Today’s MLB news and notes focuses heavily on the American League Central with the Chicago White Sox using a snub as motivation and the Minnesota Twins invoking the name of a former franchise great pitcher as a new era begins on the mound. Also, there has been a shocking turnaround in Anaheim.
Chicago White Sox news: Dylan Cease All-Star snub used as motivation for 2023 team rebound
When the White Sox released a promo video on social media on Monday to try to set the expectations for a rebound in 2023 after a disappointing 81-81 season in 2022, one of the mentions in the video describes starting pitcher Dylan Cease as “the biggest All-Star snub I can remember.”
As pointed out in this article, Cease certainly had plenty of numbers to earn a spot on the American League squad. Through his first 17 starts this season, the right-hander posted a 2.45 ERA while his 133 strikeouts posted in that span ranked third in baseball, behind All-Stars Shane McClanahan of the Tampa Bay Rays and Corbin Burnes of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Check out the video below with the Cease mention (as well as several other things that didn’t go as planned on the South Side last year) and get fired up for the season ahead.
We are not satisfied with the outcome of last year.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) January 23, 2023
We’re working to 𝙋𝙍𝙊𝙑𝙀 𝙄𝙏. pic.twitter.com/3DQbHI1Ltp
Minnesota Twins news: Pablo López tips the cap to Johan Santana
Now a member of the Twins after a franchise-altering trade with the Miami Marlins, López, born in Cabimas, Venezuela, wasted little time in expressing his joy of following in the footsteps of one of his Venezuelan idols on the mound.
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) January 23, 2023
Santana certainly has an interesting case for inclusion in the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Contemporary Era Committee, but his impact on the Twins as well as future Venezuelan pitchers certainly can’t be ignored.
MLB news: Los Angeles Angels not changing ownership in 2023
As recently as the MLB Winter Meetings, there was talk from commissioner Rob Manfred and plenty of others about the Los Angeles Angels being for sale. Now, however, it seems that owner Arte Moreno has had a change of heart about selling the team.
Today, the #Angels announced that the Moreno Family is ending the exploratory process to sell the team and will continue ownership throughout the 2023 Season and beyond. pic.twitter.com/aokYfba1Dp
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) January 23, 2023
It’s quite the turnaround for Moreno and now the questions will begin about how this could change the hopes to keep Shohei Ohtani with the Angels after his one-year contract with the team expires at the end of the season.