MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

[SouthernWarrior]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

MANIC METS:

The Mets (95-52) had an almost embarrassing loss to the low level Pirates (51-96) but managed to comeback and take it 3-2.

Jacob deGrom (15-9, 3.05 ERA) pitched below average by his standards giving up 2 runs in the first 2 innings as the score was 2-0 Pirates going into the 6th as he took the no decision. He has significantly struggled of late sliding him down to 3rd in voting for Cy Young and questions remain about his readiness for the playoffs.

The Mets were saved in the 7th inning by a solo HR by Gleyber Torres (35), a solo 8th inning HR by Joc Pederson (33), and a 2nd solo HR in the top of the 9th by Pederson (34) to win it 3-2.

Arodys Vizcaino (6-3) took the win while Richard Rodriguez (5-4) took the loss. Seth Lugo had a shutout 9th inning for his 37th save of the season.

The Mets magic number is now 6 with 15 games to go. Their record is 95-52. The Los Angeles Dodgers record is 96-53 setting up a still important quest for home field advantage. The Dodgers have been on a 6 game winning streak going 9-1 while the Mets have been 6-4.

15 GAMES TO GO

[Councilmann_Jamm]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

I'm in year 4 of a franchise with my favorite team the Orioles. Started on The Show 18. Made my own teardown trades of Britton, Adam Jones, Mychal Givens, etc.


______________________________________________

First season I won 52 games.

Second season I won 68 games

Third season I won 82 games.

Year 4 start of June I have the best record in baseball at 40-21

______________________________________________


2021 Orioles are lead by 35 year old Chris Davis who is leading the MVP Race. When I started he was 68 OVR and think he's now a 78 OVR. It makes no sense but Davis is hitting everything.

My favorite part of my team is Jon Singleton. I signed him as a FA when I first started and made him a reclamation project kinda like David Ortiz. Year 2 he was great, Year 3 was terrible. And I thought about not brining him back for Year 4. But I did and he started slow, almostes cut him but since then he is killing it.

I have Francisco Lindor but can't hit for anything with him. But his defense is top notch!

______________________________________________

My roster

C - Chance Sisco
1B - Chris Davis
2B - Jonathan Schooo
SS - Francisco Lindor
3B - J.D. Davis
OF - Austin Jays
OF - Cedric Mullins
OF - Nolan Jones
DH - Jon Singleton

OF - Yordan Alvarez
INF/OF - Jurficikson Profar
C - Adley Rasuchtman
OF/INF - Bubba Starling


SP - Tyler Skaggs
SP - Kevin Gausman
SP - Dylan Bundy
SP - Luke Weaver
SP - John Means / Griffin Canning / Daniel Norris


RP

Blake Trenin
Ken Giles
Archie Bradley
Tanner Scott
Gabriel Ynoa
Cionel Perez


______________________________________________


Yordan Alvarez / JD Davis we're acquired for Mychal Givens in 2018. Before both players became breakouts on real life

Francisco Lindor was acquired for Gavin Lux and Greyson Rodriguez in 2020

Nolan Scott acquired in 2018 for Adam Jones.

Like Weaver acquired in 2019 for Trey Mancini

Archie Bradley acquired in 2020 for Ryan Mointcastle and Hunter Harvey.

______________________________________________


My farm system is looking stocked and have lots of arms and middle infielders looking to come up next year.

[Gagnon39]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread



JULY 26, 2020 | ST. LOUIS

The Cubs improved to 40-14 on the road as they cruised past the Cardinals in St. Louis Sunday afternoon, earning a four-game sweep over their division rivals in the process. Willson Contreras homered twice and Ian Happ continued to swing a hot bat, knocking a three-run homer in the third after collecting three home runs in yesterday's game.

"We're really clicking right now and we just need to keep it rolling," said Happ after the game. "It's been an exciting year and we want to continue playing well at the right time."

Tyler Chatwood, who has been inconsistent for the Cubs this season made arguably his best start of the year. Chatwood earned the win (his 6th of the year) after completing seven strong innings, allowing just a pair of runs while striking out six.

The Cubs were patient at the plate as the racked up eight walks on the day including three bases-loaded walks.

"I've really liked our approaches at the plate this year," said Cubs skipper David Ross. "We've drawn a lot of walks and really put ourselves in good hitters counts."

The Cubs will look to continue their road dominance Monday night in San Francisco as they take on the Giants. Yu Darvish (11-3, 4.46) will be on the hill for the Cubs. Johnny Cueto (7-7, 3.37) will make the start for the Giants.

[MightyMaxxx13]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

PITTSBURGH PIRATES FRANCHISE

July 12, 2020

The Pirates grinded out a 3-4 road trip, losing 3 of 4 in Atlanta then taking 2 of 3 in Cincinnati. After losing the first 3 in a row to Atlanta, it was Big Game Brandon Waddell who halted the losing streak with a phenomenal 8 shutout inning performance. Also in that game, second baseman Kevin Kramer hit his first major league homerun off of AJ Minter.

Kramer has been a hero since getting the call from AAA. He hit a go-ahead 8th inning grand slam in the rubber match against the first place Reds to give us the series win, and is batting a cool .356 through 45 AB’s. Giving him the starting nod has so far been a shrewd decision. Hopefully he can keep it up - Kevin Newman will be out until late August as he recovers from a torn finger ligament.

Yes, we had some big time rookie performances this week. We head to the All-Star break at 53-43. Despite the losing road trip, we did pick up a game on the Reds and now sit 5 games back in the Central division. We are still deadlocked in a 4-way tie for the two wild card spots.

The break gives us a much-needed chance to get back to full strength and re-shuffle the starting rotation. Joe Musgrove got hit around (again) against the Braves, and will be moving to the pen in favor of lefty Steven Brault. Brault has posted a steady 2.97 ERA in a swingman role through 33.1 IP. Waddell has quickly become our de-facto ace and is going to slot up to make the first start when games resume.

Down on the farm, catcher Luke Maile will be out for a month or two as he recovers from a torn calf. He’s the third catcher on our 40-man roster, so we are slightly exposed and may need to add some depth behind the plate. Career 4-A backstop Andrew Susac is on a minor league contract and would be our next line of defense.

On to All Star Week! Two Pirates will proudly represent the Black and Yellow in LA at this year’s festivities.

First baseman Josh Bell won the fan vote and will be the starting first baseman for the NL squad. He’s having a career year, and has been one of the top offensive players in the league this season. His numbers are staggering (NL rank):

.313 batting average (5th)
.416 OBP (2nd)
.604 SLG (3rd)
22 HR (T-9th)
61 RBI (10th)
29 2B (1st)
65 Runs scored (1st)

He’s certainly in the running for the NL MVP. This is his second career All Star selection.

Pirates closer Keone Kela also gets the nod, the first of his career. Kela has already tied his career-high with 24 saves (in 27 chances). The analytics gurus call him one of the best relievers in the majors this season, sporting a beastly 1.98 FIP, 50 K’s in 44 IP, and just a single home run allowed. He’s been a stud all year.

Our top 2 prospects, SS Oneil Cruz and OF Travis Swaggerty, have been selected to represent the Pirates at the Futures Game.

Finally, management has notified all players and personnel that any formal contract extension negotiations will not take place until the offseason.

[SouthernWarrior]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

JULY 26, 2020 | ST. LOUIS

The Cubs improved to 40-14 on the road as they cruised past the Cardinals in St. Louis Sunday afternoon, earning a four-game sweep over their division rivals in the process. Willson Contreras homered twice and Ian Happ continued to swing a hot bat, knocking a three-run homer in the third after collecting three home runs in yesterday's game.

"We're really clicking right now and we just need to keep it rolling," said Happ after the game. "It's been an exciting year and we want to continue playing well at the right time."

Tyler Chatwood, who has been inconsistent for the Cubs this season made arguably his best start of the year. Chatwood earned the win (his 6th of the year) after completing seven strong innings, allowing just a pair of runs while striking out six.

The Cubs were patient at the plate as the racked up eight walks on the day including three bases-loaded walks.

"I've really liked our approaches at the plate this year," said Cubs skipper David Ross. "We've drawn a lot of walks and really put ourselves in good hitters counts."

The Cubs will look to continue their road dominance Monday night in San Francisco as they take on the Giants. Yu Darvish (11-3, 4.46) will be on the hill for the Cubs. Johnny Cueto (7-7, 3.37) will make the start for the Giants.

Very Nice!!!

[MightyMaxxx13]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

PITTSBURGH PIRATES FRANCHISE

2020 All-Star Week

The Baby Buccos absolutely showed out at the All Star Futures Game, with #1 prospect Oneil Cruz winning Futures Game MVP honors and #2 prospect Travis Swaggerty going yard after entering the game as a reserve. Nice!

Cruz started the game at DH and was 3-5 with two doubles and a triple. The first double was a scorcher off of Blue Jays stud Nate Pearson and the triple would lead to Cruz scoring the winning run in the 10th inning.

Swaggerty entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 8th and hit a solo bomb off of Mariners prospect Joey Gerber to tie the game. Two big performances from two future stars!

Next up was the home run derby. Yankee masher Giancarlo Stanton would win the trophy in front of his Southern California family and friends. He beat Justin Turner and Mike Trout on his way to a matchup with Reds slugger Eugenio Suarez in the championship round.

Another couple trades to report from day 1 of the ASB, with the Mets shipping first baseman Dom Smith to the Angels for minor leaguers RHP Stiward Aquino and OF D’Shawn Knowles. Smith looks to start at first for the Halos who are 0.5 behind the Astros and looking to make a playoff push.

Last-place Padres traded reliever Craig Stammen and starter Garrett Richards to the Twins for catching prospect Ryan Jeffers.

The midsummer classic is next. Here are the starting lineups:

American League:

SP Zack Greinke (HOU): 11-4, 2.98, 135 K’s

3B Miguel Andujar (NYY): .281, 22 HR, 64 RBI
RF Austin Meadows (TB): .255, 27 HR, 66 RBI
CF Mike Trout (LAA): .344, 30 HR, 75 RBI
DH Nelson Cruz (MIN): .305, 32 HR, 92 RBI
SS Xander Bogaerts (BOS): .328, 27 HR, 83 RBI
LF Michael Brantley (HOU): ..316, 12 HR, 28 RBI
2B Luis Arraez (MIN): .307, 9 HR, 47 RBI
1B Edwin Encarnacion (CWS): .293, 25 HR, 62 RBI
C Jason Castro (LAA): .295, 13 HR, 47 RBI

National League:

SP Clayton Kershaw (LAD): 12-4, 2.51, 126 K’s

2B Ozzie Albies (ATL): .289, 17 HR, 52 RBI
C J.T. Realmuto (PHI): .292, 10 HR, 45 RBI
3B Nolan Arenado (COL): .289, 27 HR, 58 RBI
CF Ronald Acuna (ATL): .308, 25 HR, 72 RBI
1B Josh Bell (PIT): .313, 22 HR, 61 RBI
DH Shogo Akiyama (CIN): .315, 20 HR, 64 RBI
LF Nicholas Castellanos (CIN): .309, 21 HR, 58 RBI
RF Bryce Harper (PHI): .306, 25 HR, 64 RBI
SS Nick Ahmed (ARI): .293, 15 HR, 53 RBI

[MightyMaxxx13]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

PITTSBURGH PIRATES FRANCHISE

July 16, 2020

The NL squad won the All-Star Game by a score of 3-0. It was a display of power pitching, as neither team hit a home run and the AL squad was held to just 2 hits. Brewers catcher Omar Narvaez drove in 1 with a double off of Lance McCullers and Christian Yelich added 2 more with a double of his own off of Rangers closer Jose Leclerc. Rockies closer Scott Oberg earned the win and McCullers took the loss. Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen earned the save with a scoreless 9th and was named All-Star Game MVP.

Josh Bell made the start at first base and popped out in his only at-bat. Keone Kela pitched a scoreless 8th, picking up a hold and striking out Edwin Encarnacion in his first All Star Game appearance.

Congrats to the Pirates minor league all-stars as well:

AAA
RHP Clay Holmes
OF Charlie Tilson
1B/DH Will Craig

AA
RHP Beau Sulser
RHP Matt Eckelman
RHP Blake Cederlind
LHP Hunter Schryver
OF Travis Swaggerty
1B/OF Logan Hill
3B/1B Hunter Owen
OF Jared Oliva

We return to regular game action this week. We will play sub-.500 teams for the rest of July, starting with a homestand against the Nationals (47-50) and Padres (40-57), then hitting the road for the Brewers (47-48) and Padres again.

We’ll have to make a trade deadline decision pretty soon. We’ve discussed a trade with the A’s front office that would bring Sean Manaea to Pittsburgh. The A’s asked for Swaggerty as the headliner in return, and ownership is hesitant to deal one of our top two prospects after getting burned in 2018 in the Archer/Meadows deal. Understandable, but this team needs a pitcher if it is going to compete for real. There are some other less expensive pitchers on the market to be had, so we have 2 weeks to make a decision in that regard.

We’ve also considered the possibility of Jameson Taillon pitching in 2020. He went under the knife for TJ surgery in August 2019, and is currently rehabbing and throwing 4x per week. Early in the season, we figured we wouldn’t be in the race. The plan was to shut him down for the year and bring him back at full strength in 2021. If he was to return, it would be in September at the very earliest. It’s a risky move, but he’d be far and away our top pitcher if he was to get back on a major league mound this season. He’ll begin facing live hitters in an August rehab assignment and a risky decision will have to be made.

[decga]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Took care of business in Canada.
We headed up north to Toronto following our deflating 3 game series vs. the Mets in the N.Y. Our record coming into the 2 game series vs. the Blue Jays was 74-59, top of the Wild Card by 1G & 5.0GB of the 1st place Mets in the east. Well we swept the Blue Jays! We picked up one game on the Mets, so we trailed them by 4.0 games with 27 games remaining. We face the Mets in a 3 game series finale of the regular season.

Notes of the Blue Jays series: Teheran improved to 17-5,3.60 ERA, 175IP. Also CP Kimbrel was 2 for 2 in SV Opp!Giving him 40 saves on the year. Also UIF Adam Duvall is playing his way on the club for next year. He remained hot at plate. The one game he played vs. a RHSP, 3 for 4,2B & RBI. He has been just as valuable or maybe a lil more than 3B Donaldson down the stretch. He is not a FA at the end of the year, 2 yrs of ARB remaining before becoming a FA. So if my move for 3B Arenando doesn't work out in the off-season. There will be competition for the hot corner in Spring Training between him, Riley and Pinder.

Headed back home to the confines of TruisT Park for a 8 game set. 3 vs. the CWS, 2 vs. the Blue Jays and a critical 4 game weekend series vs. the Nats. The Nats won't go away! They are 2.0GB of me for the top WC seed. So bring em' all on!

[MightyMaxxx13]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

PITTSBURGH PIRATES FRANCHISE

July 18, 2020

Righty starter Joe Musgrove has been informed that he would be optioned to AAA for the remainder of the season. Always a tough decision to give a hard demotion, especially to a player who was supposed to be a key part of the team. Unfortunately he’s hurting the team, plain and simple. He already spent a few weeks in AAA during June to try to sort out his issues. He dominated down there and seemed to get back on track, but has fallen into bad habits and poor results again in the majors. A recent demotion to the bullpen didn’t help - he surrendered the go-ahead homer in extra innings against the Nats to the very first batter he faced out of the pen.

Overall, the numbers are ugly. In 16 games (15 starts), he’s 3-11 with an ERA over 7. If we allow him to accrue enough innings to qualify, he may end up with one of the worst seasons in MLB history for a pitcher.

He’s been a puzzle for our scouts all year. There’s been no discernible drop in velocity or command, he just seems to get hit hard consistently. Our scouts believe he can turn things around and bounce back strong next season, and we made that clear to him before informing him of our decision. That being said, he also informed us that he preferred to be traded than spend the remainder of the season in AAA.

So now begins the process of trying to find a suitor. Musgrove is still controllable for 2 more seasons and would be a strong candidate for a rebound year in 2021. In fact I’d prefer to keep him, and if we weren’t in the playoff hunt I’d keep a spot open in hopes that he could turn things around. A team looking to retool with an experienced pitcher for next year may take a flier on him as a guy who needs a “change of scenery.”

Before the season, Musgrove was arguably our most valuable trade chip if we planned to go all-in on a rebuild. That value has taken a massive hit, and we will be selling low unfortunately. We’ve begun to assess his value and will reach out to teams to let them know he is available.

[eric7064]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cubs put forth a tenacious effort in August. Despite missing some key positional players due to injury, they came together and still put together a solid month that puts them in a playoff race in September. The month was not fantastic, but they did go 14-11 and ended August at 70-65.

OF Justin Upton and 1B Devin Jackson were the anchors of the lineup this month, and rookie OF Mario Dorta has established himself as the Cubs leadoff hitter, a spot in the lineup that was previously not solidified for the Cubs.
The Cubs do get reinforcement’s in September. Sano comes back on the 1st day of the month, and Baez and Browning will be back in the middle of the month. The Cubs sit 6.5GB of the division, but only 0.5 GB of the 2nd WC spot. It will be a tough and tight race as there are 7 teams within 5 games of the spot.

Cubs are 70-65 heading into September.

Sorry been behind on posting!

2024 Cubs:

Cubs just did not have enough in the tank in September to make a run. Despite Sano, Browning and Baez coming back, the Cubs still struggled to balance both the offense and the pitching needed to win.

The Cubs went 12-15 in September and finished the season with an overall record of 82-80. The Cubs have won 2 World Series in 5 years, and both times the season after they have now missed the playoffs. This season will certainly be labeled as a disappointment, and it was riddled with injuries and underperformances.

All was not lost, the Cubs did part ways with Chicago legend 1B Anthony Rizzo, but they gained some core young players in CF Mario Dorta and SP Jose Serrano. They also had quality seasons from some young players in SP Brailyn Marquez, SP Bernard Nowak, and 1B Devin Jackson. Although young players OF Henry Browning and 2B Alan Quick had down seasons and were big factors as to why the Cubs fell short.

Cubs Notable Performers:

SS Javier Baez .245/23HR/60RBI (430AB’s)
CF Mario Dorta (Rookie): .291/5HR/23RBI/25SB (225AB’s)
1B Devin Jackson: .253/21HR/68RBI (450AB’s)
3B Miguel Sano .259/29HR/52RBI (355AB’s)
C Kyle Schwarber .261/24HR/56RBI
OF Henry Browning .206/8HR/38RBI/36SB
2B Alan Quick .238/4HR/43RBI/29SB
SP Jose Berrios 15-8/3.22ERA/226K’s (All Star)
SP Jose Serrano 4-5/4.86ERA/70K’s (13GS)
SP Brailyn Marquez 11-8/3.52ERA/189K’s
CP Clyde Booker 61IP/1.75ERA/76K’s/12SV

Thoughts:
Cubs did not have a single player achieve even 70RBI’s on the season. A lot of that can be attributed to the injuries they suffered, but the Cubs were 26th in runs, 20th in HR, 28th in OBP and 28th in AVG. The Cubs ERA ranked 14th in MLB. Not great, but it shows that the young staff and bullpen have progression moving forward. The Cubs will head into the offseason possibly looking for a difference making bat in the middle of the lineup. Sano can be that guy, but has yet to play in 100 games in his first 2 seasons as a Cub. The offseason should be a fun one for the Cubs as they look to make a splash.

[eric7064]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

2024 Offseason

Notable Losses:
Util David Bote
RP Craig Kimbrel
RP Mychal Givens
OF Justin Upton
3B Josh Donaldson
UTIL Marwin Gonzalez

Notable Signings:
OF Juan Soto (7YR/216MIL)
2B/OF Whit Merrifield (1YR/8MIL)
Extended SP Jose Serrano (8YR/70M)

Thoughts:

The Cubs did not make many moves in free agency. For a team that underperformed and missed the postseason one would assume a team would make more moves. The moves they did make were big ones. 26 year old Juan Soto signed a massive 7 year deal to be the focal point in the middle of the lineup for the Cubs. Whit Merrifield will take over David Bote’s role of ultimate utility man.

The Cubs did lose out on some bullpen arms, but are confident in the arms they already have in the system. Josh Donaldson and Marwin were not big losses as they both hit under .200 after being picked up mid-season last year.
The Cubs will not look a lot different in 2025, but they do not feel they need too. They will have some scary names in a lineup that finished in the bottom of many offensive categories last year. Javier Baez is a name to keep an eye on, who has somewhat struggled since the departure of Kris Bryant a few seasons ago. Will having Juan Soto hit behind him open the door for an improvement?

The Cubs rotation will not change at all, as they move forward with one of the younger rotations in baseball. Berrios is the only player that is 30, and had his best year of his career last year finishing 3rd in Cy Young voting and being an all-star. This could be a make or break year for some young Cubs players in Alan Quick and Henry Browning. Will the Cubs win 3 World Series in 6 years? 2025 should be a fun one.

[MightyMaxxx13]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

PITTSBURGH PIRATES FRANCHISE

July 18, 2020

Righty starter Joe Musgrove has been informed that he would be optioned to AAA for the remainder of the season. Always a tough decision to give a hard demotion, especially to a player who was supposed to be a key part of the team. Unfortunately he’s hurting the team, plain and simple. He already spent a few weeks in AAA during June to try to sort out his issues. He dominated down there and seemed to get back on track, but has fallen into bad habits and poor results again in the majors. A recent demotion to the bullpen didn’t help - he surrendered the go-ahead homer in extra innings against the Nats to the very first batter he faced out of the pen.

Overall, the numbers are ugly. In 16 games (15 starts), he’s 3-11 with an ERA over 7. If we allow him to accrue enough innings to qualify, he may end up with one of the worst seasons in MLB history for a pitcher.

He’s been a puzzle for our scouts all year. There’s been no discernible drop in velocity or command, he just seems to get hit hard consistently. Our scouts believe he can turn things around and bounce back strong next season, and we made that clear to him before informing him of our decision. That being said, he also informed us that he preferred to be traded than spend the remainder of the season in AAA.

So now begins the process of trying to find a suitor. Musgrove is still controllable for 2 more seasons and would be a strong candidate for a rebound year in 2021. In fact I’d prefer to keep him, and if we weren’t in the playoff hunt I’d keep a spot open in hopes that he could turn things around. A team looking to retool with an experienced pitcher for next year may take a flier on him as a guy who needs a “change of scenery.”

Before the season, Musgrove was arguably our most valuable trade chip if we planned to go all-in on a rebuild. That value has taken a massive hit, and we will be selling low unfortunately. We’ve begun to assess his value and will reach out to teams to let them know he is available.

We’ve finalized a trade that will send Joe Musgrove to the Boston Red Sox. The Colorado Rockies also expressed interest but ultimately the package offered by the Red Sox fit our needs.

RED SOX RECEIVE RHP JOE MUSGROVE

PIRATES RECEIVE RHP MATT BARNES
PIRATES RECEIVE OF KEVIN PILLAR

We definitely sold low on Musgrove. Had we dealt him before the season, we most likely would have netted a premium prospect. Fate would have it that we would compete this year, and that Musgrove wouldn’t be part of that plan. Like Musgrove, Barnes and Pillar are having bad years and needed a change of scenery.

Musgrove’s numbers in 2020 are ugly. In 15 starts, he’s 3-11 with a 6.97 ERA. He’s allowed 18 homers in 71 innings. Undoubtedly though, he still has a ton of upside. He’s under team control for 2021-2022 so the Red Sox will have some time to get him back on track. The Sox are thin on starting depth and 10.5 out of the wild card race, 7 games under .500. If they can turn Musgrove around, he has the upside of a mid-rotation starter to back up a (hopefully) healthy Chris Sale in 2021.

In return we receive 30-year old reliever Matt Barnes and 31-year old outfielder Kevin Pillar.

Barnes has been up and down in his career, mostly down in 2020. In 31 games, he’s blown 6 saves and sports an ERA of 5.33. His peripherals are slightly better, which indicate he may be due for a turnaround. He’s got a nasty curve and premium velocity, but poor command. He’ll slide into a middle relief role for us, and if he turns it around could work his way into a 7th or 8th inning setup role. He has postseason experience with the Sox 2018 championship run, which is a plus. He’s also controllable for 2021.

Pillar served in a platoon role for Boston, and through 60 games is slashing .223/.268/.398. Not great numbers, but he’s got some tools that we lack currently. He’s a plus hitter with average power against lefties and is a true centerfielder. He’ll serve as our 4th outfielder but most likely will start against lefties, allowing Bryan Reynolds to shift to a more suitable corner spot and giving the day off to lefty-swinging Adam Frazier or Gregory Polanco. He’ll be a free agent after 2020. Guillermo Heredia was filling this role previously, and has been optioned back to AAA.

In total, we also add about $2 million in prorated salary with this deal. Not a huge nut, but we definitely took a bath on Musgrove’s value. It’ll be worth it if Barnes and Pillar can contribute to a run.

We took 2 of 3 from the Nationals and the Reds have lost 5 in a row. We’re 3 games out of first place, but tied with the Cubs for second. We’ll host the Padres for 3 before hitting the road for 3 in Milwaukee and 3 in San Diego.

[TNKNGM]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Some recent highlights from my Red Sox franchise:

Xander Bogaerts crushed a 453 foor bomb and JD Martinez followed with a 428 foot blast as they go back to back at Fenway against the Mariners
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/munMsikBQaE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EcaG0rCgyas" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Michael Chavis hit a rocket off the LF foul pole at Pittsburght
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yea6_7M_QnU" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Bobby Dalbec hammered a 455 foot bomb at Pittsburgh for the 1st HR of his MLB career
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lGu9gHamcwA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Mitch Moreland had a career night at the plate against the Orioles going 4 for 5 with 9 RBI as he slugged a 3-run HR and a grand slam HR in the same game
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o968mkiYVwM" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yxwm3E5IJDA" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Jackie Bradley Jr and Andrew Benintendi hit back to back HR that landed almost in the exact same spot at Kansas City
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LD1ctVFGRIc" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n2rW3bzSGZI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[countryboy]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

Cardinals and Indians agree to Fabregas trade

The Cardinals and Indians agreed to a deal that will bring Juan Fabregas back to St.Louis.

Indians Get:

OF Jo Adell
OF Heilot Ramos
LHP B.J. Trayers

Cardinals Get:

OF Juan Fabregas


Juan Fabregas turned down the Cardinals offer earlier this offseason and signed with the Indians, but the Indians were able to re-sign Franchy Cordero to play left field.

The Indians will get Jo Adell who will likely play right field or DH and then Yasiel Puig will do the other. Heilot Ramos adds top prospect depth to a thin outfield core in the organization and B.J. Trayers gives the Indians a left handed reliever who at just 18 years old has an extremely high ceiling (67 OVR A potential - 98)

The Cardinals didn't include Michael Wacha in this deal as the Indians were able to sign pitching depth while the two sides negotiated a deal.

So Juan Fabregas will back in the Cardinals lineup likely batting cleanup. Now the Cardinals will likely move Dylan Carlson to right field and will use spring training to figure out how to put together a balanced lineup as we wind down the offseason.

[MightyMaxxx13]

Re: MLB The Show 20 Franchise Discussion Thread

PITTSBURGH PIRATES FRANCHISE

July 30, 2020

The Pirates have won 4 consecutive series post- All Star Break. The team is a season-high 14 games over .500 at 61-47, 3.0 GB of the Reds in the NL Central. We are tied for the top wild card spot with the Diamondbacks, with the Cubs and Braves each 1.0 GB.

The time has come, it’s put up or shut up. This team has exceeded expectations and consistently played competitive baseball all year. A team that was supposed to sit in last place in a very competitive division is in striking distance of its first division crown since 1992. Our destiny is in our hands - we play the Cubs 4 more times and the Reds 8 more times before the season is over. It is now the trade deadline, and we will be going all in to make a run at the postseason.

This is a risky move, but the right one. Josh Bell has two more years under team control before we are priced out of re-signing him. He’s the heart of our offense, no question. Keone Kela has emerged as one of the top relievers in baseball, and will be a free agent this coming offseason. Slim chance we can afford to keep him with the money he will command as a sub-30 flamethrower. We have caught lightning in a bottle this year and can’t let the opportunity escape us.

So we’re going all in for a frontline starter and a shut-down reliever to pair with Kela in the pen. We don’t have a deep farm, but we had a very good draft in 2020 so there is less pressure to call certain prospects untouchable.

Stay tuned!