Biggest Early Storylines out of 2024 MLB Spring Training

The start of spring training often brings with it a flurry of news, from early injury reports to extension talks to rumors surrounding what remains of the offseason free-agent and trade markets.

With pitchers and catchers already reporting and the start of spring training games fast approaching, now is the perfect time for a quick roundup of the biggest storylines to emerge out of Arizona and Florida in the early days of the MLB preseason.

Ahead is a rundown of all the latest news from across baseball, along with a quick list of the top remaining free agents in one of the slowest moving markets in recent memory.

The long, cold winter is almost over, baseball fans!

Zack Wheeler Extension Talks

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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 16: Zack Wheeler #45 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during Game One of the Championship Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 16, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

The Philadelphia Phillies moved quickly to re-sign Aaron Nola to a seven-year, $172 million deal this offseason, locking up their homegrown ace just 17 days after he officially became a free agent.

Now they are trying to do the same with co-ace Zack Wheeler.

Entering the final season of a five-year, $118 million contract that will go down as one of the most successful nine-figure deals ever given to a pitcher, Wheeler is poised to be one of the top arms on the market next winter.

Here's a look at some of the notable starting pitchers set to reach free agency:

• Corbin Burnes
• Zack Wheeler
• Max Fried
  
• Walker Buehler
• Max Scherzer
• Shane Bieber

Wheeler confirmed earlier this week that the Phillies have initiated extension talks with his agents, and by all accounts it sounds like he is open to sticking around if the two sides can nail down a new deal.

"I love it here," Wheeler told reporters. "We're happy here. It's a good organization. We're winning, and all things are looking great and right. So, I'd love to be here."

Wheeler is three years older than Nola, so a similar deal might not be in the cards, but a four-year extension for a higher annual value could make sense for both sides.

Orioles Dealing with Injury Issues

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Kyle Bradish

After the blockbuster move to acquire ace Corbin Burnes from the Milwaukee Brewers, the Baltimore Orioles have landed at spring training with a bit of a thud, with a news dump on Thursday bringing a wave of injury reports.

Kyle Bradish was one of baseball's biggest breakout stars in 2023, finishing fourth in AL Cy Young voting while going 12-7 with a 2.83 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 168 strikeouts in 168.2 innings over 30 starts.

The 27-year-old has received a PRP injection in his elbow and will try to pitch through his UCL injury, but he is a lock to start the year on the injured list, and left-hander John Means is expected to join him. That leaves Burnes, Grayson Rodriguez and Dean Kremer as the only locks to break camp with a rotation spot.

The oblique injury to 2023 AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson at least comes early enough in spring training that he should be able to get healthy before the start of the year assuming there are no setbacks.

A less-than-ideal start to 2024 for the defending AL East champs to say the least.

Orioles Linked to Jesús Luzardo

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MIAMI, FL - SEPTEMBER 17: Jesus Luzardo #44 of the Miami Marlins pitches in the first inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on Sunday, September 17, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Miami Marlins left-hander Jesús Luzardo has been one of the most frequently mentioned names on the offseason trade market, and there's still a chance a deal could get done before Opening Day.

Keep an eye on the Baltimore Orioles.

"The Marlins have been willing to listen to proposals for pitcher Jesús Luzardo all offseason, and sources say the Baltimore Orioles displayed the most interest," wrote Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami Herald.

With club control through the 2026 season, the Marlins have reportedly been seeking a bigger return than the Milwaukee Brewers received from the Orioles in the Corbin Burnes trade, which makes sense considering Burnes will be a free agent after the 2024 season and is essentially a one-year rental.

With Kyle Bradish and John Means both sidelined and Bradish dealing with a UCL injury, the Orioles could renew their interest in a deal with the Orioles.

The Miami Herald report mentioned catcher Samuel Basallo and infielder Joey Ortiz as two players the Marlins were potentially targeting, and while Ortiz has since been included in the Burnes trade, the Orioles have one of the deepest farm systems in baseball and the trade chips to swing almost any deal they want.

Rays to Start José Caballero, René Pinto

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René Pinto

The Tampa Bay Rays have prioritized defense as much as any team in baseball over the years, and they have been more willing than most to utilize a glove-first player in a significant role throughout the course of the season.

Infielder Taylor Walls is a prime example from last season, as he hit just .201/.305/.333 for a 79 OPS+ over 349 plate appearances, but was a 2.0-WAR player thanks to his plus defense at second base, shortstop and third base.

With Walls recovering from hip surgery and expected to start the year on the injured list, a similar player in José Caballero was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Luke Raley this offseason.

Caballero had a 2.4-WAR rookie season in 2023, despite hitting .221 with a 90 OPS+ in 104 games, providing stellar middle infield defense. The 27-year-old is now expected to break camp as Tampa Bay's starting shortstop amid the ongoing uncertainty of Wander Franco's future.

Meanwhile, it will also be a largely unproven starter behind the plate, with René Pinto currently the only catcher on the 40-man roster and no outside additions to compete for the starting job expected.

Pinto, 27, posted a 97 OPS+ with six home runs and 16 RBI in 105 plate appearances last season, which represents above-average production at the catcher position. He also graded as a quality pitch-framer, and has shown offensive potential in the minors with a 20-homer season in 2021 and an .842 OPS at Triple-A in 2022.

Rangers Not Planning to Make Any More Additions

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Jordan Montgomery

After spending a ton of money the past two offseasons and reaping the rewards of that aggressiveness with a World Series title in 2023, the Texas Rangers have been relatively quiet this winter, due in large part to the continued uncertainty surrounding their 2024 TV deal.

As a result, further additions this offseason do not seem to be on the table, though general manager Chris Young stopped short of completely slamming the door on another signing while talking to reporters earlier this week.

"I don't think there are any additions coming at this point," Young told reporters. "But I've said before we will keep an open mind. I know there's a number of free agents still out there. At this point, the group we have in the clubhouse is primarily the group. If there is an opportunity to add, we'd certainly be open to that.

"That said, the TV uncertainty is real. We don't know what it looks like beyond this year. This is a financial responsibility that we have to operate with, and until we have that certainty ... our payroll is at an all-time high."

There have been rumblings of a potential reunion with left-hander Jordan Montgomery throughout the offseason, and perhaps these comments are just posturing by the Rangers in an effort to gain some leverage.

With Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tyler Mahle all set to open the season on the injured list, the projected Opening Day rotation is Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney, Dane Dunning and Cody Bradford.

Angels Likely to Operate at Lower Payroll, Still Targeting Top Names

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Cody Bellinger

Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno spoke to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register earlier this week on a variety of topics, and while him saying he has no plans to sell the team was the biggest takeaway, there was also a notable nugget on the club's 2024 plans.

Moreno said he plans to "set the budget lower" relative to last season, balking at the idea of spending just to spend if it's not going to substantially change the team, but that doesn't necessarily close the door on a major signing.

Let's look at what it means from a numbers perspective:

• 2023 Final Payroll: $230.5 million
• 2024 Projected Payroll: $156.9 million

The Angels have long looked like a potential landing spot for Blake Snell, and they could easily fit a long-term deal for him on the books while still playing out the 2024 season with a substantially lower payroll than last year.

To that point, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported on Thursday: "The Angels have been mulling whether to make a run at big-time free agents [Blake] Snell, [Jordan] Montgomery or Cody Bellinger."

He also mentioned Amed Rosario, Enrique Hernández and Michael Lorenzen as potential smaller-scale targets.

Don't sleep on the Angels still making some noise in the coming weeks.

Rob Manfred Era Coming to an End in 2029

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TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 15: Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred Jr. speaks during the 2024 Grapefruit League Spring Training Media Day at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Thursday, February 15, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

The Rob Manfred era as MLB commissioner now has an end date.

His current contract expires in January 2029, and he announced earlier this week that he does not intend to seek re-election at that point, which means there will be a changing of the guard in Major League Baseball's top leadership position.

Manfred, who is in his 10th year as commissioner, will leave behind a complicated legacy. He has been the target of criticism for the way he handled the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal, the contentiousness with the MLBPA during the last CBA negotiations and the ongoing frustrations surrounding local TV blackouts.

However, he also implemented several impactful pace of play changes, brought the long-overdue universal designated hitter to the National League, and expanded the postseason format in a way that has helped create more parity.

The question now becomes who will take his place.

If Vegas were taking bets, I'd toss $20 on Theo Epstein right now, but there is still a lot of time for potential candidates to emerge.

MLB Wants a Two-Week Free Agency Window

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Blake Snell

With Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger, Jordan Montgomery and Matt Chapman headlining a long list of free agents who remain unsigned with spring training now underway, it's no surprise that potential changes to the free agency system have been a talking point.

Commissioner Rob Manfred spoke on the idea of a shortened free agency signing period in December that keeps things from dragging out, similar to the frenzied free agency seen in the NBA and NFL.

"We actually made proposals to that effect to the MLBPA. They were not warmly received," Manfred told reporters. "With the system we have right now, one of the tactics that's available to player representatives is to stretch out the negotiation in the belief they're going to get a better deal. That's part of the system right now. There's not a lot we can do about it. Certainly, from an aspirational perspective, we'd rather have two weeks of flurried activity in December, preferably around the winter meetings where you're all there to write about it."

It's not hard to see how that would shift negotiating leverage from the players to the owners, and Manfred has generally put the interest of the billionaire ownership groups ahead of the players throughout his tenure as commissioner, so the MLBPA pushing back is not surprising.

Still, the fact that it was discussed could make it a focal point of the next CBA negotiations, and it's worth further exploring the idea of potential changes to a system that has faltered this offseason.

Top Remaining Free Agents

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Matt Chapman

The following players are still available from our Top 100 free agents list that was published at the start of the offseason, with their spot in those rankings provided for context:

4. SP Blake Snell
5. 1B/OF Cody Bellinger
7. SP Jordan Montgomery
8. 3B Matt Chapman
16. DH J.D. Martinez
22. RHP Mike Clevinger
30. OF Michael A. Taylor
33. SS Tim Anderson
35. IF/OF Whit Merrifield
38. OF Tommy Pham
39. SP Michael Lorenzen
44. SS Amed Rosario
46. OF Adam Duvall
50. 1B Brandon Belt
55. OF Eddie Rosario
69. 1B C.J. Cron
70. IF Gio Urshela
77. 1B Joey Votto
80. OF Randal Grichuk
81. RP Ryne Stanek
82. IF/OF Enrique Hernández
83. IF Donovan Solano
92. 1B/OF Garrett Cooper
94. OF Robbie Grossman
96. 2B Kolten Wong
97. SP Zack Greinke