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Just because Opening Day is in four days doesn't mean teams around MLB are content with their roster.
Many organizations around the sport have been active in transactions, and the Cleveland Guardians is one of them.
One move they made was trading Tyler Freeman to the Colorado Rockies to reunite with Nolan Jones.
However, this won't be the organization's final move before its first regular-season game. The Guardians still have one more roster spot up for grabs. The question everyone wants to know it, how will that spot be filled?
"We are working through that, that final spot in the position player club. So, it will likely be an internal candidate. Potentially, we could, with the number of IL placements we have, we might recall a player that's already been optioned already."
That said, Antonetti also didn't rule out the possibility of adding a player through a trade or off waivers.
"It's also the time of the year where we are exploring external acquisitions, whether that could be a waiver claim or a small trade."
One internal option that meets all the criteria Antonetti mentions is MiLB Rule 5 draft pick Will Wilson. The 26-year-old has had a phenomenal spring, hitting .303/.333/.485 with an OPS of 818.
Wilson is already in the organization and could provide some depth and versatility to the infield, which was left by Freeman's departure.
One thing is for sure: The Guardians must fill this spot before Thursday, and they're running out of time to do so.
The next day or two should be an active one for Cleveland's front office.
Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage
More must-reads:
- There are many lessons to be taken from Pirates' demotion of David Bednar
- Pete Alonso addresses re-signing with Mets after Blue Jays rumors
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Pete Alonso addresses re-signing with Mets after Blue Jays rumors
First baseman Pete Alonso and the New York Mets will complete games at the Miami Marlins on Tuesday and Wednesday before the Amazins head back toward the Big Apple to prepare for Friday's home opener versus the Toronto Blue Jays. Per Will Sammon of The Athletic, Alonso recently spoke about signing a two-year contract that included a player opt-out following this season to return to the Mets after numerous stories linked him with the Blue Jays this past winter. "You have to think of what’s presented," Alonso said about his free-agency decision. "Of course, you have to think and talk and think things over. But ultimately, this was the best decision, best place and best circumstance. Not just the history, but what we’re doing with the future. It was a very easy decision." Alonso repeatedly made it known before he reached free agency that he loved featuring only for the Mets from when he made his MLB debut in 2019 through the final game of the 2024 National League Championship Series. Nevertheless, it appeared to outsiders that Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns had little interest in locking Alonso down via a new deal until angry fans let Stearns and team owner Steve Cohen know during an event that they wanted the "Polar Bear" back. Cohen ultimately got the deal done with agent Scott Boras before spring training began. "I knew everything that was going on the entire time," Alonso said about his free-agency journey. "There was no point where I was in the dark or wondering. For other people that didn’t have a look behind the curtain, that’s where they say, 'Oh, it was a crazy offseason.' No, it wasn’t. For me, I got to see the whole process — I had everything in front of me." For the second straight year, Alonso is facing the reality that he could soon play in the final home opener of his Mets tenure. The 30-year-old often received loud ovations during spring training games held in Port St. Lucie, and the fan-favorite should be quite popular among paying customers at Citi Field on Friday afternoon. "You get to enjoy it in the moment for maybe less than two seconds because then it’s game time," Alonso said about what he'll hear ahead of his first at-bat on Friday. "But then, really, you enjoy it more when you think back and reflect." Alonso insisted he was focused on taking "care of business here in Miami first" rather than on Friday's contest or his pursuit of the Mets' franchise record for career home runs. The Mets will need a non-pressing version of Alonso at the plate throughout the spring and summer as they look to do more than just return to the playoffs this coming fall.
'Hawk-Eye' technology marks a new era for the NFL, still won't stop controversies
The next time a measurement is needed to determine a first down, it won't be the chain gang coming out to make the measurement — it won't even be a human. At the NFL's spring owners meeting on Tuesday, the league announced Sony's "Hawk-Eye" virtual measurement system will be the primary method of measuring the distance between the spot of the ball and the line to gain moving forward. The sideline crew will be relegated to backups. "Combining the art of officiating with Sony's trusted Hawk-Eye system is a healthy recipe for success in our commitment to raising the standards of accuracy, consistency and efficiency," Troy Vincent, executive vice president of football operations at the NFL, said in a press release. "Replay technology and data-driven insights from Sony's Hawk-Eye Innovations aid us in advancing our efforts toward the future of football." This technology becoming the standard for the NFL marks a new era for football. The league has used "Hawk-Eye's" Synchronized Multi-Angle Replay technology since 2021 to combine and synchronize gameday footage to assist with replays being looked at in the NFL's command center. Still, officials haven't trusted the "Hawk-Eye" system with decision-making, until now, and refs won't be completely shut out by it. A referee is required to determine the spot of the ball before the "Hawk-Eye" system decides if the 10 yards for a first down have been gained. As the officials are notified of the outcome, real-time virtual recreations will be shown to the stadium and broadcast audience. According to the league, this process will take about 30 seconds, but save up to 40 seconds if the chain gang were to do it themselves. While the "Hawk-Eye" system will hopefully make long football games more efficient, it probably won't stop officiating controversies. Let's take the Buffalo Bills' failed 4th-and-1 quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter of last season's AFC Championship Game against the Kansas City Chiefs, for instance. After a scrum of players stopped Josh Allen, the down judge said Allen was short of the first down, while the line judge disagreed. Ultimately, the down judge determined the spot, resulting in a turnover on downs, which the Chiefs capitalized on to win the game, 32–29. There was plenty of controversy then, as analysts and fans felt officials gave the Bills a bad spot. This led to more calls to automate these decisions and avoid human error altogether. However, the "Hawk-Eye" system is limited in determining the spot of the ball as it would need an unobstructed view, and most of the time, the ball is quite obstructed by players hitting each other. So, in 2025, expect the refs to still make unpopular decisions on where the ball is spotted since the technology can't change that. At the very least, measurements will be faster, and it's safe to say this is only the beginning of new technologies being used on the gridiron.
NFL's kickoff rule change nullifies main argument against tush push
Those against the tush push need a better argument. On Tuesday, the NFL made a minor adjustment to its kickoff rules, and in doing so, nullified the main talking point coaches and owners have had against the short-yardage play made famous by the Philadelphia Eagles. At the 2025 owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla., the league voted to move touchbacks on kickoffs up to the 35-yard line to increase the number of kickoff returns. Per ESPN NFL reporter Kevin Seifert, "The NFL has been projecting an increase in the return rate from ~33% in 2024 to between 60%-70% in 2025." In 2024, the league implemented the "dynamic kickoff," previously seen in spring football leagues such as the XFL and UFL. The change, which saw players line up in a "landing zone" and be unable to move until the ball was caught or landed, was intended to increase the number of returns while decreasing the number of injuries. That only partially came true. At the end of the 2024 season, Seifert noted that nearly a third of all kickoffs resulted in touchbacks. Meanwhile, the injury rate on returns decreased to "the same on other plays from scrimmage," Seifert wrote. While the progress made on the injury front should be celebrated, it still means that injuries are as likely to happen on returns as on normal downs. In a follow-up post, Seifert revealed players suffered eight concussions on kickoffs in 2024, the same as in 2023 but with a higher number of returns. Do you know which play had no concussions reported last year? Do we even have to say it? Of course, it's the tush push. NFL injury data showed not only were no concussions reported on tush pushes in 2024, but the play had a 0 percent injury rate. So, for those scoring at home, some in the league are comfortable bending rules that will lead to more concussions, yet want to nix a play with a nonexistent injury rate. Make it make sense. Later in the day, NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that owners "tabled voting on ... the tush push in order to have further discussions." Schefter added that on Sunday, the league "presented the injury risk of the push sneak based on data modeling." "My biggest concern is the health and safety of the players, first and foremost," Bills head coach Sean McDermott said on Monday. "I think being responsible and proactive in that regard is the right way to go," he added. That's a nice message, but it rings hollow with the league insisting on increasing the number of kickoff returns, plays known to cause injuries. At least the NFL has a whole offseason to develop a better argument against the tush push. It's going to need it.
Roger Goodell hints at substantial change to playoff seeding that could address longstanding complaint
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Tuesday hinted at a substantial potential change to playoff seeding relating to division champions. The Detroit Lions proposed a rule change to playoff seeding that would allow wild-card teams to be seeded above division winners if they had a better record. A vote on the proposal was tabled on Tuesday, and Goodell hinted at a potential compromise proposal. Goodell said there was support for “some version” of the Lions’ proposal, but noted that teams had concern about the lack of a benefit from winning the division. The commissioner hinted at a proposal that could see division winners penalized by not getting a home playoff game if they finish with a sub-.500 record. It is not common for a team to win a division title with a sub-.500 record, but it has happened. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South with an 8-9 record in 2022, while the Washington Commanders won the NFC East in 2020 despite going 7-9. The most prominent example of this is the 2010 Seattle Seahawks, who won the NFC West at 7-9 and then won the famous “Beast Quake” playoff game at home against the New Orleans Saints. The Lions’ original proposal actually stemmed from this year’s NFC North race, which saw the Vikings get stuck with a wild-card bid and a road playoff game despite going 14-3. That prompted some calls for the league to re-assess playoff seeding. This compromise idea would not actually have changed anything in 2024, but it is a step in the right direction.
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