Guardians 2B Juan Brito lost out in his bid for the second base job despite going five for his last ten at bats with zero strikeouts and two home runs. Tyler Freeman has been electric this spring, and though he’s been playing outfield this year after coming up as an infielder, he could probably slide back to the dirt if that’s his path to playing time. Gabriel Arias continues to exist and might be the opening day starter. I have never seen what Cleveland sees in him, but that’s irrelevant. Perhaps Cleveland will recall Brito at the first signs of distress at the keystone, but I’m not encouraged right now.
UPDATE: Freeman has been traded to Colorado in exchange for Nolan Jones. Unclear if this means anything for Brito’s chances, or if the Guardians are simply pursuing their quest to get Gabriel Arias as much playing time as possible.
Rockies OF Zac Veen stole his ninth base of the spring Saturday. OF Sean Bouchard is playing well, too, and while I’m not certain they’re in competition for the same spot, it seems a stretch that they’d both be part of the lineup on opening day, but Veen’s spring line is .304/.381/.581, and he provides excellent defensive upside, which I’ve thought the Rockies should focus on across their outfield for years. I kind of can’t believe they’ve never tried it.
UPDATE: Depending on how Colorado sees Freeman, specifically whether or not they’re acquiring him to play him at second base now that Thairo Estrada is injured, the team may have room for both Bouchard and Veen. Or Veen and Jordan Beck. Or hey maybe all three I dunno things get wild in Colorado.
Tigers RHP Jackson Jobe won a spot in the starting rotation. I think it’d be just as accurate to say he didn’t lose a spot, by which I mean he was always going to go north with the big league club if he stayed healthy and effective. Still, it’s nice to see in writing.
Athletics SS Jacob Wilson has struck out just twice in 49 at bats. He has twice that many home runs and half that many walks. Sorry, didn’t mean to make this an SAT question. He hit two home runs the day after I put him down for 15 home runs in my 2025 bold predictions article.
Giants RHP Hayden Birdsong came to spring training ready to make those seams sing. He’s got 18 strikeouts through 12 innings pitched along with a 0.50 WHIP and 0.75 ERA. If everyone stays healthy, the last spot will come down to Birdsong or Landon Roupp. Both could be pretty useful in most leagues this season regardless of who gets the first look.
Cardinals OF Victor Scott II has improved his redraft outlook as much as anyone this spring, laying claim to the center field job and slashing .366/.469/.756 with four home runs and five stolen bases in 49 plate appearances. Get him where you can fit him.
Brewers RHP Craig Yoho is inching ever closer to the late-inning picture in Milwaukee, aided in part by the club’s persistence in developing Jacob Misiorowski as a starter. Roster Resource has him missing the opening day roster, but I’ll bet that was a 50-50 call, and I don’t think it matters much for a reliever. Yoho is the most talented pitcher in that bullpen and will get his chance at the ninth at some point. Milwaukee loves to trade closers. Don’t even have to give ’em that much. Even if he’s pitching well, Megill is mostly auditioning for his next team.
Red Sox 2B Kristian Campbell drew the start on Saturday, leading off and making a great diving catch early then hitting an opposite field home run late. He has felt like the vibes favorite for that gig all spring despite some tough times early alongside a Rafael Devers resistance. I think a solid few games can seal the deal.
Weird thing happened this week when I typed “Mookie Betts” in as a bust for this season on the Razzball predictions page. Surprised myself there because I think Betts is amazing, but I had recently seen him ranked 2nd on somebody’s redraft list (can’t remember who, someone promoting their subscription service on Bluesky) and thought that it would be difficult for Mookie to return that kind of value. I get the added value in his eligibility, but he’s 32 years old and went 19/16 in 116 games last season while slashing .289/.375/.491. Great player. I’m a little worried about the unspecified illness thing. Flew to Japan and then flew back? Maybe it’s fine. I hope it’s fine. But I had to pick a bust and figured Betts could fill the bill.
Thanks for reading!
