Mining the News (3/6/26)

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

• An interesting quote on how catchers might be graded on how well they challenge with ABS.

Within that, the Twins are among many teams giving catchers vastly more leeway than pitchers to challenge borderline calls, with hitters likely falling somewhere in between. That’s backed by minor-league data, in addition to a general sense that the emotional bias of pitchers clouds their objectivity.

For years, there’s been lots of talk about the ABS system reducing the value of catchers by making pitch framing a less essential skill, but I’m becoming increasingly convinced the opposite is true. Catchers who master the art of ABS challenges could have a bigger impact than ever. It will change games.

American League

Angels

• Christian Moore is taking reps at third base.

Suzuki told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register) that Moore could get a start at the hot corner while Moncada is playing for Cuba at the World Baseball Classic. They’d ideally expand the second-year infielder’s versatility, which could make it easier to carry a veteran second baseman like Frazier or Madrigal on the bench.

• The manager called Kirby Yates “one of the best closers in the game.” And the manager wants a set closer.

“I’m a big fan,” Suzuki said. “Obviously, he’s from Hawaii and we brought that up. But just watching Kirby pitch in big situations, he was one of the best closers in the game for a long time. Last year, he dealt with injuries and mechanical issues, but he’s in a good place right now, mentally and physically.”
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Nobody has separated themselves just yet and Suzuki said Monday that while he’d prefer to have a set closer, he’s open to having several options. With 98 career saves, Yates has the experience, but knows he’ll have to earn that role after his down year in ’25.

“You always pitch yourself into a role in the bullpen and obviously I want to be in the back end,” Yates said. “I’m most comfortable pitching the ninth, but I’ve got to go out there and pitch well.”

• Caden Dana is well behind the other starters.

RHP Caden Dana
Injury: Mononucleosis
Expected return: Day to day
Status: Diagnosed on Jan. 31 but was able to throw and eat normally while dealing with fatigue. He’s behind the other pitchers, but threw his first bullpen session on March 3 without any issues.

Astros

• The GM is fine with all the infielders only playing 120 to 145 games … which is “a lot of games.”

“We do have veteran players,” Brown said. “We have guys like Altuve, who doesn’t have to play second base all the time. We can put him in left field, at DH. The at-bats are there. We have to give guys proper rest. The way I calculated the scenario, these guys could play 120-145 games, depending on how they are physically. That’s a lot of games.”

• The manager seems to have no clue about his outfield alignment.

“I’m not ready to say that,” Espada said. “Obviously, we know what Jake Meyers can do in center, I feel really good about that. I feel really good about what Cam Smith can do in right. Zach Cole and the rest of those guys can play all three. But when it comes to who’s in there day one, not there yet.”

Guardians

• Slade Cecconi tightened his cutter and replaced his slider with a sweeper.

Cecconi also introduced a cutter to his arsenal last season, and increased the usage of his curveball from 8.9 percent in 2024 to 16.5 in ‘25. The idea was simple: Cecconi has a deep mix of pitches, and he should throw his best ones most often. Opponents hit just .141 against his curveball this past season.

“Those adjustments were a little bit more difficult,” Cecconi said of his work last year. “The adjustments this year should not be as large. It’s more like, ‘We have the meat and potatoes of the arsenal and the way I move best. Now it’s just seasoning the food a little better.’”

That goes back to the idea of Cecconi using the offseason to sharpen what’s already in his tool kit. He’s made small adjustments, such as going to a harder, sharper and tighter cutter and replaced his slurvey slider with a sweeper. The idea is to have something he can consistently repeat and execute. He had good results on his cutter against Texas. It had a 50 percent whiff rate (six whiffs on 12 swings). Last year, it had a 12.5 percent whiff rate.

Orioles

• Tyler Wells is moving to the bullpen.

Orioles manager Craig Albernaz confirmed that Tyler Wells will be in the bullpen to open the season.

Having Wells in the ‘pen could help offset potential loss of Andrew Kittredge (right shoulder inflammation) in the short term.

— Jake Rill (@JakeDRill) March 4, 2026

Rangers

• A reminder that Chris Martin has been diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome.

The veteran right-hander’s career has seemed over multiple times recently. [Chris Martin] said at the close of the 2024 campaign that he was 95% sure that 2025 would be it for him. Then this past season included three different injuries, punctuated by a chilling diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome. And yet, Martin is back with the Rangers on a one-year deal.

Red Sox

• Payton Tolle is throwing his curveball more.

Tolle finished his 44-pitch afternoon with a swinging strikeout on a curveball. In truth, that was more important than the way he gripped and ripped his fastball. Of Tolle’s eight curveballs, the Yankees swung through two of them and three more were called strikes.

“You guys [in the media] have been talking about it all offseason, how I need to have a next pitch,” said Tolle. “It’s going to be exciting. If I can continue to fill the zone with it and also the changeup too, it will help out a lot. I’ll be able to go deeper into games.”

Tigers

For now, Keider Montero will start in the minors.

Here is what A.J. Hinch said today in Santo Domingo about the Tigers' decision to option Keider Montero pic.twitter.com/nPgmenj8Di

— Cody Stavenhagen (@CodyStavenhagen) March 4, 2026

Twins

• Bailey Ober reached 90-91 mph on the backfields.

Despite pitching on a backfield in front of 20 people, Ober’s velocity reached 90-91 mph. Come Friday, Ober will pitch under the lights in front of a spring training crowd, a combination that promises to provide the pitcher more adrenaline, which should lead to an uptick in velocity.

His fastball averaged 90.3 mph last year.

White Sox

• Edgar Quero reworked his swing, focusing on his hips.

Quero’s diligent offseason work focused on strengthening all areas of his game, from the offensive side to framing pitches. But change on his swing came especially within his hips.

“Try to rotate a little better with my load, in my back hips, and it’s working right now. Both sides, same thing. I figured it out in the offseason and now it’s working,” Quero said. “That helped me to be more square to hit the ball, especially the fastball. My bat speed is a little up right now, and that’s why I’m making better contact.

Yankees

• Cody Bellinger is dealing with a previous back issue.

OF/1B Cody Bellinger
Injury: Lower back discomfort
Expected return: Possibly March 5
Status: Bellinger experienced lower back discomfort on Feb. 27, according to manager Aaron Boone. It is a recurrence of an issue Bellinger has had previously, including last April. Bellinger took batting practice on March 3 but did not play.

National League

Dodgers

• River Ryan will be built up as a starter.

Even before the Gavin Stone news, Dave Roberts revealed that this spring the team viewed both right-hander Emmet Sheehan and young lefty Justin Wrobleski as starting pitchers and would build them up as such.

Now with Stone and Blake Snell out of the mix for the Dodgers Opening Day six-man rotation, those two, along with Roki Sasaki and River Ryan, will compete for a role at the backend of the rotation to start the year.

Phillies

• Jhoan Duran is throwing a split change.

He threw a couple split-changeups in Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to Team Canada at BayCare Ballpark, including a called third strike to Tyler O’Neill to end the fourth inning. It’s a pitch Duran hasn’t thrown in at least five years, but it’s a pitch he said he might bring into the regular season.
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Duran said he got a late start this spring because he was sick for three weeks in the offseason. Thomson said Duran was sick early in camp, too.

“I lost a couple days in my training, and I wanted to take time in my training,” Duran said. “I don’t want to do my routine too quickly and have any injury or something. I want to take my time and be ready for the season.

• Bryce Harper needs to not chase as much in order to get more balls to hit.

“Just try to stay as calm as I can,” Harper said following Saturday’s Grapefruit League game against the Blue Jays. “I tried to do that pretty much all camp, just trying to get pitches in the zone and swing at strikes and take my walks when I can. I feel like I’ve done a good job of that for the first four games I played. Yeah, just trying to slow down.”

A refresher: Harper saw pitches in the zone only 43 percent of time last season, the fewest out of 532 players (minimum 200 pitches). But Harper’s 35.6 percent chase rate (swings at pitches out of the strike zone) was his highest since 2022 (35.7 percent).

This spring, Harper has focused on chasing less.
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“We’ve told him, the big thing is you protect yourself,” Long said. “You know how you protect yourself? You swing at good pitches. And that’s your protection. Your protection is you going up there and controlling the at-bat. Like, with runners in scoring position. It’s a 40 percent chase rate. You can’t live that way. Your numbers are going to continue to go down if you continue to do that. It’s more him getting himself out.

Pirates

• Mike Clevinger’s fastball velocity is up, and he added a changeup.

Clevinger’s four-seam fastball averaged 95.4 mph against the Rays, well above his 93.5 mph average from the past two seasons. It topped out at 97.0 mph — his fastest pitch since Sept. 13, 2023.

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But hey, a few extra ticks on his fastball would only help his other pitches play up a bit more. On Monday the main beneficiary was not the sweeper but the changeup. Clevinger induced seven whiffs (on just nine swings) with his changeup.

“The changeup has been huge,” he said. “That was my fourth or fifth pitch, and now, some days it could be my No. 1 or 2 pitch.”

Rockies

• Kyle Freeland added a cutter.

Facing Team USA added some juice to the first spring outing for lefty Kyle Freeland, who pitched for the American squad in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Nonetheless, Freeland’s plan was to test a new cutter — with a new grip, in hopes of landing the pitch higher than his slider — and changeup.