1. WBC pool play continues:
Pool play in the World Baseball Classic continues, with Samurai Japan (3-0) and Korea (2-2) both having exited the pool stage of the tournament. These two clubs will be the quarterfinalists from Pool C. In Pool A, the favorites to advance are Puerto Rico and Cuba, both of which have a 2-0 record. The same can be said for the Dominican Republic and Venezuela in Pool D, given their own 2-0 records. The most interesting pool at the moment is Pool B, where the United States, Italy and Mexico have perfect 2-0 records. The winner of tonight’s match between Team USA and Team Mexico will be an overwhelming favorite to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. The US sends reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes on the mound against the former right-handed Orioles Manny Barreda.
2. Littell contract must be completed:
The Nationals and right-handed Zack Littell have reportedly agreed to a one-year contract that includes a mutual option for 2027. However, that deal was pending a physical deal and the exact dollar amount of the deal has not yet been reported. Financial details are expected to become available sometime in the near future, and the deal should be completed quickly in the interest of securing rights holders from the Nats; there are just over two weeks left before the regular season begins. The Nationals will need to build a 40-man roster to accommodate Littell’s addition, and the club has no clear IL candidates for the next 60 days having already been reassigned Trevor Williams And DJ Herz earlier this spring.
3. Giolito stands alone:
Now that Littell has a deal, right-handed Luke Giolito stands alone as the last member of MLBTR’s top 50 free agents list who has yet to sign a deal somewhere. MLBTR’s Steve Adams took a look in February at a handful of teams that remained plausible candidates to add a starter like Giolito to the mix, and many of those teams still make sense for his services. Clubs like the Braves and Phillies, which look plausible on paper, have so far indicated no interest in the right-handed player.
Of course, the nature of pitcher injuries (especially in Spring Training) is such that any pitch thrown by a player expected to be in his team’s rotation mix could lead to an injury that creates an opening for Giolito. This became all too clear in Atlanta, where injuries occurred Spencer Schellenbach And Hurston Waldrep at the start of camp have recently been aggravated by an injury Joey Wentz. Wentz was carted off the field with an apparent right knee injury, suffered while covering the bag on a grounder to first base. Initial reports were that Wentz appeared to have avoided a serious injury, but he was still sent for imaging. If he has to miss some time, perhaps the loss of a third rotation option would prompt the Braves to consider some outside additions.
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