MLB Spring Training: Friday was a day for a deal… or two

MLB spring training took a turn Friday, March 6th. Moncada and Yelich both make extension deals official while Freddie Freeman was mic’d up.

Two guys celebrated major contract upgrades in starkly different ways Friday. Chicago White Sox infielder Yoan Moncada toasted his extension by lighting up the Cubs. But Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich, apparently overcome at the thought of the nine-year deal he and the Brewers had just consummated, went hitless in three shots against the Giants.

They were two of the more interesting tidbits from Friday’s MLB spring training games. Those contests also featured the participatory play-by-play debut of a budding Atlanta Braves broadcaster named Freddie Freeman.

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Here are the day’s winners and losers.

Winner, Yoan Moncada, Chicago White Sox infielder

What’s the best possible day? How about getting three hits after signing a five-year, $70 million extension deal?

That’s the kind of day Yoan Moncada had against the Cubs.

The extension was announced Friday morning. In the afternoon, Moncada celebrated with a leadoff single in the first, an infield single in the second and a line-drive run-producing single in the fourth.

Hitless winner: Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder

The good news is that Yelich got on the field. The really good news is that before getting on the field, he and the Brewers signed a nine-year, $215 million contract extension that will keep him in Milwaukee through 2029.

The deal is the richest in Brewers’ history and contains a full no-trade clause. Yelich, as you might suppose, was thrilled. “Ever since I came here, it just felt like a natural fit,” he told reporters about the deal.

Now to rain on the celebration. The Giants held Yelich hitless in his MLB spring training debut Friday in a game that ended as a 5-5 tie.

The game’s newest multi-millionaire grounded out with a runner on first base in the first inning, fanned in the fourth and flied out with two out and runners at second and third in the fifth.

Well, you can’t have everything.