Phillies

Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images There’s a joke in here about “If a game ends in a tie”, but I don’t want to make it Spring baseball is always fun. You will always have those games where random dudes in player numbers in the 80s do something that make you sit up and say “Wow!”, where a prospect that you were hoping to see comes into a game and dominates, where a … [Read more...] about A game happened: Phillies 4, Orioles 4

Willson Contreras “wasn’t bothered at all” by trade speculation during the offseason, and if anything, the catcher was flattered by other teams’ interest.  “The rumors didn’t bother me,” Contreras told The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney and other reporters.  “It’s the other way — those rumors make me proud because of where I come from, everything that I’ve done to be where I’m at….I … [Read more...] about NL Central Notes: Contreras, Mikolas, Brewers

Since the Braves are owned by the publicly-traded Liberty Media corporation, they are the only team in baseball required to disclose their finances, providing some insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted business.  Liberty Media revealed the particulars on Friday (Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has the details), with the Braves accounting for an … [Read more...] about Braves Report Major Revenue Drop, Operating Losses In 2020

Mets President Sandy Alderson said that he expects extension talks with Francisco Lindor and Michael Conforto to begin soon, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today (via Twitter). Both players are scheduled for free agency after the 2021 season. Lindor, for his part, has made clear that he will not negotiate an extension beyond opening day, so the window is now for Alderson and the … [Read more...] about East Notes: Mets, Orioles, Nationals

The Dodgers have hired Dontrelle Willis as a special assistant in the player development department.  Willis made the announcement himself via Twitter, joking “Special assistant sounds dope even tho i don’t know what it means.”  A veteran of nine MLB seasons, the D-Train is best remembered for his time with the Marlins from 2003-07, a stint that included NL Rookie Of The Year … [Read more...] about NL Notes: Willis, Syndergaard, Myers

The Phillies payroll is roughly where it was last year – at least as long as they entertain rostering Brandon Kintzler and Tony Watson on opening day. A lot remains to be seen, but it’s certainly a possibility that the pair of veteran relievers makes the team. In that case, they would both make $3MM, pushing their luxury tax payroll close to $208MM, writes the Athletic’s Matt … [Read more...] about Phillies Likely Done Spending For Now

Xander Bogaerts will take a couple games off to rest a sore shoulder, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com (via Twitter). The Red Sox do not believe he should have any problem being ready for opening day. Bogaerts might be the most important position player on the roster, as Boston doesn’t have a ready-made everyday replacement for him at short. Christian Arroyo started one game … [Read more...] about Red Sox Notes: Bogaerts, Latest Investment News, Closer Competition

The shoulder impingement that slowed Eric Lauer last March was more serious than reported at the time, as the Brewers southpaw tells MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters that there was actually a tear to the shoulder capsule of his throwing arm, as later tests revealed.  The shutdown allowed time for Lauer to recover physically, but he then missed two weeks of Summer Camp … [Read more...] about NL Central Notes: Lauer, Cubs, Hoyer, Pirates

After a difficult start to his career, White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito established himself as a bona fide top-of-the-rotation starter over the previous two seasons. The 26-year-old now looks like a long-term cornerstone for the franchise, though it doesn’t appear either side has aggressively pursued a contract extension. “There haven’t really been discussions about an … [Read more...] about Lucas Giolito On Potential Extension