Updating the Hottest Questions of 2015 MLB Spring Training, Week 3
You are probably getting sick of preseason baseball, and to be honest with you, so am I. We're all in need of Opening Day and some meaningful games to analyze.
But before we get to that point, the rest of spring training will need to unfold. Despite the games having no meaning on the 2015 season, we will still be able to draw some conclusions from the upcoming events that will take place over the next few weeks.
We will dive into some of the most important questions still to be answered this spring. How will the loss of Marcus Stroman impact the Toronto Blue Jays? Can Barry Zito make an improbable comeback to join the Oakland rotation? What position will Yasmany Tomas play for the Arizona Diamondbacks?
For more on those topics and a handful of others, please read on!
What Does the Loss of Marcus Stroman Mean for the Blue Jays?
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The Toronto Blue Jays had the look of a legitimate contender at the beginning of spring training. With a powerful lineup and a bevy of young, talented arms, the Jays were poised to end a 21-year playoff drought.
One of those young arms, right-hander Marcus Stroman, figured to be at the forefront of the Toronto rotation. In 26 starts last year, Stroman went 11-6 with a 3.65 ERA. Those numbers weren't inflated or fluky, as the 23-year-old backed them up with a 2.84 FIP and 3.17 xFIP.
After such an impressive rookie campaign, Toronto fans had high expectations for Stroman in 2015. But unfortunately for the Jays, his season ended before Opening Day with a torn ACL earlier this week.
Many pundits around the game have suggested that Stroman's injury could be a deathblow to Toronto's title hopes. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports is now wavering on his preseason prediction that the Jays would win the AL East. Meanwhile, Jeff Sullivan at FanGraphs believes that all the doom and gloom associated with Stroman's impending absence is warranted:
"The Blue Jays had dreams of winning the World Series. Stroman figured to be the No. 1, and the team didn't look deep with him. This is a massive blow, and it's a massive blow to a team right on that win-curve position where a massive blow can be the most massive. People are mourning this. It's not that much of an overreaction.
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While the Jays' World Series hopes did take a major hit with Stroman's injury, the club maintains enough young pitching to compete in the AL East.
Before the injury, it seemed that both Daniel Norris and Aaron Sanchez would be competing for a lone rotation spot. Both will likely need to take the ball every fifth day now, and each has pitched decently in minimal preseason innings.
Meanwhile, Drew Hutchison's development becomes the key to Toronto's season. Despite a 4.48 ERA last year, the 24-year-old fanned almost nine hitters per nine and posted a 3.85 FIP. If spring stats mean anything, he's only allowed two hits in six of innings of work thus far.
So don't give up just yet, Blue Jays fans. It isn't an ideal situation, but Toronto may still be able to overcome it.
What's the Latest with Hector Olivera?
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Now that the Yoan Moncada sweepstakes has concluded, fellow Cuban Hector Olivera has moved into the spotlight regarding international targets.
The 29-year-old infielder has created quite the courtship, as numerous MLB teams are reportedly interested in acquiring his services. Olivera has become the most coveted international free agent, despite a mysterious blood disorder that caused him to miss significant playing time during his prime.
He's done so behind a fantastic approach at the plate. According to Marc Normandin of SB Nation, Olivera has recorded a .986 OPS in his last six seasons. He also slashed .316/.412/.474 in Cuba's Serie Nacional in 2013-14.
He's also performed on the big stage, as evidenced by this long ball in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.
With the recent success of Cuban imports, it shouldn't be a surprise that many organizations are lining up to sign him. The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Miami Marlins, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres and Oakland A's have all expressed a strong interest in Olivera.
Jesse Sanchez at MLB.com has reported that Olivera is deciding between several four- to six-year offers and that he could come to terms with a team this week. According to the Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald, a handful of the squads mentioned above already have offers on the table.
Of those offers, the Dodgers' $77 million offer trumps all others. But will L.A.'s handling of fellow Cuban Alex Guerrero deter Olivera from inking with the club? Money talks, but with standing offers from Miami ($53 million), San Diego ($52 million) and Atlanta ($44 million), this may not be as cut-and-dry as it seems.
Where Does Yasmany Tomas Fit Defensively in Arizona?
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The Arizona Diamondbacks dipped their toes into the international pond this winter, inking Cuban slugger Yasmany Tomas to a six-year, $68.5 million deal.
Tomas' power was the stuff of legend before his arrival in Arizona camp for spring training. But he won many of his teammates over with his methodical approach in batting practice, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick:
"For the first round or two, Tomas focuses on hitting line drives to right field and dead center before unlimbering and piercing the dry desert air with big flies. That methodical approach was a revelation to his new teammates, who figured he would arrive at camp and try to put on a show in an effort to justify the expectations.
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While the 24-year-old slugger figures to produce at a high level in the middle of the Arizona lineup, the Diamondbacks remain uncertain where he fits defensively.
Due to a crowded outfield and a shaky situation at third, the Diamondbacks announced early on that they would prefer Tomas to man the hot corner. He played there while in Cuba but profiles more as an outfielder in MLB.
According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, Tomas seems to be out of his depth at third base. Manager Chip Hale has also acknowledged that Tomas "needs to be better" with his defense at third.
Despite his struggles and a body that screams corner outfielder, Arizona still seems determined to make Tomas its starting third baseman. His power will keep him in the lineup, but it may have to get downright ugly for the Snakes to move Tomas to the outfield.
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How Is Didi Gregorius Faring at Replacing Derek Jeter?
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For the first time since 1996, the New York Yankees will break camp with a shortstop not named Derek Jeter. After his farewell tour in 2014, the Yankees captain rode off into the sunset as one of baseball's best-ever players.
But the game stops for no man, and the Bronx Bombers made sure to replace Jeter this offseason by trading for Didi Gregorius in a three-way deal involving the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Detroit Tigers.
While the 25-year-old is considered an elite defensive shortstop, his bat continues to lack behind the better part of his game. He's a career .243 hitter with a lifetime wRC+ of 84. He hit just .226 in his time with the Diamondbacks last season, resulting in a demotion to Triple-A.
The good news for Gregorius is that he's squaring the ball up when he does make contact. According to Michael Salfino of The Wall Street Journal, the slick-fielding shortstop posted a hard-hit rate of .207 in his 270 at-bats in 2014. Not only was that total well above the league average, but it would also be good for the best mark on the current Yankees roster.
B/R's own Scott Miller recently wrote an article mentioning Gregorius' immeasurable task of replacing one of the game's all-time greats. Miller mentions the Alex Rodriguez circus as part of the reason Gregorius has been able to stay under-the-radar thus far this spring.
That's probably a good thing for Gregorius, as he's 1-for-12 with four strikeouts over the first few weeks of play. He's yet to make an error in 14 chances, but the Yankees will hope to see some improvement at the dish before camp breaks at the end of the month.
Can Barry Zito Make the Oakland A's Rotation?
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With the Oakland A's losing both Jon Lester and Jeff Samardzija this offseason, the club's rotation was always going to have its question marks.
Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir will provide the A's with top-of-the-rotation production, but Oakland's remaining starters lack the experience to calm the nerves of the fanbase. Jesse Chavez pitched well last season, but he's made only 23 career starts, 21 of which came last season. Drew Pomeranz has a career 4.24 ERA, and while talented, Jesse Hahn has only started 12 big league games of his own.
While each of those three hurlers has shown the potential to get major league hitters out, general manager Billy Beane turned to a familiar face in hopes of supplying his team with an additional arm for depth.
Barry Zito began his career with a fantastic run with the A's in 2000, as part of the vaunted three-headed monster with Tim Hudson and Mark Mulder. He's won 165 games in his career but hasn't pitched since his disappointing final season with the San Francisco Giants. Zito went 5-11 with a 5.74 ERA for San Fran in 2013.
The former Cy Young told USA Today's Bob Nightengale that he returned to his first-ever team because he "missed the competition." For Zito, vying for a spot in the Oakland rotation should give him a heavy dose of that desired competition.
He's been less than stellar so far this spring, allowing four runs in 4.2 innings pitched. But after sitting out all of last season, Zito is going to need a few outings to knock off the rust.
He did retire six of the first seven hitters he faced in Tuesday's outing against the Diamondbacks, before scuffling in his final inning. John Shea of SFGate.com noted that Zito's heater sat in the mid-80s, a comforting sign for an aging veteran on the comeback trail.
Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs.
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