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Morning news and notes for Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023

By Matt Lyons Feb 25, 2023, 9:20am EST

Folks, we made it.

Today is the day that the Guardians baseballers of Cleveland will play their first game of the 2023 spring training season, at 3:05 p.m. ET against the Reds. There’s even a lineup!



Soak it all in and enjoy the moment. Just don’t take too long to soak, because the pitch clock is here and it isn’t screwing around.

Yes, Friday’s batch of spring training games gave us our first look at the pitch clock at the MLB level, and it’s clear there will be an adjustment period. Manny Machado received the league’s first violation, starting an at-bat 0-1 because he took too long to get ready at the plate.

The Padres broadcast showed a giant clock on-screen, which I can only hope is a temporary thing. I’m all for the pitch clock and speeding up the tempo, but I don’t want to always have an eye on the clock — whether I want to or not — during a baseball game. Thankfully the other game broadcast yesterday, NESN, didn’t have the clock on the screen anywhere.

Overall, we’ll hem and haw a bit, it’ll be all broadcasters talk about for a solid month, then it’ll just fade into the background and we’ll get snappier ballgames without much else changing. Seems good.

Cleveland Guardians news

Straw looks to boost elite defense, speed | MLB

MLB.com interviews keep rolling in, this time with the Guardians’ defensive wizard Myles Straw. One fun note — last year, up to three fielders were allowed to use PitchCom to know what pitches were coming and Straw opted not to use it. And he still finished as one of the best, if not the best, defenders in baseball.

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GOODYEAR, Ariz. --

Guardians center fielder Myles Straw isn’t exactly a metrics guy, but he knows his value. The reigning American League Gold Glove winner is coming off one of the best defensive seasons in club history, yet he’s already putting in the work during camp to make sure 2023 can be something of a repeat performance -- if not even better.

“I take my pride in defense,” Straw said. “Every day I go out there and I give 100 percent on defense. It translates to the games. When I’m out there, I feel like I’m the best defensive player and I want to leave it that way.”

Even in a crowded AL center-field class that includes defensive maestros Michael A. Taylor (with KC in 2022, now with Minnesota) and Byron Buxton (Twins), Straw managed to stand out last year, covering wide swaths of ground at both Progressive Field and across the league.

Whether one approaches Straw’s 2022 defensive campaign from the traditional methods of measuring defensive efficiency or the new-age analytical approach, there’s a bit of something for everyone: The 28-year-old led all Major League outfielders with 371 putouts and was second with 12 assists, logging a .992 fielding percentage; he also ranked first in ultimate zone rating (13.2) and sixth in defensive runs saved (17).

Straw is entering his first camp with relative positional security, having inked a five-year, $25 million contract extension (with team options for 2027 and '28) in April. While soreness in his right knee will keep him down from the Guardians’ Cactus League opener Saturday, the center fielder has his vision firmly on being out in center on a daily basis once the standings count.

When the PitchCom device was introduced last season to speed up pitcher/catcher communication and simplify the pitch-calling process, three additional fielders (usually middle infielders and center fielders) were given the option to wear the device, as well. Straw opted against it, racking up his impressive defensive campaign without knowing what was coming, instead letting his natural agility take over.

Straw, who wore a device during workouts Friday that measured his sprint speed, agility and reaction time, is ready to impact the game without his mitt on as well.

Once on the move out of the batter’s box, Straw has shown flashes of being a top-tier contributor with his legs. His 29.3 feet per second sprint speed ranked him in the 94th percentile across the league, while he finished eighth in the Majors in bolts (48) -- which includes any run above 30 feet per second -- and 10th in competitive runs (247) last year, a list led by Amed Rosario, with Steven Kwan ranking fifth.

The new rules coming to the Majors this season include a limit on pickoff attempts and disengagements by the pitcher. Once a pitcher has used his allotment of throws to a runner-occupied base, he risks a balk if he's unsuccessful in nabbing a baserunner -- a facet that should work in the favor of speedy runners already inclined to push the tempo. While manager Terry Francona isn’t interested in revealing any in-game strategy, he said that first-base coach Sandy Alomar Jr. will have a large role in determining where and when the Guardians will be looking to attempt a steal.

“I’m always looking to go regardless of rules or no rules,” Straw said. “I think I’m going to stick to the plan, stay aggressive. We've got guys that run in this lineup, guys that slug now -- it’ll be good. There’s going to be a lot of breaking balls, good time to run.”

Straw was successful on 21 of his 22 steal attempts last season, tying him with Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto for the highest stolen-base percentage (95.5 percent) in the Majors among players with at least 14 steals.

Even with the considerable value that Straw provides with his glove and legs, he’s aware of the struggles he endured offensively last season. The lone qualified batter to not hit a home run in 2022, Straw slashed .221/.291/.273 and posted a 65 OPS+. With that, he has taken seriously his desire to adapt and contribute with his bat as well.

“Let it [rip] early and try not to get deep into counts,” Straw said of his early plan of attack. “Coming into spring, I’m going to look to be aggressive and go from there.”

Last year, Straw swung at just 57.9 percent of pitches that landed in the strike zone, nine points below the league average rate. His first-pitch swing percentage dipped to 22.8, also far below league average (29.5 percent).

With the caveat that plans -- and scouting reports -- can change, a more aggressive approach from Straw could serve to boost the outfielder’s offensive profile, further lengthening an already potentially potent lineup and enhancing his burgeoning all-around value.

Jesse Borek is a reporter/coordinator of prospect content at MLB Pipeline and MiLB. Follow him on Twitter

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Shane Bieber AMA | Reddit

Shane Bieber took to Reddit for an AMA (ask me anything), and well, these are never particularly insightful. But we did learn what Shane liked to order at his local places during his time at UCSB. He also thinks he would win a Hunger Games-style competition with his teammates. AMA’s get weird sometimes.

Guardians’ Shane Bieber is Shane Bieber again thanks to his 2022 performance | Cleveland

“We need to be careful not to fall into the trap after we exceeded the expectations people had on us last year,” said Bieber. “We had a decent year, but we can’t focus on that. We have to focus on what’s in front of us.”

Around the league

The Pirates haven’t made any more offers to Bryan Reynolds.

Ozzie Albies had shoulder surgery in the offseason.

Masataka Yoshida on his first MLB experience.

CBS Sports’ top 50 prospects for 2023.

Xander Bogaerts wasn’t impressed with the Red Sox’s offer.

Two Guards made the list of FanGraphs’ hitter sleeper candidates.

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by Ben Clemens

February 24, 2023

Angel Martinez, SS, Cleveland Guardians

Relevant Stats:

Martinez turned 21 a month ago. He tore through the minors last year, splitting time between High- and Double-A and excelling at both levels. He struck out 17.5% of the time, ran a double-digit walk rate, and hit for power while getting on base at an above-average clip. He did so while playing a solid shortstop.

What I Like:

An up-the-middle defender with bat-to-ball skills and at least acceptable extra-base pop? It’s the profile that this series loves most, and doing it at Double-A at age 20 only makes it better. He was far better than league average at both levels without running an aberrant BABIP, and he did it while playing a premium defensive position at a young age. If he weren’t on the Guardians, a team with so many promising young middle infielders that they blot out the sun, he might be on a fast track to the major leagues or at least to an up-and-down role. He even draws walks!

Warning Signs:

It’s the power, basically. His on-paper power production is better than his raw thump, and he could easily end up getting the bat knocked out of his hands at higher levels. He just turned 21, and he’s a switch hitter, so there’s plenty of time for him to develop, but it’s a risk worth keeping an eye on. There’s a reason he’s not a premium prospect despite his track record; if he had true plus power, he wouldn’t be eligible for this list. I still think he’s too good at too many things to miss out on a meaningful major league career, but if I’m wrong, I think it will come down to not enough balls leaving the park.

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Jhonkensy Noel, RF, Cleveland Guardians

Relevant Stats:

Noel turned 21 last July in the midst of a three-level minor league adventure. He started the year in High-A and made it all the way up to Triple-A for a cup of coffee at the end of the season, clubbing his way through Double-A in the interim. He socked 32 homers and 60 extra base hits overall. He played every corner position on defense, though he might be a first baseman in the long run.

What I Like:

I’m including Noel here as an example of the kind of unheralded power hitter I can get behind. He has had strikeout issues – he posted an abysmal 31.7% strikeout rate in High-A — but also showed improvement after being promoted to Double-A, where his K rate dipped to 22.7%. Noel’s strikeout rate improvement might make the question moot, but the closer he gets to the majors while still being a plus hitter, the less the strikeouts worry me.

Noel has top-of-the-scale power and gets to it often enough in games to make up for any shortfall in approach and bat-to-ball skills. It’s easy to picture how his skill set could come up short, but staying afloat in the upper minors makes me hopeful that he can make it work. Am I worried that his defense gives him little margin for error offensively? Absolutely. But I’m willing to dream on power here.

Warning Signs:

Defense and plate discipline, more or less. That said, uh, those are the two things that this method punishes most severely, so I’m pretty worried about them. It’s easy to imagine what a fail case looks like: enough strikeouts that he hits like down-year Joey Gallo, only minus the excellent defense. Truthfully, I’m highlighting Noel because he bubbled up near the top of my list despite some obvious warning signs. It’s a mark of just how superlative his power is that he’s interesting despite the red flags, which aren’t exactly minor.

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I have few questions about the Clock.

Who operates the clock? Home team? Another official?

After an out. When does the clock start? Umpire control? When the pitcher gets the ball? On the mound ...off the mound?

Assuming no one on, an out has just been made. The on deck hitter has 7 seconds to get to the box and get set or does the clock start when the pitcher has the ball and the on deck hitter reaches the box? Are they going to speed up his walk-up music?

Any appeals the clock was started too soon or too late?

Seems to me batters will be penalized more than pitchers because their routine will require a big adjustment.

Excellent questions Sea.
I haven't really delved into it much. Only what I've read,
I guess we are about to find out soon enough.

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MLB's new pitch clock will affect more than just pitchers

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

FEB 21, 2023

As one of the game's top prospects, Grayson Rodriguez will probably make his debut for the Baltimore Orioles pretty soon, and then the 23-year-old right-hander can begin adjusting to the big leagues.A

In one respect, he has a critical head start: Rodriguez has plenty of experience with the pitch clock that was tested in the minors and will now be used in the majors.

"I was a big fan of it," he said. "Obviously, it speeds up the game. As a pitcher, it's kind of what you want. Big league hitters take a long time to get to the plate. That drives me crazy, so this pitch clock kind of expediting the process, I like it a lot."

Not everyone is as sanguine about the new timers -- and whether you're a pitcher, a catcher, a hitter or a baserunner, there's no hiding from this rule change. Of all of baseball's tweaks under Commissioner Rob Manfred, the pitch clock might be the one that affects the most players.

The clocks will be positioned behind the plate and beyond the outfield, where pitchers and hitters can easily see them. They'll count down from 30 seconds between batters. Between pitches, it will be 15 seconds with nobody on and 20 if there's a baserunner. The pitcher must start his delivery before the clock expires. After a pitch, the clock starts again when the pitcher has the ball back, the catcher and batter are in the circle around home plate, and play is otherwise ready to resume.

So efficient communication between the pitcher and catcher is important, because the clock is ticking. The batter has a responsibility, too. He needs to be in the box and alert to the pitcher with at least eight seconds on the clock. Batters can call time once per plate appearance, stopping the countdown.

"You kind of have to shorten your routine up to the plate, while I guess cleaning out the box or talking to the umpire or the catcher," said Atlanta outfielder Michael Harris II, last year's National League Rookie of the Year. "I kind of went through it in Double-A, so I kind of know how that works and how it can speed up the game, but I guess it takes some getting used to."

The goal is indeed to speed up play, specifically by limiting the parts of the game fans find particularly tedious.

According to Major League Baseball, the pitch timer reduced nine-inning games by a whopping 25 minutes last year in the minors, from 3 hours, 3 minutes in 2021 to 2:38. And other stats like runs per game, batting average and the rate of hit batters were essentially unchanged.

"The games were shortened, but not at the expense of game play," said Joe Martinez, a former big league pitcher who is now MLB's vice president for on-field strategy. "What was really removed from the game was that dead time -- pitchers walking around the mound, batters fixing their batting gloves, taking extra pitches in the bullpen, walking in from there."

Games early in the season, in the second week, included an average of 1.73 violations. By week 24, that figure was down to 0.41. When surveyed, about 90% of both pitchers and position players said they adjusted to the pitch timer within about a month. If big leaguers get used to it that quickly, they should be ready around the end of spring training.

Still, there's a difference between compliant minor leaguers and big league veterans who are used to a certain routine -- and the amount of information available to major leaguers can make pitcher-batter showdowns a mental battle in addition to a physical one.

"In this game, it's all about strategizing and really finding ways to get guys out. I think that's the unique thing about baseball nowadays," Pittsburgh right-hander Vince Velasquez said. "There's tons of talent that's spread around the league, and hitters are doing their homework just as much as we're doing ours, but I think it takes a little bit more time to kind of strategize and find ways to incorporate those things."

Velasquez doesn't like the pitch clock, and his teammate, catcher Kevin Plawecki, has concerns about the punishments.

"I feel like when you start doing automatic strikes, automatic balls, automatic runners advancing to bases, automatic runs scoring possibly, just based off of a step off, or a pickoff, to me I think that just changes the integrity of the game," Plawecki said.

When a pitcher fails to throw a pitch in time, the penalty is an automatic ball. When a batter isn't ready in time, it's an automatic strike. The clock would be easy to circumvent if the pitcher could simply step off the rubber or throw a pickoff to stall for time. To eliminate that loophole, pitchers are only allowed two disengagements per plate appearance. Pickoff attempts count toward that limit.

The clock resets on a disengagement. After a pitcher has used his two disengagements, he can still attempt a pickoff, but it better be successful. If the baserunner gets back safely, a balk is assessed and the runner advances.

The restriction on pickoff throws serves two purposes. It limits a tedious aspect of the game -- fans sure are quick to boo pickoff attempts -- and it encourages aggressive baserunning in a sport that's increasingly defined by home runs and strikeouts.

In the minor league test run, stolen base attempts went up from 2.23 per game in 2019 to 2.81 last year. The success rate improved from 68% to 78%.

"Any time they implement a new rule or something, you think you know what's going to happen, and then people kind of weaponize it to their advantage," said Philadelphia shortstop Trea Turner, who has 230 career steals with an 85% success rate. "Hopefully it's more stolen bases for everybody -- just makes it more exciting."

MLB has made other changes in recent years to reduce the time fans spend waiting -- limiting mound visits, for example, or sending the batter to first base immediately on an intentional walk.

Those rules, however, affect a limited number of situations. Even the automatic runner on second base -- a drastic invention, to be sure -- only comes into play in extra innings. The pitch clock, on the other hand, will be in effect from start to finish every game.

The hope is that players can adjust well enough that obeying the clock becomes second nature. Perhaps some of the more skeptical voices will even start to appreciate it.

"Maybe I'll like it, maybe it won't be as big of a change as I think," Plawecki said. "I don't anticipate it really being a huge issue, but it's something we're all going to have to be obviously cognizant of."

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MLB rule changes: pitch clock, larger bases and more


PITCH CLOCK (IN A NUT SHELL)

The aims to speed the pace of play by eliminating down time between pitches. Players will have 30 seconds to resume play between batters. Between pitches, pitchers have 15 seconds with nobody on and 20 seconds if there is a baserunner. The pitcher must start his delivery before the clock expires. After a pitch, the clock starts again when the pitcher has the ball back, the catcher and batter are in the circle around home plate, and play is otherwise ready to resume.

Batters must be in the box and alert to the pitcher with at least eight seconds on the clock. Batters can call time once per plate appearance, stopping the countdown.

When a pitcher fails to throw a pitch in time, the penalty is an automatic ball. When a batter isn’t ready in time, it’s an automatic strike.

Clocks will be positioned behind home plate and beyond the outfield, where pitchers and hitters can easily see them.

LIMITS ON PITCHER DISENGAGEMENTS

Pitchers may only disengage from the pitching rubber — either to call timeout or to attempt a pickoff throw — twice per plate appearance. After a pitcher has used his two disengagements, he can still attempt a pickoff, but it better be successful. If the baserunner gets back safely, a balk is assessed and the runner advances.

If a runner advances during a plate appearance, the limit on disengagements is reset. Mound visits, injury timeouts and offensive team timeouts are not considered disengagements.

With a focus on disengagements, umpires may be stricter in calling balks for pitchers who don't come to a complete stop in their stretch.

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MLB rule changes are coming to spring training: Get ready for ‘the s— show’

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 19: Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres argues a timeout call with home plate umpire Lance Barrett during the third inning in game two of the National League Championship Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on October 19, 2022 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
By Jayson Stark
Feb 14, 2023
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Save Article
So now that we’ve got that little Super Bowl distraction out of the way, get ready for the spring training moment you’ve all been waiting for.

Pitchers.

Catchers.

And, last but definitely not least …

The s— show.

Wait. The s— show? What the heck is that supposed to mean?

All right, let’s explain. As spring training approached and the talk turned to all of MLB’s new rule changes, I noticed I began to hear the same descriptive, spring-foreshadowing term over and over:

The s— show.

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People in big-league front offices used it. Even people inside the commissioner’s office seemed to drop it way more casually than you’d expect. And why is that?

Because every one of baseball’s dramatic new rule changes — shift bans! … pitch clocks! … pickoff limits! … larger bases that shrink the distance between first and second! — will be in effect from Day One of spring training. Not March 1. Not March 15. Not Opening Day. Not April 15. It all starts on Day One of spring training.

And what’s the logic behind that? To get “the s— show” over with as early as possible. That’s what I was told, and more than once. And if you think it through, that makes sense.

At some point, somewhere over the horizon, there is widespread confidence that these rules are going to transform baseball into a more watchable, more entertaining sport in many important ways. But between now and whenever that point arrives, there is going to be a period of … OK, let’s just use the word “adjustment.”

Hitters … pitchers … umpires … managers … even you and your family, sitting in the upper deck … you’re all going to need to reprogram your brains once these rules enter your lives. And won’t that make for an entertaining baseball experience?

So what’s that going to entail? I’ve been asking managers, front-office personnel and baseball officials that question for the past few weeks. Now, based on their input, I’m ready to answer your most burning questions on … the s— show that’s about to bust out this spring training.

Why does MLB actually want a s— show?

Goodbye to the shift. Hello to chaos. (Doug Pensinger / Getty Images)
Even the people in baseball who have pushed hardest for these rule changes understand. This won’t be easy. And this won’t always be picturesque.

A lifetime of player routines and thought processes can’t possibly be reconfigured in a day, a week or a Zoom call. There are going to be violations of every one of these rules, in every imaginable way. Since pitch-clock violations are going to result in “automatic” balls and strikes, things are going to get wacky.

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There will be strikeouts without anybody swinging-and-missing. There will be walks without anybody throwing a pitch.

There will be balks. There will be screaming. There will be stuff unfolding on big-league baseball fields that has never unfolded before.

Some of it will be highly entertaining. Some of it will feel highly outrageous. Does that sound like a s— show to you?

If it does, you’ll be ready. If it doesn’t, whatever. There are people inside this sport who won’t mind if any of it, or all of it, breaks out. You know why? Because they hope that stuff will happen. The more s— shows they endure in spring training, the fewer they might have to deal with in April. That’s what they’re praying for, anyway.

Won’t players be cut a little slack in the beginning?
Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho. Nope!

It might seem logical from afar for baseball to phase these rules in gradually, over time. But that is not how this is going to work.

There is no more powerful value than shock value. How many times would you want to have an automatic strike called on you because you were hitting and didn’t get back into the batter’s box on time? How fast would you get your act together if that happened with two strikes and you got called out with the bases loaded?

That’s exactly how this process went in the minor leagues, you know. The pitch clock was dropped into the lives of minor leaguers during the season last April. For the next month, that went about how you’d expect.

Two weeks in, there were still nearly two pitch-clock violations being called per game. By week four, that was down to just over one a game. By week six, that rate had settled in at about one violation every two games. If the definition of “normal” is the point at which baseball clock violations were pretty much the same as NFL delay-of-game violations (0.6 per game), then the minor leagues took about a month and a half to reach that point.

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So does this sport really need a phase-in period? That would seem to only postpone the inevitable. Or maybe baseball already had that phase-in period. It’s called “the offseason” — as in: “They had a whole offseason to get ready for this stuff.”

What rule is going to drive pitchers the most loco?

How will base runners, such as the Guardians’ Steven Kwan, test pitchers? (Vincent Carchietta / USA Today)
You might think pitchers are going to have a rough time coping with the groundballs to the right side that used to get slurped up by The Shift. You might think they’re going to be unsettled by the compressed amount of time they’ll now have to warm up between innings. But here’s what’s likely to get them most out of sync this spring:

They’re a sure bet to forget they can’t just step off the rubber every time they get flustered.

So what do we mean by that? Under the new pitch-timer rules, pitchers have a newfound word to worry about: “disengagement,” which will no longer be something that applies just to various Kardashians every time they break up with their celebrity significant others. In this context, a “disengagement” is a potentially game-changing development that occurs every time a pitcher “disengages” from the rubber in a couple of different ways.

One would be a pickoff throw. That’s easy enough to grasp. What’s harder to remember is that every time a pitcher steps off the rubber, even if it’s merely to gather his thoughts, that is also considered a “disengagement.” And for those who haven’t followed this closely, here’s why that matters:

After two “disengagements,” a pitcher can no longer throw over to first base — or any base — unless he then picks off the runner. If the runner isn’t out, it’s a balk. And that is going to dramatically alter pitching, base-stealing and the art of controlling the running game.

Managers, coaches and front offices report that they’ve tried to get their pitchers thinking about this for weeks now. But good luck to them. Think about veteran pitchers, who have spent all their lives stepping off every time they had an issue with a catcher or just needed to hit the reset button. Now there are real-life consequences for doing that. And that’s a huge deal.

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That’s not merely a habit. That’s behavior that has been branded into their brain cells for so long, how can it possibly be deprogrammed in one or two trips to the mound — or 12?

So that’s a fun game you and your friends can play if you’re hanging out at any spring training games. Start a pool on how many times your favorite pitcher steps off and then shakes his head because he just frigging forgot … again. Sounds like an enjoyable beverage-consuming game to me.

What rule is likely to drive hitters the most loco?

The pitch clock will be a huge adjustment for hitters, too. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette / Portland Press Herald via Getty Images)
This one is less nuanced. It’s just about that ticking pitch clock. You would think that 15 seconds between pitches with no one on base is plenty of time for any hitter. You would think that 20 seconds between pitches with runners on would be a piece of cake. But wait. You clearly haven’t read the fine print.

You see, this rule also says that the hitter must be in the box “and alert to the pitcher” with eight seconds left on that timer. In other words, with nobody on, the hitter needs to be locked in on the pitcher only seven seconds after the clock starts. You should know that quite a few teams are genuinely concerned their hitters are going to have issues with that.

Aren’t you worried about all the batting gloves that might not get adjusted now between every single pitch? Have you reflected much on all the time hitters have been allowed to spend thinking — between every single pitch — about the data they’ve been fed about what a particular pitcher likes to throw in this count or that count, in this situation or that situation?

There isn’t going to be time for that anymore. And a lot of these hitters just aren’t ready to live in that world. So violations will be flagged. Strikes will be called. Tempers will erupt. And that will be quite a sight this spring.

At least, somewhere over the horizon, a couple of months into the season, everyone will have figured it all out … and games will be zipping along in a beautiful, eminently watchable rhythm … and nobody will miss those bad old days. But first, this spring, there is s—-show potential.

Why should you pay attention every time there are runners on first and third?
So now that we have you primed on the pitch clock and disengagement rules, here’s an especially interesting situation to focus on this spring:

Runners on first and third … man on first takes a big lead … so the pitcher throws over once … then the pitcher can’t help but throw over twice … and then …

Uh-oh. That’s two “disengagements.” So then what? Is the track meet on?

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In the minor leagues, for some teams, this was a time to lean into this situation, force the issue and make the defense react. In the big leagues, that’s a lock to happen on a far greater scale.

Suppose the runner on first then takes a gigantic lead? Does the pitcher take that bait, throw over to first and let a run score while a little league base-running adventure fires up? Does the pitcher get all shook up and balk home that runner on third?

This spring figures to be a time when teams will experiment with that scenario and more, just to see what happens. Sounds like the ultimate in new rules fun!

Are the umpires ready for all the stuff they now have to look out for?

Umpires will have their hands full this spring — and beyond. (Brandon Sloter / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Never in the history of baseball have umpires had more on their plates than this year. Is that good?

They still have to do 100 percent of the stuff they always did. But now they also have to keep constant track of the timers … when they start … when hitters lock into the box …when pitchers start their delivery … how many disengagements there have been … where defenses set up in this new world without shifts, etc., etc., etc.

What could possibly go wrong?

It sounds like a lot. But by all accounts, nobody is more ready for these rules than the umpires. They held a three-day new rules retreat with MLB officials in January, and pelted them with all sorts of questions about every conceivable new-rule situation. And there’s one other important thing to remember here.

Joe West retired! But not just him. There has been massive umpire turnover over the past several years. So these rules will be implemented and enforced by a much younger, much more open-minded group of umpires than would have been in place if MLB had passed these rules a decade ago.

Also, many of these younger umpires have worked with these rules in the minor leagues. So they’ll be a valuable source of information for older umps in their crews. In other words, the umpires appear to be the least of baseball’s concerns. Nevertheless, we need to ask …

Isn’t there pretty much a guaranteed ‘Angel Hernandez Moment’ coming?
I know what you’re thinking. If you’re a true connoisseur of Angel’s umpiring travails, you know there’s always another Angel Hernandez Moment coming. But in this case, there’s more of a chance than usual this spring. It’s easy to see why.

Add in … a bunch of new rules players haven’t acclimated to yet … umpires who will enforce those rules by calling actual balls on pitchers and actual strikes on hitters for timer violations … the volatility of having some of those balls and strikes — not to mention balks — resulting in walks and outs in potentially game-changing situations. And …

Hoo boy. You know.

But no reason to pick on the always-popular Angel Hernandez here, because here’s the important part: Umpires have already told managers that they’ve been instructed not to overlook anything. And managers have told umpires that’s what they prefer — at least this spring.

So get ready. MLB has urged all umpires to call every violation … no matter what the situation … even if it allows the winning run to score … and regardless of how big a star is about to get totally irritated by that call.

Who out there thinks that’s going to go smoothly … the first time that, say, Pete Alonso, gets called out on a pitch-clock violation with the winning run on third … or, say, Kenley Jansen, blows a save on a pitch-clock-induced balk?

I think we all know that answer. But think of it as what it’s designed to be — a valuable learning experience. Once it happens one time, is there any chance it happens two times?

Will we see a spring training record for ejections?
Hey, guess what? We might. Other than the fact that nobody even keeps track of spring training ejection records, they would be in serious jeopardy this spring. Here’s why.

Well, there are all the scenarios we just explained. But also, this: You know what happens to players who argue pitch-timer violations? Oh, nothing unusual, other than … automatic ejections.

MLB has told teams it will consider arguing about pitch-clock calls to be equivalent to arguing balls and strikes. And the penalty for that has always been an automatic ejection. So don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Will we see a spring training record for balks?

Richard Bleier balked for the cycle last season. Who’s next? (Brad Penner / USA Today)
Great Moments in Balk-ball History: Remember the fateful evening of Sept. 27, 2022, when Marlins reliever Richard Bleier did something that had never been done — by balking for the cycle?


He balked Jeff McNeil from first to second, second to third and third to home — all in the same at-bat. It was special. And that was before pitchers had clocks and a disengagement quota to deal with.

So is that coming to a spring training park near you? Don’t rule it out. For one thing, that Bleier balk cycle was a result of MLB leaning on umpires to start strictly enforcing the no-stop part of the balk rule last summer. And clubs are hearing that umpires have been told to be even more vigilant this year.

But beyond that, those new rules were in effect for a modest spike in balk calls in the minor leagues last year. So if you’re a balk lover — and really, who isn’t? — this is going to be a spring for you. After all, what’s more soothing than the sight of palm trees, sunshine, gleaming baseball diamonds … and balks?

BALKS PER GAME IN MINOR LEAGUES

2022 — 0.201
2021 — 0.164
INCREASE — 22.6 percent

Is the two-man outfield about to become a thing?
You can wave so long to the four-man outfield. That’s now officially against the new shift rules. But what about the two-man outfield — featuring a center fielder and a right fielder, as usual, but with a left fielder set up in short right field, where shifting infielders used to hang out?

If you guessed that’s still legal, you win. But will teams dare to try it this spring? I’d bet yes on that.

At the Winter Meetings in December, MLB held a new rules meeting with all 30 managers — and then scheduled January follow-up Zoom sessions with individual managers, coaches and anyone else they wanted to loop in. One of the most asked questions at those meetings was: Is the two-man outfield legal?

Since it is, that sounds like a sure sign some teams will at least experiment with it this spring, against just the right pull-happy hitters in certain low-risk situations. But they should know that MLB will be watching closely.

MLB’s best-case scenario: The first eight teams that try it give up a bloop triple to now-unoccupied left field and everyone realizes this is way too risky. MLB’s worst-case scenario: It works way too well — and within a few weeks, every team is doing it.

But teams should know that if the two-man outfield becomes too popular, the shift ban rules allow MLB to rewrite the rule to make that formation illegal, too. So if a two-man outfield breaks out at a spring game near you, pay attention!

Is the infield-in-motion formation about to become a thing?
Have you read the new shift rule closely? If you have, you need a hobby. But either way, it’s notable the language dictates that two infielders must be set up on the infield dirt (or shallower) “when the pitch is released.”

So now imagine, as the pitcher lurches into his delivery, the shortstop starts sprinting toward the second-base bag and crosses the bag a millisecond after the pitch is delivered, so he’s on the “wrong” side of second base when the hitter swings. Is that legal?

Good question. In fact, it’s such a good question that several teams have confirmed they asked it to MLB this winter. But the answer is: No! Not legal! It’s considered a “circumvention” of the shift rule. So that will not be a spring phenomenon waiting to happen.

So will this all be worked out in spring training, and come April, everything will be cool?

Opening Day could usher in a whole new round of rule change ripple effects. (Tom Horak / USA Today)
In a perfect, dreamy, best-case world, oh yeah. Spring training would be plenty of time to iron out every potential episode of the s— show. But in real life? In this world? No chance.

How long does it take for any player to rewire his brain and expunge all muscle memory from a lifelong habit? Only your local neurosurgeon probably knows for sure. But does the answer seem like it would be “a month” — for every baseball player in North America? I’ll take the over.

In the minor leagues last year, pitch-clock violations did level off after a month but then held steady, from about week six through the end of the season, and never did disappear. So these newfangled ball/strike/balk calls are here to stay.

But now factor in the bigger picture. Remember that every front office has spent the winter brainstorming ways to exploit these new rules and gain whatever edge might be out there. Also, remember that there’s no reason those teams will reveal their favorite beat-the-rules tricks until the season actually starts. So the arrival of the regular season will launch a whole new chapter of new rules adventures.

OK, now there’s more. Remember that many players will leave these spring training camps for the World Baseball Classic — where none of the new rules will be used. So those players will miss out on weeks of new-rules indoctrination and habit-breaking.

And finally, there’s this part. It’s one thing to have the winning run score in the ninth inning of a spring training game because an umpire called a pitch-clock violation. It’s a very different thing to have the winning run score in a regular-season game for that same reason.

What are the odds of that happening in April? I’ll set them at approximately 9,000 percent, give or take a thousand. But just keep one thing in mind:

Some day, all this hubbub will pass. Some day, everyone will settle into these rules and we’ll wake up and find MLB has sliced 20 minutes off the length of the average game. And when that day comes, we’ll have to remind ourselves: Baseball never could have gotten there … without the s— shows of March.

Guardians

Guardians’ 2023 lineup, like still waters, runs deep: The week in baseball

By Paul Hoynes

Updated: Feb. 25, 2023, 3:38 p.m.

GOODYEAR, Ariz. --

This happened a long time ago.

The Guardians, then the Indians, were in Arlington, Texas, getting ready to play in the second rendition of the three ballparks the Rangers have called home. Eric Wedge was Cleveland’s manager and he was talking about constructing a lineup.

The lineup card was tacked to the clubhouse bulletin board. Wedge, taking the side of his hand like a karate chop, separated the lineup in thirds -- the top three batters, the middle three batters and the bottom three batters.

“All three parts have to work together,” said Wedge.

Manny Acta followed Wedge as Cleveland’s manager. Ideally, Acta said a manager wanted to stack his best hitters at the top of the lineup so they would get the most at-bats. It makes sense.

When Mike Hargrove replaced John McNamara as manager during the 1991 season, he oversaw the construction of one of the best lineups in franchise history, if not baseball history.

By 1995 that lineup was a pitcher’s nightmare. It was Wedge’s theory of nine perfectly connected hitters in the flesh. Kenny Lofton, Omar Vizquel and Carlos Baerga in the top three spots. Albert Belle, Eddie Murray and Jim Thome as the middle third. Manny Ramirez, Paul Sorrento and Sandy Alomar as the bottom third.

Lofton, Belle and Vizquel are borderline Hall of Famers. Murray and Thome are in Cooperstown. Ramirez, the best right-handed hitter many Cleveland fans have ever seen, would already be in the Hall of Fame if he hadn’t tested positive for performance enhancing drugs on numerous occasions.

Sorrento had ambush power at the bottom of the lineup and Alomar went to six All-Star Games and won a Gold Glove.

The Indians reached their first World Series in 41 years in 1995. Four of the position players went to the All-Star Game.

Two years ago Terry Francona’s Indians were no-hit four times, three over a regulation nine innings and once in the second game of a seven-inning doubleheader. That lineup has come a long way.

Last year Cleveland, playing under their new name, won 92 games and the AL Central. They beat the Rays in the wild card series and took the Yankees to five games before losing the ALDS.

They did it with an offense that hit the second fewest home runs in the big leagues with 127. The same offense hit .254 as a team -- 11 points higher than the MLB average -- to finish fourth in the AL and seventh in the big leagues. They finished second in the AL with 129 steals and sixth in runs with 698.

Regarding the top, middle and bottom third of the lineups meshing, much has changed since the start of the 2022 season. Here’s the opening day lineup from 2022: CF Myles Straw, LF Amed Rosario, 3B Jose Ramirez, DH Franmil Reyes, 1B Bobby Bradley, 2B Yu Chang, RF Steven Kwan, C Austin Hedges and SS Andres Gimenez.

Reyes, Bradley, Chang and Hedges are gone. The first three were dropped during the season. Hedges lasted the whole season before signing with the Pirates as a free agent.

This year’s opening day lineup is expected to look like this: CF Kwan, SS Rosario, 3B Ramirez, 1B Josh Bell, DH Josh Naylor, RF Oscar Gonzalez, 2B Gimenez, C Mike Zunino and CF Straw.

Kwan, Rosario and Ramirez combined to hit .287 (516 for 1,801) and scored 265 runs in 2022. Kwan bats left-handed, Rosario right-handed and Ramirez is a switch-hitter.

Last year Reyes was supposed to be the muscle that drove home the top third of the lineup. But he came to camp pushing 300 pounds and never found his swing.

This year the middle of the lineup has Bell, Naylor and Gonzalez. Last year they combined to hit 48 homers with 193 RBI. But the key could be how Ramirez and Bell join the top two thirds of the lineup.

Ramirez hit 29 homers and drove in 126 runs last year. Bell, a switch-hitter like Ramirez, signed a two-year $33 million deal with Cleveland in December. His numbers sagged after he was traded from Washington to San Diego at the trading deadline, but in 2019 he hit 37 homers with 116 RBI for the Pirates.

Naylor, a left-handed hitter, set career highs in homers and RBI last year. He’s also another year removed from the devastating ankle injury he suffered in June of 2021.

Gonzalez might be the most important hitter in the lineup simply because the Guardians haven’t seen him over a full season. He made his big league debut on May 26, missed a month with a rib cage injury, and still hit .298 (107 for 362) with 27 doubles, 11 homers and 43 RBI.

Those numbers do not include his role as postseason hero. They do include his 75 strikeouts and 15 walks.

“He’s the hardest guy to evaluate,” said Francona. “The reason I say that is because it can fluctuate so much because he’s ultra aggressive. We haven’t seen him get through an April or May when the ball isn’t carrying.

“Not that we don’t love him. We do. But we want to pump the brakes a little and see him get his 550 at-bats. I think we really feel if he swings at strikes, he’ll be just fine.”

If Gonzalez can turn the 91 games he played last year into a productive full season this year, he could not only give the Guardians more power, but serve as a link to the bottom of the lineup where the left, right, right threesome of Gimenez, Zunino and Straw will be waiting.

Gimenez had a breakout season last year. He hit .297 with 17 homers and a 7.4 WAR, according to Baseball Reference. On defense he won a Gold Glove.

Zunino is an all-or-nothing hitter. In 2021 he hit .216 with 33 homers and 62 RBI. Combine Gimenez and Zunino and Francona has two hitters with the kind of power that can make a tiring pitcher pay after working his way through the first six batters in the lineup.

Straw, in the No. 9 spot, is coming off a season in which he hit .221. If he returns to his career norm -- .240 in the big leagues -- he could turn the lineup over and ignite Cleveland’s running game.

The Guardians had five players steal 18 or more bases last year. Straw led the way with 21 steals in 22 chances.

MLB has intentionally set the stage for more steals this year with bigger bases and pitchers limited to two pickoff throws. It is another way for this lineup to connect with itself.

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Guardians' Steven Kwan willing to talk extension with team

Originally posted on MLB Trade Rumors

By Simon Hampton

Last updated 2/25/23

After a sensational rookie season, Steven Kwan says he’s open to discussing a long-term contract extension with the Guardians, according to Zack Meisel of The Athletic.

Kwan finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting last year, after posting a .298/.373/.400 line with six home runs across 638 plate appearances. A lot of his value was in the defensive side of things, as Kwan amassed 21 Defensive Runs Saved and 10 Outs Above Average for his work in left field, contributing to a 4.4 fWAR rookie year. It was quite the rookie year for a player who was drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 draft and never featured on any top-100 prospect lists.

In any case, Kwan is now a nailed on starter for the Guardians and he says “it’s mind-blowing” to even be discussing a long-term extension. Kwan picked up a full year of service time for the Guardians last year, which means he has two more seasons of pre-arb control and then three years of arbitration before he likely hits free agency after the 2027 season. While it seems highly unlikely anytime soon, Kwan could technically be optioned to the minors still, in which case his scheduled free agency could be pushed back.

As for what a contract extension might look like, Ronald Acuna Jr.is the most obvious comp that immediately comes to mind after he signed an eight-year, $100M contract with Atlanta after posting 4.1 fWAR in almost a full year of service time. Acuna was the consensus top prospect in all of baseball going into his rookie year, so there was a fair bit more hype and certainty around his future. On the flip side, that deal was widely considered to be extremely team-friendly at the time, given Acuna’s upside as an elite five-tool player. Regardless, it’s an interesting starting point to begin considering what a potential extension for Kwan may look like.

Here’s some more notes from around the American League:

Sticking with Cleveland, and one player who seems unlikely to be taking an extension is starting pitcher Shane Bieber. Cleveland’s ace told reporters he’d “love to entertain that, but right now, I’m going to focus on what I can control and that’s my work on the field.” Bieber has two remaining years of club control and is coming off a season in which he tossed 200 1/3 innings of 2.88 ERA ball, finishing seventh in AL Cy Young voting. What that means is that any extension for Bieber is going to be significant, and likely well above the biggest contract Cleveland’s ever given out, Jose Ramirez’ five-year, $124M extension.

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Overreactions To Guardians First Spring Training Game

Originally posted on FanNation Cleveland Baseball Insider

By Tommy Wild

Last updated 2/25/23

The first Spring Training game is officially in the books for the Cleveland Guardians. They lost on a walk-off home run to the Cincinnati Reds with a final score of 3-4.

Even though Cleveland didn't come away with the win, these games are all about improvements and seeing what you have as a team and there's a lot to talk about. With the game one over with, let's overreact to some of the plays and players we saw.

David Fry Forcing His Way Onto Big League Roster

The first home run of 2023 went to minor leaguer David Fry. In the top of the second inning, he blasted one to deep left-center and the ball sailed right over former Cleveland Guardian Will Benson and the wall.

Saying that Fry is forcing his way onto the Big League roster may be an overreaction but it's closer to fact than fiction. He had a tremendous 2022 season in the minors which included 17 home runs.

It wouldn't be too surprising to see Fry make his Big League debut in 2023. However, the complication is that he isn't currently on the 40-man roster.

Gabriel Arias Is Ready To Hit .300 This Season

Gabriel Arias put together one of the more impressive stat lines from the first Spring Training game. He ended the day going two-for-three at the plate including a pair of hits and a strikeout.

His first hit was an opposite-field knock that put Steven Kwan in position to score and take the early lead during the next at-bat.

Arias had a difficult time finding his rhythm in the few call-ups he had during the 2022 regular season, but he provided a spark for the Guardians in the playoffs. It seems he's ready to take the next step in 2023, even if that's a reliable utility man on the bench.

Tim Herrin - Guardians Secret Bullpen Weapon

The Guardians had a lot of great showing out of the bullpen today. The most impressive one though went to Tim Herrin who pitched one inning and recorded a strikeout during that time.

Herrin was throwing some nasty pitches to the opposition and there was a lot to like about the possibility of seeing him out of the bullpen in the Majors. He's a lefty which is something that is lacking in Cleveland's pitching staff.

Herrin has a long way to go to reach the Big League team, but the potential is definitely there.

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On 1st full day with new rules, games 'better,' with 'more action'

February 25th, 2023

Baseball’s new era arrived as many new eras do. With a lot of intrigue and a little awkwardness. With the excited embrace of some, the miffed objections of others and the ultimate conclusion that the game -- and the world -- will, indeed, go on.

It’s Spring Training, so -- as in that show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” -- the games don’t count and the runs don’t matter. What better time, then, for the league at large to acclimate to the most ambitious rules changes in modern history?

The first full slate of games with the pitch timer, defensive shift restrictions and bigger bases arrived Saturday in the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues, and, as promised, games were quick and enforcement was strict.

“You feel the difference,” said Brewers manager Craig Counsell, “no question about it.”

All involved were warned that there would be no grace period with regard to the rules. So it was that a game between the Red Sox and Braves in North Port, Fla., ended in the bottom of the ninth (with the score tied, as there was no intention between the two teams of using extra men to play extra innings) when Braves infielder Cal Conley, who was up to bat with the bases loaded, two outs and the count full, was not alert to the pitcher by the 8-second mark of the pitch timer and was therefore assessed an automatic strike.

Struck out lagging.

Game over.

“These are the kind of things that tell you why we’re starting this right now,” said Braves manager Brian Snitker. “You never know what might happen. That instance right there shows you what could happen.”

The teachable moments will be many in this exhibition season, with the hope that most of the wrinkles are ironed out come Opening Day. The new rules were experimented in the Minor Leagues last season, and 90% of Minor Leaguers polled said it took them a month or less to adjust. Pitch timer infractions went from 1.73 per game in the first week in which the timer was in place to 0.53 per game by the sixth week.

“Once everyone gets used to it,” said Angels catcher Matt Thaiss, “it's going to be a little more relaxed and everyone's going to be kind of back to normal but with a pitch clock.”

If anything, a prevailing opinion after the first two days of games is that some pitchers have been guilty of overcompensating for the timer and working too quickly.

“We felt that the pitchers were rushing, you know, and then they were making pitches at 10 seconds and nine seconds instead of, like, taking your time,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “There's no rush.”

Reds prospect Brandon Williamson, who had extensive experience with the pitch timer in the Minors, noted that the Field Timing Coordinator operating the timer in the big league game he pitched against the Guardians on Saturday was more consistent than what he was used to previously.

"In Triple-A, there were plenty of times where I thought the clock was, for whatever reason, started too early or started too late," Williamson said. "I thought today was really consistent. I hope it’s like that the rest of the year."

Position players are adjusting, too.

“I don’t know if you guys noticed, but before, I used to walk slow to the plate from the on-deck circle,” Blue Jays superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr. told reporters. “I’m trying to catch up to time now, though, so I’m walking faster to the plate. That way I have more time to get ready.”

Added Yankees shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa: “For me, a couple of times, I caught myself picking up our coaches for positioning and then I looked up and I was like, 'Oh, wow, our pitchers are already on the way home.' The tempo is a lot faster. Infielders, we're going to love it. We're always going to be ready now.”

Though each of the rule changes has its own intention and its own application, the ultimate goal of their collective arrival is a sport with more action and a brisker pace.

Time of game itself is not a barometer of entertainment value. A four-hour game with lots of action can be captivating, and a 2 1/2-hour tilt with little action can feel like a slog.

But it’s nonetheless notable that we have seen some brisk ballgames this weekend. There were actually three games just on Saturday -- Blue Jays vs. Pirates, Twins vs. Orioles and Royals vs. Rangers -- that finished in under three hours despite the two teams combining for 15 runs or more. That happened only 19 times in the entire 2022 regular season, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.


"The goal is to keep things flowing, keep things going, and not get in our way in any way,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “Just keep the game going. And it did. I think it’s probably the pace and the time you’re hoping for when you’re playing a Major League Baseball game."

Said Reds manager David Bell: "It was a nice pace. It wasn't rushed, but it just kept everything moving."

An estimated 46 percent of players on 40-man rosters have firsthand experience with the new rules in the Minors, so it’s not as if the entire big leagues are flying blind.

But that doesn’t mean we haven’t had -- and won’t continue to have -- awkward moments in the exhibitions, mostly oriented around the timer.

“You know, the thing I caught myself doing was watching it too much,” Guardians manager Terry Francona said. “And any time you see an umpire pull out 24 pages, you know they are, too. So, we’re all trying to get a feel for it. I’m glad they’re coming in in a couple of days, because we have some questions. I think there are some inconsistencies that we’d like to ask questions about. I do think we’ll adjust. I was even asking umpires, and they were saying the Triple-A umpires that they’ve talked to said they adjusted. We’ll adjust.”

Better to be uncomfortable now than on Opening Day.

That’s what this Spring Training is for.

“You learn something about it every day,” Counsell said. “We’ve got a bunch of stuff written down that we’ll ask questions about. But it was a crisp game, and we felt it. It was better. There was more action. The time between pitches was less."

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Guardians

Zach Plesac set for 2023 debut: Guardians spring training preview for Sunday, Feb. 26

By Joe Noga

Published: Feb. 26, 2023, 5:30 a.m.

CLEVELAND, Ohio —

The Guardians are still looking for their first Cactus League win after Saturday’s opening loss to the Reds at Goodyear Ballpark. Roman Quinn and David Fry hit home runs in the 4-3 loss, but shortstop Matt McLain homered off Cleveland righty Aaron Pinto in the ninth inning to walk it off for Cincinnati.

Cactus League action continues Sunday as the Guards host the Rangers at 3:05 p.m. EST.

PLAY OF THE DAY

Saturday was another day of firsts with MLB’s new pitch timer impacting play on the field. This time, Atlanta’s Cal Conley was called out after he failed to be alert to the pitcher with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning of a 6-6 game in North Port, Fla. The game ended in a tie.

GUARDIANS ON THE MOUND

Right-hander Zach Plesac will start Cleveland’s second spring game at Goodyear Ballpark. Plesac was 3-12 with a 4.31 ERA in 131 2/3 innings last season for Cleveland. He struck out 100 and walked 38. Pitchers scheduled to follow Plesac include James Karinchak, Sam Hentges, Hunter Gaddis, Michael Kelly and Caleb Simpson.

GUARDIANS IN THE FIELD

Cleveland’s first inning against Cincinnati left-hander Brandon Williamson went according to the 2022 script. Steven Kwan, Gabriel Arias and Josh Naylor each singled with Naylor’s hit driving home Kwan for the game’s first run.

KEY UPCOMING DATES

March 8: Guardians vs. Team Mexico at Goodyear Ballpark.

March 8-21: World Baseball Classic.

March 30: MLB opening day. Guardians at Seattle, 10:10 p.m.

April 7: Guardians home opener at Progressive Field vs. Seattle, 4:10 p.m.

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ROMAN QUINN HOME RUN

3 things to watch in Cactus League play

February 25th, 2023

GOODYEAR, Ariz. --

Assuming the Guardians don’t run into any injuries over the next four and a half weeks, they shouldn’t have too many tough decisions to make when it comes to their Opening Day roster. The rotation appears to be set with the same five hurlers as last season, and each position seems to have a clear starter. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t questions to answer throughout Cactus League play.

Following the Guardians' 4-3 loss to the Reds in the opener, here are three things to keep an eye on:

1. Trying new positions

When it’s this early in camp, there’s no way to predict whether the Guardians will have enough space on the 26-man roster to carry both Tyler Freeman and Gabriel Arias as utility guys. At least one will make the team, and defensive versatility will certainly help that person’s case.

Freeman has played second, third and shortstop. After Arias made a transition to first base late last year, he has all infield spots on his resume. Now, Guardians manager Terry Francona checked with them to see if they’d be willing to try the outfield this spring. Neither of them hesitated.

“What we tried to explain to them both,” Francona said, “especially with young guys, what we don’t want to have happen is we get to the end of Spring Training and a guy’s having a really good camp but you’re like, ‘[Dang], he doesn’t play this position.’ You’re pigeonholing guys. And then if guys are on the team and they’re young and they never play, that’s not good either. So, the more they can do, it just works better for everybody.”

If one -- or both -- of them handles this type of transition well, it could lead to an Opening Day roster spot. But this will be a new experience for the pair of infielders, and some growing pains, especially in exhibition games, are expected.

2. Who’s backing up Zunino?

Get ready to see a bunch of catchers over the next month as the Guardians narrow down their options for Mike Zunino’s backup. We know the goal is for Bo Naylor to start the year in Triple-A. He’ll also be limited in his time with the Guardians in Cactus League play due to joining Team Canada for the World Baseball Classic.

Earlier in camp, we took a look at each of Cleveland’s options. Cam Gallagher and Meibrys Viloria have Major League experience and could be a temporary bridge to Naylor once he’s ready for the big leagues. David Fry’s defensive versatility could be intriguing (he’s expected to play first and third this spring, as well). But with so many players vying for one spot, their spring campaigns will likely play large roles in who wins the backup job.

3. So many arms

Even though the rotation is essentially set, there are so many arms to watch.

Let’s assume the same relievers who filled the ‘pen last year are back again for ’23: Emmanuel Clase, James Karinchak, Sam Hentges, Nick Sandlin, Trevor Stephan, Eli Morgan and Enyel De Los Santos. That leaves one open spot. Non-roster invitees like Michael Kelly or Phillip Diehl could try to make a case. Maybe prospects like Nick Mikolajchak or Cade Smith stand out. The guys added to the 40-man roster like Tim Herrin or Jason Bilous may be the best options.

From there, the Guardians need to start getting an idea of their starting pitching depth. Cody Morris is still dealing with an aggravated lat muscle that he’s battled the last few years, but his stuff -- in a limited sample size -- last year could be enticing to put him at the top of the pecking order if he can get healthy. Logan Allen has established himself as an arm to keep a close eye on. Xzavion Curry, Hunter Gaddis and Konnor Pilkington all have Major League experience and could be used if the Guardians need more starters throughout the year. The team will need to get an idea of whether Joey Cantillo will be a better weapon out of the ‘pen or in the rotation.

Who could be the next man up? Who will start the year in Double-A and who will go to Triple-A?

Maybe most of the roster is figured out already, but there are still plenty of questions to answer over the next few weeks.

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All of your questions about the new baseball rules, answered

Anthony Castrovince has been a reporter for MLB.com since 2004.

The 2023 Major League Baseball season brings a wave of rules changes collectively aimed at improving the game’s pace of play and increasing action on the field.

The arrival of the pitch timer, restrictions on defensive shifts and bigger bases makes for one of the more ambitious adaptations to the rule book in the modern era.

So here’s a handy guide to understanding the new rules and why they are being implemented.

What are the new rules?

There are three, and we’ll break them down in detailed sections below.

1. Pitch timer:

The length of games will still be determined by innings, not minutes. But to create a crisper pace, there will be a 30-second timer between batters and then a shorter time limit between pitches. Pitchers will be required to begin their motion 15 seconds after receiving the ball with the bases empty or 20 seconds after receiving the ball with runners on base. If they don’t, they will be charged with an automatic ball.

Pitchers will also be limited to two disengagements from the mound (i.e. pickoff attempts or step-offs) per plate appearance with a runner on first. The disengagements reset the clock.

Batters, meanwhile, must be in the batter’s box and alert to the pitcher by the 8-second mark on the clock, or else be charged with an automatic strike.

2. Shift restrictions:

The defensive team must have a minimum of four players on the infield, with at least two infielders completely on either side of second base. These restrictions are intended to increase the batting average on balls in play, and allow infielders to better showcase their athleticism with great defensive plays.

3. Bigger bases:

First, second and third have been expanded from 15 inches on each side to 18 inches on each side, while home plate remains unchanged. The primary reason why the bases are bigger is safety, giving fielders and runners more room to operate without colliding. But the slightly decreased distance between bases could help runners on stolen-base attempts and bang-bang plays.

When do the new rules go into effect?

They will be in effect for all of Spring Training to provide an adjustment period before Opening Day of the 2023 season. Umpires have been instructed to begin calling violations with no grace period.

Will they also be enforced during the postseason?

Yes.

Will the new rules be used in the World Baseball Classic?

No, they will not be used in that tournament.

What was the genesis of the rules changes?

As MLB sought ways to address the issue of games taking longer with reduced action, the league conducted extensive fan research to determine, in essence, the best version of baseball.

“We’ve been asking hundreds, thousands and, through surveys, tens of thousands of baseball fans and players and executives and scouts and everybody else,” Major League Baseball consultant Theo Epstein said in 2021. “And you do see some common trends in what the best version of the game means to people.”

The consensus was action, balls in play (i.e. a lower percentage of plate appearances that result in home runs, strikeouts and walks), athleticism on the basepaths and in the field and, above all else, a faster pace.

From there, MLB’s Competition Committee and Playing Rules Committee assembled a variety of different rules change ideas aimed at prioritizing the fan experience.

Why is MLB confident these changes will help?

Because all of the changes were tested in more than 8,000 games at the Minor League levels and extensively in the independent Atlantic League before their adoption at the big-league level.

What were the results of the experiments?

In 2022, nine-inning Minor League games using the pitch timer were, on average, 25 minutes shorter than 2021 games that did not have the pitch timer (from 3 hours, 3 minutes to 2:38). Stolen-base activity increased from 2.23 attempts per game to 2.81, and the stolen-base success rate improved from 68% to 78%.

The defensive shift limits contributed to an increase in batting average across the Minor Leagues from .247 to .249.

Now let’s take a deeper dive on each of the three rules, starting with the pitch timer.

THE PITCH TIMER

What is the purpose of the pitch timer?

To reduce the dead time between pitches and create a crisper pace of play. The average time per game has consistently been at or above three hours since 2012. The goal is to provide more action in a shorter window of time, as opposed to less action in a longer window.

“Initially, I hated [the pitch timer],” said MLB veteran Matt Carpenter, who spent time in Triple-A in 2022 playing with the pitch timer. “I grew into liking it a lot -- to the point where I would fully endorse it in the Major League game … The big selling point is that the pace of the game is way better. It just is.”

Why does the pitch timer increase stolen bases?

Because of the mound disengagement limits placed on pitchers.

With runners on base, the timer resets if the pitcher attempts a pickoff or steps off the rubber. To prevent the pitcher from circumventing the pitch timer, as was seen in the original Minor League tests, a limit of two disengagements per plate appearance was created.

The limit is reset if a runner advances during the plate appearance, via a stolen base, wild pitch, passed ball or balk.

Here’s more on the pitch timer’s impact on stolen bases.

What happens if the pitcher steps off a third time?

If he steps off or attempts a pickoff a third time, it is treated as a balk (the runner or runners automatically advance), unless an out is recorded.

Put another way, if the third pickoff attempt is successful, it is not treated as a balk.

Does the batter have any time-outs?

Yes. One per plate appearance. Otherwise, the batter must be in the batter’s box and alert to the pitcher with at least eight seconds remaining on the timer.

What if the pitch timer reaches zero as the pitcher is in his motion? Is he charged with a ball?

No. As long as the pitcher begins his motion prior to the expiration of the pitch timer, he is not charged with a ball. Umpires will wear a device on their wrists that will buzz when the clock expires, so it will be on them to call the violation, as opposed to a horn throughout the stadium you might hear for a shot-clock violation at an NBA game.

What happens if the pitcher steps off a third time?

If he steps off or attempts a pickoff a third time, it is treated as a balk (the runner or runners automatically advance), unless an out is recorded.

Put another way, if the third pickoff attempt is successful, it is not treated as a balk.

Does the batter have any time-outs?

Yes. One per plate appearance. Otherwise, the batter must be in the batter’s box and alert to the pitcher with at least eight seconds remaining on the timer.

What if the pitch timer reaches zero as the pitcher is in his motion? Is he charged with a ball?

No. As long as the pitcher begins his motion prior to the expiration of the pitch timer, he is not charged with a ball. Umpires will wear a device on their wrists that will buzz when the clock expires, so it will be on them to call the violation, as opposed to a horn throughout the stadium you might hear for a shot-clock violation at an NBA game.

SHIFT RESTRICTIONS

What is the purpose of the defensive shift restrictions?

To improve the likelihood of balls in play leading to more traditional outcomes and to showcase the athleticism of rangy defenders up the middle.

As a frame of reference, thanks in part to the prevalence of extreme defensive shifts, the MLB-wide batting average on balls in play in 2022 was .290 -- seven points lower than a decade earlier.

“I think it’s going to bring a lot of athleticism back into the game,” said Cody Bellinger of the Cubs. “These infielders are going to have to cover a lot of ground and show off what they can do, as opposed to standing where the ball is probably going to be hit. For me, as just a baseball fan, I think that’s pretty exciting.”

Can infielders switch sides?

No. So if the shortstop is the team’s best defender, he cannot switch spots with the second baseman against a batter more likely to hit the ball to that side of second base.

Can an outfielder play in the infield as a fifth defender?

Yes, a team can take a bigger risk of the batter hitting the ball the other way to a more open expanse in the outfield.

What is the penalty for failure to comply with the shift restrictions?

An automatic ball.

Are shift restrictions subject to replay review?

Yes, they are.

Can’t an infielder circumvent the rule by running across second base or into the outfield when the pitch is released?

No. In addition to being physically difficult, such circumvention will be monitored by the umpires as a violation resulting in an automatic ball.

BIGGER BASES

What is the purpose of the bigger bases?

The primary purpose is player safety, providing more room for the players to operate around the bases without colliding into each other. This is particularly helpful on the many close plays at first base.

In the Minor Leagues, injury events near the bases went from 453 with the old bases in 2021 to 392 with the bigger bases in 2022.

How much do the bigger bases change the distance between bases?

The distance between first base and second base and second base and third base is reduced by 4.5 inches. The distance between home plate and first or third base is reduced by three inches.

Oh, one last thing … what about the so-called “robot umps”?

Experimentation with the automatic ball-strike system -- and, relatedly, the ball-strike challenge system – will continue in the Minor Leagues in 2023, but the system is not in place at the Major League level and there is currently no timetable for it to be added to MLB games.

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“Old Day”Old NY Giants,Leo Durocher,Willie Mays and Alvin Dark meet before the 1969 All Star Game in Washington DC.

Alvin Dark – Born again but at the wrong time?

by Bill Petrello

February 26, 2023

Alvin Dark was a born-again Christian during but mostly after his stint as manager/GM of the Indians. But really, he had bad timing. As Jeff Neuman, a fantastic sports writer for many newspapers and online sites, put it best about Dark:

Had he been born twenty years earlier, he would likely be in the Hall of Fame; twenty years later, he might never have believed or said the things that caused him so much trouble.

What was it about this shortstop turned manager that makes one question why he’s not in the hall of fame when he has better stats than two of his era that are? Or why he would have success as a manager then get fired only to have success at the next place? In a word: Timing!



The Good!

The Kansas City Athletics had moved to Oakland. They had just finished two back to back World Championship Trophies! Dick Williams, the A’s skipper for both series wins, had had enough of owner Charlie Finley interfering with his running of the club. He resigned just after the championship. Dark was hired by Finley and proceeded to win a third consecutive title!

When Dark became manager of the Giants in 1961, he attempted to help integrate baseball even more than Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby. Ed Thoma has a wonderful baseball blog and he penned a great piece about this one deed of Dark’s. We will share more about an incident that occurred later in the article.

When he took over as Giants manager in 1961, he shuffled locker assignments to break up racial cliques. He had, as any manager would, a deep appreciation for the instant intelligence Willie Mays brought to the game, and named Mays team captain — the first black to officially hold such a position.

Bobby Thompson’s “Shot heard ‘round the world” never would have happened if it weren’t for Dark, who singled to start the four run ninth! Yep, people forget that his single and subsequent first of the four runs was the catalyst for one of the greatest NL pennant victory celebrations in MLB history!

The Bad!

Let’s give you some examples of bad timing.

The baseball in New York after WW2 was amazing. Alvin, Pee Wee Reese, and Phil Ruzzuto were dominant shortstops. Reese and Ruzzuto were elected into the Hall of Fame. But Dark, with a higher batting average and more home runs, has been shut out. Like Neuman says…just a few years earlier!

Wartime

In his autobiography When in Doubt, Fire the Manager: my life and times in baseball, Dark told this story about his military group operating in the Pacific theater after WW2. His group was in China in a town protecting a rail line:

“Our group ran the supply line for four months before being relieved. A month after I got back to the States, I received word that the Marines who took our place were ambushed in the Communist town and massacred.” (P. 32)

His Cleveland break and heartbreak!


In October of 1968 Cleveland fired their manager, Joe Adcock. 1967 saw the team finish 8th, its worst showing since 1914. Gabe Paul, then GM, hired Dark who had just been fired earlier in the summer of 1967 by Kansas City Athletics owner, Charlie Finley. This should have been an exciting time for the former Giant!



A few weeks later, Alvin’s wife, Adrianne, filed for legal separation from her husband. Dark called the time from 1968 to 1971 his Uzziah time, in reference to the biblical King who had it all then lost it all due to his arrogance. And to make things even more crazy, he married a woman with whom he had had an affair in the early 60’s the same day he signed his divorce papers. That is some insane timing!

Overall – The Ugly!


Dark’s overall record in Cleveland was 266 wins, 321 losses, or a .453 winning percentage. His first year at the helm the Tribe finished 3rd, their best showing since the late 1950’s. But his next two years saw a 6th and 5th place finish. He was fired mired in 6th place in 1971.


“Old Day”Old NY Giants,Leo Durocher,Willie Mays and Alvin Dark meet before the 1969 All Star Game in Washington DC.

You can’t be both manager AND GM

In 1969, his arrogance at wanting to be the GM and field boss forced Vernon Stouffer, then owner of the Indians, to fire Gabe Paul. It was a decision Dark regretted. He even felt that dual role caused him to add to Tony Horton’s depression and him to almost wreck his new marriage and family not even a year in!

Terry Pluto in his book, The Curse of Rocky Colavito, called Tony Horton “the most tragic Cleveland Indian.” In his book, Dark called that time dealing with Tony as manager AND GM “[T]he most sorrowful, tragic thing that happened to me in thirty years in professional baseball…” (P. 136)

Tony was a young, bright major leaguer with a great future. His first year and a half with the Indians were proof that they were right to trade with the Red Sox for the slugger. Tony’s best year was 1969, when he hit .298 with 27 home runs and 93 runs batted in. Horton was the team leader in all categories.


HAPPY 72ND BIRTHDAY TONY HORTON!!!

When the 1970 season rolled around, he asked for a raise from Dark, his manager and GM. Dark traded for Ken Harrelson, telling Horton to take the team’s much lower offer or Harrleson would be at first, not him! This episode was the beginning of a shocking free fall for the young Horton, who ended his career in August of that year when he tried to slit his wrists in his car in a Cleveland motel parking lot.

“I don’t necessarily believe it was my fault, but I was the general manager and manager and couldn’t give him the consideration he deserved…I couldn’t help but take it personally.” (P. 137)

1970

1970 is a good year to look into since it was his first full season with the dual roles of manager AND GM. Besides the Horton episode later in August, he started 2 rookies in the starting pitching ranks in Steve Hand and Rich Dunning.

The pitching, besides Sudden Sam McDowell, led the American League in strikeouts (Sam had 304!) and was 7th in ERA. Trying to make a name as a talent evaluator, Dark became a trading fool at the end of 1969 and sent Sam’s other pitching partner, Luis Tiant, to the Twins for Craig Nettles and a few others. Luis had his worst season as a hurler, so the idea seemed right at the time. But that left a huge hole in the rotation that Dark decided to fill with rookies.

Dark tabbed Vada Pinson, the longtime Red’s star, in the Jose Cardenal trade and then penciled him and six other players he had traded for in the off season into the starting lineup. Basically, he turned over his starting eight from 69 to 70! With this new lineup, the club was 2nd in home runs and 7th in runs scored. But both pitching and hitting never got on track together.

Down, then up, then down again!

They went 16-27 in the first two months of the season and never really recovered. They won seven in a row during June, giving fans some hope, but proceeded to lose 12 of their next 16. Those were the teams we knew! But you could pinpoint one reason for this: Dark’s dual roles made it hard to be the enemy (GM) and motivator (manager).

Racist remarks and apologies

Being an outspoken individual is one trait of Dark’s, and so is his southern upbringing in the 1930’s. There are two incidents, one player and one manger, that need to be shared to understand the former Cleveland skipper.

Knocking over Jackie!

All of these stories come from two places. The main one is the Society for American Baseball Research and the SFGate online newspaper. Dark’s book is another place with references, as is the wonderful blog by Edward Thoma and his story of Alvin and Willie Mays and racial integration.

From sabr.org:

In a game against the hated Dodgers, the Giants, who had just defeated the Indians in the WS prior, were the victims of a Jackie Robinson play. To defend a fellow teammate who had been thrown at by Giant’s pitcher, Saul Maglie, Robinson, following managers orders, layed a bunt down the first base line that Saul did NOT retrieve. As the first baseman made the play and tossed to Davey Williams, the second baseman covering first, Jackie knocked Williams over with great force, causing Williams to land on his shoulder (which affected the rest of his career).

Giants manager, Leo Durocher, wanted retaliation. According to sabr.org, there were two stories. One was that Leo did NOT want a black Giant to crash into Robinson at some time later. He asked two others to run into him. The second story was that Dark volunteered (P. 120).

Willie Mays credits Dark with helping him adjust to the major leagues when few would. His relationship with Dark was special, but then it wasn’t. (That’s the second story.) But Dark, the Giants captain, was the man who supposedly volunteered to run over the great Jackie Robinson!


Mays and Dark, courtesy of sfgate.com

And in the next inning, he got that chance. Crashing a double to the outfield, Dark kept running to third and though the ball beat him, he was able to jar it loose from Jackie’s glove and knock him over.

Willie to the rescue

The second story is how a frustrated Dark should have learned to praise in public and criticize in private. But it also left a mark on his entire baseball career.

In 1964, Dark was managing his Giants. The Giants still had Mays but also other black and latino players like Orlando Cepeda, Willie McCoy, and Juan Marichal. After a few losses, Dark made comments that criticized these players and Cepeda in particular in an interview with Stan Isaacs with Newsday. Dark said afterwards that his comment was taken out of context. (SFGATE.com)

Willie held a meeting in the team’s hotel with many of these players and told them basically there would NOT be retaliation for two reasons (again, all of these are from the blog post commenting on May’s book):

One…reason…: Were Dark fired immediately, it would merely make him a martyr, “a hero to the rednecks.”…Mays [also] reminded his teammates, was that Dark was truly colorblind with his lineups and playing time.

Cepeda, in an interview by SFGATE.com, said “Dark was the wrong man to manage” the club and they would have been more successful with a different manager. Dark was fired after the season.

Mays backed his manager, but never spoke to him the rest of the season.

After retirement

When he was fired by Cleveland, he and his wife became strong readers of the Bible. He was always a religious man. After Cepeda made the Hall of Fame, Alvin wrote a letter to him congratulating him on his enshrinement. He also reached out to apologize to Orlando and others. Again, from the SFGATE.com story, here is Cepeda’s comments:

“Looking back, he made some mistakes, and he said, ‘I want to apologize to you and Felipe and Jose Pagan.’ It takes a man to do that.

“He found out Latin players come from a different culture. He said he wanted me to forgive him. I said, ‘Alvin, that’s in the past. I know you want the best for me.’ We had a nice visit every time we saw each other. Sometimes we make mistakes. We’re human beings. We grew up in different environments. Times change. We all change.”

Alvin Dark’s playing and managerial career had been a sea of success and frustration and sadness. And his time in Cleveland was a short period that was a perfect microcosm of his life as player and manager.


alvin-dark

Dark was a good evaluator of talent but a poor communicator. He was fiery yet wanted the best for his players. Alvin Dark was respected by his peers, stood up for his teammates, but angered them with his occasional outbursts.

And his lesson learned that you can’t be friend and foe resonates in sports today.

Thanks to all the writers who I used for this story. From Dark’s autobiography to great sabr.org writers. From Willie May’s book to John Shea with SFGATE.com to Edward Thoma’s informative blogger site.

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Bell, Plesac, Zunino hold keys for Guardians success in 2023

By JEFF SCHUDEL |

PUBLISHED: February 26, 2023 at 5:48 p.m.

Barring any significant injuries before the Guardians leave Goodyear, Ariz., to start the 2023 season on March 30 in Seattle, the opening day roster should be very similar to the one that stormed to the American League Central title last year with a 92-70 record.

But is continuity a good thing when a team overachieved as some would say the Guardians did last season when 17 players made their major-league debut?

Success one year doesn’t guarantee success the next. Different sport, obviously, but continuity didn’t help the 2021 Browns, who disintegrated at 8-9 after the 2020 team finished 11-5 and won a playoff game.

Answers to these six questions could determine whether the Guardians repeat as division champs and how deep they go into the playoffs if they do qualify for the postseason again:

1.What kind of season will first baseman/DH Josh Bell have?

Bell, 30, is the Guardians new cleanup hitter after signing a two-year, $33 million contract in December. He can opt out of the deal after the 2023 season. Normally, that would not be good for the team holding the contract, but if Bell opts out it would beat he had a successful first year in Cleveland.

“It’s something that’s kind of an incentive where if I can do what I think I can do regardless of numbers or anything like that, I’m gonna have another crack at getting a raise next year,” Bell said on a Dec. 12 Zoom call. “Couple times in my career already, I feel like I’ve scratched the surface of who I can really be for a sustained period of time.

“If I can show that for a longer period next year, hopefully I can be rewarded for it. But in my mind, it’s an opportunity for me to go off for the Guardians and if things go well, I’ll be back again.”

Last season was an off-year for Bell. He was traded from the Nationals to the Padres on Aug, 2 in the deal that sent Juan Soto to San Diego. Benn hit a combined 17 home runs in 154 games in 2022. He homered 37 times with the Pirates in 2019 and 27 times for the Nationals in 2021. Bell homered only eight times and batted .226 in 2020, when the season was shortened to 60 games because of COVID-19.

Bell will have Steven Kwan, Amed Rosario and Jose Ramirez batting in front of him. The deck is stacked for him to have a great season.

2. Can starting pitcher Zach Plesac bounce back?

Plesac started against the Rangers on Feb. 26 in the Guardians second Cactus League game of spring training, eager to put last season behind him, but his 2023 debut did not go well. He gave up five earned runs in 1 ⅔ innings.

Plesac was 3-12 last season. He was supported by two or fewer runs in nine of his 25 starts. He gave up 19 home runs over 131 ⅔ innings, and 13 of those were hit off him in the first three innings. Pitching from behind with little support did not leave him in a good mood.

Plesac famously made a fist with his right hand and punched the pitching mound in Seattle on Aug. 27 last year after giving up a three-run homer. The loss of temper resulted in a broken hand that sidelined him until Oct. 1.

Guardians manager Terry Francona before the game with the Texans Feb. 26 met with reporters covering spring training and said Plesac approached him with the plan to focus better this season. Plesac suffered a broken thumb in 2021 removing his jersey angrily after a bad outing against the Twins.

“We let him talk first, because I think sometimes what we say depends on what comes out of their mouths,” Francona said. “He talked about trying to stay more in the moment and not let things kind of unravel, which was really good to hear.

“There were times when I think he felt like, ‘What’s going to go wrong now?’ I think if you think like that, it’s going to happen. Whatever happens it’s like, ‘I knew it’ as opposed to, ‘Forget this. I’m, I’m gonna go win.’ It kind of snowballed a little bit. It’s early, but it’s good to hear him say it. Control what you can control.”

Plesac was 10-6 in 2021 despite missing eight starts because of the thumb injury. A healthy and mature Plesac in a rotation that boasts Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie, Cal Quantrill and Aaron Civale would be one of the best in the American League.

3. Can catcher Mike Zunino find his 2021 power?

The Guardians replaced catcher Austin Hedges (Hedges signed with the Pirates as a free agent) by signing Zunino to a one-year, $6 million contract. Zunino hit 33 home runs while batting .216 with the Tampa Bay Rays in 109 games in 2021.

Zunino was limited to 36 games last season because of a left forearm (he throws right-handed) injury that required surgery. He homered five times and drove in 16 runs while hitting .148.

Hedges homered seven times and drove in 30 runs while hitting .163 in 105 games for the Guardians last season. Zunino doesn’t have to hit 30 home runs for the Guardians to get improved offense from their catcher. Zunino played 90 games for the Rays in 2019. He hit nine homers, drove in 32 runs and batted .165.

“We think Mike’s a great complement to our team,” Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said in December. “He’s renowned as a really good defensive catcher who does an extraordinary job leading a pitching staff, which we’ve shared is a real priority for us. We also think he has the ability to contribute offensively as an All-Star in the 2021 season.”

Rule changes in 2023 that include bigger bases and a limit of two pickoff attempts theoretically will result in more stolen-base attempts.

Zunino threw out 13 of 60 would-be base stealers (22 percent) in 2021. He was charged with 10 passed balls — the most in the National League. In his injury-shortened 2022 season, he threw out four of 20 (20 percent) of would-be base thieves.

For comparison’s sake, Hedges allowed one passed ball last season while throwing out 13 of 60 would-be base thieves.

4. Can Kwan, Andres Gimenez and Oscar Gonzalez match what they did in 2022?

Kwan finished second in the A.L. Rookie of the Year voting behind Julio Rodriguez of the Mariners and Adley Rutschman of the Orioles.

Kwan batted .298, scored 89 runs and doubled 25 times. He won a Rawlings God Glove for his defensive play in left field, as did Gimenez for his play at second base.

Gimenez hit .297 in 146 games after batting .218 in 2021 (68 games) in his first season with the Guardians. A 2023 season of somewhere in between, say .270 with 15 home runs and 65 RBI, would be a successful season for Gimenez if he continues to contribute Gold Glove defense.

Gonzalez is intriguing. He homered 11 times and drove in 43 runs in 91 games while batting .296, so he wasn’t an all-or-nothing power hitter. Twenty-seven of his 107 hits were doubles. The Guards need to make sure he doesn’t become homer happy.

5. Can Emmanuel Clase duplicate last season?

The Guardians closer was a machine last season. He led the Majors in games (77), games finished (67) and saves (42). Opponents batted just .167 against him. He allowed only three home runs. His ERA was 1.36 over 72 ⅔ innings — three more innings pitched than in 2021 when he saved 24 games when the Indians finished 80-82.

Clase is under contract for six more seasons, including 2023. He will make $10 million in 2027 and 2028 — a bargain for the Guardians if he continues to dominate.

6. Can Myles Straw find his hitting stroke?

Myles Straw is an elite center fielder. He led the Majors with 292 putouts last year and was second with 12 assists. He is a player that can benefit with the likelihood of more steals — if he can get on base. Straw batted a meager .221 last season while batting ninth most of the year. He drove in 32 runs without hitting a home run.

Straw hit a combined .271 with the Astros and Indians in 2021 in 158 games. If he comes close to matching that he will set the table for when the top of the batting order swings back around to Kwan.

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Bieber? McKenzie? Quantrill? The quest to find the Guardians starter who has a new pitch

This is 2023 photo of pitcher Triston McKenzie of the Cleveland Guardians baseball team. This image relects the active Guardians roster as of Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023, when this image was taken. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
By Zack Meisel
7h ago


GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Shane Bieber swears it isn’t him.

No, he’s simply relieved to have enjoyed a normal offseason, to be feeling healthy, to have strength in his right shoulder. He spent his winter getting married, riding a horse named Manny in the water and playing catch with locals on his honeymoon in the Caribbean.

Bieber’s offseason program didn’t include adding a new pitch to his arsenal. But he did suggest that someone in the Guardians rotation did just that.

Let the hunt commence.
Triston McKenzie

Triston McKenzie used to throw a changeup.

His calling card is his fastball/curveball combination. With the extension he gets in his delivery, his 93 mph fastball often looks like upper-90s heat to the hitter, and his curveball plummets from the sky like a heavy raindrop. McKenzie limited opponents to a .120 average and .203 slugging percentage on his curveball last season. The pitch produced a whiff rate of 45 percent.

As McKenzie climbed through Cleveland’s farm system, those in the organization encouraged him to lean on his changeup more. He could stymie minor-league hitters with a two-pitch mix, but he knew he’d need a dependable third pitch to survive a second and, especially, a third trip through a big-league opponent’s order. He never really trusted his changeup, though.

“I was struggling to figure out when to use it, how to use it, how to get swings-and-misses, how to get weak contact,” he said. “Whereas, with my fastball, I know if I put it here, I get a swing-and-a-miss. I know if I put it here, the ball’s getting put in play. I know if I put it here, it’s a popup. I know if I throw my curveball in this spot over and over, I can throw it for strikes, I can get swings-and-misses, I can get groundballs.

“And then the changeup was that pitch where I was like, ‘Well, I just hope they don’t hit it over the fence.’”

In 2018 and ’19, McKenzie workshopped a slider into his repertoire in an effort to add a complement to his fastball/curveball pairing. Last season, he eliminated the changeup altogether in favor of the slider. He threw his fastball about half the time, and split his remaining offerings between the curveball and slider. The results: a breakout season with a 2.96 ERA over 191 innings.

So will he test drive something new for 2023? Is he bringing back the changeup?

“Eventually, I want one,” he said. “But, no.”

How does he know when it’s the right time to add a fourth pitch?

“The game will tell me,” he said. “If I’ve had success with throwing my three pitches, then I don’t necessarily need it right this second. But guys are going to make adjustments. That’s the name of the game. At a certain point, I’ll need to add a new pitch. I’ll need to add something that throws hitters off the three that I have currently.”

But that day hasn’t come yet. So it’s on to our next candidate.
Zach Plesac

Zach Plesac (Nick Wosika / USA Today)

Last season didn’t unfold as Zach Plesac had hoped.

“There was a lot of searching,” he said.

He had spurts in which he felt sharp on the mound, but the results didn’t reflect it. He had stretches in which something felt off, but he still recorded outs. He developed mechanical habits that weren’t constructive, and he couldn’t dig his way out of the rut before he fist-bumped the mound in Seattle and essentially ended his season a month early.

This winter, Plesac visited a pitching lab at Wake Forest University to study his body movements during his delivery. He prioritized breathing patterns and mindfulness, and he acknowledged he needs to improve at blocking out the noise that has shadowed him the past few years.

“There were a lot of times when I could have focused on more positive things,” he said, “rather than be fighting demons, so to say. There was a point where it felt like everything was going well for everybody except for me. And there was a point where the mindset has to change. It was almost like I had to understand that nothing is against me.

“All the outside noise has nothing to do with how we perform and I’m just learning that I need to take responsibility for what goes on here and everything else is just a whirlwind.”

So, no new pitch. (Though, he did alter the grip on his curveball.) Next.
Aaron Civale

Aaron Civale (Jeffrey Becker / USA Today)

Aaron Civale already throws six pitches. He dedicated his offseason to injury prevention, following three trips to the sideline in 2022.

There was the glute injury last season.

“I can’t really prevent that,” he said.

There was the wrist injury last season.

“Not much you can do to prevent that,” he said.

The wrist injury paved the way for a September forearm injury. A finger injury derailed his promising 2021 campaign.

His mission this winter was to position his body so that any injuries not of the freak variety — such as a lat issue that plagued him in the past, or other soft tissue or muscle-based maladies — wouldn’t sprout up in 2023. To improve his durability, he trained at a hockey facility near his home on Cape Cod.

“The goal for me was to train physically as hard as I could to set my body up in the best place I could,” Civale said. “The goal for me is always to throw innings and I haven’t been able to do that because of injury. Whether they’re freak or not, I just haven’t.”

That leaves us with — well, hang on. Just to double-check, what’s up with Bieber?
Shane Bieber

Shane Bieber (Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today)

Like Civale, health was paramount for Bieber. He missed half of the 2021 season because of a shoulder strain, and he set out last year to prove he could still anchor a big-league rotation. He accomplished that goal, with a 2.88 ERA, a seventh-place finish in the AL Cy Young Award vote and, perhaps most important to him, he reached the 200-inning mark. He suggested he was shortchanged by Mother Nature, as he contended rainouts prevented him from pushing that total closer to 215.

About two weeks after the season ended, Bieber initiated his throwing program. When he and his new wife visited Anguilla in late January a few days after their wedding, their restaurant server recognized Cleveland’s ace and asked if he could take a picture to send to his kid. Bieber instead suggested they play catch so he could adhere to his routine.

Last spring, he had to build up in rapid fashion thanks to the lockout-shortened spring training, a less-than-ideal format for someone recovering from a shoulder injury.

This spring? “Very encouraged with where I’m at and how I feel,” he said.

No new knuckleball or forkball, though. That leaves us with one suspect …
Cal Quantrill

Cal Quantrill (Ken Blaze / USA Today)

“I’m toying around with a couple new things.”

Got him.

“I’m hesitant to divulge too much until I’m sure it’s going to be part of the game plan,” he said.

Fair enough. But how did he determine that he needed to assess his repertoire in the first place?

Cal Quantrill conferred with Cleveland’s pitching team after the season to answer the question: “What could have made a good year easier or better?”

The resounding answer: “There’s still room to try to get more swing-and-miss,” Quantrill said.

Quantrill posted a 3.38 ERA last season. He owns a 3.11 ERA since joining the organization in 2020. But projection systems are often dubious about his future production, in large part because of his pedestrian strikeout rates. He allowed nearly a hit per inning last season, and while he did a decent job limiting walks and hard contact, he ranked in the fifth percentile in whiff rate.

One way to create more swing-and-miss, he said: “I tried to refine the curveball this offseason, or at least find one we think we can use more consistently.” He threw his curveball only 4 percent of the time last season, relying primarily on a sinker/cutter/changeup mix.

There’s more.

“I’m not hiding it,” he relented. “I’m working on a splitter a little bit, but I’m not sure to what extent I’m going to use it. I want to play around with it this spring and see what it does. It’s really just a changeup held a little differently. That was our thought going into the offseason.

“There are times in the game when a broken bat just straight up isn’t as good as a strikeout. What can we do to try to increase that just a touch?”

Quantrill and Bo Naylor, who will be teammates for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic, regularly partnered over the winter for bullpen sessions.

“My first time seeing (the splitter),” Naylor said, “it was already a great pitch.”

Quantrill didn’t test it out in his first spring start. But if this rotation is to unveil any new offerings, Quantrill will be responsible.

“I think we all dream of being the guy,” he said, “who can go out and say, ‘I’m only going to throw these two pitches, but they’re so nasty and no one can hit them.’ That’d be really easy. For me, I just try to take the pride out of it. I don’t really care, I will throw 100 cutters in a row if I think it can get me 21 outs. If I’m a different pitcher every start out, that’s fine by me. It’s just about testing the waters every start. What are they looking for? What do they see? If they’re seeing this pitch well, then I’m gonna throw this other pitch more. And really just tinkering more with the exposure of the pitches and less so inventing a random pitch halfway through the game.

“You never stop doing what it is that worked the year before.”