Around Baseball 2017

[burlingtonbandit]

Blevins + Salas = 9M in payroll for Mets who are up against their budget ceiling.

 

Bruce - Smoak = +9M for Mets.

 

Bruce to Blue Jays in 3, 2, 1...

 

You don't let Moss sign for $2 Million extra per year to take on Bruce at 9.

[Bobthe4th]

I wonder if the FO is holding out to see which position between LF and 1B requires attention. If Pearce is LF-capable, then 1B will be addressed during the season. If he's not, then he'll be planted at 1B and an OF will be acquired. There's only one major positional hole in the batting order, but it's going to take some time to determine which position it actually is. Until then, there are warm bodies capable of covering those positions who shouldn't be too much of an anchor given the considerable talent elsewhere on the field.

 

Plus midway through the season various 1B and OF will be available on waivers when they've had a bad start at their current club or a prospect has taken their place.

[Stangstag]

yeah, the way the awkward Atkins press conference played out, it sounds like Edward Rogers forced Shatkins' hand in bringing Bautista back...probably with the assurance that more funds (than initially budgeted) would be made available to the FO during the season.

 

I seriously hope this doesn't become a trend. The owners should never be meddling with front office affairs and player signings/trades.

[Grant77]

I seriously hope this doesn't become a trend. The owners should never be meddling with front office affairs and player signings/trades.

 

We have no proof that it even happened one time.

[saskjayfan]

We have no proof that it even happened one time.

 

Not sure if it happened or not, but it happens all the time with other teams.

[Ultimate]

Plus midway through the season various 1B and OF will be available on waivers when they've had a bad start at their current club or a prospect has taken their place.

 

What kind of quality do you really expect to be available on waivers during the season? Can you give me an example of someone who was on waivers last year that would be a step up over our current options?

[jerb]

 

 

Ken Rosenthal Verified account

‏@Ken_Rosenthal

 

Sources: Blevins with #Mets is 1 year, $6.5M with club option that could raise value to $12.5M over 2 years. First with deal: @JonHeyman.

 

Ken Rosenthal Verified account

‏@Ken_Rosenthal

 

Blevins’ terms are virtually identical to Logan’s with #Indians. Only difference is that Blevins also gets $100K in incentives each year.

[Laika]

Wow, didn't realize the Angels are planning to bench C.J. Cron.

 

4 years of control left and was really coming on last year until he broke his hand. Still 115 wRC+ and pretty good at 1st.

 

He's in a platoon situation. Pujols is like 42 years old. Cron will get basically a full season.

[Maahfaace]

He's in a platoon situation. Pujols is like 42 years old. Cron will get basically a full season.

 

I actually wouldn't doubt it all if Pujols turns out to be a few years older than his record shows from his country. He looked like he was 25 when he broke into the league.

[wamco]

Rob nayer has been saying this for years. Says he doesn't believe anything about his story

[Bobthe4th]

What kind of quality do you really expect to be available on waivers during the season? Can you give me an example of someone who was on waivers last year that would be a step up over our current options?

 

Some 1B or OF that were either claimed on waivers, or DFA and were then made free agents last year:

 

Jimmy Parades

Billy Butler

Josh Hamilton

Alex Rodriguez

Desmond Jennings

Carl Crawford

Michael Bourn

Carlos Gomez

James Loney

Nick Swisher

Shane Victorino

 

You're always going to have veteran players available for basically nothing midseason.

 

Picking up one or more up and seeing if they stick (like Carlos Gomez did for the Rangers last year) is risk free. Worst case it's like Parades for the Jays last year, he plays a few games and is then released.

[Bobthe4th]

Jay Bruce is a classic example of an overpaid veteran who won't get much playing time, is unlikely to be traded, and could be available for basically nothing mid season.

 

A risk free mid season pick up to see if the front office is right to like him.

[G-Snarls]

Pirates just announced that STARLING Marte will be their everyday CF this year

 

They're officially moving Cutch to RF

Edited February 5, 2017 by G-Snarls

[G-Snarls]

[P2F]

Jason Hammel signs 2-yr deal with the Royals, worth $16M.

 

 

[jerb]

 

Jon Heyman Verified account 

‏@JonHeyman

 

romo agrees to dodgers deal. $3M plus incentives. he took significantly less to do LA deal.

[Stangstag]

 

Jon Heyman Verified account 

‏@JonHeyman

 

romo agrees to dodgers deal. $3M plus incentives. he took significantly less to do LA deal.

 

Must be nice to have players take a paycut to sign with your team.

[G-Snarls]

Must be nice to have players take a paycut to sign with your team.

 

Uh huh

[intentional wok]

 

Pittsburgh have a really sensible crew over there. Hard to not like them.

[G-Snarls]

Pittsburgh have a really sensible crew over there. Hard to not like them.

 

Yeah

 

Some managers wouldn't have the stones to do this

 

(Like Girardi with Granderson)

[Sammy225]

Pittsburgh have a really sensible crew over there. Hard to not like them.

 

When you got the depth to be able to do this because Cutch is still solid in Center you know that you have a good outfield.

[intentional wok]

If he's still solid in CF, then this may actually hurt his trade value, no? You'd think even a bad performance in CF would mean teams would still pay top dollar for him to go into one of their corner spots, so why not try to just wring that extra bit of CF juice out of him? Because Pittsburgh play to win!!

[jerb]

 

 

Baseball Tonight Verified account 

‏@BBTN

 

MLB has proposed eliminating throwing 4 balls for an intentional walk and raising the strike zone above the knees: https://t.co/J5PhglPQnH

[Brownie19]

Ya but they have Marte also to be that bench/injury fill-in/platoon guy.

 

Get it done Shatkins.

 

I don't see anything in Cron's history to suggest he'll ever be an above average ML player. I see no reason to trade for him with Rowdy near ready.

[Stangstag]

 

 

Baseball Tonight Verified account 

‏@BBTN

 

MLB has proposed eliminating throwing 4 balls for an intentional walk and raising the strike zone above the knees: https://t.co/J5PhglPQnH

 

Next they'll eliminate the need to round the bases after hitting a homerun.

[intentional wok]

 

 

Baseball Tonight Verified account 

‏@BBTN

 

MLB has proposed eliminating throwing 4 balls for an intentional walk and raising the strike zone above the knees: https://t.co/J5PhglPQnH

 

Almost every proposed rule change since Manfred has taken over has been terrible. Stop f***ing with baseball. Hardly any of them are actual fixes to problems. Reducing the K-zone is just going to make games longer and destroy pitchers, and 4-pitch walks are such a miniscule part of the game that removing them saves no notable amount of time and actually hurts the game because stuff can still happen, such a catcher missing a catch or a runner trying to take the pitcher by surprise.

[Brownie19]

 

 

Baseball Tonight Verified account 

‏@BBTN

 

MLB has proposed eliminating throwing 4 balls for an intentional walk and raising the strike zone above the knees: https://t.co/J5PhglPQnH

 

But data shows that umpires have been increasingly calling strikes on so many pitches below the knees that, if umpires enforce the redefined strike zone, it would effectively raise the zone by an estimated 2 inches. If the umps can't call the strike zone correctly now - what on earth makes them think they will if they change the strike zone? (or do they have evidence to suggest they'll be more accurate if it's the top of the knee?)

 

I like eliminating the 4 pitch intentional walk. That's what our league does.

[burlingtonbandit]

Throwing 4 pitches for an IBB was a complete waste of time, glad to see it taken out. The raising of the strikezone is interesting because a lot of information now shows its more difficult to hit a high 4 seam fastball than a pitch at the bottom of the zone.

[BTS]

This saves what, 45 seconds every 2-3 games?

[Stangstag]

This saves what, 45 seconds every 2-3 games?

 

Probably less.