Updating the Hottest Questions of 2015 MLB Spring Training, Week 4
We've hit the home stretch of another long, cold MLB offseason, as we're just over two weeks away from Opening Day.
With half of spring training in the rearview mirror, there are plenty of headlines developing around the league. Each team is beginning to get a better idea of its finished product as we close in on April 5, but key questions remain to be answered before we get to that point.
We've seen plenty of surprises this spring, as players like Jason Marquis have resurrected their careers during the preseason. But can those unlikely contributors carry their spring momentum into the regular season?
The Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles are concerned about Justin Verlander, CC Sabathia and Matt Wieters respectively for a variety of different reasons, but which star has the most alarming issues?
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks still have to sift through a handful of options to fill key spots on their squads. What's the latest on that front?
For further information on all of the aforementioned topics, read on!
Can Some of the Spring's Biggest Surprises Carry Their Momentum into the Season?
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Read into spring numbers at your own risk.
Every year in camp, a handful of players around the league put together surprisingly productive contributions in hopes of hijacking a potential roster spot. Some of those statistics carry over into the season, but many don't.
Playing well is always better than the alternative, but spring training statistics are often the ultimate sporting fool's gold.
This spring has been no different, as plenty of players have used the preseason to make compelling cases to their respective teams. But which of those unlikely competitors have the best chance to extend their impressive performances past March?
Let's start with veteran hurler Jason Marquis, who has come out of nowhere to win a spot in the Cincinnati Reds rotation with a solid spring. After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2013 and lounging on the couch last season, the right-hander gave up only one earned run in his first nine innings of spring work and has a 3.21 ERA overall in March. With Paul Maholm and Tony Cingrani waiting in the wings, the Reds should be able to ease Marquis into regaining his prior form.
Elsewhere, Brian Matusz in Baltimore, Anthony Gose in Detroit, Luis Valbuena in Houston and Jace Peterson in Atlanta have all staked their claims to roster spots with exceptional springs.
What Can We Expect from Aging Hurlers Like CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander?
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Two of the better pitchers in the modern era, CC Sabathia and Justin Verlander, are hoping to put disappointing 2014 campaigns behind them and return to their customary production this season.
Verlander and the Detroit Tigers failed to reach the Fall Classic, despite adding David Price to an already potent rotation. Now with Max Scherzer in Washington, Verlander's return to his once-great production will be critical for Detroit's 2015 World Series hopes.
The right-hander's ERA ballooned to a 4.54 mark last season, and he failed to put away opposing hitters with the strikeout as in years past. For a pitcher with a career K/9 mark of more than eight, Verlander's 6.95 last season was a huge red flag. His velocity continued to dip, which rendered his off-speed offerings ineffective in 2014.
Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press reported that the Tigers actually shut the radar gun off in Verlander's most recent start, which indicates his velocity is something that's on the mind of both the former AL MVP and the organization.
Meanwhile, a hefty and comfortable Sabathia made his spring debut earlier this week. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports mentioned on his Twitter feed that the southpaw's fastball velocity sat around 93 mph, which is a huge improvement from his latest pitch speeds.
And that's the biggest development to keep an eye on as Sabathia progresses toward the start of the season. His heater was consistently clocked in the upper 80s in 2014, which is way down from the mid-90s velocity of his prime.
Sabathia has returned to his comfortable playing weight in hopes of repairing that diminished velocity, as well as keeping him healthy for a full season. It's only one start, but increased zip on his fastball is a positive sign for the 34-year-old lefty.
How Concerned Should the Baltimore Orioles Be About Matt Wieters' Elbow?
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Matt Wieters played in only 26 games last season due to season-ending elbow surgery, and that same elbow is causing him problems early this spring.
One day after clearing Wieters to throw for the first time since last May, manager Buck Showalter announced that the Baltimore Orioles were shutting down their All-Star catcher because of elbow tendinitis. Wieters will also undergo a precautionary X-ray on that elbow.
Wieters caught six innings in his first spring action Tuesday, needing only to make one in-game throw on a weakly hit ball out in front of the plate. The Baltimore Sun's Eduardo A. Encina reports that Wieters felt fine Wednesday but was forced to miss his scheduled Thursday start after complaining of slight soreness in his arm.
The O's led all of baseball in homers last season with 211, but the offense underwent an extreme transformation this winter. Gone are Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis, two key cogs in the Baltimore attack in 2014. The Orioles were relatively quiet in free agency, hoping the returns of Wieters and Manny Machado would be enough to overcome those departures.
While the Wieters news is alarming, Showalter seems to think his backstop is on track to begin the season healthy. He told Encina that Wieters' tendinitis is "normal" and that he's "surprised" there hasn't been any soreness before.
Baltimore needs Wieters to stay on the field this year in order for the offense to be productive. The full recovery of his elbow remains one of the most important stories regarding the 2015 Orioles this spring.
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Who Will Close Games for the Los Angeles Dodgers Until Kenley Jansen Returns?
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The Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen ranked 22nd and 26th in ERA and WAR respectively in 2014, which ultimately cost the Dodgers in the NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Despite such a poor group, Kenley Jansen remained one of the premier ninth-inning options in the league. The right-hander fanned almost 14 batters per nine innings en route to 44 saves. He finished the season with a 2.76 ERA, but his 1.91 FIP indicates he may have been even more dominant than initially thought.
Jansen underwent foot surgery earlier in March and is just now walking without crutches, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Despite the improvement in his status, the Dodgers aren't expecting their closer back until at least the end of April.
So who will get the ball to lock down games until Jansen returns?
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports has reported that the team's closing situation will likely remain fluid over the next month. He names Chris Hatcher and Sergio Santos as bullpen arms who have "looked good" so far this spring.
Hatcher came over from the Miami Marlins in the Dee Gordon trade and will be an option for the Dodgers in the ninth inning. The right-hander pitched well for the Fish last season, fanning over nine per nine innings and walking under two.
The Dodgers also acquired Santos this offseason, and he's another hard-throwing right-hander to keep an eye on. Santos logged only 21 innings for the Toronto Blue Jays last season, but he did strike out over 12 hitters per nine innings.
How Will the Arizona Diamondbacks Rotation Shake Out?
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The main reason for the Arizona Diamondbacks' dreadful 98-loss campaign in 2014 was their atrocious starting pitching. Arizona starters ranked 27th in ERA and 26th in WAR last season.
Wade Miley, the team's only 200-inning hurler last season, will be playing in Boston this season, leaving Josh Collmenter as the only returning starter worth mentioning. The right-hander won 10 games and posted a 3.54 ERA in 28 starts for the Snakes last year.
Arizona made sure to address its rotation by acquiring Jeremy Hellickson from the Tampa Bay Rays. Hellickson struggled in 2014, but a lifetime sub-4.00 ERA should be an upgrade for the Diamondbacks.
Manager Chip Hale has already dabbed both Collmenter and Hellickson as locks to crack the club's Opening Day rotation. After that, the Diamondbacks will evaluate a group of nine hurlers competing for the final three spots on the staff.
That list includes Cuban import Yoan Lopez, Trevor Cahill, Allen Webster, Randall Delgado, Daniel Hudson, Rubby De La Rosa, Robbie Ray, Chase Anderson and highly regarded prospect Archie Bradley.
The 22-year-old Lopez will likely need some minor league seasoning before he debuts in the majors, leaving Cahill, De La Rosa, Hudson and Delgado as the favorites to crack the rotation.
Cahill was poor for Arizona in 2014, as his 5.61 ERA showed, but he's started 170 games in his career and is pitching well this spring. Hudson has undergone Tommy John surgery twice in his career, but Hale's assured him a roster spot.
Meanwhile, De La Rosa was just decent for the Boston Red Sox last year, but he's looked capable in eight spring innings. As for Delgado, he's arguably been the most impressive Arizona pitcher this spring, as he's allowed just three hits in his eight innings of work.
Stats courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
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