Ranking the Biggest Distractions of Spring Training
Most spring training storylines you hear of will be about baseball. The whole idea is to mark the return of baseball, after all, so that makes sense.
But then there are the other storylines. The ones that are looming over everything and taking the attention away from what's happening on the field.
You know, the distractions.
What we're going to do is count down the top 10 distractions that have emerged in the 2015 spring season. Not all of them have villains at the center, but for players, coaches, executives, fans or all of the above, they're all distracting from actual baseball matters in one way or another.
Step into the box whenever you're ready.
10. The David Price Extension Watch
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This time last year, the Detroit Tigers were trying to extend ace right-hander Max Scherzer. That culminated in a highly publicized rejected offer, which began nearly a year's worth of hand-wringing that ended in disappointment when Scherzer signed with the Washington Nationals.
Might the Tigers now be heading down the same path with David Price?
Possibly. The ace lefty is headed toward his own walk year, and his track record deems him worthy of a long-term contract in the neighborhood of the $210 million deal Scherzer just signed. Given that the Tigers didn't spend that kind of money on Scherzer, it may look like Price is as good as gone.
But Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com and Bob Nightengale of USA Today have reported that the two sides are expected to try to make music. And according to Nightengale, what should help is that Price hasn't given the Tigers a deadline to beat.
He did, however, indicate that sooner would be better.
"I'd probably rather not talk about it all year long, but I don't feel like closing any doors," he said, adding, "It doesn't have to be cut off. I just don't want to talk about it every day."
It's a stretch to say the clock is ticking. But with sooner being better, there's some pressure on the Tigers to act now.
9. The Jordan Zimmermann Extension Watch
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Speaking of super-talented free-agent-to-be aces, Jordan Zimmermann is another member of that club.
The ace right-hander is one of many pending free agents on the Nationals, but by far the biggest and most important. And though the Nationals do have the luxury of having several very good pitchers—Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Tanner Roark—locked up beyond 2015, that's no excuse for them not to stress about possibly losing a guy with a sub-3.00 ERA since 2012.
The Nationals understand this, hence their repeated attempts to sign Zimmermann to an extension. But unlike the Tigers with Price, the Nationals don't have a mere suggestion for when to get a deal done.
According to Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington, what they have is more like an ultimatum. Zimmermann has said he's willing to talk this spring, but not during the season.
If there's a silver lining, it's that the rest of the Nationals (mainly Bryce Harper, from the sound of things) have every reason to be focused solely on winning a whole bunch of games in 2015. Zimmermann's contract situation shouldn't be a team-wide distraction.
But it's going to weigh heavily on Zimmermann, and probably even heavier on the Nationals front office. It's stressful enough to try to hammer out a monster extension. The time limit won't help.
8. The Joe Mauer-Ization of Joey Votto
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Hey, remember when the main storyline of Joey Votto's spring training was how healthy he would look after an injury-marred 2014 season?
Yeah, that's old news by now. People have found other things to talk about.
Like Votto's ultra-disciplined approach, for example. It's been criticized before, and Cincinnati broadcaster Marty Brennaman rebooted the cycle when he told a local radio host the Reds would be "in deep trouble" if the veteran first basemen is content to simply lead the league in on-base percentage in 2015.
Then there's Votto's leadership. Or lack thereof, apparently. He did his best to shoot down what former Red Mat Latos told Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports about the club's lack of leadership in 2014, but Paul Daugherty of The Cincinnati Enquirer all but rolled his eyes and challenged Votto to be "that guy."
Now, any reasonable person can look at Votto's approach and be thrilled that it consistently produces OBPs well over .400. That same reasonable person will also see that, after an off year in 2014, the Reds need his usual production a hell of a lot more than they need his leadership.
But that's just not how too many conversations about Votto are going these days. Thanks in part to his modest RBI counts and in part to his hugely expensive contract, he's quickly turning into Cincinnati's version of Joe Mauer. No matter what he does, it's just not going to be good enough.
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7. Undying Troy Tulowitzki-to-the-Mets Trade Rumors
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For the record, Troy Tulowitzki is not a member of the New York Mets. He still plays for the Colorado Rockies, and more than likely never will play for the Mets.
But that doesn't mean people are going to stop talking about it. And talking about it. And talking about it.
The possibility of the Rockies trading their superstar shortstop to the Mets was a hot topic on the rumor mill at times throughout the offseason, and it popped up again this week. All it took was Michael Cuddyer telling Mike Puma of the New York Post that Tulo would fit well on the Mets, and that was enough to warrant a corresponding piece by Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post.
For his part, Tulowitzki isn't about to fan the flames. He says he's learned to live with his name being front and center on the rumor mill, and that he can "only control coming here and doing my job.”
But because he also said that he pays close attention to what's said on the rumor mill, he should prepare to keep getting an earful this spring.
Odds are the Mets rumors aren't going away until the New York media gets an excuse to stop worrying about the club's shortstop situation. Unless Wilmer Flores hits a lot better than his career .631 OPS says he will, it's a safe bet that Tulowitzki will continue to be talked about as the problem's only solution.
6. Pablo Sandoval's Boiler
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Pablo Sandoval didn't make the best first impression when he showed up to his first spring training with the Boston Red Sox. From the looks of things, his $95 million contract was based on his weight in cash.
In fairness, this is not something worth panicking about. A lot of players show up to camp heavy and then lose the weight. And even if Sandoval doesn't do that, it's worth reminding everyone that he had a pretty good season in 2014 despite not having the slimmest waistline.
Nonetheless, it's too late. The size of Sandoval's boiler is out there as a discussion topic now, and it's unlikely to go away easily.
The Boston media has a reputation for being relentless, after all. They'll keep tabs on the star third baseman's weight throughout the spring, and you can count on things getting testy if he doesn't have the most productive spring.
If things start going downhill, the last thing Sandoval should want to do is publicly take offense. It therefore doesn't bode especially well that this was his first instinct when word got out about his physique, as he railed against "critics" to Marly Rivera of ESPN Deportes.
Basically, it's probably going to be par for the course. Sandoval's weight was frequently in the spotlight in San Francisco, and it will likely be more of the same in Boston.
5. The Uncomfortable in-Limbo-Ness of Andre Ethier
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When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded Matt Kemp to the San Diego Padres, they rid themselves of one outfielder who was occasionally disgruntled in 2014.
Might they now have to trade Andre Ethier to avoid dealing with that same problem in 2015?
It sounds like it. Though Ethier hasn't exactly demanded a trade, he might as well be asking about it.
Despite the fact he's coming off a career-worst .691 OPS, Ethier told Mark Saxon of ESPN Los Angeles he wants a starting job for 2015. Fortunately, there's one of those potentially available in center field if he can outplay top prospect Joc Pederson this spring. Unfortunately, however, that's not where he wants to be.
“I just don’t think that’s where I’m best suited to play every day,” he told Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. "If you’re 33 you get moved out of center field. You don’t get moved to center field. For me to say all of a sudden, I’m going to be an option in center field that’s a far reach and a far stretch.”
If Ethier's ideal role in 2015 is a starting job in either left or right field, he's out of luck as long as Carl Crawford and Yasiel Puig are still standing. So unless the Dodgers can get around the $56 million remaining on his contract and find a deal for him, they may have to prepare to deal with a player who clearly doesn't want to be there.
4. Those Darned Pace-of-Play Rules
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With games becoming longer and longer, Major League Baseball implemented new rules last week that are designed to speed things up.
When it did, the league was presumably hoping players would regard the new rules with a shrug and a "You're the boss." Predictably, however, the actual reaction has been more or less the exact opposite.
One of the new rules requires hitters to keep one foot in the box at most (not all) times. That's not going over well with some hitters. Milwaukee Brewers star Jonathan Lucroy told Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the game is "tough enough without being up there rushing." Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, meanwhile, summed up his feelings with one word: "Bull---t."
Some pitchers aren't crazy about the new rules either, as they also restrict how much warm-up time they get in between innings. Miami Marlins hurler Mat Latos doesn't like the idea. Nor does Colorado Rockies hurler LaTroy Hawkins. Nor does Washington Nationals hurler Casey Janssen.
And we haven't even gotten to the interesting part yet. Once the games actually begin, these rules are going to be in effect. Things are bound to be messy out of the gate. And if so, the griping is bound to continue.
3. Josh Hamilton's Disciplinary Status
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Remember when we said that not all distractions have villains at the center? That's true here more than anywhere else.
Earlier this week, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times reported that former American League MVP Josh Hamilton had met with MLB regarding a disciplinary issue. We eventually found out via Jon Heyman it was a relapse that involved "at least" cocaine.
This doesn't make Hamilton a bad guy. It's only a reminder that the veteran outfielder has a very real problem with addiction, as it nearly derailed his career a decade ago and led to two relapses in 2009 and 2012. Rather than scolding him, everyone should be hoping he can get back on track.
This being said, there's no denying Hamilton's status has become one of the biggest storylines of the spring. It was also an unexpected gut punch to the Los Angeles Angels, who must now brace themselves for another with Jon Morosi of Fox Sports reporting that Hamilton's punishment will be at least a 25-game suspension.
But perhaps not soon. Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com says the earliest the league will announce its decision is Monday. That leaves the Angels to wait in limbo for at least a couple more days, and possibly longer.
It admittedly feels unfair to call Hamilton's situation a "distraction." But whatever it is, it's regrettable and it could loom for a while.
2. All Those Phillies Trade Rumors
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Technically, the Philadelphia Phillies are busy holding spring training. But more realistically, they might as well be holding a yard sale.
Not that this is any secret, of course. The Phillies made it clear early in the offseason that they were going into full-on rebuilding mode, and that it would involve entertaining trade offers for their top veterans. Cleared from that list were Jimmy Rollins and Marlon Byrd, but several others remain.
Namely: Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Jonathan Papelbon and Chase Utley. It's possible that all four will stick around until at least the summer trade deadline, but they might all be gone by Opening Day.
This doesn't put Phillies skipper Ryne Sandberg in the most enviable position, especially knowing he recently told The News Journal that he doesn't want to use the word "rebuild" and that "getting veteran players" involved will be a key to cultivating team chemistry for 2015.
If the Phillies do make some trades this spring, it's going to be hard for Sandberg to stay on message. After all, how do you deny a rebuild is taking place in the middle of a fire sale, much less cultivate chemistry with veterans who are no longer present?
1. The Alex Rodriguez Comeback Saga
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Here's one plucked straight from the "Yup, Knew This Was Coming" file.
Indeed, it is hard to separate Alex Rodriguez's name from the word "distraction" these days. If you take a highly paid New York athlete and get him involved in numerous controversies both on and off the field and then get him suspended for a year as a result of a PED scandal, you get a perfect lightning rod. When A-Rod comes and goes, heads are going to turn.
And that's pretty much been the story since he arrived to New York Yankees camp last week. Reporters have chronicled his every move, and the takes have been predictably hot.
Fortunately, the A-Rod circus has only been a media circus so far. It hasn't disrupted the Yankees' spring activities, and skipper Joe Girardi expects things to stay that way.
“Our guys will just go about their business and they’ll go play," he said, via CBS New York. "I think it’s a bigger story outside of our clubhouse than it is inside of our clubhouse.”
You can bank on this much, though: Their resolve is going to be tested.
The A-Rod questions will come fast and furious on a daily basis, and could eventually pile high enough to reach Girardi's and/or his players' breaking point. And if A-Rod is made to look out of his league once the exhibition season gets going, the circus would only intensify.
One way or another, there's no way A-Rod's not going to be a story this spring. All the Yankees can hope for is that he remains a story they can deal with.
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