Week two of Spring Training Games is coming to a close and The World Baseball Classic (WBC) is finally underway. Game One took place last night (10pm EST) with Chinese Taipei against Australia. There are just two games today but the schedule hits high gear on Friday with a slate of eight games including Team USA facing off against Brazil at 5pm PST (8pm EST). San Francisco Giants star Logan Webb will take the mound for Team USA, with no starter announced for Brazil yet. See my colleague Ben Wiley’s
piece yesterday for an update on which A’s fan favorites will be playing in the WBC. It will be an exciting tournament for sure with the usual powerhouses expected to make it out of their brackets. Puerto Rico and Canada are the favorites to move on from Pool A play in Hiram Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico. Team USA is the odds-on favorite to win Pool B with either Mexico or Italy taking the second spot in Houston. Pool C will take place at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. Team Japan is the clear-cut favorite with Chinese Taipei likely to be the second team to advance. Finally, Pool D takes place at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida. Perennial powerhouses Dominican Republic and Venezuela are most likely to advance from this Group.
It’s hard to imagine a more exciting ending than the 2023 Classic with Shohei Ohtani striking out Mike Trout with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to seal Japan’s victory over the United States. But that’s why they play the games!
Options, Options and no more Options
One thing that many casual fans don’t consider as they root for their favorite players to make the opening day rosters is the number of minor league options a player has remaining. For the first three years of an MLB career, teams can send a player from the 40-man roster to the minors and call them back up to the major league squad an unlimited amount of times. If a player spends at least 20 days in the minors it counts as a full option year. But once a player is “out of options” they must pass through waivers to be cleared to report to the minor league squad. Clearly these transactions carry much more risk, and are carefully considered. This is why a player who may have had a better spring could be sent down instead of a player who is out of options. The A’s only have two players with less than five years of MLB experience who are out of options; newly acquired utility player Andy Ibáñez and Luis Medina who is making his comeback from Rotator Cuff surgery.
Happy Spring Training Thursday, A’s Nation!
A’s Coverage
- Athletics Community Prospect List: Kade Morris Rounds Out Top-20
- A’s have best ABS challenge success rates so far this spring
- Still Need To Put The “Fun” In Fundamentals
- A’s matchup with Padres a homecoming for No. 1 prospect De Vries
- Young, talented Athletics need veterans to show the way
- Athletics coaching staff enthusiastic about Bolte’s pathway to Majors
- Medina eager to get back on track after nearly 2-year absence
- A’s to follow casinos’ playbook on how to treat Las Vegas season ticket holders
- Price to Watch A’s Baseball in Las Vegas this year revealed
- Where Does Tommy White Fit in the A’s Mix at Third Base?
- Only a little polish needed before Jump could be ready for The Show
- Butler ramps up recovery efforts, eyes mid-Spring Training return
- Why are A’s using personal seat licenses for Las Vegas stadium?
- Circa Las Vegas bringing in A’s legend for baseball opening day festitivies
- A’s spending on $2B Vegas stadium passes $300m mark, is Fisher’s folly really happening?
- Bob Melvin opens up: A Giants firing, an A’s hiring, and what comes next
- Can The A’s Young Core Turn Defense Into a Strength?
- Pesky Drawback Of “Closer By Committee” (It Never Really Works)
- “Relievers Are Volatile”… But Why?
- Are The Final Two Rotation Spots Really Up For Grabs?
MLB News and Interest:
- World Baseball Classic preview: Top stars, predictions & more for every pool
- Braves’ Profar tests positive again, banned 162 games by MLB
- Reports: Phillies’ Rojas to fight possible 80-game drug ban
- Royals sign Starling Marte to a one-year, $1M deal
- Here are the new 2026 team Top 30 Prospects lists
- Mark DeRosa sets USA rotation for WBC with Logan Webb starting G1
- Tigers Announce Launch Of Detroit SportsNet
- Padres sign Verdugo to Minors deal, bolster outfield depth
- Is Salt Lake City emerging as a leader contender for MLB expansion?
- Ex-MLB pitcher from San Francisco sentenced for murder
- Fairbanks is Marlins’ new go-to for pop culture recs
- Way-too-early predications for 2026 All-Star Game starters
- Injuries: Lindor, Yanks, Twins, Kelly, Woodruff, Basallo
- U.S. denies visas for 8 in Cuba’s WBC delegation
- What does Scherzer’s return mean for Jays’ packed rotation?
- Today in Baseball History
