And just like that, the 2024 MLB Season is officially over and the offseason grind begins! The World Series wrapped up last week and there’s no time for rest as a variety of decisions have already been made by teams and players in the first week of the offseason.

It’s time to look back at the World Series Champions and preview all of the winter content we’ve got coming at Just Baseball. There is no better way — none at all, nuh-uh, zippo — to keep up with all our content throughout the offseason!

2024 World Series Champions

After three years in a row — and possibly even more if you’re looking pre-2020 — of extremely disappointing playoff finishes, the Los Angeles Dodgers are back on top as the 2024 World Series Champions.

They faced elimination in Game Four of the NLDS against the Padres and appeared to be careening towards another calamitous postseason exit, but they shut out the Padres in two straight elimination games and never looked back from there.

Following an NLCS victory in six games over the Mets, they finished off the season by taking down the Yankees in five games to clinch their title. While it’s true the Yankees somehow managed — even though they were down 3-1 anyways — to find a way to implode with an error-filled 5th inning, it was fairly clear that the Dodgers were the best team in baseball with Dave Roberts leading a team filled with talent and heart.

Superstars Shined

The World Series, featuring the two most iconic franchises ever, was filled with stars and many of them shined the brightest on the big stage.

• Entering the series, the health of Freddie Freeman was uncertain given the ankle injury he was playing through in the postseason. He put all doubt to rest as he homered in the first four games of the series, becoming the first player to ever hit a home run in six straight World Series Games, culminating in the least surprising World Series MVP win.

• The last two years have been rather challenging ones for Walker Buehler, but he was the absolute best version of himself and closed out the World Series in electric fashion. After tossing a gem in Game Three, he took the ball in the ninth inning on one day of rest with the Dodgers bullpen depleted and earned the save and a title for LA.

• Signed for over $300 million this winter, Yoshinobu Yamamoto has experienced highs and lows during his rookie season in MLB but proved he’s everything he was advertised to be. He delivered a one-hit gem in the World Series to make it three straight sharp playoff starts. He’ll be a massive piece in the Los Angeles rotation for many years to come.

• New York’s lackluster performance was frustrating, but Juan Soto shined as he did all postseason and proved why he’s likely to sign the second-largest contract in MLB history soon. The question now becomes whether he’ll remain a Yankee or sign elsewhere this winter…

Underrated Performers

While the stars grab headlines, this championship would not have been possible without the huge contributions from a number of other smaller names on the team.

• In retrospect, one particular trade made at the deadline was a true difference maker for the Dodgers. Michael Kopech and Tommy Edman were pivotal pieces, especially in the playoffs, with Kopech being a key bullpen piece and Edman having a huge NLCS and very strong World Series as well.

• The offense didn’t reach its ceiling until the last two games, but a couple Yankees deserve some credit for their postseason performances. Giancarlo Stanton turned back the clock all postseason while Anthony Volpe had a special moment in Game Four of what will hopefully be a long career in New York.

• In the end, of course, Los Angeles got more help across the board to win the series. Teoscar Hernandez and Blake Treinen will be priorities for them to bring back in free agency while the entire bullpen proved invaluable all postseason.

Just Baseball Trivia of the Week

We’re launching a new feature of our newsletter this week as we’ll 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.

Which player does NOT currently have one of the top ten largest total value contracts in baseball?

A) Mookie Betts

B) Fernando Tatis Jr.

C) Gerrit Cole

D) Yoshinobu Yamamoto

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The Offseason Has Begun

The clock struck November this week and the moves kicked off immediately following the World Series in what feels like a stove that’s set to get exceedingly hot and FAST.

With plenty of team and player option decisions made this week, a few early trades and signings, and organizational choices determined, there’s no time to waste; let’s go into maximum overdrive and break it down.

Club and Player Options

Before the free agent market can matriculate to the full extent, players and teams must decide on contract options for the 2025 season. Many options result in fairly obvious outcomes due it being well above or below the player’s market value, but some decisions naturally catch us off guard every year.

• Fresh off two excellent World Series starts, Gerrit Cole opted out of the final four years of $144 million on his contract with the Yankees. However, New York can void his decision by adding another year worth $36 million to make him a Yankee for the next five seasons. The Yankees decision is due today. (EDITOR’S NOTE: The Yankees made their decision, and Cole will, indeed, remain a pinstripe)

• A duo of top starting pitchers available declined their options as expected as Blake Snell will be one of the top arms on the market and Sean Manaea’s solid season with the Mets elevated his stock tremendously.

• After experiencing a decline in production in his first year under a new contract with the Cubs, Cody Bellinger exercised his $27.5 million player option and will remain in Chicago for at least one year as he has another player option for 2026.

• The Brewers often tend to operate cautiously when it comes to the financials, and they have done so again by declining closer Devin Williams’ $10.5 million team option. However, he’s still arbitration eligible where he is projected to make an estimated $8.4 million. Milwaukee will now either trade him or at the least save a little money.

Signs and Trades

The market takes time to get rolling, but a few teams have already gotten active in making moves to better their roster for next season.

• The first substantive deal signed was Michael Wacha returning to the Royals on a three-year, $51 million deal with a club option worth $14 million for 2028. He has quietly been one of the most reliable arms in baseball the past three seasons and will be a veteran anchor in Kansas City for a while.

• Trading will get rolling more during the Winter Meetings, but a funky first trade was struck that sent Jorge Soler to the Angels and Griffin Canning back to the Braves. Atlanta is up to their typical wheeling and dealing already.

• Speaking of the Braves, they reached adjusted contract extensions with Reynaldo Lopez and Aaron Bummer that guarantees them three years and two years of, respectively, while saving Atlanta $7 million in 2025 as they work to improve their roster via re-signing Max Fried or bringing in free agents.

Managerial Decisions

At the end of the regular season, the Reds made a huge decision bringing Terry Francona back into the dugout to be their manager after he stepped down from the Guardians gig a year ago. The legendary manager will aim to get the Reds young core on track after a tough 2024 season.

This past week, the White Sox named MLB veteran and Rangers associate manager Will Venable their new manager as the 42-year-old will attempt to steer the ship in the right direction following the worst season in MLB history. The last team with a managerial opening is the Miami Marlins with Dodgers first base coach Clayton McCullough thought of as a potential leading candidate.

Collectibles Corner: Wedding Invite of the Year

Imagine you’re expecting a wedding invitation from a good friend but a PSA 10 graded baseball card shows up instead. Turns out that’s not a mutually exclusive event!

Royals superstar and likely AL MVP runner-up Bobby Witt Jr. sent out invitations to his groomsman on custom made personalized baseball cards. This has to be the wedding invitation of the year, right?

Given that each of these cards is obviously a 1/1, imagine how much they would be valued at on the market. Shoutout to Bobby for one of the cooler recent stories within the hobby of card collecting!

Not Gambling Advice: MLB Postseason Heater

The MLB Playoffs were a massive success! Peter Appel went 26-12 this postseason, good for +13.94 units of profit! With a number of future bets set to cash as well, the MLB season finished on a high note.

Now, it’s time for Football to fully take over all the action. You can find weekly bets for Thursday, Sunday, and Monday football games on our social media platforms and YouTube brought to you by BetMGM.

Trivia Answer: C) Gerrit Cole

The Yankees ace just missed the mark as his nine-year, $324 million contract comes in a million shy of the 12-year, $325 million deal Yamamoto inked with the Dodgers last offseason.

Cole’s contract is particularly fascinating as he just decided to opt out of the remaining four years ($36 million per year) of his contract this winter. However, the Yankees are able to void that opt-out by adding a fifth year at that same value of $36 million.

One of the best pitchers in the game and the ace of the reigning AL Champions possibly hitting the market would entirely change the outlook of the pitching market.

Just Baseball Merch

Our newest line of merchandise features team-specific shirt designs that give you the opportunity to support your team and Just Baseball.

Celebrate the 2024 World Series Champions with a Dodgers Just Baseball Shirt!

We have also restocked on all your favorites including hats, hoodies, and more.

Check out the full collection of Just Baseball swag here!