Mariners Moose Tracks, 3/5/20: Taijuan Walker, Bryce Harper, and Mike Trout

Good morning folks! Let’s get to the daily batch of links.

In Mariners news...

• And so Matt Festa is back on the mend.

• Corey Brock at The Athletic talked to Taijuan Walker about his leadership role this year. ($)
• Look at that swing though.

Around the league...

• Have you booked your trip to Trenton yet? If not, what are you waiting for?

• Zach Kram at The Ringer wonders what a Backyard Baseball roster would look like today.
• Sam Miller of ESPN thinks tanking may be finally falling out of vogue.
• Rest in peace, Kelly.

• Andy McCullough of The Athletic reports players are okay with taking away in-game video access. Mostly.
• Former Mariners reliever Lucas Luetge is still trying to make it back to the majors, but he and his wife Lacie have another task on their plate as well, from the San Francisco Chronicle.
• Wow, this would be neat.

• Per Jesse Sanchez of MLB, Yoenis Cespedes’ little brother Yoelkis will be a free agent and eligible to sign with teams on March 18th, though the 22 year old Cuban pro will be subject to MLB’s international spending cap, limiting his options.
• Sports Illustrated reports a gambler from New York has been accused of sending threats and epithets to athletes, including members of the Tampa Bay Rays.
• Bryce Harper did what now?

• Justin Klugh at Fangraphs wonders if we’re getting bored of Mike Trout’s talent.
• The Red Sox have signed RHP Collin McHugh to a one-year deal worth $600k, with incentives. McHugh has been slowly recovering from arm injuries that derailed and ended his 2019 season early.