Every spring training big storylines begin to develop and this year is no different. Whether it’s injuries or looking at how players are going to perform now that they are on a new team each spring training provides a plethora of questions. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest question marks we are being faced with this spring training.
The first question we have is what kind of season can we expect from Cliff Lee? Lee was not his usual self last year in an injury shortened season posting a 3.65 ERA. Lee is now 36 years old and is already experiencing discomfort in his pitching elbow where he felt discomfort last season. This is the same injury that limited Lee to 13 starts last season. However the extent of the injury won’t be known until Monday or Tuesday when the test results from the MRI come back. Having had elbow troubles last year and turning 36 this year Lee is going to be huge risk this season if you decide to draft him. For those who want to take a flyer on Lee don’t expect the ace quality stats that we have all grown accustomed to seeing from Lee and certainly don’t expect much in terms of wins as long as remains on the Phillies.
How will Alex Rodriguez respond after being off for a full season? Rodriguez is going to be 39 this season but the year off from baseball may have done him so good. He was probably able to collect himself and clear his head. Perhaps more importantly though is what the year off may have done for his body. Arod hasn’t played in a full season since 2007 and this time off may have been what his surgically repaired hip needed so that he can stay healthy. The move to being the full time DH should also help Rodriguez. It will put a lot less wear and tear on his body and he can solely focus on hitting. Rodriguez won’t magically become the .300 average 30 homerun guy he once was but 25 homeruns, a.275 average and 90+ RBI based off where in the order he hits, seems plausible if he stays healthy.
How will Masahiro Tanaka bounce back after managing to avoid Tommy John surgery last season? Tanaka Puts a lot of strain on his elbow with how often he throws his splitter which happens to be his best pitch. He threw his splitter 25 percent of the time last year and that number spiked up to 42 percent with two strikes. If Tanaka is healthy he should have no problem replicating his results from last year before his elbow started acting up. This guy has 200 strikeout, 20 win sub 3.00 ERA potential if there are no elbow complications.
Is Wil Myers going to bounce back in a new environment after the trade? One year after winning the rookie of the year Myers struggled mightily at the plate. In one fewer game played last season than his rookie year Myers hit seven fewer homeruns, drove in 20 fewer runs, and batted .070 points lower. It certainly is not going to be easy for Myers to hit for a ton of power now that he is hitting in spacious Petco Park. Myers however is surrounded with a better lineup than he had last year. The added protection and less need for superstar numbers should help Myers get back on track and put his numbers back in line with his rookie season.