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Newsweek
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Struggling Yankees 'Would Love To Acquire' $66 Million Slugger
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The New York Yankees went to the World Series last season and came into this season with high expectations. After an eventful offseason, the Bronx Bombers looked good, but they had a huge hole at the hot corner. Following Gleyber Torres' departure and an unfortunate injury to Oswaldo Cabrera, the Yankees have been left with one of the worst third base situations in the sport. New York is likely going to turn to the trade market to find a player to help them push toward another American League Pennant this season. USA Today's Bob Nightengale recently reported that the Yankees would "love to acquire" Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Eugenio Suárez to fill the massive void at third base in the Bronx. PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JULY 03: Eugenio Suarez #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates his solo home run against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Chase Field on July 03, 2025 in Phoenix,... PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JULY 03: Eugenio Suarez #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates his solo home run against the San Francisco Giants during the fifth inning at Chase Field on July 03, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. More"The Yankees would love to acquire D-backs third baseman Eugenio Suárez at the deadline and slide Jazz Chisholm back to second base," Nightengale wrote. "The Yankees, along with the Detroit Tigers and Chicago Cubs, have also expressed interest in Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes." Suárez is the perfect addition for the Yankees to make this season. Their lineup has serious pop already, largely courtesy of Aaron Judge, but if the Yankees are able to add another potential 45 home run bat, the lineup adds an extra element of power. To this point in the year, Suárez has been one of the best power hitters in baseball. If you add him to the hitter-friendly confines of Yankee Stadium while being protected by Judge in the lineup, the veteran infielder will only get better. The Yankees are showing some aggressiveness ahead of the trade deadline. If they're willing to chase a big fish this month, Suárez would likely be the best name to fill their biggest void. More MLB: Phillies Mentioned As Trade Landing Spot For $120 Million Star Infielder
Newsweek
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Cardinals Could Cut Ties With $81 Million Star In Trade With Guardians
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Last season, the Cleveland Guardians had the best bullpen in baseball, and it wasn't particularly close. They were loaded with talent and had the best closer in the game, Emmanuel Clase, throwing the ninth inning of games. After Clase struggled in the postseason, he's yet to recover. This season, the righty has gotten off to a shockingly bad start, resulting in manager Stephen Vogt opting to take him out of the closer role for the time being. But this situation reminds the baseball world of the importance of relief pitching. Even the Guardians could use an additional high-leverage arm at the back end of games, and there's no better reliever expected to be on the trade market than St. Louis Cardinals star Ryan Helsley. ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - APRIL 25: Ryan Helsley #56 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium on April 25, 2025 in St Louis, Missouri. ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - APRIL 25: Ryan Helsley #56 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium on April 25, 2025 in St Louis, important to note this idea wouldn't be to replace Clase and take him out of the closer role for good. Instead, it would be a move similar to the San Diego Padres' usage of Robert Suarez and Tanner Scott last season. If the Guardians are willing to part ways with a few top prospects, they could add another flame-thrower to a bullpen that's already loaded with talent. This idea would take a lot of pressure off Clase, giving him Helsley and Cade Smith to fall back on when he struggles. It could become especially important in the postseason, considering Clase struggled quite a bit last October. Giving the Guardians another arm like Helsley would be costly, but it would be a huge move toward winning the American League Central and American League Pennant. More MLB: Giants' $182 Million Free Agency Signing Called 'Biggest Bust Of First Month'
Forbes
27-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Athletics Undervalued And Picked By MLB Players As 2025 Biggest ‘Surprise Team'
Jacob Wilson #5 of the Oakland Athletics is congratulated his teammates after he hit a walk-off hit ... More to beat the Texas Rangers at the Oakland Coliseum on September 24, 2024 in Oakland, California. (Photo by) Major League Baseball Opening Day has arrived as the 2025 season begins with high expectations and joy as bat meets ball. The top teams draw more interest in both media coverage and betting with major markets in Los Angeles for the Dodgers, New York for the Mets and Yankees along with Philadelphia and the Phillies also producing the top payrolls in baseball this season. A number of teams are undervalued in various markets including wagering. That includes the Athletics, who are without a city or state name in their first season playing outside of Oakland. Through the transition to West Sacramento, there is optimism for the Athletics future ahead of the A's move to Las Vegas in 2028. Major League Baseball players this spring picked the Athletics as the team that will surprise us the most in 2025. That despite a total payroll of just under $58 million, which ranks No. 28 in Major League Baseball. The Dodgers ($322M) and Mets ($312M) have the highest payrolls in baseball, and New York-based FanDuel Sportsbook and its 17 million customers have taken more money on the Yankees to make the playoffs (-225) and to win the American League Pennant +400) and return to the World Series. The Athletics are +7000, or 70/1 to win the American League, ahead of only the Chicago White Sox, who set a MLB record last season with 121 losses. The Athletics play in West Sacramento this season at Sutter Health Park, a 25-year-old stadium that is home to the San Francisco Giants Triple-A affiliate Sacramento River Cats of the Pacific Coast League. The Athletics played the Arizona Diamondbacks March 8-9 as part of MLB's Big League Weekend. I was able to enjoy the showcase in downtown Summerlin as the A's and D'backs played at Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Athletics Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas Aviators. Some of the Athletics future ballplayers and top prospects played that weekend, and middle infielder Max Muncy was a surprise addition to make the A's Opening Day roster and start the season in the Big Leagues. Max Muncy shares the same name and birthday as the star LA Dodgers third baseman. But the Athletics Muncy is a home grown talent and Round 1 draft pick in 2021 out of Thousand Oaks high school in Southern California. The A's top prospect and 22-year-old short stop Jacob Wilson is another player to watch as he grows into an everyday player for fourth-year manager Mark Kotsay. Another Athletics top prospect who will start the season at Triple-A Las Vegas is 21-year-old 1B Nick Kurtz, a massive young man with power who was the A's Round 1 pick and fourth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest. In 2028, the Athletics will become the Las Vegas A's, and the new 33,000 seat baseball stadium on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip begins construction this summer. Athletics fans should have more optimism this season and in years ahead leading to Las Vegas after the team finished 69-93 last year and 50-112 in 2023. The Kansas City Royals finished 56-106 in 2023 but sailed over their season win total in 2024 going 86-76 to make the playoffs and win their opening series over the Baltimore Orioles. Athletics fans are hoping for a similar rise as the team starts the 2025 season in a new environment. A Spring Training survey by beat writers of Major League Baseball players provides hope and optimism for the A's. Last year's crop of surveyed players, who when asked which team would surprise us the most in 2024, picked the Royals. This year the surveyed players on MLB teams picked the Athletics as the team that will surprise us the most in 2025. The A's were the darling of this year's player responses. They received at least 10 more votes than any other team, a pretty impressive margin considering 18 different teams were mentioned. 'I think the A's are going to be able to swing it,' one AL starting pitcher said. 'Like, you look at their second half last year, they're starting to put it together offensively. So yeah, I'd go with the A's. I don't know how deep they are on the mound, but I think their offense is going to be pretty solid.' "Lawrence Butler torched us,' added an NL reliever, just days before said outfielder reportedly agreed to a seven-year, $65.5 million extension. The same pitcher also noted the unusually high volume of players coming into the A's clubhouse, among them versatile infielders Luis Urias and Gio Urshela (each with a 20-homer season under his belt), one-time ace Luis Severino, a healthy Jeffrey Springs and perpetual whiff machine in the bullpen Jose Leclerc. A look at Opening Day matchups and odds on FanDuel across Major League Baseball shows the Athletics starting the season on the road against an American League West opponent in the Seattle Mariners. The Athletics Opening Day starter is 31-year-old Luis Severino, who just signed the largest guaranteed contract in A's franchise history for $67 million over 3 years. The signing of the new Athletics pitcher signals a shift in direction for the team. The A's have a core of young players expected to improve the teams fortunes quickly as they play in a new city and ballpark while wearing a Las Vegas jersey patch on their uniforms this season. 'For the Athletics, this partnership is more than just a jersey patch -- it's the beginning of the transition to our new home,' said A's owner John Fisher. 'This is a chance to wear our hearts on our sleeves for the next three years before bringing the vibrant spirit of our new home front and center across our uniform.' The Athletics starting rotation to start the season is Severino, JP Sears, Osvaldo Bido, offseason acquisition Jeffrey Springs and the youngest pitcher 23-year-old Joey Estes, who earned the spot ahead of Mitch Spence. The 26-year-old Spence will start the season in the A's bullpen as a multi-inning reliever, and he's another special story on the Atheltics young core group of players. Spence worked a seasonal retail job at Target while in the NY Yankees minor league system before the A's drafted him No. 1 overall in the Dec. 2023 Rule 5 Draft. The Atheltics 2025 futures bets including season wins are taking more action. FanDuel's latest AL pennant and division odds show the A's as a longshot to make the playoffs in the American League. But many MLB players have told us improved play and results are coming, soon. The A's power surge has increased from 137 home runs in 2022 to 171 in 2023 and 196 homers last season. That is likely to increase again playing in the hitter-friendly ballpark in Sacramento. Athletics outfield slugger Brent Rooker smashed 39 HR's last season with 112 RBI's following 30 home runs in 2023. Rooker hit just 15 of his home runs last season at Oakland Coliseum, which ranked as the 29th-best home run park for right-handed batters. Rooker's 2025 home run odds to lead the American League in round trippers is +1800, or 18/1 to start the season. Those odds adjust on player props and futures during the regular season. Keep an eye on left-handed hitting 24-year-old outfielder Lawrence Butler, who had a breakout season last year with 22 home runs in just over 400 at bats. The Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers also had a career-high 29 home runs last season. The Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN) studio is located in the sportsbook at Circa Resort & Casino in downtown Las Vegas. It's a top sportsbook in Las Vegas that is hosting a "Take Me Out to Vegas" celebration on Opening Day March 27 with Hall of Fame pitcher and Las Vegas resident Greg Maddux throwing out the first pitch from the Circa sportsbook. VSiN research and analysts join others who are fascinated by Oakland's offense for this season. VSiN's Athletics preview suggests the players will strike out a lot, but notes the A's were top 10 in fly ball percentage and HR/Fly Ball percentage. They crept towards the top 10 in Hard Hit percentage and finished top-10 in Barrel percentage. The ballpark factor is an upgrade and should make a significant difference for the A's offense. The starting pitching appears better, but is still a concern after last season's starting staff ranked 26th in ERA at 4.76 and also FIP at 4.54. The bullpen carried a heavy load last season, but was better. The Athletics should be better overall this season as well, and the team will continue to grow and improve as they make their move in 2028 to the Sports and Entertainment Capital in Las Vegas. You can bet on it. MORE FROM FORBES
