The Opener: Injuries, WBC, MLBTR Chat
As players all around baseball get ready for the World Baseball Classic to begin, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Injury Updates Expected
Multiple injury updates are expected today, with Phillies manager Rob Thomson telling reporters (including Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer) that the club hopes to have an update on top prospect Andrew Painter‘s status today regarding the results of the testing the young right-hander underwent on his elbow over the weekend. As not only one of the top prospects in the entire game, but also one of the frontrunners to capture the fifth starter spot in Philadelphia, Painter’s health status is one of the most pressing questions of the day.
Moving to the other side of Pennsylvania, MLB.com’s Justice delos Santos notes that health updates are expected today both for Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen and lefty reliever Jarlin Garcia. McCutchen was struck in the hand by a fouled off pitch yesterday, while Garcia is suffering from left arm tightness. Given McCutchen’s status as not only the starting right fielder but also a Pirates legend making his return to the organization, and Garcia’s status as one of Pittsburgh’s best setup options ahead of David Bednar, losing either player for a significant period would surely be a blow to the club as they prepare for Opening Day at the end of the month.
2. Pools C and D report for WBC
Teams in Pools C and D for the WBC are reporting today, after Pools A and B reported on Friday. Pool C consists of the USA, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, and Colombia, while Pool D consists of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Israel, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. The teams in Pools C and D are even more star-studded than those in Pools A and B, which we covered in Friday’s Opener. 19 former All-Stars are on the Team USA roster alone, while the Dominican Republic’s roster sports 13 former All-Stars of its own.
Ronald Acuna Jr. (Venezuela), Jose Altuve (Venezuela), Luis Arraez (Venezuela), Javier Baez (Puerto Rico), Miguel Cabrera (Venezuela), Edwin Diaz (Puerto Rico), Eduardo Escobar (Venezuela), Freddie Freeman (Canada), Andres Gimenez (Venezuela), Francisco Lindor (Puerto Rico), Omar Narvaez (Venezuela), Joc Pederson (Israel), Salvador Perez (Venezuela), Marcus Stroman (Puerto Rico), Eugenio Suarez (Venezuela), Julio Teheran (Colombia), Gleyber Torres (Venezuela), and Taijuan Walker (Mexico) represent the other All Stars in Pools C and D. You can find full rosters for each WBC team here.
3. MLBTR Live Chat
MLBTR is excited to continue its live chat series with people from around the game of baseball today, as we welcome Ed Lynch. Lynch was a right-handed pitcher whose career spanned eight seasons with the Mets and Cubs from 1980 to 1987. Lynch had a 4.00 ERA and 3.90 FIP in 940 1/3 innings before retiring at the age of 31 and transitioning to front office work that eventually led him to become the Cubs’ general manager from 1994-2000. Given his wealth of experience both as a front office executive and as a major league player, we’re excited for Lynch to share his insight with MLBTR readers during today’s live chat, which you can join right now!
NL East Notes: Quintana, Peterson, Kieboom
Mets general manager Billy Eppler told reporters today, including Tim Healey of Newsday Sports (Twitter links), that left-hander José Quintana had his start limited to just one inning today against the Cardinals due to left side tightness. Healey relays that Quintana will no longer participate in the World Baseball Classic and will attempt to be ready for the MLB season.
Long before he joined the Mets, Quintana spent the first several seasons of his career as a reliable middle of the rotation arm in Chicago, first with the White Sox from 2012-2017, then with the Cubs from 2017-2020 following the deal that sent him across town in exchange for Eloy Jiménez and Dylan Cease. However, Quintana began to struggle toward the end of his time in Chicago: he posted his first below average season by ERA+ in 2019, pitched just 10 innings due to injury in the shortened 2020 season, and had a disastrous 2021 season split between the Giants and the Angels where he pitched to a 6.43 ERA (69 ERA+) in 63 innings of work.
Quintana managed to turn things around in 2022, however: he pitched to a strong 3.50 ERA in 103 innings as a member of the Pirates before being dealt to the Cardinals at the trade deadline last year, where he went on to dominate, posting a sensational 2.01 ERA (191 ERA+) over 62 2/3 innings down the stretch. His overall season line of a 2.93 ERA (137 ERA+) and 2.99 FIP earned him a two-year, $26MM contract with the Mets this winter. At this point, the severity of the injury is unknown, but the fact that he’s dropped out of the WBC and isn’t certain about being ready for the start of the regular season gives a vague timeframe. Whenever he’s healthy, the Mets figure to have Quintana rounding out their rotation alongside Kodai Senga and Carlos Carrasco behind co-aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.
More from around the NL East…
- While Mets fans may be concerned by the news regarding Quintana, they should be encouraged to hear that fellow his left-hander David Peterson is considered day-to-day with a foot contusion after the results of yesterday’s x-ray and today’s CT scan. Peterson had been struck by a batted ball, leaving reason for concern that a more serious injury could have been in play. Fortunately, that does not appear to be the case, and Peterson should slot in right alongside Tylor Megill and Joey Lucchesi among the next men up should Quintana, or any other Mets starter, need to miss any time.
- Nationals third baseman Carter Kieboom is working his way back from last year’s Tommy John surgery but is facing a setback. Manager Dave Martinez told reporters, including Andrew Golden of The Washington Post, that Kieboom is dealing with some right shoulder discomfort. The youngster recently appeared in a game as the designated hitter but has yet to take the field. As noted by Golden, Kieboom has been employing a routine of not throwing every day. This new issue will likely lead to even less throwing in the days to come, but Kieboom doesn’t seem overly concerned. “The last thing I want to do … is have something like this bother me, and then you start kind of tweaking your own mechanics and start compensating for things,” Kieboom said. “That’s what gets you in trouble again. … It’s important to take care of now; that way, it’s a one-to-three-day thing versus a two-to-three-week thing.” Once one of the top prospects in the league, he’s struggled in his major league time so far. He’ll be looking to regain some of his previous pedigree later this year, but getting healthy will be the first step.
AL Notes: Astros, Kahnle, Abreu
Astros GM Dana Brown provided an update on his efforts to extend members of the club’s core while speaking on a radio broadcast this afternoon, as noted by Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. Brown acknowledged that the club is in extension negotiations with Casey Close, the agent of Houston outfielder Kyle Tucker, saying, “We’re optimistic. We think we can get something done.” while also acknowledging that any contract discussions would likely be tabled if a deal was not in place by Opening Day. Brown also mentioned that the club has begun discussions with left-hander Framber Valdez and his agent about a potential extension, as well.
Brown has been unusually candid publicly about his efforts to extend several members of the Astros core, having made public comments regarding a desire to extend not only Tucker and Valdez but also Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Cristian Javier. Of that group, only Javier has inked an extension thus far, though Altuve and Bregman are both under club control for the next two seasons, while Tucker and Valdez aren’t expected to hit free agency until the 2025-26 offseason.
Brown’s front office will certainly have the financial resources to get extensions done, as the club’s payroll situation leaves Houston plenty of room to maneuver. RosterResource pegs the club’s 2024 luxury tax commitments at just under $159.5MM, and though that figure does not include salaries due to arbitration-eligible players, even a significant raise on the $23.2MM the Astros spent in arbitration this year would leave them with plenty of room under their expected 2023 payroll, which stands at just under $218MM for luxury tax purposes.
More from around the American League…
- Sticking the the Astros, Brown also provided a health update on left fielder Michael Brantley that Rome also relayed. According to Brown, Brantley is still working his way back from the shoulder surgery that ended his season last summer, and while the expectation to this point had been that he would be ready for Opening Day, Brown has softened that expectation, now saying Brantley will be ready “a week into the season at the worst.” If Brantley does miss regular season time, Jake Meyers, Mauricio Dubon, and David Hensley are among those who could benefit.
- Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters today, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com and Marly Rivera of ESPN that reliever Tommy Kahnle is on the third day of a 10-day shutdown from throwing due to biceps tendinitis. Boone said that imaging was done and showed that the tendinitis is the only issue Kahnle is dealing with, and he should be ready for Opening Day. That’s excellent news for the Yankees, as Kahnle has been a very successful reliever when healthy, with a solid 3.58 ERA (123 ERA+) and excellent 2.93 FIP in 161 innings since the start of the 2017 season. That being said, “when healthy” is the operative phrase there, as Kahnle has struggled with injuries in recent years, pitching just 13.2 innings combined the last three seasons. Fortunately, Kahnle’s current injury seems to be a fairly minor one.
- Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters, including Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, that outfielder Wilyer Abreu will “be out for a while” after he sustained a left hamstring strain. Abreu was not seen as likely to make the Opening Day roster given he has yet to play above the Double-A level in his big league career, but as a player on the 40-man roster, it’s possible he reaches the big leagues at some point this year once he manages to return to the field.
Austin Martin Shut Down With UCL Sprain
Twins prospect Austin Martin has been shut down with a sprained UCL, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman. It is currently unknown what Martin’s timetable for return looks like. That being said, UCL sprains are common precursors to Tommy John surgery. While that procedure is more serious for pitchers than position players, such a surgery would likely spell the end of Martin’s 2023 season if it were to be deemed necessary.
Martin, 24 later this month, was taken by the Blue Jays as the 5th overall pick in the 2020 draft. Upon being traded to the Twins as part of the Jose Berrios deal, he was a highly regarded prospect, nearly cracking the top 20 of MLB.com’s Top 100 prospects list in 2021 and slashing an above average .270/.414/.382 during his first professional campaign. Since that time, though, Martin missed six weeks of the 2022 season with injury and struggled mightily when he was able to take the field, slashing just .241/.367/.315 in a repeat of the Double-A level last year, good for a below average wRC+ of just 89, though he did steal an impressive 34 bases in 90 Double-A games while being caught just 5 times.
As previously mentioned, the timetable for Martin’s return to action is currently unknown. Regardless of whether Martin’s ultimate prognosis is that severe or something less serious, though, the former top prospect has hit another frustrating roadblock on his path to the big leagues. Even a relatively short absence would force Martin to prove his health on top of returning to form offensively in order to get on the radar for a big league debut sometime this year. Martin is Rule 5 eligible this offseason, meaning the Twins will have to add him to the 40-man roster or risk him being selected by another club in the Rule 5 Draft this December.
As for Minnesota, their remarkable position player depth should allow them to weather this injury relatively painlessly. While it’s certainly unfortunate to potentially lose an upper-minors prospect who could be plugged into the infield or outfield as necessary, particularly with Royce Lewis and Gilberto Celestino already on the shelf, the Twins still figure to have Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, and 2022 first round pick Brooks Lee starting the season in the upper levels of their minor league system, and possess a deep bench including Kyle Farmer, Donovan Solano, and Michael A. Taylor.
The Opener: Cubs, WBC, Offseason In Review
Today is the trade deadline in the NHL! If you’re a hockey fan who enjoys MLBTR’s content, be sure to check out the folks on our sister site, Pro Hockey Rumors, as well as their Twitter account to get up-to-the-minute coverage of today’s deadline deals. While a flurry of moves is surely happening in the NHL, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Are the Cubs on the verge of acquiring a reliever?
In yesterday’s Opener, we discussed how the left-handed relief market had seemingly gone dormant following the signings of Andrew Chafin and Matt Moore in the run-up to Spring Training. It’s possible that state of affairs is about to change, however, as president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer acknowledged yesterday that the Cubs could add a lefty to pair with Brandon Hughes in their bullpen. The top three relief options on the market at this point are Zack Britton, Brad Hand, and Will Smith, though the Cubs also appear to have some interest in lefty Mike Minor, who’s worked as a starter for the past several seasons.
2. WBC teams begin reporting and working out:
Teams in Pool A and Pool B for the upcoming World Baseball Classic are set to report and begin team workouts over the weekend. The teams in Pool A are Chinese Taipei, Cuba, Panama, Italy, and the Netherlands while the teams in Pool B are China, Korea, Australia, Japan, and the Czech Republic. Kenley Jansen (Netherlands), Xander Bogaerts (Netherlands), Luis Robert (Cuba), Yoan Moncada (Cuba), Vinnie Pasquantino (Italy), Shohei Ohtani (Japan), Yu Darvish (Japan), Lars Nootbaar (Japan), Tommy Edman (Korea), Ha-Seong Kim (Korea) and free agents Jurickson Profar, Andrelton Simmons and Didi Gregorius (all Netherlands) are among the many notable big leaguers who will be participating for the aforementioned clubs. You can check out full rosters at the WBC’s web site.
3. Offseason in Review series continues:
MLBTR’s “Offseason In Review” series is set to continue today as Steve Adams takes a look back at how the offseason went for the Texas Rangers. That entry will run this morning, and Steve will be hosting a Rangers-focused live chat with readers this at 11am CT. You can submit a question in advance if you’re so inclined, and that same link will take you to the chat to participate live or read the transcript after it ends. Our OiR series has already covered the Pirates, Athletics, Tigers, Diamondbacks, and Angels this spring.
Rockies’ Brendan Rodgers, Lucas Gilbreath Could Require Surgery
2:13pm: The first opinion Rodgers received on his shoulder recommended surgery that would likely end his season, tweets Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He’s seeking a second opinion. If Rodgers is lost for the season, Heyman adds, the team would likely replace him internally rather than pursue a free agent such as Jose Iglesias, who spent the 2022 season with the Rox.
10:55am: Rockies fans received a pair of disappointing health updates today, as both second baseman Brendan Rodgers and reliever Lucas Gilbreath could require season-ending surgery. Rodgers, who dislocated his shoulder, earlier this week, has sustained “more damage than expected” to the shoulder capsule, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. Harding notes that while no decision has been made yet, the possible surgery could threaten Rodgers’s 2023 season. As for Gilbreath, Harding reports that the lefty has undergone an MRI and describes Tommy John surgery as “likely”, though Gilbreath noted to Harding that he and the organization are still “looking into different options.”
Rodgers, 26, is coming off a breakout season of sorts where despite his .266/.325/.408 slash line leading to a below-average 92 wRC+, his work with the glove earned him a Gold Glove and contributed to a bWAR of 4.3. Rodgers was set to be the everyday second baseman in Colorado this season, and seemed likely to be one of the most valuable players on the club this season, as he was in 2021 when the aforementioned 4.3 bWAR figure led the team, with Ryan McMahon‘s 3.1 figure coming in second among position players.
Gilbreath, meanwhile, was set to enter his age-27 season as one of the most reliable relievers in the Rockies bullpen. Gilbreath pitched very well over the past two seasons for a hurler who calls Coors Field his home ballpark, posting a 3.78 ERA (126 ERA+) and 3.92 FIP over the past two seasons, though those results come with a significant platoon split, as he dominated southpaws while struggling against righties. Should he undergo Tommy John surgery as expected, Gilbreath will surely miss not only all of the 2023 season, but the beginning of the 2024 season as well.
Should the club lose both players for the 2023 season, Colorado’s already slim hopes of contention (ZiPS gives the club playoff odds of just 0.1% entering the 2023 season, the lowest of all 30 clubs) will become even murkier. Assuming losing Gilbreath doesn’t spur the Rockies, who signed just two free agents to major league deals for a combined $8.5MM guarantee this offseason, to spend on a replacement lefty such as Zack Britton, Will Smith, or Brad Hand, the club will instead go into the season with Brent Suter as the bullpen’s primary left-handed option, and a depth option such as Gavin Hollowell or Phillips Valdez will take Gilbreath’s spot in the bullpen.
In looking to replace Rodgers, the first decision Rockies brass must make is whether or not to move Ryan McMahon, a top-tier defender at third base who also has experience at second, over to the keystone. If they do so, either Nolan Jones or Kris Bryant has ample experience at third base and could slot into the lineup at the hot corner with relative ease, though neither player brings anything close to McMahon’s defensive abilities at the position. Should the club feel McMahon’s defensive abilities at third are too valuable to lose, the options at second base are far less inspiring, with Alan Trejo representing the most likely option on the 40-man roster, while other possible options include non-roster invitees Harold Castro and Cole Tucker.
Rodgers was eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason, and will make $2.7MM in 2023. Rodgers will be arb eligible again for two more seasons before he’s expected to hit free agency following the 2025 season. Gilbreath, but as a likely Super Two candidate, is expected to reach arbitration this coming offseason, and is controllable through the end of the 2027 season. If Gilbreath is indeed out for the season, whatever raise he would receive in arbitration this offseason if he does pass the Super Two threshold would be negligible, limiting the risk of a non-tender this offseason.
Padres Notes: Bench, Musgrove, Payroll, Machado
Following San Diego’s addition of second baseman Rougned Odor on a minor league deal yesterday, the competition to be part of the Padres Opening Day bench gained a new entrant. As MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell notes, the absence of Fernando Tatis Jr. while he completes his PED suspension and the possibility that outfielder Adam Engel isn’t ready for Opening Day as he works his way back from a calf strain open up new possibilities for players hoping to break camp as a member of the bench in San Diego.
One of the four spots on the Padres Opening Day bench is certain to be reserved for backup catcher Luis Campusano. As for the last three spots, Odor seems likely to compete with outfielders David Dahl and Jose Azocar, and utility player Brandon Dixon. Odor provides the least versatility of those options, as all but 259 of his career innings in the field have come at second base. By contrast, Dahl and Azocar both have experience at all three outfield spots, while Dixon has played all four corners and second base during his career. Still, Cassavell notes that Odor’s status as a lefty bat could give him, (and, presumably, Dahl) a leg up on earning a spot on the bench entering the season.
Assuming no additional injuries complicate matters, Matt Carpenter will shift to the bench once Tatis is eligible to return after the first 20 games of the season, while Engel will join the bench as soon as he is healthy. At that point, there will only be one spot still available on the bench in San Diego for the aforementioned quartet. Azocar, Dahl, and Dixon all have options remaining, though Odor does not.
More from San Diego…
- Joe Musgrove, who is currently out of action with a fractured toe, is expected to miss at the least the first two starts of the regular season, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Acee notes that it’s possible that without Musgrove’s contributions, the Padres may opt to go with a five man rotation to open the season, preferring to add depth to a bullpen that could be taxed more than usual without the durable right-hander pitching deep into games. Ryan Weathers, Adrian Morejon, Brent Honeywell Jr., and Cole Hamels are among the pitchers who could take Musgrove’s spot on the roster, though whether that spot will earn them a role in the bullpen or the rotation is currently unclear.
- Even after signing Manny Machado to his second $300MM+ contract, the Padres appear to have no interest in slowing down, according to Dennis Lin of The Athletic. Given Padres owner Peter Seidler’s already unprecedented investment in the big league club for an organization of their market size, it’s difficult to predict where the limits on spending could be. Lin notes that the backloaded nature of Machado’s new 11-year, $350MM deal with San Diego could help the club pursue an extension with fellow superstar, Juan Soto. It could also assist in a planned pursuit of two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani should he hit free agency following the 2023 season as expected, even in spite of the fact that a deal with either player could cost even more than it did to extend Machado. Discussing his recent extension, Machado explains that a candid conversation with Seidler led to the contract eventually being hammered out. Seidler, for his part, says the Padres are “willing and excited about continuing to sign great players.”
The Opener: Rodriguez, Lefty Relief, Offseason Reviews
With Opening Day just four weeks away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Rodriguez to make spring debut for the Orioles:
Top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez will be making his spring debut for the Orioles today, the team as announced. Rodriguez has long been considered one of the very top prospects in the game, and is now fully healthy after missing three months with a lat strain in 2022. Orioles GM Mike Elias has made clear that Rodriguez will have every opportunity to make the Opening Day rotation in 2023, leaving this outing as the beginning of Rodriguez’s quest to both rise to that challenge and stay healthy in doing so. Rodriguez’s start, which will be caught by fellow star youngster Adley Rutschman, will come at 12:05pm CT this afternoon.
2. Lefty Relief Market Update
The market for left-handed relievers seemed to be kicking into gear at the start of Spring Training, when Andrew Chafin and Matt Moore landed in Arizona and Anaheim, respectively. That never fully came to fruition, though, as Zack Britton, Will Smith, and Brad Hand all continue to linger on the market. Each lefty has a long track record of success and plenty of late inning experience, but struggled to some extent in 2022: Britton with injury, Smith prior to his trade to the Astros, and Hand down the stretch.
Britton held a workout for six teams last month, potentially revealing some insight into his market. It’s been quieter on Smith and Hand, though speculatively speaking, the Guardians could show some increased interest in any of the remaining southpaws after reliever Sam Hentges was shut down due to a shoulder issue. Hentges, who had a breakout showing in 2022, was the only lefty locked into a spot in manager Terry Francona’s bullpen.
3. Offseason In Review Series
As MLBTR’s Offseason In Review series continues, a pair of team-specific chats are set to be held today: one regarding Anthony Franco’s review of Arizona’s offseason, and one regarding Darragh McDonald’s review of the Angels offseason, which will be posted later today. Anthony’s Diamondbacks chat will take place at 5pm CT, while Darragh’s Angels chat will be at noon CT. Those links will allow you to submit a question in advance, take you to the live chats when they begin, and allow you to read the transcripts once they have been completed. Be sure to keep an eye out for both chats this afternoon!
The Opener: Dodgers, Rodgers, MLBTR Chats
As the calendar flips to March, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. What will the Dodgers do without Lux?
In letting shortstop Trea Turner depart for Philadelphia this offseason, the Dodgers expressed confidence that former top prospect Gavin Lux would be able to flourish in an everyday shortstop role if given the opportunity for the first time in his career. Unfortunately, that opportunity was snatched from him yesterday, at least for the time being, as Lux is set to miss the entire 2023 with a torn ACL. That moves glove-first shortstop Miguel Rojas, who was initially planned to act as a utility infielder, into a starting role.
While Rojas is a serviceable regular, Chris Taylor is the only other shortstop-capable player on the projected roster. Yonny Hernandez and Bryson Brigman are both depth options, but it would make plenty of sense if the Dodgers looked for external help in replacing Lux. Unfortunately, the market is rather thin at this point, with Jose Iglesias standing as perhaps the best option remaining. Behind Iglesias, there’s a handful of shortstop-capable rebound candidates the club could take a minor league flier on, including Didi Gregorius and Andrelton Simmons.
2. More info on Rodgers injury expected today:
When Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers dislocated his shoulder yesterday, manager Bud Black indicated that there would be more information on the timetable for his return “in the coming day.” Black’s comments indicate that Opening Day may be in question for Rodgers, who would be good to go in “a few weeks” if all goes well. Rodgers, who won a Gold Glove at second base and posted a strong 4.3 bWAR in 2022, figures to be a key cog in the Rockies lineup this season, so any missed time is a blow to Colorado’s already slim chance at competitiveness.
Should Rodgers miss time to open the season, the Rockies are left with primarily utility options able to cover second base, such as Alan Trejo and Harold Castro. One alternative could be shifting third baseman Ryan McMahon to second base, thus allowing another player with experience at third but not second, such as Kris Bryant, Nolan Jones or Elehuris Montero, to take over at the hot corner.
3. MLBTR Chats Today
MLBTR is excited to continue our series of live chats with players and other people from around the game as today we welcome right-hander Josh Lindblom. Lindblom pitched in the big leagues for parts of seven seasons between 2011 and 2021, while also spending parts of five seasons overseas in the Korea Baseball Organization. Lindblom’s best years in the majors came as a member of the Dodgers, for whom he pitched to a 2.91 ERA (130 ERA+) with a 4.02 FIP in 77 1/3 innings of work. During his 2018-19 with the Doosan Bears, he was the best pitcher in the KBO, tossing 363 1/3 innings of 2.68 ERA ball with a 23.8% strikeout rate and a 4.6% walk rate. He won the Choi Dong-won Award in both 2018-19 — the KBO equivalent of MLB’s Cy Young Award — leading the Bears to a Korean Series championship in the second of those two seasons. Lindblom also pitched for the Phillies, Rangers, Athletics, and Pirates before finishing his career as a member of the Brewers. After announcing his retirement back in January, he joined the Brewers as a special assistant in their player development department. Lindblom be answering questions from MLBTR readers in a live chat scheduled from 11:30am CT today, so be sure to stop in if you have a question to ask!
Later today, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco will be holding a live chat of his own, fielding questions from readers as Spring Training continues. If you have questions about where your team stands as clubs gear up for the regular season, or about the baseball world at large, you can follow this link to submit a question in advance. That same link will take you to the chat if you would like to participate live, or allow you to read the transcript after the chat has ended.
AL Notes: Alvarez, Torres, Flexen
Astros GM Dana Brown discussed star slugger Yordan Alvarez‘s health during an appearance on an ESPN game broadcast today, telling ESPN broadcasters that “He should definitely be back for Opening Day. His hands were a little sore. He had some of that last year, but we feel totally confident that he’ll be in games somewhere midway through (Spring Training). But he’s already feeling a lot better.”
The news that Alvarez should be ready for opening day is surely a relief for Astros fans, as the slugger is among the most important players in the star-studded Astros lineup that took home a World Series championship in 2022. Alvarez hit an astonishing .306/.406/.613 with 37 home runs in just 135 games last season. By measure of wRC+, Alvarez was 85% better than the league average hitter in 2022, a fantastic figure only topped by reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge last year.
As Brown mentioned, Alvarez dealt with hand issues throughout the 2022 season, going on the injured list in July and missing time with the issue occasionally throughout the season. Those issues clearly did not hamper his production in 2022, so the fact that Alvarez is not expected to miss time to open the regular season is an encouraging development as he looks to follow up on a season that cemented him among the best hitters in the entire sport and the Astros look to hold off the Mariners, Angels, and Rangers in an AL West that should see all four clubs vying for playoff spots this season. That being said, the situation will remain one to keep an eye on until Alvarez returns to game action, as he’s currently slated to do next month.
More from around the American League…
- Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres did a Q&A with The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner today, where the pair discussed an area of topics, including the recent trade rumors that have swirled around Torres. In the interview, Torres notes that he loves playing in New York and would like to spend the rest of his career with the Yankees, though he did note that hearing about the trade rumors was “really hard”, particularly around the trade deadline last season, and that though his representatives have spoken to the front office about a possible extension, he hasn’t had any conversations with GM Brian Cashman or Manager Aaron Boone on the subject personally. Torres, who slashed .257/.310/.451 (115 wRC+) last year, is set to hit free agency following the 2024 campaign.
- Another player who found himself in the rumor mill this offseason was Mariners right-hander Chris Flexen. As Flexen told Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times and other reporters, the experience of expecting a trade was a harrowing one for him, as well. “It wasn’t the best, but I’m still wearing ‘Mariners’ across my chest. I’m happy to be here.” Flexen was pushed to the bullpen down the stretch last season following Seattle’s acquisition of ace Luis Castillo, and there doesn’t appear to be a clearer path to the rotation entering 2023, though the Mariners are currently stretching him out in case of injury. Still, Flexen excelled out of the bullpen in 2022, posting a 1.62 ERA in 16 2/3 innings as a reliever last year, so a return to the bullpen could still see Flexen impact the club in a major way headed into the regular season.