With another day of spring training games in the books there’re plenty of interesting moments and stories to take a look at throughout MLB. A wild incident with a broken bat, the Tigers taking a page out of the Dodgers’ book as they look to take a jump and the New York Yankees set a date to celebrate a Hall of Famer and retire his number.
The Check-Swing Broken Bat
Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu stepped up to bat against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday, and something unprecedented happened.
Abreu stopped hiss swing to lay off of a breaking ball, but his bat snapped off at the handle and continued forward despite him clearly holding up in time.
Despite the barrel technically crossing the plane, the umpires ruled the pitch a ball and the at-bat continued. Abreu ultimately grounded out to the shortstop.
Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander Receive Deferred Contracts
The Tigers splashed on pitching in free agency this offseason, bringing in Framber Valdez, Kenley Jansen and Justin Verlander in free agency.
Per a report from the Associated Press, Verlander and Valdez both have money deferred until 2039, with $31 million of the $128 million owed to the pitchers to be deferred. Verlander will receive just $2 million of the $13 million he’s owed this year, with the rest coming in annually from 2030-39. Valdez took on a similar pay structure, and will receive $2 million of his $20 million signing bonus every year from 2030-39.
Valdez was the top pitching free agents this offseason and further bolsters a strong Detroit squad, and Verlander — a lock for the Hall of Fame once he retires — returned to the team which drafted him nearly 22 years ago.
Yankees to Retire CC Sabathia’s Number
The Yankees made a formal announcement Wednesday that they’d be immortalizing Hall of Fame left-hander CC Sabathia in Monument Park. They named Sept. 26 “CC Sabathia Night” and will hold a retirement ceremony and plaque unveiling.
Sabathia spent 11 of his 19 MLB seasons with the Yankees, posting a 3.81 ERA through 307 appearances. A Cy Young and World Series-winner, Sabathia made three consecutive All-Star Games with the Yankees from 2010-12.
