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With the Pittsburgh Pirates facing an uncertain future after a disappointing 2016 season, the likelihood that Andrew McCutchen will be traded seems to be increasing.

Continue for updates.

Pirates Exploring McCutchen Deal

Saturday, Dec. 3

A member of the Pirates organization said the team “doesn’t feel compelled to move McCutchen if the price isn’t right,” per Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball.

On Nov. 30, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports noted that McCutchen’s likelihood of playing in Pittsburgh next season is “dwindling.” Passan also reported the Pirates have been the aggressors in the McCutchen trade talks.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported on Nov. 30 that the Texas Rangers are a potential option for McCutchen and that the Pirates are talking to other clubs as well.

Nationals Pushing Hard to Land McCutchen

Saturday, Dec. 3

The Washington Nationals remain in talks with the Pirates regarding McCutchen, per Rosenthal.

Jayson Stark of ESPN.com reported Thursday the Pirates and Nationals “have ramped up” talks about McCutchen, noting the Nationals “would like to make this deal today” given the “ripple effect of trading for McCutchen would likely be a move to nontender shortstop Danny Espinosa before tomorrow’s tender date.”

Rosenthal also reported Thursday the Pirates are “targeting” minor league outfielder Victor Robles in talks. Rosenthal added the Nationals have several starting pitching prospects who are almost ready for the majors and that the Pirates would presumably want one of those pitchers in addition to Robles. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette‘s Stephen J. Nesbitt reported Friday morning the Pirates were “breaking down video of Nats prospects.”

On Wednesday, Rosenthal reported the Pirates were still exploring potential deals involving McCutchen and that the Nationals were among the clubs showing interest.

The Nationals could be an easy fit as a trade partner with the Pirates. Rosenthal reported earlier this month the two teams discussed a blockbuster deal at the trade deadline in July that would have sent McCutchen to Washington, but it fell apart because of the vast number of moving parts. 

Those previous discussions at least gave the Pirates a reason to study Washington’s farm system.

McCutchen Coming Off Down Year in 2016

McCutchen is a strong buy-low trade candidate this offseason. He is coming off the worst year of his career, with a .256/.336/.430 slash line and the lowest FanGraphs WAR (0.7) among all center fielders who qualified for the batting title.

Now that he’s 30 years old and likely not a viable option in center anymore after putting up an MLB-worst minus-28 defensive runs saved in 2016, his $14 million salary is an albatross for the small-market Pirates.

McCutchen has been a fantastic ambassador for the Pirates and Major League Baseball since he debuted in 2009, but the team has to focus on its long-term outlook.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Major League Baseball’s hot-stove season is supposed to be heating up, but unfortunately, the looming specter of a lockout if a new collective bargaining agreement can’t be reached before the current one expires on December 1 has given the offseason a sense of dread. 

While no one wants a lockout, the good news is that even if one happens now, there will be three months to get a labor agreement done before teams report to spring training in February. 

The downside is the lockout could make teams and players reluctant to conduct business until they know what any changes to the salary structure might look like. There’s been nothing to suggest any kind of significant change, but negotiations are difficult to predict. 

Since there are still rumblings about teams wanting to do things, let’s look at what some of their plans look like with winter meetings set to start on December 4. 

J.D. Martinez’s Future

The Detroit Tigers might be the most fascinating team to watch this offseason because general manager Al Avila said earlier this offseason that the “organization has been working way above its means for some time,” per MLB.com’s Jason Beck. 

There have been diminishing returns for the Tigers since reaching the playoffs in 2014, though they were in wild-card contention this season until the final day. 

Per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Tigers have $179 million committed to 11 players next season. This is not a smart or effective use of resources, making Avila’s desire to cut back on spending necessary so they avoid completely bottoming out in the next year or two. 

Trades become a problem for the Tigers because while players like Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander are terrific right now, they are signed through 2023 and 2019, respectively. Cabrera will be 39 in the final guaranteed year of his deal, while Verlander will be 36. 

J.D. Martinez is easily Detroit’s most valuable trade asset because he’s young (29) and signed to an affordable contract that runs for only one more season. 

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports noted that the New York Mets had some interest in Martinez as a backup plan if they couldn’t work out a deal with Yoenis Cespedes. 

On Tuesday, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported that Cespedes was returning to the Mets. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported that Cespedes‘ new deal is for $110 million over four years. 

That leaves Martinez’s trade status once again up in the air, though Heyman also noted that the San Francisco Giants have been linked to him and that a team like the Los Angeles Dodgers could be a fit. 

Martinez had an outstanding 2016 season with a .307/.373/.535 slash line. The only downside was that he missed 42 games with a fractured elbow.

In a free-agent market with few power hitters of substance—Mark Trumbo has 40-homer power, but his .316 on-base percentage last season isn’t inspiring—Martinez’s trade value will likely never be higher. 

Even though the Tigers aren’t yet at a point where they need to tear the whole thing down and start over, they can’t afford to wait much longer to start making deals. 

Martinez should be the first big domino to fall for the Tigers at some point this winter to help restock the farm system. 

Pirates Listening on Josh Harrison

When trade discussions about the Pittsburgh Pirates come up this offseason, they typically involve what the team will do with Andrew McCutchen.

But Rosenthal reported that versatile utility player Josh Harrison is another player the Pirates will listen to offers for this winter.

There were no concrete scenarios listed in which the Pirates would deal Harrison. It’s just a case of the team being open to anything and everything. 

Harrison has been a solid performer over the past three seasons, posting a .296/.329/.426 slash line and 8.9 wins above replacement, per Baseball-Reference.com. 

The Pirates could run into some problems trying to trade Harrison, with Rosenthal noting that other teams would likely prefer Ian Kinsler of the Detroit Tigers or Brian Dozier of the Minnesota Twins if they are going to deal for a second baseman. 

The Pirates spent a franchise-record $99 million on payroll in 2016, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, but managed only 78 wins because of a combination of injuries and poor performances from key contributors like McCutchen and Gerrit Cole. 

There is still hope for next season because Jameson Taillon looked effective as a rookie. Gregory Polanco turned in a strong year, and Starling Marte continues to be one of the best all-around players in MLB. 

The National League Central figures to be controlled by the Chicago Cubs for a long time, but if Cole and McCutchen return to form in 2017, the Pirates could challenge for a wild-card spot. 

Harrison is under control through at least 2018, with two team options in 2019 and 2020. Pittsburgh doesn’t need to actively pursue moving him at this point, but as a small-market franchise, it can’t dismiss anything at any point. 

Arizona’s Pitching Surplus

New Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen is wasting no time in reshaping the roster after acquiring Taijuan Walker as part of a five-player deal with the Seattle Mariners. 

After the team added Walker to the starting rotation, Rosenthal reported that the Diamondbacks anticipate plenty of trade discussions with other teams involving their young crop of arms. 

Walker, Archie Bradley, Patrick Corbin, Shelby Miller and Robbie Ray certainly possess youth. Corbin is the oldest in that group at 27 years old, and he won’t hit free agency until after the 2018 season. 

Finding the right deal becomes the key for the Diamondbacks, though no one knows exactly how Hazen views any of those players. Trading Miller when his value has never been lower wouldn’t make sense unless the new regime believes he can’t succeed there and needs a change of scenery. 

Corbin had the worst season of his career in 2016 with a 5.15 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. Bradley is only two years removed from being one of MLB’s top 10 prospects, though his inability to consistently throw strikes (89 walks in 177.1 career innings) isn’t inspiring confidence. 

The Diamondbacks still have plenty of talent to believe they can challenge for a playoff spot next season if things fall into place.

Zack Greinke might be a more sensible trade option for the team by virtue of his $34 million salary, per Baseball-Reference.com, but there aren’t many clubs that can afford to take on that much money. 

A full, healthy year from A.J. Pollock gives the Diamondbacks more depth in the lineup to put with Paul Goldschmidt, Jake Lamb and Brandon Drury. 

Given the state of things in Arizona thanks to the previous regime, Hazen is in the difficult position of trying to assess where his team is at right now and how quickly it can be fixed.

Hazen came from a situation with the Boston Red Sox where money was rarely an object, but the team always seemed to churn out stars from the farm system, especially in the last few years with players like Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Andrew Benintendi. 

A lot of mistakes were made in the desert under Dave Stewart and Tony La Russa. Hazen may not always make the biggest splash, but he knows how to help construct a team that can challenge for the playoffs. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Free agency gets all the headlines this time of year in Major League Baseball, but a dreadful crop of talent for all 30 teams to choose from should boost interest and activity in the trade market over the winter. 

The end of November is often the calm before the storm, as MLB players and executives are making their final preparations for the winter meetings that will begin on Dec. 4. 

That is the key date to focus on for when a deluge of trades is likely to happen. Teams already have a strong idea of what their payroll will be for 2017 and how much they have to spend, though trades are more complex because they require teams to give up assets and money in order to improve. 

Given what the trade market could bring this hot-stove season, here are the hottest rumors two weeks away from the winter meetings. 

McCutchen’s Market

Coming off the worst season of his career, Pittsburgh Pirates star Andrew McCutchen finds himself at a crossroads. He’s only 30 years old and finished in the top five of National League MVP voting each year from 2012-15, so there is reason to be optimistic about a turnaround next season.

Other teams are aware of this, which is why they have called the Pirates about McCutchen. 

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported the Seattle Mariners inquired about McCutchen earlier this offseason, but whatever talks the two sides had did not advance. 

The Pirates may not be able to wait around for McCutchen to figure things out in 2017. His salary will be $14 million, per Spotrac, which is a manageable figure for most teams. 

Per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Pirates’ payroll has exceeded $90 million the previous two seasons and their obligations for next season when factoring in estimated arbitration salaries. They also have to supplement the roster with free agents. 

The Pirates are a small-market team, so having one player eating up a significant portion of the payroll severely limits what they are capable of adding around him. They also have a nearly ready center field prospect in Austin Meadows, who ended this season in Triple-A. 

ESPN.com’s Keith Law highlighted another reason it could be enticing for the Pirates to move McCutchen now:

Trading McCutchen, as painful as it might be, could be a big retooling move for the Pirates, who still have a strong farm system and could use Cutch to keep the team competitive without having to go through a few losing seasons first. There should be 20 clubs lined up to make offers, as anyone could take him and put him in left field, where I expect his defense to be plus and his offense, at pre-2016 levels, to still make him an above-average or better regular.

McCutchen hit .256/.336/.430 with a career-high 143 strikeouts in 598 at-bats. His defense fell off a cliff, with FanGraphs’ defensive runs saved noting he cost the Pirates 28 runs in center field. 

There is an injury explanation for McCutchen’s offensive performance. He had a right thumb issue that flared up in May and June, and any issue with the hand is going to impact bat speed and power. 

The defensive fall is more worrisome since it could be an indication McCutchen is losing a step now that he’s reached 30. 

If the thumb issue is a problem in the rearview mirror, McCutchen’s offense should at least approach his 2012-15 levels and make his $14 million salary a relative bargain. He’s exponentially more valuable if he can play center, as opposed to moving to a corner, but the bat will play anywhere. 

The Pirates certainly don’t want to trade McCutchen because of how important he’s been to the franchise, but they also can’t afford to hang onto him one year too long when his market could completely collapse if he has another down season. 

The Mariners may be the most recent team linked to McCutchen, but when the winter meetings begin, any team that might think it needs an outfielder should be calling the Pirates to see how serious they are about engaging in trade talks. 

The Kinsler Complication

The Detroit Tigers could be at the epicenter of trade discussions this offseason. General manager Al Avila said in October the team has been operating “way above its means for some time,” per MLB.com’s Jason Beck. 

Owner Mike Ilitch has been willing to spend freely for the last five years in hopes of bringing Detroit a World Series title, but that strategy has limitations. The Tigers are now saddled with a lot of large multiyear contracts for players well into their 30s. 

Miguel Cabrera and Justin Verlander are still terrific players. However, they are almost impossible to move because they will make a combined $172 million through 2019, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, and Cabrera is signed through 2023 (excluding option years), when he will be 40 years old. 

Ian Kinsler becomes one of the most valuable trade chips for the Tigers because he’s still a star player who is signed to a modest deal that pays him $11 million in 2017 with a $10 million team option for 2018, per Spotrac. 

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers have had talks regarding Kinsler. 

Things would not be as simple as merely agreeing on pieces being moved if the two sides were to strike a deal.

Rosenthal noted Kinsler has a limited no-trade clause with 10 teams on the list, including the Dodgers. Kinsler’s agent, Jay Franklin, told Rosenthal his client would be open to agreeing to a deal under one condition.

“If one of the 10 teams happens to call and wants to talk about it, we’re open to talking about it,” Franklin said. “(But) they’re going to have to extend him for us to waive the no-trade.”

The problem with extending Kinsler is he will turn 35 in June. He’s coming off a strong 2016 in which he hit .288/.348/.484 with 28 homers and won his first Gold Glove. 

As a result of that success, Kinsler could and should be seeking a multiyear extension. But how many more years can he realistically be expected to have anywhere near that kind of production?

The Dodgers would be a perfect fit because they need a second baseman with Chase Utley being a free agent, and they certainly have the money to do whatever they want. Yet this front office, led by Andrew Friedman, let Zack Greinke walk last winter after he had a 1.66 ERA in 2015. 

Wacha’s Last Stand

When Michael Wacha burst onto the scene in 2013, the natural assumption was he would be the St. Louis Cardinals’ No. 2 starter and heir apparent to Adam Wainwright as the ace. 

Three years later, Wacha’s career has been a disappointment due to a series of injuries that have hindered his performance. 

Perhaps as an indication the Cardinals don’t want to wait around for Wacha to regain his 2013 form, Rosenthal reported the team has “floated” his name around in trade discussions. 

However, Rosenthal added “it’s unlikely they would get much for a pitcher who has a history of shoulder trouble.”

Last year was rock-bottom for Wacha. He had a 5.09 ERA with 159 hits allowed in 138 innings over 27 appearances (24 starts). He missed one month from Aug. 8 through Sept. 14 with a shoulder issue. 

Per MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch, Wacha and the Cardinals doctors worked together to develop a new rehab strategy to get him healthy. The results didn’t show upon his return, as he allowed 13 earned runs in 6.2 innings. 

One advantage Wacha has for any team potentially interested is age. He’s only 25 years old and under team control through 2019. His struggles last season will help keep his arbitration salary down next season, with Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors estimating he will make $3.2 million. 

Wacha is just one year removed from making 30 starts with a 3.38 ERA and posting a career-high 2.3 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs.

He may never be the pitcher who looked like an ace and carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning of his first playoff start in 2013, but a low-cost starting pitcher is the most valuable commodity in baseball. 

The Cardinals are smart to dangle Wacha out there to see if any market develops. If it does, they can deal him without hesitation. If it doesn’t, they will do everything in their power to make sure he starts 30 games once again.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Major League Baseball’s offseason has already seen some action, but things will pick up after Thanksgiving as every team and free agent prepares for the winter meetings in December. 

Even though players are free to sign deals right now, the marquee names are most likely to wait until everyone converges on Maryland, where it’s easy to get more people in a room to try to ignite a bidding war to drive up prices. 

While a lot of things will change even before the meetings start Dec. 4, here are the latest rumblings for some of this year’s top sluggers. 

Shopping at Napoli’s

Coming off two injury-plagued seasons in 2014-15, Mike Napoli’s days as an impact power hitter in the middle of a good lineup appeared to be over. 

After waiting until January to sign a one-year deal with the Cleveland Indians, Napoli proceeded to have a fine bounce-back season with career highs in games played (150), home runs (34) and RBI (101). 

Napoli has also become a cult figure in Cleveland thanks to the “Party at Napoli’s” rallying cry. With all of that going for him, it’s not a surprise the Indians want to bring him back next season. 

Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported on Sept. 29 that the team hopes to work out a deal with Napoli, while he’s seeking a multiyear deal. 

With free agency now in full swing, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the Houston Astros are taking a look at Napoli to fill their void at first base and designated hitter. 

Napoli, who turned 35 on Oct. 31, will likely be looking for something resembling long-term security coming off a solid 2016 season. He is a player with limitations that could hurt his market, notably on defense. FanGraphs calculated he cost the Indians four runs at first base in 2016. 

The Astros have already shown they are going all-in to win in 2017 by signing Josh Reddick and trading for Brian McCann. Signing Napoli would be another indication they aren’t going to wait around for the rest of the American League West to strike.

The Indians know the value Napoli brings to the middle of their order and in the clubhouse, but they may opt to use whatever money they have to spend this offseason to address a more pressing need—center field. 

With the Astros motivated and willing to spend money, they appear to be Napoli’s best bet for a new home in 2017. 

Prediction: Napoli signs with Astros

Encarnacion’s Market

The market for Napoli will surely be directly impacted by what happens with Edwin Encarnacion, who serves the same role as a power-hitting first baseman and designated hitter. 

The key difference is Encarnacion, despite turning 34 in January, is in position to ask for a deal of at least three or four years because he’s posted five straight seasons with at least a .350 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage. 

The Toronto Blue Jays, who have given Encarnacion a stage to showcase his hitting skills since 2010, appeared to be out of the market for the slugger after signing Kendrys Morales to a three-year, $33 million deal. 

However, per Heyman, the Jays have made Encarnacion an offer of $80 million over four years.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins told reporters last week (via Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca) that Morales’ presence would likely impact what they were able to do with Encarnacion:

“It makes things slightly less likely for Edwin, but doesn’t impact us on Jose (Bautista) in any way. We still feel that both are realistic for us. When you sign someone like Kendrys Morales, that does decrease the likelihood of Edwin coming back to the Blue Jays, but it by no means eliminates that possibility.”

The bad news for Toronto—which is good news for Encarnacion—is Heyman mentioned the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have also been connected to the three-time All-Star. 

The Rangers, Red Sox and Yankees have three of the deepest pockets in MLB. If Encarnacion’s camp is able to open up a bidding war that includes at least two of those teams, the Blue Jays would likely end up exceeding what money they have available. 

The Red Sox have always made the most sense as a landing spot for Encarnacion because David Ortiz retired and they need to find someone capable of providing the production Big Papi did. 

One advantage for the Red Sox is they have so much young position player talent that they can rotate into the DH spot if they don’t want to spend big money on a player entering his mid-30s. 

The Yankees don’t really make sense unless they believe competing for a playoff spot in 2017 is viable. The Rangers did lose Prince Fielder to retirement last season and Mitch Moreland had a .298 on-base percentage as the primary first baseman. 

Given how aggressive the Astros have already been this offseason, the Rangers need to issue a response of their own.

Spending big money on players over 30 has gotten them into some trouble recently, like trading for Fielder and signing Shin-Soo Choo, but Encarnacion doesn’t have to play a position to provide value and he’s appeared in at least 140 games four times in the last five seasons. 

Prediction: Encarnacion signs with Rangers

Bye-Bye, Joey Bats

Sticking with the Blue Jays, Bautista is their other big free agent who could end up going elsewhere. 

Despite what Atkins told reporters, Heyman reported on Thursday that the Jays “do not seem at all interested in Bautista beyond the draft pick they’ll be getting if/when he signs elsewhere.”

Bautista’s free agency is one of the most fascinating test cases of any player available this winter. He’s still a star in name, but his performance and body have started to break down in recent years.

Another problem for Bautista is age. He’s 36 years old and virtually incapable of playing in the outfield anymore, costing the Blue Jays eight runs by FanGraphs‘ metrics last season.

In February, TSN’s Rick Westhead reported Bautista was seeking $150 million over five years on his next contract. Bautista denied the report, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca.

Whether Bautista wanted a deal like that, he will be lucky to get a contract with a total value of $50 million this offseason, and even that will only happen if he can find a team willing to give him three years. 

Heyman noted one rival agent told him Bautista should have accepted Toronto’s qualifying offer that would have paid him $17.2 million in 2017. It will likely be a higher average annual salary than the six-time All-Star will get elsewhere.

Trying to find a market for Bautista is especially difficult because if he can’t play a position—or even gets pushed to first base—the number of teams that might pursue him dwindles dramatically. 

Heyman reported on Nov. 10 that the Red Sox reached out to Bautista’s camp during the general manager meetings. 

Even though Bautista isn’t the hitter Encarnacion is at this point, he would actually be a better fit for the Red Sox. He likely isn’t going to cost as much in terms of years and dollars. He’s coming off an injury-marred 2016, so the Red Sox can shift him to DH in place of Ortiz and hope to catch lightning in a bottle. 

Plus, with all of Boston’s young talent already in place and other players like Yoan Moncada likely available at some point in 2017, the Red Sox don’t need Bautista to anchor their lineup because they can score 800 runs falling out of bed. 

Prediction: Bautista signs with Red Sox

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Major League Baseball’s 2016 season officially came to an end on Friday night with Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout taking home top honors as the best major leaguer at the Esurance MLB Awards show. 

That was one of 19 awards given out as voted on by former MLB players, front-office executives, media and fans to determine the best of the best in the sport last season.  

Here is a full list of winners in each category, per MLB.com:

While the Chicago Cubs’ thrilling World Series victory was the dominant topic of the 2016 season, no discussion of this year would be complete without a tribute to Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully. 

It was only fitting that after 67 years of calling Dodgers games, Scully would be given the opportunity to showcase his brilliance in dramatic fashion as the team won the National League West on Charlie Culberson’s walk-off home run in the 10th inning against the Colorado Rockies.

There are many great announcers in MLB, but there was no other call in 2016 that deserved to be honored more than Scully‘s final call at Dodger Stadium.

Sticking with the Dodgers, star shortstop Corey Seager capped off a huge week by winning the award for best rookie in 2016. He took home NL Rookie of the Year honors from the Baseball Writers Association of America on Monday and was an NL MVP finalist on Thursday. 

Per ESPN Stats & Info, Seager‘s Rookie of the Year win increased the number of Dodgers’ already-massive lead in that category over the rest of the NL:

Just as Seager was a repeat winner in the rookie category, Washington Nationals ace Max Scherzer comes away from this week with multiple trophies after being named the best pitcher in MLB and earning best performance for his 20-strikeout game against the Detroit Tigers in May. 

The celebration for Scherzer‘s Esurance win wasn’t televised, though it would be hard to top what happened after he was named NL Cy Young winner on Wednesday, per MLB GIFs:

The Cubs and Cleveland Indians were well-represented in the awards, as was expected for the two best teams in the sport in 2016. 

The American League champion Indians had two of their most memorable moments rewarded. Tyler Naquin’s walk-off inside-the-park homer against the Toronto Blue Jays was arguably their biggest moment of the regular season, capping off a thrilling come-from-behind win against one of the AL’s top teams. 

In what would have been the defining moment of the MLB season if things played out differently in Game 7 of the World Series, Rajai Davis’ game-tying home run against Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman was awarded best postseason moment. 

Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor took home the honor for best defensive player after receiving his first career Gold Glove award earlier this month. 

Fortunately for Lindor, he wasn’t punished by the voters when his brother caused a stir during the young shortstop’s 23rd birthday with a cake mishap, which he posted to Twitter:

Other Indians rewarded for their efforts included Terry Francona as best manager for navigating the team through pitching injuries to their first division title since 2007 and ace reliever Andrew Miller for best postseason player. 

Per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian, Miller set three postseason records for relief pitchers:

The Cubs, who beat the Indians in the World Series to end their 108-year title drought, took home four trophies. 

Theo Epstein was the easiest choice of the night in any category as best executive. The babyface president of the Cubs took over the team in 2011, rebuilt the entire foundation by hitting big on draft picks like Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber, stealing Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, Jake Arrieta and Kyle Hendricks in trades and investing wisely in free agency for Jon Lester. 

With Francona and Epstein being honored on this night, it’s only fitting their last link to the 2004 Boston Red Sox also took home a trophy, as David Ortiz was honored as the best hitter. 

Ortiz, who will enjoy retirement before Cooperstown calls him in five years, had an incredible final season with a .315/.401/.620 slash line and 38 home runs. 

Per Christopher Kamka of Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Ortiz shattered the MLB record for most extra-base hits in a season by a player in aged 40 or older:

The Red Sox were unable to send Ortiz into the sunset with his fourth World Series title, but it’s hard to argue with how his career came to a close. 

In the final award given out, Trout just continues to rack up trophies for being awesome. That’s not a scientific term, but there’s no better way to describe what the Angels star has done through each of his first five full MLB seasons. 

Trout took home his second AL MVP award on Thursday, beating out Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts and Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve. The 25-year-old has never finished lower than second in MVP voting and led the league in runs (123), walks (116) and on-base percentage (.441) in 2016. 

The comparisons between Trout and Mickey Mantle have been made dating back to 2012, with the YES Network providing the latest evidence these two might actually be the same player:

It’s difficult to say Trout will get better next season, because how do you improve upon two MVP awards at the age of 25? Yet there truly seems to be no limit on what the Angels star is capable of doing on a baseball field. 

The Angels need to do a better job of building a team around Trout to maximize his skills while they still can. For now, though, admiring what the young star is doing will carry you through the long winter until baseball returns in 2017. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Capping a memorable awards season Thursday, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels and Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs took home American League and National League MVP honors, respectively.

Even though Trout has been the best player in baseball since 2012, his MVP candidacy this year was far from a lock, since writers have ignored players whose teams missed the playoffs in the past.

Bryant was the heavy favorite in the NL after leading the Cubs to the NL Central title and solidifying his standing as one of the best young stars in Major League Baseball.

Here’s how the final voting for this year’s MVP awards played out, per the Baseball Writers’ Association of America:

The BBWAA chose Bryant over Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Daniel Murphy of the Washington Nationals, making Bryant the first Cubs player to be named the MVP since Sammy Sosa in 1998.

Bryant followed up his stellar NL Rookie of the Year campaign by getting better in virtually every category this season.

Per ESPN Stats & Info, the Cubs superstar satisfied all of the statistical measurements for voters old and new:

The 24-year-old’s MVP win also puts him in exclusive territory as the fourth player in MLB history to take home the honor one year after being named the Rookie of the Year. Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (2007-08) was the last to accomplish the feat.

Coming into spring training, Cubs manager Joe Maddon told Carrie Muskat of MLB.com about conversations he had with Bryant last year, when the third baseman was briefly sent down to Triple-A to start the season:

I was confident he would respond well. We had some good conversations, me and him, in the office — very candid, frank, open, all of the above. I got a good feel from him. He was very self-confident. He was disappointed he was not starting with us but had the team goals in mind.

He was straight up with me and looked me right in the eye balls [saying he belonged in big leagues] and I don’t blame him. When he got up here, he showed it was true.

It was immediately true, yet Bryant found new ways to improve his game in 2016. The biggest adjustment was changing his swing slightly so he wasn’t hitting at a steep upward angle, which can help generate power but also lead to high strikeout totals.

Bryant’s strikeout percentage went from 30.6 in 2015 to 22.0 in 2016, per FanGraphs. By making more contact, the 24-year-old increased his home run total from 26 to 39 and went from a .488 slugging percentage to .554.

On Thursday’s MLB Network broadcast (via Muskat), Bryant said, “You can’t put into words what this means.”

Christopher Kamka of CSN Chicago noted the list of accolades Bryant has racked up over the last three years, dating back to his final college season:

If that’s not enough, Bryant will start 2017 by getting married in January. That’s not a bad run for the 24-year-old sensation.

Switching to the AL, Trout remains the best player in baseball. Per ESPN Stats & Info, the Angels all-world star has had a five-year run fans haven’t seen since Babe Ruth:

WAR isn’t the be-all, end-all stat by which to determine an MVP, but it does provide a good jumping-off point. Trout finished one full win ahead of Bryant in the category and 1.6 wins ahead of Red Sox star Mookie Betts, per FanGraphs.

That’s not criticism of Betts or Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, the other AL MVP finalists, because both players were fantastic in their own right. It’s just a bad time to be an AL player if you want to be in the mix for the top spot.

Per SportsCenter, Trout’s name now sits alongside Barry Bonds in MLB history:

After being announced as the AL MVP, the 25-year-old didn’t know what to say, per MLB Network PR: “I was surprised. … I’m speechless, man.”

Of course, the anti-playoff backlash for Trout was inevitable, per Tony Massarotti of 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston:

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports had some fun with Trout’s win by invoking a notable Twitter incident after Wednesday’s AL Cy Young voting:

ESPN’s Buster Olney provided this incredible stat:

There’s no way to argue against Trout. The only knock anyone could try to present against him is that the Angels went 74-88, but you can’t punish an individual player for the lack of talent around him.

The BBWAA gets a bad rap for some of its antiquated thinking, though there has been a clear shift in recent years.

Trout and Bryant were the two best players in MLB, and they deserved to be rewarded for their efforts.

The pressure is on for 2017, though Trout and Bryant have shown in their young careers there is no ceiling to what they are capable of doing on the baseball field.

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With Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, one topic being discussed is the size of the rosters teams can use during the season.

On Thursday, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the proposal the sides are discussing would expand rosters from 25 players to 26 for the bulk of the campaign. In exchange, the agreement would introduce a new limit in September, when rosters have traditionally expanded to 40 players. 

September roster expansion has drawn criticism because it changes the dynamic for managers as they navigate their way through games with more players at their disposal than the rest of the year. 

After speaking to multiple general managers and team executives, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe wrote about roster expansion in August, noting the union may not be “as on board with the change as much as MLB because it would limit major league participation.”

Baltimore Orioles general manager Dan Duquette suggested keeping the roster size at 40 players, with teams having to designate 30 players from that group as active before each game. 

Rosenthal noted the sides have discussed a similar scenario in their negotiations: “The new limit likely would be 28, and the rules would permit teams to swap out players, though not on a daily basis.”

One reason the union may not be keen to give up roster spots is because it would limit service time for many players, which would prevent them from reaching arbitration and free agency as quickly.

A lot of players who get called up in September are relievers, which allows managers to ease the burden on pitchers who have had heavy workloads over the first five months of the season. In July, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told ESPN’s Mike & Mike (via ESPN.com) that he would be in favor of placing a restriction on the number of relief pitchers who can be used in an inning or game. 

Rosenthal noted the topic is also being discussed during CBA negotiations, though it “could be resolved separately from the CBA,” per a source.

The CBA will expire Dec. 1. There’s been little to suggest a work stoppage is looming, and there is plenty of time for the sides to come to an agreement.

MLB hasn’t had a work stoppage since the 1994-95 strike, which led to the cancellation of the 1994 postseason and a shortened 144-game schedule in 1995.

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Oakland Athletics managing partner and co-owner Lew Wolff is stepping down. 

According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Athletics primary owner John Fisher will be taking over Wolff’s role.

Slusser also reported Wolff will be selling a majority of his stake in the Major League Baseball franchise to the other partners and will be named chairman emeritus. 

The A’s officially announced the organizational shake-up Thursday. Dave Kaval moves into the role of team president, and Michael Crowley will transition into a senior adviser role. 

Kaval said the A’s are committed to staying in Oakland, per John Hickey of Bay Area News Group. Kaval said the team is looking at several potential sites but likes the idea of a “ballpark village” concept, according to Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area.

Wolff was part of a group that purchased the A’s from Stephen Schott and Ken Hofmann in 2005 for $180 million. The franchise has made four playoff appearances since that group took over; most recently, Oakland lost to the Kansas City Royals in the American League Wild Card Game in 2014. 

The A’s organization, particularly Wolff, has drawn heavy criticism in recent years for a number of reasons, both on and off the field. 

In October 2015, Eno Sarris of ESPN.com wrote about some of the issues that have plagued the A’s under their current ownership group:

Wolff has long refused to spend on the players or the stadium, which has led to situations like Scott Hatteberg at first base and sewage in the dugout. And fans are, quite frankly, tired of the concrete bunker that is the Coliseum — ranked worst in all of sports in stadium quality and fan-friendliness. Local transportation problems have contributed, and the stadium doesn’t sit in a part of Oakland that might attract foot traffic. 

The problems at the Oakland Coliseum have been well-documented, including several instances of flooding after heavy rains that have led to sewage seeping into the building. 

The A’s haven’t finished higher than 18th in payroll since 2000, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. They have made questionable trades, notably sending Josh Donaldson to the Toronto Blue Jays in November 2014 before he was eligible for arbitration when his salary would exceed the MLB minimum for the first time.

Wolff’s decision to step down from a heavy hands-on role with the Athletics to a less prominent position gives the franchise an opportunity to move forward with greater success than they have had in recent years. 

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In two hotly contested races, Rick Porcello of the Boston Red Sox and Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals took home the American League and National League Cy Young Award on Wednesday. 

Porcello beat out Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers and Corey Kluber of the Cleveland Indians. Verlander led all AL pitchers with 14 first-place votes, but the Red Sox right-hander had more points by virtue of Verlander being left off two ballots. 

Scherzer overcame stiff competition from Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks of the Chicago Cubs.

Here are the full voting results for the 2016 Cy Young awards, per BBWAA.com:

MLB GIFs provided the amazing celebration from Scherzer and his family when he was announced as the NL winner:

All six pitchers had a compelling Cy Young case.

In the NL, Hendricks led Major League Baseball with a 2.13 ERA and 188 ERA+ and had the lowest fielding independent ERA (3.20) among the three NL finalists. 

Lester finished second to Hendricks in MLB with a 2.44 ERA, but he also threw 12.1 more innings and had 27 more strikeouts than his Chicago teammate.  

Christopher Kamka of Comcast SportsNet Chicago noted the Cubs’ team ERA was better than all but one pitcher in either league:

Scherzer‘s case turned out to be the strongest among all of the NL finalists. He satisfied the old-school voters with a league-leading 20 wins, 284 strikeouts and 228.1 innings pitched.

Washington’s ace also tickled the fancy for the analytically inclined minds by leading MLB in WHIP (0.968) and the NL in wins above replacement (6.2) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.071). The only negative to Scherzer‘s game this season was allowing 31 homers, five less than the combined total for Lester and Hendricks.

If those stats aren’t enough, MLB Stat of the Day offered another nugget to make Scherzer‘s case:

Per MLB Stat of the Day, Scherzer joins an illustrious list of six pitchers to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues, as he previously won the award in 2013 with the Detroit Tigers:

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Scherzer did something in 2016 only two other pitchers in NL history had done before:

One thing that may have hurt the Cubs duo’s case is the team’s defense. ESPN.com’s Sam Miller wrote after the season how good Chicago was at turning balls in play into outs:

It’s been 34 years since a team converted balls in play at a higher clip than the Cubs, and that was when the league as a whole hit 15 to 20 points lower on balls in play than modern players do. No team since at least 1950 has converted a higher percentage of outs, relative to the rest of the league, than the Cubs just did

That still shouldn’t take away from the brilliance of Lester or Hendricks. It just elevates what Scherzer was able to do with a defense that wasn’t historically awesome. 

After being named the NL Cy Young winner, Scherzer did acknowledge he wants what Lester and Hendricks experienced earlier this month, per Bruce Levine of 670 The Score:

However, Scherzer was excited about what he accomplished in 2016 while also looking ahead to next year.

“In 2017 I want to be a better pitcher…but right now it’s all about celebrating what happened in 2016,” Scherzer said, per MLB Network PR. 

Scherzer put himself on the list of historic 2016 performances with his May 11 start against the Detroit Tigers, via MLB.com:

Over in the AL, there were legitimate arguments to be made for at least five pitchers who didn’t even make the top-three list, including Chris Sale and Jose Quintana of the Chicago White Sox, Masahiro Tanaka of the New York Yankees and Aaron Sanchez of the Toronto Blue Jays. 

Baltimore Orioles reliever Zach Britton received more first-place votes (five) than Kluber (three), but he finished fourth in the voting because he was left off six ballots. 

The separation between Porcello, Kluber and Verlander was minuscule. Porcello led MLB with 22 wins and a 5.906 strikeout-to-walk ratio. 

Verlander was one of the great rebound stories in MLB this season. He turned things around after a June 26 start against the Indians in which he allowed eight runs in 4.2 innings, raising his season ERA to 4.30. 

After the All-Star break, Detroit’s ace had a 1.96 ERA with a 0.861 WHIP and 134 strikeouts in 110.1 innings. 

In response to a comment from Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun about the lack of a dominant starting pitcher in the AL, Verlander pointed out how great he was in comparison to four of the AL’s top starters in 2016:

Kluber was virtually tied with Verlander in wins above replacement (6.6 to 6.5) and led the league in ERA+ (149), fielding independent ERA (3.26) and shutouts (two). 

Yet Porcello‘s transformation in 2016 after posting a 4.92 ERA last season was one of the great stories in MLB. 

When asked about what changed for Porcello this season, he didn’t have a magic formula to become the Cy Young winner. 

“Basically get back to basics and do simple better, and it worked,” Porcello said, per MLB Network PR. 

Per Red Sox Notes, Porcello‘s win gives the franchise its seventh Cy Young Award:

Jason Lukehart of Let’s Go Tribe had a humorous note about this year’s Cy Young winners and their previous connection in the AL:

Red Sox Notes also listed a key streak Porcello had during the 2016 season that deserved more attention than it got:

Innings pitched is an underrated factor in the Cy Young equation. The ability to go deep into games, giving your team a chance to win every fifth day and saving the bullpen, is what separates an ace from every other pitcher in the sport.

Britton was brilliant for the Orioles in 2016, but his impact in one-inning stints doesn’t compare to what Porcello and the other AL Cy Young finalists were able to do. 

One year ago, Porcello looked like a total bust for the Red Sox months after signing a long-term extension in April 2015. 

Now, the 27-year-old Porcello is the No. 1 starter on a loaded Red Sox team that will be a playoff contender for years to come with the deepest collection of young position player talent in the American League. 

Stats per Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

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After overcoming different types of adversity with their teams in the 2016 season, Terry Francona of the Cleveland Indians and Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers were named American League and National League Manager of the Year on Tuesday, respectively. 

Francona earned his second award in this category, previously winning in his first season with the Indians three years ago. Roberts took home the NL honors in his first season with the Dodgers. 

Here are the voting results, per BBWAA.com:

Francona triumphed over Jeff Banister of the Texas Rangers and Buck Showalter of the Baltimore Orioles. 

Voting for the award doesn’t include the playoffs, otherwise Francona would have won in a landslide for his ability to navigate a Cleveland pitching staff that was missing starters Carlos Carrasco for the entire postseason and Danny Salazar for the first two rounds due to injuries. 

Factoring in just the regular season, it’s still hard to argue against Francona as the best manager in the American League. The Indians started the year without All-Star outfielder Michael Brantley due to offseason shoulder surgery that wound up limiting him to 11 games. 

As the season moved along, Francona also lost Carrasco, Salazar and Yan Gomes for long stretches. Yet the Indians never wavered, going 94-67 to win their first division title since 2007. 

Speaking on MLB Network before the results were announced, Francona described what it meant for him to be part of the Indians in 2016:

Per the Indians’ official Twitter account, Cleveland has been the AL’s best regular-season team since Francona took over, and his teams always play winning baseball:

There’s no exact science to be a successful manager in MLB. Francona‘s reputation suggests he knows how to prepare his team for work while at the same time always keep things loose in the clubhouse. 

Indians general manager Mike Chernoff gave Francona kudos for his ability to handle in-game tactics so well, per MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian: 

He’s amazing. He’s incredible at in-game strategy. It’s exceptional to just watch it. He’s five steps ahead of all of us — probably everybody out there — and we get to see the full picture. That’s just a small part of it of who he is and what he does. He’s broken down barriers organizationally for us.

The 2016 season was one in which most of the country finally caught up with what Francona and the Indians have slowly been building toward since he took over.

The Indians fell one win short of the ultimate prize, but with virtually every player from that team returning and injured stars like Brantley and Carrasco joining the mix, next season should be another good one for Cleveland. 

With Francona steering things in the dugout, they know the ship is headed in the right direction. 

In the NL, Roberts beat out Joe Maddon of the Chicago Cubs and Dusty Baker of the Washington Nationals to win in his first year as skipper. 

“I am completely humbled,” Roberts said after the voting results were announced, per Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. “I am speechless.”

Roberts had arguably the most difficult managerial job of anyone in Major League Baseball, despite leading a team with a payroll of almost $250 million, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. 

The Dodgers set an MLB record by having 28 players on the disabled list during the regular season, including four-fifths of the starting rotation. Clayton Kershaw missed more than two months with back problems.

Kenta Maeda was the only Dodgers pitcher to make more than 26 starts. Despite those pitching injures, MLB Stat of the Day noted the team still set a new strikeout record:

In the face of so much adversity during the season, Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained what Roberts did to keep the team successful, per Eric Stephen of True Blue LA:

A great byproduct of the cultural change and shift that we saw on the major league side with Doc and his coaches was to be able to provide that soft landing spot [for rookies]. That environment where guys could come up and thrive and not be afraid to compete, and were put in positions to succeed. It could not have worked out any better this year, and I think that’s a cultural environment that’s going to continue and grow off of itself and be furthered.

This marks the second consecutive night in which a member of the Dodgers was honored by the BBWAA. Star shortstop Corey Seager was named NL Rookie of the Year and could add the NL Most Valuable Player Award to his expanding trophy case Thursday. 

Having a seemingly limitless payroll has its advantages, but all the money spent didn’t prepare Roberts for the volume of injuries that hit his team during the regular season. 

Through it all, Roberts never seemed overwhelmed in his first season managing a team with sky-high expectations. He led the Dodgers to their fourth consecutive NL West title and made it to Game 6 of the NLCS before ultimately falling to the Chicago Cubs.  

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