Jesus Aguilar Goes Yard On Monday

Miami Marlins first baseman Jesus Aguilar hit a home run in Monday's 2-0 seven-inning win over the New York Mets in Grapefruit League play. Aguilar ended up 1-for-2 with two RBI, batting third and starting at first base. Aguilar and Garrett Cooper will presumably split time at first base this season. The two (when Cooper […]

Franmil Reyes Will Serve As Designated Hitter And Bat Cleanup

Cleveland Indians outfielder Franmil Reyes (ankle) will serve as Cleveland's designated hitter and will bat cleanup in Monday's Cactus League game against the Royals. The sprained right ankle Reyes picked up shortly before reporting to spring training still may be limited him from a mobility standpoint, but that's not a major component of the slugger's […]

Ty France Set For DH At-Bats

Seattle Mariners third baseman Ty France is set to receive the majority of the team's at-bats at Designated Hitter in 2021. He has also been working out in the infield this spring as a primary back-up to Kyle Seager at third base, and could also spell Evan White and Dylan Moore at first and second […]

Yordan Alvarez "Unlikely" To Play Outfield In 2021

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker told reporters that it's "very unlikely" designated hitter Yordan Alvarez will play in the outfield this season. After a phenomenal rookie season in 2019, Alvarez' season last year was ravaged by knee ailments. He would undergo surgery on his right knee to repair a slight patellar tendon and also had […]

Brian Snitker Signs Extension Through 2023 Season

The Atlanta Braves signed manager Brian Snitker to a contract extension on Friday that will take him through the 2023 season. The deal includes a club option for the 2024 season. It's well-deserved, as Snitker has managed the team to three straight National League East division titles after they won just on division crown from […]

Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez Get On The Field Thursday

Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman (hamstring) took batting practice on the field on Thursday but remained out of infield drills. Outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (knees) stretched and did some running with the team but remained out of batting practice. Bregman tweaked the same hamstring that caused him to miss some time last year, but […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Feels Quicker After Losing 42 Pounds

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman/third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. says he feels quicker this spring after losing 42 pounds in the offseason while transforming his body after arriving to camp last year out of shape. The 22-year-old says the changes have mostly improved his fielding. While he's expected to spend most of his time at […]

Giancarlo Stanton Could Play Outfield

New York Yankees outfielder and designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton might spend some time in the outfield in 2021, according to manager Aaron Boone. Boone has previously stated his preference for the oft-injured Stanton to spend most of his time as the DH, so it's interesting to hear Boone mention Stanton's added flexibility for 2021. Fantasy managers […]

J.D. Martinez's 2020 Season An Aberration?

Boston Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez had an uncharacteristic .389 slugging percentage in 2020 after posting a .619 mark from 2017-19. He hit 79 home runs in his first two years in Boston but only produced seven round-trippers in last year's shortened season. Martinez's hard-hit rate was down last year, but his 11.0 percent […]

Franmil Reyes Dealing With Sprained Ankle

Cleveland Indians designated hitter Franmil Reyes said Monday that he suffered a sprained right ankle a few weeks ago, Tom Withers of the Associated Press reports. Reyes didn't indicate whether he expects the injury to affect his status for spring training, though it wouldn't be surprising if Cleveland elected to limit his activity in the […]

Albert Pujols Unsure Of Plans Past 2021

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols is undecided on whether he'll continue his career beyond the 2021 season, according to a source. The 41-year-old is entering the final year of his $10-year, $240 million deal with the Angels. The future Hall of Famer could open this season backing up Jared Walsh at first base […]

Change Of Scenery Could Be Great For Nate Lowe

Texas Rangers first baseman Nate Lowe slashed .282/.401/.497 with 20 home runs in 121 games for Triple-A Durham in the Rays organization from 2018-19, but he had just 245 plate appearances in 71 games at the major league level in 2019 and 2020 for Tampa. But the left-handed slugger with an 11.9 percent career barrel […]

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Has Yet To Unlock His Potential

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman/third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be just 22 years old on Opening Day, and his 12 batted balls with at least a 115 mph exit velocity since he debuted in 2019 are five more than any other player has since the start of that season. Last year, Guerrero had a […]

Blue Jays To Play First Two Homestands In Florida

The Toronto Blue Jays will play the first two homestands of the regular season at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida, because of Canadian government restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Blue Jays start off with a three-game series at the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers before a homestand with four games against […]

No Restrictions For Shohei Ohtani This Spring

Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (elbow) went through a normal offseason and is fully healthy after an elbow/forearm strain last year limited him to just two starts on the mound. The Angels plan to utilize him as a two-way player in 2021, and manager Joe Maddon said that Ohtani is a full-go […]

Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton Trying New Workout Programs

New York Yankees outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have both made significant changes to their offseason workout programs with a focus on staying healthy for the duration of the 2021 season. Judge (91 days) and Stanton (199 days) have spent a combined 290 days on the injured list over the past two seasons, and […]

Retirement Not On Nelson Cruz's Mind

Minnesota Twins designated hitter Nelson Cruz said that retirement is not on his mind after he re-signed a one-year deal to play in his 17th major league season. "My body feels great. My mind is still good, too. So there's no reason. I still love the game. I don't know what else to do. I […]

Yordan Alvarez Could Be X-Factor For Astros

Houston Astros outfielder/designated hitter Yordan Alvarez (knees), who won American League Rookie of the Year in 2019 when he had 27 home runs and 78 RBI in 87 games, could be the X-factor for an Astros lineup that lost George Springer, if he's healthy. Alvarez missed the first three weeks after a positive COVID-19 test […]

MLB To Deaden Baseballs Amid Home Run Surge

Major League Baseball has slightly deadened its baseballs amid a years-long surge in home runs totals, according to a source. The league thinks that its changes will be subtle, however, and an independent lab found that the new balls will fly one to two feet shorter on balls hit over 375 feet. Five more clubs […]

Angels, Shohei Ohtani Avoid Arbitration

The Los Angeles Angels avoided salary arbitration with starting pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani on Monday by agreeing to a two-year, $8.5 million deal. Ohtani will make $3 million in 2021 and $5.5 million in 2022. The two-way star filed for $3.3 million and the Angels offered him $2.5 million, so the deal comes in a […]

Rangers Acquire Designated Hitter Khris Davis From A's

The Texas Rangers traded for designated hitter Khris Davis from the A's in exchange for shortstop Elvis Andrus. Catcher Jonah Heim and minor league pitcher Dane Acker will also head to Texas while Oakland is acquiring catcher Aramis Garcia and cash to offset Andrus' salary. Davis was the toast of the analytics community after 2018 […]

Nelson Cruz Returning To Minnesota

The Minnesota Twins agreed to re-sign designated hitter Nelson Cruz to a one-year deal on Tuesday night, according to sources familiar with the deal. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The 40-year-old will return to the middle of a strong Twins lineup in 2021 after he hit .303/.397/.595 with 16 home runs and […]

Padres Extend, Promote General Manager A.J. Preller

San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller not only earned the title of President of Baseball Operations on Tuesday, he also got his contract extended through the 2026 season. Preller has been with the club since August 2014, but his most recent off-season has brought significant pomp and excitement to the Padres' roster. After having […]

Nelson Cruz Remains Twins Top Choice At DH

Free-agent designated hitter Nelson Cruz does not have a contract with spring training just two weeks away from starting. A reunion with the Minnesota Twins continues to be the obvious choice for both sides, and it appears that the unsettled nature of the universal DH is throwing Cruz's market into flux. Cruz continued to mash […]

2021 MLB Season To Start On Time

Major League Baseball plans to start on time in 2021, with spring training camps scheduled to open on Feb. 17 and Opening Day scheduled for April 1. The MLB Players Association rejected MLB's proposal to delay a 154-game regular season until April. The MLBPA was concerned with playing doubleheaders, accepting expanded playoffs and the expansion […]

MLB Proposes Slightly Shortened 2021 Season

The Major League Baseball Players Association is mulling over a proposal by MLB to delay the start of the 2021 season, and if the Union doesn't provide a counteroffer early next week, spring training is likely to start in mid-February as scheduled, according to sources. The league's proposal would push spring training back to late […]

Mets Name Zack Scott As General Manager

The New York Mets announced that Zack Scott will serve as their acting general manager, beginning immediately. Scott joined the Mets as their senior vice president/assistant general manager on Dec. 23, 2020. The 43-year-old has spent the last 17 years in the Red Sox organization and spent the last two seasons as assistant general managers, […]

Union Rejects MLB's Universal-DH Proposal, Expanded Playoffs

The Major League Baseball Players Association has turned down the latest MLB proposal for the universal designated hitter and an expanded playoff format, according to sources. The union doesn't want to talk about a trade of the universal DH in return for expanded playoffs. The universal DH and expanded playoff format were implemented during the […]

Twins Increase Offer For Nelson Cruz

The Minnesota Twins have upgraded their dollar amount in their one-year offer to try and re-sign designated hitter Nelson Cruz. However, multiple National League teams have shown interest, and it's not a surprise that he's waiting to see if the universal DH will be adopted again in 2021. The 40-year-old slugger hasn't played a single […]

No Universal DH - 2021 Playing Time Fallers

Major League Baseball introduced the DH to the National League in 2020, but the rule change may not stick in 2021. MLB recently advised teams to assume that the universal DH will not be implemented for the 2021 season, and although that doesn’t mean that the door is closed on the rule for the year […]