Cade Cavalli To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
Nationals president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo announced today in a press release that right-hander Cade Cavalli has a grade 3 UCL sprain and will require Tommy John surgery, meaning Cavalli will miss the entire 2023 season.
Cavalli, 24, figured to be a member of the Nationals starting rotation this year after making his big league debut in a single start last August before being sidelined with shoulder inflammation. While he struggled mightily in that start (seven earned runs in just 4 1/3 innings), Cavalli was among not only Washington’s top prospects, but among the best prospects in the game, with most services considering him a top 60 prospect in the sport. Instead of joining fellow youngsters Josiah Gray and MacKenzie Gore as they make their cases as rotation arms of the future for the rebuilding Nationals, Cavalli will spend the entire 2023 season rehabbing and likely not return to the mound until sometime during the 2024 season.
Cavalli rocketed through the minor leagues in his first professional season in 2021, dominating in High-A to the tune of a 1.77 ERA for 40 2/3 innings before moving up to Double-A, where he continued to excel with a 2.79 ERA in 58 innings before hitting a wall following a promotion to Triple-A. At the Triple-A level in 2022, Cavalli was torched to the tune of a 7.30 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. Though a .397 BABIP indicated some bad luck, his 4.54 FIP still indicating pronounced struggles relative to his dominance of lower levels of the minors.
In 2022, Cavalli returned to Triple-A and looked more like himself, hurling 97 innings with a 3.71 ERA and 3.25 FIP. Those numbers came with a 25.9% strikeout rate, 9.7% walk rate, and just three home runs allowed. Cavalli grew more impressive as the season wore on, with a sterling 1.47 ERA across seven minor league starts in July and August ahead of his big league call-up at the end of the month.
With Cavalli shelved for 2023, the Nationals seem likely to rely on either non-roster invitee Chad Kuhl to round out their Opening Day rotation. Kuhl, 30, has been a below average starter for his career, posting a 4.74 ERA (91 ERA+) in 576 2/3 innings of work with the Pirates and Rockies. That being said, he provides a steady veteran presence at the back of a rotation that’s rather young outside of Patrick Corbin. If the Nationals wish to have other arms still in camp compete with Kuhl for the fifth rotation spot, there are a couple of options remaining. Wily Peralta could be stretched out in the final weeks of Spring Training, as he has ample starting experience despite being used in short relief this spring, and Paolo Espino made 19 starts for the Nationals last year, pitching to a 4.84 ERA in 113 1/3 innings.
Should Kuhl begin the year in the rotation, that leaves youngster Joan Adon, who was recently cut from big league camp by the Nationals, as the likely top depth option. Adon made 14 starts for the Nationals last year, though he pitched to a disastrous 7.10 ERA (55 ERA+) in his 64 2/3 innings of work. Another option would be right-hander Cory Abbott, who was cut along with Adon but pitched 48 innings for the Nationals last year in a swing role that saw him start nine games.
Manager Davey Martinez has indicated he’s comfortable with the club’s existing rotation depth, even without Cavalli. That said, in the event the Nationals wish to look for additional rotation depth following Cavalli’s injury, the pickings are fairly slim on the free agent market at this point, with the likes of Chris Archer, Michael Pineda, and former National Anibal Sanchez among the remaining options.
The Opener: WBC, Diaz, Offseason In Review
With just two weeks to go until Opening Day, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. WBC Update
The first round of the World Baseball Classic is officially in the books, with Cuba, Italy, Japan, Australia, Mexico, the United States, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico advancing to the quarterfinals, which have already begun. Cuba defeated Australia yesterday to advance to the semifinal round, while Japan advanced past Italy this morning. While no other matches will happen today, the other two quarterfinal matchups are now set, with Team Mexico squaring off against Team Puerto Rico tomorrow night while Team USA is set to take on Team Venezuela Saturday night. Of course, the biggest story of the WBC yesterday followed Puerto Rico’s upset victory that sent home the tournament favorites from the Dominican Republic.
2. Diaz Injury Update Incoming
That story is Edwin Diaz‘s right knee injury, which he seemingly suffered during the celebration of Team Puerto Rico’s victory last night. The Mets announced last night that Diaz will undergo additional imaging today after receiving x-rays last night, meaning an update on Diaz could be coming as soon as later this morning. Until then, it’s unknown how much time Diaz will miss, though sources have told ESPN’s Jeff Passan that they fear Diaz is set to miss significant time. If Diaz misses significant time, that will obviously be a massive blow to the Mets’ bullpen, as Diaz is widely seen as the best closer in the entire sport.
3. Offseason in Review Chat Today
In conjunction with yesterday’s Reds Offseason in Review, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco will be hosting a Reds-centric live chat with readers today at 2pm CT. You can click here to submit a question in advance, and that same link will take you to the chat once it begins, or allow you to read the transcript once it’s complete. Be sure to check back throughout the day so you don’t miss Anthony’s chat!
The Opener: WBC, Rays, MLBTR Chats
As Opening Day approaches, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. WBC Update
The first round of the World Baseball Classic ends today, with a trio of key games that will decide who advances: At 2pm CT, Mexico will face Canada on FS2, with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals. Notably, Canada will likely be without star first baseman Freddie Freeman for today’s game after Freeman was removed from yesterday’s game with “slight” hamstring tightness, though the issue seems unlikely to cause Freeman to miss time with the Dodgers. Meanwhile, on FS1, a 6pm CT game between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will also send its winner to the quarterfinals, sending the other team home.
Later on FS1, Team USA will take on Team Colombia at 9pm CT. The U.S. will advance to the quarterfinals with a win, while a loss will result in each of the U.S., Colombia, and the loser of Mexico vs. Canada having a 2-2 record, with a tiebreaker deciding which of the three will join the Mexico vs. Canada winner in the quarterfinals. Finally, the second quarterfinal match takes place tomorrow morning at 5am CT, where Italy will take on Japan on FS2.
2. Will Kelley finally get his roster spot?
Right-hander Trevor Kelley, who joined the Rays on a minor league deal this offseason, was selected to Tampa Bay’s 40-man roster last month near the start of Spring Training. However, MLB voided that selection, as minor league contracts cannot formally be selected to the 40-man until March 15. Now that the date has finally arrived, it seems reasonable to expect the 30-year old hurler to be added to the 40-man roster in the near future, especially considering he’s tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings with three hits, two walks and six strikeouts so far in Grapefruit League action. The Rays could place either Andrew Kittredge or Shane Baz on the 60-day injured list as the corresponding move. Both players are recovering from 2022 Tommy John surgery.
3. MLBTR Chats Today
We continue our series of live chats with people from around the game of baseball today as Jim Duquette will be joining us for a live chat with readers at 3pm CT this afternoon. Duquette spent 17 years working in MLB front offices with his most notable roles being GM of the Mets from 2003 to 2004 and vice president of baseball operations for the Orioles from 2006 to 2007. You can also hear Duquette on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM, where he hosts the Power Alley alongside Mike Ferrin. Be sure to join the chat this afternoon as Duquette fields questions from MLBTR readers!
In addition, we have a Mets Offseason in Review chat with MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald scheduled for today, while MLBTR’s Anthony Franco will be hosting a his weekly chat this evening at 5pm CT. Both of those links will allow you to submit a question in advance and join the chats to participate live once they’re up and running.
Yankees Notes: Kiner-Falefa, Volpe, Trevino
Yankees infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa has been at the center of plenty of speculation this spring. That’s both revolved around whether he’d hold onto the starting shortstop job with youngsters Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe on the horizon and whether he could be traded to an infield-needy team like the Dodgers or Rockies. Now, Kiner-Falefa’s role for the Yankees may be coming into focus as he has begun taking reps in center field, as noted by MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch.
Kiner-Falefa doesn’t offer much with the bat, as demonstrated by his career 82 wRC+, indicating he’s been roughly 18% worse than league average for his career. Despite that, he’s still been a valuable player throughout his career due to his defense. In the infield, he’s won a Gold Glove at third base while also playing a quality shortstop and the occasional second base. He even caught 586 innings for the Rangers early in his career and now could add center field to his positional versatility.
For a Yankees team already utilizing versatile players such as DJ LeMahieu and Oswaldo Cabrera, Kiner-Falefa seems poised to provide yet another versatile bench piece in the Bronx, allowing manager Aaron Boone to mix and match as he sees fit in his infield. The Yankees lost center fielder Harrison Bader to an oblique strain last week. It’s generally expected that Aaron Judge will slide over from right field until Bader returns, but Kiner-Falefa taking well to center field would give Boone some additional flexibility if he wanted to slide Judge back to the corner on certain days.
More from the Yankees…
- Boone tells reporters, including Jon Heyman of the New York Post, that Volpe is “definitely in the mix” to be the starting shortstop this season. Volpe, a consensus top 15 prospect in the game, is regarded as the best hitter of the options available to the Yankees at shortstop, and a capable defender (though fellow youngster Peraza grades out better defensively at the position). Volpe split last season between the top two minor league levels, hitting .249/.342/.460 with 21 home runs in 132 games. He only played 22 of those contests at the Triple-A level, while Peraza got into 99 Triple-A contests before playing in his first 18 MLB games.
- Boone tells reporters, including Hoch, that catcher Jose Trevino has been out of action with a right wrist sprain recently. Boone notes that while Trevino is expected to resume play sometime this week, an injection is still possible to speed up his recovery. Regardless, Boone says Trevino is expected to be ready for Opening Day. Trevino was a breakout player for the Yankees in 2022, making an All Star appearance and winning a Gold Glove while playing in 115 games as the primary catcher in the Bronx. In the event that Trevino ends up missing time, Kyle Higashioka figures to be in line for more work behind the plate.
Details On Keibert Ruiz’s Contract Extension
Last week, the Nationals agreed to an eight-year extension with catcher Keibert Ruiz that guaranteed $50MM. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the specifics of the deal this evening. The 24-year-old will receive a $3MM signing bonus, with salary breakdowns as follows:
- $1MM in 2023
- $6MM in 2024
- $5MM annually between 2025-27
- $7MM in 2028
- $9MM annually between 2029-30
Reports last week indicated the deal contained club options covering the 2031 and ’32 seasons, though the value of those provisions hadn’t previously been known. Heyman now pegs the option values at $12MM and $14MM, respectively. There are no buyouts on the options. That structure takes the maximum value of Ruiz’s deal to ten years, $76MM if both club options are exercised.
Depending on the club options, Ruiz is now set to hit free agency for the first time follow his age-31, -32, or -33 season. The Nationals clearly believe that he can blossom into the high quality two-way catcher his status as a former top prospect would imply. In exchange for relinquishing as many as five would-be free agent years, Ruiz locks in a healthy payday after accruing just over one year of service time since his big league debut in 2020 with the Dodgers.
To this point, Ruiz has appeared in 143 games, slashing .255/.315/.374 in his 537 plate appearances in the majors. That slash line is good for a slightly below average 93 wRC+, though it’s worth noting that figure actually makes him a slightly above average hitter for the catcher position. Ruiz has been a slightly below average catcher defensively according to both DRS (-5) and Statcast’s framing metric, which puts him in the 23rd percentile of qualified catchers. Ruiz should get plenty of opportunity to develop his skills on the rebuilding Nationals, where he’s slated to be the primary catcher with fellow youngster Riley Adams servings as his backup.
Angels Release Jose Godoy
The Angels have released catcher Jose Godoy, per the team. Godoy, 28, was signed to a minor league deal by the Angels earlier this offseason after being outrighted by the Pirates in October.
To this point in his career, Godoy has struggled during his limited time in the majors, as he has slashed just .123/.194/.140 in 26 career games in the majors. He’s spent time as a member of the Cardinals, Mariners, Twins, and Pirates organizations prior to his time in Anaheim, and carries a slash line of .272/.351/.366 over ten seasons as a minor leaguer. Given teams’ constant need for upper-level catching depth in the minor leagues, Godoy should certainly find another organization interested in his services on a new minor league deal.
As for the Angels, this move not only indicates belief in their primary catching options of Max Stassi, Logan O’Hoppe, and Matt Thaiss, who expect to combine for the majority of playing time at the position for the major league club this year, but also non-roster invitees Chad Wallach and Anthony Mulrine, who seem poised to be the depth options for the Halos in the event of an injury. If the club had each of those players ahead of Godoy on the organizational depth chart, today’s move may have been the best outcome for Godoy, who could look to sign on with a team thinner at catcher in order to have a clearer shot at big league playing time this season.
The Opener: WBC, Mets, MLBTR Chat
As we arrive on the cusp of the World Baseball Classic’s quarterfinal round, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. WBC Update
Following a day that saw Puerto Rico throw eight combined perfect innings in their defeat of Israel, there are four matches on the docket for today: Venezuela (2-0) will face Nicaragua (0-3) at 11am CST on FS2, though the latter team has been eliminated from quarterfinals contention at this point. Also on FS2, Canada (1-1) will face Colombia (1-1) at 2pm CST. This evening, Israel (1-1) will try to right the ship after yesterday’s shutout loss to Puerto Rico against the Dominican Republic (1-1) at 6pm CST on FS1. Also on FS1 will be Mexico (1-1) vs. Great Britain (1-2) at 9pm EST. The first quarterfinal match, featuring Australia against Cuba, will take place at 5am CST tomorrow morning on FS2.
2. How long will Quintana be out?
Yesterday, a report emerged that Mets lefty Jose Quintana would be shut down for three months due to the stress fracture in one of his ribs, though GM Billy Eppler later pushed back against it, noting that the club is still talking to doctors about potential next steps. Losing Quintana for a significant amount of time would be a major blow to a Mets rotation that is set to heavily rely on aging pitchers who have struggled to remain healthy in recent years: Justin Verlander, 40, pitched just six innings 2020-2021 before his dominant return from Tommy John surgery last season. Max Scherzer, 38, is coming off his lowest full season innings count of his career (145 1/3) in 2022, while Carlos Carrasco, 36, eclipsed 100 innings for the first time since 2018 last year with his 152 innings of work.
The Mets have a strong contingent of depth, headlined by lefty David Peterson, righty Tylor Megill and left-hander Joey Lucchesi (whose workload will be monitored in his first season post-Tommy John surgery). Presumably, the Mets will make a more formal announcement Quintana’s recovery timetable once they’ve finished gathering opinions, but for now all eyes are on their depth options to see who claims the final rotation spot to begin the season. Peterson and Megill are the favorites, and both have pitched well so far in camp.
3. MLBTR Chat Today
Do you have any questions regarding your favorite team or the larger baseball world as the 30 clubs gear up for Spring Training and make their last minute offseason moves? MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be fielding questions from readers today during a live chat at noon CT. If you would like to ask questions in advance, you can do so here. That same link will also take you to the chat when it begins if you would like to participate live.
The Opener: WBC, Rangers, Extensions
As the return of regular season baseball draws ever closer, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. WBC Update
The World Baseball Classic continues today. Over the weekend, Australia (3-1) and Japan (4-0) both punched their tickets to the quarterfinals in Pool B. Pool A, meanwhile, saw a wild finish where all five teams finished with a 2-2 record. Cuba and Italy ultimately moved onto the quarterfinals after tiebreakers were exercised. Pools C and D are still ongoing, with the Dominican Republic (0-1) facing Nicaragua (0-2) at 11am CT today and Colombia (1-0) facing Great Britain (0-2) at 2pm CT today. Both games will air on FS2. Meanwhile, FS1 will air Israel (1-0) vs. Puerto Rico (1-1) at 6pm CT in addition to Canada (1-0) vs. the United States (1-1) at 9pm CT.
2. Eovaldi, deGrom to pitch today:
Today is a big day for the Rangers’ rotation, as Jacob deGrom will pitch in a game as a member of the organization for the first time today. deGrom, to this point, has been handled very carefully by the Rangers in order to preserve his health into the regular season. In addition, Nathan Eovaldi will be returning to the mound after being shut down with side tightness. Both righties are slated to pitch in minor league games. As two of Texas’s top three starters, their health will be crucial to the success of a team hoping to return to contention after a second straight offseason spending spree.
3. Could more extensions be on the way?
As the start of the regular season quickly approaches, so too does the time of year where contract extension talks typically wind down between clubs and players. Two major extensions occurred over the weekend, as Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz and Diamondbacks center fielder Corbin Carroll both signed eight-year extensions. Other extension talks around baseball seem to be proceeding with mixed results: the Padres seem intent on extension talks with both closer Josh Hader and star slugger Juan Soto, while the Astros seem pessimistic about their odds of getting a deal done with either Kyle Tucker or Framber Valdez this spring. Aaron Nola of the Phillies and Nico Hoerner of the Cubs are among other players who have been rumored to have extension talks with their clubs this spring.
Craig Stammen “Highly Unlikely” To Pitch Again Following Shoulder Injury
Padres reliever Craig Stammen suffered a torn capsule in his right shoulder and strained sub scapula Friday, as reported by the San Diego Union Tribune’s Kevin Acee. Stammen, who just celebrated his 39th birthday, acknowledged that his “playing days are probably over,” though it seems Stammen and the club have not decided whether or not to pursue surgery. The longtime Padres right-hander was in camp on a minor league deal this spring.
Stammen was a 12th round pick by the Washington Nationals in the 2005 draft and began his career as a starter with the Nats back in 2009. In two seasons as a starter, Stammen struggled to a 5.12 ERA that was 19% below league average, causing the Nationals to move him to the bullpen. Stammen flourished in this role, as he posted a strong 2.80 ERA (138 ERA+) backed by a solid 3.12 FIP in 257 innings of work from 2011-2015 following his move to the bullpen. Unfortunately, his 2015 season ended in April with flexor tendon surgery, and Stammen would not return to the big leagues until 2017, when he joined the Padres.
In six years as a member of the Padres bullpen, Stammen largely pitched well en route to becoming the longest-tenured player on the major league roster. In addition to his 394 1/3 innings of 3.36 ERA ball, he was frequently cited as a leader and mentor in the clubhouse and beloved throughout the organization. Stammen began to struggle in 2022, however, as he posted a 4.43 ERA that was 15% below league average in addition to suffering a torn rotator cuff last season that sat him down for two months. This new injury has a recovery time of 4-6 months, and surgery would require an even lengthier rehab process.
Despite losing Stammen for, at bare minimum, the first half of the 2023 campaign, the Padres relief corps still appears set up well for success headed into 2023, with Drew Pomeranz and Robert Suarez joining closer Josh Hader at the back of San Diego’s bullpen. As previously mentioned, Stammen was in camp on a minor league contract and was far from a lock to make the Opening Day roster as he competed with the likes of Jose Lopez, Michel Baez, and Steven Wilson for a roster spot.
That Stammen is considering retirement following his latest injury is understandable given this the second severe injury the righty has suffered in just the last few months, particularly without a clear path to big league playing time upon his return. That said, even staring down the possibility of being unable to pitch competitively until his age-40 season, Stammen has not entirely closed the door on attempting a comeback, noting to reporters, “At this point today, I can’t imagine myself as not a baseball player… hopefully they’ll let me rehab for a little while.”
MLBTR Poll: Who Will Win The AL West?
The AL West, despite being home to the reigning World Series champions, figures to be among the more competitive divisions in the sport in 2023. According to the Playoff Odds at Fangraphs, it is the only division with four teams that have a better than 10% chance to win the division title in the coming campaign. All five clubs in the division have seen significant changes to their rosters over the course of the offseason. With Spring Training now in full swing and the heavy-lifting of the offseason largely done at this point, it let’s take a look at the AL West’s five clubs in search of the division’s next champion.
Houston Astros (106-56 in 2022)
En route to their 2022 World Series championship, the Astros had a phenomenal season, with AL Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander leading the pitching staff while each of Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve, Kyle Tucker, and Alex Bregman received MVP votes for their work in the starting lineup. The hitting corps didn’t change very drastically during the offseason, though they did upgrade at first base by replacing departing free agent Yuli Gurriel with longtime White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu. The pitching staff saw more significant change, as Verlander departed for New York while Houston was unable to sign a proper replacement for their staff ace over the offseason.
While Houston lost Verlander to free agency this offseason, the rotation still figures to have plenty of capable arms, with Framber Valdez set to take over as the new staff ace while youngster Cristian Javier looks to follow up on a breakout campaign in 2022. Both Luis Garcia and Lance McCullers Jr. have tantalizing upside, though each comes with question marks, and Jose Urquidy can be expected to be a reliable back-end starter for the Astros once again as well. One catalyst for Houston’s rotation could be top prospect Hunter Brown. Brown, who will play this season at age 24, dominated in his big league debut at the end of last season, posting a microscopic 0.89 ERA that was backed by a fantastic 1.98 FIP in 20 1/3 innings of work, though only 12 of those innings came as a starter. The young righty seems to be in prime position to make the Opening Day rotation with McCullers expected to start the season on the shelf.
Seattle Mariners (90-72 in 2022)
The Mariners ended the league’s longest playoff drought last season, earning a wild card berth and advancing to the ALDS before falling to Houston in a 3 game sweep. Seattle looks to improve on that performance in 2023, as the club added Teoscar Hernandez, Kolten Wong, and AJ Pollock to the lineup this offseason and expects to get a full season from ace Luis Castillo, who was acquired from the Reds at the trade deadline last year. That said, the club did lose some key players over the offseason as well: Mitch Haniger and Adam Frazier departed via free agency while Erik Swanson, Kyle Lewis, Jesse Winker, and Abraham Toro were among the players who departed in the club’s various trades this offseason.
Minimal prospect talent is expected to impact the big league club this season in Seattle, leaving the Mariners to rely on their aforementioned external additions and improvements from their returning players if they are to catch the Astros in the standings. Former top prospect Jarred Kelenic should get some run in left field to open the season in order to prove he has returned to form after struggling to this point in his big league career, while Robbie Ray will surely be looking to recapture the magic of his 2021 Cy Young season. Meanwhile, other players such as youngsters Julio Rodriguez and George Kirby as well as breakout catcher Cal Raleigh merely need to repeat their strong 2022 campaigns in order to contribute to a winning Mariners club this season.
Los Angeles Angels (73-89 in 2022)
The 2023 season stands as the last one during which the Angels will have two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani under club control, as he is set to hit free agency following the coming campaign. Given the urgency of the club’s situation, it’s no wonder than GM Perry Minasian was aggressive in his attempts to supplement the roster with quality depth. He appears to have been largely successful in that endeavor, having added Tyler Anderson, Matt Moore, and Carlos Estevez to the pitching staff while supplementing the lineup with Gio Urshela, Brandon Drury, and Hunter Renfroe. Those pitching deals rebuilt the back of a Halos bullpen that lost Raisel Iglesias in trade to the Braves last offseason while supplementing the rotation with a durable, mid-rotation starter. That being said, the offensive additions were the main attraction of Anaheim’s offseason, as they transformed what has for years amounted to something of a stars and scrubs lineup by providing manager Phil Nevin with the quality depth necessary to weather injuries to the club’s many stars.
Those stars, of course, will remain the focus of the club, as Ohtani and Mike Trout stand as perhaps the two best players in the entire sport while Anthony Rendon will look to live up to his $245MM contract after struggling with injuries in recent years. Still, other players emerged as quality regulars in 2022 as well, including Patrick Sandoval, Reid Detmers, Taylor Ward, and Luis Rengifo. Bounce-back seasons from any of Max Stassi, Jared Walsh, or David Fletcher would improve the club’s depth even more, to say nothing of the possibility that longtime top prospect Jo Adell finally lives up to his potential. Overall, there’s certainly reason to think this might finally be the year that Trout and Ohtani suit up together in the postseason, even though the club enters the season looking up at many of its division rivals in terms of playoff odds.
Texas Rangers (68-94 in 2022)
The Rangers had a second consecutive explosive offseason this winter as they completely transformed their big league rotation by adding Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi, Andrew Heaney, and Jake Odorizzi as starting options while retaining Martin Perez. The hitting corps stayed largely the same after Corey Seager and Marcus Semien joined the club last offseason, though Texas did add Robbie Grossman to their outfield mix and expects to get contributions from top prospect Josh Jung this year at third base.
With a solid bullpen that features Brock Burke, Jose LeClerc, and new addition Will Smith among its back-end options, the Rangers figure to be set up well in that regard. The lineup should be decent, if not awe-inspiring, as it Nathaniel Lowe and Adolis Garcia in addition to Seager and Semien, while Mitch Garver and Jonah Heim form an interesting duo behind the plate and Leody Taveras figures to contribute in center upon his return from an oblique strain later this year. The answer to just how far this Rangers club will be able to go surely lies in the health and production of the reconstructed rotation, which added the most dominant pitcher in baseball in deGrom and plenty of upside in Heaney and Eovaldi, though all three pitchers have struggled badly with injuries at various points throughout their careers. Should that front three remain healthy and effective, though, this Rangers team could certainly pitch its way into the postseason for the first time since 2016.
Oakland Athletics (60-102 in 2022)
The A’s were among the worst teams in baseball last season, and there’s little reason for fans in Oakland to have more optimism about the coming campaign. After sending Frankie Montas to the Yankees at the trade deadline last year, the A’s saw the departures of catcher Sean Murphy, starter Cole Irvin, and reliever A.J. Puk in trades this offseason while the club added young, unproven talent such as Esteury Ruiz, JJ Bleday, Kyle Muller, and Freddy Tarnok. Some quality players do remain on the roster, however, as the A’s have retained each of Ramon Laureano, Shea Langeliers, Paul Blackburn, Tony Kemp, and Seth Brown to this point.
Oakland also added a few veteran options in free agency during the offseason, picking up Jace Peterson, Aledmys Diaz, Jesus Aguiler, and Trevor May throughout the offseason. The highlight of the A’s offseason seems to be Shintaro Fujinami, who was posted to the MLB this offseason by the NPB’s Hanshin Tigers. Fujinami has tantalizing stuff, including a fastball that can touch over 100 mph, but has struggled with his control throughout his career. Even if the A’s are able to unlock Fujinami’s potential, however, it seems extremely unlikely that the club will be able to compete with the four clubs its looking up at in the AL West.
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While the Astros, as the reigning champions of not only the AL West but MLB itself, appear to be the favorite entering the 2023 season, each of the Mariners, Angels, and Rangers have plausible paths to not only contention but, perhaps, even the AL West crown headed into 2023. Though the same can’t be said for the Athletics, a four-team division race is sure to bring about excitement in the division all throughout the year.
What do you think? Will the Astros recapture the AL West crown for the sixth straight full season? Will the Mariners take another step forward and win their first AL West title since 2001? Will the Angels or Rangers leapfrog their competitors after a big offseason? Or will the Athletics surprise the baseball world against all odds? Let us know in the poll below.
Who Will Win The AL West In 2023
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Astros 52% (4,348)
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Mariners 24% (1,960)
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Angels 12% (973)
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Rangers 8% (636)
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Athletics 5% (393)
Total votes: 8,310