Around Baseball 2020

[Laika]

I saw an article about Bauer ranking most aggressive fan bases trying to recruit him. It was about Mets being second and mentioned NYY being 5th. Who was first? Not that it means anything at all but just curious

 

Bauer made a video, I saw him tweet it out. Didn't watch it though

[jerb]

[xposbrad]

The Jays are one of the few teams that are willing to spend money this winter, and presumably have a lot of it to spend. Supply is exceeding demand to a ridiculous level in the free agent market. The Jays best prospects are in low A, and the 2020 minor league season was wiped out, so they'd be selling low if they moved any of their top 10 prospects. The Jays don't need a SS.

 

All of those things combined means the Jays should be prioritizing free agency right now, not a trade for a rental SS who will need a decade long extension to keep around. As painful as it is for fans, the Jays can afford to wait for every FA except Kim and Sugano (assuming they are in on one or both), since there is a posting deadline for them. Beyond those two, there are still very good FA's available even if the Mets sign Springer and Bauer, or someone else signs Bauer. Absolutely no need to trade for Lindor. It won't even benefit them in the box office in 2021 due to the pandemic.

 

I wouldn't trade for Lindor either when there are too many quality FAs still left. If you truly believe in your prospects, it's better to overspend a couple of m on a FA then give up prospects you've spent money/time developing so far but I think Shatkins knows that.

[G-Snarls]

I wouldn't trade for Lindor either when there are too many quality FAs still left. If you truly believe in your prospects, it's better to overspend a couple of m on a FA then give up prospects you've spent money/time developing so far but I think Shatkins knows that.

 

Agreed. This front office has spent 5 years working hard to aquire a large number of quality prospects and they have money to spend. They're not going to trade away a big chunk of the farm, guaranteed, when said farm is rhe main reason this team might have a long run of success beginning right now.

[G-Snarls]

MLBTR:

 

Free agent right-hander Corey Kluber is preparing to throw bullpen sessions for interested teams later this month, reports Buster Olney of ESPN. The 34-year-old began a throwing program in early November on the heels of a second consecutive season marred by injury.

 

Kluber was limited to just one inning with the Rangers in 2020 after suffering a Grade 2 teres major strain in his throwing shoulder during his first outing. That came after he logged just 35.2 innings in 2019 due to a comebacker that fractured his forearm, ending his season in May. Thanks to Kluber’s recent run of poor health, Texas made the decision to decline his $18MM club option in favor of a $1MM buyout.

[G-Snarls]

Does the MLB players association really not want the DH in the national.league this year?

 

If so why in the actual fk?!?! Wouldn't having the DH in the NL this year:

 

- Help players like Ozuna find places to sign

- reduce the risk of pitcher injuries

- encourage an agreement towards larger roster sizes

 

I don't get it.

[Laika]

Does the MLB players association really not want the DH in the national.league this year?

 

If so why in the actual fk?!?! Wouldn't having the DH in the NL this year:

 

- Help players like Ozuna find places to sign

- reduce the risk of pitcher injuries

- encourage an agreement towards larger roster sizes

 

I don't get it.

 

I don't think it's that they don't want it... they probably either don't care or they support it. I think they just see an opportunity to use every little thing like this as a bargaining chip. They'll act like agreeing to the DH is acquiescing and they'll seek something in return

[G-Snarls]

Jim Bowden just said on MLB Network that Realmuto's agent is asking for "almost 200 million dollars" (according to his sources with multiple teams).

 

Said that Mets wanted him as first choice but they were so far apart on contract terms that they went with their plan B McCann rather than continue to negotiate.

[G-Snarls]

I don't think it's that they don't want it... they probably either don't care or they support it. I think they just see an opportunity to use every little thing like this as a bargaining chip. They'll act like agreeing to the DH is acquiescing and they'll seek something in return

 

Thats the only possible explanation and it seems silly to me

[L54]

LOL at Realmuto asking for 200M

 

I wouldn't pay him half of that. I really hope the Jays stay away from him.

[G-Snarls]

I don’t think mlbpa lets you buy out contracts. So they’d just pay the 2/48 but point is it’s still on their books

 

Exactly

 

They might not PLAY Cano in 2022/2023 but they'll have to PAY him no matter what. And it counts towards payroll and presumably luxury tax even if they bench him or cut him and pay all except a league minimum deal he might get with someone else.

 

No getting out from under it. The Yankees tried with ARod in a nearly identical situation and no luck

 

So the Cano savings helps them in 2021 only

Edited December 13, 2020 by G-Snarls

[G-Snarls]

LOL at Realmuto asking for 200M

 

I wouldn't pay him half of that. I really hope the Jays stay away from him.

 

Yeah he's not getting beat that from anybody

[Deadpool]

Jim Bowden just said on MLB Network that Realmuto's agent is asking for "almost 200 million dollars" (according to his sources with multiple teams).

 

Said that Mets wanted him as first choice but they were so far apart on contract terms that they went with their plan B McCann rather than continue to negotiate.

 

I would also like almost 200 million dollars.

 

I think I have about as good a chance of getting it as Realmuto does.

[Jimcanuck]

Is Bowden reliable? Seems far fetched.

[BTS]

Longenhagen's take on the guys the Rays got for Nate Lowe:

 

"To give you some context, Hernandez (50 FV), who turns 21 next week, is the type of college-aged hitting prospect who I’d have evaluated similar to Orioles 2020 first-rounder Heston Kjerstad, a college bat worthy of a top-ten pick in a draft. The 20-year-old Basabe (40+ FV) is a high-variance, late-second-round sort of prospect, and Ovalles (35+ FV) is the kind of player who’d get a mid-six-figure deal on day three of the draft, though it’s likely not all teams think of him that way."

[Laika]

Longenhagen's take on the guys the Rays got for Nate Lowe:

 

"To give you some context, Hernandez (50 FV), who turns 21 next week, is the type of college-aged hitting prospect who I’d have evaluated similar to Orioles 2020 first-rounder Heston Kjerstad, a college bat worthy of a top-ten pick in a draft. The 20-year-old Basabe (40+ FV) is a high-variance, late-second-round sort of prospect, and Ovalles (35+ FV) is the kind of player who’d get a mid-six-figure deal on day three of the draft, though it’s likely not all teams think of him that way."

 

So the Rangers must love Lowe. His MiLB numbers were bananas... but so were AJ Reed's.

[BTS]

So the Rangers must love Lowe. His MiLB numbers were bananas... but so were AJ Reed's.

 

Yeah. Weird for a terrible team with a bad farm to move real prospects for an unproven 1B. They must feel pretty good about his chances to become a very good hitter.

[connorp]

I don't think it's that they don't want it... they probably either don't care or they support it. I think they just see an opportunity to use every little thing like this as a bargaining chip. They'll act like agreeing to the DH is acquiescing and they'll seek something in return

 

I agree but what’s ironic is I agree when someone said the same thing about the owners. So in that scenario both parties are trying to consider the same thing a concession

[G-Snarls]

I can see Shapiro and Atkins seriously consisering a 1 year incentive-laden deal for Kluber if be looks good. But damn is he ever broken...

[saskjayfan]

I can see Shapiro and Atkins seriously consisering a 1 year incentive-laden deal for Kluber if be looks good. But damn is he ever broken...

 

Is he really that broken? He had a broken arm the same that Pearson had. He had soft tissue injuries, the oblique and the teres which are related, and more concerning. Neither of those really concern me that he can't get back physically to where he was. It's not like he had a rotator cuff injury or surgery for any of his injuries.

 

If he comes out and is still throwing low 90s with his fastball, lots of teams will be offering a 1 year deal for Kluber. The guy had one of the best curveballs in all of baseball. He's worth the gamble.

[Laika]

I agree but what’s ironic is I agree when someone said the same thing about the owners. So in that scenario both parties are trying to consider the same thing a concession

 

In a league with a healthier labour dynamic the decision was made months ago with no deliberation. There are probably like five total stakeholders who don't want the universal DH in 2021... a minority of NL owners and Madison Bumgarner

[saskjayfan]

Man by this time last year the top 4 free agents were signed, and 7 of the top 10. This year 3 of the top 30 are signed and 2 of those were guys who accepted the QO and McCann was the first in the top 30 to sign. This off season needs to pick up already.

[itaos]

Is Bowden reliable? Seems far fetched.

 

Bowden is one of the least reliable sources out there

[connorp]

Proposal in article on mlb.com

 

“Blue Jays get: LHP Blake Snell, OF Manuel Margot

Rays get: SS Jordan Groshans (MLB’s No. 70 prospect), C Danny Jansen, RHP Alek Manoah (Blue Jays’ No. 5 prospect)”

 

Steep price but likely what it’d take to do it

[connorp]

People have been fapping to dream O scenario but imagine Bauer, Snell, Ryu, Pearson.

Pretty nasty

[L54]

Pass on Snell. Use the bullets for a hitter if you’re going to explore the trade market.

[G-Snarls]

Pass on Snell. Use the bullets for a hitter if you’re going to explore the trade market.

 

Or trade less to get Darvish or Gray

[Ray]

Proposal in article on mlb.com

 

“Blue Jays get: LHP Blake Snell, OF Manuel Margot

Rays get: SS Jordan Groshans (MLB’s No. 70 prospect), C Danny Jansen, RHP Alek Manoah (Blue Jays’ No. 5 prospect)”

 

Steep price but likely what it’d take to do it

 

This is such a bad trade when you consider the circumstances. We’re filling the gaping hole the Rays have at catcher, giving up two of our highly touted prospects that will already bolster the best farm in the league, and the Rays will likely have a pitcher come up that will provide similar value to Snell given their depth. Snell is a luxury for them, which is why they probably want to trade him in the first place for a kings ransom.

 

The Rays are getting significantly more marginal value then we are. We would make them instantly better now and in the future.

[Deadpool]

Proposal in article on mlb.com

 

“Blue Jays get: LHP Blake Snell, OF Manuel Margot

Rays get: SS Jordan Groshans (MLB’s No. 70 prospect), C Danny Jansen, RHP Alek Manoah (Blue Jays’ No. 5 prospect)”

 

Steep price but likely what it’d take to do it

 

I'm not biting at that price. May just be me, but I've never thought Snell was likely to repeat his 2018 season.

[max silver]

Or trade less to get Darvish or Gray

 

Gray isn't particularly appealing. He had a really bad 2020 season and only has 1 year of control remaining.