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You may be focused on the Super Bowl or ill-advised NBA trades, but we (intellectuals) are gearing up for a massive 2025 baseball season here at Just Baseball!

With college season set to kick off next weekend, we published our first college baseball newsletter yesterday as our new branch ‘On the Clock’ will focus on college ball and the draft.

Meanwhile, Spring Training is, thank the heavens, right around the corner. Let’s freaking go.

EDITOR’S NOTE: WE GOT A BIG BASEBALL SIGNING THOUGH!! EAT [REDACTED] YOU NBA AND NFL DORKS!!!

Offseason News

Okay, we have definitely reached the point in the offseason where we’re just about ready to be done with it.

Following one big move we’ll discuss shortly, there are ample solid veterans still available including many bullpen options but only one truly high-end free agent. Just a pair of our initial top 25 free agents are still on the market now.

By next week, you may finally be relieved of free agency updates. Granted, that implies the world has ever been capable of supplying relief when we most need it, but we hope nonetheless. The Groundhog may be right when it comes to the offseason continuing…

Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso Check In

So, after all that, Pete Alonso is heading back to the Mets on a two-year, $54 million.

We broke down the signing that went down last night in a flash newsletter. Make sure you’re subscribed to get baseball breaking news sent to you! All the cool kids are doing it.

In terms of Bregman, though, he’s now the lone star-caliber free agent on the market. That’s usually not an optimal spot to be in at this stage of the winter.

Detroit has been named often as a potential Bregman destination for months now, but they may look elsewhere too. Boston or Philadelphia could certainly add another big piece to their already talented lineups, too. It seems, however, that Bregman’s value is not even close to being mutually agreed upon between agent Scott Boras and any of the potential suitors.

Just one more, man. We’re so close to freedom. Hold steady.

Jack Flaherty Returns to Detroit

After a quiet offseason on the market and a handful of frustrated tweets akin to your local soundcloud rapper, Jack Flaherty has returned to Detroit where he spent the first-half of the 2024 season.

The Tigers and Flaherty agreed to a two-year, $35 million deal that contains an opt-out following 2025 and will become worth $45 million total if he makes at least 15 starts this coming season.

Detroit is ready to take the next step after an incredible last two months of 2024 and bringing back Flaherty after turning him into an elite prospect at the deadline is a stellar move.

Max Scherzer Heads to Toronto

After 3,407 strikeouts, he’s still getting after it!

”Mad Max” Scherzer is not done just yet as he signed a one-year, $15.5 million deal with the Toronto Blue Jays this past week. The future Hall of Famer is 40 years old and was injured much of last season, but will have a spot in the Toronto rotation when healthy.

We’ll see what he has left in the tank, but the Jays activity signals a clear desire to remain competitive in 2025, for ill or wrought.

Other Moves

• The Diamondbacks brought back a quality bat as they re-signed outfielder Randal Grichuk to a one-year, $5 million deal. He was a high-quality platoon piece for Arizona last year with a .876 OPS and should slide right back into that role.

• Baltimore added more depth (not to their pitching…they do know they need pitching help, right?) as they agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal that has a club option for 2026 with Ramon Laureano. Another outfielder joins a team with an abundance of options.

• After finding something with them late in 2024, reliever Tim Hill agreed to return to the Yankees on a one-year, $2.85 million deal that has a club option for the 2026 season.

• Amidst a very quiet offseason, the Twins added a sneaky good piece to their bullpen by signing Danny Coulombe to a one-year, $3 million deal. He rejoins Minnesota after being there just a few years ago. Read more!

• Minnesota kept it rolling by adding outfielder Harrison Bader on a one-year deal with an option for 2026. He’ll provide stable defense in any spot, but we’ll see if he can bounce back at the plate this season.

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Just Baseball Trivia of the Week

Our newsletter will have a trivia question every week to test and expand the baseball knowledge of our subscribers! The answer to the weekly trivia question will be at the bottom of the newsletter each week.

What round was Tom Brady drafted as a catcher during the 1995 MLB Draft?

A) 6th

B) 12th

C) 23rd

D) 18th

Top MLB Outfielders for 2025

We are continuing to rank players at their respective positions and will finish off next week with pitchers before we gear up for season projection episodes and articles that will really get the sickos going. Everyone loves predictions; we literally celebrate a furry rodent predicting the weather every year.

Plenty of the game’s top hitters reside in the grass so let’s take a look at who our staff ranked as the top outfielders in baseball.

Center Fielders

A position that has seen some serious turnover in recent seasons used to be dominated by one guy. Unfortunately, his health just hasn’t kept up for years now, so a demotion was necessary. Now, the torch has been passed on to two young superstars.

After playing more center than right in his second full MLB season, Corbin Carroll claimed our top spot as he looks to take his excellent second half in 2024 into this year and beyond. From July 15th on, Carroll posted the seventh-most fWAR (3.1) in the league.

And you saw that correctly: the guy who had never played center field a year ago is now the second-ranked player at the position. Jackson Merrill is that guy. And Home Run Derby legend Julio Rodriguez will try to leave 2024 in the past and get back to his elite level.

Corner Outfielders

With players often moving between the corners, we have taken the route of combining left and right fielders as we ranked our top 20 rather than just 10 on the podcast and in our article.

Stacked with so many elite hitters, this list is nearly impossible to get 100% agreement. The top two were consensus among our six voters while the rest of the list varied plenty.

Former teammates lead the way as Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are the clear leaders of this positional group. Despite missing most of 2024, Ronald Acuña Jr. still slots into the top three after his unreal 40/70 season in 2023 that showcased a ceiling as high as anyone’s in the sport.

Traded to Chicago this offseason, Kyle Tucker could absolutely carry the Cubs to greater heights that the organization has struggled to reach in recent years. Plenty of other elite players are on this list including Jackson Chourio breaking into the top 10 after an exceptional rookie season.

Other Headlines

• In a complex story, one of the best umpires in baseball was let go this week due to a connection to betting accounts that were used by a friend to bet on baseball.

Not Gambling Advice

Super Bowl weekend is upon us! The biggest sports betting weekend of the year has arrived. Yes, this isn’t baseball. But come on, it’s Super Bowl week! (EDITOR’S NOTE: First person I see making a “Why watch the Super Bowl when you can watch the Puppy Bowl😁” joke is getting John Wick’d, though)

What gatorade color do you think will be poured on the winning coach? How long will the National Anthem be? Heads or tails on the coin flip?

The always-charismatic Peter Appel created a special Super Bowl video featuring BetMGM’s Trading Manager, Christian Cipollini. Check it out for tons of excellent information on where the money is at and Peter’s favorite prop as we head into Super Bowl weekend.

Trivia Answer: D) 18th

Brady was drafted as a catcher out of high school by the Montreal Expos in the 1995 MLB Draft.

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