Category: Baseball

CLEARWATER, Fla. — The best offensive season of Trent Grisham’s career was also his worst defensively.

The end result was Grisham accepting the qualifying offer and coming back to the Yankees with a chance to prove that not only was his offensive breakout not a fluke, but also that there is more in the tank defensively that he did not show consistently enough last season because of a lingering hamstring issue.

While Grisham’s biggest impact last season came with the bat, when he slugged 34 home runs and took over everyday duties in center field, he did not play up to his track record as a two-time Gold Glover, the most recent one coming in 2022.

The 29-year-old is typically not big on looking at defensive metrics — in part because he did not usually have to worry about them when they were strong — but he acknowledged on Sunday that he likes to know where he stands among center fielders when there is enough data by the middle of the season.

“And I knew I was down towards the bottom of that list last year, so I kind of took that personally this offseason,” said Grisham, whose minus-11 defensive runs saved were fourth lowest among qualified center fielders. “I definitely wanted to get better and get back to how I was when I was younger.”

A big part of that, the Yankees believe, is getting healthier.

Grisham came into camp last season with a hamstring strain but was able to start the season on time. Then, after he came back from the paternity list in late April, he said he had “a little ankle thing that I was dealing with.” Then on June 30 in Toronto, Grisham left a game early after getting his cleat stuck on the turf while making a running attempt on a sinking liner — “probably another [hamstring] strain,” he said, but he returned to the lineup a few days later and played through it.

“Maybe not quite 100 percent, but it wasn’t really about that,” Grisham said after making a diving catch and going 0-for-2 in a 5-3 win over the Phillies at BayCare Ballpark. “It was about wanting to be out there playing. I felt like I could do a pretty good job out there.”

The offense did not take much of a hit, as Grisham continued to deliver some big hits, but his defense took a step back — in part because he had trouble stepping back.

“For me, that was the main factor last year, the [physical] limitations,” outfield coach Luis Rojas said. “I think a lot of balls, specifically straight back really hurt him, because he had to drop step and then push really hard on those hamstrings. Those were the ones where he was a tad slower than in the past and he couldn’t get to some baseballs and it crushed his metrics.”

Grisham came into camp this year feeling healthy and, according to Rojas, said, “I’m going to show everyone that I’m fast,” perhaps only somewhat jokingly.

The Yankees do not necessarily need Grisham to be as fast as he was earlier in his career — which helped him record 10 DRS in 2022 — but just enough to be able to play the level of defense he is capable of, matching his strong offensive production.

“I didn’t go into this offseason and overstress on the defensive side of the ball,” Grisham said. “It was more mentally and putting a chip back on my shoulder to get that edge again. It’s more of a personal thing than anything.”

Of course, if Grisham is looking for chips, he can also find one in the questions about whether he can actually repeat his breakout offensive season from 2025. The Yankees clearly believe he can — pointing to the strong underlying metrics that suggest it was not a fluke — which is why they made him the $22.025 million qualifying offer.

Grisham said Sunday he took the full 12 days he was allotted to decide to accept the offer, a decision he called “weighty.” He might have been able to make more money overall in a multiyear deal had he declined it, especially since he would have been the second-best center fielder on the free agent market behind teammate Cody Bellinger, but ultimately opted to return.

“At the end of the day, I want to win baseball games,” Grisham said. “I think that’s how you get the best out of yourself. I want to win. … That was just my priority.”

The Athletics ensured a good start to March, putting together their best team-wide spring training performance to defeat the Cincinnati Reds 12-4.

J.T Ginn started on the mound, picking up where he left off in his last outing. The A’s right-hander pitched three scoreless innings, continuing his impressive start to spring training. In the third inning, Ginn found himself in a bit of trouble as the Reds got runners on third and first with only one out. Ginn wiggled out of the jam by striking out Will Benson and then he got some help from his catcher Austin Wynns, who threw out a Reds player trying to steal second base to end the inning.

Meanwhile, the A’s catching tandem gave the team an early lead that they never relinquished. Starting catcher Shea Langeliers, who served as the designated hitter today, bashed a two-run home run to right field off of the Reds left-handed starting pitcher Andrew Abbot in the first inning. He added an RBI double in the third inning before coming around to score on Wynns’s three-run home run later that inning.

Up 6-0 after three frames, the A’s got their second glimpse at top pitching prospect Gage Jump. The highly-regarded left-hander sailed through the fourth and fifth innings, only allowing one hit while recording three strikeouts. If Jump continues pitching as well as he did today for the rest of spring training and first month or two of the minor league season, the pitching-needy A’s may not wait long to promote him to the Major Leagues.

Following Jump’s encouraging outing, four non-roster pitchers combined to pitch the rest of the game for the A’s. Cincinnati scored four unanswered runs via two home runs off relievers unlikely to make the A’s bullpen, making what was shaping up to be a blowout A’s win less certain.

With their seven-run lead cut to three, the A’s held on and then got important insurance runs in the eighth inning. Non-roster invite first baseman Joey Meneses came through with the bases loaded, blasting a grand slam over the right field wall. The A’s were not done that inning. A couple batters later, third base prospect Tommy White, aka Tommy Tanks, joined in on the fun as he hit a home run to cap the A’s scoring this afternoon.

This type of game is what A’s fans were expecting to see from the team this year. Four home runs, 11 hits and 12 runs scored signifies that the team’s offense is finally waking up from their offseason slumber, while Ginn and Jump’s performances serve as reason for optimism that the A’s pitching will be improved this season.

The A’s will look to make it two in a row tomorrow against the San Diego Padres. Right-hander Mason Barnett is scheduled to make his second spring training appearance. He is looking to improve after allowing two runs in two innings in his last outing. The Padres will counter with veteran right-hander Michael King, who will also be making his second preseason start.

Notes

• Following the game, the A’s made several roster cuts. They optioned right-handed pitcher Eduarniel Nuñez to Triple-A Las Vegas and right-handed pitcher Henry Baez to Double-A Midland. Additionally, they sent left-handed pitchers Wei-En Lin and Domingo Robles, right-handed pitchers A.J Causey, JJ Goss, Kenya Huggins and Yunior Tur, catcher Shane McGuire and infielder Joey Meneses to their minor league camp. None of these moves are surprising, although it sucks for Meneses coming after he hit the grand slam. It would not be a shock to see him in Sacramento this year if he is doing well in Triple-A and the A’s need someone to fill in for Nick Kurtz and/or Brent Rooker if they get injured. Likewise, relievers Nuñez, Causey and Tur could be options to help the A’s bullpen this season.
• In addition to the prospects mentioned above, Henry Bolte had a good day. He singled twice in three at-bats.
• Kurtz is off to a slow start this spring with one hit in 15 at-bats. It is still early, so he has a long time remaining to get in a groove before the regular season starts.
• Colby Thomas got two at-bats today off the bench. He has been dealing with inflammation in his right elbow, which is why he has not started a game during the first week of the Cactus League.

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Trea Turner went down swinging on a four-seam fastball.

J.T. Realmuto followed, returning to the bench after taking a 96 mph pitch looking.

Then came Alec Bohm, ending the first inning after whiffing on heat.

After striking out a two-time batting champion, three-time Silver Slugger Award winner and former All-Star, Will Warren walked off the mound, having given a glimpse of his ceiling, and a showcase of his growth, entering his second full season in the majors.

“If I see, like in that first inning, I thought that they were off the heater, I’m just gonna keep [throwing the] heater until they prove that they can hit it,” Warren said after the 5-3 win over the Phillies at BayCare Ballpark. “Last year, I may have been trying to overdo stuff or trying to make this super nasty pitch. And it’s like, you don’t really need to do that. Your stuff’s good enough as it is. Just execute and stay in control, stay smooth and be aggressive.

“A lot of times in spring training, it’s hard to get that amped-up feeling going, but when we roll out there in the first inning and it’s Turner, Realmuto and Bohm, that’s going to give you a little juice.”

Warren, 26, was nearly flawless in his second spring training outing, throwing 3 ²/₃ scoreless innings, while allowing one hit and no walks.

The right-hander — who allowed one run in 2 ²/₃ innings with four strikeouts in his previous start — threw 50 pitches (33 strikes) and struck out four, facing off against Phillies starter Andrew Painter, one of Philadelphia’s top prospects.

“I thought he was excellent,” manager Aaron Boone said of Warren. “Four-seam was crispy. I thought his command was really good. I thought he was really sharp. I thought Painter was kind of crispy early, got my attention, and then Will answered.

“I think he’s really talented. I think he’s got all the weapons … He’s confident, so I know there’s more and I know he expects that. I don’t know what the ceiling is.”

Warren’s new shift to the third base side of the rubber may reveal it.

“I think the attack angle is really weird to righties,” said Warren, who went 9-8 with a 4.44 ERA in 33 starts last season. “I think you saw that today. I get really late swings over there. The lefties, I think the backdoor sweeper is going to be a huge pitch for me. It’s been a big pitch in the past, but moving over there, it looks like it’s never going to come back. The lines are getting sharper as we go throughout the spring, so I really like the adjustment we made.

“I think everything’s in a good spot … I think everything’s going in the right direction.”

PORT ST. LUCIE — A day after SNY analyst Ron Darling said the Mets should go to a five-man rotation instead of having to “work around” Kodai Senga’s preference to pitch in a six-man rotation, Senga threw live batting practice on a back field and looked good again.

Carlos Mendoza, when asked about the possibility of going to a five-man rotation, told The Post it was not currently a consideration.

“We have six starters,” Mendoza said.

If everyone remains healthy, Senga will be joined in the rotation by Opening Day starter Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Sean Manaea and Nolan McLean.

Of those starters, Mendoza said Peralta is likely the only one who won’t be asked to pitch on an extra day’s rest, but he will talk with the rest of the rotation about their usage.

Senga’s next outing will come in a Grapefruit League game and the Mets have been encouraged by the intensity with which he has attacked this spring.

And before they make any decisions about how to best utilize their rotation, they want to make sure everyone remains in good form throughout the spring.

Last spring training, the Mets lost Manaea to a strained oblique and Frankie Montas to a strained lat.

So far, the rotation is in solid shape — and they hope it remains that way, as Holmes and McLean head to the WBC to pitch for Team USA.

Holmes was impressive again in Sunday’s 4-3 win over Houston at Clover Park, integrating his cutter into his arsenal more.

He allowed one run in four innings.

He threw the cutter 21 percent of the time Sunday after using it just 8.3 percent of the time a year ago.

Holmes said the pitch “felt good” and could help augment his sinker.

Mendoza added if Holmes can use it effectively and add it to his sinker/sweeper mix, it will make the right-hander even better.

“There’s so much movement, life, sink and cut on his pitches,” the manager said.

The Mets announced after Sunday’s game that right-hander Alex Carrillo was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse and lefties Anderson Severino and Matt Turner were reassigned to minor league camp.

The moves left the Mets with 70 players in major league camp.

Cristian Pache, known primarily for his defense in the outfield throughout his career, has hit well so far this spring.

He added a double Sunday.

“He’s an elite defender,” Mendoza said. “Offensively, his at-bat quality, he’s hit the ball hard up the middle and run the bases [well]. There are a lot of tools there. It’s good to see the results.”

St. John’s announced the athletic department would honor the life of longtime Mets media relations official and St. John’s alumna Shannon Forde on Tuesday during the men’s basketball game versus Georgetown at Madison Square Garden.

Forde passed away 10 years ago from breast cancer.

PHOENIX –– In Game 1 of last year’s National League Championship Series, Blake Snell made the start of his life.

Eight innings. No runs. One hit. Ten strikeouts. Utter, total and pure domination of the Brewers.

In the days that followed, however, he knew something wasn’t right. 

“After that start,” Snell recalled Sunday, “it was like, ‘Holy s—.’”

Turns out, the shoulder injury that dogged Snell for much of his debut season with the Dodgers didn’t end once he returned from the injured list in early August. Following that NLCS masterclass last October, his shoulder pain returned again –– and, despite Snell making three more outings in the World Series, continued to linger over most of the winter.

That’s why Snell now finds himself behind schedule leading up to the new season.

Entering spring training, he acknowledged he was going to slow-play his ramp-up, after spending most of the winter getting physical therapy on his shoulder. 

And this week, manager Dave Roberts confirmed the inevitable, acknowledging Snell’s chances of being ready for Opening Day are “probably zero” as he still waits to even throw off a mound.

In the past, this might have been a bigger frustration for the 33-year-old left-hander. Despite being a two-time Cy Young Award winner with what is widely regarded as some of the best raw stuff in the sport, questions about workload and durability have long followed him over his 10-season career.

Yet, when asked about his status Sunday, Snell sounded more upbeat than deflated by his delayed start to the season.

“I feel really good,” he told The California Post. “The whole offseason was tough. But finally, I’m where I want to be. So now it’s building up and getting ready for the season. … Trust my arm, get everything synced up.”

Last spring, Snell noted, he pushed himself too hard to be ready for the start of his first Dodgers season. He began his ramp-up several weeks early, after his $182 million signing in the offseason. He tried to pitch through shoulder pain that first popped up after an exhibition outing during the team’s season-opening trip to Japan. Although he started the Dodgers’ home opener, Snell went on the injured list following his next outing against the Braves a week later, missing the next four months with what the team described as shoulder inflammation.

“Last spring, I was so excited to pitch, and I just got myself in a bad spot, getting ready too quick,” Snell said. “What I should’ve done –– once we went to Japan, that’s when I started feeling the shoulder –– I should’ve stopped. But I wanted to pitch Opening Day. And then I wanted to pitch against the Braves after that. And that’s when it was like, ‘Ah.’ I could barely get my shoulder up to throw after that. So then it took a while to get back to normal. … And in the postseason, I felt it again.”

What Snell is proud of, in hindsight, was his ability to “battle through” the playoffs.

He spun gems in the wild-card round (seven innings, two runs) and Division Series (six scoreless innings) even before his near-complete game in the NLCS. And though he struggled in his two World Series starts, his 1 ⅓ scoreless innings of relief in Game 7 allowed the Dodgers to get to Yoshinobu Yamamoto in extra innings.

“Pitching in the postseason is the best feeling in the world,” he said. “There’s no better feeling than pitching (in that atmosphere), the crowd, the excitement, all the emotions that go into each start. It’s a rush of adrenaline, man. So I want to pitch in more meaningful games.”

“But,” he added, “I gotta do everything right to get there.”

Thus, Snell is taking things slower this time around –– hoping to avoid the extended absence he endured last year.

He is still only out to 90 feet in catch play but has seen an uptick in his velocity in recent days. The Dodgers are hopeful he will be able to throw off a mound before the end of camp, at which point they can set a firmer target date for his return to the rotation.

“Sooner is better,” he said, noting his ultimate goal is to be in position to star in the playoffs again this fall. “But I’m taking my time, trusting them. … Just gotta take this slow, take the course.” 

There is a lot going on in spring camp besides what we see in the games played. The backfields, the B games, the live BP and the bullpen sessions thrown are all just as important or more important as what we see on the field.

I spent three days this past week watching practice and games in Peoria, Ariz. There is quality competition for the last rotation spots and the last player spots on the 26-man roster. It is too early to pick a favorite, but I liked what I saw as far as options for the team.

Rotation arms

Griffin Canning will probably not be available for the start of the season. He is being slow-played as far as building up his field work. I saw some agility work and bullpen work but no simulated games or live BP while I was there. It seems the organization wants to be very conservative with building him up to start and to field his position.

Germán Marquez has had bullpen and live BP sessions. He has shown a mid-90’s fastball and has featured a slider, changeup and a knuclecurve in the past. His return from surgery of two years ago has not been successful so far. He pitched in Sunday’s game against the Giants and allowed three runs in two innings with two strikeouts and no walks allowed.

Marquez and Walker Buehler both get intensive, one-on-one sessions with pitching coach Ruben Niebla. Buehler pitched in a sim game on Saturday, Feb. 28 against the NC Dions of the KBO with velocity in the low 90s and issues with location but he pitched in three innings.

Triston McKenzie has increased velocity on his fastball but location/command has been an issue for him. Time will tell if he can improve and be competitive as the spring camp progresses.

JP Sears has low 90s velocity on his fastball and must command his pitches in order to be effective as a starter. He had a disastrous first start but improved and finished three innings with one run in his second start. He has been an innings-eater in the past with an ERA in the 4.3 to 4.5 range and could use his newly refined cutter to help him get back to that level this season. That profiles as an acceptable number five starter.

Matt Waldron had surgery on his hemorrhoidal issues and is out until he isn’t. It is possible he could start the season on the IL. His situation is difficult as he no longer has minor league options and must be on the roster in order to avoid being placed on waivers. His only start showed increased velocity and effectiveness over last season. Enough to make the improvements something to watch as he returns from surgery.

Marco Gonzales is another low velocity, command-based pitcher who is working his way through the spring. His 1.2 innings pitched in games so far has not been impressive but continued work will show if he is someone that could be competitive for the last spot.

Randy Vasquez has shown that he is serious about winning the fourth spot in the rotation. He came into camp slimmer than last year, with sustained velocity from the end of last season. His stuff is also playing up from last year and he has seven pitches to pull from in his mix a a starter.

Bullpen options

The bullpen depth is well-known and there will need to be important decisions made before the end of spring. Yuki Matsui is recovering from a groin strain and his availability for the start of the season is unknown. The back end of the bullpen seems set, barring injury, with Mason Miller as the closer and a combination of Adrian Morejón, Jeremiah Estrada, David Morgan and a healthy Jason Adam providing high-leverage relief.

The other three spots are the middle relievers. Matsui, when healthy, and Wandy Peralta are holdovers from last year and will be on the team unless there is a trade involving them. That leaves one spot for what would probably be a swing man or long-reliever. Ron Marinaccio, who is out of options, Kyle Hart and Bryan Hoeing are the leading contenders but we heard Saturday that Hoeing is experiencing elbow soreness and is being evaluated.

This would leave Bradgley Rodriquez and Alek Jacob off the roster and they have both been dominant so far this spring. This situation again suggests that a late spring trade could be an option to add more quality to the roster by trading from bullpen quality.

The line up

Manager Craig Stammen surprised most everyone by starting the spring with a different lineup than we have seen before. With the past week only providing consistency to that new lineup. Xander Bogaerts leading off with Jackson Merrill second, Manny Machado third and Fernando Tatis Jr. cleaning up.

Bogaerts has left for the WBC, along with Machado and Tatis Jr. The lineup will not look the same until they are all back from their WBC teams. Until then, there will be many different lineups and there will only be a week or so to set the final lineup before Opening Day.

Jackson Merrill has been a free swinger as the second hitter. Having Machado hit second or third, in rotation with Merrill, is not an issue but Tatis Jr. hitting fourth has many questioning the logic of having your best player getting less at-bats over the course of a whole season.

Position battles

Nick Castellanos and Miguel Andujar were signed to major league contracts and it is likely they are both on the roster. They would fill the 1B/DH jobs and be in rotation with Gavin Sheets.

Sung-Mun Song is the utility infielder and looks athletic with good range at third base. His challenge is adding shortstop and/or the outfield to his skillset.

That leaves one spot open for either another outfielder or an infielder between Ty France, Bryce Johnson, Will Wagner and Mason McCoy. Minor league sign Jose Miranda has four years of MLB experience and could be an option for staying with the organization as minor league depth. He has had a good spring at the plate so far, hitting .429 with six RBI.

Joe Musgrove

Joe Musgrove is slow-playing his return to the rotation with a lot of backfield work and a sim game thrown on Feb. 26. He threw into the third inning and 36 pitches with reported velocity in the mid-90s. His next step could be a Cactus League start early this week.

Luis Campusano

Luis Campusano is tasked with earning the backup catcher job and is getting lots of work behind the plate in every part of spring camp. He has shown increased focus and efficiency behind the plate, with a .966 fielding percentage in 5 games.

Team sale update

It was reported by both the San Diego Union-Tribune and The Athletic that a bid was placed last Wednesday by Vuori founder Joe Kudla and former San Diego Chargers quarterback Drew Brees for purchase of the Padres. That report was amended on Friday to state that there was no bid from that party and that they had expressed interest in being part of a bid by another party for the team.

That shortens the list of reported bidders to three groups. Joe Lacob, owner of the Golden State Warriors, Jose E. Feliciano who owns English Premier League Chelsea and Dan Friedkin, who owns Italian Serie A Roma and English Premier League Everton.

The Mets have reached an agreement with RHP Dan Hammer on a two-year minor league deal, according to MLB.com's Anthony Dicomo. 

Hammer was selected by the Orioles in the 13th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. 

He spent the first few years of his career in Baltimore's system before landing with the Rays in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft last year. 

The 28-year-old made 31 appearances in relief last season for the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. 

Hammer has a 5.34 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and 303 strikeouts in his minor league career. 

According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, the San Diego Padres and Alex Verdugo have agreed on a minor-league deal. The terms do not include an invitation to the big-league camp. Instead, Verdugo will report to the minor league facility in Peoria, Ariz. 

The 29-year-old outfielder was released by the Atlanta Braves last season after appearing in just 56 games. During his brief tenure, he struggled at the plate, batting .239 with 12 RBI and no home runs. It was very disappointing for both sides, as Verdugo had a promising start to his 2025 campaign. He hit .322 over his first 14 games with the Braves.

Verdugo was drafted out of Sahuaro High School in Tucson, Ariz. by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut in September 2017. The Dodgers dealt him to the Boston Red Sox as part of the package in the Mookie Betts blockbuster trade.

Verdugo had his career-best offensive production in Boston. He hit .308 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The left-handed hitter hit a career-high 13 home runs in 2021, which he duplicated in his lone season (2024) with the New York Yankees. In 2022, Verdugo drove in 74 RBI in 152 games with the Sox.

In nine major league seasons, he has a career .270 batting average with 70 home runs and 328 RBI in 856 games. The Padres will be his fifth major league organization.

The San Diego Padres scored a run in the top of the first inning in their meeting with the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Park in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Sunday, but it all went down hill after the top half of the inning.

The Giants responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning off Padres starter German Marquez who was making his first start as a member of the organization. Marquez was not bad, but he got some bad luck. A ball kicked off the glove of Ty France at third base and soft fly balls were able to find the grass just beyond the outstretched glove of a San Diego infielder or outfielder.

Marquez finished two innings and allowed three runs on four hits with two strikeouts and no walks allowed. San Francisco was able to get to Marco Gonzales who allowed two runs over three innings, Ethan Routzahn who allowed a run in his one inning of work and Stephen Yeager who allowed three runs over 0.2 of inning, giving them a 9-1 win.

San Diego did not have the same success at the plate. The Padres had a hit in the first, second and fifth innings and had two hits in the sixth inning. Jose Miranda doubled in the fifth and Ramon Laureano tripled in the sixth, which were the only extra-base hits of the game. Laureano was stranded at third after France was hit by a pitch and Sung-Mun Song struck out to end the inning.

The Padres return to action against the Athletics at the Peoria Sports Complex on Monday at 12:10 p.m.

The way the Dodgers have spent money in recent years, one area that often gets overlooked is their ability to draft, trade for and develop prospects.

The Dodgers boast five prospects in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 rankings, tied for third-most among teams. The group includes four outfielders — Josue De Paula (No. 15), Zyhir Hope (No. 27), Eduardo Quintero (No. 30) and Mike Sirota (No. 60) — in the top 60. Two of those prospects, De Paula and Quintero, were international signings, and the other two, Hope and Sirota, were acquired via trade.

Sirota came over in last year’s trade that sent Gavin Lux to the Cincinnati Reds. A year earlier, the club acquired Hope and promising young pitcher Jackson Ferris from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for infielder Michael Busch and right-hander Yency Almonte, who recently returned to the Dodgers on a minor league contract.

Ferris, who pitched 1-2/3 scoreless innings in his second Cactus League start Saturday in the Dodgers’ 7-6 split-squad loss to the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium, noticed the contrast going from the Cubs to the Dodgers.

Read more:Shaikin: In L.A. and in Cooperstown, Freddie Freeman will forever be a Dodger, not a Brave

“It was different,” Ferris said last month at his locker at Camelback Ranch. “It was honestly a breath of fresh air. Getting to know these coaches, they just understand exactly what they wanted for me and how they were going to go about it.

“It was cool to see how different things were. The Cubs [are] a great organization, good minor league system and everything, it was crazy to see how different the Cubs are from the Dodgers. The Dodgers are just as good, if not better, at everything in the minor leagues and in the big leagues.”

Ferris arrived at Cubs minor league camp in early January 2024, ready to get to work. A few days later, he was surprised when the team told him he had been traded.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting it after only throwing like 55-ish innings in my first year and doing well,” Ferris said. “So, I didn’t really know how to react. The Cubs coaches were talking highly of the Dodgers coaches, so then I was pretty excited.”

Ferris credits the Dodgers for being more detail-oriented than the Cubs and helping him improve as a pitcher.

“It was my first year of pro ball, so maybe it was just like being a high schooler, I didn’t necessarily get a whole lot of coaching,” Ferris said of his time with the Cubs. “I’d say it was more like, ‘Go out there and let’s just see how you do in your first year.’ Whereas whenever I came here, they studied my throw, everything and it was like, ‘Here, we think these drills are going to help you,’ and we just kind of took off in our first year of being here.”

Read more:Edwin Díaz is unquestionably the Dodgers' closer. How the rest of the bullpen shapes up

That season, Ferris posted a 3.20 ERA across 34 starts between high-A Great Lakes and double-A Tulsa, earning minor league pitcher of the year honors from the organization. Last year, Ferris logged a 3.86 ERA across 26 games and 126 innings at double-A Tulsa.

This year Ferris could be knocking on the door of a big-league promotion. He’s impressed through his first two Cactus League starts, with just four baserunners and no runs over 2-2/3 innings, while working with a versatile five-pitch mix that features a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a “bullet slider,” a straight changeup and a 12-to-6 curveball.

“I like Jackson,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said recently. “I like the player. He’s a good kid. A lot of talent. I think for me, it’s just trying to harness his arsenal. It’s a good fastball. He needs to continue to get ahead, be able to put hitters away with the secondary pitches, be efficient with his pitches per inning, but I like Jackson.”

Mookie Betts makes Cactus League debut

Shortstop Mookie Betts played in his first spring training game Sunday, reaching on a fielder's choice and grounding out in two at-bats while scoring a run in the Dodgers' 4-3 win over the Angels at Camelback Ranch.

"I know I had an 0-for-2, but I got two good swings," Betts said after he was lifted from the game. "I was prepared, I was ready to go. Couldn't ask for anything more than what I've been doing."

Left-hander Alex Vesia pitched a scoreless fourth inning, striking out the side. Vesia has struck out five of the nine batters he has faced across three appearances this spring.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Mariners lost today’s game against the Rangers, 9-4, and are now 3-6 in spring training, which will happen when half your roster is off at the WBC. But despite the absence of regulars, today’s game offered plenty of intrigue for those who know where to look.

Before he left for Team USA, Cal Raleigh extracted a promise from the beat writers that they would text him updates on what his pitchers were up to when not under Cal’s steely gaze. Logan Gilbert – perhaps responding to Cal’s unprompted heckle of him yesterday about his own spring training debut – immediately decided to test out the babysitter of Andrew Knizner behind the plate. His first two pitches of the game whistled in at 96 mph before he promptly followed that up with a cutter, one of two pitches (the other being the sinker) that he likes to play with during spring training and then leave in Peoria, at Cal’s insistence. It probably should have gone for an easy out, but Logan, enjoying his personal Rumspringa of being away from the watchful eyes of his regular catcher, decided he would try to field his position. It, uh, did not go well.

“It went really well in my mind,” said Gilbert mournfully postgame. “I thought I got it there. I was like. Oh. I’ve got this.”

[Narrator: he did not, in fact, Got This.]

“MAN DOWN!” cackled Luis Castillo from across the clubhouse while Gilbert was talking.

(An inning later, Gilbert also made a halfhearted attempt at another grounder that rolled past him, but smartly let it go for Cole Young – whose defense looks much improved this spring – to hoover up for him. Perhaps Cal made a mid-inning phone call to the dugout.)

That wasn’t Gilbert’s lone time straying from Cal Raleigh’s light. He flashed all his usual pitches, sitting 96 on his four-seamer and dutifully mixing in his slider, splitter, and curveball, but he also threw two sinkers and six of the cutters, including the one he would have gotten the out on to Osuna, one for a swinging strikeout on Kyle Higashioka, and one for a flyout to Josh Smith. So will the cutter finally make its way to T-Mobile Park?

Probably not, says Gilbert, Cal or no Cal, although not for lack of effort. “I’ve been trying for six years.”

The only damage against Gilbert was a solo home run, when Rangers prospect Cam Cauley ambushed a first-pitch fastball from Gilbert, a solid choice, given that Gilbert threw nine of ten first-pitch strikes today.Working with a 50-pitch cap, Gilbert was able to get through the lineup one time plus one batter, seeing Alejandro Osuna twice.

Gilbert’s outing on the mound impressed his manager.

“I thought Logan was really good today,” said Dan Wilson postgame. “I thought he came out with a different mindset today, used all his stuff, was ahead in the count, and we just saw an intensity today that was something we haven’t seen in a little bit.”

He was less impressed by Gilbert’s fielding.

“He’s gonna hear about that one for a while, I think, from the bench,” said Wilson wryly.

The positives weren’t only on the pitching side, either. The game got off to a good start for the Mariners thanks to Cole Young. In the game preview I said Young drew a tough left-on-left matchup today, facing Rangers starter Jacob Latz. I was corrected by staffer Zach Mason, who accurately observed that it cannot be a tough matchup when one of the participants is bad at their job. Nevertheless, this was no cheapie, going 442 feet at 106 miles off the bat, as Young continues to piece together a solid spring.

Also encouraging: that home run scored Victor Robles, who was on base with just his second hit of the spring. Robles figures to get some more playing time while his outfield-mates are with their WBC teams, so hopefully this is the second of many to come.

Following Logan was the spring debut of Ryan Sloan, and if you were wondering why so many prospect-knowers have been saying Sloan is “untouchable” in Seattle’s system when trade discussions were heated, this outing probably answered that for you. Sloan was absolutely dominant in a 12-pitch, 1-2-3 inning where he got eight swings, only two of which the Rangers trio of Higashioka, Smith, and Ezekiel Duran – so not exactly spring training cannon fodder – were able to touch. He opened up against Higashioka with a four-seamer that came in at 98.9 mph and didn’t let up from there, firing a hard slider before going back to the heater at 97 for a soft-contact flyout. He then took apart Josh Smith on a three-pitch strikeout that included a hard (91.7 mph) changeup Smith whiffed over and a generous strike three call on a heater (again at 98.9) that was a touch above the zone. Sloan finished his day by throwing a 94 mph cutter for a first-pitch ball that Duran was ruled not to have swung at (it sure looked like a swing) before eventually getting him to ground out softly on a slider.

Sloan’s outing had everything you could want: big velocity, filthy secondaries, weak contact, ugly swing-and-miss. This is why that word “untouchable” was thrown around in pre-season. There’s just only so many freshly-minted 20-year-olds who haven’t reached Double-A yet who can make a big-league hitter look this bad.

Speaking of bad, the rest of the game. Maybe just go back and watch Gilbert and Sloan’s innings again rather than watch the rest of this game, which devolved into the Rangers stacking up a seven-run sixth inning. I was in the clubhouse talking to Sloan while it happened, so I choose not to recognize it. The Mariners’ younger players fought for a pair of extra runs in the bottom of the eighth, stacking three walks against Rangers reliever Robby Ahlstrom before Spencer Packard connected for a two-run single, but the damage was done, and the Mariners lost, 9-4.

However, even in a game of bad results, there are good processes to celebrate. The Mariners hitters didn’t do much offensively, but they struck out just one more time (6) than they walked (5). Gilbert’s outing was a familiar reminder of the dominant pitcher he is; Sloan’s was a glimpse of the dominant pitcher he might very well be. Cole Young continued to build on what’s been a solid spring for him and reminded everyone that he might usually be a contact merchant, but he can still put a charge into a lousy pitch (sorry for all the strays, Jacob Latz). And even Troy Taylor, who has had a rough spring so far coming off a disappointing 2025, had one of his best outings in a long while, giving up a leadoff hit on a first-pitch fastball but coming back to strike out the next three hitters, punctuating his last K with a nasty sweeper.

It’s a reminder that baseball careers are built slowly, a little at a time, and the end result one day doesn’t necessarily determine an overall arc. It was the youngest member of the team today, Ryan Sloan, who reflected on the trap that good results can be:

“When you’re going through periods of success, it’s so easy to kind of get away from what you know works, just because results are good, process is good, and it just makes it really easy to get away from it. I’ve never felt like it’s so easy to get away from my routine, just because things have been going well. So I came up with the motto, just get better today. I just think, one day at a time, just do what I know works, get better today, and continue to do that week in and week out.“

Despite the final line, many Mariners did get better today, in big ways and small ways and ways that aren’t even in this recap. And in spring training, that’s all you can ask for.

For the second game in a row, Nebraska pitching wrapped a big beautiful gift with a bright red bow for the Auburn Tigers in the form of 12 walks and three hit batters.  You. Can’t. Win. Games. When. You. Walk. Batters.  Until the Cornhusker pitching staff internalizes this fundamental aspect of the game, there are going to be more ugly games for fans to sit through.

Gavin Blachowicz got his third Sunday start of the season, but did not have the same command of his pitches that he had in his previous two outings. Bristol Carter led off the Tiger first inning with a double and scored two batters later on an Eric Guevara single to put Auburn up 1-0 after one. 

Blachowicz got a taste of Auburn hitting in the bottom of the second inning with Chris Rembert leading off with a single and Logan Gregorio reaching on a fielder’s choice, and then both runners advancing on a crucial Jett Buck throwing error.  Auburn ended up scoring an earned run on a sacrifice fly ball, and then three unearned runs on a Chase Fralick home run.  This was the fifth four run inning of the series for the Tigers and they held a commanding 5-0 lead.

Tiger starter Alex Petrovic was effective in his first three innings against the Big Red, though the boys from Lincoln did put the lead-off man on twice, and had two on with no outs in their second.  The Cornhuskers we able to get back into the game in the fourth after Case Sanderson singled, Joshua Overbeek walked, and Dylan Carey was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Cole Kitchens hit a shot to the shortstop that he misplayed, scoring Sanderson.  Then Devin Nunez hit a deep fly ball to score Overbeek.  However, the rally was silenced as catcher Trey Fikes looked at strike three.  Auburn added a run in their half of the fourth to make the score 6-2 Tigers after four complete innings. 

Offensively, this was a game of wasted opportunities.  In six of nine innings the Cornhuskers put the lead-off batter on, yet they only scored twice.  Six times they had at least two runners on base and only scored three runs.  To rub salt into the wound, with two on and two out in the top of the 8th inning, Jeter Worthley faced a full count and was called out on a pitch-clock violation. 

Kevin Mannell came in to relieve Blachowicz to start the third.  The Mississippi State transfer had his best appearance of the season going four innings with five strikeouts and steadying the ship, though he did give up one run.  Despite that, the four innings was huge because of the shortage of arms in the bullpen today.

The seventh inning exposed the Nebraska bullpen as three pitchers appeared, Braxton Stewart, Auden Pankonin, and Grant Cleavinger.  Auburn scored two runs on one hit, three walks and a hit batter.  After seven innings, the Tigers were up 8-2 over the Cornhuskers.

Joshua Overbeek scored his second run of the game, and Nebraska’s final run of the game, in the top of the eighth inning.  He singled and beat a throw to third on a Dylan Carey double.  Max Buettenback drove him in on a sacrifice fly.

The eighth inning could not have been uglier for Nebraska pitching.  Freshman Jace Ziola started it off with a walk, hit batter and a walk.  With bases loaded, another freshman, Cooper Grace came in and went walk, walk, walk.  In came senior Caleb Clark who induced a ground ball double play, but then went walk, walk, and ground out to first base.  Four runs, no hits, no errors, seven walks, and one hit batter.  Final score: Auburn 12, Nebraska 3.

Ironically, Nebraska out-hit Auburn today, eight to seven.  By the same token, Auburn issue six free passes to Nebraska’s 15.

Nebraska did get back into it in the middle innings, and with Kevin Mannell slowing down Auburn scoring, Nebraska was a couple of hits away from making it an interesting game.  That was not to be and the Cornhuskers dropped the series to Auburn.

The home opener is scheduled for Tuesday at Haymarket Park against Omaha.  South Dakota State then comes to town for one game on Wednesday.  It most likely will not be 74-degrees with a bright blue sky like it was today in Alabama, but it’s baseball!

Notes

·      Dylan Carey’s single in the second inning was his 200th hit in his Cornhusker career, he is the 28th Husker to reach that mark

·      Six times during the weekend series Auburn put up four runs.

·      On the weekend, Nebraska pitching surrendered 25 walks and hit eight batters.  You can believe that Coach Rob Childress will address that with his staff this upcoming week. 

·      With the entire bullpen seeing action this weekend, it will be interesting to see who is called on to start Tuesday and Wednesday.  One would think that Ryan Harrahill will get one of the starts, and maybe Colin Nowaczyk will be given a chance to get back on track after his recent struggles.

·      The big question mark with pitching is whether Cooper Katskee will start a midweek game, or will the coaching look to get him into the routine to start next Sunday, which he was tabbed to do at the start of the season.

The San Francisco Giants improved to 7-2 in Cactus League play with a 9-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday.

Logan Webb’s second start of Spring, and last before he joins Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, went without any major hiccups. The veteran allowed one run on two hits and a hit batter while breaking the seal on the third inning for San Francisco’s starters. 38 pitches was all he needed to record nine outs and establish his quartet of pitch offerings. 

A high-and-tight sinker to lead-off man Jase Bowen got the afternoon off on the wrong foot, and a hanging sweeper to Ty France aided San Diego’s first run, but at no point did Webb seem to be grappling for comfort or control. The necessary tweaks were made for the breaking ball. He filled up the zone, painted corners, tallying 10 called strikes and five whiffs on 17 swings (29%). 

The only other hit Webb allowed was a leadoff bloop in shallow left that Willy Adames should’ve caught. The defense got better after that. Patrick Bailey requested a reexamination of a misunderstood cutter, earning Webb his third backwards-K of the day. Matt Chapman subdued a hard-hit one-hopper before starting an inning-ending double play. Some loud contact ultimately didn’t leave the infield in the 3rd to end Webb’s afternoon.  

J.T. Brubaker handed in two scoreless innings with his hard-slider collecting a trio of swinging strike-threes. Tristan Beck faced the most stress of any arm in the 6th. A single, triple and hit batter didn’t add up to a Padre run thanks to backstop Daniel Susac nabbing the speedy Bryce Johnson attempting to steal second, and Beck getting infielder Sung-Mun Song swinging with an elevated four-seamer.

Though most of San Diego’s main offensive threats didn’t make the trip from Peoria, the Giants arms put in a solid display of no-nonsense pitching.

For the bats, it was all sorts of nonsense. The good kind. Up and down the order, starting and second-string, the bats put on a display of loud contact, balls in play, opposite field approaches.

The lineup recorded 14 hits against 5 strikeouts. They went 6-for-13 with runners in scoring position, while seven different hitters collected an RBI. Willy Adames and Grant McCray both stole a base, and multiple hit-and-runs were executed successfully. Small ball! 

Casey Schmitt went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a 105 MPH lineout to center. Matt Chapman and his infield replacement, Oslevis Basabe, both doubled, and Basabe also singled an eye-fastball fastball in the 8th.

Victor Bericoto, the hottest bat in camp, pinch hit for McCray in the 6th and promptly socked a 111 MPH RBI single to left. He’d rip another two frames later. The minor league outfielder is now 7-for-13 in 6 games, and his nine RBIs are tied for most in all of Spring Training so far. 

All in all, the San Francisco offense is buzzing. Their 68 runs and 104 hits in 9 games are third most in the league (most teams have played at least 10 games as well), while their .323 average and .387 OBP are high marks, and their .887 team OPS is tied for second.

The teams populating the tops of the statistical rankings along with our Giants? The Diamondbacks…the White Sox…the Rockies. Yeah, that’s a pretty dubious bunch and a good reminder that we just witnessed a week-and-a-half of weird, heavily-caveated baseball. As much as it feels good to bask in this kind of hitting, don’t let the desert sun fool you. The heat will play its tricks.

For the second game in a row, it only took two batters for the White Sox to score via the long ball. This time it was Edgar Quero’s turn.

Alex Bregman returned the honor off Anthony Kay in the bottom of the first.

Both of the first-inning homers were kind of cheap, not getting to 100 mph off the bat. But Braden Montgomery got one out of the park in a hurry in the second.

That was 107.7 mph.

Austin Hays couldn’t quite match that velocity in the third, but he topped the distance honors with a 425-foot shot in the third. And Lenyn Sosa tried to match Hays later that inning, but fell 10 feet short.

Sosa also had a double later. Perhaps this would be a good day to check around on possible trades for him, Mr. Getz.

(Braden added a triple, leading off the sixth inning. Please don’t trade him.)

That was it for homers, but the Sox added a run in the fourth on a Brooks Baldwin single, wild pitch and Jacob Gonzalez single, then decided scoring in four straight innings was enough for one day, especially given the Cubs showed no inclination to do any more scoring of their own. Thus the 5-1 score after four became the 5-1 score after nine.

On the defensive side, Tanner Murray made a great play going into foul territory from third for the first out the Sox got in the game, and everything else was routine. (And Murray’s D made up for being the only player with more than one AB who didn’t have a hit.)

Pitching-wise, Anthony Kay had an inauspicious 2 2/3 inning performance as the starter, giving up Bregman’s run and two more hits and two walks. The other seven pitchers did fine, although Jordan Hicks only got out of the fourth cleanly after two hits thanks to snagging a smashed liner back to the box and doubling a runner off of first.

As an added benefit to the game, the only TV was the Cubs network, so it was a pleasure not to have to listen to John Schriffen. The Cubs announcers were quite generous in their evaluations of the Sox.

The win runs the White Sox record to 7-4 … too bad they don’t count, right? White Sox who are not headed to the WBC back in action tomorrow against the Giants.

Record 6-4. Change on 2025: +1.5. 5-inning record: 2-7-1.

Another day, another come from behind victory. This one was at least slightly earlier. Arizona trailed 6-2 in the middle of the fifth, but put up a four-spot there to level the game. They then added three more the next time they were up to make the fourth time they have taken the lead in the sixth inning or later. This helped them come back from a shaky outing by Michael Soroka. He allowed two hits and a run in the first, before the wheels fell off with one out in the second. Five consecutive Guardians reached, on a homer, triple and three walks, before Soroka was lifted. His final line: three runs on four hits and three walks in just 1.2 innings, with one strikeout.

The rest of the pitching was pretty good, save a three-run fifth charged to Kohl Drake, who allowed three hits and two walks in his 1.2 innings, with one K. There were scoreless frames, of varying quality, from Ryan Thompson, Kevin Ginkel, Shawn Dubin, Drey Jameson and Spencer Giesting (the last ended the game on an ABS reversed strike three – ABS was 2-1 today). Jameson was the only one of those to face the minimum. The offense was on point, with 15 hits and five walks. Three of those were by Ryan Waldschmidt, who is hitting .316 with a .982 OPS. Kristian Robinson also had three hits, and Pavin Smith haters are in shambles, his two hits – off lefties, with exit velos > 107 mph – taking his average to .294, and a .941 OPS.

Ildemaro Vargas also had a pair of knocks (.412 BA) and Jordan Lawlar drew two walks. He has six of those, twice as many as any other Arizona hitter, and tied for the lead across all of spring training. All told, the Diamondbacks now have a collective .887 OPS in spring, behind only the Rockies (.893), who seem to be under the impression Scottsdale is a suburb of Denver. However, that is propelled by the late-inning comebacks noted, so it’s fair to imagine we are probably not facing the opposition’s best pitchers. After the sixth inning, Arizona is hitting .333/.421/.627 for an OPS of 1.048 – 148 points better than anyone else.

Day off for the D-backs tomorrow, before an interesting exhibition game at Salt River Fields on Tuesday, with the opposition being Team Mexico.