Good morning.
Jeff Wilson’s Surprise Five covers the first full day of workouts for the Rangers but also all the news around the league that overshadowed everything (looking at you, Manfred).
The Rangers might be holding the Super Flush today but, as T.R. Sullivan writes, Joey Gallo being healthy is why teams around the American League will be crapping themselves this year.
Evan Grant writes about what comes next for Mike Minor after his years-long quest to prove people wrong ended in success.
Mike Leslie is in Surprise and talked with Chris Woodward about his managerial inspiration as he enters his second season.
Levi Weaver writes that the Rangers will be looking to get Nick Solak’s bat in the lineup and, if a spring training experiment works out, that may come via a job in center field.
Grant writes that if Solak can hang as a center fielder, the Rangers would be able to use Danny Santana as the ultra-utility player they envisioned after last season’s team MVP turn.
Leslie writes that we’re in the impossible phase of our existence where Elvis Andrus is an old man veteran.
Wilson writes that Shin-Soo Choo is in the final year of his long term deal with the Rangers but he’d like to be back next season.
Sullivan has notes on Choo’s future, Andrus remaining at shortstop, and Eli White’s permanent position.
Wilson offers seven positional players who will be worth keeping an eye on in Surprise this spring.
Jamey Newberg continues his Farm Futures series with a look at a very franchise-unique Triple-A rotation.
Dan Szymborski’s ZiPS top 100 prospect list really likes Sherten Apostel and is pretty smitten with Solak, too.
And, finally, Chris Roland writes that, in the wake of the Astros cheating scandal, the lesson that people are flawed is a baseball rite of passage.
Have a nice day!