Around Baseball 2024

[Laika]

Agree that Atkins fumbled

 

Had to let the offseason play out first but these contracts in the last few weeks have made the conclusion somewhat clear

 

I think when they gave KK $10M they probably assumed guys like Duvall and Pham would get close to that, at least $6M or $7M, and they thought KK was far more valuable based on defense and projections. Well, those guys might sign for $1.5M at this point. Probably could have bought a Pham + Eddie Rosario platoon in LF for less than $10M total.

 

$18M for IKF and KK. Take the more generous of the available projections and they project for like 450 PA each and 3 to 3.5 WAR total.

 

They aren't a BETTER team if they replace those two guys with bottom of the barrel options right now, but they are a cheaper team that is likely close in projected total WAR, and of course they could have more money to incentivize a Chapman pillow contract right now which is the whole point.

 

The only saving grace here would be good years from KK and IKF. If IKF's defense is as good as the team thinks and he does anything with the stick he's a 2+ win player and you'd prefer him for $7.5M to the aging Chapman at 3x the AAV.

 

This entire season rides on Falaffle tbh. 2024 is his year. The whole country is on his shoulders.

[connorp]

Chapman really is what he is. Last year was par for the course with him and not some bad outlier. He’ll be 32 next season and most of his game is defense. It’s a better FA class next year. I’m really not sure what a “pillow deal” does to benefit him.

 

He’ll need to be a better hitter and I guess that’s what he’s banking on.

[Jimcanuck]

Skinny Vlad gonna save the season, just watch. Falafel is just along for the ride.

[Laika]

Chapman really is what he is. Last year was par for the course with him and not some bad outlier. He’ll be 32 next season and most of his game is defense. It’s a better FA class next year. I’m really not sure what a “pillow deal” does to benefit him.

 

He’ll need to be a better hitter and I guess that’s what he’s banking on.

 

Good point but

 

I think teams were/are turned off by the shape of his season and probably a little confused by the drop in pull%

 

He went from 47% pull rate to under 40%

 

Is that a sign of bat speed slowing down?

 

Would love to see him just return to a high 40s% pull rate and 25+ dingers

 

 

 

 

Similar to Bellinger as just a generally confusing player. Jordan Montgomery is also kind of confusing as his underlying talent measurements don't line up with recent production and the playoff narrative.

 

Snell is just the classic really good pitcher with some injury history and episodic walk problems. Not really confusing.

[wamco]

Ideally Atkins can flex his in house contingency plans for 3b on boras and get a team friendly/fair deal for Chapman without opt outs.

 

It looks like 2b is the preferred home for Orelvis so ideally he is up by midseason and that moves guys over to 3b primarily as well.

 

It could come down to something like Atkins has 13m to spend this season (stated need to cut to add).

 

So do you take option a:

Let Chapman walk. Roll the dice that someone will run with the 3b job. Assume a mid season add of Orelvis is a good enough offensive upgrade until the deadline. Sign a lefty masher OF cheap now and use the remainder of the 13m at the deadline. Keep espinal, Garcia, Richards

 

Or option b:

Get Chapman at 23m and trade Garcia, Richards, espinal?

[Brownie19]

Ideally Atkins can flex his in house contingency plans for 3b on boras and get a team friendly/fair deal for Chapman without opt outs.

 

It looks like 2b is the preferred home for Orelvis so ideally he is up by midseason and that moves guys over to 3b primarily as well.

 

It could come down to something like Atkins has 13m to spend this season (stated need to cut to add).

 

So do you take option a:

Let Chapman walk. Roll the dice that someone will run with the 3b job. Assume a mid season add of Orelvis is a good enough offensive upgrade until the deadline. Sign a lefty masher OF cheap now and use the remainder of the 13m at the deadline. Keep espinal, Garcia, Richards

 

Or option b:

Get Chapman at 23m and trade Garcia, Richards, espinal?

 

Or get permission to exceed the next luxury tax threshold.

[John_Havok]

Or get permission to exceed the next luxury tax threshold.

 

Yeah, and remember the luxury tax isn't calculated until the last day of the season. Even starting the season being projected over, there's always ways to get under it later with trades.

[BigCecil]

He won't get what Belly got, no way. 3/60 tops with buyouts, lol. Toronto offered a deal north of 100 and his camp said no... feels good man.

 

I don't disagree but who has a higher probability of a 4 WAR season in 2024? Chappy's hard hit % and high avg EV numbers in '23 plus his D. I'd bet on him over Bellinger having a higher WAR in ''24.

[wamco]

Or get permission to exceed the next luxury tax threshold.

 

Sure. And then sign Chapman, Snell, and Montgomery and grossman.

[Carlos Danger]

Damn Dodgers are smart.

 

Take on Margot to get Glasgow, then flip him to the Twins.

 

The signing of Teoscar makes so much more sense now.

[Terminator]

 

A Barstool Sports blogger went 2 for 9 with a walk against Bauer lol

[wamco]

Bauer got the last laugh as he punched the blogger in the dick repeatedly after the final at bat.

[Laika]

LOL that guy held his own

 

Bauer f***ing sucks eh.

[wilko]

 

A Barstool Sports blogger went 2 for 9 with a walk against Bauer lol

 

Bauer needs to hydrate. He got that gross white stuff on his lips.

[RobinThicc]

Atkins completely bungled this offseason IMO. Totally didn’t need guys like IKF and KK, we needed 1-2 impact bats. Wasted money on those guys for no reason.

Kind of crazy to think the Jays spent around 50 mill this offseason if im not mistaken, all on mid.

[Stangstag]

 

A Barstool Sports blogger went 2 for 9 with a walk against Bauer lol

 

This dude is such a loser.

 

Also, I still don’t understand all the people assuming he’s gonna pitch like a #1/2 if he were to come back to MLB.

 

In all likelihood he pitches like a 5/AAA fodder, and that’s not worth the heat he would bring by signing him.

[L54]

This dude is such a loser.

 

Also, I still don’t understand all the people assuming he’s gonna pitch like a #1/2 if he were to come back to MLB.

 

In all likelihood he pitches like a 5/AAA fodder, and that’s not worth the heat he would bring by signing him.

 

Bowden Francis > Trevor Bauer

[glory]

Kind of crazy to think the Jays spent around 50 mill this offseason if im not mistaken, all on mid.

 

If you told Jays fans after the last out in Minnesota that the team would spend $50m in free agency in the off season, and end up with KK, IKF, Turner, Green's option, and Rodriguez, I'm not sure there would be a mop big enough to clean up the vomit that would have ensued. I hope it works out in the end, but man, on paper it's very disappointing. Of course, having money to spend in a bad FA market is probably a big part of what lead to this.

[connorp]

This dude is such a loser.

 

Also, I still don’t understand all the people assuming he’s gonna pitch like a #1/2 if he were to come back to MLB.

 

In all likelihood he pitches like a 5/AAA fodder, and that’s not worth the heat he would bring by signing him.

 

AAAA fodder or front line pitcher differences of opnion, probably stem from either side of one’s political leanings, rather than objective data.

[Stangstag]

AAAA fodder or front line pitcher differences of opnion, probably stem from either side of one’s political leanings, rather than objective data.

 

No it stems from the fact he was only really good for 2-3 years at the height of the spider tack era, and he’s now 3 years older and hasn’t been playing at the same level since then.

[Brownie19]

I took the family to BAL @ ATL today at the new CoolToday Park in North Port. The park is spectacular. The best I've ever been to (I think we've been to 8 now). My only complaints are there's a pile of stairs as soon as you enter, there is netting from foul pole to foul pole (which really limits the player/fan interaction and signature opportunities) and they don't let you bring in backpack, which is ridiculous (8 of us went today and they won't let us bring in 1 medium sized backpack that's full of sunscreen, blanket for sitting on the berm, baseballs for signatures, etc.).

 

Anyway - the game was a bit of a dud. The Braves had their opening day starting lineup (except D'Arnaud was catching instead of Murphy), which was awesome to see, but they didn't hit much. Acuna popped out and grounded out (breaking his bat both times). Jackson Holliday started at 2nd for the O's. He never put the ball in play. 2 K's and a walk. He took some absolutely massive hacks, but came up empty. Looks like he was overswinging.

 

My boys ended up with 3 game balls though. Kelenic threw us a ball in LF, the bullpen catcher threw us another and then the highlight of the day was we caught the Jordan Westburg home run ball! It hit off the railing, off my son's foot and rolled right to me. That's the first fair or foul ball I've ever ended up with at a baseball game.

 

Kids had a blast overall - but it's back to Ontario tomorrow. I really could see myself spending the winters in Florida during retirement. Maybe even volunteering at a spring training stadium. It's such a special time of year.

[Spanky__99]

I don't disagree but who has a higher probability of a 4 WAR season in 2024? Chappy's hard hit % and high avg EV numbers in '23 plus his D. I'd bet on him over Bellinger having a higher WAR in ''24.

 

I'm not sure, both guys have their warts and I wanted nothing to do with either of them on long term deals, if I were to choose I'd say Matty has a better year, not a fan of Belly's smoke and mirrors last season, if the Birds could squeeze in Chappy on a short term deal I wouldn't be upset, lol. So I'm with you there.

[John_Havok]

I took the family to BAL @ ATL today at the new CoolToday Park in North Port. The park is spectacular. The best I've ever been to (I think we've been to 8 now). My only complaints are there's a pile of stairs as soon as you enter, there is netting from foul pole to foul pole (which really limits the player/fan interaction and signature opportunities) and they don't let you bring in backpack, which is ridiculous (8 of us went today and they won't let us bring in 1 medium sized backpack that's full of sunscreen, blanket for sitting on the berm, baseballs for signatures, etc.).

 

Anyway - the game was a bit of a dud. The Braves had their opening day starting lineup (except D'Arnaud was catching instead of Murphy), which was awesome to see, but they didn't hit much. Acuna popped out and grounded out (breaking his bat both times). Jackson Holliday started at 2nd for the O's. He never put the ball in play. 2 K's and a walk. He took some absolutely massive hacks, but came up empty. Looks like he was overswinging.

 

My boys ended up with 3 game balls though. Kelenic threw us a ball in LF, the bullpen catcher threw us another and then the highlight of the day was we caught the Jordan Westburg home run ball! It hit off the railing, off my son's foot and rolled right to me. That's the first fair or foul ball I've ever ended up with at a baseball game.

 

Kids had a blast overall - but it's back to Ontario tomorrow. I really could see myself spending the winters in Florida during retirement. Maybe even volunteering at a spring training stadium. It's such a special time of year.

 

Nice!

 

For a vid on a pasty bald white dude in a sleeveless shirt and fashionably questionable shorts catching a Westburg HR ball, click here! Please note the very excellent and fundamentally sound fielding position displayed at the 12 second mark of the video

 

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/orioles-vs-braves/2024/02/26/748228/final/wrap

Edited February 27, 2024 by John_Havok

[Carlos Danger]

Nice!

 

For a vid on a pasty bald white dude in a sleeveless shirt catching a Westburg HR ball, click here! Please note the very excellent and fundamentally sound fielding position displayed at the 12 second mark of the video

 

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/orioles-vs-braves/2024/02/26/748228/final/wrap

 

Ha, new name is Vanilla Brownie!

[John_Havok]

And yes, I’m jealous because I’m not in Florida at ST and instead am sitting in a -25 freezing hellhole of Saskatchewan.

 

Definitely a SS in his day…look at that form!

 

[L54]

Nice!

 

For a vid on a pasty bald white dude in a sleeveless shirt and fashionably questionable shorts catching a Westburg HR ball, click here! Please note the very excellent and fundamentally sound fielding position displayed at the 12 second mark of the video

 

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/orioles-vs-braves/2024/02/26/748228/final/wrap

 

No doxing!

[L54]

I took the family to BAL @ ATL today at the new CoolToday Park in North Port. The park is spectacular. The best I've ever been to (I think we've been to 8 now). My only complaints are there's a pile of stairs as soon as you enter, there is netting from foul pole to foul pole (which really limits the player/fan interaction and signature opportunities) and they don't let you bring in backpack, which is ridiculous (8 of us went today and they won't let us bring in 1 medium sized backpack that's full of sunscreen, blanket for sitting on the berm, baseballs for signatures, etc.).

 

Anyway - the game was a bit of a dud. The Braves had their opening day starting lineup (except D'Arnaud was catching instead of Murphy), which was awesome to see, but they didn't hit much. Acuna popped out and grounded out (breaking his bat both times). Jackson Holliday started at 2nd for the O's. He never put the ball in play. 2 K's and a walk. He took some absolutely massive hacks, but came up empty. Looks like he was overswinging.

 

My boys ended up with 3 game balls though. Kelenic threw us a ball in LF, the bullpen catcher threw us another and then the highlight of the day was we caught the Jordan Westburg home run ball! It hit off the railing, off my son's foot and rolled right to me. That's the first fair or foul ball I've ever ended up with at a baseball game.

 

Kids had a blast overall - but it's back to Ontario tomorrow. I really could see myself spending the winters in Florida during retirement. Maybe even volunteering at a spring training stadium. It's such a special time of year.

 

I’m so glad you weren’t running to the ball like so many dudes do. Man I can’t wait to get to Florida someday for spring training, enjoy!

[Dick_Pole]

 

A Barstool Sports blogger went 2 for 9 with a walk against Bauer lol

 

This was equal parts cringe and insightful. I enjoyed his post-game pitch-by-pitch analysis but man was he ever wild and was acting like a big baby about it. I would have assumed he was putting in a half-assed effort but it sounds like he wasn't. If this was done by a guy actually in the MLB, I would have thought it was cool. But this was clearly a desperate attempt to remain relevant. Next he'll be teaming up with Jose Canseco and Gary Busey on the next Celebrity Apprentice.

[BTS]

The tiny names on the jerseys look so goofy

[Jimcanuck]

 

A Barstool Sports blogger went 2 for 9 with a walk against Bauer lol

 

Wonder if he smacked the blonde around after