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The Opener: Tokyo Series, Spring Breakout, Cubs

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As the first regular season games of the year rapidly approach, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. Tokyo Series exhibitions:

The Cubs and Dodgers are already in Japan for the Tokyo Series, where they’ll face off for a two-game set next week. While that’s still several days away, there’s still baseball to be played in the meantime. At 10pm CT tonight, the Cubs will play an exhibition game against Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hanshin Tigers. The Tigers have not yet announced who they’ll send to the mound, but the Cubs have announced that veteran reliever Julian Merryweather will kick things off for them.

The Dodgers will get in on the action tomorrow, facing the Yomiuri Giants in an overnight game that begins at 3am PT tomorrow morning. No starter has been announced for that game, though manager Dave Roberts indicated that the club plans for it to be a bullpen game. Seventeen hours later, the Dodgers will take the field again against Hanshin with Blake Snell set to start an 8pm PT game tomorrow evening. After that, it’s Chicago’s turn for an early-morning game as they’ll face Yomiuri at 5am CT Sunday morning with right-hander Jameson Taillon on the mound.

2. Spring Breakout continues:

After yesterday’s game where the Red Sox made headlines when their top three prospects (Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer) all slugged homers off of Rays pitchers, MLB’s Spring Breakout prospect showcase is set to continue. Six games are scheduled to take place today, with another four tomorrow and three more on Sunday. Top 100 prospects Nick Kurtz, Leo De Vries, Ethan Salas, Colt Emerson, Travis Bazzana, Jac Caglianone, JJ Wetherholt, Thomas White, Bubba Chandler, Aidan Miller, Jarlin Susana, and Cam Smith are among the many young, up-and-coming talents set to be part of today’s slate of games. You can find broadcast details and full rosters for all of this weekend’s showcases here, courtesy of MLB.com.

3. Cubs on the prowl for rotation depth?

Earlier this week, the Cubs were reportedly exploring the possibility of adding to their rotation. That news came as somewhat of a surprise given that Chicago has four healthy starters locked into its rotation mix and a bevy of possible fifth starter options including Colin Rea, Ben Brown, Jordan Wicks, and the currently injured Javier Assad. Despite that depth, they’ve reportedly been discussing a big league deal with veteran right-hander Lance Lynn, who may be a particularly interesting fit for the club given that he’s drawn some interest as a reliever and expressed a willingness to pitch out of the bullpen this season as well.

The Cubs were once again connected to right-hander Dylan Cease this week, although the Padres righty seems very unlikely to move before Opening Day at this point. Will the Cubs add another name to their depth chart before their stateside opener against the Diamondbacks later this month?

Poll: Will The Braves Add A Catcher?

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At the outset of the offseason, the Braves made a surprising move to decline their club option on veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud despite prior indications being that they’d planned to exercise the option. Things turned out just fine for d’Arnaud, who signed a two-year deal with the Angels shortly thereafter, but the decision came back to bite Atlanta when starting catcher Sean Murphy suffered a cracked rib that will keep him out of action through at least the middle of April.

When Murphy missed time due to an oblique issue last year, d’Arnaud was there to step in as a capable regular option. This year, they’ll have no such ready-made answer locked and loaded on the roster. That’s not to say the club has no internal options; youngster Drake Baldwin is a well-regarded prospect who already seemed likely to make his MLB debut at some point this year, and Chadwick Tromp was already in line to make the roster as the club’s backup catcher. Baldwin has raked this spring to the tune of a .368/.520/.474 slash line, and perhaps that’s enough to convince Atlanta brass to give him the reins for the start of the season while Murphy recovers.

However, it’s hardly a reliable solution to the issue. Baldwin has yet to take a major league at-bat, and he struggled offensively at the Double-A level just last year before turning his season around upon his promotion to Triple-A. And if Baldwin proves unprepared to handle the big leagues, Tromp isn’t a viable starting option. The soon to be 30-year-old backstop has just 59 games and 156 plate appearances under his belt over parts of five seasons in the majors. In that time, he’s hit just .232/.237/.397 with a wRC+ of 66. While it’s not impossible to imagine more regular playing time in the majors allowing Tromp to perform better, 47 catchers produced more offense that Tromp’s career numbers across at least 100 plate appearances in the majors last year.

The Braves do have a pair of non-roster invitees in camp who could step in, but neither inspires confidence. Sandy Leon didn’t play in the majors at all last year, last had even 100 plate appearances in a season back in 2021, and is a career .208/.276/.311 hitter. Fellow NRI Curt Casali has a somewhat stronger track record, having played at least 40 games in the majors every year since 2018 (excluding the 60-game 2020 season where he appeared in 31 games for the Reds), but hit just .194/.293/.250 for the Giants in 125 trips to the plate last year.

Given all of the uncertainty facing Atlanta, an external addition can’t be ruled out. It’s been reported that the club made an offer to Yasmani Grandal even prior to Murphy’s injury. While Grandal turned that deal down, it signals the club already had reservations about its catching depth and it’s at least possible that the sides could circle back to each other with Opening Day fast approaching and additional playing time having opened up for Grandal.

Other options on the free agent market are few and far between. James McCann and Yan Gomes remain unsigned, but other options could emerge in the coming days as veterans on minor league deals with other teams begin to get the opportunity to opt out and return to free agency.

Jorge Alfaro, Omar Narvaez, and Tucker Barnhart are among the veterans in camp with other clubs who could return to free agency if they don’t make their current club’s Opening Day roster. It’s also at least possible that a club with an excess of catching options on the 40-man roster like the Twins could either make one of their backstops available on waivers or via trade, though trades of particular note are quite rare at this stage of the calendar. While none of the options likely to be available are game changers, they could offer a higher floor than any of Atlanta’s current options and allow the club to avoid rushing Baldwin to the majors.

How do you think the Braves will approach the situation? Will they take Murphy’s injury as an opportunity to give Baldwin regular playing time and stand pat with their internal options, or will they instead look to upgrade over a potential tandem of Baldwin and Tromp by bringing in a more reliable veteran to help handle the pitching staff? Have your say in the poll below:

Will Atlanta bring in a catcher while Murphy is injured?
No, they'll stick with who they have in-house. 64.46% (2,497 votes)
Yes, they'll add someone else to the mix. 35.54% (1,377 votes)
Total Votes: 3,874

Cardinals Sign Phil Maton

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The Cardinals announced this morning that they’ve signed right-hander Phil Maton to a one-year deal. The Paragon Sports International client will reportedly make $2MM. Left-hander Bailey Horn was designated for assignment to make room for Maton on the club’s 40-man roster.

Maton, 32 later this month, was among the better relief arms still available on the free agent market at this late point in the calendar. Drafted in the 20th round by the Padres back in 2015, Maton will suit up with the Cardinals for his ninth MLB season and hope to continue a stretch of quality work that began with the Astros back in 2022. The first five seasons of Maton’s career saw him struggle despite solid peripherals, with a subpar 4.76 ERA in 215 1/3 innings of work across 209 appearances. He struck out 26.4% of opponents during that time while walking 9.2%. Those numbers were decent enough to keep Maton rostered with San Diego and Cleveland over the years, but he eventually wound up in Houston late in the 2021 season.

The righty’s middling results continued with the Astros through the end of 2021, but by the start of the 2022 season a switch seemed to have flipped. His 25.2% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate over the past three seasons aren’t markedly different than what they were earlier in his career, but the veteran’s results have improved drastically as he’s posted a 3.50 ERA with a 4.11 FIP in 195 2/3 innings of work across 206 games.

After hitting free agency for the first time in his career prior to the 2024 season, Maton signed on with the Rays but struggled with a 4.58 ERA in 40 appearances for them last year. Fortunately for the right-hander, he was traded to the Mets for the stretch run and turned a corner, dominating to the tune of a 2.51 ERA across his final 31 appearances of the regular season.

Now, Maton is headed to St. Louis as the first and perhaps only major-league free agent signing the club will make this offseason. The Cardinals’ plans for the winter were largely hamstrung by an inability to find a trade partner for veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado, resulting in an extremely quiet offseason that was defined most by the departures of key veterans like Paul Goldschmidt in free agency.

Despite the Cardinals’ lack of activity this offseason, they’ve long been known to want a veteran relief arm who could fill the role Andrew Kittredge played last year and create a bridge between closer Ryan Helsley and the rest of a relatively young late-inning mix. They now appear to have found that player in Maton, who has just five career saves but has recorded 42 holds over the past three seasons.

Making room for Maton on the 40-man roster is Horn, a fifth-round pick by the White Sox in the 2020 draft. The 27-year-old lefty was traded to the Cubs in exchange for Ryan Tepera at the 2021 trade deadline and was eventually added to his new club’s 40-man roster, but did not make his big league debut in Chicago. He was traded back to the White Sox last February in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for the return of Cody Bellinger, but was then designated for assignment and traded to Boston in April. He made his big league debut for the Red Sox last June but struggled badly with a 6.50 ERA and 7.00 FIP in 18 innings of work.

During the offseason, Horn was designated for assignment by the Red Sox but picked up off waivers by the Tigers in November. He lasted on Detroit’s 40-man roster for just a month and was claimed off waivers by St. Louis in early January. He’ll now likely return to the waiver wire for the fourth time in the last 11 months. The Cardinals will have one week to either trade Horn or put him through waivers, where he can be claimed by any club willing to offer him a spot on their 40-man roster.

If Horn clears waivers, the Cardinals will get the opportunity to outright him to the minors as a non-roster depth option. That said, Horn is an optionable left-handed reliever who averages 95 mph with his heater and has a track record of missing bats in the upper minors. He could make him an attractive candidate for a waiver claim despite his lackluster results in the majors last year.

Katie Woo of The Athletic was first on the terms.

The Opener: Spring Breakout, Rule 5, Rangers

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After an early morning free agent signing and a notable injury development, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Spring Breakout begins today:

MLB’s Spring Breakout prospect showcase begins today after debuting during Spring Training last year. 16 games are set to be played as part of the showcase, with all 30 clubs participating. Only two of those games are scheduled for today, however: a Grapefruit League match between the Red Sox and the Rays scheduled for 7:05pm ET, and a Cactus League game between the Dodgers and Cubs scheduled for 6:05pm PT.

The two AL clubs will square off in a star-studded game that figures to feature six top-100 prospects, including top-ten talents Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Carson Williams. Meanwhile, the NL clubs six top-100 talents of their own. Among the prospects suiting up for L.A. are left-hander Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope, both of whom were drafted by the Cubs back in 2023 but shipped to the Dodgers prior to the 2024 season as the return for first baseman Michael Busch.

2. Teams nearing decision time on Rule 5 draft picks:

Yesterday saw the Reds return their selection in this offseason’s Rule 5 Draft, infielder Cooper Bowman, back to the Athletics. The move made Bowman, 25, the first of this winter’s 15 Rule 5 selections to be sent back to his original team. It’s likely several more players will follow in Bowman’s footsteps over the coming weeks, as Rule 5 picks must be carried on their new club’s active roster for the entire season and cannot be optioned to the minor leagues. With clubs now starting to finalize their Opening Day rosters, it’s likely that at least some of the remaining 14 Rule 5 draftees will fail to break camp with their new clubs and return to their original organization.

One player who appears poised to avoid that fate, at least for the time being, is infielder Gage Workman. Workman was plucked from the Tigers by the Cubs in this offseason’s Rule 5 draft and was included on Chicago’s travel roster for the upcoming Tokyo Series, which suggests that the club plans to keep Workman in the fold at least for the time being. The White Sox, Marlins, Angels, Athletics, Nationals, Blue Jays, Rays, Twins, Braves, Padres, and Brewers all have Rule 5 draftees currently in camp, with Tampa and Atlanta each holding onto two draftees.

3. Rangers facing rotation questions:

The Rangers suffered a scare in the rotation earlier this week, as both right-hander Tyler Mahle and left-hander Cody Bradford were sent for MRI exams due to potential arm injuries. Both MRIs came back clean, but with the hurlers facing soreness in their forearm and elbow respectively and just two weeks left before the regular season begins, it’s fair to wonder if both hurlers will be back to pitching and built up enough to start the season in the club’s rotation. If either pitcher suffers a setback or the Rangers simply decide to take things slowly with even one of the two veterans, that would open the door for a youngster like Jack Leiter or Kumar Rocker to break camp with the team in the rotation.

Poll: Should The Cubs Extend Pete Crow-Armstrong?

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The Cubs’ teardown of their last core that saw them part ways with Kyle Schwarber, Yu Darvish, Jon Lester, Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, and Craig Kimbrel over the course of nine months. That slate of moves, to this point, has offered little in terms of major league production. There are some promising prospects from trades in that teardown, such as Owen Caissie (Darvish) and Kevin Alcantara (Rizzo) knocking on the door of the big leagues, but some of the pieces acquired in the trades of Darvish, Rizzo, Bryant, and Kimbrel have already departed the organization (e.g. Nick Madrigal, Alexander Canario).

So far, the primary exception is the trade that sent Baez (and right-hander Trevor Williams) to the Mets for center field prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong. The former first-round pick’s premium defense and speed gave him a high floor, and he continued to elevate his stock en route to billing as a consensus top-50 prospect in the sport.

In a league that’s seen an increasing number of young talents locked up long-term before reaching arbitration, Crow-Armstrong’s pedigree has long led Cubs fans to wonder if Chicago could follow in the footsteps of Arizona, Atlanta, and their brethren on the south side and lock up their young center fielder early in his career. It seems as though both the club’s front office and Crow-Armstrong himself could consider such an arrangement. The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma wrote last week that the front office “would be open” to bringing an offer to Crow-Armstrong. For his part, the youngster told Sharma he’s “always open to that conversation” as well.

Both the highs and the lows of Crow-Armstrong’s profile were on full display in 2024. He hit just .237/.286/.384 (87 wRC+) in 410 trips to the plate across 123 games… and his 2.7 fWAR in center field was still tied with Jacob Young of the Nationals for the eighth-highest figure of any player at the position last year thanks to his top-flight defensive and baserunning abilities. Crow-Armstrong went an excellent 27-for-30 on the basepaths, including 22 straight steals without being caught. In the field, his +14 Outs Above Average and +11 Defensive Runs Saved were the fifth- and seventh-best figures among outfielders, while his +16 Fielding Run Value was surpassed among fielders at all positions by only Giants catcher Patrick Bailey. Those defensive accolades become even more impressive when considering that Crow-Armstrong played just 112 games in center field.

Impressive as his rookie season was in many ways, it’s undeniable that Crow-Armstrong’s bat left something to be desired. Among 31 center fielders to get at least 400 plate appearances last year, his aforementioned 87 wRC+ ranks just 20th and puts him well behind the production of similarly gifted center fielders like Daulton Varsho, Michael Harris II, and Brenton Doyle. If the Cubs believe Crow-Armstrong will remain a below-average hitter, it’d be difficult to justify extending him when he’s already under team control through his age-28 season.

There were some signs of positive growth throughout the year, however. From July onward, Crow-Armstrong slashed .260/.309/.442 with a wRC+ of 108. His strikeout (21.6%) and walk (5.6%) rates were both slightly improved in that time, but most of that offensive boost came from a power outburst. Crow-Armstrong entered July with just one home run but crushed nine more over his final 72 games. While Crow-Armstrong’s .085 ISO through the end of June would put him in line with Andres Gimenez and Luis Arraez, his .185 ISO from July onward was more in line with hitters like Jackson Chourio, William Contreras, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. The increased power is reflected in more advanced metrics, as well. Crow-Armstrong’s barrel rate (4.3%) and hard-hit rate (29.8%) were both lackluster early in the season but from July onward increased to 8.9% and 40.3%, respectively.

Perhaps Harris, who signed an eight-year, $72MM extension with the Braves back in 2022, could be the most useful comp for Crow-Armstrong given his strong work in center field and up-and-down offensive production throughout his career to this point. Harris was in the midst of a dominant rookie season where he slashed .297/.339/.514 (137 wRC+) at the time of his deal with Atlanta and was also a year younger than Crow-Armstrong is now, but lacked his pedigree as a former first-round pick and top-20 prospect while also providing far less defensive value than Crow-Armstrong does.

Lawrence Butler just signed a seven-year, $65.5MM extension but did so with more than a year of service. Glove-first position players with some offensive ceiling who signed long-term deals in recent years include Ke’Bryan Hayes (eight years, $70MM) and Ezequiel Tovar (seven years, $63.5MM). Most of those deals were signed when the player had five remaining years of club control, however. Crow-Armstrong has six.

If you were in the Cubs’ shoes, would you try to lock up Crow-Armstrong long-term despite his lack of consistent offensive track record? Or would you wait to see how he develops in 2025 and beyond, even at the risk that he substantially boosts his earning power with a breakout campaign? Have your say in the poll below:

Should the Cubs extend Pete Crow-Armstrong?
No, wait to see how he develops and risk a breakout raising his asking price. 51.86% (2,634 votes)
Yes, offer him an extension despite questions about his bat. 48.14% (2,445 votes)
Total Votes: 5,079

The Opener: Scherzer, Giolito, Tigers

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As the start of the regular season gets closer, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Scherzer dealing with thumb soreness:

Veteran right-hander Max Scherzer is dealing with a bout of soreness in his right thumb, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet. Manager John Schneider called the Blue Jays’ decision to scratch Scherzer from his upcoming start tomorrow is the club “just being extra careful.” Scherzer missed time in 2024 with a litany of injuries, one of which was a nerve issue in his right arm that spanned his thumb to his triceps. If this latest thumb/nerve issue proves to be more serious, Toronto could call upon right-hander Yariel Rodriguez to step into the rotation from the bullpen or carry Jake Bloss, who is currently ticketed for Triple-A, on the big league roster to open the season.

2. Red Sox, Giolito await MRI results:

The Red Sox rotation has been tried by injuries this spring, with Kutter Crawford and Brayan Bello both already poised to start the season on the injured list. It’s possible another starting pitching option will join them, as right-hander Lucas Giolito is scheduled for an MRI after leaving yesterday’s game due to hamstring tightness. If the issue is severe enough to keep Giolito off the Opening Day roster, the Red Sox have a number of viable depth options to help cover for the absence. Quinn Priester might already be lined up to take Bello’s spot already, but other options on the 40-man roster incclude Richard Fitts, Cooper Criswell, and Josh Winckowski.

3. How will the Tigers fill out their outfield?

The Tigers were expected to welcome outfielder Wenceel Perez back into the lineup today after he was sidelined by a back issue last week, but Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports that Perez is absent from today’s Grapefruit League lineup and is not expected to play. With Matt Vierling and potentially Parker Meadows both slated to start the season on the injured list, Perez has stood out as a center field option for the Tigers to open the season. If he’s also ticketed for a late start to the 2025 campaign, however, the Tigers may need to get creative in filling out their outfield mix.

Riley Greene was ticketed for everyday duties in left field but could slide over to center if needed. Kerry Carpenter could spend more time in right field rather than serving as a regular DH. Zach McKinstry and Andy Ibanez both have at least some outfield experience, but it seems likely the club could benefit from another outfielder joining the roster like Justyn-Henry Malloy or perhaps even non-roster invitee Jahmai Jones. If Carpenter plays more in the outfield instead of filling the DH slot in the lineup, that could also create an avenue for Spencer Torkelson to get back into the lineup after losing the first base job to Colt Keith.

Poll: The Yankees’ Priorities

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It’s been a tough spring for the Yankees on the injury front. The club has faced a number of noteworthy injuries, with the latest blow being the loss of veteran ace Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery. He’ll miss the entire 2025 season, while rotation-mate Luis Gil is set to miss a couple of months after suffering a lat strain. The lineup has been impacted as well, with slugger Giancarlo Stanton poised to miss significant time due to elbow issues while likely starting third baseman DJ LeMahieu has been sidelined by a calf strain.

Each of those injuries have prompted varying levels of speculations that the club could look to bring in some help, but the Yankees are seemingly facing fairly strict budget limits. RosterResource projects them for a $285MM payroll. The Yanks have shown little interest in adding payroll, and their projected $305MM competitive balance tax number is already above the $301MM top tax threshold. It would be fairly difficult to make lineup and rotation additions with limited budget space and a limited supply available to them. General manager Brian Cashman downplayed the possibility of the Yankees making a notable addition, citing the current tax situation as an obstacle.

Perhaps the most obvious choice for an upgrade would be the starting rotation. The Yankees are already down at least one starter for the entire 2025 season, and while Marcus Stroman can step into the rotation as a #5 starter relatively seamlessly, the depth beyond him gets shakier. Non-roster invitee Carlos Carrasco has an ugly 6.18 ERA over his past two seasons, while prospect Will Warren struggled to a 10.32 ERA in his big league debut last year with an ERA near 6.00 at Triple-A. A steadier depth arm like Lance Lynn or Kyle Gibson would make plenty of sense for a rotation that has multiple pitchers with notable injury histories.

The Yankees do have plenty of high-end talent in the rotation that could help to make up for the lack of depth. Max Fried is a legitimate No. 1 starter in his own right. Carlos Rodon is just two seasons removed from earning Cy Young votes. Clarke Schmidt posted a sterling 2.85 ERA in 16 starts last year. With the reigning AL Rookie of the Year set to join the rotation at some point this year, perhaps the Yankees’ needs are more acute in the lineup.

The idea of filling Stanton’s spot in the lineup is made more intriguing by the presence of a comparable veteran lingering in free agenct. J.D. Martinez remains on the market, and the two sluggers have produced nearly identical offensive value over the past five years: Stanton has slashed .231/.313/.473 with a 117 wRC+, while Martinez has hit .263/.330/.477 with a wRC+ of 118. Even with Martinez coming off a relative down season and a particularly tough second half with the Mets last year, it’s easy to see why having Martinez fill in for Stanton could be very appealing. The Yankees have had at least “some contact” with Martinez since Stanton was sidelined.

Then again, it’s fair to argue that Stanton is the easiest of the injured Yankees to replace in-house. Ben Rice has impressed during Spring Training and was already in the conversation for the backup catcher job. He could be tabbed as a potential DH option against right-handed hitters. Another solution would be giving regulars more rest by playing them at DH on occasion. If the club places Trent Grisham in center field for a day rather than Cody Bellinger, Stanton’s injury could let them give Bellinger a partial rest day at DH or have him back up any of Jasson Dominguez, Aaron Judge, or even Paul Goldschmidt so they could get a rest day of their own.

Third base has also been a question throughout camp. LeMahieu seems like he’ll have a shorter absence than Stanton, but even coming off a down season, his injury thins out the infield options. A mix of LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Oswaldo Cabrera always looked fairly uninspiring. An MLBTR poll late last month suggested that a plurality of respondents believed the club’s primary third baseman would be someone not yet in the organization.

The third base market — and second base market, if Jazz Chisholm Jr. plays third instead — has largely been picked over, however. The Yankees were connected to infield options like Jose Iglesias and Jorge Polanco at points throughout the offseason and into Spring Training, but both veterans have since landed elsewhere. Nolan Arenado is known to be willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the Yankees, but it’s unlikely New York would be willing to take on his contract. Veteran Whit Merrifield remains available in free agency but isn’t a clear upgrade coming off a downturn in production at the plate. Perhaps upcoming opt-out opportunities for non-roster veterans and players made available on waivers due to roster crunches when Opening Day draws near will present a more viable solution.

How do MLBTR readers think the Yankees should address their injury-created holes? Will the club sign/acquire a starter to deepen its oft-injured rotation mix? Or could the Yankees instead turn to the lineup and either replace Stanton at DH or look for an upgrade to the infield? Have your say in the poll below:

Where Should The Yankees Prioritize Upgrading?
Starting Rotation 53.39% (2,843 votes)
Third Base/Second Base 39.10% (2,082 votes)
Designated Hitter 7.51% (400 votes)
Total Votes: 5,325

The Opener: Tokyo Series, Garver, MLBTR Chat

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As Spring Training continues, here are three things to watch for today:

1. Tokyo Series roster decisions:

The Cubs and Dodgers are hitting pause on Spring Training and boarding planes to Japan as they prepare for next week’s Tokyo Series. The exhibition games and other festivities associated with the coming event won’t get underway for a few more days, but the clubs will need to make decisions regarding their 31-man travel roster today. A few notable decisions remain, with Patrick Mooney of The Athletic writing that either outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara or infield prospect Matt Shaw will be heading to Japan with the Cubs, but not both players. Meanwhile, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic notes that the Dodgers have a decision to make on infielder Hyeseong Kim.

Shaw, 23, figures to be the club’s starting third baseman in 2025 but may not begin his time with the club immediately after being slowed in camp by an oblique injury. Alcantara, meanwhile, is the club’s primary backup to Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field after the Cubs parted ways with Cody Bellinger, Mike Tauchman, and Alexander Canario throughout the offseason. As for Kim, Ardaya notes that the 26-year-old could start the 2025 regular season in the minors as he works to implement changes to his swing the Dodgers have worked with him on throughout the spring.

2. Garver, Mariners await x-ray results:

Mariners catcher and DH Mitch Garver exited yesterday’s game against the Brewers after being hit by a pitch. The Mariners sent Garver for x-rays on his “hand and wrist area,” and Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times notes that the club is still awaiting those results. Garver, 34, is entering the second year of a two-year, $24MM contract with Seattle and is likely to serve as the club’s primary backup to Cal Raleigh behind the plate. If Garver were to miss significant time with injury, Blake Hunt is on the Mariners’ 40-man roster and would likely be tapped to fill in as Raleigh’s backup.

3. MLBTR Chat Today:

The first regular season games of the year are just a week away, though a handful of of MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents remain unsigned and some clubs are scrambling to patch holes created by spring injuries. Whether you have a late spring trade proposal in the back of your mind or questions about your favorite club’s final roster decisions, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will be here to answer your questions during a live chat scheduled for 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

Poll: Should The Phillies Extend Kyle Schwarber?

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Just over a week ago, reporting indicated that the Phillies and slugger Kyle Schwarber have engaged in “broad” conversations about an extension. That came not long after Schwarber expressed a desire to stick in Philadelphia beyond the life of his current contract, which expires at the end of the coming season. While no updates about the status of talks between the sides have been made public since then, it was just over a year ago that the Phillies agreed to an extension with pending free agent Zack Wheeler after reports of mutual interest between the sides gave way to radio silence as the sides hammered out a deal. Things have been similarly quiet regarding Schwarber’s teammate and fellow possible extension candidate J.T. Realmuto, as the sides reportedly have mutual interest in an extension as of last month with few details having emerged since then.

Getting back to Schwarber, it’s understandable why the 32-year-old would have interest in sticking in Philadelphia long-term. Aside from the team’s on-field success, which has seen them capture the NL pennant in 2022 and follow that up with 90- and 95-win campaigns the past two years, Schwarber himself has found an impressive level of consistency in Philadelphia. Across three seasons in a Phillies uniform, he’s slashed .221/.344/.488 with a wRC+ of 128 while never posting a figure below 120. That’s not only a substantial improvement over his career 119 wRC+ prior to arriving in Philly, but the results are also far more consistent on a year-to-year basis: his wRC+ figures prior to joining the Phillies ranged from as low as 91 in 2020 to as high as 146 in 2021.

Aside from the success both Schwarber and the team have enjoyed over the past three seasons, Schwarber may be hoping that avoiding the open market could afford him longer-term stability. The veteran has always been a lackluster defender, and in 2024 he spent virtually the entire campaign at DH. There’s been talk of Schwarber getting more reps in the outfield (or perhaps even at first base) this year, but the market has proved harsh in recent years for players like Schwarber regardless of whether he’s viewed as a bat-first corner option or a pure DH. Veteran DH J.D. Martinez resorted to taking one-year deals with the Dodgers and Mets during both the 2022-23 and ’23-24 offseasons, and he remains unsigned in March for the second consecutive year. Other defensively limited players like Pete Alonso and Anthony Santander ended up with contracts that fell below expectations this winter, while Schwarber’s longtime teammate Anthony Rizzo has seemingly struggled to get any sort of tempting offer this winter.

That’s not to say Schwarber is necessarily doomed to the same fate of underwhelming offers on the open market, of course. Teams are almost always willing to pay for truly elite talent in free agency, and Schwarber’s 131 wRC+ over the past four seasons is good for 25th in baseball over that timeframe. Those numbers are only slightly ahead of Alonso, who ranks 29th with a 129 wRC+, but it’s worth noting that Alonso faced questions about his future production after back-to-back down seasons. Meanwhile, Schwarber’s 2024 was nothing short of excellent as he slashed .248/.366/.485 with 38 homers and a career-high 3.4 fWAR. Another strong season from Schwarber in 2025 would surely line him up for a healthy contract in free agency, even if his age and defensive profile would likely inhibit his ability to land a lengthier contract.

There’s both pros and cons to the idea re-upping with Schwarber from the Phillies’ perspective as well. Schwarber offers rare left-handed power and exceptional consistency for a player with his skillset, but it’s not hard to see why an aging Phillies club might prefer to go with a younger alternative with strong defensive skills rather than continue to trot out a team that relies on both Schwarber and Nick Castellanos as regular fixtures of the lineup in 2026. Schwarber’s strikeout-heavy approach could be cause for concern in theory, but the club is more than capable of balancing that out with more contact-oriented hitters like Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, and Trea Turner.

Perhaps the strongest argument for keeping Schwarber in the fold is the lack of clear upgrades available in free agency next winter. Unless the Phillies opt to splurge on an aggressive pursuit of either Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Kyle Tucker, they’ll be hard pressed to find a better hitter on the market next winter than the one they already have. Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suarez, and Cody Bellinger (if he opts out) are among the best hitters in the next tier of free agency next year, and while all three are solid players, none of them come close to offering the reliable offensive impact that Schwarber has given the Phillies over the past three years.

Is that impact enough to live with the high strikeout rates and lack of defensive value on what would likely be a two- or three-year extension? Have your say in the poll below:

Should the Phillies extend Kyle Schwarber?
No, play out the season and re-evaluate this winter. 52.68% (3,266 votes)
Yes, lock him up before he reaches free agency. 47.32% (2,934 votes)
Total Votes: 6,200

The Opener: Cole, Mets, Non-Roster Veterans

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As Spring Training continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Cole, Yankees await second opinion.

News broke yesterday that veteran Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has been recommended for Tommy John surgery after undergoing tests on his elbow over the weekend. It’s a potentially brutal blow to the Yankees’ hopes of returning to the World Series in 2025, but nothing is set in stone just yet as Cole and the club are seeking a second opinion before making a final decision on the right-hander’s path forward. Specifically, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that Cole is set to consult with noted surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache about the issue. ElAttrache is one of the country’s preeminent sports medicine figures and, notably, met with Cole about his elbow just last year during Spring Training when a bout of elbow inflammation sidelined the righty for most of the first half.

2. Mets in need of catching help:

With youngster Francisco Alvarez set to miss the next six to eight weeks due to hamate surgery, the Mets are now facing a scramble for catching help with Opening Day just over two weeks away. Backup catcher Luis Torrens figures to step into the starting role for the Mets while Alvarez is out, but the club has no other catchers on the 40-man roster with Jakson Reetz and his eight games of MLB experience standing out as the most experienced non-roster catcher in camp. The club’s lackluster internal solutions make an addition appear likely before Opening Day, with veterans Yasmani Grandal and James McCann still on the market.

3. Non-roster veterans await opportunities:

With Spring Training beginning to wind down and teams beginning to plan out their Opening Day rosters in earnest, there are a number of veterans in camp on minor league deals who will be on the outside looking in when it comes to the big league roster of their current organization. It’s likely that the majority of those veterans will opt out and return to free agency in hopes of finding a major league opportunity elsewhere, as infielder Nicky Lopez seems poised to do after being re-assigned to minor league camp yesterday. As injuries (such as the aforementioned issues faced by the Yankees and Mets) begin to pile up around the league, that could create opportunities for some non-roster veterans in camp with other clubs to get snapped up relatively quickly once they get the chance to opt out closer to Opening Day.

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