MLB Spring Training 2012: 8 Storylines to Follow in March and Throughout Season

As players from all 30 teams report to spring training, fans begin to look at their own teams and analyze their rosters, opponents’ rosters, trade needs, playoff chances and more.

As you focus on your team, here are eight important stories to keep an eye on throughout spring training and the entire season.  Each is likely to have major implications on the strength of Major League Baseball as a whole—and perhaps also your favorite team!

They are by no means the only important stories to watch, but they are certainly among the most interesting.

When Will Bryce Harper Join the Washington Nationals?

Bryce Harper is the most anticipated prospect to come through the minor leagues since his teammate, Stephen Strasburg.  Many Washington Nationals fans are hoping that Harper will make the Opening Day roster, and manager Davey Johnson said earlier in the winter that he is open to letting Harper compete for a roster spot.

Harper split time between Single-A Hagerstown and Double-A Harrisburg in 2011, posting a .297 batting average with 17 HR and 58 RBI in 109 games.  Harper’s limited experience in professional baseball probably will mean that he will open the season in the minor leagues again, unless he dazzles in the Grapefruit League.

But, just because Harper opens the season in the minors doesn’t mean he will end the season there.  That’s why one of 2012’s most interesting stories will be if and when Bryce Harper joins the Washington Nationals.

Will 3 Aces Re-Sign with Their Current Clubs?

At the time of press, three ace starting pitchers are slated to hit free agency at the end of the 2012 season: Matt Cain, Zack Greinke and Cole Hamels.

One of the main questions surrounding 27-year-old Matt Cain’s negotiations with the San Francisco Giants will be whether the club decides to invest the money it would take to re-sign Cain—after locking up Tim Lincecum for almost $41 million this offseason—or if it would rather invest money in offense. 

Former Cy Young winner Zack Greinke is in the final year of his deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, and it will be interesting to see whether the Brewers re-sign him, trade him if they fall out of contention or let him walk as a free agent.

2008 World Series MVP Cole Hamels is due for a big payday, whether from the Philadelphia Phillies or elsewhere.  The Phils would love to sign Hamels to an extension before he hits the open market, but it remains to be seen whether the club has the capacity to sign three pitchers to ace-like contracts (the other two being Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee).

Performance-Enhancing Drugs

Ryan Braun’s 50-game suspension for testing positive for PEDs was overturned yesterday, but that created more questions about baseball’s drug-testing program than it answered.

It seems that the basis for disregarding the results of Braun’s tests was a gap in the chain of custody of his sample.  If Braun’s was not handled properly, were others dealt with improperly too?

Will other players who have tested positive claim this is the reason for past suspensions?  Will this kind of challenge become common with future positive tests?  Only time will tell.

How Will the Miami Marlins Fare in 2012?

Somewhat surprisingly, the Miami Marlins were the most active team in baseball this offseason.  Besides moving into a new stadium and hiring outspoken manager Ozzie Guillen, the Marlins signed Heath Bell, Mark Beuhrle and Jose Reyes.  They also traded for the always-interesting Carlos Zambrano.

Will these new additions, and the team’s new stadium and new name bring fans to watch the Marlins?  Will the 2012 Miami Marlins be more like the 1997 Marlins who won it all, or the 2011 Red Sox who missed the playoffs despite big expectations?  We’ll have to watch to find out.

Will 2012 Be Mariano Rivera’s Last Season?

On Monday, Mariano Rivera told reporters that he knows whether 2012 will be his last season as a pitcher…but he won’t tell anyone what his decision is.

The popular speculation has been that this will, in fact, be Rivera’s last season.  If it is, fans of all teams should be watching the New York Yankees any chance they get. 

It is unlikely that any of us will ever see an athlete as dominant at his craft as Rivera is, so it will be important to savor the experience of watching him pitch every time he comes in to a ballgame.

How Will the Boston Red Sox Come Back from 2011 Collapse?

And how will the players adjust to new manager Bobby Valentine?

The Boston Red Sox are returning with most of the players from the 2011 team that had a nine-game lead for the American League wild-card spot on Sept. 3, yet missed the playoffs.  The team was marred by allegations of beer drinking, fried-chicken eating and video-game playing in the clubhouse during games.

Bobby Valentine has already imposed much stricter rules than Terry Francona, such as making players ride the team bus to away games during spring training.

Will the Sox prove doubters wrong, or will they miss the playoffs for the third consecutive year?

How Will the Dodgers and Mets Ownership Sagas Play Out?

Two of baseball’s blue-chip franchises have been decimated by ownership situations that remain unresolved.

Frank McCourt’s divorce and excessive spending habits led the Los Angeles Dodgers into bankruptcy. Eleven groups have placed bids for the franchise.  A winner should be determined soon, but who will it be, and what will be their first course of action with the club?

Meanwhile, New York Mets ownership is being sued in the fallout of the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme. This has resulted in the loss millions of dollars and potentially the greatest decrease in a team’s payroll from one year to the next in baseball history.  The trial in the case is scheduled to begin in March, and a loss could force the Wilpons and Sterling Equities to sell the Amazins.

How Will a New Playoff Format Affect Playoff Races?

All signs point to a fifth playoff team being added in each league to the 2012 playoffs.  Three division winners would automatically advance to the division series, and two wild-card teams would play a one-game playoff to determine who advances.

How will this impact playoff races in both leagues?  Will more teams stay in the races and compete for postseason berths, or will teams that would normally compete for the Wild Card instead take it easy in September because they will play each other in the one-game playoff?

And how will this impact teams’ strategies after Labor Day?  Will teams be more likely to rest players because it is easier to be one of five remaining than one of four, or will they place more emphasis on winning the division than in past years because of the uncertainty that surrounds a one-game playoff?

All eight stories will play out at some point this season, and each will add plenty of drama to the 2012 season.