Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:
1. MLBPA to regroup following Tony Clark’s departure:
Yesterday, the baseball world was rocked when MLBPA chief Tony Clark abruptly resigned from his position atop the union amid a scandal involving an “inappropriate relationship” with his sister-in-law, whom he hired to work for the union back in 2023. Clark’s departure comes less than a year before the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement on Dec. 1. Rather than go through a lengthy search for a new executive director, there have been indications that the players will look to find a temporary replacement in the short-term. Deputy director Bruce Meyer is the most likely candidate, and reporting has suggested there could be a vote on promoting him to interim director as soon as today.
2. Lingering free agents on the market:
As Spring Training gets fully underway, a swath of veterans have begun to take minor league deals in order to get into camp and get to work with a club in hopes of securing a roster spot coming into Opening Day. Right-hander Walker Buehler, outfielder Mike Tauchman, and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe are among the more notable players to sign minor league pacts in the past week. It’s fair to wonder which other veterans might be working on similar deals over the next few days. Of course, not every player left in free agency will settle for a minor league pact. Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell, and Max Scherzer are among the players likely to hold out for big league offers even as Spring Training gets into full swing.
3. Will the Braves do anything with their rotation?
It’s long been assumed that the Braves would make an addition to their rotation this offseason, and that seemingly became all the more likely when Atlanta lost Spencer Schwellenbach for the foreseeable future due to bone spurs in his elbow. Right-hander Hurston Waldrep, meanwhile, is dealing with elbow concerns of his own.
Despite that uncertainty, recent reporting has indicated that the club’s interest in players they’ve been connected to like Giolito and Chris Bassitt has been overstated. (Bassitt, of course, already signed with the Orioles.) Perhaps a team deep in starting pitching (e.g. Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers) would be willing to give up one of the arms lower on their depth chart to fill out Atlanta’s rotation at the right price, but could the Braves simply stand pat?
