MLB Spring Training News and Notes 2021

LogansDad

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That is incredibly shitty news. Hope the surgery goes well and he can still be an awesome defender afterwards. I was really looking forward to getting to see him play.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Good for JBJ to get the deal he deserved (especially after he was rumored to be asking for way more). When did things change that what used to be called a one year contract with a player option is now a two-year deal with an opt-out? Semantics are weird.

Now the question is who plays center for the Brewers, JBJ or LoCain?
 

vadertime

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Who were they bidding against to have to give a deal like that? Teams can't be crying poverty when a week into spring training you're giving out deals like that.
 

cromulence

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Tuff Ghost

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David Laurila (via FanGraphs) suggests Cain is moving to right field:
Both have experience in right field. Cain has more — 157 games to Bradley’s 64 games — and by all accounts that will be his new primary position. Such a configuration would seem to make sense. While the metrics have favored Cain, he’s four years older than Bradley and not markedly better (if at all).
Will Sammon, Brewers beat writer, thinks a timeshare could be possible (via The Athletic):
Yelich is in left field. It's conceivable that Bradley, Cain and García could all end up with a similar amount of at-bats across center field and right field. Regardless, by acquiring Bradley, the Brewers are at least less reliant on Cain, who will turn 35 in April and opted out of the 2020 season, and García, who struggled in 2020 during the first year of a two-year contract.
 

OurF'ingCity

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Glad to see he was signed, just sad that the window the Sox need him for doesn’t align with this contract.
Somewhat amazingly, if I did the math correctly I believe that JBJ is going to be making more this season than our entire outfield (starters and reserves) combined, assuming you don't count JDM as an outfielder.

I think if you had told me that in 2018 my head would have exploded.
 

Ale Xander

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Good for JBJ to get the deal he deserved (especially after he was rumored to be asking for way more). When did things change that what used to be called a one year contract with a player option is now a two-year deal with an opt-out? Semantics are weird.

Now the question is who plays center for the Brewers, JBJ or LoCain?
Is Yelich stronger in LF or RF? I figure they go Cain LF, JBJ CF, Yelich RF, but they also have to get some PT for Avisail Garcia.
 

sean1562

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Ufff that probably pushes him closer to post prospect status. He hasn't really been good since 2018, loads of command problems. I doubt those will get any better the season after he has TJ. By the time he is fully healthy, he will be 25. Poor guy, always tough seeing these uber talented pitching prospects get wiped out with injuries before they even had a shot.
 

B H Kim

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Nationals released Jeremy Jeffress this morning. He was on a minor league deal, but Martinez sounded optimistic about his performance earlier in the week. About a half hour before the story came out, Jeffress tweeted “@JoshuaKusnick jus ruined my life. I’ve been nothing but a great friend and client to him. For over 10 years. Thanks buddy.” Kusnick is his agent.

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/JMontana41/status/1368584209858768901
 

The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa

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Nationals released Jeremy Jeffress this morning. He was on a minor league deal, but Martinez sounded optimistic about his performance earlier in the week. About a half hour before the story came out, Jeffress tweeted “@JoshuaKusnick jus ruined my life. I’ve been nothing but a great friend and client to him. For over 10 years. Thanks buddy.” Kusnick is his agent.

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/JMontana41/status/1368584209858768901
I don't get it. Did his agent convince him to sign the minor league deal with Washington over a guaranteed major league contract somewhere else? Even if he did, unless the agent was personally responsible for Washington releasing him (did he reveal damaging privileged personal info to Washington?), it still seems like it would be on Jeffress not the agent.
 

dynomite

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I don't get it. Did his agent convince him to sign the minor league deal with Washington over a guaranteed major league contract somewhere else? Even if he did, unless the agent was personally responsible for Washington releasing him (did he reveal damaging privileged personal info to Washington?), it still seems like it would be on Jeffress not the agent.
There seems to be more to this story. Kusnick is his *former* agent, and tweeted this in 2019:

It is with profound regret for the first time in a decade I will no longer be assisting Jeremy Jeffress in his career on or off the field. Thx J

@JoshuaKusnick

·
Nov 21, 2019

My career is fine. Walking away from someone you love is the hardest thing someone has to do. Lines have to be drawn.
 

greek_gawd_of_walks

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I don't get it. Did his agent convince him to sign the minor league deal with Washington over a guaranteed major league contract somewhere else? Even if he did, unless the agent was personally responsible for Washington releasing him (did he reveal damaging privileged personal info to Washington?), it still seems like it would be on Jeffress not the agent.
I'm flummoxed as well. It doesn't seem like a totally rational take on the surface. Also, the road goes both ways with being "nothing but a great friend" here, what with Jeffress's well documented off-the-field substance issues and Kusnick still repping him (though all marijuana infractions I think). Definitely seems like something fairly seismic has transpired in the relationship give this tweet and the tweets of his agent in 2019. Odd timing though, for sure.
 

staz

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The cradle of the game.
Per Cubs broadcast, team will be allowed to seat 8,330 for home opener - 20% of capacity.

No such restrictions expected (or required) in Miami.
 

jon abbey

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Mets player Giorme (sp?) works a 22-pitch walk out of Cardinals pitcher Hicks.
Guillorme and wow!! Hicks is one of the few hardest throwers in MLB, 5 pitches over 100 in that AB. That was the first and last batter Hicks faced today, hilarious.
 

jon abbey

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Also that was the first batter Hicks faced this spring. The next pitcher, Garrett Williams, obviously had to be rushed in unexpectedly and has proceeded to hit the next two batters. Spring drama!!
 

LogansDad

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I know they have their own thread, but Corey Brock at The Athletic had a really spectacular article this morning about the Cano to the Mets trade, and that post-2018 off season for the Mariners in general.

“I know it’s easy to joke around with all the trades we have made, but the reality is most have been on the edges for minor-league depth players and such,” Dipoto said. “It’s different when you’re trading Robbie Canó and Edwin Díaz and top draft picks. In the end, it was exhilarating and fun to do. We were thrilled with it.”
 

jon abbey

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Anyone who actually believed he'd break camp with the big club were beyond deluded.
Just a quibble with the wording here, we obviously are in a very unusual stretch for the sport and the world, and Witt is a year older than Soto when he was initially called up. I would say "Anyone who was certain he'd break camp with the big club was beyond deluded" would be a fairly legit statement, but he certainly could have if he looked good enough and KC decided to ignore the service time issue as SD did with Tatis Jr and NYM did with Alonso a couple years ago.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Just a quibble with the wording here, we obviously are in a very unusual stretch for the sport and the world, and Witt is a year older than Soto when he was initially called up. I would say "Anyone who was certain he'd break camp with the big club was beyond deluded" would be a fairly legit statement, but he certainly could have if he looked good enough and KC decided to ignore the service time issue as SD did with Tatis Jr and NYM did with Alonso a couple years ago.
.289/.325/.526 with 3 HR in 40 PA against mostly pitchers who aren't big league caliber (B-Ref says AA caliber on average). That's not quite "screw service time" quality. Michael Chavis is having a better spring against similar quality pitching.

Witt isn't ready.
 

jon abbey

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.289/.325/.526 with 3 HR in 40 PA against mostly pitchers who aren't big league caliber (B-Ref says AA caliber on average). That's not quite "screw service time" quality. Michael Chavis is having a better spring against similar quality pitching.

Witt isn't ready.
But KC has no second baseman (Mondesi or Witt would have to move from SS) and Dayton Moore said a few days ago he was "very much open-minded of him being on this team as we break this camp".

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/03/al-central-notes-witt-polanco-peralta.html

Just saying 'beyond deluded' was way too strong, especially after the decision was already made.
 

edoug

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The Royals have Hanser Alberto. He has a decent bat. A little pop but only walks once every 39 PA.
 

jon abbey

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The Royals have Hanser Alberto. He has a decent bat. A little pop but only walks once every 39 PA.
NY had him on their 40 man for a good chunk of the 2018/19 offseason, but in the end they had to let him go because they didn't have room. He is an OK placeholder but that's all he is.
 

edoug

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NY had him on their 40 man for a good chunk of the 2018/19 offseason, but in the end they had to let him go because they didn't have room. He is an OK placeholder but that's all he is.
Wouldn't it been easier to keep Merrifield at 2B and get an outfielder?
 

jon abbey

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Wouldn't it been easier to keep Merrifield at 2B and get an outfielder?
I can't say I follow KC too much, but presumably they moved Merrifield for when they do promote Witt and need to fit in both him and Mondesi?
 

LogansDad

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I am very hopeful that Witt starts the season in AA, as my retirement gig for this season is an usher for the Arkansas Travelers (Seattle AA affiliate) and they play the Royals AA affiliate the first 6 games of the season, so it'd be cool to see him in person.