Much To Celebrate AS MLB Regular Season Concludes

As the 2023 MLB regular season winds down today, there’s no shortage of highlights to look back on and off-season expectations to be excited about.

First off, congratulations to the Tampa Bay Rays. The team is staying put in St. Petersburg. They are getting a new ballpark and by preliminary indications, the Rays should be playing their inaugural season there at the start of the 2028 season.

What a bust Texas Rangers’ pitcher Jacob DeGrom is this season. After signing a five-year $185 million deal with the club this past off-season, the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner saw action in all but six games. After just 30 innings of work earlier this season, deGrom was placed on MLB’s Injured List.

DeGrom required reconstructive surgery; the second Tommy John surgery of his professional career. Like several other high-priced superstars of the game, DeGrom has a propensity for being injured. I, like many other New York Mets fans, didn’t shed a tear this past off-season when the hurler decided to take his game west.

Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels is an interesting case to follow this off-season. Heralded by many as the best all-around player in the game, for the first time in his 13-year career playing in California, rumors are swirling that for the right price, the perennial all-star can be had.

Trout has had his season shut down due to suffering a fractured bone in his left hand. The past four seasons Trout’s availability to play close to a full season has been hampered due to injuries. The center fielder, at age 32, may be on the decline when evaluating his talents. With a $37 million contract for next season, there are only a few clubs that may be able to take on such a financial load.

Perhaps Trout’s hometown Philadelphia Phillies will make inquiries?

Shohei Ohtani, a teammate of Trout with the Angels, also isn’t with his club for the final week. The former American League MVP and Rookie of the Year has been sidelined an elbow injury. Having returned to his native Japan two weeks back, the two-way superstar (pitcher and designated hitter) is eligible for free agency this off-season. Speculation of just how high the bidding will get for the three-time all-star is the number one guessing game in baseball. It isn’t out of the question that Ohtani could command $50 million annually.

Goodbye, and thank you, Miquel Cabrera. The great Detroit Tigers’ first baseman is calling it a career after 21 MLB seasons. Coming over to the Tigers for the 2008 season, after five with the Florida Marlins, Cabrera turned into a Hall of Famer, from the get-go of his career.

Offensively, the Venezuelan did it all. A sure first-ballot Hall of Famer in five years, Cabrera slugged 510 home runs, slapped away for 3,168 hits, batted .306, was a 12-time all-star, two-time American League MVP, hit for the Triple Crown and was a member of the 2003 Marlins’ World Series championship team.

When the Pittsburgh Pirates broke training camp this past March, I predicted the club would win 78 games. The club gave its fan base much to be excited about, especially at the start of the season. Andrew McCutchen proved that he had plenty left in the tank, and by all indications will be brought back for next season. Mitch Keller solidified his role as the club’s pitching ace.

With the emergence of top draft picks Henry Davis and Endy Rodriquez, the steady glove of Ke’Bryan Hayes at third base, and the steady outfield including Jack Suwinski and Bryan Reynolds, the club has a nucleus to brag of. Spring training can’t come soon enough to Bradenton.

Amazing, isn’t it? Three clubs, the New York Yankees ($279,022,482.), New York Mets ($343,585,229), and San Diego Padres ($253,287,946), the three highest MLB payrolls, won’t be seeing playoff action next week. Call it what you want, but the bottom line is, money can’t buy a championship. The human factor often is overlooked
when predictions are made during the spring of what clubs will dominate.

How great has it been to see large crowds consistently in Cincinnati and Arizona? The Reds averaged more than 25,000 fans at their home ballpark this season, and the Diamondbacks came up just shy of 24,00 per home game. A winning club always attracts attention.

There has been talk of Kansas City Royals Zack Greinke returning in 2024 for his 21st season, so he could collect his 3,000th strikeout. He currently sits at 2,972.

Now that Adam Wainwright has registered his 200th career victory, it’s doubtful that the pitching sensation for 18 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals would return next season. Retirement has been well earned. 200 wins is the new 300 pitching victories starters now hope to attain.

I’m excited for Pirates’ training camp for a whole host of reasons but none more exciting is the return of shortstop Oneil Cruz. Early in this season, Cruz fractured his left fibula. Turning 25 this coming week, the 6-foot-7 shortstop has an upside to his game that few have equaled in many years.

I miss Dave Wills at the Rays radio microphone. Wills, who passed this past March at 58 years old, teamed with Bradenton resident Andy Freed for the last 18 Rays seasons as Tampa Bay’s radio duo.

Next season will be Yankees’ John Sterling’s 35th season as the club’s lead voice on their radiocasts. Turning 86 years old next July, this could be Sterling’s last season calling games from the Bronx.

So, who will get into the Hall of Fame next year? It appears that the two leading candidates are Adrian Beltre and Todd Helton.

Beltre, who will be eligible for the first time to join the game’s elite in Cooperstown with this January’s announcement, seems to be a shoo-in. The 3,166 hits collected, four-time all-star, five-time Gold Glove, and four-time Silver Slugger winner all but assures the Dominican of a plaque at 25 Main Street.

Helton, the former Colorado Rockie, missed entry into the Hall of Fame this past January. Helton received 72.2 percent of BBWAA votes. He missed the mark by 11 votes. 75 percent is the threshold needed for election. This will be Helton’s sixth year on the ballot.

How cool is it to see Miami Marlins’ Luis Arraez come to the plate? This guy rarely strikes out. He has over 200 hits this season and is hitting above .350 at press time. He reminds me of the great Rod Carew. The hall of famer slapped balls to all corners of the field, and could always be counted on to come through in the clutch.

Where will longtime Reds first baseman Joey Votto play next season? Now that his contract is completed (10 years, $225 million), it is unlikely that Cincinnati ownership will exercise their option for $20 million in 2024. Could he end up in the American League as a designated hitter?

Watch Pirates’ Ji Hwan Bae hit, run, and play the field. Tell me he doesn’t remind you of former Seattle Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki. The similarities are haunting.

World Series prediction – Baltimore Orioles hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy. All season long, this young group of fellas seem to have the talent and Lady Luck rooting for them.