Laika

Maybe but most player seasons are full of such inconsistencies. You'll be player of the month in June and then in August you can't hit a curveball.

I'm sure every competent front office tries to pick the stupid teams' pockets continuously. The Rockies suck but I'm not sure that they suck at trading... most of their problems are bad free agent signings, bad drafts, bad development, bad roster management. I mean they poached Marquez from the Rays, right.

Connorp is right. The bad 2 weeks did happen. It's tempting to say that Semien "figured it out" and would have produced 6 WAR in a full season, but he also could have went into a late summer slump...

I think a bot is programmed to repeat past posts?

Yeah Semien is a better fit for this group. Also should be a really good example for Austin Martin, who might need a similar type of defensive work ethic if he's going to stick at a premium position.

I wouldn't read too much into that statement. Saying the heavy lifting is done might mean they aren't going to sign Trevor Bauer, but no free agent SP after Bauer would really be considered a heavy lift.

Not going to touch the BLM stuff in general because that topic is incredibly complex, but many of the violent protestors have suffered severe consequences. Kathy Griffin's career effectively ended after her stunt. Actions have consequences! Again, Curt Schilling is just reaping what he sowed. I don't feel bad for him at all.

I believe the Committee changes from time to time. 16 members. Here is the breakdown from a recent year. It's players, executives, and media members. 12 votes are needed so pure player support would not be enough for Schilling to get in. Hall of Fame members George Brett, Rod Carew, Dennis Eckersley, Eddie Murray, Ozzie Smith and Robin Yount; major league executives Sandy Alderson, Dave Dombrowski, David Glass, Walt Jocketty, Doug Melvin and Terry Ryan; veteran media members/historians Bill Center, Steve Hirdt, Jack O’Connell and Tracy Ringolsby.

Schilling is a massive loser who has proudly and intentionally made himself into a social outcast. He's not some laudable contrarian. He's reaping what he has been sowing. When someone pisses everybody off, on purpose, for years, it should not be surprising or a "joke" when they are then rejected from social institutions.

There's no difference. Wearing the shirt or sharing a pic - same result. It's not just a distasteful joke. "kill journalists" is not even close to a funny sentiment. Things that a) are not funny and call for a group of people to be murdered shouldn't be brushed off as "just a joke". It's also just the tip of the douchebag iceberg that is Curt Schilling.

The Hall of Fame directs voters to factor in the "player's record, playing ability, integrity, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to the team(s) on which the player played." So you don't really have a cogent point RE: the parameters being clear. Let's say the reliever Felipe Vazquez had a Hall of Fame career and then at the end of it he did what he did. Should he be voted for? You're going to say no unless you are a sociopath. Then the question becomes, where do you draw the "integrity and character" line. A brief summary of some of the character points for the people who did not get in: - Barry Bonds did extreme amounts of roids, cheated for years, bringing his actual talent and numbers into question. Perhaps worse, he has lied about it forever, never taken responsibility or owned up to it, been found guilty of perjury etc., and has essentially destroyed multiple lives through his arrogance and indignation. - Omar Vizquel is under investigation for domestic violence. - Curt Schilling once wore a shirt that said "Rope, Tree, Journalist... some assembly required". I could mention 46 other things but that alone is basically ASKING for voters to keep you out of the Hall. - Clemens - I guess he's like Bonds lite when it comes to steroid stuff? If either of these guys had taken responsibility for what they did, apologized, and moved forward in a mature way they might be in the Hall right now. On a ballot like this with so many no votes it is a complete travesty that a saint with enough WAR like Scott Rolen didn't get in.

It's apparently a three year deal. He's 32 now. Just taking the max guaranteed money and a starting job.

I don't think so. I don't think the team will want to add that much additional payroll.

That Toronto could get a comp pick for Semien after 2021 is the cherry on top. If he has a good year, this either becomes a cheap two year deal (he accepts the QO) or it's like $1/18M for Semien and a pick around 70th overall.

Gonna start banning people who don't love this signing or are immediately saying the Jays needed pitching instead

Was going to say that this reminds me of Donaldson going to the Braves

This is insane if 1/18 is true

Holy f***, Semien on a one year deal would be unreal

Not really. They are just the most talked about. Bauer Tanaka Paxton Porcello Archer Odorizzi Shoemaker Wainwright Brett Anderson Walker Rodon Hill Leake Arrieta Homer Bailey Hamels Matt Moore (good numbers in Japan in 2020!) Trevor Cahill Tyler Anderson McHugh Fiers Anibal Sanchez Aaron Sanchez Nobody wants to see Toronto dumpster dive but the bottom of this list has some guys who should help a team and somebody will strike gold on one of those shittier names. Look how good Drew Smyly was last year.

There was a recent indication from Atkins that moving Biggio to 3B is not something they really want to do. Like, they'll do it if all they can land is a 2B but they clearly would prefer to leave him at second and sign a 3B

The called zone tends to be rounded and wider than the textbook zone, but it tends not to include the very corners of the textbook zone. And yes, there are pitches that have movement characteristics that impact whether or not a human will call them a strike. The robot would ignore these movement characteristics.

I do worry a bit that robo-umps will make the game more boring. The pitcher-catcher nuance can be pretty good and blown calls are at least an emotional event. I'm also wondering what they will do with the current discrepancy between the textbook strike zone and the actual called strike zone. These are not the same. If the robotic zone is just the textbook zone, it will change the game quite a bit, perhaps.

I do think Shoemaker has something to offer but he would be wayyyyy down my preference list right now. A s***** team like the Orioles should absolutely sign him though.

I don't think that is the deal with Tanaka. The rumblings earlier in the offseason were that he wanted to return to New York or he would think long and hard about going home. Now that the Yanks have brought in other SP they have probably told him they are out, so he is going home.

Sounds like Tanaka is about to sign back with his old NPB team. There were rumblings of this at the start of the offseason