With the first report date for pitchers and catchers just two days away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:
1. Arbitration hearings continue:
According to the Associated Press, the Angels and Luis Rengifo had their arbitration hearing yesterday, with a decision expected to be handed down today. Rengifo filed at $5.95MM while the Angels countered at $5.8MM. Rengifo is coming off a strong but injury shortened season in 2024 where he slashed .300/.347/.417 in 78 games. The Cardinals and outfielder Lars Nootbaar have also had their hearing, with Nootbaar filing at $2.95MM and the Cardinals countering at $2.45MM. That decision is being withheld until Nootbaar’s teammate Brendan Donovan’s arbitration case is either settled or decided, however (as is common for comparable players in the same service class whose hearing results could be relevant to one another). So far, teams have won three out of four arbitration decisions with Angels outfielder Mickey Moniak being the only player to win his case this year.
2. Positional market continues to thin:
Both the outfield and infield markets thinned a bit further yesterday when the Pirates reached an agreement with veteran Tommy Pham while the Angels landed third baseman Yoan Moncada. Both came to terms on one-year deals.
Alex Bregman is the only top-tier free agent remaining on the positional market, but even the market for depth options and second-division starters has been begun to dry up. First base has a handful of notable veterans still available like Justin Turner, Anthony Rizzo, and Mark Canha, but the rest of the infield market is more dire. Paul DeJong is perhaps the best option remaining, with Luis Urias, Jose Iglesias, and Brendan Rodgers also available. In the outfield, Canha is capable of handling a corner alongside Alex Verdugo, David Peralta, Eddie Rosario, and Jason Heyward while Kevin Pillar and Michael A. Taylor are the best options available in center.
3. Marlins FanFest:
The Marlins are the latest team to host their annual FanFest, which is scheduled for tomorrow at loanDepot Park. The event will run from 4pm to 8pm and the festivities will include meet and greets with players, tours of the Marlins clubhouse, as well as live interviews with players in both English and Spanish. Newly hired Marlins manager Clayton McCullough figures to be in attendance for one of his first major events as the team’s skipper. The club is also expected to announce their new City Connect uniforms for the 2025 season at tomorrow’s event. Last year’s event saw president of baseball operations Peter Bendix field questions, though there’s no formal indication he’ll do so in 2025. The FanFest is a free, ticketed event, and interested fans can both claim a free ticket and find more information about the the event on the event’s MLB.com page here.
I’m starting to think that Bregman will never sign. He’ll switch to professional pickleball.
I’d kick his butt.
Casey – I hope he ends up with a 2-year deal, his ego needs to come down a few notches.
As for Pillar, what team would even touch a guy who just a few months ago made a dramatic retirement announcement only to change his mind shortly after. If he does join a team, it’s highly possible he won’t be very motivated and could end up quitting mid-season. Can’t trust people who change their mind like that.
Pillar basically laid it out as if all he gets are minor league invites to camp he would retire. Here we are in February, less than a week before Pitchers and Catchers report to camp and there’s been no mention of him anywhere. He may not officially retire this season but he may already be “retired”
@FPG I don’t have an issue with Pillar changing his mind. He struggled in ’22 and ’23 and was able to rebound by his standards. After announcing his retirement, it appeared that the pressure was off him in ’24 without concerns for a ’25 job. If he wants to give it another shot, good for him. Not the first time a pro athlete has flip-flopped with their decision.
Whoa, Fever, how do you know this? Maybe his wife is holding up the works and he’s trying to figure out a way to make her happy. Without hearing directly from. Bregman himself we have nothing to go on but rumors and scraps from guys who are paid to throw them out to us, like Heyman and Nightengale and Carabbis. You could be right, of course, but unless you know this is an ego play, you’re out over your skis here.
stel – I’m not sure what you think I know?
All I’m saying is whatever caused Pillar to change his mind, very likely could cause him to change his mind again. I haven’t read a ton of stories on it so I don’t know the specifics of his decision to retire and then change his mind, but even if it was more than just him feeling differently about his desire to play, I’ve gone through this with enough people to know they can’t be relied upon.
As for Bregman, I agree reporters are often wrong but actions speak louder than words. We know at the very least Houston is a place he would enjoy playing. Same with Detroit (Hinch), Boston (Cora), and maybe Toronto (Springer). So why hasn’t he picked one yet? Pretty sure it’s not because he’s incredibly indecisive. The guy wants better offers, that’s the only logical reason to be undecided at this late stage.
I like the skis analogy!
To say something halfway serious about Bregman…
One of the teams that’s rumored – or Borased – to be in the running is the Tigers. I just don’t see it. Even if Jung flames out, Detroit can always play Vierling at third and he’s coming off a very decent 3.0 bWAR season.
People seem to think of Vierling as just some fringe utility guy and Bregman as a star. But Vierling is a couple years younger and put up a 2024 season that wasn’t far from Bregman’s 4.1 bWAR. Not to mention that Vierling is very affordable. And the even more affordable Jung could suddenly break out, though his debut wasn’t the best.
So if I’m Detroit I’m definitely not getting into a Boras-orchestrated bidding war for Bregman. He’s just doesn’t look like that much of an improvement over in-house options.
I don’t believe any of the “rumors” about Bregmans 5 and 6 year deals. Typical Boras fake fluff. Pete Rose, Jose Canseco, Trevor Bauer. Baseball can taint players. Right or wrong, Altuve and Bregman are tainted. Bregman will get a contract, but don’t tell me suitors are lining up.
Rengifo and the Angels went to an arbitration hearing over 150k? They couldn’t have compromised over 75k? The arbitrator should have refused to hear the case and tell them to settle it among themselves and not waste his/her time.
The reason has nothing to do with Rengifo specifically. It’s about future arb numbers. If they meet at that price, the next time a player will ask for more. Not saying what is right or wrong just that is the reason.
Except Rengifo is a free agent at year’s end.
Halo, it isn’t about Rengifo himself. It’s about future players and their arb asks. If Rengifo gets the $5.95 million the next guy with similar numbers will ask for $6.25 million and so on. Maybe I should have been more clear.
True.
Fair enough but if the Angels win the next guy will ask for 6.1 million. Meeting halfway at 75k isn’t going to shake up the arbitration database. If they were 500k or more apart I could see the Angels holding firm. But 150 k is pocket change for a team with a projected 190 million dollar payroll ( per Spotrac)
After what happened to JD Davis last year (released after winning his case and losing a ton of money), I’m surprised that anyone would go in for such a small amount.
@Bill That’s an outlier with Farhan doing that with Davis. I would be very surprised if that happened again on any team. While of course legal, it’s a dirty play.
I guess it makes sense to offer free tickets to the 5 Marlins fans.
yeah I don’t get why marlin’s fan fest is something that we should all be aware of –
Maybe there’s free beer.
bag: The White Sox held a fan fest for the first time in three years but didn’t advertise it. Too bad. I have a few questions I’d like to ask…
the giants this year somehow had 4 fan fests – or I should say have had 3 and one more in SF in march
I think the Jays need to be all in on Bregman, i firmly believe he is the missing link on this offseason!!!
It’s the smart play but I don’t like the vlad/bo treatment today. I think Bo needs to go but you’ve got pay somebody if they are both over being there at this point.
Bo is the one likely to stay, Vlad’s days are literally numbered. Bregman, especially if he rebounds to closer to even his ’22 self would help soften the inevitable blow of Guerrero leaving but he hasn’t jumped at what is likely the best offer he has on the table. Wonder if he ends up going back to Houston on a similar deal that Alonso took with the Mets
HEHEHATE: Maybe the reason Bregman hasn’t signed with the Jays is that he knows Vlad is leaving. In that case they might go into a rebuild which he probably won’t want to be part of.
I don’t think it has anything to do w vlad vs finances and country limitations/mandate instead. Y’all think the USA is bad right now be thankful your waters not tapped today.
I think they want him and have the highest offer on the table. But, I don’t think he wants to go there.
Different set of standards in Canada. I don’t blame him for not wanting to go there under his market value/demand.
When do we get a poll for a Bregman pillow contract?
Fan fest. 1 fan.
Looking at the limited position players still out there, I think a couple of those guys end up in SD as we get into spring training.
They have multiple open 40 man roster spots and need a 1B/DH type along with a LF and I get the feeling they’re trying to wait out the market to sign guys for near the minimum. Some of these players are eventually going to have to decide if they want a non-roster deal but maybe the Padres have a little edge there since they can actually offer a guaranteed 40 man slot without having to DFA anyone