The Spring Signal, February 27th
Latest news and notes out of camp
Yesterday marked one month until Opening Day. With the WBC starting next week, it will be here before we know it! Let’s get into some fantasy/injury news that popped up over the last couple of days.
Max Scherzer
Yesterday, the reigning AL champs brought back Scherzer on a one-year deal. I would not expect Max to pitch in early-season action, as he is now 41 years old and wants to slow-play his spring, and the Jays will allow him all the time he needs. Their new rotation looks like this.
I see a lot of question marks with this rotation personally. Will Ponce’s dominant form carry over from the KBO? Will Berrios bounce back this season? They have already mentioned being careful with Yesavage’s innings limit. Where does Shane Bieber fit in this picture? Should they move to a six-man rotation? It seems like the likely situation, I would hate that for Cease and Gausman owners. All pure speculation, and you can never ever have too much pitching depth. So good for them.
Max provides a familiar face in the clubhouse and can fill any gaps should they appear. It sucks for Eric Lauer owners who looked like he could fill the role Scherzer now occupies.
Randal Grichuk
On Wednesday, the Yankees signed Randal Grichuk to a minor league deal. It seems as though this could negatively impact Jasson Dominguez.
As Jon Heyman states, there could be plans to send Jasson down to AAA to begin the season. In one offseason, Dominguez was slated to start in the outfield for the big league team and have a runway to get his feet wet in an everyday role, only to be optioned to AAA. As Frank Sinatra says, “That’s life.”
I have zero Jasson shares, but since this whole situation is as clear as mud, I do not plan on acquiring any. This could be a great potential buy-low spot for dynasty players.
Ivan Herrera
Set to start his first game catching this coming Sunday. This will be huge for his fantasy status. If Ivan can obtain catching eligibility, he will be much more attractive in drafts. I currently cannot draft Ivan as UT eligible only. Pedro Pages filled the catching duties much of last year while Ivan was injured. He is projected to retain those duties while Ivan mans the DH role. There is no telling how long it will take him to regain his catching eligibility. But catching Spring Training games is a trend in the right direction.
INJURY NEWS
Joe Ryan
Set to throw a bullpen session and face live batters next week per Bobby Nightengale. The good news it was only back inflammation nagging him. It is reported he should have plenty of time to fully ramp up for Opening Day. But his WBC status remains in question, another blow for Team USA’s rotation.
Yordan Alvarez
Believe it or not, manager Joe Espada announced Yordan will make his Grapefruit League debut next week. I will believe it when I see it.
Josh Hader
Per Matt Kawahara, Hader is playing catch off the mound and is progressing through his bicep issue. He is still a long way from reclaiming his closer role.
David Festa
Unfortunately, Festa will be shut down for 2-3 weeks due to a shoulder injury. He had a minor thoracic outlet syndrome and is more than likely going to begin the season on the shelf. This further opens the door for a name like Mick Abel or Kendry Rojas to break into the rotation.
Samuel Basallo
In yesterday’s Grapefruit League action, Sammy suffered a side cramp during a play at the plate.
During the time, it looked like a super serious intercostal strain and possibly would be sidelined for weeks or even months. This morning, Basallo was back in catchers’ gear and could possibly return to game action this weekend. What a sigh of relief for O’s fans everywhere. That being said, the catcher experiment with Sammy is over in my opinion. He is a first baseman or a DH. The arm strength is the only positive aspect of his catching game. I digress. Get well soon, Sam.
Brandon Pfaadt
The hits just keep on coming for the D-backs. This time in the form of a “side” issue affecting Brandon. He is not at risk of missing Opening Day, but is currently being slow-played to avoid further damage.