The Opener: Full-Squad Workouts, Sims, Mets

As Spring Training gets fully underway, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Full-squad workouts for late arrivals:

The majority of clubs have already fully reported to Spring Training, but the handful that have not yet done so are set to host their first full-squad workouts today. In Florida’s Grapefruit League, that group of stragglers consists of the Braves, Orioles, Astros, Blue Jays, and Nationals. Meanwhile, the Guardians, Rockies, Brewers, and Mariners are the last teams to get Spring Training fully underway in Arizona’s Cactus League. A handful of notable position players will be appearing on the field in their new uniforms for the first time in Florida, including Jurickson Profar with Atlanta, Anthony Santander with Toronto, and Christian Walker with Houston.

2. Nats, Sims close to deal?

Right-hander Lucas Sims is reportedly nearing a deal with the Nationals as the right-hander looks to rebound from an up-and-down season with the Reds and Red Sox last year. The 30-year-old was coming off the best season of his career in 2023, where he pitched to an excellent 3.10 ERA (151 ERA+) in 61 innings of work while striking out 27.9% of opponents. In the first half with Cincinnati last year, Sims took a step back from those lofty numbers but remained effective with a 3.57 ERA (124 ERA+) and a 26% strikeout rate in 35 1/3 innings of work. The wheels came off after a midseason trade to Boston, however, and Sims was torched to the tune of a 6.43 ERA in 15 innings. Should he reach a deal with the Nationals, he’ll look to turn things around as a veteran relief option for a young D.C. club alongside Jorge Lopez after the Nats non-tendered longtime closer Kyle Finnegan back in November.

3. Rotation help back on the menu in New York?

In an offseason where the Mets landed Juan Soto and brought back Pete Alonso to alter the complexion of their lineup, they did relatively little to augment their starting pitching this winter. After watching Luis Severino walk in free agency, the club brought back Sean Manaea on a new contract and added Frankie Montas, Clay Holmes, and Griffin Canning to its rotation mix. At first glance, it appeared a largely unproven rotation mix with plenty of question marks. That’s even more true now that Montas is dealing with a lat strain that will shut him down beyond Opening Day, which will cause him to miss at least a month to open the season.

It’s not hard to imagine the loss of Montas spurring the Mets to further augment their rotation mix, and a handful of interesting options remain available in free agency. A reunion with Jose Quintana could still come together, and other players like Kyle Gibson, Andrew Heaney, and Spencer Turnbull are also still available on the market. A poll of MLBTR readers last week characterized Quintana as the best starting pitcher remaining on the market, though both Heaney and Turnbull also received significant support as well.