Well, it’s here. Pitchers and catchers report today to West Palm Beach. Yay.
Like Stevie Wonder in that famous SNL ad, MASN is on the ball for its 2025 Spring Training schedule. But otherwise, Mark Zuckerman has you covered on the 29 pitchers and 28 position players trying to make the club.
For us, however, there are just a few questions…
WILL DYLAN CREWS MAKE THE OPENING DAY ROSTER?
Yes.
WILL CADE CAVALLI EMERGE FROM WITNESS PROTECTION?
The silence is deafening. The company line is that Cavalli was ready to pitch in late September but there was nowhere for him to go. Well, except the Arizona Fall League. Occam’s Razor suggests this is bullshit and that he’s more hurt than they’re letting on. Hanlon’s Razor suggests this is the par for the course.
WILL EITHER BRADY HOUSE OR CAYDEN WALLACE TAKE THE 3B JOB AWAY FROM A VETERAN?
Probably not, but even if they were to do it, the bar they’d be clearing would only be GM Mike Rizzo’s stubborn refusal to play prospects over veterans, even when those veterans can’t hit water after falling off a pier.
WILL THE REAL ROBERT HASSELL PLEASE STAND UP?
It’s been discussed in the comments and in various prospect forums, but the cold, hard truth is that we have a miniscule sample size of a few at-bats in the fall against less-than-stellar pitchers.
COULD ONE OF “OUR GUYS” MAKE THE BULLPEN?
A lot of that depends on how you define that. Someone born in this century (2001-) is very doubtful, but Zach Brzykcy, Tyler Stuart, or Brad Lord could. It’s worth pointing out that Evan Reifert has an inside track as a Rule 5 pick.
Otherwise, the goal for spring training here is the same as it ever was: Get back into the groove of writing every day until becomes obvious that my covering the big club is facetious. And of course, as time allows. While I only have to go into D.C. once a week (and so far, don’t need to carry antyhing other than a driver’s license) this is when things really pick up at my work, never mind the fourth reich stuff going on blocks away from my job.