The Opener

After a surprisingly busy Wednesday, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Extension season continues:

Extension season has bled into the regular season this year, and that’s never been more apparent than it was yesterday, when three long-term deals got hammered out: Jackson Merrill and the Padres hammered out a $135MM pact early yesterday morning, while the Red Sox and Kristian Campbell put the finishing touches on a $60MM deal that’s been anticipated since the weekend. The Diamondbacks also got in on the fun with their fourth extension of 2025, agreeing to a $116.5MM contract with franchise face Ketel Marte.

Given their proximity to Opening Day, each of these deals is in some ways more akin to a Spring Training extension, since the sides surely did the majority of the negotiating before the season began. Could other rumored possible extension targets be signed to deals in the coming days? The Phillies were known to have at least some interest in extensions with slugger Kyle Schwarber and catcher J.T. Realmuto, while the Blue Jays are of course hoping to sign Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to an extension despite the star’s public indications that he expects to test free agency.

2. Series Preview: Reds @ Brewers

The early days of the 2025 season have been tough on two expected potential contenders for the NL Central crown: the Brewers and Reds. Both clubs are 2-4 through their first six games of the season, with the Reds having suffered back-to-back 1-0 losses against the Rangers entering this series while the Brewers found themselves outscored bye an eye-popping 43-13 margin across three games against the Yankees and Royals from Saturday to Monday. Difficult as the start of the season has been for both clubs, however, one of the two clubs will make some progress the rest of the week as the two face off in a four-game set.

The series kicks off at 6:40pm local time in Milwaukee this evening, with southpaw Nestor Cortes (3.77 ERA in 2024) on the mound for the Brewers as he seeks redemption after surrendering five homers to the Yankees in just two innings during his first start of the year. He’ll be facing a fellow southpaw today, as the Reds are expected to go with Nick Lodolo (4.76 ERA in 2024) after a solid start against San Francisco his first time out. Tomorrow’s game will see veteran Nick Martinez (3.10 ERA in 2024) take the mound against an as-of-yet unannounced Brewers starter, while Saturday’s game will see Cincinnati’s Brady Singer (3.71 ERA in 2024) square off against Milwaukee’s Elvin Rodriguez (career 9.49 ERA in 37 MLB innings). On Sunday, the clubs will wrap things up as the Reds send swingman Carson Spiers (5.46 ERA in 2024) to the mound opposite Brewers rookie Chad Patrick, who has a 3.18 ERA in 5 2/3 innings of work so far this year.

3. DFA Resolutions expected:

When players are designated for assignment, clubs have one week to either trade the DFA’d player or attempt to pass them through waivers. That seven-day window is closing today for two players who have been in DFA limbo since the start of the season: catcher/outfielder Cooper Hummel, and infielder Eguy Rosario. Hummel, 30, is a career .159/.255/.275 hitter in the majors who has bounced between the Diamondbacks, Mariners, and Astros over the years. He was in contention for a spot on Houston’s bench this spring but ultimately lost out on the job when the club opted to promote top prospect Cam Smith to the majors.

As for Rosario, the 25-year-old has spent his entire pro career in the Padres organization this point. He’s gotten just 100 plate appearances over three seasons with the club, but a .245/.283/.500 slash line with five homers, a triple, and seven doubles during that time suggests the versatile infielder has intriguing pop. If Hummel and Rosario go unclaimed on waivers today, their clubs will have the opportunity to outright them to the minor leagues and keep them in the fold as non-roster depth going forward this year. With that being said, Hummel has a previous outright assignment in his career and can reject a second assignment in favor of free agency should he so choose.

On the heels of a huge extension in San Diego, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Dodgers, Braves streaking:

The reigning World Series champions are off to a phenomenal start, having won their first seven games in a row. After sweeping the Cubs out of Tokyo last month, the Dodgers then swept the Tigers out of Dodger Stadium and since then have taken two of three from the Braves. As noted by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, the 7-0 start to the season matches the 1933 Yankees for the strongest start to a season of any reigning World Series champion in history, and is also the Dodgers’ best start to the regular season since they relocated to Los Angeles in 1958.

On the other side of things, Atlanta can’t buy a win. They’re the only club that’s yet to win a game this season, and their nine runs scored across six games is tied for the fewest in the majors. The Dodgers will attempt to keep the good times rolling at 5:38pm local time tonight with lefty Blake Snell (3.12 ERA in 2024) on the mound, while Atlanta will counter with righty Bryce Elder (6.52 ERA in 2024) as they try to stop the bleeding.

2. Padres also streaking:

Phenomenal as the Dodgers’ start to the 2025 campaign has been, they’ve not been able to put away their division rivals. The Padres have gotten off to almost as strong of a start, winning all six of their games to this point in the season. They were the beneficiaries of Atlanta’s struggles for the first four games of the year, and since then have taken the first two games of their series against the Guardians to run up a 6-0 record on the season. They’ll be going for their second consecutive sweep today at 1:10pm local time in San Diego with right-hander Dylan Cease (3.47 ERA in 2024) on the mound. Cleveland, meanwhile, will counter with righty Ben Lively (3.81 ERA in 2024). Fortunately for the Guardians, they’re not in as dire straits as the Braves are after taking two of three in their opening series against the Royals.

3. Tucker looks to continue homer streak:

There’s a fourth noteworthy streak going on in the National League at the moment, although this one isn’t about the club’s records. After scuffling during the Tokyo Series, newly-acquired Cubs star Kyle Tucker has looked more like himself at the plate since the club returned stateside. Overall, he’s hitting an incredible .353/.450/.853 in 40 trips to the plate across eight games. He leads all of baseball with 12 hits, five doubles, 11 RBI, and 29 total bases, but the streak in question has to do with the long ball.

Tucker’s homered in four consecutive games after hitting a long ball off newly-minted A’s starter Luis Severino last night, and he’ll go for a fifth straight homer against A’s lefty Jeffrey Springs at 12:35pm local time in West Sacramento this afternoon. He’d become just the fifth Cubs player in history to have five games in a row with a homer, joining Sammy Sosa in 1998, Ryne Sandberg in 1989, and Hack Wilson in 1928… as well as teammate Michael Busch, who accomplished the feat just last year.

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

1. Outfield uncertainty in Atlanta:

Yesterday, the Braves received some tough news when their biggest offseason addition, outfielder Jurickson Profar, was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for PEDs. The 32-year-old will miss the remainder of the first half and be ineligible for the postseason this year due to the suspension. The news leaves the Braves scrambling to fill out an outfield that looked solid entering the year. Ronald Acuna Jr. is still about a month away from returning to action after last year’s torn ACL, which has left Jarred Kelenic to handle right field on an everyday basis. With Kelenic in right, Bryan De La Cuz and recent waiver claim Stuart Fairchild appear most likely to be tasked with handling left field for the time being, though the club did sign outfielder Alex Verdugo late last month and could lean on him once he gets up to speed after missing most of Spring Training.

2. Extension season in Boston:

The other big news yesterday was a report that the Red Sox and left-hander Garrett Crochet have reached an agreement on a six-year extension that guarantees the southpaw $170MM. The news came as something of a shock after the sides reportedly tabled extension talks when the start of the season came and went without an agreement, but Crochet will now put pen to paper on an agreement a week after the regular season begins. The Red Sox have not yet officially announced Crochet’s extension, though that can be expected to happen in relatively short order. With Crochet locked up long-term, the question remains if any other key pieces of the club’s future will land long-term deals of their own. In particular, eyes will be on second baseman Kristian Campbell after reports over the weekend indicated that Campbell’s camp and the Red Sox are deep into discussions regarding an extension for the well-regarded prospect.

3. Harrington, Smith to debut today:

The morning began with some news on the prospect front, as the Pirates are poised to select the contract of right-hander Thomas Harrington ahead of his big league debut against the Rays later today. The 23-year-old is set to take on righty Shane Baz in Tampa at 7:05pm local time this evening, but he’s not the only player scheduled to make his big league debut today. On the south side of Chicago, right-hander Shane Smith is poised to debut against the Twins at 6:40pm local time this evening. The club’s pick in December’s Rule 5 draft is just a few days shy of his 25th birthday and will celebrate by making his first big league start opposite Minnesota right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson, a former consensus top-100 prospect who pitched to a 4.17 ERA and 4.12 FIP in 28 starts for the Twins last year.

As the early days of the 2025 regular season continue, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Campbell, Red Sox nearing agreement?

Over the weekend, it was reported that the Red Sox and star prospect Kristian Campbell were “deep” into talks regarding a contract extension. If a deal were to be finalized, it would guarantee the 22-year-old a life-changing sum while allowing Boston to keep a potential star beyond his years under team control, which are currently slated to expire following the 2030 campaign. Campbell himself briefly commented on the report following Saturday night’s game, confirming to reporters that his camp has been discussing a contract with Red Sox brass but declining to say whether he considered the sides close to a deal.

2. Twins roster move incoming:

Yesterday, it was reported that right-hander Randy Dobnak is set to be designated for assignment by the Twins as the club looks to freshen up its bullpen prior to today’s game against the White Sox in Chicago. It’s not yet known which player will be joining the club’s roster in Dobnak’s stead. Southpaw Kody Funderburk is the only pure reliever on the 40-man roster in the minors right now, but it’s possible Minnesota will instead opt to carry a non-roster pitcher like Alex Speas or Scott Blewett given the 40-man roster spot Dobnak’s DFA will open. Starters like David Festa and Zebby Matthews could also be called up to offer the Twins some length out of the bullpen.

The decision to DFA Dobnak isn’t exactly a shocking one. The right-hander lacks the requisite service time to reject an outright assignment while still being paid the remaining $4MM on his contract. That salary makes Dobnak unlikely to be plucked off of waivers by a rival club and makes Dobnak himself highly unlikely to reject an outright assignment, meaning that despite a lack of minor league options, the Twins can shuttle him between Triple-A and the majors via DFA without much risk of losing him.

3. A’s hosting first home opener in West Sacramento:

The Athletics and Cubs are set to play the first home game of the former’s season tonight at 7:05pm local time. For the first time in decades, said home opener will not occur in Oakland. Instead, tonight will officially kick off the era of Major League Baseball in West Sacramento as the A’s call Sutter Health Park their home for the next three seasons before they can move into their planned long-term home in Las Vegas.

Some visiting players (including Cubs reliever Ryan Brasier) have voiced discomfort and frustration with the situation, as noted by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, who writes that the visiting clubhouse has drawn particular ire for its cramped accommodations that don’t measure up to the typical major league standard. Regardless, big league games will be played at the Triple-A ballpark for at least the next three seasons. That starts tonight, when Cubs right-hander Ben Brown (3.58 ERA in 2024) takes on A’s righty Joey Estes (5.01 ERA in 2024).

With baseball officially back for all 30 clubs, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on as we head into the weekend:

1. Players in DFA Limbo:

In the run-up to Opening Day, a number of players — many of them out of minor league options — were designated for assignment to clear space for prospects or veteran non-roster players who won an Opening Day job in spring training. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco took a look yesterday at the 23 players who were DFA’d ahead of Opening Day, including a former consensus top-100 prospect in Oscar Colas.

The window during which players can remain in limbo following a DFA lasts one week, during which time clubs must either work out a trade involving the player or place him on waivers to be claimed by any interested club. Should they clear waivers, some players (i.e. those with three-plus years of service or a prior outright assignment) will be able to elect free agency and pursue an opportunity elsewhere on their own terms. Others will simply be assigned outright to the minor leagues and serve as non-roster depth for their current clubs.

2. Flaherty returns to Los Angeles:

The Tigers are in Los Angeles facing the Dodgers, and right-hander Jack Flaherty (3.17 ERA in 2024) is poised to take the mound today for Detroit. It’s a homecoming for the right-hander, who was traded from the Tigers to the Dodgers last summer and pitched well down the stretch before being part of their postseason rotation as they stormed to their second World Series championship in five years. In his first start of the season, he’ll now face many of those teammates with whom he celebrated a World Series win just a few months ago. On the bump opposite Flaherty for the Dodgers today is righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched five innings of one-run ball against the Cubs in the Tokyo Series earlier this month to kick off his own regular season. The game is set to begin at 7:10pm local time in Los Angeles.

3. Sugano to make MLB debut, others to make team debuts:

On Sunday, the Orioles will wrap up a four-game set against the Blue Jays with right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano on the mound opposite veteran righty Chris Bassitt (4.16 ERA in 2024). Sugano, 35, is a veteran of 12 seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He’s been sensational in NPB play throughout his career, with a lifetime 2.43 ERA across more than 1800 innings of work with the Yomiuri Giants. Sugano enjoyed a vintage final season in NPB last year, posting a 1.67 ERA in 156 2/3 frames despite a strikeout rate of just 18.3%. Now that he’s in his mid-30s, Sugano will get the opportunity to test himself against MLB players for the first time, facing a lineup that features noted sluggers like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander in a game scheduled for 1:37pm local time in Toronto.

Sugano is the only “rookie” scheduled to start a game this weekend, but we’ll get the first true glimpse at a number of players in their new environs. Among them are Max Fried with the Yankees, Charlie Morton with the Orioles, Nestor Cortes with the Brewers (in New York against his former Yankee teammates), Max Scherzer with the Blue Jays, Justin Verlander with the Giants, Jesus Luzardo with the Phillies and Walker Buehler with the Red Sox.

Here are three things we’ll be following around baseball as the 2025 season gets underway:

1. Opening Day has arrived:

The 2025 MLB regular season technically began in Tokyo earlier this month with a two-game set between the Dodgers and Cubs. Yet, today marks the first game of the season for 26 of the league’s 30 teams. The Yankees and Brewers will kick things off with the first matchup of the day at 2:05 pm CT, and games will continue throughout the afternoon and evening, ending with contests between the Cubs and Diamondbacks and the Athletics and Mariners at 9:10 pm CT. Only the Rays and Rockies will have to wait one more day to get their seasons started, as the Rays have been given some extra time to prepare their new, temporary stadium, George M. Steinbrenner Field.

2. Roster spot for Livan Soto?

Livan Soto does not have a spot on the Orioles’ 40-man roster, nor has he been informed he’s breaking camp. However, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports that the young infielder has a locker in the visiting clubhouse at the Rogers Centre ahead of today’s Opening Day matchup between the Orioles and Blue Jays.

Baltimore acquired Soto from the Reds ahead of the trade deadline last summer. The 24-year-old came with limited big league experience (23 games, 74 PA), but the O’s took advantage of his optionability and defensive versatility to use him as an up-and-down depth piece for the bench. He went 3-for-10 with an .862 OPS in 12 games, taking reps at second base, third base, and shortstop. The Orioles DFA’d Soto in January but invited him to big league camp this spring. Whether or not he makes the Opening Day roster likely depends on the status of fellow utility man Jorge Mateo. Mateo underwent elbow surgery last season and has been slowly building up this spring. It remains unclear if he’ll need to start the year on the IL, but if he does, Soto would presumably take his spot on the active roster. For what it’s worth, Kubatko points out that Mateo does not currently have a locker in Toronto.

3. The Orioles’ final bullpen spot:

Orioles right-hander Bryan Baker finds himself in a similar position to Soto. As Kubatko notes, Baker has not yet been informed if he has made the Opening Day roster, but he too has a locker at the Rogers Centre. Unlike Soto, however, Baker is already on Baltimore’s 40-man and is out of minor league options. In other words, it would be bigger news if Baker didn’t make the Opening Day roster, as the Orioles would have to designate him for assignment. What’s more, Kubatko reports that neither Matt Bowman nor Roansy Contreras, Baker’s biggest competitors for the final bullpen spot, has a locker in Toronto. It certainly seems like the job is his.

The 30-year-old Baker pitched well for Baltimore in his rookie season two years ago, putting up a 3.49 ERA and 3.35 SIERA in 66 games. He followed that up with a solid sophomore campaign (3.60 ERA, 4.14 SIERA in 46 games) but spent most of the final two months of the season at Triple-A after the trade deadline. This past year, he was optioned and recalled five times throughout the campaign. While his 5.01 ERA in 19 games was poor, his underlying numbers (3.48 SIERA, 3.59 xERA) remained solid.

Happy Opening Day eve! With just one more day to go before 2025 regular season begins, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on today:

1. NRIs to be added:

As teams finish finalizing their Opening Day rosters, plenty of 40-man roster churn should be expected. Brendan Rodgers, Cam Smith, Sean Newcomb, Brad Keller, Randy Dobnak, and Cavan Biggio are all expected to be added to their respective club’s 40-man after making the Opening Day roster as non-roster invitees to Spring Training, and those are just the names reported yesterday. Teams with full 40-man rosters will need to make corresponding moves to clear space for their new additions. For many clubs, that will be as simple as transferring an injured player to the 60-day injured list. Others already have an open 40-man spot after passing a player through waivers or returning a Rule 5 pick. Still, some will need to designate a player for assignment in order to make room for their newly-rostered players, which creates the possibility for further turnover.

2. Other roster moves incoming:

Other moves not involving NRIs should be expected, as well. For example, the Diamondbacks are reportedly poised to sign southpaw Jalen Beeks and will need to make a 40-man roster move before that becomes official. While Beeks is slated to join the roster in Arizona, there are some expected outgoing roster moves as well. The Mets are expected to place outfielder Alexander Canario on waivers, for instance. The recent influx of free agents available after the weekend’s Article XX(B) opt outs could lead to more signings besides Beeks, and there will likely be a few more out-of-options players squeezed off their clubs’ Opening Day rosters over the next day or so. Astros outfielder/first baseman/catcher Cooper Hummel is reportedly one such player.

3. Last minute opt-out opportunities:

While the majority of opt-out opportunities in players’ minor league deals coincided with the uniform Article XX(B) opt outs that occurred over the weekend, a handful of stragglers have come through in the days since. Right-hander Dan Altavilla opted out of his minor league deal with the White Sox and was granted his release yesterday. Aside from more straightforward opt-out opportunities, players could have upward mobility clauses they could trigger to force their clubs to offer them up to rivals willing to offer them a major league roster spot such as the one utilized by right-hander Nick Anderson earlier this week.

With Opening Day just a couple of days away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Red Sox in Monterrey:

The Red Sox began a two-game exhibition set in Monterrey, Mexico against los Sultanes de Monterrey yesterday. The Red Sox won 10-1 as right-hander Richard Fitts tossed six shutout innings while top prospects Kristian Campbell (3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI) and Marcelo Mayer (2-for-4, 2B, HR, 5 RBI) both enjoyed big games. Game 2 of the exhibition series is scheduled for 6:10pm local time (7:10pm for fans in Boston), and the Red Sox announced yesterday that the club will be hosting a free watch party for the community in East Boston for this evening’s game, which will also feature a photo opportunity with a World Series trophy among other festivities. Click here for more information on the event via MLB.com.

2. Cubs weighing fifth starter job:

The Cubs play their final Spring Training game today, and young right-hander Ben Brown is scheduled to take the mound opposite Atlanta righty Zach Thompson. Brown’s start today is particularly notable as he remains in competition with veteran swingman Colin Rea for the fifth starter job in the Chicago rotation. Rea, 34, signed a big league deal with the Cubs during the offseason and is guaranteed a spot on the roster whether that be in the rotation or the bullpen. He’s struggled to a 7.36 ERA in three appearances this spring.

Brown, by contrast, has options remaining and could be sent down to Triple-A to open the season if he does not begin 2025 in the rotation. Chicago leaned on Brown for 2 2/3 innings of relief following Shota Imanaga’s start against the Dodgers during the Japan Series last week. He surrendered two earned runs but also managed to punch out five of the 15 Dodgers he faced, including Shohei Ohtani. The 25-year-old threw 55 1/3 innings for the Cubs last year, posting a 3.58 ERA and 3.11 FIP before being sidelined by a neck injury that ultimately ended his season.

3. MLBTR chat today:

Opening Day 2025 is just a few days away, and teams have already begun to finalize their rosters in preparation for the start of the season. Whether you have questions about one of the final remaining roster battles, how your favorite team stacks up in their division ahead of the regular season, or a look back at the offseason, 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.

After a busy weekend, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Veterans return to free agency:

While the free agent market was largely picked clean as recently as last week, Article XX(B) free agents (as well as a selection of other players) had opt-out clauses this weekend. Many of those players took those opportunities, and those who did not get added to their club’s 40-man roster are now back on the open market. Among the names to return to free agency are infielder Brandon Drury, southpaw Ryan Yarbrough, infielder Nick Ahmed, and right-handers Adam Ottavino and Jake Woodford. It’s possible many of the players who returned to free agency over the weekend could find new clubs in relatively short order, as outfielder Manuel Margot did when he was released by the Brewers, only to sign with the Tigers less than 24 hours later. In Margot’s case, he managed to garner a major league offer, but most players will likely be limited to minor league deals.

2. Hand surgeries out west:

The clubs that previously shared the Bay Area both have position players going under the knife today, as Giants outfielder Jerar Encarnacion is set to undergo surgery on his fractured left hand later today. In West Sacramento, meanwhile, A’s second baseman Zack Gelof is scheduled to undergo hamate surgery to repair a fracture of his own after he was hit by a pitch on his right hand last week. Both players are tentatively expected to be out until May, although more specific timetables for their returns to action are expected at some point after the procedures are completed. A’s top infield prospect Max Muncy (no relation to the former Athletic and current Dodgers third baseman) figures to fill in for Gelof at the keystone while he’s out of commission, while the Giants could rotate players through the DH slot in the lineup while Encarnacion is out.

3. Extension season is heating up:

It’s been a busy few days on the extension front, with multiple players landing long-term deals with their club over the weekend. Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk agreed to a $58MM pact that will keep him in Toronto for five more seasons, while Guardians righty Tanner Bibee landed a five-year deal of his own that guarantees him $48MM. Earlier last week, Diamondbacks right-hander Justin Martinez and Reds catcher Jose Trevino both reached deals of their own that will keep them in town long-term. As Spring Training winds down, will any other players and clubs use the last few days before Opening Day to hammer out a long-term agreement?

With stateside Opening Day less than a week away, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today headed into the weekend:

1. Door not closed on Guerrero deal?

Blue Jays CEO Mark Shapiro made some interesting comments yesterday as he discussed the state of talks between superstar slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the club. Shapiro indicated that he feels “optimism” about the club’s chances of keeping Guerrero in the fold and went on to plainly state he expects to sign their superstar long-term, be it in an extension or free agency. Guerrero and the Jays did not come to terms on an extension before his original deadline. At the time, he noted that while he no longer planned to continue back-and-forth negotiations, he would “not close the door” on listening to a new offer if the Jays presented one.

Guerrero doubled down on that thinking yesterday, repeating that he’s “not going to shut the door” on the Blue Jays, even as he turns his attention to the season. Little time remains to hammer out a deal before the season, but extensions signed after Opening Day are hardly unheard of. Cubs left fielder Ian Happ stands out as a notable recent example of a player who signed an extension after his final season of team control was already underway. The first long-term deals for both Xander Bogaerts (2019) and Stephen Strasburg (2016) with the Red Sox and Nationals, respectively, were also reached after Opening Day with free agency just months away. Could Guerrero become the latest and most prominent example?

2. Veterans to opt out of minor league deals:

A slew of veteran talent will have the opportunity to opt out of their minor league deals and return to free agency this weekend. Article XX(B) free agents have a uniform opt-out opportunity that comes five days before stateside Opening Day, which falls on March 27. That means a number of veterans will be able to opt out tomorrow, and still others who don’t fall under Article XX(B) may have opt out opportunities or upward mobility clauses negotiated into their contracts that trigger at a similar point in the calendar. MLBTR’s Steve Adams took a look yesterday at 36 such veterans, including notable names like Mark Canha, Jose Iglesias, Eloy Jimenez and Carlos Carrasco, who will have the opportunity to opt out of their deals this weekend if not added to their club’s 40-man roster.

3. Rule 5 decisions looming:

Teams that made Rule 5 draft selections are now facing the decision of whether to carry those players on their Opening Day roster or send them back to their previous club. Some of those decisions have already been made, with the White Sox expected to carry right-hander Shane Smith on their roster to open the season while Atlanta sent both picks they made back to the Guardians and Marlins, respectively. The Nationals and Reds have also returned their Rule 5 picks to their previous clubs already, while decisions still loom for the Marlins, Angels, Athletics, Blue Jays, Rays, Twins, Cubs, Padres, and Brewers.