Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

As the Mets complete their 26-man roster for Opening Day, pretty much everything has come into focus.

Speaking on Wednesday in Houston ahead of Thursday's opener against the Astros, president of baseball operations David Stearns saidBrett Baty, Hayden Senger, Max Kranick, and Huascar Brazoban had been informed that they made the team.

There really wasn't any suspense when it came to Baty.

Baty was already getting exposed to second base before Jeff McNeil suffered a mild oblique injury, but that injury opened the door for the 25-year-old to not only begin the year on the roster but enter it as the expected regular second baseman.

After getting some reps at second base last year while with Triple-A Syracuse, Baty looked more than capable at the position during spring training games, which impressed manager Carlos Mendoza.

Baty's range, arm, fielding ability, and instincts were all solid, paving the way for this opportunity.

Mendoza said the “game will dictate” how much Baty sees left-handed pitchers, but the plan in the season's early days will be for the 25-year-old to get “a lot of the reps at second base.”

“Especially when you look at the matchups early on the teams that we’re facing, we’re gonna be facing a lot of righties,” the manager said. “So it will be a very good opportunity.”

Stearns said Baty “wouldn’t be here” if he wasn’t expecting him to “get a lot of playing time.”

“He has also earned that [opportunity to play]. He had a great spring, I think he’s played pretty well over at second base,” Stearns said. “Mendy’s gonna put all these guys in the best position to succeed and, I think, we’ll see Brett plenty out there.”  

Stearns noted that the team remains undecided on its final roster spot, which will theoretically go to infielder Luisangel Acuña or someone who isn't currently on the roster. Carrying outfielder Alexander Canario (who is out of options) would mean having no backup infielders on the expected four-man bench.

Meanwhile, Senger -- whose first game action will be his MLB debut -- will serve as Luis Torrens' backup with Francisco Alvarez out.

As far as Kranick and Brazoban, they had been in competition for the final spot in the bullpen. But two spots wound up being open because...

Paul Blackburn will open season on IL

Blackburn was placed on the 15-day IL due to knee inflammation, Stearns said, adding that the right-hander will refrain from throwing for seven-to-10 days.

The expectation, per Stearns, is that Blackburn will return at some point in April.

Blackburn began spring training in competition for a starting rotation spot, but the final two slots went to Griffin Canning and Tylor Megill. That left Blackburn destined for the bullpen, until his injury.

What to know about the 26 players on Giants' Opening Day roster originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

CINCINNATI — Buster Posey didn’t make many moves over the offseason, repeatedly showing faith in the 40-man roster he inherited. But as the Giants put together their Opening Day roster, Posey and the rest of the staff shuffled the depth chart in interesting ways.

When the initial 26-man roster was released Wednesday evening, it was apparent that a lot of thought was given to rewarding players who had big springs, and several of them got spots over incumbents. 

The big surprise came with the bench. Christian Koss had his contract purchased and was added to the roster, making it alongside Casey Schmitt, with Brett Wisely and Grant McCray getting optioned to Triple-A. Both Koss and Schmitt are right-handed hitters who bring defensive versatility, but Schmitt had a .924 OPS in the spring with plenty of power and Koss posted a .413 OBP. Both were rewarded with a trip to Cincinnati. 

At first glance, the initial roster is too heavy on right-handed infielders and light on outfielders and left-handed bench options, but these things change quickly. The Giants might look different by the time they arrive back in San Francisco next Wednesday night, but for now, here’s the group that will line up at Great American Ball Park on Thursday: 

Patrick Bailey

When camp started, Posey told Bailey he wanted his focus to be on leading the pitching staff.

“He has shown flashes of being a good, productive offensive player, and that’s great, but ultimately I truly believe that if he leads the staff and continues to progress defensively, that we’re going to be in a good spot,” Posey said. 

The Giants don’t necessarily need Bailey to take a leap at the plate, but it would be a nice boost, and it’s not at all out of the question. He had a .784 OPS in the first half but dipped to a shocking .434 in the second half. Bailey won the Gold Glove and will be the favorite to win again, but if he can keep those first half numbers going for a full season, or even come close, he’ll get some down-ballot MVP consideration. 

Sam Huff

With Tom Murphy sidelined by a back injury, Huff quickly proved that he was ready to partner with Bailey. He homered in the first spring game and batted .323 in Arizona. One of the hits was a 114-mph single, an exit velocity that only four catchers in baseball reached last year. 

“Just his horsepower in general is top five percent in the game,” said Texas Rangers offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker, the former Giants hitting coach. 

Huff played 78 games in four seasons for the Rangers and got a ring when Bruce Bochy returned two years ago. In a lot of ways, he is giving the Giants a redo on their Joey Bart mistake. Like Bart, Huff is a big, powerful right-handed hitter who was a former top 100 prospect. He also happens to be a Scottsdale native who used to sneak into Giants spring training games, so making his first Opening Day roster is providing a fun full-circle moment. 

LaMonte Wade Jr. 

Wade’s offseason focus was simple: He did a lot more running, hopeful that he can keep his legs under him for a full season after repeatedly dealing with nagging injuries. When fully healthy, Wade can challenge Juan Soto for the National League’s OBP crown, but his numbers have tailed off in the second halves of the last two seasons. Wade said his goal this year is to “move better.”

“‘I’m not trying to do anything special, I’m just trying to be healthy and last the whole season without going on the IR,” he said. “I’m not trying to do anything crazy. Just trying to be healthy.”

Wade will hit atop the order in what could be his final season in San Francisco. He’s a free agent at the end of the year, and top prospect Bryce Eldridge plays the same position. 

Wilmer Flores

When Flores had season-ending surgery on his knee last August, it was no guarantee that he would be back for a sixth season in orange and black. But after opting into the final year of his contract, he had a healthy offseason and looked like his old self this spring, repeatedly lining balls into center field while occasionally flashing his power. 

Flores will have a familiar role, platooning with Wade at first base and getting plenty of DH at-bats. He’ll be manager Bob Melvin’s go-to pinch-hitter in the late innings, and when he makes his 40th appearance, he’ll have played more games for the Giants than he did for the New York Mets. 

Tyler Fitzgerald

The highs last year were historic, but the Giants want more consistency from a second-year infielder who is moving across the bag. If Fitzgerald can build off last year, this is one easy area for the lineup to make up a lot of ground. Giants second basemen hit .215 last year and ranked last in the National League with a .603 OPS. 

Fitzgerald should pretty easily be an upgrade, and he looked smooth defensively this spring, which is no surprise given he’s a natural shortstop. He’s likely to hit ninth in the order, serving as a sort-of second leadoff man and putting speed on in front of the top of the order. Posey has encouraged him to run more, too. As a rookie, Fitzgerald was 17-for-21 on stolen base attempts. 

Willy Adames

The owner of the largest contract in franchise history wasted no time settling in. Adames quickly bought a house in Arizona and reported to camp several weeks early so he could get to know his new teammates. He already is one of the team’s leaders, and he certainly brings a lot more energy to a team that needed it. 

Adames formed a quick bond with Matt Chapman, who told him not to worry about anything hit to his right. He’ll hit second for Melvin after crushing 32 homers and driving in 112 runs last season. Those are big numbers, but he’s confident he can match them even while playing at Oracle Park. He was the rare free agent hitter who decided to spend his prime at the ballpark by the Bay. 

“At the end of the day, it’s just the mentality that you have. If you go with that mentality that I can’t hit here, the ball doesn’t fly and this or that, I think that will eat you up,” Adames said. “I don’t really care about it. If the ball goes, it goes. I’m not trying to hit homers every time. It just happens. I’m just trying to hit the ball hard and put the barrel [on the ball] every time. I don’t really worry about if the ball flies here, I don’t care.”

Matt Chapman

The Giants kept Chapman off the market in the offseason by signing him to a massive extension in September, and they have no regrets. Chapman was given his fifth Gold Glove in November, and this spring he hit a team-high six homers and posted an OPS north of 1.300.

In his first season in orange and black, Chapman finished fifth in the NL in fWAR and played 150-plus games for the third time in four seasons. He also took on a leadership role in the clubhouse, and there’s little doubt that it’s Chapman, Adames and Logan Webb who will lead the Giants for the next few seasons. 

Casey Schmitt

He is blocked at his best position — third base — but that didn’t stop Schmitt this spring. The 26-year-old slugged .605 and got reps all over the infield, building off some better at-bats last September. Schmitt has plenty of physical talent but has yet to stick at the big league level. There was some thought that he might be traded in the offseason since Chapman is signed long-term, but the Giants view him as valuable depth. He’s the next man up at second base if Fitzgerald slumps.  

Christian Koss

The biggest surprise on the Opening Day roster, Koss won over the coaching staff this spring. The conversations about making the initial roster picked up in recent days, and Koss had a lot of backers in the organization. He’s a good defender at short who took advantage of a lot of time this spring, playing hard and playing well.

Koss hit .325 this spring with a homer and three doubles. Last year, he hit .299 across three levels, finishing in Triple-A. There’s a bit of Matt Duffy in his game, and the comparisons will be easy to make. The former Boston Red Sox prospect has a slight frame and was a mid-round pick, but he does a lot of things well and he’ll bring some speed to the bench. 

Heliot Ramos

Last year, Ramos became the first homegrown Giants outfielder to make the NL All-Star team since Chili Davis in 1986. He’ll now take aim at another mark. 

Ramos will become the 19th different Opening Day left fielder in 19 years, but the streak might not hit 20. If all goes according to plan, the 25-year-old will be the starting left fielder for years to come. This will be Ramos’ first year as a full-time starter, and at times he’ll have a new role. Melvin plans to hit Ramos in the leadoff spot against left-handed pitchers after he posted a 1.189 OPS against them last season, the second-best mark in the majors behind only Aaron Judge. 

“When I told him about it earlier in the spring, he was pretty excited,” Melvin said. 

Jung Hoo Lee

In the first season of a six-year deal, Lee played just 37 games. A collision with the center field wall at Oracle Park led to shoulder surgery in May, but Lee sailed through the rehab process and was a full go from the start of camp. He missed some time with back discomfort late in the spring, but returned for the final three exhibitions. 

Melvin made waves overseas when he mentioned early in camp that Lee might move from the leadoff spot to the No. 3 spot, and over time, the Giants solidified that thinking. Lee will bat third against both righties and lefties, and the belief is that he can drive in plenty of runs while also getting on base right in front of Chapman. 

The Giants missed Lee’s bat control last year, but they also missed his glove. He looked like an above-average fielder as a rookie and had a strong spring defensively. 

Mike Yastrzemski

The 34-year-old is somehow in his seventh season with the Giants, and it comes after some uncertainty. The Giants got calls on Yastrzemski in the offseason and he was floated in trade rumors, but all along they viewed him as the right fit in right field. 

Yastrzemski is one of the best defensive right fielders in baseball and plays Oracle Park’s tricky dimensions as well as anyone. He’s so good out there that the staff won’t move him back to center if Lee needs to miss any time.

Yastrzemski will be a free agent at the end of the year, and he’ll have to fight off young outfielders looking for time in the corners. At the moment, he’s set to start against right-handed pitchers, and the hope is he can find some of his old form against lefties. 

Luis Matos

The easy pick to be this year’s Ramos or Fitzgerald, Matos was NL Player of the Week early last year but then went into a prolonged slump. This spring, he showed much better discipline at the plate.

“He has a different look to him,” Melvin said. “We’ve seen the consistency this spring. He had a great Winter Ball and came into camp with a lot of confidence.”

Matos had more of an up-the-middle approach this spring and was better with two strikes. He’s likely to play right field against left-handed pitchers and could DH quite a bit with Jerar Encarnacion sidelined. 

Logan Webb

What’s next for the homegrown ace who is starting on Opening Day for a fourth consecutive season?

“I definitely think there are some goals,” he said. “I would like to win the Cy Young, and 200 strikeouts is a thing that I haven’t done yet and that would be cool.”

Webb felt he was too inconsistent last year, but he still led the NL in innings for a second consecutive season. If he can limit some of the blowups, he should again compete for the Cy Young, and he said he has taken lessons from a spring spent alongside Justin Verlander in the clubhouse.

Webb unveiled a cutter last year against certain lefties, and it was a big part of his mix this spring. The Giants are hoping he can use the pitch to keep hitters from sitting on his changeup, which was hit hard at times last year. 

Justin Verlander

The offseason’s big pitching addition celebrated his 42nd birthday early in camp with a laser tag party, which was well-attended by teammates. Verlander is coming off a down year, but in Scottsdale, he looked like, well, Justin Verlander. The velocity sat 95-96 mph and he was sharp all spring. He also was a vocal mentor for the organization’s young pitchers. 

The Giants feel they got a steal in adding Verlander on a one-year, $15 million deal, and Melvin doesn’t expect to have any limitations on the oldest player in the big leagues. 

“Man, you watch what he does every day to condition himself and go out there and start and give his team a chance to win,” he said. “I’m not looking at him as [just] a five-inning starter right now.”

Robbie Ray

Before Wednesday’s game, Ray met up with AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal. If Ray returns to his Cy Young ways, Skubal might get a fair amount of credit. Ray contacted him in the offseason to learn his changeup grip, and he threw the pitch often this spring. 

“It’s just another look and something that has some arm-side movement, something I don’t normally do,” Ray said. “Everything [I threw before] is kind of hard-in to righties. You’ve seen it so far this spring, it’s been really effective getting righties off my fastball-in. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a swing-and-miss pitch, it’s just something that gets them off of my swing-and-miss pitches. I definitely think it’s going to be a big pitch for me.”

Ray had a dominant spring, striking out 23 and walking just one while putting up a 1.86 ERA. When the Giants acquired him for Mitch Haniger and Anthony DeSclafani (both of whom were later released by the Seattle Mariners), the hope was that he would one day be a strong No. 2 to Webb. This spring, he looked ready to be that guy. 

Jordan Hicks

After running out of gas in his first season as a starting pitcher, Hicks stayed in San Francisco over the winter and added weight to his lower body. He’s up about 15 pounds from the end of last season and made some dietary changes to make sure he can keep most of that weight on over 162 games. 

With Verlander and Ray dominating in front of him and a lot of attention paid to the fifth starter race, Hicks was a bit of a forgotten man this spring, but Posey and Melvin never wavered. Hicks has been locked into the rotation from the start, and the hope is that he can replicate his first 10 weeks last year, when he had a 2.82 ERA over 15 starts. The goal now is to extend that success deep into the summer. 

Landen Roupp

Roupp seemed to be a longshot in the fifth starter competition at the start of the spring, but pretty quickly it became apparent that he was as sharp as anyone in Giants camp. The 26-year-old actually cut the competition short; a couple of days after Roupp struck out 13 in five innings in a minor league game, Melvin told him he would be starting against the Houston Astros on April 1. Roupp didn’t have a hard time keeping the secret for a week and a half — he might be as stoic as anyone in the clubhouse. 

Roupp’s curveball is so good that he was at times able to just throw that and his sinker last year as he broke in as a reliever. This spring, he added a cutter and a changeup that’s modeled after Webb’s, with the hope that he can keep hitters guessing and make the curveball more of a putaway pitch.  

Ryan Walker

There was no closer controversy this spring. Melvin said right away that Walker would be his closer, which the right-hander appreciated. He then went out and struck out 14 in 7 2/3 innings, looking every bit as nasty as last year, when he had a 1.91 ERA and became one of the best relievers in baseball. 

Walker had a 0.92 ERA after being named the closer and was perfect in the ninth. If he comes close to repeating that, he could be an All-Star and take a run at a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by a Giants reliever since Robb Nen in 1998. Nen struck out 110 batters that year; Walker finished with 99 last year. 

Tyler Rogers

The Giants know exactly what to expect from Rogers, who has led the NL in appearances three times and posted a 2.93 ERA in six seasons. He’s as reliable as it gets from a reliever, and last season he found new heights, walking just six batters in 77 appearances, two of which were intentional. Rogers is the longest-tenured player in the organization and is entering his 12th season with the Giants, the last six of which have been in the big leagues. 

This is the final year of club control, and Rogers could hit free agency in the winter at the same time as his brother, Taylor, who was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds in the offseason. The twins will be reunited on Opening Day. 

Camilo Doval

After losing his closer title and briefly ending up back in Triple-A last summer, Doval had a different look this spring. He took on a leadership role with young Spanish-speaking pitchers, driving several to the ballpark every day, and focused on the little details that have derailed him at times. He is quicker to the plate and doing a better job of holding runners, although in the spring, it was sometimes hard to work on those intricacies. Doval had too many clean outings to get much practice. 

“Camilo is in a great space right now,” Melvin said. “He’s pitching really well, too. He’s throwing strikes, he’s efficient, he’s worked on a lot of things.”

Doval is the next man up if the Giants need help in the ninth, but for now he’ll be a setup man for Walker. If he’s truly back to his 2023 form, he could be the best seventh-inning option in baseball. 

Erik Miller

It wasn’t a very smooth spring for one of last year’s breakouts. Miller dealt with a minor finger issue early in camp and then got sick, but got up to speed in March, which was crucial. The Giants are carrying just one left-handed reliever, and while they think they have some others who can handle tough lefties, it’s Miller who will be their go-to guy against the Ohtanis and Sotos of the world. Especially against Ohtani; Miller struck out the game’s best player in all five of their meetings last year. 

Hayden Birdsong

The 23-year-old battled Roupp for the final rotation spot, and while he didn’t get that nod, he still ended up on the Opening Day roster. The Giants wanted to go with their best 26 at the start, and there’s no doubt that Birdsong is one of their top 13 pitchers. Birdsong occasionally struggled with his command as a rookie, but in four Cactus League appearances, he struck out 18 and didn’t walk a batter. 

“I had to stop thinking about striking people out,” Birdsong said of the improved command. “Groundballs get outs, too. Pop-ups get outs. Everything gets outs. I don’t have to strike everyone out.”

Birdsong’s slider improved this spring after he moved to the other side of the rubber, but it’s still an upper-90s fastball that leads his arsenal. The Giants are hoping they can keep him stretched out as a reliever, because they anticipate he’ll start a lot of games for them at some point this year. 

Randy Rodriguez

A year ago at this time, Rodriguez was a gifted minor leaguer with serious questions about his command. He all of a sudden started throwing strikes, and the big fastball got him to the big leagues, where he immediately looked comfortable. Rodriguez had a 1.93 ERA this spring and showed good command in recent outings while repeatedly hitting 100 mph. In Rodriguez and Doval, Melvin has a couple of big arms to throw at teams in the sixth and seventh innings. 

Lou Trivino

The former Athletics standout hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2022 because of Tommy John surgery and a long rehab. He felt like the Giants might be a good fit, and he was right. Trivino had a good spring, and while he doesn’t throw 100 mph anymore, he still has mid-90s velocity and a five-pitch mix. 

Trivino broke into the big leagues with Melvin’s Athletics in 2018 and had a 2.92 ERA. Six years later, he came to camp as a non-roster invitee and won a job. 

“There was a period of time [in Oakland] where he was about as good as anybody in the American League,” Melvin said. 

Spencer Bivens

The right-hander bounced around the globe for several years, but when he reached the big leagues last summer, he looked like he belonged. Bivens posted a 3.14 ERA as a rookie and he had a strong spring, edging Sean Hjelle, Tristan Beck and others who can be versatile bullpen pieces. Last year, Bivens even showed he can start in a pinch if needed. 

Bivens was guaranteed nothing at the start of this spring, but he won a job. He said everything has slowed down in his second year, which will come as a 30-year-old. 

“I feel comfortable now,” he said. “Last year was very fresh, very green.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Five Athletics players to watch during promising 2025 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Athletics enter a promising 2025 MLB season with a secure core of stars ready to prove their worth, and several prospects eager to accumulate service time.

A year ago, then-rookies such as outfielder Lawrence Butler and closer Mason Miller were up-and-coming players to follow, as the pair weren’t yet big names. Nowadays, that’s old news — and there are other players fans will need to familiarize themselves with.

Here are five Athletics players to watch before the Green and Gold begin their inaugural season in West Sacramento.

Luis Severino

Severino is expected to be a guy in the rotation for the foreseeable future.

In MLB free agency, the right-handed ace signed an Athletics franchise-record three-year contract worth up to $67 million — a deal that aligns with the team’s move to Las Vegas in 2028 — and will start Opening Day against the Seattle Mariners on Thursday at T-Mobile Park.

Severino, 30, is a nine-year veteran with a 3.81 ERA over 172 games (156 starts) and, though more of a reserved person, is expected to be a leader in the Northern California clubhouse where the average age was 26.8 a season ago.

“If they need me, I’m going to be that leader,” Severino said during his introductory press conference on Dec. 6. “I mean, I’m not going to be bossing guys around. I’m just going to let my talent talk. I’m going to go out there, I’m going to compete, help out. If they need me, I’m going to be out there for anything they need.”

Severino also has formidable MLB playoff experience with a 4.62 ERA and 57 strikeouts over 14 career games. His latest October outing was a three-hit bid against the future champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the 2024 NLCS. Remember, the Athletics haven’t reached the postseason since the coronavirus-shortened 2020 campaign.

Jacob Wilson

The 22-year-old shortstop is the franchise’s top prospect and should develop profoundly over a 162-game schedule.

Selected No. 6 overall by the Athletics in the 2023 MLB Draft, Wilson reached the majors rather quickly toward the end of 2024 and slashed .250/.314/.315 over 28 big-league games with 23 hits and three RBI.

“From the start … I think it’s been a phenomenal journey,” Wilson told NBC Sports California on Sep. 26 before the franchise’s second-to-last game at Oakland Coliseum. “I’ve enjoyed every step of the way. I just want to come back each year stronger and better and do whatever it takes to help this team and organization win games.”

Wilson put on 15 pounds of muscle this offseason, according to MLB.com’s Martín Gallegos, and followed his limited big-league experience with a strong spring. Over 19 games, he slashed .308/.321/.558 with 16 hits, 13 RBI and four home runs across 53 plate appearances.

Fourth-year manager Mark Kotsay likely will use Wilson as an everyday player, clearing the way for the rookie to stack major-league repetitions.

José Leclerc

A candidate to be MLB All-Star closer Mason Miller’s set-up man, Leclerc is a 31-year-old right-handed reliever looking to bounce back from a lackluster 2024 season – for his standards – in which he posted a 4.32 ERA across 66 2/3 innings in 64 games.

Leclerc signed a one-year, $10 million free-agent contract with the Athletics after spending his first eight MLB seasons with the Texas Rangers, where he won the 2023 World Series. Leclerc posted a 12-20 record with a 3.27 ERA, 473 strikeouts and 41 saves over 360 1/3 innings as a Ranger.

“I think any time you can add experience, you can add guys that have a track record or the back of a baseball card, it helps in depth, right?” Kotsay said about the Athletics’ older offseason additions like Leclerc and Severino on Feb. 12.

Leclerc transitioned from closer to set-up man in 2024. Despite his ERA, Leclerc carried an attractive 3.48 FIP and pitched more than one inning in 26.6 percent (17 of 64) games last season.

He has a sturdy six-pitch repertoire led by his four-seam fastball and cutter, and last season finished in the 96th percentile for both his 36.0-percent whiff rate and his 30.7-percent hard-hit rate. 

The Athletics hope Leclerc’s spring, in which he surrendered a 6.23 ERA and six earned runs over just 8 2/3 innings, won’t matter in the long run.

Joey Estes

The 23-year-old righty recently was named the Athletics’ fifth and final member of the starting rotation, joining Severino, JP Sears, Osvaldo Bido and offseason acquisition Jeffrey Springs..

Estes earned the spot ahead of Mitch Spence after carrying a 4.63 spring training ERA through March 19. 

Behind a four-pitch arsenal dominated by his four-seamer, Estes finished the 2024 season with a 5.01 ERA over 127 2/3 innings in 25 games (24 starts). He ended this spring by allowing eight earned runs over five innings, but like Leclerc, the shaky outing doesn’t define what the future can have in store.

Kotsay and the Athletics will heavily monitor that fifth rotational spot throughout the season. After all, the Green and Gold’s 2024 team ERA of 4.37 was the sixth-worst in baseball, and its 5.48 mark in 2023 was the second-worst.

Estes truly can make a name for himself by being a competent starter. Kotsay is just two seasons removed from tying an MLB record for starting pitchers used with 24.

Max Muncy

The infielder might just be one of the more fun players to remember across MLB throughout the 2025 campaign.

Besides sharing the same name, Aug. 25 birthday and professional beginnings as the star Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman, Muncy is the Athletics’ seventh-ranked prospect and made the Opening Day roster, to his surprise.

“It was surreal,” Muncy said about Kotsay informing him on Sunday (h/t Gallegos). “A little unexpected. I thought I was getting sent down. But he was like, ‘Hey, we’re going to have you out in Seattle.’ I just couldn’t be more excited.”

Muncy, a non-roster spring training invitee, was selected No. 21 overall by the Athletics in the 2021 draft out of Thousand Oaks High School in Southern California. He earned his big-league chance by slashing .282/.383/.385 over 24 games this spring with 11 hits, seven RBI and six walks across 47 plate appearances. 

It is uncertain where Muncy will find on-field opportunities, but the fact that he made the roster is tremendously encouraging for his future and the Athletics’ scouting department.

MLB Opening Day 2025: Here's everything you missed during the offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Play ball!

With Opening Day upon us, it’s finally time to get back out on the diamond.

But before players take the field for the first games of the 2025 MLB season, it’s important to look back at everything that’s happened over the past few months. Since the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the New York Yankees in the World Series last fall, there have been plenty of changes — making it tough to predict what could happen this time around.

Here’s a deep dive into everything that happened over the offseason, plus some predictions for the upcoming campaign:

MLB free agent signings 2025 offseason

Over a billion dollars were handed out on the open market this offseason.

Here are the 15 biggest contracts signed by free agents since last November, in terms of total value:

1. OF Juan Soto, New York Mets: 15 years, $765 million
2. SP Max Fried, New York Yankees: 8 years, $218 million
3. SP Corbin Burnes, Arizona Diamondbacks: 6 years, $210 million
4. SP Blake Snell, Los Angeles Dodgers: 5 years, $182 million
5. SS Willy Adames, San Francisco Giants: 7 years, $182 million
6. 3B Alex Bregman, Boston Red Sox: 3 years, $120 million
7. OF Anthony Santander, Toronto Blue Jays: 5 years, $92.5 million
8. SP Nathan Eovaldi, Texas Rangers: 3 years, $75 million
9. SP Sean Manaea, New York Mets: 3 years, $75 million
10. RP Tanner Scott, Los Angeles Dodgers: 4 years, $72 million
11. SP Luis Severino, Athletics: 3 years, $67 million
12. OF Teoscar Hernández, Los Angeles Dodgers: 3 years, $66 million
13. SP Yusei Kikuchi, Los Angeles Angels: 3 years, $63 million
14. 1B Christian Walker, Houston Astros: 3 years, $60 million
15. SP Nick Pivetta, San Diego Padres: 4 years, $55 million

Arguably the top free agent on the board aside from Soto didn’t land in the above top 15. That’s because right-handed pitcher Roki Sasaki was signed to a minor league contract due to his age (23). The Dodgers swooped in to grab the Japanese phenom, who will pitch for Los Angeles alongside fellow countrymen Yoshinobu Yamamoto and (eventually) Shohei Ohtani.

MLB trades 2025 offseason

It was a busy offseason on the trade market, too.

Several All-Stars and World Series winners were dealt away, some in exchange for top prospects.

Here are the 15 biggest trades from the 2025 offseason:

1. OF Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs
   • Houston Astros received third baseman Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and third base/outfield prospect Cam Smith.
2. SP Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox
   • Chicago White Sox received four prospects: Catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, infielder Chase Meidroth and pitcher Wikelman Gonzalez.
3. RP Devin Williams to the New York Yankees
   • Milwaukee Brewers received pitcher Nestor Cortes, infield prospect Caleb Durbin and cash.
4. OF Cody Bellinger to the New York Yankees
   • Chicago Cubs received pitcher Cody Poteet.
5. 1B/3B Jake Burger to the Texas Rangers
   • Miami Marlins received infield prospects Echedry Vargas and Max Acosta and pitcher Brayan Mendoza.
6. 1B Josh Naylor to the Arizona Diamondbacks
   • Cleveland Guardians received pitcher Slade Cecconi and a draft pick.
7. OF Jorge Soler to the Los Angeles Angels
   • Atlanta Braves received pitcher Griffin Canning.
8. RP Ryan Pressly to the Chicago Cubs
   • Houston Astros received pitching prospect Juan Bello.
9. 2B Andres Gimenez to the Toronto Blue Jays
   • Cleveland Guardians received first baseman Spencer Horwitz and outfielder Nick Mitchell. Toronto also received pitcher David Sandlin.
10. SP Jesus Luzardo to the Philadelphia Phillies
    • Miami Marlins received two prospects: Shortstop Starlyn Caba and outfielder Emaarion Boyd.
11. SP Jeffrey Springs to the Athletics
    • Tampa Bay Rays received pitchers Joe Boyle and Jacob Watters, first baseman Will Simpson and a draft pick. The Athletics also received pitcher Jacob Lopez.
12. 2B Jonathan India to the Kansas City Royals
    • Cincinnati Reds received pitcher Brady Singer. Kansas City also received outfielder Joey Wiemer.
13. C Jose Trevino to the Cincinnati Reds
    • New York Yankees received pitcher Fernando Cruz and catcher Alex Jackson.
14. 1B Nathaniel Lowe to the Washington Nationals
    • Texas Rangers received pitcher Robert Garcia.
15. RB Taylor Rogers to the Cincinnati Reds
    • San Francisco Giants received pitcher Braxton Roxby.

MLB managers fired and hired for 2025

Three teams will have new managers this season — the Cincinnati Reds, Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox.

The Reds are bringing back a familiar face in Terry Francona, who retired for one year before returning to baseball. The two-time World Series champion and three-time AL Manager of the Year, who turns 66 in April, is known for his runs with the Red Sox and Guardians. David Bell was fired by Cincinnati in September after six seasons with the club.

The Marlins will be led by World Series winner Clayton McCullough in 2025. The former Dodgers first base coach, 45, has never managed in the big leagues. He replaces Skip Schumaker, who went 146-176 in two seasons with Miami.

Chicago has another first-time manager in Will Venable. The former MLB outfielder has coached for the Cubs, Red Sox and Rangers before getting his first opportunity as manager for the White Sox this season. Chicago fired Pedro Grifol in August and Grady Sizemore finished the season as interim manager.

MLB season predictions for 2025

The Dodgers are the overwhelming favorites to repeat as World Series champions this season — and for good reason.

Los Angeles loaded up even more in the offseason, adding Snell, Sasaki and Scott to an already-stacked team.

But considering the randomness that can happen in the MLB postseason, it’s difficult to expect the same results in 2025. Remember, the Dodgers were on the brink of elimination against the Padres in the Division Series before catching fire. Anything can happen in October.

With that in mind, here are our divisional, playoff and award predictions for 2025:

AL East: Boston Red Sox

AL Central: Kansas City Royals

AL West: Texas Rangers

AL Wild Cards: Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees

NL East: Atlanta Braves

NL Central: Chicago Cubs

NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers

NL Wild Cards: Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, San Diego Padres

World Series: Atlanta Braves over Texas Rangers

MVP: Bobby Witt Jr. (AL) and Shohei Ohtani (NL)

Cy Young: Garrett Crochet (AL) and Paul Skenes (NL)

Rookie of the Year: Kristian Campbell (AL) and Dylan Crews (NL)

Manager of the Year: Matt Quatraro (AL) and Craig Counsell (NL)

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Yankees open the 2025 season against the Milwaukee Brewers at home for a three-game series starting on Thursday...

---

Preview

Opening Day

Opening Day is always a fun time. The Yankee Stadium faithful will enjoy a day game while seeing their new Yankees for the first time. Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt and others will get a taste of what it will be like to don the pinstripes and play at Yankee Stadium. Hopefully, they give the crowd plenty to cheer about this weekend.

Old friends in new places

One of the biggest moves the Yankees made this offseason was trading LHP Nestor Cortes for reliever Devin Williams. Cortes was a big part of the Yankees rotation the last few seasons and he's scheduled to start the second game of the series on Saturday. The Bronx crowd should give Cortes a nice ovation for his time in pinstripes, but once the first pitch is thrown all courtesies will be gone.

The same goes for the Brewers, who helped develop Williams. The All-Star reliever will likely be used during this series, and how he performs should show that allowing that Pete Alonso homer in the Wild Card round is behind him.

New friends in new places

The offense will look a lot different without Juan Soto manning left field. The Yankees pivoted by trading for Bellinger and signing Goldschmidt and other players to prevent more runs from being scored on them. But how about their offense?

The offense will be less potent but they can show they can still get the job done with a big offensive performance. Bellinger gets acquainted with the short porch in right, while Austin Wells and Ben Rice get re-acquainted. Goldschmidt spraying base hits all over the field would give the fans a reason to forget all about Soto.

Carlos Rodon setting the tone

The Opening Day start was probably saved for Gerrit Cole, but elbow surgery will sideline the ace this season. Enter Carlos Rodon.

The southpaw has had an up-and-down tenure with the Yanks so far, and while he's technically the team's third-best arm, he will take the mound on Thursday thanks to the rotation's schedule. But this could be a great spot for Rodon, who is familiar with the stadium and has pitched on Opening Day before.

This could also be the time to set the tone for the rotation this weekend. Cole, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt are all unavailable due to injury, but Rodon could start the 2025 season on the right foot for newcomer Max Fried and the other arms.

Enter Jasson Dominguez

This isn't Dominguez's first game at Yankee Stadium, but this time feels different. It's Dominguez's time and the Yankees are happy to give their prospect the runway to navigate his way to becoming an everyday major league player.

We shouldn't expect too much, but looking comfortable at the plate and -- more importantly -- competent in left field will give the fans and team hope that they have hit on this youngster.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Austin Wells

The second-year catcher was scalding this spring (five home runs) and will likely hit leadoff. I can see that hot spring spilling over into the regular season especially now that Wells is comfortable playing defense and managing a pitching staff that he can now focus on the offensive end, where his potential is higher.

Which Yankees pitcher will have the best start?

Max Fried

While he hasn't been confirmed for a start this weekend, if Fried does go he'll show why New York paid the largest contract to a left-hander in MLB history.

In five career starts against the Brewers, Fried has a 2.67 ERA.

Which Brewers player will be a thorn in Yankees' side?

Christian Yelich

The former NL MVP doesn't have much experience at Yankee Stadium (three games) but has always been a potent offensive threat -- and was raking this spring (.353/.389/1.124), launching three home runs. That production and that can carry over into March/April, when the 33-year-old is historically good.

Armed with new approach, Webb ready to lead Giants again in 2025 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

CINCINNATI — The pitch started on the inside half of the plate and zeroed in on Shohei Ohtani’s back knee. As he took it for a ball, Ohtani straightened up as if the pitch was going to hit him, and then he stepped out of the box to recalibrate for a few seconds. Patrick Bailey tipped his glove at Logan Webb, who took a glance up at the scoreboard.

The score bug registered it as a four-seamer, and why wouldn’t it. Webb loves his straight fastball even if his pitching coaches tell him not to throw it, and he smiles when mentioning it in postgame interviews. But the numbers were off, not just with that pitch, but with others in that game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The velocity was lower and the spin rates were higher, and Statcast later caught on. Webb had added a cutter to his repertoire, and this spring there was no keeping it a secret. 

What started out as an experiment to try and give a different look to Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy has turned into an intriguing part of Webb’s pitch mix. The sinker and changeup always will be his bread and butter, but this spring he showed more variety. A few weeks ago, in one of his few Cactus League starts with available Statcast data, Webb threw 13 cutters, including several to right-handed hitters. Later in camp, after a changeup-heavy start, he joked that he had to focus on not falling in love with the cutter.

“I feel good throwing it,” he said. “I think it’s getting to the point where I can be confident in it and kind of know I can throw it to any guy. That’s the big thing, knowing you can throw it to any hitter at any time. I think it’s been good so far … now it’s just part of the scouting (report), right? It’s every hitter, it’s righties and lefties. If you offer the chance to throw it, I’ll throw it. I’m excited to keep throwing it and keep messing around with it.”

The pitch moves in on lefties and away from righties, giving a much different look from his sinker and changeup, and the hope is that it keeps left-handers from diving out over the plate. Far too often last season, it seemed hitters could narrow their focus against Webb, but it wasn’t just because his two main pitches move the same way. They also got far too close in the MPH column at times. 

Webb’s changeup can get up to the 89-90 range, while his sinker can be 91-92. This spring, there was an emphasis on widening the gap. Webb was pleased to regularly see one of the game’s best off-speed pitches registering at 85 mph. 

“I think I’ve thrown a couple of 83s,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever really done that.”

It’ll be a different look, and Webb is hopeful that makes a difference. He was sixth in Cy Young voting in 2024 and led the National League in innings for a second straight year, but he said he wasn’t very happy with his season overall. His FIP dropped year over year, but his ERA and WHIP were higher in 2024 than in 2023, and his strikeout-to-walk ratio was just about cut in half. 

The most notable dip was with his changeup, with hitters posting a .275 average and .411 slugging percentage against the pitch after going .225 and .309 in 2023. Webb responded by cutting his usage, but that’s not ideal. A lot of last season wasn’t quite what he wanted. 

“I think a lot of it had to do with the team didn’t win, and I was frustrated about that,” he said. “But myself, I look back at some games that I let get away and we could have won and it could be the margin of error. Maybe if we won those games we would have had a better chance of getting back into the playoffs. It’s knowing that if it’s a tie game or if you’re winning, you keep it that way. I think the best guys do that, and I think I can do better at that.”

The most visible changes this spring came when Webb was on the mound, but the time behind the scenes was just as important. Now in year seven, he wants to be better at preparing for starts. It wasn’t an issue before, but the hope is that some additional tweaks lead to more consistency.

Asked how he can get better off the field, Webb smiled. He pointed to the end of his row of lockers, where Justin Verlander’s jersey was hanging. 

“That guy,” he said. 

It’s a high bar, but one Webb is hopeful he can reach. He has become known as one of the game’s best workhorses, but there’s more in the tank for the 28-year-old. 

“I definitely think there are some goals. I would like to win the Cy Young, and 200 strikeouts is a thing that I haven’t done yet. That would be cool,” he said. “I think it’s just about going out there and competing and knowing that I had to get better in my scouting, I had to get better before the game and in between my starts. That’s what’s fun about playing. The more you play, the more you learn. That’s been the biggest thing for me.”

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Astros open the regular season with a three-game series in Houston beginning on Thursday at 4:10 p.m. on SNY.

---

Preview

How will Clay Holmes' stuff translate?

It's really hard to take what you see in spring training at face value. At the same time, it's impossible to ignore how dominant Holmes looked this spring as he transitioned from reliever to starter.

In 19.0 innings pitched, Holmes posted a 0.93 ERA. And he often made hitters look foolish, including in his final spring start this past Friday when he fanned eight batters over 5.1 shoutout frames.

But the ultimate test for Holmes will come when he takes the ball for the Mets on Opening Day against an Astros lineup that is a bit weaker than it was in 2024 but still strong.

Needing an expanded arsenal to be able to go through opposing lineups twice or three times per game, Holmes added a "kick changeup" that he deployed with lots of success during Grapefruit League play.

The changeup and a four-seamer Holmes is looking to refine will add two more pitches to a repertoire that included his daunting sinking fastball, a sweeper, and a slider last season.

With Sean Manaea out until the end of April and Frankie Montas likely out until June, Holmes excelling in his new role would go a long way for the Mets in the early going.

First real look at the Mets' offense with Juan Soto

We got a bit of a sneak peek at the Mets' lineup during the latter part of spring training, but that was with players basically going through the motions as they worked out the kinks ahead of the regular season.

Now, it starts for real.

And right in the middle of things will be Soto, who will be sandwiched between Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso in a batting order that will feature Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo right behind the top three.

While Francisco Alvarez will likely be out until the end of April or a bit longer, New York should have plenty of punch to get by until he returns, with Jesse Winker and Starling Marte expected to split designated hitter duties and Jose Siri offering some serious pop in center field.

A wild card in the offense early on could be Brett Baty, who is coming off a torrid spring at the plate and is in line to get the bulk of the action at second base while Jeff McNeil is out.

How will Edwin Diaz fare?

There has been lots of consternation lately about Diaz, specifically when it comes to his velocity. And I'm not sure why.

For most of spring training, Diaz sat around 95-96 mph with his fastball and touched 97 mph. That led to a number of people worrying about his velo, even though Diaz's average fastball last season was 97.5 mph -- which put him in the 94th percentile in baseball.

Diaz not dialing it all the way up this spring really shouldn't be surprising since he has nothing to prove. That wasn't the case last spring, when he was returning after missing the entire 2023 season due to a knee injury and had to prove to himself that he was still ... himself.

It should also be pointed out that Diaz has seemingly intentionally added and subtracted fastball velocity throughout his career (it averaged 97.3 mph in 2018, 99.1 mph in 2022, and 97.5 mph in 2024).

Additionally, Diaz was at his high-octane best during the 2024 MLB postseason, including rearing back for 101 mph to strike out Kyle Schwarber while clinching the NLDS at Citi Field.

The new-look Astros

The Astros went through some big changes during the offseason.

First, they traded superstar outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Cubs after determining that they wouldn't be able to sign Tucker when he hits free agency after this season.

Then, after attempting to re-sign him, they lost cornerstone third baseman Alex Bregman to the Red Sox in free agency.

While retooling its offense this winter, Houston signed first baseman Christian Walker and added infielder Isaac Paredes (who was acquired in the Tucker trade).

The Astros are also moving second baseman Jose Altuve to left field -- a wild late-career change for the future Hall-of-Famer.

Houston still has elite closer Josh Hader and a very good top of the starting rotation that is led by Framber Valdez and Hunter Brown, but their offense and defense are going to look radically different this season.

Beware of Yordan Alvarez

The Astros should still have a pretty potent lineup -- especially if promising infielder Jeremy Peña can harness his potential -- but Tucker and Bregman being gone should make it easier for opposing teams to pitch around all-world slugger Yordan Alvarez.

Alvarez has been a one-man wrecking crew over the last three seasons, slashing .303/.401/.587 with 103 home runs and 280 RBI over 396 games.

Last season saw Alvarez post an OPS+ of 172 in a career-high 552 at-bats.

The damage Alvarez can do is serious, and the Mets should do their best to not let him beat them.

Predictions

Who will the MVP of the series be?

Pete Alonso

The Crawford Boxes in left field should be an inviting target for Alonso, who hits most of his home runs that way.

Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?

Clay Holmes

Holmes' upside as a starter is real, and he'll start showing it on Opening Day.

Which Astros player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?

Isaac Paredes

Paredes has pop and makes a lot of contact -- a good mix for his new home ballpark.