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There’s certainly a lot of Not Baseball happening this week, but here’s the latest on the final two remaining teams. Plus: More on Fernando Valenzuela, and we take a sneak peek at free agency, which is just around the corner. I am Levi Weaverhere with the return Ken Rosenthal. Welcome to The Windup!

World series: Last day off before Game 1

Game 1 of the World Series is tomorrow night. While we wait patiently, here’s the latest news on each team:

Evaders: In Fabian Ardaya’s update on the state of affairs, he says that Freddie Freeman’s ankle is “100 percent good” for Friday. Please note: that is very different from ‘100 percent’. The expected recovery from Freeman’s injury (which happened about four weeks ago) would take 4-6 weeks…if he were to rest him completely. Ardaya also has more information on exactly how the ankle has affected his swing.

Additionally, Ardaya says two relievers — lefty Alex Vesia and righty Brusdar Graterol — will be “game-time decisions” for inclusion on the World Series roster. Vesia (intercostal) and Graterol (shoulder inflammation) could boost a bullpen that was heavily used in October.

Yankees: Freeman isn’t the only first baseman who is struggling. On the official MLB site, Brian Hoch spoke with Anthony Rizzo, who is still dealing with two broken fingers that have not yet healed. Doctors told Rizzo that while they wouldn’t heal in time for the ALCS, he wouldn’t make them worse. He somehow went 6-for-14 (.429) with a double.

In addition to likely adding Nestor Cortes to bolster the left-handed side of their bullpen, Yankees manager Aaron Boone confirmed that Gerrit Cole will start Game 1 tomorrow, opposite Jack Flaherty. This leaves Carlos Rodón and Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the likely starters in Game 2 on Saturday.

More Dodgers-Yankees: Tyler Kepner ranked all 11 previous World Series meetings between these two teams.

Ken’s notebook: How players took control of LA’s World Series mission

From my last story with Fabian Ardaya:

When the Los Angeles Dodgers were at their lowest point, Dave Roberts did something he could barely remember doing in any of his first nine seasons as manager: He called a midseason meeting. The Dodgers were reeling. Their injuries piled up, the latest blow coming with the news that Tyler Glasnow would be out for the rest of the year after his sprained right elbow didn’t cooperate enough to throw a scheduled simulated game.

“I just felt like there was a little bit of doubt about the roster in terms of having enough talent to win 11 games in October,” Roberts recently recalled. The Athletics.

That meeting, a call from Roberts for the players to show confidence in each other, led the Dodgers to move in, commit to the stretch drive and begin a new approach to the postseason. Although the Dodgers are sometimes viewed as a top-down operation, with the front office dictating virtually every move, it was the players who took control of the team’s October plans, from watch parties during the Division Series to players-only buses and planes . rides.

The players say the time spent together brought them closer, bringing them within four wins of their first World Series title since 2020, and first in a full season since 1988.

“We don’t let the organization tell us what we do,” third baseman Max Muncy said. “The players say, ‘This is what we do.'”

Shohei Ohtani, Kiké Hernández and Yoshinobu Yamamoto celebrate in a close-knit locker room after eliminating the Mets. The day Roberts convened his group in Atlanta, timing was important. The team was fresh off a pair of losses with Walker Buehler on the mound and suddenly became more prominent in the organization’s October plans. The message was even more critical.

“They realized without a doubt that there was enough talent on this team to win a championship,” Roberts said. “As a coach, the message is also: I can believe in you until the cows come home. But if you don’t believe in each other more than I believe in you, then it’s all for nothing. It was a challenge for the boys.”

The Dodgers absorbed the message. If they wanted to achieve their goals, the impetus had to come from the talent still in the room from an organization hit hard by injuries. During an October in which they rallied from a series deficit to eliminate the San Diego Padres in the National League Division Series and scored a postseason record 46 points to defeat the New York Mets and return to the World Series , the Dodgers stood up to their opponents. recent October history. They came closer.

And they did it their way.

More here, and here’s more team chemistry: The Dodgers aren’t the only tight-knit group in this World Series. Chris Kirschner tells us how this Yankees team came together to overcome last year’s disappointment.

Free Agency: Top names coming to market

I promise I won’t keep doing this while games are happening. But we haven’t played a game since Sunday night, so while we wait… I decided to put together a list of my top 10 upcoming free agents. These are not necessarily in order – at least after number 1.

• Juan Soto (LF, NYY): Much has been said about his free will. He is the top of his class and will only be 26 years old tomorrow.
• Corbin Burnes (RHP, BAL) turned 30 on Tuesday and started in this year’s All-Star Game. He will likely be the biggest target for teams in need of starting pitching.
• Alex Bregman (3B, HOU): Will he be the last Houston superstar to leave, or will ownership make him the second (after Jose Altuve) to stay long-term? I wonder how last year’s Josh Hader contract will impact this decision.
• Blake Snell (LHP, SFG) has an opt-out, which he will almost certainly use. After a difficult start last year, negotiations will hopefully not end in the spring again this year.
• Yusei Kikuchi (LHP, HOU): I still think the Astros paid too much for a rental starter, but holy moly, Kikuchi shined in Houston, going 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA in 10 starts.
• Max Fried (LHP, ATL): As David O’Brien notes, Fried has the second-most wins since 2019 (Gerrit Cole). He’s had some injury issues, but that might make him a little more affordable.
• Willy Adames (SS, MIL) hit 32 home runs and stole 21 bases last year (both career highs). It’s not the Seager/Story/Correa class of a few years ago, but it will have suitors.
• Tanner Scott (LHP, SD): Speaking of high rents, the Padres gave up a lot for Scott at the deadline. It will be interesting to see the market for this premier left-handed reliever.
• Cody Bellinger (OF, CHC) also has a likely opt-out, meaning this will be the second year in a row that his free agency will dominate the conversation on Chicago’s North Side.
• Anthony Santander (OF, BALL): While Baltimore’s younger stars are getting more attention, Santander, 30, hit 44 home runs this season, making his first All-Star appearance.

Honorable Mentions: Christian Walker (1B, ARI), Marcell Ozuna (DH, ATL), Freddy Peralta (RHP, MIL) – club option, Jack Flaherty (RHP, LAD), Ha-Seong Kim (INF, SDP) – mutual option, Pete Alonso (1B, NYM), Gleyber Torres (2B, NYY).

Do you want more? Jim Bowden takes an in-depth look at 45 free agents, including predictions.

Tribute: More Fernando Valenzuela

The tributes continue to pour in, so here’s a little more about the great Dodgers, who passed away Tuesday night at the age of 63.

Man, those first eight games of his rookie season in 1981 are absolutely incredible. Seven complete games (the other one he threw nine innings, but it went to extra innings). Five shutouts. An ERA of 0.50. Only two home runs (and four total runs) allowed in 72 innings. Moreover, not only had the teams never seen him before; he faced the Astros, Giants and Expos twice each.

Valenzuela wouldn’t even be the Opening Day starter for the Dodgers that year. Jerry Reuss was scheduled to start against Houston.

“I was running with a fly ball in the outfield again, thinking I was Superman or Mickey Mantle, one of them,” Reuss said. He felt his calf twitch as the ball shot past him. A quick evaluation ruled out that he couldn’t start the next day. Burt Hooton also couldn’t throw due to an ingrown toenail. Bob Welch was unavailable. The Freeway Series exhibition had ruled out several other options from manager Tommy Lasorda. So he turned to Valenzuela, who had already thrown a full bullpen that day.

If you want to hear about baseball history, you could do worse (and perhaps no better) than read Tyler Kepner, whose ode to Valenzuela does justice to the legend of the man who captivated a city and a sport.

Handshakes and high fives

This year’s matchup is a mystery to fans who remember the Brooklyn Evaders, says Steve Buckley.

If our position-by-position comparisons over the past few days weren’t enough for you, Brendan Kuty and Fabian Ardaya have a more in-depth version here.

David Stearns had his season-ending media availability yesterday. As Tim Britton explains, this winter will be a new opportunity – and challenge – for Stearns.

Questions about what the plan is with the Red Sox? Jen McCaffrey has answers.

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(Top photo: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)