As Spring Training continues to get underway, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Mid-level starting market continues to thin:
With veteran left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu now poised to depart MLB in favor of a return to the Korea Baseball Organization overseas, the remaining second-tier starting pitching market has lost one of its best remaining arms without him landing with a big league club. Could Ryu’s departure increase demand for the remaining options? The best arms available at this point in the winter appear to be right-handers Michael Lorenzen and Mike Clevinger, though other veteran options such as Zack Greinke, Johnny Cueto, Noah Syndergaard and Jake Odorizzi also remain available. The Angels, Twins, and Padres are among the clubs known to be in the market for rotation additions at this point in the winter. While it’s possible that Anaheim could look to make a splash this winter and add one of the top-tier starters remaining in Jordan Montgomery or Blake Snell, both Minnesota and San Diego appear likely to be confined to smaller additions.
2. Will Bellinger’s market pick up?
Comments from Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts yesterday indicated little progress has been made between the organization and center fielder Cody Bellinger in contract talks this winter. A return to Chicago has long seemed to be the likeliest fit for Bellinger this winter given the success he saw there in 2023 and the club’s uncertainty in center field, where top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong may not be quite ready to make the jump to the big leagues. However, Ricketts’ comments yesterday indicate little urgency on the part of Chicago in reuniting with the slugger.
Bellinger, the top outfielder on the offseason’s free agent market and the No. 2 hitter behind only superstar Shohei Ohtani, is coming off a 2023 campaign where he slashed an excellent .307/.356/.525, good for a wRC+ of 134. That’s production that nearly every team would surely like to have in their lineup, particularly at a position as key as center field. Could the seeming reluctance of the incumbents convince other clubs to consider a late push for Bellinger, perhaps on a shorter-term deal?
3. MLBTR Chat Today
While teams around the league are holding their first full-squad workouts of the spring, a handful of the winter’s top free agents remain unsigned and plenty of offseason shopping lists around the league remain unfulfilled. Are you wondering if there’s more in store for your team as camps open in Arizona and Florida? If so, tune in this afternoon when MLBTR’s Steve Adams hosts a live chat with readers at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to join in on the chat once it begins or read the transcript after its completed.
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