In Tampa, John Romano notes the money committed by the Rays this week to P Blake Snell and 2B Brandon Lowe -- potentially as much as $99.5M -- is "certainly significant," but it is "not a change in philosophy or direction" for the franchise. It is "simply smart business." The Rays have been "selectively aggressive in tying up their own players to long-term contracts when they have leverage on their side." They put their "trust in numbers instead of bowing to outside pressures" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 3/22).
STEPPING IN: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Jared Diamond writes Orioles Exec VP & GM Mike Elias "inherited an organizational infrastructure embarrassingly behind their competitors." When he showed up, the Orioles’ entire analytics department "consisted of one web developer." Elias said the Orioles "hadn’t quite made that turn" into analytics, but they "obviously made an organizational strategical decision to go all-in with it and push the speed-up button" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 3/22).
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME: The Royals are offering fans their new Ballpark Access Pass monthly subscription available exclusively through the MLB Ballpark App. For $29.99 per month, fans are guaranteed a Standing Room Only ticket to all regular season home games, including Opening Day, high-demand and weekend games. The monthly pass will auto-renew each month. Members can enjoy the game and all pregame festivities from various locations at Kauffman Stadium, including the Rivals Sports Bar and Craft and Draft areas (Royals).
