A look around Spring Training. Remembering Satchel Paige’s last major league start. And other news from around baseball.
Good morning.
- We’re officially into silly season of Spring Training as the Phillies’ Trea Turner trolled his former teammate Max Scherzer by challenging an obvious first-pitch strike with the ABS system. Scherzer had previously complained that he wasn’t a fan of the ABS system, so Turner decided to challenge the first pitch as a friendly taunt.
- The Yahoo! baseball writers have a roundtable discussion on what they think about the ABS system so far.
- Jesse Rogers reports on the incongruity of the all-time worst White Sox team sharing a Spring Training home with the World Series Champion Dodgers.
- Tyler Kepner looks at the unique challenges Shohei Ohtani faces as he hopes to return to pitching after Tommy John surgery. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Mike Digiovanni speaks to other pitchers who have returned from a second Tommy John surgery.
- Russell Leung writes about the Dodgers extensive use of deferred contracts and how some find the Dodgers spending habits unfair.
- Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton will open the season on the injured list.
- Mets infielder Nick Madrigal may miss all of 2025 after a left-shoulder fracture. Tough break for the former Cub.
- As if he wasn’t good enough already, Pirates hurler Paul Skenes unveiled two new pitches in Spring Training.
- R.J. Anderson looks at players who “broke out” in 2024 and evaluate which ones will continue to excel in 2025.
- Anderson also has five minor league prospects who could break out and contribute in 2025.
- Dan Szymborski looks at which major leaguers are “bounce back” candidates in 2025.
- Tyler Kepner reports on three “stealth” relievers who are both little known and unhittable. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- MLB dot com with one minor leaguer for each team who has been impressing people in Spring Training so far. More love for The Jaguar.
- Bob Nightengale writes that the players on the Sacramento A’s are glad to be able to just concentrate on baseball this year.
- David O’Brien reports from Braves camp, including third baseman Austin Riley working with Logan Brumley, the son of Riley’s former coach (and former Cub) Mike Brumley, who died in a traffic accident last summer. (The Athletic sub. req.)
- Mark Bowman reports on the rivalry, that goes back to their childhoods in Atlanta, between the Braves Michael Harris II and the Athletics Lawrence Butler over which one of them is faster. They raced over the winter and they still don’t agree which one won.
- Ken Rosenthal reports that the Cardinals are currently stuck in the undesirable netherworld between competing and rebuilding (The Athletic sub. req.) despite promising a “reset” earlier this winter.
- Germany and Colombia both won their first matches over China and Brazil in the Tucson World Baseball Classic Qualifiers.
- Albert Pujols revealed that he will be managing the Dominican Republic in the 2026 WBC.
- Mike Petriello analyzes the new shorter dimensions in left field at Camden Yards.
- Former Mets general manager Billy Eppler has joined the Brewers front office as a special adviser. I can only assume that means his job is to recommend an Afterschool Special to the Brewers to watch in the clubhouse before games.
- Commissioner Rob Manfred will reported consider a request for the reinstatement of Pete Rose made by the late ballplayer’s daughter.
- Ben Clemens looks at three players who had great difficulty successfully stealing bases last season and what went wrong. Two of the three players are on the Cubs. LOL.
- It’s Spring Training so that means it’s prank season. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pranked Shohei Ohtani by filling his car up with ball-pit balls.
- And finally, in the “must-read” category, William Weinbaum has an oral history of Satchel Paige’s final MLB appearance with the Kansas City Athletics in 1965. Here’s part one and here’s part two.