Happy Monday, everyone. We’ve had a busy weekend with news. The biggest story to break this weekend is likely the breaking betting scandal news coming out of the Cleveland Guardians camp. Though, if you’ve been following the news all season long, it perhaps shouldn’t come as a surprise. We’ll have more in-depth news about that in its own article this morning, so stay tuned for that.
Beyond the betting news, we have a little of everything, with Prince Harry having to apologize to Canadians for wearing a Dodgers cap, there’s a lot of new speculation about which KBO and Japanese stars might be heading to MLB, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. opens up to Jays fans about the World Series loss.
Let’s just get right into it.
- Jay Jaffe makes a Hall of Fame case for Don Mattingly.
- Brent Maguire looks at seven free agents who could outperform expectations.
- Tyler Lauletta shares the heartfelt note that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sent to Blue Jays fans after the team failed to bring home the World Series title.
- Prince Harry has issued an apology to Canadians for wearing a Dodgers cap during the World Series. (If you’re not sure why this was such a faux pas, I will Canada-splain it. Canada is a Commonwealth nation, meaning we still recognize the monarchy even though we have our own national government. Harry, as a member of the royal family, should probably have been supporting the only team that was based in a Commonwealth country. However, Prince Harry does live in California, so personally I feel like he should probably be given a little grace on this one… AM) (AP)
- Ken Rosenthal warns against teams making managerial choices that are “too cute” in the offseason managerial shuffle. (The Athletic subscription required.)
- The Silver Slugger winners:
- Michael Baumann thinks the Rockies are at risk of getting stuck in the past with their new front office appointemnts.
- A complete list of all free agents by team. Story by Thomas Harrigan.
- Tim Capurso explains how the Japanese Posting System works for MLB.
- On that note, the name you’ll be hearing a lot over the coming months is that of Japanese home run king Munetaka Murakami, who is now available to be signed by MLB teams. Story by Jeff Passan.
- Which other Japanese and KBO stars might be heading to MLB? Reporting by Will Sammon and Cody Stavenhagen. (The Athletic subscription required)
- Alex Vesia, who missed the World Series with the Dodgers, released a statement on social media announcing the passing of his infant daughter.
- Mike Petriello ranks all 30 MLB rosters heading into the offseason.
- Could Pete Alonso end up right back with the Mets again? (MLB)
- Tim Capurso shares what the Dodgers thought about Drake trashing Shohei Ohtani during the World Series.
- Darryl Strawberry has received a presidential pardon for a variety of charges, including drugs and tax evasion. (AP)
- This is not unexpected news, but it is a very bad sign of what happens when mixing betting with sports. (Please note that Al Yellon will have a full post on this story up at 9am CT)
And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.
