American League notes
Baltimore Orioles: The Orioles, who had extensive talks with the Miami Marlins about starter Jesus Luzardo during the winter, could get back in touch with the news that Kyle Bradish will open the season on the IL and John Means is questionable for opening day. They are recovering from elbow injuries.
Boston Red Sox: All-Star third baseman Rafael Devers offered some pointed comments about the team’s lack of offseason additions as he met with reporters in Fort Myers, Florida. “They need to make an adjustment to help us players to be in a better position to win,” he said through a translator. “Everybody in this organization wants to win. We, as (players), want to win. I think they need to make an adjustment to help us win. I’m not saying that the team is not OK right now, but they need to be conscious of what are the (weaknesses) and what we need.” Other AL East Division rivals made big splashes on the trade market this winter, with the Baltimore Orioles adding former NL Cy Young award winner Corbin Burnes and the New York Yankees acquiring star outfielder Juan Soto. Last year at this time, the Red Sox signed Devers to a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension, but despite a season in which he hit .271 with 33 homers and 100 RBI, the team finished last in the division with a 78-84 record. This offseason, the Sox signed right-hander Lucas Giolito to a two-year, $38.5 million deal and acquired outfielder Tyler O’Neill and infielder Vaughn Grissom in trades. However, they dealt outfielder Alex Verdugo to the Yankees and traded left-hander Chris Sale to Atlanta for Grissom.
Chicago White Sox: Boston Red Sox veteran reliever Liam Hendriks became the latest ex-White Sox player to expose the problems the White Sox had in the clubhouse last year. “We had too many guys pulling in different directions, too many cooks in the kitchen trying to fix what they thought was [wrong],” Hendriks told the Chicago Sun-Times. “There’s a lot of Type-A people in a clubhouse. You’ve got certain people thinking, ‘This is the way it’s got to go.’ Certain people want to fix something, so they just scream and yell until someone fixes it. There wasn’t, honestly, enough positivity and eagerness to go out there and play on a day-to-day basis.”
Cleveland Guardians: It sounds as though it took the Guardians about 10 seconds to decide to sign pitcher Carlos Carrasco to a minor league deal that includes a non-roster invitation to big league camp. In addition to bolstering the team’s potential pitching depth this spring, either as a starter or a reliever, Carrasco is simply someone the team jumped at the chance to have around the clubhouse again. Carrasco was a mainstay in Cleveland’s rotation for 11 years before being involved in the blockbuster Francisco Lindor trade with the New York Mets prior to the 2021 season. His best season came in 2017, when he went 18-6 with a 3.29 ERA and 226 strikeouts in 200 innings en route to a fourth-place finish in American League Cy Young voting. He also twice signed long-term extensions with Cleveland that were viewed as very team friendly. Now 36, and only four years removed from a leukemia diagnosis, he has returned to Cleveland’s spring training facility in Arizona with a chance to nab a spot on the
Guardians’ opening-day roster. He could possibly factor into the team’s plans in the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever.
Detroit Tigers: Three hours before the Tigers opened their 2024 Grapefruit League season, manager A.J. Hinch stood at home plate at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida, hitting ground balls to the infielders. He was shooting rapid-fire – ball after ball after ball. Smack – here came a grounder between shortstop and third base. Javier Baé z fielded it with ease and hit Colt Keith right where he likes it: chest high. Keith touched second and twisted the double play. “It’s been good,” Keith said. “I feel like I’m really healthy and my swing is coming along well. Shoulder feels good. We’re really coming together as a team and starting to learn each other’s tendencies. For example, me and Javy have been learning each other’s throws and feeds that we like at second base.” This is how they get to know each other – Keith, the 22-year-old prospect expected to debut this season at second; Baez, the 31-year-old veteran shortstop about to enter his 11th season.
Houston Astros: Right fielder Kyle Tucker is open to a long-term contract and says preliminary dialogue had begun. “Personally, I think we have the best team in the league,” Tucker said as the Astros started full squad workouts. “That’s the vibe around the clubhouse. You have to have that mindset, but you still have to earn it.” José Altuve agreed two weeks ago to a contract that will pay $125 million from 2025-29, raising the Astros’ commitment to the second base