$3.5M for Quantrill is a far more sensible $15M for Cobb. Q may or may not be of use to the Marlins. If the Tigers get a half dozen starts from Cobb they'll be lucky.
that deal remains in first place for likely Idiot Deal of the Winter
Of course it's not my $

2025 World Series Odds: Dodgers Overwhelming Favorites

Originally posted on Action Network | By James Lumalu | Last updated Feb 12, 2025 2:05 PM ET

2025 World Series Odds

Team World Series Odds
Los Angeles Dodgers +300
Atlanta Braves +750
New York Yankees +800
New York Mets +1200
Philadelphia Phillies +1200
Houston Astros +1500
Baltimore Orioles +1700
Arizona Diamondbacks +2500
Texas Rangers +2500
Boston Red Sox +2500
Minnesota Twins +2500
Seattle Mariners +2800
San Diego Padres +2800
Chicago Cubs +3000
Kansas City Royals +3000
Detroit Tigers +3500
Cleveland Guardians +4000
Milwaukee Brewers +5000
Tampa Bay Rays +5000
Toronto Blue Jays +6000
San Francisco Giants +8000
Cincinnati Reds +10000
St. Louis Cardinals +12000
Pittsburgh Pirates +12000
Los Angeles Angels +20000
Athletics +25000
Washington Nationals +30000
Miami Marlins +50000
Colorado Rockies +50000
Chicago White Sox +50000

*Odds as of Wednesday, Feb. 12 via DraftKings

World Series Odds Analysis

The behemoth that is the Dodgers only grew more powerful over the offseason as they did the opposite of standing pat. Instead, they’ve drawn ire for shamelessly stacking their team (the horror!), acquiring RHP Roki Sasaki, LHP Blake Snell, LHP Tanner Scott, RHP Kirby Yates, IF Hye-seong Kim and OF Michael Conforto via free agency, while also retaining key pieces from their championship team in UTIL Tommy Edman, UTIL Kiké Hernandez, OF Teoscar Hernandez, RHP Blake Treinen and LHP Clayton Kershaw.

The Dodgers did not re-sign right-hander RHP Jack Flaherty, who landed back with the Tigers on a two-year deal. Flaherty played a huge role in L.A.’s World Series run so he’s a notable loss. But it’s more than offset by Sasaki, Snell and Shohei Ohtani returning to his two-way role this season.

The Padres — the one team that pushed the Dodgers to the edge last season — have taken a noticeable dip. They were +1500 following the World Series and have fallen to +2800 after a demoralizing offseason.

Hamstrung by ownership chaos, the Padres lost OF Jurickson Profar (who signed with the Braves), SS Ha-Seong Kim (who signed with the Rays) and the aforementioned Scott. More key players could be on the way out as RHPs Dylan Cease and Robert Suarez have surfaced in trade rumors.

The Mets (+1400 in October; +1200 in February) broke into the top five after signing the best available free agent: OF Juan Soto. New York also re-signed 1B Pete Alonso and LHP Sean Manaea and made some interesting pitching moves via free agency with RHPs Clay Holmes, Griffin Canning and Frankie Montas.

Bringing up the rear are the usual suspects: the Marlins, Rockies and White Sox.

Former Key Cleveland Guardians Pitcher Signs in Japan

This former key Cleveland Guardians pitcher has decided to take his talents to Japan.

Matthew Schmidt | Feb 13, 2025

Last month, the Cleveland Guardians signed pitcher Paul Sewald, which resulted in the team having to make a move to clear room on the 40-man roster.

The Guardians decided to remove Pedro Avila, who refused a minor-league assignment and hit the free-agent market as a result.

Well, Avila has found a new team, and it is not in the United States. The right-handed reliever has signed with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows.

Avila played a critical role in Cleveland's bullpen last season, making 50 appearances and going 5-1 with a 3.25 ERA while allowing 68 hits and registering 73 strikeouts over 74.2 innings of work.

The Guardians actually purchased the 28-year-old from the San Diego Padres last April after Avila got off to a rough start in 2024, surrendering eight runs in eight frames with the Padres.

Avila originally signed with the Washington Nationals as an international free agent back in 2014. He was then traded to San Diego two years later.

The Venezuelan native made his big-league debut with the Padres in 2019 and was initially a starter, although he pitched in just four games for the Friars between 2019 and 2022.

Then, in 2023, Avila made 14 appearances and six starts for San Diego, logging a 3.22 ERA while giving up 43 hits and fanning 54 batters across 50.1 innings.

Avila owns a lifetime 3.51 ERA through 72 career major-league outings.

Chances are, the righty will be back in the MLB at some point, especially considering that he is still relatively young.

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Well, Good Luck Pedro.

I thought we should have kept Avila.
Avila was the perfect garbage time operator.
He saved a lot of extra innings on a lot of bullpen arms during his time on the mound.
Even provided some quality innings in non mop up situations.
Avila will be tough to replace.

Besides, I'll miss hearing his name.
One of my favorite Indians was Bobby Avila.
Every time I heard Pedro's name mentioned, it reminded me of Bobby.

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Didn't Bobby Avila play with Chico Carrasquel?

CHICO CARRESQUEL BOBBY AVILA




AL ROSEN GEORGE STRICKLAND BOBBY AVILA VIC WERTZ

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didn't see how much Pedro Avila is getting paid in Japan.
I was trying to compare what he'd earn in AAA but not sure I found what i was looking for.

I guess this is accurate:
The average salary for an AAA Minor League Baseball player in 2025 is $50,906.
The majority of AAA Minor League Baseball salaries range from $48,000 to $60,000.
The top 10% of AAA Minor League Baseball players make $65,500 annually.

And if he were get a major league deal at any time during the season he'd earn the major league minimum for the days he were in the majors. $760000 is the annual minimum; if the daily rate is based on 1/162 of the season then each day would pay $4,700.

Civ,

Terms have not been released yet.

Avila will be teaming up with Munetaka Murakami (infielder plays 3rd & 1st),

Despite his young age, Murakami has already compiled an impressive résumé, recording 224 homers with 600 RBIs and a .945 OPS over 836 games in NPB.

A left-handed slugger, Murakami won the Central League MVP Award in both 2021 and '22 and earned Central League Triple Crown honors in the second of those two seasons, recording a .318 average with 56 homers and 134 RBIs.

Murakami’s 56 home runs set a single-season NPB record among Japanese-born players, breaking the previous mark of 55 set by the legendary Sadaharu Oh in 1964.

Murakami’s production wasn't as substantial over the past two years, though he still reached the 30-homer plateau in both seasons.

[Murakami would look awesome in Cleveland but the road will go through Dodger country making them even more explosive. ]

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Munetaka Murakami

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The Tokyo Yakult Swallows have reportedly signed RHP Pedro Avila

Avila is the 3rd foreign reliever who'll be joining the Shinjuku outfit this offseason, joining Mike Baumann and Peter Lambert

Avila has a better MLB CV than the previous 2, so he should make the team out of camp

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Civ,

For Reference see below

Right-hander Peter Lambert is poised to sign with the Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball on a one-year deal, according to a report from Nikkan Sports (Japanese language link). The report suggests that Lambert would earn a $1.6MM salary in 2025 if the deal is completed.

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Mike Baumann rhp
1 year (2025)
signed by Yakult Swallows of NPB 12/9/24 1 year/$748,900 (2024)

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Projected 2025 lineups, Blue Jays is 1/3 Cleveland-experienced

BLUE JAYS

Lineup
1. George Springer, RF
2. Bo Bichette, SS
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
4. Anthony Santander, DH
5. Alejandro Kirk, C
6. Daulton Varsho, CF
7. Andrés Giménez, 2B
8. Ernie Clement, 3B: surprised with 12 homers; 692 OPS; in 400 plus at bats
9. Joey Loperfido, LF

Projected 2025 lineups, Blue Jays is 1/3 Cleveland-experienced [majors or minors]

BLUE JAYS

Lineup
1. George Springer, RF
2. Bo Bichette, SS
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B
4. Anthony Santander, DH rule 5 loss has been a big success
5. Alejandro Kirk, C
6. Daulton Varsho, CF
7. Andrés Giménez, 2B we know this guy
8. Ernie Clement, 3B: surprised with 12 homers; 692 OPS; in 400 plus at bats
9. Joey Loperfido, LF

on the projected opening day starting lineups and five man rotations, I find the following ex-Ind/Guard-ians or from the farm system. Boldfaced were originally signed by Cleveland. Quantrill and Naylor are part of the Clevinger package.

Jays: Santander RF and cleanup; Giminez 2B, hitting 7th; Clement 3b, hitting 8th
Rays still project Yandy D at 1B and leading off
Projected superstar Junior Caminero 3b and batting 3rd for the Rays [see Tobias Myers below]
almost namesake Yainer Diaz is an emerging star behind the plate for the Astros [part of our package for Straw; another good one who got away
Urshela 3B for Oakland; solid player, not a star, kind of what was projected from his days on the MV Scrappers
Quantrill penciled in as #4 starter for the Marlins. Maybe he'll fare better out of the Rockies
Lindor leading off at SS for the Mets; there was no way we could have kept him
Josh Bell DH for the Nationals
Jose Tena 3B for the Nats
Aaron Civale #4 starter for the Brewers
Tobias Myers #3 for the Brewers; it's best not to discuss the Caminero for Myers trade, the latter being DFAd and years later emerging
Matthew Boyd #4 for the Cubs
----I note that Alex Cobb is not in the projected Tigers rotation
Cleanup hitter at 1b for Arizona is Josh Naylor
Nolan Jones RF and hitting 6th for the Rockies, hopes to return to 2023 success

Hardly surprising that a team that has Jose Ramirez at 3rd base had no room for a whole lot of other third basemen.
Some got away for little in return [the Diazes and Caminero and Santander] Others were parts of fair exchanges.
And if a player we traded hasn't earned a spot on any other team, then we could have won their trades

Interesting to note that the Cleveland pitching factory is only slightly in evidence in other rotations.

Civ,

Avila is the 3rd foreign reliever who'll be joining the Shinjuku outfit this offseason,

I added to my last post on Avila. See Mike Baumann and Peter Lambert Contract references.

I would think that Avila tops Mike Baumann and Peter Lambert contracts

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Interesting to note that the Cleveland pitching factory is only slightly in evidence in other rotations.

That's why I posted some of that stuff on KC, Det, and Min. They've been improving their lineups and pitching staffs. They're playing catch up and doing a pretty good job. Can't take our eyes off the ball.

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Who tops our MLB inaugural 2025 Power Rankings?

January 8th, 2025

Last season was the year that Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge blew our minds (again), the year Paul Skenes made his debut and instantly became unforgettable, and the year the Dodgers won their eighth World Series. But that’s all in the rearview mirror.

It’s all about 2025 now.

Thus, with some big moves made since our last power rankings on Nov. 10, it’s time for the first power rankings of 2025. We’ll look at each team, and do a little vibe check: How are they -- and their fans -- feeling as the calendar turns? These rankings, as always, are compiled from MLB.com contributors whose names you can find at the bottom of this (and every) piece, but the words are mine. If you dislike the rankings, yell at all of us. But if you dislike the words, feel free to yell at me.

Voters:

David Adler, Nathalie Alonso, Anthony Castrovince, Mark Feinsand, Daniel Feldman, Doug Gausepohl, Will Leitch, Sarah Langs, Travis Miller, Arturo Pardavila, Mike Petriello, Manny Randhawa, Andrew Simon, David Venn.

1. Dodgers (previously: 1)

The Dodgers are basking in the warm glow of their World Series win, and they’ve brought in Blake Snell, Hyeseong Kim and Michael Conforto, while bringing back Teoscar Hernández and Blake Treinen. Most of those pitchers who were hurt in October will be back at full strength for 2025, including, oh yeah, Ohtani. Yeah, suffice it to say, the vibes are good here.

2. Phillies (previously: 2)

The additions of Max Kepler, Jesús Luzardo, Jordan Romano and Joe Ross are mostly garnish around the main course of all those veterans at the Phillies’ core, the ones dialed up to win that World Series that has proven so elusive. The question here: Is there one more move left? Or more? The Phillies might as well go all-in to win at this point.

3. Yankees (previously: 5)

Well, here’s a surprise: The Yankees actually went up in our power rankings despite losing Juan Soto. That’s surely because they were awfully aggressive following Soto’s departure, adding Max Fried, Cody Bellinger, Devin Williams and Paul Goldschmidt … and it’s possible they’re still not done. The lineup will miss Soto, obviously; any lineup would. But the Yankees sure have addressed a lot of holes.

4. Mets (previously: 7)

It’s amazing what the addition of one of the best hitters in baseball history -- one who is just about to enter his prime, a guy you swiped away from your uptown rivals -- will do for fan morale. The Mets got the prize of the offseason, bringing in Soto, but don’t forget they added Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes for the rotation as well. Now we all wait on Pete Alonso and the Mets to come to some sort of agreement. Because they have to … right?

5. Braves (previously: 3)

The losses of Fried and Charlie Morton make the Braves’ rotation look thinner than it has in a while, and you do wonder if they’re going to add a starter or two. But the most important thing may be the simplest: Getting that lineup healthy again. That Ronald Acuña Jr. may not be ready for Opening Day is an inauspicious start.

6. Padres (previously: 4)

The Padres were this close to taking out the Dodgers in the playoffs last year, but their response to that near-miss has been … well, quiet. They haven’t added anyone of note, and there remain rumors that Dylan Cease may be on the trading block. This has been a glorious era for the Padres. But you can forgive their fans for wondering if it’s going to be built upon.

7. Orioles (previously: 6)

The Orioles added a veteran workhorse arm to their rotation mix by inking Charlie Morton to a one-year contract, and they lost one in Corbin Burnes, leading to some real frustration among the fanbase. But there’s still so much talent here, with more coming up from the farm system every year. The Orioles will remain a force to be reckoned with in 2025. But it won’t matter if they fizzle in October again.

8. Diamondbacks (previously: 11)

Few thought the D-backs were one of the top contenders to land Burnes, but when the Arizona resident signed with the Snakes, he instantly elevated their rotation to among the best in baseball. (And it was already pretty good.) The D-backs don’t just lead the league in Corbins right now: You can make a strong argument this is the best team they’ve had in a decade (and remember, they went to the World Series two years ago).

9. Astros (previously: 8)

You might have expected a more precipitous drop for the Astros after they traded Kyle Tucker and have probably moved on from free agent Alex Bregman. But adding Isaac Paredes in the Tucker deal and Christian Walker via free agency does provide some muscle, and this is still a team that has won division titles in each of the past seven full seasons. We’ll see how long they can keep this up, but they’re still the top AL West team in these rankings.

10. Brewers (previously: 9)

It’s not fun to lose a pitcher the caliber of Williams, but the trade the Brewers made with the Yankees still felt like a smart and prudent one, and Nestor Cortes is the sort of arm you know they’ll put to good use. The real question is whether this rotation, plus young star Jackson Chourio, is enough to win the NL Central again.

11. Tigers (previously: 12)

Tigers fans thrilled by their late-season run and postseason trip might have been hoping for a little bit more than just Gleyber Torres and Alex Cobb in their New Year’s gift bag, but there’s still some time left in this offseason. One thing’s clear: This is the most hope Tigers fans have felt heading into a season in quite a while.

12. Guardians (previously: 10)

The Guardians have both added and subtracted this offseason, and if their overall body of work seems questionable to you, keep in mind that they didn’t exactly have a splashy offseason a year ago. Then the 2024 club went out and won the AL Central. Would you really doubt that the Guardians can do it again?

13. Cubs (previously: 16)

Are the Cubs, with the addition of Tucker, the new favorites in the NL Central? They probably have the best player in the division now -- for one year, at least. But they also traded Paredes and Cody Bellinger without making another high-impact addition.

14. Royals (previously: 13)

The addition of Jonathan India to last year’s playoff team wasn’t enough to instill all that much confidence in the voters. The Royals still could use a bat or two; you can’t ask Bobby Witt Jr. to do it all himself again.

15. Red Sox (previously: 15)

The Red Sox haven’t exactly taken the Hot Stove by storm the way many thought (and hoped) they would, but they’ve definitely helped out their rotation with the additions of Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler. Will they add to the lineup? If they’re going to compete with the big dogs of the AL East, they may have to.

16. Rangers (previously: 17)

The title defense did not go well at all, but the Rangers look to be considerably better in 2025. They’ve rebuilt their bullpen, and they’ve added power with the acquisitions of Joc Pederson and Jake Burger. Plus, don’t forget: Jacob deGrom is going to be back … and maybe just healthy. And we know what happens when deGrom is healthy.

17. Mariners (previously: 14)

It sure feels like the Mariners are at a tipping point. A team that had some clear holes in 2024 -- holes that may have cost them a playoff spot -- has made no moves this offseason. On one hand, it’s reasonable to expect some improvement from Julio Rodríguez, who just might win that MVP Award everyone has been expecting. On the other hand, the Mariners have a whole bunch of questions right now, and it doesn’t look like they’re going to be answered anytime soon.

18. Twins (previously: 18)

It’s always about health with the Twins, and the offseason can’t really provide any answers in that regard. We won’t know how that’ll work out until the games start. The Twins haven’t done anything that would give them any wiggle room, though.

19. Giants (previously: 21)

The new front office, headed by Buster Posey, has the Giants in a familiar spot: perhaps being short on high-end talent. Willy Adames is an excellent player, and a smart addition. But how much can he -- and a soon-to-be 42-year-old Justin Verlander -- possibly move the needle?

20. Rays (previously: 19)

For the first time since 2018, the Rays face the challenge of rebounding from a sub-.500 season. As usual, the Rays haven’t made many notable additions, so improvement will have to come from within. That’s certainly possible, given the team’s strong farm system and talented players returning from injury, such as ace Shane McClanahan.

21. Reds (previously: 20)

The addition of Gavin Lux is the sort of move the Reds should be making: Giving some playing time to obviously talented players who haven’t quite worked out elsewhere. New manager Terry Francona wouldn’t be here if he didn’t believe they could win. But do they believe they can win?

22. Pirates (previously: 24)

You can talk yourself into the Pirates simply by looking at their rotation 1-2-3: Skenes, Mitch Keller, Jared Jones. No team would want to face those three in a short postseason series. (And another top pitching prospect, Bubba Chandler, is coming soon.) But the lack of significant additions anywhere else makes it unlikely such a series will happen. At least Andrew McCutchen is back again.

23. Blue Jays (previously: 22)

The Blue Jays seem to have spent all season trying to talk free agents into taking their money and trying to talk Vladimir Guerrero Jr. into signing an extension. Neither one of those things have happened. Andrés Giménez's slick glove at second base will help, but it’s far from clear if his bat will. And who knows who his teammates will be in 2026. The Jays will be watched as closely as any team in baseball for the first two months.

24. A’s (previously: 26)

Did anyone see the A’s having an offseason like this? They’ve brought in Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs and Gio Urshela. They extended Brent Rooker. They didn’t trade Mason Miller. This is a team going through a major transition right now. They also look like one that is gearing up to contend.

25. Nationals (previously: 25)

All the young up-and-comers in Washington -- including those acquired in the Soto trade -- look like they’re only a year or two away from making the Nats a hipster pick to make a move in the NL East. But the Nats have taken a measured approach so far this offseason, bringing in the likes of Josh Bell, Nathaniel Lowe, Amed Rosario and Michael Soroka. Keep an eye on these guys, though.

26. Cardinals (previously: 23)

The Cardinals did have a winning record last year, which is easy to forget considering how big a step back they seem to be taking in 2025. They’re trying to figure out a way to trade Nolan Arenado, but if they can’t, it will be a very awkward Spring Training. There is still a lot of young talent here, though.

27. Angels (previously: 27)

The Angels have been connected to just about everybody, and they’ve been pretty active already, adding Jorge Soler, Travis d’Arnaud, Yusei Kikuchi, Kyle Hendricks and Scott Kingery. They still need to add a lot more, though. But no addition would mean more than Mike Trout staying in the lineup all season.

28. Rockies (previously: 29)

It’s always steady-as-she-goes in Denver, for better or worse. This team looks like it did last year, and kind of like it looked the year before. It helps that Ezequiel Tovar may be ready to make the next step, though a healthy Kris Bryant would help more.

29. Marlins (previously: 28)

Sandy Alcantara is back, and that’s good. Not just because he’s a good pitcher, but because he might be one of the few names that many people recognize on this roster.

30. White Sox (previously: 30)

They just lost the most games in modern Major League history, and then they traded away their ace, in Crochet. Yet it’s still probably going to get better under new manager Will Venable.

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STILL GOTTA PLAY THE GAMES

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