30 things you need to know before baseball’s opening day

Keeping up with everything that happens in baseball is tough. There’s not really an “offseason” so much as there’s the time of year that games are played and the time of year that teams maneuver to get better.

If you digest baseball news every waking hour of your day, then you’ve been ready for opening day for a while. But if you’re a casual baseball fan — and let’s be real, that’s a lot of people — and you’re trying to wrap your brain around another busy hot-stove season, then you’ve come to the right place.

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This is The Stew’s opening day primer. If you stopped paying attention to baseball after the San Francisco Giants won Game 7 of the World Series and you’re jumping back into action with opening day almost upon us, you’ll find everything you need below. The Stew’s Chris Cwik and Mike Oz have cataloged the 30 things ever baseball fan needs to know before the first official pitch is thrown:

1. Alex Rodriguez is back 
After serving his year-long suspension, the 39-year-old everybody loves to hate is back. He even wrote a letter to fans apologizing for his actions. At first, it was unclear whether the New York Yankees were happy about this development. The tension appears to have eased a bit as Rodriguez is slated for a full-time role with the club. 

2. The Cubs are incredibly relevant after a big offseason
The Chicago Cubs reeled in an ace and one of the most highly regarded managers in baseball this past offseason and that’s created a lot of optimism on The North Side. They signed free-agent Jon Lester for $155 million and quickly swooped in when Joe Maddon opted out of his contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. They also have tons of young talent, enough to make them contenders in the NL Central. Now, if Wrigley’s renovations weren’t lagging, it’d be an even bigger party in Chicago when the Cubs start the season Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals.

3. Kris Bryant isn’t in the big leagues, but he’s still awesome
Considered by many to be the top prospect in baseball, Bryant did not make the Chicago Cubs after a torrid spring. Bryant likely won’t be long for the minors. The team can gain an extra year of control on Bryant if he remains in the minors for roughly 12 games. Given his prospect status and spring performance, nine homers in 40 at-bats, he should be up in April.

4. Nats sign Max Scherzer and their pitching staff is insane
The Washington Nationals aren’t playing around, folks. They had the best team ERA in baseball last year, then they went out and signed Max Scherzer, the top free agent in MLB, to a mammoth $210 million deal with historic deferrals. Now, anything less than a World Series win is a disappointment. Heck, Bryce Harper is already talking about his ring.

5. Dodgers overhaul their front office — and get smarter
The Los Angeles Dodgers completely revamped their front office after a few seasons of early playoff exits. The team brought in former Tampa Bay Rays general manager Andrew Friedman as the new president of baseball operations. He hired general manager Farhan Zaidi from the A’s, and brought in former GM Josh Byrnes. All three men are considered among the most progressive in the game when it comes to stats, but now have the finances to compete with the big boys.

6. The Red Sox are trying to go from last to first again
The Boston Red Sox went from a last-place team to World Series champions in 2013. After another cellar finish in 2014, they’re hoping for a similar jump in 2015. They’ve revamped their offense by signing Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez, and made over their pitching staff with the additions of Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and Justin Masterson. They don’t have an ace right now, but GM Ben Cherington has been aggressive lately, so many people believe the Red Sox could land Cole Hamels in a trade with the Phillies.

[Opening day is almost here, check out our predictions for the 2015 MLB season] 

7. A.J. Preller is a trading machine: The Padres got Matt Kemp, Wil Myers and Justin Upton
No team was more active this offseason than the San Diego Padres. Most of that action came in the outfield, where Upton, Kemp and Myers were brought aboard. On top of that, the team added Will Middlebrooks and Derek Norris in less-heralded deals. The Padres finished last season dead last with 535 runs scored. After making these additions, the team is hopeful that number will jump significantly in 2015.

8. Giancarlo Stanton now owns the biggest contract in baseball
Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton will be a rich, rich man by the time his baseball days are over. The 25-year-old home-run titan agreed to a 13-year, $325 million contract, the biggest in baseball history. The big caveat: The contract is heavily back-loaded and he can opt out after six years. The Marlins front office vowed it would put together a winning team around Stanton before those six years were up, and they started right away. Because …

9. The Marlins might be pretty good this year
They made some aggressive moves during the offseason, and look like a possible wild-card candidate coming into the year. Dee Gordon and Dan Haren arrived in one deal, while the team also added Mat Latos and Martin Prado in separate trades. They signed Ichiro and Michael Morse too. Combine those guys with promising youngsters Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna, and you have a pretty nice core. Ace Jose Fernandez is expected back from Tommy John surgery around midseason, and could be just what the Marlins need in order to secure a playoff spot.

10. MLB enacted new pace-of-play rules this season
The commissioner’s office wants to make sure games don’t drag as much as they have in recent years, so new rules were added to keep the game moving. Batters have to keep one foot in the box at all times with a few exceptions — if they swing at a pitch, if there’s a passed ball, etc. Another rule will require the pitcher and batter to be ready quicker at the start of an inning. Clocks installed in MLB stadiums will countdown the seconds until a pitcher has to be ready to start play. Warnings and fines will be issued to pace-of-play violators.

11. Replay is pretty much the same, but it’s been tweaked some
Managers will no longer be able to slowly walk out on the field while another coach awaits a call determining whether a play should be challenged. All challenges now must come from the dugout. On top of that, managers will have an additional challenge in playoff games, regular season tiebreakers and the All-Star Game. Tag-up plays will also be reviewable in 2015.

12. Bud Selig is out; Rob Manfred is in
Bud Selig is off living the retirement life these days, with Rob Manfred officially in his seat. Manfred, who was Selig’s right-hand man for years, was elected by owners and given a five-year contract. 

13. The new commish has already shown he likes radical ideas
Early in his tenure, Manfred suggested that he considered banning the shift. He’s backed off those comments recently, but his willingness to consider something so extreme immediately sets him apart from Selig. Manfred has already discussed the idea of implementing an international draft, and adding pitch clocks to speed up the game. Baseball isn’t going to change overnight, but the new commish appears more willing to consider extreme ideas.

14. Pete Rose is trying to get reinstated and, hey, ya never know
A new commish means a new appeal for Pete Rose to get reinstated. Rose officially filed a request two weeks ago and Manfred said “he’ll deal with that request on its merits.” We know Rose will be a part of the 2015 All-Star Game in Cincinnati, so that’s a step in the right direction for the “Reinstate Rose” camp. But it’s unclear which way Manfred leans on allowing Rose back into baseball for good.

[Get last-minute Fantasy Baseball advice on the Grandstanding podcast.]

15. We don’t know what’s up with Josh Hamilton
As of April 2, we’re still not sure what’s going to happen with Hamilton. The outfielder reportedly admitted he had a drug relapse during the offseason, and met with the league in February to discuss disciplinary action. The situation remains unresolved, though Manfred said Thursday he expects a decision to come shortly after opening day. Hamilton’s history with drugs could lead to a lengthy suspension, but there’s some hope Manfred will be more lenient given that Hamilton reported the relapse to the league.

16. Somebody, somewhere has a Texas Rangers voodoo doll
The Texas Rangers, the most injured team of 2014, haven’t fared much better so far in 2015. Their ace, Yu Darvish, is already lost for the year after Tommy John surgery. Former top prospect Jurickson Profar could miss his second straight season because of a shoulder injury. There’s still hope in Arlington for a better year ahead, they just have to hope the disabled list isn’t as popular as it was in 2014.

17. Cole Hamels is going to get traded eventually
Hamels should probably keep a bag packed all season, because there’s no way he’s finishing the year with the Phillies. The club clearly needs to rebuild, and Hamels is one of the few players who can bring back a major return. Hamels is owed at least $96 million over the next five seasons, and that could be one reason he’s still with the club. Once pitcher injuries hit, though, Hamels’ value should shoot through the roof. 

18. The Cardinals made a great trade to get Jason Heyward
The St. Louis Cardinals, who made it all the way to the NLCS last season, made a sneaky good trade in November that they hope can get them to the World Series in 2015. They acquired Jason Heyward from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for pitcher Shelby Miller. Miller is promising, but the Cardinals are deep with pitching, so getting a player of Heyward’s caliber (he’s a Gold Glove outfielder and should be a better hitter in St. Louis) is a net win. It wasn’t the splashiest move of the offseason, but it could be very important down the stretch.

19. The White Sox had a big winter makeover, too, so Chicago’s going to be fun this year
With Jose Abreu and Chris Sale in their primes, general manager Rick Hahn decided to go all-in for the 2015 season. David Robertson, Adam LaRoche and Melky Cabrera arrived via the free-agent market, while Jeff Samardzija was brought in via trade. Samardzija is only under contract for one more season, signaling that the White Sox believe they can compete in a tough American League Central right now. After winning 73 games last year, the team is in considerably better shape going into 2015.

20. The Tigers have Yoenis Cespedes now, so that’s quite a group of bats
We noted above that the Red Sox now have Rick Porcello, and he’s there because the Tigers swapped him for two-time Home Run Derby champ and noted outfield assist man Yoenis Cespedes. In Detroit, he joins a lineup that include Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez, who had a breakthrough season in 2014. They’re gonna hit some homers in Detroit this year, count on it.

21. The Blue Jays have Josh Donaldson now, so ditto on the bats thing
With the trade for Donaldson, the Blue Jays now have three players who could hit 30-plus home runs. Donaldson should hit behind Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. The thought of facing those three, particularly back-to-back-to-back, should give opposing pitchers nightmares. The club also brought in Russell Martin, who is coming off his strongest offensive season. Even if he regresses, the lineup should be among the best in the game.

[Our division previews: NL East | AL East | NL Central | AL Central | NL West]

22. Switch-pitcher Pat Venditte might be the coolest guy in baseball right now
If Pat Venditte doesn’t make the Oakland A’s roster, it won’t come with quite the uproar of Kris Bryant getting sent to the minors — but it will be depriving big-league fans of seeing something really cool. Venditte is a “switch-pitcher.” Yep, he throws with both hands. He has a six-finger glove that he uses to be able to switch during innings. Oh, what a sight. There’s a good chance he starts the season in the minors, but he’s been getting a lot of attention this spring. If any team can find a use for him, it’s that funky bunch out in Oakland.

23. Korean Jung-ho Kang looking to make an impact for Pirates
No one is really sure what to expect from Kang this season. His numbers in the Korean Baseball Organization were eye-popping, as he hit .356/.459/.739 with 40 home runs, but it’s unclear how strong his competition was during that surge. The KBO is thought to be hitter-friendly, and the level of play has been compared to Double-A. Still, the numbers were impressive, and there are some who believe his swing will work well in the United States.

24. Cuban import to watch: Yasmany Tomas
Every year, it seems like there’s a hyped-up Cuban import coming into MLB. This year’s: Yasmany Tomas, who the Arizona Diamondbacks paid $68.5 million for six seasons. Even though Tomas, 24, was good in Cuba, spring training has made it seem like he won’t have the same big-league impact that some of his Cuban peers did. We’re not sure he’s capable of playing third base, and he’s struck out 14 times in 62 at-bats in the spring. His .274 batting average isn’t the greatest for this time of year, but it isn’t a total embarrassment. There’s a lot of wait-and-see here.

25. Matt Harvey is back, but Zack Wheeler is out for the year
The pitching gods giveth and the pitching gods taketh away. After a long layoff, Harvey returns for the Mets this season. If spring is any indication, his stuff appears to be crisp. Wheeler’s spring didn’t go as well. After dealing with arm trouble, it was revealed he would undergo Tommy John surgery. Wheeler now faces the same uphill battle Harvey just went through. The thought of having both in the rotation at the same time should give Mets fans hope for the future.

26. Didi Gregorius isn’t Derek Jeter, but he’s the Yankees’ new shortstop
As we’re all well aware, the New York Yankees won’t have Derek Jeter as their shortstop for the first time since 1995. The new Yankees shortstop? Didi Gregorius, who they got in a trade with the D-backs. Gregorius, 25, isn’t a tremendous hitter (just .243 for his career), but he’s a very good defender, so the Yankees ought to at least improve there. Gregorius draws in his spare time, and in a bit of coincidence, shared this sketch of Jeter just a few months prior to his trade.

27. There are six new managers in MLB
The Cubs added Joe Maddon after a strange clause in his contract allowed him to leave the Rays. In order to replace him, Tampa Bay hired Kevin Cash. Paul Molitor will helm the Twins after Ron Gardenhire was let go. Chip Hale and A.J. Hinch will be faced with the tough task of rebuilding the Diamondbacks and Astros, respectively, and Jeff Banister has already had to deal with injury issues with the Rangers.

28. Metal detectors are required at every MLB park now
If you’re going to a game this year, come a little early, especially in April. All 30 parks are required to have walk-through metal detectors this season, so inevitably that’s going to slow down the entrance process at your favorite stadium, especially at the start of the season. 

29. The final day the season is going to be a blast
Well, this is fun. Major League Baseball scheduled every single game to begin at the same time on the final day of the season. That means scoreboard watching will be in full effect for teams hoping to sneak into the playoffs. Given the excitement the second wild card has added to those races, things should get a little crazy Oct. 4. 

30. The Indians are a sexy World Series pick, but fans are already worried about a jinx
The 2015 World Series champs: the Cleveland Indians … don’t laugh, some people think it could happen. The Indians are getting some love as a World Series pick, especially considering the wide-open American League. The Tribe got a Sports Illustrated cover last week, and fans are already freaking out about a jinx.

Oh, this season is going to be fun.

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