# MLB-Hot Stove League winter 2022/23 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** baseball-mlb\ **Created:** [November 14, 2022, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910 "2022-11-14T20:53:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 19
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/361 "2023-03-21T00:56:04Z")
Well, the Cubs could use a catcher. Wonder if he has the ability (and the desire) to play in the majors. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/362 "2023-03-22T07:27:33Z")
this will be an intresting conversation in the clubhouse > **[Ohtani fans Trout, Japan tops US 3-2 for WBC championship](https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/ohtani-fans-trout-japan-tops-us-3-2-for-wbc-championship/ar-AA18V7j0?ocid=BingHp01&cvid=19c9031a28e84d2fa1e80ebdd02d5c0a&ei=23)** > > MIAMI (AP) — Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout had dreamed of this moment, along with millions of fans throughout Japan and the United States: the two biggest stars on the planet, longtime teammates, facing each other at 60 feet, 6 inches, the world title... ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/363 "2023-03-22T13:46:11Z")
Ohtani is so much fun to watch. I really hope he can remain a two-way player for the next ten years or so. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/364 "2023-03-22T16:57:26Z")
MLB is making some minor tweaks to the new pitch clock rules, though the general rules will remain the same. The tweaks are mostly in regards to when the clock is started, such as in situations when the pitcher had left the mound to act as a fielder, or when the batter had been knocked down. With spring training drawing to a close, the average game time has been 25 minutes shorter than last year (2:36 versus 3:01); as players have grown accustomed to the clock, violations have become less frequent, and are now averaging just over one violation per game (similar to the rate seen in the minors). > **[MLB, in memo, orders set of pitch clock tweaks](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35916318/mlb-making-small-changes-pitch-clock-rules-memo-says)** > > Major League Baseball is making slight changes to its new pitch clock rules ahead of the 2023 regular season, according to a memo obtained by ESPN. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/365 "2023-03-22T17:07:28Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Ohtani is so much fun to watch. I really hope he can remain a two-way player for the next ten years or so. If Ohtani remains healthy this year, he could get a contract worth $600-$800 million. Hell, maybe more. ---
**Author:** ![ThatCanadianGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@ThatCanadianGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatCanadianGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/366 "2023-03-23T02:18:53Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The Blue Jays would likely see a lot of value in the existence of the Expos. Montreal is far enough away to not be an immediate geographic market problem, and the Canadian rivalry thing is money in the bank, baby! Vancouver would be great too. The Jays did not allow the Expos to share the Ottawa area and that led, in part, to the demise of the Expos. So I disagree with you. They didn’t see it that way back then so I doubt they would for a new team. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/367 "2023-03-23T10:58:00Z")
wow there’s some vitriol against the current commissioner in this one > **[Rob Manfred Puts MLB Batboys And Batgirls On Notice, Killing Fans' WBC Buzz](https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/rob-manfred-puts-mlb-batboys-and-batgirls-on-notice-killing-fans-wbc-buzz/ar-AA18XoXG?ocid=MSNHP_U646&pc=U646&cvid=943a9cc5886d4092b14b739905fe03d8&ei=39)** > > The 2023 World Baseball Classic did more to repair the damage done to Major League Baseball since, well, as long as most people can remember. Pretty much ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/368 "2023-03-23T11:21:51Z")
And I can’t tell whether this is a legitimate concern or a big nothingburger written by someone who’s just looking for something to be upset about. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/369 "2023-03-23T16:08:13Z")
Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, who was slated to be the team’s Opening Day starter, suffered a groin strain during a weight-room session at the WBC, and will start the season on the IL – it’s expected that he’ll miss several weeks. > **[Cards' Wainwright hurt during WBC, to start on IL](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35924801/cardinals-adam-wainwright-il-likely-several-weeks)** > > Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright suffered a groin injury while working out during the World Baseball Classic and will start the season on the IL. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2023, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/370 "2023-03-23T17:53:44Z")
In semi-related news, the commissioner [wants more top pitchers participating in the WBC](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35913858/mlb-rob-manfred-pushes-more-star-pitchers-next-wbc). ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2023, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/371 "2023-03-26T22:13:30Z")
Yankees are adding top-rookie Anthony Volpe to the ML roster to start at SS for opening day. Let’s go kid! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2023, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/372 "2023-03-26T22:32:50Z")
> [@ThatCanadianGuy](#): > > The Jays did not allow the Expos to share the Ottawa area and that led, in part, to the demise of the Expos. I am failing to find a reference for this. The Jays definitely did not want to share southern Ontario, that’s for sure, but I can’t find where they gobbled up Ottawa. The Expos’ demise had little to zero to do with the Ottawa market in any event. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2023, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/373 "2023-03-26T23:18:08Z")
Oh, that’s good news! He played here for part of 2021 (high A), and he looked really promising in the games I saw him in. Surprising power, good speed, looked steady if not spectacular on defense. The only issue I saw was being a little too choosy with close pitches–he was rung up on strikes a few too many times. I didn’t meet him personally, but people I know who did said he seemed like a good guy. I’m by no means a Yankees fan. But I’ll be rooting for him anyway. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2023, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/374 "2023-03-26T23:19:03Z")
Well, if I’m the Yankees, I’d rather take a chance on Volpe being ready now than any of the alternatives. ---
**Author:** ![ThatCanadianGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@ThatCanadianGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatCanadianGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/375 "2023-03-29T15:49:59Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The Expos’ demise had little to zero to do with the Ottawa market in any event. The Jays voted for the team to be contracted along with the Twins. The very least they could have done is vote for non contraction and show support for their Canadian cousins. It wouldn’t have changed anything. I understand it was likely the league that forced every team to vote that way but the Jays probably saw an opportunity at the time to get the province of Quebec which they were sharing with the Expos. Back in the early 2000s before the team left for Washington, there were no English broadcasts of game by stations outside Quebec. This means no Ottawa station were doing games. If that doesn’t help in reducing interest, I don’t know what does. The best you could have was the French station across the river in Gatineau. And of course, there was no television, certainly not in English. The Expos had done surveys of people coming to games and where they came from. The second biggest region after Montreal was Ottawa. I’m proof of that as well as the many Greyhound buses from Ottawa going to games. I was talking to Jacques Doucet about 15 years ago about this (he was the Expos’ French broadcaster) and he was of the opinion that losing the Ottawa market hurt the Expos. IF Montreal gets a team, they NEED the Ottawa region in order to be successful and survive. The problem is that it seems the Blue Jays won’t let them share the Ottawa market. A new team has to come to an agreement with them about this, or force/convince the league to do so. If not, we’ll have the same situation and the team may move again with pundits saying “see, Montreal can’t support a team”. Being in Ottawa, I can follow both teams, I did before. But I’d rather drive the two hours to Montreal a couple times a year rather than the five hours to Toronto. If the Blue Jays don’t share Ottawa, I’d rather not have a team in Montreal. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/376 "2023-03-29T16:04:45Z")
With spring training games having concluded, this ESPN article outlines the impact of the various rules changes during spring games: - Average game time was down 26 minutes versus last year (2:35 versus 3:01), thanks to the pitch clock. - The limited number of pitcher step-offs, and slightly larger bases, led to increases in steal attempts (2.3 attempts per game, versus 1.6 last year), and a higher success rate on steals (77% vs. 71%). - Elimination of the infield shift led to a somewhat higher batting average on balls in play (BABIP) for lefty hitters (.327 this year, vs. .314 last year); BABIP was essentially unchanged for right-handed hitters. - Runs per game and overall batting averages were essentially unchanged. > **[Pitch clock shaved 26 minutes off spring games](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/35992899/pitch-clock-shaved-26-minutes-mlb-spring-training-games)** > > The use of a pitch clock shaved 26 minutes off of spring training games this year as MLB is set to use it for the first time in regular season games Thursday. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2023, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910/377 "2023-03-29T16:26:37Z")
> [@ThatCanadianGuy](#): > > Back in the early 2000s before the team left for Washington, there were no English broadcasts of game by stations outside Quebec. Back in the early 2000s the Expos for one year had no local TV broadcasts **at all.** Jeffrey Loria simply refused to sign any TV contract that wasn’t outrageously expensive. In 2004, they did have some Canada-wide games, as Loria had sold the team one he gutted it, and MLB was willing to accept a cheap deal to make at least some money. You seem to be operating on the assumption Expos ownership was trying to make a go of it in Montreal. They were not. The team that most wanted the Expos to move was the Expos. This wasn’t a situation where a franchise really was trying to succeed but for business reasons had to move. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-hot-stove-league-winter-2022-23/974910.md?page=18)