Let the trades commence, indeed.
The offseason’s loss was the abridged Spring Training’s gain, as transactional overwhelm has already swept Major League Baseball by storm; including one major local team who, while queued in still place along with the rest of the 29 ball clubs, were in dire need of a lineup shakeup.
Pride. Power. Pinstripes
On Sunday, March 13, the New York Yankees flexed their first order of post-lockout business: acquiring veteran former MVP Josh Donaldson from the Minnesota Twins to man the hot corner. They sent polarizing catcher Gary Sanchez and beloved third-basemen Gio Urshela in the deal that also brings them a new shortstop, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and left-handed hitting catcher, Ben Rortvedt, who will reportedly platoon with longtime back-up backstop, Kyle Higashioka.
“It was an emotional conversation,” manager Aaron Boone told reporters Monday afternoon when asked about general manager Brian Cashman’s decision to deal a pair of lineup mainstays, “essentially thanking him [Sanchez], telling him I love him.”
“I want to see him go have success. But I’ve always liked Gary and appreciated my relationship with him,” he added.
Donaldson has rubbed Yankee fans the wrong way countless times over while playing for their AL East opponent Toronto Blue Jays, and as recently as last year too after accusing Yankee ace Gerrit Cole of using “sticky stuff” for enhanced performance. Addressing the “elephant in the room,” the pair individually confirmed to curious media members this week that they talked it out, and are looking forward to playing on the same team for a change.
This rivalry-turned-teammates occasion mirrors the solidifying nature of competition that played out in the late 1990s. Roger Clemens, long-villainized by Yankees players, fans, and by “The Rocket’s” actions himself after intentionally hitting key players, was instantly accepted when he boarded the annual parade float-planning committee. A couple of World Series victories, a Cy Young Award and a Yankeeography installment later, it’s safe to declare that, in large – retroactive steroid era revisionists notwithstanding – the Yankees loved them some Clemens.
Two days later, late Tuesday evening, the Yankees made their next move: bringing back 2021 first-basemen rental Anthony Rizzo on a 2-year, $32 million deal with a team option for a third. And the next day, fellow 1B Luke Voit was dealt to the San Diego Padres after a lukewarm offensive season wherein the injury-prone strongman also struggled to stay on the field. In exchange, the Yankees snagged Justin Lange, a 20-year-old minor league pitcher who reportedly hit triple digits on the radar gun in high school.
The current plan is for the hot seat’s “next man up,” Gleyber Torres, to return to his second-base comfort zone, while second-basemen-by-trade DJ LeMahieu will remain a consistent force that, in true utility fashion, bounces around the infield to spell veterans like Donaldson (36) and Rizzo (32).
Around the League
Freddie Freeman and Kris Bryant made waves on Wednesday night by signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies, respectively.
One earlier maneuver during this, the month of trade and signings occurring like wildfire, worked to the Washington Nationals’ favor. They wasted no time in landing Nelson Cruz, the veteran designated hitter no longer limited to drawing interest just from half of the MLB’s teams.
In a few weeks’ time, expect more deals that could only happen thanks to the owners and MLPA agreeing to institute the universal DH.
With many silver linings abound, one crucial caveat to the league-wide shutdown showed on Monday when it was announced young San Diego superstar, Fernando Tatis, Jr., would require surgery to repair a fractured wrist.
He supposedly sustained the injury, among others, in not one, but two motorcycle accidents this offseason. To add circumstantial insult to this potentially fineable injury, Tatis was legally prohibited, per lockout protocol, from both informing his team and pursuing medical consultations elsewhere.
The San Diego Padres have yet to indicate if they will pursue action against the face of their franchise with voided-contract claims. In their breakdown of the ongoing situation, ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez and Jesse Rogers concluded the franchise “perhaps” has recourse they can opt to take, but that it’s extremely unlikely to threaten Tatis’ roster presence and contractual security.
“Standard major league contracts guarantee players their full salaries so long as they meet certain criteria, some of which involves avoiding potentially dangerous activities – including, yes, motorcycling,” they wrote. “Tatis would seemingly be in violation of his contract if he sustained the wrist injury while riding a motorcycle, but: Can the Padres prove that? And most importantly: do they really want to go down that path?”
Regardless, Tatis’ plight resembles past contract-violation kerfuffles that sent former Yankee players Aaron Boone and Jacoby Ellsbury packing, and Carl Pavano irredeemably in the doghouse.