{"id":260990,"date":"2026-04-10T11:27:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-10T11:27:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/260990\/"},"modified":"2026-04-10T11:27:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-10T11:27:50","slug":"he-swung-at-him-with-a-baseball-still-in-his-hand-plus-konnor-griffins-big-payday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/260990\/","title":{"rendered":"He swung at him! With a baseball still in his hand! Plus: Konnor Griffin\u2019s big payday"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Windup Newsletter | This is The Athletic\u2019s MLB<\/a> newsletter. Sign up here<\/a> to receive The Windup directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

There was a fight last night, just not in the game I expected. Plus: Reds-Marlins has been interesting, Dodgers-Blue Jays has not and Andy\u2019s mailbag deals with the slew of recent extensions.<\/p>\n

Oh, and breaking news this morning: Konnor Griffin\u00a0signed a team-record\u00a0nine-year, $140 million deal<\/a>\u00a0with the Pirates \u2014 after less than a week in the big leagues.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m Levi Weaver, here with Andy McCullough \u2014 welcome to The Windup!<\/p>\n

Brawl: L\u00f3pez and Soler go at it<\/p>\n

We told you a baseball fight was imminent.<\/p>\n

OK, so it didn\u2019t happen in\u00a0the Red Sox-Brewers<\/a>. Instead, it was a\u00a0mostly\u00a0one-on-one dust-up<\/a>\u00a0between Atlanta starter Reynaldo L\u00f3pez and Angels DH Jorge Soler (L\u00f3pez\u2019s 2024 teammate in Atlanta).<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t let that description fool you into thinking this was a chest-bumping \u201chold-me-back\u201d-fest. There were haymakers! L\u00f3pez still had a baseball in his right hand when he started swinging!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s\u00a0the whole video<\/a>\u00a0(and probable spoiler for tomorrow\u2019s most-clicked link), but one guy put an end to it pretty quickly with a good form tackle. I\u2019ll show you where to look:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

That shiny belt-high head belongs to 62-year-old Braves manager Walt Weiss (who\u00a0has a black belt in taekwondo<\/a>, by the way).<\/p>\n

\u201cI love Soler, we were teammates here,\u201d Weiss said after the game. \u201cBut that\u2019s a big man. So I just felt I gotta get him off his feet, because he\u2019s gonna hurt somebody. So that was my instinct, was to get in there and get Georgie off his feet, because (chuckles) yeah, he was on the warpath.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both teams were issued warnings, but there were no further fireworks. While Soler has utterly owned L\u00f3pez (14-for-25 with five home runs, including one in the first inning last night) L\u00f3pez insisted after the game that it was unintentional.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just think it was a misunderstanding,\u201d L\u00f3pez said through an interpreter. \u201cThere was never any intent on my part to hit him.\u201d<\/p>\n

If there was anything more to it than that, I\u2019m sure it\u2019ll come out eventually. In the meantime, maybe Topps Now can try to outdo one of the best baseball card action shots<\/a>\u00a0of all time.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s throw it to Andy for some insight on these young players striking long-term deals.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udceb McCullough\u2019s Mailbag<\/p>\n

Every Wednesday, I answer your questions.\u00a0Here\u2019s this week\u2019s mailbag<\/a>, and here\u2019s an excerpt:<\/p>\n

It seems like more young players are signing long-term extensions the last few months than in recent memory. I\u2019m sure some of that is circumstantial, but when the Pirates are getting in on it, I start to wonder \u2026 how bad is the next CBA going to be?\u00a0\u2014\u00a0Daniel V.<\/p>\n

There have been three notable extensions for rookies thus far:\u00a0The Pirates and Griffin<\/a>, whose contract exceeds the $135 million guarantee that Roman Anthony received from Boston last summer. Then there are the smaller but still significant deals struck with\u00a0Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt<\/a>\u00a0(eight years, $50.75 million) and\u00a0Mariners infielder Colt Emerson<\/a>\u00a0(eight years, $95 million).<\/p>\n

As anyone who grew up watching \u201cNFL PrimeTime\u201d can tell you, three is a trend.<\/p>\n

But is it really? Teams like Milwaukee and Seattle have shown a willingness in earlier years to strike these types of deals. The Brewers extended Jackson Chourio on an $82 million deal before he reached the majors. The Mariners lost a $24 million gamble on first baseman Evan White, who signed his deal before he had reached Triple A and never panned out as a player. And the Griffin deal is similar in scale and timing to contracts doled out to players like Anthony, Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill (nine years, $135 million) and Corbin Carroll (eight years, $111 million).<\/p>\n

And yet \u2026<\/p>\n

It can be a little difficult to distinguish between the signal and the noise on this one. I would feel like I was acting obtuse<\/a>\u00a0if I suggested the looming expiration of the collective bargaining agreement played no role. The owners are always searching for cost certainty \u2014 it\u2019s one of many reasons they desire a salary cap, for instance \u2014 and these deals provide that.<\/p>\n

In a hypothetical system that features a cap and a floor, these types of deals would become more appealing for players, as their top-end wages would be suppressed by the cap, which would make free agency less appealing. But the MLBPA has shown no interest in softening its stance against the cap.\u00a0As Ken Rosenthal noted last week<\/a>, the owners may seek to offer earlier access to free agency in exchange for a cap. And as we noted in an earlier edition of this mailbag, the union\u2019s current position on that trade is: \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

So I don\u2019t want to suggest the CBA doesn\u2019t matter at all. But I think if you saw a spate of top prospects taking below-market deals, then you could chalk it up to a panic about the upcoming labor battle. But I don\u2019t see Kevin McGonigle accepting a seven-year, $22 million deal anytime soon. Or JJ Wetherholt taking a $30 million guarantee with six club options. You get the picture.<\/p>\n

Back to you, Levi.<\/p>\n

Dark Horses: Reds. Marlins. Who\u2019s legit?<\/p>\n

Reds versus Marlins on a Tuesday night in early April?<\/p>\n

Not what I would have expected to hone in on, but for a number of reasons, these two teams are both interesting right now.<\/p>\n

The game was exciting \u2014 the Reds had a ninth-inning comeback and won in extra innings \u2014 but beyond the result, here\u2019s what I\u2019m seeing from two teams that could be dark-horse playoff teams this year.<\/p>\n

Sandy Alcantara is all the way back.\u00a0After\u00a0Tyler Kepner\u2019s story yesterday<\/a>, Alcantara left the mound last night having allowed zero runs in 8 1\/3 shutout innings \u2026\u00a0raising\u00a0his season ERA to 0.74 in three starts (the Marlins bullpen allowed a couple of inherited baserunners to score).
\nThe Reds keep winning, but I\u2019m not sure how.\u00a0Going into last night\u2019s game, they ranked\u00a0near the bottom of the league<\/a>\u00a0in just about every offensive category. And yet \u2026 they\u2019re now 8-3, tied with the Brewers atop the NL Central.
\nThe Marlins can run.\u00a0Even before last night, Miami was ranked second in BsR, FanGraphs\u2019 base-running value stat. In last night\u2019s loss, Jakob Marsee stole four of the six bases the Marlins stole.
\nMarlins, hitters; Reds, pitchers:\u00a0Look at\u00a0this team page<\/a>. That\u2019s not a bad lineup. Look\u00a0at this one<\/a>: That\u2019s a pretty good rotation (with Hunter Greene still to return). Could either team go on a very cold streak and make me look bad? Oh yes. One of them almost certainly will.<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re looking for dark-horse playoff teams in the NL, I think two of them are playing each other in Miami this week.<\/p>\n

Blowout: World Series rematch has been a dud<\/p>\n

There was no shortage of storylines as the Dodgers traveled to Toronto this week for a rematch of last year\u2019s World Series:<\/p>\n

Kyle Tucker\u00a0strongly considered the Blue Jays<\/a>\u00a0in free agency before going with Los Angeles.
\nAlex Vesia was going to\u00a0get his Toronto moment<\/a>\u00a0after a family tragedy kept him away from the Dodgers during the Fall Classic.
\nMaybe Max Scherzer would yell at John Schneider again. (That didn\u2019t happen in the World Series, I just hoped it would become a more regular thing, you know?)<\/p>\n

Anyway, Scherzer only lasted two innings because of forearm tendinitis, and\u00a0the Dodgers have won the first two games by a combined score of 18-3.\u00a0To add insult to injury, the pitcher who closed out that 14-2 win was\u00a0this guy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, seemingly half of the Blue Jays roster is injured<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The only bit of intrigue thus far came when Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela accidentally hit Shohei Ohtani\u2019s elbow with his hand when the two-way star was in the batter\u2019s box and the catcher tried to backpick a runner at first (everyone seems to be OK).<\/p>\n

Maybe this afternoon we\u2019ll get a little more worth watching, as Ohtani looks to extend his scoreless streak of 22 1\/3 innings \u2014 and his on-base streak of 42 games (one more would tie Ichiro for the\u00a0longest by a Japanese-born player<\/a>). Ohtani takes on Dylan Cease, the Blue Jays\u2019 biggest acquisition of the winter.<\/p>\n

Handshakes and High Fives<\/p>\n

Fans love ABS. Privately, some umpires think they\u2019re now being held to\u00a0an impossible public standard<\/a>.<\/p>\n

An update on a couple of those injuries we told you about yesterday. Cubs starter Cade Horton will\u00a0miss the rest of this season<\/a>, and Astros starter Hunter Brown\u00a0won\u2019t throw for a few weeks<\/a>\u00a0with a Grade 2 shoulder strain.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen a bunt result in\u00a0a bat to the face<\/a>\u00a0before, but the Twins still beat Tarik Skubal and the Tigers, with\u00a0Taj Bradley leading Minnesota<\/a>\u00a0to a 4-2 win.<\/p>\n

The Angels were paying Eric Kay\u2019s legal fees. Then they stopped,\u00a0leaving an unpaid $130,000 bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s test if I\u2019ve still got it: I predict the brimless hat\u00a0will not become a fashion trend<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Have you ever seen a team score\u00a010 runs on one hit<\/a>?<\/p>\n

In his first plate appearance for the Mets after being called up to replace an injured Juan Soto, Ronny Mauricio hit a 10th inning\u00a0walk-off single<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On the pods:\u00a0Jayson Stark and Doug Glanville\u00a0joined Eno and DVR<\/a>\u00a0to discuss the greatest teenage position players in baseball history. Also: Starkville returns Saturday, April 18th wherever you\u00a0watch<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0listen to Rates & Barrels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most clicked in our last newsletter:\u00a0The Royals\u2019\u00a05-6-4-3 double play<\/a>, the first in the league since 1995.<\/p>\n

Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic\u2019s other newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Windup Newsletter | This is The Athletic\u2019s MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":260991,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[163,165,164,1334],"class_list":["post-260990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-mlb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=260990"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/260990\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/260991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=260990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=260990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=260990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}