Spring MLB training opens with turmoil

ager Sandy Alderson said.

With Cincinnati, Detroit, Miami, Oakland, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay in the early stage of rebuild mode, and Atlanta, the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia starting to emerge, it appears about one-third of the 30 teams have little chance for this year’s 10 playoff berths.

For their fans, hope and faith are longer-term emotions going into opening day on March 29.

Union head Tony Clark labels this off-season a “race to the bottom.” Seattle general manager Jerry Dipoto thinks more clubs may be competing for the top 2019 draft pick than for this year’s title.

“There is an element or a percentage of the league that’s not particularly into signing players that might help them win, but preferthegotheotherroute,”hesaid. “You have a number of teams that have through the course of the last few years built up to what we have now referenced as super- team status.

“They may not need to fill those holes, which leaves a team in the middle, let’s call it eight to 12 teams, of which we are one, who are surfing through the markets.”

And many of the perennial big spenders are cutting back, too. The Los Angeles Dodgers and New YorkYankeeswanttogetunderthe US$197 million luxury tax threshold, putting them in better position for a free-agent class next fall that could include Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson and Clayton Kershaw.

The Yankees did make the splashiest move of the off-season, acquiring big league home run champion Giancarlo Stanton from the Marlins when former New York captain Derek Jeter took over as Miami’s chief executive and started a payroll purge.

After losing to the Astros in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series, New York fired manager Joe Girardi and replaced him with Aaron Boone, who has never managed or coached at any level. Other new managers include the Mets’ Mickey Callaway, Boston’s Alex Cora, Detroit’s Ron Gardenhire, Philadelphia’s Gabe Kapler and Washington’s Dave Martinez.