After a busy day where the winter’s best remaining hitter and pitcher came off the board in free agency, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:
1. Pitchers and catchers continue reporting:
After today, all 30 clubs’ pitchers and catchers will have reported for their first official team workout. The Guardians, Rockies, Brewers, and Mariners in the Cactus League as well as the Grapefruit League’s Orioles, Astros, Twins, and Blue Jays are all set to kick things off today. Those teams all unlock access to the 60-day injured list today, meaning any of them with a player suffering a long-term injury will have more 40-man roster flexibility going forward. Team officials figure to be in camp answering questions from the media as well, and as always it’s possible that previously-unreported injuries could crop up as players trickle into camp.
2. What’s next for Arenado?
The trade market for Nolan Arenado has long appeared unlikely to develop until after top infield free agent Alex Bregman signed somewhere. He finally did so last night, however, agreeing to a three-year deal with the Red Sox worth $40MM annually before factoring in deferred money. That’s bad news for Arenado and the Cardinals, as Boston was widely expected to pivot toward Arenado in the event that they came up short in the Bregman bidding. The other failed suitors for Bregman seem to be unlikely destinations. Arenado already blocked a trade to the Astros. A trade between the Cardinals and their archrival Cubs is all but impossible to imagine, and it’s unclear if Arenado would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to approve a deal to the Tigers or the Blue Jays.
3. Lower levels of free agency moving:
While most of the attention was on the major deals signed by Bregman and Nick Pivetta yesterday, they were just two of the seven players who signed big league free agent deals yesterday. All corners of the market have begun to move, with relievers like right-hander John Brebbia, starters like righty Cal Quantrill, and position players like center fielder Michael A. Taylor all agreeing to deals. A number of noteworthy free agents still remain on the market, including Justin Turner, Anthony Rizzo, Alex Verdugo, Paul DeJong, Andrew Heaney, Jose Quintana, and David Robertson. Who will be the next one to land a contract?
IMO what an overpay by RS. He’s not Soto or Ohtani.
He got 3 years valued at 90 million. Far cry from the 700/765 million ohtani and Soto got. With deferred money I don’t think it’s much of an overpay, shorter term higher AAV I think are the monikers you should use more than overpay. Best bat on the market , good defensive player for 30 per short term. Works well for both parties.
Ohtani is an international investment. Arte was not bright enough to know how to monitize Ohtani. Best bat on the market suggests there were other options that were available but passed by. Stand corrected re Soto.
Arte was too chicken to sign Ohtani.
Bregman is an A list player. He will help make any team a winner. RS fans are going to be happy.
Bregman is a 3 or 4-tool player and Soto is 1 or 2-tool.
Is cheating tool 3 or tool 4?
Tool 6. Like having 6 senses.
Except Soto’s 1 or 2 tools are possibly the greatest since Bonds.
What tool is Soto missing?
1.contact- one of the best in the game.
2. Power-41 homeruns last year
3 running- 128 runs scored 2nd most in baseball
4- fielding – led every major category for fielding stats for position and was gold glove nominee
5 Throwing- ranks in the 90% percentile in arm strength and led the league in Right Field assists.
Where are you pulling your stats from…NY tabloids? Baseball savant contradicts from your number 3 and down. Running does not equal runs scored lol. Sprint speed is what you are looking for and his average is 26.8, which is below MLB average of 27.0. Hes going to be a complete liability in the OF in a few years. Citi field is much more roomier than yankee stadium.
Watch him play the field this year and you’ll see he had no business being in gold glove conversation. His range is poor and he often misplays balls. He does have a good arm, I’ll give you that. He’s also an average baserunner.
I would rather a guy that scores runs. You can have the fastest guy in the world that doesn’t score runs. He gets on base and comes around to score and there isn’t really to many better at it.
I watched him play. I saw multiple times he robbed home runs and threw people out at the plate. I agree he’s not the best but he’s far from a liability.
I’ve never seen runs scored used as a prove point to base running levels lol bravo.
Whoa there! Running? he’s no more than an avg runner. Fielding? Gold glove? He has below average instincts fielding.
I agree, he has a strong, if fairly inaccurate arm and he does have power. He’s probably a 3 tool player.
@Mets Era I can’t believe you’re using runs scored as a measure of Soto’s base running. Soto hit over 40HR which is 40 of those runs scored. The guy hitting behind him hit 58 HR which accounts for a lot of the other runs scored. So jogging around the bases without tripping equals a good base runner to you I guess?
Does anyone know or care how good of a baserunner Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Albert Pujols or Frank Thomas were? No because they were so awesome at doing wha they do best which was hitting.
I was obviously being a smart ass because of the ridiculous comment about Bregman being better then Soto but it’s funny to see how you all let that moronic comment go but jump on how bad Soto is because he’s a Met.
Soto becoming a Met (because they offered the most money) is old news. Nobody cares about the Mets aside from Mets fans.
Soto is a great hitter (power+contact+discipline), poor (and slow) base runner, lacks fielding instincts or range and doesn’t have a strong arm (although he was good at throwing out banners last year). Would have been happy to have him on my team playing LF/DH, but not chewing up that much payroll into his late 30s.
Seems your trolling is based out of an internal complex and has nothing to do with baseball or other posters.
What are talking about? I’m not the o e that brought up Soto. I responded to a stupid post. It’s idiotic to think no one cares about what the Mets are doing except Mets fans. If you think that Bergman is better then Soto then you are just delusional.
Nick Castellanos has only committed three errors since 2021 but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out the he isn’t a terribly good fielder. Apply that to Soto how you see fit.
Maybe they are just tools?
The Mets as an organization are… at least to me, stupid
Bergman could fall flat on his nose with Boston.
Not a high average hitter. Is the wall going to knock down some of his home runs?
Plus he’s playing out of position defensively!!!
But ———- A guy will do a lot of things for $40 Million a Year!!!!!!!
I don’t think Arenado is going anywhere. I think he only ever wanted to be traded to a team and since that team isn’t in the market he will stay. That’s not what Cardinal fans want to hear but it is realistic.
Some of the free agents still unsigned may have to wait until injuries occur, go overseas or retire.
Yep. Not seeing Cards wanting Chris Taylor’s contract, Tony Gonsolin, and a good piece of Nolan’s contract. Not that actual deal was out there, just heard it buzzing around.
This Cardinals fan wants Arenado to block all of his trades that Mozeliak throws at him!!!
Make Mozeliak eat that money!!
Mozeliak lied to Arenado about the Cardinals continually adding quality players to remain a contending team “IF ARENADO OPTED INTO HIS CONTRACT” !!! Arenado did just that!
No need for Arenado to cooperate with Mozeliak if he’s not going to be honest with Arenado.
Just wait until 2026 Arenado. Chaim Bloom will be honest with you and get you a better deal with a contending team!!!
Totally agree with this. Arenado is now being used as a distraction for the organization to do nothing. Have to wonder if Mo was also hung out to dry. DIII is a very underwhelming human and the root of this disaster.
Arenado got what was coming to him for being greedy and blocking the trade to the Astros. Maybe still ends up going somewhere, but definitely some karma.
Greedy because he didn’t want to play for an owner who allowed his team to cheat their way to a championship and who’s team is not exactly getting younger?
I thought he did choose a team who’s owner and coach allowed their teams to cheat?
The Cardinals?
What is greedy about a player exercising his earned right to play only where he wanted to?
Arenado wants to play in California or the Northeast. Otherwise, he’s content in St. Louis. That’s not greed. Let’s force you to work where you don’t want to live.
Arenado has the right to decide where he works, just like you.
He negotiated a no trade clause, there is nothing sinister or greedy about using it.
If the cards don’t like it they shouldn’t have offered him one
They didn’t the Rockies gave him the no trade clause . But the Cards are stuck with it .
If Breslow kept Devers in Fort Myers all winter and had Raffy take enough reps until he could play an above-average 2B, I would give him a 5 year window where I didn’t question anything
If Arenado wants out, he’s going to have to play his way out by having a big first half and improving his market.
I agree , the cards should have started selling in 2023 but didn’t now they are stuck with Nolan . Hopefully he starts hot , gets traded at the deadline .
Haha, guess Nolan is stuck raking in undeserved cash as a middling 3rd baseman in St Louis. Well he was used to losing in Colorado so he won’t to adjust.
The “reset” happens with or without Arenado. Bill spends the first half paying down the 15mil he would have ate in trade, by paying Arenado as a Cardinal, which is fine by me. Knee-jerk decisions can be tough to pull off.
I seriously doubt Arenado would waive his NTC to go to Detroit. Bregman had a good offer from the Tigers he turned down. Detroit is a great town but that isn’t the perception among a lot of players.
Then he really doesn’t care about winning. He left Colorado to go to a team that could win. Detroit is in a better position to win than St. Louis. So was/is Houston.
Evidently Arenado is using draftking odds, and prefers better than Hou / Det odds of a championship. TBD, it’s fluid.
I sincerely hope the Tigers aren’t considering trading for him. If it was a one year contract, maybe. Not 3!
The Tigers have that reputation and difficulties because Chris Illich has made very little effort to actually field a winner in 11+ years.
No one knows better than the players who isn’t shelling out to pay for a viable team. They know rebuild is an excuse.
Fans are idiots. Players need to think about their careers and families.
Marion has a reputation.
They just offered 171 million to Bergman.. I beg to differ
It was turned down. One player is not a team.
When the signing of that one player is meant to influence fans more than sincerely going for it…..
The Central has been up for grabs for several years now….. anything? No.
If you tank, you better win the WS.
11 years of excuses.
That’s a long time for that type of “strategy”, isn’t it? Fair to the fan?
I think not.
Why don’t all teams report on the same day
Traffic congestion
DEI for days of the week.
Angels could certainly use David Robertson. Their bullpen would become a strength again. 1-8mil seems right.
I don’t see a ton out there to pivot to for Detroit. Might just need to roll with what we’ve got until the deadline. Maybe Taylor Ward, with Vierling being moved to 3B. DFA Kreidler. But they might just get rolling and save the money for a Skubal extension.
Without acquiring a rh hitting 3B, or knowing what’s going on with Javy, its too early to consider cutting Kriedler. He may be the platoon with Sweeney, if Javy is cut or injured. He may also be the teams best defensive 3B. And he is rh. Yes, he hasn’t hit, but he also has not been given regular playing time. Once they are more decided on the back ups, that may be the time.
If the Cardinals didn’t ask for a ransom, and the Angels ate all the salary, I could see Arenado in Anaheim. Rendon is trash and is never going to play again for them. Nolan would slide into starting lineup and improve the black hole that is the 3rd base for the Halos.
Tarik Skubal is not extending. Not a chance. With that out of the way:
Detroit beats Cleveland in the postseason if they had legit left-side infield defense. That deficiency will rise again.
A product of Orange County, Nolan Arenado is not waiving his no-trade to live in freezing slush nor play at Comerica National.
Matt Vierling nor Jace Jung are big league third basemen, and there are no other internal options.
At some point, the Tigers need to make a clever trade using minor league capital. Scott Harris needs to channel his inner Preller just for one afternoon to fix this problem. There is no other viable solution and this is a screaming issue that needs to be solved.
Looks like Arnedo is gonna start the year with the Redbirds . Hopefully he starts hot and gets traded by the deadline .