Nobody likes numbers more than hardcore MLB fans.
And there’ve never been more numbers for a fan to process and parse than there are in the game today.
In fact, check out these digits from just the past few months that tell the story of MLB’s offseason on the eve of this week’s openings of spring training camps in Florida and Arizona:
76
Days the Houston Astros went without a general manager from the firing of James Click after the World Series to the hiring of Dana Brown on Jan. 26.
During this period, the champs retained free agent pitcher Rafael Montero on a three-year, $34.5 million deal and free agent outfielder Michael Brantley on a one-year, $12 million deal, signed White Sox free agent first baseman Jose Abreu to a three-year, $58.5 million deal and added a depth infielder (Rylan Bannon) and depth outfielder (Bligh Madris) on a waiver claim and contract purchase, respectively.
Related: MLB power rankings heading into Spring Training
118
Strikeouts Kansas City Royals pitcher Zack Greinke, 38, needs to become the 20th pitcher in MLB history to reach 3,000 in his career after signing a one-year deal with his original team ($8.5 million) for the second consecutive year. Fourteen of the 16 eligible pitchers with at least 3,000 strikeouts are in the Hall of Fame (exceptions: Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling).
0
Projected innings, strikeouts, wins and WAR (wins above replacement) for the Dodgers from their highest-paid pitcher in 2023. They owe Trevor Bauer $22.5 million for the final year of his contract after releasing him last month following his reinstatement after serving a 194-game unpaid suspension for violating the league’s and union’s joint domestic violence policy. It was the longest suspension under the 8-year-old policy.
140
Combined age on Opening Day of the two managers in the state of Texas: Astros World Series-winning manager Dusty Baker, the oldest manager in the majors at 73, and longtime Giants and Padres manager Bruce Bochy, who was hired out of retirement by the Rangers this winter.
They also have four combined MLB Manager of the Year awards and four combined World Series rings (seven pennants). Who says everything’s not bigger in Texas?
9, 12
Ranks, respectively, of Baker (2,093) and Bochy (2,003) on the MLB all-time manager wins list. Every other manager with at least 2,000 victories is in the Hall of Fame.
865 million
Combined dollars of value of three contract agreements struck by star shortstop Carlos Correa’s agents with the Giants ($350 million), Mets ($315 million) and Twins ($200 million) in the span of 30 days, until Correa finally was able to pass a physical to a team’s satisfaction (the hangup reportedly involving an old minor-league leg injury that required surgery and a plate inserted). The deals covered a combined 31 years, including six to eventually return to the Twins.
40 million
Combined dollars the Cubs are paying former Dodger Cody Bellinger ($17.5 million) to play for the Cubs and former Cub Jason Heyward to play for the Dodgers ($23 million), assuming Heyward makes the Dodger’ roster this spring as a non-roster invitee to camp.
Fun fact (at least for the Dodgers): Heyward, who was released by the Cubs with a year left on his eight-year contract, has a higher OPS over the past three seasons than Bellinger.
5
Teams in the NL Central with at least one former MVP on its roster after Andrew McCutchen (2013) returned to the Pirates on a $5 million deal and Bellinger (2019) signed with the Cubs.
It’s the only division that can claim a former MVP in every lineup, also including the Cardinals’ Paul Goldschmidt (2022), the Brewers’ Christian Yelich (2018) and the Reds’ Joey Votto (2010).
29
Estimated number of owners pissed off at Mets owner Steve Cohen for presumably making them look bad while driving up prices on players by spending another $425 million-plus on free agents this winter.
The latest spending spree puts the Mets’ projected payroll for luxury tax purposes to an astounding $370.5 million this year — a record by a large margin. Three players make up more than one-third of that total: pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer ($43.4 million each) and shortstop Francisco Lindor ($34.1 million). Imagine if Correa had passed the Mets’ physical.
8
Cy Young Awards represented on the Mets payroll — which is as many as the next three closest teams combined. They include three won by free agent newcomer Justin Verlander, who reunites with former Tigers teammate Scherzer, another three-time winner.
The two others belong to Bret Saberhagen, who’s still being paid $250,000 annually in deferred salary (through 2029), 28 years after his last game with the Mets.
9
Free agents who secured nine-figure deals this winter, including all four from a star-studded shortstop market (Trea Turner $300 million from the Phillies, Xander Bogaerts $280 million from the Padres, Dansby Swanson $177 million from the Cubs and Correa). Correa was one of four who returned to his 2022 team (also Yankees’ Aaron Judge for nine years, $360 million; Mets’ Brandon Nimmo for eight and $162 million; and Edwin Diaz for five and $102 million).
The Yankees also added pitcher Carlos Rodon for six years, $162 million. Texas landed two-time Cy Young winner Jacob deGrom for five and $185 million.
2
Overall league MVPs, including one in 2022, produced by players selected in MLB’s 2014 draft. Both belong to Patrick Mahomes, the Tigers’ 37th-round pick that year out of Whitehouse High School in Texas as a pitcher and outfield prospect. Both MVPs (also 2018) obviously have come in the NFL as the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback.
Mahomes — whose dad Pat Mahomes and godfather LaTroy Hawkins both pitched in the majors — never signed with the Tigers. All of which, of course, has nothing to do with baseball’s offseason — except as a reminder of the final number, most relevant number that comes with the conclusion of Mahomes’ win in Sunday’s Super Bowl win and the conclusion of the football season.
23
MLB spring training sites that open this week as pitchers and catchers report for all 30 teams.
Gordon Wittenmyer covers Major League Baseball for Sportsnaut. You can follow him on Twitter at @GDubCub.