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smittykins

By smittykins
in Sports

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catlover79
catlover79

A's fans were still able to make their fury at the Astros known when the teams played in Oakland last night. They may not be physically allowed in the stadium, so they did the next best thing:

xaxat
xaxat

I read that Houck said he was "bummed" that he would missing a start. Hmmm, if only there was something he could have done to make sure he could play in every park. 

xaxat
xaxat

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baldryanr

baldryanr

(edited)
7 hours ago, Jane Tuesday said:

Perspective.

The Mets had better hope Soto doesn't follow in their footsteps.  Trout became Mr. Glass starting in his late 20s and Pujols turned into an average player for the vast majority of his 30s.

On the plus side for Yankees haters, they've just screwed themselves.  Judge can't carry the offense by himself (see Ohtani and Trout with the Angels for how well that can work out).

Edited by baldryanr
Jane Tuesday

Jane Tuesday

(edited)
1 hour ago, bosawks said:

Dick Allen should have been in the HOF years ago, this trend of waiting for someone to pass away, hello Ron Santo, makes me furious.

The baseball HOF is nothing if not consistently rage inducing.     

Fans of Ken Boyer agree. The HOF Case for Ken Boyer.

 

This is cute, though. 

 

Edited by Jane Tuesday
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mojoween

mojoween

9 hours ago, smittykins said:

Good, but we still need offense.  Judge can’t(and shouldn’t have to)carry it alone.

According to Jeff Passan (I think, could have been Buster Olney or Timmaay), with seven starters now in the clubhouse, they’ll most likely trade one for a bat.

And I know who I would choose, even though he (and his wife!) seems quite lovely.

  • Like 1
ProudMary

ProudMary

From Fangraphs:

"After missing out on Juan Soto and Max Fried earlier in the week, the Boston Red Sox switched gears from free agency to the trade market and found their star. In a blockbuster deal, they’re acquiring Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, and Wikelman Gonzalez, as Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe first reported."

Nice pick-up for the Red Sox.

Also via Bluesky, making this Yankees' fan 🙂 :

🔁 @kileymcd retweeted
@jorgecastillo Right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga and the Yankees have agreed on a one-year contract with a team option for 2026, a source tells ESPN. Loáisiga, 30, missed most of the 2024 season after undergoing elbow surgery. He is expected be ready to pitch in late April.

ProudMary

ProudMary

1 hour ago, mojoween said:

The things coming out about how much of a baby Juan Soto is (if true) make me less sad.

I haven't seen any of these things. I'll have to go look. 

I'm not sad at all. That contract is an albatross. It makes Judge's nine year contract look like a bargain. THAT was the one that would have saddened me if he hadn't signed. I enjoyed watching Soto play all year, but if Hal's ready to open his wallet, and the Fried deal would indicate that's the case, then LFG!

I'll tell you who I'd really like to get: Teoscar Hernandez. Let him do FOR the Yankees that which he always does TO the Yankees. I'm hearing Red Sox rumors for him. That'd be a nightmare.

I may be one of a very few fans who feels this way, but I think this team is going to miss Gleyber Torres at 2nd base and at leadoff. He came up so early that many don't even realize that he's just turning 28 later this month. He grew up since the mid-season boneheaded incident and then took off batting first. I really don't think they should have let him walk. He wanted to be in the Bronx. He's really just coming into his own. Too bad it'll be for another team. 😢

Humorous Dad joke comment I saw yesterday: The Yankees have to have at least one game where their newly signed lefty starter pitches to young Ben, so we can have a battery of Fried/Rice.

I'll show myself out...

  • Like 2
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ProudMary

ProudMary

28 minutes ago, mojoween said:

Nooooooooo not Nestor!

It was clear that someone from the pitching staff was going to be traded. I sure didn't want it to be Gil or Schmidt and at this point, Stroman's not going to net anyone worthwhile. I like Nestor a lot, but you have to give up good talent to get good talent. Hopefully, Devin Williams keeps producing in NY the way he has historically. 

From James Smyth (YES Network) on BlueSky:

"The Yankees just got one of the best closers in baseball

Devin Williams MLB RP Ranks Since 2020 (min 200 IP)
ERA    1.70  (2nd, Clase 1.62)
BAA    .145  (1st)
SLG    .227  (1st)
K%     40.8  (2nd, Diaz 41.7)
HR/9  0.53  (5th)
WAR     9.0  (2nd, Clase 10.5)"

  • Like 1
ProudMary

ProudMary

3 minutes ago, mojoween said:

We already had the best closer in baseball.  Does this mean that Luke is moving to middle relief?

The 2024 Yankees' bullpen had weak spots. Yes, it likely means that Luke will be the 7th and/or 8th inning guy. There are allegedly EIGHT teams that are interested in signing Tommy Kahnle, so there's no guarantee he's returning. I'm thrilled that they've re-signed Loaisiga. I'm usually on Cashman's ass for everything, but I think both Fried and Williams are great signings. Certainly, he needs to go get some bats now and he knows that. I'm willing to wait and see what he comes up with. 

In other news, the Cubs have acquired Kyle Tucker from the Cheaters.

 

  • Like 1
ProudMary

ProudMary

15 hours ago, DMK said:

A’s are only spending because they have to if they don’t want to get hit with a grievance. They’re a revenue sharing team, so they have to spend X amount of money or be in violation.

Could you please point me in the right direction for info on rules about this? I've been screaming about the need for a salary floor in MLB for decades. What kind of grievance would they be subject to? Several owners have been pocketing the revenue sharing funds for years instead of re-investing it into their teams and especially instead of putting it into player salaries. If such a grievance system exists, why was it not enforced when the club was in Oakland?

  • Like 1
DMK

DMK

1 hour ago, ProudMary said:

Could you please point me in the right direction for info on rules about this? I've been screaming about the need for a salary floor in MLB for decades. What kind of grievance would they be subject to? Several owners have been pocketing the revenue sharing funds for years instead of re-investing it into their teams and especially instead of putting it into player salaries. If such a grievance system exists, why was it not enforced when the club was in Oakland?

This is the article I read: Athletics Risk MLBPA Grievance Without Further Payroll Increases. They weren’t in violation of it previously because they hadn’t gotten as much before. The last year in Oakland having the most abysmal attendance thus far means they get more money so now they have to spend more.

  • Thanks 1
ProudMary

ProudMary

1 hour ago, baldryanr said:

Tell that to the MLBPA.  They've been strongly opposed to the floor because they think it's a prelude to a cap.

Which is hilarious to me. While every player who makes it to the Major League level is a highly skilled and trained athlete, 98% of them will never see the kind of contracts that have been given to elite, generational players like Ohtani and Soto, yet those "average" players are thinking, "Someday that could be me, so I don't want a salary cap imposed."  IMO, there should be a cap on those positively breathtaking contracts, especially to the way Ohtani's was structured. I've always thought the soft cap was sufficient, but these last two super mega contracts have made me think otherwise. 

Thanks for that link @DMK. I'm off to read it...

  • Like 1
ProudMary

ProudMary

18 minutes ago, DMK said:

This is the article I read: Athletics Risk MLBPA Grievance Without Further Payroll Increases. They weren’t in violation of it previously because they hadn’t gotten as much before. The last year in Oakland having the most abysmal attendance thus far means they get more money so now they have to spend more.

Good article explaining why the As must spend more money on payroll this season. Thanks for the link.

So, the grievance would come from the MLB Players Association. Unfortunately, this article doesn’t identify exactly how or even if, the As would be penalized should they not meet the payroll requirement. I guess that means a search of the pertinent section of the CBA. Maybe later. The sun's out and it's 64° here. I think I'd rather spend some time outside!

  • LOL 1
Carey

Carey

2 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

I don't think that they should have to, but the idea that THIRTEEN teams have never even given a $200 million contract is just wrong.

100%.  It's 2024.  Really 2025 when it comes to meaningful baseball.  I can relate personally; those teams should not have to act like a farm system.  I love the sport, but I don't think most of those teams should own a team if they can't afford it.

I'd prefer a level-playing field for the most part.  Otherwise, I can see why it's a waste of time for several of those teams to invest in the sport.  Until proven otherwise, no way I'd advise someone to bet on a financial level playing field

baldryanr

baldryanr

27 minutes ago, Carey said:

100%.  It's 2024.  Really 2025 when it comes to meaningful baseball.  I can relate personally; those teams should not have to act like a farm system.  I love the sport, but I don't think most of those teams should own a team if they can't afford it.

There's obviously some nuance to this.  The Astros signed Altuve to a seven year, $163 million dollar deal (not sure why that's not in the graphic), then extended him with a 5 year, $125 million dollar deal which included a signing bonus.  They also signed Verlander to a 2 year, $87 million dollar contract.  You can call them many things, but cheapskates isn't one of them just because there's no 10+ year deal.

Plus some of these teams have tried. Back in the day the Cardinals offered Pujols a ten year, 210 million dollar contract, but the Angels outbid them. Think they regret it?

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DMK

DMK

21 minutes ago, baldryanr said:

There's obviously some nuance to this.  The Astros signed Altuve to a seven year, $163 million dollar deal (not sure why that's not in the graphic), then extended him with a 5 year, $125 million dollar deal which included a signing bonus.  They also signed Verlander to a 2 year, $87 million dollar contract.  You can call them many things, but cheapskates isn't one of them just because there's no 10+ year deal.

Yeah, I was going to point out that a lot of those teams do not like signing such long term deals because the back ends of them are always a slog when the player gets old.

  • Like 3
Jane Tuesday

Jane Tuesday

2 hours ago, baldryanr said:

There's obviously some nuance to this.  The Astros signed Altuve to a seven year, $163 million dollar deal (not sure why that's not in the graphic), then extended him with a 5 year, $125 million dollar deal which included a signing bonus.  They also signed Verlander to a 2 year, $87 million dollar contract.  You can call them many things, but cheapskates isn't one of them just because there's no 10+ year deal.

Plus some of these teams have tried. Back in the day the Cardinals offered Pujols a ten year, 210 million dollar contract, but the Angels outbid them. Think they regret it?

Yes to all of this. Long contracts are often bad baseball decisions. The Cardinals are paying Sonny Gray $75M for three years, which is similar or slightly above AAV for at least a few of the contracts in the left column. And we've tried to get other players to take bigger contracts over the years. 

And some of the other teams... take the Brewers, for example. Why should they be embarrassed because they play winning baseball on smart contracts? 

  • Like 4
Perfect Xero

Perfect Xero

10 hours ago, ProudMary said:

As I've been discussing the need for a salary floor, this telling graphic pops up in my feed. The teams in the two columns on the right should be embarrassed. 

Screenshot_20241216_190301_Bluesky.jpg

One big contract is a rather questionable way to evaluate team spending. The columns on the right include teams that have often cracked the top 10 payrolls over the last decade (Braves, Cubs, Giants, Blue Jays), while the column on the left includes the Marlins and Royals.

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ProudMary

ProudMary

(edited)

Cody Bellinger to the Yankees.

Via Bob Nightingale's BlueSky:

Cody Bellinger has just been informed he has been traded to the Yankees. Passan had it first

30 year-old reliever Cody Poteet is going back to the Cubs. Yankees will also receive $5 million in cash.

Cody Bellinger was told that he will be playing center field for the Yankees, sliding Aaron Judge back to right field.

Edited by ProudMary
  • Like 1
DMK

DMK

On 12/15/2024 at 11:42 AM, ProudMary said:

So, the grievance would come from the MLB Players Association. Unfortunately, this article doesn’t identify exactly how or even if, the As would be penalized should they not meet the payroll requirement.

They would have their status as a revenue sharing recipient revoked. Apparently, this happened to them several years back and were only just reinstated in 2022.

  • Thanks 2
DMK

DMK

40 minutes ago, mojoween said:

I honestly was more interested in who was going to Chicago than Bellinger coming to his dad’s team.  Then to find out it was Cody Poteet (did it have to be a one for one Cody deal?) AND the Yanks get five mil?  Aces!

Meh. The five mil is to cover the buyout. Yankees are on the hook for Bellinger’s whole contract otherwise. That’s why they only had to send one middling player over to the Cubs. 

  • Like 2
ProudMary

ProudMary

(edited)

Admittedly, I'd never heard of John Holway until today, but this In Memorium tribute for Mr. Holway, who passed away on December 5th at the age of 95, is a very interesting read.

He was a pioneer in researching baseball in Japan and in the Negro Leagues. Much of what we know about these professional leagues is thanks to the work of Mr. Holway. He was also one of the earliest members of SABR, joining only two months after the organization's founding in 1971.

A good read about an interesting life.  https://sabr.org/latest/in-memoriam-john-holway/

Edited by ProudMary
Corrected a typo.

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