Shortly after it was announced that star closer Emmanuel Clase would be pitching in Venezuela for the Winter League, his plans were put to an end. Clase and Ortiz had expressed interest in pitching in the Dominican
Winter League but were barred from participation by the Dominican League. Clase then was on his way to pitch in Venezuela, but required the club’s permission to do so. Which he was not granted. There’s no clear answer why the Guardians refused his participation, but it was certainly an interesting development. Evan Drellich wrote up more on the matter and can be read here.
Quincy wrote up a great post about the Clase and Ortiz suspension. Major League Baseball Owes the Guardians a Resolution
Speaking of pitchers, Daniel Espino topped out at 100 mph today.
Covering the Corner staff continued our Season in Review series with Austin Hedges and Steven Kwan.
Around the League (and beyond)
The Women’s Professional Baseball League officially announced the four teams kicking things off for the inaugural season. Similar to the PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League) launch, it looks like the inaugural season will be sans mascots. Boston, LA, New York, and San Francisco will draft their teams sometime in November. Play for the WPBL is set to begin in 2026.
Tony Vitello is hanging up Volunteer orange for another. Buster Posey, President of Baseball Operations for the San Francisco Giants, has officially named Vitello as the next manager for the club. Vitello will make history, becoming the first coach to go from college to MLB without previous pro ball experience. Vitello was formerly the head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers baseball team.
This is great news on the “keep Craig Albernaz in Cleveland” front.
Additional details on the Angels’ new manager indicate that Kurt Suzuki was only given a one-year deal. (Sam Blum is the Angels correspondent for the Athletic)
The list of NL Silver Sluggers was announced yesterday. The AL list will be announced today.
