In L.A., Vincent Bonsignore wrote the Dodgers hired President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman two years ago as a "baseball savant uniquely qualified to push the Dodgers over the hump." However, he has "done anything but." In fact, the team has "fallen a step or two back thanks to some head-scratching trades ... and ambivalence to making a bold, big move." If it is "part of some grand plan in which the Dodgers grit their teeth through one or two bridge seasons on their way to championship parades, great." But it is "hard to even see the bridge right now, let alone across it, to be certain this is all headed to a good place" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 4/2). Also in L.A., Dylan Hernandez noted team insiders "talk about how much more data is incorporated in the decision-making process now than in the past." But "whatever metrics the Dodgers are examining remain safely guarded." Even the front office's "staunchest defenders really have no idea how Friedman and his lieutenants are making their decisions" (L.A. TIMES, 4/2).
POSITION PLAY: In Atlanta, Tim Tucker noted the Braves "want to move their spring home from the Orlando area to get closer to other teams’ facilities and reduce travel time to exhibition games." But while "still focused on having a new facility open" in '18, the Braves have "considered the alternative: a one-year stop-gap plan for that spring." The possibilities "apparently would include a short extension" of the team's expiring lease at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex or "setting up shop for a year at an existing facility elsewhere in Florida." Braves Chair & CEO Terry McGuirk: There also are other possibilities, which we have researched and been advised that we could avail ourselves of" (AJC.com, 4/1).
RED VENTURES: In Cincinnati, Rosecrans & Buchanan noted the Reds have expanded team use of "internal software, including an application for scouts to use in the field." There also is "more hardware, including cameras at the big-league and minor-league parks." Meanwhile, the team hired Dr. Charles Leddon to "head the team’s director of sports science initiatives" as teams attempt to "prevent injuries." The club also has an "increased budget in nutrition for its minor-league affiliates" (CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/3).
GREAT EXPECTATIONS: In Chicago, Gordon Wittenmyer writes the expectations around the Cubs are as "high as they've been" for the team "in at least a dozen years, maybe three decades or more" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 4/4). Meanwhile, in Phoenix, Dan Bickley writes the D-backs enter the season "with a new look, a different attitude and heightened expectations." They are "flush with cash and unchained from deferred debt." They also "expect to be playoff contenders for years to come" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 4/4).
