Sportsnet.ca http://sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/feed/ Thu, 28 Mar 2024 22:30:23 EDT en-US hourly 1 Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Opening Day on Sportsnet: Blue Jays vs. Rays full_width Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:37:48 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:53:16 EDT Sportsnet Staff Toronto right-hander José Berríos gets the start as the Blue Jays kick off their season in Florida against the Rays. You can watch the game at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+ or follow along with our live MLB tracker.

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Toronto right-hander José Berríos gets the start as the Blue Jays kick off their season in Florida against the Rays. You can watch the game at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+ or follow along with our live MLB tracker.

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MLB Top Stories Thu, 07 Sep 2023 17:26:04 EDT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 14:52:57 EDT Noah Love carousel_meta sn-collection 17116614665924472 Guerrero Jr. uncorks moonshot for first homer of season 5747166 carousel Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:31:54 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:35:42 EDT Sportsnet Video Watch as Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hits a no-doubter straight to center for his first hit of the year off Rays’ Zach Eflin.

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Baseball MLB TB TOR videohttps://cf-images.us-east-1.prod.boltdns.net/v1/static/1704050871/bb5e9308-3146-447d-8b43-5ad82ba6f034/b5436d0c-32a5-41c7-81d1-0d6c80e4952e/160x90/match/image.jpgOpening Day 2024Sportsnet Video bc-video
CP168258971(1) Toronto Blue Jays’ roster breakdown by position 5747166 carousel Thu, 28 Mar 2024 09:41:55 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:10:50 EDT Ben Nicholson-Smith Based on what we know on Opening Day, Ben Nicholson-Smith takes a look at how the Blue Jays’ roster looks, and how their 26 players will be deployed early in the year.

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TORONTO — Conventional wisdom says starting pitchers need six or seven weeks of spring training to gradually build their way toward game readiness. To expect pitchers to ramp up any sooner? Just unrealistic.

And then there’s Kevin Gausman, whose 2024 ramp-up offers an unexpected counterpoint to that theory. His Grapefruit League debut came in the Blue Jays’ final spring game: three innings, seven strikeouts and 52 pitches Monday. And now? That’s it. He passed the test, and he’s good to go.

Now granted, no one, least of all Gausman, is saying this is how the Blue Jays would have wanted his spring to go. It’s never ideal to build a pitcher up in games that count. But Gausman’s bothersome shoulder has improved, and he had major-league quality stuff and command Monday, when his fastball topped out at 96.9 mph and he threw his splitter and slider for strikes.

So with all of three innings, Gausman helped the Blue Jays answer one of their biggest questions of the spring. The trickledown effect is real, too. His presence in the rotation allows Mitch White to stay in a long-relief role, where his newfound velocity could play up. 

Elsewhere, though, there are moving pieces on the Blue Jays’ roster as they break camp for the 2024 season. That’s to be expected, of course; the bottom of a roster rarely stays the same for long, even on contending teams. But based on what we know now, here’s how the Blue Jays’ roster looks, and how their 26 players will be deployed early in the year:

Catchers (2): Alejandro Kirk, Brian Serven 

When Danny Jansen was sidelined late last year, the Blue Jays pushed Kirk as hard as he’s ever been pushed in the major leagues, with appearances in every single game in September. It’s unlikely the Blue Jays will lean on Kirk quite so hard this early in the season, but he’s still likely to catch five days a week until Jansen returns. That opens up a start or two per week for Serven, a well-regarded defensive catcher. 

Eyeballing the first road trip of the season, it’d be reasonable to expect Serven to start Saturday or Sunday in Tampa and Saturday or Sunday in New York, with Kirk covering the rest. Then, when Jansen returns, the split will become more balanced.

Infielders (4): 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 2B Cavan Biggio, 3B Isiah Kiner-Falefa, SS Bo Bichette

First base and shortstop are blissfully simple for the Blue Jays as they have uniquely talented players at those positions, and both Guerrero Jr. and Bichette take pride in taking the field as often as possible.

At second, expect Cavan Biggio to start against lots of right-handed pitching, with the likes of Davis Schneider and Ernie Clement mixed in against lefties. Over at third, Kiner-Falefa looks like the everyday option to start the year, but Clement offers depth behind Kiner-Falefa, and Justin Turner will likely play there a couple times per month. 

Outfielders (3): LF Daulton Varsho, CF Kevin Kiermaier, RF George Springer

At its best, this outfield makes a difference at the plate and in the field. And after healthy and productive springs from all three starters, there’s optimism about this group as the season begins.

What’s less clear is how the Blue Jays would respond if one of their starters misses time, and considering Springer is 34 and Kiermaier turns 34 next month, it’s a possibility that must be considered. At present, there’s no real fourth outfielder on the roster, but Nathan Lukes, one of the final cuts of the spring, offers valuable depth at triple-A.

For now, the Blue Jays have two right-handed hitting bench options in Schneider and Clement, and both could handle left field on a day Toronto wants to give a left-handed hitter such as Varsho or Kiermaier a breather against a tough lefty. Biggio is another option, as he played 27 games in right field last year.

Designated Hitters (2): Justin Turner, Daniel Vogelbach

Expect Turner to get most of the starts at DH, with Vogelbach contributing as a pinch hitter against tough right-handed pitchers late in games, but there should also be some DH starts for Vogelbach. At 39, Turner will get days off, and there will also be times he plays the field, opening up a DH start for someone else.

Eventually, Joey Votto could push his way onto the roster, but his progress was slowed by a rolled ankle 10 days ago, so he’s not close to joining the big-league team just yet. If Votto shows he’s ready, and both Turner and Vogelbach are producing at the MLB level, the Blue Jays will very likely have to choose between Votto and Vogelbach. But these things often have a way of working themselves out, and even if not, that would be a good problem to have.

Utility (2): Davis Schneider, Ernie Clement

At this point, Schneider and Clement are utility players whose roles will change considerably from day to day. But if they hit anywhere near as well as they did last year, more playing time will open up for these two, whether it’s at second, third or in the outfield. At the same time, both will have to produce to stay on the roster, especially Schneider, who has minor-league options remaining.

Starting Pitchers (5): RHP Jose Berrios, RHP Chris Bassitt, LHP Yusei Kikuchi, RHP Kevin Gausman, RHP Bowden Francis

Gausman’s presence elevates this rotation from solid to excellent, even if he’s not likely to go deep into games just yet. That may also apply to Kikuchi and Francis, who might not work through opposing batting orders more than twice per outing for now. Regardless, this starting five looks to be among the strongest in MLB.

Depth-wise, it’s not ideal, but it’s not like every other contender has five aces. The defending World Series champion Rangers are rounding out their rotation with Cody Bradford and Dane Dunning. In New York, the AL East favourites have Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil starting every five days. And that’s before you get to the depth starters. No team has eight or nine starters it’s thrilled about.

Beyond this group, Mitch White, Wes Parsons and Alek Manoah (now building back up after a spring shoulder issue) represent the next layer of depth while prospect Ricky Tiedemann will look to show he belongs with a strong start at triple-A.

Relief Pitchers (8): RHP Yimi Garcia, RHP Chad Green, LHP Tim Mayza, RHP Trevor Richards, LHP Genesis Cabrera, RHP Mitch White, RHP Nate Pearson, RHP Wes Parsons

With both Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson sidelined, the Blue Jays are beginning the season short-handed. Expect Garcia and Green to get the ball in the team’s highest-leverage moments, with Mayza likely used in a setup role.

There’s length in this bullpen thanks to Richards, White, Parsons and Cabrera, all of whom can go multiple innings if needed. But any bullpen is going to look vulnerable without its top two arms, and that certainly applies to the Blue Jays. They could have gone for a little more upside by rostering Yariel Rodriguez, but they’re instead starting the 27-year-old Cuban in the minors in the hopes that he can find a rhythm there after missing the entire 2023 season.

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blue jays Toronto Blue Jays begin 2024 trek informed by past failures and future uncertainties  5747166 carousel Thu, 28 Mar 2024 08:16:44 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 08:46:22 EDT Shi Davidi Each baseball season is a singular trip within a larger goal, and individual years are interconnected to form a final destination. Shi Davidi explores how the 2024 season fits into the Blue Jays’ wider journey.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Each baseball season is a trip in and of itself. There are plans and goals and hopes and expectations that play out in 162 games over 186 days, a near-constant blur of success and failure, of elation and frustration. By the time it’s over for players, coaches, executives and staff, everyone needs home for a rest. If things hit just right, maybe there’s a parade at the end.

At the same time, each baseball season is also a singular trip within a wider journey. Teams are either building or rebuilding, seeking to either open, maintain, extend or shut a competitive window. In that way, individual years are interconnected as segments of progression to or regression from a final destination, the outcome not always by design.

All of which brings us to the Toronto Blue Jays at the launch of the 2024 campaign, one deep into a quest that’s produced three playoff appearances over the past four years, although not a single victory in them. 

They once again possess the talent to qualify for the post-season, even as rivals in the AL East and the wider league strengthened around them. Whether they get there, and fare better this time upon arrival, is to be determined.

There’s some enduring heartbreak around them from the one-game-short dagger of 2021, the 8-1 collapse of 2022, and the Jose Berrios-pulled-early-debacle of 2023, which was cruelly followed by the Shohei Ohtani fever dream. Still, the past is only the present if the Blue Jays allow it to be and a significant portion of their off-season was spent on ensuring that wouldn’t be the case, even if they are where they are because of what’s happened the past few years.

“That’s a tough question,” ace Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman says of how to draw from past failures without being weighed down by them. “You try to learn from them. Try to let them fuel you. You want to remember the past … but you also have to forget about it and not let it define who you are and what this team is because we don’t know that yet. It’s a new year.”

Sentiments echoed by George Springer.

“We expect a lot out of ourselves, so when it doesn’t happen, you have to look back on it and try to process why and how and what could I have done better,” he says. “But every year is different. Every challenge is new. There’s going to be stuff that happens this year that I’ve never seen, that (Justin Turner), he’s been playing for 16 years, that he’s never seen. It’s about staying in the moment, in my eyes. Yeah, I understand the season didn’t end the way that we wanted it to. But it doesn’t end that way for 29 teams every year. It kind of is what it is.”

There is certainly no going back and changing what’s already happened, leaving the pursuit of a different outcome as the only option. To that end, the Blue Jays worked hard to clarify their internal communications around in-game decision-making with players during weeks of meetings about the playoff fallout. 

“We’re grown men and we talked,” is how Berrios put it. “We were clear with everything. … I just asked and they responded to me honestly. That’s the only thing I wanted, just be honest with me, be transparent, and they were. That’s why we’re able to be on the same page now and turn that bad experience or situation. It’s a new year, new opportunity and I think we’re going to start really well.”

Those conversations also led to a revamp around game-planning for the offence, which is now headed by bench coach Don Mattingly, along with hitting coach Guillermo Martinez and assistants Hunter Mense and Matt Hague. Attack plans are to be more individualized and specific to each player, designed with each pitcher they may encounter in mind. The early returns from spring were good but the real test is only beginning. 

A more productive offence will be needed to compensate for any potential regression in the club’s pitching, its primary strength a year ago. There’s been a focus on base-running after they finished fifth in outs on the bases in 2023 at 57. Returning from what was arguably the best defence in the majors is one Gold Glover in Kevin Kiermaier, while Isiah Kiner-Falefa and others will need to compensate for another, Matt Chapman, who left.

What Bo Bichette believes is helping to tie everything together is a higher degree of “professionalism” in “how we go about our day everyday preparation and things like that.”

“If we want to get to where we want to get to, which we do, professionalism and consistency in the discipline just has to tick a notch up,” he continues. “There’s really not much else to it — consistency and discipline. In our field of work, competitiveness, too, should top all of that stuff off, going out there and competing at the highest level you can. It’s very simple.”

Less simple is what lies ahead for them on their current journey.

Seven players — including Danny Jansen and Yusei Kikuchi — will be eligible for free agency this fall with another 10 — Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Jordan Romano among them — able to test the market on the next one. That’s 65 per cent of the current roster, which is a problem because of the way the team is constructed and a lack of high-end prospects in the farm system to help replace them. 

Mark Shapiro, the Blue Jays president and CEO, often speaks of finding the right balance between the three population pools that stock big-league clubs: young players with upside largely happy just to be in the majors; players in their prime who are carrying the load as they enter their prime earning years; and veteran players who are all about winning and are giving of themselves and their knowledge.

The Blue Jays right now appear too heavily weighted toward the last group, with not enough young players on the cusp of graduating into a middle group that is facing decimation over the next two winters. Lefty Ricky Tiedemann and second baseman Orelvis Martinez are on the cusp and will help alter the equation, but the club will need plenty of near-term help it doesn’t at this point have in the farm system.

“Really feel good about the way we’re developing and feel that we’re getting better and better in the way we’re drafting, as well,” says Shapiro. “The best answer I can give you is we spend a lot of time and, at the end of this season, we’ll do the same thing and evaluate. Right now, we feel pretty good about the team we’ve got for the next two years. And then we’ll answer that again next off-season, how we think about it at that point in time. But we’re making strides and feel good and really encouraged by what’s happening in player development and scouting levels.”

The Blue Jays need a farm-system payoff to happen fast enough that they aren’t forced to veer from their current path and change directions two years from now. That’s one way the 2024 season is connected to what happens in 2025 and ’26, just like what happened last season ties into this one, even if each season is a trip all its own.

“The biggest things we’ve got to think about are the reality of 162, that there is something coming that we’re not expecting,” says Shapiro. “There is some challenge that’s going to come up that we’re not ready for, that we’re going to have to adapt, we’re going to have to adjust. Someone’s going to have to step up that we’re not currently talking about at this table right now. That’s what’s ahead of these guys. That’s what’s ahead of us right now. It’s not how are we going to deal with a devastating loss at the end of last year. That’s last year. It’s gone. Was there something to take from that? OK. We had those conversations, we made those adjustments and let’s go. We’re moving forward.”

On to the latest trek on their current journey.

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wes parsons Blue Jays’ Opening Day call ‘an amazing moment’ for Wes Parsons, Nate Pearson 5747166 carousel Wed, 27 Mar 2024 19:33:17 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 00:46:39 EDT Shi Davidi Wes Parsons didn’t know what to expect when manager John Schneider’s name popped up on his phone. The right-hander felt that he pitched well during spring training and was hopeful of breaking camp with the Toronto Blue Jays for his first Opening Day in the majors since 2019 with Atlanta.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Wes Parsons didn’t know what to expect when manager John Schneider’s name popped up on his phone. The right-hander felt that he pitched well during spring training and was hopeful of breaking camp with the Toronto Blue Jays for his first Opening Day in the majors since 2019 with Atlanta.

Still, when Schneider broke the news that he was opening the year in the majors, “I was honestly in shock,” he said Wednesday in the visitors’ clubhouse at Tropicana Field, where he and his teammates worked out ahead of Thursday’s curtain-raiser against the Tampa Bay Rays. “Didn’t see it coming at all. I was ecstatic.”

He was also tearful, so much so that when he FaceTimed his wife, Della, immediately afterwards she asked, “What in the world happened?”

“I was like, ‘I made the team.’ She was very excited,” said Parsons, who credits Della and their 15-month-old son Beckett for helping him persevere through some tough times. “It’s been a really long trip between the two opening days. It was crazy just going through the KBO trying to find myself, going through back surgery and after back surgery (a microdiscectomy of the L4-L5 vertebrae in 2022), I thought I was pretty much done. But I kept going and here we are. The feelings are just, I mean, it was an amazing moment.”

For Nate Pearson, the other right-handed reliever added to finalize the Blue Jays roster with Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson slated to hit the injured list, the phone call from Schneider on Wednesday night offered both joy and relief.

During the two-day wait between Monday’s spring finale and word on his fate, “I was just sitting there, stressing a little bit.” That disappeared after learning that he’ll enjoy a proper Opening Day for the first time – he debuted six games into the COVID campaign of 2020 and while he was around the team when that season opened, he wasn’t actually part of it.

“This is definitely a lot more meaningful,” Pearson said. “I’m happy to be down there for the first game of the season. It was a good time for me and my family when I found out.”

What the opportunity looks like for both pitchers will be a moving target as their ascensions come amid many machinations for the Blue Jays. 

Kevin Gausman emerged from his dominant showing in Monday’s spring finale feeling fine and the Blue Jays are still kicking around whether to start him in Sunday’s series finale against the Rays, or Monday’s opener at Houston, with Bowden Francis getting whichever game he doesn’t start.

Alek Manoah, who threw 34 pitches over two innings in a simulated game at the Player Development Complex, is “likely” to begin the season on the injured list as he continues to build up, said Schneider.

Yariel Rodriguez, the Cuban righty signed to a $32-million, five-year deal, was optioned along with Canadian Zach Pop so he can be fully built up under “a pretty set plan” since “we want a lot of his innings to be with us and to be 100 per cent when he is,” said Schneider.

Top prospect Ricky Tiedemann, meanwhile, will start at triple-A Buffalo where focal points will be ensuring “his fastball command, the slider usage and changeup usage are at levels that he can do different things to different lineups,” said GM Ross Atkins. “Because he has so much potential, it is really important for us to help him maximize that time down there.”

And Joey Votto, who hasn’t resumed baseball activity since rolling his ankle after stepping on a bat March 17, is still feeling “a little bit of tightness,” said Atkins, and will want to essentially have a full spring training once he’s ready. 

“He wants to make sure, most importantly, that he’s at an elite level and not just at a level where he’s participating or contributing,” said Atkins. “He’ll be, and we will be very mindful of giving him every chance to do that. The most likely scenario would be some time essentially building up a spring training at extended and then moving to Buffalo at some point. We don’t, he doesn’t have a firm timeline on that.”

There isn’t a firm timeline yet for Romano and Swanson, although Atkins suggested that the IL stints “could be minimal” for them. Both are long-tossing without issue and getting back up on a mound is the next step.

Once they do that, “they will likely need a couple of outings facing hitters, for sure,” said Atkins. “We’ll see if they need to pitch in Buffalo. It will really depend on how long that progression is.”

Schneider pointed to Chad Green and Yimi Garcia as options to close in the interim with Tim Mayza and Genesis Cabrera helping to cover some of the set-up work. Others will need to step up and Pearson could certainly pitch his way into being an option there, with Parsons around to support Mitch White in providing length.

Pearson is feeling good about the way he pitched in the spring, save for a rough first outing, and likes the way a new splitter that’s taking the place of his changeup has played.

“I got one strike out on it and like three or four quick ground balls, so I like where it’s at,” he said. “I can get a quick out with it, throw it ahead in the count or to putaway. I like where all my off-speed is, really. It’s really about attacking the zone with the heater to set up those things.”

Parsons, meanwhile, signed as a minor-league free agent with the Blue Jays last May after initially wondering if his back surgery would derail his dream. He split 2019 between Atlanta and Colorado, which claimed him off waivers in August, was stuck at the alternate training site in 2020 and then headed to the NC Dinos in Korea for 2021, logging 133 innings over 24 starts with a 3.72 ERA. But he made just eight starts the next year before his back flared up, three months of rehab didn’t help and he came back home for the operation.

Once he woke up, the pressure on a nerve in his spine was gone immediately – “it was instantaneous,” Parsons said – and before long he was pitching in Buffalo, covering 81.2 innings over 17 starts. 

Over the winter, he spent time focused on the mental part of his game, finding ways “to take it from pitch to pitch, if something goes south, not letting it spiral out of control, just reset.”

When spring hit, “I just showed up and I was just ready to play every day,” an approach that’s carried him right back up to the big-leagues.

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Nathan Denette/CP Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Blue Jays Roundtable: What does success look like in 2024? 5747166 carousel Wed, 27 Mar 2024 10:37:44 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 19:18:40 EDT Sportsnet Staff With a new season approaching, it’s time to put the good and bad from the 2023 season behind us, but what should we expect from this year’s edition of the Blue Jays?

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To say that the 2024 Toronto Blue Jays are facing a pivotal season would be putting it mildly. After being swept by the Minnesota Twins in last year’s playoffs, the Blue Jays aimed high in free agency only to end up with a team that — while certainly competitive — looks awfully similar to last year’s roster, a group that underwhelmed for much of the year.

With a new season approaching, it’s time to put the good and bad from the 2023 season behind us, but what should we expect from this year’s edition of the Blue Jays? Can their pitching staff repeat last year’s success? Can the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Alejandro Kirk, George Springer and Daulton Varsho bounce back at the plate? What about newcomers including Yariel Rodriguez, Justin Turner and — eventually — Joey Votto?

For some answers to those questions and more, we turn things over to our baseball writers on the eve of Opening Day, 2024:

What’s the biggest Blue Jays-related question or issue no one’s talking about?

Jeff Blair
George Springer has escaped a lot of criticism and it worries me that 2023, one of his healthiest seasons, was also one of his worst. But I seem to be alone. I’ll bet Vernon Wells wishes he’d received the free pass that Springer gets.

David Singh
George Springer turns 35 this year and is coming off his worst season in years, at least from a WAR perspective. What if he doesn’t rebound and continues to trend downward?

Shi Davidi
Where is the next core of this team going to come from? The upper-level depth of the farm system gets talked about often — as long as he’s healthy Ricky Tiedemann will factor in at some point this year and so too might Orelvis Martinez and his raw power at second base — and they’ll help. But the Blue Jays have seven players eligible for free agency this fall and 10 more after 2025, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Jordan Romano chief among them. Barring some sudden surprises, and they happen, this doesn’t look like a farm system ready to replace all that talent, or that’s deep enough to trade from to acquire new core pieces, and money alone can’t plug that many holes.

Arden Zwelling
Drafting and developing. The Blue Jays are positioned to shed a lot of talent over the next couple of seasons, both via veterans aging out and younger players qualifying for free agency. It’s going to be exceedingly difficult for the organization to compensate for that if it doesn’t start producing more impactful big-leaguers from within.

Ben Nicholson-Smith
The questions on the pitching staff are pretty obvious, and we’ll all be watching the offence closely too. One thing that snuck up on them last year was their awful baserunning, though. Selective aggression is a good thing, but this team was third-last in baseball in stolen base success rate last year while also making more outs on the bases than all but four teams. When I look ahead at 2024, that’s one area that has to improve.

Among the stars on this team, whose performance are you most intrigued by for the 2024 season?

Arden Zwelling
George Springer. His 104 wRC+ in 2023 simply wasn’t enough from a player who led the team in plate appearances. Outfielders entering their mid-30s aren’t typically great bets for prolific seasons. But the Blue Jays could really use one from Springer.

Jeff Blair
I’ve said I thought Bo Bichette will win multiple batting titles in his career. The first one will come in 2024.

David Singh
Has to be Vladimir Guerrero Jr. This team will go as far as he takes them.

Shi Davidi
No need to complicate this one — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Everyone has been waiting for a follow-up season to his monster 2021 and the Blue Jays are definitely betting on it arriving this year. His swing looked great during spring training and he’s clearly in a good spot physically, so the ingredients are there for some MVP-calibre production.

Ben Nicholson-Smith
Yeah, it’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Not only does he have legitimate 40-homer upside, he just turned 25 years old. That makes him younger than Heston Kjerstad, the outfield prospect who’s considered part of the Orioles’ bright future. But where many 25-year-olds are just breaking in, Guerrero Jr. is just two seasons away from hitting free agency, adding to the stakes for 2024.

It was nine years ago that the Blue Jays first signed Guerrero Jr. We’ve been building up to this point for a while now, and it’s time to see what he can offer as the pressure builds. Based on the conversations I had this spring, few around the game will be surprised if he puts together a monster year.

Moving to some complementary players, who’s someone off the radar who you could see having a legitimate impact on this team? A 2.0-WAR season, maybe.

Arden Zwelling
Are Bowden Francis and Ricky Tiedemann considered off the radar? If either throws 100 or more big-league innings, they could give you those two wins.

David Singh
I’ve believed in Bowden Francis since he joined the club last season and dominated out of the bullpen. Sure, it was mostly low-leverage, but this spring he’s taken another step forward and forced his way into the rotation. I expect him to grab the reins on his spot there and not let go.

Ben Nicholson-Smith
The clear pick here is Bowden Francis, and he does have that kind of upside, but I’ll add Joey Votto into the mix, too. If Albert Pujols can hit 24 home runs and post a 151 OPS+ at age 42, can Votto hit 15 home runs and post a 120 OPS+ at age 40? If healthy, I think he can.

Shi Davidi
Chad Green and Yimi Garcia immediately came to mind as a couple of guys lost a bit amid the focus on Jordan Romano, Erik Swanson and Tim Mayza, but it’s really hard for relievers to produce that much WAR. So instead, let’s look at Cavan Biggio. This is a little volatile because a right shoulder issue derailed his off-season and left him with a staggered spring buildup, but the player he was May 23 onwards, after he made some changes to his swing, produced a .266/.378/.407 hitter in 270 plate appearances. If the swing changes and his shoulder holds up, that type of contribution from a left-handed hitter will play much bigger than expected.

Jeff Blair
Don’t know about 2.0 WAR or if he’s complimentary, but I have a sneaking feeling Ricky Tiedemann is going to be tossing some significant innings in the majors in 2024. As far as someone on the roster right now? I think we’ll see Genesis Cabrera do more heavy lifting than expected. Not sure that’s a good thing, but…

2024 will be a failure if the Blue Jays…

Ben Nicholson-Smith
Don’t advance past the wild-card series. Look, I know baseball playoffs are largely random and it’s maybe a touch dramatic to say there’s no possibility of a good season if they don’t advance, but ask the players. Ask the fans. No one would be happy with another easy exit, nor should they be. The goal is to build a team deep and talented enough to win in October, not shrug your shoulders and say ‘well, those are the breaks.’ The Blue Jays have much of what they need already, and should be prepared to add an elite reliever or a right-handed bat as needed at the deadline.

Shi Davidi
Aren’t in the post-season. There is, objectively, a lot of talent on this team and a deep pitching staff. One rival executive said to me a few days ago that the Blue Jays were his pick to win the AL East. Another told me their projections had the Blue Jays second to the Rays in the division. But you can also see the window starting to close on this group, making each opportunity especially precious.

David Singh
Don’t advance deep into the post-season. It’s not good enough to just win a game, or even a round. The window is getting smaller for this team.

Arden Zwelling
Don’t keep their best players healthy and productive; don’t reach a divisional series; don’t produce two or three above-average big-leaguers from within the organization.

Jeff Blair
If this team doesn’t win a playoff series. Who or where or how doesn’t matter. That’s it. That’s all.

2024 will be a success if the Blue Jays…

Jeff Blair

Win a playoff series — which likely means Guerrero, Jr., hits 40 bombs and four pitchers make at least 30 starts.

Shi Davidi
They win a series or two in the post-season and play to their potential in October, avoiding the type of calamity that befell them the past two falls. There’s something to the playoffs being a crapshoot and its small sample-size randomness, but the Astros also find ways to consistently factor in every year. Executing in the moment the way they seem to do is the next step for the Blue Jays and the results then will be what they’ll be.

David Singh
Enjoy a long playoff run. Sure, every team wants to capture the World Series but for this team, advancing past a few post-season rounds will help everyone in the organization breathe a little easier.

Arden Zwelling
Opposite of above. Keep their best players healthy and productive; reach a divisional series; produce two or three above-average big-leaguers from within.

Ben Nicholson-Smith
Reach the ALCS. Again, I know this sounds super simplistic, but there are so few scenarios where the Blue Jays make it that far and the organizational positives don’t outweigh the negatives.

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Baseball MLB TOR sn-article
(Gene J. Puskar/AP) Varsho How depth of Toronto Blue Jays’ roster will determine 2024 fate 5747166 carousel Wed, 27 Mar 2024 10:39:06 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 10:39:07 EDT Nick Ashbourne The Toronto Blue Jays’ quiet offseason could be interpreted as a big bet on the team’s core, but the club is more likely to differentiate itself with the bottom of its roster than the top this season.

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The Toronto Blue Jays’ quiet offseason could be interpreted as a big bet on the team’s core, but the club is more likely to differentiate itself with the bottom of its roster than the top this season.

Kevin Gausman has a Cy Young ceiling, and the team employs position players capable of delivering star-level performances, but this group doesn’t run on star power — like it did in 2021, when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Marcus Semien were MVP candidates, Bo Bichette and Teoscar Hernández were worthy all-stars, and Robbie Ray won the Cy Young. 

The Blue Jays haven’t had a position player top 4.5 fWAR in a season over the past two years as Bo Bichette’s 2022 ranks 58th among all position-player campaigns by that metric. No one projects to get over 4.3 in 2024 according to FanGraphs’ ZiPS projection system.

A resurgent season by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a possibility, Daulton Varsho’s defensive mastery gives him a road to producing massive value if his bat heats up, George Springer could build on a big spring and Alejandro Kirk has started the All-Star Game at a premium position. There’s a chance a Blue Jay other than Gausman produces at a truly elite level, but that hasn’t been the case lately.

It’s not fair to expect Toronto’s top dogs to match up to the superstar duo of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge in New York or the trio of Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, and Kyle Tucker in Houston, for instance.

While that may sound grim, it’s also noteworthy that the Blue Jays’ depth is impressive — and seems likely to be a competitive advantage over its direct rivals. Most competitive clubs have competence at the bottom of their rosters, but Toronto has some possible difference-makers.

Alek Manoah is an excellent example. The range of possible outcomes for his season is massive — particularly as he deals with shoulder soreness — but no team in the majors has a fifth starter with the potential to reach the heights Manoah experienced in the first two years of his career. 

Behind him sits a starter who’s shown plenty of promise in the spring (Bowden Francis) and an experienced swingman who’s just discovered stuff that could radically boost his potential (Mitch White), with a $32 million international free agent wielding a compelling repertoire working his way into the mix (Yariel Rodriguez).

In the bullpen, Toronto figures to open the season without its top two relievers, but still has multiple experienced late-inning arms like Yimi Garcia and Chad Green who’ve closed out games plenty in their careers. 

Down two bodies the Blue Jays have been able to turn to an ultra-talented fireballer (Nate Pearson) and a hard-throwing groundball specialist (Zach Pop) with a sub-4 ERA at the MLB level (3.94). The Tampa Bay Rays can seemingly conjure quality relievers out of thin air, but most other teams can’t and would be in a worse spot than the Blue Jays find themselves in now.

On the position-player side, the Blue Jays don’t have an everyday spot for Davis Schneider, who started off his career on a historic heater, crushed the ball at Triple-A last season, and projects for a wRC+ of 110 or above according to five of FanGraphs’ six projection systems. It’s possible that Joey Votto can still bang, and if he can he’ll be a heck of a bench asset as well. Maybe Daniel Vogelbach might just be what Blue Jays fans are dreaming Votto could be.

None of this is to say that Toronto’s offseason deserves to be lauded as a triumph, or that the Blue Jays 2024 upcoming campaign warrants unbridled optimism. There are plenty of reasons to be skeptical of this team’s core, the bottom of its lineup, and whether the seemingly minor injury issues on the pitching staff will sort themselves out.

There’s a reason the Blue Jays are projected to win between 85 and 88 games and haven’t generated the same level of buzz as they did prior to the last two or three seasons.

It’s just worth remembering that while the ways this team is underwhelming are front-and-centre, the things that give it an advantage over its opponents are more subtle. There is quality up and down this roster from its deep pitching staff to a versatile mix of position players that will allow the club to ride hot hands and hunt matchups better than it has in previous seasons.

Whether that’s enough to uplift the top of this roster remains to be seen — but if Toronto’s best players follow up their underperformance in 2023 with projection-beating output in 2024 the guys around them are unlikely to let them down.

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Baseball MLB TOR sn-article
aaron-judge-juan-soto MLB Preview Roundtable: 2024 sleepers, awards and predictions 5747166 carousel Tue, 26 Mar 2024 11:55:19 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 08:49:00 EDT Sportsnet Staff With Opening Day approaching, we turn to our panel for their thoughts on the biggest storylines ahead of the 2024 season plus predictions on who will make the playoffs and which players are best positioned to win major awards.

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A year ago this time, hardly anyone predicted that the Baltimore Orioles would win 101 games, that the Miami Marlins would emerge as a playoff team or that the season would end with the Texas Rangers beating the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series. Even a week ago, who would have believed that MLB would be investigating various betting-related allegations surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter?

All of which to say, in the course of 162 games, much of what we think we know about baseball can shift. Just when you think you know what’s coming, the sport tends to surprise — and it’s with that knowledge in mind that we ask our Sportsnet baseball writers to look ahead.

With Opening Day approaching, we turn to our panel for their thoughts on the biggest storylines ahead of the 2024 season plus predictions on who will make the playoffs and which players are best positioned to win major awards.

Let’s get started:

Few predicted which teams would be the last ones standing in 2024. We’re a long way from the World Series, but what’s one team that’s not getting enough attention right now? 

Jeff Blair
The Dodgers seemed to sign everybody — and the players they didn’t sign ended up with the Giants. The Diamondbacks went to the World Series. No one’s talking about the Padres — except me.

Ben Nicholson-Smith
For me, it’s the Tigers. In a division with no clear favourite, there’s an opportunity and I think the Tigers, with their emerging young core and mix of solid veterans, are poised to seize it. Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene and Tarik Skubal should figure prominently on the Tigers’ next contender while veterans like Mark Canha, Kenta Maeda and Gio Urshela would help deepen any roster. I see 85-win potential, which is to say they could be in this until the end.

Shi Davidi
There are a lot of candidates here because it really does feel like this is the Dodgers’ world and we’re all just living in it, but let’s go with the San Diego Padres. Yes, even after they traded Juan Soto and Blake Snell left in free agency, even with the Dodgers becoming their own solar system, even as the Diamondbacks and Giants both beefed up. New manager Mike Shildt is changing the vibes there. Bogaerts, Tatis, Cronenworth, Machado and Kim make for a daunting lineup gauntlet. Darvish, Musgrove and King were a solid starting point for the rotation and then the relentless A.J. Preller made a sneaky spring deal to add Dylan Cease. This Padres team has a pathway to being more like what last year’s hyped group was supposed to be.

Arden Zwelling
The Seattle Mariners are already running out a one-two-three in their rotation as good as any in baseball; if Bryce Miller and Bryan Woo can build on the promise they demonstrated in 2023, you’ve got a dangerous post-season team on pitching alone. This winter’s underrated additions of Jorge Polanco and Mitch Garver further build out a solid supporting mix — J.P. Crawford and Cal Raleigh were nearly five-win players in 2023 — around MVP candidate Julio Rodriguez. And the bullpen’s capable enough to reach the trade deadline when it can be cheaply reinforced. The Mariners might just mess around and win the AL West.

David Singh
I answered the Braves last year and I’m sticking with them again. I still think they get overshadowed by the Dodgers in the NL despite having a scary, deep lineup that can mash with anybody.

Shohei Ohtani on the Dodgers should be pretty compelling. Which players (if any) are you more intrigued to watch in 2024? 

Shi Davidi
Only amid the seismic aftershocks from the winter of Ohtani could Juan Soto in the Bronx be relatively relegated to the sidelines in the baseball order. But Soto batting ahead of Aaron Judge and getting on base 40 per cent of the time should be must-see stuff, forming one of the most intimidating duos in recent memories, akin to peak David Ortiz/Manny Ramirez.

David Singh
Juan Soto. He’s playing for a contract and possesses a personality that’s tailor-made for New York. Add in the fact that he’ll be hitting ahead of Aaron Judge and you’ve got a guy seemingly destined for a monster MVP campaign.

Jeff Blair
Shohei Ohtani is the subject of more official MLB investigations (1) than he’s hit regular-season homers in a Dodgers uniform. Tough to be more compelling. But if you’re going to insist… I’m actually more intrigued with his teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto and his transition to North America. And I think he’ll actually have a bigger say in how far the Dodgers go in 2024. Oh yeah: I hate to do this to you, Blue Jays fans, but  I can’t wait to see Jackson Holliday get up here. The Orioles are flat-out fun and — shh! — might even be likable. Oh for the days of Buck Showalter reinventing the game every other inning and scowling at Gibby and Stro. 

Ben Nicholson-Smith
Probably no one, because even in a year that he doesn’t pitch I could see Ohtani setting a career high in home runs or stolen bases. But if anyone can come close to Ohtani, it’d be a rookie. I could see Wyatt Langford hitting 30 home runs, or Paul Skenes emerging as a frontline arm just one year after being drafted or Jackson Holliday hitting .310 against big-league pitching. As a fan of the sport, any of those storylines would be pretty fun to follow.

Arden Zwelling
The Norfolk Tides — Baltimore’s triple-A team — ought to be a pretty fun watch. Julio Rodriguez could take another step, go 40-40, and win MVP. Tarik Skubal sat 97 this spring while landing multiple secondaries for strikes — if he stays healthy, he’s going to be a beast. And Spencer Strider with a new curveball might just strike out 300.

MLB’s rule changes were a huge success in 2023. What other innovations would benefit the sport moving forward? Or is it time to slow the pace of change for a bit?

Jeff Blair
I hate myself for it, but I’ve become a fan of the in-game challenge system for balls and strikes.

Shi Davidi
I saw the ABS challenge system in action a couple of times last year and… I think I like it? I don’t love the idea of going fully automated for balls and strikes behind the plate but letting teams question a sketchy call at a pivotal moment seems reasonable to me. Not sure what the sweet spot is for the number of challenges each team gets, but I don’t hate the idea of one per inning, retained for the frame if right.

Arden Zwelling
Bring us the ABS challenge system but instead of three challenges per team per game, give each position player one challenge per game, and each pitcher two per outing with the opportunity to earn a third by completing three innings. Get it right and you retain the challenge; get proven wrong and lose it. We don’t need fully automated balls and strikes — but we do need a way to counteract some of the more egregiously misjudged calls.

Ben Nicholson-Smith
I understand this would be a tough sell to owners, and I’m not predicting it happens any time soon, but there’s a strong case to be made for shortening the MLB season a little whenever the league expands to 32 teams. I mean, if you were drawing this all up from scratch, it’s hard to imagine you’d choose 162, right? It’s… so many games. Seeing the travel up close, sometimes I’m amazed they actually play every single one. But no, not even a Monday night game in Kansas City slips through the cracks. They just keep playing.

If the league went back to 154 games over the same six-month period, we’d still see just as much of Spencer Strider, Zack Wheeler and MLB’s aces, but there would be fewer bullpen games and fewer days where the entire team’s jetlagged and running on Red Bull. Baseball is a bulk sport and always will be. And it’s great, let’s be clear on that. I’m just suggesting a slight pivot toward quality over quantity.

David Singh
Slow the pace of change for now. I know a lot of casual fans are still trying to keep up with the recent changes, so let’s give it some time before introducing more.

Let’s hear a baseball-related hot take you half-believe for 2024. 

Ben Nicholson-Smith
MLB should implement a draft forcing top-seeded playoff teams to choose their opponents. Also, MLB should build variability to its schedule so there’s baseball on TV more regularly during the day, and fewer Saturdays where the first game starts at 4 p.m. ET. Locally, teams and TV networks would object, but big picture it’d be good for the game’s growth.

David Singh
Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggles in his first year, Tyler Glasnow gets injured again and the Dodgers fail to capture the AL West crown.

Jeff Blair
This is the year the Tampa Bay Rays run out of the pixie dust they keep in the secret lab in the basement of the Trop.

Shi Davidi
Not sure how hot this take is, but eventually we’ll trace back however the next CBA in baseball ends up to the current tumult within the MLBPA. The players need to get this straightened out stat because the next set of negotiations are the last for commissioner Rob Manfred, whose contract expires in January 2029, and he could very well go for broke in a legacy-capping deal.

Arden Zwelling
The Kansas City Royals will finish above .500 and narrowly miss the post-season.

PLAYOFFS

Arden Zwelling
AL: Orioles, Twins, Mariners, Astros*, Yankees*, Rangers*
NL: Atlanta, Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies*, Giants*, Reds*
World Series: Mariners > Phillies

Jeff Blair
AL: Orioles, Twins, Rangers, Yankees*, Astros* and… Kevin Barker’s Toronto Blue Jays!!*
NL: Atlanta, Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies*, Diamondbacks*, Padres*
World Series: Atlanta > Astros

Shi Davidi
AL: Rays, Twins, Astros, Orioles*, Blue Jays*, Mariners*
NL: Atlanta, Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies*, Padres*, Diamondbacks*
World Series: Atlanta > Rays

Ben Nicholson-Smith
AL: Yankees, Twins, Mariners, Orioles*, Astros*, Blue Jays*
NL: Atlanta, Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies*, Padres*, Giants*
World Series: Atlanta > Yankees

David Singh
AL: Orioles, Twins, Astros, *Mariners, *Rays, *Yankees
NL: Atlanta, Cardinals, Diamondbacks, *Dodgers, *Phillies, *Cubs
World Series: Atlanta > Orioles

AWARDS

Shi Davidi
AL MVP: Juan Soto
AL Cy Young: Kevin Gausman
AL Rookie of the Year: Evan Carter

NL MVP: Mookie Betts
NL Cy Young: Zack Wheeler
NL Rookie of the Year: Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Ben Nicholson-Smith
AL MVP: Julio Rodriguez
AL Cy Young: Luis Castillo
AL Rookie of the Year: Wyatt Langford

NL MVP: Fernando Tatis Jr.
NL Cy Young: Spencer Strider
NL Rookie of the Year: Paul Skenes

Arden Zwelling
AL MVP: Kyle Tucker
AL Cy Young: George Kirby
AL Rookie of the Year: Evan Carter

NL MVP: Austin Riley
NL Cy Young: Spencer Strider
NL Rookie of the Year: Yoshinobu Yamamoto

David Singh
AL MVP: Juan Soto
AL Cy Young: Corbin Burnes
AL Rookie of the Year: Jackson Holliday

NL MVP: Ronald Acuna Jr.
NL Cy Young: Spencer Strider
NL Rookie of the Year: Jung Hoo Lee

Jeff Blair
AL MVP: Adley Rutschman
AL Cy Young: Kevin Gausman
AL Rookie of the Year: Evan Carter

NL MVP: Ronald Acuna Jr.
NL Cy Young: Zack Wheeler
NL Rookie of the Year: Jackson Merrill

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Baseball MLB sn-article
MLB Headlines Thu, 07 Sep 2023 17:29:40 EDT Wed, 13 Mar 2024 13:06:42 EDT Noah Love headlines_meta sn-collection (Julia Nikhinson/AP) CP170327925 Corbin Burnes brilliant in Orioles debut, strikes out 11 in rout of Angels 5747169 headlines Thu, 28 Mar 2024 18:18:43 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 18:18:45 EDT Associated Press Corbin Burnes allowed one baserunner in a dominant debut for Baltimore, and Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins both homered as the Orioles began their AL East title defence with an 11-3 rout of the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday.

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BALTIMORE (AP) — Corbin Burnes allowed one baserunner in a dominant debut for Baltimore, and Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins both homered as the Orioles began their AL East title defence with an 11-3 rout of the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday.

Mike Trout hit a first-inning home run off Burnes, but the Angels managed nary a peep against the new Baltimore ace after that. Burnes (1-0) struck out 11 in six innings in his first start after the Orioles acquired the right-hander from Milwaukee in an off-season trade.

Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman, who had five hits and a walk on opening day last year in Boston, started this season off with hits and the first and second innings, then later drew a walk. He scored three runs and Santander drove in four.

Santander hit a two-run homer in the fourth and Mullins added a three-run shot in the seventh for the Orioles, who brought back a young core that won 101 games last year They figure to add another top prospect soon whenever infielder Jackson Holliday comes up from the minors.

Baltimore also began a new era when David Rubenstein bought control Wednesday from the Angelos family that had owned the team since 1993.

For the Angels, the future isn’t nearly as rosy after the departure of two-way star Shohei Ohtani in the offseason. Trout still can be an MVP-caliber player if healthy, but Los Angeles wasn’t competitive in this one. Patrick Sandoval (0-1) got only five outs while making the start on opening day — a role filled by Ohtani the past two years. Sandoval allowed three earned runs and six hits.

Baltimore scored twice in the first. Then Rutschman hit a two-run single in the second and scored on Santander’s sacrifice fly to make it 5-1.

TRAINERS ROOM

Angels: Los Angeles put RHP Sam Bachman (right shoulder inflammation) on the 60-day injured list, INF Michael Stefanic (left quad strain) on the 10-day IL and RHP Robert Stephenson (right shoulder inflammation) on the 15-day IL. The Angels selected the contract of INF Miguel Sanó.

Orioles: RHP Kyle Bradish (right UCL sprain) and LHP John Means (left forearm strain) started the season on the 15-day IL. Baltimore also put RHP Jacob Webb on the paternity list, recalled LHP Nick Vespi from Triple-A Norfolk and designated OF Ryan McKenna and UT Tyler Nevin for assignment.

UP NEXT

The teams resume this three-game series Saturday. Baltimore’s Grayson Rodriguez starts against Griffin Canning.

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Baseball MLB BAL TOR sn-article
Charlie Neibergall/AP cole_gerrit1280 Yankees place ace Gerrit Cole on 60-day IL with right elbow inflammation 5747169 headlines Thu, 28 Mar 2024 13:34:45 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:40:08 EDT Associated Press The New York Yankees placed ace Gerrit Cole on the 60-day injured list due to elbow inflammation, the team announced Thursday.

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The New York Yankees placed ace Gerrit Cole on the 60-day injured list due to elbow inflammation, the team announced Thursday.

The earliest the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner can pitch in the major leagues is May 27. The team announced on March 16 that the right-hander won’t throw for three to four weeks due to nerve irritation and edema in his throwing elbow.

The Yankees said earlier in the spring that Cole was experiencing issues bouncing back following spring training starts.

The 33-year-old travelled to Los Angeles to be examined by Dodgers team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache, an elbow expert.

Cole is entering the fifth season of a $324 million, nine-year contract that pays $36 million annually. He has the right to opt out after the season and become a free agent, but if he opts out the Yankees can void the opt-out by adding a guaranteed $36 million salary for 2029.

The Yankees open their season against the Houston Astros on Thursday. With Cole unavailable, Nestor Cortes gets the Opening Day start for New York.

New York placed infielder DJ LeMahieu on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Monday, with a bruised right foot. With LeMahieu out, manager Aaron Boone moved Gleyber Torres to the leadoff spot to face left-hander Framber Valdez.

The Yankees also placed infielder Oswald Peraza on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Monday, with a right shoulder strain and added infielder Jon Berti to the active roster a day after he was acquired from Miami.

Also placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Monday, were right-handers Tommy Kahnle (right shoulder inflammation) and McKinley Moore (right knee bursitis).

Right-hander Luis Gil was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the Yankees selected the contract of right-hander Nick Burdi from Scranton.

— With files from Sportsnet

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Baseball MLB NYY sn-article
tiedemann Blue Jays No. 1 prospect Ricky Tiedemann named Buffalo Bisons’ Opening Day starter 5747169 headlines Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:24:37 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:24:45 EDT Sportsnet Staff Toronto Blue Jays No. 1 prospect Ricky Tiedemann will start the season in triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons and was named as the club’s Opening Day starter.

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Toronto Blue Jays No. 1 prospect Ricky Tiedemann will start the season in triple-A with the Buffalo Bisons and was named as the club’s Opening Day starter, Bisons manager Casey Candaele announced Thursday.

The Bisons open their International League schedule on Friday against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the New York Yankees’ triple-A affiliate, at Sahlen Field in Buffalo.

Tiedemann, 21, made his triple-A debut for the Bisons on Sep. 22, 2023, striking out six hitters and allowing no earned runs over four innings.

Ranked as Baseball America’s top left-handed pitching prospect, Tiedemann threw 62 innings across three minor-league levels and the Arizona Fall League (AFL) in 2023. He finished the MiLB season with a 3.68 ERA, 82 strikeouts and 23 walks.

At the AFL, he was named the Pitcher of the Year, allowing just five runs over 18 innings of work while racking up 23 strikeouts.

Tiedemann also impressed to close out spring training with the big-league club, striking out five Pittsburgh Pirates over three innings.

He is currently ranked as the No. 29 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline and No. 22 by Baseball America.

First pitch for the Bisons’ home opener is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. ET and 11:05 a.m. PT.

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Baseball MLB TOR sn-article
(Ryan Sun/AP Photo) Ohtani Commissioner Rob Manfred hopes MLB investigation of Shohei Ohtani will be short 5747169 headlines Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:11:14 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:11:16 EDT Associated Press Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says he hopes the sport’s gambling investigation of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will be short but he isn’t sure.

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Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says he hopes the sport’s gambling investigation of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will be short but he isn’t sure.

MLB announced its investigation Friday after the Dodgers fired Ohtani’s interpreter and friend, Ippei Mizuhara, following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well over $1 million. Ohtani said Monday he never bet on sports or knowingly paid any gambling debts accumulated by Mizuhara.

“Given the way the story unfolded, it’s important in terms of assuring our fans about the integrity of the game that we verify the things that Mr. Ohtani has said, and it’s really that simple,” Manfred said Thursday on the MLB Network.

The IRS has confirmed that Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles field office.

“It’s really difficult for the federal authorities to cooperate with us fully when they have their own ongoing investigation, so I think this is one where we’ll have to proceed on our own,” Manfred said,

MLB has limited ability to compel cooperation.

“We never have the kind of authority that law enforcement people have, but we manage to get these investigations done and find the facts and I’m sure we will on this one,” Manfred said.

Asked about the length of the investigation, Manfred said: “I hope short, but I just don’t know.”

Manfred defended the commercial relationships MLB and its teams have with legal gambling companies.

“Sports betting is going to go on in the United States whether we have a relationship with any particular company, any gambling enterprise, or not,” he said. “I don’t think it’s unusual to have a set of rules that apply to fans and executives and private citizens out there on the one hand, and players and people who have the ability to affect the outcome of the play on the field.”

“There are all sorts of situations in which you have a privilege, in this case, the privilege to play in Major League Baseball, and that comes with a responsibility to refrain from engaging in certain types of behaviour, in this case, gambling. that are legal for other people,” he added.

Manfred also discussed the uncertainty in revenue from regional sports networks. Following the bankruptcy filing last year of Diamond Sports’ Bally networks, MLB took over local broadcasts of San Diego and Arizona last season and is producing and distributing their telecasts this year along with those of Colorado.

“Local media is about 25% of our revenue,” Manfred said. “There’s absolutely no question that that particular revenue stream is challenged right now, but we see it as a trough. There’s going to be a little downtick here, but we believe over the long haul … clubs will be back to and beyond where they have been historically.”

“Everybody is to some extent affected by the changes that are going in the cable bundle,” he added. “The clubs that have actually seen revenue declines would be Seattle, Colorado, San Diego, Arizona, and then small declines in Texas, Minnesota and Cleveland.”

Manfred said local media contributed to a slower free agent market that led to some top players getting shorter-term contracts.

“We have a market-based system,” he said, “and when you have issues like the RSN issue … that affect a significant number of teams and all the teams see problems on that horizon, it’s going to affect the market for players. It has to.

“I think the players understand that they bargained for a market system and that markets are going to vary year to year. I think the bigger issue in terms of talking with players is making sure they understand what’s going on with respect to local media so they can appreciate the impact that it has on the market.”

Manfred also said MLB is planning for Willie Mays, who turns 93 in May, to attend the June 20 game between San Francisco and St. Louis being played in his honour at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. The 10,800-seat stadium, opened in 1910, is the oldest professional ballpark in the U.S. and was home to the Birmingham Black Barons from 1924-60. Mays, an Alabama native, began his professional career with the team in 1948.

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Baseball MLB LAD sn-article
Ryan Sun/AP Paxton B.C.’s James Paxton gets spot on Dodgers’ active roster, $2M bonus 5747169 headlines Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:45:14 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:46:17 EDT Associated Press James Paxton is getting a $2 million bonus for being on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ active roster for their home opener Thursday, raising his guaranteed pay to $9 million with the chance to earn another $4 million based on starts.

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James Paxton is getting a $2 million bonus for being on the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ active roster for their home opener Thursday, raising his guaranteed pay to $9 million with the chance to earn another $4 million based on starts.

The 35-year-old left-hander from Ladner, B.C. was on the Dodgers’ roster announced before they faced the St. Louis Cardinals. Los Angeles already played its first two games of the regular season in South Korea last week.

Paxton wasn’t on that roster because he wasn’t slated to pitch, but he was added to the 26-man group after the team returned stateside, triggering the bonus in his one-year contract with the Dodgers.

Paxton signed with Los Angeles in late January for a guaranteed $11 million with $2 million in bonus opportunities, but the pitcher and the team reworked his contract shortly afterward. They lowered the guarantee to $7 million while still allowing him to earn up to $13 million if he is healthy during the early part of the season and starts at least 20 games.

Paxton still got a $3 million signing bonus, but revised deal lowered the salary to $4 million and increased the roster bonus to $2 million if he was on the active roster by the date of the Dodgers’ U.S. opener.

He could earn $4 million in performance bonuses for starts: $600,000 each for six, eight, 10, 12 and 16, and $1 million for 18.

Paxton is expected to be a part of the back end of the Dodgers’ rotation at least until other pitchers return from injury. Starters Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Emmet Sheehan, Clayton Kershaw and Tony Gonsolin are all beginning the season on the injured list.

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Baseball MLB LAD sn-article
baseimage(9)(1) Rays’ Wander Franco placed on administrative leave through June 1 as sexual abuse probe continues 5747169 headlines Thu, 28 Mar 2024 11:10:13 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:51:09 EDT Associated Press Tampa Bay All-Star shortstop Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave through June 1 under an agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association while the investigation continues in an alleged relationship with a minor.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay All-Star shortstop Wander Franco was placed on administrative leave through June 1 under an agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association while the investigation continues into an alleged relationship with a minor.

Administrative leave is not disciplinary under the sport’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy, and a player continues to be paid. Franco, who has a $2 million salary this year, has remained in his native Dominican Republic while authorities there investigate and he did not report to spring training.

The Rays opened the season Thursday against Toronto, forcing MLB and the union to make a decision on Franco’s roster status.

“I don’t have any comment. … I’m really focused on the guys that are here,” manager Kevin Cash said before Thursday’s game at Tropicana Field.

Franco has not played since Aug. 12. He was placed on the restricted list for a week on Aug. 14 while MLB launched an investigation following social media posts suggesting Franco was in a relationship with a minor. The Associated Press has not been able to verify the reported posts.

Franco was moved to administrative leave on Aug. 22 and remained there through the end of the season. There is no leave during the offseason.

MLB is likely to wait until the Dominican investigation is concluded before deciding whether there will be any discipline.

Originally accused of commercial and sexual exploitation and money laundering — charges that carry up to 30 years, 10 years and 20 years of prison, respectively — Franco stands accused instead of sexual and psychological abuse, according to a judge’s resolution that the AP obtained in January.

Franco had not been formally accused, but if found guilty on the new charge, he could face two to five years in prison.

Franco, who turned 23 on March 1, was in the midst of his third major league season when his career was halted and was hitting .281 with 17 homers, 58 RBIs and 30 stolen bases in 40 attempts over 112 games.

Franco agreed to a $182 million, 11-year contract in November 2021.

He earned $706,761 last year in addition to his salary as part of MLB’s pre-arbitration bonus pool, a fund agreed to by the league and players’ association as part of their 2022 labour contract. The bonus pool was created to reward young players, most who earn at or just above the minimum major league salary based on how long they’ve been in the big leagues.

The Rays obtained infielder Jose Caballero from Seattle in a trade this offseason and are giving him an opportunity to be the regular shortstop. The 27-year-old played 104 games for the Mariners in 2023, hitting .221 with four homers and 26 RBIs. He was in Tampa Bay’s Opening Day lineup, batting eighth.

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MLB Top Videos Mon, 11 Mar 2024 19:51:08 EDT Sat, 16 Mar 2024 20:41:03 EDT Josh Beneteau carousel_meta sn-collection 17116596675924419 Springer delivers first Blue Jays’ home run in 2024 season 5909322 carousel Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:03:51 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:05:37 EDT Sportsnet Video Watch as Toronto Blue Jays’ George Springer goes yard for the team’s first hit of the season against the Rays.

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17116438295924162 Northern Attitude: Blue Jays aren’t backing down in 2024 5909322 carousel Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:40:16 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:40:16 EDT Sportsnet Video Baseball – a game designed to break your heart. After a tough ending to the 2023 campaign, and a rollercoaster off-season, the Toronto Blue Jays are not backing down in 2024. As Buck Martinez illustrates, it’s just not part of the Northern Attitude.

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MLB Must Read Fri, 15 Mar 2024 13:33:16 EDT Sat, 16 Mar 2024 20:37:28 EDT Kellen Forrest three_cols_meta sn-collection CP170257579(1) With Ohtani’s name at stake, MLB has a ready scapegoat 5912523 three_cols Mon, 25 Mar 2024 09:51:23 EDT Mon, 25 Mar 2024 18:13:15 EDT Jeff Blair For now, everybody needs to take a deep breath. There is no indication that Shohei Ohtani gambled on Major League Baseball games; no indication that he has stepped on the sport’s third rail.

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For now, everybody needs to take a deep breath. There is no indication that Shohei Ohtani gambled on Major League Baseball games; no indication that he has stepped on the sport’s third rail.

This isn’t Pete Rose gambling on games. It’s not the Black Sox scandal. It’s not BALCO. Heck, it’s not even banging on a trash can. Not yet.

But that doesn’t mean this isn’t a horribly unsettling situation for MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani and the game itself.

The initial handling of this matter by the player, his advisers and the Dodgers certainly raises questions about the team’s due diligence in blindly going along with Ohtani’s demands. That’s especially so considering reporting by Sam Blum of The Athletic that Ippei Mizuhara, who is as much Ohtani’s valet and fart-catcher (to borrow a nuanced word for lackey) as he is interpreter, went to the George Santos school of CV polishing. I guess you drop your guard a bit when you’re essentially handing a guy a blank cheque and agreeing to bring on board an entire entourage and ecosystem and probably the odd flunky, but if I was giving out $700 million to anybody, I’d be making some calls about his hangers-on. The Dodgers seem to have handled this whole thing like excited little kids.

And if I was going to hold a clubhouse meeting to alert my players about the matter — as Dodgers president Andrew Friedman reportedly did — I certainly wouldn’t have told the players that all Ohtani did was wire some money to a bookie to help cover Mizuhara’s $4.5 million in gambling debts, even if that was the ham-handed first ‘official’ explanation allegedly run out by Ohtani’s camp. Not sure you need a law degree to realize wiring money to an illegal bookmaking operation from a bank account with your name on it is a good way to get the attention of federal investigators.

As for the player himself? While we’ve all marvelled at Ohtani’s abilities and basked in the fact that baseball finally has a star player able to cross genres and cultures, it’s also obvious that he has been coddled, cuddled and spoiled by the game and the people around him. It’s possible he only does three things well — pitch, hit and smile — and that’s OK; he wouldn’t be the first celebrity to be over-matched by events off-stage. Charitably, I’m going to assume that Ohtani’s representatives think he’s so perfect that there was never going to be any need to crisis manage anything, and that’s why they were so ham-handed when the story first emerged that Mizuhara was being investigated for his connections to a Southern California bookmaker named Matthew Bowyer. (And hands up if you knew sports wagering wasn’t legal in California.)

Predictably, MLB has been pilloried for being slow off the mark in announcing their own investigation into the situation, but Manfred has a pretty thick playbook on which to fall back. As then-commissioner Bud Selig’s labour point man, Manfred was charged with answering the difficult questions during congressional hearings into the game’s steroid scandal. He doesn’t need reminding that a good portion of the federal investigations surrounding the steroid scandal and evidence gathered came about because of work done by the Internal Revenue Service — and it’s the IRS doing the legwork into Bowyer as part of a larger investigation into bookmaking.

From Manfred’s point of view, the most important thing is limiting the damage done to Ohtani. He knows the same thing his predecessors knew: you can lock out players and screw around with union leaders, but you must at all costs avoid personalizing matters to the point where direct damage is done to the most marketable commodity — your star players. I mean, the fact that no Astros players received discipline in that whole sign-stealing thing owes to more than the fact they were protected by their membership in the MLB Players Association. Manfred dropped the hammer on executives and coaches and managers because they were ready-made scapegoats whose absence wasn’t going to damage the on-field product or ticket sales.

Go back to the steroid scandal, too: other than the obvious big names that found themselves implicated — Bonds, Clemens, Rodriguez, et al. — it’s remarkable how in the end much of it was painted as a systemic failure. And the much-ballyhooed Mitchell Report contained a bunch of names of players who, no disrespect, weren’t exactly bound for Cooperstown. My guess is there are Hall of Famers and players still in the game from that era who breathed a sigh of relief that their names were not in the report.

The good news? Manfred has his scapegoat in Mizuhara, who was said to have known Ohtani for more than a decade before being fired by the Dodgers last week. Swing away, Rob. The bad news? The Feds are going to do what they always do: they will pick away at each thread and follow the money and whatever paper trail or electronic message chain exists.

Again, for those in the back: it has been suggested on and off the record that Mizuhara gambled on NBA, NFL and international soccer games — not MLB games — and no evidence has emerged that Ohtani himself gambled on any sport. It doesn’t matter whether we believe Ohtani really didn’t realize he was missing $4.5 million or whether any of us buy into the sudden change in narrative from “he was just covering for a friend” to he was the victim of a “massive theft” of $4.5 million. Neither does it matter whether we buy into the idea that Ohtani didn’t realize what was being written and said about his role until after he’d heard Friedman’s clubhouse message, that stuff was lost in translation because Mizuhara, like some sort of Svengali, was controlling the message.

In a statement to the media on Monday, Ohtani said he never bet on sports and Mizuhara stole from him and told lies.

It is now a matter of public knowledge that the first contact between Bowyer, the bookmaker, and Mizuhara came at a poker game in San Diego at which Bowyer was invited by an acquaintance of a teammate of Ohtani’s, David Fletcher. Again: nothing untoward other than another name somehow connected to MLB. And that’s what will keep Manfred up at night: the feds will not care how long their investigation takes or where it goes. They care not for the narrative, and it’s difficult to see how Ohtani doesn’t emerge from this at least a little diminished.

The MLBPA does the right thing. Unfortunately.

Morally, it was a fine thing done in 2022 by the MLBPA when it helped gain financial and practical concessions for the 5,500 minor leaguers who for so long had been indentured workers.

Strategically and organizationally? It’s a calamity. In giving minor leaguers 34 seats on the MLBPA’s executive board — just four less than Major League players — it helped set the stage for what appears to be a coup that could result in the ousting of chief negotiator Bruce Meyer and MLBPA executive director Tony Clark.

Suddenly, the strongest union in sports — the template for other sports unions — is split between two groups of players with vastly different realities and interpretations. I’ll admit I’m not a huge fan of Clark, but I’m not certain where this goes or what he can do. The warning signs were there in the last round of collective bargaining when all eight members of his executive board, five of whom were Scott Boras clients, recommended against accepting ownership’s offer only to have the wider body of players go against their wishes and vote in favour of it.

This winter, we saw Boras clients settle for less term and, in some instances, less money in free agency and that has implications for other players, since salaries at the top end of the market (which Boras controls) impact salaries at the lower and middle end. So, there might be a revenge of the nerds thing at work.

But here’s the thing: MLBPA founder Marvin Miller always warned the players that ownership’s primary negotiating tactic was driving as many wedges as possible between player groups. It would be something if this thing neuters itself while all Manfred and the owners do is simply stand back and watch. But I fear that’s where this is going…

New order?

I’ll admit it: Blue Jays analyst Buck Martinez made me sit up a little straighter Saturday afternoon when he related a conversation with manager John Schneider in which the skipper suggested Bo Bichette might find himself hitting third or cleaning up in 2024, even though most everyone seems to agree that if all is going to plan he’ll be in his usual No. 2 spot behind George Springer — who, according to people in the know, doesn’t take kindly to even a hint he ought to move out of the lead-off spot. We know Bichette prefers consistency and he’s earned the right to say his piece. So, bear that in mind if Schneider starts fiddling around with the lineup…

Dumbing down the discourse …

For someone who remembers season ticket holders using the annual state of the franchise gathering to grill then-CEOs Paul Godfrey and Paul Beeston about why there wasn’t any hot water in the washrooms, I’m shocked at the way people dismiss the work Mark Shapiro, Marnie Starkman and their team has done on renovating the Rogers Centre.

For someone who remembers spit-balling with Godfrey how, when and where a new ballpark might be built and whether it would require public money (woof), I’m confused about the reaction to an investment that not only keeps the damned roof retracting, but also offers the team a means of increasing the number of revenue streams that will give Shapiro or whoever is in charge down the road a reasonable hope of maintaining a payroll in the top eight or above.

I mean, I get it: I’d trade a few Loonie Dogs and live music and some fancy cocktails for somebody else at third base, but let’s be clear: this was a necessary investment that should not be summarily dismissed or used to score cheap points in the court of public opinion. There’s no shortage of on-field stuff on which to judge this front office. Hey, we’d have all liked Ohtani to be a Blue Jay, I bet (sorry, I had to.) Some of us would settle for Bichette being locked up long-term. But neither is closer without this overhaul. Farther away, in fact …

Jeff Blair hosts Blair & Barker daily on Sportsnet 590 The Fan, Sportsnet 360 and on-demand as a podcast. The show switches to its new time, 2-4 p.m. ET, on Tuesday.

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Mark Taylor/CP Toronto Blue Jays George Springer Q&A: Blue Jays’ Springer at midpoint of contract: ‘There’s been some good, some bad, some ugly’ 5912523 three_cols Fri, 22 Mar 2024 09:02:39 EDT Fri, 22 Mar 2024 17:25:08 EDT David Singh When the Toronto Blue Jays signed George Springer ahead of the 2021 season, the club did so with the hope he would be the straw that stirred its drink. How does he think it’s gone? David Singh checks in.

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DUNEDIN, Fla. — When the Toronto Blue Jays signed George Springer ahead of the 2021 season, the club did so with the hope he would be the straw that stirred its drink. He’s certainly had some great experiences in a Blue Jays uniform, but at the same time, it’s fair to say the 34-year-old has yet to author a signature moment with the organization.

Springer inked a six-year, $150-million contract that remains the largest in franchise history. He’s currently at the halfway point of the deal and, with that in mind, it’s reasonable to ask the outfielder how he would evaluate his performance during the contract so far.

“I would say there’s been some good, there’s been some bad, there’s been some ugly,” Springer responds.

When the Blue Jays failed to acquire any impact bats in the off-season, it became clear the club’s 2024 fortunes would hinge on the rebounds of several players who took a step backward last year.

Springer is a member of that group.

Though he did remain healthy — Springer played in 154 games, the second-highest number of his career — he hit .258/.327/.405 with 21 home runs and an OPS-plus of 102, just two points above the league average. He produced 2.1 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs — his lowest WAR since his rookie season, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign.

The Blue Jays desperately need Springer to return to some level of the star whom they signed, one who’s been a difference maker on winning teams in the past.  

Don Mattingly, Blue Jays bench coach and offensive coordinator, is confident that can be the case.

He wasn’t so bad last year,” Mattingly says. “He played great defence last year. But, as the season went on, he only got better. So, it’s really just trying to get him going early. But George is a great player, so that’s what gives me confidence. [You don’t worry about] guys that have been able to do it in the past.

“He’s still in great shape, his bat’s still coming through the zone,” continues Mattingly. “There’s nothing really changed in that regard. So, there’s nothing that says he’s going to go backward.”

Sportsnet chatted with Springer during a recent morning in camp to learn about his thoughts as he enters what’s shaping up to be a pivotal year in his tenure with the Blue Jays.

Sportsnet: When a season ends, do you have your own process that you go through to reflect on how the past year went?

George Springer: I’m not one to really dwell on stuff because I just feel that throughout the course of the year, you kind of know what’s happening. For me, I try to just shut off. Shut down and try to give myself a little bit of time to just process getting through another full season. I normally don’t like to spend a ton of time on it, but I will [reflect].

SN: What does that look like for you when you do ‘shut down’?

Springer: I’m not a baseball guy, if that makes sense. Like, I don’t watch baseball. I don’t listen to it, I don’t follow it. It’s just not me. It’s more of spending time with my kids. Spend time with my family in my happy place at home. Out by a fire pit, hanging out and relaxing to some degree.

SN: When you eventually got to that point last fall and reflected on your 2023, did you arrive at any conclusions?

Springer: That it was better than I thought it was. It was better than it looked. But I think, at the end of the day, that doesn’t matter. It was a lot of stuff that I was very proud of — obviously a heavy workload, being available for 162 [games]. I was very proud of the way I gave the team, the fans, everything I had every day. It might not necessarily have correlated into stats and numbers and all that good stuff, which I understand. But at the end of the day, I knew I gave every ounce of whatever it is I had all year. I thought defensively I was good. Offensively, there was a lot of good things that happened. The numbers may say one thing, but there’s a lot of times where I felt like I hit the ball hard and just hit it at somebody. But, yeah, that’s just the game.

SN: And then heading into the off-season after that reflection period, did you have any specific areas you were working on improving?

Springer: Nothing specifically. Just overall, as a whole, I need to be better. I want to be better. I owe that to the guys in this room and the fans. I don’t think it’s fair to just say I’ll concentrate on one thing because I just feel like there’s a lot of aspects that I think all of us could always be better at.

SN: You’re halfway into your contract. How do you evaluate the last three years for you and how you’ve done?

Springer: I would say there’s been some good, there’s been some bad, there’s been some ugly. Obviously, I’ve been hurt a little bit [in 2021 and 2022]. But that’s the game. That’s going to happen. I think for me, there’s a lot of stuff that happens that doesn’t show up on a boxscore. I’m not a big numbers guy. I obviously would always like to perform at my peak. I believe that I owe that to everybody.

SN: Every player looks at every season as important. But given all the factors, do you view this as your biggest year as a Blue Jays player? How do you frame it in your mind?

Springer: No, I never thought of that. Just because I think all of us understand, Yes, we want to win. There’s nobody who wants us to win more than the guys in this room. We owe that to everybody. To do it in our division is hard and to do it in this league is hard. It’s not as easy as everybody maybe thinks it is. This is the major leagues. But this is a very talented group. And I just think for us, it’s not about proving things or going out and trying to be something that we’re not. It’s about understanding who we are as a team. And that there is a standard that’s been set.

SN: You’ve got 10 years in the big leagues. You’ve got a World Series ring. You’re turning 35 this season. What’s left for George Springer to accomplish during his remaining time in the game?

Springer: Besides the obvious? I want to bring [a championship] here. I want to do that. I’m not a numbers guy, not an awards guy. My goal, just like it was when I got here was, at the end of it, to hopefully leave the guys who are here and the organization in a much better place. Hopefully, guys have learned something or taken something [from me]. That could be anything. But, hopefully, I was able to help somebody.

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Cole Burston/CP Toronto Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro Shapiro: New revenue streams from dome reno ‘will better support’ Blue Jays payroll 5912523 three_cols Thu, 21 Mar 2024 19:11:50 EDT Thu, 21 Mar 2024 20:37:47 EDT Shi Davidi The second phase of the Rogers Centre renovation, with a price tag for the entire project now pushing toward $400 million, according to Toronto Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro, accomplishes several things.

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DUNEDIN, Fla. – The second phase of the Rogers Centre renovation, with a price tag for the entire project now pushing toward $400 million, according to Toronto Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro, accomplishes several things.

From better seating that’s closer to the field and more oriented toward the action in the lower bowl, a better home clubhouse with a batting cage and running track behind the expanded dugout, to new club lounges that will be ready mid-season, as planned, and give the team long-lacking premium offerings, the experience at the 35-year-old dome is being totally transformed.

Perhaps more pertinently, the corresponding impact on revenues “will better support the way we’ve spent the past few off-seasons,” Shapiro said during an hour-long discussion with media Thursday at the club’s Player Development Complex.

“Upper levels of payroll are likely to be where we are or where we have been at,” he later added, an indication he views the club’s current projected 2024 payroll of $247.4 million for Competitive Balance Tax purposes – right between the first and second luxury-tax thresholds of $237 and $257 million – as a sustainable spending ceiling.

Still, Shapiro then added an intriguing caveat, saying, “What I would caution you is to draw firm conclusions on that.”

“Obviously you saw there was a unique business case this off-season where it would have taken us significantly above that,” he continued, referencing the club’s unsuccessful pursuit of Shohei Ohtani in free agency. “For the right player and the right situation and the right moment of our team, there’s always an openness with this ownership. They’ve been unbelievably supportive, whether it’s $400 million for a renovation or whether it’s taking our payroll to unprecedented levels in two years of exceeding the CBT.”

The Blue Jays paid a luxury tax charge of $5.5 million on their 2023 payroll, the first time in franchise history they’d cleared the threshold line, which last year stood at $233 million. Should they add any one of minor-league free agents Joey Votto, Daniel Vogelbach or Eduardo Escobar to the roster, their 2024 total would push toward $250 million with potential room to add mid-season while avoiding the second tax threshold.

As a second-time CBT tax payor, any amount over $237 million is taxed at 30 per cent, with an additional 12 per cent surcharge on overages of $20-$40 million. Teams that spend beyond the CBT threshold, which next year rises to $241 million, in three consecutive seasons are charged a 50 per cent tax on their overages, an interesting wrinkle to remember next fall.

How they proceed once there will only be part of the intrigue for the Blue Jays, who will also face major strategic questions with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Jordan Romano, among several other players, eligible for free agency after the 2025 season.

Barring extensions that lock in their cornerstones, a shrinking competitive window only adds to the stakes this year for a Blue Jays team that’s been to the post-season in three of the past four seasons, missing out on the playoffs by one game in the other.

Despite that, this winter their biggest spend was on righty Yariel Rodriguez, who signed a five-year deal that guarantees $32 million. Isiah Kiner-Falefa, at $16 million over two years, was their only other external multi-year deal, as the $21 million over two years for Chad Green was an option they held and exercised. Justin Turner at $13 million and Kevin Kiermaier at $10.5 million, were their other major adds, all short-term moves that keep the club’s options open longer-term.

Those disciplined and responsible moves are a jarring contrast to the bold ambition of a pursuit of Ohtani, with the barrier to entry reflected in his $700-million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The reason for the wide disparity in approaches, Shapiro explained, “is pretty obvious.”

“Ohtani is a very unique case that generates revenue and extreme levels of performance, like number of wins, beyond any other player,” he explained. “Easier to justify that expense. Still an extensive conversation with ownership, not a simple process, unbelievable amount of time spent kind of walking through that. Without him, it’s a conventional off-season.”

That conventional off-season produced the above moves after “a rigorous, thorough examination of what the potential strategies could be,” with that fivesome essentially replacing departed free agents Matt Chapman, Hyun Jin Ryu, Whit Merrifield, Brandon Belt and deadline add Jordan Hicks.

In that way, the Blue Jays’ winter was about maintaining their floor while betting on internal improvements to make them a better team this year than they were a year ago, with Shapiro saying, “We just took the best strategy we could build based upon the players in place.”

“I’m not sure how you examine the alternatives – do you just trade a whole team away and try to recreate a team?” he said. “We’re not playing Strat-O-Matic baseball. We’ve got a strong core in place, so we doubled down in the belief of our own players and still added – we added $50 million dollars in payroll. … But the core of this off-season, without a doubt, was built upon the belief in our players.”

To that end, the strong camps thus far by Guerrero, Alejandro Kirk, George Springer and Daulton Varsho bode well for the Blue Jays. But for a team that made major moves in each of the previous four off-seasons – Ryu in 2019-20, Springer and Marcus Semien in 2020-21, Kevin Gausman, Yusei Kikuchi and Matt Chapman plus the Jose Berrios extension in 2021-22 and Chris Bassitt in 2022-23 – this conventional off-season, in a free-agent market not ideal for their needs it should be noted, was different than the others.

“I do understand and sympathize that from maybe some media and from a fan perspective, core-avid-fan perspective, off-seasons are won or lost by sensationalism, by big names. In my career, teams that win the off-season don’t often or sometimes don’t win the regular season,” said Shapiro. “We’re not picking names out of baseball cards. We’re building a team. And we felt like the depth of experiences, the commitment of our own guys along with just the talent, we believed in our guys. That’s the bottom line.”

One with far-reaching implications across the board no matter how it plays out this season.

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Sportsnet Plus Home Page Feature features_banner_story Wed, 11 Oct 2023 12:04:02 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 08:52:25 EDT Billy Duke sn-features (Jae C. Hong/AP) CP170327989 MLB on Sportsnet: Cardinals vs. Dodgers full_width Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:47:00 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:11:00 EDT Sportsnet Staff Superstar Shohei Ohtani makes his home debut as the Dodgers hold their home opener against the Cardinals. You can watch the game at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+, or follow along with our live MLB tracker.

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Superstar Shohei Ohtani makes his home debut as the Dodgers hold their home opener against the Cardinals. You can watch the game at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT on Sportsnet or Sportsnet+, or follow along with our live MLB tracker.

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Baseball MLB 2618013 sn-article
At The Letters_1280x720 At The Letters Podcast At The Letters: What’s ahead for Blue Jays in 2024? full_width Wed, 27 Mar 2024 08:26:01 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 08:26:03 EDT Sportsnet Staff With the 2024 season about to begin, Arden and Ben start with the latest news out of Blue Jays camp (00:39) before discussing the high stakes for the coming season (38:07) and whether the team has enough bats (53:02).

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With the 2024 season about to begin, Arden and Ben start with the latest news out of Blue Jays camp (00:39) before discussing the high stakes for the coming season (38:07) and whether the team has enough bats (53:02).

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orelvis martinez Gap to gap: Blue Jays spring training Statcast standouts full_width Tue, 26 Mar 2024 10:08:35 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 08:49:56 EDT Arden Zwelling Strong Statcast readings don’t always translate to strong slugging percentages or strikeout rates. But these measurables do tell you which players can do things others can’t. Here is a look at a few players who flashed loud tools at Blue Jays camp.

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DUNEDIN, Fla. — At the end of Blue Jays camp last spring, veteran catcher Rob Brantly led all hitters with a .438 batting average over 16 games. He ultimately finished 2023 without appearing in a single MLB contest. Meanwhile, Chris Bassitt had a team-worst 5.60 ERA over five spring appearances. He went on to pitch to an ERA two full runs lower across 200 innings once the games began to count.

Every spring it’s the same story. Small-sample Grapefruit League results tell us little about how a player’s season is likely to play out. Grapefruit League measurables, on the other hand, can tell you something about an athlete’s ability.

If you put a ball in play with an exceptionally high exit velocity, you’ve demonstrated an aptitude to produce the kind of contact that leads most often to extra-base hits. If you register a high sprint speed, you can undeniably move quicker than most players, which leads to better baserunning, greater defensive range, and reaching base more often on soft contact.

Strong Statcast readings don’t always translate to strong slugging percentages or strikeout rates. But these measurables do tell you which players can do things others can’t. So, let’s mine some of the data collected by Hawk-Eye technology at minor-league ballparks around Florida this spring to highlight a few players who flashed loud tools at Blue Jays camp.

Yimi Garcia’s fastball velocity

If someone asked you which Blue Jays pitcher threw the hardest this spring, you’d probably say Nate Pearson. And you’d be right — Pearson was his usual, over-powering self, touching 100 a handful of times.

But you might not have expected the guy who threw second-hardest:

Blue Jays average fastball velocity (mph, minimum 25 pitches)

Name

1. Nate Pearson

97.4

2. Yimi Garcia

96.5

3. Jordan Romano

96.3

4. Yosver Zulueta

96.2

5. Hagen Danner

96.0

6. Zach Pop

95.9

6. Ricky Tiedemann

95.9

8. Mitch White

95.8

9. Brendon Little

95.3

10. Wes Parsons

95.0

Yimi Garcia has been throwing gas from the jump, touching 98 in his first spring appearance back in February before reaching 99 in each of his next two outings. When we saw Garcia increasing intensity early in camp a year ago, it was thought that the veteran right-hander was merely preparing for the mid-March World Baseball Classic. But as it turns out, the WBC had little to do with it.

“I want to throw hard always,” Garcia says. “I work really hard in the off-season so I can do that. A lot of weight room. A lot of throwing. A lot of bullpens. I never stop. That’s why my velocity is always there.”


Garcia trained this winter at a facility near his home in Arizona with Cincinnati Reds starter Frankie Montas and New York Yankees reliever Dennis Santana. Coming off a career-high 66 innings pitched in 2023, Garcia took about a month off from throwing to let his arm recover. But by December, the 33-year-old was pitching off a mound at least five days a week, mixing high-intensity bullpens with lighter, moderate-effort sessions.

Utilizing feedback from Montas and Santana, Garcia worked to develop a new sweeper he hopes to add to his already-deep arsenal this season, while tweaking the changeup and cutter that gradually faded from his pitch mix down the stretch in 2023.

Garcia will always be primarily a fastball-curveball pitcher. But the changeup gives him an additional arm-side weapon against left-handed hitters, who he doesn’t typically use his sinker against, while the cutter is useful glove-side away from righties and up to lefties when Garcia tunnels it effectively off his fastball. He plans to use the sweeper in two-strike counts to encourage right-handers to chase off the plate.

If that all sounds like a lot, well, it is. Garcia intends to carry seven pitches — four-seamer, two-seamer, cutter, slider, sweeper, changeup, curveball — in his toolbox this season, utilizing whichever’s feeling best on any given day within Toronto’s attack plan against various opponents.

Of course, it all starts with his high-90’s fastball, which has been overpowering this spring. After Garcia tied a career-high by averaging 96-mph with his heater in 2023, he appears well positioned to exceed that a decade after making his big-league debut.

With Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson beginning the season on the injured list, having an experienced, hard-throwing, versatile weapon like Garcia on hand is a blessing for Toronto’s coaching staff. Considering how strong he’s looked throughout spring, expect to see a lot of Garcia early this season.

“For me, it doesn’t matter what inning I pitch. My goal is to pitch the best I can, no matter what situation I come into the game,” Garcia says. “I always try to do the best I can to help the team to win. It doesn’t matter when. Seventh, eighth, ninth, multiple innings. They can put me in to start if they want to. I’m happy with everything.”

Orelvis Martinez’s power

Among Blue Jays hitters to put at least five balls in play this spring, only Brian Serven (the Blue Jays secondary catcher who reworked his swing path over the winter with famed hitting coach Craig Wallenbrock) and Bo Bichette posted a higher average air exit velocity — which filters out groundballs — than Orelvis Martinez:

Blue Jays average air exit velocity (mph, minimum five balls in play)

Name

1. Brian Serven

96.5

2. Bo Bichette

94.5

3. Orelvis Martinez

94.4

4. Tanner Morris

93.9

5. Eduardo Escobar

92.7

6. Steward Berroa

92.6

6. Kevin Kiermaier

92.6

8. Daniel Vogelbach

92.2

9. Danny Jansen

92.0

10. George Springer

91.8

And the only Blue Jays to hit a ball in the air harder than Martinez this spring were Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bichette:

Blue Jays hardest-hit balls in play (mph, excluding groundballs)

Name

1. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

113.0

2. Bo Bichette

112.0

3. Orelvis Martinez

111.2

4. Orelvis Martinez

110.8

5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

110.5

6. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

110.3

7. Will Robertson

110.1

8. Bo Bichette

108.8

8. Kevin Kiermaier

108.8

10. Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

108.3

That’s how you lead the minor leagues in homers, as Martinez has with 86 since 2021. And that’s why the infielder has been a steady presence on top-100 prospect lists throughout that span. The only minor-leaguers that have come close to matching Martinez’s power production over the last three seasons are well into their mid-to-late 20’s. Martinez is only 22.

Of course, that proliferation of too-old-to-still-be-considered-a-prospect sluggers in the upper minors is itself a cautionary tale. It takes more than raw power to survive in the big-leagues, and Martinez’s biggest challenge as a professional has been making better swing decisions and cutting down an elevated whiff rate that has led to strikeouts in bunches.

But Martinez shaved nearly five points off his strikeout rate from 2022 to 2023 while increasing his walk rate by four-and-a-half. With the book long out on him, and minor-league pitchers throwing him more breaking balls than fastballs over the last two seasons, Martinez has demonstrated an ability to make adjustments, be more selective, and do a better job forcing pitchers onto the plate.

That’s why Blue Jays developers will tell you Martinez is entering 2024 in the best spot he’s been in since joining the organization in 2019. The test this year at triple-A — where Martinez will be a half-decade younger than the average age — will be avoiding or quickly overcoming the initial struggles he’s consistently demonstrated when exposed to a new level throughout his career.

For what it’s worth in such a minuscule sample, Martinez went strikeout-for-walk across 20 spring training plate appearances while posting a 16.7 per cent chase rate. If he can keep laying off-spin, hammering mistakes, and actualizing his power in games, you’ll likely see Martinez in a Blue Jays uniform before the end of 2024. And he might just chart a Babe Schneider-esque arc if he times a hot streak with that opportunity.

Ernie Clement’s speed

Ernie Clement will bring some very specific strengths to the Blue Jays this season in his bench utility role, including positional versatility, uncommon bat-to-ball skill, and an evolving swing path that’s helping him hit more line drives. But an element of his game we probably don’t talk about enough is his speed. No Blue Jay this spring displayed more of it than Clement:

Blue Jays average sprint speed as a batter (feet per second)

Name

1. Ernie Clement

29.5

2. Steward Berroa

29.4

3. Cam Eden

29.3

3. Devonte Brown

29.1

3. Kevin Kiermaier

29.1

6. Alan Roden

28.7

6. Rafael Lantigua

28.7

8. Zach Britton

28.6

8. Nathan Lukes

28.6

10. Cavan Biggio

28.5

With Whit Merrifield and Matt Chapman departed, and Kevin Kiermaier and George Springer getting deeper into their mid-30’s, it’s fair to argue Clement’s the fastest player on Toronto’s opening-day roster.

Of course, speed is an attribute, while base-stealing is a skill. And Clement hasn’t demonstrated that skill in the majors, swiping only one bag. He has a spotty minor-league track record, too, having been successful on just 68.8 per cent of attempts (55-of-80).

But speed can be impactful in other ways. Clement’s pace out of the box when he uses his contact ability to put balls in play will apply pressure to defenders (he posted two of Toronto’s five fastest home-to-first times this spring) and when he’s on base he’ll be liable to go first-to-third or second-to-home on groundballs that sneak through the infield.

Clement’s role on this team isn’t to carry an offence — it’s to be a versatile contributor in select situations that play to his strengths. That includes putting balls in play when contact is preferable, bouncing between every infield position with the occasional outfield appearance, and providing a high-end speed element Toronto’s roster otherwise lacks.

Connor Cooke and Mason Fluharty’s slider movement

No one in Blue Jays camp spins a breaking ball quite like Paolo Espino. But a couple of young relievers who will join him at triple-A Buffalo this season are giving the 37-year-old journeyman a run for his money.

Averaging nearly 19 inches of horizontal movement this spring, Connor Cooke’s slider featured the most bite of any Blue Jay in camp. And Mason Fluharty wasn’t far behind, flinging his primary pitch with only an inch less of glove-side break across the zone:

Blue Jays average glove-side movement (inches, minimum 25 pitches)

Name

Pitch

1. Connor Cooke

Slider

18.6

2. Paolo Espino

Sweeper

18.1

3. Mason Fluharty

Sweeper

17.8

4. Bowden Francis

Curveball

15.7

5. Jose Berrios

Slurve

15.0

6. Paolo Espino

Curveball

14.6

7. Chad Dallas

Slider

13.6

8. Chris Bassitt

Curveball

13.1

9. Ricky Tiedemann

Slider

12.9

10. Yimi Garcia

Curveball

12.7

Of course, all that movement is only effective if you can use it to earn strikes, and Fluharty was more successful than Cooke in that regard. Fluharty threw a strike with two-thirds of his sliders this spring while Cooke got one with a little less than half of his.

There’s no questioning Cooke’s ability to throw strikes when he’s on — he ran a 40.6 per cent strikeout rate in 2023 over 44.1 innings spread between high-A, double-A, and triple-A. But he battled control issues at times in Blue Jays camp, walking 10.7 per cent of the batters he faced.

Fluharty’s command was inconsistent this spring, as well, but he overcame it with a monstrous 38.7 per cent strikeout rate across his seven appearances. Among the 18 pitchers in camp to face at least 30 batters, only Espino and Chad Green posted a better K-BB rate than Fluharty’s 25.8 per cent.

Last season, Fluharty struck out a mere 30 per cent of the batters he faced while splitting time between high-A and double-A, generating a ton of awkward swings with a unique, left-handed pitch profile in which he plays that big slider off an upshoot cutter from a three-quarter’s arm slot. The right-handed Cooke can be an uncomfortable look, as well, dropping and driving to create a low release point that helps his mid-90’s fastball carry past bats from an uncommon angle.

As pure relief prospects signed out of college, the 24-year-old Cooke and 22-year-old Fluharty are a lot closer to the majors than some may realize. And you could throw 24-year-old TJ Brock’s name in that mix, as well. All he did last season was strike out 37.3 per cent of the batters he faced between high-A and Double-A, running his heater up to 98 as a secondary pitch — yes, his secondary pitch — off a high-80’s bullet slider with mean downward bite that he’s leaned on as his primary weapon.

The Blue Jays feel good about their bullpen this season, returning nearly all of a group that led MLB with a 17.7 K-BB rate in 2023. But no other position group is more volatile than relievers, whether by injury or sudden underperformance. And if the Blue Jays are in need of mid-season reinforcements, arms such as Cooke’s, Fluharty’s, and Brock’s are ones to keep an eye on. They’ve certainly proven they have the stuff.

Arden Zwelling is an on-field reporter for Blue Jays broadcasts on Sportsnet. Gap-to-gap is his regular space for expanded Blue Jays and MLB notes, thoughts, and non-sequiturs that don’t quite fit on TV..

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Nathan Denette/CP Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Why committing to the Toronto Blue Jays this year feels different feed_column Tue, 26 Mar 2024 13:20:20 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 08:49:36 EDT Tao of Stieb Why should fans of the Toronto Blue Jays commit to the next six months of misery and suffering and torment? Tao of Stieb has the answers.

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TORONTO — At the outset of the 2024 Major League Baseball season, there are high expectations of what would constitute success for the Toronto Blue Jays. And yet, there is also low confidence amongst the fanbase that they can meet those expectations.

It’s a peculiar situation from the outside looking in, though for Blue Jays fans who have lived through the team’s most recent competitive window, such a circumstance is well-earned.

Blue Jays fans are well aware that they are approaching the later stages of this competitive window, and for all of the promise that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette brought with them, the team’s results have ultimately been disappointing, punctuated by soul-punishing conclusions to almost every season in their careers so far.

Add in that the most dramatic moment for fans in recent memory was an ill-fated plane ride that did not bring the game’s most coveted free agent to Toronto, and one can understand how even your most measured Blue Jays supporter is more than a little irritable and twitchy these days.

They say hope springs eternal at this point of the baseball season, but given the wariness that trends toward cynicism, there’s not much margin for error for this year’s Blue Jays. If the series of recent failures would make any fan leery, the punishingly frustrating 2023 season has left many fans feeling contemptuous of the team.

Moreover, an off-season that was a letdown for the futile pursuit of Shohei Ohtani and generally underwhelming otherwise has left some fans wondering whether the front office feels the same level of disappointment at the past results, or the same urgency to compete.

Even with the benefit of inherent enthusiasm for a new year, this prologue of past calamities will weigh heavily on the current season. It means that every negative outcome on the field will take on added meaning. Every setback and bad break will be an extension of the recent history of disappointment and futility.

It certainly won’t be a season to assuage someone with an offhanded assertion that “it’s still early,” unless you are seeking to be rebuked by an ornery fan.

Of course, baseball is a game of failure, and there will be plenty of it in the season ahead. More than a thousand runners will be left on base. Likely more than 100 double plays grounded into. Well over 1,000 strikeouts. Likely more than last year’s 71 errors committed. Somewhere close to 500 walks allowed and 200 home runs against Jays pitchers.

Even in the best-case scenarios for the Blue Jays, they’ll lose around 60 games. That’s at least two full months of days and evenings in which fans will end the day on a bad note.

When you consider it all this way … man, does supporting the Blue Jays ever sound like a lousy existence. When did we become as miserable as (gulp) Yankees fans?

(Some of this perspective clearly comes from the author of this piece being so utterly and terminally online, a place where people aren’t likely to show up to declare how sanguine they feel or how well-adjusted they are.)

So, why do it? Why commit to the next six months of misery and suffering and torment? Especially in the scant few days of warmth and sunshine and summer that are allotted to Canadians?

Maybe it’s because under all of the dust and ashes of past misfortune, there’s some glimmering lights of optimism to be found.

Emerging players such as Davis Schneider and Ernie Clement played their way into roles on the big-league roster by following a good finish to 2023 with a solid spring this year. And Bowden Francis has built upon a succession of improvements to arrive on the roster as a plausible contributor to the rotation this year and in the future.

There is also the matter of a certain Hall of Fame-worthy Canadian who was signed late in the off-season. While even Joey Votto would agree that there are no guarantees for how he could fit in this roster or contribute to the Blue Jays’ success, the possibilities for a finally healthy generational hitter to have real and meaningful moments in his hometown at long last is an exciting possibility.

And finally, there are Guerrero Jr. and Bichette themselves. Every player says all the right things in February and March, but the Jays’ franchise cornerstones arrived in camp carrying themselves much differently, both physically and mentally. They look and sound prepared to grasp the responsibility of leading the team on the field and in the clubhouse, no longer willing to allow others to serve as the veterans on the team.

It could be that the history of this club in the context of this competitive window will continue to cast a considerable shadow over the team’s fortunes and the fanbase’s mood. But ultimately, fans support a team because they want them to succeed. Hopes for the 2024 Toronto Blue Jays may be diminished, but they aren’t extinguished.

And hope is a powerful thing.

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Frank Franklin II/AP Citi Field Mets, Phillies postpone Opening Day games due to rain feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:54:13 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 17:19:15 EDT Sportsnet Staff The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies have both postponed their Opening Day games due to rain.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball openers in New York and Philadelphia were postponed a day until Friday because of rainy forecasts in both cities.

Pete Alonso and the New York Mets were scheduled to host the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday afternoon, a day featuring the first full slate of major league games this year. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres started the season with a two-game series in Seoul, South Korea, last week.

But with wet weather expected much of Thursday in Queens, the Mets announced Wednesday the game was pushed back to Friday at 1:40 p.m.

Minutes later, the Philadelphia Phillies announced their sold-out opener against the NL East rival Atlanta Braves was moved from Thursday at 3:05 p.m. to Friday at the same time due to anticipated rain.

“I’d rather play when it’s safe for the guys, obviously,” new Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said. “Our pitching is a moving target a little bit, you know what I mean? So it’s nicer to have those off days in between, to be honest. But you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do.”

New York and Milwaukee both worked out Wednesday under a cloudy sky at Citi Field.

“Obviously, everybody’s anxious to get going,” Murphy said. “But it’s a six-month season and guys that, our leaders that know better, that have been around — even though there’s only a few of ’em — it’s all part of it. They understand it.”

Murphy took over the defending NL Central champions after manager Craig Counsell bolted for the rival Chicago Cubs during the offseason.

New York turns to first-timer Carlos Mendoza — the former Yankees bench coach was hired to replace Buck Showalter by new president of baseball operations David Stearns, who used to run the Brewers after growing up a Mets fan in New York City.

“It’s getting real,” Mendoza said Wednesday before the opener was postponed. “There will be a lot of emotions and I’m really looking forward to it.”

After trading No. 1 starter Corbin Burnes, a three-time All-Star and the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner, Milwaukee gives Freddy Peralta his first career opening-day start.

Jose Quintana goes for the Mets, minus 2023 NL Rookie of the Year runner-up Kodai Senga because of a shoulder strain. Senga recently began playing catch again, but he’s not expected back until at least late April or May — possibly longer.

Quintana, born in Colombia, just became an American citizen last week.

“I’d rather have it be a nicer day than opening in weather that you have to get pitchers up and then lose pitchers because of the weather,” the 65-year-old Murphy said. “How it affects me is not important. And anxiousness? Nah, I’m too old to be anxious.”

When the Phillies and Braves play Friday, right-handers Zack Wheeler and Spencer Strider will square off in a juicy NL East matchup.

Reigning NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. and the Braves finished 14 games ahead of Philadelphia each of the past two years. But the Phillies ended Atlanta’s postseason in Game 4 of a Division Series at Citizens Bank Park both times.

BREWERS UPDATE

Milwaukee left-hander Wade Miley faced teammates taking simulated at-bats at Citi Field. Miley will open on the injured list after being slowed this spring by shoulder soreness and a groin problem. He is aiming to make his season debut during an April 8-11 series in Cincinnati.

METS UPDATE

Veteran slugger J.D. Martinez, signed late in spring training, stayed back at the team’s complex in Florida when New York broke camp. The 36-year-old designated hitter is taking simulated at-bats against his new teammates and running the bases as he works his way into game shape.

He’ll remain in Port St. Lucie, Florida, for at least a week to 10 days, Mendoza said, before Martinez and the team determine the next step. He isn’t expected to make his Mets debut until at least April 7.

“When we get him, it’s going to be a lot deeper lineup,” Mendoza said.

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CP168587745 Dodgers deferred payroll total rises to $915.5M after adding $50M more in Will Smith deal feed_column Thu, 28 Mar 2024 16:44:37 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 16:44:39 EDT Associated Press Catcher Will Smith’s $140 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers includes $50 million payable from 2034-43, raising the team’s deferred compensation liability to $915.5 million owed five players.

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Catcher Will Smith’s $140 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers includes $50 million payable from 2034-43, raising the team’s deferred compensation liability to $915.5 million owed five players.

Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández also are due deferred payments extending from 2028-44.

Smith receives a $30 million signing bonus under the deal announced Wednesday, half payable on Nov. 15 and the rest on Jan. 15, 2025, according to contract terms obtained by The Associated Press.

He gets salaries of $13.55 million this year. $13 million a year from 2025-27, $9.5 million annually from 2028-32 and $9.95 million in 2033.

Los Angeles will defer $5 million annually, to be paid in equal installments of $500,000 each July 1 from 2034-43.

If Smith is traded, remaining salary will be paid in-season and deferrals eliminated for the remainder of the contract.

Smith gets a hotel suite on road trips and will made an annual charitable contribution.

Ohtani is due $680 million from 2034-43, Freeman $57 million from 2028-40 and Hernández $8.5 million from 2030-39. Betts is owed $115 million in salaries from 2033-44 and the final $5 million of his signing bonus payable from 2033-35.

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(Charlie Neibergall/AP) CP170070898 Blue Jays finalize Opening Day roster, designate Yosver Zulueta for assignment feed_column Thu, 28 Mar 2024 12:27:25 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:05:58 EDT Sportsnet Staff Ahead of Thursday’s season opener against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Toronto Blue Jays officially announced their 26-man active roster.

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Ahead of Thursday’s season opener against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Toronto Blue Jays officially announced their 26-man active roster.

After selecting the contracts of catcher Brian Serven and designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach, the team also announced that it has designated right-handed pitcher Yosver Zulueta for assignment.

Zulueta, Toronto’s No. 17 prospect per MLB Pipeline, is coming off a difficult 2023 season. He posted a 4.08 ERA in 64.0 triple-A innings while walking 45 hitters.

Shortly after the move, the Blue Jays announced that Zulueta was claimed off outright waivers by the Cincinnati Reds.

Toronto also announced its injured list designations, placing pitchers Alek Manoah (shoulder inflammation), Jordan Romano (elbow inflammation) and Erik Swanson (forearm inflammation) on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 25.

Cather Danny Jansen was placed on the day-10 injured list, also retroactive to March 25, with a wrist fracture.

As for the 26 players that will be suiting up for Opening Day, here is the roster that the Blue Jays will start the season with:

PITCHERS (13):
Chris Bassitt, Jose Berrios, Genesis Cabrera, Bowden Francis, Yimi Garcia, Kevin Gausman, Chad Green, Yusei Kikuchi, Tim Mayza, Wes Parsons, Nate Pearson, Trevor Richards, Mitch White.

CATCHERS (2):
Alejandro Kirk, Brian Serven.

INFIELDERS (8):
Bo Bichette, Cavan Biggio, Ernie Clement, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Davis Schneider, Justin Turner, Daniel Vogelbach.

OUTFIELDERS (3):
Kevin Kiermaier, George Springer, Daulton Varsho.

You can watch as Jose Berrios leads the Blue Jays into the 2024 season against the Rays at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.

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baseimage(10)(1) Giants release fan favorite Pablo Sandoval from his minor-league deal feed_column Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:42:53 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:42:56 EDT Associated Press The San Francisco Giants released infielder Pablo Sandoval from his minor-league contract on Thursday, hours before season opener against the San Diego Padres.

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — The San Francisco Giants released infielder Pablo Sandoval from his minor-league contract on Thursday, hours before season opener against the San Diego Padres.

That ended Sandoval’s attempt at a third stint with the club. He batted .250 in 28 spring at-bats with two RBIs.

The 37-year-old Sandoval — a fan favourite nicknamed Kung Fu Panda who was the 2012 World Series MVP — was trying to get back to the big leagues for the first time since 2021, when he batted .178 with a .302 on-base percentage, four homers and 11 RBIs in 69 games with the Atlanta Braves.

Sandoval is a two-time All-Star who played for the Giants’ 2010, 2012 and 2014 championship teams.

Sandoval played for the Giants from 2008-14 before signing a $95 million, five-year contract with the Boston Red Sox, who released him in the summer of 2017. Sandoval then rejoined the Giants for a second stint from 2017-20. He was with the Braves from 2020-21.

The Giants released him in September 2020 after he’d come back in the spring from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow from September 2019. That year, then-manager Bruce Bochy — a father figure to the Venezuelan slugger — gave him one last at-bat despite the injury in what turned out to be his San Francisco farewell.

Sandoval has a .278 batting average, .330 on-base percentage, .443 slugging percentage, 153 homers and 639 RBIs in 1,380 career regular-season games while primarily playing third base.

Sandoval has batted .338 with a .921 OPS in 42 post-season games, including a .426 average and 1.162 OPS in 12 World Series contests.

Also Thursday, the Giants included recently signed left-hander Blake Snell on their opening day roster. Manager Bob Melvin said he’s not sure when Snell will make his first start but that he will throw Friday at the team’s spring training complex in Scottsdale, Arizona. Snell won the 2023 NL Cy Young Award with the Padres before leaving as a free agent.

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17116549865924371 Who will be crowned AL East Champions in 2024? feed_column Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:45:20 EDT Thu, 28 Mar 2024 15:45:20 EDT Sportsnet Video Madison Shipman, Alanna Rizzo, and Mike Petriello join Jamie Campbell on Blue Jays Central to discuss which teams are set to challenge for the title in the AL East in 2024.

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Orioles-2 MLB owners unanimously approve sale of Baltimore Orioles to group led by David Rubenstein feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:59:24 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 13:12:55 EDT Associated Press The sale of the Baltimore Orioles to a new ownership group led by David Rubenstein was unanimously approved Wednesday, Major League Baseball announced.

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David Rubenstein’s purchase of the Baltimore Orioles was approved Wednesday by Major League Baseball owners, clearing the way for the Angelos family to finalize the sale after over three decades running the team.

Approval of 75% of all owners was required, and MLB said the vote was unanimous. It came the day before the team is scheduled to open the season at home against the Los Angeles Angels. Rubenstein and his investor group were expected to close the purchase later Wednesday.

“To own the Orioles is a great civic duty,” Rubenstein, a Carlyle Group Inc. co-founder, said in a statement. “On behalf of my fellow owners, I want the Baltimore community and Orioles fans everywhere to know that we will work our hardest to deliver for you with professionalism, integrity, excellence, and a fierce desire to win games.”

The Orioles scheduled a news conference for Thursday morning with Rubenstein and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore.

Angelos and his family took control of the Orioles in 1993, when Peter Angelos purchased the team for $173 million. Angelos’ health took a turn for the worse in recent years — he died Saturday at age 94 — and his son John has been the team’s chairman, CEO and control person since 2019.

“I thank John Angelos and his family for all they have done to bring us to this point,” Rubenstein said. “John led a dramatic overhaul of the team’s management, roster, recruitment strategy, and farm system in recent years. Our job is to build on these accomplishments to advance a world-class professional sports agenda — with eyes on returning a World Series trophy to Baltimore.”

Rubenstein’s group, which includes Cal Ripken Jr. and Grant Hill, reached an agreement in January to buy the Orioles for an evaluation worth $1.725 billion.

Rubenstein, a Baltimore native, formed Carlyle in 1987. Before that, he practiced law in Washington. From 1977-81, he was a deputy assistant for domestic policy to President Jimmy Carter.

The Orioles are coming off a 101-win season and their first AL East title since 2014. Hopes are high after the team acquired ace right-hander Corbin Burnes in a trade with Milwaukee. Young stars Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson have performed like franchise cornerstones, and Baltimore has another top prospect still in the minors in Jackson Holliday.

With all of that cost-controlled talent, the team’s payroll remains meager, and the question is whether Rubenstein will be a more aggressive spender as the Orioles try to make the most of their opportunity to win a World Series for the first time since 1983.

Before the sale, the big off-season story for the Orioles was securing a long-term lease to stay at Camden Yards. That happened in December with a deal extending the lease for 30 years, with an option to end it after 15 if the team does not receive approval from state officials for development plans next to the stadium.

“Capping our organizational turnaround with a championship in perhaps the toughest division in sports, while fulfilling my pledge that the O’s would forever play ball in Charm City, dovetails perfectly with the privilege to now pass stewardship of Baltimore’s iconic team to a Baltimore native, passionate American, and celebrated philanthropist in David Rubenstein,” John Angelos said Wednesday. “The Orioles are in great hands, and the club, as well as the city and state that it calls home, are well positioned for success into the future.”

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romano Blue Jays’ Erik Swanson, Jordan Romano to begin season on IL feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:24:12 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 18:12:06 EDT Sportsnet Staff Toronto Blue Jays pitchers Erik Swanson, Jordan Romano and Alek Manoah will begin the season on the injured list, manager John Schneider announced at the team’s workout Wednesday.

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Toronto Blue Jays relievers Erik Swanson and Jordan Romano will begin the season on the injured list, manager John Schneider announced at the team’s workout Wednesday.

Schneider also announced that Alek Manoah is “likely” to begin the year on the IL, as well.

Romano has been dealing with elbow inflammation and only returned to throwing over the weekend. He had an MRI last week which revealed no structural damage. He got an anti-inflammatory injection and was initially shut down for three days.

The 30-year-old closer tied a career-high with 36 saves in 2023, pitching to a 2.90 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 59 appearances.

Swanson has been working back from forearm tightness. He started playing catch after suffering the injury last Thursday. He appeared in just two Grapefruit League games after missing the beginning of camp to care for his son, who was hit by a car.

In 2023, Swanson was one of Toronto’s most reliable relievers, posting a 2.97 ERA and striking out 75 hitters over 66.2 innings of work.

“They’re still throwing and kind of building up,” Schneider said, adding there was no set date for either to throw off a mound. “Nothing really new to report for those two guys.”

Manoah had been dealing with shoulder soreness and some inflammation this spring training, only appearing in one Grapefruit League game.

He threw a simulated game earlier Wednesday, throwing 34 pitches over two innings, Schneider said.

“I think you look at today, then from today assuming all goes well, next time out add on some more pitches in hopefully a more competitive game environment,” Schneider said of Manoah’s next steps.

Schneider confirmed that right-handers Wes Parsons and Nate Pearson had both made the Opening Day roster.

The Blue Jays open the regular season Thursday in Tampa Bay with Jose Berrios starting against Zach Eflin and the Rays. You can catch all the action on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ starting at 4 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. PT.

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Daniel Vogelbach Latest buzz from Toronto Blue Jays camp as Opening Day nears feed_column Tue, 26 Mar 2024 14:50:02 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:13:26 EDT Shi Davidi With Opening Day fast approaching, Shi Davidi offers a few impressions and buzzy topics from spring training for the Toronto Blue Jays.

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DUNEDIN, Fla. — Here are a few impressions on how spring training went for the Toronto Blue Jays now that camp has broken and Thursday’s season-opener at the Tampa Bay Rays nears:

“We’re in the moment,” says shortstop Bo Bichette. “Showing up every day, it seems that everybody comes to the field to work at a really high level. It’s not that we didn’t before, but it’s just it’s a different level, I think, which is important for us. Seems like we’re in the moment and looking forward. It’s a good thing.”

“Our starters are all really, really good,” says right-hander Chris Bassitt. “The lineup is something really good. I think they’re super focused. Obviously, a lot of guys came into spring training in different shape than they were, say, last year. For the most part, I think a lot of guys are hungry to kind of prove people wrong, kind of thing. I know a lot of people have said that, but it’s true.”

“On the hitting side, I can already see what we’ve been able to do,” says ace righty Kevin Gausman. “I haven’t been to every game this spring, but the games I’ve watched, our guys look really good. They’re hitting the opposite way, taking pitches where they’re at, not trying to do too much in spots. We’ve been running the bases really well. That’s one thing I’ve noticed. We’re doing things to create some havoc out there. I’m excited to see that.”

“Just having guys understand what they’re good at and what pitches they’re trying to hit or what zones they’re trying to really cover, and then in turn how they’re getting a pitcher into those spots, that’s been cool,” says manager John Schneider. “The overall prep and the conversations that happened before and during games, the results have been good. You don’t want to read too much into it in spring training. Plans are much more in depth in season. But it’s been nice to see that, and it gives you a lot of confidence with the plan because the talent is obviously here. That was our main goal with the offence, have a really good plan in place for each and every one of them and then in turn, see how that lines up one through nine.”

All of the above will soon be tested in practice when the grind begins at Tropicana Field. But before we get there, let’s empty out the spring training notebook:

TWO-HOLE TRANSITION?: Sunday, in the Blue Jays’ penultimate game of the spring, Schneider had Vladimir Guerrero Jr. batting second with Bichette batting third, a small flip behind leadoff man George Springer.

Will it stick?

“It could be either one, you know what I mean?” said Schneider. “I really like the way (Guerrero) is swinging the bat. I think having him in between George and Bo is a good thing. There’s no real perfect way to slice it, you know what I mean, when you’re talking about those three guys. Pretty sure we’re set on how we’re going to roll it out. But you’ll see on Thursday.”

Schneider’s goal is to keep the lineup as consistent as possible, a sentiment shared by Bichette.

“I prefer it to be consistent, whatever it is,” he said. “(Batting third) is fine. Other lineups are fine. I prefer for it to be consistent.”

BIGGIO’S UNUSUAL BUILDUP: Left shoulder pain caused by biceps tendonitis has been a constant in Cavan Biggio’s life for two years now, but this off-season he experienced a new level of misery. When he tried swinging, he’d feel a sharp pain. When he’d reach into his cupboard to grab something, he’d experience a sharp pain. He switched hands on the steering wheel to avoid those jolts while driving.

So when he got to spring training, his initial focus was on strengthening the shoulder rather than taking cuts. He and Andrew Pipkin, the club’s medical director, developed a gradual buildup plan to progressively get him ready for the season, something he feels like he is, now that camp has wrapped up.

“Definitely, it was a different spring training for me, for sure, just from not picking up a bat until the end of February,” Biggio said after ripping an RBI double in Monday’s pre-season finale. “But the No. 1 thing overall is just that I got healthy as fast as I could. When I got here to Florida, I was in a lot of pain, even just in my everyday life. Getting treatment on it for hours a day before you get back in baseball stuff really paid off. I can’t thank our PT staff enough. Getting into baseball things, I had a plan to continue to work on things I was working on last year. We definitely sped up a little bit but I’m happy with where I’m at going into the season.”

Biggio said there’s no longer pain “in my everyday life, but it’s still a work in progress.” While he isn’t limited physically, “some days I’m sore, some days I’m not and it’s just making sure that I stay on top of it to have more days where I’m not sore.”

BRESLOW’S BEGINNINGS: Craig Breslow spent the final season of his pitching career in the Toronto Blue Jays system, splitting time between double-A New Hampshire and triple-A Buffalo. The experience remains a vivid one for the Boston Red Sox’s new chief baseball officer, particularly a “galvanizing moment for me that let me know it was time to retire.”

“I was in double-A and I was 38 years old in 2018,” he recalled. “And Vlad and Bo and those guys were there, and I looked around the room and felt like, man, these guys seem like they’re half my age. And then I did the math, and literally they were half my age. So, I was 38 and (Guerrero) was 19. (Bichette was 20). And I realized at that point it was probably time to walk.”

That New Hampshire team also included Biggio, Santiago Espinal, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Jordan Romano, among other future big-leaguers, under the tutelage of one John Schneider. The Blue Jays had hoped to keep Breslow in the organization, with Ben Cherington, then a special assistant in the front office and now GM of the Pittsburgh Pirates, “put together a bit of a multi-disciplinary opportunity for me that would give me exposure across a wide swath of baseball operations responsibilities.”

But Theo Epstein, then still running the Chicago Cubs, lured him over by making him director of strategic initiatives for baseball operations, and Breslow remained there until joining the Red Sox this off-season.

Still, his experience with the Fisher Cats and Blue Jays continues to resonate and inform his thinking.

“I tried to serve in whatever mentorship type role I could and provide whatever counsel I could to those guys,” said Breslow. “To see them go on to have so much success and thrive has been gratifying. I also think it marks a successful blueprint for what successful organizational building can look like in the AL East, where there’s a core of homegrown talent that emerges as the cornerstone group, and that’s supplemented through free agency and through trades. In some ways, that’s what we’d look to replicate in terms of our core position players here in Boston.”

VOGEY, YUSEI AND GOOGLE TRANSLATE: When Daniel Vogelbach and Yusei Kikuchi first saw each other in the Blue Jays clubhouse this spring, they immediately greeted one another with a big hug.

Their friendship dates back to their time as teammates with the Seattle Mariners, when the burly slugger went out of his way to connect with the just-over-from-Japan lefty.

“He always invited me to dinner, just one-on-one, and that was surprising,” Kikuchi said through interpreter Yusuke Oshima. “We were able to communicate only using Google translate. That was pretty memorable. When we started our (2019) season in Japan, I was able to take him out there, get sushi, steak, wagyu beef. We got to really know each other.”

While on the surface they’d seem to make an odd couple, Vogelbach’s initiative is reflective of the type of teammate he strives to be.

“I can’t imagine coming to a new country, not knowing the language, totally different time zone, not having your family and then on top of it, trying to perform at the same time,” he said. “You never know what people are going through. You never know how a little thing can go a long way for somebody. …

“This game is very hard,” he added later. “You can’t control slumps, you can’t control bad weeks, bad months, everybody has them, the person that wins MVP is going to have a bad month. That’s just how it goes. But you can control the type of person you are every day. You can control how you come into the clubhouse and putting a smile on your face. Some days, you’ve got to fake it. But when you’re in there, it’s a choice and it’s something that I pride myself in, being a good teammate and being the same person every day.”

NO ROOM FOR NATHAN: Ernie Clement and had a phenomenal camp and made the Opening Day club. Nathan Lukes had a similarly impressive showing and did not. Such is the cruelty of roster construction, the outfielder in this case being hurt by the fact he had options remaining while the infielder did not.

Schneider described the conversation with Lukes, who’s slated to open the season at triple-A Buffalo, “as tough” because “the things that we’ve asked of him, he’s done them and then some, when it’s his whole game, offence, defence, base-running.

“He’s been a victim of roster construction, whether it’s two other left-handed hitting outfielders and another one that can play the outfield in Cavan,” Schneider continued. “It was a tough spot for him. He totally gets it. He knows he’s not a typical 4A player that’s not on the 40-man and kind of bouncing around. We have all the trust in the world in him, and if there’s an extended period of time that he needs to come and play, we’re comfortable with that. That is valuable to have on your 40-man. And, right now, the timing aspect of it was tough. So, he gets it. He understands that his game is in a really good spot right now. And sometimes you’ve got to just be patient.”

DINGER FOR DAMIANO: A spring ago, Damiano Palmegiani was just making the jump from high-A Vancouver to double-A New Hampshire, the Blue Jays curious but unsure how he’d fare jumping up a level. Monday, he capped off his first big-league spring training with his first two hits, including a home run that went 428 feet at 108.4 mph off the bat.

“It’s a process and baseball is always a marathon, it’s not a sprint,” said the corner infielder from Surrey, B.C. “It’s just all the little stuff we’ve been working on in the cage and in the games, through the ups and downs of everything. I wasn’t trying to get too big up there or anything like that, really. I was trying to keep it simple, and it all came together, so I feel like I’m ready for the season to start.”

NIMMALA’S NO-DOUBTER: A fun moment in camp came March 20 when Arjun Nimmala, the club’s first-round pick last summer, made his first ever Grapefruit League at-bat count by taking veteran lefty Brian Moran deep.

Nimmala, 18, is 17 years younger than Moran and during a discussion with Schneider before the game, the messaging had been to simply enjoy the experience and get his work in. Then he crushed a 3-1 fastball well over the left-field wall and the excitement in the Blue Jays dugout as he returned made for quite the scene.

“It was a lot of fun inside of that moment,” said Nimmala. “Words really can’t explain it. It’s like, wow, first at-bat, first home run, it was definitely a lot of fun and I tried to embrace the moment as much as I can. Got a lot of congrats and pats on the back from all the coaches and teammates. It was a great moment.”

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(Ryan Sun/AP) CP170312544 Dodgers, catcher Will Smith finalize 10-year, $140M extension feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:35:35 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 17:11:17 EDT Sportsnet Staff The Los Angeles Dodgers and catcher Will Smith are finalizing a 10-year, $140 million extension, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers and catcher Will Smith are ina agreement on a 10-year, $140 million extension, the team announced Wednesday.

Smith, 28, is in his sixth season with the Dodgers after being selected in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of the University of Louisville.

He would have been eligible for free agency following the 2025 season.

A first-time All-Star in 2023, Smith posted a .261/.359/.438 slash line with 19 home runs and 76 RBIs in 126 games.

In the Dodgers’ two games in Korea to open the 2024 season, Smith went 5-for-10 with a double and two RBIs.

Smith was a member of Los Angeles’ 2020 World Series-winning team, and has appeared in the post-season in all five of his major league seasons. In 154 career playoff at-bats, he has hit .221/.297/.390.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that there will be deferred money as part of the deal.

The move comes after a major off-season of spending for the Dodgers, who added Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Teoscar Hernandez and Tyler Glasnow.

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Ahn Young-Joon/AP Los Angeles Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas Miguel Rojas responds to criticism from former Marlins teammate Jazz Chisholm Jr. feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 13:25:02 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 13:25:04 EDT Associated Press Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas says he was upset by criticism from former Miami Marlins teammate Jazz Chisholm Jr.

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Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas says he was upset by criticism from former Miami Marlins teammate Jazz Chisholm Jr.

The 35-year-old Rojas spoke on “The Chris Rose Rotation” podcast released Tuesday and responded to comments Chisholm made on “The Pivot Podcast” released March 19, hosted by former NFL players Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor.

Chisholm, 26, had said his first three major league seasons from 2020-22 were “the worst three years of probably my life” and discussed how he felt Marlins’ veterans mistreated younger players like himself. Chisholm referred specifically to someone as the “team captain” without mentioning that player by name.

“Even though they suck, they’ve been there for nine, 10 years and the team calls them the team captain, but they’re not a good captain, they’re not a good person,” Chisholm said. “You’re not even a good athlete at this point. You’re just here and you’re bringing down the young guys that are supposed to be good.”

The Marlins didn’t have a captain in those years but Rojas was regarded as an unofficial captain. Rojas played for the Marlins from 2015-22, then was traded to the Dodgers in January 2023.

Rojas said he learned about Chisholm’s comments from media members, his agent and relatives.

“You can think that I suck at baseball, that I’m not a good player, that I’m not a good leader,” Rojas said. “But when you cross a line and say that I’m not a good person and I’m there just because, I guess he’s thinking that I’m telling someone that I’m supposed to be there and, ‘Please keep me here so I can be a major league baseball player for 10 years,’ that’s what kind of bothers me.”

Chisholm, a 2022 All-Star, said he was unhappy during his first three seasons with the Marlins because “you had vets that hate, hate what you do and who you are.” Chisholm, an avid shoe collector, discussed one way in which an unnamed veteran got under his skin.

“My first year in the big leagues, I get to the locker room, I’ve got 20 pairs of cleats,” Chisholm said. “Everybody know I’m a big shoe guy. I’ve got about 20 pairs of cleats, seven or eight pairs of just shoes to go and practice in, and I’ve got like 100 pairs of batting gloves — all custom. Everything is custom. Nothing is normal. Nothing is white. Nothing is black. Everything has color.

“I think within the first week, one of my vets cut up my cleats, poured milk in my cleats and threw them in the trash and said, ‘Those shoes are ugly, bro. Get some new ones.’ I don’t want to say what I did on camera, but definitely I was not the rookie that took that easy. I definitely went and threw his whole locker in the trash. That’s me. You’re not going to come over here and mess with the things that I worked hard to design myself.”

Without referencing that specific incident, Rojas said he was unhappy that Chisholm revealed things that happened in the locker room by noting “that’s our house” and “there’s things that should never leave the clubhouse.”

Rojas said the Marlins’ veterans simply were trying to keep younger players accountable for their actions.

“Do you think they are the first ever players to be rookies in the league and be treated this way?” Rojas said. “You have to know that there’s players before you that have been treated the same way or worse. That doesn’t give them a reason to go on a podcast and talk about the veteran players and what they did to them.”

Chisholm credited Marlins manager Skip Schumaker for changing the culture after arriving last year, helping Miami earn its first playoff berth in a non-pandemic season since its 2003 World Series title.

“He got rid of everybody who didn’t want to do it like that,” Chisholm said. “And that’s how it’s supposed to be. You ain’t supposed to have a vet that’s trying to bring down the rookies.”

Rojas was asked if he’d be willing to sit down and talk with Chisholm to try to work this out sometime down the road.

“As soon as you have the kind of assumption on me and the person that I am, I’m not up to having a person in my life or anything that thinks I’m a bad person or a piece of (trash),” Rojas replied.

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(Sam Hodde/AP) CP170315252 When it comes to top prospects, baseball is in an era of aggression feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:10:28 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:10:30 EDT Associated Press When the Texas Rangers begin defending their World Series title, the most fascinating person on their roster might be someone who had no part in last year’s title run.

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When the Texas Rangers begin defending their World Series title, the most fascinating person on their roster might be someone who had no part in last year’s title run.

Wyatt Langford, a first-round draft pick in 2023 who has played only 44 games in the minors, is set to be part of the big league club on opening day Thursday. In Langford and fellow outfielder Evan Carter, the Rangers have two of the game’s top six prospects according to MLB Pipeline — and both are already in the majors.

“I think it is a young players’ league right now,” said Chris Young, the former big league pitcher who is now Texas’ general manager. “I think that over the last few years, I think with player development and really the development that’s taking place on the amateur side, players are coming in more prepared for professional baseball. And certainly you’re seeing that with the way they’ve been able to step into the big leagues and have early success.”

The Rangers’ willingness to turn their top prospects loose — Carter came up last September and was an important postseason contributor — reflects an aggressiveness with young players that seems more common than it was nearly a decade ago, when the Chicago Cubs famously kept Kris Bryant in the minors long enough in his debut season of 2015 that his eventual free agency was delayed by a year. Bryant lost a grievance accusing the team of service time manipulation, but the most recent collective bargaining agreement in 2022 included provisions aimed at discouraging that practice.

Baseball executives have rarely acknowledged that service time impacts their decisions, so it’s unlikely they’ll rush to credit the new rules for altering call-up decisions. But Langford is in the majors, and so is Jackson Merrill, a 20-year-old outfielder who made his debut when San Diego began its season in South Korea last week. Milwaukee outfielder Jackson Chourio and Detroit infielder Colt Keith are also set to be on opening day big league rosters. That’s less of a surprise because both signed lucrative contracts this offseason — $82 million for eight years for Chourio and over $28 million for six years for Keith — despite having no major league experience.

When Baltimore announced that infielder Jackson Holliday would start the season in the minors, it was newsworthy in part because that slower approach with a top prospect hasn’t been as prevalent lately.

“He’s going to be an incredible player,” said infielder Kolten Wong, who was in camp with the Orioles. “Sometimes, the business aspect, you know how the game gets run.”

Baltimore general manager Mike Elias cited Holliday’s adjustment to second base and his lack of reps against left-handed pitching when explaining the decision. Down the road in Washington, the Nationals will start the season without outfield prospect James Wood, who was sent to the minors despite an impressive spring at the plate. Wood hasn’t played above Double-A.

“I love watching them play, but sometimes I have to put the blinders on,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said of his team’s top prospects. “We just want to get them going, get them off to a quick start and then we’ll see where we’re at in a month, two months, three months, however long it takes.”

Not long ago, it felt like almost a foregone conclusion that top prospects, if they hadn’t already reached the majors, would be called up in mid-to-late April instead of for opening day. After the Cubs brought up Bryant on April 17, 2015, they called up Addison Russell four days later. The same day as Russell’s debut, Carlos Rodón pitched for the first time for the crosstown White Sox.

The following season, Blake Snell made his debut for the Tampa Bay Rays on April 23, and fellow pitcher José Berrios made his on April 27 with Minnesota. In 2017, Cody Bellinger was called up by the Dodgers on April 25. In 2018, it was Ronald Acuña Jr., (April 25), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (April 26) and Gleyber Torres (April 22) who had to wait a bit before getting a shot.

By then, service time was a sensitive topic — but not sensitive enough for Seattle Mariners president Kevin Mather, whose 2021 comments to a Rotary Club in Washington included his belief that top prospects Jarred Kelenic and Logan Gilbert likely would not start the season with the team as a way to keep them under club control longer. After that and other problematic comments became public, Mather resigned.

The following year, the new collective bargaining agreement included a provision allowing top prospects to receive a full year of service time — regardless of when they were actually called up — if they finish in the top two in the Rookie of the Year vote. The CBA also gives teams a chance to earn an additional draft pick if one of its prospects is promoted early enough to earn a full year of service time — and then goes on to place high enough in the voting for various awards.

When Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson and Arizona’s Corbin Carroll won Rookie of the Year honours last season — beating out a historically strong group of rookie hitters — the Orioles and Diamondbacks each earned an extra pick.

It didn’t seem like a total coincidence that in 2022, under that new CBA, Kansas City put infielder Bobby Witt Jr. on its Opening Day roster. Seattle did the same with Julio Rodríguez. So did Detroit with Spencer Torkelson. Last year, Anthony Volpe of the Yankees and Jordan Walker of the Cardinals began the season in the majors.

Now Holliday has to wait, but Chourio, Langford, Merrill and Keith are in the majors at the start.

“I think it’s probably case by case — where certain teams are, what their future looks like,” said veteran outfielder Christian Yelich of the Brewers. “I think it’s a good thing that a lot more young guys are getting the opportunity to play earlier, and not have to wait until whenever the deadline is or when they get an extra year of service time. It’s definitely a positive.”

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Charlie Neibergall/AP New York Yankees’ Juan Soto Soto, Alonso headline pending free agents in MLB feed_column Wed, 27 Mar 2024 13:59:14 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 13:59:16 EDT Associated Press Baseball’s next free agency class won’t have a two-way star like Shohei Ohtani, and almost certainly no deals like his record-shattering $700 million over 10 years to switch teams in Los Angeles this year. But there could still be All-Star sluggers and Cy Young Award winners available.

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Baseball’s next free agency class won’t have a two-way star like Shohei Ohtani, and almost certainly no deals like his record-shattering $700 million over 10 years to switch teams in Los Angeles this year. But there could still be All-Star sluggers and Cy Young Award winners available.

Big hitters Juan Soto and Pete Alonso are going into their final seasons before potentially becoming free agents for the first time. So are past Cy Young winners Shane Bieber and Corbin Burnes.

Soto will make $31 million this season with the New York Yankees. They acquired him in December from San Diego, where he was traded in August 2022 after turning down a $440 million, 15-year offer to stay with the Washington Nationals. The three-time All-Star outfielder was already betting then on a better deal once he could finally become a free agent.

His agent is Scott Boras, who also represents Mets slugger Alonso and Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman, another potential free agent.

Boras worked out multiyear contracts this offseason for two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell and four-time Gold Glove third baseman Matt Chapman with the San Francisco Giants, and 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger to stay with the Chicago Cubs. All have player opt-outs that could allow them to be free agents again as early as next offseason.

Here are some of the players eligible for free agency after this year’s World Series:

OF Juan Soto, Yankees

Even Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has said he expects Soto to test free agency after this season. If the left-handed slugger does, he will then barely be 26 years old — his birthday is Oct. 25, around the same time the World Series would be starting.

Soto is a .284 career hitter with 160 home runs and 483 RBIs since his big league debut in 2018, a year before being part of the Nationals’ World Series title. His .421 career on-base percentage is the highest among active players. He hit .275 with 35 homers and 109 RBIs and led the majors in walks (132) for the third year in a row while playing all 162 games for San Diego last year.

1B Pete Alonso, Mets

Alonso avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $20.5 million, one-year contract for this season, but the Mets don’t anticipate a long-term deal before free agency with the three-time All-Star first baseman and 2019 NL Rookie of the Year.

The 29-year-old Alonso is a .251 career hitter with 192 homers. He set a rookie home run record with 53 in 2019, when he had 120 RBIs. He led the majors with 131 RBIs in 2022, and had 118 last year while hitting a career-low .217 with 46 homers.

RHP Shane Bieber, Guardians

The 2020 AL Cy Young winner has a 60-32 record with a 3.27 ERA in 134 career games. Cleveland’s 28-year-old ace has 937 strikeouts in 831 innings pitched. Bieber, who will make $13,125,000 this season, could become a trade target if the Guardians struggle again after going 76-86 last year.

RHP Corbin Burnes, Orioles

Burnes is already with a new team before free agency, going from Milwaukee to Baltimore in a trade among reigning division champions just before spring training. The 2021 NL Cy Young winner had at least 200 strikeouts each of the past three seasons, and was an All-Star each time. The 29-year-old was 45-27 with a 3.26 ERA and 870 strikeouts over 709 1/3 innings in six seasons with the Brewers.

LHP Max Fried, Braves

The winning pitcher for Atlanta in the clinching Game 6 of the 2021 World Series, Fried has a 62-26 record and 3.03 ERA in 139 games since his big league debut in 2017. The 30-year-old lefty was an All-Star in 2022, when he won his third consecutive Gold Glove. He is healthy now after going 8-1 with a 2.55 ERA last year when limited to only 14 starts (hamstring strain, left forearm).

3B Alex Bregman, Astros

Bregman is at the end of a $100 million, five-year deal after being part of two World Series championships, four AL pennants and the Astros’ seven consecutive trips to the AL Championship Series. Bregman, who turns 30 on Saturday, is .274 career hitter. He was last an All-Star in 2019, the year he was the AL MVP runner-up to Mike Trout after hitting .296 with 41 homers, 112 RBIs and an MLB-best 119 walks – all career highs.

2B Gleyber Torres, Yankees

Torres wants to spend his entire career with the Yankees. The 27-year-old was an All-Star his first two seasons, 2018 and 2019, and is a .267 career hitter. He hit 25 homers last season, his fourth with at least 24.

Some older pitchers

RHP Kenley Jansen, baseball’s active leader with 420 saves and 817 appearances, turns 37 on Sept. 30, the day after the regular season ends. His 15th MLB season will wrap up a $32 million, two-year deal with Boston. … Three-time Cy Young winners Justin Verlander (Astros) and Max Scherzer (Rangers) will both make $43.33 million in potential walk years after being traded last year by the Mets. The 41-year-old Verlander has a vesting $35 million player option for 2025 if he pitches 140 innings this season. Scherzer is out until at least midseason, around his 40th birthday, recovering from herniated disk surgery in lower back.

Some older hitters

Seven-time All-Star 1B Paul Goldschmidt, the 2022 NL MVP with 340 career homers, will be 37 when his $130 million deal with the St. Louis Cardinals wraps up at the end of this season. … 3B Justin Turner, at 39 and coming off a career-high 96 RBIs with Boston, is starting a one-year deal with Toronto.

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Baseball MLB NYM NYY sn-article
ohtani Dodgers’ Ohtani says he never bet on sports, interpreter stole money, told lies feed_column Mon, 25 Mar 2024 18:02:47 EDT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 12:29:21 EDT Associated Press Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani addressed the media live Monday for the first time since the gambling and theft allegations involving his former interpreter surfaced last week.

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LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani said Monday he never bet on sports or knowingly paid any gambling debts accumulated by his longtime interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara.

Instead, the Los Angeles Dodgers star claims his close friend lied to him for years and stole millions from the two-time MVP.

Ohtani gave his version of events during a news conference at Dodger Stadium, five days after Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well over $1 million.

“I am very saddened and shocked someone whom I trusted has done this,” the Japanese star said while sitting next to Will Ireton, the team’s manager of performance operations, who translated.

“Ippei has been stealing money from my account and has been telling lies,” Ohtani said. “I never bet on sports or have willfully sent money to the bookmaker.”

Ohtani spoke for nearly 12 minutes in a small room packed with dozens of reporters, describing several ways in which Mizuhara deceived him. Wearing a Dodgers cap and sweatshirt, Ohtani read quickly in Japanese from a document and did not take questions.

Ohtani, 29, still attempted to answer the most important question by repeatedly emphasizing he was never knowingly involved in gambling. He provided no details on how Mizuhara might have been able to steal his money to pay gambling debts.

“I never bet on baseball or any other sports or never have asked somebody to do it on my behalf, and I have never gone through a bookmaker to bet on sports and was never asked to assist betting payment for anyone else,” Ohtani said.

Ohtani left the Los Angeles Angels in December to sign a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers. Ohtani and Mizuhara had been daily companions from Ohtani joining the Angels in 2018 until last week, when Mizuhara’s gambling became public.

Ohtani hasn’t addressed the Dodgers in a group since Mizuhara’s firing, but he had explained himself to several Dodgers individually, manager Dave Roberts said. Veterans Kiké Hernández and Joe Kelly attended Ohtani’s news conference to emphasize the players’ support of their new teammate.

“I think Shohei was very honest in his take of what happened,” Roberts said. “I know that for me, the organization, we support him. I got a lot of questions answered as far as what he knew, what he didn’t know, and I’m looking forward to kind of just moving forward, letting the authorities take care of it, and just focus on baseball. I was proud of him to sit up here and give his take on things.”

The IRS has confirmed that Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles field office.

Mizuhara told ESPN on March 19 that Ohtani paid his gambling debts at the interpreter’s request, saying the bets were on international soccer, the NBA, the NFL and college football. MLB rules prohibit players and team employees from wagering — even legally — on baseball, and also ban betting on other sports with illegal or offshore bookmakers.

ESPN said Mizuhara changed his story the following day, claiming Ohtani had no knowledge of the gambling debts and had not transferred any money to bookmakers.

“All of this has been a complete lie,” Ohtani said. “Ippei obviously basically didn’t tell me about the media inquiry. So Ippei has been telling everyone around that he has been communicating with me on this account to the media and my team, and that hasn’t been true.”

Ohtani said he first became aware of Mizuhara’s gambling problem during a team meeting after last Wednesday’s season-opening victory over San Diego in Seoul, South Korea.

Ohtani said the meeting was a shock — and because Mizuhara was speaking to the team in English, Ohtani struggled to understand everything that was being said.

“Just prior to the meeting, I was told by Ippei, ‘Hey, let’s talk one to one in the hotel after the meeting,’” Ohtani said. “So up until that team meeting, I didn’t know that Ippei had a gambling addiction and was in debt. Obviously I never agreed to pay for the debt or make payments to the bookmaker, and finally when we went back to the hotel, that was when I found out that he had a massive debt, and it was revealed to me during that meeting that Ippei admitted that he was sending money using my account to the bookmaker. At that moment, it was an absurd thing that was happening and I contacted my representatives at that point.”

Ohtani spoke before the Dodgers lost 6-0 to the Angels in an exhibition game at Chavez Ravine.

Roberts said Ohtani also will play at his former home stadium Tuesday when the Dodgers play their final exhibition in Anaheim. Their next regular-season game is Thursday against St. Louis.

Ohtani grounded out twice and walked while batting second as the Dodgers’ designated hitter. The slugger got a loud ovation from the Los Angeles crowd each time he came to the plate against Reid Detmers, who pitched alongside Ohtani in the Angels’ rotation for the past two seasons.

Detmers sent Ohtani reeling backwards with a Ball 4 fastball that accidentally came close to hitting the star.

Ohtani smiled and looked slightly shaken as he took first base — an appropriate cap to an uncomfortable day at the ballpark.

“To summarize how I am feeling right now, I am just beyond shocked,” Ohtani said. “It is really hard to verbalize how I am feeling at this point. The season is going to start, so I am going to let my lawyers handle matters from here on out. I am completely assisting in all investigations that are taking place right now.”

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Baseball MLB LAD sn-article
jordan romano Blue Jays expect relievers Romano, Swanson to start season on injured list feed_column Mon, 25 Mar 2024 12:47:20 EDT Wed, 27 Mar 2024 08:50:07 EDT Sportsnet Staff The Toronto Blue Jays expect Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson to start the season on the injured list.

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The Toronto Blue Jays expect Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson to start the season on the injured list.

Romano has been dealing with elbow inflammation, and had an MRI which revealed no structural damage. He got an anti-inflammatory injection and was initially shut down for three days.

Romano tied a career-high with 36 saves in 2023, pitching to a 2.90 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 59 appearances.

Swanson has appeared in just two Grapefruit League games after missing the beginning of camp to care for his son, who was hit by a car.

In 2023, Swanson was one of Toronto’s most reliable relievers, posting a 2.97 ERA and striking out 75 hitters over 66.2 innings of work.

Among the candidates to be in the bullpen are Nate Pearson, Zach Pop, Yariel Rodriguez and Wes Parsons.

Schneider also said that Joey Votto’s ankle is feeling better but noted he has yet to resume full baseball activity. He is slated to stay in extended spring training when the Blue Jays’ season opens.

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CP168437309(1) Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and Colorado Rockies finalize $63.5 million, 7-year contract feed_column Tue, 26 Mar 2024 14:34:07 EDT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 14:34:09 EDT Associated Press Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and the Colorado Rockies finalized a $63.5 million, seven-year contract on Tuesday, a deal that includes a team option for 2031 that if exercised would boost the agreement to $84 million over eight seasons.

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SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and the Colorado Rockies finalized a $63.5 million, seven-year contract on Tuesday, a deal that includes a team option for 2031 that if exercised would boost the agreement to $84 million over eight seasons.

The 22-year-old gets a $1.5 million signing bonus and salaries of $1.5 million this season, $4 million in 2025, $5 million in 2026, $8 million in 2027, $11 million in 2028, $14 million in 2029 and $16 million in 2030. The Rockies’ option is for $23 million with a $2.5 million buyout.

Tovar’s deal supersedes a one-year contract agreed to Feb. 29 that called for a $745,000 salary while in the major leagues and $361,000 while in the minors.

“He has already proven he is one of the best shortstops in baseball, and we see him as a cornerstone of this franchise for years to come,” Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt said in a statement.

Tovar, a Venezuelan native, made his big league debut on Sept. 22, 2022, and last year became the youngest Rockies player to start on opening day at 21 years, 240 days. He hit .253 with 15 homers, 73 RBIs, 11 stolen bases last season. He had 166 strikeouts and 25 walks. His .988 fielding percentage set a record for rookie shortstop, topping .987 by the Rockies’ Troy Tulowitzki in 2007.

Tovar signed with the Rockies in 2017 for an $800,000 bonus.

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Baseball MLB COL sn-article
votto Blue Jays’ Votto to stay in Dunedin for extended spring training feed_column Mon, 25 Mar 2024 13:39:39 EDT Mon, 25 Mar 2024 16:36:32 EDT Shi Davidi Joey Votto won’t be playing with the Toronto Blue Jays or a minor-league affiliate when the season starts later this week.

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BRADENTON, Fla. — The Toronto Blue Jays are expecting Joey Votto to remain at the Player Development Complex in Dunedin, Fla., for extended spring training once the season begins, as he recovers from a minor right ankle injury.

Manager John Schneider said Monday that the star Canadian first baseman will “pretty soon,” resume baseball activities as “he’s moving around better.” Votto hasn’t played since rolling his ankle March 17 after homering in his first spring at-bat with the Blue Jays.

“He’s doing more and more activity in terms of strengthening and kind of rehabbing the ankle,” added Schneider. “I would assume in the next few days he’d be back at baseball stuff.”

Once Votto is ready to pick things up, “he still wants to have pretty much a normal spring training build-up, which he started to do and then couldn’t,” added Schneider. “If he starts here and really kind of gets his legs underneath him a little bit before he goes anywhere, that would probably be the best bet.”

How long a runway Votto needs before being ready isn’t clear but it’s likely to be a few weeks more than a few days, explaining why the Blue Jays are carrying Daniel Vogelbach to open the season. Both were signed to minor-league deals worth $2 million if they’re in the big-leagues and the club plans to use Vogelbach against certain righties and as a power option off the bench, the same role envisioned for Votto, at least to start.

Given that, it appears the Blue Jays will have a decision to make there once Votto is ready, at least with how the club is currently constructed.

“To be brutally honest, I told him not to worry about it,” Schneider said of his messaging to Vogelbach as it relates to Votto. “There are a lot of variables that go in with Joey and I think we are confident that he looks to be healthy and able to perform. But for Vogey, the last thing we want is for him to be looking over his shoulder. There’s really no need for that for him at this time. What he did in camp earned him a roster spot. So it’s just worry about you, really. He knows that. He understands that. He’s been around. He gets how the game is. And as long as he’s doing what he’s capable of, he’s going to help us win. And if he’s doing that, then, you know, tough decisions happen. I want Vogey to worry about him and how he can help us win.”

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Fred Thornhill/CP Blue Jays fall to Pirates in Gausman’s spring training debut, pre-season finale feed_column Mon, 25 Mar 2024 16:15:33 EDT Mon, 25 Mar 2024 16:15:34 EDT Canadian Press Jake Lamb’s go-ahead two-run RBI single in the fifth inning led the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-3 win over the Blue Jays, spoiling Toronto ace Kevin Gausman’s spring training debut on Monday.

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Jake Lamb’s go-ahead two-run RBI single in the fifth inning led the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-3 win over the Blue Jays, spoiling Toronto ace Kevin Gausman’s spring training debut on Monday.

The game was tied 2-2 until Lamb’s hit, and the Blue Jays could only respond with a Daniel Vogelbach RBI single in the eighth inning to make it a one-run game.

Gausman, making his first Grapefruit League start after returning from a shoulder issue, struck out seven and allowed just one run on three hits in three innings of work for Toronto (13-17). Reliever Zach Pop (0-1) took the loss.

Ryder Ryan (1-2) earned the win for Pittsburgh (13-16) although he pitched just 1/3 of an inning. Wily Peralta earned the save.

The Blue Jays d concluded their pre-season with four straight losses.

Toronto starts the regular-season schedule on Thursday when they play the Rays in a four-game series in Tampa, Fla.

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Baseball MLB TOR sn-article
(Frank Gunn/CP) Green Green gives Blue Jays needed bullpen depth with Romano, Swanson uncertain for Opening Day feed_column Fri, 22 Mar 2024 20:16:43 EDT Sat, 23 Mar 2024 00:13:04 EDT Shi Davidi Now healthy after Tommy John surgery in 2022, Chad Green’s presence in the Blue Jays bullpen has become all the more important with fellow relievers Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson suddenly uncertain to be ready for Opening Day next week.

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DUNEDIN, Fla. – All too often before Chad Green’s elbow finally gave out midway through the 2022 season, his mindset was split between competing as hard as possible on the mound and searching for ways to simply get through the day.

“As crazy as that sounds, when you’re pitching through stuff, you’re just like a day at a time, let me see what I’ve got today, try this, maybe it will take some pressure off my elbow, stuff like that,” he explained. “It’s always in the back of your mind.”

Nearly 22 months clear of Tommy John surgery, the 32-year-old right-hander is relishing being free of that stress this spring with the Toronto Blue Jays. He’s enjoying a normal ramp up, throwing a scoreless nine-pitch inning during Friday’s 5-1 win victory over the Boston Red Sox, with likely one more outing on tap before the regular season.

And whereas he used to think about “how does this not hurt my arm,” before coming into games, “now it’s like, OK, I trust the arm is healthy and my arm feels good, let’s pitch and focus on the sequencing and how we’re moving our body, stuff like that.”

“I’m still working on feeling my mechanics and feeling like I’m like driving the ball through the zone,” Green added. “That was the point today, attack the zone and go from there. It was definitely a step in the right direction of what I want to be for most of the year.”

Green’s presence in the Blue Jays bullpen became all the more important with fellow relievers Jordan Romano (elbow inflammation) and Erik Swanson (forearm tightness) suddenly uncertain to be ready for Opening Day next week.

Manager John Schneider said Swanson threw for a second straight day Friday while Romano could resume throwing Saturday, but with the season opening next Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays, there isn’t much runway, even if they aren’t starting from scratch. Complicating the decision is that injured list stints can only be backdated to March 25, making April 9 the earliest possible return date for pitchers who open on the IL, and the Blue Jays wouldn’t want to be without two of their top relievers for 11 games if they might be ready much sooner.

That’s opened up a number of bullpen scenarios heading into the final days of camp – Zach Pop and Nate Pearson are in play but the Blue Jays could opt for more length with Kevin Gausman’s status still uncertain — with Green’s mindset being, “just get those guys healthy first, make sure they feel comfortable coming back and are ready to come back, not rushing the process.”

“To make it the whole season in the big-leagues as a reliever, you’re going to need a lot of guys because it’s a gauntlet,” he continued. “Guys are ready to step up. It’s tough to replace those high-level leverage innings. The ninth inning is a different beast, but I think we have the group to do it, we have the depth of guys to be able to step up and pitch big innings. You just want to feel confident enough to let them take their time. Even though we want them back as quick as possible, it’s a long season. Get healthy first and we’ll manage it from there.”

While Schneider said he hasn’t fully thought through how the Blue Jays would handle the ninth inning if Romano isn’t ready out of the gate, the first two names he mentioned as possibilities were Green (11 career saves) and Yimi Garcia (21 career saves).

Green’s years of experience in providing dominant leverage work with the New York Yankees is one of the reasons the Blue Jays in November exercised a $21-million, two-year option included as part of a creative and clever contract.

The sides agreed to a deal that included a salary of $2.25 million last year, which he mostly spent recovering from his Tommy John surgery before joining the club in September, and three options.

The Blue Jays first had the choice of a $27-million, three-year option. If declined, Green received a $6.25-million, one-year player option. If he declined, the Blue Jays then received the option they accepted.

Once last season ended, Green didn’t know what to expect – “It was just like a, ‘Hey, we’ll be in touch,’ kind of thing,” he said – but he didn’t stress about the outcome after striking out 16 batters over 12 innings in 12 outings with 1.1 shutout innings in the post-season.

“I was pretty confident I was going to be able to get a job this year,” Green said. “So it was like, I would love to be back, but I completely understand if they go another direction. But we were definitely ecstatic when they called and told us what was happening.”

In that way the creative contract worked as designed, the Blue Jays giving Green a place to successfully rehab his injury while he gave the club a chance to lock in a proven AL East leverage arm if all went to plan.

Green could have taken a more conventional deal, but “I just trusted that they can put me in the best position,” he said. “I was kind of useless for a majority of the year, so it took a team with a bigger plan. There were only a few organizations that were willing to do that. And this was one of the few.”

The addition helped build out the relief depth that is sure to be tested, if not right out of the gate while Romano and Swanson recover and build up, then at some point down the road once the inevitable attrition begins.

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(John Bazemore/AP Photo) Chavez Braves send Jackson Stephens to Triple-A, clearing spot for Jesse Chavez feed_column Tue, 26 Mar 2024 21:49:44 EDT Tue, 26 Mar 2024 21:49:46 EDT Associated Press The Atlanta Braves sent reliever Jackson Stephens to Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday, clearing a spot on the opening day roster for fan favorite Jesse Chavez.

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NORTH PORT, Fla.— The Atlanta Braves sent reliever Jackson Stephens to Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday, clearing a spot on the opening day roster for fan favorite Jesse Chavez.

The 40-year-old Chavez was signed by the Braves a day earlier after being released by the Chicago White Sox, who jettisoned the veteran right-hander after he gave up nine earned runs in seven innings during spring training.

This will be Chavez’s fifth stint with Atlanta.

“It’s good to be home,” Chavez said, choking back tears. “Words can’t express how I feel right now. There’s so many emotions going on with how I feel about Braves country that it’s really tough.”

The right-hander was one of the team’s most effective relievers in the first half last season, posting a 1.56 ERA with one save in 36 games. But he wound up missing more than three months after taking a comebacker off his left leg hit by Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera on June 24.

When Chavez returned late in the season, the Braves felt he was not as effective as he was before the injury and left him off their postseason roster. After the season, the Braves made no attempt to re-sign him, allowing him to join the White Sox.

Now, Chavez is back in more familiar surroundings for what he says will be his final season.

Stephens was outrighted to Gwinnett after posting a 3.68 ERA in six appearances covering 7 1/3 innings during spring training. It looked as though he would make the 26-man roster for Thursday’s scheduled opener at Philadelphia until the Braves got a chance to bring back Chavez for the long-relief role.

Chavez was first acquired by the Braves on Dec. 11, 2009, in a trade with Tampa Bay for Rafael Soriano before being traded to Kansas City less than a year later.

The Braves again obtained Chavez from the Chicago Cubs for reliever Sean Newcomb on April 21, 2022, before sending him to the Angels later that season in a deal that brought closer Raisel Iglesias to Atlanta.

The Braves selected Chavez off waivers later in the 2022 campaign and signed him again as a free agent heading into last season. He has played with nine teams — five of them multiple times — over his 16-year career.

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Baseball MLB ATL sn-article
Frank Gunn/CP schneider1280 Schneider, Clement and Vogelbach make Blue Jays’ roster feed_column Sun, 24 Mar 2024 15:56:45 EDT Sun, 24 Mar 2024 16:29:21 EDT Sportsnet Staff Ernie Clement, Davis Schneider, and Daniel Vogelbach have all made the Blue Jays’ Opening Day roster, manager John Schneider has confirmed.

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Ernie Clement, Davis Schneider, and Daniel Vogelbach have all made the Blue Jays’ Opening Day roster, manager John Schneider has confirmed.

Schneider, 25, played 35 regular-season games with the Blue Jays after being called up in August last season, batting .276, while the 28-year-old Clement saw action in 29 games, batting .380.

Vogelbach, 31, is a veteran of eight MLB seasons (with the Mariners, Brewers, Pirates, Mets, and two games with the Blue Jays) and signed a minor-league deal with Toronto in the hopes of catching on as a left-handed pinch-hitting option.

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(Brynn Anderson/AP Photo) Seager Rangers expect Corey Seager, Josh Jung to be ready for opening day feed_column Mon, 25 Mar 2024 19:47:25 EDT Mon, 25 Mar 2024 21:57:31 EDT Associated Press orld Series MVP Corey Seager and All-Star third baseman Josh Jung are expected to be in the lineup for the Texas Rangers on opening day Thursday, even after both played in only one Cactus League game before the team broke camp from Arizona.

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ARLINGTON, Texas — World Series MVP Corey Seager and All-Star third baseman Josh Jung are expected to be in the lineup for the Texas Rangers on opening day Thursday, even after both played in only one Cactus League game before the team broke camp from Arizona.

Seager, who had surgery for a left sports hernia repair on Jan. 30, and Jung (left calf) both played six more innings Monday night in an exhibition game in their home ballpark against Boston. Two days after both got hits in the Rangers’ Cactus League finale, they were each 0 for 3 — getting an inning more than planned against the Red Sox since Seager was on deck when the fifth ended.

Manager Bruce Bochy said he planned for Seager and Jung to also play in the final exhibition game Tuesday afternoon against the Red Sox. The Rangers open the regular season Thursday night at home against the Chicago Cubs, and the manager anticipates the left side of his infield being intact.

“That’s the plan,” Bochy said. “All goes well, the day off (Wednesday) comes at a good time. Both can catch their breath and be set to go opening day.”

Seager was dealing with the hernia issue during the team’s postseason run to its first world championship last fall, though it didn’t affect his performance. The team had hoped that the issue would subside with extended rest in the offseason, but he had surgery when that didn’t happen.

Seager hit .318 with six homers, 12 RBIs and 15 walks in 17 postseason games last year. The shortstop homered three times in the World Series against Arizona, including a tying drive in the ninth inning of the opener.

Jung experienced calf discomfort while fielding ground balls on Feb. 15, a couple of days before the team’s first full-squad workout in Arizona. He got a lot of live at-bats in minor league games in spring training.

“Ready to go,” Jung said before Monday’s game. “Hopefully I got my one little sidetrack out of the way and we’re ready to rock. … I feel like I got what I needed to get out of spring training.”

The 26-year-old third baseman, picked eighth overall by the Rangers in the 2019 amateur draft, had a stress fracture in his left foot during spring training in 2021, and the following spring had surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder.

Jung was having a breakout rookie season last year when he fractured his left thumb on a fielding play against Miami on Aug. 6. He hit .274 with 22 homers and 67 RBIs and was voted by fans as an AL All-Star starter before the injury. He returned to play 13 games at the end of the regular season, then hit .308 with three homers in the playoffs.

Bochy said newly acquired starter Michael Lorenzen would throw another bullpen session Tuesday and is still a candidate to be on the opening-day roster.

Lorenzen joined the Rangers on Friday after finalizing a $4.5 million, one-year contract. The 32-year-old right-hander, who last season was a first-time All-Star and threw a no-hitter, had been working out on his own and throwing to independent league hitters while waiting to sign a free agent deal.

“We’re building him up. He’s been throwing a lot,” Bochy said. “You look at him, he’s in incredible shape. That’s who he is. He’s one of the better athletes we have. I think his arm and everything, he’s really close.”

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