Elephant Rumblings: World Series Marches On as Offseason Approaches

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3 in a 12-inning Game 4 thriller to force Game 5 of the World Series. The extended postseason delays the start of an offseason shadowed by a looming owner-imposed lockout potentially starting December 1 over proposed salary cap and floor debates. Consequently, MLB teams face an incentive to conduct free-agent transactions and trades throughout November before any transactions freeze.

Writer Ben Wiley argues that the Athletics will likely avoid top-tier free agents such as Tarik Skubal due to payroll restrictions. Instead, Wiley suggests Athletics president of baseball operations Taylor Smith could pursue free-agent pitchers like Clay Holmes or Nick Martinez to upgrade the pitching staff ahead of the 2027 season.