Machado: "This is something my family always wanted to see"

For third baseman Manny Machado, playing for the Dominican Republic is a way to thank his family for all the support. "It's something everyone enjoys, playing for our country and representing my roots, the land of my family," declared Machado, who was born and raised in Miami, but is of Dominican descent. "It's going to be great."

Machado, just 24 years old, is considered one of the most talented young players in Major League Baseball. In addition to being summoned to the All-Star Game on three occasions, the third baseman has already won two Golden Gloves and comes from a 2016 campaign in which he batted .294, with an obp of .343 and .533 slugging, in addition, 37 homers and 96 RBIs in 157 games.

The right handed hitterhad the best year of his career and was fifth in American League MVP voting, plans to simply enjoy being part of the World Baseball Classic. My family will surely enjoy it too.

"This is something my family always wanted to see," Machado said. "My mother. And my grandfather, who rests in peace, always wanted to see me play for the Dominican Republic. From where we came. That's where my family was born. I think I'm doing this in honor of my mother and my family more than anything. I also know that they want to see me wearing that uniform from the first pitch. It's going to be fun for both them and me. "

"I know that I have already given them much joy already and I think this will be like the 'cherry on the cake' for them."

Israel-Korea set to lift lid on 2017 World Baseball Classic
Group A matchup begins Monday at 4:30 a.m. ET in Seoul

The fourth edition of the World Baseball Classic is finally here. The opening game of the Classic is set for Monday, when South Korea will face Israel at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul at 4:30 a.m. ET. You can watch that game -- as well as all World Baseball Classic games -- on MLB Network and MLB.TV.

The two countries -- competing in Pool A along with Chinese Taipei and the Netherlands -- are opposites when it comes to World Baseball Classic experience. Korea has participated in all three Classics, with multiple deep runs -- Korea finished third in the inaugural 2006 Classic and lost an extra-inning heartbreaker to Japan in the '09 championship game.

Israel, meanwhile, will be making its first Classic appearance. The country won its qualifier in September, beating out Great Britain, Brazil and Pakistan to earn the final spot in the 16-team field.

A host country for the first time, South Korea, managed by In-Sik Kim, will be looking for a strong start on its home turf, especially after a surprising first-round elimination in the 2013 Classic. Some of the Korea Baseball Organization's top players could lead the way -- like outfielder Hyoung-Woo Choi, first baseman Tae-Kyun Kim and former Mariners first baseman Dae-Ho Lee and left-hander Hyeon-Jong Yang -- as well as Cardinals closer Seung Hwan Oh, the lone Major Leaguer on the squad.

"We'll be playing under a lot of pressure," In-Sik Kim said at a joint managerial press conference at the Sky Dome. "Since we'll be going up against strong countries, we'll have to do the best we can to live up to our fans' expectations. It's a short tournament, and every game will play out like a championship game."

Israel will be out to prove it belongs in the Classic, baseball's biggest international stage. With a roster made up largely of MLB-affiliated players like Ike Davis, Ty Kelly and Cody Decker, plus Major League veterans like Sam Fuld and Jason Marquis, manager Jerry Weinstein's team might just have what it takes to make a run.

"It's going to be a daunting task for us," Weinstein said at the press conference. "They have a very good team; they're well-managed, with very good players playing on their home turf with home fans. They will be difficult to beat."

Things to know about this game:

• With a 14-5 record in the first three Classics, South Korea (.737) is second to only the Dominican Republic (14-4, .778) in winning percentage in the tournament's history, and trails only Japan (17-7) in overall wins. But of the three countries, only Korea does not have a title.

• Oh has played in nine career Classic games (the most of any pitcher in Pool A) with a 2.70 ERA, two saves and 10 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Kim was a unanimous selection to the All-Tournament Team in the 2009 Classic, batting .345/.486/.690 with a Classic-leading three home runs, 11 RBIs and nine runs scored during Korea's run to the silver.

Cuba and Japan open Pool B in Tokyo
Without big league stars, hosts look to better 2013 third-place finish

After months without competitive baseball, and four full years since the Dominican Republic raised the trophy, the fourth installment of the World Baseball Classic is finally here.

Fans around the globe will have their eyes turned to the Pacific Rim on Tuesday, when Pool B opens with a heavyweight matchup between Cuba and Japan at the Tokyo Dome at 5 a.m. ET.

Japan and Cuba are arguably the two most successful nations on the international baseball stage, historically speaking, and the two countries are plenty familiar on the diamond. They squared off in the first Classic final back in 2006, with Japan triumphing in a 10-6 victory. Japan also bested Cuba twice in the second round of the 2009 Classic, before Cuba finally returned serve with a victory in 2013.

Meanwhile, Cuba enjoyed the upper hand against Japan in Olympic competition, winning six of their seven matchups from 1992-2008 -- including the 1996 gold medal game in Atlanta.

Hosting opening round play for the fourth consecutive time, Japan has a more uncertain outlook in the 2017 WBC than in previous Classics. Former heroes like Yu Darvish, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Ichiro Suzuki are absent from this year's roster, with the Astros' Norichika Aoki Japan's only Major League player. The late removal of Shohei Ohtani, a two-way star who is firmly on the radar of every MLB executive, also diminishes some of Japan's perceived punch. Still, even without a true ace like Ohtani, Team Japan manager Hiroki Kobuko believes his squad has the pitching depth to make another big run.

"We chose 13 pitchers who can pitch more innings and pitch as relievers," Kobuko told the Japanese press in January. "We believe our defense, including pitching, will be our strength."
Players To Watch Sumurai Japan

Second baseman Tetsuto Yamada, 24, is the first player in Japan’s NPB to post two consecutive seasons of .300/30 homers/30 steals.

Right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano, 27, is 44-28 with a 2.34 ERA and 15 complete games in 100 starts over four seasons with the Yomiuri Giants.

First baseman/outfielder Sho Nakata, 27, has averaged 27 homers and 104 RBI over the last three seasons with the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Shortstop Hayato Sakamoto, 28, slashed .344/.433/.555 with 23 home runs and 75 RBI in 576 plate appearances in 2016 for the Yomiuri Giants.

Outfielder Seiya Suzuki, 22, slashed .335/.404/.612 with 29 homers, 95 RBI and 16 steals in 2016 for the Hiroshima Carp.

Right-hander Takahiro Norimoto, 26, has posted back-to-back seasons with a 2.91 ERA in 29 starts, averaging 195 innings and 215 strikeouts, for Rakuten.

If Japan remains the Pool B favorite, then consider Cuba a very close second. The Caribbean nation may also be diminished from years past, as several of its former Classic heroes -- including Jose Abreu, Yoenis Cespedes and Yulieski Gurriel -- are now ineligible after defecting to play in the United States. A few talented holdovers remain, however, including the power tandem of Frederich Cepeda (the Classic's all-time leader in home runs, total bases, hits, RBIs and runs) and Alfredo Despaigne. They'll be joined by a couple of talented first-time Classic participants in Victor Mesa Jr. and Cespedes' younger brother, Yoelkis.

"We are going with the same spirit we showed in the Caribbean Series," Despaigne told reporters in February. "The World [Baseball] Classic is a more challenging competition, but nonetheless, the guys have taken on the responsibility to compete as equals, as they did in the Caribbean Games, where we made a good impression on those who know this sport."
PLAYERS TO WATCH

Outfielder Despaigne, 29, arguably the best hitter on Cuba’s roster, has played in Japan since 2014 — the first three seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines, and now for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.

Starting pitchers Vladimir Banos, 34, and Lazaro Blanco, 31, were part of the Alazanes de Granma team that represented Cuba in the recent Caribbean Series in Culiacan, Mexico, and will be in the WBC rotation.

Outfielder Yoelkis Cespedes is the 19-year-old half-brother of Yoenis. He started in right field for the Alezenes de Granma team that represented Cuba in the recent Caribbean Series.

Outfielder Frederich Cepeda, 36, is in his fourth WBC, and has played for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan since 2014 after a long career in Cuba.

Outfielder Victor Mesa Jr., 20, is the son of the longtime Cuban star outfielder and manager.

Things to know about this game

• Japan has tallied the most total wins in Classic history with 17. Its worst all-time finish in the tournament was a bronze medal in 2013.

• Historically, Japan boasts six of the top seven pitchers (Matsuzaka, Darvish, Kenta Maeda, Masahiro Tanaka, Koji Uehara and Hisashi Iwakuma) on the Classic's all-time strikeouts list. Three of the top-10 home run and RBI hitters in tournament history hail from Cuba (Cepeda, Gurriel and Despaigne).

• Japan has posted an identical 2-1 record in each of the three times it has hosted the opening round (twice in Tokyo, once in Fukuoka), but one of its three losses on Japanese soil came to Cuba, 6-3, in 2013's opening round. Only two starters for Cuba (Cepeda and Despaigne) and three starters (Nobuhiro Matsuda, Sho Nakata and Hayoto Sakomoto) for Japan are back on the nations' 40-man rosters from that 2013 meeting.

Carpenter withdraws from Classic due to back stiffness

JUPITER, Fla. -- With the stiffness in his back not subsiding, Cardinals first baseman Matt Carpenter removed himself from Team USA's roster for the World Baseball Classic, manager Mike Matheny announced on Saturday.Carpenter has been out of St. Louis' lineup for three straight days due to discomfort in his lower back. He took swings in the cage on Friday, but has backed off of that work now, too, after growing concerned that the tightness could seep into the area around his oblique. Carpenter missed a month during the 2016 season with a right oblique strain. "From having that [oblique] injury, I think you can go back to what it felt like before when something happened," Matheny said. "Like he said, it [felt like] a precursor. That made him concerned that he better not let it go. He went in thinking it wasn't that big of a deal and then realized that there's something going on that he has to get to." This was to be Carpenter's first World Baseball Classic appearance, and by giving up his spot on the roster now, he will not be eligible to join Team USA in later rounds. "He was extremely excited about the opportunity," Matheny said.

Puerto Rico a bargain payroll in the Classic
With salaries totaling more than $ 63 million, the Puerto Rican team is the cheapest.

Setting up a team like the one that Puerto Rico will send to the World Baseball Classic, one with the quality it contains in its ranks, would be unprecedented in the Major Leagues, paying about $ 60.7 million. The team has Gold Glove winning players, Rookies of the Year, and even leading figures from the last World Series.

The sum could be a little higher, since only the salaries of 21 of the 28 members were considered. Those who were free agents or played outside the United States were not included.

Team Puerto Rico would be the third team with the lowest payroll within the 30 teams of the Major Leagues, beating only the San Diego Padres ($ 55,425,000) and the Brewers From Milwaukee ($ 55,477,500).

Below is a comparison of how much the teams in Puerto Rico, Dominican, Venezuela and the United States would cost if their countries had to pay the salaries earned by their Major League players last year to play in the World Classic.

Puerto Rico would have a payroll close to $ 63.7 million. Their highest-paid players are Carlos Beltrán ($ 16 million), Yadier Molina ($ 14 million), Angel Pagan ($ 11.5 million), Hector Santiago ($ 8 million) and Mike Avilés ($ 2 million).

The Dominican Republic would have a payroll of $ 238 million. Their highest paid players are Robinson Cano ($ 24 million), Hanley Ramirez ($ 22 million), Johnny Cueto ($ 21 million), José Bautista ($ 18 million) and Adrian Beltre ($ 18 million).

The United States total salaries would be over $ 249.2 million. Their highest paid players are Buster Posey ($ 21.4 million) Adam Jones ($ 16.3 million), Giancarlo Stanton ($ 14.5 million), Andrew McCutchen ($ 14 million) and JA Happ ($ 13 million).

Venezuela has an estimated payroll of $ 153.7 million. Their highest paid players are Miguel Cabrera ($ 28 million); Félix Hernández ($ 26.9 million), Carlos Gonzalez ($ 20 million), Victor Martinez ($ 18 million) and Martín Prado ($ 11.5 million).

WBC '17 begins Monday; 5 bold predictions

Imagine if an international baseball soothsayer offered the following forecasts in advance of the 2013 World Baseball Classic ...

Four years after a stunning first-round exit, the Dominican Republic won't lose a game.

Puerto Rico will defeat two-time champion Japan to reach the final.

The Netherlands will advance to the semifinals by rallying from a two-run eighth-inning deficit against the storied Cuban national team.

Italy will upset Mexico in one of the most dramatic World Baseball Classic games ever and nearly defeat the Dominicans and Puerto Ricans in the second round.

Venezuela and South Korea will be knocked out during pool play.

Each of those predictions would have been considered bold. All of them happened.

With this year's edition of the World Baseball Classic set to begin Monday (Israel vs. Korea, 4:30 a.m. ET on MLB Network), here are five fresh prognostications that (we hope) will be similarly prescient.
Shintaro Fujinami

5. In the absence of Shohei Ohtani, hard-throwing Shintaro Fujinami becomes the talk of Team Japan -- and MLB scouts.

It's something of a quadrennial tradition: At each Classic, talent evaluators swoon over a new Japanese pitcher -- and for good reason, based on the stateside achievements of Daisuke Matsuzaka, Koji Uehara, Yu Darvish, Masahiro Tanaka and Kenta Maeda.Ohtani was supposed to be this year's phenom, but he's out with an ankle injury. So the MLB radar guns will be trained on Fujinami, a 22-year-old right-hander. According to the Japan Times, Fujinami's average fastball velocity of 92.9 mph was the second hardest (after Ohtani) in Nippon Professional Baseball last year. Fellow Japanese starters Tomoyuki Sugano and Takahiro Norimoto also could thrust themselves into MLB consideration with strong WBC 2017 performances.
Jason Marquis

4. Israel upsets host South Korea in the WBC 2017 opener and advances to the second round.

It would be entirely within the World Baseball Classic's character for the tournament to begin with an upset. And so it shall be Monday at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, South Korea. Israel will have World Series veteran Jason Marquis on the mound, backed by a 14-member bullpen and a manager -- Jerry Weinstein -- intimately familiar with the urgency of tournament baseball. Team Israel also will benefit from the camaraderie and continuity of having played together in a victorious September qualifier in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, the host country has been unable to score runs consistently during pre-tournament exhibitions, with outfielder Hyoung-woo Choi among the struggling hitters.
Miguel Cabrera

3. Miguel Cabrera leads Venezuela into the second round -- at least -- after a disappointing showing in the 2013 Classic.

Cabrera has earned plenty of individual accolades in his Hall of Fame-bound career -- 11 All-Star selections, two MVP Awards, one Triple Crown -- but hasn't won a major team championship since the 2003 World Series. Cabrera is about to turn 34, and he cares deeply about his legacy in the sport. He arranged pre-Spring Training workouts with Venezuelan teammates, including Jose Altuve and Carlos Gonzalez. Although Venezuela is playing in the toughest first-round pool, a focused Cabrera is capable of carrying the team for two weeks -- similar to Robinson Cano with the Dominican Republic four years ago. Venezuela also has an improved speed-and-defense component, compared to 2013, with the additions of Ender Inciarte and Odubel Herrera.
Jose Quintana and Julio Teheran

2. With star pitchers Jose Quintana and Julio Teheran, Team Colombia sends Pool C into chaos.

Colombia has two aces. Pool play could be as brief as three games. So probability would suggest the Colombians can win a game in their inaugural World Baseball Classic. Maybe even two. Even with a 65-pitch limit in the first round, Quintana could keep Team USA quiet through five innings of the opener, tripping all matter of upset alarms. And manager Luis Urueta has Tayron Guerrero's 100-mph fastball waiting in the bullpen. Is it likely Colombia will beat Team USA? No. But it's far more plausible than many observers believe.
Nolan Arenado

1. Ascendant superstar Nolan Arenado leads Team USA to its first WBC title.

If Team USA plays like it can -- and should -- Arenado's anonymity is about to end. He's the first third baseman to win back-to-back home run titles since Mike Schmidt in 1980-81. Arenado is one of the best defensive players in the Major Leagues at any position. And yet he's overlooked by many fans because of the Rockies' seven-year postseason absence and Mountain Time Zone existence. The World Baseball Classic can change that. Team USA's concern is middle relief, where it lacks multi-inning arms -- think David Phelps or Mike Montgomery -- capable of stabilizing a game if the starter scuffles. But as long as the U.S. rotation is steady, the Americans have more than enough offensive firepower to win long overdue gold.

Bucs' Harrison to join Team USA in WBC '17
Versatile Pirates vet expected to replace Cardinals infielder Carpenter

BRADENTON, Fla. -- When the Pirates played the Tigers on Thursday, Josh Harrison exchanged a hug and a handshake with Jim Leyland. They'll be seeing more of each other soon, as Harrison will join Leyland's Team USA roster in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

"Didn't know that wouldn't be the last time I would be seeing him," Harrison said Saturday, smiling. "I get a chance to give him another handshake and play for Team USA."

Harrison, replacing Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter, is expected to serve in a utility role for the squad managed by Leyland. Harrison heard about the opportunity on Friday from several members of the Pirates' front office and training staff. Then came the call from Major League Baseball chief baseball officer Joe Torre, gauging Harrison's interest in joining Team USA.

It wasn't a hard question to answer for Harrison.

"Obviously excited. It's an extreme honor, something that doesn't come very often," he said. "Definitely excited to put on the colors and play with the rest of the guys. … I think it's a great experience to go out, have fun and play the game that I love."

Harrison, the Pirates' everyday second baseman last year, will be Pittsburgh's fifth regular position player participating in the international tournament. Outfielders Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco will play for the Dominican Republic, and catcher Francisco Cervelli is set to join Team Italy. Harrison and Andrew McCutchen will leave Monday to join Team USA.

Yovani Gallardo

Gallardo named WBC opener starter; will Adrian play?

With the 2017 World Baseball Classic less than one week away, Mexican National Team manager Edgar Gonzalez has announced his five-man starting rotation for the tournament, which will see the Verdes Grande open their Pool D schedule in Guadalajara with a March 9 game against Italy at Estadio Charros.

Gonzalez has named Yovani Gallardo, Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Jaime Garcia, Luis Mendoza and Jorge De La Rosa as his pitching starters. All have significant major league experience. Gallardo, Gonzalez and Garcia are currently on 40-man MLB team rosters, De La Rosa recently signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks and Mendoza is prepping for his fourth season with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan's Pacific League. The Fighters are training in Arizona this month.

The 30-year-old Gallardo is the expected starter for Mexico's opener against Italy. A 2010 All-Star while pitching for Milwaukee, Gallardo was traded by Baltimore to Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto's merry-go-round in Seattle after going 6-8 with a 5.43 ERA for the Orioles in 2016. After ten MLB seasons, the 6'2" Gallardo has a career 108-83 record, including 72 wins for the Brewers between 2009 and 2013. Although he's not likely to pick up a bat in the WBC, the 2004 second-round draft pick for Milwaukee wouldn't be out of place doing so. He's come up to the plate 476 times in his big league career and while his .200 average won't turn any heads, the right-hander's 12 homers and 42 RBIs have shown he was anything but an automatic out for opposing moundsmen.

He'll face an Italian team that is not a pre-WBC favorite to advance beyond Pool play but could surprise observers in Jalisco next month. While manager Marco Mazzieri will not have the services of Chicago Cubs All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo for the tournament after the latter opted to play preseason games in Arizona instead of the WBC (he hit .235 in the 2013 tourney), Italy's roster includes Cubs minor league outfielder John Andreoli as well as Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli, Royals receiver Drew Butera, Mariners switch-pitcher Pat Venditte and Indians first baseman Chris Colabello.

While Gonzalez has his starting rotation set and a strong bullpen featuring the likes of Roberto Osuna, Yoakim Soria and Oliver Perez, the former Padres infielder continues to plug holes among his position players. After A's outfielder Khris Davis backed out of playing for Mexico earlier this week, Gonzalez' latest alteration came after infielder Daniel Castro pulled out of the WBC because he wants to concentrate on making the Colorado Rockies roster. Castro signed with the Denver club as a free agent over the winter after the 24-year-old Guaymas native hit .217 over 80 games with Atlanta in 2015 and 2016 after callups from AAA Gwinnett.

Castro will be replaced on Mexico's roster by 19-year-old infielder Luis Urias, a Padres minor leaguer. Although the slight (5'9" and 160 pounds) Urias is a longshot to reach San Diego this year, the big club has high hopes for him after he was named Rookie of the Year in the Class A California League last summer after batting .330 to lead the league, adding 26 doubles and 71 runs scored for Lake Elsinore. He's primarily been a second baseman in three minor league seasons, but is expected to see a lot of time at shortstop in training camp. Urias is said to likely be heading to Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League.

Gonzales did receive some needed good news this week when younger brother Adrian's tennis elbow, which has limited him in the Dodgers' camp thus far, has improved enough the the All-Star first baseman is more likely to be in the Mexican lineup at the WBC. "El Titan's" participation in the Classic as a player was in doubt after the Los Angeles organization told him to lay off swinging a bat for two weeks, but the longtime linchpin of the Verdes Grande lineup is said to be more likely to be in Guadalajara in two weeks. With bats in tow.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team China

TEAM CHINA

Pool B schedule in the Tokyo Dome:

March 7 v. Cuba
March 9 v. Australia
March 10 v. Japan

Tournament history: 2-7 overall, with first-round wins over Brazil in 2013 and Chinese Taipei in 2009. China hasn’t made it out of the first round in three previous appearances.

Manager: Longtime MLB manager/coach John McLaren is back for his second stint as China’s skipper. McLaren, currently the Phillies bullpen coach, also was a coach for the Team USA squad in 2006.

Players to watch: Former big-league left-hander Bruce Chen is the centerpiece player. After pitching in the 2006 and 2009 WBCs for Panama — where he was born — Chen, 39, has switched sides. Panama didn’t qualify for this classic, and Chen is of Chinese descent. He is China’s only player with MLB experience.

Chen hasn’t pitched since 2015. He’s now in the Indians front office as a cultural development coordinator, and will be throwing in camp there. Chen finished 82-81 with a 4.62 ERA in parts of 17 big-league seasons, winning 13 games with the 2005 Orioles, and posting three consecutive seasons of 12, 12 and 11 wins with the Royals in 2010-12.

Infielder Ray Chang, 31, born in Kansas City, has played 12 years in the minors for five organizations, and spent last season with the Reds’ Double-A and Triple-A teams.

Shortstop Joey Wong, 28, has played eight seasons in the Rockies’ minor-league system, finishing at Triple-A Albuquerque in 2016, after being a 24th-round pick in 2009 out of Oregon State. He was born in Oregon.

First baseman/outfielder Gui Yuan Xu, 21, played for the Orioles’ Gulf Coast Rookie League team in 2016. The Chinese native hit .247 with nine RBI in 85 plate appearances.

Veteran catcher Wei Wang, 38, hit the first home run in WBC history back in 2006.

The rest of the roster is composed of players from the China Baseball League:

Pitchers:

Kun Chen, Andrew Chin, Quan Gan, Haicheng Gong, Kwon Ju, Xin Li, Yu Liu, Chao Lu, Yusong Lu, Xia Luo, Jiping Qi, Menghao Wang, Chaoqun Zheng

Catchers:

Ning Li, Weiqiang Meng

Infielders:

Yanpeng Chen, Fujia Chu, Xiaolei Du, Zeyuan Li

Outfielders:

Zhenhong Lu, Chuang Na, Shunyi Yang, Yanyong Yang

The rundown:

The story here is more off the field than on. China, with it’s 1.4 billion people, is a frontier territory for MLB and its plan to grow the game internationally. Last year, MLB reached a three-year deal with a Chinese internet-based sports content company to stream 125 big-league games in China, Hong Kong and Macau.

The last word:

“We’re just trying to win a game and keep the momentum going,’’ McLaren told MLB Network. “We’ve done that the last two WBCs, and we’ve been successful. I always stress to (the players) to take back to all your friends what this tournament means to you, and try to get more people interested in baseball in China.’’

Prediction:

More than one win will be hard to come by in Pool B round-robin play, and the Chinese are unlikely to advance to Round 2.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team Australia

Team Australia

Pool B schedule in the Tokyo Dome

March 8 v Japan
March 9 v China
March 10 v Cuba

Tournament history: 1-8 in three previous WBCs, with the only victory coming in 2009 — a 17-7 mercy rule win over Mexico, when Australia scored 13 unanswered runs in the final four innings. (Later in that same pool round-robin play, Mexico turned the tables with a 16-1 mercy-rule win over Australia.)

After going 0-3 in the 2013 WBC, Australia had to qualify for the 2017 event. They did so by going 3-0 in a qualifier tournament in Sydney, beating the Phillipines 11-1, and South Africa by scores of 4-1 and 12-5.

Manager: Jon Deeble is back for his fourth stint at Team Australia’s manager. Deeble, who was born in Melbourne, spent 15 seasons (2002-16) in the Red Sox organization as a manager, coach and scout before joining the Dodgers organization late last year.

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Travis Blackley, Justin Erasmus, Liam Hendriks, Steven Kent, Jon Kennedy, Peter Moylan, Chris Oxspring, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Dushan Ruzic, Warwick Saupold, Ryan Searle, Josh Tols, Todd Van Steensel, Matthew Williams

Catchers:

Allan de San Miguel, Robbie Perkins

Infielders:

James Bereford, Brad Harman, Tim Kennelly, Mitch Nilsson, Logan Wade, Mike Walker, Stefan Welch

Outfielders:

Mitch Dening, Luke Hughes, David Kandilas, Tren Oeltjen, Aaron Whitefield

PROJECTED LINEUP

SS James Beresford
2B Brad Harman
CF Mitch Dening
1B Stefan Welch
DH Trent Oeltjen
LF Luke Hughes
RF David Kandilas
3B Logan Wade
C Allan de San Miguel

The rundown: This is a roster filled with veteran players with major-league, international and WBC experience. There also are a handful of younger players in MLB organizations, so don’t overlook an upset possibility here. Pitching has been a weakness in previous tournaments, but Hendriks, Saupold, Moylan, Kent, Blackley, Rowland-Smith and Searle could keep them in games.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Hendriks, 28, has put together back-to-back effective MLB seasons, posting ERAs of 2.92 in 2015 with Toronto and 3.76 in 2016 with Oakland.

Moylan, 38, has a 2.91 ERA in 331 big-league innings spread over 10 seasons, including a 3.43 ERA in 44.2 IP with the 2016 Royals.

Saupold, 27, posted a 7-2 record and 2.30 ERA at two minor-league stops before making his MLB debut with the Tigers last season.

Bereford, 28, hit .227 in 22 September at-bats with the Twins after 10 seasons in the organization. He’s a .283 career minor-league hitter, but has only four career home runs.

Hughes, 32, Rowland-Smith, 34, Blackley, 34, and Oeltjen, 34, logged some big-league time, while Harman, 31, and Oxspring, 39, had cups of coffee after long minor-league careers.

Kent, Kennedy, Van Steensel, de San Miguel, Perkins, Wade and Whitefield are current minor-leaguers, and Welch finished an eight-year minor-league career in 2014.

Prediction: Two wins in Pool B round-robin play will be no easy task, considering Cuba and host Japan also are involved. But an upset of a weakened Cuban squad and advancing to the second round is a possibility.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team Chinese Taipei (Taiwan)

Team Taipei

Pool A round-robin schedule in Seoul, South Korea

March 6 v Israel
March 8 v Netherlands
March 9 v South Korea

Tournament history: 3-7 in three previous WBC appearances. Taiwan advanced to the second round in Japan in 2013, where they lost 4-3 to host Japan after taking a 2-0 lead into the 7th inning, and then were blown out by Cuba, 14-0. In the first round — played in Taiwan — they finished 2-1 along with Netherlands and South Korea, and advanced on the run differential tie-breaker. Taiwan beat Australia, 4-1, and Netherlands, 8-3, but lost to South Korea, 3-2. Taiwan went winless in the 2009 WBC, and 1-2 in the 2006 WBC.

Manager: Tai-Yuan Kuo

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Hung-Wen Chen, Kuan-Yu Chen, Ping-Hsueh Chen, Yun-Wen Chen, Shao-Ching Chiang, Sheng-Hsiung Huang, Chun-Lin Kuo, Chen-Hua Lin, Kun-Hua Lo, Fu-Te Ni, Wei-Lun Pan, Chia-Hao Sung, Ming-Chin Tsai, Chien-Ming Wang, Wei-Chung Wang

Catchers:

Ta-Hung Chen, Kun-Sheng Lin

Infielders:

Yung-Chi Chen, Chih-Hsien Chiang, Chi-Hung Hsu, Chih-Hsiang Lin, Chih-Sheng Lin, Yi-Chuan Lin, Sheng-Wei Wang

Outfielders:

Cheng-Wei Chang, Chih-Hao Chang, Chin-Lung Hu, Kuo-Hui Kao, Che-Hsuan Lin, Guo-Long Luo

The rundown: This is a much different team than the one that participated in 2013. A boycott has cost the roster three prominent offensive players — Chun-Hsiu Chen, Hung-Yu Lin and Po-Jung Wang. In addition, a handful of regular position players from the 2013 team aren’t around this time — OF Dai-Kang Yang (homered v. Netherlands), 1B Cheng-Min Peng (homered v. Australia), OF Szu-Chi Chou, 2B Yen-Wen Kuo and catchers Chih-Kang Kao and Hung-Yu Lin.

The roster also includes only four players currently in MLB organizations — RHPs Ping-Hsueh Chen (Indians) and Shao-Ching Chiang (Indians), and LHP Wei-Chung Wang (Brewers). Wang, 24, posted a 10.90 ERA in 14 relief appearances (17.1 IP) for the Brewers in 2014. He finished a combined 7-8-3.78 at Double-A and Triple-A stops in 2016.

Veteran right-hander Chien-Ming Wang, who pitched out of the Royals bullpen last season, is among the designated pitchers pool for the second round. Wang, now 36, threw six scoreless innings in a victory over Australia in 2013.

Marlins left-hander Wei-Yin Chen is not on the current roster.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Veteran SS Chih-Sheng Lin hit cleanup for the 2013 team and returns. 3B Yung-Chi Chen also is back from the 2013 team.

OF Che-Hsuan Lin got 12 at-bats for the 2012 Red Sox, and finished a seven-year minor-league career in 2013 at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

RP Fu-Te Ni, possibly the closer, posted a 4.33 ERA in 58 games and 54 innings out of the Detroit Tigers’ bullpen in 2009-10.

2B Yung-Chi Chen, 33, compiled a .287 career batting average in seven minor-league seasons ending in 2010.

Right-hander Wei-Lun Pan, 34, pitched 4.2 scoreless relief innings — allowing only one hit and one walk — in the 2013 victory over Netherlands.

Right-hander Hung-Wen Chen, 31, threw two scoreless ninth innings —earning one save — in the 2013 WBC. He pitched five seasons in the Cubs chain (2007-11), peaking at Triple-A Iowa, and also in Mexico.

Prediction: A weakened Chinese Taipei roster could have problems advancing out of the Pool A round-robin that also includes host Korea and an improved Team Netherlands.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team Canada

Taipei (Taiwan), Team Australia and Team China.

TEAM CANADA

Pool C round-robin schedule at Marlins Park in Miami

March 9 v Dominican Republic
March 11 v Colombia
March 12 v United States

Tournament history: 3-5 in three previous WBCs. The highlight came in 2006, when Team Canada upset Team USA, 8-6, at Chase Field. But Team Canada didn’t advance to the second round that year due to the run-differential tie-breaker. After going winless in 2009, Team Canada had to qualify for the 2013 event, and then went 1-2, and got into an infamous ninth-inning, bench-clearing brawl with Team Mexico.

Manager: Detroit-area native Ernie Whitt is the longtime skipper. The former Blue Jays, Braves and Orioles catcher has managed all four Team Canada WBC editions, as well as a handful of other Canadian squads in international and Olympic competitions. His coaching staff again includes hitting instructor Larry Walker.

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Andrew Albers, John Axford, Kevin Chapman, Shane Dawson, Ryan Dempster, Eric Gagne, Jim Henderson, Chris Leroux, Adam Loewen, Scott Mathieson, Dustin Molleken, Nick Pivetta, Scott Richmond, Rowan Wick

Catchers:

George Kottaras, Kellin Deglan

Infielders:

Freddie Freeman, Jonathan Malo, Justin Morneau, Josh Naylor, Pete Orr, Daniel Pinero, Eric Wood

Outfielders:

Michael Crouse, Tyler O’Neill, Dalton Pompey, Jamie Romak, Rene Tosoni

PROJECTED LINEUP

CF Dalton Pompey
1B Freddie Freeman
DH Justin Morneau
RF Tyler O’Neill
3B Jamie Romak
C George Kottaras
LF Rene Tosoni
2B Pete Orr
SS Jonathan Malo

The rundown: The Canadian team is similar to a veteran-laden MLB squad taking one last shot at extending its window before clearing the way for young talent. There are so many past-their-prime types who will be playing in their final WBC, as Gagne is 41, Dempster is 39, Orr is 37, Richmond is 37, Morneau is 35, Henderson is 34 and Kottaras is 33. Morneau and Orr will be playing in their fourth WBCs.

Ironically, the WBC appearances for Gagne and Dempster are firsts. Gagne last pitched in the majors in 2008; Dempster in 2013. The roster has plenty of first baseman — unfortunately none of them named Joey Votto, who played for Team Canada in 2009 and 2013. Russell Martin, Michael Saunders, James Paxton and Jameson Taillon currently are other notable non-participants — the latter two leaving Whitt strapped for quality starting pitching.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Freeman, whose late mother was Canadian, replaces Votto at first base.

Axford, 33, has 144 career big-league saves. He pitched out of the A’s bullpen in 2016.

Pompey, 24, has bounced between the Blue Jays and Triple-A Buffalo the last two seasons. He is part of the next wave of Canadian position players, which also includes O’Neill, Naylor, Wood, Deglan and Pinero.

O’Neill, 21, a top prospect in the Mariners chain, slashed .293/.374/.508 to go with 24 homers and 102 RBI at Double-A Jacksonville in 2016.

Pivetta, 24, went a combined 12-8 with a 3.27 ERA in stops at Double-A and Triple-A in 2016.

Kottaras played parts of seven big-league seasons (2008-14), and in Triple-A the last two seasons.

Naylor won’t turn 20 until June 22. He was the 12th overall pick in the 2015 June draft by the Marlins, who sent him to the Padres last July in the Andrew Cashner/Colin Rea deal.

Prediction: It’s really difficult to envision Team Canada advancing out of Pool C to the second round instead of either Team USA or Team Dominican Republic.

World Baseball Classic Preview: Team Italy

TEAM ITALY

Pool D round-robin schedule in Jalisco, Mexico

March 9 v Mexico
March 11 v Venezuela
March 12 v Puerto Rico

Tournament history: 4-7. Italy advanced to the second round in 2013 by beating Mexico, 6-5, with a two-run, ninth-inning rally against Sergio Romo, and then Canada, 14-4, in an 8-inning mercy rule at Chase Field. Italy also played respectably in the second round at Marlins Park, losing one-run games to eventual champion Dominican Republic and runner-up Puerto Rico. Prior wins came over Australia in 2006, and Canada in 2009.

Manager: Marco Mazzieri is back for his third WBC as Team Italy’s skipper. He also has guided the Italian national team to back-to-back European championships. Mike Piazza returns as the hitting instructor.

ROSTER

Pitchers:

Filippo Crepaldi, Tiago da Silva, Mike DeMark, Nick Fanti, Frailyn Florian, Sam Gaviglio, Tommy Layne, Luis Lugo, Alessandro Maestri, A.J. Morris, Trey Nielsen, Orlando Oberto, Luca Panerati, Jordan Romano, Pat Venditte

Catchers:

Drew Butera, Francisco Cervelli, Marco Sabbatani

Infielders:

Gavin Cecchini, Chris Colabello, Daniel Descalso, Alex Liddi, Drew Maggi, Rob Segedin, Alessandro Vaglio

Outfielders:

John Andreoli, Mario Chiarini, Brandom Nimmo, Sebastian Poma

Projected lineup

2B Daniel Descalso
C Francisco Cervelli
1B Rob Segedin
DH Chris Colabello
CF Brandon Nimmo
SS Gavin Cecchini
3B Alex Liddi
LF John Andreoli
RF Mario Chiarini

The rundown: The absence of Anthony Rizzo, who was part of the 2013 team, definitely hurts. Also not returning from 2013 are Chris Denorfia, Jason Grilli and Nick Punto. The only big-league pitching of any sort is the ambidextrous Pat Venditte, lefty reliever Tommy Layne and A.J. Morris, who surfaced for 10 innings (6.30 ERA) with the Reds in 2016. Five other pitching staff members have current or former MLB organizational ties.

Francisco Cervelli — a native Venezuelan — returns to Team Italy (he caught for them in 2009, but not in 2013), as does Chris Colabello, who led the 2013 team in homers, RBI and total bases. This will be Drew Butera’s third consecutive WBC appearance.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

This is the team to watch for Mets prospects junkies, as outfielder Brandon Nimmo and shortstop Gavin Cecchini — both former first-round picks — likely will be in Italy’s starting lineup. Both made their big-league debuts last season, and figure to start this one back at Triple-A Las Vegas.

Veteran big-league utility infielder Daniel Descalso, 30, is with the D-backs after playing the last two seasons with the Rockies.

First baseman Rob Segedin, 28, hit .233 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 73 at bats with the Dodgers last season — and also slashed .319/.392/.598 with 21 homers and 69 RBI at Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Third baseman Alex Liddi, 28, is the first Italian-born-and-developed player to reach the major leagues. He hit .208 in 173 at-bats with the Mariners in 2011-13, and played last season in Mexico.

Cubs minor-league outfielder John Andreoli, 26, has played six seasons, peaking in 2016 at Triple-A Iowa, where he stole 43 bases.

Prediction: The schedule-makers did Team Italy no favors, as this arguably is the deepest and most-balanced first-round pool. Keep in mind that host Mexico will be looking for revenge for a 2013 loss. Advancing to the second round for the second consecutive time despite an inexperienced pitching staff will be very difficult for Team Italy — and unexpected.