With Spring Training right around the corner, fans around the American League are wondering about their favorite teams. Here is a roundup of some of the questions submitted to club Inboxes around the AL this week:
Rhett Bollinger, Angels reporter: The Angels still don't have an official timeline for Shohei Ohtani's return from Tommy John surgery. He won't pitch this season, but he's not expected to miss too much time before returning to DH duties. The two-way phenom should be starting his swinging drills in the next few weeks and will continue to progress from there.
One thing that'll be important to note is that even once Ohtani returns, there could be some days where he might not play because of his throwing program. He's a unique case because he's not just returning as a hitter, he is also building up his arm strength to return to the mound in 2020.
As for first base, Justin Bour is likely to get more playing time there than Albert Pujols, just based on their production numbers the last few seasons. Pujols will get plenty of playing time at designated hitter early in the season, but it'll be a very interesting situation at first base once Ohtani is able to DH. More >
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I do not think the Astros' addition of pitcher Wade Miley was needed as much as another bat, especially at DH. Paul Goldschmidt or Nelson Cruz would have been good choices, but they are unavailable. There are a lot of questions concerning stars from last year. José Altuve, Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa are coming off injuries and may not be as effective as we would like them to be. The Astros need a big bopper. What is your take?
-- Craig, Houston
Brian McTaggart, Astros reporter: The Cardinals sent a big package to the D-backs for Goldschmidt, including a pair of former top prospects. Who knows whether the Astros were ever in position to make such an offer? The Astros did have an offer out for free agent Cruz, but he chose the Twins. It takes two to consummate an agreement. Miley is a reasonable addition because he comes relatively cheap ($4.5 million) on a one-year deal, and he deepens the rotation, especially if he pitches like he did last year with the Brewers. If it doesn't work, the Astros will go with a younger pitcher at the back of the rotation, which is what they were going to do had they not signed Miley.
As far as the offense goes, you're underestimating the addition of veteran outfielder Michael Brantley. He's a great fit in the lineup because of his ability to put the bat on the ball and his pop. If he's healthy, he's an All-Star-caliber player. He impacts the lineup greatly. Yes, Altuve, Bregman and Correa are coming off injuries, but they're all young and I'd be willing to bet all three will perform at higher levels this season if healthy. More >
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Is Daniel Mengden considered a lock for the A's Opening Day rotation? Seemed like they weren't quite sold on him last year.
-- @micdog2001, via Twitter
Jane Lee, Athletics reporter: Only Mike Fiers and Marco Estrada are considered locks, but I would expect Mengden to be among the last men standing when camp breaks. He certainly stands out among the remaining in-house options, so one of the open spots is seemingly his for the taking barring injury or a disastrous spring. Mengden, purely dominant at times, has been the A's best pitcher over stretches, but he's lacked consistency and could find just that this year. You could kind of sense him coming into his own last season, so I hope the A's let him take his turn every fifth day -- without an opener in front of him -- and let his confidence take over completely. More >
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Can you expand on your thoughts on the Blue Jays' shortstop situation? Do you really think Freddy Galvis is the likely starter, with Lourdes Gurriel Jr. as super-sub? It's hard to imagine the Blue Jays wouldn't give Gurriel at least half a season to see whether he can cut it, since he has the most upside/future.
-- @tcain47, via Twitter
Gregor Chisholm, Blue Jays reporter: Gurriel is going to be an everyday player, and when it's all said and done, more than half his games will probably come at shortstop, but I do expect the Blue Jays to move him all over the field. I think you'd be hard-pressed to call either Galvis or Gurriel the starter at shortstop because even though that's where the bulk of Gurriel's workload might happen, he's also going to start some games at third, second and possibly even a corner-outfield spot.
Typically teams want to find a permanent position for their young players. It helps them settle in and keeps the focus on long-term growth. The Blue Jays have a different situation here because by most accounts Bo Bichette is the shortstop of the future. Add in Kevin Smith and Toronto probably doesn't have much of a need for Gurriel at shortstop beyond this year. That's why it won't hurt to see how he plays at other positions, and having Galvis on the roster allows the Blue Jays to do that. More >
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Should we be concerned that no one traded for Corey Kluber? Is he hurt? One of the best pitchers of the last 10 years and the fact that we can't trade him for a quality outfielder and prospects concerns me. Mind you, I love Kluber, but still can't believe a trade hasn't happened.
-- @cklink1111, via Twitter
Mandy Bell, Indians reporter: Concerned? Absolutely not. The Indians have been clear that their goal was never to trade away Kluber or Trevor Bauer. However, given their talent levels and the impressive seasons they had last year, it was inevitable that teams would be calling to express interest in the hurlers. We've heard the rumors all offseason, but the team obviously has a specific return in mind when discussing potential trade options, and it's clear that no offer has been able to match what the Tribe is looking for.
Yes, trading someone like Kluber would give the Indians a chance to acquire some quality outfielders and/or prospects, but, again, it's finding the exact group of talent that will make the club willing to give up a two-time AL Cy Young Award winner. So, it's not that Cleveland can't trade him, it's more that any offer they have received so far hasn't checked off all the team's boxes. The Indians have a rotation that's projected to be one of the best in the league. Their starting staff has led all others in WAR the past two seasons and, as of now, they are returning their top five starters from last year. The ace of that rotation is not necessarily someone you want to give up unless you are getting enough in return. More >
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What are the odds we see Justus Sheffield make the Mariners' rotation out of Spring Training? Will there be an innings limit or other restriction on him this season?
-- Billy H., Bonney Lake, Wash.
Greg Johns, Mariners reporter: If all goes according to plan this spring, the Mariners will open the season with a five-man rotation -- in some order -- of Marco Gonzales, Yusei Kikuchi, Mike Leake, Wade LeBlanc and Félix Hernández. That would leave Sheffield, their shiny new No. 1 prospect acquired from the Yankees in the James Paxton deal, starting the year in Triple-A Tacoma and being a phone call away when needed.
But I certainly won't rule out the chance of Sheffield breaking camp with the big league club for one simple reason. Things rarely go according to plan, particularly with pitchers, and should any of those five have any sort of health issue then the 22-year-old Sheffield likely would be the next man up if he has a good spring.
One caveat, however: If the Mariners just need a short-term fix for a spot start or two, they're more likely to go initially with Erik Swanson, the 25-year-old prospect acquired in the same deal. They'd like to wait and bring Sheffield up when he's ready to stick for good and not shuffle him back and forth.
As for innings, Sheffield threw 118 2/3 last year and his career high is 127 2/3, so I'm sure the Mariners will be careful and not push him beyond the 140-150 range, no matter where he's pitching. More >
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Any clue where Yolbert Sanchez would slot in the Orioles Top 30 Prospects list?
-- Zach Jones, via Twitter
Joe Trezza, Orioles reporter: One rival executive told me Sanchez would rank in the 10-20 range on the Orioles' list, putting him on par with Richie Martin (No.13), Jean Carmona (No.14) and Jean Carlos Encarnacion (No.15). Sanchez is considered more projectable than most international signings given his age (21), and some scouts think his glove could play right now at the big league level. The question is whether he'll hit enough, particularly for power. More >
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While Delino DeShields has appeared to step up his defense, his offensive progress has seemed to lag behind. Similarly, Carlos Tocci appears to be much more defensively developed thus far. Do the Rangers have any interest in signing a center fielder like Adam Jones to provide some veteran leadership, offense and outfield insurance in 2019?
-- Carlton R., Austin, Texas
T.R. Sullivan, Rangers reporter: Jones would be a really nice fit for the Rangers as a fourth outfielder if they were closer to being a serious contender. Right now, though, the Rangers have not shown that much interest in the veteran free agent. It appears they are committed to DeShields in center, and that should be a good thing. DeShields has had some tough breaks, but he still has the talent to be a front-line center fielder and leadoff hitter. More >
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How would the proposed three-batter minimum for pitchers impact a team like the Rays, who think so differently on pitcher usage?
-- @k_tools, via Twitter
Juan Toribio, Rays reporter: For those who don't know, MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday that MLB is considering implementing some big rule changes for the 2019 season, one of them being a requirement for pitchers to stay in the game for three batters or until the end of the inning.
This rule would definitely affect and alter the way Tampa Bay -- and every other team in the league -- approaches its roster, especially the bullpen. It would affect guys like Adam Kolarek, who is much more efficient against left-handed hitters than he is against right-handed hitters. But aside from that, the rule change wouldn't affect a lot of the players currently on the 40-man roster, due to the fact that the Rays have a good amount of players who can pitch multiple innings.
The use of an opener received a lot of attention last season, but in the strategy, the Rays looked for the pitcher who opened the game to get through at least one inning. It wasn't until Brewers manager Craig Counsell used Miley for just one hitter against the Dodgers in the playoffs that the perception of the opener began to change. If the rule were to be implemented, it would affect the game in ways, but the Rays have plenty of multi-inning options out of the bullpen. There aren't many teams in the league that are better at adapting than the Rays. More >
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Do the Red Sox plan on extending Chris Sale and Mookie Betts before the season starts? If so, could that be the reason they haven't re-signed free-agent closer Craig Kimbrel?
-- Tylor B., Amarillo, Texas
Ian Browne, Red Sox reporter: A decision like signing a star to a big-money extension is a two-way street between the club and the player, so I don't think you can plan on it. It takes two to make a deal. However, you also make a great point. I do think a big reason the Red Sox have made a big expenditure for a closer this winter is because they know how many important contract decisions they have coming up.
Sale, Xander Bogaerts and Rick Porcello are eligible for free agency after the 2019 season. Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. can be free agents after '20. J.D. Martinez has an opt-out clause after each of the next two seasons. There are a lot of big decisions to be made in the near future, and the Red Sox know they need to retain some of these players. More >
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Jeffrey Flanagan, Royals reporter: With all apologies to the Major League stolen-base leader from last year, Whit Merrifield, I'm going to say Billy Hamilton will lead the team in steals, followed by Adalberto Mondesi, Merrifield and then Terrance Gore. Club officials have talked about the possibility of the team stealing 200-250 bags. There is a belief that Hunter Dozier is capable of 15-20 steals as well because he is deceptively fast. And if Brett Phillips makes the team and can get on base at a reasonable rate, he's another candidate to steal 20 or more.
Gore will be the wild card -- the Royals plan to give him plenty of opportunities as a late-inning pinch-runner. In theory, if he gets 80 or so opportunities, he could steal 50 bases because in many situations he's capable of stealing second and third base (that is his mentality). In any event, you're going to see a lot of running, whether it is stealing bases, hit-and-run calls or just taking the extra base. This will be a motion team. More >
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Since Isaac Paredes seems to have upside as a hitter, has there been any thought of making him a corner outfielder?
-- Roger, Flushing, Mich.
Jason Beck, Tigers reporter: The Tigers have discussed different spots for Paredes, who came up as a shortstop but played all over the infield last year. At 5-foot-11, 225 pounds while still a teenager, there's certainly a chance he ends up in a corner-outfield spot like Nicholas Castellanos. But as long as he has a chance to make it as an infielder, expect the Tigers to pursue that path, at least in the Minor Leagues. It's easier to move an infielder to the outfield than vice versa. More >
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Do-Hyoung Park, Twins reporter: At this point, my sense is that the Twins could be largely done adding starters, especially since they've indicated that they plan to use the newly acquired Martin Pérez in a starting role, and they also have young pitching depth lined up for continued Major League playing time.
One thing that's important to keep in mind is that when you're adding a player in free agency, you're committing money and resources to that player's future performance -- not his past performance.
For example, Dallas Keuchel is undoubtedly an accomplished, proven pitcher with an impressive resume. He has a career 3.66 ERA, three AL Gold Glove Awards, an AL Cy Young Award and three seasons with a sub-3.00 ERA, which is what fans see. But what's more difficult for fans to consider is how his performance might project as he ages and how that compares to his contractual ask.
I'm not in the decision room with Derek Falvey, Thad Levine, Rob Antony and Co. (though that would certainly make my job easier) so I don't know the resources that teams have available for projecting future performance. But it's undoubtedly more than what we have. My point is that, on the outside, it's easy for us to point at past performance and accolades and second-guess moves (or lack thereof), but that's far from the complete picture. More >
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There has been so much talk about the White Sox offer to Manny Machado and how much it might have been for, yet nothing is ever mentioned about an offer to Bryce Harper. Do we know if the White Sox have ever made a formal offer to Harper?
-- John, Chicago
Scott Merkin, White Sox reporter: The White Sox have shown interest in Harper and Machado. The White Sox have met with Harper and Machado, and the White Sox have made an offer to Machado. Harper has more of a national presence and would immediately be the face of this rebuild/franchise. He's not a bad player to have in your lineup, driving the changing television network, but as I've mentioned many times, Machado would have the same positive effect. More >
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Who do you think will win the first-base job?
-- Mike S., Ellettsville, Ind.
Bryan Hoch, Yankees reporter: Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has said that Luke Voit "has a leg up" on the job by virtue of his terrific second-half performance. Having watched Voit put on a batting-practice display at the Minor League complex this week, barreling about a dozen balls well beyond the left-field wall, it is safe to say that he did not lose any of his prodigious power over the winter.
If you've seen the videos that Voit posted of his workouts, including the one where he repeatedly batters a truck tire with a sledgehammer, you can probably imagine how those baseballs were flying.
As the challenger, Greg Bird will be trying to make the talent evaluators roll the clock back to 2015. Don't count him out yet. It was only a few years ago that Bird was heralded as the best pure hitter in the organization.
"In the organization's mind and in my mind, I understand what he's still capable of being," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "Opportunity will knock for him at some point; it's inevitable. It will be incumbent on him to take advantage of the opportunities when they're made available to him. We still feel that he has a chance to be an impact player for us."
It is possible that the Yanks could entertain a platoon at first base, but with about two weeks before the first exhibition game of the spring, Voit appears to be the odds-on favorite. More >
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