Rise and Phight: 3/15/2022

Just when it looked like the offseason was still in its infancy stages, it burst forth and bloomed. Free agents are signing, trades are being made and the very fabric of the game is being tinkered with!

Ok that last part may be a bit hyperbolic, but yesterday was a wild day. The Phillies were busy, adding a center fielder and another reliever, but also they won a bit when Freddie Freeman moved on from Atlanta. While the Braves are getting a very, very good first baseman, Olson isn’t Freeman. It’s a downgrade for Atlanta, albeit a small one. Even small downgrades, though, can help the Phillies get closer to the top of the division.

On to the links.

Phillies news:

• When the MVP speaks, usually, someone is listening. And the MVP would like the team to sign a big bat.
• If this is to be believed, it looks like the starting shortstop position is Bryson Stott’s to lose and Didi Gregorius is headed somewhere else. Unless....
• When they signed Odubel Herrera, it shows that the front office is tone deaf to the desires of the fans.

MLB news:

• In the big move of the day, the Braves ended the Freddie Freeman era and began the Matt Olson era, sending a huge package of prospects to Oakland.
• In another stunner, the Reds sent their All-Star outfielder Jesse Winker and their third baseman, Eugenio Suarez, to the Mariners for prospects.
• Fernando Tatis, Jr. is out for three months after fracturing his wrist in an offseason accident, a blow to San Diego’s roster.
• Seiya Suzuki has almost made his decision, getting down to “six or seven teams” in his process.