The White Sox knew when they signed Joe Kelly that the righty likely wouldn’t be ready for the start of the season, and the reliever tells Daryl Van Schouwen of The Chicago Sun-Times that he is targeting late April for his Pale Hose debut. Biceps tightness sidelined Kelly while he was pitching with the Dodgers in the NLCS last October, and it has resulted in his now being a few weeks behind the other pitchers in terms of readiness for Opening Day.
Fortunately, Kelly reported that he isn’t feeling any pain, and “the ball is coming out good for where they expected it to be, the body is moving a lot quicker. We’re just making sure we stay with the game plan and don’t push it.” Chicago’s two-year, $17MM deal (with a club option for 2024) with Kelly added the veteran reliever to an already stacked bullpen, and the Sox look to have assembled one of baseball’s deepest relief corps, even if Craig Kimbrel is still a potential trade candidate.
More from around the AL Central…
- MJ Melendez is one of the game’s top catching prospects, yet the Royals youngster recently made his spring debut at third base and has also been working out as an outfielder. Since Salvador Perez has the Royals’ catching position on lockdown, the team is exploring ways to get Melendez into the lineup, given how he is already nearing his big league debut. “If he’s able to keep making those strides, how do we get him opportunities if any present themselves? It’s just trying to be a little creative and not making wholesale changes,” manager Mike Matheny told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters. “Because he’s a good catcher. It’s just where’s the opportunity, and how do we make the most of the talent and opportunity combined?” Melendez hit .288/.386/.625 with 41 home runs over 531 combined plate appearances at the Double-A (347 PA) and Triple-A (184 PA) levels last season, and certainly doesn’t look like he has much left to prove in the minors. Cam Gallagher is slated to work as Perez’s backup, and if Melendez can at least handle other positions, it will only help him reach the Show sooner than later.
- Josh Naylor has been playing in Triple-A games this spring, a big milestone for the young Guardians slugger as he returns from major leg surgery last summer. “It was awesome to get back out there and do it again. It felt really real and I felt really controlled, which was the most important part,” Naylor told Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes. The 12th overall pick of the 2015 draft, Naylor has only shown glimpses of his potential at the MLB level, hitting just .250/.306/.389 over 633 career plate appearances in the majors. The lack of a 2020 minor league season and then his injury last year set back Naylor’s progress, and the Guardians are hopeful he can contribute to this year’s squad. Cleveland president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said that there is some hope Naylor can break camp with the team, but “we want to make sure we’re doing what’s in Josh’s long-term interest and not just rushing to meet the artificial deadline of Opening Day.”
- Roster moves of any kind present some difficulty for a Guardians team that has an overload of prospects on its 40-man roster. As MLB.com’s Mandy Bell writes, the Guards added 11 minor leaguers to the 40-man in advance of the Rule 5 Draft, yet with the roster now full, Cleveland has little room to maneuver to deal with other needs. For instance, since it looks like Luke Maile and James Karinchak could both be starting the season on the injured list, the Guardians might have to make some tough decisions depending on how long either player is expected to be sidelined.
Really, nothing on the Tigers?? I expect that out of Anthony & TC, but you Mark.. no, not you.
What topic or story pertaining to the Tigers would you have liked them to talk about?
Idk, maybe about relaxing when people joke around.
I’m just asking. Wanted to know if something happened that they didn’t cover yet.
Idk, their obp still stinks. I would love to incite a trade, but I don’t think that will go very far.
The weather is cold and gray again. And, Russia is still doing Russia. I got nothing.
Not just the OBP that still stinks. The city is kinda, meh
One line of anything would have given Tiger fans the opportunity to read and comment.
Some of these guys need to express how knowledgeable they are. Spring training is where they shine.
Me. I don’t need an excuse to slam Al. Opportunity presents itself even on other team’s articles.
But….even one line of anything would have included many, many more readers…..
How about that rumor that Carlos Correa wanted the same deal with the Detroit Tigers that he took with Twins?…but Al’s phone was busy…….Al was too busy ordering EMPANADAS!
Its just a rumor at this point but evidence suggests there may be some truth to the rumor…..sometimes Al appears to have a hard time standing up…..telemetric and satellite images confirm a change in girth
..
I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that. Probably his best.move of the off season. Forget Raymond! Those empanadas are good!
Correa and Cancer both start with C. Don’t need either one in the Tigers dugout.
*Tribe
Let it go man.
Never.
Cleveland is one of the teams I follow. I didn’t like the name change. Wrote 20 reason why. But what is……is.
I’ve enjoyed your comments the past few years. But if you persist in doing what I believe is beneath you, then I’ll be forced to use the mute option – which I must have 25-50 posters on now. They’re trolls and/or pick fights because they can’t keep up and have nothing of value to add. You do.
And sufferfortribe 2, it’s not just me you’re alienating. When you’re ready to begin to make meaningful posts again, either yours’ll be muted or ignored by others. That’s not good because this board at best has 20% quality posters that are worth reading. We need you here, we need your comments read.
I have to let you in on a little secret, which I guess won’t be a secret anymore. I have changed allegiances, and am now an Arizona Diamondbacks fan.
My comments regarding the Tribe are not trolling on my part. They are a part of my continual crusade to force a name change to something else, something not as dumb as the current disaster. Will it work? Who knows, but I will not stop trying.
Lol, so you just read yr own comments at this pt? Others are just trolls or “can’t keep up”? Whatev, dude. I think you miss the point of a discussion board.
Mute me (if you have not yet already). I will lose zero sleep over it. Zero.
You need to drop the “red” part of your name. That would be more fitting.
Good luck on your crusade. Although since you’re a former Indian fan who I assume was not alive in 1948, may I suggest the Brewers since they have not won a World Series?
Dude. you threatening to mute people like anyone cares if you do? I’m sure the people you muted are so heartbroken. Haha. Also 20% is high. If you want to have a meaningful conversation about baseball with knowledgeable people. this is the last site you would go to. This is a site filled with the most biased, uneducated baseball fans ever. I don’t think I ever had one meaningful conversation here. No offense but true. I subscribe to support the site creators cause they do a heck of a job, not for the rift=raft here. Threatening to mute people? lol On a side note, that troll can call them what they want. I call them Cleveland now, cause the new name doesn’t roll of the tongue and I personally don’t like it but i know It won’t change. People got a right to call them what they want.
I’ve always had a soft spot for the Brew Crew, since the Robin Yount days. Then add in their using the old ballpark for the classic Major League, and I still root for them.
Agreed, Sam. This is absurd. I don’t think CLE’s pick was a great one, but it’s time to move on.
Maybe you can get the Dodgers to come back to Brooklyn
So you genuinely think if you go online anonymously and endlessly whine enough about the name change the Cleveland front office will take notice and have second thoughts on the name?! Sounds like being a troll with extra steps. Good luck on your self-righteous “crusade”. Spoiler Alert: It won’t work.
PS: Anyone who jumps ship over a name change was never a good fan to begin with. Good riddance.
Coming from an anonymous, old man that admittedly makes it his personal “crusade” to constantly whine about the name, irony eludes you.
You would assume wrong. He was a teenager then.
What Amerind people fail to realize is:
as a white guy, I have been brainwashed to think indians are awesome and men to be feared…guess NOT.
Indians is a way cooler name.
who?
Samuel muted me. I think that’s the case if you can’t reply to someone. Time to get my party hat out.
But darn, I didn’t get to mock that puss yet for grooming children with toys costing not more than $25.
**Loser
*sad, little, old man
*SPIDERS
Its amazing how many comments disappear when you mute one single troll.
Holy hell man, can’t we all just get along? Opening Day is less than 2 weeks away now, so we got lots to be happy bout. As a lifelong Tiger, I think Ole worthless Al Avila needs to check into more BP help. But I do feel really good about how Akil Baddoo has looked so far this spring. I really thought after being a Rule 5 pickup that he’d have some real Sophomore Struggles going on. But he is lacing balls to all fields this spring and looking like he just may be more than a splash in the can kind of prospect.
Also feeling OK thus far on our top 5 prospects Greene and Tork. I now think they’ll be sticking around after ST ends. But as far as our SP goes, I truly think Matt Manning is headed for the BP soon. He ain’t gonna make it as a SP. Just an opinion, but perhaps it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. Worked for Fulmer. So that would leave Mize, Skubal, Peralta, Pineda and I believe prolly Ty Alexander. But I guess we’ll see. GO TIGERS
Spring Training rarely means anything in Detroit. Still, Newcomer 2B/CF Jack Lopez is doing great.
Kelly was a huge overpay even if he had been healthy. What a ridiculous signing by the Sox who had greater needs than yet another bullpen piece to begin with.
The Naylor kid plays hard , Hockey mentality
I hope Josh and Bo both make it with the Guardians. They seem like a fun pair.
Unfortunately I think they are both overrated. They need to hire a hitting coach.
Your comment is awaiting moderation…
The mute button. Favorite tool of tools. Feeling self righteous? Use the mute button. Someone has an opinion different than yours. Use the mute button. Drunk on Kool aid? Use the mute button.
Cancel culture at work here
It’s a sports website. Sports are a fun distraction. Is it surprising or wrong that some people just want to talk about sports and not listen to others start political discussions?
What a novel idea.
Saber, people like you are why the mute button exists.