MLB News Today: Montgomery to Rangers seemingly over; Guardians consult NASA to determine opener start time; Oakland want expansion team guarantee
Spring Training is almost here, which means the news cycle is about to pick up for MLB. The remaining free agents are suddenly up against the clock and anything big that's set to happen before the regular season begins is about to happen, so it's a good time to pay attention to what's going on. Here's your breakdown of the biggest news from today.
MLB News Today: Breaking down major stories from baseball
Jordan Montgomery not returning to Rangers
Though it once seemed like a distinct possibility, the idea that Jordan Montgomery will be back with the Texas Rangers is all but done. According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale, the Rangers GM put all that to rest.
The World Series champion executive said via USA Today:
“I don’t think there are any additions coming at this point. Our payroll is at an all-time high [$243 million]. Ownership has shown a great willingness to spend. But there are limits to where that goes.”
So, don't expect to see the big left-handed pitcher in Texas this year. That opens the door for a lot of other teams who have shown interest in the lefty.
Guardians talk with NASA
Generally speaking, not a lot goes into the decided start time for a baseball game. They usually start around 7 pm EST, or the local equivalent of that. The Cleveland Guardians did not do that, though.
The team consulted with city officials and NASA members and decided to have their April 8 home opener start at 5:10 p.m, according to Nightengale. This is about two hours after a total solar eclipse hits the area, so they're trying to be as safe as possible.
Oakland playing hard ball with MLB
The city of Oakland is not going down without a fight. The Oakland Athletics are leaving for Las Vegas. Until then, they're still going to play at the O.co Coliseum. The city of Oakland wants some assurances before they allow this to happen.
According to Nightengale, they want a guarantee from MLB that they will get an expansion team if they allow the A’s to stay in the building until they leave for Las Vegas.
This is a bold strategy and it's unclear what will happen, but Oakland isn't letting their team go without a fight to get some sort of major league action back in town.