After an early morning free agent signing and a notable injury development, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. Spring Breakout begins today:
MLB’s Spring Breakout prospect showcase begins today after debuting during Spring Training last year. 16 games are set to be played as part of the showcase, with all 30 clubs participating. Only two of those games are scheduled for today, however: a Grapefruit League match between the Red Sox and the Rays scheduled for 7:05pm ET, and a Cactus League game between the Dodgers and Cubs scheduled for 6:05pm PT.
The two AL clubs will square off in a star-studded game that figures to feature six top-100 prospects, including top-ten talents Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Carson Williams. Meanwhile, the NL clubs six top-100 talents of their own. Among the prospects suiting up for L.A. are left-hander Jackson Ferris and outfielder Zyhir Hope, both of whom were drafted by the Cubs back in 2023 but shipped to the Dodgers prior to the 2024 season as the return for first baseman Michael Busch.
2. Teams nearing decision time on Rule 5 draft picks:
Yesterday saw the Reds return their selection in this offseason’s Rule 5 Draft, infielder Cooper Bowman, back to the Athletics. The move made Bowman, 25, the first of this winter’s 15 Rule 5 selections to be sent back to his original team. It’s likely several more players will follow in Bowman’s footsteps over the coming weeks, as Rule 5 picks must be carried on their new club’s active roster for the entire season and cannot be optioned to the minor leagues. With clubs now starting to finalize their Opening Day rosters, it’s likely that at least some of the remaining 14 Rule 5 draftees will fail to break camp with their new clubs and return to their original organization.
One player who appears poised to avoid that fate, at least for the time being, is infielder Gage Workman. Workman was plucked from the Tigers by the Cubs in this offseason’s Rule 5 draft and was included on Chicago’s travel roster for the upcoming Tokyo Series, which suggests that the club plans to keep Workman in the fold at least for the time being. The White Sox, Marlins, Angels, Athletics, Nationals, Blue Jays, Rays, Twins, Braves, Padres, and Brewers all have Rule 5 draftees currently in camp, with Tampa and Atlanta each holding onto two draftees.
3. Rangers facing rotation questions:
The Rangers suffered a scare in the rotation earlier this week, as both right-hander Tyler Mahle and left-hander Cody Bradford were sent for MRI exams due to potential arm injuries. Both MRIs came back clean, but with the hurlers facing soreness in their forearm and elbow respectively and just two weeks left before the regular season begins, it’s fair to wonder if both hurlers will be back to pitching and built up enough to start the season in the club’s rotation. If either pitcher suffers a setback or the Rangers simply decide to take things slowly with even one of the two veterans, that would open the door for a youngster like Jack Leiter or Kumar Rocker to break camp with the team in the rotation.
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