Rosario seemed more unlikely to get a deal than Giminez Kwan or the now-maybe-injured McKenzie.
Fans have been trading Amed almost since we got him. He has done a really good consistent job in his two seasons as a regular and willing to play anywhere they ask him to.
This is his first spring training not experimenting at a new position.

AL Central beat writer fantasy roundtable: Lance Lynn rebound, Riley Greene leap DETROIT, MI - JULY 5: Riley Greene #31 of the Detroit Tigers hits a double to drive in a run against the Cleveland Guardians during the second inning at Comerica Park on July 5, 2022, in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
By Michael Waterloo
Mar 27, 2023

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The MLB regular season is just a few weeks away, and The Athletic’s writers have spent this spring training prowling the back fields of complexes across Arizona and Florida to determine what these clubs are going to look like this season. Over at The Athletic Fantasy, we couldn’t let them amass all that expertise without trying to leverage exactly what it all means for fantasy purposes.

The American League Central had only one winning team in 2022 — the Guardians — though it’s easy to see why both the Twins and White Sox (and maybe even the Tigers?) could hope to change that. There are a lot of young, impact players in this division, with breakout fantasy campaigns possible from a number of sources.

We sent AL Central writers (James Fegan on the White Sox, Zack Meisel on the Guardians, Cody Stavenhagen on the Tigers, Rustin Dodd helping out on the Royals, and Aaron Gleeman on the Twins) pressing questions pertaining to each club and asked them to give us their thoughts.
White Sox

After a down first half of the season, Lance Lynn rebounded in a big way in the second half. Are you expecting him to carry over that second-half performance into 2023?

Normally, a 35-year-old pitcher undergoing knee surgery is not grounds for boundless optimism. But Lynn’s 2022 season had a pretty stark dichotomy of him looking like a guy who was trying to rehab from injury quickly enough to rescue a doomed White Sox season, and someone who ended the season looking like, well, Lance Lynn.

“He’s back,” pitching coach Ethan Katz said in September of last season.

And Lynn being back is a borderline Cy Young candidate, since he received votes in each of the previous three seasons before injury got in the way. Additionally, Katz has had Lynn add a sweeping slider to his menagerie of fastball variants, with the idea that it will aid him against both left-handed hitters and lineups that have shown some ability to handle his constant barrage of velocity in the past. — James Fegan
Guardians

Aaron Civale quietly had a really good second half. Should we expect the first-half pitcher, the second-half pitcher, or someone in between?

The only quibble with Civale’s second “half” was it amounted to only 51 innings. He spent more time with the Guardians’ trainers than he did with his wife and their corgi. That’s not a slight to the team’s trainers, who seem like nice people, but no player desires that sort of imbalance.

Over his final 10 starts, Civale recorded a 3.00 ERA, limited opponents to a .232 on-base percentage and totaled seven walks and 53 strikeouts in those 51 innings. That’s the type of output he supplied in the first half of 2021 before — you guessed it — he landed on the injured list. The encouraging thing, for any fantasy player who’s tempted to tether themselves to Civale, is these have all been either random, freak injuries or injuries stemming from habits developed while dealing with said random, freak injuries. There’s nothing structurally wrong with his shoulder or elbow. He’s not working his way back from some arduous recovery process.

Civale seems confident he’s set up for a strong season. (Who wouldn’t be at this time of year?) When healthy and avoiding barrages of three-run homers, he’s generally been a pretty reliable starter. It’s reasonable to think he can duplicate the first half of 2021 and the second half of 2022 to finally create one, full, solid season. — Zack Meisel
Tigers

2022 was a Murphy’s Law season for Detroit. Rank the following as most likely to rebound to previous expectations: Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, Eduardo Rodriguez, Javier Báez, Austin Meadows.

1. Riley Greene. It’s not so much that he failed to meet previous expectations. He just had a so-so introduction to life in the show last year. He hit .253 and had a 99 OPS+. He still has star potential and could inch closer to realizing it this year. He’s been torching the ball in spring training, and note the fact both Eno Sarris and Keith Law of The Athletic have picked Greene as a breakout candidate.

2. Eduardo Rodriguez. It was a strange summer for E-Rod last year, but he’s back and has looked smooth as ever this spring. His numbers (a 4.05 ERA and 7.1 K/9) were down even when he did pitch last season, but Rodriguez should be primed to log plenty of innings in 2023. He has a contract opt-out after this season, so there’s something at stake, too.

3. Javier Báez. We all know the imperfections that come with Báez. But take away a dismal May, and Báez’s 2023 wasn’t as bad as it might seem. His 112 wRC+ after June 16 ranked eighth among MLB shortstops. He, too, can opt out of his contract after the season.

4. Austin Meadows. Based on his track record, a rebound seems likely. Meadows is more proven than Torkelson and Greene and more steady than Báez. But after missing nearly all of last season with both injuries and mental health difficulties, Meadows has needed time to acclimate this spring. He’s hitting .255 and has yet to hit a home run in a Tigers uniform, including this spring and 36 games last season. Fair to wonder if he can ever be as good as he was in 2019.

5. Spencer Torkelson. It’s been a good spring for Torkelson, who has been an exit velocity darling in camp and is finally looking looser in the box. Last year’s difficult debut — a 77 OPS+ in 404 plate appearances — was rough enough to reset expectations for Torkelson’s ceiling. But he almost has to go up from here, and he’s shown the right signs this spring. The problem is we’re still basing all this on potential. From a fantasy perspective, he comes with the most risk. — Cody Stavenhagen
Royals
Brady Singer (Jay Biggerstaff / USA TODAY)

Brady Singer took a nice step forward last season, and it looks like he made adjustments to his sinker this Spring Training. What are your expectations for him this year?

Singer posted a 3.23 ERA in 153 1/3 innings last season while striking out 8.8 batters per nine innings. His strikeouts were in line with his previous seasons but he cut down on his walks, added a changeup that he used strategically, and relied on his two-seam fastball, which has good shape and action.

The big question regarding Singer is whether he can take on a bigger innings load while keeping the same performance. Signs are positive. The Royals hired a new pitching coach (Brian Sweeney) in the offseason and added a new strategist to the staff. Singer has told reporters in Arizona that his changeup, at times, has felt better than ever, according to MLB.com’s Anne Rogers, and the club’s new pitching infrastructure has drawn high marks.

Best-case scenario: Singer continues to command his two-seam fastball, his slider remains potent, his changeup improves, and he becomes a true No. 2 starter whose strikeout numbers increase. — Rustin Dodd
Twins

It wouldn’t be a fantasy mailbag without us asking about Alex Kirilloff’s wrist. What’s the latest and is this finally the year?

Alex Kirilloff has progressed slowly this spring, with the Twins initially prioritizing live batting practice and behind-the-scenes work over game action as the former consensus top-50 global prospect comes back from a second straight season-ending wrist surgery.

He’s avoided any major setbacks, but it’s tough to describe Kirilloff’s status as particularly promising and there’s a real possibility he’s not deemed ready for the Opening Day roster nearly eight months after the latest surgery.

Kirilloff was once touted as having MVP-caliber potential and he’s still just 25, but he’s only been able to flash that impact bat for a few weeks here and there. I’d view him as a worthwhile late-draft flier, but unfortunately there’s just no way to feel confident he’ll be fully healthy. — Aaron Gleeman

(Top photo of Greene: Duane Burleson / Getty Images)

Guardians, Amed Rosario initiate contract extension talks: Key takeaways

Mar 14, 2023; Goodyear, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians shortstop Amed Rosario (1) slides back into fiestbase against the Los Angeles Angels in the third inning at Goodyear Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel
Mar 26, 2023
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GOODYEAR, Ariz. — José Ramírez peered across the room at a couple of reporters as he walked out of the Guardians’ clubhouse Sunday morning.

“Amed signed!” Ramírez shouted, pointing to the shortstop’s locker.

Ramírez, playing his usual role of lead instigator, would surely celebrate such a transaction, given how close the two infielders are. Ramírez joked last season he would gift Amed Rosario $40 million of his own money if it would boost the chances of keeping Rosario in Cleveland for the long haul.

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Rosario’s representatives and the Guardians are, in fact, discussing a potential contract extension. Rosario said president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti and general manager Mike Chernoff reached out to his agent in recent days, but he doesn’t have a strong inclination as to whether the two sides will strike a deal.

“They’re the ones talking,” Rosario said. “I’m going to keep focusing on doing my job and they’re going to keep talking.”


Amed Rosario with his partner on the left side of the infield, José Ramírez. (Raymond Carlin III / USA Today)
Antonetti has said throughout the week he’s optimistic the team inks someone — or multiple players — to an extension in the coming days, though he has been quick to downplay that prognostication. Andrés Giménez, Steven Kwan and Triston McKenzie, three players who have yet to reach the arbitration stage of their careers, would also make sense as extension candidates. The Shane Bieber ship seems to have sailed long ago.

It’s a bit surprising the Guardians would be the side initiating dialogue with Rosario’s camp, given the stockpile of middle-infield depth at the organization’s disposal. Gabriel Arias, who would likely be afforded an opportunity to start on at least a handful of big-league teams, is limited to a utility role. Tyler Freeman, who has little left to prove in the minors, will start another season at Triple-A Columbus. Brayan Rocchio, whom The Athletic’s Keith Law ranks as the No. 22 prospect in the sport, could be ready for a major-league opportunity within the next year. The club is high on Angel Martínez, who could pop up in top-100 prospect lists in the near future. Juan Brito and José Tena are climbing through the system.

Cleveland controls Giménez for four more seasons, and Ramírez is signed through 2028. So, signing Rosario to an extension would cement those three players at second base, shortstop and third base for the foreseeable future. And that would presumably corner the Guardians into executing the sort of prospect-package trade they’ve hesitated to make the past couple of years as they assembled all of this depth.

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They could opt to let Rosario play out his final season of team control — he’s earning $7.8 million this season — and then choose whether to submit a qualifying offer. If they did, it would cost them somewhere in the neighborhood of a $20 million salary for 2024 if he accepted. If he signed elsewhere, they could turn to Arias, Freeman or Rocchio to replace him in the middle infield.

Rosario could be the star of the free-agent shortstop class next winter. He said he doesn’t like to compare himself to other players, but who could blame him if he’s daydreaming about a possible free-agent payday? The expected class of available shortstops pales in comparison to the one from this past winter, when Trea Turner, Xander Bogaerts, Carlos Correa and Dansby Swanson landed deals worth nearly $1 billion combined. Other impending free-agent shortstops next winter: Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Nick Ahmed, Gio Urshela and Brandon Crawford (who will turn 37).

The question, from the Guardians’ standpoint, is how confident they are that one of their shortstop prospects will blossom into a player as productive as Rosario. They aren’t any closer to solving that quandary than they were last year. Their status as a contender requires immediate results, so they’ve held onto Rosario, who has proven, if nothing else, to be incredibly reliable.

Rosario’s past three full seasons

2019: .287/.323/.432 slash line, 3.0 bWAR, 2.0 fWAR
2021: .282/.321/.409 slash line, 1.9 bWAR, 2.4 fWAR
2022: .283/.312/.403 slash line, 4.2 bWAR, 2.4 fWAR

“That’s the key to me,” he said, “being consistent with those numbers.”

Rosario was at one point a consensus top-10 prospect in the sport. Can Arias, Rocchio or Martinez develop into a better player than him? If the Guardians are seeking to sign Rosario long term, they don’t seem as interested in taking the risk to find out.

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Rosario said he doesn’t consider Opening Day a hard deadline. Typically, the Guardians use the end of spring training to hold these discussions. Ramírez and Myles Straw finalized their deals a year ago in the days preceding the season opener.

It’s important to remember these discussions don’t always — or often, even — bear fruit. Rosario said he’s comfortable in Cleveland, especially since it allows him to play with his close friend, locker mate and partner on the left side of the infield. But he said it’s “out of my control at this time” and “my priority is to help the team.”

“It’s a place that I really enjoy,” Rosario said. “I feel like anybody who’s able to play here will see that this is a good place to stay and play long term.”

Jeff Passan
@JeffPassan
·
2m
Second baseman Andrés Giménez and the Cleveland Guardians are finalizing a long-term contract extension, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Giménez, 24, was a first-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner last year and put up 7.4 Wins Above Replacement -- a star-level season.

Zack Meisel
@ZackMeisel
·
12m
The Guardians are in advanced negotiations with multiple players on contract extensions, sources say. Among the players they’ve discussed a deal with this spring: Andrés Giménez, Amed Rosario, Triston McKenzie, Steven Kwan, Trevor Stephan.

MoreForYouCleveland
@MoreForYou_CLE
·
1m
The second deal will be with Trevor Stephan.

They're nearing a deal, per reports.

Ken Rosenthal
@Ken_Rosenthal
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6m
Andrés Giménez in agreement with Guardians on seven-year, $106.5M extension, source tells @TheAthletic. Deal includes $23M option for eighth year that can increase to $24M with escalators. Largest pre-arbitration contract for a second baseman. Pending physical.

Does the contract have an opt-out clause? Seems to be the new player-oriented contract zinger.

There's a good guy to lock up. One good year just earned him 7 big paychecks.
I'd like to see a pitcher. McKenzie now becomes a bit of a question mark. Bieber probably costs too much
Kwan is a smart enough young man to probably have already computed his long-term goals; could be hard to sign, but he has several years before he's even arbitration eligible; he'll be near the league minimum for several seasons unless he opts for a long term contract.

Guardians’ 10 burning questions for the 2023 season: Predictions? MVP? Rule change impact? Cleveland Guardians' Josh Bell connects for a run-scoring single against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a spring training baseball game Tuesday, March 14, 2023, in Goodyear, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
By Zack Meisel
7h ago

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As the 2023 MLB season kicks off, there are a lot of new things to learn. There are a number of major rule changes that were designed to speed up the game and increase offense. The new balanced schedule will result in all 30 teams playing every team. And an action-packed offseason saw free agents taking home major dollars with new teams.

To get ready for the Guardians’ season, here is everything you need to know:

Scores & Schedule | Roster | Stats
What to expect from the Guardians this season?
Keith Law’s season projection: 88-74
The Athletic’s staff voting (percentages reflect first-place votes):
AL Central
Cleveland Guardians

54.8%
Minnesota Twins

29.0%
Chicago White Sox

16.1%
Detroit Tigers

0.0%
Kansas City Royals

0.0%

The Guardians are the team to beat in the AL Central, and they have the pitching and defense to surprise people in October like they did last year. — Jim Bowden
Bold prediction:

The Guardians, per usual, have starting pitching depth, but do they have the caliber of front-line pitching that can win them a bunch of playoff games? That’ll be one of the more prominent questions they must answer this summer and the hunch here is the five members of the Opening Day rotation won’t be the five most trusted entities come fall. So, you want something bold? The Guardians certainly have the trade ammunition to acquire the best starting pitcher on the market in July. But let’s go the internal route and say one of their pitching prospects ranked in Law’s Top 50 — Daniel Espino, Gavin Williams or Tanner Bibee — starts a playoff game. In fact, we’ll go with Williams. And Espino will be in the bullpen.
What moves did the Guardians make this offseason?
Trades:

• INF Juan Brito from Rockies for 3B Nolan Jones

• INF Owen Miller to Brewers for a player to be named

• OF Justin Boyd and LHP Steven Hajjar from Reds for OF Will Benson
Free-agent signings:

• 1B/DH Josh Bell, 2 years/$33 million

• C Mike Zunino, 1 year/$6 million

Extensions:

• Andrés Giménez, 7 years/$106.5 million, with a $23 million option for an eighth year that can increase to $24 million with escalators. (Read more on the deal.)
Zack Meisel’s grade: B+

Cleveland’s front office identified two deficiencies in the lineup — catcher and first base/designated hitter — and upgraded both spots with Josh Bell and Mike Zunino. Maybe, then, this grade is slightly harsh, but it’s almost like when the teacher expects the star pupil to go above and beyond what the typical student would do. The Guardians still have a traffic jam on I-71 with a ton of MLB-ready prospects sitting at Triple-A Columbus. They remain in prime position to make a trade this summer, but it felt like a trade for Sean Murphy or a boost in the rotation might have cemented this team atop the AL Central and landed them that A.
Jim Bowden’s grade: B-

The Guardians didn’t make a lot of moves but also didn’t have to after a franchise-record 17 rookies debuted for them last year. Their most significant move was landing the switch-hitting Bell, who gives them better lineup balance and needed power and protection for superstar José Ramírez.
Players to watch
Team MVP?
Surprise, surprise: José Ramírez is the wild pick here for Team MVP. (Orlando Ramirez / USA Today)

José Ramírez, 3B: Let’s go out on a limb and choose the guy with five top-six MVP finishes in the past six years. This could be Ramírez’s signature season, though. He’s healthy, after playing through a torn hand ligament for the final four months of last season. He doesn’t hide the fact that he’s a pull hitter, and shift restrictions should encourage him to tap into that profile more often. He’ll have better lineup protection in the massive form of Josh Bell (massive in the literal sense, but also the figurative sense if he, too, benefits from the shift ban). And Ramírez has always been a well-rounded player, an adept defender at third base and one of the league’s elite base runners, which should allow him to capitalize on the larger bases and limited pitcher disengagements.
Who impressed the most in spring training?

Gabriel Arias, IF: He’s the sultan of spring training, the colossus of Cactus League clout. For the third straight camp, Arias torched spring pitching and dazzled defensively. What will that earn him? Uh, well, how about a utility infielder job? Arias turned 23 last month. He could very well develop into an everyday shortstop at some point. But Cleveland’s infield is crowded, with Ramírez, Giménez and Amed Rosario starting on a daily basis. Arias has attempted to make himself more versatile, and therefore more valuable, by learning first base and the outfield. More than anything, though, he’s reminded the organization this spring that he’s deserving of as many opportunities as the team can find for him.
Most impacted by the new rules?

José Ramírez, 3B: It’s almost unfair when the club’s best player is the one who stands to benefit most from the new rules, but they should aid several parts of his well-rounded game. Ramírez is annually rated as one of the sport’s top base runners, and now he has less distance to cover when advancing from station to station. He has stolen bases at an 81 percent clip during his career. And when batting left-handed, Ramírez faced a shift 93.9 percent of the time; only four hitters in the league encountered such alignments more often. He admitted his preference is to thrive as a pull hitter (almost all of his home runs are to his pull side), and now he’ll have more opportunities to live that way. “I hope and I think it’s going to benefit me,” he said, “but we’ll have to see how that works out.”
Who has the most to lose (or gain)?

Myles Straw, CF: Straw won a Gold Glove Award last season. He stole 21 bases in 22 attempts. But Will Brennan is lurking. So if Straw can’t offer more at the plate than the .221/.291/.273 he mustered last season, he could eventually lose his grip on the everyday center field gig. He visited Cleveland over the winter to conference with the team’s hitting experts about his approach. He was proficient last season at the beginning (.387 on-base percentage in April) and at the end (.364 OBP in September/October), but had an abysmal four months in between. Another outage could pave the way for Brennan to land more playing time and shift Straw into more of a fourth outfielder/defensive replacement/pinch-runner role. Or, if Straw can reach base at a sufficient clip, with his speed (hello, larger bases) and defense, he could prove quite valuable.
Most likely to have a bounce-back season?
How will catcher Mike Zunino fare this season for the Guardians? (Joe Camporeale / USA Today)

Mike Zunino, C: Two years ago, Zunino was an All-Star who posted an .860 OPS and smashed 33 home runs (in only 333 at-bats; that HR/AB rate matches late-’90s Sammy Sosa, for those with an affinity for cherry-picked stats). That performance, paired with his defensive chops, placed him at 4.5 fWAR and in 10th place on one voter’s AL MVP ballot. Last season, Zunino was dreadful at the plate (43 wRC+) in 36 games before undergoing thoracic outlet surgery. So, can he split the difference in 2023 now that he’s healthy? That would equate to a .680 OPS, which is, coincidentally, his career figure, and would represent a substantial upgrade over the (lack of) production Cleveland received from its catching tandem in 2022.
Likeliest to outperform their fantasy draft ranking??

Aaron Civale (Ranking: SP 100): The injured list had a magnetic pull on Civale last season, and it overshadowed the fact that, after a brutal first six weeks, he actually was a solid starter (3.24 ERA after mid-May). He just wasn’t available enough. A year earlier, he was Cleveland’s most dependable starter before being sidelined. Sensing a theme here? These haven’t been structural injuries, but more of the freak variety, so he’s hopeful that, especially after employing a different offseason training regimen, he’ll stay on the mound. If he does that, there’s a decent chance he exceeds expectations.
Rookie most likely to make an impact?

Will Brennan, OF: Let’s go with one of the 17 Guardians rookies who debuted last season. Brennan will maintain his rookie status in 2023 and it’s not clear how often he’ll play, but he’s up first when the team needs an extra outfielder, and he should be able to carve out more playing time as the season unfolds. Last season, he posted a .311/.382/.504 slash line at Double A, then hit .316/.367/.471 at Triple A and then — granted, in only 45 plate appearances — delivered a .357/.400/.500 clip in the majors. He got that first taste of the big leagues out of the way. He got those “record scratch, freeze frame, you’re probably wondering how I ended up in the batter’s box against Gerrit Cole in a pivotal playoff game” nerves out of the way. Now, all he has to do is hit when called upon, and that’s usually worked out pretty well for him.
How good is the Guardians’ farm system?
No. 1 prospect: Brayan Rocchio, SS

Rocchio got off to a slow start in Double A last year, although he was one of the youngest players in the Eastern League at age 21, but improved as the season went on, hitting .316/.383/.539 in his last 50 games (of 99) before he was promoted to Triple A for the last five weeks of the season. He’s a smaller guy (5-foot-10, 170 pounds) but makes hard contact, hitting 15 homers in 2021 and 18 last year, although he puts the ball on the ground a little too often for this type of hitter. He’s always had a compact, direct swing, and over the past few years he’s learned to stay back on the ball, with great balance through contact. He hits well from both sides but his swing is slightly better right-handed. He’s an above-average defender at shortstop with good hands and 55 speed, although once again, he was bad at the whole base stealing thing, going 14-for-23 (61 percent) to bring his career success rate down to 64 percent. I guess it’s a good thing he can field, hit, and hit for power. He could stand to walk a little more, although some of his impatience may stem from him always being young for his levels, and he needs to continue to put the ball in the air. I still see All-Star upside here, a shortstop who saves a few runs a year with his glove and adds a ton more with .280-.300 averages, adequate walk rates, and 15-20 homers a year. — Law
Organization’s ranking: No. 2

The Guardians seem to do two things exceptionally well: They have found a ton of talent, notably infield talent, through international free agency, and they have a clear process where they identify college starters with command and good deliveries whom they can help find increased velocity. It’s helped them weather some big misses in the draft (Brady Aiken, Ethan Hankins), although they saw a big bounce back this year from another first-rounder who looked like he might not pan out in Bo Naylor. There’s tremendous depth in infield talent here, much of it below the top-100 level but those players could end up as regulars in the right situation or at least have that potential upside with some volatility in their bats. — Law

MLB.com asks each beat writer to make a "Bold Prediction" for their team. For Cleveland, Mandy Bell is not all that bold:

Guardians: Josh Naylor will lead the team in home runs
All the attention will be on the other Josh (Bell) this year when it comes to the long ball, but maybe all signs are pointing toward Naylor having a breakout season. He’s finally healthy after spending all of the last offseason rehabbing his right leg and battling through the aches and pains that lingering injury caused him throughout the regular season. With that in the rearview mirror and a full winter of being able to focus solely on baseball activities, this could be setting up for a big year for Naylor. In the last few weeks of Spring Training, his quality of contact was off the charts. If he can settle in and be patient at the plate, Naylor could be the answer to Cleveland’s power problems. -- Mandy Bell

This is probably the year JNaylor either steps up to all-star-type caliber, or settles in as a major league average as he has heretofore

James Karinchak, the pitch clock, and another Guardians Opening Day loss Mar 30, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Cleveland Guardians relief pitcher James Karinchak (99) reacts after being called for a hit-by-pitch against the Seattle Mariners during the eighth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
By Zack Meisel
Mar 31, 2023


The teams had breezed through seven scoreless, nondescript innings. Karinchak, one of the league’s most reliable relievers, seemed poised to push it to eight. The only roars from the crowd had surfaced when the Mariners introduced Gary Payton, Marshawn Lynch, Ken Griffey Jr. and Ichiro Suzuki during pregame festivities.

But one man, relatively unfamiliar to the average Seattleite, who stood atop the mound in gray pants, hugging his quads like an apologetic toddler, stirred the Mariners faithful more than any retired sports star could. And all Karinchak had to do to wake them from their slumber was stand there. And stand there some more.

Three …

Two …

One.

Home-plate umpire Mark Carlson raised his arms and emerged from behind home plate. He gestured toward Karinchak and lifted his left index finger to signal a violation of the pitch clock and an automatic ball.

An eighth-inning spiral had commenced, the dagger in the Guardians’ seventh defeat in their last nine season openers.

Karinchak assured his coaches over the winter that the new rules wouldn’t disrupt his process on the mound. He’d revise his between-pitch routine, which last season included a couple of bobbles of the rosin bag, a swipe or two of his long, light-brown hair, a handful of tosses of the baseball from the pocket of his glove to his bare hand and enough fidgeting to saddle any observer with stress. He cut his hair. He’s limiting his extracurriculars, all to adapt to the pitch clock, which affords hurlers 15 seconds between pitches with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners aboard.

He had a couple of new-rules hiccups during spring training, but nothing that couldn’t be ironed out. During his first Cactus League appearance, for instance, he was docked for a clock violation, but only because the operator mistakenly didn’t reset the timer after Karinchak requested a new baseball from the umpire.

Thursday, Karinchak ran out of time before attempting to throw an 0-2 pitch to Crawford. From there, the inning unraveled. He launched his next pitch, a 96 mph fastball, to the backstop.

The crowd erupted. Fans started counting down with the timer. (Should fans shout incorrect numbers to spark confusion?)

Cleveland catcher Mike Zunino called time and jogged to the mound to prevent another violation on the ensuing pitch.

“The crowd changed the game,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “The game got loud, and it got to their pitcher a little bit. … He was a little out of whack.”

Karinchak, in his typically terse way, downplayed every piece to the eighth-inning puzzle. He said he “felt fine” in dealing with the pitch clock.

Facing a full count, Crawford appeared to tip a chest-high fastball, but with the crowd noise adding to the chaos, Carlson, according to Zunino, said he didn’t hear any contact. The ball squirted free from Zunino’s glove, resulting in a walk.

“It sucks that you can’t challenge that play,” Zunino said.

Julio Rodríguez flied out after working a 3-1 count. Karinchak then plunked Kolten Wong after an eight-pitch battle. Guardians pitching coach Carl Willis trekked to the mound to offer Karinchak another respite.

And then, Ty France sent a fastball soaring into the right-field seats to produce the game’s only three runs.

“It was high and away,” Karinchak said. “He got it.”

Karinchak said the key is to “take a deep breath between every pitch.” But, well …

Three …

Two …

One.

A pitcher can’t spend too much time exhaling.

“When atmospheres get like that,” Zunino said, “they’re fun to play in, but there are going to be some challenges.”
Guardians manager Terry Francona removes James Karinchak from the game after Ty France’s three-run homer. (Joe Nicholson / USA Today)

Shane Bieber, who logged six scoreless innings, said he felt rushed on a couple of occasions, but his goal was to avoid staring at a dwindling clock in a crucial situation. If he had to force a pitch to the plate earlier than he would prefer, he’d rather do so with two outs and no one on base.

“I still don’t know when they start it, when they reset it,” he said. “There were a couple times where I felt like it was maybe a foul ball down the right-field line; I’m getting over. That’s your instinct, to cover first base, and then you get back on the mound and there’s only 10 seconds left and you haven’t gotten your pitch yet. So, there’s a couple times where that particular instance happened and I was a little bit rushed, maybe a little bit gassed, but I was able to collect myself and make a pitch.

“Ultimately, when that happens, you hope you’re not in a serious make-a-pitch count and you can be a little bit more careful. I think tonight when those happened, I was kind of in those situations, so I’m like, ‘Hey, I’m just not gonna get beat here even if I’m not totally 100 percent ready.’ Just trying to be smart with it and work it and use it to your advantage as best as you can because it’s here to stay.”
Shane Bieber pitched six scoreless innings. He struck out three and walked none. (Joe Nicholson / USA Today)

Other factors also contributed to Cleveland’s 3-0 loss, of course. The Guardians mustered four hits and didn’t threaten to score until there were two outs in the ninth. Karinchak still had opportunities to escape the eighth without serving up a backbreaking home run, but he struggled with his command and all but abandoned his curveball, throwing it only three times in 24 pitches.

But for one night, the first night of the season, the pitch clock factored into the equation.

“It was a big learning lesson there,” Zunino said.

I had forgotten about the foul tip the ump didn't see. That would have erased the walk - at least temporarily

Unfortunate that can't be reviewed.

As a former ump those types of plays (foul tips) are usually heard not seen. But the crowd was very loud.

Replay would have corrected it.

Stop whining about the clock. It's the same for both teams.

The game got loud, and it got to their pitcher a little bit. … He was a little out of whack.”

The crowd tried the same thing last night, but James had matured by Saturday and worked through it.