After an unusually long offseason that was extended by the lockout, MLB Opening Day is finally upon us. As teams get set to take the field, general managers have been putting the finishing touches on finalizing their 28-man rosters ahead of Thursday’s games.
With so many roster decisions being made, here are some of the biggest stories of the week in the world of MLB.
Tigers Make Major Last Second Trade
It is not too often that you get a major trade this close to Opening Day, but on Monday, the Detroit Tigers pulled off a stunner as they acquired outfielder Austin Meadows from the Tampa Bay Rays. In exchange, the Rays received infielder Isaac Paredes and a pick in the Competitive Balance Round B.
Last season, with Tampa Bay, the 26-year-old Meadows hit .234/.315/.458 with 27 home runs, 106 runs batted in, and 79 runs scored.
With Detroit, he will join Akil Baddoo and Robbie Grossman in a pretty underrated outfield. That outfield mix will be boosted even more when one of Detroit’s best prospects, Riley Greene, returns from a fractured foot in a couple of months.
For now, Meadows will roam the outfield and hit in the middle of the lineup for a much improved Detroit team. In addition to Meadows, they have also signed shortstop Javier Baez, Eduardo Rodriguez, Tucker Barnhart, and others.
Currently, Detroit has the third-best odds of winning the AL Central at +550.
White Sox Find Insurance For Rotation Amidst Lynn Injury
After the brutal news was announced on Sunday by general manager Rick Hahn that starter Lance Lynn would have to have knee surgery, the White Sox scrambled to find depth for their rotation.
On Tuesday, they found their depth piece. The White Sox signed veteran right-hander Johnny Cueto to a one-year deal that could be worth up to just over four million dollars.
Last season, with the San Francisco Giants, the 36-year-old Cueto went 7-7 with a 4.08 ERA and 1.37 WHIP in 22 games (21 starts). Over the course of 114.2 innings, Cueto amassed 98 strikeouts.
Certainly, Cueto is no longer the top-tier starter that he once was, but at this point in the offseason, he isn’t a bad fallback option.
Lynn is expected to miss up to two months, and while Lucas Giolito, Dylan Cease, and Michael Kopech still make a nice top three for Tony La Russa’s club, there are question marks with the fourth and fifth starters.
While Cueto won’t be ready for Opening Day, he will start in the minors and, if all goes well, could be up with the White Sox sooner than later.
The Southsiders have the best odds of winning the AL Central at -210, and they have the third-best odds of winning the World Series at +950.
A Pair Of Extensions
With the regular season rapidly approaching, it is not surprising to see teams pursuing contract extensions with either young players or those nearing the end of their contracts.
On Tuesday, a couple of teams were able to do just that as they locked up some of their respective star players to multi-year deals.
While the Rays traded one outfielder in Meadows, they locked another one up in Manuel Margot. The 27-year-old signed a two-year deal worth $19 million.
Last season, Margot hit .254/.313/.382 with ten home runs, 57 runs batted in, 55 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases in 421 at bats.
Also agreeing to a contract extension were the Houston Astros and closer Ryan Pressly. Initially set to be a free agent at the end of this season, Pressly signed a two-year deal worth $30 million, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. There is also an option for 2025.
Pressly has excelled as the Astros closer. In 2021, he went 5-3 with 26 saves, a 2.25 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, and had 81 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched.
Both the Astros and Rays rank in the top-10 in terms of best odds to win the World Series. The Astros are +1000 while the Rays are +1600 to win it all.
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