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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!
Yankees third-baseman Alex Rodriguez has decided to retire after his contract expires following the 2017 season.
One Yankee retiree, Derek Jeter, could potentially be coming back to the game in a owner role, as rumors about his interest in being an owner have heated up (ESPN's Insider required).
Two MLB sources say they have not heard anything concrete about a Jeter-Rays link, so for now this appears to be a rumor without substance. But the speculation makes sense in some ways: Jeter lives in Tampa, and he would be a perfect agent for change whenever the Rays reach a turning point in their ballpark situation, in the same way that Magic Johnson was the right guy to be part of the Dodgers' new ownership group in L.A. Jeter carries star power and credibility, of course, which will only grow once he is inducted into the Hall of Fame. It's easy to envision Jeter having power as a lobbyist for a team looking for a new ballpark situation.
Jeff Sullivan of FanGraphs talks about the man who is as strong as Giancarlo Stanton, Peter O'Brien.
The Angels are looking to acquire an everyday left fielder.
Another AL West team, the Seattle Mariners, are also looking for help but in the bullpen.
Speaking of the AL West, here is a roundup of the latest news surrounding the division.
Here is a look at the projecting starting rotations for all 30 teams.
Nick Stellini of Beyond the Box Score talked about the death of all pitchers, and the heat death of the universe.
The zip of a fastball and the break of a slider are but fleeting wonders. There are few feelings that can match the unbridled wonder that comes from watching a young pitcher rise to the Show and absolutely shove. Michael Wacha gave us this small honor. It feels like it's been eons since Wacha emerged as a weapon of the highest caliber and dazzled all of baseball in October. Then, the pitching demons had their due, and they claimed Wacha's shoulder. This is baseball. This is pitching. Sometimes, young pitchers don't succumb to Wacha's fate. Sometimes they blossom into beautiful and terrifying creatures of wanton destruction. Sometimes they become Clayton Kershaw and Chris Sale.
Sometimes they become Rick Ankiel. Sometimes they become Rickey Romero. While yes, there have been many promising position players ruined by injury (Tony Conigliaro! Bo Jackson!), there is a certain something else that shrouds the pitcher's arm in fear. More often than not, the position player fades into the ether. The pitcher seems to die. He dies a gruesome death of balls flying over the wall and trainers visiting the mound.
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Today in Baseball History:In 1982, Fernando Valenzuela ends his holdout and shows up to Dodgers camp in Florida. After making $42,500 last year, and winning the Rookie of the Year and NL Cy Young Awards, he asked for a raise to $1 million. The Dodgers end up renewing his contract for $350,000.