AL East

Fresh off the sting of losing Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander in free agency, the Baltimore Orioles are at least giving fans something to be excited about in 2025 by reducing prices for some of their food items.

The Orioles announced on Wednesday the Birdland Value Menu for home games that will feature discounted prices on select concessions.

Introducing our Birdland Value Menu!

Learn more: https://t.co/HgrJHRNtGx pic.twitter.com/jjoaTgo9ae

— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) January 22, 2025

The Orioles said the new value menu is part of a bigger plan for the organization to make Oriole Park "one of the most family friendly ballparks" in MLB. They also touted tickets being available for as low as $15 and a family of four being able to attend a game in Baltimore for under $100.

Per the Sports Business Journal, the average price for a hot dog at all 30 MLB ballparks during the 2024 season was $5.99. The Toronto Blue Jays had the lowest average price ($2.55), while the Oakland A's had the most expensive ($8.39).

The Birdland Value Menu comes not that long after the Orioles were found to have one of the most expensive food selections across MLB.

In a May 2023 report from USA Today's Jordan Mendoza using data from 28 of the 30 teams, the Orioles had the most expensive hot dog in MLB at $8.25 and tied for the second-most expensive beer at 69 cents per ounce.

Beer prices were done using price per ounce since not every team sells the same size, with differences ranging from 12-to-16 ounce cans and 24-ounce cups. The only teams that didn't provide data were the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays.

While it's unclear if there is any difference between the hot dogs that will be available throughout Camden Yards and those available where the Birdland Value Menu stands are located, getting a one at a more than 50-percent discount is a nice way to ease the financial burden on fans.

The Birdland Value Menu will be available at 10 different locations within Oriole Park, including six different locations in the main concourse.

The Orioles will play their first home game of the 2025 regular season on March 31 against the Boston Red Sox.

Six-time MLB All-Star CC Sabathia is anxiously awaiting what could be the crowning achievement of his storied 19-year career on Monday.

Hours before the Baseball Hall of Fame announces the voting results for the 2025 class, Sabathia posted a series of emojis as a quote tweet responding to an MLB video of what turned out to be his final pitch in the big leagues with the New York Yankees.

⏳📞🙏🏾… https://t.co/Sb1p9pIP20

— CC Sabathia (@CC_Sabathia) January 20, 2025

This year marks Sabathia's first time on the Hall of Fame ballot. He retired following the 2019 season, with his final appearance coming in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros.

Current tracking suggests Sabathia has no reason to be nervous as far as getting in. Among the 198 known ballots and 11 anonymous or unverifiable ballots from Hall-of-Fame voters, Sabathia is currently sitting at 92.8 percent.

The voting threshold to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is 75 percent. Even though the final results tend to lower the overall percentage vote for a player, it's highly unlikely Sabathia would be left off that many ballots to dip more than 17.8 percent.

This year's class is trending toward featuring four inductees. Sabathia's vote total ranks second behind Ichiro, who has been listed on every public ballot thus far. The Seattle Mariners legend is seeking to join Mariano Rivera as the only players ever elected to the Hall of Fame unanimously.

The other likely inductees include Billy Wagner, who is on the ballot for the final time, and Carlos Beltrán.

Sabathia's potential induction will be notable because there's no obvious starting pitching legend on the horizon who will be on the ballot any time soon. First-time eligible candidates in 2026 include Cole Hamels, Rick Porcello and Gio Gonzalez.

The best returning pitcher next year is Andy Pettitte, who has received 31.6 percent of the public vote so far in his eighth time on the ballot. There's very little chance he can make that big of a jump to get to 75 percent before falling off the ballot after 2028.

Zack Greinke, who hasn't formally retired from MLB despite not pitching since the 2023 season, could be the next guy after Sabathia. After Greinke, though, it probably won't be until the Justin Verlander/Max Scherzer/Clayton Kershaw group decide to hang up their cleats.

Sabathia pitched for 19 seasons with three different teams from 2001 to '19. He spent the bulk of his career with the Yankees from 2009 to '19, winning a World Series title in his first year with the club.

His career started with the Cleveland Guardians as the No. 20 pick in the 1998 MLB draft. He made his big-league debut in 2001, finishing second to Ichiro in AL Rookie of the Year voting.

Sabathia won the 2007 AL Cy Young award, finished in the top-five in Cy Young voting four other times and made the AL All-Star team six times. He ended his career with a 251-161 record, a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts in 561 games.

Over the course of his 19-year career, Sabathia's 66.5 FanGraphs' wins above replacement ranked second among all pitchers to Verlander (72.0).

The 2025 Baseball Hall of Fame class will be announced on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.

Improving their offense from the right side of the plate remains a "top priority" for the Boston Red Sox, according to MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo.

Cotillo reported that Boston has weighed adding free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman or the St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado.

Every year, there's at least one or two notable free agents who wind up signing for much less than expected thanks to a tepid market. Bregman might earn that unfortunate distinction this offseason.

ESPN's Kiley McDaniel projected in November for the two-time All-Star to get $187 million over six years. Instead, he remains unsigned and his earning power likely diminishes the closer we get to spring training.

Cotillo speculated the Red Sox could be waiting to see if Bregman lowers his asking price and is willing to settle for a short-term deal.

Arenado, meanwhile, has become the subject of trade rumors with the Cardinals pivoting toward a rebuild.

Sounds like a fun offseason is coming up for the #STLCards! #ForTheLou l #TheOpeningDrive

🎧 https://t.co/SB0QQrdXss pic.twitter.com/pG3IhBJiNq

— 101 ESPN St. Louis (@101espn) October 24, 2024

The 10-time Gold Glove winner has a no-trade clause, though, which he has already used to block a move to the Houston Astros.

The Athletic's Katie Woo reported on Jan. 7 in general that "the Cardinals' efforts to trade Arenado are at a standstill."

"The financial stipulations have complicated the team's trade attempts," Woo wrote. "The Cardinals will not take on a large sum of Arenado's contract just for the sake of moving him. They are looking for a team to take on the majority of his remaining $74 million over three seasons. The situation becomes more complex when factoring in Arenado's full no-trade clause."

As Opening Day draws closer, maybe St. Louis is prepared to absorb more of Arenado's contract, or the 33-year-old could grow open to destinations he would've vetoed week earlier.

In general, Cotillo's report could generate more ire within the Red Sox fanbase.

With a projected payroll of $171 million for 2025, Boston is firmly in the middle of MLB financially. It has the means to pay Bregman whatever he wants or take on all of Arenado's outstanding salary.

The need for right-handed hitting is clear with a lot of lefties occupying the Red Sox's lineup. The front office will look like it's dragging it feet by waiting this long to make a big addition.

The Toronto Blue Jays' meeting with Japanese pitcher Rōki Sasaki included shortstop Bo Bichette, outfielder Daulton Varsho and reliever Chad Green, according to Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith.

The three Blue Jays players flew in to Toronto to aid in the organization's quest to sign Sasaki, which proved unsuccessful as he chose the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Nicholson-Smith added that simply getting a meeting with Sasaki underlined a long process by Toronto to improve its network in Japan.

"But thanks in large part to the dedicated work of Pacific Rim coordinator Hideaki Sato, the Blue Jays got Sasaki's attention," he said. "Those efforts were also driven forward by longtime front office execs Andrew Tinnish and Ryan Mittleman plus Frank Herrmann, the former MLB pitcher who pitched with Sasaki in Japan before joining the Blue Jays as a pitching acquisitions specialist. This was a project that took years of focused work."

A report from The Athletic detailed the chase for Sasaki and noted how the Blue Jays' advancement to the finalist stage "puzzled executives throughout the sport."

"Though Sasaki's marketing potential could be enormous throughout Canada, the Blue Jays are not regarded within the industry as a team that excels at pitching development," the report read. "Toronto's front office is on the hot seat and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. can become a free agent after this season, adding to the instability. Yet, they endured in the sweepstakes, despite Sasaki narrowing down his choices."

As much as the Blue Jays can take solace from reaching that stage, failing to sign Sasaki carries a figurative and literal cost for Toronto.

At a certain point, chasing top stars becomes counterproductive when you consistently fail to seal the deal. Your fanbase becomes demoralized and people outside of your home market take those free-agent pursuits less and less seriously.

I honestly don't want to hear about the #BlueJays being involved in talks or being "in on" anyone unless an actual deal gets signed. It's clearly become a joke to the national media and, frankly, it's enough.

— Jenn Smith (@Baseball_Jenn) January 19, 2025

The Blue Jays will also have the Myles Straw trade as a lasting reminder of the Sasaki sweepstakes. Toronto acquired Straw from the Cleveland Guardians to gain $2 million more in international bonus pool money, which was intended for the Japanese ace.

General manager Ross Atkins pulled off that deal without any assurances from Sasaki's agent, so now the Jays are saddled with nearly $12 million in outstanding salary for Straw, a 30-year-old with a career .308 slugging percentage.

Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star called the Straw trade "staggering" and "a fireable offence." He also criticized the message it sends when Toronto is willing to take on $12 million in the mere hope of landing Sasaki while the same front office played hardball with four-time All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. over what amounted to $1.85 million.

In general, it's odd how the Blue Jays' aggressive approach toward outside talent doesn't carry over to their homegrown stars.

To the extent Toronto can feel good about the progress it's making toward luring international stars north of the border, Sasaki signing with the Dodgers showed how much work is still ahead.

Right-hander Max Scherzer is drawing interest from the Toronto Blue Jays, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.

The team is also reportedly looking to add a superstar slugger, with names like Pete Alonso and Anthony Santander being considered.

Adding a slugger would make Toronto a more attractive destination for Scherzer, a 40-year-old future Hall of Famer who has spent the last two seasons with Texas, posting a 3.95 ERA and a 1.154 WHIP last season.

The Blue Jays recently missed out on signing superstar Rōki Sasaki, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, despite efforts from players like Bo Bichette, Daulton Varsho and Chad Green, who tried to pitch Toronto to Sasaki last week.

Now, the Blue Jays are shifting gears and focusing on signing Scherzer.

General manager Ross Atkins has been keeping tabs on everyone, with the Blue Jays being linked to several free agents this offseason, per MLB Trade Rumors' Mark Polishuk. Scherzer would be a solid addition to their rotation and offers potential buy-low opportunities given his track record.

Scherzer appeared in just nine games last season with the Texas Rangers, pitching a career-low 43 1/3 innings after undergoing back surgery last offseason. Additionally, the 17-year veteran dealt with a series of injuries, including nerve irritation in his triceps, shoulder fatigue and a hamstring strain, which sidelined him for much of the season, per Polishuk.

In addition to the potential boost from Scherzer, the Blue Jays signed relievers Jeff Hoffman and Yimi Garcia to multiyear deals during the offseason.

Toronto has faced challenges in landing top targets, having experienced very public misses in their pursuits of Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, Sasaki and several other high-profile free agents. But now, the team will see if it can potentially land Scherzer.

The Toronto Blue Jays want a large trade package if the team chooses to move star Vladimir Guerrero Jr., according to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic.

"To even think about trading Guerrero, a package would have to include major leaguers and top prospects and exceed the value the San Diego Padres received from the New York Yankees for Soto, league sources said," Rosenthal and Sammon wrote on Thursday.

The Yankees acquired Juan Soto from the Padres in Dec. 2023, sending out right-handed pitchers Michael King, Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez. They also dealt starting pitching prospect Drew Thorpe as well as catcher Kyle Higashioka.

King finished No. 7 in National League Cy Young Award voting during his first year in San Diego, while Thorpe was included as part of a trade for ace right-hander Dylan Cease in March 2024.

Guerrero is set to hit free agency after the 2025 season, avoiding arbitration by agreeing to a $28.5 million contract with the Blue Jays on Jan. 9.

SNY's Andy Martino reported Wednesday that the New York Mets have spoken to Toronto regarding a potential Guerrero move, but he noted it's "far from certain" that the Blue Jays will make the four-time All-Star available on the trade market.

If they do, the asking price seems to be very high.

Guerrero is coming off an impressive 2024 season, racking up 30 home runs and 103 RBIs to go along with a .323/.396/.544 slash line. He's firmly established himself as one of the top power hitters in the majors, recording 136 homers over the past four years.

Vladdy Jr. continues to RAKE against the Yankees 💥

(via @BlueJays)pic.twitter.com/vgJ7ty3R2Y

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) June 29, 2024

A long-term extension with the Blue Jays isn't out of the question, as Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith reported Thursday that Toronto and Guerrero are "actively negotiating" a new contract.

Discussions are expected to "accelerate" before Guerrero's self-imposed extension deadline of Feb. 17, per Rosenthal and Sammon.

For the Blue Jays to consider trading the first baseman before the regular season, they'd need to receive a massive offer from an opposing front office.

The New York Mets have reportedly "checked in" on Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s trade availability, but the first baseman might not be going anywhere this offseason.

Per Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith, the Blue Jays and Guerrero are "actively negotiating" an extension, meaning the Mets landing him in a trade could be "wishful thinking" for New York.

Nicholson-Smith also noted that the Mets' reported push to land Guerrero is "possibly an attempt to gain leverage on Pete Alonso."

Alonso, a free agent, has reportedly received interest from a handful of teams, one of which is the Blue Jays, per Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Sammon and Rosenthal also noted that the pursuit of Alonso doesn't rule out signing Guerrero to a long-term deal as Toronto would prefer to pair the two first basemen together.

SNY's Andy Martino reported on Thursday that the Mets "have pivoted to plan B, post-Alonso" and expect the star to sign elsewhere. With the Blue Jays and Guerrero reportedly actively in contract talks, we'll see if New York decides to make another push for Alonso.

Guerrero, who has been with the Blue Jays his entire career, has been seeking a long-term deal from Toronto for a while now but has yet to land it. Earlier this month, Guerrero and the Blue Jays agreed to a $28.5 million salary for 2025, avoiding arbitration with the third-highest salary paid to an arbitration-eligible player in MLB history.

Even though the two sides avoided arbitration and are seemingly still working on an extension, Guerrero's future in Toronto is far from guaranteed. Per USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Guerrero is seeking "at least" $450 million and he and the Blue Jays are "at least $100 million apart."

Nightengale also noted that if he doesn't land an extension by spring training, he'll test free agency.

Guerrero, 25, is coming off a season in which he finished sixth in AL MVP voting after hitting .323/.396/.544 with 30 homers and 103 RBI in 159 games.

A pair of veteran starting pitchers could be on the move this offseason.

Per ESPN's Buster Olney, "there is an assumption among other teams" that the New York Yankees want to move Marcus Stroman while the Arizona Diamondbacks want to trade Jordan Montgomery.

"There is an assumption among other teams that Jordan Montgomery and Marcus Stroman will move at some point, but there are execs who believe that won't happen until the Diamondbacks and Yankees agree to swallow a lot of money to make a deal happen," Olney wrote.

As Olney noted, both teams would likely need to eat some of their players' contracts in order to find a trade for them.

Stroman's vesting option makes him a hard sell as he'll have a player option to make $18.3 million next year if he pitches 140 innings in 2025. He pitched 154.2 innings for the Yankees last year.

According to Olney, one evaluator compared the two pitchers to Martin Perez, who signed with the Chicago White Sox for $5 million earlier this month. Stroman is slated to make $18.3 million in 2025 and could make the same figure in 2026 if he reaches 140 innings. Montgomery is set to earn $22.5 million this year before becoming a free agent in 2026.

Stroman, 33, recorded 113 strikeouts with a 4.31 ERA and 1.47 WHIP last season. He was not on the Yankees' roster in the AL Division Series and did not make any appearances in the postseason as New York reached the World Series.

Stroman was a valuable contributor during the regular season and manager Aaron Boone even said in December that he "was one of the reasons we were able to win the division and get through the playoffs," per The Athletic's Brendan Kuty.

As much as the Yankees could use Stroman in case their rotation gets hit with injuries, trading him and saving money to avoid a major luxury tax penalty might be worth it.

Montgomery, in his first season with the Diamondbacks, made 25 appearances, recording the second-highest ERA of his career at 6.23 and the second-worst WHIP of his career at 1.65.

There's always a chance Montgomery could rebound in 2025, but for such a high price point, Arizona might not want to take the risk of another disastrous season.

As there still appears to be an impasse between the New York Mets and free-agent first baseman Pete Alonso, other teams are reportedly starting to make a push to sign him.

According to Will Sammon and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the market for Alonso "is heating up, with three teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays, engaged in discussions for the power-hitting first baseman, league sources said."

Interestingly, SNY's Andy Martino reported on Wednesday that the Mets had a conversation with the Blue Jays "checking in" on the availability of first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

However, Sammon and Rosenthal noted that Toronto's pursuit of Alonso doesn't mean that the team is ready to part ways with Guerrero, as the more intriguing option would be to pair them up as a power-hitting duo.

"If the Blue Jays landed Alonso, they'd still prefer to keep Vladimir Guerrero Jr., a person familiar with the club's thinking said. Guerrero played 12 games at third base last year, and he and Alonso could serve as the club's designated hitters," Sammon and Rosenthal stated.

The Blue Jays have struggled to make a splash in free agency this offseason despite their attempts to land a big-name player. Toronto tried to sign star outfielder Juan Soto before the Mets landed him on a historic 15-year, $765 million deal.

However, the tides appear to be turning for the Blue Jays, as they recently signed All-Star reliever Jeff Hoffman to a three-year, $33 million deal. Toronto is also reportedly one of three finalists for Japanese pitcher Rōki Sasaki, along with the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

Adding Alonso would give the Blue Jays the big bat they've been seeking for quite some time, so it can be expected that they will be aggressive in their chase to sign him.

Alex Bregman could be suiting up for the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2025 season.

ESPN's Buster Olney wrote about the Bregman market Thursday and noted a league executive speculated the American League East team is "in position to offer the most money, given their level of desperation."

Olney reported that some around the league believe the market for the free agent third baseman "has been largely defined" after the San Francisco Giants signed Matt Chapman to a six-year, $156 million deal and the Houston Astros offered Bregman something similar. He listed the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers as other teams with "varying degrees of interest."

Perhaps Bregman will look for a shorter contract that offers more average annual money if he wants more teams to enter the pursuit.

On Tuesday, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reported the Chicago Cubs had "casual conversations with Bregman's agent, Scott Boras" but were not interested in a long-term deal for the 30-year-old.

Levine suggested Chicago could sign Bregman to a three-year deal with opt-outs and more money per season than he would get with a longer contract elsewhere.

Bregman is an interesting free agent this offseason, as his resume stands out but there has been some statistical decline ahead of his 31st birthday in March. The two-time World Series champion and two-time All-Star was among the very best players in the league when he finished second in American League MVP voting in 2019.

He slashed .296/.423/.592 with 41 home runs, 112 RBI and a league-best 119 walks that season while taking home a Silver Slugger. By comparison, he slashed .260/.315/.453 with 26 home runs and 75 RBI last season.

However, Bregman won his first career Gold Glove in 2024 and is still an impressive two-way player who figures to compete for All-Star selections in the immediate future.

Toronto seems best positioned to offer the most money for that production, and it will be up to him to decide where he wants to play in 2025 and beyond.