Elephant Rumblings: Spring Training, more predictions, prospect lists

MLB news roundup

Happy Monday, Athletics Nation!

With Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl LIX victory complete, and pitchers and catchers reporting this week, we can at last tune out any further distractions and concentrate on the baseball season ahead—setting seismic basketball trades aside, anyway.

Spring Training is indeed nearly underway. A’s battery players report for their first workout on Wednesday, the first full squad workout is next Monday, and the A’s first Cactus League game is scheduled for February 22 against the Padres at Peoria Sports Complex. Martin Gallegos at MLB.com has a handy Spring Training FAQ to help you keep tabs on the upcoming action.

AN’s Nico shared his annual “baseless” predictions for the upcoming season. Personally, I think that the Blogfather’s deep knowledge and appreciation of all things A’s is as good a basis as any for prognostication, but the modesty is charming. Be sure to check out Nico’s best guess as to which individual Athletics will be the most pleasantly surprising—and unpleasantly disappointing—in the upcoming season.

AN’s Community Prospect List is populating at a steady pace, having rounded out the Top Ten last week. Bill Moriarty at A’s Farm also shared his Top Ten on Friday. Unsurprisingly, there is a lot of overlap, with nine prospects on both lists—but the differences are interesting both at the top and bottom of the rankings. Check ‘em out and see what you think.

Have a terrific week, AN.

A’s Coverage:

• Blogfather’s Annual Baseless Predictions: Pleasant Surprises & Unpleasant Disappointments
• Athletics’ Community Prospect List: Tommy White has much to prove at #11
• Community Prospect List: Steven Echavarria rounds out Top 10 prospects
• A’s Farm’s 2025 Top 10 Prospects List
• Here’s what to know for A’s Spring Training
• Luka Doncic trade rocked sports. Has Bay Area baseball had anything like it? ($)
• Can Zack Gelof Return To His 2023 Form?

MLB News & Interest:

• Rosenthal: MLB owners taking a hard-line stance on a salary cap would be a mistake ($)
• Dodgers To Re-Sign Enrique Hernandez
• Dave Roberts Discusses Extension Talks With Dodgers
• Blue Jays Hire Kevin Kiermaier As Special Assistant
• Yankees Re-Sign Tim Hill
• One last MLB free agent for every team: Finding new homes for 30 available players ($)
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

At last.

DR takes the Caribbean series.