Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Spring Training is a time for players to reconnect with their organizations, coaches and teammates as they prepare for the upcoming season. Spring Training will be all that this season, but it will also be a time for players to prepare for the World Baseball Classic. The tournament is played every three to four years and brings players and countries together to compete on a global stage.

The WBC provides competitive games with thrilling plays and legendary matchups, but it also means participants are competing at a level that is comparable to a postseason game. With this type of effort and intensity, players can be more susceptible to injury and for many fans, it means they run the risk of missing time with their MLB club.

Fans of the San Diego Padres seem to have the same concerns. In this week’s Padres Reacts Survey respondents were asked how they felt about players from the San Diego roster competing in the WBC. Respondents were not unanimous in their position, but the majority said they hate that players from the Padres are competing in the WBC.

Everyday players third baseman Manny Machado and shortstop Xander Bogaerts have regularly played for Dominican Republic and Netherlands. Right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and closer Mason Miller will make their first WBC appearances with Dominican Republic and USA. This group is joined by relievers Wandy Peralta, Alek Jacob and Yuki Matsui as well as minor league pitchers Victor Lizarraga and Omar Cruz who will all compete for their respective countries.

Baseball fans who like the WBC point to the matchup between Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani from the 2023 WBC final. Trout stepped to the plate to face Ohtani in the top of the ninth inning with two outs and Japan holding a 3-2 lead over USA. Trout would ultimately strikeout to end the game, but the baseball world was captivated by the intense and dramatic moment.

Baseball fans who do not like the WBC will point to the 2023 WBC as well and say Edwin Diaz, who was then the closer for the New York Mets, tore his patellar tendon in his knee while celebrating a WBC win that caused him to miss the entire 2023 MLB season. The statement was often made that he was injured in a game that did not count and the Mets suffered as a result.

There is no question the WBC creates great theater, and the tournament has supporters and detractors. The players seem to enjoy it and most of them enthusiastically accept the opportunity to play for their country, but the potential for injury is always an underlying concern… especially for fans.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have claimed RHP Grant Holman off waivers from the Athletics. The 25-year-old Holman was originally a 6th-round pick by (then) Oakland in the 2021 draft, and made his major-league debut in August of 2024. He has made a total of forty appearances in the big leagues since, with an ERA of 4.66, and a K:BB of 33:18, across 38.2 innings, and a FIP of 4.34. Last year, he also made eight appearances for Triple-A Las Vegas, allowing just one hit across 9.1 scoreless innings, with one walk and nine strikeouts. However, his season ended after his appearance on June 11, due to rotator cuff tendinitis.

He has just over one year of service time, so won’t reach arbitration until 2028 and is under D-backs control until 2031. Grant also threw a no-hitter for California in the 2013 Little League World Series – the only time since 1979 a 7-inning solo no-no has been pitched in LLWS history. Mind you, considering the game recap says Holman was 6-foot-4 as a thirteen-year-old… He’s only two inches taller now. To make room on the 40-man roster for the new arrival, LHP A.J. Puk was placed on the 60-day injured list, as he continues his recovery from left ulnar collateral ligament surgery. The D-backs’ 40-man roster remains at 40.

The itinerant offseason of Ben Rortvedt continued on Sunday, as the catcher was claimed off waivers by the Mets, and a case of unfortunate timing for the Dodgers.

After September injuries to both Will Smith and Dalton Rushing, the Dodgers liked trade deadline acquisition Rortvedt enough to start him 19 times in 25 games down the stretch, including each of the first four games of the postseason until Smith was ready to fully return from a broken bone in his hand.

The Dodgers liked Rortvedt enough to sign him for $1.25 million in November to avoid salary arbitration, but since he is out of options and the club is invested in Rushing as Smith’s backup, Rortvedt can’t be kept around on the 40-man roster unless he’s active. So they tried to sneak him through waivers to be kept around as depth, twice, but in November the Reds claimed Rortvedt and three months later New York claimed him.

Timing cost the Dodgers in two ways in Rortvedt’s second stint on the roster. The first was less under their control, as Rortvedt became available soon after Cincinnati designated the catcher for assignment with the signing of Eugenio Suárez on February 3.

Even had the Reds waited a few days to place Rortvedt on waivers, the latest he would have been available was February 10, two days before pitchers and catchers officially reported to Dodgers camp at Camelback Ranch. So the Dodgers couldn’t yet place someone on the 60-day injured list to make room for a new player. In claiming Rortvedt, the Dodgers decided to designate Anthony Banda for assignment, then traded the southpaw reliever to the Twins on Thursday.

The second case of unfortunate timing was more in the Dodgers’ control. They could have kept Rortvedt on the 40-man roster through spring training as a hedge against potential injury to Smith or Rushing. After all, in a best-case scenario Rortvedt wouldn’t need to be sent to the minors until opening day anyway. There’s also the game theory of trying to find the ideal time for Rortvedt to clear waivers. Rather than wait until later in spring, they opted to do so at the beginning of camp for most teams. The Mets, for instance, placed pitcher Dedniel Núñez on the 60-day injured list on Sunday to make room for Rortvedt.

Rortvedt was designated for assignment by the Dodgers this time around when the Dodgers signed Evan Phillips on Wednesday. Had the Dodgers waited a day or two to sign Phillips, they could have placed Brock Stewart on the 60-day injured list to make room, though his exact timetable after October shoulder surgery isn’t yet known. They already placed Phillips on the 60-day IL on Friday when they signed Kiké Hernández, who himself is expected to be out until midseason after left elbow surgery, general manager Brandon Gomes told reporters on Sunday in Arizona.

The Mets with Rortvedt have four catchers on the 40-man roster, so it’s entirely possible that with five and a half weeks remaining until opening day that Rortvedt might become available yet again this spring. Nothing is set in stone, after all.

LeBron James was flippant when asked on Sunday if he plans to play another NBA season. And his answer to the question remains the same as it has been: He doesn’t know.

James was asked about his NBA plans beyond this season during a news conference ahead of Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game. Here’s his answer:

“I want to live,” James responded. “When I know, you guys will know. I don’t know. I have no idea. I just want to live, that’s all.”

James held his own individual news conference after opting out of Saturday’s broader All-Star media day availability. 

In scheduling his own news conference, James prompted speculation that he might have news to announce regarding his future plans. But he didn’t have any news on that front and appeared perturbed when asked about it. 

Will he or won’t he?

The topic came up prior to James’ 22nd All-Star game, extending his own NBA record. At 41 years old, he remains a high-level player when he’s available to play. 

Through 36 games, James is averaging 22 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game for a 33-21 Lakers team that entered the All-Star break in fifth place in the Western Conference. He appears to have more gas in the tank if he wants to play a 24th NBA season. 

He also has a historic amount of basketball mileage on his body as the NBA’s all-time leader in minutes played. And his legacy has long been secured. 

But his basketball future remains a mystery. There’s speculation that James wants to stage a retirement tour that could potentially include a reunion and a third stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers next season. If that’s his desire, he surely wouldn’t say so in public while still playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Either way, James is sticking to his story about his plans for next season: He doesn’t know. 

Reports came out late Friday that the Cubs had signed right-hander Shelby Miller to a two-year deal.

Sunday, the team officially announced the deal, which includes a team option for 2028. To make room for Miller on the 40-man roster, the Cubs designated infielder Ben Cowles for assignment. (Which begs the question, why did they add Cowles to the 40-man in the first place? He’ll likely clear waivers and remain in spring camp.)

Miller’s not expected to pitch this year as he recovers from his second Tommy John surgery, so this is a “let’s have a reliever in hand for 2027” move. The team does not announce contract terms, but it has been reported that this deal is for $2.5 million, so it’ll likely cost $1.25 million to the Cubs’ CBT level for 2026.

The Cubs now have two players — Miller and left-hander Justin Steele — who can be placed on the 60-day injured list at the time the team needs a 40-man roster spot. That likely won’t be until closer to Opening Day, when they might need a spot or two for one or more of the non-roster guys in camp. Notably, that includes Dylan Carlson, who has a reasonable chance of making the Opening Day roster as a backup outfielder.

The first Cubs full-squad workout is tomorrow (Monday) and the Spring Training opener is this Friday, Feb. 20 at Sloan Park against the White Sox at 2:05 p.m. CT.

Manny Machado doesn’t have a problem with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ spending. 

While many Major League Baseball team owners wrung their hands and protested over the payroll disparity throughout the sport after the reigning World Series champions signed free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker to a mega-millions contract, Machado welcomed the aggressive spending by the San Diego Padres’ National League West rival. 

The Padres’ star third baseman added some profanity to emphasize his point while speaking to reporters on Sunday.

“I f***king love it,” Machado said, via ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. “Every team should be doing it. That sh** is f***ing great for the game.”

As USA Today’s Bob Nightengale points out, Machado is staunchly opposed to MLB implementing a salary cap and limiting earning potential for the players. 

However, the debate over a cap ignited further after the Dodgers inked Tucker, considered the top free agent on the offseason market, to a four-year, $240 million deal and outbid rival suitors including the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays. 

Kyle Tucker deal with Dodgers ignited MLB salary cap debate

A shorter-term agreement paying Tucker an average annual salary of $60 million was particularly grating to many in the sport. One team owner told The Athletic that it was “a 100% certainty” that clubs would push for a salary cap in the next collective-bargaining agreement. 

“These guys are going to go for a cap no matter what it takes,” a source familiar with conversation among MLB owners said to The Athletic’s Evan Drellich.

Following consecutive World Series titles, the Dodgers go into the 2026 season with a projected payroll of $395 million, according to FanGraphs. That will cost the team at least an estimated extra $100 million in luxury tax for going over the $244 million threshold. 

Among MLB teams, the Mets are second in team payroll but nearly $30 million behind the Dodgers. The only other club to exceed a projected $300 million is the New York Yankees. 

The Padres rank ninth with an estimated $219 million payroll, so Machado’s remarks may have been a prompt for his team’s owners to write bigger checks to compete with the Dodgers in the NL West. However, the Padres will likely go up for sale soon and that might curb any additional spending. San Diego just added outfielder Nick Castellanos, along with pitchers Griffin Canning and German Marquez. But those players didn’t require multiyear or large-money contracts.

Machado did give Padres general manager A.J. Preller credit for getting a player like Castellanos at a below-market price while the Philadelphia Phillies pay the majority of his $20 million. San Diego is only obligated to pay Castellanos the major-league minimum of $780,000.

“You get a $20 million player for pennies on the dollar, I think that kind of deserves an extension for A.J.,” Machado said, via The Athletic’s Dennis Lin. 

Bryce Harper is still not over the comments Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski made in October when he questioned the outfielder’s ability to reach another level of stardom.

“He didn’t have an elite season like he has had in the past,” Dombrowski said at the time. “And I guess we only find out if he becomes elite or if he continues to be good. … Can he rise to the next level again? I don’t really know that answer. He’s the one who will dictate that more than anything else.”

Harper addressed the comments before the start of the season with reporters at spring training.

“For Dave to say those things, it is still wild to me,” Harper said.

Harper also said he did not have the season or the numbers he wanted. He finished last season with 27 home runs, 75 RBIs and a .261 batting average with an .844 OPS. His numbers were down from his first few seasons with the Phillies, and he was limited to 132 games after dealing with a wrist injury.

Despite his performance, the 33-year-old was still surprised by Dombrowski’s comments because of the organization’s policy of keeping everything in-house.

This is not the first time Harper has addressed Dombrowski’s comments. In November, he said he felt uncomfortable and hurt about the possibility of trade speculation. In December, he posted a TikTok of himself taking swings while wearing a shirt that said “Not Elite.”

Harper wore the shirt after Dombrowski attempted to walk back his comments on the “Foul Territory” podcast and said the two had a nice conversation.

With Opening Day around the corner and six years remaining on Harper’s contract, it appears Harper and Dombrowski still have fences to mend.