By: Mike Taber
NIAGARA UNIVERSITY, N.Y. – Now that the rain has cleared out of Florida, a baseball tradition that occurs every year can kick off: Spring Training. Over the next couple of months, Major League Baseball teams will be working out, signing autographs and playing each other in Spring Training. Players will perform at their best to make player rosters that consists of 26 players. Some of the best teams in baseball look forward to Spring Training to to improve their roster before the season.
This past offseason, Major League Baseball found that the Houston Astros were stealing signs in 2017. Manager A.J. Hinch and General Manager Jeff Luhnow lost their jobs and cost the Astros a fine of $3 million. Houston was not stripped of the 2017 World Series Championship. This scandal has rocked the Houston Astros as a result of not complying with the rules of baseball. They will look to overcome their setbacks this season and will practice doing so throughout Spring Training.
Meanwhile in the Bronx, New York Yankees notched Gerrit Cole from Houston, it is one of the biggest deals ever. Cole is getting $324 million dollars over a Nine-year period. The Yankees compiled a record of 103-59 and went to the AL Division Championship in 2019. This year will be exciting for the Yankees. Rookie prospect Deivi Garcia will look to add some spark to build up their rotation, and prove it through Spring Training, as Luis Severino will undergo Tommy John surgery.
The New York Mets were a late danger to the NL East last year with an 86-76 record. Their Manager is Luiz Rojas taking over for Carlos Beltran who was involved in the Houston Astros cheating scandal. Pete Alonzo, Todd Frazier and Jeff McNeil provided clutch hitting late in the season. Jacob DeGrom, the heart of the team, is looking to repeat last seasons performance. The Mets can definitely be a surprise this season, and will look to fine tune their game in Spring Training.
Image by: MissChatter is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Niagara Wire 