The end of 2024 is already upon us and we’re 100 days from Opening Day in the major leagues. For baseball fans, that’s like the 10-second countdown until the ball drops in Times Square on New Years.
Just as much that will remain the same for all 30 teams in MLB in the next 162-game season, a lot has changed since the Dodgers took the Commissioner’s Trophy home to L.A. in October. While the good news of deserved legends being voted into Cooperstown by the BBWAA will occur annually with the consistency of a Northeast Corridor Acela, the unpredictability of rule changers and rule breakers continue to loom in the shadows of what’s to be expected before the first pitch of the season. As the old saying goes, some things change while some things always remain the same. Besides, the allure of the game is all of the possibilities of what could happen. On or off the diamond.
Here is a list of ten of the most newsworthy off season occurrences in MLB 100 days before the start of the 2025 regular season and some of these moments may become historic in their outcome in the upcoming season and beyond.
10. The “Golden At-Bat” Rule
There was a confirmed rumor that MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred came up with the impromptu idea of creating a rule that would allow the best hitter/player of a team one at-bat per game that will allow them to hit anywhere in the order regardless of their original place in the lineup. This could be done at any point in the game, which, of course, could dramatically change the trajectory of any given game. This new rule was met with immediate resistance from critics, however, it’s still not certain if this “Golden At-Bat” rule will be implemented in 2025 or ever.
9. Dave Parker And Dick Allen Inducted Into The Baseball Hall Of Fame Class of ’25
The BBWAA announced from the Winter Meetings in Dallas last week that longtime Pittsburgh Pirates favorite Dave Parker, better known among fans as “The Cobra” and 14-year MLB vet and Phillies star Dick Allen were voted into Baseball’s coveted Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Parker received 14 while Allen received 13 votes from the 16 Baseball Writers’ Association of America voting committee members, which only required 12 votes. Allen and Parker will be a part of the 2025 Induction Ceremony, which will take place July 27 in Cooperstown, however, other inductees will be announced on July 21.
8. Wander Franco Catches Another Case In The Dominican Republic
This guy just can’t stay out of trouble. Earlier this year, Tampa Bay Rays star shortstop Wander Franco was charged with sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl in the Dominican Republic less than a week shy of this year’s All-Star Game in Arlington. TX. The 23-year-old was placed on MLB’s restricted list in August, but was arrested again last month in the DR in an incident where police officials say that “guns were drawn”. Franco still faces up to 20 years behind bars for the sexual assault case, but let’s see how all of this pans out for him and his 11-year, $182 million contract by the end of his trial.
7. Tampa Bay Rays Lose Tropicana Field, Set To Play In Yankees’ Steinbrenner Field In 2025
After losing their star shortstop to severe legal issues, the next-to-last place AL East Rays lost their home stadium in what insurance companies call an “act of God”. Hurricane Milton destroyed The Trop in October, forcing the Rays to find a new home at Steinbrenner Field, the location of the Yankees Spring Training Camp as well as Tampa Bay’s NFL squad, the Bucs. The Rays are building a new facility called the Gas Plant Stadium, which will reportedly cost the Rays, the Hines Development Company and taxpayers a whopping $1.2 billion.
6. Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. In The Studio Cooking Up Hits
While most players have been on vacation with their families or tweaking their workout regimens before spring training, Bronx Bomber rookie third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been in the booth banging out tracks and truth be told, Jazz has some real audible flavors frying in the pan in his off season. Chisholm went live on IG with a couple of his homies in the stu and previewed some of the tracks and with his current popularity, this kid could have a future on the music biz. Check out a preview of a track from his IG page HERE.
5. Keith McPherson Makes Jon Heyman Crack In On-Air Interview Over Boras Comment
Yankees WFAN broadcaster Keith McPherson got the dial tone during a live on-air interview with esteemed baseball journalist and insider Jon Heyman after the Jersey native hinted that Heyman was in famed baseball agent Scott Boras’ pocket while discussing Mets’ record-breaking signee Juan Soto. To add injury to insult, the KM 2 AM host brought up a two-year-old Heyman blunder when he mistakenly tweeted that “Arson” Judge was signed by the San Francisco Giants. Heyman replied to McPherson, “I’ve had 100,000 tweets and you get one that was wrong — and it did say ‘appears’ — and I know I rushed it and it was a big mistake.” He added, “At some point, I think someone could probably drop it if they’re a nice person.” Heyman then referenced the earlier comment McPherson jokingly made about Soto, saying, “I’m being serious. Yeah. Asking me if I’m getting a cut because I have a relationship with an agent. It’s outrageous.” Heyman, sounding like he was on the verge of tears, concluded before hanging up by saying, “I’m done with you and I’m done with WFAN. I can’t even believe it. I can’t even believe it…” The result? Heyman vows to never come back on air at WFAN again.
4. Top Dominican Prospect In Talks With Padres Found To Be 19 Years Old, Not 14
Cesar Altagracia, a teenage Dominican baseball prospect who had a verbal agreement to sign with the San Diego Padres was believed to be 14 years old, but actually found to be 19 years old after an MLB investigation, meaning he had falsified his age on paperwork, likely to appear younger and more desirable to major league teams. Altagarcia was reportedly in talks to sign with the Padres before the discovery of his true age led to the agreement being withdrawn. Altagarcia, which wasn’t even his real name, represented the Dominican Republic at the 2022 U-12 Baseball World Cup and at the U-15 Pan American Championships this summer under the false identity. This prompted an investigation which discovered that several high profile prospects had falsified birth certificates to make themselves appear as much as five years younger than their actual age. Many of those players have had their bonuses pulled after investigations uncovered the information with some receiving a one-year suspension before they are allowed to reapply.
3. The A’s Leave Oakland, Talks of the Athletics Relocating To Las Vegas
Even though the entire MLB world knew that the 2024 regular season would be the last for the Oakland Athletics, at least in the beloved Northern California city where the A’s have lived since 1967, this is still one of the biggest changes that Bay Area baseball fans will feel in 2025. The aging Oakland Alameda County Stadium saw the A’s win in their last game against the Texas Rangers on September 26, with emotional fans taking dirt from the field that won’t get a chance to see any of the newly acquired talent that will be forced to play in Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park in 2025. The permanent move for the A’s is slated for Las Vegas ,which according to Athletics ownership, will not happen until the 2028 season.
2. Trades, Acquisitions and Multi-Million Dollar Free Agent Contracts
Some of the most extreme changes that will change the landscape in the division standings are the trades and acquisitions of free agents and new talent, but with landscape still transforming as the 100-day countdown begins, it’s virtually impossible to list all of the alterations that we’ll see in the 2025 rosters. One thing is for certain; even though every team wants bats to bang in more runs, most teams have an integral focus this upcoming season on who they have on the mound. The following are some of the most impactful new contracts in MLB: SS Willy Adames’ record-breaking, seven-year $182 million contract with the San Fran Giants, LHP Blake Snell’s five-year, $182 million contract after declining his player option and electing free agency to sign with the Dodgers, former Mets’ Luis Severino three-year, $67 million contract with the A’s, former Yankees RHP Clay Holmes’ three-year, $38 million contract with the Mets and the Amazins’ acquisition of starter Frankie Montas from Milwaukee under a two-year, $34 million contract. Also, the Yankees gained free agent righty Devin Williams from the Brewers in exchange for Nestor Cortes and Caleb Durbin.
1. The Mets Acquire Free Agent Juan Soto In Historic 15-Year, $765 Million Deal, Largest Professional Sports Contract Ever
In the largest contract in not only Major League Baseball, but in all of professional sports, Juan Soto surpassed Shohei Ohtani as the most expensive player in baseball as Steve Cohen spared no expense in making sure the 4X All-Star lefty was headed for Citi Field in 2025. Yankees fans were livid when Soto decided to go to Queens, especially when he was courted by the Boston Red Sox, L.A. Dodgers, K.C. Royals, the Blue Jays, Tampa Bay and, of course, the Yanks. In this one-of-a-kind signing, Soto can either opt out after the fifth year or receive a $4 million raise per season for the last 10 years of his contract, which will take his current salary of $51 million per season to $55 million per season. There will be no deferred payments in his contract, either. The biggest issue Soto will have is keeping number 22, which, according to reports, he would have to buy from Mets’ current number 22, Brett Baty.
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