The Opener

After a very busy morning on the second day of Spring Training, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Arbitration Hearings Continue

Yesterday saw both Brewers ace Corbin Burnes and Royals right-hander Brady Singer lose to their clubs in arbitration hearings, giving clubs five wins over the players against three losses. Meanwhile, Angels infielder Gio Urshela, Diamondbacks infielder Josh Rojas, and Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley all had hearings yesterday, according to the Associated Press. That group joins a group of seven players waiting for a decision following their hearings, with four others still potentially waiting for a hearing ahead of tomorrow’s deadline for arbitration hearings.

Urshela filed at $10MM in his final trip through arbitration, while the Angels countered with $8.6MM. Helsley and Rojas, on the other hand, are both arbitration-eligible for the first time in 2023, meaning that despite facing smaller gaps with their respective teams, the outcome of their hearings will have a more significant impact on the duo’s future earnings than Urshela’s hearing will have on his future earnings. Helsely filed at $3MM to the Cardinals’ $2.15MM figure, while Rojas filed at $2.9MM against the D-backs’ $2.575MM.

2. Pitchers And Catchers Continue Reporting

Yesterday saw a little over half the league’s official reporting date for pitchers and catchers arrive, and after today, Spring Training will have begun for 29 of the 30 big league clubs. Guardians pitchers and catchers do not have their official reporting date until tomorrow. As players continue to filter into camp this spring, previously-unknown injury news, such as that of Frankie Montas and Taylor Trammell yesterday, is brought to light. Additionally, transfers to the 60-day injured list can begin, allowing clubs to temporarily free up space on their 40-man rosters, as the Red Sox did just this morning.

3. MLBTR Player Chat Today

Earlier this week, MLBTR hosted former Yankees pitcher Humberto Sanchez for a live chat with readers, the transcript of which you can find here. Today, MLBTR is excited to welcome former big league right-hander Deck McGuire, who will be hosting a live chat of his own with MLBTR readers later today. McGuire, the 11th overall pick in the 2011 draft, pitched for the Reds, Blue Jays, and Angels during his major league career, racking up 51 2/3 innings over the course of the 2017 and 2018 seasons with an ERA of 5.23. Since then, McGuire pitched in Asia from 2019-2021 before returning stateside for the 2022 season, during which he pitched in the minor leagues as well as the independent Atlantic League. Be sure to tune in at 10am CT today for McGuire’s chat!

With spring training now officially underway, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Pitchers and catchers report:

Today marks the official beginning of spring training, with over half the league’s pitchers and catchers due to report today. Today is the official report date for each of the D-backs, Cubs, White Sox, Reds, Rockies, Royals, Angels, A’s, Rangers, Red Sox, Tigers, Mets, Pirates, Cardinals, Rays and Nationals. Every team’s pitchers and catchers will need to report by the end of the week, while the reporting date for position players is early next week, though many arrive early.

2. Burnes, Singer arbitration announcements

Brewers ace Corbin Burnes went to an arbitration hearing against his club yesterday, per the AP. Burnes filed at a salary of $10.75MM while the club countered with $10.01MM. Royals right-hander Brady Singer also went to arbitration with his club, filing at $3.325MM against the team’s $2.95MM. Decisions on both cases are expected to be handed down today, with arbitration hearings and decisions set to continue all throughout the week. Both players will go through arbitration in the future, meaning this decision will have an impact on their earnings beyond the 2023 season. Singer, in particular, is set to make three more trips through arbitration as a Super Two player in his first year of eligibility. Burnes will have one more trip through arbitration next winter before reaching free agency following the 2024 campaign.

3. MLBTR Chat

Yesterday, MLBTR’s Steve Adams fielded questions during a live chat (transcript here). If you still have unanswered questions about the direction of your favorite team as Spring Training begins, you’re in luck, as MLBTR’s Anthony Franco will be hosting another chat today at 5pm CT. You can submit a question in advance here, and you can use the same link to check back in this evening and participate live once the chat begins.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of those who are celebrating! With pitchers and catchers reporting for most of the baseball world tomorrow, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Profar stands alone.

With Michael Wacha agreeing to terms in San Diego this morning, Jurickson Profar is the last man standing from MLBTR’s Top 50 free agent list back in November. With pitchers and catchers formally reporting this week — and many others already down in their teams’ spring camps — there figures to be some increased urgency for the remaining names to find landing spots (hence recent deals for Wacha, Andrew Chafin, Michael Fulmer).

Of course, the opening of camps could create some new opportunities for the remaining free agents; it’s likely that teams will run into some unexpected health issues in the coming days and weeks. On the pitching side of things, we’ve already seen the Yankees’ rotation impacted by Nestor Cortes Jr.’s grade 2 hamstring strain and by Frankie Montas’ shoulder injury. The Brewers announced last week that Aaron Ashby is dealing with shoulder fatigue and might not be ready for the start of the regular season. Reds reliever Tejay Antone is out for an extended period to begin the season after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection to address a flexor strain.

None of those pitching injuries will directly impact Profar’s market, but as position players begin to report to camp, go through intake physicals and begin ramping up for the season, new opportunities could come to light. Any corner outfield injuries that pop up in the weeks to come will be worth keeping a close eye on with regard to Profar.

2. Arbitration season continues:

The Angels went to arbitration against infielder Luis Rengifo yesterday, according to the AP. In his first trip through arbitration, Rengifo’s camp filed at $2.3MM while the Angels countered at $2MM. Due to Rengifo’s status as a first time arb-eligible player, this hearing is particularly crucial for his future earnings as arbitration salaries tend to use previous salaries as a baseline. Rengifo joins fellow Angel Hunter Renfroe and a trio of Rays (Colin Poche, Harold Ramirez, and Ryan Thompson) among players waiting on an announcement of the decision after their arbitration hearing earlier in the month. Per the AP, nine more players remain scheduled for hearings throughout the week.

3. MLBTR Chat Today

Do you have any questions regarding your favorite team or the larger baseball world as the 30 clubs gear up for Spring Training and make their last minute offseason moves? MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be fielding questions from readers today during a live chat at 11am CT. If you would like to ask questions in advance, you can do so here. That same link will also take you to the chat when it begins if you would like to participate live.

With football season now in the rear-view mirror, it’s finally time for baseball season! Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Signings to be made official:

A flurry of signings were reported over the weekend that have yet to be made official: Michael Fulmer signed with the Cubs, David Peralta and Alex Reyes both landed with the Dodgers, while Andrew Chafin returned to the Diamondbacks. As with any not-yet official signings, a 40-man roster move will be necessary to accommodate each of these players. The Cubs and Dodgers both have a handful of players who could move to the 60-day IL once Spring Training gets underway this week, thus clearing 40-man spots for Fulmer, Peralta, and Reyes, but the Diamondbacks lack a clear candidate for such a roster move, meaning they’ll like need to clear roster space some other way.

2. FA market heating back up:

The free agent market had entered a bit of a lull in recent weeks, with signings becoming increasingly sparing despite several strong players left on the market clearly deserving of big league deals. That dam seems to have finally broken over the weekend with the signings of Fulmer, Peralta, Reyes, and Chafin. Could more deals be on the way, with Spring Training just around the corner? There’s a variety of quality free agents still available who could impact a club: Jurickson Profar and Michael Wacha, the last remaining of free agents from MLBTR’s Top 50 earlier this offseason, highlight the group, but others such as Luke Voit, Gary Sanchez, Elvis Andrus, and Matt Moore are all interesting players who should be able to find a big league job somewhere before Opening Day as well.

3. Will the Astros keep going with Javier extended?

Over the weekend, the Astros managed to extend starting pitcher and 2022 World Series hero Cristian Javier on a five-year deal that covered three arbitration years and bought out a pair of free agent years. This came as no surprise, seeing as newly-installed GM Dana Brown stated publicly that he was focused on extending members of the core that just brought last year’s World Series trophy to Houston. In addition to Javier, Brown name-dropped Kyle Tucker, Jose Altuve, and Alex Bregman as players he’s hoping to have extension conversations with. Recently, Tucker lost his arbitration case against the Astros for his 2023 salary, leaving him with a lower platform salary than he was hoping for as he proceeds through the rest of his arbitration years. An extension, of course, could change that situation entirely, and it’s possible the baseline for Tucker’s arb years being set could make extension talks go a little easier. Altuve and Bregman are both under team control through 2024, but Brown and agent Scott Boras have reportedly been in contact about extensions nonetheless.

With Spring Training now a matter of days away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Are more extensions on the way?

The Padres once again surprised the baseball world yesterday, this time by extending Yu Darvish on a deal that guarantees the right-hander $90MM in new money over five additional years. There’s plenty of reason to believe more extensions could be on the way, both around baseball and, perhaps, even in San Diego. Two weeks after becoming GM of the Astros, Dana Brown told reporters that he has interest in extending a variety of players from Houston’s 2022 World Series core; not just Kyle Tucker, as previously reported, but also Cristian Javier, Alex Bregman, and Jose Altuve. Broadly speaking, Brown made clear he hopes to follow a similar trajectory to his now-former Braves club, aggressively pursuing long-term deals with key young players. As for the Padres, they might not be done after extending Darvish, with the club expected to pursue an extension with superstar third baseman Manny Machado ahead of Opening Day. Machado has an opt-out clause in his contract following the 2023 season. Spring Training — and the days leading up to it — has long been a time where clubs talk about extensions with their players, so expect plenty of chatter about teams looking to hammer out some long-term contracts.

2. Padres, Blue Jays set to hold press conferences today

A pair of press conferences are expected to take place today, with Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins set to speak to the media at noon CT regarding the clubs three-year deal with star shortstop Bo Bichette to buy out the 24-year-old’s remaining arbitration years. Elsewhere in baseball, Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller will also be speaking to the media today, in his case regarding yesterday’s extension with Darvish. With Spring Training just around the corner, both top decision-makers are likely to get into a variety of other topics regarding the futures of their respective clubs, as well.

3. Marlins FanFest this weekend

This offseason has been one with a considerable amount of change for the Miami Marlins, as the club has swapped out long-time players like Pablo Lopez, Miguel Rojas, and Brian Anderson while picking up new faces such as Luis Arraez, Johnny Cueto, and Jean Segura. This new-look Marlins team is set to welcome fans back to the ballpark tomorrow for Marlins FanFest, a free event that will run from 1pm to 6pm local time. A variety of Marlins players are expected to be in attendance, with player interviews highlighting the festivities.

With the return of baseball just around the corner, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the sports world throughout the day today:

1. WBC Rosters Announcement

The World Baseball Classic is set to return for its fifth installment next month, and tonight, WBC rosters will be announced. Coverage of the announcement will begin at 5pm CT on MLB Network. As per usual, the WBC is expected to feature star-studded rosters; for example, both Mike Trout and Mookie Betts are already confirmed for the Team USA roster, while the Dominican Republic is expected to include stars like Rafael Devers, Juan Soto and Julio Rodriguez. Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani will headline Japan’s roster. With the tournament running from March 8-21, players who participate in the WBC will be away from their team’s Spring Training camp to participate. As such, tonight’s roster reveal could have implications not just for the WBC itself but throughout all of MLB, as the absence of those stars will create some additional playing time for others during Cactus League and Grapefruit League play this spring.

2. NBA Trade Deadline

Typically, The Opener (and MLBTR in general) focuses purely on baseball. Today, however, we’re making a rare pivot to the larger sports world, as the NBA has its trade deadline this afternoon, at 2pm CT. Our sister site, Hoops Rumors, is set to provide the same type of coverage we at MLBTR provide during baseball’s own trade deadline. Just yesterday, a three-team deal sent Russell Westbrook to the Jazz and D’Angelo Russell to the Lakers, while superstar Kevin Durant was dealt to the Suns in a separate blockbuster late last night. With more sure to come in advance of this afternoon’s deadline, basketball fans who enjoy MLBTR’s content should check in at Hoops Rumors for up-to-the-minute coverage and analysis of the trade deadline throughout the day.

3. MLBTR Player Chat

Yesterday, MLBTR had the opportunity to host a live chat with former MLB starting pitcher Brandon Beachy, the transcript of which you can find here. Today, we’re excited to welcome current A’s outfielder Brent Rooker, who’ll host a live chat with our readers at noon CT. Rooker, the No. 35 overall pick in 2017, has consistently raked in the minor leagues, though since his MLB debut with the Twins in 2020, he’s struggled to make the jump to the big leagues. In 2022, Rooker changed uniforms three times: he started the year as a Twin before being sent to the Padres just before the start of the season in the Taylor Rogers trade, then was traded from San Diego to Kansas City in early August in exchange for catcher Cam Gallagher. Finally, a November waiver claim sent him from the Royals to the A’s, where he remains on the 40-man roster and will compete for an Opening Day spot during Spring Training. Brent’s chat will kick off at today at noon CT, so check back then to participate live!

With Opening Day just 50 days away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Giles to hold workout for interested teams:

Right-hander Ken Giles is set to hold a showcase for interested teams this morning. If the workout goes well, Giles could join the likes of Michael Fulmer and Corey Knebel at the top of the pile of right-handed relief options remaining on the free agent market. Giles has pitched just eight innings since the start of the 2020 season thanks to Tommy John surgery and a tendon injury in his finger, but prior to those woes he was one of the best late-inning options in the game; in 2019, he posted a sterling 1.87 ERA, good for a 244 ERA+ and backed by a FIP of 2.27.

2. Arbitration Update

Arbitration hearings continue rolling in, with the Associated Press reporting that Rays reliever Colin Poche had his hearing yesterday. As is the case with Angels outfielder Hunter Renfroe, the result of that case is being held rather than immediately announced so as not to serve as a data point in pending cases for comparable players in the same service bracket. The AP notes that hearings are scheduled out through Feb. 17, with 17 cases yet unresolved. Some of those will likely result in multi-year deals — the Astros have had discussions with Kyle Tucker, new GM Dana Brown said this week — but many will go to trial. Among the most notable remaining names are Corbin Burnes, Teoscar Hernandez and Gio Urshela. A full list of the 33 players who exchanged figures with teams can be seen here.

3. Player Chat and MLBTR Chat today

MLBTR’s Player Chat series is set to continue today. Earlier this week, we hosted a chat with former MLB pitcher and longtime scout Tim Fortugno, the transcript of which you can read here. Today, we’re excited to welcome former starting pitcher Brandon Beachy. Beachy pitched for the Braves and Dodgers in his MLB career, which spanned from the 2010 season until the 2015 season. The best seasons of Beachy’s career were 2011-2012. Across those two seasons, he made 38 starts and threw 222 2/3 innings to solid results, posting a 3.07 ERA (127 ERA+) and 3.30 FIP. Beachy’s 2012 season in particular was highlighted by a May 17th complete game shutout against a Marlins lineup that featured Giancarlo Stanton and Hanley Ramirez. Overall for his career, Beachy posted a 3.36 ERA (116 ERA+) with a 3.41 FIP across 48 starts and 275 2/3 innings. Be sure to tune in today 10am CST for Beachy’s live chat!

Meanwhile, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco will be hosting his weekly chat today at 5pm CT. You can submit a question in advance here, and you can use the same link to check back in this evening and participate live once the chat begins. Readers who missed yesterday’s chat with Steve Adams can also check out that transcript here in the meantime.

With the start of Spring Training just one week away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Decisions on recent arbitration hearings loom:

According to the Associated Press, two arbitration hearings have been completed, with decisions pending: the case between the Rays and right-hander Ryan Thompson, and the case between the Angels and outfielder Hunter Renfroe. While Thompson’s hearing was just yesterday, Renfroe’s hearing was over a week ago, with no decision announced as of yet despite more recent hearings having decisions handed down. Thompson followed up an excellent 2021 campaign where he posted a 2.38 ERA (3.11 FIP) with a more pedestrian 2022 where he posted a roughly league average ERA of 3.80 (3.42 FIP). His career mark is a 3.50 ERA with a nearly identical 3.55 FIP across 103 innings. Thompson’s camp filed for arbitration at a figure of $1.2MM, while the Rays countered with a figure of $1MM. Colin Poche, Jason Adam, and Harold Ramirez all also have unsettled arbitration salaries with the Rays.

As for Renfroe, he was traded in November by the Brewers to the Angels, who become his fifth club in as many seasons. Renfroe’s .255/.315/.492 (124 wRC+) line in 2022 was his best in any full season. Following the trade, Renfroe’s camp filed at a figure of $11.9MM, while the Angels countered at $11.25MM.

2. Sano working out for teams today

Today, former Twins first baseman Miguel Sano is set to participate in a showcase for clubs after an injury-plagued season where he struggled to a line of just .083/.211/.133 (9 wRC+) in 20 games before a knee injury ended his season. If the showcase goes well, Sano represents an interesting alternative to Luke Voit and Yuli Gurriel for clubs looking for a right-handed hitter to man first base. Voit’s 102 wRC+ was the only above average season line among the trio last year, making him perhaps the safest bet for any club looking to make an addition, while Sano and Gurriel both come with their own separate risks; Sano’s prodigious power has frequently been undercut by his staggering penchant for strikeouts, while Gurriel is looking for a rebound from one of his worst seasons as he heads into his age-39 campaign.

3. MLBTR Chat Today

Do you have any questions regarding your favorite team or the larger baseball world as the 30 clubs gear up for Spring Training and make their last minute offseason moves? MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be fielding questions from readers today during a live chat at 1pm CT. If you would like to ask questions in advance, you can do so here. That same link will also take you to the chat when it begins if you would like to participate live.

With Spring Training set to begin next week, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Coonrod DFA to be resolved:

The Phillies decision to designate right-hander Sam Coonrod for assignment last week will reach a conclusion today. Coonrod, who was designated in order to make room for Josh Harrison on the 40-man roster, struggled to the tune of a 7.82 ERA (4.61 FIP) over 12 2/3 innings in a 2022 season that was mostly wiped out by a shoulder strain. That said, Coonrod was a useful middle reliever as recently as 2021, when he posted a 4.04 ERA (3.71 FIP) over 42 1/3 innings. If he goes through waivers unclaimed, Coonrod does have enough service time to reject an outright assignment. However, given his $775K arbitration salary for 2023 would be lost in doing so, it’s possible he could accept the outright assignment anyway rather than test free agency.

2. Are more extensions on the way?

The run-up to Spring Training is frequently seen as a time for teams and players to discuss extensions, with most of the heavy lifting done in terms of transactions and baseball activities not yet started up. This past weekend saw the Dodgers announce an extension with shortstop Miguel Rojas that will keep him in L.A. through at least the 2024 season, with a club option for 2025 as well. Rojas joins a handful of players such as Jeff McNeil and Yandy Diaz who have inked extensions recently, and it’s possible more deals could be on the way. Giants ace Logan Webb has reportedly discussed an extension with San Francisco’s front office. It was also recently reported that the Royals front office is looking into extensions for the team’s young core as well.

3. Player Chat today at 10am CT:

MLBTR’s Player Chat series will continue this week, and we’re excited to welcome former big league right-hander and longtime MLB scout Tim Fortugno to host a chat with readers today. Fortugno pitched in parts of three MLB seasons from 1992-95, suiting up for the Angels, Reds and White Sox along the way. He pitched a total of 12 seasons in the minors, three in the majors and another in Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League. Fortugno has since spent more than 20 years in Major League scouting departments, working for the Rangers, Mets and Rays, who’ve employed him since 2019. Tune in at 10am CT today to ask any questions you have and to read about Fortugno’s wide array of experiences in baseball!

As the return of baseball continues to grow closer, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:

1. Dodgers FanFest is tomorrow

For the first time since the the Dodgers won the World Series in 2020, Dodgers FanFest is set to return to Dodger Stadium. The free fan event will take place from 10am to 4pm local time on Saturday. In addition to interviews with players, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and manager Dave Roberts both typically make themselves available to media at the event. The FanFest returns after an unusually quiet offseason for the Dodgers, who spent most of the offseason appearing to operate with the goal of ducking under the luxury tax this year to reset their penalties. The club weathered losses such as Trea Turner, Justin Turner, and Tyler Anderson, but Trevor Bauer’s reinstatement from suspension threw a wrench in those tax-reset plans, with Friedman saying he doesn’t expect to deal salaried players to get back under the tax for 2023.

2. Could more arbitration results be on the way?

Both of the past two days, we’ve heard the results of an arbitration hearing. Diego Castillo lost his case against the Mariners on Wednesday, while yesterday Luis Arraez won his case against the Marlins. More arbitration case results will trickle in throughout the next few days, including such big names like Bo Bichette and Max Fried, still waiting to finalize their 2023 contracts. Up until the last minute, teams and players are always free to agree to a deal to avoid arbitration, whether it’s on a one-year contract or on a multi-year extension — we’ve also seen such players as Jeff McNeil, Dylan Moore, and Yandy Diaz all sign extensions in recent days.

3. Will the Greinke deal be made official at last?

Ever since Zack Greinke re-signed with the Royals on a one-year deal, the wait has been on for the contract to become official. MLB.com’s Anne Rogers has said the signing can be expected to be made official this week, and whenever the move is made, the Royals will need to make a corresponding transaction to clear 40-man roster space. The Royals hope Greinke will help stabilize the rotation, as the veteran returns to pitch his ninth season in Kansas City and the 20th overall season of his excellent career. Though durability is a concern at Greinke’s age (39) and over 3247 innings of mileage on his arm, the right-hander has still delivered solid production. He posted ERA+ of 111 in 2022, marking his seventeenth consecutive season with an above-average mark in that metric.