As we wait for the World Series to begin, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. World Series matchup set:
The Mariners will go another year without making it to the World Series. After leading for most of the game, Seattle righty Eduard Bazardo surrendered a three-run homer to veteran slugger George Springer in the seventh inning that put Toronto ahead 4-3, and they managed to hold onto that lead through scoreless innings by Chris Bassitt and Jeff Hoffman. Now, the Blue Jays are headed to their first World Series since 1993, where they’ll try to stop the Dodgers from being the first team to repeat as World Series champs since the 1998-2000 Yankees. For that series, the club is expected to benefit from the return of Bo Bichette, who told reporters (including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet) that he’ll “be ready” to play by then.
2. Angels managerial search faces upheaval:
The managerial search in Anaheim once looked to be a fairly simple one, with future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols as the runaway favorite. A few days ago, the Angels broadened the search with plans to interview special assistants Torii Hunter and Kurt Suzuki as well as interest in a number of other possible candidates. Yesterday saw things change much more drastically, as both Pujols and Hunter are now reportedly out of the running. That leaves the search in flux somewhat, as Suzuki is the only candidate known to be interviewing for the job at this point. Former Astros manager Bo Porter, who coached for the Angels the past two seasons, has expressed interest in the job. Past reporting has suggested interest in both former Twins manager Rocco Baldelli and former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde on the Angels’ part, though it’s unclear if that interest is mutual and more recent reporting has indicated that the Angels have yet to contact either of them, or any other external candidates they’d be reported as interested in.
3. Could hirings be on the way?
With the World Series matchup now set, baseball enters a three-day lull before Game 1 begins on Friday. It’s traditional for teams to hold off on announcing major hires like that of a manager or GM during October until a day when there isn’t a postseason game happening. With several managerial searches ongoing around the league, plus a GM search in Colorado, could one or more clubs look to take advantage of the next few days to officially install a new leader? The Giants have been circling Tony Vitello for days, with a conclusion expected as soon as today, while the Rockies are known to be looking to narrow their GM search this week. It’s also possible that a vacancy with less concrete reporting could be filled in the coming days, particularly from a traditionally tight-lipped franchise like the Braves.