Around Baseball 2025

[John_Havok]

2 hours ago, Orgfiller said:

I don't think the Angels are winning 95 games even if Manoah and Romano turn back into their 2022 versions lol. Maybe if that happens and Trout puts up another 8+ WAR season they have a shot.

Nah, these are guys they picked up to flip at the deadline if they're performing well individually while the team stinks. If they aren't performing well... its 6 million and they're gone anyways. 

This is a team that currently has Alek Manoah as their #5

[Laika]

RP flying off the board

Weaver Mets 2/$22m

Many jokes shall be made about the Mets pirating the Yankees s***** bullpen 

[Laika]

5 more days for Murakami I think? 

[John_Havok]

38 minutes ago, Laika said:

5 more days for Murakami I think? 

Yep. Monday the 22nd is the closing date

[Orgfiller]

1 hour ago, Laika said:

RP flying off the board

Weaver Mets 2/$22m

Many jokes shall be made about the Mets pirating the Yankees s***** bullpen 

My first reaction to this was: "I like that less than Keller for 2/22", but on second look maybe that's not the right way to think about it? Weaver has much better K/BB over the last two seasons, including, importantly, more Ks period. One of them saw the performance back up, the other broke out. Keller is a GB machine, Weaver is an extreme flyball guy with not as many pop outs as you would think from such a pitcher. Track record of success is equally limited for the two of them, although Weaver was generally more promising during his starting days than Keller was, and has one more season of good performance. Keller has the age advantage and the velo trending up.

[Jimcanuck]

1 minute ago, Orgfiller said:

My first reaction to this was: "I like that less than Keller for 2/22", but on second look maybe that's not the right way to think about it? Weaver has much better K/BB over the last two seasons, including, importantly, more Ks period. One of them saw the performance back up, the other broke out. Keller is a GB machine, Weaver is an extreme flyball guy with not as many pop outs as you would think from such a pitcher. Track record is equally limited for the two of them, although Weaver was generally more promising during his starting days than Keller was. Keller has the age advantage and the velo trending up.

Your guess is as good as mine which deal turns out better.  I'm on the fence.

[Laika]

8 minutes ago, Orgfiller said:

My first reaction to this was: "I like that less than Keller for 2/22", but on second look maybe that's not the right way to think about it? Weaver has much better K/BB over the last two seasons, including, importantly, more Ks period. One of them saw the performance back up, the other broke out. Keller is a GB machine, Weaver is an extreme flyball guy with not as many pop outs as you would think from such a pitcher. Track record of success is equally limited for the two of them, although Weaver was generally more promising during his starting days than Keller was, and has one more season of good performance. Keller has the age advantage and the velo trending up.

Yeah, both are fine and it's a coinflip 

One will suck the other will probably be good for a couple more years then suck 

[sliderguy35]

20 hours ago, Orgfiller said:

My first reaction to this was: "I like that less than Keller for 2/22", but on second look maybe that's not the right way to think about it? Weaver has much better K/BB over the last two seasons, including, importantly, more Ks period. One of them saw the performance back up, the other broke out. Keller is a GB machine, Weaver is an extreme flyball guy with not as many pop outs as you would think from such a pitcher. Track record of success is equally limited for the two of them, although Weaver was generally more promising during his starting days than Keller was, and has one more season of good performance. Keller has the age advantage and the velo trending up.

something to note: keller struck out 27% of hitters despite having a below average swinging strike rate (11%). you'd expect that K rate to regress somewhere in the low 20%s if he keeps up a similar swinging strike rate which is probably why he's only getting the 2/22 deal.

in a vacuum i like keller more because his fastball has that cutting action that limits barrels alongside the velo and i think there's an avenue for him to throw more breaking balls to get more whiffs (the phillies did that with hoffman and it worked out really well for them). 

[Jimcanuck]

2 hours ago, sliderguy35 said:

something to note: keller struck out 27% of hitters despite having a below average swinging strike rate (11%). you'd expect that K rate to regress somewhere in the low 20%s if he keeps up a similar swinging strike rate which is probably why he's only getting the 2/22 deal.

in a vacuum i like keller more because his fastball has that cutting action that limits barrels alongside the velo and i think there's an avenue for him to throw more breaking balls to get more whiffs (the phillies did that with hoffman and it worked out really well for them). 

You're making me feel small!

[G-Snarls]

Back to Cleveland after a prolonged absence 

 

 

[Terminator]

35 minutes ago, G-Snarls said:

Back to Cleveland after a prolonged absence 

 

 

That's a nice deal for the Guardians. He's been pretty darn good the past 3 years since adding a sweeper.

[G-Snarls]

[Orgfiller]

44 minutes ago, G-Snarls said:

Logan Webb was confirmed to be pitching for them too.

[BTS]

John Means should probably just retire and live out his days in bubble wrap

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/john-means-suffers-achilles-rupture.html

[G-Snarls]

1 hour ago, Orgfiller said:

Logan Webb was confirmed to be pitching for them too.

Team Brazil might have trouble scoring 

[Spanky__99]

10 minutes ago, BTS said:

John Means should probably just retire and live out his days in bubble wrap

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/12/john-means-suffers-achilles-rupture.html

Well, there's a drop in one of my leagues, this just torched his future.

 

[BTS]

14 minutes ago, Spanky__99 said:

Well, there's a drop in one of my leagues, this just torched his future.

 

Yeah he's cooked. He'll be going into his age-34 season trying to come back

[Jimcanuck]

And the thefts continue.  Wandy Asigen, top international prospect, will now sign with the Mets instead of the Yankees, per BA.

[Terminator]

 

[G-Snarls]

1 minute ago, Terminator said:

 

25 million per season and no guarantee that he'll stay more than one year at a time. Don't love it for the team.

[Terminator]

Seems like the NL teams have been far busier this offseason which bodes well for us

[BTS]

So the Orioles need Suarez, Valdez, or Imai now 

[Jimcanuck]

1 hour ago, Jimcanuck said:

And the thefts continue.  Wandy Asigen, top international prospect, will now sign with the Mets instead of the Yankees, per BA.

Gotta wonder if Cohen has directed his group to f*** the Yankees in the ass.

[L54]

5 minutes ago, Jimcanuck said:

Gotta wonder if Cohen has directed his group to f*** the Yankees in the ass.

Hilarious if true 

[Terminator]

 

 

[Terminator]

The player options add value for King, but that's mitigated a little bit since the deal is backloaded.

If you just game it out it seems pretty fair for both sides.

• Year 1: 22 mil
• Year 2: 28 mil
• Year 3: 30 mil

 

• King opts out after Year 1: That means he's leaving 2 years and 58 million on the table. Which probably means the Padres just got a pretty good year out of Michael King for the same amount of money as the QO.
• King opts out after Year 2: That means he's leaving 30 mil for one year on the table. He probably had a good second year on what amounted to a 2 year/45 mil deal. Padres would probably take that too.
• King never opts out: you wonder how effective he was during the contract, but if they didn't give him the opt out, it probably would have taken a 4th year or more AAV per year which would have been even worse.

 

[Jonn]

Thought King was going to an AL East team for sure so gladly take that outcome.

[hanton]

Just saw that the Phillies singed Keller - 22M/2

too bad,  so Fairbanks is the only one left and obviously teams are concerned about his health otherwise he would be signed by now

[hanton]

Varland needs to be given a shot to close, can't go with Hoffman

[Terminator]

2 minutes ago, hanton said:

Just saw that the Phillies singed Keller - 22M/2

too bad,  so Fairbanks is the only one left and obviously teams are concerned about his health otherwise he would be signed by now

Keller signing with an NL team is good. Pretty much every AL contender (including the Yanks, O's, and Red Sox) could have really used him.