Brown: Astros Not In Market For Additional Starting Pitching
March 5: Even following today’s announcement that Verlander will open the season on the injured list, Brown doubled down on his comments downplaying a potential rotation addition (X link via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). Brown again stated that his club isn’t in the market for starting pitching at this time, pointing France as the likely fifth starter behind Valdez, Javier, Brown and Urquidy. Blanco and prospect Spencer Arrighetti were also listed by Brown as depth options.
March 3: The Astros made a major splash at the back of their bullpen by signing relief ace Josh Hader to a five-year deal back in January, fortifying a late-inning mix that already included veteran closer Ryan Pressly and flamethrowing youngster Bryan Abreu. In the run-up to Spring Training, however, Houston GM Dana Brown indicated that the club hoped to make further additions to the pitching side of its roster before Opening Day, either by adding a reliever to the club’s bullpen mix or perhaps by adding another starter to allow other potential rotation arms to work in relief. That no longer appears to be the plan, as the GM downplayed the likelihood of such an addition coming to fruition in comments made to reporters (including The Athletic’s Chandler Rome) yesterday.
“We might add something later (around the trade deadline), but right now I think our team’s built to win and we’re ready to go,” Brown said, as relayed by Rome. Brown then went on to specifically note that he doesn’t expect the club to sign left-hander Blake Snell, the top free agent remaining on the open market, even as he admitted that he “would love to have him” on board.
It’s not necessarily a surprise that the Astros aren’t likely to aggressively pursue a deal with Snell. After all, the club has already entered unprecedented territory this winter when it comes to payroll. Per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the Astros have never entered a season with a projected payroll above their $187MM figure from the 2021 season, but RosterResource projects the club to blow that figure out of the water this year with a whopping $240MM payroll entering the 2024 campaign. Those same projections put Houston at a $254MM payroll for luxury tax purposes, just a hair below the second threshold of $257MM. An addition of Snell’s caliber would surely blow past that number, as would even smaller deals for remaining mid-level free agent arms such as Michael Lorenzen or Mike Clevinger.
While Brown’s comments suggest that the club is comfortable with its internal options in the rotation, Houston’s depth is already being tested with a month left to go before Opening Day. Both veteran ace Justin Verlander and sophomore right-hander J.P. France have been sidelined to this point in the spring by shoulder issues, leaving the status of bother hurlers in question ahead of Opening Day. Should both righties begin the season on the shelf, the club would likely be left to turn to either Ronel Blanco or Brandon Bielak as their fifth starter behind the established quartet of Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Hunter Brown, and Jose Urquidy. Blanco made seven starts for the Astros last year, pitching to a 4.74 ERA in 38 innings of work, while Bielak posted a 3.69 ERA in 70 2/3 frames over 13 starts.
The recent comments seem to shut the door on the club making any major additions, though it’s at least plausible that the Astros could look to shore up their bullpen depth with a smaller investment. The best remaining relief arm on the free agent market, veteran right-hander Ryne Stanek, spent the last three seasons in Houston and pitched to a strong 2.90 ERA with a 3.91 FIP during his time with the club, though he’s coming off a shaky platform season that saw him post a 4.09 ERA with a career-worst 23.9% strikeout rate. Other veteran options still available include Brad Boxberger and Mark Melancon, each of whom offer late inning experience and could likely be had on non-roster deals after injury-marred 2023 campaigns.
The Opener: Gray, Ohtani, MLBTR Chat
As Spring Training continues, here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on throughout the day:
1. Gray awaits MRI results:
The Cardinals are dealing with an injury scare regarding their top free agent addition this winter after right-hander Sonny Gray exited yesterday’s game mid-at bat with right hamstring tightness. The 34-year-old veteran underwent an MRI yesterday evening, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, with more information on the severity of Gray’s injury likely to be made available sometime today. Gray’s dealt with hamstring issues in his right leg previously, including a three-week trip to the injured list with the Twins early in 2022 season.
St. Louis landed Gray on a three-year, $75MM deal to lead their starting rotation after the righty posted a 2.79 ERA in 32 starts with Minnesota last year, en route to a second-place finish in AL Cy Young award voting. The veteran was the club’s marquee free agent signing this winter and the most significant addition to a rotation that posted a bottom-five ERA in the majors last year. Without Gray at the front of the staff, the Cardinals would figure to enter the season with internal veterans Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz at the front of the rotation, with veteran bounce-back candidates Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn bringing up the middle and the fifth starter spot likely to go to a younger arm such as Matthew Liberatore or Zack Thompson.
2. Ohtani to face the Angels:
The Spring Training edition of the Freeway Series is set to take place today, with Angels right-hander Chase Silseth set to take on Dodgers youngster Bobby Miller starting at 7:05pm CT. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince) recently that superstar Shohei Ohtani will be in the lineup today against his former team. Ohtani is also expected to be in the lineup for tomorrow’s game against the White Sox. That’ll mark his first back-to-back appearances with the Dodgers as the club gears up for the start of its regular season on March 20 against the Padres in Seoul, South Korea. Ohtani has wasted no time in making an impression with Dodgers fans this spring, having picked up five hits and two walks in nine trips to the plate so far this spring, including a home run and a triple.
3. MLBTR Chat today:
While teams around the league are already participating in Cactus and Grapefruit League games, a handful of the winter’s top free agents remain unsigned and plenty of offseason shopping lists around the league remain unfulfilled. Are you wondering if there’s more in store for your team with Opening Day just a few short weeks away? If so, tune in this afternoon when MLBTR’s Steve Adams hosts a live chat with readers at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to join in on the chat once it begins or read the transcript after its completed.
U. L. Washington Passes Away
Former big league shortstop U. L. Washington passed away on Sunday at the age of 70 after a battle with cancer.
“We mourn the loss of Royals Baseball Academy graduate and 1980 American League Champion U. L. Washington and send our condolences to his family and friends,” the Royals said in a statement earlier today.
“So sorry to hear my friend my teammate UL Washington has died of cancer,” Hall of Famer George Brett said in his own statement on X last night. “He was a great player. I will always be thankful of our time together with the Royals.”
Born in Stringtown, Oklahoma, Washington played collegiate baseball at Murray State College in Tishomingo, Oklahoma for one year before being admitted into the Royals Baseball Academy in 1973, which he attended alongside the likes of Frank White and Ron Washington. After spending several years in the Kansas City system, Washington made his big league debut at the age of 23 in 1977, though he was limited to a 10-game cup of coffee in the majors that season as the Royals went on to win 102 games before falling to the Yankees in the ALCS. Washington grew into a larger utility role with the club over the next two seasons, batting a combined .257/.304/.338 while playing solid defense at both second base and shortstop.
By 1980, Washington had developed into the club’s everyday shortstop and enjoyed the best season of his career to that point, slashing .276/.336/.375 in 153 games in conjunction with slick fielding. Washington’s first season as a regular saw the club reach the World Series, though they ultimately fell to the Phillies in a six-game set. Washington was a key contributor during the club’s postseason run not only in the field but also at the plate, where he went 10-for-33. After struggling somewhat during the strike-shortened 1981 season, the then-28-year-old returned to form in 1982 with a career year that saw him slash an above-average .286/.337/.412 despite missing a month due to injury. Washington came back down to Earth over his final two seasons with the Royals, batting just .233/.294/.310 in a combined 207 games despite recording a 40-steal season in 1983.
The switch-hitter’s tenure in Kansas City came to an end upon being dealt to the Expos in January 1985 in exchange for a package featuring southpaw Mike Kinnunen. Washington played in a utility capacity for the Expos, spending time at shortstop as well as second and third base while slashing .249/.301/.352 in 209 trips to the plate with the club. Washington hit free agency following the 1985 season, but did not sign with a club until partway through the 1986 campaign when he latched on with the Pirates. The then-32-year-old shortstop would finish his career in Pittsburgh, appearing in 82 games over two seasons with the club.
Washington finished his major league career with 907 games under his belt across eleven seasons, 757 of which came as a member of the Royals. A career .251/.313/.343 hitter, he stole 132 bases and clubbed 166 extra-base hits throughout his career while recording 5,864 1/3 innings at shortstop. Though Washington’s playing career in the majors came to a close in 1987, his time in the game was far from over. He began his coaching career as a manager in the Pirates’ system in 1989 before moving on the act as a hitting coach in the Royals, Dodgers, Twins, and Red Sox organizations. During his time as a coach, he worked with future stars such as Tim Wakefield and Mookie Betts.
MLBTR joins the rest of the baseball world in sending our condolences to Washington’s family, friends, loved ones, and former teammates.
The Opener: Giants, Martinez, Acuna
With one major piece of news already breaking this morning, here are three other things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on around the baseball world today:
1. Are the Giants done?
The Giants made a splash on the free agent market this weekend by signing third baseman Matt Chapman on a three-year deal with opt-outs after the 2024 and ’25 seasons. The deal substantially improves the club’s defense at third base while adding a high-upside bat to the lineup, and checks a box that was near the top of the club’s offseason shopping list. Now that Chapman’s in tow, however, is there more in store for San Francisco before Opening Day? Reporting has indicated that the club remains interested in top free agent hurler Blake Snell, while incumbent third baseman J.D. Davis appears to be without a spot in the lineup after the Chapman signing and could be a trade candidate in the coming weeks. On the other hand, president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi seemingly downplayed the likelihood of major additions after bringing Chapman into the fold yesterday.
2. Where will Martinez land?
With Chapman and Cody Bellinger having recently come off the board, veteran slugger J.D. Martinez now stands atop the pile of remaining free agent hitters after crushing 33 homers in 113 games last season. The market for the 36-year-old’s services has been fairly quietly of late, with the most significant development in recent weeks being reports of ultimately fruitless negotiations between Martinez and the Giants which came to a close when San Francisco signed Jorge Soler. As a player more or less limited to the DH spot in the lineup, Martinez’s market is a bit more limited than most, though MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently discussed possible suitors for his services. With Opening Day just weeks away and the winter’s other top bats having signed, could a deal be on the horizon?
3. Acuna meeting with doctor:
Reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. was scratched from the Braves’ spring lineup over the weekend as he deals with irritation in his right meniscus. While Atlanta has expressed confidence that Acuna will be ready for Opening Day, the club is remaining cautious with its superstar thanks in part to the fact that he’s just two seasons removed from a torn right ACL that cost him the second half of the 2021 campaign and delayed the start of his 2022 season. Today, Acuna is expected to meet with Dr. Neal ElAttrache for further examination of the issue, which could provide additional clarity on the slugger’s status. Should Acuna require a stint on the shelf, the Braves could turn to Forrest Wall, J.P. Martinez, or non-roster invitee Jordan Luplow to handle right field alongside Michael Harris II in center and Jarred Kelenic in left.
Greg Bird Signs With Mexican League’s Charros De Jalisco
First baseman Greg Bird has reportedly signed with the Mexican League’s Charros de Jalisco, according to MiLB.com. The slugger had previously been playing in the Australian Baseball League, which announced Bird’s departure on Instagram earlier today.
Bird, 31, was a fifth-round pick by the Yankees in the 2011 draft and made his big league debut with the club back in 2015, stepping is as the club’s everyday first baseman after Mark Teixeira‘s season was cut short by a fractured shin. In 46 games with the club during his rookie season, Bird impressed with a .261/.343/.529 slash line and 11 home runs in just 178 trips to the plate. Unfortunately, Bird suffered a torn labrum that offseason and underwent surgery that rendered him unavailable for the entirety of the 2016 season.
After losing what could have been the first full season of his career to injury, Bird returned to the big leagues as the Yankees’ Opening Day first baseman, though he struggled to a brutal .100/.250/.200 slash line in 19 games before returning to the injured list with a foot injury that would eventually require surgery. He returned to the field near the end of August and posted excellent numbers down the stretch, slashing .253/.316/.575 with eight homers in just 98 trips to the plate.
Unfortunately, Bird’s injury woes would continue throughout his next two seasons with the Yankees as he slashed just .197/.287/.371 while being limited to 92 games by ankle surgery and a plantar fascia tear, leading the club to designate him for assignment shortly after the 2019 season came to a close. Bird spent the next several years in the minor leagues, signing with the Rangers, Phillies, Rockies, Blue Jays, and even briefly returning to the Bronx between 2020 and 2022. With that being said, he did not make an official appearance for the Texas, Philadelphia, or Toronto during his time in those organizations. That’s in spite of the fact that he was actually called back up to the majors with the Rangers, as he suffered an injury before he could take the field with the club.
While Bird sports a solid .262/.385/.485 slash line for his career at the Triple-A level, he slashed just .218/.325/.354 in 59 games at the level with the Yankees in 2022, and hasn’t found a role in affiliated ball since. In addition to his time overseas in Australia, bird briefly played for the Frontier League’s Capitales de Quebec. Now playing in the Mexican League, the 31-year-old bird should have the opportunity to prove himself healthy and perhaps earn another shot in affiliated ball at some point in the future.
AL West Notes: Astros, Sano, A’s
Since being hired to helm the club’s baseball operations last winter, Astros GM Dana Brown has not been shy about the club’s interest in extending its core players. So far, that has yielded extensions for both right-hander Cristian Javier and second baseman Jose Altuve, with third baseman Alex Bregman and outfielder Kyle Tucker seemingly the club’s next priorities to negotiate with. With that being said, Brown recently indicated to reporters (including The Athletic’s Chandler Rome) that the club would have interest in looking into extensions for players with less service time, as has become commonplace in Atlanta, where Brown served as scouting director prior to joining the Astros.
Per Rome, that interest has not yet materialized in extension negotiations, at least when it comes to shortstop Jeremy Pena and right-hander Bryan Abreu. Pena finished fifth in AL Rookie of the Year voting during the 2022 season and earned a Gold Glove for his work at shortstop, but took a step back last season as he slashed .263/.324/.381 with just 10 home runs in 634 trips to the plate. Abreu, meanwhile, just turned in his second consecutive campaign with a sub-2.00 ERA out of the Astros bullpen, pitching to a 1.75 ERA in 72 innings of work while striking out a whopping 34.8% of batters faced. Pena remains under control through the end of the 2027 season, while Abreu can be controlled through at least 2026.
That the Astros have yet to engage either player in extension talks hardly precludes them from doing so in the future. While Rome relays that Pena recently declined to comment about his contract status, Abreu indicated that he’s open to offers from the team. Rome highlights sophomore catcher Yainer Diaz as another early-career extension candidate in Houston, with right-hander Hunter Brown and outfielder Chas McCormick among other speculative candidate who could make sense as potential extension targets for the club at some point.
More from around the AL West…
- Prior to signing a minor league deal with the Angels this past winter, veteran slugger Miguel Sano spent the 2023 season hard at work at improving his health after being unable to secure even a non-roster deal with a club last winter on the heels of a 2022 season that saw him slash a ghastly .083/.211/.133 while being limited to just 20 games by knee injuries. During his season away from affiliated ball, The Athletic’s Sam Blum writes that Sano not only focused on keeping his knee healthy after undergoing surgery on it the year prior but also completely overhauled his diet and exercise regime. The results speak for themselves, as Sano entered the Halos’ camp this spring having shed 58 pounds since he last took the field in the big leagues. If Sano can work his way back onto the big league roster, he could be a source of right-handed power in Anaheim after hitting 162 homers in just 694 games during his eight years with the Twins.
- In recent mailbag, Scott Ostler and John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle relayed that earlier in the Athletics‘ search for an interim home between the end of their lease at the Coliseum this fall and the construction of their new stadium in Las Vegas, which is expected to be complete in time for Opening Day 2028, the club considered a multi-city plan that would have seen the club play either 41 or 60 games at the Giants’ home stadium of Oracle Park while splitting the rest of the club’s games between Sacramento and Anaheim. This plan would have kept the A’s in compliance with their TV contract, which stipulates that the club must play at least 41 games in the Bay Area. Ostler and Shea go on to add that San Francisco wasn’t willing to offer the A’s more than 20 games at Oracle, however, and that a split schedule between multiple host cities is no longer under consideration as the club has since turned its attention towards negotiating a lease extension at the Coliseum.
Ed Ott Passes Away
The Pirates announced today that former major league catcher Ed Ott passed away today at the age of 72. “We are saddened by the loss of such a beloved member of the Pirates family,” said Pirates President Travis Williams in a statement. “Ed spent seven of his eight years in the Major Leagues with the Pirates and was a valued member of our World Series Championship team in 1979. It was great to see him last summer when he was in Pittsburgh to support former teammate Kent Tekulve at our Hall of Fame induction ceremony.”
Born in Muncy, Pennsylvania in 1951, Ott was part of both the football and wrestling teams at his local high school although he did not play baseball there on account of the school not having a baseball team. Instead, Ott participated in American Legion Baseball during the summers as a third baseman before being drafted in the 23rd round of the 1970 draft by the Pirates, at which point the club converted him from the infield to the outfield. Ott spent three seasons as an outfielder in the Pirates’ minor league system before the club once again asked him to change positions, this time moving him behind the plate.
While Ott had previously made his major league debut in 1974 as a bench bat with a brief two-game cameo in right field, he’d spend the next six seasons of his career as a catcher for the Pirates. After making just 10 trips to the plate across his first two big league seasons combined, Ott impressed in a 27 game stint as an emergency catcher behind injured backstops Manny Sanguillén and Duffy Dyer. While his playing time remained limited, Ott made the most of the opportunity by slashing .308/.349/.359, an above average slash for the era. That winter, the Pirates shipped Sanguillén to the A’s as compensation for hiring away manager Chuck Tanner, a deal that opened the door for Ott to take on primary catcing duties in the 1977 season.
In his first season as a major league regular, Ott performed well with a respectable .264/.334/.395 slash line in 347 trips to the plate across 104 games while spending 712 2/3 innings behind the plate. That combination of reliability behind the plate and roughly league average offense continued for the rest of Ott’s time with the Pirates, as he slashed .268/.316/.383 across the next three seasons while appearing in at least 112 games during each season. Ott is most famous for his role as a key piece on Pittsburgh’s 1979 team, which won 98 games before sweeping the Reds in the NLCS and being crowned World Series champions after beating the Orioles in a seven-game set. It’s the fifth and most recent championship in franchise history. Ott went 7-for-25 during that postseason, knocking in three runs during the World Series and scoring the game-winning run against Baltimore in Game 2.
Ott’s time in Pittsburgh came to an end following the 1980 season when he was traded to the then-California Angels alongside southpaw Mickey Mahler in exchange for All Star first baseman Jason Thompson. Ott appeared in 75 games for the Angels in 1981, though he batted just .217 with .545 OPS before undergoing surgery on his rotator cuff that winter, causing him to miss the 1982 campaign. Ott spent the next two seasons in the Angels’ minor league system before retiring in 1984. Following his playing career, Ott went on to serve as a minor league manager in the Pirates organization and a big league coach with the Astros and Tigers.
We at MLBTR join the rest of the baseball world in sending our condolences to Ott’s family, friends, loved ones, and former teammates and colleagues around the league.
Yankees Outright Jordan Groshans
The Yankees announced this afternoon that infielder Jordan Groshans has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to the club’s Triple-A roster. Groshans had been designated for assignment last week in order to make room for infielder/outfielder Jahmai Jones on the club’s 40-man roster after Jones was claimed off waivers from the Brewers.
Groshans, 24, joined the organization just before the start of Spring Training last month when the club claimed him off waivers from the Marlins. The infielder’s professional career kicked off when he was selected 12th overall by the Blue Jays in the 2018 draft, and he spent the next few seasons working his way up the minor league ladder in the organization as he blossomed into a consensus top-50 prospect in the sport. He ultimately would not make it to the big leagues in Toronto, however, as he was shipped to the Marlins at the 2022 trade deadline in exchange for relievers Anthony Bass and Zach Pop after struggling in his first taste of the Triple-A level.
The Marlins wasted little time in bringing Groshans up to the majors, giving him a 17-game cup of coffee in Miami down the stretch. He held his own while playing third base, though his slash line of .262/.308/.311 in 65 trips to the plate left something to be desired. While he remained in Miami throughout the 2023 season, Groshans did not make an appearance in the majors last year as he once again struggled at the plate in Triple-A. In 528 plate appearances across 125 games at the level last year, Groshans slashed a paltry .244/.339/.330 with just six home runs while splitting time between first and third base.
Given that lack of power and his move to the infield corners last year, the Marlins decided to move on from Groshans last month upon acquiring infielder Jonah Bride in a cash deal with the A’s. That decisions ultimately led to Groshans returning to the AL East as a member of the Yankees, with whom he’ll remain as a non-roster depth option headed into the 2024 season. While Groshans has yet to flash the power typically necessary to thrive at the infield corners, he has experience at all four infield spots and could compete with the likes of Jones, Jeter Downs, Kevin Smith as the top option to fill in on the club’s bench this year in the event of an injury.
AL Notes: Royals, Astros, McKay
The Royals are entering the 2024 season with elevated expectations after the club spent more than $100MM in free agency this winter on top of a massive 11-year extension for franchise shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. With that influx of free agent talent comes increased competition for spots on the club’s Opening Day roster. That excess of talent is particularly clear in the outfield, where manager Matt Quatraro recently indicated to reporters (including MLB.com’s Anne Rogers) that the club’s logjam is likely to result in the club carrying five outfielders on its roster to open the 2024 campaign.
Kansas City signed veteran outfield Hunter Renfroe to be the club’s regular right fielder, and Rogers suggests that glove-first center fielder and former top catching prospect MJ Melendez are the favorites to receive regular playing time on the grass alongside him. That leaves two spots on the bench available for a group that includes Drew Waters, Nelson Velazquez, and Dairon Blanco. A former top prospect in the Braves farm system, Waters was shipped to the Royals midseason back in 2022 and has since slashed a decent .231/.306/.402 in 130 games with the club. Velazquez, meanwhile, joined the club at last year’s trade deadline in a deal with the Cubs and displayed prodigious power down the stretch with 14 home runs in just 40 games. Blanco, 31 next month, is by far the oldest of the trio but performed well in a part-time role last season, going 24-for-29 on the basepaths while slashing .258/.324/.452 in 69 games that saw him spend time in all three outfield spots.
With the club expecting to carry five outfielders on the roster to open the season, that significantly limits the paths to an Opening Day roster spot for other bench options. Veterans Adam Frazier and Garrett Hampson both signed major league deals this past winter and appear locked into utility roles on the bench, and with Melendez now a full-time outfielder the Royals will have to enter the season with Freddy Fermin on the roster as the backup to veteran backstop Salvador Perez. That would seemingly leave little room on the club’s roster for Nick Pratto, the club’s first-round pick in the 2017 draft and a former top prospect. The first baseman has 144 big league games under his belt but has yet to establish himself in the majors, slashing just .216/.295/.364 in a combined 527 trips to the plate during that time.
More from around the American League…
- Astros manager Joe Espada announced to reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart) that right-handers Justin Verlander and J.P. France will throw bullpen sessions tomorrow. Espada indicated last week that Verlander’s next bullpen would determine not only whether or not he would then progress to live hitting but also his readiness for Opening Day. If Verlander begins the season on the shelf, it’s possible his spot in the rotation could go to France, assuming that the 28-year-old avoids an injured list stint of his own. The righty impressed with a 3.83 ERA in 136 1/3 innings of work with the big league club last year, almost entirely out of the starting rotation. Should Verlander be healthy enough to make his Opening Day start, France would likely be left to compete for the fifth spot in the club’s rotation with the likes of Ronel Blanco and Brandon Bielak.
- Rays southpaw Brendan McKay made his first professional appearance since undergoing Tommy John surgery late in the 2022 season today, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times spoke to the lefty following the appearance. Per Topkin, McKay expressed satisfaction with his progress, indicating that his curveball is “getting better” while his fastball, which Topkin adds sat at 90 while touching 91, is “in a good spot” to gain more velocity going forward. McKay typically sat at 94 with his heater when he last pitched in the majors in 2019, though the former top prospect and fourth-overall pick of the 2017 draft has dealt with both Tommy John surgery and Thoracic Outlet Syndrome since then. Once a consensus top-30 prospect in the sport, it’s easy to imagine McKay impacting the club’s pitching staff at some point this season if he can remain healthy.
NL Central Notes: Happ, Pirates, Liberatore
Cubs left fielder Ian Happ won’t be appearing in games for the time being after he suffered a mild hamstring strain during a game earlier this week, club manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times). Counsell added that the club remains “optimistic” that Happ will be ready for Opening Day, though he added that the 29-year-old will need to get additional reps in before Spring Training comes to a close in order to be ready for the start of the season.
The ninth-overall pick in the 2015 draft, Happ is entering the first year of the three-year, $61MM extension he inked with the Cubs early last season. The switch-hitter has settled in to become one of the club’s most reliable regulars in recent seasons, slashing a solid .259/.351/.435 (119 wRC+) across the past two seasons while earning his first career All Star appearance during the 2022 season and back-to-back Gold Glove awards in left field. In 2023, Happ posted a career-best 22.1% strikeout rate while walking at an impressive 14.3% clip. That strong plate discipline has left Happ as a key piece of the club’s core entering the 2023 season alongside the likes of Seiya Suzuki, Cody Bellinger, Dansby Swanson, and Nico Hoerner.
Losing Happ for any amount of time entering the regular season would surely be a blow to the Cubs, though Chicago has plenty of other options for its outfield mix available should their longest-tenured hitter start the season on the shelf. With top outfield prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong expected to begin the season at the Triple-A level, the likes of Mike Tauchman and Alexander Canario figure to be the most likely options for a reserve outfield spot with the big league club to open the season currently on the 40-man roster. Veteran left fielder David Peralta is also in camp with the club after signing on a minor league deal last month, with slugging prospect Owen Caissie also among the club’s non-roster invitees.
More from around the NL Central…
- Pirates outfielders Andrew McCutchen and Joshua Palacios have yet to appear this spring after being slowed by injuries entering camp, though manager Derek Shelton recently told reporters (including those at MLB.com) that each figures to see the field at some point in the next week. McCutchen, 37, has been working on defensive drills and taking swings this spring while rehabbing the partially torn achilles that ended his 2023 campaign in early September. The veteran figures to enter the 2024 season penciled in as the club’s regular DH, though he did make occasional appearances in right field last season. Palacios, meanwhile, figures to battle with the likes of Edward Olivares and Connor Joe for playing time in the outfield alongside regulars Bryan Reynolds and Jack Suwinski. The 28-year-old slashed .239/.279/.413 in 91 games with Pittsburgh last year but has been slowed this spring by a lower leg injury.
- Cardinals southpaw Matthew Liberatore spoke to reporters (including Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) recently about his goals for the coming season, and while he indicated that he still hopes to have a future with the club as a starting pitcher at some point, right now his priority is contributing in the majors regardless of his role. Liberatore struggled to a 5.88 ERA in 11 starts for the Cardinals last year but was dominant out of the bullpen, posting a 2.84 ERA in 12 2/3 innings of work with a 24.5% strikeout rate. The club’s starting five appears set with Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz, Kyle Gibson, and Lance Lynn all poised to take spots in the rotation, though Liberatore has stretched out as a starter alongside the likes of Zack Thompson with Worthy noting that manager Oli Marmol hasn’t ruled out the possibility of opening the season with a six-man rotation.