earned runs in Game 5 of the NLCS and being removed from the mound in the second inning of Game 5 of the World Series, having surrendered four earned runs.

The 29-year-old has been held back by injuries over his MLB career, having made 30 regular-season starts just once (2019) and dealing with the combination of oblique, shoulder, hand, hip and back injuries.

While stars galore on the Dodgers (e.g. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts), Shohei Ohtani dazzled the baseball world in a unique manner this season, posting the first 50-50 season (50 home runs, 50 stolen bases) in MLB history.

Flaherty provided the first moment when Ohtani amazed him.

“There was a ball that he hit against Colorado against Kyle Freeland,” Flaherty told Cowherd. “He took a pitch that was up and in, left-on-left, and he hit it out to left-center. And he hit it about 10 rows deep into left-center, which you don’t do as a left-handed hitter at all, and then we all went and watched exactly where the pitch was. Then we saw it was two balls above the zone, and he hit it out, and we were like, ‘That’s not normal.’

“And they had watched him all year and been with him, and everybody was still like, ‘Wow, that was incredible. … He’s as cool, calm and collected as they come.’”

Flaherty is in competition with the likes of left-handers Blake Snell and Max Fried and right-hander Corbin Burnes, among others, to be the No. 1 compensated starting pitcher in free agency this winter. This is the first time that Flaherty has hit the open market.

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Aaron Boone to return for eighth season as New York Yankees manager

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Aaron Boone will return for an eighth season as New York Yankees manager after the team exercised his 2025 option on Friday.

Boone has led the Yankees to a 603-429 record, three American League East titles and one pennant. New York reached the World Series this year for the first time since 2009, losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.

Boone agreed in October 2021 to a three-year contract that included a team option for 2025. General manager Brian Cashman said the deadline for the option is 10 days after the World Series.

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“Aaron is a steadying presence in our clubhouse and possesses a profound ability to connect with and foster relationships with his players,” Cashman said in a statement. “Consistently exhibiting these skills in such a demanding and pressurized market is what makes him one of the game’s finest managers.”

Boone is the third Yankees manager to lead the team to the postseason in six of his first seven years after Casey Stengel and Joe Torre.

New York said Boone will discuss the decision during a news conference on Monday.

“I am grateful for the trust placed in me to lead this team,” Boone said in a statement. “It’s a responsibility — and an opportunity — that I will never take lightly.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw vows to ‘crush rehab,’ return in 2025 after 2 surgeries

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Three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw is “planning to crush some rehab” in his recovery from two surgeries.

Kershaw posted on Instagram that he had foot and knee procedures on Wednesday. He thanked Drs. Kenneth Jung and Neal ElAttrache for performing the operations.

“Planning to crush some rehab and be as good as can be come next year,” Kershaw posted on Thursday.

The 36-year-old Kershaw is 212-94 with a 2.50 ERA in 429 starts and three relief appearances over 17 seasons — all with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He declined a $10 million player option in favor of free agency, but he is expected to return to L.A. after vowing to do so at multiple points during and after the Dodgers’ run to a 2024 World Series championship.

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Kershaw was hurt for much of last season, finishing with a 2-2 record and a 4.50 ERA over seven starts. He was sidelined throughout the postseason.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Alex Bregman has elbow surgery to remove bone chip ahead of MLB free agency

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Third baseman Alex Bregman had surgery to remove a bone chip from his right elbow.

Agent Scott Boras revealed the operation during a news conference Wednesday at the general managers meetings.

“He’s had his procedure. He’s going to be back swinging here in a few weeks, so he’s all through that process,” Boras said.

The Houston Astros, Bregman’s former team, said any details had to come from Boras.

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Bregman became a free agent last Thursday, after the expiration of a $100 million, five-year deal agreed to in March 2019 that covered 2020-24. The 30-year-old hit .260 with 26 homers and 75 RBIs and has a .272 career average with 191 homers and 663 RBIs in nine big league seasons, all with the Astros.

Boras said Bregman is willing to move to second base. The two-time All-Star has played third exclusively since 2020.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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2025 MLB next team odds: Where will Alonso, Bregman, Snell land?

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MLB free agency is about to start picking up. 

And with that, there are a number of stars on the market.

Will those stars stay put with their current teams, or are they destined to take their talents elsewhere?

Let’s check out the odds at DraftKings Sportsbook for a few star players who are potentially on the move this winter, as of Nov. 6.

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Alex Bregman next team:

Astros: +380 (bet $10 to win $48 total)
Tigers: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Blue Jays: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Mariners: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Yankees: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Royals: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Any other team: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Mets: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
Red Sox: +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total)

Bregman, 30, is a two-time All-Star third-baseman who has spent all of his nine professional years with the Astros, helping them win the World Series in 2017 and 2022. This past season, he registered the third-lowest batting average of his career (.260). He tallied 26 home runs and 75 RBIs in 145 games, and won his first Golden Glove. The Astros offered Bregman a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer on Monday.

Blake Snell next team:

Mets: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
Yankees: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Red Sox: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Dodgers: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Padres: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Cubs: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Tigers: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Any other team: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Angels: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)

Snell, 31, has served as an ace for three different franchises over the course of his nine-year career. He spent five years in Tampa Bay, three in San Diego and pitched for San Francisco this past season. He’s won two Cy Young awards, led the AL in ERA in 2018 and led the majors in ERA in 2023. This past season, he went 5-3 in 20 starts, registering a 3.12 ERA and 145 strikeouts. He opted out of his contract with the Giants last week, becoming a free agent.

Corbin Burnes next team:

Mets: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Red Sox: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Dodgers: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Cubs: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Padres: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Orioles: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Any other team: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)
Tigers: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Giants: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)

Burnes, 30, spent the first six years of his career in Milwaukee, winning the NL Cy Young award in 2021. He also led the league in ERA that year. He’s a four-time All-Star, and last season was his first in a new city. He went 15-9 in 32 starts for the Orioles, posting a 2.92 ERA with 181 Ks. The Orioles offered Burnes a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer on Monday.

Max Fried next team:

Cubs: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Dodgers: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)
Red Sox: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Tigers: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Braves: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Padres: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Mets: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Giants: +850 (bet $10 to win $95 total)
Angels: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)

Fried, 30, has spent all eight of his pro years in Atlanta, where he’s been a two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner. He went 11-10 in 29 starts this past season, with a 3.25 ERA and 166 Ks. The Braves offered Fried a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer on Monday.

Pete Alonso 

Next team odds:

Nationals: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Mets: +600 (bet $10 to win $70 total)
Any other team: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Mariners: +650 (bet $10 to win $75 total)
Red Sox: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Yankees: +700 (bet $10 to win $80 total)
Tigers: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
Giants: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)
Angels: +900 (bet $10 to win $100 total)

The Polar Bear, 29, is a Mets icon, and has spent all six of his professional years in New York. He’s a four-time All-Star and won the Home Run Derby twice. He played 162 games this past season, tallying 34 home runs and 88 RBIs. The Mets offered Alonso a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer on Monday.

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2025 MLB free-agent rumors tracker: Dodgers ‘heavy favorites’ to land Roki Sasaki

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MLB free agency is here!

Similar to how last winter was defined by the Shohei Ohtani sweepstakes, this offseason will revolve around another generational superstar: Juan Soto. The 26-year-old slugger is coming off a career year with the New York Yankees, having also helped the Bronx Bombers back to the World Series for the first time in 15 years. Now, he’s likely staring down a record-breaking contract that might very well span the next decade-plus. 

But where? The chatter has already begun during this week’s GM meetings. He’s not the only big fish on the open market, of course. There are plenty of other top-tier free agents, including ace pitchers Corbin Burnes of the Baltimore Orioles and Max Fried of the Atlanta Braves as well as Mets first baseman Pete Alonso.

RELATED: 2025 MLB free-agent signing tracker, trades | 2025 MLB free-agent rankings, team fits: Juan Soto leads top 30

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And as Soto himself knows, after being dealt to New York from the San Diego Padres last offseason, there could always be landscape-shifting trades made in the winter.

Follow along below for the latest rumors around MLB free agency!

Nov. 6

Sasaki more likely to be posted than not

The 2024-25 MLB free-agent class might add another monumental talent. “Indications” are that Japanese pitching sensation Roki Sasaki will be posted by NPB club the Chiba Lotte Marines, ESPN reported. If he is posted, the Dodgers are “heavily favored” to land the 23-year-old, according to ESPN. MLB on FOX insider Ken Rosenthal also reported that the Dodgers are the “heavy, heavy favorites” to land Sasaki, who was teammates with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Team Japan in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

The possible sweepstakes for Sasaki won’t be as highly competitive from a spending standpoint as other free agents. Due to posting rules, teams can only use money from their international signing pools to offer him. Sasaki has pitched fewer than six professional seasons, meaning he can earn a maximum of $8 million if he’s posted after Dec. 15. If he’s posted before that date, the most he can receive is roughly $2.5 million, according to ESPN. 

Yankees GM Brian Cashman has been in contact with Soto, checked in on Alonso

As free agency commenced Monday, Cashman shared that he spoke with Soto following the team’s World Series loss in late October. Cashman added that he’s already been in communication with Soto’s agent, Scott Boras.

RELATED: Juan Soto sweepstakes: Is he Yankees’ to lose? Analyzing 9 potential suitors

Cashman figures to be busy in the coming weeks, as first baseman Anthony Rizzo and second baseman Gleyber Torres are also free agents. With that, Cashman confirmed the Yankees have interest in Pete Alonso, who’s available after starring for the Mets the past six seasons.

“There are a lot of high-quality players in this marketplace, and certainly Pete did an amazing job with the Mets,” Cashman said. “I had a brief conversation with Scott about a lot of his — he has a lot of free agents, which is normal, and Pete’s one of them, so yes.”

As for Torres, the Yankees did not extend him a qualifying offer, and Cashman offered a tepid response on whether the former All-Star could return. 

“I’m not gonna dissect what he’s good at and not as good at,” Cashman said. “Obviously, he’ll have a lot of conversations with a lot of teams that have a need in that area and that might include us, who knows. But appreciate his efforts while he was here.” 

Astros GM Dana Brown: Re-signing Bregman the “biggest priority”

Houston has a few key free agents to mull over, including Alex Bregman, Yusei Kikuchi and Justin Verlander. As Houston looks to retool after an early playoff exit, Brown was pretty blunt on which player the team is coveting this most this offseason. 

“We’d love to have Alex Bregman back,” Brown told reporters at the GM meetings. “It’s our biggest priority.”

The Astros, of course, have allowed a handful of homegrown stars walk in free agency in recent years. But Brown seemed bullish about the club’s chances to retain Bregman.

“Our mindset right now is that he’s not going elsewhere and we want to sign him,” Brown said. “If he ends up going elsewhere, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there, but I’m going into this offseason with the thought that we’re going to get Bregman back. Hopefully we can do it.”

In an interview with MLB Network, Brown shared that he’s had initial conversations with Kikuchi and Verlander’s agents. He also said he’s “gone back and forth” with outfielder Kyle Tucker’s agent about a possible extension. Tucker is entering the final year of team control.

“We hope to narrow things down and have more conversations,” Brown said. “But we’ve had multiple conversations.”

Bichette not available for trade

With Bo Bichette set to become a free agent after the 2025 season, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins made it clear that the team isn’t willing to move on from the shortstop sooner than it has to. He told MLB Network that any trade calls involving Bichette are “an easy no.”

Bichette is coming off an underwhelming 2024 campaign, slashing .225/.277/.322 with just four homers in 81 games. 

Rooker not available via trade

Athletics general manager David Frost insisted the A’s, who are temporarily relocating to Sacramento beginning next season, will not part with star designated hitter Brent Rooker.

“We’re going to keep [Rooker],” Frost told the New York Post.

Rooker was one of the most sought-after players ahead of the trade deadline in 2024. He finished the season with 39 homers and a 165 OPS+.

Nov. 4

Dodgers in on Soto? Mets not?

The New York Mets have long been seen as the most likely candidate to lure Juan Soto away from a return to the New York Yankees. But the Dodgers, fresh off beating Soto and the Yankees in the World Series, intend to make a bid for Soto “if he’s interested,” the New York Post reported last week. However, the Yankees reportedly believe a Soto-Dodgers union would “never happen” and regard the Mets and Toronto Blue Jays as their biggest threats in keeping the slugger.

Brewers could trade closer Devin Williams

One of the more surprising developments of the opening days of the MLB offseason was when the Milwaukee Brewers declined closer Devin Williams’ $10.5 million team option. Williams is a two-time All-Star who also won National League Rookie of the Year in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but did not make his 2024 season debut until late July due to stress fractures in his back. It’s part of the reason the defending NL Central champion Brewers declined his option, believing the 30-year-old closer will make less in arbitration anyway. 

That not only helps the small-budget Brewers but also makes Williams a more attractive trade candidate, and he’s reportedly expected to be just that. Milwaukee has been aggressive in moving star players in the past. Williams, of course, only ascended to the closer role after the Brewers stunningly dealt Josh Hader to the San Diego Padres at the 2022 trade deadline.

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