Around Baseball 2025

[Jimcanuck]

Likely find out today if Cam Smith makes the 'stros opening day roster.  Bowden says he will, is Bowden any good?

Jays should try to grab Dezenzo if he gets sent down.

[Orgfiller]

1 hour ago, Jimcanuck said:

Likely find out today if Cam Smith makes the 'stros opening day roster.  Bowden says he will, is Bowden any good?

Jays should try to grab Dezenzo if he gets sent down.

I don't think Houston is in any rush to get rid of Dezenzo, he's cheap young depth with options. He also is no better than Addison Barger, they might as well be the same player except Barger is left handed and has more OF reps.

[Laika]

Funny to see the Yankees desperately snap up the Jays' roster cut 

I guess Yarbro is probably better than Carrasco

[jaysblue]

6 hours ago, Barrelsandbombs said:

 

Atkins playing 4D chess! 

[Delete_My_Account_Thanks]

3 hours ago, Laika said:

Funny to see the Yankees desperately snap up the Jays' roster cut 

I guess Yarbro is probably better than Carrasco

Yarb was very good for us last year.  And he always is good against us.  Wish he wasn't a Yankee now...

[John_Havok]

3 minutes ago, Delete_My_Account_Thanks said:

Yarb was very good for us last year.  And he always is good against us.  Wish he wasn't a Yankee now...

career .729 OPS given up to the jays. 16 teams in the league do worse. Not exactly "Always pitching well" when youre giving up .729 OPS against as a reliever. 

[BTS]

Big Dumper getting paid

 

[PitaBaby]

Wow, KP made the Rangers lineup? Love him to death but he is NOW MY ENEMY!!1

[Laika]

Cal Raleigh was going to make $5.6M this year, pre-arb agreement. Seattle could have walked him through arb for say $10M in 2026 and $15M in 2027. So they would have been out $30.6M.

He is already 28. 

Even if he remained very good for the next three years, couldn't they have worked out some kind of deal to pay him basically the same AAV or the same total outlay, from 2028 onward? This is a catcher with a career 29% K rate and .218 AVG who is presently at the peak of the aging curve. 

This is his extension:

$10 million signing bonus 2025 with $1M salary
$11 million salary 2026:
$12 million 2027:
$23 million 2028
$23 million 2029
$23 million 2030
2031: $20 million vesting/player option (with $2 million buyout)

I feel like there was no need for them to do this. They must be confident that despite his age and peripherals, he will remain a 4+ WAR player for a long time. 

Recent big money C deals for Sean Murphy and Contreras in STL don't really set a confidence-inspiring precedent. 

[G-Snarls]

28 minutes ago, PitaBaby said:

Wow, KP made the Rangers lineup? Love him to death but he is NOW MY ENEMY!!1

Pillar

Tellez

Biggio 

 

All starting the season on MLB rosters!

[BB17]

22 minutes ago, Laika said:

Cal Raleigh was going to make $5.6M this year, pre-arb agreement. Seattle could have walked him through arb for say $10M in 2026 and $15M in 2027. So they would have been out $30.6M.

He is already 28. 

Even if he remained very good for the next three years, couldn't they have worked out some kind of deal to pay him basically the same AAV or the same total outlay, from 2028 onward? This is a catcher with a career 29% K rate and .218 AVG who is presently at the peak of the aging curve. 

This is his extension:

$10 million signing bonus 2025 with $1M salary
$11 million salary 2026:
$12 million 2027:
$23 million 2028
$23 million 2029
$23 million 2030
2031: $20 million vesting/player option (with $2 million buyout)

I feel like there was no need for them to do this. They must be confident that despite his age and peripherals, he will remain a 4+ WAR player for a long time. 

Recent big money C deals for Sean Murphy and Contreras in STL don't really set a confidence-inspiring precedent. 

Well its a good think the Jays signed Kirk before this contract came out, thats for sure. People thought I was crazy for suggesting Kirk would get more than 15M a season and Raleigh who is older just got 23M for 31-33. Raleigh is the better player but given the age difference I don't think it would be crazy for Kirk to outperform him for the life of these contracts.

[Terminator]

20 minutes ago, G-Snarls said:

Pillar

Tellez

Biggio 

 

All starting the season on MLB rosters!

First year in what feels like a decade in which I no longer have to complain about Biggio being on the Jays' Opening Day roster. What a feeling

[Orgfiller]

14 minutes ago, Terminator said:

First year in what feels like a decade in which I no longer have to complain about Biggio being on the Jays' Opening Day roster. What a feeling

Ross Atkins really replaced Biggio with his opposite. Gimenez doesn't walk much, strikes out little, doesn't hit a lot of flyballs/doesn't sell out for power, plays elite defense and swipes 30 bags a season. And this guy has 5 win upside. Another masterclass.

[max silver]

38 minutes ago, BB17 said:

Well its a good think the Jays signed Kirk before this contract came out, thats for sure. People thought I was crazy for suggesting Kirk would get more than 15M a season and Raleigh who is older just got 23M for 31-33. Raleigh is the better player but given the age difference I don't think it would be crazy for Kirk to outperform him for the life of these contracts.

People thought you were crazy for being so insistent that it was going to require $20 million a season to extend Kirk. Raleigh is a full class above Kirk at this point of their respective careers. Raleigh has 3 consecutive seasons of 4+ wins and just produced a 5 win season. I think it's not impossible for Kirk to eventually reach those types of heights if the bat comes back, but that's far from a given.

[Spanky__99]

3 hours ago, Laika said:

Recent big money C deals for Sean Murphy and Contreras in STL don't really set a confidence-inspiring precedent. 

Not too shabby with Kirky, nice sign by the M's I believe.

[Spanky__99]

3 hours ago, BB17 said:

Well its a good think the Jays signed Kirk before this contract came out, thats for sure. People thought I was crazy for suggesting Kirk would get more than 15M a season and Raleigh who is older just got 23M for 31-33. Raleigh is the better player but given the age difference I don't think it would be crazy for Kirk to outperform him for the life of these contracts.

lulz... please stop.

[BatFlip]

2 hours ago, Spanky99 said:

lulz... please stop.

Haha, this guy doesn’t like being wrong!

[max silver]

2 hours ago, Spanky99 said:

lulz... please stop.

This dude would seemingly rather commit seppuku instead of simply admitting he was wrong. 😆

[John_Havok]

19 hours ago, BB17 said:

Well its a good think the Jays signed Kirk before this contract came out, thats for sure. People thought I was crazy for suggesting Kirk would get more than 15M a season and Raleigh who is older just got 23M for 31-33. Raleigh is the better player but given the age difference I don't think it would be crazy for Kirk to outperform him for the life of these contracts.

That suggestion was, and still is, crazy - for numerous reasons. 

[Brownie19]

Is Jackson Holliday going to start at 2nd base for the O's this year?  Anyone know?

[Spanky__99]

20 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

Is Jackson Holliday going to start at 2nd base for the O's this year?  Anyone know?

That's the plan.

[L54]

13 hours ago, Brownie19 said:

Is Jackson Holliday going to start at 2nd base for the O's this year?  Anyone know?

Opening day SS with Gunner out 

[L54]

 

[Brownie19]

9 minutes ago, L54 said:

Opening day SS with Gunner out 

13 hours ago, Spanky99 said:

That's the plan.

Thanks gentlemen.  My oldest son joined his first fantasy league yesterday, but I'm obviously a little rusty with some of the finer details.  I will say - it's pretty cool to see your kid join a fantasy league and follow the love of baseball in your footsteps.  My youngest also asked me to pick him up at school early so he can watch the Jays game from opening pitch today.  It's a good day!

 

 

[Spanky__99]

Not only did Biggio and Pillar make their respective clubs, they're in the opening day lineup. Is Rowdy next... 👀

[L54]

52 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

Thanks gentlemen.  My oldest son joined his first fantasy league yesterday, but I'm obviously a little rusty with some of the finer details.  I will say - it's pretty cool to see your kid join a fantasy league and follow the love of baseball in your footsteps.  My youngest also asked me to pick him up at school early so he can watch the Jays game from opening pitch today.  It's a good day!

 

 

What a proud dad moment 
 

Holliday gaining SS eligibility is nice in fantasy, gives you more flexibility with the roster 

[L54]

21 minutes ago, Spanky99 said:

Not only did Biggio and Pillar make their respective clubs, they're in the opening day lineup. Is Rowdy next... 👀

Pillar in the opening day lineup is wild. Guy clearly loves playing to keep battling at 36

[Brownie19]

4 minutes ago, L54 said:

Pillar in the opening day lineup is wild. Guy clearly loves playing to keep battling at 36

It's really wild that him and Biggio are still starting.  Good for Pillar.  That guy is the epitome of a grinder.  Mad respect.  Any chance he signs a 1 day contract to retire as a Jay?  I guess not, but he'll always remain a fan favourite here IMO.

[Orgfiller]

22 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

It's really wild that him and Biggio are still starting.  Good for Pillar.  That guy is the epitome of a grinder.  Mad respect.  Any chance he signs a 1 day contract to retire as a Jay?  I guess not, but he'll always remain a fan favourite here IMO.

As much as Pillar was a huge fan favourite, I think this would be a little embarrassing for the team to do this for a player of his calibre. Just bring him back onboard as a TV analyst like Caleb Joseph and co., or as a consultant/assistant coach like KK.

[BTS]

Holy s***, Ben Lively is Cleveland's opening day starter. Poor J-Ram