pickoff22

He is absolutely terrible. If the players didn't connect with Davis, Madani can only be worse. He's about the last reporter I would pick to chat daily with professional athletes. I see him more suited for reporting on gardening or home decorating.

This is an interesting structure, if he has a monster year in 2017 he won't automatically decline his option since 2019 pays him 20 million at age 39 (and have to assume the criteria for vesting would be reached in 2018).

http://deadspin.com/5861982/dan-lozano-albert-pujolss-superagent-king-of-sleaze-mountain

That must be what RW is mistakenly referencing, thanks

On Rotoworld it lists a mutual option with a 1.5 mil buyout after this year. I don't see this on any other website and hadn't seen this before (and can't be bothered to read the entire thread about his signing to try to find any mention). Is this legit? http://www.rotoworld.com/player/mlb/777/kendrys-morales

Heavy at the time perhaps, nowadays it looks like a bargain

He's in my circle of trust, he's been fantastic since late August onward. Sure he has 3 walks in the postseason, but I don't see any glowing concerns. I have confidence in the guy.

Exactly. People need to relax. Bats rubs me the wrong way at times and his act is a bit tired, but it's to the point where people overreact just for the sake of bashing him. Those comments aren't a big deal. Yet people think it's cool that Trevor Bauer spends a bunch of free time egging on/poking fun at opposing teams fans on twitter.

Well Cleveland hasn't lost 4 games in a row all year so they're due!

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/blue-jays-travis-confident-return-alcs-ill-ready-friday/

OMG this. honestly, this decision can't be justified in any way whatsoever. I'm at a loss for words

I don't think anyone is "praising" Happ, but being upset at him for doing something that has been part of the game forever makes no sense. What he did isn't the same as punching another player in the face. Nor is it the same as holding a grudge over someone celebrating a game winning homerun in the final game of a playoffs series and then beaning him on the last game of the next season that your team plays his team. If you don't believe pitchers should "protect" their teammates by retaliating then fine, but the way Happ went about was as textbook as you can do it. Hit a guy in the rump immediately after your guy gets hit and them move on. It should have been over after the top of the 2nd. Severino's followup is much more worthy of criticism.

I don't really think it was intentional either. But teams have been retaliated since the game has been played when their star gets hit even if it was just an inside pitch that got away. And obviously Sanchez setup well inside. What Happ did in response isn't anything egregious and it should have just been dropped after that.

Blaming Happ is ridiculous. Sticking up for your teammates isn't anything new and certainly isn't anything that he should be faulted for. If you want to lay blame, then point to the umps for not ejecting Severino after the first pitch to Smoak, or the Yanks for throwing at another one of our guys. They hit our guy, we hit their guy - it's settled and we all move on. Instead they threw at Smoak again which escalated the whole thing. These two freak injuries aren't on Happ.

Looked at the Fangraphs pitching leaderboards just now and again felt a knot in my stomach when I saw Fernandez listed at the top. So sad.