By a unanimous 30-0 vote Thursday afternoon, MLB’s owners officially ended the 99-day day lockout. Things are expected to move fast, with players reporting to spring training as early as Friday and the first exhibition games on March 18. While eight games will be held April 7, the Bay Area's baseball team's will both begin the regular season on April 8.
The Giants will host the Miami Marlins for the first Opening Day at McCovey Cove since 2009. The six-game homestand will also include a visit from the San Diego Padres, as former A’s manager Bob Melvin will quickly return to the Bay Area in the second series of the year.
Oakland will open its season with a 10-game, East Coast road trip, beginning April 8 at the Philadelphia Phillies. After that, the A’s will travel to Tampa Bay for a four-game series before jetting up to Toronto for a three-game set. That’s a tough way to start the season for first-year skipper Mark Kotsay. The A’s will finally play at the Oakland Coliseum on April 18 when they host the Baltimore Orioles.
It can be dizzying to keep track of all the dates involved, but baseball recouped a week’s worth of games that were lost with Wednesday's cancellations. Though the season will start a week later than originally planned, the missed games will be made up with nine-inning doubleheaders.
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Free agency and trades are eligible to occur immediately, meaning the Giants can fill out their rotation and find an outfielder, as 2021 midseason rental Kris Bryant is expected to sign elsewhere.
San Francisco did well to re-sign Alex Wood and Anthony DeSclafani and lure Alex Cobb behind possible 2022 ace Logan Webb. Now the team needs to find a fifth starter and has money to spend, with notable veterans like Carlos Rodon, Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke still available.
Meanwhile, MLB teams might be hovering around the A’s like a pack of vultures to see if Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Chris Bassitt, Sean Manaea or Frankie Montas can be acquired for the right price. Oakland looks destined for a rebuild after letting Melvin interview for the Padres job earlier this offseason in an apparent cost-cutting move.
Strap in, it figures to be a wild month before Opening Day is here.
