The Opener

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. Spring Training games begin:

Baseball games are officially back today! Five games between MLB clubs are on the docket, starting with the Yankees and Orioles at 1:05pm local time. Later in the afternoon, the Royals and Rangers, Cubs and White Sox, Diamondbacks and Rockies, as well as the Padres and Mariners will all face off. Trevor Rogers, Jameson Taillon, and Stephen Kolek are among the names making their 2026 debuts today. Meanwhile, the Grapefruit League in Florida will also play host to a pair of exhibition games; the Red Sox take on Northeastern University at 1:05pm, and the Twins take on the University of Minnesota at 6:05pm local time (5:05pm in Minnesota).

2. Westburg update incoming:

Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg has been sidelined in camp so far, first due to an oblique strain but now also due to a possible elbow injury. Westburg was recently sent for imaging on his ailing elbow. President of baseball operations Mike Elias is scheduled to meet with the media at 9:50am ET, per MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko, and will likely provide an update on his third baseman. Westburg, an All-Star in 2024, has hit an impressive .265/.312/.470 over the past two years but has been limited to just 192 games by a variety of injuries. Significant missed time for Westburg could mean Coby Mayo getting another shot at regular playing time as a third baseman.

3. Rays send Uceta for imaging:

Elsewhere in the AL East, the Rays are dealing with an injury scare of their own. Right-hander Edwin Uceta is headed for imaging on what the club has described as a “cranky” right shoulder that has continued to cause him discomfort. An update on Uceta’s status seems likely over the next couple of days, but it would be a tough pill for Tampa to swallow if the righty is set to miss significant time. Uceta has a 2.98 ERA with an identical FIP in 100 appearances over the past two seasons, and was among the top candidates to replace Pete Fairbanks in the ninth inning in 2026. Griffin Jax and Garrett Cleavinger would see even more high-leverage work if Uceta is out for any period. And, while Cleavinger has seen his name pop up in trade rumors, that could come to a halt if Uceta is diagnosed with a serious injury.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Astros still looking for outfield help:

The Astros have been looking for left-handed outfield help throughout the offseason in an effort to balance out a heavily right-handed lineup. One might think that the team’s recent acquisition of Joey Loperfido helped to solve that issue, but it was more of a net-neutral move given that Loperfido was brought in as the return for lefty-swinging outfielder Jesus Sanchez. Yesterday’s report that Houston has some interest in veteran outfielder Michael Conforto suggests they’re still open to a lower end move in free agency, and a trade of Isaac Paredes or Christian Walker could still theoretically yield the left-handed hitter the team has sought. Other lefties still available in free agency include Jesse Winker and Alex Verdugo.

2. Will the Rays be able to extend another young star?

The Rays have long been known to get aggressive with extensions for their players, dating back to early-career deals for Evan Longoria and Matt Moore. In more recent years, Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe, Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs, Pete Fairbanks, and Tyler Glasnow are among the players they’ve extended prior to or early in arbitration, even if many of those players were ultimately traded before those extensions ran their course.

Budding superstar Junior Caminero has voiced an openness to an extension this week. The question is whether or not the Rays have interest in putting together the sort of offer it would take to lock up a 22-year-old who just hit 45 homers in his first full MLB season. It would surely require the Rays leaving their typical comfort zone, though Tampa Bay did give Wander Franco a $182MM deal before his career came to an abrupt halt over off-the-field improprieties and legal issues. That was under Stu Sternberg’s ownership, and it’s unclear what appetite the team’s new ownership group would have for a big-time extension of that sort.

3. Will the Twins add to their rotation?

Yesterday’s news that Twins ace Pablo López suffered a UCL tear that will likely end his season was a gut punch for a Minnesota club that opted not to follow up on last summer’s deadline sell-off and instead make some modest additions to the roster. The rotation, led by López and Joe Ryan, had the makings of a solid group. Bailey Ober is looking to bounce back from a hip injury, while Simeon Woods Richardson pitched well down the stretch. Young arms like Taj Bradley, Mick Abel, David Festa, Zebby Matthews and Connor Prielipp give the Twins plenty of options to round out the staff.

However, the Twins made a late run at Framber Valdez, with new executive chair Tom Pohlad publicly confirming the team’s interest. That was before López suffered his elbow injury. There’s no one akin to Valdez left in free agency, but the Twins clearly have at least some room for additional spending, and free agency offers names like Lucas Giolito and Zack Littell.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. MLBPA to regroup following Tony Clark’s departure:

Yesterday, the baseball world was rocked when MLBPA chief Tony Clark abruptly resigned from his position atop the union amid a scandal involving an “inappropriate relationship” with his sister-in-law, whom he hired to work for the union back in 2023. Clark’s departure comes less than a year before the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement on Dec. 1. Rather than go through a lengthy search for a new executive director, there have been indications that the players will look to find a temporary replacement in the short-term. Deputy director Bruce Meyer is the most likely candidate, and reporting has suggested there could be a vote on promoting him to interim director as soon as today.

2. Lingering free agents on the market:

As Spring Training gets fully underway, a swath of veterans have begun to take minor league deals in order to get into camp and get to work with a club in hopes of securing a roster spot coming into Opening Day. Right-hander Walker Buehler, outfielder Mike Tauchman, and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe are among the more notable players to sign minor league pacts in the past week. It’s fair to wonder which other veterans might be working on similar deals over the next few days. Of course, not every player left in free agency will settle for a minor league pact. Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell, and Max Scherzer are among the players likely to hold out for big league offers even as Spring Training gets into full swing.

3. Will the Braves do anything with their rotation?

It’s long been assumed that the Braves would make an addition to their rotation this offseason, and that seemingly became all the more likely when Atlanta lost Spencer Schwellenbach for the foreseeable future due to bone spurs in his elbow. Right-hander Hurston Waldrep, meanwhile, is dealing with elbow concerns of his own.

Despite that uncertainty, recent reporting has indicated that the club’s interest in players they’ve been connected to like Giolito and Chris Bassitt has been overstated. (Bassitt, of course, already signed with the Orioles.) Perhaps a team deep in starting pitching (e.g. Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers) would be willing to give up one of the arms lower on their depth chart to fill out Atlanta’s rotation at the right price, but could the Braves simply stand pat?

On the heels of one early-morning bombshell, here are three other things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Full squad workouts:

Most teams have fully begun Spring Training at this point, but a small handful of clubs will be having their first full-squad workout today as position players report to camp. The lone Grapefruit League team to which this applies is the Rays, but the Cactus League in Arizona will see the Guardians, Rockies, Brewers, and Mariners all host their first full-squad workouts today. Cedric Mullins (Rays), Jake McCarthy (Rockies), and Brendan Donovan (Mariners) are among the new faces that will be showing up in camp for clubs today, while the Mariners will also be welcoming first baseman Josh Naylor back into the fold after re-signing him back in November.

2. Lopez headed for MRI:

Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez is headed for imaging due to soreness in his elbow. Lopez is one of the most important cogs in the Twins’ rotation but struggled to stay healthy last year, missing time with a Grade 2 strain of the teres major and a late-season forearm strain. The talented 29-year-old now appears to be starting this year’s Spring Training off on the wrong foot as well. More information about Lopez’s status and his potential timeline for a return to throwing should be available in the coming days. If Lopez winds up missing significant time, it will be worth keeping an eye on the Twins to see if they become players for one of the remaining starters on the market like Lucas Giolito or old friend Zack Littell. Minnesota made a late play for Framber Valdez before he signed with the division-rival Tigers.

3. Extension season:

There are only a few notable free agents left on the market, and major trades become increasingly rare as Spring Training gets underway. With many teams having more or less put a bow on their external additions, will teams start turning their attention towards extensions? It would certainly make sense, and in some corners of the league that process has already begun. The Dodgers signed Max Muncy to the fourth extension of his career earlier this month. The Padres turned to their front office and locked up president of baseball operations A.J. Preller on a multi-year deal. Neither of those moves were exactly shocking, but perhaps teams like the Cubs (Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki) and Mariners (J.P. Crawford, Randy Arozarena) could look to discuss keeping some of their top players around beyond the final year of their contract. And as the A’s have already reminded us with their Jacob Wilson deal, spring is the most common time for pre-arbitration players to sign extensions as well.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Full Squad Workouts:

Spring Training is kicking into full gear, and yesterday saw the first handful of teams have full squad workouts yesterday. That continues today with additional teams. In Arizona’s Cactus League, the A’s, Cubs, Reds, Royals, and Angels all have their position players reporting today. Meanwhile, the Grapefruit League in Florida will host full squad workouts for the Orioles, Astros, Marlins, Twins, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Pirates, Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Nationals today. Alex Bregman (Cubs), Pete Alonso (Orioles), Bo Bichette (Mets), Kazuma Okamoto (Blue Jays), Eugenio Suarez (Reds), Jeff McNeil (A’s), Isaac Collins (Royals), and Ryan O’Hearn (Pirates) are among a large number of players suiting up for new teams for the first time today.

2. Will the Braves add a starter?

The latest news out of Atlanta is not exactly encouraging, as right-hander Hurston Waldrep is battling elbow soreness and is scheduled to meet with surgeon Dr. Keith Meister later today. It’s unclear exactly how long Waldrep will be sidelined, and an MRI revealed no structural damage, but with Spencer Schwellenbach already on the 60-day injured list there’s a great deal of urgency for the Braves to put together some depth for their rotation, lest they enter the season already leaning on depth pieces like Bryce Elder and Martin Perez. Fortunately for them, players like Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell, and Max Scherzer remain available in free agency who could potentially help stabilize things in the team’s rotation. Of course, Alex Anthopoulos and his front office have long been known to buck expectations, and it’s certainly possible they could instead look to pivot to the trade market or find another creative solution to their rotation conundrum.

3. Bendix, Sherman to speak at Marlins camp:

As Spring Training kicks off, Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix and club owner Bruce Sherman are both expected to speak to the media this morning, as noted by Isaac Azout of Fish On First. Those comments from Bendix and Sherman will come on the heels of a busy offseason for the Marlins where they traded away Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers while also adding Pete Fairbanks to the bullpen, Chris Paddack to the rotation, and Owen Caissie to the lineup. It’s not hard to see why fans might view that as more subtraction than addition, at least when it comes to the big league club, though a rotation of Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez, Braxton Garrett, Max Meyer, and Paddack still figures to be a very impressive one headed into the 2026 campaign, Fairbanks is a proven and decorated closer for the bullpen, and Caissie could certainly develop into a middle of the order, impact bat for the club. Bendix and Sherman could offer additional insight into the team’s internal expectations and plans for the remainder of the spring this morning.

With one early-morning trade already in the books, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world this weekend:

1. Dodgers pitchers and catchers report:

29 out of 30 teams have already had their pitchers and catchers officially report for camp, and today the 30th and final team will have its first workout: the reigning World Series champion Dodgers. It’s a slightly different look in camp for L.A. than previous years. Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw is not present following his retirement while star closer Edwin Diaz and outfielder Kyle Tucker will be suiting up in Dodger blue for the first time. As camp gets underway, a few notable moves have been made for the Dodgers on the positional side of things. The club brought Enrique Hernandez back on a one-year deal yesterday, and also worked out yet another short-term extension with veteran third baseman Max Muncy.

2. Where will Gallen land?

Earlier this week, the Orioles signed Chris Bassitt among a flurry of starting pitching signings that also saw veterans like Justin Verlander (Tigers) and Jose Quintana (Rockies) find their next club. That’s a notable move from Baltimore in part because the club was one of the teams that had been most clearly linked to Zac Gallen this offseason. With camps opening up around the league, Gallen remains unsigned and will need to find a team in a hurry if he doesn’t want to be behind when exhibition games begin later this month. He still makes sense for the Padres and Diamondbacks, though it’s unclear if either team can afford him at this point. The Braves, who recently lost Spencer Schwellenbach for an extended period due to bone spurs in his elbow, could also make sense but may not want to punt the draft pick and shell out the necessary dollars to bring him into the fold. It’s possible another spring injury could open a new door for Gallen, but there aren’t a lot of clean fits at the moment.

3. Will Castellanos find a new home?

The messy, months-long divorce between the Phillies and Nick Castellanos finally came to a close yesterday when Philadelphia officially released the veteran, making him a free agent eligible to sign with any interested club for the league minimum. Speculatively speaking, teams like the Padres, Guardians, and Royals could have a spot for him in their outfield/DH mixes, but Castellanos is coming off a down season at the plate and has long been a sub-par defender. Upon being released, he also opened up (to an extent) about his clash with manager Rob Thomson, admitting that after being lifted for a defensive replacement in Miami, he brought a beer into the dugout while the game was still going and began to air some grievances with his skipper before teammates intervened to calm him down. Will another club take a chance on Castellanos?

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:

1. Pitchers and catchers continue to report:

Most teams have had their first official workout of Spring Training at this point, but a few clubs have still yet to begin official activities. Almost all the remaining teams are scheduled to have their first workout today. In Arizona’s Cactus League, that list includes the Guardians, Rockies, Brewers, and Mariners. Meanwhile, Florida’s Grapefruit League will see the Twins, Yankees, Cardinals, and Rays all officially start spring activities. Notable new faces expected to be present for today’s workouts include Brandon Sproat and Kyle Harrison (Brewers), Dustin May (Cardinals), Michael Lorenzen (Rockies), and Ryan Weathers (Yankees).

2. Castellanos conclusion incoming:

The Phillies’ long, awkward divorce with veteran Nick Castellanos appears to be drawing to a close. According to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, a resolution for Castellanos, whether that’s a release or a trade, is expected to come together within the next two days. It’s unclear what sort of market Castellanos might have in trade, but it could be viable for a team interested in the soon to be 34-year-old for a part-time role or an interested club without much hope of making the postseason this year to sacrifice a little extra money to swing a trade for him rather than banking on being able to convince him to sign with them after he’s released.

3. Quintana’s deal to be made official:

Along with the aforementioned arrival of Lorenzen in Rockies camp today, Colorado is expected to welcome another veteran pitcher into the fold officially. Southpaw Jose Quintana recently signed with the Rockies on a one-year deal, and Thomas Harding of MLB.com writes that his deal with the team is expected to become official ahead of the club’s first official workout later today. A 40-man roster move will be necessary to officially add Quintana to the roster, and it will be interesting to see if the team sends right-hander Jeff Criswell to the 60-day injured list after he underwent Tommy John surgery last March, or if they expect him to be ready early enough in the season that they don’t want to force him to stay on the shelf that long. If they want to keep Criswell off the IL for now, they’ll need to designate a player for assignment or work out a trade to clear 40-man space.

On the heels of an early-morning signing, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Pitchers and catchers continue reporting:

After a handful of teams with early report dates officially kicked off Spring Training yesterday, half of MLB’s clubs are following suit Wednesday. In Arizona’s Cactus League, the A’s, Cubs, Reds, Royals, Angels, and Padres are all reporting. There are even more clubs reporting in Florida’s Grapefruit League, as the Orioles, Tigers, Astros, Marlins, Mets, Phillies, Pirates, Blue Jays, and Nationals are all officially kicking off Spring Training this morning. Edward Cabrera (Cubs), Grayson Rodriguez (Angels), Shane Baz (Orioles), Framber Valdez (Tigers), Tatsuya Imai (Astros), Freddy Peralta (Mets), and Dylan Cease (Blue Jays) are among the most notable players appearing in camp with new teams this year. As we saw throughout the day Tuesday, the opening of camp could also bring about both notable injury updates and some late-winter signings.

2. Pirates 40-man moves incoming?

The Pirates have not yet officially announced their signings of right-hander Jose Urquidy and DH Marcell Ozuna. Both of those moves could be made official as soon as today, and in doing so the Pirates will need to make a pair of 40-man moves to accommodate the new additions. Promising right-hander Jared Jones is still rehabbing from last year’s internal brace surgery and could be a 60-day IL option, depending on how that rehab process has progressed over the winter. (The team will likely have an update early in camp.) He’s the only potential 60-day IL candidate, so Pittsburgh will likely have to to designate a player for assignment or work out a trade that clears a 40-man roster spot.

3. Will injuries spur movement on the market?

Yesterday saw the Tigers reunite with future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander on a one-year deal, but the veteran’s return to Detroit was predicated at least in part on some tough news for fans in Detroit: talented right-hander Reese Olson will miss the 2026 season due to shoulder surgery. The Tigers weren’t the only team to announce a major rotation injury yesterday. The Braves will be without right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach to open the 2026 campaign after he was placed on the 60-day injured list, while Toronto will be without Shane Bieber for the start of the season (plus Bowden Francis for the entirety of it following Tommy John surgery). With prominent arms like Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt, and Lucas Giolito still available, will those clubs look to firm up their staff like the Tigers did?

Baseball is back! Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world as Spring Training commences:

1. Pitchers and catchers begin reporting:

Spring Training is officially getting underway today… for a handful of teams, at least. As noted by MLB.com, the Diamondbacks, White Sox, Rangers, and Giants have their first workout for pitchers and catchers today in Arizona’s Cactus League. Meanwhile, over in Florida, the Grapefruit League’s workouts kick off with the Braves and Red Sox. Boston (Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray), Texas (MacKenzie Gore, Danny Jansen), and San Francisco (Adrian Houser, Tyler Mahle) all figure to have some exciting new faces around camp today, while the White Sox (Erick Fedde) and Diamondbacks (Merrill Kelly) will welcome back old friends who re-signed over the offseason. The opening of camp typically reveals some news of offseason injuries, and it’s common for a handful off free agents to pop up in camp with clubs after finalizing a late agreement. There ought to be plenty of news throughout the week as players continue to report.

2. Arraez deal to be made official:

Luis Arraez’s one-year deal with the Giants has yet to be made official. According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, that delay is so that Arraez can get his physical with the club at their Spring Training facilities, thereby streamlining the process. Slusser adds that Arraez’s signing figures to be made official today. San Francisco’s 40-man roster is full at the moment, meaning that a corresponding transaction will need to be announced alongside the Arraez deal. That could be a minor trade or a player being designated for assignment, but with the start of Spring Training it’s possible the club could simply look to put a player like Randy Rodriguez or Jason Foley on the 60-day injured list. Rodriguez underwent Tommy John surgery last September. Foley had shoulder surgery last May.

3. Arbitration decisions to be handed down:

The Associated Press reports that arbitration results from two hearings should be expected today: catcher Tyler Stephenson (who filed at $6.8MM) and the Reds (who filed at $6.55MM) as well as southpaw Reid Detmers (who filed at $2.925MM) and the Angels (who filed at $2.625MM). Players have won the majority of cases so far, with Orioles lefty Keegan Akin taking the only arbitration loss of the year to this point. Lefties Dylan Lee of the Braves and Eric Lauer of the Blue Jays have already been to hearings but are having their decisions withheld until later this week. Royals southpaw Kris Bubic, Brewers catcher William Contreras, and Marlins righty Calvin Faucher all have hearings scheduled for the future to round out this year’s slate of arbitration cases.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. Arbitration hearings continue:

The biggest news in baseball yesterday was southpaw Tarik Skubal’s record-shattering victory over the Tigers in his arbitration hearing, where a panel of judges awarded him $32MM rather than the $19MM figure Detroit had submitted. It’s the third consecutive victory (joining Kyle Bradish and Yainer Diaz) for the players in arbitration hearings this year, while teams have yet to win a single case. Tampa Bay right-hander Edwin Uceta and Atlanta southpaw Dylan Lee have both already gone to hearings against their clubs, though decisions aren’t expected until next week on those cases. (Results on cases that could be direct comps for other arb hearings in the same year are often withheld until those other hearings have taken place.) Reid Detmers, Graham Ashcraft, Tyler Stephenson, and Kris Bubic are among the players who exchanged figures with their teams but have yet to go to a hearing. Will those players be able to keep the win streak going?

2. Suter nearing deal with Anaheim:

Reporting yesterday indicated that southpaw Brent Suter and the Angels were nearing an agreement on a major league deal. Any final details and a physical could be hammered out this weekend. Anaheim has already made several veteran additions to the bullpen this winter, as Suter will join Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romano, and Kirby Yates as a potential setup option for Robert Stephenson in rookie manager Kurt Suzuki’s bullpen. The Halos’ 40-man roster is full, so they’ll need a corresponding move to formally add Suter unless they hold off on announcing the deal until camp opens and they can then shift a player (Anthony Rendon or Ben Joyce) to the 60-day IL.

3. Do the Twins have a notable move in store?

Although the Twins have had a quiet offseason in terms of player transactions, things have been anything but quiet off the field. They added three new minority owners, Tom Pohlad took over as the team’s new control person, and those changes seemingly led to president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey departing the club in a shocking move late last month. Amid those ownership and front office shuffles, the Twins have made some surprising gestures toward upgrading the roster. Minnesota was involved in the market for Freddy Peralta before he was traded to the Mets and reportedly jumped into the mix on Framber Valdez before he signed with the division-rival Tigers. There aren’t many impact players left on the market, but righty Zac Gallen remains unsigned and there are various trade options the club could pursue. Bullpen help is the Twins’ most glaring need, but even cursory interest in Peralta and Valdez signals a willingness to add to the rotation as well.