MLB Player News

Pollock hasn’t officially announced his retirement from professional baseball, but it sounds like he’s ready to transition to a career in coaching. The 36-year-old veteran outfielder split last year between the Mariners and Giants. He’s also had stints with the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and White Sox over a 12-year career since 2012.

Boyd had a $15 million mutual option for 2027 but decided to decline it in the hopes of landing a multi-year deal before a potential lockout impacts the MLB salary structure. Boyd was limited to 126 2/3 innings this season due to injury, but he registered a 3.91 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 18.5 percent strikeout rate. He figures to have a good deal of interest given his experience and solid production over the last three seasons. The Cubs have now seen Boyd, Clay Holmes, Shota Imanaga, Kevin Gausman, and David Peterson all become free agents, so they will need to rebuild an entire rotation.

Holmes had a $12 million player option, so he always seemed likely to decline that after two solid seasons as a starting pitcher. A fractured fibula limited him to 101 1/3 innings this season, but he posted a 3.29 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 18.6 percent strikeout rate for the Mets and Cubs. He will likely be sought after as a groundball specialist who can round out a rotation. His fantasy value will hinge on the defense that is playing behind him.

King had a $28 million player option for 2027 but has declined it in the hopes of getting a long-term deal elsewhere. This could be the beginning of similar moves as players try to sign longer-term contracts before a potential lockout that could change the league’s salary structure. King posted a 3.21 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 21 percent strikeout rate over 185 innings this season for the Padres. He will be a coveted pitcher on the open market..

Aaron Ashby, who also had a great case for NLCS MVP honors, again gets snubbed here. Cooper Pratt and Jackson Chourio both had better offensive series than Contreras, but the catcher does deserve credit for his four caught stealings and his great success challenging pitches. He was also the Brewers’ best hitter overall this postseason, finishing with a 1.036 OPS, three homers and nine RBI in 13 games.

William Contreras and David Hamilton also knocked in runs, and Milwaukee’s pitching staff saved its best performance for the very end, with Jacob Misiorowski going 5 2/3 scoreless before leaving with a leg cramp and JoJo Romero, Abner Uribe and Trevor Megill finishing the four-hitter. It’s the Brewers’ first World Series title since the franchise entered the league in 1969. They went 11-2 in October following a regular season in which they led the majors and set a franchise record with 103 victories.

It sounded like the Rays had Rasmussen on a limit of about 60 pitches going into the game, but they didn’t bring him back out for the fifth after just 48 pitches. Rasmussen allowed only two hits, walked none and struck out four, and his fastball velocity, which was up one mph from his season average, held steady throughout. After he was pulled, the Brewers scored once in the fifth and twice in the sixth. Rasmussen was charged with the loss, his first in a postseason in which he made five starts with a 2.20 ERA.

It really just seemed to be a cramp, but Misiorowski was still feeling it as he tried a warmup pitch and the decision was made to lift him. Misiorowski threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings before departing a 4-0 lead against the Rays. Even if not for the issue, it seems quite unlikely that he would have come back out for the seventh. JoJo Romero replaced him in the contest.

The Brewers have made just one change in the series, swapping Sal Frelick and Garrett Mitchell in Game 4. They’re sticking with that arrangement tonight. The lineup: LF Jackson Chourio, 1B Jake Bauers, DH Christian Yelich, C William Contreras, 2B Brice Turang, RF Frelick, SS Cooper Pratt, CF Mitchell and 3B David Hamilton.

Jacob Misiorowski was considerably more lethal against lefties than righties this season, and the Rays don’t think it’s a fluke. As a result, Richie Palacios and Victor Mesa Jr. are sitting tonight, as is the long-forgotten Cedric Mullins. The lineup: DH Yandy Díaz, 1B Jonathan Aranda, 3B Junior Caminero, C Liam Hicks, CF Jonny DeLuca, LF Chandler Simpson, 2B Williamson, RF Vilade and SS Taylor Walls.

Caminero seemed to be struggling with a foot issue before being lifted for a pinch-runner in the 12th inning Tuesday, but manager Kevin Cash said afterwards that it was nothing that would affect his availability. Caminero is batting third tonight.