“We still have issues to discuss, but one thing clear among the MLB executive subcommittee members is that this is no longer a Harry Marino discussion, in any respect,” MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said in a recent statement.

Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman each took short deals with opt-outs after spring training began, while Jordan Montgomery remains unsigned. All four are represented by agent Scott Boras, who ripped Marino’s union push as a “coup d’etat.”

Rangers repeat?

Making Montgomery’s prolonged unemployment particularly puzzling is the left-hander played a starring role on the Rangers’ first-ever World Series title team last fall.

The Rangers, who made their championship run as a 90-win wild-card team, did little to retool their pitching staff this offseason, signing reliever David Robertson and starter Michael Lorenzen to one-year deals but losing Aroldis Chapman and possibly Montgomery.

Former Mets aces Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer are expected to miss multiple months as they recover from surgeries, making Texas’ rotation even thinner.

The Rangers have high hopes for top prospect Wyatt Langford, the 2023 first-round pick poised to open the season as their designated hitter. Still, Texas’ relative inactivity opens the door for other AL contenders, including the AL West-winning Astros, who just signed top-tier closer Josh Hader to help prolong their championship window.

No team has repeated as champions since the Yankees from 1998-2000.

Orioles upswing

No conversation about AL contenders is complete without mentioning the Orioles, whose ultra-talented young core fueled an earlier-than-expected 101-win season and an AL East title in 2023.

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