🗣️ Yankees extend Coach’s contract

Today we cover:

• 🗣️ Yankees extend Coach’s contract

• 🥸 Skenes named rookie and Cy Young finalist

• 🐻 Cubs projected to sign veteran catcher

• 🇯🇵 Roki Sasaki’s 2025 status revealed

• And More!

Yankees extend Coach’s contract

Boone will return for an eighth season as the club’s manager, it was announced on Friday, as the organization formally exercised the skipper’s 2025 contractual option.

Aaron Boone joined the New York Yankees in 2018. Over his seven years with the club, he’s led the team to the postseason six times, with the 2024 season marking their deepest run, although they ultimately fell to the Dodgers.

Though Boone has fielded criticism in the wake of the Yankees’ five-game World Series loss to the Dodgers, the decision to bring him back should hardly register as a surprise, considering that the 51-year-old Boone is coming off a season in which he guided the Bombers to an American League-best 94 victories and the organization’s 41st World Series appearance.

Skenes named rookie and Cy Young finalist

Paul Skenes entered pro ball in 2023 billed as his top pitching prospect of his generation. In 2024, he established himself as not only one of the best rookies in the game, but also one of the best pitchers in the National League.

On Monday, Skenes got formal recognition of just how special his first season was. Not only was he nominated for the NL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, he was named one of three finalists for NL Cy Young honors as well.

Skenes’ rookie season was arguably the greatest for any Pirate in team history, recording an 11-3 record with a 1.96 ERA over 23 starts and 133 innings. He set a franchise rookie record with 170 strikeouts and started the All-Star Game for the National League.

Jackson Merrill of the Padres and Jackson Chourio of the Brewers are the other finalists for NL Rookie of the Year, while Chris Sale of the Braves and Zack Wheeler of the Phillies are also in the running for the Cy Young.

The Rookie of the Year winners will be revealed Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. ET on MLB Network, with the Cy Young Award announcement to follow on Nov. 20.

Cubs projected to sign veteran catcher

One name to keep a very close eye on is veteran free agent Danny Jansen.

Danny Demilio of PGH Baseball Now has projected that the Cubs will end up landing Jansen. Take that projection with a grain of salt until a bigger name connects Chicago to him, but the fit makes a ton of sense.

Ahead of the MLB trade deadline last year, the Cubs were heavily connected to Jansen. He ended up being dealt to the Boston Red Sox, but there was reported interest from Chicago.

Roki Sasaki’s Status For 2025 Revealed

The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off winning the World Series this offseason and now they are in the process of trying to figure out how to go about their winter plans. One of those plans could include them updraging the starting rotation.

Los Angeles has long been linked to Japanese superstar Roki Sasaki. There has been questions about when the pitcher would enter Major League Baseball but that has all been put to bed now.

His Japanese club, the Chiba Lotte Marines, announced that they have begun the process of posting Sasaki. He will now be able to sign with a MLB team and the Dodgers are considered to be the favorites to land the superstar.