Three Big Questions as Spring Training Opens this Week
BASEBALL. IS. BACK.
Hi friends-
Some housekeeping before we dive in:
Our discussion with Howard Bryant about his TERRIFIC Rickey Henderson book will take place over zoom TOMORROW, February 11th, from 5:30-6:30 PM PT. Howard and I will talk about Rickey, Oakland, the book writing process, what has changed for Black baseball players since Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier— and what hasn’t. Howard will also answer any other baseball related questions you have, and his insights are so valuable. He’s one of the best baseball writers out there, so I hope you’ll tune in and listen. You do not have to have read his book to join. I know I have learned a lot from his work over the years. This zoom is open to all paid subscribers, and I’ll send out a link in the morning. To upgrade your sub from free to paid you can go here:
Our east coast meet-up this year will take place at Fenway Park for Red Sox vs. the Dodgers on Saturday, July 26th at 7:15 PM. We will also gather for lunch beforehand. We had a WONDERFUL time last year at Citi Field (despite the rain out) and I can honestly say that lifelong friends were made (I don’t think the 25 or so people who joined us would disagree with me). Some people even became friends with others who they now go to baseball games with on their own! (Looking at you, Avi and Jeff). Anyway, our friend and Fenway guru David Title has been helping me with Red Sox group sales, and we should have something settled this week. The bad news is the Dodger series is the most expensive series of the year re: Red Sox home games. (Because of course it is).
The GOOD news is because we are buying tickets in bulk, the Sox are going to give us money to buy food and beer and merchandise. As of right now it’s looking like we will purchase terrific seats in the $170 range (this includes fees). But, we will each receive a $50 credit to buy hot dogs and soda and beer and nachos and Red Sox hats and whatever else they sell at Fenway, which will defray a huge chunk of the cost that we all normally spend to eat and drink at baseball games. We are looking at great field level tickets on the first base side in the “blue seats” with no obstruction from poles and a full view of the green monster.
Here is where I need your help. It would make my life a lot easier if you could email me ASAP at molly.knight@gmail.com if you are interested in going to this game with us, so I can get a rough head count. Once we get exact details on seat location this week I’ll get back to you all with final pricing. You are totally welcome to bring friends, family, etc. Just let me know! When I lock in with the Red Sox we’ll have two weeks to sort it before we have to pay them, so RSVPs will be helpful! I’ve never been to Fenway (long story!!!!) so this is going to be the thrill of a lifetime for me to be able to experience it for the first time with you all. <3
I’m still waiting to hear back from MLB if they’re going to give me a credential to cover the Japan Series between the Dodgers and the Cubs next month. It seems they are prioritizing Japanese media (understandably). I’d buy a ticket but the get-in price on stubhub is currently more than the World Series or the Super Bowl ($2437+ fees lol.) So… fingers crossed I get a credential, or mama will be staying home.
Last Thursday I covered the Ippei Mizuhara sentencing in Santa Ana federal court, and you guys told me you would like more live chats with insights from crazy baseball happenings. Message received! I’m working on a larger piece about Mizuhara and sports gambling. And the story is just…such a bummer. We haven’t even scratched the surface on players, staff, executives, an fans who will be caught up in gambling messes as daily fantasy betting in the US rolls ahead with almost no guardrails. I’m not a total prude who hates gambling. I just think….we are headed down a dark path when leagues themselves are spending a ton of money to make you feel like you can’t have fun if you aren’t betting on the game.
In happier news, our long winter nightmare is over! We have made it to spring training. The Cubs reported yesterday; the Dodgers will tomorrow. Every team will show up to Florida or Arizona to practice and get ready for the season this week, but if you’re curious about specific report dates for each team they can be found here.
I was happy to see Jack Flaherty re-sign with the Tigers last week, as we all saw what happened when pitchers Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell waited way too long last year to sign. It also warmed my heart to watch Polar Pete return to the Mets. Even though he’s sad about how off-season negotiations went—he got smoked— I don’t think it’s going to impact his ability to hit tanks at all. And with Lindor, Soto, and Vientos at the top of that lineup, the pressure won’t be on him anyway to carry the team.
Flaherty and Alonso leaving the board helped clear up the MLB free agent logjam to some extent, but there’s one top free agent who remains unsigned and he leads my three big questions going into spring training.
Who Wants Alex Bregman?
The Astros made a 6-year, $156 million offer to re-sign their long time third baseman in November, and they say an offer is still on the table. Despite trading for Isaac Paredes to play third and signing Christian Walker to play first. The ‘Stros *could* move Jose Altuve off second to the outfield, and shuffle Parades or Bregman to second to make this all work (???). Seems fishy, but who can say!
Bob Nightingale of USA Today reports that four teams have made offers of at least four years to Bregman, though none of them have met his asking price. Those four teams are the Astros, the Cubs, the Tigers, and the Red Sox. The Astros and Cubs are bamboozling me with their off-season moves, to be honest, with Houston getting rid of Kyle Tucker because they either didn’t think they could sign him long-term or didn’t want to pay what he will command when he hits the open market next off-season, and Chicago dumping Cody Bellinger on the Yankees to save money.
Neither of these teams make sense to me as destinations for the expensive Bregman, though I can see him returning back to the Astros on a shorter deal with opt-outs like Pete Alonso did with the Mets if his market continues to lag behind what he believes he is worth.
(Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) Bregman signing with the Tigers makes sense because Detroit needs offense in a very winnable AL Central division, and because Bregman already played for manager AJ Hinch in the first years of his career in Houston and presumably they like each other or the Tigers wouldn’t still be in the mix at this point.
But honestly? It makes the most sense IMO for the Red Sox to sign him…. as long as Alex Cora can convince Raffy Devers to move off third and become the team’s full-time DH. Stay tuned.
How will Roki Sasaki look against major league hitters?
By now you have probably heard of 22-year-old Japanese pitching phenom Roki Sasaki, who struck out 524 batters in his first 414.2 IP and posted a 2.02 ERA as a pro in Japan.
Sasaki signed with the Dodgers on a cheap rookie contract, and Baseball America named him the top prospect in all of the sport heading into this season.
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