The Opener: Hall Of Fame, Profar, MLBTR Chat

With the start of Spring Training just weeks away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Hall of Fame voting results:

The results of this year’s Hall of Fame vote will be announced today at 5pm CT. Anyone who receives 75% of the vote or more will join infielder Dick Allen and outfielder Dave Parker as part of the 2025 Hall of Fame class. Headlining this year’s class is outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who has a chance to become just the second unanimously-elected Hall of Famer in baseball history behind Mariano Rivera. Another newcomer to the ballot who has a chance to be elected is southpaw CC Sabathia, while closer Billy Wagner is entering his tenth and final year of eligibility but stands a strong chance of election after garnering 73.8% of the vote last year. Ryan Thibodaux’s BBHOF Tracker records all publicly revealed ballots and estimates that 50% of the total ballots are currently publicly available. If the rest of the votes were to perfectly mirror the publicly revealed ballot, Suzuki, Sabathia, Wagner, and Carlos Beltrán would all be elected this cycle.

2. Will Profar’s market begin to heat up?

The top remaining outfielder on the market, switch-hitting slugger Anthony Santander, signed a five-year deal with the Blue Jays yesterday that guarantees him $92.5MM. Santander coming off the market could have significant implications for final top remaining outfielder on the board, Jurickson Profar. Profar had an excellent platform season with San Diego, slashing .280/.380/.459 in what was by far the all-around best performance of his career, but the All-Star’s inconsistent track record heading into his age-32 season seems to be giving clubs pause in free agency.

That’s led to a quiet market, but with Santander off the board it’s plausible that some of his rumored suitors could shift their focus from one switch-hitting corner outfielder to another. The Angels, Tigers, and Red Sox were all connected to Santander, to varying degrees, and have yet to land an alternative via free agency or trade. Profar has reportedly seeking a three-year deal this winter. A return to the Padres may not be a realistic, as San Diego is facing a major budget crunch and would likely have to clear other salary commitments in order to make room for him.

3. MLBTR Chat Today:

With spring training just a few weeks away, we’re nearing the point where the baseball offseason starts to give way to preseason excitement even as major free agents remain unsigned and team needs remain unfulfilled. Whether you have questions about what’s left for your team to do this winter or a trade proposal in the back of your mind, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be here to answer your questions during a live chat scheduled for 2pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.