TheHurl

You were the only one to have him #2 on the first ever BJMB prospects list. Although you dropped him to 5th on the next list, letting Alvarez, Gose and Lawrie leapfrog him.

Every home game hundreds of these Gino Burgers go unsold...Navarro is needed in Camden to solve this problem.

And AA offered him a job. Could have completed the 3 ring circus...then again it's probably already a 12 ring circus at least.

in 3 years Jays Fans: Ha, that's another surgery for Hoff...we f***ed them on this one. Didn't like him in college, didn't like the pick. But with that said, he has value, and probably really good value (beyond the $3M we already paid him) so in that way it's bad. As much as Beest being gone pleases me, although brought out back of the RC and shot was the way I pictured it...this is probably the highest compensation for an executive ever. Can't like that.

my guess is that they are a bad investment that often lose money. Although Tampa Yankees who are one of the few owned by the major league affiliate, and they do very well financially. Yankees don't own the stadium George Steinbrenner Stadium, which they built to mimic the old Yankee stadium.

Before answering I'll post the actual article. And then there was one. With Max Scherzer agreeing to a seven-year deal with the Nationals, James Shields is now the final remaining starting pitcher of significant quality available on the free-agent market. Sure, names such as Kyle Kendrick and Kevin Correia are out there, but those are players you patch into your rotation in July when a starter suffers a surprise elbow injury. Shields is rightfully not sought after at the same level as Scherzer, but he's a top-of-the-rotation starter, and well-run teams aren't going to obsess about his lackluster playoff performance so far in his career. Over the past four seasons, Shields' 15.3 WAR, according to Baseball-reference.com, ranks him 13th in baseball over that span, and his 932⅔ innings is tops among all pitchers. In a neutral park over the next five seasons, the ZiPS projection system projects another 962⅓ innings and 15.1 WAR, suggesting a five-year, $100 million contract is perfectly reasonable. For win-now teams or teams expected to have win totals in the 80s, there's a strong case for paying more than that. So where is Shields the best fit? This is not necessarily a list of teams that will go after Shields, but a list of teams that should be expressing interest. Detroit Tigers The Tigers' "official" position is that they're not interested in Shields. This is a mistake. Scherzer was an important part of the team's success in recent seasons, and their winter pickups don't replace his performance. The Tigers' rotation looks a lot better on paper than in reality, with David Price anchoring it. Justin Verlander has been a workhorse, but how well he'll pitch is now uncertain. Anibal Sanchez has had arm issues, Shane Greene has all of a half-year of MLB experience and a 29-43 minor league win-loss record, and Alfredo Simon's peripherals suggest a crash to earth is forthcoming. Even if the pitchers above do what's expected of them, the rotation still would have zero depth. Whether you're looking at Kyle Lobstein or Drew VerHagen or Buck Farmer, there's no other starter in the organization Detroit should be confident in turning to in an emergency. Shields will come at a significantly lower price than Scherzer earned, and for a team such as the Tigers, it makes little sense to let up on the win-now push. This is likely going to be a lousy team in 2017 and 2018, and they need to do whatever they can to get that playoff window as wide as they can over the next couple of years. Win differential: As of right now, ZiPS has the Tigers at around 87 or 88 wins in 2015. An upgrade to Shields (from Simon) puts them at about 90 wins, which gives them a slightly better chance to win the AL Central. Los Angeles Dodgers The Dodgers are likely in a better place than any of the other teams on Shields' short list; they're a solid favorite to win the NL West. The team's depth at the back of the rotation is thinner than it has been in recent years, and while starter Brett Anderson is an intriguing upside play for the team, he also hasn't managed 100 innings in a season since 2010. His projection reflects this, with ZiPS projecting a 3.27 ERA but managing only 10 starts. The Dodgers have the payroll to add Shields, and what's the point of being a big-spending team if you're not going to leverage that cash? Win differential: Well, ZiPS projects them to have a win total in the low 90s even without Shields. Adding him would tick that even higher. San Francisco Giants While we always joke that the Giants are good only in even-numbered seasons, the fact is they still have the core of players that took them to the World Series in 2014. Another starter after Madison Bumgarner would do a lot to alleviate the concerns about the bottom of the rotation. After Bumgarner, there's no starter without serious questions, and adding Shields would have the nice secondary side effect of forcing the team to give up on their organizational fantasy that Tim Lincecum is going to be a good starter again. The team has the money as well, and has been in on some of the other highly desired free agents, so it's not an unrealistic addition. Win differential: ZiPS has the Giants with a mid-80s win total right now. Replacing Lincecum in the rotation with Shields puts them into the upper 80s, which is where they really need to be to make the playoffs and get a chance to defend their title. San Diego Padres The Padres have made it quite clear they want to make some noise in 2015; for one stretch there, it seemed they were making a trade a day. One thing they lack, though, is starting pitching depth. While one would look at the ERAs of the players in last season's rotation and think everything is just fine, we must remember that they have the benefit of pitching half their games at pitchers' haven Petco Park, and thanks to the continued drop-off in league offense, the NL-average ERA was 3.66. That means a pitcher such as Ian Kennedy (3.63 ERA in 2014, 3.67 ERA projected in 2015) isn't really a top-of-the-rotation option. Shields would give the team another dependable starter and removes the team's need to get upside from a reclamation projection such as Brandon Morrow. Win differential: Despite their additions, the Padres project to be just a .500 team (or slightly better). Getting a team's win total into the mid-80s is a necessity to really be a contender. Miami Marlins While the Marlins need a lot to go right for them and a lot to go wrong for the Nationals to win the division -- ZiPS has the Marlins at 83-84 wins right now, about 10 games behind Washington -- they've been adding key players this offseason, including Mat Latos, Dee Gordon and Michael Morse. They also have another big addition to look forward to in the form of Jose Fernandez, who is expected back midseason following Tommy John surgery. The rest of the rotation right now is rather unexciting, and that includes Latos, whom ZiPS project to have a WAR near 3 but comes with injury concerns that a computer model might not pick up on. Win differential: Adding Shields, whom the Marlins have expressed interest in, would kick the Marlins up to first-tier wild-card contender status, and maybe even give them a chance to make a run at the Nationals. Kansas City Royals It's unlikely Shields will end up back in Kansas City. It would be a good opportunity for the Royals to bring back one of the key cogs of last year's playoff team and not look like the "same old Royals" to a newly interested fan base, and the division is there for the taking; the Tigers enter 2015 weaker than they were in previous seasons and haven't fixed the bullpen, and neither the Indians nor White Sox are unstoppable. Spending $20 million per year on one good player instead of two middling ones would be a very un-Royals thing to do, but they still should consider it if Shields can be had. Win differential: ZiPS has the Royals in the low 80s for wins in 2015. Having Shields back would kick that up a few, giving them a much better wild-card chance. Chicago White Sox There appears to be a distinct AL Central bias in including the White Sox here, but they'd be another interesting destination for Shields. The team has upgraded its roster significantly this winter, with the Jeff Samardzija trade and the David Robertson signing most prominent. There aren't any obvious players out there to improve on some of the weak spots in their lineup, leaving the bottom of the rotation as the most practical hole to improve. ZiPS projects both John Danks and Hector Noesi to have ERAs on the wrong side of 5; both are below replacement level. Meanwhile, Shields would be projected to have a 3.99 ERA and 3.2 WAR even while playing half his games at The Cell. In a very close division, picking up three wins is a large upgrade. Committing to win now and stopping short is like deciding you don't really feel like skydiving after you've already jumped from the plane. Win differential: The White Sox clock in at about the .500 mark by ZiPS. That's a team that can make the playoffs if a lot of things go right and a few (or more) players exceed their projections, but that still makes them a second- or third-tier wild-card contender if not. Given that ZiPS does have Danks and Noesi below replacement level, as noted above, Shields would add four wins to the White Sox's total, making them a more serious threat in the division. It also makes them less likely to rush top prospect Carlos Rodon to the majors, which is a good thing.

An interesting look at the finances of the Minors only community owned team. http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/sports/2015/01/20/stadium-work-creates-loss-red-wings/22072641/

Got this from a Facebook group I'm in. Can't find a source or anything on Twitter. Can one of the guys that have less important lives than myself, do a little research. "The beef in the locker room for blue jays was melky with a unknown player..the unknown player had a party n melky didnt show up and it was the start to the problems in the Locker room..the player is still on the team, wonder who it is?"

depends on when he got thrown out. He'd still go for $35 (under $25 if he's traded to the Mets) with likely me, and the guy looking to trade for him, doing the bidding. I'm probably leaning at not making the trade and just going on the knowledge that i have good pitching keepers and have a solid ability to find the cheap talent. I haven't looked at what others would be keeping but most guys end up throwing their big priced hitters back. There were a bunch of CO4 players (guys that have been kept for 4 years) who have to be thrown back into the draft. Bautista, Zobrist, Pedroia, Wright, Gordon, Ortiz. Plus I'll likely be throwing Cutch back.

This was too great. my favourite response was "just change your twitter handle to FirstDateAnal".

I used to get angry when the "good ole Southern boys" would say something about Toronto (often it was ignorant, in this case it's true) but over the years I've realized that it's a good thing that Toronto is so different than the Southern U.S.

and Snider would be entering the first of his post arb years of the Longoria type contract I offered him (the initial one, not the recent Longo contract) and I would have been kicked out of baseball for publicly telling my team to tank in 2010 to pick Anthony Rendon 1st overall. At least I picked the right horse in that race.

Edward III and Levine both went to UWO

Okay in a 2 catcher, 5 corner (one 1B and one 3B required), 5 middle (one 2B, one SS required), 7 OF, 2 Utility, 13 pitcher standard 5x5 ROTO auction league with a $260 budget. I have a forced keeper at $39 in Troy Tulowitzki (if you trade for a player over $20 you are forced to keep that player for the next season) but a guy has offered me a late draft pick to get out of the deal (Tulo will still be a forced contract for him). My current keeper options (which I can only keep 17) are: Gomes $6 d'Arnaud $2.50 EE $18.50 Seager $15.50 Panik $3 Carpenter $5.50 Rendon $2.50 Sandoval $19 Dickerson $3 L. Martin $5.50 Cutch $49 Yelich $2.50 Ozuna $1 Betts and Soler in my minors but don't count towards my 17 keepers Archer 5.50 Happ $1 Felix $34 Kluber $5.50 Salazar $10 Scherzer $29 Wood $9 Cishek $11 Rosenthal $2.50 J. Fernandez $11.50 Sabathia $9 Brett Anderson $1 Maeda, Norris and Bundy in my minors...again doesn't count as my 17. Do I make the deal and free up my budget to keep Felix. Who are your 17 you'd keep from this list? (keep in mind I know these guys well and I can always find cheap talent...and pitching gets valued big in this pool.

Talked to the guy that fed me the story on Ed Rogers going to the Yankees for advice on who to pursue and asked him where he heard the info...it was f***ing Stoeten's site. I've straightened him out on baseball sources for the future. http://andrewstoeten.com/2015/01/15/edward-rogers-fingerprints-continue-to-be-seen-on-the-duquette-situation/

Welcome to the board Hazel!

I hope this is some kind of fantasy league joke, and not you falling for Cal League numbers. I think he's going to be much more than good. Probably doesn't hurt that the only game I actually saw him since he left Stanford is the Frisco game where he made Gallo et al look foolish (Skole and Alfaro actually looked much worse than Gallo but it's fun to take Gallo shots). I got only a few minor league pitching boners last year, that outing was the second best one I got (the first being the Severino game that was so painful not to talk about on the boards but I had two upcoming drafts)

Yeah I used three different addresses and CC's just because of the hype in 2013.

Greatest MLB decision ever http://deadspin.com/mets-owner-to-run-mlbs-finance-committee-1680598336 15% guaranteed returns

For me the actual announcers mean nothing to me. I often don't listen or pay attention anyway. However, I still have to listen to my misinformed friends who still learn everything they know from the announcers. For some reason they still haven't figured out that I really do know more than these guys...of course most don't believe that I know more than the front office too.

Yeah I can't seem to convince her to look at things from a SABR point of view and start cheering for the Rays. It's embarrassing that her favourite players are Kawasaki (who she calls Kamasaki), Janssen and Goins.

He should get Guy #1 to post here though.

They removed him from all baseball related duties...yet for some reason they put him in charge of this one. Even worse is that he went out to seek the advice of who to hire from his UWO buddies...who work for the Yankees. Nothing like getting removed from all baseball activities from your Dad's baby...then they give you one role and he seeks the advice of a division rival. I'll have to find a link where this was actually stated as it was a kid from school that told me he read it. I never actually sourced the story so I'm sorry if this is BS.

Honestly if you were going to do this...November was the time when only flex pack tickets were on sale. I bought my 500 level on December 17th this year and my tickets for the opener were already way back in 516R and row 12. If you buy in November and book your games first week it opens, you'll get premium tickets for the Opener. I wasn't going to buy with the increase this year but my parents still want those weekday games (downtown is too dangerous for them at night and on weekends...yes that is how my 75 year old mother thinks these days)

From the 500 level tickets I sold...it was well beyond break even. Back when they allowed 6 for the opener I sold those under valued at $50 a piece, made $100 and got 14 extra tickets. I bought 3 20 packs of them in 2013 and sold 14 opener tickets for $60 each (although some on the board here got them for $20 cause I'm a really good person) and Canada Day tickets for $35 each. Almost paid for my drinks on the year.