On the heels of one early-morning bombshell, here are three other things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:
1. Full squad workouts:
Most teams have fully begun Spring Training at this point, but a small handful of clubs will be having their first full-squad workout today as position players report to camp. The lone Grapefruit League team to which this applies is the Rays, but the Cactus League in Arizona will see the Guardians, Rockies, Brewers, and Mariners all host their first full-squad workouts today. Cedric Mullins (Rays), Jake McCarthy (Rockies), and Brendan Donovan (Mariners) are among the new faces that will be showing up in camp for clubs today, while the Mariners will also be welcoming first baseman Josh Naylor back into the fold after re-signing him back in November.
2. Lopez headed for MRI:
Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez is headed for imaging due to soreness in his elbow. Lopez is one of the most important cogs in the Twins’ rotation but struggled to stay healthy last year, missing time with a Grade 2 strain of the teres major and a late-season forearm strain. The talented 29-year-old now appears to be starting this year’s Spring Training off on the wrong foot as well. More information about Lopez’s status and his potential timeline for a return to throwing should be available in the coming days. If Lopez winds up missing significant time, it will be worth keeping an eye on the Twins to see if they become players for one of the remaining starters on the market like Lucas Giolito or old friend Zack Littell. Minnesota made a late play for Framber Valdez before he signed with the division-rival Tigers.
3. Extension season:
There are only a few notable free agents left on the market, and major trades become increasingly rare as Spring Training gets underway. With many teams having more or less put a bow on their external additions, will teams start turning their attention towards extensions? It would certainly make sense, and in some corners of the league that process has already begun. The Dodgers signed Max Muncy to the fourth extension of his career earlier this month. The Padres turned to their front office and locked up president of baseball operations A.J. Preller on a multi-year deal. Neither of those moves were exactly shocking, but perhaps teams like the Cubs (Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki) and Mariners (J.P. Crawford, Randy Arozarena) could look to discuss keeping some of their top players around beyond the final year of their contract. And as the A’s have already reminded us with their Jacob Wilson deal, spring is the most common time for pre-arbitration players to sign extensions as well.
I don’t think Hoyer gets an extension done for Suzuki or Hoerner this early on, but you never know.
Yes please, with Nico. If they have decent seasons, Suzuki and Happ could be signed on a qualifying offer. Depends on who has good years, but the Cubs can possibly offer up to five QOs if you include Taillon and Boyd. The free agent list for next off-season looks underwhelming though there always seems to be a couple guys that have a career year in their last season before free agency.
I’m a little jelly this morning with the Padres stockpile of viable SP. In Yankees camp, Schlittler already had a minor injury and you’d think grabbing one of these professional arms would be advisable to stash for possible early injuries.
Anyway, good on Preller, he’s got a second rotation set.
The Yankees have Yarbrough and Blackburn as the next guys up and Rodriguez in case of emergency. They’re not going to add more depth pitchers unless absolutely necessary. Especially with good news on Rodon and Cole regarding their timetables
Yes I know what they have, but adding cheap depth is not a bad thing. Nothing is a given in sports.
I’m sure they will if a rash of injuries occurs like last year. For now there’s not a reason to do so
You can’t “stash” players. They require a 40/26 man roster spot
Astros should give Pena a massive 10 year deal, and Brown a 7 or 8 year one. Give Smith another big one next offseason, provided he deserves it. Arrighetti 6/42.
What has Arrighetti done to see the that yet
His stuff. Extending him now will save potentially millions. It’s 7 million AAV.
Yeah but coming off major injury without results backing it up? That’s just reckless
I’d say even that right now is throwing away money. he needs to prove a lot more than stuff first.
What was MN doing not trading away their aces this offseason ?? They were one injury away from throwing in the towel and it happened first day of spring training. Just lost your most valuable trade chip, Lopez and Ryan shoulda both been traded this offseason
I’m not sure they had a towel to throw in but I agree
Everyone in the AL central gets a towel lol
They traded theirs at the deadline last year
They were probably hoping for health and strong production from Lopez and Ryan in order to move them at the deadline. It was a risk but I get it considering the list of other pitchers who were available this winter.
Hoping to see the Mariners extend Logan Gilbert before opening day.
I doubt they look to extend anyone else at this time.
Randy and JP each have prospects coming for their positions and the team would likely be happy to take a QO pick if they leave, rather than overpay into their mid to late 30s (the FO doesn’t like to guarantee seasons after age 35). Donovan would be an interesting option to extend now, but the team will probably want to see how he does at TMobile first.
Castillo has a vesting option for 2028 which is practically a team option because having Castillo reach 180 innings would be a team decision. Kirby is controlled through 2028, so would probably be an extension candidate next year if they aren’t able to lock up Gilbert this year (I doubt we extend both). Woo and Miller are probably a year or two away from being realistic extension candidates.
@Can we please…yeah I heard it’s been known for awhile that they will let Kirby walk…I think he really wants to pitch on the East Coast. Maybe Yankees or Red Sox. I’ve perceived him to be on the moody side at times; and maybe not 100% happy in Seattle, just kind of get that impression. Hopefully Gilbert gets extended for sure, but thought it would have happened by now.
Reds have needed to lock up some of their young kids for a while now. I suppose Cincinnati Phil will let another group go away like Buffalo Bob did when free agency comes just like the previous teams that were put together.
They already tried with Elly and McLain, I’d like to see abbot extended but who else seems reliable enough?
McLain definitely was not worth it, he could end up as a sub if Hayes remerges. This season will prove a lot. Stewart playing first for the next decade makes sense. Steer depends on how season goes. Same with Elly really….he has another season like last year and his stock will be down substantially. I think Abbott is already too expensive. And Burns has so much control left but wouldn’t be against it.
Who else is there to consider ?
I’m glad to see someone else mention McLain as a potential bench piece, the locked on podcast was going on about benching Hayes in favor or saurez to improve the offense. But the never mentioned doing the same to McLain…
I am only aware of Buffalo Bill.
My least favorite thing in baseball is seeing quality pitchers go down early
It’s a fine line. More homers and lower batting averages lead to short games which creates a better product. All that is done though at the expense of pitchers arms 🤷♂️
Offense is always better unless its your pitcher on the mound.
All Free Agent Team:
C – Tom Murphy (R)
1B – Rhys Hoskins (R)
2B – Jose Iglesias (R)
SS – Luis Urias (R)
3B – Ramon Urias (R)
LF – Jesse Winker (L)
CF – Manuel Margot (R)
RF – Randall Grichuk (R)
DH – Rowdy Tellez (L)
BN – Alex Verdugo (L)
BN – Thiaro Estrada (R)
BN – Wilmer Flores (R)
BN – Mitch Garver (R)
SP – Lucas Giolito (R)
SP – Zak Littell (R)
SP – Patrick Corbin (L)
SP – Tony Gonsolin (R)
SP – Tyler Anderson (L)
C – Max Scherzer (R)
8 – Michael Kopech (R)
7 – Danny Coloumbe (L)
P – Jon Gray (R)
P – Colin Poche (L)
P – Charlie Morton (R)
P – Max Kranick (R)
LR – Wade Miley (L)
Our pitching could be real good.
How about an entire league of free agents? The MLB-B league.
10 teams, they could all play at one central location.
Three games at the ball park every day all summer. You could buy a day-pass and watch all three games.
Would be cool.
Could form the foundation for relegation in MLB.
That would require expansion to 40 teams.
What if the Yanks or the Red Sox had a decade of bad luck and wound up in the B league? That would be great stuff, watching the Yanks battle for the B league crown to get back into the A league.
The B league could be formed before expansion. Every two years for the next twenty years, a new city would win franchise rights.
The city that has the most fan participation during their nomination wins the expansion rights for a franchise. Fan participation could be measured by streaming data, merchandise purchases, ticket sales and voting.
In 25 years from the inception of the B league, MLB would be at 40 teams, but would play with six divisions of five teams The B league would continue with 10 teams relegated from the MLB circuit.
Every season, the last place teams in each MLB division would play an elimination tournament. Two teams relegated every season.
B League would compete for promotion to the MLB circuit.
Old York….Rogers Hornsby said he spent his offseason just sitting in his kitchen and staring out the window waiting for Spring to come. I guess no personal trainer or offseason exercise regimen for ol’ Rogers.