News and Notes for Saturday, December 28th, 2024
Its official, Teoscar Hernández is not a Cleveland Guardian. Long coveted by Guardians fans as a potential solution to the outfield offensive production issue, Teoscar Hernández will be returning to the Dodgers.
Outfielder Teoscar Hernández and the Los Angeles Dodgers are in agreement on a three-year, $66 million contract, sources tell ESPN. The deal includes a fourth-year option for $15 million, a little more than $23 million in deferred money and a $23 million signing bonus.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 27, 2024
As with most, if not all, of the Dodgers signings this off season, a good chunk of the contract will be deferred. This will officially push the Dodgers over the $1 billion mark of deferred salary.
With this signing, the dodgers have now surpassed 1 Billion dollars in deferred money totaling at $1,016,000,000 https://t.co/ClqMPHWkbU
— Joey- Cade Smith enjoyer (@GuardsJoey) December 27, 2024
This has, as expected, reignited the conversation around both organizational spending and the concept of $1 billion in deferred salary. Even if the Larry and Paul Dolan had access to the full family trust, no small market team can outspend the Dodgers this off season. Something about this Dodger strategy feels foolishly unsustainable. It is, after all, baseball. A sport where the right hot streak, the wrong slump, or an untimely injury is the difference between watching October baseball and playing October baseball. All eyes will be on LA in the 2025 season. Surely ownership anticipates that the ratings and TV revenue will reflect this.
Gleyber Torres will be donning blue and orange as he joins the Motor City Kitties. The Detroit Tigers signed the infielder to a one-year contract.
In some good news, yesterday marked the baseball solstice. Every day from here on out is closer to Opening Day than the final out of the World Series. Soon baseball will be upon us.
— Linda Surovich (@LindaSurovich) December 27, 2024
Prior to the Teoscar news hitting, fans were speculating what a lineup could look like with him in the rotation. Now that he’s off the table, its back to looking at the lineup with what the team has, and what is coming.
2025 Guardians Lineup with Steamer Projected wRC+
1. Kwan LF (125)
2. Manzardo DH (119)
3. Ramirez 3B (137)
4. Santana 1B (109)
5. Noel/DeLauter RF (108/115)
6. Thomas CF (106)
7. Brito 2B (98)
8. Naylor C (102)
9. Rocchio SS (102)— La Mole (@FranmilsEyebrow) December 27, 2024
Other notables:
T. Freeman IF/OF (109)
J. Rodriguez OF (105)
C. Ingle C (107)
W. Brennan OF (105)
CJ Kayfus 1B/OF (100)
A. Martinez IF/OF (93)
G. Arias IF/OF (94)
A. Hedges C (55)— La Mole (@FranmilsEyebrow) December 27, 2024
The Cleveland Guardians have a solid team in the making for the 2025 season. To most fans though, its quite clear that it won’t be enough on its own to capture the Commissioner’s Trophy.