Around Baseball 2023

[jaysblue]

By far the biggest what-if to me is what if Bautista got hotter just a couple month before in 2009? Would the Jays have kept Halladay? This team went from all pitching-no offense to all offense-no pitching in record time.

 

Never thought of that. Good question to ponder. They would have had to resign him to an extension though.

[Dick_Pole]

Regarding worst team:

 

I repeat, the Mariners (as well as the Jays) are victims of being in more competitive leagues, with multiple playoff-worthy seasons during their droughts. The Mariners are certainly in contention for top 5 worst teams, but they aren't the worst and some of that is due to bad luck. I also took the Marlins out of contention because of their World Series wins despite them being the worst regular season team all-time. I definitely give more weight to the regular season than others do, but that's because others give almost no weight to the regular season at all. I can't stand teams that tank for multiple seasons to eventually get good.

 

Padres, Rockies, Rangers and the Brewers also have a big fat goose egg for World Series wins. I don't think it's fair to penalize the Mariners for not making it to the World Series to such an extent that they are worse than the Padres just because they lucked into a couple of pennants then got stomped in the WS while Seattle's good teams got stomped one or two rounds sooner. The World Series buys your franchise some credibility points. Pennants don't. No one outside of the fanbases of the pennant winners remember pennants.

[G-Snarls]

Phillies have assembled a very good looking bullpen

[Carlos Danger]

Phillies have assembled a very good looking bullpen

 

Thanks Pat. I hear they work out a lot and eat healthy.

[jaysblue]

Cleveland Browns for NFL?

[jaysblue]

I kind of wish the Jays in 2015 had Roy Halladay. I know he retired from baseball in 2013, though would have been nice to see him pitch in the Postseason for the Jays at some point.

[Dick_Pole]

Enough with the worst team talk. Let's talk about best expansion team. In the early 90's after the two World Series victories, you could pretty much say it was the Jays having won two in 17 seasons. They've lost some ground, now it's a little muddied.

 

Five expansion teams have won two World Series - Jays, Astros, Mets, Marlins and the Royals. The Marlins have done it in the least amount of years, but I refuse to let them get away with their paltry regular season play. Also, they are in a weird position of having never won a division despite their championships. A sign of a weaker team getting lucky rather than a strong team rightfully claiming its championship victory. The most memorable World Series teams are the ones which were overwhelming favourites. The Yankees dynasties, the Athletics team of 1989 while whimpering out the year before and after, and I would put the Jays back-to-back as a "strong" World Series winner. The 1987 Twins and the 2006 Cardinals are the two worst teams I can think of in my lifetime winning, and the Marlins victories definitely feel closer to those teams than to the Jays, A's or Yankees teams. Royals have played more seasons than the Jays and are generally the worse regular season team with little hope of winning any time soon. So they are out.

 

Astros are the only expansion franchise with a record over .500, with the Jays being close to that mark. Mets are way below .500, but most of that is due to the franchise digging out of a huge hole from their first 5 years, like the Jays. The Astros have their infamous win of 2017 and the dominant win of 2022. The Mets are also in the running, with both of their World Series being well known and memorable - the 1969 Miracle Mets, and the cocaine-fueled Buckner boot series in 1986. All three of the teams are contenders this year, with a pretty good claim to best expansion team if they win. For now I'm going to go the homer root and say the Jays slightly eke it out having 15 less seasons than the other two teams, with the Astros close behind.

[Terminator]

Hmm it's a pretty mediocre group of franchises. None of the teams have been great over the years and a lot of them are just downright awful.

 

Jays have been better than people give them credit for but they were just in a tough division for a lot of the time and that precluded any postseason glory from happening.

 

I would agree that it's either them or the Astros.

[Terminator]

Does anyone know why Montreal got a team before Toronto did?

[Jimcanuck]

Does anyone know why Montreal got a team before Toronto did?

 

Charles Bronfman's money

[Carlos Danger]

Does anyone know why Montreal got a team before Toronto did?

 

Montreal was the financial and business hub and the biggest city in the 60s. Then they had all the Quebec separatists and language ******** and it started a decades long transition flight of people, business and capital to Toronto. Toronto ended up surpassing Montreal in just about everything except titty bars and nightlife.

[Terminator]

Montreal was the financial and business hub and the biggest city in the 60s. Then they had all the Quebec separatists and language ******** and it started a decades long transition flight of people, business and capital to Toronto. Toronto ended up surpassing Montreal in just about everything except titty bars and nightlife.

 

Interesting! Thanks

[Stangstag]

Phillies have assembled a very good looking bullpen

 

Sure if you squint really hard

[Stangstag]

Montreal was the financial and business hub and the biggest city in the 60s. Then they had all the Quebec separatists and language ******** and it started a decades long transition flight of people, business and capital to Toronto. Toronto ended up surpassing Montreal in just about everything except titty bars and nightlife.

 

This reads like some alternate world history lol. Interesting to hear

[Terminator]

[Jays24]

 

Why not sign him to a short term deal if we're out here splurging lol.

[Krylian]

Really hope the Twins bail on him as well.

[Spanky__99]

Sure if you squint really hard

 

It's a helluva lot better, lol.

[WryNGinger]

It will be really interesting to read about what we're the facts, what was conjecture and what was posturing if this all comes out.

[Carlos Danger]

I think we might have a trade brewing with the Marlins boys. Not us and the Marlins, just a Marlins SP on the move.

 

The Marlins just signed Cueto. The only explanation I can think of is that they did that to allow them to move an SP or pitchers plural.

 

Miami doesn’t need starters, they need offense.

[jaysblue]

I think we might have a trade brewing with the Marlins boys. Not us and the Marlins, just a Marlins SP on the move.

 

The Marlins just signed Cueto. The only explanation I can think of is that they did that to allow them to move an SP or pitchers plural.

 

Miami doesn’t need starters, they need offense.

 

Braxton Garrett or Trevor Rogers would be really nice.

 

Doubt Miami moves Lopez or Luzardo unless they get a huge young piece back.

[Jimcanuck]

I think we might have a trade brewing with the Marlins boys. Not us and the Marlins, just a Marlins SP on the move.

 

The Marlins just signed Cueto. The only explanation I can think of is that they did that to allow them to move an SP or pitchers plural.

 

Miami doesn’t need starters, they need offense.

 

Would never have tagged the Marlins to sign Cueto. Why would a team with little hope of winning do this. Maybe as a pitching mentor?

 

Anyway, definitely something else is about to happen.

[jaysblue]

Would never have tagged the Marlins to sign Cueto. Why would a team with little hope of winning do this. Maybe as a pitching mentor?

 

Anyway, definitely something else is about to happen.

 

Probably as a veteran presence like you said, and maybe they plan on moving another arm for a bat.

 

As well, playing in Florida always has an appeal to some players.

[Carlos Danger]

Braxton Garrett or Trevor Rogers would be really nice.

 

Doubt Miami moves Lopez or Luzardo unless they get a huge young piece back.

 

If I were to wager, I would say Lopez to the Cards for a bat/OF.

[jaysblue]

If I were to wager, I would say Lopez to the Cards for a bat/OF.

 

Alcantara

Luzardo

Lopez

Cueto

Rogers

Garrett

 

That's a nice rotation. It's a shame the Marlins don't put together a somewhat decent lineup and bullpen and they could be a sleeper team in the NL. Tough division though with the Mets, Phillies and Braves but still, anything can happen over 162 games.

[jerb]

 

Jeff Passan

@JeffPassan

 

BREAKING: Shortstop Carlos Correa and the Minnesota Twins are finalizing a six-year, $200 million contract, sources tell ESPN. The deal has a vesting option that can max out at $270 million. It is pending physical.

[Terminator]

Great get for the Twins.

[wilko]

 

Jeff Passan

@JeffPassan

 

BREAKING: Shortstop Carlos Correa and the Minnesota Twins are finalizing a six-year, $200 million contract, sources tell ESPN. The deal has a vesting option that can max out at $270 million. It is pending physical.

 

[Krylian]

Pending physical...lol.

[Terminator]

The risk assessment on a 6 year deal is a lot different than a 12 year deal. Surely this deal will get done.