2017 – C Matt Wieters inks a two-year contract worth $21 million with the Nationals; he is set to replace Wilson Ramos who left through free agency a few months earlier.
2016 – The Dodgers continue to be aggressive in signing defectors from Cuba, inking P Yaisel Sierra to a six-year contract worth $30 million. The signing follows that of major leaguers Yasiel Puig, Alex Guerrero, Erisbel Arruebarrena and Hector Olivera, all to multi-million dollar contracts, and three other pitchers inked in recent months: Yadier Alvarez, Yusniel Diaz and Omar Estevez.
2013 – A former Florida Marlins top prospect at third base in the 1990s, Josh Booty is back in baseball after winning a reality television show produced by the MLB Network called “The Next Knuckler”. Booty’s knuckleball wins him an invitation to spring training with the Diamondbacks. He is now 38 years old and was a star quarterback in college football after washing out of the major leagues. He will fail to earn a contract, however.
2012 – The Cubs and Red Sox finally agree on compensation for the Cubs’ hiring of Boston GM Theo Epstein to be their team President while Epstein was still under contract earlier this off-season. The Cubs agree to send pitcher Chris Carpenter to the BoSox, and the two teams will also exchange players to be named later to complete the deal.
36-year-old Justine Siegal makes a bit of history at the Cleveland Indians spring training complex in Goodyear, AZ. The former assistant coach at Springfield College and first base coach with the Brockton Rox is believed to be the first woman to throw batting practice to a group of major league hitters.
Bryce Harper, the first overall pick in the 2010 amateur draft, creates a stir on his first day at the Washington Nationals camp in Viera, FL. He hits nothing but hard line drives in his first batting practice session, then is mobbed by autograph-seekers as he tries to leave the field. Harper has yet to make his minor league debut, but observers are already wondering how quickly he will make it to the big leagues.
Seven new members of the College Baseball Hall of Fame are announced, including four former Golden Spikes Award winners (Oddibe McDowell, Tim Wallach, Terry Francona and Dave Magadan). Also inducted are 1950s All-American Dick Groat and longtime coaches Prez Jones and Bill Wilhelm.
2010 – The Yankees sign veteran Korean P Chan Ho Park to a one-year contract. Park pitched against the Yanks for the Phillies in last year’s World Series.
In a decision which team general manager Neal Huntington calls easy, the Pirates pick up John Russell’s contract option for this season. The sophomore skipper went 67-95 in his first season with the last-place Bucs.
2008 – Ryan Howard equals a new record for a first-time eligible player by winning a salary of $10 million through arbitration. Alfonso Soriano had previously won $10 million in arbitration as well.