CC7 homered off his former teammate in the DBacks first victory of spring
Diamondbacks News
Lovullo says Opening Day starter TBD despite offering clues by Nick Piecoro [AZ Central]
That is to say, if Gallen remained on a five-day schedule the rest of the spring, he would line up to take the ball on Opening Day with one extra day of rest. As for Burnes, he lines up perfectly to pitch Day 2 against the Chicago Cubs on March 28.
Zac Gallen Throws One Inning, Diamondbacks Get First Cactus League Win by Jack Sommers [SI]
Gallen said he felt fine. “Compared to how I felt in my last live [batting practice], I’ll take it. I felt a lot better. I felt like everything had its shape for the most part. The changeup that just kind of was flat on me. It was the home run, but everything else felt pretty solid.”
Gallen chips off the rust, K’s 2 in spring debut by Steve Gilbert [Dbacks.com]
So far this spring, the co-aces of the staff have not had a lot of time together, but Gallen said that would be different come the regular season.
“Our schedules have been a little different,” Gallen said. “I think he operates on a little earlier schedule than I do in terms of he gets in and gets the stuff done. I’m more of a guy who just kind of hangs around here and does my stuff later in the afternoon. So we kind of miss each other for breakfast and stuff like that, but we’ve been in groups for [drills].”
Diamonbacks Reliever Talks Results, Clubhouse Leadership by Alex D’Agostino [SI]
“We have a lot of guys in this clubhouse from a core and I think a leadership perspective that kind of keep other guys in line. So even if someone acts out of line, I think we can kind of hold that back in and talk about it,” Ginkel said.
Corbin Carroll leads Diamondbacks to first spring win by Michael McDermott [Venom Strikes]
Star outfielder Corbin Carroll had a strong day at the plate, homering and drawing a walk that eventually became the run that made the difference.
Carroll’s home run came against a former Diamondback Slade Cecconi, who was sent to Cleveland in the Josh Naylor trade.
Around the League
Tigers Sign Andrew Chafin To Minor League Deal by Darragh MacDonald [MLB Trade Rumors]
If Chafin looks like his old self in camp, he could perhaps get a job as the second lefty in the bullpen alongside Holton. If not, he’ll have chances to look elsewhere. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, Article XX(b) free agents get guaranteed opt-out chances on minor league deals if they are signed more than ten days prior to Opening Day. An Article XX(b) free agent is one with six years of service who finished the previous season on a 40-man roster or 60-day injured list. Those opt-out chances are five days prior to Opening Day, May 1st and June 1st.
What Would a Vladito Contract Look Like? by Dan Szymborski [FanGraphs]
So now the Blue Jays find themselves at a crossroads. Personally, I think their failure to sign Guerrero before his deadline should be treated as the fatal blow to the organization — not just for the next few years, but for this one as well. A lot of things would need to go right for Toronto to turn a Guerrero-less roster into a serious AL East threat if he leaves as a free agent. Considering this, the Jays might be better off trading Guerrero — they would almost certainly get an excellent return package for him — to retool for another run two or three years from now, even though that would all but officially take them out of contention for the 2025 campaign. Whatever happens, because the Blue Jays didn’t extend the face of their franchise, this is shaping up to be their most consequential season since the mid-1990s.
Bryce cements love for Philly with Phonetic tattoo by Todd Zolecky [MLB]
“I’ve been wanting it for a while,” Harper said. “Obviously, the Phanatic and Philly mean a lot. But when I think about the Phanatic, it’s him on an ATV. I thought it was pretty cool.”
Cleveland Guardians owner Lawrence Dolan dies at 94 [ESPN]
“Mr. Dolan invested his entire life in Greater Cleveland and impacted our community on so many levels,” Bob DiBiasio, Guardians senior vice president of public affairs, said in a statement. “From his service to our country as a First Lieutenant in the United States Marines, his many philanthropic acts of kindness, career in law, business, education, and sports, many benefited from his engagement, influence, and passion. Especially in the world of sports.”
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