The Strangest Sights of Spring

 

Prior to 2026, Andrew McCutchen had spent approximately 3 months of his 16-year career on American League team, that fun autumn with the 2018 Yankees. Everyone assumed he'd retire as a Pittsburgh Pirate. However, Bob Nutting, in finally putting money into the team and building something of a competitor for 2026, did so at the expense of the fans, who would have loved to keep getting to see Cutch. In his place, the Pirates now have Marcell Ozuna at DH, which is arguably more value and WAR, but a much less likable player with a much more suspect track record.

And so now Cutch had to soldier on the only way he knew how, by putting out feelers for any other teams that needed veteran help and trying to make the club that way. The Rangers bit, and now we have the bizarre sight of Andrew McCutchen in Rangers blue, looking to make the club as a bench DH type. All the while, Ozuna seems to be a lock for his old DH spot in Pittsburgh, and will be trading in the green sleeve for a yellow one. Regardless of what emotion it brings out from any loyalist, either of these looks are just downright odd, even if they do last. 

And that's the main factor, as we round out the end of Spring Training. Like any preseason year, there's some sights that just don't look right. And either you get used to them during the season or they fade off in the distance, never quite panning out. I'll rundown some favorites in each of the 30 camps. It's not just 'a player in a new uniform', but it's players in uniforms that will take a while to get used to. Again, think of cutch on the Rangers, a lot like Hunter Pence on the Rangers. It's a real shock honestly.

Angels: Alek Manoah, a surprising favorite for an Opening Day rotation spot, and someone with a real desire to prove his success was not a fluke. The shift from Jays to Braves I could stomach, but this is a different color scheme and a different section of the continent. Maybe this works out.

 Astros: Nick Allen by default, but he honestly looks odd in most uniforms. An Allen-Altuve DP combo would be cool because there wouldn't be much of a height difference. 

A's: Jeff McNeil. Not only does McNeil look odd out of Mets pinstripes for the first time since his career began in 2018, but he just looks odd standing next to all of these young, talented players starting their careers. McNeil will be sharing playing time with Zach Gelof and Tyler Soderstrom, and attempting to prove he's still a durable MLB option. 

Blue Jays: Jesus Sanchez. In my defense, this is the first time in his career he's not in wholly dark tones, and the more optimistic light blues and whites of Toronto will be interesting. It'll also be interesting to see what he can add to this team after standing out in Miami and falling short in Houston.

Braves: Mike Yastrzemski. Seeing him in Kansas City blue was also weird for the record. I think I just assumed he'd stick with SF til the contract ran out, then keep re-upping, and seeing him now as a crucial piece of this return-to-form Braves squad is something I wasn't expecting.

Brewers: Akil Baddoo. Even if he doesn't make the team it'll just be a weird note after a bunch of Tigers seasons.

Cardinals: There's actually a lot of competition. Ryne Stanek in bright red looks odd, Ramon Urias in bright red..I'm giving it to Dustin May because it's a complete inversion of how I pictured him in LA.

Cubs: Lord have mercy, welcome back to the bigs Tyler Austin!! Austin was a Yankee farmhand around the same time as Aaron Judge, flamed out, then became a big star in the Japanese leagues. Here he's back, and is trying to crack the overstuffed Cubs roster. Honestly, with Seiya Suzuki hurt he's got a chance. Mostly want him to succeed for the joy of it, but man is it weird seeing him out of pinstripes.

D-Backs: Nolan Arenado, as discussed. Verging on Longoria vibes.

Dodgers: Edwin Diaz probably, but there really isn't much competition. I think I'm still extremely used to seeing him in Mets colors, as is most of the league. Odd that it really was SEVEN SEASONS in Queens. It didn't feel that long.

Giants: I think this'll be Harrison Bader, because this is the furthest west he's ever played and the most he's ever been in black. 

Guardians: Either Colin Holderman or Rhys Hoskins. Equally known for either one team or one shade or so. Hoskins in the AL will be very interesting.

Mariners: Rob Refsnyder for sure. This'll be the first time in a while he's suited up for a team that isn't the Red Sox, and the M's are banking on him in a full time DH role, which is huge. I sincerely hope it works out for him, he's the exact kind of guy that could work in Seattle.

Marlins: Really just Owen Caissie. Cubs fans thought they'd be getting him next, then the Cabrera deal happens, now he's become the latest and greatest big time prospect to try to make it in Miami.

Mets: Clearly there's a lot of competition, but of all of them I think Jorge Polanco looks the strangest. I never considered him a possibility to play for the Mets. You know how some people just have that 'yeah, the Mets will go for them' feel? Polanco's not one of those guys for me. Hell, 1st base isn't even his position, and he'll be covering for Pete Alonso, so that's even stranger.

Nationals: Miles Mikolas, as I just assumed he wouldn't play anywhere else other than St. Louis. Still red, but just slightly off.

Orioles: Shane Baz. I think mostly because I think of him as a kid in dark tones, and now he's there wearing the orange highlighters. A little off. Really hope he works out in Baltimore though.

Padres: Nick Castellanos narrowly beats German Marquez. Mostly cause it just makes me sad.

Phillies: Brad Keller in a color other than blue. Though, real talk, I really hope he keeps it going for us, cause we deserve some good bullpen luck, FINALLY.

Rays: Cedric Mullins. I'm thinking I'll get used to this, but Mullins just seems like a different kind of player from the sort of veteran the Rays usually bring in. Perhaps he'll be dealt by June.

Red Sox: Willson Contreras in the AL is the weirdest bit of this, weirder than Ranger Suarez in the AL. I think I'm mostly just caught off guard still by the Cardinals trading him. And now he's the first baseman, supposedly for this Sox team, or maybe the DH. It might work but it doesn't compute for me at the moment.

Reds: Dane Myers probably, but Pierce Johnson and J.J. Bleday come close. Myers might actually work better in Cincinnati than he did in Miami. Slightly better team.

Rockies: Michael Lorenzen I think. I just never expected to see him on an 'it's a living' signing, not after the Tigers one.

Royals: Starling Marte, like his old teammate Andrew McCutchen, has only spent 3 months in the AL, from his 2021 stint in Oakland. This will be an odd venture, not only as a KC DH, but on likely his last legs. I remember when he was the speedy, powerful rookie, and now he's just kind of hanging around. That's very odd.

Tigers: Kenley Jansen's really the only one of these that looks anywhere close to strange. It's not the Dodgers, after all.

Twins: Orlando Arcia, probably. A shame so much of this team is just people trying to keep playing. More minor league than anything else.

White Sox: Anthony Kay, another returning guy from a couple continents over. Used to him in Toronto colors, now he tries Act 2 as a White Sox. Hope it goes as well for him as...well, teammate Erick Fedde, though perhaps sustained over a longer period of time.

Yankees: N/A. Cause even Ryan Weathers is a second-generation Yankee. Nothing looks too out of the ordinary...yet.

Weathering With You

 

It should be concerning that I'm going into a Yankees season going 'look at Ryan Weathers', but, with the way things have worked out, Ryan Weathers might be a major factor in the Yankees' rotation this year. That's right, Ryan Weathers, the guy who couldn't find a job pitching in San Diego, then got a prime seat for one in Miami and whenever he got the chance immediately got hurt, is a favorite to be a mid to late rotation arm for the New York Yankees. If you think that means we're doomed, you're not paying attention.

It has been made clear that the Yankees will be without Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt for a little while, and Carlos Rodon for at least the first few weeks of the season. Three really important pieces not joining you from the jump. So that requires rotation depth. However, as established last year, that's something we have now. We have Will Warren, who made all his starts last year in a season where he wasn't even a lock for the rotation, and we have Cam Schlittler, who had a phenomenal rookie stretch and some incredible postseason appearances. Like the Dodgers, we have contingency plans for injured starters. And it's very fitting that one of them, Ryan Weathers, is himself an oft-injured starter. 

So starting the season, the Yankees will be going with Max Fried, Luis Gil, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers. People are writing this rotation off because it seems like a No. 2 guy and four No. 5 guys. It's not. Gil can go deep, and certainly did in 2024. Last year he was a little more human, he was due for a down year. Schlittler is on his way to ace status and will probably improve further in a full season of work. Warren, like Gil, can eat innings and go deep, and certainly strike people out. And Weathers, when healthy, is a good guy to have around. In 16 games in 2024, he had a 3.63 ERA, 80 Ks and a 1.177 WHIP. So far in Spring Training he's gotten into some trouble with the Mets but he still looks like a solid option. 

I think the perceived step down is just because it's an untested, lower-key rotation. There's no Gerrit Cole to fall back on. And I realize that the Jays will be coming in with Dylan Cease, the Red Sox now have Ranger Suarez, and the Orioles have Shane Baz, but I still think the Yankees have enough of a lineup to stay in the race until the hurt starters come back. They kept Cody Bellinger for a reason, and he really works in New York. We're also gonna see how Jose Caballero, Jasson Dominguez, Jazz Chisholm and Ben Rice do with eyes on them. 

I think about it this way: when the Yankees come in looking big, that's when they fall. That's when they embarrass themselves. They need to earn the status and get there without the big expectation, and then build on that. I think they can do this, but they need to convince people. 

And then who knows. Maybe Spencer Jones eventually makes an appearance and dials things to the next level.

Satisfaction Not Guaranteed

 

There's been a lot written, or made or whatever, about the myth of the tragic character who has everything but is willing to risk it all for the one empty space he's after. The man who has every opportunity to settle and be happy with what he's done but isn't finished until it feels perfect. The Jay Gatsby parable, the O. Henry type hero, the tragic hero who undoes himself. You see it with every celebrity, the people that keep chasing the high and forgetting what they have, til they look perfect, til they have everything. 

So by that metric I totally understand why, after winning two World Series' in a row, the Dodgers went and got Edwin Diaz and Kyle Tucker. They're not satisfied yet. They want Jordan Bulls numbers, Torre Yanks numbers, Belichick numbers, they want a dynasty because they have enough to procure it. I completely get that. Doesn't mean I have to enjoy it, but it's nice when something that seems mighty and powerful admits its shortcomings and actively does what it can to mend them, for all to see.

The Edwin Diaz acquisition points to a frightening truth about the Dodgers, that since parting ways with Kenley Jansen they've yet to find a truly terrific closing option. They went with Craig Kimbrel, arguably in a year where they didn't really need a closer, and he was mediocre. They brought up Evan Phillips, he had one terrific season then some injuries, and while he's stayed in LA the prevailing theory is that he's probably better off as a set-up man. They tried Tanner Scott last year, best available, and he had his weakest year yet, blowing saves and squandering the opportunity. Even Kirby Yates, the backup option that booted Ryan Brasier off the team, had a 5.25 ERA last year, and is hopefully still able to put in any work for this team.

So, again, with Scott, Yates and Phillips relegated to middle relief work, the Dodgers went with the best available bullpen option, this year being Mets stalemate Edwin Diaz. And it's a tricky conundrum, because  Edwin Diaz has, at many points, excelled as a closing pitcher. Both 2022 and 2025, Diaz displayed both ninth inning dominance and 30+ save years, something that seems all too rare. The saves totals were never terribly high in Queens because...I mean honestly a number of reasons but mainly the saves are more often to be blown than not with some of those teams. There's also just years in between where he was just...fine. Y'know, did his thing, maybe his ERA was closer to 4 than it should be.

Edwin Diaz is one of the best active closing options, and in an age where the closing position is more 'what have you done for me lately' than ever, the fact that he's kept this job for 10 years despite waning dominance is great. Kenley Jansen, Craig Kimbrel, Josh Hader, they've all similarly had down years but they've always bounced back. And so has Diaz, even if it isn't always as pronounced. 

I say this because the Dodgers shelled out the extra money to ensure that they have a closing option, in Diaz, that works. But it shouldn't have come to this. Phillips should have been sustainable. Scott should have kept the momentum going. So even as they look to repeat as Champions for a third straight year, the Dodgers are still trying to plug this hole in the ninth with Edwin Diaz, and even then that's not guaranteed to be the working variable. 

At least with Kyle Tucker you get the sense that the success will happen from the jump. Tucker's in his prime, he had another excellent year with Chicago last year, he's a proven postseason bat, he's perfect for this team. Diaz, even with his track record, isn't a sure thing because no closer is a sure thing anymore. And the fact that Diaz, who's had some of the best seasons by a reliever in the past 10 years, is considered an erratic option comparatively--that says a lot. 

The Dodgers are banking on this to work, and for Diaz and Tucker to get them at least 2 more rings now that everybody else is nailed down. It's just a matter of whether or not another flaw becomes apparent, and if another team can work hard enough to exploit it.

The Black Hole on Second Base

 

What the Mariners will be doing with Brendan Donovan this season, after trading him for a bunch of people including Ben Williamson and Dutch switch-pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje, both makes absolutely no sense and tons of sense depending on how well you know their situation.

Donovan is a multi-instrumentalist, and has played second base, third base, left field, right field and shortstop at the MLB level, which is one of the reasons the Cardinals valued him, before...y'know...trading him away. His defense has routinely been good-but-not-great, but as an infielder with contact ability he's very valuable, and is definitely a crucial piece for Seattle, who can always afford to up their contact game. But going into this season, the plan seems to be to let Donovan start as the primary third baseman, despite 2nd base being his primary position to date, and continue to let Cole Young [and to a lesser extent Leo Rivas] mature at second base.

And it seems like a very odd move to break in Donovan at a position he's obviously played but isn't as well known at. It's like the Red Sox signing Hanley Ramirez to play the outfield, or the Mets signing Jorge Polanco to play 1st, or...the Mets signing Bo Bichette to play third, or...the Mets signing Clay Holmes to start ga-you may be noticing a theme here. But I see the reasoning on a few levels. Firstly, Donovan is that kind of multi-position guy to not be too fazed by a move to third, and also...second base has been very problematic for this team in recent memory.

Since...I would say 2018, Seattle has been where promising second base signings and trades go to die. You could trace it back to when the Mariners, in 2016, traded their prized 2nd base/SS prospect Ketel Marte to Arizona for Jean Segura, who was primarily a shortstop in Seattle. That move poisoned the well, and every subsequent 2nd baseman in Seattle experienced pain and misery upon their arrival. Starting with Dee Gordon, whose strong Miami years trailed off, as did his OPS and defensive ability. In 2020, the team went with Shed Long as the primary 2nd base option, and while he was a promising farmhand with contact potential, he hit .171, and then .198, given the opportunity, and never recovered. Many times over the course of the next few years, the M's would attempt to give Dylan Moore the starting 2nd base job, but he'd only excel when used as a bench bat. So in 2021, Moore as the main 2B option was so overwhelming that they traded for Abraham Toro, who was nice down the stretch but completely underwhelming in 2022. 

Then, starting in 2022, the Mariners made attempts to actually sign and field talent for 2nd base, which would be even more disastrous. Adam Frazier, after an all-star season in Pittsburgh and San Diego, hit .238 despite appearing in more games than any other Mariner. Kolten Wong, dealt for Toro ironically, was coming off a number of underrated contact seasons in Milwaukee only to hit .165 in 67 games, effectively ending his career. Jorge Polanco was next, and the interesting detail with Polanco is that, similar to Moore, he doesn't start really picking up until after he's moved to a DH option. As a 2nd baseman in 2024 he's decent, hitting .213 with 16 homers and 45 RBIs, but last year, as the primary DH, Polanco hit .265 with 26 homers and 78 RBIs. Prompting the misguided Mets contract. 

Lost in all this was the fact that Cole Young, an organizational gem, was decent enough in a call-up year, despite a .211 average in 77 games. A slow start is understandable, especially for a 21-year-old. So moving Donovan to 3rd to keep Young in the lineup means they have faith in him to break this curse. And honestly, at this rate, I trust them.

Because, I don't know if you recall this, but the Mariners used to have a similar black hole at the backstop, going back to when Dan Wilson left. From 2005 til the early part of this decade, the catching position was a revolving door of both replacement options and fleetingly-kept answers. Names like Welington Castillo, Omar Narvaez, Miguel Olivo, Yorvit Torrealba and John Jason made their way through as hole-plugging options that didn't amount to anything. At the same time, this team tried to find young catchers to build into career guys, but Kenji Johjima was a disappointment, Adam Moore never stuck in the majors, and Mike Zunino, admittedly the best they could come up with during this period, wasn't any good as a catcher. This period even had the saga of Mike Marjama, a decent young catching option who left baseball for charity work, then came back only to get slapped with a PED ban. Snakebitten doesn't even begin. So for a position like that to go from completely hopeless to in amazing shape thanks to some guy named Cal Raleigh...that proves that even something that feels cursed has hope.

So I hope Cole Young figures it out this year, and spends a long career at second in Seattle. It's the relief this team deserves. And if it's not him, hopefully they find the guy soon, even if it needs to be Brendan Donovan. Though I won't blame him for not immediately wanting to test fate.

On the Possibility of an American WBC Title, Now

 

[DISCLAIMER: I go into some...unconquered, on purpose, territory with this post, talking about current events. If this one isn't to your liking in that respect, I apologize. This had just been on my mind.]

I can't think about what the U.S. team is thinking about heading into the WBC. It's the most high-stakes low-stakes tournament possible.

Like, say you're Bobby Witt, or whoever. You're a charter member of the US team, a mid-lineup star, and you are being tasked with performing to the best of your ability, for your country, and then after winning this you have to immediately go back and perform to the best of your ability for the Royals in both what could be the last full season for a little while AND the a season that coincides with the 250th anniversary of the country. There are a lot of people who would really like the US to win some sports tournaments this year, considering the WBC is happening, and then the World Cup is happening in North America. And being very honest, there's more of a chance of a WBC Championship title than a FIFA World Title this year. 

Now, the US team has won a WBC before, in 2017. But the stakes were lower, this was before everyone knew who Ohtani was, and this was before it became the tentpole that it is now. Now you've got more of a drive for players to participate, and more pressure for the greats of the game to do it, even if it risks injury. And there's already been nonsense about insurance, teams not sending players out cause they worry they're gonna get hurt, and that's already lightened some roster loads. Yet I think that this is a point where, for some reason, some indistinct reason that isn't coming to mind somehow, the US needs a pride boost. And I think these guys have taken it to heart to embody the sort of patriotic, 'I love America' sensibility to capture the nation. Like apparently they're playing Toby Keith on busrides, going heavy on the patriotism and all of that. And...I say this respectfully, but...I dunno if that's the move, especially when a team that's supposed to reflect the sum of the nation's best ballplayers only has Byron Buxton and Aaron Judge as nonwhite representatives. 

I think this tournament happening right after the Olympics has added more pressure as well, cause there was something where people were representing the country on the world's stage and you saw a contrast of the ways that can be done. You had people all over looking at people like Alysa Liu or Jack Hughes and going 'why aren't they representing America the way I want them to?'. I think both the figure skating win and the hockey wins were good for the country for different reasons, but I think some wins were more reflective of the potential of the American experiment than others. And how that ties into patriotism, especially at this moment, made some wins easier to stomach than others. The immediate contrast between how someone reacts to winning an Olympic medal and then how they rationalize this as a degree of American patriotism could be stark at points. Because it can be argued that representing the country, and all that comes with it, means something different now.

And so that informs a lot of forethought about the WBC, and how a winning US squad will look now, after the Men's Hockey Team's win, in an era where not only is the US team evenly matched in this tournament but there is also the idea of a forthcoming women's baseball league, which will lead to an even larger conversation. What does it mean if this team wins now? Does it mean anything? Is it good for the game, for the country? 

I suppose the upside of this is you get people from the deepest reaches of the country. I think about guys like Mason Miller, who's a local hero in West Virginia for his time as a college athlete there. An old friend who grew up in that area followed Miller to the majors and cheered him on as he became the best relief asset in baseball. Everywhere you've got pockets of people who must have known one of these guys as they came up and got to see them make the majors. That is the American dream, to come from anywhere, from anything, and succeed on the world's stage. 

It's just very difficult to be all 'rah-rah, America's the greatest' right now. Even if there's enough people like Bryce Harper and Cal Raleigh and Bobby Witt trying to craft the story of an American monolith that takes down any country in its path...I'm not entirely sure that's an especially helpful narrative at the moment. I'm not saying they should punt the World Baseball Classic, just keel over against the Czechia team or something, but...if they want to look like the heroes this tournament, they need to keep their perception in mind. The 2017 team was exciting because they represented the state of the game, and the country, in an optimistic way. If there's a way for the US team to do that now, they need to figure it out. Because right now, Japan winning is a better story, the Dominican Republic winning is a better story, Puerto Rico winning is a better story, even Czechia and their plumbers and dentists would be an unbelievable story. 

All of those teams don't dream about giving up a home run to Aaron Judge, they think about striking him out. So if we're gonna be the heroes again this time around, we're gonna need to earn it.

How Do You Get Anywhere?

 
Obviously the discourse surrounding the planned salary cap/floor has been completely normal and has been met with absolutely rational thinking. 

Right.

The players don't want a cap, the owners don't want a floor. Manfred has discussed a floor, who knows how high it'll be. The whole point is to incentivize small-market teams to actually build competitors and not be afraid to spend money on high assets. Already this past offseason, you've seen the Athletics, Orioles and Pirates spend more money than they have in years on genuine pieces to grow from, ranging from extended young players to contracted veterans. Obviously some did more than others, and the Pirates arguably should have done more of the extending, but a change does seem to be apparent.

And yet there still continues to be teams that are good, and will continue to be in the conversation, yet consistently let homegrown talent go for the sake of keeping the payroll low. The Brewers and Guardians may still compete this year, and both are expected to. The way both youth movements are going, they will be fine for a while. But this marks another year for both teams where stars have been traded, or left via free agency, and have been replaced with cheaper options. And that's not the direction teams should be going. There's running it back and then there's taking a running start and breaking into a stroll instead.

The Guardians' offseason was very 'business as usual' knowing them. No extreme moves, no big departures, but...that in itself is telling. In 2024, the Guardians made an ALCS, then they traded Andres Gimenez and Josh Naylor and mostly 'ran it back'. Then in 2025, with mostly the same team and even more youth, they traded Shane Bieber midyear then somehow still won the division after an incredible September. And then...repeat. Running it back, relying on young stars, not building on it. On one hand, I sort of get it- signing the occasional free agent, like Eddie Rosario or Josh Bell, hasn't really worked for this team. Rhys Hoskins was a late-offseason signing that only happened because Dave Dombrowski foolishly didn't want him back. 

But on the other...the only way this team can ensure a more dominant regular season performance that doesn't need to rely on late momentum is by putting money into the team. Having a young team helps, but there are people in the league who could do better than a ton of these starters. Arias, Rocchio, Jones, Martinez...they're not proven MLB options right now. It's nice that the rotation looks better this year, and that Gavin Williams has finally proven himself as an MLB starter, but you're kinda hoping that Slade Cecconi, Joey Cantillo and Parker Messick can do full seasons of what they all showcased for like a month. 

I forget who said this, but someone in an interview let on that Jose Ramirez was undervaluing himself in order to stay in Cleveland. As in, because he enjoyed the organization so much and saw loyalty towards it, he was intentionally not taking better money elsewhere. And this player said this as if it was a disparaging thing, like the optimal thing is asking for Shohei Ohtani money as a mid-level star. Jazz Chisholm will never get the contract he wants because he's limited in a few respects. Jose Ramirez could theoretically be making Ohtani money, but getting to play in Cleveland as a legend til he retires is more important to him than taking a paycheck somewhere he's not as certain about. Honestly, more players should be like Jose Ramirez. It doesn't excuse the Guardians refusing to pay other players, but at least the players they do pay have the right idea. 

Then you have the Brewers. The Brewers could have been a World Series team last year, and were unlucky enough to have to face the Dodgers in an NLCS. They succeeded where so many other Brewers teams failed, and built a strong enough squad to master the second half, even outdoing the Cubs late. In response to that finish, the Brewers traded Freddy Peralta, Caleb Durbin and Isaac Collins, three crucial members of the team, to competitors. Trading Durbin and Collins felt really short-sighted, as they're both young players with a lot of upside. But the object in Milwaukee is to make room for other young talent, like Jett Williams and Jesus Made and Logan Henderson.

And that angle I sort of get. This farm system is popping out gold on the reg, then having absolutely no opportunity to play, oftentimes because of other prospect dumps. Durbin was from the Devin Williams trade [already undone], Joey Ortiz was from the Corbin Burnes trade [already undone], Chad Patrick was dealt for Abraham Toro, a deal no one remembers. And now you're seeing it happen again, as David Hamilton, who came over for Durbin, is now a favorite to start at third, meaning Williams might be waiting even longer here than he would have in Queens. 

But at the same time...if you have an opportunity to go 'that was our opportunity, we can't let it happen again', you have to go for more than that. There were tons of free agents available, and they wound up with Brandon Woodruff for one last ride essentially and Gary Sanchez. And we're back in rebuild mode essentially. Like 'well this MIGHT work, but who knows'. You're trying to outdo the Cubs, who CAN overspend on a competitor, and you're hoping the same luck that happened in August this year can happen again, without a portion of what made it possible. 

So now the pressure is on people like Chad Patrick, who was good last year but at least could be under Freddy Peralta, or Quinn Priester, who was a winning man for the Brewers for a while with a more varied lineup, or Andrew Vaughn, who finally figured it out at the plate midyear but saw the HRs drop over time, to repeat their luck. Everyone has said that if Jackson Chourio finally has an Acuna-style breakout year this is within reach, and I agree. The team wouldn't have signed him to a major contract before he'd even played a game if he didn't have the potential to be a team giant, and last year pointed in that direction. This team just needs to build on 2025, and hopefully they can do so with a lighter payroll, even as the Cubs reload theirs. 

I always want the small-market teams to do well. But the point is that under the current imbalance of power in the MLB, it's becoming harder and harder for them to do so. I want the Guardians and Brewers to do well, but I also want them to be able to afford sustained success. Hopefully that's at all possible.

World in Motion

 

Whatever picture has been crafted of the 30 MLB teams during the first couple weeks of spring training is now drastically altered due to the mass exodus of players warming up for the World Baseball Classic. I think they used to time this so that it'd happen earlier and the WBC guys would eventually rejoin the team squads in time for longer games and full-squad scrimmages. And now it's happening later and, as the MLB clubs ramp up spring action, they'll be doing so with incomplete squads. 

I think the good news about the White Sox heading into the next couple weeks is that they are not solely Munetaka Murakami and Kyle Teel. Maybe last year, or the year before, if those two players were taken out of the lengthened scrimmages and they had to develop a gameplan without those two guys, it'd be a little trickier. But the White Sox, somehow, have more of a team this year. Perhaps not enough to compete, but enough to not be a complete laughingstock.

First of all, this spring has confirmed that Murakami is the kind of contact DH that this team kinda needs. He's not all about the long ball, but he's got enough pop to get people home, and in droves. Murakami could have signed lots of places, and it's clear that it took his stock plummeting for him to land in Chicago, but everything about Murakami's demeanor tells me this is where he wants to be. He's not Shohei Ohtani, he's not 'I have to be the best'. Murakami didn't need LA money, he just wanted to be somewhere he could succeed, and he's crafty enough to see that in Chicago. So far, he's looking like an impressive piece for this team.

But even without him, the White Sox just have more depth this year. They're going in with Teel, Edgar Quero, Chase Meidroth and Colson Montgomery at the MLB level, and that's a really cool young core with a high ceiling and immediate perks. This season also means figuring out whether Brooks Baldwin and Miguel Vargas are transitional pieces or if they can actually factor into this team. I still think Vargas is just a placeholder guy that isn't meant to be a building block. Not everyone can wind up with an Anthony Rizzo or a Cedric Mullins immediately. And then they now have Austin Hays, who seems to thrive better in cities that aren't major or metropolitan for...some reason, so him in Chicago will be interesting. The rotation has been supplanted by Erick Fedde, as well as Anthony Kay post-overseas reinvention, so basically Erick Fedde 2 years ago. I'm hoping Fedde just thrived with these pitching coaches, cause he really couldn't figure it out last year. 

If all goes according to plan, this team will build enough of a base this March that, once Murakami comes back, he'll supplant the preexisting energy, and they'll be off to a decent start. Cause there's a lot more going on here, not even counting the potential call-ups of Braden Montgomery and Wikelman Gonzalez. Maybe Murakami knew something was coming and he wanted to be on the ground floor before it got big. And hopefully it goes better for him than it's gone for Masataka Yoshida.