Around Baseball 2017

[L54]

if you're trying to throw as hard as possible, aren't you throwing out all mechanics and form out the window? Seems extremely risky. What if he is putting massive amount of torque on his hips/core/shoulder rather than on his arm? Doesn't seem right.

 

Agreed. The transfer of energy through a summersault just doesn't seem safe to me. What idiots!!

[Frenchsoup]

Have any good SP's come out of that program?

[Laika]

if you're trying to throw as hard as possible, aren't you throwing out all mechanics and form out the window? Seems extremely risky. What if he is putting massive amount of torque on his hips/core/shoulder rather than on his arm? Doesn't seem right.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if there is actually less stress on his arm/shoulder than there is on the pitching mound. The pitchers doing this training are generating force with momentum, other parts of their body, and they are running/rolling through the motion and not stopping abruptly. I dunno.

[L54]

Have any good SP's come out of that program?

 

Trevor Bauer is their biggest name as far as I know. The Dodgers have endorsed their program and use it with their minor league teams. Oregon State for sure as well, and probably numerous other Division 1 schools. I think SRF's brother trains there too.

[TwistedLogic]

[TwistedLogic]

The Twins and the Phillies have opened a joint training academy in the Dominican Republic (an $18M venture).

 

http://ballparkdigest.com/2017/01/17/twins-phillies-open-dominican-republic-acadaemy/

[TheHurl]

Have any good SP's come out of that program?

 

Bauer who has been with Kyle Boddy (Driveline) for 8 years now. Vandy baseball has joined the program and they have produced more 1st round pitchers than anyone. So we'll see even more from it. Driveline is all about conducting it's own research and continually looking at new ways to increase velocity and keeping players healthy. They post all their research papers. https://www.drivelinebaseball.com/pitching-research/

 

This (Kopech) however was Apec which does data based strength and conditioning for just about every sport. They obviously didn't secure the rights to name former players but they have this on their site.

 

Our MiLB / MLB system has helped produce;

All Stars at every level MiLB

MLB record holders (consecutive starts past 5 innings, etc.)

MLB 21st Perfect Game

Best walk to strikeout ratio in MLB (Tomlin)

Fastest pitch in baseball history (105.7mph Kopech)

4 different organizational Pitcher of the year awards

100% of our MiLB athletes that have trained 3 or more off-seasons have made the big leagues

[burlingtonbandit]

The Twins and the Phillies have opened a joint training academy in the Dominican Republic (an $18M venture).

 

http://ballparkdigest.com/2017/01/17/twins-phillies-open-dominican-republic-acadaemy/

 

Remember hearing Shapiro say he doesn't believe in having an academy in DR is worth it. Perhaps the Florida site is just built larger to accommodate more players.

 

Funny because the ST site proposal has the Blue Jays paying less than 18M of the $90M it would take.

[Brownie19]

Bauer who has been with Kyle Boddy (Driveline) for 8 years now. Vandy baseball has joined the program and they have produced more 1st round pitchers than anyone. So we'll see even more from it. Driveline is all about conducting it's own research and continually looking at new ways to increase velocity and keeping players healthy. They post all their research papers. https://www.drivelinebaseball.com/pitching-research/

 

This (Kopech) however was Apec which does data based strength and conditioning for just about every sport. They obviously didn't secure the rights to name former players but they have this on their site.

 

Our MiLB / MLB system has helped produce;

All Stars at every level MiLB

MLB record holders (consecutive starts past 5 innings, etc.)

MLB 21st Perfect Game

Best walk to strikeout ratio in MLB (Tomlin)

Fastest pitch in baseball history (105.7mph Kopech)

4 different organizational Pitcher of the year awards

100% of our MiLB athletes that have trained 3 or more off-seasons have made the big leagues

 

That's Phillip Humber. I can see why they wouldn't want to list his name.

[TheHurl]

That's Phillip Humber. I can see why they wouldn't want to list his name.

 

Yeah I looked that one up too.

[jaysfan2014]

Keith Law's 2017 farm rankings: Jays #21:

 

http://www.espn.com/blog/keith-law/insider/post?id=6108

 

Anyone know the rest? Stupid Insider article..

[BTS]

Keith Law's 2017 farm rankings: Jays #21:

 

http://www.espn.com/blog/keith-law/insider/post?id=6108

 

Anyone know the rest? Stupid Insider article..

 

Grant is gonna be pist.

[TwistedLogic]

[G-Snarls]

 

Joel Sherman ‏@Joelsherman1 4m4 minutes ago

 

Calhoun is to receive $26M over 3 yrs from #Angels

 

Calhoun has $14M option for 2020 #Angels

 

#Angels bought out Calhoun's 3 arb yrs, option would buy out 1st yr of fr agcy

[King]

 

3/26 (and an option to make it 4/40) is a steal

[G-Snarls]

Would anyone want to do a similar deal for Pillar?

[BTS]

Would anyone want to do a similar deal for Pillar?

 

Nope. Not with him pushing 30 and relying exclusively on his defense.

[Laika]

Would anyone want to do a similar deal for Pillar?

 

f*** yes.

[G-Snarls]

Nope. Not with him pushing 30 and relying exclusively on his defense.

 

Pillar just turned 28 this month and Kalhoun is actually older

[KingKat]

When do centerfielders over 30 ever work out? Guys like Beltran, Gardiner and Granderson have made the transition away from CF fairly well but it seems like there are so many cautionary tales: Vernon Wells, Gary Matthews Junior, Melvin Upton, Jason Heyward...

[BTS]

Pillar just turned 28 this month and Kalhoun is actually older

 

He has a much more diversified skill set. Pillar is in his prime and is an 85 wRC+ bat, and needs to remain an elite CF defender to have any value. I don't think you bet on that happening in his age-32 season, 5 years down the road.

[BTS]

When do centerfielders over 30 ever work out? Guys like Beltran, Gardiner and Granderson have made the transition away from CF fairly well but it seems like there are so many cautionary tales: Vernon Wells, Gary Matthews Junior, Melvin Upton, Jason Heyward...

 

The guys who can hit just switch to a corner. Pillar and his pathetic bat will be lucky to have an MLB job in 5 years.

[G-Snarls]

He has a much more diversified skill set. Pillar is in his prime and is an 85 wRC+ bat, and needs to remain an elite CF defender to have any value. I don't think you bet on that happening in his age-32 season, 5 years down the road.

 

Calhoun is a better hitter than I realized 115 wRC+ career

 

Points are well taken

[L54]

Hard pass on extending Pillar. Put it in the Donaldson fund.

[G-Snarls]

Hard pass on extending Pillar. Put it in the Donaldson fund.

 

Yeah

 

Just enjoy the next few cheap years he provides themn move on

[Laika]

I don't think you guys are understanding the parameters of a Pillar extension. The team would just guarantee him some amount of $$ for his arbitration years in exchange for a team option or two on free agent years.

 

It would be very low risk. It would be a contract with decent upside for the team. It would increase flexibility, bring about cost certainty.

 

Kevin Kiermaier just got 3M in arb 1.

 

Pillar is already under control through 2020. A Pillar extension would probably only be something like 16-18M guaranteed:

 

2017: 0.5M

2018: 3M

2019: 5-6M

2020: 8-9M

2021: 10-12M team option (or whatever)

 

Maybe the team could even go lower than that since Pillar has earned like, 1M total in his entire baseball career to date.

[Jonn]

Pillar has a minor league contract in his future within the next 5 years. Giving him up to 9M in any year just made me throw up in my mouth. He's absolutely a guy you let arb process play out.

[burlingtonbandit]

I would honestly trade Pillar. The guy could turn into nothing in a blink of an eye. Any leg injury turns him into a negative player. Age alone will sap his only skill so you basically have a clear countdown clock on his value.

 

lol you could say that for every player. Leg muscles are the most important for a baseball player as that's where your power comes from.

[BTS]

I don't think you guys are understanding the parameters of a Pillar extension. The team would just guarantee him some amount of $$ for his arbitration years in exchange for a team option or two on free agent years.

 

It would be very low risk. It would be a contract with decent upside for the team. It would increase flexibility, bring about cost certainty.

 

Kevin Kiermaier just got 3M in arb 1.

 

Pillar is already under control through 2020. A Pillar extension would probably only be something like 16-18M guaranteed:

 

2017: 0.5M

2018: 3M

2019: 5-6M

2020: 8-9M

2021: 10-12M team option (or whatever)

 

Maybe the team could even go lower than that since Pillar has earned like, 1M total in his entire baseball career to date.

 

I'd rather have the flexibility of cutting ties at any time with no commitment than have a 10M option on his 2021 season. What are the odds that 32-year old Pillar is good enough to get significantly more than that in free agency?

[Dr. Dinger]

I just want to weigh in here and say that Kevin Pillar has extremely muscly hands and was very pleasant in person.