Press Clips (February 27, 2018)

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1 February 27, 2018 Page 1 of 30 Press Clips (February 27, 2018)

2 February 27, 2018 Page 2 of 30 FROM THE OC REGISTER (PAGE 3) CLIPS CONTENT Pair of homers burn Tyler Skaggs in Angels loss to Padres Shohei Ohtani reaches all three times in his hitting debut with Angels FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES (PAGE 5) Angels Shohei Ohtani has an RBI single and two walks in spring-training debut as hitter Tyler Skaggs tagged for two homers in first spring start as Angels routed by Padres Shohei Ohtani makes much-anticipated Angels debut as a hitter Shohei Ohtani is back in the Angels lineup Tuesday FROM ANGELS.COM (PAGE 8) Ohtani drives in run, walks twice in hitting debut Skaggs pleased by results of offseason regimen FROM ESPN.COM (PAGE 11) Angels rookie Shohei Ohtani tallies two walks, RBI in DH debut FROM USA TODAY (PAGE 13) Angels' Shohei Ohtani impressive in offensive debut -- singles in final at-bat FROM YAHOO! SPORTS (PAGE 14) ST Daily: Ohtani on Offense FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS (PAGE 15) Ohtani delivers as hitter Ohtani has two walks, hit in debut at plate FROM MLB TRADE RUMORS (PAGE 17) Andrew Bailey announces retirement FROM NBCSPORTS.COM (PAGE 18) Zack Cozart s wife is savage Andrew Bailey retires FROM FAN RAG SPORTS (PAGE 19) Andrew Bailey announces retirement from baseball FROM BLEACHER REPORT (PAGE 20) Predicting MLB s Most Dominant Rotations 5 Years from Now

3 February 27, 2018 Page 3 of 30 FROM THE OC REGISTER Pair of homers burn Tyler Skaggs in Angels loss to Padres By Jeff Fletcher THE GAME: The Angels overcame an early four-run deficit to tie the score, but still lost 10-4 to the San Diego Padres on Monday at the Peoria Sports Complex. The Angels are 2-2. PITCHING REPORT: Left-hander Tyler Skaggs worked a perfect first inning, including a strikeout of Will Myers on a sharp curveball. In the second, though, he gave up a pair of long home runs, to Hunter Renfroe and Christian Villanueva. He recorded four outs before being pulled. Skaggs said he was still satisfied with the effort because of the quality of pitches in the first inning, as well as how strong he felt. At this time last year I was talking to you guys and I had to be set back because of shoulder injury, he said. Today I felt as strong as I possibly could be. Things are looking up.. Right-hander Keynan Middleton threw his first pitch of the spring at 97 mph. He worked around an error to throw a scoreless inning. Lefty Jose Alvarez pitched a scoreless inning in his first outing of the spring Right-hander Jaime Barria gave up three runs on five hits, including an inside-the-park homer, in 1-2/3 innings. Barria, one of the most advanced pitching prospects in the system, is expected to pitch in the majors at some point this season. HITTING REPORT: Shohei Ohtani had two walks and an RBI single in his first game as a hitter, after pitching on Saturday. Chris Carter lined a double off the base of the left field fence. David Fletcher, who has played in all four games so far, had a pair of hits. He has four hits in eight at-bats so far. Kaleb Cowart had two singles after going hitless in his first six at-bats. DEFENSE REPORT: Cowart, the third baseman, made a diving stop. Cowart also made a nice backhand play on a ball down the line, but then he made an errant throw. Center fielder Kyle Survance barely missed a leaping catch at the fence, and the ball bounced far enough away to go for an inside-the-park homer. UP NEXT: Angels (Matt Shoemaker) vs. Rockies (Jon Gray), Tuesday, noon PT, Salt River Fields, Fox Sports West, KLAA/830 Shohei Ohtani reaches all three times in his hitting debut with Angels By Jeff Fletcher PEORIA, Ariz. Shohei Ohtani doesn t only need to learn how to hit major league pitches, but also to learn the strike zone of a major league umpire. He accomplished both with his first time in a big league lineup.

4 February 27, 2018 Page 4 of 30 Starting at designated hitter and batting second in the Angels exhibition game against the San Diego Padres on Monday, Ohtani drew two walks and ripped a first-pitch single in his third trip. Afterward, as he described his day to a few dozen media members crowded around the outside of the visitors clubhouse at the Peoria Sports Complex, Ohtani said seeing pitches and hitting were both part of the plan. One of the reasons why I was able to see so many pitches in the first two at-bats was I wanted to feel the difference in the strike zones between Japan and the States, Ohtani said through his interpreter. I feel like I accomplished that. Plus, there was a runner in scoring position (in the third trip) so I wanted to be aggressive on the first pitch. Manager Mike Scioscia said he was happy with the discipline Ohtani showed in his first game. As you see major league pitchers, the way they can exploit the strike zone and hit their spots, you have to have an understanding of it, Scioscia said. Right now, it s really just getting your feet on the ground, seeing some velocity. It s three good at-bats for Shohei. Ohtani first faced right-hander Jordan Lyles, a veteran big league starter who has struggled for the past few years and isn t likely to make the Padres rotation. Ohtani fell behind 0-and-2, swinging through the second pitch, but then he took four pitches to draw a walk. In the third inning, he faced lefty Buddy Baumann, a promising young reliever who struck out 21 in 17-2/3 innings in the majors last year. Ohtani walked again, on five pitches. In Ohtani s third plate appearance, he came up with Eric Young Jr. at second base, and he hit the first pitch from right-hander Michael Mariot back up the middle. That was it for Ohtani s debut as a hitter, which went much better than his debut as a pitcher on Saturday, when he gave up two runs and he got only four outs. My hitting is always ahead of my pitching at this point in the year, Ohtani said. Depending how he feels, Ohtani could hit again as soon as Tuesday. His next start on the mound will be Friday, either against the Chicago Cubs in Tempe or in a B game that will also be that day, Scioscia said. He will also have to throw a bullpen session one of the days in between, and Ohtani won t hit on the days he throws in the bullpen. During the season, he might be able to do that, but even that is not certain at this point. I believe that s part of what we ll look at, Scioscia said. It s not a definite no, but with pitchers, it will be how they rebound. In the spring, pitching is clearly taking the priority, Scioscia said.

5 February 27, 2018 Page 5 of 30 We obviously have to defer to the pitching side, he said. There is so much more effort for a pitcher to get ready. That s why they need the longer spring. The hitter doesn t have as much he needs to worry about. A pitcher has a lot more from bullpens to pitching in games to the work after, so we have to defer to the pitching side. If that cuts out too many of the days Ohtani would be available to hit in games, the Angels could always supplement his at-bats by having him hit in minor league games once those begin in a couple weeks. In minor league games, teams can manipulate the batting order so Ohtani could hit as often as he wants, or even in multiple games played on adjacent fields. For now, Ohtani can simply spend the rest of the spring focused on getting ready for the season, with his most significant firsts out of the way. So far, he seems to be enjoying the new challenges. Of course I had a lot of fun, he said after his hitting debut. I felt like I learned a lot from today and every other day I ve been here. I m really enjoying this time. ALSO The Angels have scheduled the second outings for their starters, and some are working on four days rest and some on five days rest. Parker Bridwell is scheduled to follow Andrew Heaney to the mound on Wednesday, which would be four days rest. Nick Tropeano will follow JC Ramirez on Thursday, which would be five days rest. Asked what criteria the Angels are using to determine the rest, Manager Scioscia said: There is a template and we re going to be flexible. There are a lot of things that still go into that. FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES Angels Shohei Ohtani has an RBI single and two walks in spring-training debut as a hitter By Jeff Miller Shohei Ohtani finished his first spring-training day as a hitter the same way he started it: having never been retired in the Cactus League. The Angels' potential two-way star walked in his first two at-bats against the San Diego Padres on Monday and had an RBI single in his final plate appearance. The single came off the first pitch against Michael Mariot, a 29-year-old reliever with 44 games of bigleague experience.

6 February 27, 2018 Page 6 of 30 Ohtani's walks came against Jordan Lyles and Buddy Baumann. After his single, he was pulled from the game for a pinch-runner. The Angels entered the day hoping to get three at-bats for Ohtani. He made his pitching debut in the Cactus League on Saturday, going 1⅓ innings against Milwaukee. A star as both a hitter and pitcher in Japan, Ohtani, 23, signed with the Angels in December. His pursuit has been one of the biggest stories so far in the early stages of spring training, with Ohtani's pitching debut drawing nearly 100 members of the media. UPDATES: 2:15 p.m.: This article was updated after Ohtani's three at-bats against the Padres. Tyler Skaggs tagged for two homers in first spring start as Angels routed by Padres By Jeff Miller The Angels lost to the San Diego Padres, 10-4, on Monday at Peoria Sports Complex. The Angels are 2-2 in Cactus League play. AT THE PLATE: Shohei Ohtani made his debut as a hitter with a run-scoring single, and Martin Maldonado and Matt Thaiss also had RBI singles. David Fletcher and Kaleb Cowart had two hits apiece. ON THE MOUND: Tyler Skaggs gave up home runs to Hunter Renfroe and Christian Villanueva and a total of three runs in his first start, which lasted 1 1/3 innings. All the noise came in the second, after Skaggs retired the Padres in order in the first, two by strikeout. Skaggs said he was pleased with his start; he explained he has been focusing mostly on flexibility during his training and said he "felt as strong as I possibly could be." Lefty reliever Jose Alvarez struck out two in one scoreless inning. EXTRA BASES: The Angels regulars, most of whom have yet to play this spring, are expected to start appearing in games Tuesday or Wednesday. Sure sign it's spring training: In the seventh inning, after numerous and near-constant lineup changes, the scoreboard displayed the Angels' left fielder as "Unknown." Shohei Ohtani makes much-anticipated Angels debut as a hitter By Jeff Miller After being able to flaunt nothing more than a good eye and fine posture, Shohei Ohtani of the Angels finally was able to flash his celebrated swing Monday.

7 February 27, 2018 Page 7 of 30 He singled in his third plate appearance against San Diego, driving in a run in the fifth inning, the ball not traveling 500 feet or anything but instead placed precisely up the middle Ohtani, a big league rookie trying to become a star pitcher and a regular contributor on offense, walked in his first two plate appearances in his Cactus League hitting debut. Before Monday, Ohtani's offensive exploits with the Angels had been limited to batting practice, including one session that featured two massive home runs that prompted oohs and aahs and high-fives from teammates. This time, his left-handed swing produced a more common, if no less successful result, the single coming on the first pitch from reliever Michael Mariot, a 29-year-old with 44 games in the majors. Ohtani was removed for a pinch-runner, the Angels having achieved their objective of getting him three plate appearances. "I was happy to get that first hit out of the way, but I was also happy with my first two at-bats," Ohtani said through an interpreter. "I got to see a lot of pitches. I feel like I put together pretty good at-bats." Manager Mike Scioscia said Ohtani could be the Angels designated hitter Tuesday when they face Colorado in Scottsdale, Ariz. His next start as a pitcher is scheduled for Friday. Scioscia said it could come in a "B" game and not in the Angels' Cactus League game at home against the Chicago Cubs. This debut went more smoothly than Ohtani's first one, as a pitcher. He struggled with his control in a 1 1/3-inning start Saturday. Just like that event and everything surrounding Ohtani, his first game as a hitter was dissected with almost surgical precision. Once he was pulled, he was pressed on every subject from his nerves to his patience to his wardrobe. When he bats, Ohtani wears an elbow pad and a shin guard because, he explained, he has done so "since high school, maybe even before." When he was on the bases Monday, he did so with a glove/brace on his right [pitching] hand similar to the one used by Mike Trout because "the team just told me to try it on, so I tried it on." Ohtani entered the ballpark at 12:52 p.m. and, 20 minutes later, batting second, took strike one from Jordan Lyles. After swinging and missing for strike two, he watched four consecutive balls. "It actually felt really natural going into my first at bat," Ohtani said. "I was able to see the ball pretty well. Everything felt pretty natural." In the third inning, facing Buddy Baumann, he walked on five pitches before advancing to second base on a wild pitch and sliding awkwardly. Though the game was lightly attended announced crowd: 2,700 on a sunny afternoon, the media attention on Ohtani remained at near capacity.

8 February 27, 2018 Page 8 of 30 His arrival was tracked by photographers still and video with Ohtani drawing particular attention as he ascended the dugout steps for pregame stretching. "One of the reasons why I was able to see so many pitches in the first two at-bats was I wanted to feel the difference in the strike zones between Japan and the States," Ohtani said. "I feel like I accomplished that." He said he was more aggressive his third time up because there was a runner in scoring position, suggesting his thinking was in mid-summer form even here, in late February. "It's going to be interesting to see how this goes," Angels third baseman Zack Cozart said. "Worrying about being a hitter is tough enough. "To be one of the top pitchers and hone that craft, too. If anybody can handle it, it will be him. It doesn't seem like there's a lot of effort with his movements." Shohei Ohtani is back in the Angels lineup Tuesday By Jeff Miller Shohei Ohtani is in the Angels' lineup again, batting second as the designated hitter for a game Tuesday in Scottsdale, Ariz., against Colorado. He made his Cactus League debut as a hitter Monday, singling and walking twice in a 10-4 loss against San Diego. Also in the lineup Tuesday is Albert Pujols, who will be making his 2018 Cactus League debut, batting third and playing first base. Ohtani is trying to become the first player in nearly a century to regularly play both ways in the big leagues. He made his spring training pitching debut Saturday, going 1 1/3 innings against Milwaukee. His next start as a pitcher is scheduled for Friday, though the Angels have not yet announced whether he will appear in their regularly scheduled game against the Chicago Cubs or in a "B" game earlier in the day. A star as both a hitter and pitcher in Japan, Ohtani, 23, signed with the Angels in December. FROM ANGELS.COM Ohtani drives in run, walks twice in hitting debut By Maria Guardado

9 February 27, 2018 Page 9 of 30 PEORIA, Ariz. -- Two days after his first start on the mound, Shohei Ohtani made his second debut of the spring, batting second and serving as the designated hitter in the Angels' 10-4 loss to the Padres at Peoria Sports Complex on Monday. Ohtani did not record an out in three plate appearances for the Angels, finishing 1-for-1 with an RBI single and two walks. "I was happy to get that first hit out of the way, but I was also happy with my first two at-bats," Ohtani said through his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. "I got to see a lot of pitches. I got to face a righty and a lefty. I feel like I put together pretty good at-bats in the first two walks." In his first plate appearance, Ohtani battled back from an 0-2 count to work a walk against Padres righthander Jordan Lyles. Ohtani walked again in the third inning against left-hander Buddy Baumann and advanced to second base when Baumann uncorked a wild pitch to the next batter. After Eric Young Jr. doubled with one out in the fifth, Ohtani bounced a single up the middle off Michael Mariot to score Young and cut the Padres' lead to 4-1. Ohtani was then lifted for a pinch-runner, officially ending his day. Though Ohtani showed patience in his first two plate appearances, he said he wanted to be more aggressive in his final at-bat since there was a man on second. "One of the reasons why I was able to see so many pitches in the first two at-bats was I wanted to feel the difference in the strike zones between Japan and the States," Ohtani said. "I feel like I accomplished that. Plus, there was a runner in scoring position, so I wanted to be aggressive on the first pitch." A left-handed hitter and right-handed pitcher, Ohtani uses an elbow guard when he bats to protect his prized throwing arm. At the Angels' suggestion, Ohtani also wore a glove resembling an oven mitt on his right hand while running the bases Monday. The glove is similar to the one now used by Mike Trout, who tore a thumb ligament on a head-first slide into second base last year. "The team just told me to try it on, so I tried it on," Ohtani said. "There's nothing much else to say." Ohtani enjoyed more success in his batting debut than he did in his pitching debut on Saturday, when he allowed two runs over 1 1/3 innings against the Brewers and struggled with command issues. "I think it goes for almost every player, but my hitting is always ahead of my pitching at this point in the year, just like any other year," Ohtani said. Manager Mike Scioscia said Ohtani's next start on the mound is scheduled for Friday, either in the Angels' Cactus League game against the Cubs at Tempe Diablo Stadium or in a "B" game. Scioscia added that there's "a chance" Ohtani will bat again Tuesday against the Rockies in Scottsdale.

10 February 27, 2018 Page 10 of 30 Skaggs pleased by results of offseason regimen Lefty experiences 'smoother' mechanics after adding stretching to routine By Maria Guardado PEORIA, Ariz. -- After his 2017 campaign was curtailed by shoulder and oblique injuries, Angels lefthander Tyler Skaggs sought to become more pliable over the offseason. He began incorporating an extra 30 minutes of stretching before his workouts, focusing on his hamstring and hip flexibility, and emphasizing shoulder-strengthening exercises. So far, Skaggs has been pleased with the early returns of his offseason regimen. "I think you can see it in my mechanics," Skaggs said Monday after making his Cactus League debut in the Angels' 10-4 loss to the Padres at Peoria Sports Complex. "Everything is a lot smoother instead of spinning off every single pitch." Skaggs pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on two hits while walking one and striking out two. The 26-year-old breezed through a perfect first inning, but he ran into some trouble in the second, surrendering a pair of long home runs to Hunter Renfroe and Christian Villanueva. Both homers were on two-seam fastballs. Still, Skaggs said he was happy with the outing, particularly since his four-seamer worked well in the first inning and his curveball looked sharp. "At this time last year, I was talking to you guys, and I had to be set back because of a shoulder injury," said Skaggs, who logged a 4.55 ERA in 16 starts for the Angels in "Today, I felt as strong as I possibly could be. Things are looking up." Bailey retires Andrew Bailey, who pitched for the A's, Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies and Angels over parts of eight seasons in the Majors, announced his retirement on Monday, adding that he will be joining the Angels' Major League coaching staff. Bailey captured the 2009 American League Rookie of the Year Award with Oakland but later saw his career derailed by shoulder trouble. The 33-year-old reliever appeared in only four games for the Angels in 2017 because of injury. Bailey released this statement via Instagram: "Thank you to the A's, Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies and Angels organizations for believing in me, allowing me the opportunity to play the game and realizing my childhood dream," Bailey wrote in an Instagram post. "Thank you to all of my incredible teammates along the way who helped me and inspired me. Thank you to the coaches and coordinators who pushed me and taught me the game. Thank you to the countless athletic trainers, PT's, strength coaches, surgeons and therapists who helped me through a long list of injuries. Thank you to the fans for always cheering and demanding the best out of me. Thank

11 February 27, 2018 Page 11 of 30 you to my and family for the unwavering support over the last 12 years! I am looking forward to new challenges, new memories and hopefully many championships as I am excited to announce I will be joining the Los Angeles Angels MLB staff." Prospect watch Right-hander Jaime Barria, the Angels' No. 7 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, also made his first appearance of the spring on Monday. Barria pitched 1 1/3 innings, yielding three runs on five hits, including an inside-the-park home run to Franchy Cordero. Barria will likely open the season at Triple-A Salt Lake, but he is expected to contribute to the Angels' rotation at some point this year. Camp battles Infielder Kaleb Cowart, who is likely in the mix for the final bench spot with the Angels, started at third base and finished 2-for-3 against the Padres. He also committed a throwing error. Nolan Fontana and Colin Walsh, two other candidates for the reserve infielder job, each went 0-for-2 on Monday. Worth noting Some of the Angels' starters will make their second outings on the normal four days' rest while others will do so on five days' rest. Parker Bridwell, for example, is slated to pitch on normal rest on Wednesday, after Andrew Heaney makes his Cactus League debut. Nick Tropeano will pitch after JC Ramirez on Thursday with an extra day of rest. "There's a template, and we're going to be flexible to it," manager Mike Scioscia said. "So there's a lot of things that are still going to go into that." Up next Right-hander Matt Shoemaker will make his Cactus League debut on Tuesday, when the Angels head to Scottsdale to face the Rockies. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. PT. FROM ESPN.COM Angels rookie Shohei Ohtani tallies two walks, RBI in DH debut By Jerry Crasnick PEORIA, Ariz. -- Shohei Ohtani displayed a blend of patience and aggressiveness in his designated hitter debut with the Los Angeles Angels. At the end of the day, he had a on-base percentage, his first Cactus League hit and something small to build upon. Two days after his first outing as a starter, Ohtani was in the starting lineup for the Angels in a road game against the San Diego Padres. He walked in his first two plate appearances before jumping on the first pitch from reliever Michael Mariot and hitting a hard ground RBI single up the middle in the top of

12 February 27, 2018 Page 12 of 30 the fifth inning. Manager Mike Scioscia called for a pinch runner, and Ohtani received a warm ovation from the sparse crowd at Peoria Sports Complex on his way back to the dugout. "I was able to see a lot of pitches, and that was really good,'' Ohtani said. "I just want to keep it going. I'm seeing the ball pretty well right now. Hopefully, I can have better at-bats. I think this goes for almost every player, but my hitting is always ahead of my pitching at this point in the year. It's just like any other year." The Angels are trying to devise a comfortable and workable routine as Ohtani pursues his goal of making an impact as a two-way player. His primary focus will be as a member of a six-man starting rotation, but he is also expected to contribute as a DH. Scioscia said Ohtani could be in the lineup at DH again Tuesday depending on how he feels after his debut. The Angels play the Cubs on Friday and have a "B'' game the same day, and Ohtani is expected to make his second Cactus League start in one of those games. The atmosphere against San Diego was considerably more low-key than in Ohtani's pitching debut Saturday, when he struggled with his control over 1 1/3 innings in a 6-5 loss to Milwaukee. A crowd of 6,019 was on hand in Tempe for that game, and Ohtani had trouble keeping his delivery in sync while throwing 17 strikes and 14 balls. Ohtani batted second in the order between center fielder Eric Young Jr. and shortstop David Fletcher on Monday. Scioscia, citing the unusually early start to spring training this year, has yet to play Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Justin Upton or any of Los Angeles' other high-profile regulars. Ohtani fell behind 0-2 against right-hander Jordan Lyles in his first at-bat, then laid off four straight pitches out of the strike zone for a walk. He walked again on five pitches against lefty Buddy Baumann before facing Mariot, a righty reliever with 44 career appearances in Philadelphia and Kansas City. Ohtani drove a fastball through the box to score Young and give the Angels a 4-1 lead before calling it a day. "I was happy to get that first hit out of the way,'' Ohtani said, "but I was also happy with my first two atbats. I got to see a lot of pitches. And I got to see a righty and a lefty. I felt like I had three good at-bats, including the first two. "One of the reasons I saw so many pitches my first two at-bats is that I just wanted to see the difference in the strike zones between Japan and the States. I felt like I accomplished that. Plus, there was a runner in scoring position, so I just wanted to be aggressive." Although the Angels have yet to outline a specific workload for Ohtani, his last healthy season in Japan could provide a bit of a roadmap. In 2016, Ohtani threw 140 innings and logged 323 at-bats as an outfielder for the Nippon Ham Fighters. Last year, his workload was curtailed by injuries, and he made only five starts as a pitcher and hit.332 with a.942 OPS for the Fighters.

13 February 27, 2018 Page 13 of 30 FROM THE USA TODAY Angels' Shohei Ohtani impressive in offensive debut -- singles in final at-bat By Jorge Ortiz PEORIA, Ariz. The hitter is ahead of the pitcher at this time of year well, at least when it comes to Shohei Ohtani. The Japanese two-way star enjoyed an encouraging day at the plate Monday in his first action of the spring as a hitter, on the heels of a shaky pitching debut two days before. After walking his first two times up, Ohtani cracked an RBI single up the middle in the fifth inning against San Diego Padres right-hander Michael Mariot. Ohtani then left for a pinchrunner, his day done after getting on base all three times. The Los Angeles Angels rookie, who is seeking to become the first player in nearly a century to pitch and hit regularly in the majors, gave up two runs (one earned) in 1 1/3 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. I think it goes for almost every player, but my hitting is always ahead of my pitching at this point in the year, just like any other year, Ohtani said through an interpreter. Ohtani didn t get much of a chance to show his swing on his first two trips to the plate. He took one cut in each before lashing the first-pitch single off Mariot, who has pitched in 44 major league games. Batting second as the designated hitter, Ohtani worked a first-inning walk after falling behind 0-2 against Padres starter Jordan Lyles, a right-hander with a career record of and a 5.43 ERA in seven major league seasons. Ohtani was later erased on a Martin Maldonado doubleplay grounder. Facing lefty Buddy Baumann in the third, Ohtani walked on five pitches, then advanced to second on a wild pitch, sliding in ahead of catcher A.J. Ellis throw. One of the reasons why I was able to see so many pitches in the first two at-bats was I wanted to feel the difference in the strike zones between Japan and the States, Ohtani said. I feel like I accomplished that. Plus, there was a runner in scoring position (his third time up), so I wanted to be aggressive on the first pitch. Ohtani s mere presence at a game has become an event, at least among the news media from Japan and to a lesser extent the U.S. It did not exactly stir the masses Monday the game at Peoria Stadium was sparsely attended but word of his participation did not get out until the morning, when the Angels posted the lineup.

14 February 27, 2018 Page 14 of 30 Once that happened, baseball reporters and camera operators from all around the Phoenix area headed toward Peoria, where the stadium press box was outfitted with extra tables to handle the media overflow. All the spots were filled. Ohtani, 23, earned MVP honors in Japan s Pacific League in 2016, when he went 10-4 with a 1.86 ERA in 21 pitching appearances while also blasting 22 homers and posting a OPS. Angels manager Mike Scioscia says Ohtani will pitch next on Friday and might hit again Tuesday. His long drives over the fence in batting practice had drawn expressions of awe from his Angels teammates, but Monday was the first time he swung in a game. Ohtani s initial appearance as a pitcher was a mild disappointment. Considered a better prospect as a pitcher than hitter, Ohtani labored through his 31-pitch start, throwing first-pitch balls to five of his seven batters and struggling with his fastball command. Some of the Brewers said the pitch, although it reached 97 mph, looked flat. On the other hand, Ohtani flashed a sharp splitter and a big curveball, helping him strike out two batters. Overall, he showed the rust that was to be expected from a pitcher who made only five starts last season because of injuries. Regardless, he s trying to absorb as much as possible from every experience. I had a lot of fun, Ohtani said. I felt like I learned a lot from today and every other day I ve been here. I m really enjoying this time. ST Daily: Ohtani on Offense By Ryan Boyer FROM YAHOO! SPORTS Probably more than any other player, baseball fans and fantasy owners have been anxious to get a look at Shohei Ohtani this spring. The Japanese two-way star debuted as a pitcher on Saturday. On Monday it was his time for his debut as a hitter. Batting second and serving as the Angels designated hitter against the Padres, Ohtani reached base in all three plate appearances. He battled back from an 0-2 count against Jordan Lyles in his first trip to the dish to draw a walk and also reached base on a walk versus Buddy Baumann in his second try. In the fifth inning, Ohtani slapped the first pitch he saw from Michael Mariot up the middle for an RBI single. He was then lifted for a pinch-runner. "I was able to see a lot of pitches and that was really good,'' Ohtani said. "I just want to keep it going. I'm seeing the ball pretty well right now. Hopefully, I can have better at-bats. I think this goes for almost

15 February 27, 2018 Page 15 of 30 every player, but my hitting is always ahead of my pitching at this point in the year. It's just like any other year." Ohtani s primary value to the Angels is almost surely going to come as a pitcher, as the 23-year-old is viewed as a potential No. 1 starter. The club plans to utilize a six-man rotation this season in part so that Ohtani can continue to pitch primarily on five days rest as he did in Japan. How Ohtani is used and ultimately fares as a hitter is viewed as more of a question mark. He put up big numbers at the plate overseas including a.332/.403/.540 line over 231 plate appearances in his last season with the Nippon Ham Fighters and has big raw power. However, the feeling is that the hitting talent is behind the power. The Angels have said Ohtani won t play the outfield this season and instead will be used only in the DH spot when he s in the lineup. How often he s penciled into that lineup is yet to be determined. Ohtani is changing the fantasy game and could be a game-changing talent on the field, as well. His next start on the mound will come on Friday. Ohtani delivers as hitter FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) Two-way star Shohei Ohtani had a much better big league debut as a hitter than he did as a pitcher. After patiently drawing walks in his first two plate appearances, Ohtani hit a sharp RBI single up the middle in his first spring training start as a designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels. After his single, Ohtani was lifted for a pinch-runner and received a nice round of applause from the fans at Peoria Stadium, which was less than half full. His first Cactus League at-bats came two days after his first start on the mound. The Japanese newcomer allowed a home run and didn't make it through his scheduled two innings against Milwaukee. Blue Jays reach deal with Oh DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) Free agent reliever Seung-Hwan Oh and the Toronto Blue Jays have finalized a one-year contract with a 2018 salary of $1.75 million. The deal announced Monday includes a $2.5 million team option for 2019 that could become guaranteed based on appearances. Ohtani has two walks, hit in debut at plate Angels rookie Shohei Ohtani fares better in his first game as a hitter than he did as a pitcher.

16 February 27, 2018 Page 16 of 30 PEORIA, Ariz. Two-way star Shohei Ohtani had a much better big league debut as a hitter than he did as a pitcher. After patiently drawing walks in his first two plate appearances, Ohtani hit a sharp RBI single up the middle in his first spring training start as a designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels. I was happy to get that first hit out of the way but I was also happy with my first two at-bats, the 23- year-old said through a translator after getting on base three times against three San Diego Padres pitchers. I got to see a lot of pitches and I got to face a righty and a lefty. I felt like I put together pretty good at-bats the first two walks. That s why the lefty-hitting phenom was able to be aggressive in his third at-bat, when he hit the first pitch he saw from righty Michael Mariot for a single that brought in Eric Young Jr., who had doubled with one out. One of the reasons why I was able to see so many pitches in the first two at-bats was I just wanted to feel the difference in the strike zones between Japan and the States, Ohtani said. I felt like I kind of accomplished that plus I just wanted to be aggressive on the first pitch. After his single, Ohtani was lifted for a pinch runner and received a nice round of applause from the fans at Peoria Stadium, which was less than half full. Ohtani saw 11 pitches his first two times up and swung at only two. Batting second, he fell behind 0-2 against right-hander Jordan Lyles before drawing four straight balls in the first inning. He advanced on David Fletcher s single and was erased on Martin Maldonado s inningending double play. Ohtani walked again in the third against lefty Buddy Bauman and took second on a wild pitch, beating the throw with an awkward slide. The Angels lost 10-4 as the Padres hit five home runs, including an inside-the-parker by Franchy Cordero. Ohtani s first Cactus League at-bats came two days after his first start on the mound. The Japanese newcomer allowed a home run and didn t make it through his scheduled two innings against Milwaukee. Ohtani said he wasn t nervous. Actually, it felt really natural going into my first at-bat. I was able to see the ball really well, he said. I was able to see a lot of pitches, so that was really good. I just want to keep it going. I m seeing the ball pretty well so hopefully I can have better at-bats tomorrow. Ohtani is trying to become the first player in nearly 100 years to play regularly as a pitcher and hitter. Asked if hitting is ahead of his pitching, he said: I think this goes for almost any player, I think my hitting is always ahead of my pitching at this point of the year, just like any other year. Ohtani spent five seasons with the Nippon Ham Fighters before signing with the Angels as an international free agent on Dec. 10. The Angels paid a $20 million posting fee to the Ham Fighters. Ohtani, who will be under the Angels contractual control for six years, signed a minor league contract and can receive up to $2,315,000 in international bonus money from the Angels.

17 February 27, 2018 Page 17 of 30 Ohtani likely could have received a deal worth more than $100 million if he had waited two years to move stateside, but he wasn t interested in delaying his progress for money. He saw the ball really well, Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. Andrew Bailey announces retirement By Jeff Todd FROM MLB TRADE RUMORS Reliever Andrew Bailey announced today (via Instagram) that he is hanging up his spikes in favor of a non-playing position with the Angels. Bailey will become the organization s instant replay coordinator and coaching assistant, per Pedro Moura of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 33-year-old Bailey ends his career with a 3.12 lifetime ERA over eight MLB campaigns. Of course, that hardly tells the tale of his winding journey through professional baseball. A sixth-round pick from Wagner College, Bailey spent three years in the minors as a starter before debuting in the Athletics pen in He turned in an eye-opening campaign, racking up 83 1/3 innings of 1.84 ERA ball with 9.8 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, and just 5.3 hits per nine. Bailey took hold of the A s closing job that year and ended up with 75 saves over three years in Oakland. His final season there was his worst, but he managed to rebound from a forearm strain to throw 41 2/3 innings with a 3.24 earned run average. That platform set the stage for a swap that sent Bailey to the Red Sox in exchange for Josh Reddick and others. (That trade had quite the butterfly effect, as MLBTR s Steve Adams observed the following winter.) At the time, it seemed that Bailey would step into the closer s role that had just been vacated by Jonathan Papelbon. Things went south quickly in Boston, as Bailey opened the season on the DL due to a thumb injury and was tagged for a dozen earned runs in 15 1/3 frames upon his return. Though he bounced back to spin 28 2/3 frames of 3.77 ERA ball with 12.2 K/9 and 3.8 BB/9 in 2013, Bailey s season was cut short by a significant shoulder injury that required surgery. He was non-tendered in advance of the 2014 campaign. After enduring an obstacle-ridden rehab process, Bailey finally returned to the majors in September of 2015 with the Yankees. He made it unscathed through a 33-appearance opportunity with the Phillies in 2016, but limped to a 6.40 ERA and was released. Bailey ended up catching on with the Angels at the tail end of the 2016 and turned in what was to be something of a last hurrah. Despite showing greatly diminished velocity, he saved six more games in a dozen appearances, earning a $1MM guarantee to return to Los Angeles for the 2017 season. Unfortunately, ongoing shoulder maladies kept Bailey to throwing four scoreless frames in the majors for the season.

18 February 27, 2018 Page 18 of 30 Though Bailey did not have the kind of overall career that his first few seasons promised, he certainly had plenty of good moments and battled through quite a lot of injury-related adversity. (Among the many people he thanked in his message were the countless athletic trainers, PT s, strength coaches, surgeons and therapists. ) MLBTR wishes him the best of luck in his new pursuit within the game of baseball. Zack Cozart s wife is savage By Craig Calcaterra FROM NBCSPORTS.COM There s a good story by Pedro Moura up at The Athletic (subscription only) about Zack Cozart. Cozart, of course, has been a shortstop for his entire career, but he s moving to third base with the Angels since they have the best defensive shortstop in the game in Andrelton Simmons. Still, players get very invested in their defensive positions, especially if its a glory position like shortstop or center field. As such, Cozart had to think hard about signing with the Angels and moving off short. He did that, thinking he d at least be staying in the middle infield by playing some second base, but then another wrinkle was presented: the Angels traded for Ian Kinsler, meaning that it was third base or nothing for Cozart. He, again, had to think hard about how to process it. What put him over? His wife, who did not beat around the dang bush: Cozart hung up the phone. He and his wife, Chelsea, lingered along the curb to discuss it. He was already going to move from his lifelong shortstop to accommodate Andrelton Simmons. Would this be much different? His wife moved the conversation forward with force. Quit being a baby, she said. Do you want to go play for the Reds, or do you want to play for the Angels? One team s trying to win. I hereby nominate Chelsea Cozart as the next Executive Director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. Andrew Bailey retires By Bill Baer Reliever Andrew Bailey announced his retirement from baseball via his Instagram page on Monday. Bailey, 33, pitched parts of eight seasons in the majors with the Athletics, Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, and Angels. He racked up 95 saves with a 3.12 ERA and 276 strikeouts in 274 1/3 innings. The right-hander won the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 2009, saving 26 games for the A s with a 1.84 ERA in 83 1/3 innings. Bailey also made the AL All-Star team twice.

19 February 27, 2018 Page 19 of 30 Injuries unfortunately derailed what looked to be a promising career. Bailey pitched a grand total of 100 1/3 innings between the seasons and missed the 2014 campaign entirely. He tried over the past three seasons to put things together with the Yankees, Phillies, and Angels, but to no avail. FROM FAN RAG SPORTS Andrew Bailey announces retirement from baseball By Raphielle Johnson After eight major league seasons, relief pitcher Andrew Bailey announced via his Instagram account that he has decided to retire. Bailey has also made a decision regarding his post-playing career, as he announced that he has joined the Los Angeles Angels coaching staff. Per Pedro Moura of The Athletic, Bailey will serve as the team s instant replay coordinator and coaching assistant. andrewbailey37: Thank you to the A s, Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies and Angels organizations for believing in me, allowing me the opportunity to play the game and realizing my childhood dream. Thank you to all of my incredible teammates along the way who helped me and inspired me. Thank you to the coaches and coordinators who pushed me and taught me the game. Thank you to the countless athletic trainers, PT s, strength coaches, surgeons and therapists who helped me through a long list of injuries. Thank you to the fans for always cheering and demanding the best out of me. Thank you to my and family for the unwavering support over the last 12 years! I am looking forward to new challenges, new memories and hopefully many championships as I am excited to announce I will be joining the Los Angeles Angels MLB staff. #2018 #LetsGo #halos #newbeginnings #springtraining #GoingbacktoCali #azbound #OaklandAs #RedSox #Yankees #Phillies #Angels #ThankYou Bailey appeared in just four games for the Angels last season, going 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in four innings pitched as shoulder problems kept him off the mound for most of the year. Bailey joined the Angels during the 2016 season, as he signed with the team one week after being released by the Phillies. After joining the Angels in August of 2016, Bailey pitched a total of 11.1 innings in 12 appearances for the team during the 2016 season. Selected by the Oakland Athletics in the sixth round of the 2006 MLB Amateur Draft out of Wagner College, Bailey made his major league debut for the A s during the 2009 season. He would earn American League Rookie of the Year honors that season, going 6-3 with a 1.84 ERA. Bailey pitched 83.1 innings over the course of 68 appearances in 2009, and he also converted 26 of his 30 save opportunities. Bailey would save 25 games in 2010, earning an All-Star Game appearance for the second consecutive season, and 24 in Oakland would trade Bailey to Boston in the winter of 2011, with the reliever pitching two seasons for the Red Sox before a shoulder injury cut his 2014 season short. Bailey did not make his return to the majors until September 2015 as a member of the New York Yankees, and Bailey signed with the Phillies as a free agent in December 2015.

20 February 27, 2018 Page 20 of 30 For his career Bailey made a total of 265 relief appearances, pitching innings and going with a 3.12 ERA and 95 saves (out of 113 save opportunities). FROM BLEACHER REPORT Projecting MLB s Most Dominant Rotations 5 Years from Now By Zachary D. Rymer Starting pitching is the most valuable commodity in Major League Baseball right now. And with rosters across the league pretty well set, it's not hard to see which of the league's 30 teams have the most of it for But what about five years from now? Thus begins our quest to answer that question. The first thing to understand is that the target year is 2022, not By the time 2022 comes to a close, MLB will officially be five seasons past last season. Otherwise, here are the things that determine our rankings: Controllable Young Starters: Young pitchers who are already in the major leagues and under team control through This covers an exclusive list of present and future stars. Pitching Prospects: The more good pitching prospects a team has, the better. For this, the emphasis will be on the "Tier 1" prospects (i.e. guys with All-Star potential) from Bleacher Report's latest farm system rankings. Future Spending Power: We don't want to get too carried away with predicting contract extensions and free-agent signings. However, it would be foolish to ignore teams that will have the financial flexibility for either/or in coming years. And the closer any free-agent signings are to 2022, the better. Given how many moving parts are contained within any five-year period of MLB history, it goes without saying that this is a presumptuous exercise that may not age well. Nonetheless, there's nothing wrong with a little imagination. Let's take it away : Where Uncertainty Reigns 30. Kansas City Royals Jakob Junis is the only established starter controlled by the Royals through 2022, and their MLB-worst farm system is short on impact arms, among other things. 29. Miami Marlins Because Miami's one and only Tier 1 pitcher (Sandy Alcantara) is likely destined for the bullpen, their future rotation won't really start coming into focus until after the next few drafts. 28. Texas Rangers

21 February 27, 2018 Page 21 of 30 The Rangers have a weak rotation now and are short on impact pitching prospects. The only silver lining is that they'll be able to spend in coming winters. 27. Seattle Mariners The Mariners control Ariel Miranda, Marco Gonzales and Andrew Moore for the long haul. None of the three inspires much confidence, however, and there aren't any Tier 1 arms underneath them. 26. Baltimore Orioles The Orioles have interesting arms (e.g. Hunter Harvey and DL Hall) in the minors but no aces in waiting. They need to change that before possibly losing Kevin Gausman after 2020 and Dylan Bundy after Chicago Cubs Of Chicago's current starters, only Yu Darvish will still be around in 2022 and he'll be 35 years old by then. With no Tier 1 arms in the minors, the Cubs had better make the most of what they have now. 24. Washington Nationals The Nationals stand to lose Gio Gonzalez after 2018, Tanner Roark after 2019 and Max Scherzer and Joe Ross after Only Stephen Strasburg will be left by 2022, and he'll be San Francisco Giants The Giants like to retain their stars, so Madison Bumgarner is probably sticking around after After that, the list of reasons to look forward to the club's 2022 rotation gets a lot less exciting. 22. Los Angeles Angels It bodes well for the future of the Angels rotation that Shohei Ohtani is a better pitcher than he is a hitter. But apart from Parker Bridwell, the Angels are short on long-term rotation mates for him. 21. Arizona Diamondbacks The D-Backs control the overlooked Zack Godley through 2022, and should soon graduate well-regarded righty Jon Duplantier to the majors. Otherwise, their rotation is set to incur heavy losses in coming years. 20. Cleveland Indians At a certain point, Cleveland's rotation will include top prospect Triston McKenzie alongside Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and Mike Clevinger. But by 2022, only McKenzie and Clevinger will remain. 19. Milwaukee Brewers

22 February 27, 2018 Page 22 of 30 The Brewers' current rotation is lacking in long-term fixtures. So, it's a good thing they have a pair of Tier 1 arms belonging to Brandon Woodruff and Corbin Burnes who should become fixtures no later than Colorado Rockies German Marquez and Kyle Freeland are set to anchor Colorado's rotation for years to come. Riley Pint and his 102 mph fastball should be along by 2020, which will help offset the eventual loss of Jon Gray after New York Mets The Mets don't have any guaranteed dollars on their books after 2020, so they darn well better extend Noah Syndergaard beyond Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo, neither of whom is as bad as his 2017 numbers suggest, are already in for the long haul. 16. Toronto Blue Jays With virtually nothing on their books after 2019, the Blue Jays have a perfect excuse to extend Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez. If so, they'd eventually join forces with Nate Pearson, a Tier 1 righty with a big-time fastball : The "Just Missed" List 15. Tampa Bay Rays There's good news and bad news regarding right-handed prospect Brent Honeywell. The good is that he's among the best of all the Tier 1 arms in MLB. The bad is that he needs Tommy John surgery. But assuming he recovers well (knock on wood), he'll make a fine addition to a 2022 rotation picture that already includes talented lefty Blake Snell and overlooked righty Jake Faria. If his bat doesn't prove to be his primary meal ticket, left-hander Brendan McKay is yet another Tier 1 prospect who'll join the fun. 14. Oakland Athletics At the major league level, the A's control Sean Manaea, Jharel Cotton, Daniel Mengden, Paul Blackburn, Daniel Gossett and Andrew Triggs through At the minor league level, they have two Tier 1 arms (LHPs A.J. Puk and Jesus Luzardo) and several more prospects worth knowing (RHPs Grant Holmes, James Kaprielien and Logan Shore). Since there's always a question of funds in Oakland, how many of them will last in A's uniforms is the big question. Nonetheless, a rotation of Puk, Luzardo, Manaea, Holmes and Mengden is just one of many exciting potential combinations.