Playing Fact or Fiction with All of MLB's Hottest Pre-Spring Training Buzz
Spring training has finally arrived, bringing with it the optimism that only a new baseball season can offer.
Of course that optimism runs higher in some camps than others, with a handful of clubs still scrambling to bolster their rosters before Opening Day arrives. The good news for those teams is that a larger-than-expected number of players are still looking for new homes, increasing their options.
Is a fringe contender about to remove "fringe" from its description? Will the slow recoveries of a pair of veteran stars from offseason surgery force their respective teams to seek additional reinforcements?
We'll tackle all of that and more in this week's edition of Fact or Fiction.
Fact: Ian Desmond Will Wind Up in Colorado
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With Jose Reyes likely facing a suspension for the domestic violence charges bought against him and the Colorado Rockies looking to contend in 2016, given the team's additions, Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal suggests that free-agent shortstop Ian Desmond would be a terrific replacement on a one-year, $12 million deal.
It's a move that makes sense for both sides.
Desmond gets to try and rebuild his value as a shortstop while playing half his games in the most hitter-friendly park around, and the Rockies get a potential impact player at a premium position—one they could look to re-sign after the season, extend a qualifying offer to or flip at the trade deadline.
No matter which choice the team makes, it would almost assuredly wind up with a better value than the 38th overall pick in the this year's MLB draft, which the Rockies would surrender to sign Desmond. (The team's first pick, fourth overall, is protected.)
As for the two teams besides Colorado that Desmond has been most recently linked to, the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays, the free-agent shortstop doesn't seem to be a good fit in either locale.
"It’s difficult to imagine Desmond’s price dropping to the point where the Rays could justify forfeiting their first-round pick, No. 13 overall," writes Rosenthal. "The White Sox, meanwhile, are more focused on adding an outfielder through free agency or trade, sources say."
Continuing to hold out hope for a lucrative offer makes no sense for Desmond. The time has come for him to take the best deal he can get, rebuild his value and look to strike again next offseason, when the market won't be nearly as crowded as it was this winter.
Fiction: Texas Will Add Another Left Fielder
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With Josh Hamilton's balky, surgically repaired left knee still, well, balky, per a report from MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan, Texas has begun to explore other options in left field.
The Rangers already have Ryan Rua and Justin Ruggiano on the roster, with veterans Jordan Danks and James Jones signed to minor league deals. They've also got a pair of highly touted, nearly MLB-ready prospects down on the farm in Lewis Brinson and Nomar Mazara.
Despite seemingly having enough in-house options to choose from, Texas is exploring outside additions as well, according to Fox Sports' Jon Morosi.
They've checked in on free agents (and former Rangers) David Murphy and Will Venable, as well as a potential trade target in Alejandro De Aza, who signed a one-year, $5.75 million deal just before Christmas.
But there's a strong case to be made that none of those players would be upgrades over what the Rangers already have. It makes little sense for the team to add to its payroll for a player who could ultimately still be left off the roster once Opening Day arrives.
General manager Jon Daniels will realize that as well and stick with what he's got.
Fact: 2016 Will Be Stephen Strasburg's Last Season in Washington
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Scott Boras stopped short of guaranteeing that his client, Stephen Strasburg, was entering his final season in a Washington Nationals uniform when asked about a potential extension for the 27-year-old hurler.
“We amicably agreed to a one-year deal (for 2016),” Boras told Fox Sports' Jon Morosi. “He’s going to pitch, and we’ll see where it goes from there. It’s something we’ll be discussing at the end of the year.”
While myriad injuries have kept him from living up to the hype that surrounded his arrival in Washington, Strasburg has still put up some excellent numbers, pitching to a 3.09 ERA and 1.09 WHIP while walking 2.2 batters and striking out 10.4 per nine innings over 132 career starts.
Those numbers would have landed him a huge deal had he hit the open market this past winter, even with a plethora of front-of-the-rotation arms available. Next winter, when the market will be far less crowded, Strasburg stands to command a massive payday, one the Nationals likely can't afford to match.
After all, they still owe Max Scherzer more than $150 million and will eventually have to try and lock up Bryce Harper, who seemed insulted by the suggestion he could become baseball's first $400 million player during an interview on Washington's 106.7 FM The Fan, per a report from USA Today.
Strasburg will hope to stay healthy and lead the Nationals back into the playoffs, then take his talents to the highest bidder after the season. Should things go badly for the Nationals, he'd be a valuable trade chip for them to play at the trade deadline.
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Fiction: St. Louis Will Add Another Catcher
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Yadier Molina's status for Opening Day remains uncertain as the veteran catcher continues to recover from a pair of offseason thumb surgeries, and that has led to St. Louis considering the possibility of adding another veteran catcher to the mix, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
While it's not a terrible idea, there's simply not much in the way of useful catchers available. Brayan Pena is a capable backup, while veteran Eric Fryer and prospect Mike Ohlman provide enough depth for the Cardinals to be comfortable behind the plate until Molina is ready.
Ohlman, 25, is an intriguing option. While he's struggled to control the opposition's running game, he's shown marked improvement defensively and has impressive raw power that he's only just begun to tap into.
If Molina was expected to miss significant time, then it would make sense to go outside the organization for a more established option. But seeing as how he's not expected to miss substantial time, even if he's not quite ready for Opening Day, there's no reason for the Cardinals to go shopping.
Fact: Baltimore Will Sign Dexter Fowler and Yovani Gallardo
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Last week we said it was a fact that Yovani Gallardo would wind up in Baltimore, while the idea that Dexter Fowler was going to sign in St. Louis was nothing but fiction. It looks like we were right on both counts, as ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Orioles expect to sign both free agents.
There's no reason they shouldn't wind up with both players, who would represent substantial upgrades in the Orioles rotation and outfield and, at least on the surface, appear to give the O's a better chance of contending in an improved American League East.
Sure, losing their first two picks in the 2016 MLB draft is a less-than-ideal scenario for a team that ranked 27th in my colleague Joel Reuter's pre-spring training farm system rankings. But the Orioles have six of the first 100 picks. They can sign both players and still be able to start restocking the system.
With few other options available to them, Fowler and Gallardo really have no choice but to take the best deal they can find this late in the game. Continuing to hold out hope for a more lucrative deal that might never materialize isn't going to help their earning power as we get closer to Opening Day.
Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs. All contract information courtesy of Cot's Contracts (via Baseball Prospectus).
Hit me up on Twitter to talk all things baseball: @RickWeinerBR.
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