The Opener: Spring Training, Wong, Marlins

With regular season baseball less than a month away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world over the weekend:

1. Spring Training games begin for 28 clubs:

While the Dodgers and Padres opened Cactus League play against each other yesterday, the league’s other 28 teams will all have their own first games of the season this weekend. Today, the Cubs will take on the White Sox, the Rangers will face the Royals, and the Diamondbacks will square off against the Rockies in addition to a second game between San Diego and L.A. Meanwhile, the Red Sox and Twins will kick off spring play in Florida with exhibition games against the Division I Northeastern Huskies and Minnesota Gophers, respectively.

Grapefruit League play won’t begin in earnest until tomorrow, which features a slate of games highlighted by newly-minted Orioles ace Corbin Burnes kicking off the club’s spring with a start opposite Boston’s Garrett Whitlock. Elsewhere in the AL East, right-handers Marcus Stroman of the Yankees and Lucas Giolito of the Red Sox figure to make their spring debuts for their new clubs on Sunday.

2. Wong signing on the horizon?

According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, second baseman Kolten Wong has seen his market “begin to pick up” following a number of infield signings around the league over the past week. From 2017 to 2022, Wong was an above-average regular at the keystone with quality defense and a .269/.349/.414 slash line during that time. The 2023 season was difficult for the 32-year-old, however, as he hit a paltry .165/.241/.227 in 216 trips to the plate with the Mariners before being released and catching on with the Dodgers. He much better upon arriving in Los Angeles, where he was used largely as a pinch hitter but slashed a respectable .300/.353/.500 in 34 trips to the plate during the season’s final month.

Solid as that brief stint with L.A. was, few clear landing spots for a pure second baseman such as Wong remain around the league. The Pirates were previously rumored to be considering a reunion with fellow lefty-swinging second baseman Adam Frazier before he signed with the Royals, however, and it’s certainly possible to imagine Wong fitting in as a left-handed bench bat on a club such as the Angels, Yankees, or Brewers.

3. What’s next for the Marlins?

The Marlins filled their most obvious hole on the roster yesterday by agreeing to a one-year deal with shortstop Tim Anderson, who figures to take over as the regular at the position, pushing Jon Berti into a utility role. While Anderson struggled badly in his final season with the White Sox last year, the two-time All Star was among the better regulars at the position from 2019 to 2022, when he slashed a collective .318/.347/.474 in 318 games. With the club’s vacancy at shortstop filled, what’s next in Miami? The club has largely stood pat this winter after winning 84 games last year en route to a surprising playoff appearance, though they did lose Jorge Soler to the Giants in free agency.

There’s been buzz throughout the winter that the Marlins could look to deal a controllable arm such as Jesus Luzardo, Braxton Garrett, or Edward Cabrera from their rotation mix, though it’s unclear how likely such a deal is and Garrett’s recent bout of shoulder soreness could complicate that decision further for the club. If Miami were to decide to consider further augmenting the roster after adding Anderson, a bat to add to an outfield/DH mix that currently features Avisail Garcia, Jesus Sanchez, and Bryan De La Cruz alongside center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. could make some sense. The likes of Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall, and Tommy Pham are all still available in free agency and could be sensible, fairly low-cost additions for the Marlins to make.