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Carlos Beltran may be entering his age-40 season in 2017, but the veteran outfielder/designated hitter will likely be a hot commodity in the offseason after putting together a strong 2016 campaign.

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Report: Astros ‘Hot’ to Sign Beltran

Wednesday, Nov. 9

According to the New York Daily News‘ Mark Feinsand, the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros are both showing interest in Beltran.

Along with the Astros and the Rangers, the Boston Globe‘s Pete Abraham speculated the Boston Red Sox could be a contender to sign Beltran if they’re priced out of the market for other sluggers.

Splitting time between the Rangers and the New York Yankees, Beltran reached his ninth All-Star Game last season. Transitioning into more of a DH role, he had a .295/.337/.513 slash line along with 29 home runs and 93 runs batted in.

Perhaps most importantly, he appeared in 151 games after missing 82 combined games between 2014 and 2015.

Expecting Beltran to repeat his 2016 power numbers may be unrealistic, but he has averaged a little over 23 homers and 79 RBI a season going back to 2011. That kind of consistency is generally lacking in much of this year’s free-agent class.

While Beltran no longer remains a Gold Glove-caliber defender, his work at the plate will be enough to entice a team to sign him to a lucrative, short-term deal.

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Corey Kluber was electric in his first two World Series starts, and the Cleveland Indians will hope he can do it a third time to bring the franchise its first title since 1948.

While the Chicago Cubs carry the weight of over a century without a World Series triumph, the pressure is squarely on the Indians, who are on the verge of throwing away a 3-1 series lead.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona set up his starting rotation so as to have his ace on the mound in a decisive Game 7. Kluber has been great so far, but he’s pitching on short rest for the second time in the Fall Classic.

Against a Cubs lineup that is getting back to its best, the 2014 Cy Young Award winner could be in trouble.

Below are a handful of prop bets for Game 7, courtesy of Odds Shark, followed by a preview of the pivotal matchup.

World Series Game 7

When: Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio

Viewing Info: Fox, Fox Sports Go

Odds (via Odds Shark): Cubs (-117), Indians (+107)

Game 7 Prop Bets

Game 7 Preview

Starting pitching will be the decisive factor Wednesday night.

In the last two games, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin combined to allow nine earned runs in 6.1 innings. In comparison, Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta went 11.2 combined innings and surrendered four earned runs.

Lester and Arrieta left with the lead, which rendered Cleveland’s best asset—the bullpen—ineffective. Andrew Miller and Cody Allen have been devastating in the postseason, but they can’t help the Indians much if they’re entering a game with their team down.

That’s why it’s imperative for Kluber to keep Chicago off the board for five—potentially even four—innings before he hands the ball over to the bullpen.

The silver lining from Games 5 and 6 for the Indians was that Miller didn’t pitch whatsoever. Allen, meanwhile, went 1.2 innings in Game 5. Both should be available to handle multiple innings Wednesday night.

Indians fans are feeling a bit uneasy after Cleveland lost the last two games. The Akron Beacon Journal‘s Jason Lloyd is thinking optimistically:

On the other side, Cubs fans will be confident with Kyle Hendricks taking the mound. The 26-year-old right-hander had a somewhat shaky start to the postseason but has allowed one earned run in 17 innings across the World Series and National League Championship Series.

Despite the massive stakes of Wednesday’s game, Hendricks is doing his best to treat Game 7 like any other start.

“Taking that same, ruthless approach, every day, every single start, even in the regular season,” he said, per the Chicago Tribune‘s Paul Skrbina. “So that when you get to these big moments, it’s basically like it has been the whole year.”

Jon Lester can pitch out of the bullpen if necessary, which may be risky. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi noted the left-hander hasn’t come on in a relief role in nearly a decade—the 2007 American League Championship Series.

Like Francona, Cubs manager Joe Maddon will want Hendricks to pitch deep enough into Game 7 that the bullpen can take over around the fifth or sixth innings and finish things off.

Maddon took no chances in Game 6, using Mike Montgomery for an inning and Aroldis Chapman for 1.1 innings. Chapman’s workload could be an issue after he went 2.2 innings in Game 5, as well. Still, Montgomery and Chapman will be called upon if Chicago is ahead Wednesday night.

Whomever wins the head-to-head matchup between Hendricks and Kluber will likely bring the Commissioner’s Trophy to his respective team.

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New York Mets prospect Tim Tebow suffered a right leg injury during an Arizona Fall League game Monday, according to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo. 

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Tebow Exits Monday’s Fall League Game

Monday, Oct. 31

Mayo reported Tebow may have hurt his right leg after being thrown out on an attempted steal of second base. Aaron Brown, a prospect in the Philadelphia Phillies’ organization, replaced him in left field.

The injury is another setback for the former NFL quarterback, who has had a rough time making the transition to the baseball diamond. According to MLB.com, Tebow has the seventh-worst batting average (.147) and third-worst OPS (.371) in the Arizona Fall League.

Despite his struggles at the plate, the Mets may see a future for the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner. On Friday, ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin reported Tebow is likely to see action with New York’s Single-A team, the Columbia Fireflies, in 2017.

The Scottsdale Scorpions have 14 games remaining in the regular season. Given his age, the 29-year-old needs all of the at-bats he can get this fall before the 2017 campaign begins and he potentially reports to one of the Mets’ minor league affiliates.

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The Chicago Cubs extended the 2016 World Series with a win in Game 5 on Sunday night, so the series will head back to Progressive Field as the Cleveland Indians look to wrap up the Fall Classic.

According to Odds Shark, the Indians are 5-4 underdogs despite having home-field advantage. Going by the pitching matchup, Chicago would likely be favored by most neutral fans.

The Cubs will be relying on 2015 Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta, who finished the regular season 18-8 with a 3.10 earned run average and a 3.52 FIP, according to Baseball-Reference.com. Arrieta‘s postseason has been slightly underwhelming, with the right-hander allowing seven earned runs in 16.2 innings.

Opposing him will be Josh Tomlin, who has been the opposite of Arrieta in that his work in the playoffs has exceeded his regular-season performance. Tomlin was 13-9 this year but had a 4.40 ERA. In 15.1 postseason innings, he has surrendered three earned runs.

MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian noted that Tomlin’s strong pitching goes back to the end of the regular season:

Kyle Schwarber‘s inclusion in Chicago’s lineup is likely to be a big key in Game 6. The 23-year-old wasn’t medically cleared to play in the outfield, so he was relegated to pinch-hitting duties in the last three games.

As Baseball Prospectus’ Craig Goldstein joked, baseball fans have looked for any reason to get Schwarber in the batter’s box again:

Being able to count on Schwarber for at least three at-bats will be huge for a Cubs offense that has been spotty throughout the Fall Classic.

For the Indians, their biggest task will be getting to Arrieta early. If they can grab a two- or three-run lead by the third or fourth inning, they’ll only need Tomlin to pitch into the fifth before manager Terry Francona can turn things over to the bullpen.

One of the silver linings from Sunday’s defeat was that Cleveland didn’t use Andrew Miller. After throwing 44 pitches between Games 3 and 4, he’ll have two nights off before he may be needed again.

As a result, Miller should be able to go two innings Tuesday, depending on his pitch count. 

A loss for the Indians in Game 6 wouldn’t be the end of the world. They’d still have a decisive Game 7 at home with their ace on the mound. If Miller has been Cleveland’s best player in the playoffs, then Corey Kluber is right behind him.

On Sunday night, Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis said he doesn’t want to keep the Cubs alive any longer than necessary to secure the Indians’ third title, per USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale: “You don’t want to give lineups like that momentum, or teams to start feeling good about themselves. So the best thing to do is kind of put them away before they can do that.”

Kipnis may not get his wish. The middle of the Cubs order is getting back to form and will be even stronger with Schwarber. Tomlin’s tendency to give up the long ball—1.86 home runs per nine innings, according to FanGraphs—could be a problem Tuesday.

While Chicago may be able to even up the series, the Indians would still get the edge in Game 7 with their hopes resting on Kluber‘s right arm.

World Series prediction: Indians in seven games.

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The Chicago Cubs will live to fight another day after beating the Cleveland Indians 3-2 at home Sunday night at Wrigley Field in Game 5 of the 2016 World Series.

After a somewhat shaky start in Game 1 of the Fall Classic, Jon Lester went six strong innings for Chicago. He allowed two earned runs on four hits and struck out five.

Trevor Bauer started well but lasted only four innings after giving up three runs. Although he struck out seven, a couple of critical mistakes allowed the Cubs to take control.

Jose Ramirez got the Indians on the board in the top of the second with a solo home run to left field. The 24-year-old third baseman hadn’t homered on the road since getting two during a doubleheader on May 23 against the Chicago White Sox.

MLB.com’s Daren Willman showed that Lester couldn’t have placed his fastball much better in the strike zone:

Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan thought the most impressive part of the sequence was the throwing of the home run ball back into the field of play:

Getting the first run was big for Cleveland, considering it hadn’t surrendered a lead throughout the postseason.

Bauer couldn’t maintain the advantage, though, surrendering three runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Kris Bryant led off with a solo home run to left field to tie the game at 1. MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweeted the homer brought the Wrigley Field crowd to its feet:

Anthony Rizzo stepped to the plate next and doubled to right field. A single from Ben Zobrist put runners on the corners with nobody out, and Addison Russell plated Rizzo with an infield single. After Jason Heyward struck out, the Cubs loaded the bases on a bunt single by Javier Baez. David Ross then made it a 3-1 game with a sacrifice fly.

Bauer struck out Lester to end the inning. The Ringer thought the Indians dodged a bullet having allowed the right-hander to finish out the inning:

The Cubs rode their luck with Lester a half-inning later and appeared to get a helping hand from home plate umpire Tony Randazzo.

Carlos Santana led off the fifth with a double, and the left fielder moved to third on a groundout by Ramirez. Brandon Guyer came up next and struck out looking on a 3-2 fastball. FanGraphs’ Jeff Sullivan showed the pitch looked off the plate, and he added how much the call impacted the game:

Roberto Perez grounded out to end the threat and maintain Chicago’s two-run lead.

An inning later, Francisco Lindor trimmed the deficit with an RBI single to center field to bring home Rajai Davis. The 22-year-old shortstop has had a great postseason, and Baseball America‘s Ben Badler believes he’s a great ambassador for the game:

MLB Network’s Jon Morosi also shared words of admiration toward Lindor from Cubs manager Joe Maddon:

Lindor got caught trying to steal second to end the inning. Ross made a great throw, and Baez’s quick tag nailed Lindor.

Lester’s issues throwing over to first are well-documented, and the Indians have exploited that in both of his World Series starts. The New York Post‘s Joel Sherman tweeted that Ross and Baez are the perfect combination to eliminate the problem:

The Indians mounted another offensive charge in the top of the seventh, which prompted a surprising move by Maddon.

Carl Edwards Jr. replaced Lester to start the inning. He allowed a single to Mike Napoli, and a passed ball moved Napoli to second base. After Santana flied out for the first out of the seventh, Maddon brought on his closer, Aroldis Chapman.

Chapman struck out Ramirez. He then hit Brandon Guyer with a pitch to put runners on first and second but got Perez to ground out for the final out.

As ESPN’s Jayson Stark noted, the left-hander got out of the jam with blunt force:

Chapman was in another jam in the eighth after allowing Davis to single with one out. The veteran outfielder stole second and then third, putting the tying run 90 feet away from home plate. But Lindor stranded Davis at third after striking out on a 101 mph fastball.

Lindor had little chance of reaching the pitch at the bottom of the zone, as Sullivan argued:

Chapman stayed out for the ninth and sent Napoli, Santana and Ramirez down in order to earn the win.

The series will head back to Cleveland for at least one more game. First pitch in Game 6 is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Josh Tomlin will take the mound for the Indians, with Jake Arrieta going for the Cubs. Tomlin went 4.2 scoreless innings in his first World Series start, while Arrieta allowed one run in Game 2 as Chicago picked up its first win.

A key for the Indians will be that Andrew Miller had Sunday night off, giving him two rest days before Game 6. That should allow the dominant left-hander to potentially go two innings if need be Tuesday.

Of course, Chicago will have the luxury of Kyle Schwarber in the lineup with the designated hitter back in play.

While the Indians remain in the driver’s seat, the Cubs can change that with a victory in Game 6.

Postgame Reaction

Indians manager Terry Francona praised Chapman for pitching the final 2.2 innings, per the Boston Herald‘s Jason Mastrodonato: “Chapman, that was a big ask. And he answered. That was impressive.”

Maddon had prepared for the potential of using his closer earlier than expected.

“I talked to Chapman before the game, and he was aware of being ready in the seventh inning,” he said, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball.

The Indians have a bit of a buffer in the event they lose Game 6; Corey Kluber would take the mound if necessary in Game 7. Kluber has been excellent in the postseason, allowing three earned runs in 30.1 innings.

Jason Kipnis would rather Cleveland not have to rely on the 2014 Cy Young Award winner.

“You don’t want to give lineups like that momentum, or teams to start feeling good about themselves,” he said of the Cubs, according to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale. “So the best thing to do is kind of put them away before they can do that.”

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In front of what promises to be a raucous Wrigley Field crowd, the Chicago Cubs will look to take a 2-1 lead over the Cleveland Indians in Game 3 of the 2016 World Series on Friday night.

The Indians will send Josh Tomlin to the mound, and Kyle Hendricks will get the nod for the Cubs. Corey Kluber and Jake Arrieta both delivered gems for their teams in Games 1 and 2 respectively, and starting pitching will likely be the decisive factor in Friday’s game as well.

World Series Game 3

When: Friday, Oct. 28, at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Game 3 Preview

Patience was a virtue for the Cubs in Game 2. Indians pitches walked eight batters Wednesday night, with Trevor Bauer having a particularly difficult time putting hitters away. Bauer threw 87 pitches in 3.2 innings, compared to 88 pitches in six-plus innings for Kluber.

In that respect, Tomlin may put Cleveland in a better position to succeed than Bauer. According to FanGraphs, Tomlin allowed the fewest walks per nine innings (1.03) in the league among qualified pitchers.

The Cubs have a potent lineup—one made more effective when hitters are allowed free bases and work deep into counts.

Tomlin doesn’t have overpowering stuff, as evidenced by his 4.40 earned run average and 4.88 FIP during the regular season, per Baseball-Reference.com. The conditions inside Wrigley Field could be troublesome for the 32-year-old right-hander as well.

The Chicago Tribune‘s Tom Skilling reported Friday’s forecast is calling for wind blowing out toward the outfield, which will help the baseball carry.

On Thursday, Tomlin remained indifferent about any impact the weather might have, according to Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes: “The stuff you can’t control is the stuff I’m not going to concern myself with at the moment. My job is to keep the ball down in the zone, try to induce quick outs and keep them off the barrel of the bat. Whether the wind is blowing out, in, sideways or up, I really don’t care.”

Tomlin allowed 1.86 home runs per nine innings in the regular season, third-highest among qualified starters, per FanGraphs. His propensity to give up the long ball and the heavy winds could be a toxic combination for the Indians.

At least Cleveland won’t have to worry about Kyle Schwarber causing the kind of damage he did in Games 1 and 2. Despite missing almost all of the regular season, the 23-year-old is 3-for-7 with two runs batted in in the World Series.

Schwarber will be limited to pinch-hitting duties when the Cubs are playing at home. Team president Theo Epstein announced Thursday that Schwarber isn’t medically cleared to return to the outfield, per the team’s Twitter account.

Even taking Schwarber out of the equation, the Cubs still have plenty of offensive weapons. Tomlin will have a difficult time navigating through a lineup that features Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, both of whom hit 30-plus home runs, as well Ben Zobrist, Javier Baez and Addison Russell.

The silver lining from Game 2 for Cleveland was that manager Terry Francona didn’t need to call upon either Andrew Miller or Cody Allen. As a result, both relievers will be even more fresh for Game 3.

The problem may be that Tomlin will have already allowed too many runs for Miller or Allen to make any sort of impact.

The big question for the Indians is whether they can get a quality start from anybody other than Kluber. Francona is going to use a three-man rotation for the World Series, per Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com, with Kluber, Bauer and Tomlin pitching on three days’ rest beginning in Game 4.

At some point, Tomlin or Bauer will have to step up, and that’s assuming Kluber is lights out over his remaining starts.

A loss Friday night wouldn’t be a devastating blow to Cleveland’s World Series chances, but it would cast further doubt as to whether the American League champion has the pitching to go all the way.

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No matter the result, the 2016 World Series will provide salvation for one of the most cursed teams in Major League Baseball.

The Cleveland Indians are seeking their first title since 1948, while the Chicago Cubs have famously gone more than a century since their last World Series triumph (1908). The series begins Tuesday night in Cleveland.

When: Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Game 1 is as much of a must-win scenario for the Indians as any opening game of a postseason series can be. If Cleveland loses with its ace on the mound, then it could be in trouble. Only once in the last 10 years—the 2009 New York Yankees—did a team fall in the series opener before going on to win it all.

Corey Kluber has been excellent in his first postseason, allowing two earned runs in 18.1 innings. He has also struck out 13 batters and walked four.

Beyond Kluber, the Indians’ starting rotation is a major question mark. While Josh Tomlin has pitched well in his two playoff starts, it doesn’t erase a regular season in which he posted a 4.88 FIP, per Baseball-Reference.com. Trevor Bauer, meanwhile, made it through 0.2 innings in the American League Championship Series before his pinkie injury forced him to exit:

In Game 4, Indians manager Terry Francona will either have to start Kluber on short rest or rely on Ryan Merritt, who pitched well in the ALCS but has just five MLB appearances under his belt.

Losing Game 1 wouldn’t be a crippling blow for the Indians since this is a seven-game series. A defeat Tuesday night would, however, put more pressure on Tomlin and Bauer, which Francona will want to avoid.

The key for the Cubs in Game 1—and the World Series as a whole—will be getting out to an early lead. The last thing Chicago will want to see is Francona giving the ball to Andrew Miller in the fifth or sixth inning with Cleveland ahead.

Miller’s stat line from the ALCS is ridiculous, courtesy of MLB.com’s Richard Justice:

The Cubs have the offense to put a dent in the Indians rotation, especially after Anthony Rizzo broke out of his slump toward the end of the National League Championship Series. In his first seven playoff games this year, the All-Star first baseman was 2-for-26 at the plate. He went 7-of-14 in the last three NLCS games.

Cleveland will also have to silence the bats of Javier Baez and Kris Bryant, who are batting a combined .338 in the postseason with two home runs and 13 runs batted in. The playoffs have been a coming-out party for Baez in particular.

Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks had strong words of praise for the 23-year-old second baseman, per CSN Chicago’s JJ Stankevitz: “He’s the most natural baseball player I’ve ever seen play the game. His instincts in game are just top notch. And that was another play today that was huge. The first guy getting on, to make that play and turn that double play set such a tone for the game.”

From top to bottom, the Cubs are the stronger team in the World Series. Team president Theo Epstein built Chicago’s core around talented young prospects like Baez and Bryant and supplemented the team’s promising stars with ready-made veterans when the Cubs were ready to contend.

That’s not to diminish the work of former team president Mark Shapiro and current president Chris Antonetti in Cleveland, but the Indians simply haven’t had the resources afforded to their World Series opponents.

In addition, the Indians’ greatest strength during the regular season—their starting rotation—has been decimated by injuries. MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reported Cleveland will have Danny Salazar for the Fall Classic after missing the American League Division Series and ALCS, but he’ll be on a tight pitch limit.

The Indians will be underdogs, and in the event they fall in Game 1 at Progressive Field on Tuesday night, it could be a short series.

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Edwin Encarnacion has been a key member of the Toronto Blue Jays for the last seven-and-a-half seasons, but with the 33-year-old in the final year of his deal, he could be playing elsewhere in 2017.

Continue for updates.

Latest on Blue Jays’ Plans for Encarnacion Extension

Monday, Oct. 24

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins made it clear Monday that Toronto will make a strong effort to re-sign Encarnacion, telling reporters that retaining him and fellow slugger Jose Bautista is a priority, per TSN’s Scott MacArthur.

At the very least, the Blue Jays will extend Encarnacion a qualifying offer, according to Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi.

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported Oct. 13 that the qualifying offer will be worth $17.2 million this offseason. Encarnacion would be a near-certainty to turn it down. Since he’s one of the best hitters available, he’ll be in a position to command much more on the open market.

The three-time All-Star said last Wednesday that the Blue Jays are his preferred destination:

It will be interesting, though, to see how team president Mark Shapiro chooses to handle both Bautista and Encarnacion.

During his days with the Cleveland Indians, Shapiro often shied away from signing aging veterans to pricey extensions, opting instead to invest in his younger players.

Last October, TSN’s Rick Westhead also reported Shapiro questioned Alex Anthopoulos’ decision to trade the Blue Jays’ best prospects in order to acquire David Price and Troy Tulowitzki. Anthopoulos ultimately decided against signing an extension with Toronto last year.

Encarnacion has been consistent the last five years—averaging just over 38 home runs and 110 runs batted in per season. At his age, though, the first baseman/designated hitter will soon begin to decline.

Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols are both cautionary tales for why it’s risky to pay significantly for sluggers who are into their 30s, no matter how impressive their track records are.

If Shapiro’s focus is on the long term, he and Atkins—who came over from the Indians as well—may have a definite ceiling for what they’re willing to offer Encarnacion.

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While the World Series has attracted the collective focus of the baseball world, it doesn’t mean the rumor mill has decided to take a week off.

The MLB offseason is rapidly approaching, so teams are beginning to get their free-agent plans together. This year’s free-agent class doesn’t boast a ton of top-end talent, which will drive further interest in those stars at the top of the market.

The three players below will be among the most coveted.

Yoenis Cespedes

While he didn’t repeat his blistering second half from 2015, Yoenis Cespedes was one of the New York Mets’ best hitters this year. He led the team in home runs (31), runs batted in (86), slugging percentage (.530) and was tied for second in batting average (.280).

ESPN’s Buster Olney reported Saturday a return to the Big Apple could be in the cards for the 31-year-old Cuban:

The Mets’ perception is that, all things being equal, Cespedes would prefer to play for them, something he demonstrated by taking their deal last winter, with less guaranteed money than what Washington offered. They want him back but probably wouldn’t chase him if he got an enormous long-term deal elsewhere, given his age and the streaky nature of his production. If Cespedes wants to revisit the concept of effectively updating his current deal with another that has an opt-out clause, the Mets would probably be open to that conversation.

Cespedes is signed through 2017 and 2018 and will earn $23.75 million annually. Both of those years are player options, though, and he’ll almost certainly opt out this offseason considering how few proven sluggers are available.

Last year, Mets ownership allayed any fears it was unwilling to spend what’s necessary to make the Mets World Series contenders. Since re-signing Cespedes was a success, the front office should have few qualms with offering him a similar deal this winter.

On Oct. 6, ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin reported the Mets could give Cespedes another lucrative extension with an opt-out after next season. According to Rubin, the team’s thinking is that offering an early opt-out would provide continued motivation to Cespedes, thus preventing any sort of malaise setting in after he gets paid.

By staying with the Mets, Cespedes gets to play for a title next year and remain in one of the country’s biggest markets.

Prediction: Cespedes re-signs with the Mets

Mark Melancon

The Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals are both evidence as to how important a strong bullpen can be in the postseason. Along with that, the free-agent trio of Kenley Jansen, Aroldis Chapman and Mark Melancon could reset the market for how much it takes to sign a proven closer.

Of the three, Melancon will almost certainly be the cheapest, which isn’t to say the team that signs him will get any sort of bargain. The 31-year-old recorded 47 saves and finished with a 2.42 FIP, according to Baseball-Reference.com.

The Boston Globe‘s Nick Cafardo speculated teams this offseason could view Melancon as a closer or a flexible middle-innings reliever, similar to how the Indians have deployed Andrew Miller.

Cafardo also reported the Washington Nationals are likely to make re-signing Melancon a priority.

While the Nationals may make a major push to bring Melancon back, their desperation won’t match that of the San Francisco Giants.

Going strictly by the numbers, San Francisco’s bullpen wasn’t a complete disaster. Giants relievers combined to rank 11th in FIP (3.78) and 14th in xFIP (4.09), according to FanGraphs.

The trouble for the Giants was that the bullpen melted down at the worst possible times, most notably when Derek Law, Javier Lopez, Sergio Romo and Will Smith combined to allow four runs in the ninth inning of Game 4 of the National League Division Series. Romo had blown a save in Game 3 as well.

McCovey Chronicle’s Reuben Poling thought the bullpen played an outsized role in the NLDS:

The Giants desperately need an elite closer, and they showed last year they aren’t afraid to spend in order to capitalize on their title window. San Francisco committed $220 million to Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija to bolster the rotation, and the team also traded for Matt Moore midway through the regular season.

General manager Bobby Evans will identify signing Melancon, Jansen or Chapman as a necessity this winter. Getting Jansen will be difficult with the seemingly endless funds available to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Melancon is a far more realistic target.

Prediction: Melancon signs with the Giants

Ian Desmond

The 2016 season couldn’t have gone much better for Ian Desmond. He finished with a .285/.335/.446 slash line along with 22 home runs and 86 runs batted in.

Granted, his transition to the outfield wasn’t quite so smooth. According to FanGraphs, he ranked 37th out of 54 qualified outfielders in UZR per 150 games (-1.8) and 39th in defensive runs saved (-4).

In Game 1 of the American League Division Series, Desmond’s inexperience in center was on display when he failed to run down a fly ball off the bat of Troy Tulowitzki. Tulowitzki tripled and scored three runs to put the Toronto Blue Jays ahead 5-0 in the third inning:

Still, with a dearth of good hitters available, Desmond will have a number of offers this offseason.

The Washington Post‘s Chelsea Janes reported the Nationals could attempt to bring the 31-year-old back to the nation’s capital. A source told her, “I don’t see it, but anything is possible.”

Assuming he stays in the outfield, the Houston Astros would be a nice fit for Desmond.

The team will almost certainly let Colby Rasmus walk, which would free up the $15.8 million he earned in 2016. Even if Houston re-signs Rasmus, Jake Marisnick is a solid defensive option but a career .225 hitter in MLB, so offensive reinforcements would be helpful.

The Astros don’t need to radically transform the roster after winning two fewer games in 2016 and missing out on the playoffs. But this year showed Houston still has some holes to fill if it’s going to become a serious World Series contender.

Upgrading the outfield would help the team get to that point.

Prediction: Desmond signs with the Astros

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Even with the MLB playoffs ongoing, many MLB fans are beginning to look ahead to the offseason and speculate where the biggest stars might land.

Justin Turner, Kenley Jansen and Edwin Encarnacion are three of the most talented players available. They’re all still playing in the postseason, but that hasn’t stopped a flurry of rumors regarding their respective futures.

Below are updates on Turner, Jansen and Encarnacion‘s impending free agency.

Justin Turner

Turner had the best regular season of his career in 2016. Even at 31 years old, he’s poised to receive a hefty contract when he enters free agency in the offseason.

Rather than being excited about his future payday, Turner said in September he’ll be happier when it’s over, according to the Orange County Register‘s Bill Plunkett:

I guess everyone’s cut from a different cloth. I personally don’t look forward to it. Obviously, I’ll be excited when it’s over with. But that whole process is the part of baseball I could do without. The process of playing the game, the preparation of getting ready for the games—that’s what I love about it. The process of the off-the-field stuff is not very fun.

In the same interview, Turner confirmed he had had preliminary contract talks with the Dodgers but didn’t make any long-term commitment to Los Angeles: “There’s been some dialogue back and forth, but it didn’t go anywhere. I was open to it to see what they had to say. I let my agent do most of it. I’m not trying to worry too much about it.”

On Sunday, Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported the signs point to Turner hitting the open market.

For the right price, re-signing Turner makes sense for the Dodgers. He tied for the team lead in home runs (27) and runs batted in (90). According to FanGraphs, he also finished sixth among qualified third basemen in defensive runs saved (seven) and first in ultimate zone rating per 150 games (17.2).

Los Angeles will have to think long and hard about for how much and how long it’s willing to commit to Turner, though. His performance shouldn’t drastically decline in 2017, but he’s unlikely to improve significantly over the next few years.

The Dodgers weren’t willing to match the Arizona Diamondbacks’ contract for Zack Greinke, and it looks like they dodged a major bullet. Although bidding for Turner won’t reach Greinke-like levels, it’s easy to see Los Angeles opting against re-signing him if he’s receiving significant offers elsewhere.

In terms of his next possible destination, this could be a chance for the Atlanta Braves to make a statement, similar to when the perennially mediocre Washington Nationals inked a 31-year-old Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126 million deal.

The Braves are moving into SunTrust Park next year, so it’s important for the team to show fans that it’s taking steps in the right direction. Another 60-win season will quickly blunt the excitement of the new ballpark.

Signing Turner wouldn’t make the Braves a contender overnight, but he’d be a massive upgrade at third over Adonis Garcia. His arrival would also be a sign from ownership that it’s willing to spend what’s necessary to turn Atlanta around.

Prediction: Turner signs with Braves.

Kenley Jansen

Ever since Guggenheim Baseball Management took ownership of the Dodgers from Frank McCourt in 2012, the group has spared no expense to bring a World Series to Los Angeles.

Here’s a look at where the team’s total payroll ranked each year from 2013 to 2016, per Spotrac:

According to Heyman, though, the Dodgers may be looking to trim their spending slightly in the years to come, which could mean allowing free agents such as Turner, Jansen, Josh Reddick and Rich Hill to walk in free agency:

Anyway, it’s reasonable to think that the Dodgers, with their emphasis on youth, their collection of top prospects and their consideration to be below the threshold in the future, could be outbid for one or more of their top free agents. One rival official who has some familiarity with their inner workings predicted they could wind up re-signing none of them, though in a later conversation seemed to amend that, saying, ‘I don’t know who’s going to close if they don’t keep Kenley.’

Between the regular season he had and postseason he’s having, failing to re-sign Jansen would be a mistake for the Dodgers.

Beyond his 47 saves, Jansen averaged 13.6 strikeouts per nine innings and posted a 1.83 earned-run average. His 1.44 FIP was second-lowest among qualified relievers behind Aroldis Chapman, per FanGraphs.

The 29-year-old melted down in Game 3 of the National League Division Series, which was a non-save situation. In his 15.2 innings outside that appearance, he has allowed zero runs in the 2016 playoffs.

Of course, the importance of an elite closer can be overstated at times. It’s also fair to question how much longer Jansen can continue pitching like he has this season. Craig Kimbrel’s last few seasons are evidence as to how quickly things can take a turn for the worse for a top-end closer.

With that said, the Dodgers will be a World Series contender again in 2017, even if they plan on relying on some of their talented prospects. As such, Los Angeles will need to have somebody upon whom it can rely in the ninth inning.

Failing to re-sign Jansen would force the Dodgers to find a replacement who in all likelihood would be a major downgrade.

Unless another team comes in with a crazy offer for the 2016 All-Star, Los Angeles should do everything it can to ensure he remains with the team for the long term.

Prediction: Jansen re-signs with Dodgers.

Edwin Encarnacion

This will be an interesting offseason for the Toronto Blue Jays. Both Encarnacion and Jose Bautista are free agents. The former is 33 and the latter is 35.

In June, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reported Toronto doesn’t plan on re-signing either player to long-term deals in the offseason.

If the past is any indication, both sluggers will be playing elsewhere in 2017.

During his time with the Cleveland Indians, Blue Jays team president Mark Shapiro routinely traded or declined to re-sign the team’s priciest veterans. According to TSN’s Rick Westhead, Shapiro was upset then-general manager Alex Anthopoulos offloaded so many top prospects in trades to acquire David Price and Troy Tulowitzki.

While Shapiro is unlikely to want a complete rebuild in Toronto, he may instruct general manager Ross Atkins—another Indians transplant—against spending extravagantly on two hitters in their mid-30s.

Should Encarnacion hit the open market, he may not have to change divisions. The Boston Globe‘s Nick Cafardo reported on Oct. 8 the Boston Red Sox could make a push to sign the first baseman/designated hitter.

On Saturday, Cafardo pictured a future in which Boston used Encarnacion to supplement Hanley Ramirez:

When [president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski] said at his postmortem press conference last week that [Ramirez] could play both first base and DH, that’s probably because [Encarnacion] can do the same. You could have this pair alternate between DH and first base. Encarnacion likes to play the field. Like Ramirez, he’s a below-average first baseman but serviceable. The important thing is both are powerful righthanded bats, especially at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox couldn’t find a better replacement—at least in the short term—for the retiring David Ortiz. Over the last five years, Encarnacion has averaged a little over 38 home runs and 110 RBI a season. According to Baseball-Reference.com, he’s also a .286 hitter with 14 homers and 41 RBI in 50 games at Fenway Park.

Dave Dombrowski has rarely shied away from making major moves to help his teams in the present, which is how he turned the Florida Marlins and Detroit Tigers into World Series contenders. Last offseason, he signed off on committing $217 million to David Price.

Should the Blue Jays turn down the chance to bring Encarnacion back, the Red Sox will likely be first in line to sign him.

Prediction: Encarnacion signs with Red Sox.

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