▲ Mexican Alex Verdugo, who joined the Yankees this season, will try to stand out in the Big Top. Photo @mlbmexico
Karla Torrijos
La Jornada Newspaper
Thursday, March 28, 2024, p. a10
In the midst of the illegal betting scandal involving the star of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Japanese Shohei Ohtani, the 2024 Major League Baseball season begins this Thursday, where just over 30 Mexican players will seek to excel with their respective teams. .
Among them, Víctor González and Alex Verdugo stand out, who joined the Yankees this season after their time with the Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox, respectively. At the same time, Luis Urías also left the latter team to join the Seattle Mariners.
González debuted with the Bronx Bombers just last Sunday, in the first exhibition game they played in Mexico City against the Red Devils, where he pitched one inning and finished with a strikeout and two hits received.
After his long-awaited debut, the manager of the New York team, Aaron Boone, assured that he has high expectations for the 27-year-old reliever.
This is a boy from whom we expect a lot. I saw him pitch a couple of times this spring and he seems to have a chance to be really good. “We are very excited about his future,” he said.
Likewise, Mexican baseball players such as Randy Arozarena, Isaac Paredes (both with the Tampa Bay Rays), Ramón Urías (Baltimore Orioles), Joey Meneses (Washigton Nationals), Alejandro Kirk (Toronto Blue Jays), José Urquidy (Houston Astros ), Javier Assad (Chicago Cubs), Giovanny Gallegos (St. Louis Cardinals), Patrick Sandoval (Los Angeles Angels), Andrés Muñoz (Seattle Mariners) and Alek Thomas (Arizona Diamondbacks), among others, will try to overcome what was done in the 2023 campaign, where several had outstanding performances and managed to earn a place in the Big Top.
Also causing excitement is the possible debut of some young Mexican talents in the Major Leagues, such as Víctor Lizárraga and Brandon Valenzuela, who a few days ago were considered two of the best 20 prospects of the San Diego Padres.
Meanwhile, the pitcher Julio Urías, who had a successful career with the Dodgers, said goodbye to the MLB (Major League Baseball) at least this year, after accusations of domestic violence against him that led to his departure from the Los Angeles team in 2023.
According to various media, his immediate future is in baseball in Japan, although it has also been mentioned that he could reach the Red Devils of Mexico.
After the recent presentation of Trevor Bauer as a reinforcement of the scarlet team, made last Friday, the team’s representative, Miguel Ojeda, hinted that the veteran starter, originally from Culiacán, Sinaloa, could be an alternative for the campaign.
It will always be an option. He was born and raised here, obviously he is waiting for the possibility of going to Japan, but he is on the radar, the manager noted.
In the long-awaited start of the Major Leagues in the United States, after a historic opening in South Korea, the team that monopolizes the spotlight is the Dodgers, as they surprised last December with the acquisition of Shohei Ohtani, with a record contract of about 700 million dollars for 10 years, today he is in the eye of the hurricane for an investigation of illegal betting that involves the Japanese, as well as his friend and translator, Ippei Mizuhara, who was accused of stealing millions of dollars from him to pay gambling debts.
The Texas Rangers, winners of the World Series in 2023 after beating the Arizona Diamondbacks, will also be one of the teams to watch this season.
On the other hand, yesterday the sale of the Baltimore Orioles to a group led by investor David Rubenstein was announced for an agreement valued at $1,725 million.
The acquisition occurred after the team’s owner, Peter Angelos, who bought it for $173 million in 1993, died last Saturday at the age of 94.
2024-03-28 10:56:07
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