Fans intently watch the Dodgers work out at the Tokyo Dome on Friday. More than 10,000 people filled the lower bowl of the stadium. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
For much of the last two years, the Dodgers have felt like Major League Baseball’s Team of Japan.
They signed Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. They struck advertising deal after advertising deal with some of the country’s biggest companies. All of their games are now shown on Japanese television. Team officials have stated their mission to “paint Japan blue” and become the nation’s most popular MLB team.
But this week, over their first 24 hours in Tokyo for a season-opening trip, they got to actually feel what being Japan’s team is like.
On Thursday hundreds of people decked out in Dodgers gear flocked to the arrival hall at Tokyo Haneda Airport, hoping to catch a glimpse of the team as it exited its flight from Phoenix. (Unfortunately for them, partitions had been erected that kept players and staff shielded from view.)
On Friday thousands roamed the streets around the Tokyo Dome ahead of the team’s first official workout — with Dodgers hats, jerseys and T-shirts again dominating the scene.
Nothing, however, compared to what the players witnessed once they got inside: 10,507 fans, in a nearly universal sea of white and blue, packed into the lower bowl of the historic ballpark.
All to watch a mundane, routine, run-of-the-mill workout.
“This is crazy, amazing,” manager Dave Roberts said, his eyes wide as he walked out of the dugout and surveyed the sprawling scene.
“It’s been overwhelming,” added shortstop Miguel Rojas, who was loudly applauded after a rudimentary round of batting of practice. “To say the least.”
Fans wave at Shohei Ohtani as he leaves the field following a workout with the Dodgers at the Tokyo Dome on Friday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers knew their popularity in Japan had skyrocketed. It was evident last year in the increased Japanese media attention around the team. The spike of foreign fans at games. The videos splashed across social media of Japanese supporters celebrating the World Series title as their own.
“We know that every morning, in the middle of the morning, the Dodger games are broadcast here in Japan,” Roberts said. “We can tell by the Japanese enthusiasm at games, whether it be at Dodger Stadium or on the road.”
But, Roberts noted Friday, in an afternoon news conference before hundreds of reporters at the Tokyo Dome Hotel, “this is our first opportunity to come to the country of Japan, the city of Tokyo, and actually see Japanese people come support us in their home country.”
And even for him — someone of Japanese heritage, who still has family in Japan and who spent time in the country this offseason — it didn’t take long to be unexpectedly impressed.
While out in the Tokyo neighborhood of Shibuya after the Dodgers got into town, Roberts said he instantly was struck by sight of the team’s brand on city streets.
“I saw a lot of Dodger hats,” he said.
With the Dodgers scheduled to play a Saturday exhibition against the Tokyo Dome’s normal tenant, the Yomuiri Giants of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league, Roberts wondered whether there might actually be more Dodgers gear in the crowd.
“There’s going to be a lot of representation,” he said.
Almost all such attention has been generated by the acquisitions of Sasaki, Yamamoto and, most of all, Ohtani over the last two offseasons. Ohtani didn’t spend much time on the field Friday, appearing for a little more than 10 minutes and doing no more than stretches and baserunning drills. But his mere appearance triggered a roar inside the domed stadium. And when he exited the field, photographers scrambled to capture his every step.
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani enters the field at the Tokyo Dome for a team workout Friday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
“When Sho came running out of the dugout,” infielder Max Muncy said, “that was a pretty cool moment for all of us to witness.”
Fans right behind the dugout called out almost every player by name — right down to minor-league reliever Jack Dreyer, who has yet to make his MLB debut. In addition to the applause that accompanied each and every round of batting practice, the crowd cheered for strong throws from outfielders, pitchers making catches in foul territory and every deep drive hit to or over the tall outfield wall.
“I don’t normally try to hit home runs in batting practice,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “But I felt like I had to today.”
Muncy described the day as a boost of energy for the team, which will play another exhibition against a Japanese opponent Sunday before beginning its season with two games against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“It was good for us to have that,” Muncy said. “The long flight, everyone’s still feeling tired from that. So I think that kind of gave everyone a little bit of a boost, just to have fun with it.”
The other thing it provided the Dodgers: perspective — on their popularity in Japan, ascendant place on the world stage and ever-growing prevalence even 5,000 miles from home.
“It’s all over the world,” Rojas said. “I think the Dodgers are trying to get right there with the biggest organizations in the world. I’m talking about Real Madrid, Barcelona, all the teams that are worldwide. And I think the Dodgers are really close to that.”
Dodgers players stand in the dugout while "God Bless America" plays during the seventh-inning stretch of Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 26. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Poring over fantasy baseball player rankings can be jarring for diehard fans of a specific team who don't pay much attention to the other 29 clubs.
That might be especially true for the legions of devoted, deliriously satiated Dodgers followers this year.
Dodgers fans might be tempted to simply pick as many Boys in Blue as they can. But a team of all or even mostly Dodgers would be hard-pressed to win a fantasy league, which usually consists of 10 to 12 teams. Players from all 30 MLB teams are available in "mixed" leagues, the most common format, meaning that even a slap-dash fantasy team should have more talent than the best team of living, breathing humans.
Scott Pianowski, a Yahoo fantasy analyst since 2008 and member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Hall of Fame, brought up another reason not to load up on Dodgers: Their best players might be rested frequently, the baseball equivalent of load management. Players need to be in the lineup to accumulate fantasy points.
"I've never seen a team so assured of a playoff spot than the 2025 Dodgers," he said. "They want their healthiest team ready for October. They might decide they used their regulars too much last year. They might back off on workloads, and not just with pitchers.
"My advice: Draft a Dodger, don't draft five Dodgers."
Fantasy gurus assign a number to where a player is projected to be taken, calling it his Average Draft Position. Regardless of whether league scoring uses old-fashioned rotisserie categories or head-to-head points, the ADP of the two most desirable Dodgers establish that it would be nearly impossible to draft both.
Mookie Betts is a consensus top-10 pick because he qualifies as a shortstop as well as an outfielder (a player is eligible at a position he played in 20 or more games the previous season). In his fifth Dodgers season, Betts played 65 games at shortstop and 43 in the outfield. He also played 18 at second base, nearly becoming eligible at a third position.
Most drafts use a snake format in which the order of picks reverses each round. Whoever gets the top pick — say Ohtani — in a 10-team league wouldn't pick again until the Nos. 20 and 21 picks. Betts would be long gone and Dodgers first baseman and World Series hero Freddie Freeman — whose ADP is 19 with Yahoo and 22 with ESPN — also might be taken.
So let's say you had the No. 1 pick and landed Ohtani, missed out on Betts and took Freeman with the 20th pick to end the second round. Now you have the first pick of the third round and quickly realize that no other Dodger makes sense this early.
Among position players, outfielder Teoscar Hernández is projected as a sixth-round pick and catcher Will Smith a 10th-rounder by numerous fantasy prognosticators. Tommy Edman is draftable late because of his versatility. Same with Max Muncy because of his power. But that's it unless — like Pianowski — you consider new Dodgers outfielder Michael Conforto a sleeper whose home run production dipped during two years in the San Francisco Giants' cavernous AT&T Park, but last season he hit 17 homers on the road.
Want to mix in an Angel? How about Mike Trout? It wasn't so long ago that he was the no-brainer first overall selection in thousands of fantasy drafts. But after several injury-riddled seasons, the future Hall of Famer checks in as the 41st-best outfielder by ESPN. His Yahoo ADP is 93, an indication he'll be available in the ninth round.
Yet the top Dodgers pitcher in the projections is Snell, whom ESPN ranks as only the 12th-best MLB starter with an ADP of 44. Next are Yamamoto with an ADP of 51 and Glasnow at 91. Sasaki is projected as a 10th-rounder. Kershaw, May, Tony Gonsolin and Bobby Miller? All are either recently recovered or still recovering from an injury. It's buyer beware.
Dodgers relievers are modestly valued as well because it's unclear who will accumulate the bulk of the saves. Newcomer Tanner Scott has an ADP of 166, despite notching 22 saves and a 1.75 earned-run average last season with two teams. Kirby Yates has an ADP of 193, despite posting 33 saves and a 1.17 ERA with the Texas Rangers.
Decorated Dodgers bullpen pieces Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia? Your choice in the final rounds. Or you could grab former Dodger and new Angels closer Kenley Jansen, whose Yahoo ADP is 236 even though his ninth-inning role is a given.
The usage of pitchers has evolved in recent years, impacting fantasy values. Starters pitcher fewer innings, no longer accumulating wins and strikeouts in abundance. More than one reliever will be trusted in save situations, depending on matchups. Catastrophic injuries to pitchers are commonplace.
"The Dodgers probably will use a six-man rotation, so the sneaky value might be their relievers," Pianowski said. "Non-closing relievers are much more valuable. More wins are distributed to the bullpen. If I'm an owner in a deep mixed league, I would draft any of those Dodgers relievers."
Crunching these numbers unearths one irrefutable truth about drafting a fantasy team: Don't be a homer. See more than Blue.
Angling for a starting pitcher in the second round? The ADP's of Paul Skenes, Tarik Skubal and Zack Wheeler merit a pick that high. Otherwise, the numbers point to grabbing another hitter.
Everybody wants to identify sleepers late in the draft. Some leagues even allow drafting minor league players. If that's the case, revisit your Dodgers devotion by taking Dalton Rushing. Then smile.
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Texas Rangers left-hander Cody Bradford will start the season on the injured list because of soreness in his throwing elbow.
Bradford had an MRI this week that came back clean, but Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters on Thursday the club will shut him down for 10 days to see how he responds. Bradford was scratched from a scheduled start on Wednesday.
Bradford is the second Texas starter to get hurt this week after Tyler Mahle was scratched from a start with forearm soreness. The right-hander expected to start throwing again in a few days.
The 27-year-old Bradford went 6-3 with a 3.54 ERA in 13 starts last season after appearing eight times the year before. He also pitched in five playoff games during the Rangers’ 2023 World Series run.
Tension, drama, nerves, this Europa League second leg tie wasn't for the faint hearted.
At the end of the second half, it looked like there was only going to be one winner as Fenerbache headed into extra time on top. But Rangers dug deep and they found a renewed energy for much of extra time.
The nerves during the spot kicks were something else but Rangers and Jack Butland were equal to the pressurised task.
Rangers did make life hard for themselves though, given their lead from the first leg, and how they played for the majority of the first half of this one, they allowed Fenerbahce back into this tie and the visitors' confidence only grew.
Their goal just before half-time gave them a huge boost, there's no question about that. It had the opposite effect on Rangers.
The visitors came out for the second 45 firing on all cylinders, piling on the pressure. Rangers, on the other hand, lost their confidence and their dominance. For the majority of the first half they played with energy and intent, their failure to score from decent positions though was an issue, and it almost came back to haunt them.
When Fenerbahce grabbed their second goal of the night, it was deserved, they were the better side and left Rangers' Europa League hopes hanging by a thread.
The equaliser set up a tense watch for the Rangers fans, the Turkish side were oozing confidence, Rangers were sloppy when they did see the ball.
In extra time, Rangers offered more. Vaclav Cerny forced a brilliant save, and suddenly there was some hope.
When it went to penalties you fancied Rangers, and Jack Butland more than played his part to cap a brilliant night for the Ibrox side.
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is missing the 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery but the procedure also includes an internal brace.
Now, while there is a UCL procedure that uses an internal brace instead of the traditional Tommy John surgery, a Yankees spokesman told The Athletic's Brendan Kuty that Cole had full UCL reconstruction surgery in addition to the internal brace.
In this case, the internal brace is being used to fortify the elbow and the typical recovery timeframe stands.
The recovery time for Tommy Johns is typically 14-18 months. If Cole had the internal brace procedure and not the traditional UCL surgery, it would have shortened his recovery to around 12 months.
So, as of now, Cole's return could be held off until a few months into the 2026 season.
If Cole were to miss the start of the 2026 season, the ace and Yankees are accustomed to that as well. Cole misseed roughly the first three months of the 2024 season with inflammation in his right elbow but returned to pitch with a 3.41 ERA across 95 innings over 17 starts when he returned in June. However, the Yankees will have to find a way to navigate this year without their ace and Luis Gil for a stretch as the reigning AL Rookie of the Year deals with an oblique strain.
Without Cole and Gil, the Yankees' starting rotation will include Max Fried, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman, with the No. 5 spot on the starting staff likely coming down to Will Warren, Allan Winans, or Carlos Carrasco.
Although it came in a losing effort, Diaz was sharp making his third spring training outing. After the Mets closer gave up a leadoff double, he retired the next three batters on a fly out, swinging strikeout and another fly out -- he threw 18 pitches (12 strikes).
"Better," Mets skipper Carlos Mendoza said of Diaz's outing. "From the first pitch, there was conviction. It’s spring training. The first couple of outings, you felt like after a couple of guys got on, that was when he was letting the ball go. Today, we saw it from the first pitch. Even though he gave up that double, he had to work today, make pitches and there was much more conviction behind it."
Diaz's first outing came back on March 6 against the Astros, where he allowed two runs on two hits and one walk, recording just one out. The All-Star closer was unfazed by his performance, calling it just "part of the game."
His next time out (March 9 against the Nationals), Diaz struck out three batters but walked two in his inning of work. It took him 27 pitches to retire the side.
Thursday was a different story. Diaz was efficient and attacked the zone. However, his fastball saw a dip in velocity. The 30-year-old's fastball averaged 95 mph and topped out around 96 mph. His final heater was clocked at 92 mph.
Mendoza was asked about Diaz's velocity and whether he was concerned.
"Nah, it’ll come up," he said. "I’m not worried about that."
If all is right with Diaz, the Mets should have a formidable backend of the bullpen with A.J. Minter making his impressive spring debut on Wednesday. The left-hander, who signed a two-year deal, pitched a perfect inning on just 10 pitches.
Minter had a delayed start to camp after recovering from offseason hip surgery.
Dedniel Núñez, who was impressive out of the Mets' bullpen last season, got through a two inning live BP session earlier this week "ok," per Mendoza. The skipper added that Núñez's next step will be making his spring debut on Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Mets' next game is hosting the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets All-Star infielder Jeff McNeil will open the season on the injured list because of a strained right oblique.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Thursday that the 2022 big league batting champion has a low grade strain. McNeil won’t participate in baseball activities for a week to 10 days and likely will be sidelined for three to four weeks.
“It’s low-grade, he felt it after playing a couple of days ago,” Mendoza said. “He came in sore, we gave him 24 hours and yesterday same thing so we decided to have imaging and it shows that strain.”
The 32-year-old McNeil hit .238 with 12 homers and 44 RBIs last year. His right wrist was broken on Sept. 6 when hit by a pitch from Cincinnati’s Brandon Williamson, and McNeil returned for the NL Championship Series.
McNeil played the majority of the season at second base, but also spent time in both corner outfield positions.
New York has had a series of injuries during spring training.
Catcher Francisco Alvarez broke his left hand during batting practice on Saturday and is expected to be out six to eight weeks. Left-hander Sean Manaea (oblique), right-hander Frankie Montas (lat) and infielder Nick Madrigal (fractured shoulder) also will miss the start of the season. Madrigal could be out all year.
CHIMCHIME, ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - 2024/10/13: (EDITORS NOTE: Image taken with drone) In this aerial view, the domed roof at Tropicana Field, the home of the Tampa Bay Rays, is seen ripped to shreds from Hurricane Miltonís powerful winds in St. Petersburg. The storm passed through the area on October 10, 2024, making landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in Siesta Key, Florida. (Photo by Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
SOPA Images/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays withdrew Thursday from a $1.3 billion project to construct a new ballpark adjacent to Tropicana Field, citing a hurricane and delays that likely drove up the proposal’s cost.
The team issued a statement by principal owner Stuart Sternberg saying “a series of events” in October, which included severe damage to the the Trop and financing delays, led to what he called “this difficult decision.”
“After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment,” Sternberg said.
Displaced from the Trop in St. Petersburg, the Rays are set to play their home games this season across Tampa Bay at the New York Yankees’ spring training home, 11,000-seat Steinbrenner Field. Meanwhile, repairs are envisioned to the Trop, including replacing its roof shredded by Hurricane Milton, that would have it ready for the 2026 season.
“Major League Baseball remains committed to finding a permanent home for the club in the Tampa Bay region for their fans and the local community,” MLB said in a statement. “Commissioner (Rob) Manfred understands the disappointment of the St. Petersburg community from today’s announcement, but he will continue to work with elected officials, community leaders, and Rays officials to secure the club’s future in the Tampa Bay region.”
The Trop opened in 1990 and has been the Rays’ home since they took the field in 1998. St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, a driving force behind what was dubbed the “Here To Stay” initiative aimed at keeping the Rays in the city for another 30 years, said the decision was disappointing but “it is not unexpected.” It is also possible the Rays could be sold, he noted.
“If in the coming months a new owner, who demonstrates a commitment to honoring their agreements and our community priorities emerges, we will consider a partnership to keep baseball in St. Pete. But we will not put our city’s progress on hold as we await a collaborative and community-focused baseball partner,” Welch said.
Under their current contract with the city of St. Petersburg, the Rays would play three more seasons at their existing ballpark after it is repaired. Beyond that, the team’s future in the Tampa Bay area is uncertain. MLB and the Rays could evaluate attendance and fan interest during the team’s season at Steinbrenner Field as they consider alternate sites.
“The opportunity to play on the Tampa side could give insights into the Tampa Bay market as a whole that could be useful for the club moving forward,” Manfred said during a Wednesday interview with The Associated Press.
For now, the Rays are set to return to the Trop after a year across the bay.
“The City of St. Petersburg is currently advancing plans to restore Tropicana Field for the 2026 season,” Sternberg said. “We are thankful for their efforts and are excited to return to our home field next spring.”
The proposed 30,000-seat stadium is a signature piece of a broader $6.5 billion revitalization project known as the Historic Gas Plant District, which refers to a predominantly Black neighborhood that was forced out by construction of the Trop and an interstate highway spur.
Supporters say the development would transform an 86-acre (34-hectare) tract in the city’s downtown, with plans for a Black history museum, affordable housing, entertainment venues, plus office and retail space — and the promise of thousands of jobs.
That broader project, counting on the Rays ballpark to be an anchor, is also in limbo with this decision.
The Rays had faced a March 31 deadline to decide whether to continue with the new ballpark project. Under the agreement previously approved by the city and Pinellas County, the governments would cover about half the cost of the $1.3 billion stadium, with the Rays and their development partner Hines covering the rest, including any cost overruns.
The Rays previously said a delayed vote in October on the final financing plan by the Pinellas County Commission was a factor increasing projected costs beyond the team’s funding ability. The city already has approved its financing.
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — The Boston Red Sox will open the season with three starting pitchers on the injured list after right-hander Lucas Giolito strained his left hamstring.
Giolito left his first spring training start against Philadelphia on Tuesday after one inning when his hamstring tightened. Giolito told reporters the strain was low-grade.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said the right-hander will start the season on the injured list.
Giolito will join fellow starters Brayan Bello (shoulder) and Kutter Crawford (knee) on the injured list ahead of Boston’s March 27 opener at Texas.
The 30-year-old Giolito signed a $38.5 million. two-year contract with Boston before last season, but didn’t pitch all year after a partial tear in his right ulnar collateral ligament. He was 8-15 with a 4.88 ERA in 2023 with the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels and Cleveland Guardians.
The Yankees continued Grapefruit League play as they beat the Detroit Tigers, 8-6, on Thursday afternoon.
Here are the takeaways...
- Max Fried fared pretty well making his second start of the spring. Former Yankee Gleyber Torres struck for a solo homer in the bottom of the first, but that was the only serious damage against him in four innings of work. The southpaw allowed just that one hit and struck out four batters while throwing 57 pitches (35 strikes).
Fried now has a 4.26 ERA this spring. His addition on a historic eight-year deal this offseason became even more important to the Yankees this week with Gerrit Cole set to undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2025 season.
The Yanks will need Fried to stay healthy and pitch like the ace he was during his eight years with the Braves.
- Jasson Dominguez has been having a bit of a rough time both at the plate and in the field thus far this spring, but he put together a strong showing in this one. The youngster finished 1-for-3 with a walk and his second home run to get the Yanks on the board against Jackson Jobe in the fourth.
- Paul Goldschmidt's showing he may have something left in that veteran bat of his. He followed up Dominguez's blast with a solo shot of his own, and then drove in two more runs an inning later with a double down the left field line. The 37-year-old now has four extra base-hits over his last three spring games.
- Austin Wells continues to be a catalyst out of the leadoff spot -- reaching base two more times with a walk and a hit and scoring two runs. The young backstop is now hitting an impressive .360 with a 1.167 OPS through 25 spring at-bats.
- Right-hander Fernando Cruz, who was acquired this offseason from the Reds, continued his rough start to the spring. He allowed back-to-back doubles to Colt Keith and Javier Baez leading off the bottom of the fifth to bring his ERA to 10.13 -- but he did recover nicely, striking out the next three batters.
- Tim Hill also struggled for the first time this spring. The southpaw had put together four scoreless appearances coming into the day, but he allowed two runs on three hits in his lone inning of work.
Upcoming schedule
Allan Winans takes the mound as the Yanks continue their spring slate against the Phillies on Friday at 6:35 p.m.
The Mets lost to the Red Sox, 3-2, on Thursday afternoon as their spring training slate continued.
Here are the takeaways...
- David Peterson gave up a leadoff homer but limited the damage after that.
It was an uneven start for the left-hander, though, as he allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits while walking two and striking out one in 3.2 innings.
Peterson, who threw 69 pitches (43 strikes), has a 0.84 ERA this spring.
- Brandon Nimmo was back in the lineup for the first time since missing over a week of game action due to a knee issue that required a gel injection.
In his first at-bat, Nimmo smoked a single to right field. He finished 1-for-3 with a strikeout.
- Edwin Diaz allowed a leadoff double before settling in to retire the next three batters on a fly out, strikeout swinging, and a fly out. He threw 18 pitches, with 12 going for strikes.
It was a bounce back effort for Diaz, who was erratic during his first two spring appearances.
Diaz's strikeout came on a slider (which Triston Casas flailed at), while his fastball topped out at 96.3 mph.
He cleanly fielded a liner in the first inning but made an error on a hard grounder hit to his right in the second inning.
Baty made a really nice play to get the second out of the third inning, ranging far to his right before making an off-balance throw to first base for the out. He also assisted on the third out -- a routine grounder he fielded at the edge of the infield dirt and threw to first.
At the plate, Baty drew a walk his first time up. In the fifth inning, he led things off by looping a single to right field. He finished 1-for-2 with a walk, and has a 1.110 OPS this spring.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — When the Giants and Cleveland Guardians lined up for the national anthem on Wednesday in Goodyear, there were quite a few head nods and waves across the field. On the home side, manager Stephen Vogt stood alongside Craig Albernaz, who became his associate manager after years in San Francisco as the bullpen coach. To Albernaz’s right was Guardians field coordinator Kai Correa, who previously was the bench coach for Gabe Kapler and briefly replaced him at the end of the 2023 MLB season.
The visual was the latest reminder of just how much has changed at Oracle Park. Of the 10 coaches working under manager Bob Melvin, only three served on Kapler’s staff. This season, one of them is taking a huge step forward in his career development.
Just a few years removed from coaching high school baseball in Louisiana, Martinez in 2021 found himself in pregame meetings led by a future Hall of Fame catcher. His plan originally was to be quiet and listen to Posey, that day’s starter and pitching coach Andrew Bailey go over the game plan, but he quickly found that Posey had a routine. At the end of every pregame planning meeting, he would turn to the young assistant. “J.P., what have you got,” Posey would ask.
“I would always just wait for that moment and make sure the thing I would say is something he could actually use and not be fluff,” Martinez said on Thursday’s “Giants Talk” podcast.
When Posey took over baseball operations, he made it clear that any feelings he might have about a potential coaching move would take a backseat to Melvin’s preferences. For Melvin, the decision to promote Martinez wasn’t a difficult one. When he hired Price, his longtime friend, he felt that perhaps Martinez had been passed over. This round, there was no question.
“It was his time,” Melvin said.
Martinez will bring an interesting blend to the role, one formed through five seasons as a Minnesota Twins minor league coach and four on two very different big league coaching staffs. Kapler’s group tried to reinvent the game at times, but the pitching side was on the cutting edge of the advances that have been made over the last decade, as pitch labs have popped up in ballparks and players have had to learn new approaches and lingo.
Martinez learned under Andrew Bailey and Brian Bannister, and then spent last season with Price, who took a more traditional approach.
“I feel like an old-school guy with a new-school grad degree,” he said. “I got a really good education around a lot of the advanced metrics and pitch design and ball flight stuff with Minnesota, but Minnesota has a pretty rich heritage of player development and pitching and defense. When I came over (from the Twins) I was in a good position to learn from Bails — who had a rich playing career — and Banny, who had a really rich player development background.
“I felt like my exposure to Bryan really just rounded that all out, so I definitely feel more prepared now than I did maybe before last season to be the pitching coach. But I also feel like I have a couple of different personalities I can occupy based on the situation or the need of the player.”
That last element is perhaps the most important part of the job. When Martinez was an assistant, the Giants found that he could just as easily connect with a Camilo Doval as a Logan Webb. This spring, he has formed a quick bond with Justin Verlander, who was part of the same draft class and is the same age.
The Twins took Martinez in the ninth round of the 2004 draft and turned the college starter into a reliever, which proved to be a blessing when he moved on to coaching. Martinez leaned on a four-seam fastball and curveball as a starter and then switched to sinker, slider and cutter as a reliever. In that respect, he is similar to former Giants pitching coach Dave Righetti, who could connect with both starters and relievers after doing both as a professional.
While Righetti spent 16 seasons in the big leagues, Martinez topped out at Triple-A despite posting a 3.36 ERA in the minors. He moved on to coaching high school and summer ball before returning to the Twins to work with rehabbing pitchers and young minor leaguers.
That first taste of coaching professionals came in 2015. A decade later, Martinez finds himself as one of 30 big league pitching coaches. It was his time, and the Giants are hopeful this is just the beginning.
“These (pitchers here) know what he’s all about,” Melvin said. “He knows the analytics, he knows the deliveries, he knows the spins, he knows the grips, he knows all that stuff — and all of these guys knew that before. He has kind of hit the ground running and it’s been pretty seamless.”
A more open-minded Rafael Devers spoke to the media Thursday in Fort Myers, Fla.
The Boston Red Sox slugger made his first public comments since Feb. 17, when he initially stated he would not be open to moving from third base to designated hitter with the arrival of Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman. However, after productive conversations with manager Alex Cora and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, Devers has softened his stance.
“We spoke already, and I’m good to do whatever they want me to do,” he said, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “I’m here to help. I’ve already spoken with them about that and they know where I stand, but I’m just ready to play.”
Moving Devers to DH with Bregman at third would greatly improve Boston’s infield defense, one of the club’s biggest weaknesses in 2024. Devers is the only third baseman in MLB history to lead the position in errors for seven consecutive seasons, committing 12 last year.
While Devers’ newfound willingness to DH is encouraging, the three-time All-Star’s absence from spring training games has raised concerns. He explained why he hasn’t been in the Red Sox lineup while confirming he plans to make his spring debut Saturday against the Atlanta Braves.
“Yeah, it’s just my decision, you know,” Devers said, via Browne. “Like I said, my shoulders are fine. They’re good. It was just my decision to want to take a little bit more time to get right. I hadn’t picked up a bat from the end of last season to when I got here in January, so I just felt like I needed that little bit of extra time.”
Bregman was initially expected to be Boston’s Opening Day second baseman with Devers remaining at third. However, this spring, Bregman has played almost exclusively at the hot corner with no appearances at second. That suggests he is all but locked in as the Red Sox’ third baseman for 2025.
If Devers does move to DH, the next question is how Masataka Yoshida fits into the equation. Yoshida served as the team’s primary DH throughout 2024 and was expected to reprise that role before Bregman’s arrival. Even if the Red Sox give him more time in the outfield, there’s a logjam there as well, with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Rob Refsnyder, and top prospect Roman Anthony all expected to play key roles.
Cora has plenty to think about over the next couple of weeks as he finalizes his Opening Day roster. Boston will begin its 2025 campaign March 27 with a four-game series against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field.
SCOTTSDALE — The Giants moved Thursday’s first pitch up an hour to avoid the rain that was headed for the valley, but there was nothing that could be done about the wind. The flags were blowing straight out, which usually is a problem for pitchers.
But Robbie Ray, who continues to work on his changeup, found that the wind was surprisingly helpful. It allowed his off-speed pitch to appear even slower than it usually does.
“It was almost like it just never got (to the plate),” he said of the changeups he threw.
The pitch is a new one, with a grip borrowed from American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. Ray thinks it could be a game-changer in his second full season with the Giants, and right now it looks like he might have the same effect on the rotation.
Ray gave up a wind-aided homer, but otherwise was dominant against a Texas Rangers lineup that was filled with regulars. He struck out the side in the first and whiffed eight overall in 4 1/3 innings.
In three Cactus League appearances, Ray has 17 strikeouts and no walks in 9 1/3 innings. After the latest appearance, manager Bob Melvin called it a “different look” from last year.
“We’ve seen him this spring look like Robbie Ray again,” Melvin said. “Right now, his stuff looks like it did before.”
The Rangers were a particularly good test Thursday, and not just because they brought a bunch of regulars across the valley. The first eight batters in Bruce Bochy’s lineup batted right-handed, which allowed Ray to repeatedly test his changeup against the pitchers it is meant for.
“It’s just another look and something that has some arm-side movement, something I don’t normally do,” Ray said. “Everything (I threw before) is kind of hard-in to righties. You’ve seen it so far this spring, it’s been really effective getting righties off my fastball-in. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a swing-and-miss pitch, it’s just something that gets them off of my swing-and-miss pitches. I definitely think it’s going to be a big pitch for me.”
The Future
The next game day at Scottsdale Stadium will feature a doubleheader. After Saturday’s game against the Seattle Mariners, the Giants will host a Spring Breakout game, featuring many of their best prospects.
Bryce Eldridge will return from minor league camp to highlight the Giants’ prospect-filled lineup, and Carson Whisenhunt (No. 2 on their MLB Pipeline top 30) will pitch. Last year’s first-rounder, James Tibbs (No. 4), will be on the roster, along with infielder Jhonny Level (No. 5), outfielder Dakota Jordan (No. 6), lefty Joe Whitman (No. 7), outfielder Rayner Arias (No. 8) and outfielder Bo Davidson (No. 9).
End Of An Era
The Giants entered the day with a Cactus League-leading 3.48 ERA, but the pitchers that followed Ray had a rough day. The 7-3 loss ended the Giants’ eight-game winning streak, although at 13-4-3 they still have the best record in the Cactus League.
