Mariners Moose Tracks, 3/4/21: Shohei Ohtani, Framber Valdez, and Jackie Bradley, Jr.
Some links to kick off your Thursday.
Good morning folks! Let’s get to the latest from around baseball.
In Mariners news...
- Joe Posnanski at The Athletic dives into the Mariners in his preview series. ($)
Around the league...
- Sometimes I think people forget about this guy and how talented he is. If he can stay healthy all year...sheesh.
Shohei Ohtani clears the batter's eye in dead center. pic.twitter.com/N9QTFtlbBH
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) March 3, 2021
- For all of you gamers out there, Out of the Park Baseball is releasing a mobile version that runs the same engine as the upcoming desktop edition of the game.
- Juliet Macur at The New York Times wrote about Bianca Smith, the Red Sox coach who has undergone a hell of a journey to get where she is.
- Bad news for the Astros and their attempt to win another division title.
Framber Valdez has a fractured left ring finger, according to the Astros.
— Chandler Rome (@Chandler_Rome) March 3, 2021
- Let’s Go Tribe holds Cleveland’s feet to the fire over the recent Athletic report that the organization knew about Mickey Callaway’s sexual harassing.
- This man is going to be something else when he debuts.
WANDER FRANCO TO THE MOON! pic.twitter.com/0ix67pJYQl
— DRaysBay (@draysbay) March 3, 2021
- Yankees manager Aaron Boone swiftly left camp on a medical emergency to receive a pacemaker.
- A former MLB executive asserts that Albert Pujols is older than people actually think he is.
- So...essentially a minor league season.
Expected that clubs will be allowed to hold exhibition games at alternate sites in April, against other clubs' alternate sites. They can schedule these on their own. Likely to be against teams within driving distance/with players driving themselves, etc. MLB handles umpiring.
— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) March 4, 2021
- A late-night Passan bomb has one of the last remaining major free agents finding a home.
Center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. plans to sign a two-year, $24 million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers that includes an opt-out after the first year, a source familiar with the contract tells ESPN. First with the news: @byJulianMack.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) March 4, 2021
- There are reportedly no plans to further discuss adding the universal DH or expanded playoffs to baseball. So that’s that, I guess.