BIG news regarding minor league player wages:
Judge rules minor league players are MLB employees throughout year and are owed damages, including $1,882,650 in California https://t.co/cIdEjIudnN
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) March 16, 2022
The Royals are committing to Adalberto Mondesi at shortstop, per Anne Rogers at Royals.com:
“For our team to be as good as we can possibly be, right now, it’s with Mondesi at shortstop,” Matheny said on Tuesday. “Right now, it’s early enough in spring, everybody’s talking best-case scenario. And we want Mondesi at shortstop. How often, we’ll see. We’re going to watch.”
The news wasn’t completely unexpected, as the Royals went into the offseason helping Mondesi structure his training in hopes of staying on the field for a full season. The 26-year-old played just 35 games last season after missing time with two oblique strains and a hamstring injury. He returned at the end of the season to play third base because Nicky Lopez was putting together a Gold Glove-caliber season at shortstop, and they became an elite middle-infield combination with second baseman Whit Merrifield, who was a finalist for a Gold Glove at season’s end.
Heading into 2022, the Royals hope to see Mondesi at shortstop, Lopez at second base and Merrifield in right field. That allows top prospect Bobby Witt Jr. an opportunity to make his Major League debut at third base and likely gives the Royals the best defensive infield — as well as flexibility in case of an injury.
Craig Brown doesn’t love moving Witt off his natural position, among other notes from the dawn of spring training.
Mike Gillespie at Kings of Kauffman projects Nick Pratto’s forthcoming MLB debut season.
Projecting pitchers is hard enough when you know what size the rosters will be, and David Lesky tackled it while we still don’t have a set roster size.
A whole bunch of former Royals and Royals farmhands popped up on MLB Trade Rumors:
- outfielder Jose Martinez is headed to the Mexican League.
- reliever Cody Reed (part of the trade package that brought Johnny Cueto to KC in 2015) re-signed with the Rays.
- Mike Montgomery and the Mets agreed to a minors deal.
- The Orioles signed Chris Owings to a minor league deal.
Shortly after trading for him, Atlanta signed Matt Olson to a long-term deal. So Freddie Freeman is out, then.
Lance McCullers, Jr. will miss the start of the season.
Shohei Ohtani, who is actually perfect, wants to improve this year.
NYC’s pandemic guidelines may mean some Yankees and Mets players can’t play home games (remember that while games are outdoors, clubhouses and other team facilities are not!).
How 5G expansion will harm weather forecasting and hurricane tracking.
A new release from scifi author John Scalzi!
Sandra Bullock is taking a break from acting.
Year-round daylight saving time is probably coming, and I welcome it. I will instruct the moderators to banhammer anyone who disagrees.
For no reason, other than I want to look at it again:
This is Meatball. He's going home for the very first time. So excited to have a human of his own. Thinking about what he's going to call you. Maybe Bob. 12/10 pic.twitter.com/jOZw2fH3Xk
— WeRateDogs® (@dog_rates) March 15, 2022
I’m not the most fit person in the world, nor am I the least. But I had no idea there were this many kinds of squats.
Would you enjoy a Golden Girls-themed cruise?
Let’s get slightly silly with today’s Reddit question: What can nobody on Earth look cool doing?
Lastly, some personal news: The Omaha Storm Chasers and I have decided jointly: I will return once again as their freelance photographer this summer!
SOTD: Bruno Mars - Treasure. (NSFW in the spoken opening line only)
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