2019 MLB Thread

[tarcone]

I think I figured out the Mets play.

They have set the market for a top of the line SP. 2 top prospects. Now the Mets strength is SP. So they can afford to trade 2 of their SP prospects, but what does that do to the price of Thor? 3 Top prospects? And make them position players and the Mets have played the game better then we thought.

The Twins have interest and their farm system is packed.

Maybe the Mets are smarter then we give them credit.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by Atocep

In a vacuum, yeah. However, the Mets have one of the 3 worst defenses in baseball behind that potentially great staff because every starter is a negative defensively. So the chances of that staff playing to it's ability is pretty slim.

They traded a top 10 overall prospect and a possible top 50 guy for the right to be saddled with Robinson Cano's contract through 2023 (and Cano looks like he's carrying around all that money defensively) and a closer. Oh, that was done in an attempt to replace the guy that currently 2nd in MLB in hitting (Jeff McNeil) who is playing so well they had to move him LF to get his bat in the lineup which puts Dom Smith on the bench with an OPS over .850. Neither one can actually play left field, but both are a hell of a lot better than a 36 year old Cano.

So with Stroman now they continue to gut the farm system and instead of having a relatively young team with a top 10 farm system they're gutted the farm system and are 5 games under with 6 teams ahead of them for the wild card.

I'm sure everything will be fine though, because they figured out how to outsmart the draft. (google it. It's on deadspin and I'm not going to break the thread again)

It's always safe to assume the Mets will fuck things up, I just think a four stud rotation could be great and the bullpen could be fixed in the off-season.

The Cano trade, especially if they ditch Diaz, is going to haunt the team for a decade a longer.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by tarcone

I think I figured out the Mets play.

They have set the market for a top of the line SP. 2 top prospects. Now the Mets strength is SP. So they can afford to trade 2 of their SP prospects, but what does that do to the price of Thor? 3 Top prospects? And make them position players and the Mets have played the game better then we thought.

The Twins have interest and their farm system is packed.

Maybe the Mets are smarter then we give them credit.

I wonder if a package of Syndergaard/Wheeler or Stroman/Wheeler may loosen one of the formerly 'untouchable' Padres prospects in a deal?

[tarcone]

Man, Im glad I got back into a fantasy baseball league. My interest and knowledge of the game has really amped up in the last 2 years.

And I love it.

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by tarcone

I think I figured out the Mets play.

They have set the market for a top of the line SP. 2 top prospects. Now the Mets strength is SP. So they can afford to trade 2 of their SP prospects, but what does that do to the price of Thor? 3 Top prospects? And make them position players and the Mets have played the game better then we thought.

The Twins have interest and their farm system is packed.

Maybe the Mets are smarter then we give them credit.

Twins have token interest. They arent going to give up much for a rental or someone they dont have the money to re-sign. They are more in the hunt for relievers or lower mid level depth starters. They wont give up 3-4 top prospects for a pitcher like Thor they know they cant afford. Unless they have changed philosophies.

And its the Mets, they havent heard earned the reputation for being able to outsmart other clubs.

[tarcone]

Thor has 2+ years of control. He is not a rental

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

They arent going to give up much for a rental or someone they dont have the money to re-sign.

And its the Mets, they havent heard earned the reputation for being able to outsmart other clubs.

Originally Posted by tarcone

Thor has 2+ years of control. He is not a rental

Twins arent in the position EVER to give up top 20 prospects for pitchers that will demand 30 million on the open market. They will look at pitchers like Mike Minor hoping to give up a couple mid level prospects. Any talk of Bumgarner or Thor is fake news.

Their trend is to look for value in veteran pitchers in that 10-15 millions range. Their starting pitching has been surprisingly decent and Barrios can match up decently against most #1s. I just cant see any interest in giving up Lewis or Kirilloff under any circumstanced(assuming that is what it would take to land Thor or Bum)

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by jbergey22

Twins arent in the position EVER to give up top 20 prospects for pitchers that will demand 30 million on the open market. They will look at pitchers like Mike Minor hoping to give up a couple mid level prospects. Any talk of Bumgarner or Thor is fake news.

Their trend is to look for value in veteran pitchers in that 10-15 millions range. Their starting pitching has been surprisingly decent and Barrios can match up decently against most #1s. I just cant see any interest in giving up Lewis or Kirilloff under any circumstanced(assuming that is what it would take to land Thor or Bum)

I wouldn't give up Lewis for anything, but a package with Kiriloff or Larnach plus a further away high upside IF like Javier, Miranda, Severino could appeal to the Mets. Plus you get Thor for 2.5 years & you can flip him again in 2021 if you have no interest in re-signing him.

A team like the Twins also has a limited window here before Sano, Buxton, Berrios, get expensive or hit UFA, and you can't count on getting competent (& healthy) starting pitching out of multiple guys in that $8-10m/y starter range you have this year, so it's not the worst idea to push some chips in at places you have organizational depth for higher end arms in a season you have like a 95% chance of making the postseason. They already did it with the Sergio Romo trade.

[Lathum]

Reds trade for Bauer. So is the new thing shitty teams with no chance acquiring good starters?

[tarcone]

Puig to the Indians.

Interesting.

[SirFozzie]

Justin Russo on Twitter: "Amir Garrett just took on the ENTIRE Pittsburgh Pirates team.… "

When you're so mad that you'll charge the entire other team.

[tarcone]

Wow. Some interesting pitcher antics this week.

[SirFozzie]

and the funny thing about that is that Puig was out of the game, had already been traded, but hadn't been told yet.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Justin Russo on Twitter: "Amir Garrett just took on the ENTIRE Pittsburgh Pirates team.… "

When you're so mad that you'll charge the entire other team.

Virtually every baseball "fight" is a disappointment. This was not.

[tarcone]

Here is the line from MLB Trade Rumors. Ptretty funny.

9:28pm: The trade is still pending medical reviews, according to Heyman. That’s especially notable considering Puig is currently involved in a brawl in the Reds-Pirates game.

[MrBug708]

Amir Garrett has no fear

[Lathum]

Edwin Diaz almost just killed a guy

[tarcone]

Cardinals with a MONSTER move claiming a lefty off waivers. Man, I get tired of the conservative approach sometimes.

[BishopMVP]

So what was the context here? Pittsburgh was mad someone pimped a home run in April, threw at someone then, then threw at them again tonight maybe? Lot of passion for two well under .500 teams!

[bhlloy]

Who cares, we need more pitchers rage charging opposition dugouts, especially when both teams are well under .500 in a late season meaningless game

[stevew]

That’s some insane shit that should merit criminal charges. That being said if he’d have gone after Bob Nutting like that I’d help pay his bail.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Who cares, we need more pitchers rage charging opposition dugouts, especially when both teams are well under .500 in a late season meaningless game

I enjoyed the passion, watching boys being boys and both teams' commitment to the unwritten rules of the game.

On a separate note, kudos to the public address folks for playing "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' " by the Righteous Brothers as things began to cool down.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

So what was the context here? Pittsburgh was mad someone pimped a home run in April, threw at someone then, then threw at them again tonight maybe? Lot of passion for two well under .500 teams!

That's exactly what happened. The Pirates with Clint Hurdle are the team most committed to head hunting and several teams have called them out for it.

[MrBug708]

Giants are clearing out their roster, except for the two guys who will actually get them the most. Will Smith and Madbum

[Swaggs]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

That's exactly what happened. The Pirates with Clint Hurdle are the team most committed to head hunting and several teams have called them out for it.

Not absolving the Pirates and their reputation here. They have horrible pitching and have pitched inside for way too many years (also, not much evidence that it has ever done a bit of good).

That said, David Bell seems to have the emotional maturity of a teenager going through puberty and Puig and Garrett are nuts. I think the Pirates kept things going way too long in defense of “playing the game the right way” after Dietrich admired his homer. Archer threw behind him and, to his credit, Dietrich took it. After that, it has been tit for tat and ignorant all the way around with both teams trading hit batters almost every game.

Dietrich stands close to the plate and is always among the league leaders in HBP - that is just fact. Kela is a head case and brushed him back, but the ball hit the backstop in the air. He was sending a message (again, ignorant at this point) but was (like Archer) not trying to hit him. Kela got things started again last night, but they hit Marte the next inning and he took his base. When Garrett came in (after Hughes got ejected for hitting Marte), he immediately yelled “fuck you” to Josh Bell (who is one of the most well tempered players in the league) and got things started back up. If you are going to retaliate with another HBP at one of the (few) marquee players the Pirates have (because that’s how the game is supposed to be played), Marte runs down to first without a look or word, and you start it back up the very next batter (and Trevor Williams also escalated it for chirping at Garrett), I don’t see how the Reds do not seem to think they have participated in this bullshit at all.

David Bell had been running his mouth in the media the entire series about this (whereas most managers and players are coy and let the players “police” themselves) and seems pretty unhinged. He’s been near tears a few times in interviews and seems oblivious that the Reds have contributed to the problem. He leads the league in ejections and is deservedly looking at a big suspension for coming back on the field after getting ejected (for arguing a strike that was in the strike zone according to the television imposed zone - where Puig spiked his helmet over out of frustration). The HBP and inside pitches count has been largely even (Reds actually had two more inside pitches this year vs Pirates before today’s game).

I’m not calling out JPhillips (one of the best posters on FOFC as far as I’m concerned) here, but it really seems disingenuous that the Reds are taking no ownership of their part (even if more belongs to the Pirates). Guys like Kela, Archer, Hughes, and Dietrich are doing things that happen dozens of times a year. It’s stupid, but those are the unwritten rules and it happens. If you listen to Kela and Williams’ post game interviews, they both owned their parts in the brawl and seemed surprised that it escalated to the point it did.

The stuff Bell (coming back on the field after being ejected to blindside push Clint Hurdle, who is 62-years old and has had two hip replacements) and Garrett (charging the other team’s dugout) did - those two did historically, batshit crazy things. Admiring home runs, throwing message pitches, and retaliatory HBP are part of baseball every year - Bell and Garrett’s antics are not.

[JPhillips]

I'm fine with whatever suspensions come out of this for the Reds.

This goes back to at least last year when Votto was hit and put on the IL. I'd be more willing to "both sides" this if the Reds had a problem with other teams or if the Pirates only had a problem with the Reds. But the Reds are fine everywhere else, and the Pirates have several teams that have called them out for head hunting.

[PilotMan]

Puig gave that young team heart. I'll miss him. He really brought a lot, and that fire was welcome. Garrett...I mean...what can I say. His name says it all.

[lungs]

re: Dietrich

He does stand close to the plate. How many HBP did he have in that series with the Brewers? 6? Things didn't get out of hand though, as I only remember one that he actually took a ball square on the back. He'll take his medicine. I haven't followed this whole Pirates/Reds fracas too closely so I won't pass judgement.

[JonInMiddleGA]

If I read correctly, after the original incident with Dietrich, he had something like a 3-homer day in the next series (later same series? whatever).

Anybody know if he hung around & watched those?

[PilotMan]

Joey Lucchesi should just give up ever pitching to Cody Bellinger.

[miami_fan]

[tarcone]

Greatest beat down EVER

EDIT: Dont F with a Texan

[JPhillips]

If you're going to charge a man, charge him. Pausing like he did ended up getting him an ass beating.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Shane Greene making a less than stellar first impression in Atlanta.

Gotta think Melancon gets the next opportunity.
And when that fails, Braves end up back with Luke Jackson as the "closer".

edit to add: Digging into Greene's season a little more, some disturbing things become apparent. I know save opportunities are few & far between with the woeful Tigers but his last save was June 29th. After starting the year 22/23, he blew his only two July chances in Detroit and now has 1 BS and 1 L in Atlanta.

And the last time he held a 1 run lead against a team .500 or better? April 30th.

[panerd]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Shane Greene making a less than stellar first impression in Atlanta.

Gotta think Melancon gets the next opportunity.
And when that fails, Braves end up back with Luke Jackson as the "closer".

edit to add: Digging into Greene's season a little more, some disturbing things become apparent. I know save opportunities are few & far between with the woeful Tigers but his last save was June 29th. After starting the year 22/23, he blew his only two July chances in Detroit and now has 1 BS and 1 L in Atlanta.

And the last time he held a 1 run lead against a team .500 or better? April 30th.

I've been the beneficiary of Luke Jackson's 17 saves as just a speculative pickup in an NL-only roto league. I kind of laughed this week when people were throwing out bids for Greene equal to Trevor Bauer and Marcus Stroman. I just quietly picked up Melancon and figured he eventaully would probably have about the same shot? Did I predict these past two games? No way I'm not that good... but like you said nothing in his profile screamed that he was the answer.

[MrBug708]

MLB Network saying the Tigers turned down Fulmer for Bregman and Fulmer for Javy Baez before the 2017 season.

That sets them back another 5 years.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

MLB Network saying the Tigers turned down Fulmer for Bregman and Fulmer for Javy Baez before the 2017 season.

That sets them back another 5 years.

It hurts, but I don't think Mike Trout would make them a .500 team right now, I don't think Javy Baez is that special (I get it was a weak year in the NL for hitters, but 2nd in NL MVP voting last year?!?) and you can't predict injuries. I don't even think I would've traded Fulmer for Baez pre-2017, and it's certainly not in the realm of the Mets trading for Cano or the Pirates trading what they did for Archer.

[tarcone]

So avoid Green and pick up Melancon? Im desperate for a closer in my league.

HELP

[jbergey22]

Originally Posted by tarcone

So avoid Green and pick up Melancon? Im desperate for a closer in my league.

HELP

I dont think they are going to give up on Green quite yet. Sergio Romo will likely get some saves for the Twins(they close out games based on matchups). Jose LeClerc will probably get another chance at closer before the end of the year.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by tarcone

So avoid Green and pick up Melancon? Im desperate for a closer in my league.

HELP

Oberg

[MrBug708]

If Harold Baines is a Hall of Famer, so is Nelson Cruz

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

If Harold Baines is a Hall of Famer, so is Nelson Cruz

If that's the metric, there are a lot of folks who are HoFers.

[hoopsguy]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

If Harold Baines is a Hall of Famer, so is Nelson Cruz

Not a bad list of comps, per Baseball Reference:
David Justice (916.4)
Mo Vaughn (906.1)
Prince Fielder (905.2)
Ryan Howard (902.0)
Darryl Strawberry (898.3)
Ryan Klesko (898.1)
Frank Howard (893.3)
Jeromy Burnitz (887.4)
Tim Salmon (887.2)
Ralph Kiner (887.2) *

[miami_fan]

I decided to take my son to the Rays v Blue Jays game yesterday.The game started at 7pm. I work from home and it is a 46 mile journey to Tropicana Field from my house, per Google Maps. This is our first game of the season though we have been to about 40 or so games in the past. Accounting for traffic, I left my house at 4:30pm so that we can get to our parking lot, grab a bite to eat at a local restaurant and head to the stadium.35 minutes in, I am making good time. I am on 275 south downtown just passed Tampa's airport exit. I begin to hit a bit of traffic but I am only 20 miles away from the stadium. AN HOUR AND NINETEEN MINUTES LATER, I pulled into the parking lot across the street from the stadium. An hour and 55 minutes drive for a baseball game? On a Monday afternoon/night?


God bless Rays fans who do that crap on a regular basis.

[PilotMan]

And that is why we now have layovers by the convention center and not in St. Petersburg, like we used to.

[stevew]

I remember we went to Disney from Lakeland one time and it was bullshit bumper to bumper for about an hour(and all of 10 miles).

[tarcone]

Florida interstates in general suck. I hate driving down 75. Gainesville to Ocala is like a NASCAR track but with a lot more cars and semis. Brutal.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

If Harold Baines is a Hall of Famer, so is Nelson Cruz

Baines has an insurmountable lead in one key stat. Years playing for Tony LaRussa:

Baines - 9
Cruz - 0

[MrBug708]

This was bad

Umpire Auditor on Twitter: "Umpire CB Bucknor missed consecutive calls to Javier Baez, the first of which was a called ball right down the middle. #Cubs v #Athletics https://t.co/iaVJtOMVCh… https://t.co/9Fzjr71j23"

[tarcone]

MLB announces a game to be played in Dyersville, Iowa at the Field of Dreams site. Game will between the White Sox and Yankees and played on August 13th. It will be televised on ESPN.