Opening Day of the 2024 Major League Baseball season is upon us, and one of the Thursday contests features one team with division-title aspirations and another with relocation aspirations -- the Cleveland Guardians and the Oakland A's, respectively.
The Guardians are coming off a 2023 season in which they went 76-86 and finished in third place in the American League Central. Meantime, the A's in 2023 went a decidedly bleak 50-112 and endured their second straight 100-loss campaign. That's thanks to the roster dis-investments of owner John Fisher.
Below, CBS Sports has given you the rundown on how to watch the Guardians-A's game, as well as some storylines to be aware of on both sides of the field.
Guardians vs. A's
Date: Thursday, March 28 | Time: 10:07 p.m. ET
Location: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, Calif.
Live stream: Fubo (try for free), MLB.TV | TV: NBC Sports California, Bally Sports Great Lakes
Probable pitchers: RHP Shane Bieber (CLE) vs. LHP Alex Wood (OAK)
Odds: CLE -160; OAK +135; over/under: 7.5
Storylines
Guardians: This game marks the managerial debut of new Cleveland skipper and former big-league catcher Stephen Vogt, who replaces future Hall of Famer Terry Francona in the Guards' dugout. While Vogt's club probably wouldn't be a contender in any other division, the general weakness of the AL Central allows Cleveland to have realistic designs on the division title. The Guardians last won the division in 2022.
A's: With the A's, the unfortunate storyline is the saboteur Fisher's ongoing efforts -- efforts as cynical as they are ham-fisted -- to relocate the club from Oakland to Las Vegas. Fisher's Vegas plans always seemed rickety and half-baked, and the more time goes on without concrete progress, the less likely it is he'll be able to complete the grift. On the field, the A's are bound headlong for a third consecutive last-place finish.
