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In a surprising end to 2023, the Atlanta Braves acquired left-handed starting pitcher Chris Sale from the Boston Red Sox, trading infielder Vaughn Grissom in return on Saturday. (A detailed analysis of the trade can be found here.) To ease the trade, the Red Sox contributed $17 million, leaving the Braves to pay Sale a mere $10.5 million for the 2024 season.

Sale, a seven-time All Star, is predicted to join Spencer Strider, Max Fried, and Charlie Morton in Atlanta's rotation. Last season, he made his highest number of starts (20) since 2019. Across these games, Sale posted a 4.30 ERA (106 ERA+) and a 4.31 strikeout-to-walk ratio, leading to an estimated 1.7 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball-Reference.

The Braves' decision to acquire another starting pitcher with durability concerns, considering their postseason was cut short due to untimely injuries, may raise doubts. Chris Sale has only appeared in 31 games since the end of the 2019 season. Moreover, there may be skepticism about whether Sale still possesses the ability to make a meaningful impact on a strong pitching staff. While the uncertainty surrounding player health makes it challenging to assess the first concern, we are confident about the latter.

In support of this belief, CBS Sports has identified three statistics that demonstrate why the Braves' gamble on Sale as an above-average starter in 2024 should pay off.

1. Average exit velocity
2. Whiff and chase rates
3. Strike rate

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We're nearer to the onset of spring training than the World Series conclusion, but the MLB's offseason seems to have just started, doesn't it? True, we've witnessed significant trades (like Juan Soto) and high-profile signings (such as Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto). However, the hot stove league's pace has been sluggish, implying a whirlwind of activity is yet to come.

As per tradition, some teams have shown more offseason initiative, and some are in greater need of reinforcements. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been the most audacious so far. The Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals didn't hesitate to address their requirements, and neither did the New York Yankees. Kudos to the Kansas City Royals too, for their proactive approach.

For some teams, we're still anticipating a noteworthy offseason move that would enhance their chances of postseason or World Series success. Despite the lack of depth in the free-agent pool, there's a strong sense of dissatisfaction among fans, who simply desire to see their team progress - a completely rational expectation. Don't ever feel apologetic for wanting your team to improve.

Considering this, there are five teams aiming to be contenders in the upcoming season but have remained relatively inactive during the offseason. These are the five teams we hope ramp up their activity in the winter of 2024, compared to their quiet spell in the winter of 2023.

1. Baltimore Orioles
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Houston Astros
4. Seattle Mariners
5. Toronto Blue Jays

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Wes Clarke entered the Arizona Fall League with a singular objective: working on consistency in the batter’s box.

After one week of participation in the AFL, the 22-year-old Brewers prospect, who isn't ranked, is not only living up to his aspirations but is also emerging as the top-performing hitter for the Surprise Saguaros. The results of his dedicated efforts became evident quickly in the Saguaros' convincing 7-2 victory over the Desert Dogs on Saturday night.

With his very first pitch faced, Clarke smacked a well-placed RBI single into center field, providing Surprise with an early advantage in the opening inning. This served as a foreshadowing of what was in store for his subsequent at-bat in the third inning.

Once more, Clarke wasted no time and swung at the initial pitch that came his way. However, in this instance, the ball soared 364 feet and landed in the right-field bullpen, resulting in a three-run home run that extended Surprise's lead to four runs.

The right-handed hitter demonstrates considerable power, as demonstrated by his 430-foot home run earlier in the week. In the 2023 season, Clarke topped the list among Brewers Minor League players with 26 home runs, and back in his South Carolina days, he also led the SEC with 26 home runs in his last collegiate season.

However, the crucial factor for a successful Major League career is maintaining a high level of performance, and this has posed challenges for Clarke. In the initial portion of the Double-A season, his batting statistics stood at .206/.358/.392. Nevertheless, he managed to reverse this trend during the latter part of the season, concluding with an improved batting average of .280.

In his debut season with the Milwaukee Brewers, William Contreras not only met but arguably surpassed the anticipated performance levels. Consequently, the catcher received unanimous selection as both the team's most valuable player and its standout newcomer in a vote conducted by the Milwaukee chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America.

At the age of 25, Contreras was obtained by the Brewers through a three-team trade on December 12th, and he went on to participate in a personal record of 141 games, with 137 of them as starts (108 as a catcher and 29 as a designated hitter).

He topped the Brewers in several statistical categories, including a .291 batting average, an .828 on-base plus slugging (OPS), 38 doubles, 156 hits, 56 extra-base hits, and 247 total bases. Additionally, he secured second place in runs batted in (78) and claimed the third spot with 17 home runs. Furthermore, he concluded the season with an impressive 18-game hitting streak, a career high, and managed to get on base in 38 out of his last 39 games.

Furthermore, Contreras achieved four separate streaks of hitting in 10 or more consecutive games, marking the first time a Brewers player accomplished this since Norichika Aoki in 2012.

Corbin Burnes secured the title of Brewers' Pitcher of the Year for the third consecutive season, making him one of only two Milwaukee pitchers, alongside Teddy Higuera (1985-1987), to achieve this award three consecutive times.

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Baseball is a sport that has been enjoyed by fans of all ages for over a century. The objective of the game is to score more runs than the opposing team by hitting a ball thrown by a pitcher and running around a series of four bases arranged in a diamond shape. The sport is played around the world, with many countries fielding their own professional teams and national squads.

The history of baseball dates back to the mid-19th century in the United States, where it grew in popularity particularly after the Civil War. Baseball became the national pastime and has played a significant role in American culture throughout the 20th century. Today, the Major League Baseball (MLB) consists of 30 teams and is considered the highest level of professional baseball in North America. Additionally, many countries such as Japan and Mexico host their own professional baseball leagues.

Baseball also has a rich cultural history, with many films, novels, and songs being written about the sport. Baseball's legendary players such as Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and Hank Aaron have become cultural icons and are celebrated for their contributions to the game.

In recent years, baseball has evolved with advancements in technology, including instant replay for umpire review and sabermetrics, a statistical analysis that helps evaluate player performance.

If you want to write a blog about baseball, consider topics such as the history and evolution of the sport, its cultural significance, the rules of the game, famous players and their legacies, and trends in the sport today. You can also explore stories of lesser-known players, behind-the-scenes moments, and analysis of different strategies of the game.