Lookout Linkage, 3/30/14

By the time the next series of links is posted, the season will be underway. Crazy, huh? Links:

• The sorta-kinda-Opening Day starts sorta-officially tonight (this whole Australia thing makes everything so confusing!) with the Dodgers squaring off against the Padres in San Diego. Here is a schedule of the week's games.
• U.S.S. Mariner helps you get to know new Mariner Chris Young.
• U.S.S. Mariner also discusses Randy Wolf, Chris Young, and the 45-day clause.
• Jason Churchill at Prospect Insider compares the opening day rosters of the 2013 and 2014 Seattle Mariners.
• The Indians and catcher Yan Gomes have agreed to a 6-year, $23MM extension.
• The Angels and Mike Trout agreed to a 6-year, $144.5MM extension that locks him up through his age-28 season and allows him to hit free agency in 2020.
• Miguel Cabrera also just signed an extension, but this one for 8 years and $292MM. However, Dave Cameron understands why the contract had to be made even though it's pretty bad.
• Which state should get the next MLB team? David Roth argues that New Jersey is the place.
• The Dodgers are the favorites to win the World Series this year, and the Mariners apparently have the same odds as the Phillies which makes me sad.
• It's prediction time and everyone's got theirs. Here is Grant Brisbee's, Fangraphs' (2 parts), and Chris Cotillo's.
• Could ballparks have an effect on ball-strike calls? Jeff Sullivan tries to figure this out.
• MLB has tightened its rules on PED violations, as now the first offense calls for an 80-game suspension, the second calls for 162-game suspension, and the third is a life ban from the game.
• Matt Swartz of The Hardball Times has a great piece on how to predict contract inflation and salary growth.