:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49102973/usa-today-9159550.0.jpg)
The MLB Daily Dish is a daily feature we're running here at MLBDD and rounds up roster-impacting news, rumors, and analysis. Have feedback or have something that should be shared? Hit us at @mlbdailydish on Twitter.
Good morning baseball fans! Happy St. Patrick's Day to all. Everybody's Irish today!
The weird Adam LaRoche story took another strange turn yesterday, when it was leaked that he retired because the White Sox asked him to not have his son around the team everyday.
The United States has made it easier for Cuban players to get to the majors, which is good for everybody involved.
Still, even removing one of the roadblock from the path of potential future Major Leaguers is a big deal, given that it is a path fraught with danger for them and for their families. It also removes a potential impediment that the league could use to argue for an international draft that would decimate signing bonuses and amateur players' earning potential. Anything, in my mind, that reduces the likelihood of an international draft is a great win for players who have grown up in poverty. And it has the potential to get the best players into the Major Leagues faster.
Really, the only person who should be upset by the announcement is Goose Gossage. Given the excitement that Cuban-born players like Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig(and, he admits reluctantly, Aroldis Chapman) have brought into the game with them, it's likely that we'll see more players who demonstrate eye-popping abilities, and who actually seem to enjoy using them. Perish the thought. And, really, anything that pisses off Goose Gossage is a reward in and of itself. Thanks, Obama!
The Rangers are still on the hunt for a catcher, and they are now interested in Derek Norris.
Ruben Tejada is no longer a Met, as the team released him on Wednesday.
A bit of sad news to report. Bronson Arroyo tore his labrum, ending his comeback before it could really get underway.
August Fagerstrom of FanGraphs asks Francisco Lindor to stop bunting.
Lindor believes he’s doing the right thing, that he’s helping the team by giving himself up. The problem is, he’s not. He isn’t helping the team in a theoretical, run expectancy sense, and he didn’t even help the team in a literal, scoring runs and winning games sense. Francona says he “loves the fact that he wants to move runners” and so he’s been “reluctant to even approach him on it.” But it’s clear that Lindor needs to realize he can move runners over in a far more efficient manner without giving himself up.
It’s going to be tough for Lindor to build upon his remarkably impressive rookie season. It’ll be tough for the defensive metrics to love him more than they do. It’ll be tough for him to top his batting or baserunning numbers, because he’s set the bar so high. But there’s one part of Lindor’s game that can be guaranteed to improve with one simple fix: just stop bunting.
Henry Druschel of Beyond the Box Score took a look at the worst Opening Day pitchers.
Important Links:
Subscribe to The Rosterbatorical on iTunes. While you are there, drop us a rating and a review!
Today in Baseball History: In 1936, rookie Joe DiMaggio makes his debut with the Yankees. He collects four hits, including a triple.