AL West

The West Sacramento Athletics are not going to be trading slugger Brent Rooker this offseason despite speculation he could be moved.

"We're going to keep (Rooker)," general manager David Forst told Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

The 30-year-old outfielder hit .293 in the 2024 season with 39 homers, 112 RBI, 82 runs, 11 stolen bases and a .927 OPS.

Rooker has found his footing with the Athletics and had a breakout year in 2023 after hitting .246 with 30 homers, 69 RBI and a .817 OPS. That earned him the first All-Star Game appearance of his career.

But Rooker was better by basically every metric in 2024, proving that his breakout season wasn't a fluke and that he has the potential to be one of the top sluggers in the sport.

109.3 MPH off the bat for Brent Rooker's 39th home run of the season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/48XzUz9gcb

— MLB (@MLB) September 29, 2024

And that, combined with yet another poor season (69-93) from an Athletics franchise that is yet again rebuilding under the ownership of John Fisher—since he bought the Athletics in 2005, the team has won a grand total of two playoff series—made Rooker a potential trade target for contending teams around baseball this offseason.

Condolences to Rooker. https://t.co/XXA5AbkssR

— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) November 5, 2024

Granted, his age and defense may have capped his overall value to a degree. That likely would have been offset by the three remaining years of club control before he can become a free agent.

That Rooker will remain fairly cheap compared to what he would get on the open market if he was a free agent probably played a major role in the Athletics deciding to keep him instead of trading him for future assets. That wouldn't be a major surprise coming from an organization that had a pathetically minuscule payroll of $63.4 million in 2024, easily the lowest in baseball.

For context, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto alone made $55 million in total cash this past season. When viewed in that light, keep Rooker seemed to perfectly align with the ethos of a franchise that has been in the bottom third of payroll spending dating back to at least 2011.

The Athletics are a team without a city for the time being, at least in how they're referenced.

The MLB franchise announced Monday it has removed Oakland from its name and will simply be the "Athletics." It appears the A's are forgoing any mention of their temporary home of Sacramento, California. They're also amending their primary logo to be an all-green version of the A's design.

The A’s officially are no longer the Oakland A’s. They say they are simply the Athletics. But in fact they are now the Sacramento A’s. They just seem too embarrassed to call themselves that. They should be Sacramento proud. Very odd. pic.twitter.com/83uXmbigYQ

— John Shea (@JohnSheaHey) November 4, 2024

This is the Athletics new primary logo, per the team. The Club’s primary wordmark will remain unchanged from the green Athletics script. pic.twitter.com/u8PWwC6Toh

— Jason Burke (@ByJasonB) November 4, 2024

This is yet another oddity of the Athletics' eventual relocation to Las Vegas.

Ownership announced its intention of moving to Sin City without firm plans for a new stadium in place. And since that venue isn't scheduled to open until 2028, the A's were stuck trying to find a stopgap because remaining in Oakland wasn't tenable after they burned so much goodwill.

Updated A’s Las Vegas ballpark renderings. #vegas #athletics #mlb pic.twitter.com/zCdO6PXqUK

— Mick Akers (@mickakers) March 5, 2024

As a result, the Athletics will be stationed in Sutter Health Park, home to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats. Renovations are already underway to ensure the stadium is up to MLB standards.

There's no question that officially referring to this franchise as the "Sacramento Athletics" would be a little weird when everybody knows this is a short-term marriage. The A's would also have to spend a lot of money on branding and merchandise that has a clear expiration date.

But that's the bind the A's created for themselves.

Omitting Sacramento from any official designation for the team feels unnecessarily petty, especially since the Athletics needed Sacramento much more than the city needed the Athletics. Municipalities weren't tripping over themselves to court principal owner John Fisher.

And this is what Sacramento is getting for stepping up to the plate.

A fact I kindly pointed out to Vivek the day they announced the deal. After everything the Kings/Sacramento did to bail out the A’s… They won’t even acknowledge the city. https://t.co/bM3QOUcbWD

— Casey Pratt (@CaseyAPratt) November 4, 2024

John Fisher may as well have issued a press release saying, “hi, we’ll squat in your city for a few years and we’ll take your people’s money, but we’ll not honor it at all in any formal way nor acknowledge its major league status, even if it’s temporary.”

— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) November 4, 2024

When Hurricane Katrina dislodged the then-New Orleans Hornets from their home in the Big Easy and moved them to Oklahoma City, the Hornets tried to make the best of it and didn't shy away from embracing Oklahoma's capital city.

The A's are taking the opposite approach and preferring to have no geographic affiliation whatsoever. This doesn't exactly set a great tone for how the next few years will go until the Vegas stadium is built.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi declined his $20 million player option for the 2025 season on Monday, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News.

Per Grant, Rangers general manager Chris Young says the team still has "great interest" in retaining Eovaldi.

The 34-year-old joined Texas as a free agent in Dec. 2022, signing a two-year contract worth $34 million along with the vested player option. He made the second All-Star appearance of his career in 2023 with the Rangers.

In two seasons with the Rangers, Eovaldi finished with a 24-13 record to go along with a 3.72 ERA. He recorded 298 strikeouts compared to 89 walks in 314.2 innings on the mound.

Eovaldi played a crucial role in the Rangers' 2023 World Series victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, throwing six scoreless innings during a 5-0 win in Game 5 that allowed Texas to close out the series.

Young hasn't been shy about his interest in retaining the veteran, listing him alongside impending free agent Andrew Heaney as offseason priorities on Oct. 1.

"As far as Evo and Andrew go, those are priorities for us," Young said, per Kennedi Landry of MLB.com. "We love those guys. They helped us win a World Series. We would love to bring those guys back, and we're going to explore every way we can to make that happen."

With both of Eovaldi's All-Star appearances occurring within the past four seasons as well as his recent postseason success, there shouldn't a a shortage of potentially interested teams in free agency.

MLB.com's John Denton reported that the St. Louis Cardinals targeted the right-hander at the trade deadline. The Cardinals may be interested in him once again as a free agent.

After declining his 2025 option on Monday, Eovaldi could experience a change of scenery despite the Rangers' desire for a return.

As the Oakland Athletics prepare to move to Las Vegas, team owner John Fisher will make a hefty investment into the construction of a new stadium.

Club executive Sandy Dean announced on Thursday that Fisher and his family will invest $1 billion into the construction of a stadium in Las Vegas while U.S. Bank and Goldman Sachs will offer a $300 million loan, according to ESPN's Alden Gonzalez and the Associated Press.

Dean revealed that final approvals will likely be made at a Dec. 5 authority meeting to allow construction of the $1.5 billion ballpark that's expected to contain 33,000 seats as well as a dome.

The A's previously released renderings of what the stadium could look like on Oct. 17.

Some A’s ballpark renderings detailing what materials will be used in different areas. #vegas #athletics #mlb pic.twitter.com/O3R0aZOxSy

— Mick Akers (@mickakers) October 17, 2024

Construction is on track to begin in the spring with a targeted opening prior to the team's 2028 season, per Gonzalez and the Associated Press. As much as $380 million in public funding will also go into building the ballpark.

The A's finished with a record of 69-93 in 2024, their final season in Oakland after 57 years.

In the meantime, the Athletics will call Sutter Health Park in Sacramento their home. The stadium is typically used by the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.

As the A's prepare for their first year in Sacramento, it appears that progress on the construction of their future stadium in Las Vegas is continuing to be made.

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani exited Game 2 of the World Series in the bottom of the seventh inning on Saturday night with a shoulder injury.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters after a 4-2 win over the New York Yankees that Ohtani "suffered a subluxation of his left shoulder," per ESPN's Alden González. He'll undergo further tests on Sunday.

"We're encouraged," Roberts said, per González. The manager added that Ohtani's strength and range of motion are good despite the injury.

Dave Roberts says that Shohei Ohtani suffered a left shoulder subluxation and the Dodgers are "encouraged" by his strength and range of motion.

Ohtani will receive testing tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/RTbh7ycJpM

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 27, 2024

Ohtani appeared to suffer the injury while attempting to steal second base. Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register noted that the Japanese broadcast of the game picked up Ohtani saying his shoulder popped out.

Ohtani is slow to get up after he attempted to steal 2nd. pic.twitter.com/T3Af5GRaiw

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 27, 2024

Ken Rosenthal on FOX reports that #Dodgers Shohei Ohtani injured his left shoulder on that slide. NHK broadcast said he popped his shoulder out of socket (also known as pulling a Bellinger)

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) October 27, 2024

Mic picked up on Ohtani

“Shoulder.”

“Really? Which one?”

“Left.”

“Did it pop out?”

“I think so.”

pic.twitter.com/HZTetfJAsP

— Yakyu Cosmopolitan (@yakyucosmo) October 27, 2024

Ohtani was helped off the field by a trainer. Ken Rosenthal said there was no update available as to the severity of the shoulder injury on the Fox broadcast.

Shohei Ohtani walked off the field with an apparent arm injury following a slide into second base

(via @MLBONFOX) pic.twitter.com/XfzMd4Imdy

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) October 27, 2024

The Dodgers led 4-1 at the time of Ohtani's exit. He had recorded a walk and a strikeout in three at-bats.

Ohtani made his second stolen base attempt of the postseason with Teoscar Hernández, who had hit a two-run homer earlier that night, at the plate.

He thrown out by Yankees catcher Austin Wells on the play, and despite the inning ending remained on the ground, holding his left arm and appearing to be in visible pain.

Some alternate angles of Ohtani's slide into 2nd, which caused him to leave the field with a trainer. pic.twitter.com/ernIZ5zsXC

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 27, 2024

Ohtani went 1-for-5 during the Dodgers' Game 1 win in Friday's start to the World Series. He was batting .260 with 10 RBI and three home runs in 12 postseason games heading into Saturday.

The Dodgers will want to get Ohtani back into the batting lineup as soon as possible, while also hoping his injury has no long-term impact on their plans to resume his work as a two-way player next season. Ohtani, who has not pitched in MLB action since undergoing surgery on his right elbow in September 2023, is slated to return to the mound in 2025.

For now the Dodgers will focus on Ohtani's immediate health and the question of whether he will be able to return to the plate by Monday as Los Angeles prepares for Game 3.

The World Series is set to continue next week in New York. If necessary, the series will return to Los Angeles on Friday for Game 6.

As the Oakland Athletics make the transition to Sutter Health Park in Sacramento for the 2025 season, there will be a change to the previous plan for the stadium's playing surface.

Per The Athletic's Evan Drellich, Sutter Health Park will have natural grass instead of turf because of players' preferences and heat concerns.

MLB had originally planned to use turf for durability reasons given two teams—the A's and the Triple-A Sacramento Rivercats—would share the field throughout the year.

"Since the beginning of this process, we have worked collaboratively with the MLBPA to incorporate feedback from major and minor league players regarding the facilities, amenities, and playing conditions in Sacramento," a league spokesperson said, per Drellich. "Based on feedback from players, as well as guidance from MLB's long-time field expert, MLB and the A's have decided to maintain a natural grass field at SHP. Our shared, primary concern is ensuring the best and safest playing surface for the A's, River Cats, and visiting players.

"In light of the players' clear preference for natural grass, and after weighing with the MLBPA the potential risks and benefits of maintaining natural grass versus replacing the playing surface with synthetic turf, all the parties are aligned in moving forward with a natural grass field for Opening Day 2025."

According to Drellich, MLB still plans to play as many night games as possible to help manage the heat in Sacramento.

The new stadium in Las Vegas will have a roof, meaning heat concerns will be a non-issue.

Updated A’s Las Vegas ballpark renderings. #vegas #athletics #mlb pic.twitter.com/zCdO6PXqUK

— Mick Akers (@mickakers) March 5, 2024

The Athletics will call Sacramento home for the next three seasons as they await the completion of their new stadium in Las Vegas, which has a target date of Opening Day 2028. The A's deal with Sutter Health Park is for three years but has an option for a fourth if the stadium is not completed by the 2028 season.

The Oakland Athletics are getting a new city and stadium in the coming years, and the team recently released some renderings of what the stadium in Las Vegas could look like.

Unlike The Coliseum in Oakland, the new ballpark seems like it will have a roof based on the photos. The recent renderings of the proposed $1.5 billion stadium showed the new roof and other details from the exterior.

Some A’s ballpark renderings detailing what materials will be used in different areas. #vegas #athletics #mlb pic.twitter.com/O3R0aZOxSy

— Mick Akers (@mickakers) October 17, 2024

According to MLB.com, the new stadium, located on the Las Vegas Strip, will hold 33,000 people—significantly less than The Coliseum, which holds nearly 60,000 people.

Though it is covered by a roof, the stadium features the "world's largest cable-net glass window" to provide "an outdoor feel with views of the city's skyline." Fans will have no trouble seeing stats for their favorite players inside the new stadium, as it will have an 18,000-square-foot video board, the largest of any MLB ballpark.

Updated A’s Las Vegas ballpark renderings. #vegas #athletics #mlb pic.twitter.com/zCdO6PXqUK

— Mick Akers (@mickakers) March 5, 2024

Per KTVU, the construction companies hired to build the new stadium plan to break ground in the spring of 2025 with a goal of it being ready for Opening Day in 2028. In the meantime, the A's will play their home games at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento.

The ballpark is home to the Triple-A Sacramento River Cats and has a capacity of 14,000. The agreement allows the Athletics to play in Sacramento from 2025 to 2027 with the option to play there in 2028 if stadium construction is not yet completed in Las Vegas.

In their final season in Oakland, the A's finished 69-93, showing some minor improvement from the previous two years but still failing to make the postseason for a fourth consecutive season.

Jose Altuve isn't ready for his time as Alex Bregman's teammate to come to an end after the Houston Astros were swept out of the playoffs by the Detroit Tigers in the American League Wild Card Series.

Speaking to reporters after Wednesday's 5-2 loss, Altuve made a public plea to Astros management to re-sign Bregman as he prepares to hit free agency for the first time in his career.

"He gave a lot to this organization," Altuve said of Bregman. "Now it's time for us, as a team, as an organization, to pay him back and make him stay here."

Bregman posted a message on X after Wednesday's game:

Thank you Houston

— Alex Bregman (@ABREG_1) October 3, 2024

This isn't the first time Altuve has openly campaigned for the Astros to keep the two-time All-Star. He spoke about the situation on Sept. 19 prior to the team's final homestand of the regular season.

"I don't see any chances of him leaving," Altuve said this week. "That might be just me. I really think that, at the end of the season, our front office people, GM and ownership (are) going to get a deal done for him. I don't think—I'm sure—that we are not only a better team with him, but we are a better organization with him. We really need to make it happen."

ESPN's Alden González noted the Astros are expected to present Bregman with a formal contract offer "in the near future."

This season marked the end of Bregman's five-year, $100 million contract signed in March 2019 that bought out his three arbitration years and first two years of free agency.

It will be interesting to see what type of contract Bregman lands this offseason, either from the Astros or another club. He is still a good player, but his offensive production for most of the past five seasons isn't at the level it was from 2016 to '19.

Bregman hit .260/.315/.453 with 26 homers in 634 plate appearances this season. His OPS+ since the start of the 2020 campaign is 122, which is buoyed by a 134 mark in 2022. He still has elite plate coverage, ranking in the 94th percentile or better in strikeout rate, whiff rate and squared-up rate.

Considering that Bregman is represented by Scott Boras, it would seem unlikely he signs a deal with the Astros before at least exploring what the market has to offer. But another Boras client, Matt Chapman, signed a six-year, $151 million extension with the San Francisco Giants on Sept. 5 rather than wait to see what the offseason had to offer.

Bregman and Yusei Kikuchi are Houston's top free agents based on their performance in 2024. Justin Verlander, Ryan Pressly and Jason Heyward will also hit the market, but they wouldn't seem to be as high of a priority given their struggles.

There is a chance that Wednesday's loss marked the end of a significant period in Astros' history. Bregman and Altuve have been the stalwarts in the lineup since the team's run of success began in 2017, resulting in seven straight ALCS appearances and two World Series titles.

Alex Bregman could have played his final game in a Houston Astros uniform on Wednesday after nine years with the team.

The Astros dropped a must-win game against the Detroit Tigers in the American League wild-card series, ending their season and perhaps Bregman's time in Houston. Ahead of his free agency this offseason, Bregman posted a message on social media that seemed to indicate that he's on his way out.

"Thank you Houston," he wrote on X.

Thank you Houston

— Alex Bregman (@ABREG_1) October 3, 2024

Bregman has been a cornerstone of the organization for nearly a decade, helping the team reach four World Series and win two. In the eyes of his teammate, veteran second baseman Jose Altuve, his departure from Houston would upend the team, though Altuve has faith he won't leave.

"I don't want to think about my last game with Breggy," he said after the loss, per MLB.com's Brian McTaggart. "I'm pretty confident he's going to be our third baseman next year. We have to. We're not going to be the same organization without him. In my mind, there's not a chance this is the last game."

While there's only so much Altuve can do from a player standpoint, he believes the front office needs to do whatever it can to bring Bregman back.

"He gave a lot to this organization so it's time for us as an organization to pay him back and make him stay here," Altuve said, per The Athletic's Chandler Rome.

Rome noted that Altuve said he plans to deliver that message to Astros owner Jim Crane.

Per Chron's Michael Shapiro, Houston general manager Dana Brown said he and Bregman's agent, Scott Boras, plan to have some "good conversations" this offseason and that he would "love for" Bregman to stay with the Astros.

Houston will need to put together an enticing deal for Bregman, though. He had 26 homers, 75 RBI and a .260 batting average in 2024 and is likely to get plenty of offers this winter.

Bregman's message on social media seems to prelude his Houston exit, but there's a long offseason ahead that could see the Astros retain the veteran who has been of great value over the past nine seasons.

Wednesday's American League wild-card matchup between the Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros was a prime example that money doesn't always equal wins.

The Tigers' entire 26-man wild-card roster has a combined salary of $18.8 million, which is less than the sole salary of Astros reliever Josh Hader, who makes $19 million a year.

ABSOLUTELY INSANE! MOTOWN MAGIC, BABY! 🐅 pic.twitter.com/9MwumOxei6

— theScore (@theScore) October 2, 2024

Kenta Maeda's $14 million takes up the bulk of the Tigers' payroll and just three other players make more than $1 million annually, per Spotrac.

Despite the payroll disparity, Detroit downed Houston 5-2 on Wednesday to advance to the American League Division Series. Hader pitched 1.1 innings, allowing three hits, an earned run and a walk.

The Tigers had a miraculous finish to the regular season, winning 15 of their last 21 games to ensure a spot in the postseason. The playoff berth marked their first since 2014 when they won the AL Central and reached the divisional series.

After winning its wild-card series against the Astros, Detroit will now take on the No. 2-seeded Cleveland Guardians in the divisional series.

While Cleveland has been one of the best teams in the American League this season, there's no denying the momentum the Tigers have, and they'll look to continue their magical run on Saturday.