AL Central

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber needs season-ending Tommy John surgery after suffering pain in his opening start of the season that persisted into his second start, per multiple reports.

Shane Bieber needs elbow surgery.

He had pain after his Opening Day start that continued through his outing in Seattle. Imaging revealed an injury to the same ligament that gave him trouble last year. Surgery was determined to be the best path forward this time.

— Mandy Bell (@MandyBell02) April 6, 2024

Guardians ace Shane Bieber to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.

— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) April 6, 2024

The 28-year-old is in the midst of his seventh MLB season and has continued to establish himself as the ace of the Cleveland pitching staff.

This season, Bieber has compiled a 2-0 record with a 0.00 ERA, 0.917 WHIP and 20 strikeouts across 12 innings and two starts.

Cleveland relies heavily on its starting pitching and has for the past several years. Many of the pitchers who led Cleveland to success in recent years—such as Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Mike Clevinger and Carlos Carrasco—are gone, but Bieber remains.

With Bieber done for the season, Triston McKenzie, Tanner Bibee and Logan Allen will be looked upon to shoulder the load in the Cleveland rotation.

Cleveland may also need to win more slugfests, which means José Ramírez and others will be tasked with putting up big numbers at the plate.

The Chicago White Sox have traded infielder José Rodríguez to the Philadelphia Phillies, the team announced Friday.

Chicago will receive cash considerations in the deal.

Rodríguez, 22, has been in the minors since 2018. Last season, he had 123 hits, 21 home runs, 62 RBI and 31 steals, notching a .262 batting average and a .729 OPS.

Rodríguez was designated for assignment on Thursday.

Chicago designated Rodríguez for assignment to make room on the roster for starting pitcher Mike Clevinger, who the White Sox officially signed on Thursday. Clevinger had 110 strikeouts and a 3.77 ERA in 24 innings for Chicago last season.

Rodríguez appeared in just one game for the White Sox last year, making his MLB debut. In that game, he came in as a pinch runner and made his way to the plate, but has yet to record his first at-bat in the majors.

Before being traded, Rodríguez was the No. 17 prospect for the White Sox in 2024 according to MLB.com.

With an infield consisting of Bryce Harper, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner and Alec Bohm and some talented depth, it would be tough for Rodríguez to get consistent playing time in The Show.

He has shown plenty of promise in the minors with lots of power at the plate, so he could come in and give the Phillies an offensive boost if called upon.

Mike Clevinger will remain on the South Side.

Clevinger and the Chicago White Sox reportedly have agreed on a new contract, pending a physical, per Robert Murray of FanSided.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported it's a one-year deal.

Clevinger became a free agent this winter after declining his half of a $12 million mutual option with the White Sox for 2024.

The 33-year-old was one of the top remaining arms on the market after players like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamto and Shōta Imanaga landed deals during the offseason.

Clevinger was solid in his first season on the South Side, rebounding after an up-and-down year with the San Diego Padres in 2022. He posted a 3.77 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 110 strikeouts in 131.1 innings across 24 starts.

Clevinger began his career with the Cleveland Guardians in 2016 and spent four and a half seasons with the franchise before being traded to the Padres during the 2020 season.

The 2022 campaign was perhaps the worst of his career as he posted a 4.33 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 91 strikeouts in 114.1 innings across 23 games (22 starts). While he had an up-and-down year, San Diego still reached the National League Championship Series before falling to the Philadelphia Phillies.

The White Sox are off to an 0-3 start this season and aren't expected to be contenders, so Clevinger likely won't be on a playoff team this time around. Still, the American League Central team at least added a familiar face with a history of some success on the team as it attempts to surprise in 2024.

Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch had a harrowing experience on Opening Day.

Speaking to reporters ahead of Saturday's game between the Tigers and Chicago White Sox, Hinch revealed he was almost hit by a car when he ran onto the field before the first pitch for Thursday's opener.

A.J. Hinch was nearly hit by a car on Thursday as he dashed from the dugout onto the field during the White Sox pregame ceremony.

"That was a close one. They have priority. Clearly. I'll let the cars pass next time."

— Evan Woodbery (@evanwoodbery) March 30, 2024

There doesn't seem to be any video evidence to see how close Hinch came to the car.

As part of the pregame festivities at Guaranteed Rate Field, the White Sox brought some of their players onto the field in a car. Hinch evidently nearly got clipped by one on his way to home plate for the exchange of lineup cards.

Even though that was probably not the way Hinch wanted to start the season, things got better for him when the game started. Tarik Skubal tossed six shutout innings, allowing three hits with six strikeouts in a 1-0 win for the Tigers.

The victory marked the first time the Tigers have been over .500 since the first game of the 2022 season when they also defeated the White Sox.

Coming out of Friday's off day, the Tigers will send Kenta Maeda to the mound against Michael Soroka for the White Sox. A win will give Detroit its first 2-0 start to a season since 2021.

After leading the Kansas City Chiefs to their second straight Super Bowl title, head coach Andy Reid is set to lend his hand to another local team.

It was announced on Tuesday that Reid will throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day for the Kansas City Royals when they begin their 2024 season against the Minnesota Twins on March 28:

Kansas City Royals said Chiefs head coach Andy Reid will throw out the first pitch on opening day.
📷 @Royals pic.twitter.com/qU5gRq8BZy

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 19, 2024

During the 2023 season, Reid assisted the Royals mascot Slugger as he threw the first pitch to the Philly Fanatic in fulfillment of a Super Bowl bet between Kansas City and the Philadelphia Phillies. This time around, Reid will be taking the ball himself.

Of note, Reid famously impressed when he participated in the punt, pass and kick competition in his younger days:

50 years ago today, Andy Reid was a head and shoulders above the rest of his punt, pass, and kick competition 😂@Chiefs pic.twitter.com/Yi992ibZ4O

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) December 13, 2021

After throwing the first pitch, Reid will be handing the ball to Royals left-hander Cole Ragans, who was announced as the team's Opening Day starter on Sunday.

Gio Urshela is going to play for his fourth different team in the past four seasons after agreeing to a deal with the Detroit Tigers.

Per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Urshela will sign a one-year, $1.5 million contract. Jon Heyman of the New York Post and MLB Network added the deal includes incentives.

MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported earlier this month that the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Miami Marlins were among the teams with interest in the infielder.

Urshela spent last season with the Los Angeles Angels. He was only on the field for 62 games before suffering a season-ending pelvic fracture against the Texas Rangers on June 15 when he fell awkwardly trying to beat out a grounder.

Prior to the injury, Urshela was on pace to have his worst offensive season since 2018. He hit .299/.329/.374 in 214 at-bats.

Originally signed by the Cleveland Guardians as an international free agent in 2008, Urshela made his big-league debut seven years later.

After struggling to carve out an MLB role during his time in Cleveland, Urshela was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays during the 2018 season. He struggled there and was moved again later the same season, this time to the Yankees.

The 2019 season was a breakout year for Urshela. He hit .314/.355/.534 with 21 homers and 74 RBI in 132 games. The Colombia native carried that performance over to the shortened 2020 season with a .298/.368/.490 slash line in 43 games.

Following a down season in 2021, the Yankees sent Urshela to the Minnesota Twins in the Josh Donaldson trade. He had a strong bounce-back year with a .285/.338/.429 slash line in 501 at-bats.

Urshela was a top-30 player in the American League by FanGraphs' wins above replacement from 2019 to '22. The Angels acquired him from the Twins hoping he could provide stability for their infield, especially because of his ability to play multiple positions.

The injury took away any chance that Urshela had to prove he could do that for the Angels. The Tigers are betting on a rebound year for the 32-year-old. It's not a bad bet given the low cost it took to sign him.

Urshela could move into the starting lineup for the Tigers when the regular season begins. Zach McKinstry was penciled as their Opening Day third baseman, but he's a .221/.288/.365 hitter in 269 career games.

There was very little difference between Urshela and McKinstry by FanGraphs' defensive value metric last season, though Urshela did have a 6-0 advantage in defensive runs saved.

This isn't the most exciting addition for a Tigers team that's trying to take a step forward this season after winning 78 games in 2023, but Urshela gives them much-needed infield depth to take advantage of one month away from Opening Day.

After spending the entire offseason hearing his name mentioned in trade rumors, Chicago White Sox ace Dylan Cease can expect more of the same during the season until he gets moved.

In a survey of current and former MLB executives, coaches and scouts by The Athletic's Jayson Stark, Cease was overwhelmingly voted as the most likely player to be traded.

Cease received 14 votes from the panel, nine more than any other player (Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames).

One of the biggest surprises from the offseason was that Cease didn't get traded. This seemed like a perfect time for the White Sox to cash in with the most valuable asset they have left to get a package that could help the franchise rebuild from the ground up.

While it's still possible a deal could happen now that spring training has started, one AL executive told Stark the White Sox will likely wait until closer to the trade deadline during the season when teams will "pay a ton" for a frontline starter.

Of course, the reason Cease is still with Chicago right now is due in part to the asking price general manager Chris Getz has put on him.

ESPN's Jesse Rogers reported in January that Getz wanted "multiple high-end prospects" and additional "fill-ins" for Cease.

In addition to the high asking price, one thing that may have impacted trade talks for Cease was the deep free-agent market for pitchers. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Shōta Imanaga, Marcus Stroman, Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray and Eduardo Rodriguez were all available when the offseason started.

Reigning NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery are still unsigned. Cease will cost less than either of those pitchers in terms of money, but teams would also have to give up multiple young players to get him.

The White Sox can also afford to be selective right now. Cease is only making $8 million this year and is under team control through 2025. History has shown it's in their best interest to trade him at some point this season because his value only goes down the closer he gets to free agency.

For example, the Milwaukee Brewers traded former NL Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles on Feb. 2 as he enters his final year of team control.

Milwaukee did get one current (Joey Ortiz) and former (DL Hall) top-100 prospect, plus the No. 34 pick in the 2024 MLB draft, but the return was still considered light for a pitcher of Burnes' caliber.

Cease's ERA was inflated last season (4.58) primarily because the White Sox had the worst defense in MLB. He struck out 214 in 177 innings and has started at least 32 games in each of the past three seasons.

Since the start of the 2021 season, Cease's 667 strikeouts are the fourth-most in MLB.

After an offseason of trade rumors and speculation, Dylan Cease arrived at spring training this week still a member of the Chicago White Sox.

Speaking to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Cease admitted he has no idea what's going to happen as he continues to prepare for the start of the regular season.

"I just don't know where I'll end up," he said. "I'll have fans come up to me after reading an article. Fans see the speculation and everyone gets excited about this and that. I think it's good for the game for sure. But for the most part, I try not to over-focus on it. Just prepare like normal."

It does seem likely that Cease will at least begin this season anchoring the White Sox rotation.

General manager Chris Getz told reporters on Monday he expects that Cease will start for the team on Opening Day.

One potential sticking point for teams interested in acquiring Cease could be the asking price from Chicago.

ESPN's Jesse Rogers reported on Jan. 10 that the White Sox were telling teams that called they wanted "multiple" top prospects in any deal for the 28-year-old pitcher.

Cease and Corbin Burnes of the Milwaukee Brewers were the two most accomplished pitchers mentioned in trade rumors throughout the offseason. The Brewers eventually traded Burnes to the Baltimore Orioles for Joey Ortiz, DL Hall and the No. 34 overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft.

Ortiz is a top-100 prospect coming into this season. Hall exhausted his prospect eligibility last year, but he was a top-100 prospect before that.

Neither player was considered a superstar prospect. They were both in the back half of the top 100 rankings, but that's still good value for the Brewers considering Burnes is entering his final season of team control before hitting free agency next offseason.

The White Sox are presumably seeking higher-end prospects for Cease because of his contract status. He has two years of team control remaining and is only making $8 million this season.

Cease's 4.58 ERA last season doesn't look appealing on the surface, but much of that can be attributed to the White Sox having the worst defense in MLB than an obvious decline in his skill set.

The right-hander struck out more than 200 hitters for the third consecutive season and had the second-lowest home-run rate of his career (1.0 per nine innings).

If Getz wants to rebuild the White Sox mid-tier farm system in a hurry, Cease is the best card he has to play on the trade market. His patience isn't surprising, even if does leave Cease hanging in the wind waiting for a resolution to the situation one way or another.

Dylan Cease has been included in numerous trade rumors this winter, but he reported to training camp with the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in preparation for his sixth season on the South Side.

While speaking with reporters at training camp, Cease, who will become a free agent in 2026, said he hasn't had extension talks with the White Sox but would love to remain in Chicago beyond his current deal.

"A lot of that's out of my control," Cease told reporters when asked about his future. "At the end of the day, wherever I have to go, I do just want to perform. It would be great to be here. I have a lot of great relationships here. The city of Chicago is awesome."

Cease has been heavily included in trade rumors this offseason as the White Sox approach a likely rebuild following a 61-101 finish to the 2023 campaign. General manager Chris Getz told reporters in November that the team would consider moving any player ahead of the 2024 season.

"I've made it very clear that the White Sox are willing to listen in on any of our players," Getz said at the time.

ESPN's Jeff Passan then reported on Jan. 3 that the White Sox were "still likely" to move Cease this offseason, but Getz cast some doubt on that report on Jan. 9, telling reporters that Chicago would need to benefit from a deal in order to offload the veteran.

Getz said:

We've had conversations about Dylan Cease but I also know that we're not going to move a player like Dylan or anyone else unless we feel like we're going to benefit. So it's got to be right for all parties. A lot of these conversations are on-going, there's a lot that goes into any sort of trade transaction, there's a lot of conversations, build up, research and obviously getting it to the finish line." 

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported earlier this winter that the White Sox are seeking "two premium prospects and two others" in exchange for Cease. It's unclear if they had any offers close to that.

Cease enters 2024 as Chicago's top pitcher, headlining a rotation that is expected to include Michael Kopech, Touki Toussaint, Michael Soroka and Chris Flexen.

Despite the team's struggles in 2023, he still posted a 7-9 record with a 4.58 ERA, 1.42 WHIP and 214 strikeouts in 177 innings across 33 starts. Those numbers are down by his standards, however, as he went 14-8 in 2022 with a 2.20 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 227 strikeouts in 184 innings across 32 starts.

If the White Sox are struggling as bad as expected during the 2024 season, perhaps the franchise will explore moving Cease on a more serious level. For now, it looks like he'll be remaining on the South Side to begin the year.

Veteran closer Liam Hendriks remains on the open market, but that reportedly could change soon.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Hendriks "has multiple offers" from teams around MLB and "has set a deadline of Thursday" to make his decision on where he will sign for the 2024 season.

Hendriks is currently rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, so Passan noted that if he doesn't sign with a team, he could continue rehabbing on his own before looking to sign with a club midway through the upcoming season for the stretch run.

Hendriks signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the Chicago White Sox in 2021. He earned his second and third All-Star selections in 2021 and 2022, but his 2023 season was cut short by injury.

The 35-year-old started the year on the injured list while he continued his recovery from treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He announced on April 20 that he was cancer-free and made his season debut on May 29.

Unfortunately, Hendriks was limited to just five appearances before he was placed on IL on June 11 with elbow inflammation. He then underwent Tommy John surgery on August 2, ending his season. He finished the year with a 2-0 record, one save, a 5.40 ERA and three strikeouts and was named AL Comeback Player of the Year.

Hendriks can be an effective option at the back end of any bullpen when he's healthy, so he should have no shortage of options whether he decides to sign with a team on Thursday or wait until sometime during the 2024 season.