Given the spike of coronavirus cases in Florida and Arizona, the Mets and Yankees are both planning on moving their spring facilities to New York for the time being, per MLB Network Insider Jon Heyman. Any potential 2020 season is likely to be heavily dependent upon regional play, so it makes a certain amount of sense for both New York franchises to get settled into their home state (especially considering the rash of breakouts that caused all 30 teams to shut down their training facilities for the time being). The Mets and Yankees might not be the only clubs making this move, as USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that all MLB clubs will be moving their spring training to their home cities. Nightengale does add the caveat that the Blue Jays may stay in Florida for the time being, and there were as many as five teams on Friday with thoughts of staying in Florida (Twitter links).
Let’s check in on other news from around the game…
- Former Dodgers first baseman James Loney has been hired by the GEM Agency in an advisory role, tweets Robert Murray. GEM launched in October 2019 based out of Dallas, Texas. They rep current big leaguers Justin Turner, Tommy Pham, and Roberto Osuna – which are all tracked in MLBTR’s Agency Database. Loney played 11 seasons in the big leagues, with his most productive years coming with the Dodgers from 2006 to 2012. He was eventually traded to the Boston Red Sox in the Dodgers’ monster deal for Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Nick Punto. Loney would play just half a season in Boston before going on to post a pair of productive years with the Rays. He finished his playing career in 2016 as a 32-year-old with the New York Mets. For his career, the southpaw first baseman put up a line of .284/.336/.410 with 108 home runs in 5,487 plate appearances.
- Alex Cora will be eligible to return to Major League Baseball in 2021, and the former Red Sox skipper would love to return to the managing ranks, Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe writes. How soon there will be interest in Cora as a manager remains to be seen given his role in the investigations into both the Astros and Red Sox sign-stealing allegations. Still, he has a tremendous track record in his short time as the Red Sox manager. Like many of us, Cora remains in wait-and-see mode for the time being. Said Cora, “If this was a regular time and they were playing games, I would say yes [to managing in 2021]. I would love to be back in 2021 in some capacity. I love managing at the big league level. But right now, I’m still kind of like putting my game plan together. It’s not where I want it to be. But obviously with everything that’s going on, with my daughter going into her senior year of high school, we as a family have to see what we want to do.”
Loney was a really interesting player, a low-power, slick fielding first baseman who hung around for a long time.
Sadly hes the exact type that would probably only last on MiLB deals as depth in modern day baseball lol
Agreed. If a team has power elsewhere, a Loney type could certainly be an important piece. A poor man’s Keith Hernandez.
A poor man’s Keith Hernandez? A VERY poor man. Y’all are way overrating an at best league average hitter with a slightly above average glove at the least important defensive position. He’d only get minor league deals today cuz teams are smart enough to know that light hitting, 1B only guys aren’t very valuable.
I compare Loney him to players Darin Erstad or Sid Bream. Slick fielders with enough power to hit lots of doubles.
I compare Loney to players like Darin Erstad or Sid Bream. Slick fielders with enough power to hit lots of doubles. He was your prototypical #6 hitter.
Every position on the diamond is important. A good first baseman saves countless throwing errors. What was meant by my comparison is Hernandez was not a power hitter. Of course Keith was better both with the bat and glove. He also was one of the best field generals ever. Loney healthy and in his prime could certainly play on a team that has good power already and needs a defense first first baseman.
I disagree. No team needs a defensive first first baseman… a better hitting, worse fielder would be a more valuable player… the importance of defense at first pales in comparison to that of , say, SS. Analytics tells us this (as does common sense). There is just not a large enough effect to be made fielding at first base, certainly not enough to make up for a poor bat. Loney was never better than a league average player. Was always easy to upgrade from.
@Brixton isn’t Evan White’s ceiling something like James Loney?
Pretty much, but i think giving that kind of money to an AA 1B is dumb anyways
Came to post. Loney never really got paid, but played everyday for 7 seasons. Really interesting case, I wonder if there was any behind the scenes type stuff because it’s actually hard to play everyday for 7 seasons and never break out and then have MLB immediately be done with you when you’re 33.
He was absolutely nails in the playoffs too, a .954 OPS in 23 games. I feel like he was probably one slight tweak away from being a superstar, but he just couldn’t find it.
MLB was done with him cuz he had a terrible season at a position with tons of better options out there. Not at all unusual for a meh, averagish player to be done at 33. Who needs a poor hitting, so-so fielder who only plays 1B? That’s what Loney was at his career end.
Put Loney in Coors Field without the humidor, and he’d probably be a 25-30 homer hitter like Bichette or Castilla.
Ban Cora for life. Ain’t nobody wanting that rat around.
Shorty you have lost your mind!
Cora oughta go eat dirt, like the rat he is
it blows my mind hes even talking about managing again so soon after he was suspended. Hes getting his gameplan together? Clearly hes learned nothing from all this.
I agree. I read this article and almost screamed out loud!
What a complete tool
Ban cora for life. Ban the Asstros executives for life. They never belong within 10 miles of a park.
Ban Altuve, Bregman, Correa, Springer, Reddick, Gurriel, Gonzalez and Marisnick for life. Make examples out of them or else there’s no incentive not to just do what they did again and again.
Mets and Twins fans should be protesting more about those last 2, btw
Does MLB have Cora over a barrel?
Cora is still reeling from the Canes losing the College World Series in 1996, getting beat by Warren Morris & the LSU Tigers. I can still see him face down in the infield.
Is a “spile” a very large pile?
You all are forgetting he cheated in two cities. He has no morals. He knew he was cheating in Houston, he knew in Boston. He could have stopped it in Boston but didn’t. Why should he get a 3rd change. People working in the real rarely get a second.
Now morals? How do you know? This is just baseball. There is a guy holding a rally in Tulsa today who has a lifetime of demonstrating no morals. Yet he…well, you know.
dude stop with the politics, cmon.
Major League manager morals. Is that better?
What the hell does that have to do with Cora
You have lost your baseball mind.
The shortsightedness of fans and writers simply blows me away. Cora has a good track record in a short time? He CHEATED! Of course he has a good record, but not an honest one. Just like steroids and juiced baseballs. Of course the home run totals are unrealistic because they really ARE unrealistic. They CHEATED! Nothing of which comes by an honest effort. Are all these people truly impressed with the results from cheating? Get out of town clowns!
Loney will be great in his new role, he has a high baseball IQ and a sharp mind.
Curious has Cora ever admitted and apologized for what the investigation found on him? Talking about managing again, even if just a thought, without apologizing is just ridiculous, man up!
Welcome to the world. Its becoming a useless place where the Cora-type of attitude is taking over.
Where did the rest of the comments go for this thread?
You know, the ones where people said that “Cora should never manage again,” and then Cora responding with “well nobody is perfect.” That whole dialogue is missing…
All the best comments were deleted for some reason… lame.
Cora is the most delusional person to think teams want to hire him after this ban. There are so many other qualified people who don’t have his taint. He would be smart to take a high school job.
I hope the RS ownership gives Cora another chance n never listens to these nutters talking trash about him.
The players loooooove him n the fans love the players so we should all get their wish.
All fans do not love the players right now. Spoiled, entitled little bit€hes.