Monday Newsletter time: Texas Rangers officials to keep eye on labor talks this week from Arizona
A mini-camp for minor-leaguers is scheduled to begin today, and club officials are making their way to Surprise.
Things are happening with the Texas Rangers at the Surprise Recreation Campus, just not with anyone on the 40-man roster.
A mini-camp for minor-leaguers is scheduled to begin today. Live batting practice for pitchers who arrived early started Friday, with Jack Leiter among those throwing.
The beginning of spring training was delayed last week, and MLB said Friday that the soonest spring games will start is March 5.
Nevertheless, several members of the front office traveled Sunday to Arizona and president of baseball operations Jon Daniels is headed there Tuesday to begin his spring stay.
Around half of the big-league coaching staff are there, too.
Don’t read too much into that. Daniels said he could fly home at some point if there isn’t enough progress toward a new collective bargaining agreement this week in Florida.
Asked if he had any inside intel, he said he did not.
But there is a sense of urgency for the first time during the MLB lockout, with owners and players flocking to Florida to begin hammering out an agreement. Owners said they will be prepared every day this week for bargaining sessions.
Why the urgency? Well, each side has given their drop-dead day for a new CBA to be in place and not have regular-sesaon games lost. The players reportedly told the owners that if games are lost and players lose income, they absolutely will not agree to an expanded playoffs this season.
That means the owners wouldn’t see extra money added to their postseason TV deal, which could reach $100 million with a 14-team format.
No wonder there’s so much damn urgency.
Feb. 28/March 1 was always the presumed latest the lockout could last. In baseball, everything happens at the last minute.
Could things stall out and force Daniels and other officials to fly back to the Metroplex? Sure. However, it’s looking like a deal is going to come together in the next seven days.
Jung watch
Offseason player news isn’t always good news, and third base has been thrown for a loop after top prospect Josh Jung was diagnosed with a labral strain in his left shoulder.
The injury, which the Rangers say happened in the weight room, is to Jung’s non-throwing shoulder. He will be evaluated later this week by Dr. Keith Meister.
Opening Day would seem to be out of the question, even if the strain can heal without Meister operating on it.
Jung is the latest player to be bitten by the injury bug while preparing for a season.
One of the newest Rangers, Kole Calhoun, said he injured his knee last offseason and went to spring training ailing. The most infamous offseason injury in recent Rangers history came in January 2014, when left-hander Derek Holland tripped over his dog and wrecked his knee.
ICYMI …
The wife strongly suggested that I not work on a weekend getaway, but I had soooooooo much to do before departing. It got done, and here it is in case you missed it.
The Sunday Read: The Josh Jung dominoes
Friday on the Farm: Newsletter prospects 11-20
T.R.’s Memoirs: Covering Josh Hamilton (Part I, Part II, Part III)
Texas Rangers Baseball Podcast: Justin Foscue returns
Doggy video!
OK, owners and players, be this productive this week. Enjoy. See you Tuesday.
