Italy’s Jacob Marsee singles against Mexico’s Brennan Bernardino to squeak the United States through to the elimination bracket.
You know, just like we all expected.
Josh Naylor is doing the Willson Contreras Maneuver, or a variant of it, to Liván Moinelo.
Thinking about the time I watched Mark DeRosa (and CC Sabathia) flank Rob Manfred with a PR guy and a security guy like they were the Secret Service to protect him from having to answer questions from four beat writers and wondering how he ended up in such a neat job.
Cardinals say they have reached agreements on 2026 contracts with 29 of their 30 pre-arb players.
Masyn Winn, who is arb eligible for the first time after this season, had his contract renewed, which means the team assigns a salary to him rather than his accepting their offer.
We ran it down in February and I was sure it was Mulder. But, no: he pitched the home opener in 06, and homered, which is why I remembered it.
If you needed more evidence that the Cardinals intend to have Matthew Liberatore start opening day, he pitched Monday, Shuster covered yesterday (eg. the Friday off day in two weeks), and Dustin May pitches today. Calendar don’t lie.
Chase Davis, Max Rajcic, Bruce Zimmermann assigned to minor league camp. Cardinals have 17 cuts to go.
Park Chan-wook was expelled from the WGA for scabbing during the strike, though he says it was a misunderstanding. That is seemingly the explanation for the Academy cold shoulder.
Josh Baez left an exceedingly loud and positive impression in his first big league camp. It’s no surprise that he’s opening the year at Memphis. It’ll also be no surprise if he forces the issue faster than many expected:
www.bnd.com/sports/mlb/s...
I think Bobby Witt Jr. is my favorite player to watch at present.
Nolan Gorman is the third baseman, unless for some reason Herrera can’t go, in which case he’s the DH and Urías is at third.
He is not the only Venezuelan player who experienced this over the winter.
All the credit to @hochman314.bsky.social for noticing the Flavortown Express made a stop at the Dean today:
With today's roster moves, the Cardinals have 13 position players in camp who are on the 40-man. One of those, Lars Nootbaar, will be starting the season on the IL. Replace him with JJ Wetherholt, and that could very well be your opening day group.
Báez, Hjerpe, Mautz, Raquet optioned.
Mathews reassigned to minor league camp.
Order restored to the left field competition.
I definitely know journalists who have secondary income streams which double their salary, but typically that’s because they’re doing gig work and their salary is $16,500.
Meanwhile, in West Palm, Richard Fitts touched a TV 99 and struck out two in his first inning of work.
It ain’t her, babe.
It sure looks like that number is greater than zero.
Josh Baez’s start in left today is his first there this spring. It shifts Chase Davis, who has started there regularly, to right, and it comes just days after they passed on a chance to see him there, opting for Miguel Ugueto instead. #noticing
Andre Scrubb, committed normative determinist.
I have said all the words to you that I know.
Rob Rains reported knee inflammation.
Finally the fun part of my mail pile as I return from spring.
This is the first time I’ve ever had something I wrote published in a book. Neat!
Bernal, Crooks, Hence, Prieto, Torres optioned.
Skylar Hales reassigned to minor league camp.
Points to Yohel Pozo making the team being all but a certainty.
Same reactions for a different reason with a late Herrera scratch.
Cardinals lineup today starting Winn, Burleson, Herrera, Gorman, Wetherholt, Pagés gets a star and an eyebrow raise from me.
They say you learn a lot from how hitters react.
I think it’s very interesting that Canada shut media out of practices at the Olympics against the access policy and were very lightly chided (not at all in some places), and then a bunch of big splashy stories about the Canada GM’s NHL players started popping up. Weird how that happened!
It was hard to leave him off. I don’t think he’s probably had the best camp of that group, so it comes down to roster management. Going to need at least one spot on the 40 anyway, so…
