Listen, we know it's tough to catch up on everything happening in the baseball world each morning. There are all kinds of stories, rumors, game coverage, and Vines of dudes getting hit in the beans every day. Trying to find all of it while on your way to work or sitting at your desk just isn't easy. It's okay, though, we're going to do the heavy lifting for you each morning, and find the things you need to see from within the SB Nation baseball network as well as from elsewhere. Please hold your applause until the end, or at least until after you subscribe to the newsletter.
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Wrigley Field is over 100 years old, and it was time for a makeover. So, at the start of this offseason, the bleachers were torn down and the process of replacing them with seats that did not look like the rusted-out sides of a container ship began. You would think there would be emphasis on getting the job done before Opening Day, but a harsh winter helped prevent that: when the Cubs open their season at Wrigley on April 5, the bleachers will not be finished. In fact, they aren’t even close to done.
The left field bleachers will be ready to go by May 11, for the 16th home game of the season. The right field bleachers aren’t expected to be ready until mid-June, roughly 34 home games into the season. The right field video board -- which construction just started on -- won’t be ready to go until the All-Star break, but don’t worry, the left field scoreboard will be finished by Sunday’s opener.
So, Wrigley will look better when this is all done, but for now, it’s an unfinished shell of a ballpark with gaps in its most notable feature, the outfield ivy. That’s okay, though, this will all distract from the fact that the Cubs’ Opening Day roster is also unfinished while Kris Bryant’s service time is manipulated. At least he’ll be used in Wrigley before the bleachers.
- Speaking of Kris Bryant, let's learn about service time rules.
- Tigers' closer Joe Nathan has not pitched well for some time now, and he's reacted poorly to the fans who remind him of this fact. The whole situation is putting pressure on the Tigers to do something about his on- and off-the-field issues.
- The average MLB salary now exceeds $4 million, but before you complain about overpaid millionaires, please remember the billionaires paying them are making far more in revenues each and every season. If anything, as we pointed out Tuesday, players should be making more.
- This Korean baseball team used a literal ball of fire for their first pitch. Step up your game, MLB.
- The Rays were denied a renegotiation of their ballpark lease, and the owner Stu Sternberg publicly announced his disappointment.
- Before you get too excited about any teams' strong start, make sure they aren't one of those with an incredibly easy early schedule.
- Baseball Prospectus did some scouting out in the Cactus League, if you're in the mood to read about 32 prospects from the desert.
- It's never too early to wonder which pitchers could be on the trade block come July 31. Well, okay, maybe August 1 is too early, but you understand the point.
- Baseball America released their farm system rankings, and the Red Sox jumped all the way to number two thanks to signing Yoan Moncada. The Cubs, who have Bryant, Jorge Soler and Addison Russell among others, are still understandably in first.
- If you would like to add facial hair to any baseball players' headshot, head on over to the Baseball Reference player page nearest you before April Fools' Day is at its end. Might we suggest adding facial hair to every Yankees player you can think of?
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