The Opener News & Rumors

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. World Baseball Classic Quarterfinals:

The quarterfinals of the World Baseball Classic are underway, and two games are scheduled for this evening. At 6:30pm local time in Miami, Korea will face the Dominican Republic. Former big leaguer and All-Star Hyun Jin Ryu will be on the mound for Korea opposite Phillies southpaw Cristopher Sanchez. Ryu is less than two weeks from his 39th birthday but has remained very effective in the KBO over the years, including a 3.23 ERA in 26 starts for the Hanwha Eagles in 2025. He allowed a solo home run but no other damage in his last WBC start, with three strikeouts in his three innings of work. Sanchez, meanwhile, is coming off a career year for Philadelphia where the 29-year-old finished second in NL Cy Young award voting behind Paul Skenes. He posted a 2.50 ERA with a 2.55 FIP in 202 innings of work last year, but got shelled for three runs on six hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings during his lone WBC start.

At 7:00pm local time in Houston, Team USA will be facing off against their neighbors to the north. Canada is sending right-hander Michael Soroka to the mound. He’s coming off a 4.52 ERA in 89 innings for the Nationals and Cubs last year. Soroka scattered four runs and a walk across his three innings of one-run ball during his last WBC start. Soroka’s opponent will be right-hander Logan Webb. The two-time All-Star finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting last year and struck out six in four innings of work during his last WBC start, allowing only a solo homer in terms of damage. The quarterfinals will continue tomorrow with matchups between Puerto Rico (Seth Lugo) and Italy (Pitcher TBA) as well as Venezuela (Ranger Suarez) against Samurai Japan (Yoshinobu Yamamoto).

2. Berrios battling elbow inflammation:

Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios was hoping to join the Puerto Rican team for that game against Italy, but those hopes have been dashed. MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson writes that Berrios underwent an MRI recently that revealed inflammation in his right elbow. While there’s no structural damage, he was nonetheless scratched from his start yesterday and the Blue Jays are now gathering additional information. It’s an unusual situation given that Berrios was seemingly not feeling any soreness in his elbow. The MRI was scheduled not due to issues on the right-hander’s end, but for insurance purposes ahead of his planned WBC appearance. It’s unclear if the news puts Opening Day in jeopardy for Berrios, who was already in danger of losing a spot in the Jays rotation at some point this year due to an influx of talent (Dylan Cease, Cody Ponce, and the emergence of top prospect Trey Yesavage).

3. Free agency moving for stragglers:

Yesterday saw a pair of left-handed relief arms come off the board with big league deals: the Red Sox landed southpaw Danny Coulombe on a $1MM guarantee yesterday, while the Rangers landed lefty Jalen Beeks on a major league contract of his own. The two lefties coming off the board were among the best bullpen options still available on a dwindling market. With just two weeks to go until Opening Day, only a small handful of players are still available. Outfielder Jesse Winker, infielder Wilmer Flores, right-hander Lucas Giolito, and first baseman Rowdy Tellez are among the more notable names still available on the market, with a large group of veteran starters (Marcus Stroman, Patrick Corbin, Tyler Anderson) and relievers (Justin Wilson, Jose Leclerc, Jorge Lopez) also still available.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. World Baseball Classic exits pool stage:

Yesterday, the WBC wrapped up its pool stage as the eight teams advancing to the next round were finalized. The biggest wins of yesterday’s games were Aaron Nola and Team Italy’s victory over Javier Assad and Team Mexico, as well as Cal Quantrill and Team Canada’s victories over Team Cuba. Canada (3-1) and Puerto Rico (3-1) made it out of Pool A, while Italy (4-0) and the United States (3-1) are the victors in Pool B. Japan (4-0) and Korea (2-2) made it through Pool C, and Pool D saw the Dominican Republic (4-0) and Venezuela (3-1) emerge. Those eight teams are now set to travel to the continental United States (if they weren’t already here) for the quarterfinals and beyond, which will take place in Houston and Miami. While the quarterfinalists travel and prepare for the next round, no games are on the schedule for today. The knockout round begins on Friday with Korea facing the Dominican Republic and Canada squaring off against the United States.

2. Brewers await news on Priester:

Brewers righty Quinn Priester is poised to start the year on the injured list due to soreness in his wrist. The righty reportedly went to visit a specialist yesterday, and the feedback from that visit could shed some light on the injury for Milwaukee and provide them with a more specific diagnosis. While the soreness has been intermittent and hasn’t stopped him from playing catch this spring, ruling out a more significant injury could give Priester and the club some confidence as he builds up towards his return to the big league mound. Kyle Harrison, Brandon Sproat, Chad Patrick, and Logan Henderson are all vying for spots in the rotation, with only Brandon Woodruff and Jacob Misiorowski locked into spots come Opening Day with Priester headed for the IL.

3. Game Preview: Tigers vs Yankees:

While the World Baseball Classic is on hold for the day, attention turns back towards Spring Training for fans looking to follow baseball today. Spring Training games are much lower-stakes, but there are still some things worth watching for clubs nonetheless. In today’s game between the Yankees and Tigers, for example, future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander will simply be getting his work in ahead of his 21st year in the big leagues. Even so, he’d surely like to turn in a stronger performance than he did in his first outing of the spring, where he struck out four in two innings but also allowed two runs on two hits (including one homer) and two walks. He’ll be pitching today opposite Will Warren, who will spend both Spring Training and the early part of the regular season looking to earn a more permanent spot in the rotation with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon expected back from the injured list during the first couple months of the season. On the positional side of things, Ryan McMahon has been trying his hand at shortstop throughout camp for the Yankees, while top Tigers prospect Kevin McGonigle has been trying to force his way onto the MLB roster.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. World Baseball Classic continues:

After Team Italy’s shocking 8-6 victory over Team USA last night, the World Baseball Classic enters its final day of Pool Play with plenty at stake. At 3pm local time in San Juan, Canada and Cuba will face off to decide who will join Puerto Rico in the quarterfinals. That game will be followed up at 6pm local time in Houston, when Italy and Mexico will face off to determine not only their own fates, but also the fate of Team USA. The United States can be eliminated if Mexico beats Italy while scoring four runs or fewer, as all three teams would finish with 3-1 records and move on to a runs-based tiebreaker. The final game of the evening will occur at 8pm local time in Miami, where the Dominican Republic and Venezuela will face off for seeding purposes after both clubs already clinched their quarterfinal appearance.

Outside of the excitement of the games themselves, this year’s WBC has already brought considerable intrigue and drama off the field. Team USA manager Mark DeRosa conducted an interview pregame where he seemingly did not realize that his club had not already clinched a spot in the quarterfinals, and Chad Jennings of The Athletic notes that MLB.com appears to have taken down the footage of DeRosa’s mistaken comments after Team USA’s loss. Meanwhile, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale was among those to discuss possible discontent in the Mariners’ clubhouse after star catcher Cal Raleigh declined to shake hands with Mariners teammate and WBC opponent Randy Arozarena during the game between the U.S. and Mexico yesterday.

2. Teel exits due to hamstring issue:

In other WBC news, a damper was put on Italy’s victory when catcher Kyle Teel was pulled from the game due to tightness in his right hamstring. As noted by Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com, Teel figures to be replaced on Italy’s roster by bullpen catcher Andres Annunziata. Annunziata is a 20-year-old who plays in Italy’s Serie A league. Perhaps more pertinent than Teel’s WBC status is whether or not he’ll be hampered headed into the regular season for the White Sox. He’ll surely get imaging done on his ailing hamstring to determine the severity of the issue, and the White Sox will be able to formulate a plan for Teel from there. Fortunately for them, Edgar Quero and Korey Lee are available as a capable catching tandem even if Teel misses the start of the season.

3. Carroll returning to the lineup:

Corbin Carroll has missed the bulk of Spring Training so far due to a hamate fracture that ultimately required surgery, but Alex Weiner of the Arizona Republic relayed yesterday that the Diamondbacks’ star outfielder will be back in the lineup today as a DH. With a little over two weeks left to go before Opening Day, Carroll should have just enough time to ramp up before the season begins and avoid starting the year on the injured list. His return to the field begins at 1:10pm local time in Arizona, when Ryne Nelson will be taking the mound opposite Luis Morales and the Athletics.

Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on throughout the day:

1. World Baseball Classic continues:

Pool play in the World Baseball Classic continues today, although we already know which two teams will advance from Pool C (Japan, Korea) and Pool D (Venezuela, Dominican Republic). Puerto Rico in Pool A and USA in Pool B both have 3-0 records, with Puerto Rico having already clinched a spot in the quarterfinals. Team USA will need to beat Team Italy in this evening’s game (scheduled for 8pm local time in Houston) in order to clinch their spot; a loss to Italy tonight in conjunction with Italy losing to Mexico tomorrow would then result in a tiebreaker between the three clubs, who would have identical 3-1 records. As for Pool A, Cuba (2-1) is currently in the best position to make the quarterfinals, but Canada (1-1) could make things interesting with a win over Puerto Rico at 7pm ET.

2. More extensions on the way?

Yesterday, the Phillies stunned the baseball world with an out-of-the-blue extension for left-hander Jesus Luzardo. Luzardo landed a five-year, $135MM deal just months before he would have reached free agency. The 28-year-old signed on the heels of a season where he posted a 3.92 ERA in 32 starts with outstanding peripherals (2.90 FIP, 28.5% strikeout rate). Luzardo’s deal serves as a reminder that a lack of rumors surrounding a given player doesn’t necessarily signal a lack of negotiation going on behind the scenes. Luzardo joins Braves southpaw Chris Sale, Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy and A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson among the list of notable players to sign extensions in the past five to six weeks. Cardinals manager Oli Marmol, Brewers skipper Pat Murphy, and Padres president of baseball operations AJ Preller have also signed new contracts this spring.

As for Luzardo, his extension is expected to be formally announced by the team at a press conference today, per the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. That could lead to some comments of note from Phillies president Dave Dombrowski, so fans will want to keep an eye out for that.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

The World Baseball Classic is underway, and MLB clubs are entering the final weeks of Spring Training. Free agency is nearing its conclusion (the as-of-yet unsigned Lucas Giolito notwithstanding), and teams around baseball are gearing up for the 2026 campaign. If you’re wondering where your club stands, how their offseason went, or if there might be any other moves for your club to make before the season begins, you can get MLBTR’s Steve Adams thoughts in a chat that’s scheduled for 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, follow along once it goes live, and read the transcript after it’s complete.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. WBC pool play continues:

Pool play in the World Baseball Classic remains underway, with Samurai Japan (3-0) and Korea (2-2) both having advanced out of the pool stage of the tournament. Those two clubs will be the quarterfinalists from Pool C. In Pool A, the favorites to advance are Puerto Rico and Cuba, both of which have 2-0 records. The same can be said for the Dominican Republic and Venezuela in Pool D given their own 2-0 records. The most interesting pool at the moment is Pool B, where each of the United States, Italy, and Mexico have perfect 2-0 records. The winner of tonight’s game between Team USA and Team Mexico will be an overwhelming favorite to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. The U.S. will send reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes to the mound against former Orioles right-hander Manny Barreda.

2. Littell contract to be finalized:

The Nationals and right-hander Zack Littell have reportedly agreed to one-year contract that includes a mutual option for 2027. That deal was pending a physical, however, and the exact dollar amount of the deal has not yet been reported. Financial details figure to become available at some point in the near future, and the deal should be finalized quickly in the interest of getting the righty into camp with the Nats; there are just over two weeks until the regular season begins. The Nationals will need to make a 40-man roster move to accommodate the addition of Littell, and the club has no obvious 60-day IL candidates after already transferring Trevor Williams and DJ Herz earlier this spring.

3. Giolito stands alone:

Now that Littell has a deal, right-hander Lucas Giolito stands alone as the final member of MLBTR’s top 50 free agents list who has yet to land a deal somewhere. MLBTR’s Steve Adams took a look at a handful of teams that remained plausible candidates to add a starter like Giolito to the mix back in February, and many of those teams still make some sense for his services. Clubs like the Braves and Phillies that look like plausible fits on paper have indicated a lack of interest in the right-hander to this point.

Of course, the nature of pitcher injuries (particularly in Spring Training) is such that any given pitch thrown by a player expected to be in the rotation mix for their team could lead to an injury that creates an opening for Giolito. That’s been all too apparent in Atlanta, where injuries to Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep at the start of camp have more recently been compounded by an injury to Joey Wentz. Wentz was carted off the field with an apparent right knee injury sustained while covering the bag on a grounder to first. Initial reports were that Wentz seemed to have avoided a major injury, but he was still being sent for imaging. If he’s forced to miss some time, perhaps losing a third rotation option would push the Braves to consider some external additions.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world heading into the weekend:

1. World Baseball Classic continues:

Coming off the heels of right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Samurai Japan’s dominant 13-0 victory over Chinese Taipei overnight (featuring Shohei Ohtani going 3-for-4 with a grand slam), we’re headed into a busy day in WBC pool play. Seven more games are on the schedule today, with highlights including Team USA’s first game (featuring a start from righty Logan Webb) against Team Brazil and a strong pitching matchup between Puerto Rico (Seth Lugo) and Colombia (Jose Quintana). Ranger Suarez (Venezuela), Javier Assad (Mexico), and Cristopher Sanchez (Dominican Republic) are all set to take the mound as well. Pool games will continue throughout the weekend, and fans awaiting ace southpaw Tarik Skubal‘s start for Team USA should tune in at 8pm ET tomorrow when he takes on Great Britain.

2. Blanco DFA resolution incoming:

Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco was designated for assignment this week week when the club added Starling Marte into their outfield mix. Blanco, a right-handed hitter capable of handling all three outfield spots, made his big league debut in 2022 and put up decent numbers for the Royals in a part-time role during the 2023 and ’24 seasons. He slashed .258/.316/.422 across 157 games in that time, and while he only appeared in nine MLB games last year, he’s stolen 59 bases in 73 attempts during his career (80.8%). Blanco would be an intriguing fourth outfielder for a number of teams, and he has options remaining that could boost his value in that sort of bench role. If Blanco is claimed off waivers when his DFA window expires, he’ll join his new team in the coming days. The Royals will have the opportunity to outright him to Triple-A as non-roster depth in the event that he goes unclaimed.

3. Song facing oblique injury:

New Padres utilityman Sung Mun Song exited yesterday’s Spring Training game due to what was described as “tightness” in his right oblique. Manager Craig Stammen told reporters after the game that Song’s removal was precautionary, but as Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune notes, Song was sidelined by a similar oblique issue in January while working out back home in South Korea. Given that, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Padres exercise caution in the coming days. Oblique injuries are notoriously easy to aggravate if a player returns to baseball activities too soon, and San Diego is surely hoping to have Song healthy and ready to go in time for Opening Day, which is now less than three weeks away.

Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on around the baseball world today…

1. WBC play continues:

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is officially underway! The first two games of the tournament saw South Korea topple Czechia by an 11-4 margin and Australia blank Chinese Taipei in a 3-0 victory. Highlights from those games include Guardians top prospect and 2024 No. 1 overall pick Travis Bazzana clobbering a deep home run to right field as part of a multi-hit day for Team Australia (video link) and Astros utilityman Shay Whitcomb belting a pair of homers (video) for Team Korea.

Tonight, it’ll be Australia taking on Czechia at 10pm ET here in North America. Former Phillies farmhand Josh Hendrickson takes the mound for Australia against Czechia’s Tomas Ondra. That’s the only official game still to come today, though Japan and Chinese Taipei will square off in Tokyo at 5am ET tomorrow morning in North America for those who want to watch some early-morning ball. Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto gets the ball for Japan and faces against Taiwanese right-hander Hao-Chun Cheng, who actually pitched briefly in the Dodgers’ system in 2021 but has spent the past few seasons with the CTBC Brothers in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. Injuries limited Cheng to 11 starts last year, but he posted a pristine 1.49 ERA in 54 1/3 frames when healthy.

2. Astros dealing with Peña injury scare:

Star Astros shortstop Jeremy Peña was lifted from yesterday’s WBC exhibition after a taking a hard grounder off his finger. Peña’s Dominican club has pushed back on early speculation of a fracture, stating that he is undergoing X-rays and meeting with a hand specialist, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic. The Astros provided a few more details this morning, explaining that Peña took a hard shot off his right ring finger and cracked his fingernail (via MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart). He wanted to remain in the game despite his bloodied hand but was sent for testing. They’ll have a further update this afternoon.

Peña’s injury scare is a reminder that Houston’s infield “logjam” could be cleared up with just one injury, whether it occurs in WBC play or back in Grapefruit League play. If Peña were to require any sort of absence, Carlos Correa would slide over to shortstop, freeing up third base for Isaac Paredes. Jose Altuve and Christian Walker would then handle second and first base, with Yordan Alvarez manning the DH spot on a regular basis.

3. Spring debuts for several players:

Thursday will also see a handful of notable pitchers make their 2026 spring debuts. Cardinals fans can get their first official look at righty Dustin May when they host the Pirates and Mitch Keller in a game slated for a 1:05pm ET first pitch. May became a free agent for the first time this winter and signed a one-year, $12MM deal with St. Louis in hopes of putting together a healthy season in a new environment after an injury-marred run in Los Angeles and (briefly) Boston.

Over in the Cactus League, another former Dodgers mainstay will be taking the mound for a division rival. Walker Buehler‘s Padres debut is set for 3:10pm ET, when he and the Friars will host the Mariners and right-hander Luis Castillo. Buehler hasn’t been the same since missing the 2023 season with his second career UCL reconstruction. His memorable 2024 World Series performance notwithstanding, Buehler has been tagged for a 5.10 ERA with sub-par strikeout and walk rates in 40 starts since returning in 2024. After consecutive poor showings in 2024-25, he settled for a minor league deal with San Diego this winter.

One more outing worth watching with a particularly careful eye will be today’s Orioles-Rays tilt, where Baltimore righty Zach Eflin will be pitching in an official game setting for the first time since undergoing back surgery (a lumber discectomy) last August. Eflin was a free agent at season’s end but re-upped with the O’s on a one-year, $10MM contract in hopes of rebounding from a disastrous 2025 performance (5.93 ERA in 71 1/3 innings). Eflin’s poor results were obviously impacted by his health (or lack thereof). As recently as 2023-24, he rattled off 343 innings of 3.54 ERA ball with a sharp 23.1% strikeout rate and an elite 3.5% walk rate between Tampa Bay and Baltimore.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye out for around the baseball world throughout the day:

1. World Baseball Classic kicks off:

The World Baseball Classic is officially kicking off in Tokyo later today. At 10pm ET, Australia will face off against Chinese Taipei. Team Australia features White Sox infielder Curtis Mead and Guardians top prospect Travis Bazzana, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2024 draft. Outfielder Stuart Fairchild, righty Chih-Wei Hu, and infielders Tsung-Che Cheng, Yu Chang and Tzu-Wei Lin are all current or former big leaguers representing Taiwan. Prospects Hao-Yu Lee (Tigers) and Yu-Min Lin (D-backs) are on the roster as well, and fans surely recognize bullpen coach Chien-Ming Wang.

At 5am ET tomorrow morning, Czechia will face off against Korea. Of the four teams kicking off the WBC in these first two games, South Korea’s roster carries the most familiar names to the average MLB fan. Former All-Star Hyun Jin Ryu, now 38 years old, is one of the leaders of the pitching staff. Right-handers Dane Dunning and Riley O’Brien have considerable big league experience as well. Position players with major league experience include Hyeseong Kim, Jung Hoo Lee, Jahmai Jones, and Shay Whitcomb. Czechia’s most recognizable player for MLB fans is former Orioles infielder Terrin Vavra.

2. Suspensions impacting the NL East:

Yesterday, it was announced that Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar is facing a 162-game suspension for performance-enhancing drug use. Phillies center fielder Johan Rojas reportedly faces an 80-game suspension for failing a PED test of his own. Profar served an 80-game suspension for PED use last year. This is the first offense for Rojas. Both suspensions are expected to be appealed.

The pair of suspensions leaves both Atlanta and Philadelphia somewhat in limbo regarding their outfield plans. For the Braves, Profar’s likely suspension opens up DH at-bats for a non-roster invitee like Dominic Smith, Ben Gamel, or Tristin English. The Phillies will now lean even more heavily on top prospect Justin Crawford ahead of his likely big league debut on Opening Day, with Pedro León and non-roster invitee Bryan De La Cruz among the possible fourth outfield options.

3. Could Profar’s suspension change things for Atlanta?

The Profar suspension could have significant ramifications in Atlanta. Profar wouldn’t be paid his $15MM salary, and the Braves would also be spared another $3MM in luxury taxes as a result. With early injuries to Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep, Atlanta is running low on starting pitching. They haven’t been inclined to pursue right-handers Lucas Giolito and Zack Littell yet, but perhaps the sudden influx in cash would change that approach. Both seem like a better bet to provide stability in the rotation than current fifth rotation candidates like Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz and José Suarez. It’s also possible the Braves could look to bring in another bat to help with the DH and corner outfield mix in the wake of Profar’s likely removal from the roster.

Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye out for throughout the day today:

1. WBC scrimmages begin:

The World Baseball Classic is about the begin, but before it does the teams in US-based pools will be facing off against MLB clubs in exhibition games. Team USA’s game against the Giants (scheduled for 1:08pm local time in Arizona) will be broadcast on ESPN, where fans will get to see reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes take on 24-year-old righty Blade Tidwell. Meanwhile, fans in Canada can watch their national team face off against the Blue Jays (scheduled for 1:07pm local time in Florida) on either Sportsnet or MLB Network. MLB Network will also broadcast the first game of the Tigers’ exhibition series against the Dominican Republic’s team in Santo Domingo. That game is scheduled to begin at 6:05pm local time. A full list of WBC exhibitions can be found here courtesy of MLB.com.

2. Marlins legend enters his final season:

Longtime Marlins analyst Tommy Hutton is saying goodbye this year, as the Associated Press reports that he will retire after the 2026 season. Hutton played in the majors for parts of 12 MLB seasons between 1966 and 1981. It wasn’t long after that he began his career in broadcasting, and he covered the Expos (for whom he played in four of his MLB seasons), Yankees, and Blue Jays before eventually settling in with Miami back in 1997. Hutton briefly left the Marlins in 2015 before returning to the organization during the 2018 season, where he’s remained ever since. MLBTR congratulates Hutton on a storied career in baseball that’s spanned more than 60 years and wishes him all the best ahead of his final season before retirement.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

Spring Training is well underway, and the World Baseball Classic is just around the corner. A handful of interesting free agents such as Lucas Giolito and Zack Littell remain available, but most of the heavy lifting for clubs is complete. If you’re wondering where your club stands, how their offseason went, or if there might be any other moves for your club to make before the season begins, you can get MLBTR’s Steve Adams thoughts in a chat that’s scheduled for 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, follow along once it goes live, and read the transcript after it’s complete.

Here are three things we’re keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Valdez to make Tigers debut:

Tigers fans will get their first glimpse of newly-signed southpaw Framber Valdez on the mound for Detroit, as he’s set to start the club’s Spring Training game against the Braves later today. At 1:05pm local time in at the Tigers’ spring complex in Lakeland, Valdez will face off against Atlanta righty Bryce Elder. The soon-to-be 27-year-old Elder is a one-time All-Star but has struggled badly over the past few years, and is coming off a 2025 campaign where he posted a 5.30 ERA in 28 starts. Valdez, of course, has been one of the top starters in the AL for several years now. Last season was one of his weaker campaigns, but he still posted a solid 3.66 ERA with a 3.37 FIP.

2. More extensions on the way?

Over the weekend, the Cardinals extended manager Oli Marmol on a two-year deal that includes a club option for the 2029 season. There will surely be additional extensions over the coming weeks, both for players and personnel. MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk took a look at the managers and top front office executives on expiring contracts back in January, and while a few (including AJ Preller of the Padres and Pat Murphy of the Brewers) have already reached new deals since then, many are still on lame duck contracts. As for players, extension rumors have been fairly quiet to this point in the winter but, as Chris Sale‘s recent extension with the Braves showed just last week, these sorts of deals can come together very quickly.

3. Big league deals still on the table for free agents?

We’re now into the month of March, and Opening Day is just a few weeks away. By this point in the calendar, most veterans lingering on the free agent market are likely to wind up signing minor league contracts. That won’t be the case for all of them, of course; both Lucas Giolito and Zack Littell have the track record and platform season necessary to earn a meaningful big league deal even this late in the year. There’s less certainty on that front for the rest of the remaining free agents, but over the weekend veteran outfielder Starling Marte landed a big league deal with the Royals. That Marte, who is 37 years old and has been more of a part-time player in recent years, was able to get a big league deal could offer reason for optimism for other players still on the market. Who will be the next to sign?