Worldwide Sports News

The Dodgers on Wednesday take a trip across the valley to play the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.

Roki Sasaki makes his first start of spring training, trying to get off to a better start in his second year in MLB.

Zac Gallen, who re-signed with Arizona this month on a one-year deal, starts on Wednesday for the D-backs.

Wednesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Diamondbacks
• Ballpark: Salt River Fields, Scottsdale
• Time: 12:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

What a week, and it’s only Tuesday! This Tuesday morning was a momentous one within Braves Country as the team made back-to-back huge announcements. The first was that the long-rumored Braves TV network is real and figures to be spectacular. BravesVision will, in fact, be ready to go for the 2026 regular season and beyond.

On top of that huge news, the Braves proceeded to announce that they’d come to an agreement with Chris Sale on a contract extension that guarantees that he’ll be around here for 2027 along with a club option for 2028. Sale will now be getting paid $27 million for 2027 and then potentially $30 million for the season after that if all goes well.

Between the fact that the Braves are now once again masters of their own domain when it coms to TV and streaming and also the fact that they just made Chris Sale the highest-paid player on the team for 2027 (and very likely for 2028 if all goes well over the next two seasons), it’s pretty clear that we’ve entered into a new era when it comes to the Atlanta Braves and their position in baseball. The Battery has clearly worked out very well for this ballclub, and now they’ll have a self-owned and operated TV product to sell to distributors.

It’s pretty clear that finances won’t be a major issue for this franchise going forward. Now granted, it won’t be like they’re the Dodgers or the Mets where they can just hand out a blank check to anybody they want. If that was the case then we would’ve seen either Chris Bassitt or Lucas Giolito wearing a Braves uniform by this time during spring training. However, it does mean that if they want to go after someone in free agency and it makes even a moderate amount of sense, it’s totally feasible that this team could go out and make some splashes in free agency.

With that being said, it also means that their resources for keeping any of their core players via contract extensions should be expanded going forward. I think y’all know where I’m going with this.

The Braves still have some time left between now and the season where they’ll ultimately have to make sure this gets done, as they have a club option on Ronald Acuña Jr.‘s contract for both 2027 and 2028. With that being said, I do feel like any time before that 2028 season would be a great time to strike while the iron is hot and make sure that this guy stays here for as long as both parties deem it possible. I also know that this would be a very tricky undertaking, what with Acuña’s injury concerns and also the fact that he’ll be in position to try to maximize his earnings after taking the extremely team-friendly contract extension that he’s currently on. It’s not going to be as simple as “He’ll give the Braves a hometown discount” or “The Braves’ll just give him what he wants” and that’s something that needs to be acknowledged in any speculation that’s going on.

With that being said, the (well-earned) contract extension for Chris Sale raised an eyebrow from me for one reason and one reason alone (well, aside from the fact that Sale will be knocking directly on the door of Age-40 once 2028 rolls around): They’re going to be paying him $27 million for 2027 and potentially $30 million for 2028. As our friends over at Braves Today pointed out, the Braves have usually used $22 million as a sort of ceiling when it comes to their contract dealings. That number didn’t come out of nowhere, either — the one thing that Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Spencer Strider all have in common is that they’ll be getting paid $22 million for 2027 and 2028.

So, the fact that the Braves have broken that ceiling by $5 million for 2027 and $8 million by 2028 seems to indicate that that “ceiling” may no longer exist. Between that and the fact that the team only has $59 million committed to payroll (outside of team options) for the 2029 season, it feels like they could be eying that year as the one where they could potentially start Acuña’s contract extension and begin paying him what should/would be a substantial pay raise from what he’s currently bringing in. So really, 2028 could be the actual make-or-break year when it comes to either making sure Acuña stays around for a long, long time or if they’ll have to wave farewell to him like the handful of other former Braves stars who made their name here and made their real money elsewhere.

While those decisions in the past were painful, they were understandable in their own ways. Well, maybe the Freddie Freeman situation was the only one where it was truly a debacle but every other decision ultimately came down to dollars and cents. Again, this is purely speculation on my end but I do feel like the timing of the Chris Sale contract extension announcement immediately after the BravesVision announcement felt like a statement of intent from the franchise.

We’re still a bit away from when this needs to be a super pressing issue for both the Braves and Ronald Acuña Jr. but for now at least, I feel like there’s more hope of both parties being able to make some serious headway on any potential contract extension now than there was before. It also feels like something that’s actually tangible especially if the TV network takes off like the Braves figure it could. If they’re essentially printing money from The Battery and any TV distribution deals then the money should be there. It all comes down to whether both parties want it to happen.

We’ll see what happens down the road — things could certainly get complicated if Acuña suffers another serious injury between now and serious contract talks or he has another monster season that causes tomorrow’s price to no longer be yesterday’s price. There’s no telling what the future holds but at least for now, Atlanta’s future with Acuña may not have as many financial hurdles as previously anticipated.

The Houston Astros will return from an off day Monday to take on the New York Mets in another Grapefruit League matchup. The Astros dropped their first two spring matchups, falling to the Nationals and the Cardinals. Right-hander Jason Alexander will make his spring debut for Houston in Tuesday’s matchup. Righty Jack Wenninger will get the start for the Mets.

Alexander is a 32-year old right-hander who saw action with the Athletics and Astros last season. The Astros claimed him off waivers in May from the Athletics and he went on to make 14 appearances for Houston where he posted a 3.66 ERA and a 4.65 FIP in 71.1 innings. He’s in camp competing for an Opening Day roster spot.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Tuesday, February 24, 12:10 p.m. CST

Location: Clover Park, Port St. Lucie, FL

TV: No Local Broadcast

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: KBME 790 AM / 94.5 FM HD-2

Of note, Cam Smith will play centerfield today, with Joey Loperfido in right field. Shay Whitcomb will play 2B and Nick Allen will play 3B. 2B has been Whitcomb’s best position thus far, and Nick Allen has only played 5 career games at 3B. It would appear Astros giving Allen a look at 3B to see how well he can handle the position.

Everyone starting today at least has a realistic shot of being on the Opening Day roster except 1B CJ Alexander. Alexander is a 29-year old career minor leaguer with 25 MLB ABs. In seven minor league seasons, he is a .254 hitter with a .321 OBP and .776 OPS. Last season, he hit a combined .254 with a .335 OBP and .783 OPS across stints with the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders (IL – NYY), Las Vegas Aviators (PCL – ATH) and Oklahoma City Comets (PCL – LAD).

What are the expectations?

FanGraph Depth Chart projections show two Diamondback outfielders with above average power: Corbin Carroll and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.  (proj-SLG>.404 and proj-HR/PA>.031).  Because they are injured, their above-average power is not assumed.  What is assumed is they will play on the outfield corners when they return from the injured list.  The biggest question is who will play center field.

Ryan Waldschmidt and Jordan Lawlar are probably not ready to play full-time center field due to youth (each is 23 years old) and lack of experience in center field (Waldschmidt had 38 games at the AA level, and Lawlar had 3 games in the offseason).

On the other end of the age spectrum, this season may be the last chance for Jorge Barrosa and Alek Thomas to have a breakthrough performance.

Jorge Barrosa has good plate discipline but hits below his potential, especially last season.  His defense at center field is above average (2 OAA last season).

In the last four seasons, Alek Thomas had below average batting except for 2024 (when he had only 103 PAs).  His defense at center field was great in 2022 and 2023, then average and terrible in the last two seasons. 

The expectation is that Tim Tawa’s most valuable role is as a utility player off the bench.  Last season, he played 20 games at first base, 23 games at second base, 3 games at third base, 14 games at left field, 18 games at center field, and 3 games at right field. 

The following table shows FanGraphs Depth Chart projections for these outfielders.

What could exceeding expectations look like?

Corbin Carroll.  The foundation of exceeding expectations is that his defense continues to be exceptional (10 OAA last season).

Three projections predicted regression for Corbin Carroll’s batting.  They each projected his homers and hits to drop (the one exception expected him to have 5 more hits than last season). 

My 2026 Outlook was more optimistic.  One reason was that Carroll, at 25 years old, was younger than the typical peak in batter performance, which occurs between age 27 and 29.  My projection was 34 homers and 160 hits.  See this player review.

Then Corbin Carroll broke his hamate bone.  He may not be ready by opening day.  Also, his injury could possibly lower his batting power for months after his return.  If he exceeds his projection AND reaches my optimistic outlook, then he will have definitely have exceeded expectations.  If he again wins a Silver Slugger (like he did last season), he will have been truly extraordinary.

Ryan Waldschmidt. 

Among the six players, his batting projection is second best. Especially noteworthy is his projected on-base-percent. Despite an unorthodox swing, if his batting in the Majors reaches his high potential, that will be the foundation of exceeding expectations.  Building on that foundation, if despite his very limited experience in center field, his defense in center field is at least average (and perhaps above average), that will be the capstone in his exceeding expectations.   

“Along with assigning him a 50 FV, our prospect team wrote that the 23-year-old outfielder in the Arizona Diamondbacks system “does just about everything you want at the plate and he looks the part of a bat-first future regular in the box.” — David Laurila

Jordan Lawlar.

Last season, he injured his hamstring.  In the last couple seasons, he played fewer games than most prospects, which raised doubts about his ceiling.  Can he avoid injury?  Avoiding injury will be a third of him exceeding expectations.

Last season in the Majors, in 28 games his batting was poor (OPS+ of 51).  If his batting in the Majors reaches above average, that will be a third of him exceeding expectations. 

He has near-zero playing time in center field. If he can quickly learn the new position if he can almost reach average defense, while showing progress, that will be a third of him exceeding expectations.   

“I’ve heard Lawlar described as prospect bust, but I vehemently disagree with calling any player a bust based on a 108 game sample spread out over 2¼ seasons , especially a player with Jordan Lawlar’s prospect pedigree and strong track record in the Minor Leagues.” — C Wesley Baier

Jorge Barrosa.  The foundation of exceeding expectations is that his defense continues to be great (2 OAA last season).

Last season, he made an adjustment to his swing.  His FanGraphs projection for batting is the lowest of the outfielders that we are considering.   If he gets his swing right, and his batting reaches league average, that would be the main part of exceeding expectations.   

“In Reno, Barrosa is a borderline full-time starter with a high walk rate (11.8%) and a serviceable strikeout rate (20.8%). This sort of plate discipline and Barrosa’s acuity with the glove will almost certainly get him another look in the Majors in 2026.” — James Attwood

Alek Thomas.

He does not have a trend of improving every season.  If Alex Thomas bats like he did in 2024, and if he defends center field like he did in 2022 and 2023, then he will have exceeded expectations.

“At this point, expecting Thomas to anchor center field for a competitive Diamondbacks club feels optimistic. His tools suggest upside, but four seasons of stasis on offense and regression on defense tell a different story.”  — Jeff Irving

“While his [Thomas] OPS+ of 82 was a personal high, it still ranked Thomas 163rd of the 177 players to receive 450+ PA in 2025. With his defense also less impressive – there was no Gold Glove nomination for Thomas this season -he ended up basically at replacement level.” — Jim McLennan

Tim Tawa.  If he can bat so far above average that the Diamondbacks need him as an everyday player, he will have exceeded the expectation that he is most valuable as a utility player off the bench.

Summary.

As an everyday outfielder, any of these six players could most exceed expectations. 

Corbin Carroll seems the most likely to most exceed expectations. And I’d be thrilled if Ryan Waldschmidt was promoted this season and exceeded exectations. With good fortune, maybe two of these players could most exceed expectations.

We know Tommy Edman will start the season on the injured list for some amount of time. That gives us one of the main (only?) position battles in Dodgers camp this spring training, with a handful of players vying for second base.

There are still four weeks of exhibition games to determine things, but thus far Hyeseong Kim has started at second base twice, and Alex Freeland starts there on Tuesday after a pair of starts at shortstop. If the Dodgers run a platoon at second with Edman out, Kim or the switch-hitting Freeland could take the bulk of at-bats against right-handed pitchers, with Miguel Rojas at the ready against lefties. Kim has the disadvantage of having a potential early runway of spring playing time cut short by his pending departure for the World Baseball Classic.

Non-roster invitees Santiago Espinal (started at third base twice so far this spring) and Ryan Fitzgerald (two games, one start at second so far; Tuesday is his second game and first start at third base) are also in the mix.

Again, this is way too early, but let’s take the pulse of where we are at right now. Who will win the second base job in Dodgers camp? We’ll check back later in spring

Game 1: Twins vs Orioles

First Pitch (CT):12:05
TV: NA
Radio: Audacy App
Know Yo’ Foe: Camden Chat

What to watch: Arcia, Gray, and Kreidler are battling it out for the backup SS/utility role. All three are in action this afternoon.

Game 2: Twins vs Rays

First Pitch (CT):12:05
TV: NA
Radio: Rays – TB Audio
Know Yo’ Foe:DRaysBay

What to watch: Culpepper’s path to immediate MLB impact will be positional versatility, like Brooks Lee showed in his debut in 2024. This is his first professional start at a non-SS position.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

Spring training marches on, and I'm eyeing three games on Tuesday, February 24.

The St. Louis Cardinals moneyline headlines my MLB picks alongside a pair of totals from today's slate.

Spring Training predictions for February 24

Picks
/ Over 11	-105
Cardinals moneyline	+102
/ Under 10.5	-102

Pick #1: White Sox vs. Mariners - Over 11

-105 at DraftKings

George Kirby could still be an ace, but an uneven 2025 brought on by a delayed start due to injuries may linger a bit. At the very least, it may limit his exposure today.

With Anthony Kay on the bump for the Chicago White Sox in his return from overseas, I expect the Seattle Mariners' bats to come alive.

Given both scenarios, that has me eyeing the Over on a lofty total.

Pick #2: Cardinals moneyline

+102 at DraftKings

The St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals may compete with the Rockies for the worst record in the National League during the regular season, but that doesn't mean squat in preseason.

The St. Louis youth movement will be on full display, and I like the Cardinals at slight plus money opposite right-hander Cade Cavalli, who has yet to live up to his prospect hype for a variety of reasons.

I'm interested to see if Jordan Walker can finally play up to his potential, and if J.J. Wetherholt is as polished as he's touted to be.

Pick #3: Guardians vs. Dodgers - Under 10.5

-102 at DraftKings

The Los Angeles Dodgers clearly have enough thump in the lineup to clear this total on their own, but I am bullish on Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams and the bullpen behind him this season.

Beyond Jose Ramirez, Cleveland's offense is still a shambles, and until it can prove otherwise, I'll happily fade it.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Texas Rangers lineup for February 24, 2025 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

We have a lineup that looks like what we might see on Opening Day, save for Alejandro Osuna playing in place of Brandon Nimmo, who is still doing his ramp-up, and Jacob Latz, who hopefully isn’t the Opening Day starters, as that would give me 2014 Tanner Scheppers, Opening Day starter vibes. Oh, and the 1B/DH spots would probably be switched.

Behind Latz, the Rangers are planning on having Carter Baumler, Austin Gomber, Alexis Diaz, Luis Curvelo and Patrick Murphy pitch.

The lineup:

Carter — LF

Langford — CF

Seager — SS

Burger — DH

Pederson — 1B

Jung — 3B

Smith — 2B

Higashioka — C

Osuna — RF

2:05 p.m. Central start time.