Baseball is back, and that also means the return of Full Count from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Let's dive in..
- Clayton Kershaw's people and the Dodgers are still talking with the season underway, but no one really knows what's going on behind closed doors. At the same time, no one should be surprised if Kershaw winds up being the first true $200MM pitcher. Inking him for a total of ten years would keep him locked up through his age 34 season and even though that length sounds crazy, Felix Hernandez is signed through age 33 and Justin Verlander through age 36. Rosenthal's guess is an eight-year, $200MM extension on top of the two years of control that he has left.
- It was a surprise to some that the Marlins opted to start Jose Fernandez's service clock so early, but it turns out that they had little choice thanks to an unimpressive spring from Jacob Turnerand injuries elsewhere in the rotation. Miami did their homework on other pitchers that started their careers at a young age, including Dwight Gooden, and ultimately decided that it was the right call.
- Many are asking why the Rangers ever parted with Chris Davis, but its a deal that made sense at the time in 2011. Mitch Moreland had the first base job and Davis had no place in the lineup, meaning that he needed a change of scenery. Texas GM Jon Daniels acknowledged that Davis could develop into an impact offensive player at the time, and that's exactly what happened.
