OFFICIAL: 2015 Spring Training Thread

[Lateral Quicks]

With spring training officially started, I figured we could use a spring training thread.

Let the season start already!

[s e n s i]

donaldson!

[BigLeagueChew]

Martin caught Norris' bullpen.

[Lateral Quicks]

That guy in the background appears to be wearing a ballcap.




... I'll show myself out.

[Lateral Quicks]

So AA says the plan is to start Castro in Dunedin this year. I'll go on record now and say, barring injury, he'll be in New Hampshire by May, June at the latest, with a non-negligible chance of joining the big club come before September.

[satyr9]

Equal parts optimism and cold water on Pompey's future:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/dalton-p ... e-present/

And either a half thumbs up or down—can't decide—on the strange and unnecessary Simpsons reference.

[Ku-Bar]

With the injury to Saunders it gives the Blue Jays another reason to once again do nothing at the trade deadline in 2015. AA - "when Saunders returned after the all star break, it was kind of like making a trade and so from an organizational standpoint we felt good about our chances going forward with the team as currently constructed"

[rarefind]

With the injury to Saunders it gives the Blue Jays another reason to once again do nothing at the trade deadline in 2015. AA - "when Saunders returned after the all star break, it was kind of like making a trade and so from an organizational standpoint we felt good about our chances going forward with the team as currently constructed"

This year he knows it's his job if this team does not get into the playoffs.

[wazabifuzz]

they need to make sure the field doesn't have any sprinklers before they let players on the field !

[Schad]

With the injury to Saunders it gives the Blue Jays another reason to once again do nothing at the trade deadline in 2015. AA - "when Saunders returned after the all star break, it was kind of like making a trade and so from an organizational standpoint we felt good about our chances going forward with the team as currently constructed"

You seem to be operating under the assumption that the inability to make moves is something AA desires, rather than something foisted upon him.

[BramptonYute]

cant wait

[Lateral Quicks]

cant wait

Yep... legitimate 40 HR power for each of those guys. I can't wait to see how many Donaldson jacks now that he's not playing half his games at the Coliseum.

[dballislife]

as long as those 3 guys are healthy most of the year, any game is winnable...easily best 3-4-5 in baseball heading into the season, and we're gonna need them cus our 7-8-9 can be among worst in baseball

[Fairview4Life]

as long as those 3 guys are healthy most of the year, any game is winnable...easily best 3-4-5 in baseball heading into the season, and we're gonna need them cus our 7-8-9 can be among worst in baseball

You missed Satyr's post analyzing the 7,8,9's in the AL.

[Back2back2back]

Aaron Sanchez will start the Blue Jays’ Grapefruit League opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates next Tuesday.

[Santoki]

Aaron Sanchez will start the Blue Jays’ Grapefruit League opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates next Tuesday.

And pitch two innings.

[Schad]

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/mlb-p ... struggles/

Good article about the increasing difficulties hitting prospects are having in stepping up to the bigs, which seem to be driven in large part by the differences in the strikezones...since the advent of pitch tracking MLB has seen its expand to, well, more or less what the strike zone should be, MiLB's is still by and large stingy.

It's the sort of thing that could perhaps explain a guy like Pillar and his massive divergence in K/BB. Swing-happy players have the most to lose in that equation, as pitchers can consequently throw offspeed stuff for strikes or nibble with nigh-on-unhittable fastballs, which unfortunately could mean that his brutal rate stats are here to stay unless he adjusts in a big way.

[Greatness]

Saunders only out 5-6 weeks now? How can the diagnosis go from missing 80 games to potentially missing zero games?

[satyr9]

I think it's been the difference between repair vs. remove. Thankfully, we've got a much higher profile athlete going through the same thing:

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2015/2/25/8 ... ed-removed

Sounds like the ASB was a conservative estimate based on a repair surgery, but instead they just yanked the **** and it's a faster recovery. And I'm not too stressed about the long-term implications. If guys like DWade and CPaul can handle it as PGs in basketball (yes they may deteriorate faster), then a MLB OF shouldn't be in too much danger living without one for the forseeable future.

[Schad]

Saunders only out 5-6 weeks now? How can the diagnosis go from missing 80 games to potentially missing zero games?

When buying health products you see in infomercials, or pinning down a player's return from injury before they've seen a surgeon, the most important phrases in the English language are "at least" and "up to".