Around Baseball 2014

[KingKat]

Smaller moves but getting Norris, and flipping hannigan for Middlebrooks looks like a coup for them.

 

They'd probably be better off with Hahn + Hannigan than Norris + Middlebrooks although I do agree that those trades probably aren't as bas as trading Grandal + for Kemp.

[KingKat]

Off season buzz has great short-term returns for ticket sales. Winning takes about 4 years to make much of a difference. Padres are putting themselves into a Jays mode where sustaining buzz is tough and making more splashes is required.

 

How many splashes do they need? Isn't it all academic after the first one.

[TheHurl]

I just saw Jamie Moyer is in the top 5 Fangraph searches. Please please tell me he's making a comeback

[baloojayz]

steamer isn't a person

 

I can come off as an imbecile online, but so can you. Programs/algorithms/code are just tools people use and create and I was wondering why the programmer felt the need to include the line on projections.

You could say I wasn't being gender neutral, but I was assuming it was a guy behind the statistical model.

[TheHurl]

How many splashes do they need? Isn't it all academic after the first one.

 

Until the correct splash which is firing the entire FO. I've said this before...if you can't build a winning team there are things you can do to increase attendance and value.

[TDotttt2005]

I think this Yankees trade is great for them. Eovaldi and Jones for Prado and Phelps.

 

Pisses me off more regarding the trade deadline. Couldve had Prado for nothing. Flipped him with a Marco Estrada or something similar to Phelps, for Eovaldi. He'd look nice at the back of the Jays rotation, pushing back Sanchez to the pen.

[KingKat]

Until the correct splash which is firing the entire FO. I've said this before...if you can't build a winning team there are things you can do to increase attendance and value.

 

I know you've looked into this but I thought it was strictly in a Toronto context. I suppose San Diego is pretty similar. They've had sporadic playoff appearances but that was probably more a case of the level of competition falling to their level than anything else.

[LongTimeReader]

At least they're shaking things up. Better to do that than do nothing and create absolutely zero buzz for your team for years and years like they've essentially been doing. If I were a Padres fan I'd be pretty excited to see their new look next year.

 

Padres may be one of those teams that need to absolutely tank for a few years. Though maybe it's a risk to their franchise. Either way I think they're probably fubar.

[glory]

The Yankees are starting to make some smart moves. Damn.

[TwistedLogic]

It's the process that has led to so much success for the A's over the years.

 

I know that the A's will probably come out on top one way or another, but I don't take back my original comment. As much as the A's have won and gotten to the playoffs, I don't think I'd actually trade being a Jays fan for being an A's fan.

 

The process might lead to success, but the process they use absolutely screams the idea that "this is a business, not a sport". Sports are supposed to be for people's enjoyment. Sure winning is enjoying, but so is having baseball heroes, childhood memories and sentimental s*** like jerseys and bobble heads.

 

People growing up as A's fans don't often have that. Even if all these players they've acquired pan out and turn into superstars, what does that even mean for the A's. They traded Norris with 4 years of control left. They traded Donaldson with 4 years of control. Cespedes was adored by A's fans, and he only wore the green for two full seasons.

 

Even if these guys turn into stars, if you're an A's fan, you have to believe they'll just be re-traded sooner rather than later. I'd hate to follow a team that works like that.

[JosJos]

The Yankees are starting to make some smart moves. Damn.

 

What is Eovaldi upside? potential ace in future?

[KingKat]

What is Eovaldi upside? potential ace in future?

 

Probably not but the Prado contract was bad for them. He loses all his defensive value at 2B and he was blocked at 3B by Headley.

[JosJos]

Probably not but the Prado contract was bad for them. He loses all his defensive value at 2B and he was blocked at 3B by Headley.

 

good move by the yanks nonetheless, this is insurance for their injury prone rotations and he's young and under control,

[Chappy]

Even if these guys turn into stars, if you're an A's fan, you have to believe they'll just be re-traded sooner rather than later. I'd hate to follow a team that works like that.

 

It's the market they are in. I'm sure most fans would love to see their team with a top 10 payroll, but if not then having a GM who can be successful with a lower ranking payroll is a great thing. At the end of the day Billy Beane has done wonders for that organization.

[TheHurl]

I know you've looked into this but I thought it was strictly in a Toronto context. I suppose San Diego is pretty similar. They've had sporadic playoff appearances but that was probably more a case of the level of competition falling to their level than anything else.

 

 

 

Yep 2004 was the first season in Petco (new stadium ... the only absolute surefire thing you can do to ensure attendance increases) they hit 3M. Then they make the playoffs in 05 and 06 and attendance drops. There is a slight uptick in 07...they lose 7 of their last 11 and just miss the playoffs. Spend another $15M in the off season and attendance drops off a cliff and can't recover. From 5th in attendance to bottom 3rd in 5 years ... with 2 playoff runs and an 89 win season.

[TwistedLogic]

I just saw Jamie Moyer is in the top 5 Fangraph searches. Please please tell me he's making a comeback

 

FanGraphs users are kinda weird I think. Romero was the third most searched guy a few weeks ago.

 

I can come off as an imbecile online, but so can you. Programs/algorithms/code are just tools people use and create and I was wondering why the programmer felt the need to include the line on projections.

You could say I wasn't being gender neutral, but I was assuming it was a guy behind the statistical model.

 

You kinda made it worse with this post. I don't know what you think "Steamer" is in charge of doing, when you mention "programs/algorithms/codes" and wonder why the "programmer felt the need to include the line on projections" but that's exactly what Steamer is. The projections. I'm not sure if you're under the impression that there's some dude out there that uses "Steamer" as an alias, and invented WAR, wRC+ and all the advanced stats and you're asking why he also included projections, but yeah, that's not a thing.

 

The only thing on a players fangraphs page that is done by Steamer is the projections. That's what they do. They don't "include" projections into a host of other things.

[TwistedLogic]

It's the market they are in. I'm sure most fans would love to see their team with a top 10 payroll, but if not then having a GM who can be successful with a lower ranking payroll is a great thing. At the end of the day Billy Beane has done wonders for that organization.

 

Again, I get the sentiment, but the Rays always seem to get pretty big returns on their players, and they're still able to hold onto them far longer than the A's do. The Rays have extended Moore, they've extended Zobrist, they've extended Longoria. Shields was there for a long time, Price was there for a while. Someone who's grown up as a Rays fan over the last several years will recognize a lot of the guys there as franchise players.

 

I know the A's are in a limited market, but there are other teams with similar handicaps, and yet nobody does things the way the A's do. And yeah that's probably what appeals to a wide majority of people about the A's FO, but that's also probably why their fans are jaded.

 

Like I said, I do think it'll eventually turn out well for them, as it always does, but losing five all stars in one year, and every single one of them to trades as well, it's gotta hurt the people that follow that team, no matter how optimistic they can be.

[LongTimeReader]

Justin Upton to the Padres. lol

[TwistedLogic]

By the way, I've been wondering all morning... why would a team that can't employ a DH, trade so much for Matt Kemp, when their plans included Wil Myers and Justin Upton, and they already employ Seth Smith?

 

So what, now the Padres are going to trade away four outfielders? They've still got Smith, and they've still got Quentin, Venable and Maybin (who, granted are all probably s***, but still take roster spots and a decent bucket of salary).

[Frenchsoup]

By the way, I've been wondering all morning... why would a team that can't employ a DH, trade so much for Matt Kemp, when their plans included Wil Myers and Justin Upton, and they already employ Seth Smith?

 

So what, now the Padres are going to trade away four outfielders? They've still got Smith, and they've still got Quentin, Venable and Maybin (who, granted are all probably s***, but still take roster spots and a decent bucket of salary).

 

I haven't liked one move they've made, that franchise is being destroyed as we speak.

[TwistedLogic]

I'm kinda hoping that this craze that's taken over them pushes them to make a splash for a shortstop, or pick up someone like Asrubal or something, and they leave Toritani for us.

[Frenchsoup]

I'm kinda hoping that this craze that's taken over them pushes them to make a splash for a shortstop, or pick up someone like Asrubal or something, and they leave Toritani for us.

 

Should have offered them reyes

[King]

I'm kinda hoping that this craze that's taken over them pushes them to make a splash for a shortstop, or pick up someone like Asrubal or something, and they leave Toritani for us.

 

They'll go all in for Tulo.

[TwistedLogic]

They'll go all in for Tulo.

 

I can see this happening if the Rockies finally decide that they're ready to break up with Tulo.

[King]

I can see this happening if the Rockies finally decide that they're ready to break up with Tulo.

 

It would have to be Hedges/Liriano, Gettys (ptbnl), + MLB talent (SP?).

 

I feel like an offer they would likely make could/will be beat by other teams. Mets are already willing to go Syndergaard +.

 

Edit: Renfroe is a must too, probably.

[TheHurl]

By the way, I've been wondering all morning... why would a team that can't employ a DH, trade so much for Matt Kemp, when their plans included Wil Myers and Justin Upton, and they already employ Seth Smith?

 

So what, now the Padres are going to trade away four outfielders? They've still got Smith, and they've still got Quentin, Venable and Maybin (who, granted are all probably s***, but still take roster spots and a decent bucket of salary).

 

Smith is supposed to play 1B. Can't speak for the rest. To move in about 6 or 7 wins...they have moved about 4 wins to the bench or will deal them for not much (this doesn't include the assets they . Outside of Upton the highest Steamer projection goes to a player they will have as a backup.

 

Bench/minors projections

Alonso 1.8

Venable 1.0

Spangenberg 0.6 (in 325 PA)

Maybin 0.6 (in 210 PA)

 

If any of those guys had much for trade value it would be very different but I don't think they do.

[KingKat]

It would have to be Hedges/Liriano, Gettys (ptbnl), + MLB talent (SP?).

 

I feel like an offer they would likely make could/will be beat by other teams. Mets are already willing to go Syndergaard +.

 

Edit: Renfroe is a must too, probably.

 

Don't forget that they still have Winsler, basically the poor man's Syndergaard.

[flafson]

Nick Punto is available for league minimum...

[King]

Don't forget that they still have Winsler, basically the poor man's Syndergaard.

 

Wisler, right. So they have a few trade chips more than I thought off the top of my head.

[King]

Jon Heyman ‏@JonHeymanCBS 4m4 minutes ago Manhattan, NY

less than an hour to go to get those bids in on power-hitting korean ss jung-ho kang. we will see who is gung ho.