PLAY BALL!
Wait about to end for MLB’s delayed return
Time to swap out talk of collective bargaining taxes and instead tune in for Corey Seager’s debut in Rangers blue. No more fiddling with the draft lottery, not when Freddie Freeman is ready to take the Hollywood stage. And for Max Scherzer, the days of staring down owners at the bargaining table are done — bad news for hitters set to face that steely gaze instead. After a longer, darker winter than normal, Major League Baseball is back. Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Judge and the rest of baseball’s biggest stars are set to start the season April 7, an opening day delayed by about a week after a bitter offseason labor fight stretched into March and forced a shortening of spring training and a condensing of the regular-season schedule. All might not be entirely forgiven between the sides, but no doubt, fans are eager to see headlines with news of homers by Mike Trout and strikeouts from Jacob deGrom, rather than a nasty set of negotiations as players and owners worked to split up the game’s riches. “Fans have been through quite a bit lately,” Texas Rangers president Jon Daniels said at the start of spring training. Time for their reward. Here’s what to know as the 2022 season heats up: THE NEW GUYS Baseball’s unusual offseason was split cleanly into two segments — a flurry of action before the 99day lockout began Dec. 1, and a scramble to get rosters set when it lifted March 10. The Rangers were the undisputed champions of Part 1. Texas brought in Seager and Marcus Semien for a combined $500 million, solidifying their middle infield with two monster contracts. Those deals were part of a one-day record $1.4 billion spent on free agents right before the winter went dark. Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray left Toronto for Seattle, and the Blue Jays replaced him with former Giant Kevin Gausman. The Tigers ponied up for shortstop Javier Báez and starter Eduardo Rodriguez. Even the Marlins tried making a splash, dropping $53 million on Avisaíl García. Also signing early was Scherzer, who joined owner Steve Cohen and the New York Mets on a $130 million, three-year deal, then turned his attention to baseball’s labor fight, where he was one of the lead voices for players at the table. When shops re-opened in March, the most notable drama surrounded Freeman and the World Series champion Braves. Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos appeared to end any hopes for a reunion when he traded for Oakland slugger Matt Olson and gave him a $168 million, eight-year deal. Freeman landed with the Dodgers for $162 million over six years, then acknowledged during his introductory press conference that he always figured on being a lifelong Brave. The Minnesota Twins made another huge post-lockout deal, convincing former Astros shortstop Carlos Correa to sign a $105.3 million, three-year deal with player opt outs after the first two seasons. His stay might be short, but Correa has pledged to help instill a “championship culture” in the Twin Cities, where the ball club has lost 18 straight postseason games dating to 2004. Among some other notable moves: Clayton Kershaw went back to the Dodgers, the rival Giants locked up lefty Carlos Rodón, and the Rockies signed Kris Bryant. Another new face in the NL West: San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin, who left the rebuilding A’s after 11 years in Oakland. Melvin’s old job went to Mark Kotsay, getting his first crack at managing after a 17-year playing career. The Cardinals are under new direction, too, promoting 35-year-old Oliver Marmol after Mike Shildt was stunningly fired despite being a finalist for NL Manager of the Year.
RULE CHANGES
Baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement brought with it several changes that fans will notice quickly. Most notably, the designated hitter has been adopted by the National League full-time. The postseason field was expanded to 12 teams from 10, with the top two teams in each league getting first-round byes and a best-of-three wildcard round replacing the old one-game playoffs. The “zombie” runner is back for extra innings for one more season amid concerns over player health with the season condensed to fit in 162 games. The rule automatically places a runner at second base for each team to begin each inning after the ninth. Another one sure to rile traditionalists — the league won the right to place advertising patches on team uniforms beginning this season.
NEW THREADS
Cleveland is unveiling a new team name and logos this season, transforming into the Guardians after years of acrimony of their former name, which many considered offensive. They’ll play their first official game as the Guardians on April 7, when Shane Bieber likely toes the mound at Kansas City. They play their first home game April 15 against San Francisco.
ONE MORE TIME
The Cardinals are reuniting Albert Pujols with Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright for what could be a special goodbye for the trio that won the 2006 World Series together for St. Louis. Molina has already said it will be his final season and Wainwright hinted he’s likely done after 2022, too. The 42-year-old Pujols is also likely to retire after playing out a $2.5 million, one-year deal.