Official 2017 MLB Season Thread

[Warhammer]

The issue with this team was always going to be pitching. You have one starting pitcher with few health questions, everyone else is a risk.

[CrescentMoonie]

Bryce Harper is hitting all the things. Now he needs to just not go off the deep end if he gets walked 11 times in a series like last year.

[CraigSca]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

Was Machado's slide dirty and intentional? I have a Red Sox fan on my fb that is convinced it was. It looked accidental to me but I figured I would appeal here

Your Red Sox fan might want to ask Pedroia his thoughts on the topic.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Giants call up their top prospect Christian Arroyo for today's game. He will immediately hit 6th and start at 3B. He was hitting .446/.478/.692 (with an unsustainable .481 BABIP) in his first 69 ABs in AAA. Kid is a Shortstop prospect with plus defense, line drive double power, slightly below average speed, but enough quickness/instincts to be a plus on the basepaths. He's also only 21.

Probably a reactionary move; rushing a prospect and starting his arb clock this early in what looks like may end up being a lost season for the team seems like a bad plan. It's still exciting to see what a young kid can do though.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Dola: I know it's early to say "may be a lost season" but the team has looked abysmal WITH Bumgarner in the rotation. Now that he's out for an extended period with a shoulder injury calling into question how effective he will be when he returns...Eesh.

[PilotMan]

7 of Thames now 10 homers have come against the Reds. Dudes got another multi-homer game and it's only the second inning.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Dola: I know it's early to say "may be a lost season" but the team has looked abysmal WITH Bumgarner in the rotation. Now that he's out for an extended period with a shoulder injury calling into question how effective he will be when he returns...Eesh.

Well it is an odd numbered year.

[lungs]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

7 of Thames now 10 homers have come against the Reds. Dudes got another multi-homer game and it's only the second inning.

The Cardinals pitched him about as well as anybody. Don't give him anything to hit. He'll take his walks, though.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Vince, Pt. II

Giants call up their top prospect Christian Arroyo for today's game. He will immediately hit 6th and start at 3B. He was hitting .446/.478/.692 (with an unsustainable .481 BABIP) in his first 69 ABs in AAA. Kid is a Shortstop prospect with plus defense, line drive double power, slightly below average speed, but enough quickness/instincts to be a plus on the basepaths. He's also only 21.

Probably a reactionary move; rushing a prospect and starting his arb clock this early in what looks like may end up being a lost season for the team seems like a bad plan. It's still exciting to see what a young kid can do though.

Seems like a panic move. Especially since they have to move Nunez to left which doesn't seem ideal.

Odds of a prospect like that coming up to the majors and hitting great are slim. So it probably isn't going to give them a spark now and the arbitration clock starting seems like a long term issue.

[MrBug708]

Another pretty throw by Puig

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Seems like a panic move. Especially since they have to move Nunez to left which doesn't seem ideal.

Odds of a prospect like that coming up to the majors and hitting great are slim. So it probably isn't going to give them a spark now and the arbitration clock starting seems like a long term issue.

We're down two starting OFs though.

[stevew]

Worst case that giants spect is super 2. I believe he's been down long enough to earn a 7th year.

[Vince, Pt. II]

The cold-blooded rationalist in me wants the Giants to trade Matt Cain before his peripherals catch up with him.

The Homer in me would be devastated if that happened.

[Shkspr]

My takeaway from this is kind of, "Holy shit! Matt Cain's contract is tradable?!?!?"

[AENeuman]

I really hope Giants trade, soon-to-be-expensive-free-agent Cueto.

So far this April Giants lost best and only left handed setup man, Posey with head shot, MadBum with mud,third starter to strain, Crawford to bereavement, left and center fielder with wall crashes. It's almost as bad as 2016 Dodgers.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by Shkspr

My takeaway from this is kind of, "Holy shit! Matt Cain's contract is tradable?!?!?"

Fair point.

I think locking up Cueto long-term is a better option Neuman. One bad year does not mean the window is closed, and the team is far closer to contender than rebuilder.

[CrescentMoonie]

The most overrated SS in MLB history and the least successful politician in the Bush family bought the Marlins.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

The most overrated SS in MLB history and the least successful politician in the Bush family bought the Marlins.

Ozzie Smith and Billy Bush?

[JPhillips]

The Reds are on a steady downward trajectory, but the way they're running through rookie auditions is pretty fun. Last night Ariel Hernandez struck out five in his debut as a reliever. He featured an 88 mph curveball. You can see a couple of examples here:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/ariel...eady-be-elite/

[RainMaker]

Speaking of Cueto, I'm wondering if we're going to see a downward trend in top tier SP contracts. Just seems like some of the smarter teams are avoiding those huge, long pitcher contracts. Are there going to be enough teams willing to give up $150 million guaranteed to pitchers these days?

Say Cueto opts out, who is going to be paying him more than that contract? Especially with Arrieta also a free agent.

[lungs]

So Eric Thames has been drug tested three times since Spring Training. Twice in the last week.

And he went deep again tonight.

[CrescentMoonie]

Trea Turner doing Trea Turner things. Coors Field gets him out of his slump and into his first career cycle.

[CrescentMoonie]

Harper had two 4 hit games coming into this season. He's got 3 in 20 starts this year. Putting up a ridiculous .432/.548/.824 with 7 HR, 250 OPS+, and is on pace for something obscene like a 12 WAR season. Probably won't happen, but this start is off the charts and having Turner, Zimmerman, and Murphy all hitting well around him is keeping him from getting walked every time (19 so far).

I'm just going to enjoy his last 2 years in DC and then boo every time he shows up wearing pinstripes after that.

[stevew]

So somehow I found myself watching a half hour clip of Eric Thames hitting 47 homers in Korea and literally all the ones I saw were epic moonshots and he always did this crazy post home run dance with #42 on his team and it ended with the guy grabbing his beard.

Which begs the question, if you were literally having that much fun in Korea I don't know why you'd ever come back.

Plus the women there are pretty amazing looking.

*Also I can't be the only one that though Eric Thames was Marcus Thames, right?

[chesapeake]

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

I'm just going to enjoy his last 2 years in DC and then boo every time he shows up wearing pinstripes after that.

I still have hope. I look at the Scherzer signing as an example of Mike Rizzo being able to convince the owner to spend the money for the right player. If Harper continues to have another MVP-caliber season, I think they might be able to get something done. From what the press reports, the Lerners have a really good relationship with Harper, too, which I think will increase the chances that they will open the checkbook.

[CrescentMoonie]

Originally Posted by chesapeake

I still have hope. I look at the Scherzer signing as an example of Mike Rizzo being able to convince the owner to spend the money for the right player. If Harper continues to have another MVP-caliber season, I think they might be able to get something done. From what the press reports, the Lerners have a really good relationship with Harper, too, which I think will increase the chances that they will open the checkbook.

I just don't see them doing 10 years and $400 million.

[lungs]

Originally Posted by stevew

So somehow I found myself watching a half hour clip of Eric Thames hitting 47 homers in Korea and literally all the ones I saw were epic moonshots and he always did this crazy post home run dance with #42 on his team and it ended with the guy grabbing his beard.

Which begs the question, if you were literally having that much fun in Korea I don't know why you'd ever come back.

Plus the women there are pretty amazing looking.

*Also I can't be the only one that though Eric Thames was Marcus Thames, right?

Maybe he likes bigger girls? Hence, the move to Milwaukee.

[Logan]

The Mets just can't have nice things.

[stevew]

I know Dansby Swanson isn't hitting and the pitching piece is struggling, but holy shit even Ender Incarciate straight up for Shelby Miller is a monstrous steal.

[ISiddiqui]

When you said Swanson wasn't hitting, I went to check out his stats on Baseball-Reference and HOLY CRAP! I didn't know it was possible to get a -3 on OPS+

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

When you said Swanson wasn't hitting, I went to check out his stats on Baseball-Reference and HOLY CRAP! I didn't know it was possible to get a -3 on OPS+

The season Uggla was released
.241/.231/.472, with an OPS+ of 35

Swanson YTD
.165/.195/.359, with an OPS+ of (-3)

[CrescentMoonie]

Angel Hernandez is stunningly incompetent. Can baseball please find a way to get rid of him, Bucknor, West, and the rest of the chronically awful umpires.

[frnk55]

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

Angel Hernandez is stunningly incompetent. Can baseball please find a way to get rid of him, Bucknor, West, and the rest of the chronically awful umpires.

I think Angel year after year is always considered the worst ump.

[bhlloy]

Kinda ironic that America's national pastime is the one with the union so strong they can't get rid of umpires who have been consistently incompetent for 10+ years

[CrescentMoonie]

Adam Eaton out for the year with an ACL. Nats traded a ton to get him, he looked great leading off and good in CF, and now this.

[CrescentMoonie]

Hope Syndergaard isn't hurt too badly.

[Logan]

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

Hope Syndergaard isn't hurt too badly.

Let it be a lesson that you shouldn't refuse an MRI after two different bouts of soreness/tiredness.

[CrescentMoonie]

Anthony Rendon had a decent month yesterday.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by CrescentMoonie

Hope Syndergaard isn't hurt too badly.

Partially torn lat. Straight to the 10 day.

http://m.mlb.com/news/article/227608...-of-right-lat/

[dawgfan]

On a distantly related note - the Corpus Christi Hooks (AA affiliate of the Astros) are doing special uniforms for their Dia de los Muertos tribute, and the caps are pretty f-in awesome:

http://news.sportslogos.net/2017/04/...th-skull-caps/

[Chief Rum]

Skaggs is out 10-12 weeks.

Angels can't buy a good, injury-free pitcher right now. It's amazing they're over .500 at the moment.

[Atocep]

And Stan Holbrook with the worst ejection of a pitcher I've seen. Tosses Gausman for hitting Bogaerts with a breaking ball.

You can tell my Joseph's immediate reaction behind the plate that it wasn't intentional at all.

[bhlloy]

Especially ridiculous after they specifically didn't warn the benches before the game and made a big deal about it, and then ejected someone in the second inning for a breaking ball that got away. Makes zero sense.

[miami_fan]

I give Holbrook a pass. I am not sure if the type of pitch should be the determining factor of intent. Didn't a Brewers pitcher accidentally break Giancarlo Stanton's face with a fastball? At this point, much like PEDs, players receive no benefit of the doubt based on all the BS that has happened in the past. If a player is hit by a pitch, my immediate reaction is that it was intentional.

[PilotMan]

This Dodgers team has me all

[Bobble]

Originally Posted by dawgfan

On a distantly related note - the Corpus Christi Hooks (AA affiliate of the Astros) are doing special uniforms for their Dia de los Muertos tribute, and the caps are pretty f-in awesome:

http://news.sportslogos.net/2017/04/...th-skull-caps/

I'm tempted to go down to see the Mud Hens on Sgt. Pepper Night: Toledo Mud Hens unveil Beatles’ ‘Sgt Pepper’ jersey - Bless You Boys

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

I give Holbrook a pass. I am not sure if the type of pitch should be the determining factor of intent. Didn't a Brewers pitcher accidentally break Giancarlo Stanton's face with a fastball? At this point, much like PEDs, players receive no benefit of the doubt based on all the BS that has happened in the past. If a player is hit by a pitch, my immediate reaction is that it was intentional.

It was a 77 mph curve. If you're going to hit someone with a pitch intentionally it's going to be something you have better control of than a breaking ball.

Machado was thrown behind 3 times in this series and they decide to toss the guy with no intent to do any harm.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

This Dodgers team has me all

Same way I feel about the Giants. It's weird because going back to last year, they were the best team in baseball until they were suddenly the worst team in baseball.

[stevew]

So I'm not really paying attention but just a quick glance at MLBTR makes me think that about 2/3 of the good pitchers in the league are on the DL right now.

[MrBug708]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

This Dodgers team has me all

Utley is no longer a viable positional player. Two strikeouts vs righties where he was caught looking. Pretty brutal