New York Yankees catching coach Tanner Swanson explains why catcher Ben Rortvedt, acquired from the Minnesota Twins, is so skilled on defense behind the plate
We were promised a ton of movement the moment the lockout ended, and thus far those promises have come true. As we've been writing, this wouldn’t just be the spring training we all know, it would be The Wildest Spring Training Ever. So far it's been pretty lively. We saw it again yesterday with two major surprises, as Kris Bryant landed in the NL West but on a surprise team and so did Freddie Freeman. It's all covered below.Ken Rosenthal, Jayson Stark, Britt Ghiroli, Jim Bowden and the rest of The Athletic’s MLB staff will keep you up to date with the latest rumors, signings, deals and analysis. Follow along.Required readingEverything you need to know about the many MLB schedule changesThe All-Unsigned Team: A roster of the top remaining MLB free agentsTop 70 remaining MLB free agents: Jim Bowden’s cheat sheet for when baseball returnsQuick analysis of every single deal in the first 5 days of baseball’s post-lockout madnessMLB’s collective bargaining agreem
Major League Baseball’s lockout is over, and spring training beings on Sunday. But this won’t just be “spring training,” as we all know and love it. It will be more like The Wildest Spring Training Ever. Hundreds of free agents trying to get signed as soon as possible, all at the same time. Trades that never got done this winter, erupting at any moment. Visa Problem Theater. And so much more.Ken Rosenthal, Jayson Stark, Britt Ghiroli, Jim Bowden and the rest of The Athletic’s MLB staff will keep you up to date with the latest rumors, signings, deals and analysis. Follow along.Required readingEverything you need to know about the many MLB schedule changesWhy baseball is bracing for the Wildest Spring Training EverThe All-Unsigned Team: A roster of the top remaining MLB free agentsTop 70 remaining MLB free agents: Jim Bowden’s cheat sheet for when baseball returnsUsing the wisdom of the crowd to find the best remaining free-agent values (Photo of Carlos Correa: Elsa / Getty I
After trading Gary Sanchez to the Minnesota Twins, the New York Yankees will likely use a platoon of Kyle Higashioka and newly acquired Ben Rortvedt at catcher