Major League Baseball’s Spring Training has commenced, and most players have worked diligently all offseason to keep their premier physiques in shape. Not all players have, however.

During heavily clichéd interviews with reporters, many players like to tell everyone who will listen about how hard they have worked, and how they’re in the best shape of their life, which for basically every player over 30, is about as ridiculous as it sounds. But this player wasn’t in that crowd, and seemed almost unapologetic, citing that he had a ‘nice, relaxing winter’ and that he was ‘ready to work now.’

While the popularity of players like Bartolo Colon have made being a thick bodied ballplayer en vogue, it still raises concerns of how well one could make it through the grind of a long baseball season after living off a steady diet of cheeseburgers and snack foods from October through January.

“I don’t know, I kind of like it, he looks like a giant tub of crap.” One observer was saying watching grown men do fundamental drills without a shred of enthusiasm. “He reminds me of myself, he’s got a few extra pounds, but he can still get the job done, know what I’m saying?”

While fans can certainly relate to adding a few pounds over the holidays, it’s interesting to see it out of a millionaire professional athlete, and perhaps a little inspiring for some. It speaks to the popularity of reality television, seeing celebrities that behave so similarly to normal people, and finding that common ground can certainly do a long ways in endearing you to your fans. Also, the players recent endorsement deal with a local BBQ chain probably has bridged the gap as well.

Sources close to the player say that while he didn’t intentionally put on any weight for the upcoming season, this player is hopeful that his newfound heft will garner him a catchy, merchandise friendly nickname, like ‘Big Sexy’ or ‘Kung Fu Panda’ or another oxymoronic nickname that involves sarcasm or an animal known for its laziness and obesity.

While positive outcomes to his offseason eating habits remain to be seen, it should prove to be an interesting case study into the physicality of baseball, and whether or not their players should actually be considered athletes.