On the heels of big news out of Toronto earlier this morning, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:
1. Roster decisions abound:
Opening Day is just around the corner, and as a result a flurry of roster moves have taken place over the past few days. That’s sure to continue going forward, as non-roster players breaking camp with the team will need to be added to the 40-man roster, while players without options remaining who don’t make their current team will need to be cut loose. Some big roster decisions yet to be made include whether top prospect Kevin McGonigle will break camp with the Tigers and whether Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena will be healthy enough to begin the season on the roster or require a trip to the injured list.
2. Trades, opt-outs, and signings galore:
As teams finalize their rosters and inform veterans on minor league deals that they won’t make the club, many of those veterans will have the opportunity to return to free agency. We’ve already seen southpaw Joey Lucchesi granted his release from the Giants, while catcher Reese McGuire managed to leverage his opt-out in the Brewers organization into a big league deal with the White Sox. In addition to those veterans moving in and out of free agency, the trade market is rife with possibilities at this time of year. The Nationals already took advantage of a roster crunch in New York by acquiring young infielder Jorbit Vivas from the Yankees, while some minor league veterans like Joe La Sorsa have upward mobility clauses in their contracts that can force a trade to a team willing to roster them.
3. Extension season continues:
Even amid the flurry of roster moves headed into Opening Day, springtime remains extension season all around baseball. It’s been a busy past few days on the extension front, as the Phillies inked southpaw Cristopher Sanchez to a new contract yesterday, locking up the lefty through his mid-30s, while this morning saw the Blue Jays extend GM Ross Atkins and manager John Schneider ahead of what would’ve been the final years of their contract. Outside of the deals that have already gotten done, the loudest buzz in terms of extensions involved star Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin, who was assigned to minor league camp over the weekend but also has mutual interest in an extension with his organization. Are there more deals on the horizon as Opening Day draws near?
