The 7 Biggest Questions That Need Answers Before 2022 MLB Opening Day
The clock is ticking for MLB teams to wrap up their offseason wheeling and dealing and settle on an Opening Day roster, as the 2022 season kicks off on April 7.
With less than two weeks until the season gets underway, there are still position battles to reconcile, extensions to discuss, a still-swirling trade market and one top-tier free agent who is still searching for a new team to call home.
Ahead, we've taken a closer look at the seven biggest questions that still need answers before Opening Day arrives, and these storylines will inevitably unfold one way or another in the coming days.
Baseball is almost back!
Will Any Top Prospects Make Opening Day Rosters?
1 of 7
One of the biggest storylines each spring revolves around which of baseball's elite prospects will have an opportunity to win a spot on their team's Opening Day roster.
In recent years, we've seen Jonathan India, Luis Robert, Fernando Tatis Jr., Pete Alonso and Eloy Jimenez get the nod to start the year in the big leagues. And with some draft pick incentives baked into the new collective bargaining agreement that reward teams with high finishers in Rookie of the Year balloting on the Opening Day roster, we could see more highly touted up-and-comers break camp this year.
Here are the notable candidates:
- OF Julio Rodriguez, SEA (No. 2 on Baseball America top-100 list)
- 3B Bobby Witt Jr., KC (No. 3)
- OF Riley Greene, DET (No. 4)
- 1B Spencer Torkelson, DET (No. 5)
- SS CJ Abrams, SD (No. 9)
- SS Oneil Cruz, PIT (No. 14)
Baltimore Orioles catcher and No. 1 overall prospect Adley Rutschman is dealing with a triceps injury, or he would be part of that list as well.
There are several more prospects further down the list and ranked on organizational top-10 lists who are also making their case this spring, but those are the elite-level names to know.
Best guess: Witt, Greene, Torkelson and Cruz all start the season in the big leagues.
Where Will Michael Conforto Sign?
2 of 7
MLB Trade Rumors published its annual ranking of the top 50 MLB free agents on Nov. 8, complete with contract predictions and potential landing spots for each player.
Many of the big dominoes fell before the 99-day lockout and resulting transaction freeze, and a flurry of activity in the weeks since the lockout was lifted has whittled that list down to just one remaining player who has not yet signed:
- 32. OF Michael Conforto
The 29-year-old turned down a one-year, $18.4 million qualifying offer from the New York Mets at the start of the offseason, and that is looking more and more like a mistake as teams have pivoted to guys like Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber, Avisail Garcia, Jorge Soler, Eddie Rosario and others to fill needs at the corner outfield spots.
Just two years removed from a career-high 154 OPS+ and three years removed from a 33-homer, 92-RBI season, Conforto still has a ton of upside, but after a down year, he looked like a prime candidate to accept the one-year pillow contract in hopes of rebuilding his value.
The Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers make the most sense on paper as potential landing spots, but he may have to accept a smaller one-year deal than the one he declined a few months ago.
Prediction: Conforto signs a one-year, $15 million deal with the Padres.
Are the Cincinnati Reds and Oakland Athletics Done Selling?
3 of 7
Have we reached the end of two offseason fire sales?
The Cincinnati Reds and Oakland Athletics came out of the lockout with the clear intention of tearing apart their rosters and kick-starting a rebuild.
The Reds had already traded Tucker Barnhart and cut Wade Miley loose on waivers before flipping Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez to the Seattle Mariners, Sonny Gray to the Minnesota Twins and Amir Garrett to the Kansas City Royals.
Meanwhile, the Athletics shipped out arguably their three best players, with first baseman Matt Olson (to ATL), third baseman Matt Chapman (to TOR) and right-hander Chris Bassitt (to NYM) all traded for prospects in a span of five days.
Are they finished?
Reds starters Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle both have two years of club control remaining and would be logical trade chips, though general manager Nick Krall has indicated both players are likely staying put for the time being.
In Oakland, starting pitchers Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea are the popular names on the rumor mill, and even after both players came to terms before the arbitration deadline, there is no guarantee they are staying put.
All it takes is one key injury to a contender, and the offer they've been waiting for could come along.
.png?w=256)
What About the Rest of the Trade Market?
4 of 7
While the Reds and Athletics have been the major sellers on the trade market, they are not the only rebuilding and non-contending teams with valuable potential trade chips.
Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Bryan Reynolds has been on the Miami Marlins' radar all offseason, but their unwillingness to include prospects Max Meyer and JJ Bleday in trade talks has proved to be a sticking point. Other teams have been circling the 27-year-old rising star as well, and with four years of club control remaining, the Pirates are in no hurry to deal.
Here are a few other names to monitor on the trade market:
- 3B Jose Ramirez, CLE
- CF Cedric Mullins, BAL
- 1B Josh Bell, WAS
- OF Austin Meadows, TB
- RP Craig Kimbrel, CWS
- SP Jake Odorizzi, HOU
- 3B J.D. Davis, NYM
If they're not moved before Opening Day, tuck those names away as ones to watch at the 2022 trade deadline.
Will Any More Extensions Be Signed This Offseason?
5 of 7
With players often insistent on avoiding contract negotiations during the season, the end of spring training is a popular time for long-term extensions with in-house players. We've already seen a handful since the conclusion of the 2021 season:
- SS Wander Franco, TB (11 years, $182 million)
- 1B Matt Olson, ATL (eight years, $168 million)
- SP Jose Berrios, TOR (seven years, $131 million)
- CF Byron Buxton, MIN (seven years, $100 million)
- 3B Ryan McMahon, COL (six years, $70 million)
- SP Sandy Alcantara, MIA (five years, $56 million)
- 3B Matt Chapman, TOR (two years, $25 million)
- C Elias Diaz, COL (three years, $14.5 million)
Expect to see at least a few more long-term deals inked in the coming weeks. Here are some of the leading candidates:
- SS Trea Turner (LAD), OF Aaron Judge (NYY), SP Corbin Burnes (MIL), SP Brandon Woodruff (MIL), C Willson Contreras (CHC), SP Joe Musgrove (SD), OF Teoscar Hernandez (TOR), OF Mitch Haniger (SEA), SS Dansby Swanson (ATL), 1B Jose Abreu (CWS), SS J.P. Crawford (SEA), SP Chris Bassitt (NYM)
From that group, Turner, Judge, Contreras, Musgrove, Haniger, Swanson, Abreu and Bassitt are all free agents next winter. The Yankees have already indicated they intend to open extension talks with Judge before Opening Day, so expect some news on that front in the any day now.
Who Will Win the Biggest NL Position Battles?
6 of 7
Pirates Shortstop
Will Oneil Cruz earn a spot on the Pirates' Opening Day roster, or will he open the year at Triple-A? The 23-year-old hit .310/.375/.594 with 38 extra-base hits in 69 games in the upper levels of the minors last year, and he continues to show better defensive tools at shortstop than one would expect from someone with a 6'7" frame. If he's sent to the minors, glove-only Kevin Newman will be back at shortstop and some combination of Cole Tucker, Michael Chavis and Hoy Park will handle second base.
Padres Closer
The Roster Resource page at FanGraphs currently lists Dinelson Lamet, Robert Suarez, Emilio Pagan, Pierce Johnson, Luis Garcia and Austin Adams all with a share of ninth-inning duties in a potential closer-by-committee for the Padres. The oft-injured Lamet has 368 strikeouts in 285.2 innings as a starter, and he could thrive in the closer's role.
Dodgers Rotation
Behind the trio of Walker Buehler, Julio Urias and Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers will be picking from Andrew Heaney, Tyler Anderson, Tony Gonsolin and David Price to fill out the final two spots in the rotation, with the other two likely headed for a long-relief role. There's also Dustin May, who is on the recovery trail from Tommy John surgery last May and could be a factor during the second half.
Phillies Shortstop
The Phillies have informed veteran shortstop Didi Gregorius that he could be playing a different position in 2022, which would seem to swing the door wide-open for top prospect Bryson Stott to break camp with an everyday spot. The 24-year-old is 5-for-12 with a home run and five walks so far this spring, and he absolutely raked in the Arizona Fall League last year.
Braves Rotation
Charlie Morton, Max Fried and Ian Anderson are locks for a spot in the Atlanta rotation, which leaves Kyle Wright, Huascar Ynoa, Kyle Muller and Tucker Davidson to battle it out for the three remaining spots in the rotation to start the year. Manager Brian Snitker told reporters he will likely start the year with a six-man staff.
Who Will Win the Biggest AL Position Battles?
7 of 7
Astros Shortstop
With the free-agent market exhausted, the Astros are left with either top prospect Jeremy Pena or versatile veteran Niko Goodrum to handle the shortstop job on Opening Day. Pena, 24, has played just 30 games above the High-A level, but he closed out the 2021 season in impressive fashion at Triple-A Sugar Land. Veteran Aledmys Diaz has also seen action at shortstop in the past, and he could help bridge the gap if Pena is sent to the minors for further seasoning.
Angels Rotation
The Angels will again go with a six-man rotation to accommodate Shohei Ohtani's pitching once per week, and newcomers Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen appear to be locks alongside 2021 standout Patrick Sandoval. That would leave Jose Suarez, Reid Detmers, Jaime Barria and Janson Junk as the leading contenders to round out the rotation.
White Sox Right Fielder/Designated Hitter
The White Sox have to sort out who among Leury Garcia, Adam Engel, Andrew Vaughn, Gavin Sheets, Micker Adolfo, Zack Collins and Jake Burger will fill the right field and designated hitter roles, and there will likely be a fair bit of shuffling at those two spots all season.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.
.png?w=480)
