The Boston Red Sox have just gotten into spring training and it is clear that they are going to need some players to step up in 2023. With the loss of Xander Bogaerts in free agency as well as losing Trevor Story for at least the first half of the season after elbow surgery, that is a lot of production to have to make up.
While the signing of Yu Chang to a big league deal yesterday doesn't help much at the plate unless he basically becomes an entirely different hitter, he does give them some defensive versatility and depth that may be tested. There are potentially a lot of pieces in the Boston infield that will float around and it is nice to have a guy like Chang to plug in as needed.
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With the new rules coming to MLB this coming season, a lot of players are going to have to make some adjustments. Kenley Jansen, in particular, is going to have to make a lot of adjustments as not only is he a guy that is a strong argument for the impending pitch clock, but the stricter enforcement of the existing balk rules could prove...problematic for him otherwise.
MLB News
Now that spring training is underway for every team across the league, the fine folks at MLB.com put together a list of the most interesting players in each team’s spring training camp in 2023. For the Red Sox, that player is Chris Sale whose saga to stay healthy and productive probably doesn't need rehashing at this point.
Say what you want to about the Padres, but this is a team that is not a afraid to make some deals. Yesterday, San Diego signed Cole Hamels to a minor league deal. Hamels has not thrown in the big leagues since 2020 when he made one appearance for the Braves before injuries ate him up the last couple of years. A flyer of a signing to be sure, but not without some upside and minimal risk.
In sadder news, the baseball community at large lost one another one of their own yesterday as Tim McCarver, Hall of Fame broadcaster and former catcher for the Cardinals, passed away on Thursday at the age of 81 due to heart failure. McCarver was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012 as a broadcaster and before that he was a catcher that collected two World Series rings.