2018 – The Orioles make a late spring training addition to their pitching staff as they sign free agent Alex Cobb to a four-year deal worth $57 million. Cobb made a nice comeback from Tommy John surgery, winning 12 games for the Rays last season.

Putting financial considerations ahead of on-field competitiveness, the Braves send top prospect Ronald Acuna to the minors, even though the Baseball America 2017 Minor League Player of the Year has been red hot in spring training, hitting .432 with 4 homers, and is obviously ready for the Show. However, the Braves want to delay the start of his arbitration clock by a year by keeping him away from the bigs for at least a couple of weeks.

2018 – The Twins’ hopes of returning to the postseason are dealt a big blow as SS Jorge Polanco is handed an 80-game suspension for testing positive to a PED, the old-school steroid Stanozolol.

In the sort of weirdness that only happens in spring training, the Rangers play a couple of innings against the Royals with a double play combination composed of Rougned Odor at second base and Rougned Odor at shortstop. It is a first time the two brothers, who share a first name but have different middle names, have played together in a professional game.

Not to be outdone, the Blue Jays field a line-up straight out of the 1990s in their 11 – 3 win over the Canadian junior national team. The team features an infield of Clemens, Biggio, Bichette and Guerrero, with Dwight Smith Jr. in left field and Grudzielanek at DH. They are all sons of major leaguers, except for Grudzielanek, who is Mark’s nephew. Joining them by pitching a perfect 8th inning in 17-year-old Braden Halladay, son of the late Roy Halladay, who qualifies to play for the Canadians by virtue of having been born in Toronto, ON.

2018 – News stories emerge that defending AL MVP José Altuve has signed a contract extension guaranteeing him $151 million over five years starting in 2020. The huge salary will compensate for the fact that Altuve has been a tremendous bargain for the Houston Astros until now, earning just $6 million this season.

2018 – Minor League Baseball announces some changes to the rules that will be used throughout the minor leagues starting this season. First, there will be a limit of six mound visits per game in AAA, similar to the rule change just introduced in Major League Baseball; lower classifications will allow more visits: 8 in AA and 10 in Class A. A 15-second pitch clock will be introduced with the bases empty, and 20 seconds with men on base. Finally, a variation of the Schiller Rule will be used beginning in the 10th inning, as each half inning will start with the batter preceding the first batter of the inning already on second base. That last rule was already in use in some Rookie-class leagues.

2018 – One of the few remaining first-rung free agents left unsigned, P Jake Arrieta, inks a three-year deal with the Phillies worth $75 million. Alex Cobb is now the last pitcher still looking for a team.