NEW YORK — Baseball is back.
Pitchers and catchers officially report this week across the Grapefruit and Cactus League camps in Florida and Arizona and full-squad workouts are slated for next week.
The new season opens with plenty of intriguing storylines to follow as the countdown to opening day begins in earnest.
Here are the three things to watch this spring.
Shohei Ohtani
Do I hear $500 million? Shohei Ohtani is entering what will potentially be his last spring camp as a member of the Los Angeles Angels as the generational two-way talent is set to hit the open market at the conclusion of the 2023 season.
The 28-year-old already has an MVP award under his belt from the 2021 campaign while posting a .273/.356/.519 slash line with 34 homers along with a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts last season. To put it simply, Ohtani has performed like an ace pitcher while also being one of the elite hitters in baseball. He figures to command an unprecedented payday.
The looming question is will the Angels — who haven’t had a winning record since 2015 and haven’t made the postseason since 2014 — be able to do what it takes to keep him in Anaheim? After backing out of negotiations to sell the club, owner Arte Moreno has expressed a desire — obviously — in retaining the two-way superstar.
However, there will be some big hitters looking to obtain Ohtani’s services. Rumored clubs such as the Dodgers and Mets figure to be interested and have shown not to be shy about reaching for their wallet when push comes to shove. The Giants could be in the mix, too. But the New York Daily News’ Bill Madden reported last month that Ohtani has made it “clear in private discussions” he isn’t looking to play in a big east coast market like New York.
Questions about Ohtani’s future will be flying once the Halos officially touch down in Arizona.
Here come the Birds?
The Baltimore Orioles stole the hearts of fans across the league last season as the little engine that could. The loveable losers — three 100-loss seasons over the last five seasons and no playoff appearances since 2016 — finally got a peek of the light at the end of the tunnel by remaining in contention for a postseason spot throughout the majority of last season. Brandon Hyde’s club (83-79) ended up three games out of the final wild-card spot.
Is it time to take them slightly more seriously? Top prospect Adley Rutschman made a strong impression in his debut season in 2022 — .806 OPS in 113 games — however, he is just the beginning of the next crop of talent that is ready to make an impact in the bigs for the O’s.
Gunnar Henderson (No. 1 prospect on MLB Pipeline) and Grayson Rodriguez (No. 7 prospect on MLB pipeline) are expected to contribute this season. With three wild-card spots available for the taking, keep an eye on the young talent in Baltimore this spring, their time could be now.
Padres’ embarrassment of riches
Technically speaking, the Padres will be adding two prolific players to their roster this upcoming season. Former Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts — who inked an 11-year, $280 million contract with San Diego this winter — and Fernando Tatis Jr. who missed all of last season due to injury caused by a motorcycle accident and a PED suspension.
The question is who is playing where?
Tatis Jr. is also a shortstop — however he does have some experience in the outfield playing 24 games out there in 2021 — and he has expressed a desire to remain at the position.
Defensive orientation is likely the least of Bob Melvin’s worries as Bogaerts, Tatis Jr., Juan Soto and Manny Machado will anchor a lineup that figures to compete for an NL West title. However, with Tatis Jr. at the forefront of controversy due to his PED ban (he will miss the first 20 games of the ‘23 campaign), it’s worth keeping an eye on how a permanent move off of shortstop will affect the 24-year-old superstar.
