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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!
We finally found out what was ailing Matt Harvey, and admittedly, it's rather funny.
Speaking of weird injuries, our own Mike Bates talked about some of baseball weirdest injuries.
And, since he appeared to be on a role, Bates then debunked a story about how the Expos offered Pedro Martinez and Vladimir Guerrero to the Yankees for Derek Jeter.
If this call had been made in the fall of 1997, and Brian Cashman didn't immediately take it and then immediately call his parents to tell them that he had just secured the Yankees' future for the next, like, 15 years, he would have A) been certifiably insane and B) have been fired on the spot.
It would have changed the face of Major League Baseball. But it never happened. At least not the way it was described. Jeffrey Loria may have ordered Beattie to trade for Jeter. Vlad Guerrero might have been discussed in a deal to the Yankees. But there is no way that the Expos ever offered two eventual Hall of Famers for one. Not only doesn't it pass the smell test, but it's fundamentally impossible. Not as Cafardo describes it, anyways. But otherwise, yeah, cute story, Nick. Next time, spend five minutes on Baseball Reference.com.
Beyond the Box Score paid tribute to Ichiro yesterday, with their #IchiroForever series. Instead of just picking one story to drop here, this link will bring you to the entire story stream where you can get your fill of Ichiro.
The Padres are scouting Pablo Sandoval.
The Cubs re-signed Shane Victorino to a minors deal after releasing them earlier in the day.
Here is a tracker of all the opt-outs and signings that have taken place during the latter stages of the spring.
Texas acquired catcher Bryan Holaday from the Tigers, and will probably use him as their backup.
A roundup of all the latest news surrounding the NL Central.
Eno Sarris of FanGraphs tries to invent a new pitch.
We found a Reverse Curveball, and a True Screwball — two ways to get lefty curveball movement from a right-handed arm slot. If you’re willing to dedicate yourself to it, as Brent Honeywell might be doing in the Rays farm system right now with his dedication to throwing a “left-handed curveball from a right-handed arm slot,” then you might find yourself with an advantage. Because these pitches feature movement that you just don’t see very often in the league today.
Listen to Buster Posey, quoted in an excellent New York Times piece about thevanishing true screwball, and you’ll see how surprising it would be. “I don’t think it’s physically possible,” Giants catcher Buster Posey told the New York Times. “I just don’t believe that a right-handed pitcher can make a ball move as though he were left-handed. I just don’t.” Oh really?
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Today in Baseball History: In 1966, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale end a 32-day holdout and both sign new contracts worth over $100,000.