With the regular season now officially underway, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Yamamoto to debut in Game 2:
The first game of the regular season is still ongoing in Seoul, where Shohei Ohtani is making his Dodgers regular season debut and where left-hander Yuki Matsui has already made his MLB debut with the Padres. Game 2 of the series will once again begin at 5:05am CT tomorrow morning, and will be broadcasted nationally on ESPN in addition to streaming on MLB.TV. Game 2 of the series will begin with the MLB debut of right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed the largest contract for a pure starting pitcher ever back in December. In his debut, the 25-year-old phenom will take on veteran righty Joe Musgrove, who pitched to a strong 3.05 ERA last season despite being limited to just 17 starts by shoulder and toe injuries.
2. Rodriguez dealing with lat issue:
The Diamondbacks left yesterday’s game against the Cubs facing a major injury scare as left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez exited his start in discomfort after just one inning of work. As relayed by Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports, manager Torey Lovullo indicated to reporters after the game that Rodriguez had departed due to lat tightness. Lovullo initially indicated that his level of concern regarding Rodriguez’s health was “minimal,” though he acknowledged that the severity of the issue would become clearer today.
The reigning NL champions’ most noteworthy offseason addition, Rodriguez signed with the club on a four-year deal back in December on the heels of an excellent 2023 season with the Tigers that saw him pitch to a 3.30 ERA with a 3.66 FIP in 152 2/3 innings of work. Entering the 2024 season, Rodriguez figures to slot into the club’s rotation between right-handers Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly, with Brandon Pfaadt and Ryne Nelson likely bringing up the rear. Should Rodriguez’s lat problem prove serious enough to a require a trip to the injured list to open the season, Arizona would likely turn to Tommy Henry or Bryce Jarvis to fill in for the southpaw in the club’s rotation.
3. Will the pitching market stay hot post-Snell?
Now that the Giants have announced their two-year deal with southpaw Blake Snell, the top remaining free agent starter is officially off the market. It’s the second major pitching in the past week, joined by San Diego pulling off a surprise blockbuster trade with the White Sox to land right-hander Dylan Cease. Left-hander Jordan Montgomery and right-handers Michael Lorenzen and Mike Clevinger are all still looking for teams. Rumors from earlier this month suggested that Montgomery was searching for a seven-year deal in free agency, while Lorenzen was searching for a two-year deal and Clevinger’s agent recently suggested his client was angling for a one-year pact.
Montgomery has long been tied to the Red Sox, while Lorenzen has been connected to the White Sox in the past and the club’s interest may have grown in the wake of the Cease deal. Meanwhile, the Yankees have been connected to both Montgomery and Lorenzen and are also known to be looking for starting pitching. The Astros are now indicating that they aren’t “actively pursuing” a rotation addition in spite of their recent pursuit of Snell, but it would hardly be a shock to see either them or the Marlins make a play for one of the remaining starters given the injury woes that have faced both clubs this spring.
Brasier!!! Brasier!!! Brasier!!
DH
LF
1b needed for the Pads.
2 runs a game won’t cut it.
And no, don’t pull the ‘it’s early card’.
Ownership underfunded this team.
Or the deceased previous owner over spent and now the current ownership are trying to get the payroll back to a sustainable level…
The Dodgers prove…you spend and you win.
Sustainable = .500 non playoff baseball.
Good luck winning a WS with a ‘sustainable’ payroll.
Rather not have a team in SD if sustainability is the goal.
So you’d rather the team go bankrupt?
All sports teams, all businesses everywhere in the world strive for financial sustainability. If your business isn’t sustainable financially, it goes bankrupt.
sustainability is ALWAYS the goal
Rather not have team in SD than one that is underfunded.
If they can’t afford a team than sell or move.
The Rays showed you can make it to the playoffs consistently without spending a ton. However, we have seen that if you don’t take risks with a big FA signing or trade, you won’t win it all. Does this mean that every team that takes a risk wins it all? No. The Padres went all in last year and paid the consequences this year. It happens. But trading for Cease seemed weird after trading Soto.
Preach
Well Texas proved it most recently.
The Padres spent last year. What did that “prove?”
And if they win less this year and miss the playoffs that will speak volumes.
It’s clear that spending leads to success, but there will always be exceptions. The 2023 Diamondbacks, Mets and Padres for instance. In general though, if you look at the last 3 years playoff teams, you’ll see a pretty big correlation between making the playoffs and spending money. Of course once you get to the playoffs the results vary drastically.
Dodgers have been spending 200 mill for 20 years and haven’t won anything lol.
They’re so desperate for a ws they want to claim a
Shortened season
Realigned divisions
Players opting out
No fans in stands
Toronto playing in its aaa stadium
Teams being affected by COVID differently based on geographical location
60 games
7 inning double header where 7 inning no hitter isn’t recognized as a no hitter by mlb itself
As an actual ws.
That’s how desperate they are.
Rangers won it last year and were the lowest paying tax penalty team.
“I’d rather not have a house I’d rather live on the street if I can’t own a beach side mansion”
Awful comparison.
This is baseball.
Again I’d rather the Padres move than play .500 ball year in and year out with no chance at winning the WS.
So you’re ok paying a mortgage you can afford and ok not paying a mortgage you cannot afford
But want the padres to spend at levels they can’t afford and don’t want them to spend at levels they can afford.
You could just pick a new favorite team. I know, crazy, right?
If they can’t afford it, sell or move the team.
Grew up in SD. Padres are my team.
They’re top 10 in tax payroll lmao. What do you mean can’t afford it?
You make 0 sense.
They spend. Don’t win anything. Spend at unsustainable levels (top 5) get punished by losing ifa money knocking back draft pick from 15 to 25
They drop back to sustainable levels (top 10), arent in cba trouble so no loss of ifa money or affecting draft picks and you’re upset and throwing tantrums in every thread.
“Sustainability” = .500 baseball and that my friend won’t win you a championship.
This team spent next to nothing this offseason.
This team lacks a:
DH
LF
True 1b
Bench depth
Passed on some obtainable pieces into Duval and Taylor.
Passed on a plethora of minor league signings.
Don’t believe for a second they will all the sudden start to spend in 25′.
Ownership is conditioning Fans to expect less.
The problem with your statement is ” haven’t won anything.”
You can’t judge everything on a WS ring. Only 1 team wins every year, and few teams win back-to-back. The Dodgers spending has put them into the playoffs consistently, and more importantly for the ownership group, has turned them into a very profitable franchise.
Steve Cohen tried to buy the Dodgers before buying the Mets. He knew how profitable that organization would be with some spending. It’s paid off big time despite only winning the 2020 WS.
Profitability in the Dodgers case equates to reinvesting in the team.
In the Peter Seidler era the Padres did the same thing.
Post Peter Seidler they have to prove to fans that is still the case.
They have Cease for two years and at a lower cost. He can either help them win now, or he can be used in a trade for talent to fill in other areas.
E123
“Dodgers have been spending 200 mill for 20 years and haven’t won anything lol.”
Over the last decade they have won a WS and more games than any other team
LOL
Padres spent less money THIS off season because of the CBA penalties
They’re currently less than 9 mill away from getting in trouble again.
We knew this going into the off season. Idk why you are shocked.
Padres lost IFA money
Padres were punished in the draft having picks knocked back
There is no sustainability or competing having those kind of outcomes happen continually.
So you’re arguing Dodgers spent money to become more profitable means they’re success at baseball? I mean good for Dodgers investors, players, front office, etc. Rich get richer. Being good at business =/= being good at baseball.
Im sure fans love paying premium ticket prices and for over priced drinks and food and parking just for the Dodgers to make money. at end of the day. Im sure it makes fans feels great theyre helping dodgers profit.
Goal of baseball isn’t earn the most money. It’s win a world series. Great business model. 100%. Baseball model not so much.
10 Teams who spent less than 120m last year which I would consider ‘not spending’. Diamondbacks, the Marlins the Orioles, the Rays made the playoffs. One of them went to the world series. How many of the other 6 were firmly in rebuild mode? Or the I don’t give a crap mode haha. Pirates, A’s and Nationals?
8 teams spent 200m or more which is serious spending. Angels, Yankees, Mets, Padres, Dodgers did not even make the playoffs and none of them made it to the world series.
Typically about a third of the play off teams spend well below the median. and about the same for the top spenders of course it varies.
Unless you are Scrooge McDuck type rich.. spending the median on a typical salary seems crazy to me UNLESS you have the shot at getting a generational player like ohtani.. then you know you have to strongly consider throwing money bags at him 🙂
LA is a much bigger market. You win by employeeing cheap, good,Controuble players and sprinkling in veterans. LA can spend like they do because A they develop players in minors like no other, large TV market, and very high ticket prices.
The goal of business is to make more money. Baseball is a business. Therefore…
Not exactly true. According to the actual numbers, eight other ballparks are more expensive places to watch a baseball game than Dodger Stadium.
Is that this year’s numbers?
moneygeek.com/living/analysis/cost-for-family-to-a…
Congrats on a participation trophy and winning regular season. Padres won the off season a few years.
Get back to me when dodgers can win an actual World Series without rule adjustments. Probably will never happens
7 inning no hitters aren’t recognized as no hitters 7/9 (77%) doesn’t count
2020 isn’t a legit championship.
60/162 (37%) doesn’t count
LOL.
“We don’t have a legit championship last 20 years so let’s celebrate weird things that don’t count!”
Huh. Who knew goal of baseball was to get rich.
By that logic A’s, Pirates, etc are constant winners from all the money owners have pocketed through the years. Never mind the losing record. Your franchise is a winner cause you made your owner A LOT of money. Which is the goal of baseball apparently.
Lmao. Dumb.
No profitability means owners get Rich. Didn’t you read what Von Purple Hayes said.
“ and more importantly for the ownership group, has turned them into a very profitable franchise.”
Goal of baseball is make owners rich. Dodgers are doing it wrong as other owners pocket more money but invest little in their teams. That’s how you win baseball. Pocket as much as you can.
Well long as dodger fans are happy ownership is getting rich. When dodgers inevitably get knocked out of playoffs I hope to see a parade celebrating how much money the team made ownership group.
Of course not. Last year.
tnbets.com/most-expensive-sports-stadiums/#:~
You’ll also find that increases in team payroll have very little to do with ticket and vendor prices. I have no idea why fans constantly make the argument that ticket prices go up when payrolls do. That’s not the case.
Weird. I never said player salaries = increase in ticket and vendor prices.
Dodgers prices are notoriously higher than others.
Ticket prices was #1
statista.com/statistics/193673/average-ticket-pric…
Hot dog prices were top 10
usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2023/05/05/mlb-beer-…
I did say goal is to win a World Series not make owners richer. Which higher ticket sales and higher cost of food do make owners richer. It does do that.
Exactly. Prices depend on what people are willing to pay.
@Easy
I can’t speak to the A’s but can say that the owners ‘pocketing the money’ type statements are not valid in the pirates situation. they’re not living in the poor house but they’re not running out of the stadium with their pockets lined with gold.
As much crap as Nutting gets for being ‘cheap’ the team is still in the lower end of the spectrum on value. In his time as the chairman there has been one real window for the team to compete and when that happened the team spent more but also didn’t need to spend much because most of the positions were locked down pretty well.
With Ben in the front office now things changing a bit now that he is getting settled in but don’t expect to see the pirates spending 150m on the MLB opening day roster anytime soon.
Padres payroll is 152; that’s top half of the league. You’re being ridiculous.
E123
“Congrats on a participation trophy and winning regular season. Padres won the off season a few years.”
You cannot win an offseason
You cannot win a regular season
You can win the most games over a period of time. That’s what the Dodgers did
“Get back to me when dodgers can win an actual World Series without rule adjustments. Probably will never happens”
It will never happen. Because there are always rule adjustment. Did the Braves not win in 2021 because it was s rule change from 2020?
tia
“2 runs a game won’t cut it.
And no, don’t pull the ‘it’s early card’”
It’s early
I’m make you a deal. If the Padres finish the season scoring an average of 2 runs or fewer, I’ll quit the site
If they average over 2 runs per game you admit you’re overreactiony andiveremotional
Deal?
I’ll make you a deal. If the Padres win over 95 games this year and win a WS, I will never post on here again after this season.
There’s my offer. Take it or leave it.
So you jumped from making a statement about the Padres scoring two runs a game, to now they have to win over 95 games and the World Series?
Your strawman attempt rejected.
I said two runs a game won’t cut it.
So, what’s ‘cut it’?
My definition, if you want to win a WS, which I hope is the Padres intention this year,
2 runs won’t cut it.
From the looks of your comments it might be a good idea for you to stop commenting here anyway.
No I’m not going to stop.
Haha
tia
I’ll make you a deal
If the team wins the World Series this year scores more than 2 runs in every game they play, I’ll delete my account
If they don’t, YOU delete your account
Deal?
Now why would I take that deal?
Nice try, my friend. Nice try.
tia
Why would you take that deal?
You wouldn’t. Because you know EVERY team will have some games where they will score 2 or fewer runs.
So, you’re complaining about the Padres only scoring two runs, doesn’t make any sense
I swear I’m conversing with AI.
Let me phrase it this way.
You are asserting, essentially that you won’t have to delete your account because you truly do not believe the Padres will win a WS.
Yet, as I have asserted, this is an incomplete team and one I believe as constructed will not contend for a WC.
Why would I delete my account when or if they do what I expect them to do?
Lunacy.
But hey, I appreciate a good laugh. So thank you.
towinagain, Dodgers spend that much because they can afford it. Can the Padres afford to run a high payroll every year? I highly doubt it.
If you cant afford it, sell the team or move them.
Keep in mind that SD had to lower their spending this year because their debt ratio was out of line with MLB requirements. Siedler tried his best to bring a winner to SD before his passing and fans should be thankful for that.
Seems like you’re problem is with the GM, not ownership. Don’t they still have a $200m payroll? You should be able to put together a great team with $200m.
Dude is complaining about a 200m payroll when the Padres revenues are some of the lowest in the league. Only the Royals and Brewers received less TV money than the Padres before the RSN fiasco.
Would putting Clevinger in the pen make sense for a team with RP needs? Would he let em?
Doubt he would sign to be a bullpen guy. He shouldn’t have to based on the on-field performance
He can’t stay healthy though. Maybe a move to the bullpen would be beneficial.
Any qualified clubhouse attendants, or anyone who can tie a good knot in leather laces, should contact the Padres. There may be an opening.
…or a player who understands the importance of and pays attention to the condition of tools of his trade…
More specifically a player in the first year of a 7-year extension who is playing 1B by default.
If pitchers keep going down at this rate, we’re going to be seeing beer league junkballers starting MLB games by the All Star break.
Can’t wait!
Mansfield cackles. A 12 second pitch clock, I want to 8njure all the pitchers. Hehehe!!
Nice start for the Dodgers. Onward to their 162-0 season.
All they need is 161 more glove webbings to fail…
Clevinger is looking for a team in a state that doesn’t extradite for DV… [eyeroll]
That should be an Error on Grisham and not a hit for whoever hit the groundball
$80 million and you can’t be bothered to have a working glove? Inexcusable.
Grisham? It was Cronenworth, Grisham is the Yankees 4th OF now.
It was in fact ruled an error, Lux was not awarded a hit.
It was Cronenworth. Thanks for pointing that out.
I didn’t have faith that the scorekeepers would rule it correctly and assumed they just gave Lux (thank you for pointing that out as well) a hit Faith in humanity restored
Poor Grisham can’t even catch a break 1000s of miles away.
I wish the Angels would bring in Clevinger, anything to get Tylor Anderson out of the starting rotation.
Stop buying gloves at the local swap meet
Five bucks at Kobey’s vice $250 at Dick’s.
Plus tax.
Croney made his choice.
The Dodgers may have won, but they need to get their RISP together or they won’t be going 162-0 as many predicted.
@JimmyOctober
It’s the first game of the season and they held the Padres to 2 runs and came back in the 7th. They’re just getting the rust off right now and still won. No real chance that they win 162 games but so far, the offense is working well and it was only day 1.
They flew to Korea to play in front of 16k!
Which is about twice as many as they would have had if they opened in Oakland.
Should have played in Japan though. Can’t imagine the crowd in Tokyo Dome if they play in there after Ohtani signing for 700M and Yamamoto for 325M.
Also, would be fun if Japanese actress Satomi Ishihara comes and throw the ceremonial first pitch. Girl is a big baseball fan and always trying to imitate famous pitcher wind up.
Here’s she is imitating Hideo Nomo
youtu.be/cH6ShHwohTA?si=2dINPHhxU1Fm0xHm
Thank you for the link niel.marshall! How fun seeing someone doing a good famous pitcher imitation. I know nothing about her acting career, but the young actress certainly has an admirable respect for baseball. Bet she could also do Luis Tiant and Fernando Valenzuela if she wanted to!!
Opening in Japan is planned for next season I believe.
God I wish yall were more specific in the title… The Mariners fan in me was stressing out.
Hope Rodriguez is ok. He would be a big loss for the Dbacks if he’s out any length of time. Nelson and Henry would both need to take a big step forward in the SP4 and 5 slots.
Iowa corn fields and now Korea!
Why play in Korea?
MLB footprint not big enough?
Wait til Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk buy teams and want to play a series on the Moon!
Will MLB cover all of those costs?
Baseball is an entertainment industry. No footprint is ever big enough.
Because baseball is huge there and mlb needs their pitchers.
Watched Bo Bichette field a ball hit by Jackson Holliday, threw a weak one, Holliday was safe. Called a base hit. Cronenworth fields a ball this morning that goes through his first base mitt, error.
Scoring flaws. Cronenworth play should be an 0-0. Bo made what should have been an error. IMO.
Holliday was out, although Bo’s slow play and weak throw opened the door for an umpire miscall.
Lord it seems umps have missed a lot of calls. But, that Bo play should have been an error not a hit.
A lot of the umps for spring training tend to be minor league umps. Also no replay probably hurts the quality of the calls as well.
Still that hustle sealed him making the team. Every championship team needs that rookie energy.
I wouldn’t want it ruled a hit either because it was a fielded ball. Maybe some catch-all like “scorer’s indifference”?
By playing in Korea, MLB is probably laying down a foundation for future expansion. Walter O’Malley needed Horace Stoneham to move to SF so that the other National League owners would be more willing to tolerate the higher travel costs. Undoubtedly, Tokyo could support an MLB franchise but it’s too far and too costly for just a single series. Seoul is a relatively close 700 miles from Tokyo and shares the same time zone. The population of Seoul is 10 million so attendance shouldn’t be a problem.
That’s probably why they played in London too.
Not.
@Jack Dawkins I’ll have the drugs you are having
Be careful with that stuff, it can affect your brain.
Yeah this is not going to happen. I could see a kbo and nbl merger before that.
I think even just a few years ago guys like Lorenzen or Clevenger would have been real attractive to non-contenders hoping that they could eat bulk innings and possibly flip them for a B level prospect at the deadline.
With teams hanging on to meaningful prospects so tightly there’s not really motivation to grab these guys anymore. They’d only get cash or an organizational guy if there was any interest at all.
I think non contenders probably see more value now in running out marginal MLB pitchers with arbitration eligiblity. Cheaper to hire and if somehow they unlock some competence they can flip them for a bigger return.
The lowered bar to contend as 40% of teams make the playoffs is a contributing factor. More teams on the cusp are going to evaluate by the trade deadline to save some money.