10 reunion dates to watch for in 2017
The free-agent class of 2016-17 was neither the wildest nor best in recent years. There was more fanfare and excitement centered around the Jose Bautista drama in Toronto, where he wound up re-signing.
Still, there were several moves and trades that have given a handful of dates a little more narrative heft than they otherwise would have. And these storylines following the players can often glue us to the screen as much as the game itself.
Bartolo Colon: Atlanta Braves at New York Mets - April 5
"Big Sexy" will make his first start of the regular season against his old club. Colon, the oldest player in MLB at 43, played the last three seasons with the Mets before hopping over to the division rival Braves on a one-year deal.
Aroldis Chapman: New York Yankees at Chicago Cubs - May 5-7
Chapman yo-yo'd between the Yankees and Cubs over the last calendar year before winning a World Series championship with Chicago. He promptly returned to the Bronx as a free agent. He will have his first chance to remind the Chicago faithful just how much heat is on his fastball during a three-game series at Wrigley Field in early May.
Edwin Encarnacion: Cleveland Indians at Toronto Blue Jays - May 8
When the Blue Jays signed Kendrys Morales, Encarnacion's days in Toronto were all but numbered. Toronto fans will steady themselves, and prepare for him to break out the home run parrot - or, Edwing - at least once in his return.
Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran: Houston Astros at New York Yankees - May 11
These veteran bats reunited when they were both acquired by the Astros this offseason, and together they return to New York. Beltran played out the final two months of 2016 with Texas, but this will be his first time playing against his former team since being traded.
R.A. Dickey: Atlanta Braves at Toronto Blue Jays - May 15-16
Dickey returns to the National League East where he strung together his three best seasons from 2010 through 2012, capping it off with his lone Cy Young Award. Dickey played four seasons north of the border, never quite living up to his expectations - though still eating up effective innings. It's a two-game set before the teams face off in Atlanta immediately after, so time will tell if Dickey makes one of the Toronto-hosted starts.
Chris Sale: Boston Red Sox at Chicago White Sox - May 29
Sale, who had a tumultuous final season with the White Sox, returns to the city he called home for the first seven years of his career. It's likely too early to expect any of the pieces Boston sent be called up to play, but perhaps the crown jewel sent to Chicago, Yoan Moncada, will make the trip to Boston in August.
Dexter Fowler: St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs - June 2
Fowler will get a chance to face his old club in the season's opening series, but he won't trot onto Wrigley Field until the beginning of June. It's one thing to leave town following a World Series, but it's another thing entirely to bolt for a team's dreaded division rival. It's the baseball equivalent of a heel turn. The reception he gets will be worth monitoring.
Brandon Phillips: Atlanta Braves at Cincinnati Reds - June 2
It's hard to imagine Phillips wearing a non-Reds uniform, but here we are. He spent 11 seasons in Cincinnati, making him the longest-tenured player on this list. It's unlikely he's met with any kind of bitterness as he was reluctant to leave.
Clay Buchholz: Philadelphia Phillies at Boston Red Sox - June 12
Like Phillips, Buchholz spent a long time with his former club and they even exercised his option in November before being traded less than two months later. Depending on how the schedule lines up, he will walk onto the mound at Fenway Park in a new jersey in mid-June.
Kendrys Morales: Toronto Blue Jays at Kansas City Royals - June 23
The bat the Blue Jays hope will adequately replace Encarnacion will get his first crack at Kansas City in late June. Morales spent the last two seasons with the Royals, and stayed healthy, hitting 52 home runs in pitcher-friendly Kauffman Stadium. Morales has never stayed in one place for very long, so his departure wasn't likely seen as a betrayal to Royals faithful.
Mike Napoli: Texas Rangers at Cleveland Indians - June 26
Napoli's time with the Indians was brief, but relatively productive. He hit a career-high 31 home runs and crossed the century mark in RBIs for the first time. It wasn't enough to get the 35-year-old slugger an extension with Cleveland, who instead opted to pursue the aforementioned Encarnacion. Now in his third stint with the Texas Rangers, Napoli will look to punish the decision. The teams square off in April, but Napoli doesn't head back to Cleveland until June.
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)