2025-26 hot stove thread

[Lathum]

Diaz is a ring chasing bitch.

[Lathum]

Schwarber back to the Phils 5/150.

Frustrating the Phils will overpay but the Mets with the richest owner in sports won't for the best home run hitter in club history.

[Atocep]

Alonso to the Orioles for 5 years and $155 mil. No thanks. They can have fun with that deal.

[Lathum]

Alonso to the Orioles for 5 years and $155 mil. No thanks. They can have fun with that deal.

I don't understand this thought process. Pete should retire as a Met for life. We were led to believe Cohen would be willing to overspend to keep guys or bring guys in, yet the Mets never even made an offer. Who cares if he drops off years 4-5 of the deal and either has to DH or be a part time player. It isn't a salary cap league. Guys with his power don't grow on trees, how many teams can pencil in a guy before the year who will hit 40 and drive in 100+, and now who is going to protect Soto? Literally the only guys who have more home runs since 2019 are Judge, Ohtani, and Schwarber. He is going to walk 150 times.

[Swaggs]

That seems like a pretty fair deal to me. What would you put the over/under on Alonso's homers over the next five years?

I'd figure he may have one 'injury' type of bad year, but he seems pretty durable and that his defense already drags his value down a ton (ie: already pretty bottomed out), so I think hitting 35 homers and having 3-4 WAR average over ages 31-36 is a fairly reasonable expectation.

If the average cost of WAR is between $8-10M (the last I looked) and you figure they didn't have to trade anything to get him (maybe a pick surrender/swap, I can never follow the current rules on FA and draft comp), it seems like a pretty reasonable way to make your team better if you have the room to pay him.

[Lathum]

Pete plays in every game, could he have a freak injury, of course, but he is as durable as they come.

People always go to his defense, or some stupid advanced nerd metrics, to downplay him but the bottom line is there are very few players who produce at his level. Throw in he is home grown and a fan favorite, it is inexcusable they didn't match the offer.

[Swaggs]

Yeah, I'm not trashing his defense. Just that 1B/DH seem to really get penalized on WAR for their defense.

Trust me, the Pirates have had plenty of slick fielding 1B over the years and I would much rather watch Alonso blast 40-50 homers a year than see a guy that is a good fielder hit 15 homers.

There is always a gamble on free agents, but Alonso seems super consistent and durable. I am honestly surprised he didn't get even more and certainly surprised the Mets didn't retain him for that amount.

[Lathum]

Yeah, I'm not trashing his defense. Just that 1B/DH seem to really get penalized on WAR for their defense.

Trust me, the Pirates have had plenty of slick fielding 1B over the years and I would much rather watch Alonso blast 40-50 homers a year than see a guy that is a good fielder hit 15 homers.
.

Exactly. Even if Alonsos defense is responsible for 15-20 runs in a season he is still producing over 100 net runs.

[Atocep]

Yeah, I'm not trashing his defense. Just that 1B/DH seem to really get penalized on WAR for their defense.

Trust me, the Pirates have had plenty of slick fielding 1B over the years and I would much rather watch Alonso blast 40-50 homers a year than see a guy that is a good fielder hit 15 homers.

There is always a gamble on free agents, but Alonso seems super consistent and durable. I am honestly surprised he didn't get even more and certainly surprised the Mets didn't retain him for that amount.

The mediocre plate discipline and old player skills for a guy in his 30s is unlikely to age well. Schwarber, for example, gives you walks and better power numbers. I don't like either player on a 5 year deal but I'd bet on Scwarber if I had to choose.

Strearns is avoiding the problems that plagued the Wilpon era and that was long term contracts for guys in their 30s. If Pete wanted to be a Met he could have been a Met. They made him a strong offer 2 years ago that he rejected. He wanted as much money as he could get and thats why he signed with Boras. I don't knock him for that, but there's a point where it doesn't make sense for the Mets and a 5 year deal for a non-elite player doesn't make sense for a team with a top 3 farm system. He's the type of player you want to keep but regret keeping a couple years later when he's no longer productive and blocking younger players.

Diaz decided he wanted to be a Dodger. The Mets had a slightly lower deal on the table and told him they were willing to go higher if someone came in with a stronger offer. He didnt give them a chance once the Dodgers offered.

What it comes down to is this group of players really hadn't won much and they're getting expensive and old. Its time to move on to a different/younger group with a roster construction that matches your GM's vision.

[RainMaker]

He's an elite hitter who is one of the few players in this league who can give you 40 homers every season. Sure it's an overpay long term, but sometimes you need to do that to secure a good player in the short term.

[Lathum]

Strearns is avoiding the problems that plagued the Wilpon era and that was long term contracts for guys in their 30s. If Pete wanted to be a Met he could have been a Met. They made him a strong offer 2 years ago that he rejected. He wanted as much money as he could get and thats why he signed with Boras. I don't knock him for that, but there's a point where it doesn't make sense for the Mets and a 5 year deal for a non-elite player doesn't make sense for a team with a top 3 farm system. He's the type of player you want to keep but regret keeping a couple years later when he's no longer productive and blocking younger players.

.

IMO so much wrong in here.

If you are the Brewers then spot on. Contract length shouldn't even be an issue for this ownership. If Pete drops off and is blocking a young player they can cut him or reduce his role and eat the last 2 years. I don't see a world where when Pete hits home run #400 they regret signing him.

They absolutely should have at least matched the offer and if he walks, so be it. The Mets struggles last few years aren't because of Pete. Use some of that farm capital to go get a top line starter or two.

Also calling him nn elite is an absolute joke.

Luke Concic- 3rd in points since 2019
Josh Allen- 3rd most rushing TDs since 2019
Pastrnak- 3rd most goals in NHL since 2019
Pete Alonso- 3rd most homeruns since 2019

I would call this list elite.

[Lathum]

My daughter is legit inconsolable right now. You would think someone died. She wanted me to pick her up early from school.

[Atocep]

IMO so much wrong in here.

If you are the Brewers then spot on. Contract length shouldn't even be an issue for this ownership. If Pete drops off and is blocking a young player they can cut him or reduce his role and eat the last 2 years. I don't see a world where when Pete hits home run #400 they regret signing him.

They absolutely should have at least matched the offer and if he walks, so be it. The Mets struggles last few years aren't because of Pete. Use some of that farm capital to go get a top line starter or two.

Also calling him nn elite is an absolute joke.

Luke Concic- 3rd in points since 2019
Josh Allen- 3rd most rushing TDs since 2019
Pastrnak- 3rd most goals in NHL since 2019
Pete Alonso- 3rd most homeruns since 2019

I would call this list elite.


Pete has been elite in 2019, '21, '22, and '25. We can give him a pass for 2020, but in '24 he was awful while 2023 was pretty mediocre. Bad organizations made decisions based on emotion. Resigning Pete to a 5 year deal would be an emotional decision. With as smart as top front offices are today you're not going to be both good and keep popular players into their mid to late 30s. Tough decisions have to be made.

Hes definitely an elite power hitter, but the overall profile isn't elite and definitely doesnt project so moving forward. There's a reason the Orioles were the ones willing to give him 5 years. Bad franchises make bad decisions.

[Lathum]

The orioles who won 100 games a couple years ago and have some of the best young players in the game?

Guy never misses a game, how does that not profile well for the future?

I’ll concede he had a couple down years but was never surrounded with the kind of talent he is surrounded by now.

Bad organizations let a top 5 closer and a top 5 power hitter walk in a 48 hour span.

You also keep talking about the length as if it should matter. I’ll say it again. Length shouldn’t matter. Ownership can eat the last 2 years if need be and it isn’t a salary cap league. So who cares. Over the first three years of the deal he likely hits over 100 home runs and drives in 300+

[RainMaker]

121 wRC+ is awful? Yeah it was a down year for him but it wasn't awful by any means. He also made some adjustments last season that lowered his K rate and increased his barrels dramatically.

Maybe the guy regresses a bit but he's not going to be awful. Probably the worst case scenario is he turns into a good, not great hitter who is a defensive liability. Still a valuable piece even if overpaid a bit. Not many guys have that kind of power.

[Lathum]

Dola-‘I also just heard an interesting point from a talking head. All these people
Saying they didn’t win a title with him does that mean the Yankees should trade judge?

[Lathum]

So Mets let Pete walk, in large part claiming his defense, plus trade nimmo for semien claiming his defense, yet just signed Polanco, who has one career appearance at first base, to play that position.

[Lathum]

Kyle Tucker is using the Mets in a way that would make Arod proud.

[Ksyrup]

Sorry to see Suarez leave Philly. I assume this means Bichette will be even more of a priority.

Yankees have been awfully quiet. George must be rolling in his grave the way his kids have turned the Yankees into "win now, at any cost" to "win maybe, make lots of money."

[Atocep]

Sorry to see Suarez leave Philly. I assume this means Bichette will be even more of a priority.

Yankees have been awfully quiet. George must be rolling in his grave the way his kids have turned the Yankees into "win now, at any cost" to "win maybe, make lots of money."

I'm surprised Cashman is still there. They bet their entire off-season on resigning Bellinger and it looks like they dropped out of the running because he won't come off of his demand for a 7 year deal.

[Lathum]

Tucker to the Dodgers. What a joke.

[JPhillips]

For 60 mil AAV.

[Ksyrup]

It is so crazy how quickly people go with the anti-player sentiment - "they can accept a few million less, look at how little money poor people make, they'll survive" - while giving a complete pass to the billionaires running the teams. You'd think fans would be more willing to hold their teams' feet to the fire to try to win rather than using the teams trying to win to blame the players. I almost feel like this is a set-up - with the Dodgers involved in the conspiracy - to amp up the salary cap discussion going into this season. Seems pretty strategic to me.

I'd expect we won't see baseball for quite some time after October.

[Mota]

I don't think the issue is with Tucker being paid, I think it's that the Dodgers with unlimited money, getting to outbid everybody over and over again.

[Ksyrup]

I quickly looked at an MLB Reddit thread about Tucker's signing and like 75% was anti-player and "we need a salary cap" and the other 25% was anti-Dodgers or specifically, allowing deferred money to abuse the system.

[JPhillips]

Personally, I don't have any problem with Tucker getting his bank. If reports are correct, with the bonus structure it looks even better for him, maybe 150 over two years before the opt-out.

I'm just surprised he's the guy to set new pay records. He's very good, but I just don't think of him as a generational player.

[Lathum]

The deferred money is complete BS and shouldn't be allowed.

I don't blame the Dodgers or the players. They want to win and the players are getting paid. I just think it is bad for the sport. The reality is just about every owner could do what the Dodgers are doing but at this point the Dodgers have such a head start that everyone wants to ring chase.

[Ksyrup]

Personally, I don't have any problem with Tucker getting his bank. If reports are correct, with the bonus structure it looks even better for him, maybe 150 over two years before the opt-out.

I'm just surprised he's the guy to set new pay records. He's very good, but I just don't think of him as a generational player.

It's short term. He's not a generational player. They get the long-term record-breaking deals.

This is no different than the next good QB who happens to be up for FA gets the next "record-setting" deal.

[Lathum]

Bichette to the Mets. Really excited for this deal. He is a great fit for them. I suspect Baty or Vientos are going to get traded for a SP or OF. Maybe Duran

[RainMaker]

All the owners are billionaires who could afford to do what the Dodgers are doing. Less of an option for the Pirates but there is no reason the Cubs, White Sox, Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Astros, Jays, Rangers, and a few other teams can't do the same stuff.

This is a case of all the owners who are in this for profit while one owner is in it to win titles. Why fault the team trying to win?

[Ksyrup]

Bichette to the Mets. Really excited for this deal. He is a great fit for them. I suspect Baty or Vientos are going to get traded for a SP or OF. Maybe Duran

All the smoke was the Phillies. I assume losing out on Tucker forced the Mets to go big on Bichette - although again, here's another guy not signing a long-term deal.

[JPhillips]

It's short term. He's not a generational player. They get the long-term record-breaking deals.

This is no different than the next good QB who happens to be up for FA gets the next "record-setting" deal.

But that hasn't been how baseball has operated. The ceilings, whether total or AAV, have only been broken by the best players.

[Ksyrup]

You've got a labor fight coming up. No one knows what the landscape is going to look like and what that is going to do to teams with recently signed long-term contracts - will they end up being a steal, or an anchor?

[Atocep]

Bichette to the Mets. Really excited for this deal. He is a great fit for them. I suspect Baty or Vientos are going to get traded for a SP or OF. Maybe Duran

I think Baty sticks as a platoon utility player at 2nd and 3rd. Vientos, Mauricio, and Acuna are probably going to be dangled for an outfielder or starter. Someone like Nootbaar, Donovan, or Peralta. The Cardinals asking price for Donovan has been absurd, though.

They really needed another right handed bat. Polanco, Simien, Lindor, Bichette is a pretty solid defensive infield with some offensive skills as well. Baty in a platoon role is a nice bat and plus defender as well.

Center is still a concern and I don't think there's a realistic solution out there that doesn't involve waiting on the development of Benge or Jett Williams. There just aren't many plus centerfielders out there right now.

[Atocep]

Nice to see Andruw Jones and Beltran both get in the HoF. Both are deserving.

[Atocep]

Acuna and a minor league pitcher for Robert is a good deal for both parties. If the Mets can fix Robert's bat it's a steal, otherwise he gives them a plus defensive centerfielder.

Acuna's offensive upside is limited but he has value as a utility player and on the bases.

[Lathum]

I like the Robert deal. He will be surrounded with talent and is a great defensive player and base stealer. There really was no spot on this roster for Acuna, and certainly not as an every day player. I hope he becomes a full time player in Chicago and wish him well

[GrantDawg]

Y'all keep saying Acuna and I am thinking Ronald Acuna and that you have done some drugs.

[Atocep]

Peralta for Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat.

Another good trade for both sides. Peralta fills a huge need for a front of the rotation starter. I like Jett Williams but there's as lot of risk in his profile and there really isn't a place on the roster for him right now. Of the Mets big 3 pitching prospects Sproat has the lowest ceiling and is probably a 3ish starter.

[Lathum]

Peralta for Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat.

Another good trade for both sides. Peralta fills a huge need for a front of the rotation starter. I like Jett Williams but there's as lot of risk in his profile and there really isn't a place on the roster for him right now. Of the Mets big 3 pitching prospects Sproat has the lowest ceiling and is probably a 3ish starter.

People calling in the FAN and freaking out. It always cracks me up when people go nuts about trading prospects for top line MLB talent. Sure there will be some PCA deals, but people went nuts when they traded Kelenic and that worked out pretty well.

I'll always take trading prospects for MLB talent. Especially top level MLB talent.

[Atocep]

The Mets need to get to the point where the farm system is feeding cost controlled contributors that allow you to spend big on top talent. Right now Cohen is just spending through the transition period while the farm system is built out. Jett Williams is still expendable though. He's a shortstop and Lindor isn't going anywhere. Williams is also undersized and walks a lot with surprising pop for his size, but he also swings and misses quite a bit. If he doesn't work out at short then he either lands at 2nd or has to transition to center. So there's need some risk in the overall profile and his struggles in AAA are a red flag.

The Mets desperately needed a frontline starter and Peralta fills that need. The Mets also have a glut of mid rotation starters that aren't efficient enough to pitch deep into games, which is exactly what Sproat profiles as. Out of the 6 Mets that made the BA top 100 prospect list, those 2 are the ones I would have been most willing to move for an impact arm.

The overall roster, as it stands, is better than last year's. Durability is a concern for a few guys, but they still have guys like Baty and Mauricio for depth and Benge isn't far away. Another outfielder would be nice, but this is probably the deepest the Mets have been in years and a far more balanced lineup with Soto being the only minus defender.

[Swaggs]

This is a great deal for the Mets. Peralta is an excellent under the radar pickup at a good price and, at worst, they can get a season out of him and get a comp pick next year. He's coming into a contract year, so he should be motivated to have a big season

Getting Myers was a good move, too. He should easily make the opening day roster and seemed like he was better as a reliever than starter, but even then was serviceable as a starter.

[JPhillips]

Yeah, I like Myers as a deep bullpen/spot starter guy. He should have some value given the lack of depth in the Mets staff.

[PilotMan]

People calling in the FAN and freaking out. It always cracks me up when people go nuts about trading prospects for top line MLB talent. Sure there will be some PCA deals, but people went nuts when they traded Kelenic and that worked out pretty well.

I'll always take trading prospects for MLB talent. Especially top level MLB talent.


Every time it's John Smoltz and Doyle Alexander. Every. Time.


Or


Pedro Martinez for Delino DeShields. Oof. That one......


There have been plenty of bad trades over the years that involved top line talent.

[Ksyrup]

To me, Smoltz for Alexander is the epitome of what a youth-for-experience trade is supposed to be. Alexander was nails for the Tigers and got them into the playoffs. If the Tigers knew what Smoltz would become, maybe they don't try so hard to win in 1987 and let the chips fall where they may, but Alexander was everything they expected and more.

You can't really predict someone is going to be a HOFer. His numbers were pretty bad in the minors, I think, and in that first season in Atlanta. And Alexander went 9-0 with like a 1.50 ERA after the trade in the regular season - but did get lit up in the playoffs, as I recall.

[Swaggs]

Pirates fans always complain about the Chris Archer deal and it was bad, but fans will act like it set the team back for generations and it was a historically lopsided deal.

Archer only had 1.2 WAR for the Pirates and was injured a lot. He had a (at the time) contract that was seen as controllable with option years, but with his injuries and him sitting out the Covid season, they ended up not picking up and he only played parts of 2 seasons.

They gave up some really highly regarded young players in Tyler Glasnow (8.7 WAR in 6 years with the Rays and a little over 12 total since leaving the Pirates), Austin Meadows had a couple good years but ended up with 6.2 WAR for the Rays, and Shane Baz got traded this offseason and he is at 3.1 WAR in 5 seasons. Bad and Glasnow also both missed a ton of time with TJ surgery. So, a total of 18 WAR in 14 combined seasons.

At the beginning of the same season, the Pirates traded Andrew McCutchen to the Giants for Bryan Reynolds and Kyle Crick. At the time, it was largely seen as a salary dump. Cutch played a partial season in SF and had a 1.7 WAR with the Giants. Reynolds, who had been a 2nd rounder but was seen as a fringe top 10 prospect for the Giants, is still active and at 21.1 in 7 seasons and Crick was injured a lot but had a 1.0 WAR in parts of 4 seasons (and is most well known for punching Felipe Vazquez in the clubhouse right before it came out that he has SAed a minor).

A good season from Peralta may well exceed anything that any of those prospects ever do in the majors and the fact that they will get a comp pick if he doesn't resign, which will basically be another lottery ticket of a similar quality player, and Myers on top makes it a pretty clear win. I don't hate the trade for the Brewers if they think the guys they got will develop and are cutting salaries, but if the Pirates could have traded someone like Termar Johnson and a pitching prospect for Peralta, and know they can get a comp pick and Myers, I would have been all for it.

[Atocep]

I think the Peralta trade looks even better after the Gore trade. Gore has more club control but is a full tier below Peralta as a pitcher. 3 guys that have made top 100 lists and 2 more solid prospects is a crazy haul for a mid rotation starter.

[Lathum]

Terrance Gore passes away at 34 due to complications from what was supposed to be a routine surgery.

[Ksyrup]

Tony Clark is expected to resign from the MLBPA. Is Donald Fehr still alive? Maybe they hire Boras lol!

[Atocep]

Tony Clark is expected to resign from the MLBPA. Is Donald Fehr still alive? Maybe they hire Boras lol!

They were investigating him for corruption and uncovered an affair with his sister in law, whom he hired to work for the union.

It looks like the corruption ran deep and has ties to former NFLPA head DeMaurice Smith. Clark and Smith had started a company, OneTeam, that the MLBPA and NFLPA were both paying millions to in bonuses and shit.

[Ksyrup]

I don't give a shit about the WBC anyway, but having Tarik Skubal throw like 3-4 innings against Great Britain and then scoot back to Florida really makes this whole thing even more absurd. Stupid idea, even worse execution.

[Lathum]

Jurickson Profar looking at a second PED suspension. Would be the whole season.

[Sweed]

I don't give a shit about the WBC anyway, but having Tarik Skubal throw like 3-4 innings against Great Britain and then scoot back to Florida really makes this whole thing even more absurd. Stupid idea, even worse execution.

The whole thing is dumb when one considers pitcher's arms. There is no payoff from the tournament that makes the risk worth playing.

[JPhillips]

If they are going to do it, it should be a two week break in July just like the Olympics and hockey.

[Lathum]

I don't bet sports any more but I am considering taking a shot on Bo Bichette to lead MLB in RBI. It is 75-1. He is a great contact hitter, and Lindor and Soto are going to be all over the bases for him.

[MIJB#19]

Jurickson Profar looking at a second PED suspension. Would be the whole season.I shook my head at how Dutch media hyped it and made it sound all ridicule by calling it a 162-game suspension while in fact it's a very light suspension, because in most sports a first suspension would already by 2 years.

[Atocep]

Hunter Greene making his annual trip to the DL. Out until July. He'd probably win a Cy Young if he could ever get 30 starts.

[JPhillips]

Yeah, that stinks. At least the Reds have enough depth to still put together a good rotation, but missing him for half of the season is not a good start.

Also really frustrating that this was a problem in the Fall and nobody did anything in the off-season.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I shook my head at how Dutch media hyped it and made it sound all ridicule by calling it a 162-game suspension while in fact it's a very light suspension, because in most sports a first suspension would already by 2 years.

Well, the hype would be reasonably justified simply by how rare a full seasons suspension IS in MLB.

He's only the 6th player to get one in the 12 years since that became the standard for a 2nd violation. It's the first one in three years (RP J.C. Mejia 2023) and the first position player (Robinson Cano 2020) to get one in six years.

[JPhillips]

USA on the verge of crashing out before the elimination round of the WBC.

[Ksyrup]

The only baseball news of consequence that I saw aside from the Greene news was this:

<blockquote class="reddit-embed-bq" style="height:500px" data-embed-height="707">
<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1rq5nay/breaking_yard_goats_unveil_the_antihero_a_grilled/">BREAKING Yard Goats unveil the "Anti-Hero" a grilled 2-foot all beef hot dog with 11 powdered donuts, a mustard-ketchup drizzle &amp; sweet candied pink &amp; blue sprinkles... all on an artisan Italian loaf bun. Like a friendship bracelet, but yummy. Only available on Era's Night 6/9.</a><br> by
<a href="https://www.reddit.com/user/Knightbear49/">u/Knightbear49</a> in
<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/">baseball</a>
</blockquote><script async="" src="https://embed.reddit.com/widgets.js" charset="UTF-8"></script>

[Lathum]

Anyone watching the WBC?

Mark Derosa should never be allowed to manage a tee ball team.

How do you have a runner on first, down 2-0, a right handed reliever coming in, Will Smith at bat, and Cal Raleigh on the bench and not put Raleigh in the game to pinch hit?

Unbelievably terrible decision making.

[Thomkal]

Great story with Venezeula here-hope Trump doesn't invade them again because they beat the US

[GrantDawg]

Great story with Venezeula here-hope Trump doesn't invade them again because they beat the US


He posted "51st state" after the win.

[Thomkal]

He posted "51st state" after the win.


of course he did and I thought that was Canada.

[Atocep]

Skenes doesn't get out the first against the Mets. Easily the worst start of his career.

[Lathum]

I did not have this on my bingo card.

Skenes may murder O'neil Cruz before the end of the day.

[Ghost Econ]

Paul Skenes ERA is greater than Livvy Dunne's height. 67.50 > 66.25.

[Lathum]

I am pretty active in DFS. One of my lineups I took the Mets 1-4 hitters playing the ownership game. This could work out very well...

[Swaggs]

The worst part is Skenes actually getting 3 runs of support and not having one of his typical starts.

[GrantDawg]

Poted this on Bluesky:


When I was a kid we used to load up the car pretty regularly in the summer and head to see the #Braves (https://bsky.app/hashtag/Braves) at Fulton County stadium. We would have a cooler for drinks and a cooler for hotdogs, and our whole family of six could enjoy a day at the park watching some of the worst baseball ever played cheap.
The game was always on the TV in season. Channel 17, what became the "Super Station", allowed us to watch nearly every pitch and at bat. Baseball was always easily accessible, and it made me a fan.
Now, it is just a money sink hole. Barely any games televised in the Atlanta market. You have to pay $100 a year to catch most of the games. Ticket prices, parking, concessions are all ludicrously priced, all while the team is raking in record profits.
his will be the third year that I won't have regular access to most of the games. I thought I'd miss it more considering how much it was a part of my life for years. But I just think about how far the game has left it's fans behind for more and more greed, and it just makes me angry.
I still follow some Braves fans (who are just some of my favorite people online really), and I keep up some with what the team is doing. But am I really a baseball fan anymore? I just can't say yes. The game decided it cared way more about money than the fans, and they show it with every decision.

[Atocep]

What doesn't seem to get any acknowledgement is the fact thst the current ABS system does not match the strike zone according to the rules. According to the rules the strike zone is 3 dimensions from the front to the back of the plare and the ABS system is set on a 2 dimensional plane. Some of these calls that are less than an inch off the plate that ABS is overturning are strikes.

EDIT: The Randy Arozarena call is what made me think of this. That pitch was almost certainly a spike by the rulebook.

[Ksyrup]

I think it's funny that over half of the players had their official height shortened when figuring out their ABS strike zone.

[Atocep]

I think it's funny that over half of the players had their official height shortened when figuring out their ABS strike zone.

Bo Naylor went from 6' to 5'9"

[cuervo72]

Have they adjusted Alejandro Kirk yet? (5'8" my ass.)

[Ghost Econ]

I'm starting to think that with ABS, they need to let us know what the margin of error is. Some of these calls are unbelievably close and there's no way the computer is that perfect. In cricket, if it's basically in the margin of error they won't overturn the umpires call.

[Lathum]

David Stearns needs to be fired. His whole "run prevention" strategy is failing miserably and the team can't score runs to save their lives.

It's almost as if letting one of the best power hitters in the sport walk and trading for a 37 year old middle infielder in decline was a bad idea.

Lost 5 in a row and now headed to LA to play the Dodgers then the Cubs. Mendoza likely takes the fall, which isn't fair, but that is usually how it goes.

[Ksyrup]

This may be the worst college baseball/softball box score I've ever seen.

https://dxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net/sidearm.nextgen.sites/lehighsports.com/stats/baseball/2026/pdf/20260414060740-boxscore_20260414_0703.pdf

Check out the 1st inning and the parade of pitchers. They scored 38 runs on 12 hits and only 3 errors. Holy shit!

[Ghost Econ]

I like that the third baseman went 0-1 with 5 RBIs and 5 runs scored.

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, and of all the guys they decided to throw some strikes to, it was the guy hitting behind the 3B. He walked 7 times and that guy had 4 hits and 8 RBIs (and still managed to walk once and get hit twice!).

[Ghost Econ]

If you wanna see how a high school softball game could be 54-45...

https://www.maxpreps.com/m/news/9gkks_mKiEuDHA4vkNLsAQ/high-school-softball-southwood%2c-huntington-combined-for-national-record-99-runs-in-wild-louisiana-game.htm

Honestly, these teams shouldn't be allowed to play. They hit a combined 62 batters in 7 innings.

I looked over the season stats for the Southwood pitcher. She allows just under 7 base runners an inning. She hits almost 3 batters an inning. She has 191 BB/HBP in 36 innings. At some point it has to be a safety issue.

[Ksyrup]

My daughter helped coach a northern KY high school team a couple years after she finished playing college ball. She was the pitching coach - teaching girls who had never played SB before how to pitch. I mean, by age 15-16 with like 30 minutes a day, there's only so much you can do. Even if one of the kids had been mine, I'm not sure I could have sat through those games.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Honestly, these teams shouldn't be allowed to play. They hit a combined 62 batters in 7 innings.

Here's an even more frightening/disturbing notion: according to MaxPreps rankings (granted, those aren't great but they're ... something), there are around 40 or so teams in Louisiana WORSE than either of these two.

Give or take, that's a little over 10% of the state HS softball teams that are WORSE than this.

[Lathum]

The Mets are never going to win another game again.

[Lathum]

dola- It is amazing how everything the Dodgers touch turns to gold. Ohtani pitching yesterday so they give him the day off from DH. His replacement, Dalton Rushing, hits a grand slam.

[Ghost Econ]

So was the correct call made? Infield fly called retroactively and the runners returned to their original bases.

I don't have a huge issue with an infield fly call, although I don't think you can call it after the play. I also don't really classify that ball as ordinary effort, but that's a small quibble. If it's MLB, it should always be infield fly. College I feel it can go either way. But high school or lower I don't feel like most players make that play easier.

But clearly the rule is the players can advance if it's not caught (or tag if caught). So I'm not really sure how the umps ruled as they did.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Chris Pollard has been tossed after umpires retroactively called a dropped pop up an infield fly. Brutal.<br><br>Pollard is on the rules committee... I think he knows the rules. <a href="https://t.co/PIYZnxX4lJ">pic.twitter.com/PIYZnxX4lJ</a></p>&mdash; 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) <a href="https://twitter.com/11point7/status/2044944960957579522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Sweed]

So was the correct call made? Infield fly called retroactively and the runners returned to their original bases.

I don't have a huge issue with an infield fly call, although I don't think you can call it after the play. I also don't really classify that ball as ordinary effort, but that's a small quibble. If it's MLB, it should always be infield fly. College I feel it can go either way. But high school or lower I don't feel like most players make that play easier.

But clearly the rule is the players can advance if it's not caught (or tag if caught). So I'm not really sure how the umps ruled as they did.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Chris Pollard has been tossed after umpires retroactively called a dropped pop up an infield fly. Brutal.<br><br>Pollard is on the rules committee... I think he knows the rules. <a href="https://t.co/PIYZnxX4lJ">pic.twitter.com/PIYZnxX4lJ</a></p>&mdash; 11Point7 College Baseball (@11point7) <a href="https://twitter.com/11point7/status/2044944960957579522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I think the call is correct even if poorly done by the umps, based on just the video presented here. IOW I haven't seen or heard of any after the game comments being made by the umps.

There is definitely no IF fly signal as the ball is going up to it's pinnacle. The home plate ump does make some signal as the ball hits the ground though I have no idea what he is trying to signal. To me I'd look at it as the umps talking after a play and getting the call right. Something they should do if they are the ones that F'd things up to start with. I think I'd argue this is just as important to do here as it would be to do at an MLB game. IMHO those umps can't get together, discuss it, and allow it to stand as a hit.

The manager's reaction and getting himself tossed seemed an overreaction to me. Again no idea what was said then, or in after game press conference. If it were me I'd go out and ask about what was going on. If the ump flat out admits he missed the call, and that with the proper call the batter indeed would have been out and the runners would not have been able to tag and advance. I'd have accepted it while letting him know I didn't like it and he should do better. As I watch the play I see neither runner tagged up. Runner on second was at least a third of the way down the line. The runner at 1b was close to the bag but I don't think ever tagged up. Now if the C had picked up the ball and doubled off one of the runners after the non-signal/call and they let that stand? Yeah I'd have argued and got tossed if they didn't return the runners to their respective base. As the play occurred? I think the umps did the best they could in a bad situation.

[Ghost Econ]

In memory of Garrett Anderson, the California Angels changed their name after the 1996 season. Anderson played his last game 14 years later in August 2010.

Who was the only player to play a game after August 2010 who at some point played a game for the California Angels?

For no bonus point, one other former California Angels played his last game in early August 2010, who was that?

[Ghost Econ]

And for no more bonus points who was the last former Anaheim Angel (not LA of Anaheim) to play an MLB game.

[Lathum]

Absolutely savage

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">FanDuel has a “Mets next win” section. Lmaoooo <a href="https://t.co/js7lYCIi2Y">pic.twitter.com/js7lYCIi2Y</a></p>&mdash; Jon from Maspeth (@JonFromMaspeth) <a href="https://twitter.com/JonFromMaspeth/status/2046114170198806794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[cuervo72]

Might need that for the Phillies soon, too.

[Swaggs]

Something is so wrong with the NL Central all being 3+ games above .500 and the NL East looking this bad. I know small sample size, but it is really going to suck for the Pirates, if in the one season they decide to be partially competitive, they win like 90 games and finish 4th in the division.

[JPhillips]

I feel the same with the Reds.

But the Reds are going to have to start hitting or things will turn ugly. The pitching isn't going to be this good all season.

[RainMaker]

Pirates are a bat away from being a contender for the division. That pitching staff is real good top to bottom.

Mets have the worst manager I've seen in a long time. Can't believe they pitched to Hoerner in the 10th.

[Lathum]

Mets have the worst manager I've seen in a long time. Can't believe they pitched to Hoerner in the 10th.

Daughter and I were watching the game and I was apoplectic they pitched to him. Couldn't believe they didn't set up the double play attempt.

[RainMaker]

Daughter and I were watching the game and I was apoplectic they pitched to him. Couldn't believe they didn't set up the double play attempt.

Hoerner is probably their best hitter in that spot too. Rarely strikes out, makes good hard contact and has good speed. You also had PCA at 3rd who is lightning fast so playing for the double play would be necessary.

Not to mention Busch was up next who has been horrible this season.

[Lathum]

Nolan McClean isn't human

[JPhillips]

JINX!

[Lathum]

This team is the worst

[cuervo72]

This team is the worst

Oh, they have competition. Trust me, I'm watching it.

[JPhillips]

A local brewery is selling a popular brew for 3.81 in honor of the Mets' 381 million payroll. They say the sale will continue until the Mets win.

[Lathum]

The streak is over!!!

[Ksyrup]

Losing streaks aside, the Phillies are the worse team. Run differential is ridiculously bad.

[Swaggs]

I was thinking about posting this in the NFL thread, but figured this was a better spot. I was thinking about an interesting issue that exists now that did not a few years ago.

The Pirates took two high school players in the MLB draft in 2021. Lonnie White Jr. (2nd round, 64 overall) Bubba Chandler (3rd. round, 72 overall).

White Jr. was committed to Penn State to play (I believe he was labeled as an 'athlete") WR and signed with he Pirates late in the process for $1.5M. He is now 23 years old and in his 3rd season at A+, where he does have an OPS over 1.000, but is old for the level.

Chandler was committed to play QB at Clemson and signed way overslot for $3M. He is now 23 years old and has made 11 appearances with 8 starts over the past two years for the Pirates and is looking like a solid starter. Very good fastball, questionable control. 3.45 FIP in just over 50 big league innings.

It is super interesting to think about these guys in terms of how much money they ended up losing from NIL over the past several years and from future NFL income, as they would both be draft eligible for the NFL this year. It will be interesting to see how this affects depth and drafting over the next few years, as guys like this are no longer going to sign.

I'm guessing Chandler would have easily gotten $3M as a blue chip HS QB going to a top 20 program right away and someone like White, as a 4-star recruit, may have been high six figures coming out of HS.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I'm guessing Chandler would have easily gotten $3M as a blue chip HS QB going to a top 20 program right away and someone like White, as a 4-star recruit, may have been high six figures coming out of HS.

Chandler was always going to be a baseball player. He played his HS ball maybe ten minutes from me, there was never really any question about where his future was. The Clemson offer (to play both) got him retconned into being a P4/5 prospect but that was just recruiting services playing recruiting games.

He was originally a UGA commit as a baseball-only guy, he didn't have a single FBS offer until Clemson out of the blue (https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29200708/bubba-chandler-makes-jump-georgia-baseball-clemson-qb). It was largely seen as Dabo doing Dabo things to offer him (Chandler's FB HC was a disciple of the Dabo-assistant Mickey Conn coaching tree), one of those "character guy" schollies that he likes to hand out to family, friends, etc.

I'm happy for Chandler's baseball success but thinking he was ever a major football prospect is pure retcon.

[Ghost Econ]

Losing streaks aside, the Phillies are the worse team. Run differential is ridiculously bad.

Prescient

[Atocep]

Chandler was always going to be a baseball player. He played his HS ball maybe ten minutes from me, there was never really any question about where his future was. The Clemson offer (to play both) got him retconned into being a P4/5 prospect but that was just recruiting services playing recruiting games.

He was originally a UGA commit as a baseball-only guy, he didn't have a single FBS offer until Clemson out of the blue (https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29200708/bubba-chandler-makes-jump-georgia-baseball-clemson-qb). It was largely seen as Dabo doing Dabo things to offer him (Chandler's FB HC was a disciple of the Dabo-assistant Mickey Conn coaching tree), one of those "character guy" schollies that he likes to hand out to family, friends, etc.

I'm happy for Chandler's baseball success but thinking he was ever a major football prospect is pure retcon.

Yeah his best offer when Clemson offered was Western Kentucky and even his non-P4 offers were light (Charlotte was his next best offer). It's funny that Clemson offering got everyone else to jump in, likely wondering what Dabo saw, and he ended up as a 4 star entirely based on who offered.

[Ghost Econ]

I guess Murakami is Adam Dunn taken to the extreme?

He has 23 hits. Of those 12 are singles and 11 are home runs. He has 21 walks and 35 strikeouts. So there are still technically just 3 true outcomes. He ends up on first, touching home plate, or going back to the dugout.

[Lathum]

Alex Cora fired.

[Lathum]

Mets swept by the Rockies and scored one run in 18 innings today.

I don't think this is on him but I can't imagine Mendoza doesn't get fired . Off day tomorrow.

I fucking hate Stearns.

[Ksyrup]

Alex Cora fired.

To replace Rob Thomson, probably!

The Phillies piss me off. It was beyond obvious that this "run it back" strategy had a quick expiration date coming, but they decided to keep pushing it. Granted, they won 96 games last year but lost a solid SP and mostly kept an offense with a lot of holes. They probably aren't a 66 win team, either, but something's got to change. This team looks a lot like the the old Angels' "Trout is great but they lose" joke except replace Trout with Schwarber.

[Lathum]

Ron Thompson gone. Mendoza still has a job.

[cuervo72]

To replace Rob Thomson, probably!

The Phillies piss me off. It was beyond obvious that this "run it back" strategy had a quick expiration date coming, but they decided to keep pushing it. Granted, they won 96 games last year but lost a solid SP and mostly kept an offense with a lot of holes. They probably aren't a 66 win team, either, but something's got to change. This team looks a lot like the the old Angels' "Trout is great but they lose" joke except replace Trout with Schwarber.

Replace Schwarber with Dave Kingman.

Yeah, I know, he's better than Kingman but he's in the same "three true outcomes" mold. The problem is when (excepting Harper*) the rest of the team is in that mold but they only ever hit one of the outcomes. It becomes really hard to score runs when you have to rely on two hitters in your lineup to do something each time around. (It's mostly the same strategy they've employed the past X years, but the role players cobbled together just enough. They're not now, and they're fucked.)


* I know, being unfair to Marsh. If you get a 116 OPS+ out of him, that's about all you can ask.

[Lathum]

Yankees legendary announcer John Sterling passed. I always thought he was a hack and couldn’t stand his stupid home run calls but can’t deny yankee fans loves him.

[Ksyrup]

Skubal having surgery on his left elbow. I assume that means he's out for 2-3 months, minimum.

Tigers have had an incredible number of injuries already but this one is terrible. Should have traded him, especially since they knew they wouldn't sign him.

[RainMaker]

That's terrible. Was hoping the Cubs would make a trade for him at the deadline.

Also sounds like Joe Ryan might be down for awhile. Basically, if you have a good starting pitcher available at the deadline, you are going to get a haul.

[miami_fan]

It is kinda funny to see on Twitter Eric Kosmer breaking down alleged sign stealing by the Red Sox against the Tigers that allegedly was the reason for Framber Valdez getting tossed from the game. I remember a travel team coach trying to teach my son that method when he played as a guest player during a tournament.

It really is a kid's game.:D

[Lathum]

Astros 7 games under with an aging roster just lost Correa for the year. They could get quite the haul for Alvarez. If I am the Mets I am picking up the phone and testing those waters. Could be the offensive jolt they need.

[cuervo72]

Yankees legendary announcer John Sterling passed. I always thought he was a hack and couldn’t stand his stupid home run calls but can’t deny yankee fans loves him.

Absolutely hated his end of game call.

[GrantDawg]

This, and only this, is what John Sterling should be remembered for to me.


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HVpjWNfnHww?si=srf_tdhPREcVNQjY" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Lathum]

Absolutely hated his end of game call.

That to. I just feel like a legendry franchise doesn't need a hack announcer with schtick more akin to minor leagues. Contrast him to Vin Scully, that is how Yankee games should be called.

I will say despite her actual voice, I like Susan Waldman a lot.

[JPhillips]

Reds are about to be 20-18 and yet it feels really bleak. They might have the second worst run differential in the NL by the end of the day.

[Lathum]

Bobby Cox passes away at 84. Hated the Braves but loved him. They don’t make them that way anymore.

[cuervo72]

Yep, the Braves were a pain in the ass as a Phillies fan, but nothing but respect for Bobby Cox. RIP to one of the greats.

[GrantDawg]

Every manager should have gone thrown out of the game yesterday in his honor. There is a rumor they are going top have an honor guard of umpires that are going to kick dirt on his grave at the funeral.

[Lathum]

Didn't have Edwin Diaz implicated in a cockfighting scheme on my bingo card.

Hope he gets the Vick treatment.

[Lathum]

Mets really starting to show some life. Hopefully they can get to .500 by the middle of June then get some guys back in the lineup for a post all star break run. They have n insane amount of division games left so they can make up the gap fast.

[Atocep]

Mets really starting to show some life. Hopefully they can get to .500 by the middle of June then get some guys back in the lineup for a post all star break run. They have n insane amount of division games left so they can make up the gap fast.


They still have horrible season luck on some key indicators that should continue to rebound. Team BABIP is 26th and Bichette, Baty, Soto, and especially Vientos are way under their expected production based on batted ball data. Lindor was probably the unluckiest hitter in baseball before he went down. I think the offense ends up being above average, the pitching is good, and the defense is solid. It's a postseason level team that dug itself a huge hole in April.

On a side note, what stood out to me from the Yankees series over the weekend is how Cashman continues to build teams that are straight out of the late 90s and early 2000s. Lots of power, lots of strikeouts, bad defense, and bad baserunning. It's really hard to win in the postseason with that type of team.

[Danny]

Did Vlad Guerrero Jr become a vegan? Where the heck did his power go?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Did Vlad Guerrero Jr become a vegan? Where the heck did his power go?

The real culprit is Guerrero’s lack of barrels this season. In each of the last five seasons, Guerrero has maintained a barrel rate of at least 11% and has always ranked among the top 30% of MLB hitters in this field. In 2026, however, Guerrero has just 12 barrels on the season for a rate of just 7.1%, which ranks him in the 38th percentile of hitters.

The Age-Old Question: Where's Vladdy's Power This Year? | Just Baseball (https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/what-happened-to-vladimir-guerrero-jrs-power/)

[Atocep]

Did Vlad Guerrero Jr become a vegan? Where the heck did his power go?

Fernando Tatis makes this year's Vlad look like prime Bonds. Tatis hit his first homer in 240 at bats. It was the longest active streak in MLB without a homer.