Playoffs MLB 2025: Low seasonal questions for the eliminated
What comes for teams that are eliminated from playoffs? Here we answer the key questions for winter
The MLB playoffs of 2025 are already here, and for some teams, October will last much more than for others.
We started with the Round of Commodines, where the Cincinnati Reds became the first team eliminated from the contest by the postseason, nothing less than the first day of October, after a defeat against Los Angeles Dodgers,
What follows for Cincinnati and for the rest of the cities that will not celebrate a show of the World Series this fall? As each team is eliminated, experts from AM850 In mlb, Bradford Doolittle, Alden González and David SchoenfieldThey will list the key free agents of each club, the most important questions of the low season and make their predictions for the long and cold winter that is coming.
Equipment eliminated in the serial of Commodines
Cincinnati Reds
Eliminated by: Dodgers
Key free agents: PD Nick Martínez, PD Emilio Pagan
Low season priority: Revert your home run differential. Reds urgently need power in the middle part of Lineup, the guy who better aligns its rotation with the fluctuations of the Great American Ballpark, favorable for home runs. The Reds allowed 25 more home runs than those that connected in 2025, including the postseason, the fifth worse batting differential in the big leagues. That differential was -18 at home. The reds have the pitching necessary to gain the central division of the American League, but they need a significant increase in their offensive power to support their pitchers. With Martínez’s salary without paying, Cincinnati has a completely free payroll, which, one might think, means a lot of flexibility, either with a waste in free agency or a high -impact exchange.
Is it time to really release this rotation? The Reds have gathered a good collection of young pitchers with great potential. Some of them have established themselves in the big leagues: Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott. Abbott had a spectacular season in 2025, but Greene has not yet combined her domain with a resistance for the whole season. Lodolo had 28 openings, mostly excellent, but he has a lot of improvement margin in his entry count. Then there are Chase Petty, Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder, along with the stability of veteran Brady Singer. The ideal for 2026 would be that Terry Francona It will promote this group of seven for a full season and perhaps relax ticket handling a bit. This has the potential to be one of the best rotations of the MLB.
Prediction for the low season: The reds will become aggressive. No, they will not get out of the Terry Franconawho will not last forever. – Bradford Doolittle
Eliminated by: Tigers
Key free agents: Of Lane Thomas, C Austin Hedges, RHP Jakob Junis
Low season priority: The term “Guards Ball” became popular during the unlikely Cleveland streak in the second half. It was fun to see and even inspiring. In addition, this is not how championships in baseball are won today. Guardians need more offensive power, and although there are many promising batters in the system, perhaps for once the team is dedicated to an anchor for half of the alignment? Yes, it is probably an illusion.
What will Cleveland get your young batters? It is not difficult to imagine that some of the guardians we saw in the template of the playoffs improve: Kyle Manzardo, CJ Kayfus, Johnathan Rodríguez, Jhonkensy Noel. It is not difficult to see Chase DeAuter becomes one of the favorites to the rookie of the American League year. Given his triple-a numbers, it is a bit more difficult to see through Bazzana, forming part of the battery battery list, but it is not difficult to imagine it by jumping during the 2026 season. The crucial question that the guardians must answer is: What will this group do to raise the offensive profile of an alignment led by José Ramírez and Steven Kwan? The Guardians won a division title despite scoring more races than only two other teams. That is not a sustainable formula.
Prediction for the low season: The Guardians, with prospects on the way and a template full of players under the control of the team, will not do much in the preseason. They can certainly afford it with so few guaranteed funds in the future committed (a mattress contract with someone like Kyle Schwarber, Ohio’s native, would be incredible), but it is not probable. So, mood, Cleveland fans, and enjoy the still flourishing source of the Guardians Youth.– Doolittle
Eliminated by: Cubs
Key free agents: 1B/2B Luis Arráez, SP Dylan Cease, SP Michael King ($ 15m Mutual option), reliever Robert Suárez ($ 8m Player option), 1b Ryan O’Hearn, Of Ramón Laureano ($ 6.5m Club option), Inf José Iglesias, RP Wandy Peralta ($ 4.45m Player option), C Elías Díaz ($ 7m Néstor Cortés
Low season priority: Cease and King will venture to free agency, and parents will have to replace them in rotation. San Diego will feature Joe Musgrove back in 2026, but he will recover from Tommy John surgery. Yu Darvish will continue with the team, but will be in its 39 -year -old season, having accumulated less than 100 tickets in each of the last two years. The depth of players beyond them, with the exception of Nick Pivetta, is suspicious. The first base will also be a priority unless the team recovers in Lreez.
Will they spend again? The parents lost their local television contract in 2023 and then stayed out of the playoffs despite possibly presenting the most talented team in the history of the franchise. Shortly after, Peter Seidler, his beloved and wasteful owner, died. The parents reduced the payroll approximately 30% the following year. In 2025, they increased their payroll by 25%, which left them by approximately $ 215 million. Where will they go in 2026? It is difficult to say it. But Manny Machado’s salary will continue to increase: from $ 13 million in 2025 to $ 21 million in 2026 and $ 35 million from then on. If they want to continue surrounding him with talent as he ages, they will have to continue investing.
Prediction for the low season: The parents will pay six players -xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., Darvish, Musgrove, Machado and Pivetta- a total of $ 120 million in 2026. The success of the team will depend on the production of those players, along with Jackson Merrill and Mason Miller, who are not yet in their best years of income. But AJ Preller will look for ways to acquire a first -line opening pitcher and become creative if necessary. The last preseason, got Pivetta with a contract that paid only $ 4 million in 2025. This preseason, that first -line opening pitcher could have to arrive through a exchange. – Gonzalez
Eliminated by: Yankees
Key free agents: 3B ALEX BREGMAN (Output option), RHP Lucas Giolito (Mutual option of $ 19 million), of Rob Re refsnyder, RHP Dustin May, LHP Steven Matz
Low season priority: Renew Bregman’s contract if he decides not to renew … and improve the depth of the opening pitching. Bregman had a solid season, hitting .273/.360/.462 despite an injury, but in addition to his numbers, he also brings impetus and leadership to the team. It is also possible that Bregman chooses to renew his contract for $ 40 million per season (by 2026 and 2027), but he had a good enough season so that he probably chose not to renew his contract. Yes, Marcelo Mayer is a possible replacement, especially if the red socks allocate that money to the body of pitchers.
Giolito had a solid season as a low volume opener after his return from Tommy John surgery, so there could be mutual interest in a longer contract. But beyond Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and perhaps the rookie Connelly Early, who looked well in four openings at the end of the season, the projected rotation is unstable.
Will red socks change any of their gardeners or young players? The panorama in the gardens is still wide, with Roman Anthony, Jarren Durán, Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu (in addition to Masataka Yoshida, who signed for two more years as designated batter). The situation unleashed this season, since Abreu and Anthony lost time due to injuries, while Rafaela played a little in the inner painting. But Rafaela is so skilled in the central garden that I would prefer to keep it there. If we add to that to Mayer and Kristian Campbell, the Red Sox have a solid group of young players who could be useful to achieve reinforcements in the pitching. Craig Breslow refrained from changing anyone on the deadline for the exchanges, but we will see what it does this season.
Prediction for the low season: I think the Red Sox will go to the safe and bring back a similar roster, starting with Bregman’s renewal. Then they could move Mayer to the second base. That would still leave four gardeners in addition to Campbell, who started the season with a lot of energy after being included in the inaugural day roster, but his second defense was not good and did not sweep triple-a after being lowered. If someone is the exception, it is probably him, so he is most likely to be exchanged. Bringing Giolito back, assuming that he is healthy after the postseason is lost by an elbow injury, it also makes sense, since it would not be a great investment, but would cover a need. If you consider it too risky, a veteran like Merrill Kelly or, if the Red Sox want to spend more, Framber Valdez or Shane Bieber, makes sense. – Schoenfield
