Let’s talk about Blake Snell, pitching weirdo. Is it a good thing to be a pitching weirdo? For the most part. We’ll dive into that, but it’s important to know that this isn’t a term to throw around lightly. There are good pitchers and bad pitchers, great pitchers and awful pitchers, but it takes a … Read more
Major League Baseball players scored what they considered a long-sought victory when the last Collective Bargaining Agreement was ratified prior to the 2022 season. For the first time, one-year contracts for arbitration-eligible players — encompassing most players with greater than 2 1/2 and fewer than six years of service time — would be fully guaranteed. … Read more
This is a digital version of The Windup newsletter. Sign up here to receive this content directly in your inbox every morning. Two down, two of the “Boras Four” left to sign. Plus: Ken on Mike Trout, a sea change in coaching and how Evan Carter or Wyatt Langford might solve a decade-long mystery in Texas. … Read more
Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford throws the ball during warmups before a game against the Dodgers on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, in San Francisco. The Cardinals finalized a contract with Crawford on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. John Hefti, Associated Press JUPITER, Fla. — As the Cardinals reviewed a few of the things they prioritized this spring … Read more
The St. Louis Cardinals are signing three-time All-Star Brandon Crawford, league sources said. Crawford, 37, is expected to serve as a backup shortstop behind 21-year-old rookie Masyn Winn while the team awaits further clarity on Tommy Edman’s recovery from wrist surgery. The deal is pending a physical. The Cardinals had been actively monitoring the backup … Read more
Welcome to spring training, one of the great inventions in history. You may think we’re kidding. But ask anyone who had to pick up a snow shovel in the last week if they think we’re kidding. It may be tempting to say: What about the wheel? What about the microwave? What about the iPhone? What … Read more
The Hall of Fame is made for players like Adrián Beltré. As a pure hitter, reliable slugger and slick third baseman, Beltré had few peers: No other infielder in the history of baseball has 3,000 hits, 400 homers and five Gold Glove awards. Beltré, now 44, was a lock for the Hall of Fame. As … Read more
By Andrew Baggarly, Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon Yoshinobu Yamamoto has yet to stand on a major-league mound, but that hasn’t deterred an abundance of baseball executives and talent evaluators from describing him as one of the most talented pitchers on the planet. He’ll certainly be paid like it. The Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed … Read more
There’s a big question looming after the San Francisco Giants swung and missed at getting the hottest baseball player on the planet: Shohei Ohtani. He decided to sign with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers instead. Now, Giants legend Buster Posey said he thinks the city’s reputation may be part of the problem. Ohtani’s stats as … Read more
SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Giants continue to fill out their coaching staff under new manager Bob Melvin, hiring pitching and bullpen coaches with significant Bay Area ties. In a statement Tuesday, the team announced that Bryan Price has been hired as the new pitching coach. Born in San Francisco, Price attended Tamalpais High … Read more