Yelich gets recharge; Harper talks Philly title
Milwaukee Brewers
Manager Craig Counsell plans to use LF Christian Yelich frequently during the early part of the Cactus League schedule.
Yelich had a .205 batting average in 58 games last season. That came on the heels of winning NL batting titles in 2018 (.326) and 2019 (.329).
“The goal (is) to get him going early, get him feeling good and ease off toward the middle of spring, then kind of ramp him back up later,” Counsell said.
Yelich, the 2018 NL MVP, did have a .356 on-base percentage and hit 12 home runs.
What we learned: CF Lorenzo Cain is back with the Brewers after playing just five games before opting out of last season because of COVID-19 concerns. Cain said he does not regret his decision and “got my life right with God.”
New York Mets
RHP Taijuan Walker is thrilled to be with the Mets after signing a three-year, $23 million contract as a free agent – even though he must take a back seat to Mr. Met.
Walker wore No. 00 with the Toronto Blue Jays last season after being acquired from the Seattle Mariners during an inseason trade. However, double zero is taken by Mr. Met, the mascot with the baseballshaped head. Walker chose No. 99, which he wore with the Diamondbacks.
What we learned: OF Kevin Pillar will likely be the righthanded hitting half of a platoon with OF Brandon Nimmo in center field after signing a oneyear, $3.6 million contract. Pillar hit .342 against left-handed pitching in 82 plate appearances last season with the Red Sox and Rockies.
Philadelphia Phillies
As RF
Bryce Harper enters the third season of his 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies, he has yet to play in the postseason in a Philadelphia uniform. And the Phillies’ streak of non-winning seasons reached nine when they went 28-32 in 2020.
Harper, though, believes the droughts can end this season. He is buoyed by Dave Dombrowski taking over as president of baseball operations and re-signing C JT Realmuto and SS Didi Gregorius.
“I hate being home for Halloween,” Harper said. “The city of Philadelphia deserves it and they need it. We’re a team that can hopefully do that for them.”
What we learned: RHP Ivan Nova, trying to make the rotation as a non-roster invitee, had a rough Grapefruit League opener. He allowed five runs, three hits and two walks while retiring only one batter.
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pirates traded 1B Josh Bell and RHP Jameson Taillon over the winter.
RF Gregory Polanco and his $11 million salary likely would have been dealt, too, if his value had not been greatly depressed. Last season, he hit .153 with seven homers and a .539 OPS in 50 games. In 42 games in 2019, Polanco had a .242 batting average, six homers and a .726 OPS while recovering from shoulder surgery.
Polanco admits he pressed. “Every season that I’ve played in the majors, like, everywhere, you’ve got your slump for weeks, months, whatever,” he said. “But we didn’t have the time last year. You know, we only had two months, and at the end of the season, when I started feeling better, we didn’t have enough time.”
What we learned: OF Dustin Fowler has been added to the center field mix after being acquired from the Oakland Athletics in a trade. He is competing for the starting spot with OFs
Anthony Goodwin.
Alford
St. Louis Cardinals
Brian
LHP Andrew Miller tested positive for COVID-19 about 10 days before spring training opened. However, he is expected to be able to start the season with no limitations.
Miller told the St. Louis PostDispatch the only symptom he had was losing his sense of smell. He spent a week-plus quarantined in the guest room of his house.
“I think I got really lucky,” Miller said. “I don’t know how I got it. I don’t believe I passed it along to anybody in my family. My contacts were very limited.”
Miller had a 2.77 ERA and four saves in 16 games in 2020.
What we learned: RHP John Gant would like to be considered for a spot in the starting rotation. Gant made 19 starts for the Cardinals in 2018 but has pitched exclusively from the bullpen the last two seasons.
San Diego Padres
and
3B Manny Machado had offseason laser eye surgery, which he hopes will help him see the ball better in night games.
“We’ll just see when the lights turn on in San Diego,” Machado said.
Machado hit .304 last season with 16 home runs and a .950 OPS while playing in all 60 games. He finished third in the NL MVP voting. Oddly enough, Machado hit four points better (.305) in day games than in night games (.301). However, he homered once per 12.0 plate appearances in the daylight and once per 18.9 PAs at night.
What we learned: Among the perks in SS Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 14-year, $340 million contract are getting a hotel suite on all road trips as well as the right to purchase a premium luxury suite and four of the best available premium season tickets for all Padres home games.
San Francisco Giants
LHP Scott Kazmir is attempting to a win a spot on the staff after last pitching in the major leagues in 2016.
The Giants signed the 37year-old to a minor league contract and invited him to the major league spring training camp. He was out of baseball entirely in 2018 and 2019 before pitching in four games in the independent Constellation Energy League last summer.
Kazmir has a 108-96 lifetime record in 12 seasons with a 4.01 ERA in 298 games. He was 10-6 for the Dodgers in 2016 in 26 starts. The New York Mets selected Kazmir in the first round of the 2002 amateur draft. He has pitched in the big leagues for the Rays, Angels, Athletics, Astros, Dodgers and Cleveland.
What we learned: RHP Kevin Gausman was the Fungo golf champion of the pitching staff in a drill manager Gabe Kapler introduced to help break up the monotony of spring training. Using lighter training bats called Fungos, the pitchers hit toward targets the same way coaches do in infield practice.
Washington Nationals
Despite opting out of last season because of the coronavirus concerns, 1B Ryan Zimmerman says he has no plans to retire anytime soon.
“I missed the game a lot,” Zimmerman said. “I missed what it takes to prepare every day. As you get older, there’s more you have to do to get ready, but I missed all of that as well.”
Zimmerman, 36, was resigned to a one-year, $1 million contract. He has spent his entire career with the Nationals. He will likely platoon at first base with Bell, a switch-hitter.
What we learned: While the Nationals would like to sign RF Juan Soto to a long-term contract, he was coy when asked about the idea. In his first three seasons, the 22-year-old has batted .295 with 69 homers and a .972 OPS.