Weekly MLB Update - 12/28/20
Welcome to the first MLB update here on the TLDR Podcast website! I’ll be writing on of these every week to recap you on the latest news and rumors around Major League Baseball. We are finally entering 2021 and with it a brand new MLB season. There is still a lot of things that need to be figured out from now and whenever the league decides to begin the season but let’s first recap what has happened so far this offseason.
It has been two months since the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in one of the most memorable seasons of all-time. The biggest take away was the shortened season, going from the standard 162 down to only 60 games. As we look forward to 2021, it is still very unclear what the season will look like. The coronavirus pandemic is still a very real threat and although there is light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine there is no guarantee we will have a full 162-game season or even fans at games. MLB lost a total of $3.1 billion due to the fan-less and shortened season. The ripple effects of that much money will be felt for years. There is no question that the league’s top priority is to get fans back in the seats as soon as possible. That might push back the start of the season from what normally is early April to possibly late May, according to some recent reports. There are also rule changes that need to be addressed. 2020 saw for the first time a universal DH, extra inning changes, and an expanded playoff pool. These were temporary rule changes at the time but there is a possibility that some if not all of these will be permanent. Only time will tell what the 2021 season will look like. Stay tuned.
As far as player movement is concerned, it has been pretty quiet so far with the exception of a few moves. The most recent splash was the San Diego Padres acquiring former Cy Young winner Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays. In return the Rays got four prospects – two pitchers Luis Patino and Cole Wilcox, and two catchers Francisco Mejia and Blake Hunt. The Padres get one of the best left-handed starting pitchers in the game right now and he is under team control through 2023. That gives San Diego a pretty solid starting rotation with Snell joining Dinelson Lament, Zach Davies and Chris Paddack. Also, keep in mind that Mike Clevinger will be joining that rotation too after his return from Tommy John surgery in 2022. There are also rumors that the Padres are top buyers for All Star pitcher Yu Darvish. AND the Padres just signed top international prospect Ha-seong Kim, an infielder from Korea. San Diego still has to go through the Dodgers but there is no doubt that they are all-in to content for the division crown and more.
There are still plenty of valuable free agents up for grabs including Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer, MVP Finalist D.J. LeMahieu, and All Stars J.T. Realmuto, George Springer, Marcell Ozuna, and Marcus Semien. The hot stove hasn’t even warmed up yet this offseason so keep a look out for more weekly updates from TLDR to get the scoop on the latest from MLB.