# MLB Spring Training Thread 2025
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701
**Category:** The Game Room
**Tags:** baseball-mlb
**Created:** [February 23, 2025, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701 "2025-02-23T17:53:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [February 23, 2025, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/1 "2025-02-23T17:53:36Z")
With spring training having started a few days ago, here’s a new thread for it.
A couple of notes on my Brewers:
- Two key players who missed much, if not all, of last season, with injuries are expected to be able to return for 2025. Outfield Christian Yelich (back) and pitcher Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) are participating in spring training practices; Yelich believes he’ll be ready to go for opening day, while Woodruff pitched off a mound to live batters for the first time since September of 2023.
- Also, Yelich unveiled a new bat – a tribute to longtime Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker – which he will be using this season.
[ ](https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/t_2x1/t_w1536/mlb/c9su8h8nxpjjos3ijy7x.jpg)
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### Author:  [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)
#### Post date: [February 25, 2025, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/2 "2025-02-25T22:14:15Z")
The Nats are 3-0. These games do count, right?
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/3 "2025-03-10T16:25:28Z")
Looks like Tommy John surgery for Gerrit Cole
> **[Yankees’ Gerrit Cole told to have Tommy John surgery, waiting for second...](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6186125/2025/03/10/yankees-gerrit-cole-tommy-john-surgery/?source=user_shared_article)**
>
> Gerrit Cole won the American League Cy Young Award in 2023 and missed part of the 2024 season due to elbow troubles.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2025, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/4 "2025-03-10T16:29:38Z")
Oy, that really blows up the Yankees season. We’re built around starting pitching and down Cole and Gil is an awful lot. Gil will probably be out the first half.
The offense will really have to step it up to give the Yanks a chance.
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2025, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/5 "2025-03-10T22:13:11Z")
And it’s official.Cole out for the 2025 season. Hope you haven’t done your fantasy baseball drafts for non keeper leagues
> **[Cole to undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday](https://www.mlb.com/news/gerrit-cole-tommy-john-surgery?partnerID=mlbapp-iOS_article-share)**
>
> Yankees ace Gerrit Cole will undergo Tommy John surgery on Tuesday, the team announced Monday night. The news comes after Cole visited Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who will perform the operation, in Los Angeles on Monday.
> Cole experienced discomfort...
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### Author:  [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2025, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/6 "2025-03-10T22:58:51Z")
Commissioner Manfred and MLB are reportedly [pressuring Stu Sternberg to sell the Rays.](https://www.foxnews.com/sports/rays-owner-facing-pressure-sell-team-mlb-could-pull-revenue-shares-force-sale-report)
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### Author:  [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2025, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/7 "2025-03-10T23:56:01Z")
Oh, no! Where will every other MLB team go to acquire young talent for a bag of prospects?
OTOH, the only exciting thing to come out of the Cardinals during spring training is the news that the long-time "home of the Cardinals, " KMOX-AM has finally acquired a full power FM station so fans in and near St. Louis can hear static-free games.
But as a kid who grew up listening to night games on a cheap transistor radio tucked under my pillow, I don’t know if I can enjoy a baseball broadcast without the crackle of static mixed in with the play-by-play.
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### Author:  [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2025, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/8 "2025-03-11T09:29:49Z")
Losing seasons from top talent sucks for the fans and sucks for baseball in general. It’s a double whammy for Cole: the TJ surgery probably puts an end to any chance he had of making the Hall of Fame.
I feel pretty gloomy about Gil too. Shoulder problems can be even worse than elbow.
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### Author:  [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2025, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/9 "2025-03-12T13:22:17Z")
Surprised the whole Texas “TeTas” controversy hasn’t been discussed here yet:
> **[Rangers cap with vulgarity taken off team's store](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44197126/rangers-cap-apparent-vulgarity-removed-online-store)**
>
> A hat was pulled from the Rangers and MLB online stores after a mashup of the team's cap and jersey logos created the appearance of a vulgar word in Spanish.
Massive self-own.
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### Author:  [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2025, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/10 "2025-03-12T17:31:39Z")
They’re almost all terrible. Baltimore, Toronto, White Sox, and maybe Milwaukee kinda work, maybe Atlanta as well, but that’s about it.
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2025, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/11 "2025-03-12T18:38:31Z")
Great spring training moment in Monday’s Mets-Cardinals game. [A loudmouthed fan](https://nypost.com/2025/03/12/sports/video-of-mets-juan-soto-getting-revenge-on-heckling-fan-goes-viral/) in the bleachers was bellowing “Overpaid! Overrated!” at Juan Soto in center field. Soto came up in the third inning and homered on the first pitch, over the fence directly at the loudmouthed fan, who tried to catch it but missed and fell down. Perfect.
It reminds me of the time I was at an Indians-Tigers game and an incredibly loud and boorish fan sitting near us repeatedly screamed insults at Tigers players, notably picking on Miguel Cabrera (“Go back to Cuba!” (Cabrera was actually born in Venezuela)). Cabrera came up in extra innings and hit the game-winning home run, which was enjoyable.
An odd note from today’s Mets-Cardinals game: de Los Santos was replaced in left field by the Mets, who put in…De Los Santos. 😃
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### Author:  [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2025, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/12 "2025-03-13T16:25:19Z")
And the Rays new ballpark is canceled now.
>
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### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [March 14, 2025, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/13 "2025-03-14T22:51:12Z")
> [@dalej42](#):
>
> And the Rays new ballpark is canceled now.
>
> [https://x.com/raysbaseball/status/1900209966897590401?s=46&t=KEWgwenxgQmz-pLDK\_DMFQ](https://x.com/raysbaseball/status/1900209966897590401?s=46&t=KEWgwenxgQmz-pLDK_DMFQ)
I’m not sure what else they could do. Three options as I see it.
Restore Tropicana so they can play there next year and also build the new stadium so they can move in when it’s done.
Play at Steinbrenner Field for a few years while the new stadium is built.
Restore Tropicana and stay there.
The third option seems like the easiest and most economical.
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [March 15, 2025, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/14 "2025-03-15T18:05:37Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#):
>
> Oh, no! Where will every other MLB team go to acquire young talent for a bag of prospects?
The Rays. I mean, they have to be somewhere, owned by someone, and all the A-tier markets are taken.
Where ya gonna put them? There aren’t any MLB quality stadiums handy that do not already host an MLB team. I happen to think New York City would be a great place, but the Yankees and Mets won’t have it.
I don’t quite grasp why the Rays aren’t trying to move to TAMPA, which to any logical analysis is a better area for them than St Petersburg, but I don’t know the local politics, maybe they’ve tried.
> [@BlankSlate](#):
>
> It’s a double whammy for Cole: the TJ surgery probably puts an end to any chance he had of making the Hall of Fame.
If he comes back healthy he might still pull it off, and these days pitchers usually do. It’s only one season, and he has the basis of an HOF career; 3-4 more decent seasons and he’ll hit 200 wins and he’s likely in, and 3-4 more decent years is not at all out of the question.
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2025, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/15 "2025-03-18T03:09:35Z")
The Dodgers this year apparently once again quietly renewed the contract of Andrew Toles, the once-well-regarded outfielder who has had serious mental health issues and has not been able to play baseball for seven years. By doing so, Toles keeps the benefits his family needs to take care of him.
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### Author:  [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2025, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/16 "2025-03-18T18:14:53Z")
Those sorts of things always make me feel a little less cynical about people in general.
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### Author:  [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2025, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/17 "2025-03-18T18:22:10Z")
Most teams are still in spring training games, while the Dodgers and Cubs traveled to Japan late last week.
They played some exhibition games against Japanese teams over the weekend, but played the first regular-season game of the year today (about a week before the rest of MLB has their Opening Days). Both teams started Japanese-born pitchers (Yoshinobu Yamamato for the Dodgers, and Shota Imanaga for the Cubs), both of whom pitched well. But, the Dodgers were able to score off of the Cubs’ bullpen, and won 4-1.
> **[Ohtani 'nervous' in Tokyo but gets 2 hits, runs](https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44302586/shohei-ohtani-nervous-playing-tokyo-dodgers-win-opener)**
>
> Shohei Ohtani said it had been "a while since I felt this nervous playing a game," but managed two hits and two runs Tuesday as the Dodgers won their Opening Day game in Tokyo.
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### Author:  [@Disinfectus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Disinfectus)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2025, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mlb-spring-training-thread-2025/1014701/18 "2025-03-18T18:30:27Z")
I really enjoyed watching Andrew Toles play and thought he was a good addition to the team. Then he just disappeared and it was a while before I found out why. Such a sad story, but it warms the heart that the Dodgers keep renewing his contract.