We have baseball! Spring training games started on Thursday with the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers giving us a glimpse of the matchup that we will see in the Toyko Series next month.
Here is your five-minute roundup of the week’s baseball news.
Spring Training games are here
I know it was only one game and that its importance was negligible, but the Cubs taking down the Dodgers 12-4 was a great way to kick off the baseball season in an action-packed spring training opener.
Congratulations if you had Eddie Rosario and David Bote scoring the first runs of spring on your bingo card. I didn’t even realise those two were Dodgers’ non-roster invitees.
MLB is trialling a new “Hawk-Eye”-style strike zone appeal system. The Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) got an immediate test in the bottom of the first inning when Max Muncy left a pitch that was called a ball. Cubs starter Cody Poteet appealed and the call was overturned. Perfect!
There is a lot to like about this system. You get more spontaneity when the appeal comes from the hitter, pitcher or catcher, instead of the ludicrous system of the manager holding up his hand to buy time while someone in the dugout is on the phone to their team analysing replays in another room elsewhere in the stadium.
Teams are only permitted two incorrect challenges per game, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that everyone can use it except Max Muncy, who always disagrees with calls.
There was a worrying incident in the seventh inning when Dodgers’ pitcher Bobby Miller was struck on the head by a line drive. The 25-year-old, who is in the mix for a rotation spot, was able to walk off the field but is in concussion protocol. It was a horrific moment and yet another reminder that a catastrophic incident on the mound seems inevitable.
New position for the Millville Meteor
After 1344 games in centre field for the Los Angeles Angels, three-time MVP Mike Trout is shifting to right for the 2025 season.
The 33-year-old hasn’t played right field since 2012 – insert your own “fish out of water” joke – but this seems like a necessary move to help the superstar preserve his ability to stay on the field.
Trout has missed a staggering 382 games over the last four seasons, yet when he has played, he has been nothing short of sensational.
Arizona Diamondbacks continue their impressive offseason
You’ve got to love the D-backs moves this offseason.
The 25-year-old Perdomo can play all across the infield, and although he does not offer much power at the plate, he is in the Top 40 for OBP, and is third behind Steven Kwan and Luis Arraez in lowest whiff rate – he just doesn’t like to give away his outs.
With Altuve moving to left, who’s on second?
Age catches up to everyone, even superstars. A move from second base to the outfield for Jose Altuve seemed inevitable, especially as his defence slumped to a career-low -9 outs above average last season. With Isaac Paredes installed at third base, offseason speculation was that an Alex Bregman return would shift Altuve to left field, with Bregman moving to second.
Despite Bregman’s future now in Boston, an Altuve positional move is still likely, which opens up a void at second base. This feels like deja vu as the Astros traded away their All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker without having a clear replacement lined up to fill the hole.
Mauricio Dubon has the versatility to play anywhere and provides a solid glove but not a particularly solid bat. Luis Guillorme (who was meant to play for Spain today) and Zack Short have signed minor-league deals, but perhaps the most intriguing option is Brendan Rodgers, who also just signed a minor-league contract with Houston.
The third overall pick from the 2015 draft – this is the draft where the Astros took Bregman second and Tucker fifth – Rodgers has spent all of his career in Colorado. With only one season of greater than 100 OPS+, the 28-year-old, who has a career .628 OPS away from Coors, hasn’t quite lived up to his potential, but he is a Gold Glove second baseman.
Imagine being replaced by a guy 16 years your senior.
Alexander Canario raked in the Dominican Winter League with four home runs, a .304 AVG and .955 OPS over the 28-game campaign. Yet, the 24-year-old outfielder was designated for assignment by the Cubs to make room for 40-year-old Justin Turner.
Turner provides some security behind exciting prospect Matt Shaw, who is expected to be the Cubs Opening Day third baseman. The veteran, who appeared in 139 games last season with a 114 OPS+, will also offer cover at first base for Michael Busch and at designated hitter for Seiya Suzuki.
WBC qualifier games have started
When this roundup went to press we had seen two games in the Taipei Qualifiers. Nicaragua walked-off in the 10th inning against South Africa. Obviously, the winning hit was the highlight, but close behind it was the perfect execution of the hidden ball trick by South Africa’s Anthony Phillips.
In the second game, Spain humbled the hosts, Chinese Taipei, 12-5, in front of a raucous crowd. Spain, the reigning European champions, started as significant underdogs, so this tournament is wide open now.
In Other News
GB Baseball: There is a vacancy for a Press and Communications Officer. It is a voluntary position which offers an exciting opportunity to get involved with the national teams as they embark on the most exciting period of baseball in the UK. Check out more information here or on the BBF website.
New York Yankees: The evil pinstripes have done away with their “no facial hair” policy. Hal Steinbrenner announced that players and coaches will be permitted to have well-groomed beards. Apropos of nothing, former Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo is the highest-ranked free agent still on the market.
Pittsburgh Pirates: The Bucs get a lot of stick for their lack of ambition and poor decision-making, but they enter 2025 with a pretty decent rotation now that Andrew Heaney has signed a one-year deal. The left-hander has made 59 starts over the last two seasons for a 4.22 ERA. He joins Mitch Keller, Jared Jones, and Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes, with plenty of pitching depth available in the form of Bailey Falter, Johan Oviedo, and star prospects Bubba Chandler and Thomas Harrington.
World Series success isn’t essential: New York Yankees have extended manager Aaron Boone‘s contract through to the end of the 2027 season. In his seven years at the helm, the Yankees have topped the division three times and made the playoffs every year except the disaster that was 2023. During this period, New York is first in home runs and fourth in regular-season wins
ESPN and MLB break up: The two sides have “mutually agreed” to end their national television deal after the upcoming 2025 season, but unless baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has another $500,000,000 annual contract in the works from Netflix, Apple, or Amazon, television coverage of MLB will get even messier.
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NEXT WEEK: Will Spain join Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic in 2026? Which teams will get off to the best starts in spring training? Who is in the best shape of their life?
