Brownie19

1. Vlad is back and he hits 40+ HRs 2. Springer turns back the clock with a 130+ wRC+ and 25+ HRs 3. KK struggles with injuries, plays <80 games and has a wRC+ <95 4. Bo wins the AL batting title 5. Varsho finishes with twice the fWAR that Moreno does 6. Cooke is our closer at the end of the season 7. Pearson, Danner and Little throw 130 innings combined 8. Barger is a starting OFer for 60+ games this year 9. Jays offense finishes Top 5 in wRC+ and runs scored, but the pitching finishes outside the Top 10 in ERA 10. Jays win 2 playoff series this year

Very interesting. Given the concerns surrounding Mayza, it feels like the Jays should keep Little (especially with 3 options left). Disappointing to see Danner's "stuff". Crazy that Pop's cutter and slider are actually better than his sinker. I really don't want to lose any of these guys to be honest. I guess if they don't see any command developing in Zulu, then he's the guy you have to give up on.

Rob Friedman (@pitchingninja) • Instagram reel WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM 7,765 likes, 227 comments - pitchingninja on March 26, 2024: "Why the Shohei Press Conference was Telling.". Interesting take. Makes sense to me.

I don't understand why they don't just DH Walker (perhaps rotating with Goldy and Arenado a bit) and put Contreras behind the dish again....problem solved and Walker takes over at 1st base next year when Goldy leaves.

I don't understand why people jump to this conclusion. You know almost nothing about this situation, yet already judge the guy. You don't have to squint very hard to see that Ohtani was betting with his interpreter and they got caught. He probably ought to have just said nothing until meeting with his lawyer, but he made a mistake. A lawyer has been hired to get him out of this and is telling him what to say now. Anyone who thinks they'd take the high road in this situation and spill all the beans and just come out and tell the truth to everyone is lying to themselves. You'd be doing what Ohtani is doing - exactly your lawyer tells you to.

Is Dom Hasek the best goalie of all-time?

https://www.nbcsports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/using-a-new-stat-to-find-undervalued-2024-starting-pitchers Interesting little article here that's using a new stat/approach for pitchers. Bassitt makes the 'good' list, but Berrios makes the 'bad' list.

Ah - maybe I've watched too many movies. I remember scenes where the Owner says they've decided not to press charges...

Right - so basically what I said. Baseball players can bet on non-baseball sports as long as they are in a state that allows it. If he sticks to the story that the interpreter stole the money, can he simply just choose to not charge him for that theft? If so, then what repercussions would the bookie face? Are they going to try and charge him for placing illegal bets? Aren't they more interested in busting the bookie? Isn't this like busting the drug dealer v. the guy who buys the drugs? The interpreter is probably already in Japan again, so I suspect nothing will ever come of this.

When you say he directly broke MLB rules - you mean because betting on sports in California isn't legal? I ask because Major League Players may place legal bets on sporting events other than Baseball Games and Baseball Events in jurisdictions in which such bets are legal, provided that the person placing the bet is eligible under applicable law to place the wager. In all likelihood, Ohtani isn't stupid enough to bet on any baseball games or events. But he lives in California, a state that's apparently living in the stone age for sports betting and thus he has to use an illegal bookie to place some bets. If that's true, then for me, this is like someone smoking weed in a state where it's still not legal. I don't see the big deal. Now that said, if that technically is breaking MLB rules because he made bets in a state where betting isn't legal, then he probably deserves a minor punishment. I don't love the lying or whatever, but I fully expect he has to say that s*** - given what the situation is. That statement was written by a lawyer who's job is to get him out of this. Anyone who expected him to say anything else than what he did today was fooling themselves. What I REALLY hate is all the neckbeards who are immediately linking this to Pete Rose. Pete Rose is a creepy pedo who got what he deserved. Until someone proves that Ohtani was betting on baseball - please stop with the connections.

theScore (@thescore) • Instagram reel WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM 29K likes, 625 comments - thescore on March 1, 2024: "Thanks to the PWHL, we may finally have a solution to tanking! @aidanthakkar breaks down how 👀⤵️". Interesting idea to discourage "tanking"

They were really good back when the Jays were in the early 90's. Bonds, Van Slyke, Bonilla, Drabek, Smiley, etc. I really wish the Owner would sell them. It would be so good for baseball to have a good team in Pittsburgh. One of the best stadiums in the league and Pittsburgh fans are passionate about football and hockey - I see no reason they wouldn't get behind a good baseball team. Great history, good threads too.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider says “it’s reasonable to say” that Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson will start the season on the IL. Both Romano and Swanson are playing catch early this week and, should they not experience any setbacks, would likely increase to bullpens before facing live hitters. Given how important both pitchers are to the Blue Jays’ bullpen, it’s unlikely the team will rush either of them back until they are fully healthy. Yimi Garcia will likely serve as the Blue Jays’ closer until either Romano or Swanson return.

Baseballer (@thebsblr) • Instagram photos and videos WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM 33K likes, 3,064 comments - thebsblr on March 21, 2024: "Francisco Lindor was called for obstruction due to blocking the base on this play… (via: @ballysportsdet)". Did I miss the discussion on this? Lindor called for obstruction at 2nd base? Of course this has been met with all kinds of criticism. The same people who lost their minds when baseball eliminated the take out slide at 2nd base, running the catcher at home, pitch clocks, shift restrictions, larger bags, etc. are all up in arms about this. Personally, I like the idea that defenders shall not block the path to the bag and runners shall not be permitted to run through someone who's blocking the path to the bag at any base. Like all the other rules, I suspect we'll see people losing their minds for a few weeks and then we'll rarely see or hear anything about it again. That all said - this example was awful for the perception, as the throw beat the runner by 3 hours. Lindor and other infielders will need to adapt (which they will - everyone has adapted to all the new rules) and simply avoid this in the future.

Sonny Gray to the IL O's announce Bradish to return "early in the first half of the season" Sixto Sanchez made the team as a RP Jackson Chourio has made the Brewers Myles Straw placed on waivers Grossman signed to a minor league deal by the White Sox

I think they have far too much confidence in Ryan O'Hearn being a major league baseball player. I know he was solid last year, but that's the only time since a cup of coffee in 2018 that he's been worth rostering. He is there version of Chris Colabello.

You're making a joke about it because he bragged about his efforts to work his ass off to get back in shape and resurrect his career? That just isn't very funny.

Holliday didn't make the Orioles, heading to AAA Langford made the Rangers

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/daulton-varsho-is-cleaning-up-his-process/ Interesting story on Varsho and his swing mechanics. Sounds like he's focused on more of a line drive / ground ball approach and has cleaned up his mechanics to better suit that approach and his actual swing path.

I can't seem to find which thread it's in, but you often see people complaining that Atkins worries too much about retaining depth, instead of taking the "best team available" from Day 1. I just wanted to point out that other teams do this also. The Diamondbacks just sent LHP Andrew Saalfrank down to AAA because he has options and they don't want to lose pitchers who don't. Saalfrank of course was a key contributor during their playoff run last year. Interesting to see a quality GM also doing this (and I say he's a quality GM, because they won a couple of rounds last year, which I'm told is ultimately a reflection of how good you are as a GM). Pavin Smith was also sent down for similar reasons - although he's f***ing terrible. It's alarming they gave him 11 PA's in the playoffs last year (after posting a .188 average, 81 wRC+ and a -0.8 WAR in the regular season). If Atkins had someone useless like him on the playoff roster, heads would roll around here.

This sounds kind of crazy... Nolan Gorman’s back hasn’t been an issue this spring. Gorman has been plagued by persistent back issues over the last few years, but offseason changes to his diet have apparently eliminated the inflammation that previously led to back stiffness. The 23-year-old rising slugger claims he gave up unhealthy coconut oil popcorn this offseason, which has enabled his back to be pain-free for the first time in three years. It’s fair to wonder whether finally putting his omnipresent back issues to bed will help him take a significant step forward at the plate this season.

Most of that is positive!!!

Wouldn't he only go to jail if Ohtani decides to press charges? Or was the gambling itself illegal? I mean if he's spends 6 months in jail in exchange for like $50M, which will setup his family for several generations - I think some would consider that.

That's a fair point. What bookie let's some interpreter rack up a $4.5M debt? He's probably end up with cement boots well before that.

My son's U8 team was at All Ontario's last year and faced a team full of kids wearing the fake stache for Schneider. It was pretty funny.