Spring training provides many opportunities for teams to interact with their fans, but it isn’t often that you hear about a club actually signing one. But the Yankees did just that for ten-year-old Landis Sims, an inspiring young man who miraculously has devised a way to play baseball despite being born without hands or lower legs. It’s a great story, courtesy of ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand, and well worth a read. Congratulations to Landis on his opportunity in Yanks camp!
Here’s more from the AL East:
- Budding Blue Jays staff ace Marcus Stroman has impressed plenty already, but Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca writes that he’s working on taking the next step by tinkering with a quick pitch to keep hitters off balance. More notable than the new offering itself, perhaps, is the process behind it. “I always like to pick hitters’ brains,” explains Stroman, “and the biggest thing sometimes hitters say that messes them up is when pitchers change their tempo, change their motion, change their delivery.” Generally, the soon-to-be 25-year-old righty says that he “feel[s] extremely strong out there on the mound” this spring.
- While the focus on Red Sox first baseman Hanley Ramirez has revolved around his transition in the field, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports that he’s also working to re-tool his swing. The surprising Travis Shaw is doing all he can to push Ramirez this spring, but Boston skipper John Farrell says he’s pleased with what he’s seen thus far at the plate from the veteran. His swing is “more compact,” says Farrell, “more of a line-drive approach.” Ramirez started strong last year offensively but faded to a substandard .249/.291/.426 overall batting line on the season.
- As Rob Bradford of WEEI.com writes, Ramirez once wrestled with the decision whether to accept an early-career extension, ultimately accepting one with the Marlins. Now, current Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts could be facing a similar choice. While Bogaerts previously suggested that Boston had not initiated talks, his response was somewhat different when asked recently. “I would just say I’m working hard, and will keep working hard,” he said when asked about a possible long-term deal. “People who work hard get good rewards, so we’ll see what happens what happens with that in the end. I’m just trying to focus on the game now.” While it’s not yet clear whether serious talks are underway, or whether they will ultimately occur this winter, it is certainly interesting to consider whether Boston will make a real run at locking up the Scott Boras client, a former top prospect who broke out last year and still has four years of team control remaining.
- The Red Sox have a limited window to get enticing young lefty Eduardo Rodriguez ready to open the season in the rotation, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports. He is staying off of the mound for the time being after recently suffering a tweak to his right kneecap. Boston is proceeding cautiously with a pitcher who is expected to be a key cog for years to come, and appears to feel good about leaning on its depth if that proves necessary. The 22-year-old contributed 121 2/3 innings of 3.85 ERA pitching last year, with 7.2 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9, and with 170 total frames (including his Triple-A output) he seems ready to take on a full season’s workload if he can return in time for a full ramp-up.
Rodriguez actually dislocated his knee cap. It wasn’t “tweaked”, or “jostled out of place (that’s a new one).” There was no structural damage and it isn’t thought of as a serious injury, but let’s call it what it is.
Love the Sox this year, they are going to stroll to the ALE title. Yanks are old and washed up, Toronto has no pitching, Rays have no offense and no BP, and the O’s are worse than last year.
1. Red Sox
2 Jays
3. Rays
4. O’s
5. Yanks
No wild card from the division, Sox make the playoffs and that’s it.
You said the same thing last year.
No bias at all. You’re underrating the jays pitching and the ray’s royal like offence.
Jays
Red Sox
Yanks
Rays
Orioles
As a braves fan..
Yanks
Jays
Sox
Orioles
Rays
Jays get the wild card
LOL lets not discuss some of the best power, best all around defense (still need work in RF) and one of the best bullpens all sitting down in Baltimore. I’m not suggesting that they have the division wrapped up but my guess is that the ALE will be decided in mid to late September. Feel free to hang onto your ideals but I think you might have some surprises and hard knocks in the next 6 months. I’m not convinced any ALE team is a WS contender without massive improvements from prospects or comebacks by veterans – all of which finite humans can’t predict! So good luck buddy! Lol
And a washed up Ramirez that’s a worthless liability
your kidding, right..
That the division is up for grabs? Not a chance!
Rays offense will be better. Do you even follow anything. Smh
The Sox will probably finish in 4th place in their division….Unless of course they can figure a way to get Price to pitch every game. Bucholz will be injured again this year and they don’t much else.
Jays have no pitching? You are going to be disappointed if that how you feel. Especially since you think the Sox do.
Sox don’t have a chance … Good you got price, the Jays lineup will get theirs’, just like the AL MVP said, “price I know your a big deal and I’m happy you’re on my team, but if you’re not, you’re a lefty, and im gonna get mine ”
It’s gonna go
Jays
Sox/Yankees (who ever stays health or hanely doesn’t miss every ball at first)
O’s
Rays
That’s really cool they did that for the kid, something he’ll take with him forever onward.
Red Sox have a bunch of #4 starters after Price. They have a weeble wobble at 3rd base and Ramirez is not a big time player, either. Red Sox will be lucky to finish 3rd.
Buchholz and Rodriguez are capable #2 starters, while Porcello and Kelly are expected to bounce back. I’d say they’re pretty solid.
It is literally anyone’s division for the AL East. The Red Sox biggest problem last year wasn’t Hanley, Sandoval, lacking an ace. It was the bullpen which has been massively improved. However they still have a bunch of questions.
That said the Orioles pretty much treaded water in the offseason but still look decent on paper, the yanks turned an already impressive bullpen into probably the best in the league, the Jays are still powerful without Price, and the Rays have been that team you just don’t bet against. So as I said, anyone’s division. So all the bravado of “my team will be first” “no your team sucks” and etc… it’s just the usual game of breaking out the ruler.
Ditto!
Speaking as a fan NOT of the ALE…I see that division as pretty wide open…health will win the division…Yankess are always called OLD as of the recent past yet they stay competitive….Bawston has a couple of liabilities at the corners and the OF is banking on youth…O’s I think will finish 3rd…Jays will out score everyone…Rays I can’t formulate an opinion cuz they are young but seem to make it work when you least expect them…
This division is wide open. Honestly anyone can come in first as each team has the talent. However I am gonna predict that the two of our five teams make the playoffs this year but which ones I have no idea.
Agreed. I’m not a fan of any team in the AL East, but I can’t say I’d be shocked by any order of the standings. I would say TB, NYY, Boston, Toronto, Baltimore, yet, if it finished, Baltimore, Toronto, Boston, NYY, TB, I wouldn’t be shocked. Should be a fun race to watch, since I have no stake in it
The only think that would shock me is if Baltimore or Tampa finished in first place. They just aren’t as good as the rest of the AL East. Baltimore and Tampa in 4th or 5th place with some combination of the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays in first through third.
It’s almost comedic you’re not taking the young Rays team in Tampa more seriously. They have arguably the best team in the division.
One could make an argument to say EVERY AL East team is the best in the division.
It’s not that many are taking them lightly. It’s that a team can only go so far with no offense and strong pitching and some of that strong pitching isn’t even healthy yet, plus that pitching has to go up against some of the best offensive teams in the game in 4 of the most offensive friendly parks for over 1/4 of it’s schedule. It’s why TB Has had issues before, even when they had better pitching staff’s than they now possess and a few offensive pieces.
I’m in on Tampa. I think their pitching staff gives them a chance in close games, and I have faith that they can get enough offense from Longoria, Forsythe, Pearce/Morrison, etc. They’re not perfect, but their pitching staff is right near the top of the AL. That said, it’s possible that, as multiple people have said, their offense just falls flat and they have to look to sell off some of their pitchers (Odorizzi/Boxberger)
BREAKING – Marcus Stroman will play for USA in WBC.