[batt33]

Sounds like Machado wants 10 years 400 million and he will probably get it

probably so.... but geez that's alot of years...

[EmpireMaker]

With last year’s trade of Harrison Bader, the Cardinals have less certainty in center field than they have had in a few years. Dylan Carlson got significant playing time there down the stretch and has been seen as the favorite for the job going forward, but he’ll have competition. Tyler O’Neill told reporters, including Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, that he has his sights on the job.
“I’d love to play center field,” O’Neill said. “I’m not trying to boot anybody away from that position either, but it’s whatever they deem fit. I know they’re very analytically-driven here. I just want to be the best player that I can be. I’ve worked really hard this offseason at increasing my first-step quickness and making sure my legs can be under me. I believe I can definitely play that position if that’s where they want me.”
It seems as though the club is willing to give him a shot. “(He’s) competing for the center field job,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “He came into camp wanting that. He came up through our minor-league system and actually profiled as a pretty good center fielder. So it’s something that he wants and he’s going to compete for and he’s going to have an opportunity to do.” O’Neill will get a chance to test himself out in competitive games before the MLB season starts, since he’s slated to play center for the Canadian team in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
O’Neill, 28 in June, will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing season last year, but his 2021 was excellent. In 2021, he hit 34 home runs and stole 15 bases, producing a .286/.352/.560 batting line and a 144 wRC+. Defensively, he played exclusively in left field but got strong marks there, including 11 Defensive Runs Saved, four Outs Above Average and a 6.7 from Ultimate Zone Rating. Given his all-around contributions, he was deemed to be worth 5.6 wins above replacement per the calculations of FanGraphs. That placed him 13th among all position players in the majors, just ahead of guys like Aaron Judge and Jose Altuve.
However, he couldn’t maintain that kind of production in 2022, perhaps due to injuries. A shoulder impingement and hamstring strain each caused stints on the injured list, limiting O’Neill to 96 games on the season. His batting line dropped to .228/.308/.392, wRC+ of 101, with his defensive grades also slipping.
Since center field is considered a more challenging defensive position than the corners, O’Neill could potentially be even more valuable than he was in 2021. Of course, that would be contingent both on his health and his ability to be a viable center fielder. As Marmol mentioned, O’Neill came up playing center in the minors, but it wasn’t much. He logged 55 innings in High-A in 2015, 71 innings in Triple-A in 2017 and then another 50 2/3 innings at that level in 2018, the year he made his major league debut. In the majors, he has 210 2/3 innings there so far, most of that coming last year. It’s hard to get meaningful reads on a limited sample like that, especially because he was hurt at times last year, but he’s at least been around average. Both DRS and OAA have him at an even zero so far, while UZR has him slightly in the positive range at 0.8.
Carlson, 24, got much more center field experience in the minors, including getting around 800 innings at that position in both 2018 and 2019. Since making it to the majors, he’s logged over 1,000 innings in center with solid grades, including 6 DRS and 2 OAA, though UZR has him slightly below average at -1.0.
On the defensive side of things, he’s probably a more straightforward solution for the club, but his offense hasn’t shown the kind of ceiling that O’Neill has. In 312 major league games, he’s hit 29 home runs and stolen eight bases. His .247/.323/.407 batting is just a bit above average with a 103 wRC+.
That kind of production is still strong for a capable defender in center, but if O’Neill is deemed worthy of a shot out there, it could open up other opportunities for the club. They have one of the best prospects in the league in Jordan Walker, though he will probably be best suited for a corner. He came up as a third baseman but only recently started playing the outfield since Nolan Arenado has dibs on the hot corner in St. Louis for years to come. Walker dabbled in center last year but spent far more time in right. He clobbered Double-A pitching last year by hitting .306/.388/.510 for a wRC+ of 128 at the age of 20.
Walker will likely begin the year in Triple-A but his promotion doesn’t seem far off. At some point, the Cards will have to figure out how to juggle the playing time between Walker, O’Neill and Carlson, as well as players like Lars Nootbaar, Juan Yepez and Alec Burleson. The designated hitter slot should be open this year with Albert Pujols now retired, but it seems like there will be a logjam at some point. It’s the proverbial “good problem to have” and inevitable injuries will surely lessen the crowding at some point, but there might be some tough choices for the club to make in the future.
All of their outfield options are still shy of reaching arbitration and come with years of affordable control, except for O’Neill. He has between four and five years of service time and is slated for free agency after 2024.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

probably so.... but geez that's alot of years...

I'm worried the mets will get him now but Padres owner, Peter Seidler said that keeping Machado is his main priority after the season.

If Machado happens to leave, I have nothing but good things to say about him and wish him well. I was skeptical when the Padres signed him given his "reputation" but he grew up a lot while here and developed into a great leader and has a natural ability to cultivate a positive vibe in the clubhouse.

If Machado signs elsewhere, those funds can be used for Soto/Ohtani hopefully.

[batt33]

I'm worried the mets will get him now but Padres owner, Peter Seidler said that keeping Machado is his main priority after the season.

If Machado happens to leave, I have nothing but good things to say about him and wish him well. I was skeptical when the Padres signed him given his "reputation" but he grew up a lot while here and developed into a great leader and has a natural ability to cultivate a positive vibe in the clubhouse.

If Machado signs elsewhere, those funds can be used for Soto/Ohtani hopefully.

good post! I can't argue with that thought....!

[EmpireMaker]

Kris Bryant’s first season in Colorado didn’t go as envisioned, with injuries combining to limit the former MVP to 42 games. Bryant hit well in that limited look, posting a .306/.376/.475 line with a career-low 14.9% strikeout rate, but he spent virtually the entire second half on the injured list due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot.
Now healthy for Spring Training, Bryant will get a second crack at serving as Colorado’s primary left fielder. Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Gazette writes that the four-time All-Star also remains open to logging some time on the infield if needed. Bryant played exclusively left field or designated hitter during his first season in Denver, though he obviously has plenty of corner infield experience from his time with the Cubs and Giants.
The Rox already have a decent amount of corner infield depth. C.J. Cron and Ryan McMahon are again lined up for work at first and third base, respectively. Michael Toglia and Sean Bouchard are on hand as first base options behind Cron. Offseason acquisition Nolan Jones and second-year player Elehuris Montero are bat-first players but can cover either corner infield slot. Alan Trejo and non-roster invitee Harold Castro are also in the mix as infield defenders with some flexibility to move around the diamond.
In other news out of Colorado:

• Right-hander Jake Bird recently strained his left oblique, manager Bud Black informed reporters (including Thomas Harding of MLB.com). He’s expected to miss the next four to six weeks. That takes the 27-year-old out of play for the World Baseball Classic — where he’d been slated to represent Israel — and, of more import to Colorado fans, puts his availability for the start of the season in jeopardy. Bird made his major league debut last June and was a fairly frequent bullpen option down the stretch. He got into 38 contests, posting a 4.91 ERA across 47 2/3 innings. Bird’s strikeout and walk profile wasn’t especially impressive but he induced grounders on an excellent 55.7% of batted balls.
• A pair of veteran bullpen pickups marked some of the biggest moves in a quiet Colorado offseason. Righty Pierce Johnson signed a one-year free agent deal, while the Rox claimed veteran southpaw Brent Suter off waivers from Milwaukee. Black told reporters he’d been among those pushing general manager Bill Schmidt to put in a claim once Milwaukee put Suter on waivers back in November (link via Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post). With the Harvard product eligible for arbitration for a final time, the Brewers waived Suter after determining they weren’t going to tender him a contract. Colorado was happy to keep Suter around for his last arbitration season, with the sides agreeing to a $3MM salary within two weeks of the waiver claim. The 33-year-old posted a 3.78 ERA over 66 2/3 innings of long relief last season. He doesn’t throw hard or pick up many whiffs, but he consistently keeps the ball on the ground and fills the strike zone. The latter trait seems especially appealing to Colorado brass, as Black told reporters the club is emphasizing better strike-throwing at the back end of games. Rockies relievers walked 9.9% of opponents last season, the fifth-highest rate in the league.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

We have a couple of games starting tomorrow

[jrgum3]

We have a couple of games starting tomorrow

Crazy th.at spring training is already here. The baseball offseason seems to be such a long time when the winter comes but the time seems like it flew by this year. Whatever the case I'm glad baseball is back.

[batt33]

kinda interesting...The Pitch Clock Era is here, and it will be an adjustment for every MLB player.When MLB put the new rules in ahead of the 2023 season, it seemed there were some who wouldn't have to change too much, with Alex Wood being one of the best examples. The veteran left-hander has always been quick on the mound. He's running out there to get loose before the previous half-inning's outfielders have even approached the dugout, and he goes through his warmup pitches and innings at a frenetic pace.
But with an actual clock behind him for the first time, even Wood found that the game speeds up on you. Asked what advice he would have for fellow pitchers, Wood smiled and shook his head.
"I threw my first 'pen and they had the clock rolling and it is fast. It is fast, man," Wood said. "I'm pretty efficient, but when I was throwing my pitches in the bullpen I was just kind of standing down where I would finish and then catching the ball and going back up, and you get back up (on the rubber) and you're like, 'Holy crap, there's only nine seconds left.' It's fast.

[EmpireMaker]

White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson is hoping for a healthier season after a torn tendon in his left middle finger ended his 2022 campaign at the beginning of August. Now healthy and back in camp, the two-time All-Star also expressed a desire to sort out his long-term contractual status.
Speaking with Scott Merkin of MLB.com, Anderson noted he “kind of (wants) to know where (his) feet are going to be at the next whatever years it is.” The former batting champion said he’s “so comfortable” in Chicago and hopeful of getting another deal done as quickly as possibly. “I have a lot of things that are going on with kids and just family. Being comfortable is huge for me,” he told Merkin. “No, I’m not promoting ‘pay me.’ It’s just that’s what’s really going on. Everybody knows I want to be here. It’s no secret.”
Whether the organization has a similar level of urgency isn’t known. Chicago is not facing Anderson’s imminent departure. The sides have already worked out one long-term deal, guaranteeing him $25MM back in March 2017 at a time when he had less than one year of major league service. He’s under contract for $12.5MM for the upcoming season and has a $14MM club option (or a $1MM buyout) for the 2024 campaign. It’d take a disastrous season for the club to consider the buyout, as the net $13MM decision is well below Anderson’s present open market value.
With Anderson far more established and much closer to free agency than he was at the time of his first extension, any new deal would be at a completely different level financially. Anderson told Merkin he’s not interested in signing a below-market pact to ensure an agreement gets done. “No discounts. That’s not to … put anything out there that might seem negative or think I want the most money. I just want to be treated fair and want both ends to be happy like we did last time, whichever way it goes,” he said. “This has been home. This is all I know. I would be disappointed if that came to an end. But at the end of the day, I understand the process.”
If he were to simply play out his current deal (assuming the ’24 option is exercised), Anderson would first reach free agency in advance of his age-31 season. That’s two years older than Trevor Story and Javier Báez were when signing their free agent deals over the 2021-22 offseason and two years older than Dansby Swanson was this winter. Anderson would be the same age as Marcus Semien was two offseasons back.
Each of those players secured deals of six-plus years with guarantees in the $140MM to $180MM range. Anderson isn’t the same style of hitter as those other players, hitting for a little less power but more consistently running excellent batting averages than each. He’s been similarly effective overall though.
Since the start of the 2019 season, Anderson owns a .318/.347/.473 line in over 1600 plate appearances. His 123 wRC+ indicates that production checks in 23 percentage points above that of the league average batter. His 2022 campaign was a little down relative to his previous three seasons, with a .301/.339/.395 line before his season-ending hand injury. Nevertheless, the broader track record at the dish is in line with those of Semien, Story and Báez and a little above Swanson’s. Semien, Story and Báez each had a wRC+ between 113 and 119 over the four-year stretch preceding their free agent deals, while Swanson had a cumulative 104 mark but had posted his three best seasons leading up to free agency.
Anderson is perhaps not the same caliber of defender as Báez or Swanson, though he typically rates as a slightly above-average shortstop by public metrics like DRS and Statcast’s Outs Above Average. Story and Semien each came with questions about whether they were better suited for second base in the relatively near future. There aren’t expected to be those same concerns with Anderson.
Those comparisons lend a rough idea to the kind of range Anderson and his reps could target in free agency. There’s additional risk with Anderson considering he’s still two years from the open market, and the ChiSox may be reluctant to offer true market value prices to buy out his mid-30’s this far in advance. That said, any extension would require the largest investment in franchise history by a wide margin. The White Sox have never guaranteed above $75MM to an individual player — on their five-year deal with Andrew Benintendi this winter — and Anderson could reasonably look to more than double that amount.
If the Sox don’t get an extension done this spring, there’s at least some chance Anderson’s future with the organization could come into doubt by the middle of the season. Chicago showed no interest in trading him this offseason, an unsurprising stance for a club counting on a return to contention after an injury-marred year that culminated in an average showing. If they struggle early in the upcoming season and fall out of the playoff mix, the organization could have to consider larger-scale changes as the deadline nears. The Sox have arguably the game’s worst farm system and key players like Anderson, Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn are all within two years of free agency. Another non-competitive season could lead the front office to consider a reboot during the summer.
Chicago is certainly hoping it doesn’t come to that, either because a long-term deal for Anderson takes a trade firmly off the table or the club is in strong enough position to buy at the deadline. The Sox have a decent amount of payroll flexibility past the 2024 campaign, with only Benintendi ($16.5MM) and Luis Robert ($15MM) under guaranteed deals. Dylan Cease, Michael Kopech, Andrew Vaughn and Garrett Crochet will be deep into their arbitration seasons by then, however, and the organization will have to retain or replace Giolito, Yoán Moncada and Eloy Jiménez. There’s opportunity but a decent number of decisions facing general manager Rick Hahn and his staff as things play out.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Bellinger has been crushing the ball according to reports.

[batt33]

Manny Machado went down in the history books on Friday afternoon.M
To start off his first at-bat of MLB spring training, the San Diego Padres star was called for an automatic strike after taking too long to get set in the batter's box. So Machado was down 0-1 in the count before even seeing a pitch from Seattle Mariners southpaw Robbie Ray.

aaand here we go!

[batt33]

With a pitch clock in place (15 seconds if the bases are empty, 20 if they're not), batters must be ready to hit with at least eight seconds remaining on the clock.
"I'm gonna have to make a big adjustment. I might be down 0-1 a lot this year," Machado told Bally Sports San Diego following the infraction. "It's super fast. There's definitely going to be an adjustment period, but I'm going down in the history books."
Machado said the home plate umpire warned him that he only had two seconds left to get set, but the third baseman wasn't able to look up at the pitcher in time.

[EmpireMaker]

The Padres and Manny Machado remain in discussions regarding a potential long-term contract extension, reports Dennis Lin of the Athletic. There’s no indication an agreement is likely, through it comes as something of a surprise to hear conversations are still ongoing.
Machado implied last week he’d cut talks off when the sides hadn’t agreed to a deal by February 16, a self-imposed deadline representing the outset of Spring Training. At the time, the NL MVP runner-up said he “just wanted to focus on baseball” and “didn’t want to really continue talking about contracts or the business side of things” once exhibition play got underway.
The star third baseman wasn’t as firm when chatting with Lin about the situation today. “Deadlines are deadlines but they know where I stand,” Machado said. “The opportunity will arise if it comes to that. You know, nothing’s out of question. Obviously, they know how much San Diego means to me and what I want to be here. At the end of the day, they knew exactly where I was when that deadline was set. And we’ll see what happens. Our main focus right now is playing baseball. We’ll see.”
Machado is entering the fifth season of the ten-year free agent deal he signed over the 2018-19 offseason. The contract affords him the chance to opt out of the final five years and $150MM at the end of the 2023 campaign. Machado has already confirmed he’s planning to test the market at the end of the year. That declaration came as no surprise, as he’d be in position to handily beat a $150MM guarantee on the open market if he posted a season at similar levels to his last three years.
A new agreement with the Padres could make that a moot point. San Diego owner Peter Seidler told reporters this week re-signing Machado was his “top priority” (relayed by 97.3 FM The Fan). That obviously could take place after the season if/when Machado tests the market, but Lin’s report again raises the possibility of a deal coming together prior to Opening Day.
Financial terms presently under consideration aren’t known. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported last week the club had offered an additional $105MM over five seasons on top of his existing deal, which would’ve brought their outstanding commitment to $255MM between 2023-32.
Seidler has signed off a rapid spending hike over the past few seasons. The Friars trail only the Mets and Yankees in projected 2023 payroll. They signed Xander Bogaerts to an 11-year, $280MM free agent pact this offseason and have already worked out a five-year extension with right-hander Yu Darvish this spring. Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr., Darvish and Joe Musgrove are all counting for more than $15MM annually for the foreseeable future.
That hasn’t deterred Seidler, president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, and their staff from continuing to pursue star talent. The Friars took swings at Trea Turner and Aaron Judge before landing Bogaerts and clearly are hopeful of retaining Machado. They’re also down to two years of arbitration control with Juan Soto, who could be in position for one of the largest deals in MLB history when he hits free agency over the 2024-25 offseason.
Machado owns a .280/.352/.504 line in just under 2200 plate appearances as a Padre. He’s coming off perhaps the best season of his career, one in which he posted a .298/.366/.531 slash with 32 home runs to earn his sixth All-Star nod. Machado typically pairs that middle-of-the-order offense with excellent defensive marks at third base. He’s headed into his age-30 season, so any new deal (either an extension or free agent contract) would figure to come into play for his age-31 campaign and beyon

[batt33]

The Giants head into the 2023 MLB season with potential, but not much star power. At least not yet. T
MLB Network released its annual list of the Top 100 players for the 2023 season and only one Giant made it on the list. After recording the best season of his young career in 2022, starting pitcher Logan Webb came in at No. 97.

Well only one way...up!

[EmpireMaker]

“I don’t think there’s been any talks about anything” involving a long-term extension between Alek Manoah and the Blue Jays, the right-hander told Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi. Noting that he is under team control through 2027, Manoah didn’t seem to expect any negotiations in the near future, saying “I don’t think I’m a priority right now.” The right-hander did state that “there’s no hard feelings, it’s just the business part of it” in regards to both the lack of talks, and Manoah’s decision to again take a salary renewal from the Jays rather than officially agree to their offered salary for his pre-arbitration season. Manoah will earn $745,650 in 2023, and he might become eligible for arbitration as early as next winter if he gains Super Two status.
Extending Manoah would give the Jays come cost certainty over what might be some increasingly pricey arbitration years, given how impressive he has looked in his first two MLB seasons. After a strong rookie campaign, Manoah took things a step further in his first full season, posting a 2.24 ERA over 196 2/3 innings and finishing third in AL Cy Young Award voting. If an extension didn’t come, Manoah said “I’m completely happy riding out that [arbitration] process and allowing the team to go spend money on other guys and me continuing to earn my value and earn what I hope to get one day,” though he also stated that “I want to play in Toronto for a long time.”
More from around the AL East…

• Sticking with the Blue Jays, there was some surprise that the team surpassed the luxury tax threshold for the first time this winter, and bumped its real-dollars payroll from $175MM (already a club high) in 2022 to a projected $211.7MM heading into Spring Training. But, team president Mark Shapiro told The Toronto Star’s Gregor Chisholm that “on the expense side, this is the way we envisioned it” after going through their rebuilding phase. “Once we have that mass of talent, we want to put it in a position to sustainably be a championship-calibre team. So we need to surround it with talent, where we have gaps,” Shapiro said. “But not build the team solely through free agency, supplement a team through free agency….The thought was we’d always have to ramp up payroll as we went.” The Jays have some regular shoppers in the higher-end free agent market over the last four offseasons, signing such players as George Springer, Hyun Jin Ryu, Kevin Gausman, and (most recently) Chris Bassitt to expensive long-term deals, while also investing in some pricier trade targets and contract extensions.
• The Yankees announced earlier this week that catcher Ben Rortvedt underwent surgery to remove an aneurysm in the posterior artery near his left shoulder, and that he’ll miss at least a month before resuming baseball activities. The injury was “really shocking” to Rortvedt, as he told The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty, since he first assumed that the soreness in the pointer finger of his glove hand was a normal side effect of catching. But, after he noticed his finger was starting to turn blue, Rortvedt went for further examination, and apparently not a moment too soon. According to orthopedic surgeon Dr. Armin Tehrany, such a circulation problem created “the risk of permanent soft tissue damage,” and Rortvedt “might [have needed] to get something amputated.” Fortunately, it looks like Rortvedt won’t miss all that much time, and the catcher will finally get to start his Yankees career after missing the 2022 season due to oblique and knee injuries.
• Felix Bautista threw another bullpen session today, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko writes, as the Orioles closer was aiming to ramp up to 80-85 percent readiness. Bautista is still recovering from left knee problems that cropped up at the end of last season, as well as an offseason problem for strengthening his throwing shoulder. Today’s work marked Bautista’s sixth throwing session overall, so he appears to be on pace to reach his stated goal of making the Opening Day roster. Bautista’s first MLB season was a thorough success, as he posted a 2.19 ERA and an elite 34.8% strikeout rate (albeit with a below-average 9.1% walk rate) over 65 1/3 innings, becoming one of many breakout players for the surprising Orioles.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Great news to see just now...

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...350m-extension

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Now the Padres can shift their focus to signing Soto long term..if they can get Tatis, Machado and Soto locked up for 5-10 years that is quite the middle of the order for a longtime...

[d2bets]

Great news to see just now...

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...350m-extension

For some reaqson, Machado doesn't strike me as a guy that will age that well. 2-3 good seasons and then they will regret this.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

For some reaqson, Machado doesn't strike me as a guy that will age that well. 2-3 good seasons and then they will regret this.

You will be wrong in 2-3 years

[JAKEPEAVY21]

For some reaqson, Machado doesn't strike me as a guy that will age that well. 2-3 good seasons and then they will regret this.

Give my best to uncle Ronnie, hope all is well...

Miss the daily poker tournaments

[d2bets]

You will be wrong in 2-3 years

You mean in 4 years. I said 2-3. Then he falls off.

[batt33]

Great news to see just now...

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...350m-extension

11 years just seems a little long...

[EmpireMaker]

Miles Mikolas didn’t exactly suggest that he might give the Cardinals a so-called hometown discount in a new contract, even though the team’s spring camp is located in his actual hometown of Jupiter, Florida. Mikolas noted to MLB.com’s John Denton that when he returned to the big leagues after pitching in Japan from 2015-17, “I had four or five offers that were all about the same, and I chose the Cardinals because of the organization, the fanbase and because Spring Training is in my hometown. There are always a lot of factors that play into it, and they’ll play into it if I have a decision to make down the road.” Of course, Mikolas also noted that other teams play near Jupiter, and joked that he wouldn’t necessarily be tied to the area since “the fishing is still pretty good on the west coast [of Florida].”
Mikolas said that “everything about being a Cardinal is fantastic” and that he is happy with St. Louis. As far as a long-term deal is concerned, “those decisions aren’t always up to the player. My job is to go out there and get outs as efficiently as I can, and that’s what I’m going to focus on.” After his initial deal with the Cardinals, Mikolas already agreed to one extension with the club, and 2023 is the final season of that four-year, $68MM pact. The Cards’ pitching outlook is a major storyline hanging over the team’s season, as Mikolas, Jack Flaherty, and Jordan Montgomery are all slated to free agency next winter and Adam Wainwright will retire after the year.
More from around the NL Central…

• Sticking with the Cardinals, the team is planning to focus all of Jordan Walker’s spring work on the outfield, rather than any reps at his former third base position. Manager Oliver Marmol feels Walker would be able to adjust easily back to third base if a need arose, but the skipper told Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that “when you’re making the transition as a young player, it’s hard to…stay sharp at a lot of different positions. With this transition of [Walker] playing the outfield for the first time, we’re solely focused on him improving there rather than put too much on his plate.” One of baseball’s top prospects, Walker has already drawn a lot of buzz after his very first spring start, and Walker seems likely to make his big league debut in 2023 even though he has yet to play at the Triple-A level. Though the St. Louis outfield is already pretty crowded, Walker’s position change became necessary since Nolan Arenado is locked in at the hot corner.
• Rich Hill underwent a minor elbow procedure following the 2022 season, Pirates GM Ben Cherington told Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Described as something of a clean-up surgery, it doesn’t appear that the procedure will impact Hill’s readiness for Opening Day, nor did it seem to hurt his free agent market — the Rangers, Red Sox, Orioles, and Angels all reportedly had interest in Hill before he signed a one-year, $8MM deal with Pittsburgh. Hill turns 43 years old on March 11, and the 2023 season will be Hill’s 19th Major League campaign.
• Reds manager David Bell shed some more light on Nick Senzel’s recovery timeline, telling reporters (including Bobby Nightengale Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that the hope is for Senzel to be playing in Spring Training games by the middle of March. There was already an expectation that Senzel would be somewhat slowly ramped up to action while he returns to full fitness after offseason toe surgery, and a mid-March return date might allow for Senzel to be ready for Cincinnati’s Opening Day lineup. The toe surgery is the latest in a long list of injury problems for the former top prospect, who has been limited to 273 MLB games since making his Major League debut in May 2019.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

You mean in 4 years. I said 2-3. Then he falls off.

I think you are 100% wrong.

Machado's game does not really involve speed so I see him aging well.

We can revisit this in around 5 years if this site is still afloat.

[jrgum3]

Man its only a couple games into Spring Training but I can already see fans and players alike hating the new rules. The games are speeding up dramatically but the cost is that I think some of the best parts of the game are taken away such as the drama. You can see it now bottom of the ninth 3-2 count a team down a run with the bases loaded and the batter strikes out because he didn't get in the box quick enough which ends the game and leaves the crowd pissed because they didn't get to see if their guy would actually come through in the clutch. Literally that kind of scenario is one of the best parts of the game and they went ahead and ruined it for everybody.

[EmpireMaker]

Rays starter Tyler Glasnow left a live batting practice session early this afternoon after experiencing some oblique discomfort, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. He’s scheduled for an MRI tomorrow morning to determine the seriousness of the issue.
Until those results come back, it’ll remain unclear whether Glasnow is now in jeopardy of missing the start of the season. The 6’8″ righty is hoping for a return to form after the bulk of the past year and a half have been wiped out by an elbow injury that necessitated Tommy John surgery. Glasnow missed the second half of 2021 and almost all of last season rehabbing from that procedure. He returned for two abbreviated starts at the tail end of the regular season and tossed five scoreless innings in his lone postseason appearance.
Before Glasnow had even gotten back on an MLB mound, the Rays made a surprising commitment to him for the 2024 campaign. He and the club agreed to a $25MM deal for that season, extending the team’s window of control by an additional season. When healthy, the hard-throwing Glasnow looks more than capable of living up to that lofty salary, but injuries have prevented him from reaching 100 innings in any of his three full seasons with the club.
Since the start of the 2019 campaign, Glasnow owns a 2.75 ERA across 212 2/3 innings. He’s struck out a massive 36% of opponents against a solid 7.8% walk rate while holding hitters to a laughable .185/.248/.329 slash line. Glasnow has only made 39 regular season appearances over that four-year stretch. That’s in part due to the truncated 2020 schedule, but he twice had extended IL stints due to forearm/elbow maladies.
If he’s ready for the start of the season, Glasnow will join Shane McClanahan as a high-powered pairing at the top of the Tampa Bay rotation. They’ll be followed by free agent signee Zach Eflin, Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen. Should Glasnow (or anyone else in the group) not be available for Opening Day, Luis Patiño, Yonny Chirinos and Josh Fleming could all battle for a rotation spot. Top prospect Taj Bradley is also on the 40-man roster and figures to make his MLB debut at some point this year. He dominated over 16 Double-A starts last season and closed out the year with a 3.66 ERA and 21.5% strikeout rate over 12 appearances for Triple-A Durham.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Man its only a couple games into Spring Training but I can already see fans and players alike hating the new rules. The games are speeding up dramatically but the cost is that I think some of the best parts of the game are taken away such as the drama. You can see it now bottom of the ninth 3-2 count a team down a run with the bases loaded and the batter strikes out because he didn't get in the box quick enough which ends the game and leaves the crowd pissed because they didn't get to see if their guy would actually come through in the clutch. Literally that kind of scenario is one of the best parts of the game and they went ahead and ruined it for everybody.

I like that the games have sped up and am pretty sure the players will adjust after a few weeks.

[EmpireMaker]

Astros GM Dana Brown discussed star slugger Yordan Alvarez’s health during an appearance on an ESPN game broadcast today, telling ESPN broadcasters that “He should definitely be back for Opening Day. His hands were a little sore. He had some of that last year, but we feel totally confident that he’ll be in games somewhere midway through (Spring Training). But he’s already feeling a lot better.”
The news that Alvarez should be ready for opening day is surely a relief for Astros fans, as the slugger is among the most important players in the star-studded Astros lineup that took home a World Series championship in 2022. Alvarez hit an astonishing .306/.406/.613 with 37 home runs in just 135 games last season. By measure of wRC+, Alvarez was 85% better than the league average hitter in 2022, a fantastic figure only topped by reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge last year.
As Brown mentioned, Alvarez dealt with hand issues throughout the 2022 season, going on the injured list in July and missing time with the issue occasionally throughout the season. Those issues clearly did not hamper his production in 2022, so the fact that Alvarez is not expected to miss time to open the regular season is an encouraging development as he looks to follow up on a season that cemented him among the best hitters in the entire sport and the Astros look to hold off the Mariners, Angels, and Rangers in an AL West that should see all four clubs vying for playoff spots this season. That being said, the situation will remain one to keep an eye on until Alvarez returns to game action, as he’s currently slated to do next month.
More from around the American League…

• Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres did a Q&A with The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner today, where the pair discussed an area of topics, including the recent trade rumors that have swirled around Torres. In the interview, Torres notes that he loves playing in New York and would like to spend the rest of his career with the Yankees, though he did note that hearing about the trade rumors was “really hard”, particularly around the trade deadline last season, and that though his representatives have spoken to the front office about a possible extension, he hasn’t had any conversations with GM Brian Cashman or Manager Aaron Boone on the subject personally. Torres, who slashed .257/.310/.451 (115 wRC+) last year, is set to hit free agency following the 2024 campaign.
• Another player who found himself in the rumor mill this offseason was Mariners right-hander Chris Flexen. As Flexen told Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times and other reporters, the experience of expecting a trade was a harrowing one for him, as well. “It wasn’t the best, but I’m still wearing ‘Mariners’ across my chest. I’m happy to be here.” Flexen was pushed to the bullpen down the stretch last season following Seattle’s acquisition of ace Luis Castillo, and there doesn’t appear to be a clearer path to the rotation entering 2023, though the Mariners are currently stretching him out in case of injury. Still, Flexen excelled out of the bullpen in 2022, posting a 1.62 ERA in 16 2/3 innings as a reliever last year, so a return to the bullpen could still see Flexen impact the club in a major way headed into the regular season.

[EmpireMaker]

Rockies second baseman Brendan Rodgers dislocated his left shoulder during today’s Cactus League matchup with the Rangers, manager Bud Black told reporters (including Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post). The injury occurred in the first inning when Rodgers dove to knock down a Robbie Grossman grounder.
While a trainer popped the shoulder back into place on the field, Rodgers was immediately replaced by Cole Tucker. The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, though it’s clear he’ll miss at least a notable chunk of Spring Training. “We’ll likely know more what his status is in the coming day,” Black told reporters after the game. “The degree of trauma in the joint will determine how long he’s out. Hopefully, the trauma to the shoulder capsule is not too bad and he’s only out a few weeks.”
That an absence of a few weeks seems to be the best-case scenario puts Rodgers’ availability for Opening Day in jeopardy. Black likened the injury to one suffered by Colorado center fielder Yonathan Daza last summer. Daza was placed on the injured list on August 12 and reinstated on September 6. If Rodgers only misses a similar three-to-four week stretch, he could avoid an IL stint to start the season. That’d seemingly require a smooth recovery process without any serious damage, and even an ideal situation involves Rodgers missing a number of planned at-bats as players spend the next month getting reacclimated to game speed.
To the extent there’s a silver lining, it’s that the injury occurred to his non-throwing shoulder. During his 2019 rookie season, Rodgers underwent season-ending surgery to repair a labrum tear in his right shoulder. He also lost a few weeks during the abbreviated 2020 campaign to a capsular strain in his right shoulder. Today’s injury, at least, wasn’t to that previously troublesome joint.
It’s nevertheless a disappointing start to the upcoming season for the 26-year-old. He’s had stints on the IL in all four of his big league campaigns thus far thanks to right shoulder and hamstring concerns. Rodgers did appear in a personal-high 137 games last season, hitting .266/.325/.408 with 13 home runs, 30 doubles and a career-low 17.4% strikeout rate. After some initial struggles against big league pitching, he’s hit at a near average level the past couple seasons. Rodgers also rated favorably for his defense last year, with Defensive Runs Saved pegging him a massive 22 runs above average at second base. Statcast and Ultimate Zone Rating weren’t enamored to the same extent but all three metrics agreed he was better than par.
If Rodgers were forced to start the year on the IL, the club could choose from a handful of utility types to step in as his replacement. Alan Trejo might have the leg up considering he’s already on the 40-man roster. Tucker and former Tiger Harold Castro are in camp as non-roster players. Presumptive starting third baseman Ryan McMahon also has ample experience at second base and could move back to the keystone if Colorado wanted to pencil in Nolan Jones or Elehuris Montero at the hot corner. McMahon is an elite defensive third baseman, though, so the Rox might be reluctant to move him off that position for anything more than spot duty.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Joe Musgrove dropped a kettlebell on his foot while lifting weights and broke his big toe...should be at least a few weeks until he starts throwing again and I highly doubt he starts the season

[batt33]

Joe Musgrove dropped a kettlebell on his foot while lifting weights and broke his big toe...should be at least a few weeks until he starts throwing again and I highly doubt he starts the season

may need to work on his hand strength

[EmpireMaker]

Coming off a 101-win campaign, the Braves again look like one of the top teams in the National League. There aren’t many areas of concern on the roster. On the position player side, all but shortstop and left field have established solutions who should play at somewhere between an above-average and star level if healthy. The bullpen is one of the sport’s best, and the top four starters of Max Fried, Spencer Strider, Kyle Wright and Charlie Morton is elite.
There is a little bit of uncertainty as to who’ll round out the starting staff, however. Atlanta has a handful of pitchers vying for the final rotation spot in Spring Training. A couple have had some big league success but struggled with underperformance or injury recently. Another is a less proven, younger talent.
Ian Anderson
At this time a year ago, it’d have seemed foolish to picture Anderson fighting for a rotation spot at any point in the near future. Heading into 2022, the former third overall pick carried a 3.25 ERA with a 24.5% strikeout rate in 30 career regular season starts. He’d twice excelled on the postseason stage. Anderson looked like an upper mid-rotation arm, a key starter both in the present and over the coming seasons.
The 2022 campaign was the first in which the righty ran into trouble. He made 22 big league starts but allowed five earned runs per nine innings across 111 2/3 frames. Anderson’s strikeout rate fell to a personal-low 19.7% clip, although he still picked up swinging strikes on an above-average 12.3% of his total offerings. While he did a solid job keeping the ball on the ground, he surrendered a little more hard contact than he had in prior seasons. Anderson also walked a career-high 11% of opposing hitters.
With Atlanta in the thick of a division race, they optioned the struggling Anderson to Triple-A Gwinnett in early August. He started four games there, posting similar numbers as he had in the majors. His season was cut short when he strained his left oblique in the middle of September.
Anderson is just 24 years old and certainly capable of bouncing back from the down year. His average fastball velocity was down marginally last year but still checked in at a solid 94 MPH. He owns one of the game’s better changeups. Anderson’s curveball was a little less effective, with the lack of an impact breaking ball contributing to a disappointing .313/.375/.511 line in 253 plate appearances against same-handed hitters last season. Anderson told reporters last week he’s working on a new slider to try to add a weapon to deal with righty batters (link via David O’Brien of the Athletic).
Bryce Elder
A fifth-round pick out of Texas in 2020, Elder flew through the minor leagues. He was in the majors by April of his second full professional season. The 6’2″ righty started nine of his first ten MLB contests, posting a 3.17 ERA through 54 innings. That came with strikeout and walk numbers each a bit worse than league average (20.7% and 10.1%, respectively) but a quality 49.3% ground-ball percentage.
He had a longer run in Gwinnett, starting 17 of 18 games. Elder’s 4.46 ERA in 105 Triple-A innings wasn’t as impressive as his MLB run prevention mark, but his peripherals were stronger across the board. He punched out 22.2% of opponents, kept walks to a 7.3% clip and racked up grounders at a 55.9% rate.
The 23-year-old isn’t overpowering, averaging only 90.7 MPH on his sinker during his MLB action. He consistently kept the ball down in the minor leagues, though, posting grounder numbers on over half the batted balls he allowed at every stop. Elder almost carried that over against big league competition in his first crack and should some aptitude for avoiding hard contact — thanks in large part to a cutter and slider he was comfortable deploying against lefties and righties alike.
Mike Soroka
Soroka, another ground-ball specialist, was one of the sport’s top young pitchers not too long ago. An All-Star at 21, he finished sixth in NL Cy Young balloting after posting a 2.68 ERA through 28 starts as a rookie in 2019. That came on the strength of an excellent 51.2% grounder percentage and tiny 5.8% walk rate, with Soroka demonstrating rare polish for a pitcher his age.
Unfortunately, a brutal series of injuries has limited him to three big league outings since then. Those came in the abbreviated 2020 season before he blew out his right Achilles. After a year of rehab, the same thing happened again shortly before he could make his return to a mound. He lost all of 2021 and almost all of ’22 recovering. Soroka returned from the injured list to start five Triple-A games late last year but felt some soreness in his elbow — not unexpected for a pitcher coming off such a long layoff — and was shut down for precautionary reasons.
While the Achilles and elbow concerns are hopefully behind him, Soroka has again been slowed up by his body this spring. He experienced some hamstring soreness that’ll delay his getting into Spring Training games for a few weeks. It’s not believed to be a major concern, but the righty candidly called it “a kick in the groin” given how much work he’s put in rehabbing from other injuries the past few seasons. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be able to fully build up for Opening Day.
Other Possibilities
It looks as if the early battle for the fifth starter job comes down to one of the three pitchers above (with Soroka perhaps behind the others given his hamstring issue). However, a few others could find themselves in position to vie for reps at some point during the season, particularly if one or two of Atlanta’s top four starters suffers an injury.
Kolby Allard, a former Braves first-round pick, was acquired back from the Rangers at the start of the winter for Jake Odorizzi. He has a 6.07 ERA in 65 big league contests but occupies a 40-man roster spot. The same is true of Darius Vines, whose contract was selected at the start of the offseason to keep him from the Rule 5 draft. He’s never pitched in the majors but posted a 3.95 ERA with a 28.5% strikeout rate over 20 Double-A starts to earn a late-season bump to Gwinnett.
Former Cubs righty Matt Swarmer signed a minor league deal over the weekend and is in camp as a non-roster invitee. 2020 first-rounder Jared Shuster had an impressive start at Double-A before a more average performance in Gwinnett last season. He’s not yet on the 40-man roster and one of the better prospects in a now-thin Atlanta farm system.

[jrgum3]

I like that the games have sped up and am pretty sure the players will adjust after a few weeks.

It's a good thing its only spring training because the umps have really been enforcing the rules and the players have had to adjust to the game changing. Maybe its for the best but I'm still not sold until I see it in action in the regular season. I dunno maybe I'm just a guy who's slow to warm up to change.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

It's a good thing its only spring training because the umps have really been enforcing the rules and the players have had to adjust to the game changing. Maybe its for the best but I'm still not sold until I see it in action in the regular season. I dunno maybe I'm just a guy who's slow to warm up to change.

I'm resistant to change as well but I like the idea of speeding the games up.

[d2bets]

I'm resistant to change as well but I like the idea of speeding the games up.

It's definitely going to add an odd new quirk. Feel like people will be more focused on the clock than on the game.