Around Baseball 2018

[Orgfiller]

Twins are probably gonna own that division for a while

 

Did the Indians rebrand or something?

[G-Snarls]

Oops

 

Obviously overstated the Twins owning the division

 

They will surge ahead of KC, DET and CWS

[G-Snarls]

Orioles' Buck Showalter: Manny Machado to move from third base to shortstop

 

USA TODAY Sports Published 12:46 p.m. ET Jan. 27, 2018

 

Manny Machado, who had expressed his desire to play shortstop this winter, will get his wish this season.

 

Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter announced Saturday that he plans to start Machado at shortstop and move Tim Beckham at third base.

 

“We’re moving him back to his natural position," said Showalter at FanFest. "He’s really excited about this.”

 

By granting him his wish, it could have a long-term effect. Machado, who had been the subject of trade rumors all winter, becomes a free agent after the season. He had been lobbying for the move for when he hits free agency.

 

Showalter said the change is subject to change based on how things go during spring training. Machado, a two-time Gold Glove third baseman, has logged only 52 games at shortstop in 767 career games. He has been the regular third baseman since he broke into the majors in 2012. Beckham has played only nine games at third base to his 173 career games at shortstop.

[G-Snarls]

And his fantasy value skyrockets

[jays4life19]

As per MLBTR

 

Interestingly, there’s also a chance Braun will factor in at second base, where the Brewers are currently lacking an obvious solution. Braun has discussed playing second with GM David Stearns, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports (via Twitter) The 34-year-old hasn’t seen any action in the middle infield since his days as a shortstop with the Miami Hurricanes.

 

lol. Well, that would be fun to watch.

[Pendleton]

As per MLBTR

 

Interestingly, there’s also a chance Braun will factor in at second base, where the Brewers are currently lacking an obvious solution. Braun has discussed playing second with GM David Stearns, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports (via Twitter) The 34-year-old hasn’t seen any action in the middle infield since his days as a shortstop with the Miami Hurricanes.

 

lol. Well, that would be fun to watch.

 

Seems like if you're going to do something that extreme, it would still make more sense to move a younger athlete (like a Broxton or Phillips type) to the infield.

[TheHurl]

As per MLBTR

 

Interestingly, there’s also a chance Braun will factor in at second base, where the Brewers are currently lacking an obvious solution. Braun has discussed playing second with GM David Stearns, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports (via Twitter) The 34-year-old hasn’t seen any action in the middle infield since his days as a shortstop with the Miami Hurricanes.

 

lol. Well, that would be fun to watch.

 

Brewers are the 2013 Blue Jays...book it now. Giving up financial flexibility and prospects to be a team that projects 7 games behind the 2nd wildcard.

[TheHurl]

Seems like if you're going to do something that extreme, it would still make more sense to move a younger athlete (like a Broxton or Phillips type) to the infield.

 

because that still doesn't get Santana into the lineup and it might not be an improvement on Villar. Braun is a pretty good athlete despite his age and at least has experience in the infield.

[SaskJaysFan_2]

Which website shows a player's team control information (eg. Anthony Alford) as clearly as possible?

[John_Havok]

I always use cots contracts

[Pendleton]

because that still doesn't get Santana into the lineup and it might not be an improvement on Villar. Braun is a pretty good athlete despite his age and at least has experience in the infield.

 

Yeah bad math on my part, but either way...moving an aging corner OF to the middle infield just seems silly and backwards to me. Surely there's a better way of getting their best bats together in the lineup.

[John_Havok]

Yeah bad math on my part, but either way...moving an aging corner OF to the middle infield just seems silly and backwards to me. Surely there's a better way of getting their best bats together in the lineup.

 

Sure there is but adding the DH to the NL is still a few years away

[Orgfiller]

Seems like if you're going to do something that extreme, it would still make more sense to move a younger athlete (like a Broxton or Phillips type) to the infield.

 

Phillips has an 80 arm so I don't think they'd entertain that either.

[Spanky__99]

Brewers are spouting all kinds of nonsense so they don't lose leverage when trading Santana. "Ya, we don't really have to trade the guy. We'll just put Braun at 2b."

 

They're also talking about moving him to 1st base, while they have Thames and Aguilar, it's exactly what you're saying. They need to make some moves.

[Laika]

Which website shows a player's team control information (eg. Anthony Alford) as clearly as possible?

 

Baseball Reference will tell you service time, what arb year they are in, when they are a free agent, past and future salaries.

 

Roster Resource shows remaining options.

[Pendleton]

Brewers are spouting all kinds of nonsense so they don't lose leverage when trading Santana. "Ya, we don't really have to trade the guy. We'll just put Braun at 2b."

 

Yeah this makes the most sense to me, they're just posturing in the name of leverage, trying to make it appear that they're not tied to making a deal.

[TBJ12]

MLB Network has an Expos special on right now if anyone is looking to escape the NHL AS game.

 

Edit: Link to full video

 

Why isn't Pedro in the CBHOF?

Edited January 29, 2018 by TBJ12

[G-Snarls]

There are so many unsigned free agents with no team that they're considering setting up their own spring training camp:

 

https://www.thescore.com/news/1474154

[Dick_Pole]

Sure there is but adding the DH to the NL is still a few years away

 

Brewers exercise their unilateral option to move back to the AL, kicking the Astros back to the NL. My sense of 1993 nostalgia back before the wild card and interleague play is partially restored.

[Shart]

Boras sure has been crying like a little baby lately because teams don't want to pay his exorbitant asking prices.

[Bobthe4th]

[Shart]

 

Booo!

[Ehjays]

 

Instead of the Indians removing Chief Wahoo from their uniforms, why don't we just remove the Wahoo in the MLB commissioners office.

[Brownie19]

So they are going to keep the "Indians" name and just use the "C" logo now?

[Jonn]

They should probably just re-brand completely at this point. Cleveland fans hate the Block C logo. Just lose the Indians altogether.

[Dick_Pole]

I don't see why anyone should be booing or upset about this. This is a pretty offensive logo...I mean, I don't personally give a s*** about it but other people do and it seems like a pretty easy change to appease people with a legitimate grievance. There have been much more obscene gestures of political correctness than this in our society. Is there anyone who actually cares about that stupid logo?

 

1. Cleveland gets to re-brand = more merch sales.

2. Cleveland's old crap goes on sale = more poor people in Cleveland get to wear licensed MLB gear.

3. Some of the team's old stuff will be considered vintage/in limited supply = it goes up in value for the people who hold it.

4. MLB gets to look slightly less outdated and offensive to that Millennial crowd it is so desperately trying to reach.

 

Really it's a win-win scenario at all angles. With how badly MLB's tradition has been molested over the years (inter-league play, wild cards, pitchers don't complete games anymore, too many damn advanced stats taking over the game, the all-star game means something, then it doesn't, numerous, numerous jerseys and cap logos), does anyone actually think this will matter at all to tradition?

[Terminator]

The C is trash. They need to spice it up some more like this one:

 

 

They could also revamp the Wahoo logo to look something more like it used to be from '29-'45. If it wasn't such a cartoonish caricature it would be better. People will always bitch about it but it should help.

 

[Dick_Pole]

The C is trash. They need to spice it up some more like this one:

 

 

They could also revamp the Wahoo logo to look something more like it used to be from '29-'45. If it wasn't such a cartoonish caricature it would be better. People will always bitch about it but it should help.

 

 

1946 logo looks like some well-timed Nazi propaganda....ah the good old days if mid-20th Century America #MAGA

[Dr. Dinger]

 

The alt-right is gonna be so triggered, I love it.

[KingKat]

[h=1]Reports: Matt Albers agrees to 2-year, $5 million deal with Brewers[/h]http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/22255478/matt-albers-agrees-2-year-5-million-deal-milwaukee-brewers

 

The Milwaukee Brewers have reached an agreement with right-handed reliever Matt Albers on a two-year, $5 million contract, according to multiple reports.

The agreement was first reported Monday by The Athletic. Sportsnet was first to report the value of Albers' deal.

 

Albers is the latest newcomer to join the Brewers, who acquired outfielders Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain last week and also added veteran free-agent pitchers Jhoulys Chacin and Yovani Gallardoearlier this offseason.

A former 23rd-round pick of the Houston Astros in 2001, Albers has played for seven teams during his 12-year career. He went 7-2 with a 1.62 ERA in 63 games with the Washington Nationals last season, finishing with the third-best ERA in the National League.

Following a 2016 season in which he went 2-6 with a 6.31 ERA for the Chicago White Sox, Albers signed a minor league deal with the Nationals in January 2017. He failed to make the major league roster out of spring training but was called up a week into the season and quickly became the most dependable reliever in a bullpen that was one of the worst in baseball through the All-Star break.

Albers recorded his first career save on May 5. Until then, he had gone 460 straight appearances without one, more than any other pitcher since saves became an official statistic in 1969. He also finished the year ranked second among NL relievers in WHIP (0.85) and second in batting average against (.165).

Prior to the NL Division Series, Albers had never pitched in the playoffs. In two appearances against the Chicago Cubs, he tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

In 515 career games, the 35-year old is 36-39 with a 4.13 ERA.