Official MLB off-season thread ...

[Crono139]

 

[Frank23]

 

[Loiseau]

Lester + arrieta have had huge inning workloads now the last 2 years. Wouldn't be surprised to see one of them have a lesser season

Jake didn't even pitch 200 innings last year until after the playoffs started and Lester has had a huge work load his entire career... Only way either one falls off is if they have command issues and that's directed more towards Arrieta than Lester.

 

[RedCansLoom16]

More bunting. God I fucken hate this guy.


“One of the things that we've really seen is that even with guys coming in the first part of their career, guys are really starting to get shifted against when we're on offense,” Farrell said. “We've got some things that we'll look to do to hopefully take back some of those lanes that are otherwise shifted away from. That's just becoming more prevalent around the game. The bat-handlers that can work the ball the other way, or who are the guys that can more readily drop a bunt down to take advantage of that shift, that's one thing that we'll look to do more of."

“I do, because if the alternative is, the opposition may say, ‘Well, we’re fortunate we got a bunt so it’s working and we’re taking him out of his power swing,’” Farrell said. “But we’re seeing teams shift on guys that aren’t your prototypical power hitters. Jackie Bradley Jr. hit 25 (homers), but that’s kind of a breakthrough year for him. He’s a guy that, to me, we can look to take advantage of and work against the shift to hopefully open things back up for him.

"So I think you’re seeing the shift on the bottom third of the order type hitters as well. So when it makes most sense, leading off an inning, late in a game when we’ve got to get something started, that’s the opportune time.”


http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/...red_sox_to_use_more_bunting_against_the_shift

 

[LongTermLurker]

Ventura's family are the only one that know his toxicology report. Royals don't have to pay 20 million if he was drinking.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...s-city-royals-yordano-ventura-released-public
http://es.pn/2l14IiH

 

[FLYOVER BOSSMAN]

Ventura's family are the only one that know his toxicology report. Royals don't have to pay 20 million if he was drinking.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18704213/toxicology-report-kansas-city-royals-yordano-ventura-released-

Ventura's family are the only one that know his toxicology report. Royals don't have to pay 20 million if he was drinking.

[URL]http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/18704213/toxicology-report-kansas-city-royals-yordano-ventura-released-public

http://es.pn/2l14IiH

public[/URL]
http://es.pn/2l14IiH

*and the family's attorneys. This will be interesting to see how it plays out.

 

[RedCansLoom16]

Mookie Betts bowling against fat ass DJ Khaled on ESPN is >>>> All Star Weekend activities

 

[RedCansLoom16]

The next Bo Jackson

 

[LongTermLurker]

Matt Wieters, Nationals close to 2-year deal
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...ionals-catcher-matt-wieters-agree-2-year-deal

 

[LongTermLurker]

Money for nothing: Baseball's worst contracts in 2017

10. Jason Heyward, Chicago Cubs: -5.4 wins

Last Year: Unranked

Robinson Cano would have made the top 10 and kept Heyward from his debut on this list without the former's extremely promising bounce-back season. But Cano hit .298/.350/.533, and Heyward, in the first season of his $184 million deal with the Cubs, hit an atrocious .230/.306/.325. Heyward was still good enough defensively that he wasn't far below the level of an average player, but that's not what the Cubs are paying him for.

ZiPS is optimistic that Heyward will return to being a good player in 2017 -- he's 27, not 34 -- but even the most objective person wearing a Cubs World Champions shirt has to admit that there's a lot more uncertainty than there was a year ago. Heyward hitting a 115 OPS+ is worth the deal, but hitting a 100 OPS+ isn't. ZiPS projects him to be an above-average player over most of the rest of the deal, but that isn't good enough for the price.

9. Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals: -6.5 wins

Last Year: 17th

This year marks Zimmerman's debut in the top 10. What's different? Mainly, Zim went from being an oft-injured player playing a below-average overall first base to a sub-replacement-level one.

The contract was never going to end well when Zimmerman transitioned from being a Gold Glove-worthy third baseman to a first baseman, but if he put up a .750-.800 OPS a year at first base and stayed around that 110-or-so OPS+, maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

In 2016, it was so bad. Zimmerman played in 115 games, his most since 2013, and hit .218/.272/.370, a level that would be atrocious for a shortstop. ZiPS projects Zimmerman to be replacement level the rest of his career, and the only reason his contract doesn't rank higher is that there's only $48 million left to be dead money. ZiPS is presuming that the Nats take the $2 million buyout in 2020.

8. Matt Kemp, Atlanta Braves: -6.6 wins

Last Year: Fourth

Kemp is not moving down this list because the contract looks better; rather, it's because some of the horror is safely in the rearview mirror (I'm also not penalizing the Braves for the money that has passed their way to defray part of the contract).

Kemp was a sort of bright spot for the Braves last year, with his 126 OPS+ (.855 OPS) a significant bump from his 107 OPS+ in a year-and-a-half with the Padres. Even if we assumed that he established that level as his baseline expectation -- we can't -- you can't get over his defense. Kemp plays in the NL, so he isn't a DH, and runs lost in the field are real runs lost.

Much is made about Kemp's getting in shape to play left field in 2017, but there are reasons to be skeptical. He hasn't been merely mediocre; he has been one of the absolutely least valuable defensive players in baseball in recent years -- 57 runs below average the past three seasons, according to Baseball Info Solutions, and 53 runs below average according to Ultimate Zone Rating.

That's a lot of lousiness to blame on being out of shape. For the sake of argument, let's assume it's the sole reason. Is it really any better if he could've been better for years -- his last above-average defensive season by UZR was 2009 -- but chose not to be? If I were writing terribly for eight years and had the power to change but didn't, do you think my editor would be proud if I announced that I was suddenly going to fix things in 2017?

Regardless, I don't buy the shape issue as significant enough to make a difference. Kemp's a lousy player. With his defense and low walk totals, he probably has to hit more than 45 homers just to be league-average.

7. Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks: -6.6 wins

Last Year: Unranked

Greinke wasn't terrible in 2016, but given that he's making more than $30 million a year, even after pricing down the deferrals, that just isn't good enough. Greinke doesn't have to replicate his 2015 over-and-over again to be worth his deal, but he has to at least pitch on the level of his 2014 season (17-8, 2.71 ERA). ZiPS projects a decent bounce back to near-star levels for Greinke, but this deal needs more than that to work out for Arizona -- or, more realistically, to fetch anything in a trade.

6. David Wright, New York Mets: -7.1 wins

Last Year: 24th

The good news for the Mets is they aren't necessarily on the hook for all this value lost, as they get 75 percent of his pay back between the moment he misses 60 days and his return to the active roster. Now this sets up some interesting incentives for the team, in that it's better for the Mets to have Wright miss the season than be just healthy enough to occasionally be on the roster. Wright certainly wants to return, but if healthy, it's hard to envision there isn't some consequence of the spinal stenosis.

5. Pablo Sandoval, Boston Red Sox: -7.2 wins

Last year: Sixth

Yes, Kung Fu Panda has lost a significant amount of weight and probably has at least a fighter's chance of besting his 0.5 WAR projection for 2017. Weight loss or not, however, you can't forget that he has now been essentially of no value for two years. He isn't a non-roster invitee to spring training; he's a player returning on a contract that will pay him just under $20 million a year, including a $5 million buyout that looks the most likely result now. To the most optimistic out there: If Sandoval were a free agent this winter, would you want your team to spend $54-plus million over three years with a $5 million buyout for 2020? I'm guessing no.

4. Homer Bailey, Cincinnati Reds: -7.7 wins

Last year: 25th

ZiPS was cautiously optimistic about Bailey's return before 2016, not returning him to his pre-UCL tear level of play but at least projecting him to contribute to a rebuilding Reds rotation. Instead, last year was more or less a second total loss, with bone spurs ruining Bailey's 2016 season except for a cup of espresso at the end of the season (with mixed results). The outlook for pitchers with essentially two lost seasons is quite a bit worse than for those with one such season, and the Reds will take whatever they get from Bailey over the next three years as gravy.

3. Shin-Soo Choo, Texas Rangers: -8.2 wins

Last year: 12th

In the first three years of Choo's contract with the Rangers, the team has netted all of 3.9 total WAR, according to Baseball-Reference. The early parts of contracts for veterans are supposed to be the good years that make the ugly back ends look less frightening. Texas needs to essentially get 2015 Choo every season, and that's just not something the Rangers can even remotely count on at this point. ZiPS projects 1.2 WAR from Choo in 2017, coming from .260/.365/.432 in 417 PA, and that isn't going to help Texas break even on the deal.

2. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers: -10.0 wins

Last year: Fifth

Unlike many of the players on this list, Miguel Cabrera has continued to play well. He didn't miss a season because of injury. He isn't shuffling around with some Kempian .250/.290/.430 line. He's still a ferocious hitter, and though not at his 2010-13 peak, he still hit .316/.393/.563 in 2016 -- enough to stick him in the top 10 in the AL in offensive WAR.

The reason that he's ranked No. 2? Miggy is a 34-year-old (in April) player entering year two of an eight-year, $248 million contract. That's a gigantic amount of money invested in any player's decline years. The frightening graphic I posted before Cabrera's contract was extended remains just as relevant today. Ken Griffey Jr. aged. Mel Ott aged. Tris Speaker and Mickey Mantle and Reggie Jackson aged. Time is the scariest opponent in baseball, and it eventually wins. And it doesn't care how good Cabrera remains. The Tigers gave the type of contract you would give to a player starting at age 25 to one at age 32, and that thinking usually comes back to bite you.

1. Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels: -15.0 wins

Last year: First

Even hitting 31 homers in 2016, Pujols put up the worst Baseball-Reference WAR of his career. Every year that goes by with him not returning to anywhere near the form that made him an easy Hall of Famer, it becomes less likely that will ever happen. We haven't had a real Albert Pujols season since 2010. Sometimes an aging star can surprise one last time (Cal Ripken Jr. came out of nowhere to hit .340/.368/.584 in 354 PA at age 38). But Pujols is under contract for five more years, so even a brief return to being a megastar won't make a hill of difference. Pujols will go down as one of the best first basemen of all time in peak value, and it won't have anything to do with his stint as an Angel.

THE REST OF THE TOP 25:

11. Robinson Cano: -5.4 wins

12. Justin Verlander: -5.1 wins

13. Jacoby Ellsbury: -5.1 wins

14. Yasmany Tomas: -5.0 wins

15. Joe Mauer: -5.0 wins

16. Prince Fielder (the part that insurance doesn't cover): -4.8 wins

17. Hanley Ramirez: -4.7 wins

18. Chris Davis: -4.6 wins

19. Jordan Zimmermann: -4.5 wins

20. Elvis Andrus: -4.3 wins

21. Victor Martinez: -4.2 wins

22. Giancarlo Stanton (no opt out): -4.0 wins

23. Ian Desmond: -3.8 wins

24. Matt Cain: -3.7 wins

25. Jose Reyes (the Rockies' portion): -3.7 wins

 

[RedCansLoom16]

Don't love that Swihart came in getting his Rube Baker on...



Apparently his move to the outfield threw him off. Should be able to fix it in Pawtucket I hope.

 

[Corona]

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...tional-intentional-walkwill-use-signal-dugout

Lame

 

[Revolver]

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...tional-intentional-walkwill-use-signal-dugout

Lame

One of the few things they've needed to get rid of. It's about time.

 

[TeTe]

Lester + arrieta have had huge inning workloads now the last 2 years. Wouldn't be surprised to see one of them have a lesser season

I'm not worried about Lester... Arrieta is the one to be concerned with. It showed last year.

This is why I'm glad they haven't offered him and extension and at this point I wouldn't be heartbroken if he walks after this season.

 

[LongTermLurker]

The intentional walk rule will save zero time of game. They need to not let managers pause the game after every close play. Also limit catchers going out to the pitcher if time is really issue.

 

[RedCansLoom16]

Pitch clock is where its at. Average time of pitch last season was 22.5 seconds, cut it down to 19.5 by implementing a 20 second clock and you cut 15 mins off the game (on average 300 pitches are thrown a game).

 

[LongTermLurker]

Pitch clock is where its at. Average time of pitch last season was 22.5 seconds, cut it down to 19.5 by implementing a 20 second clock and you cut 15 mins off the game (on average 300 pitches are thrown a game).

Start with banning Pedor Baez from pitching with man on...he was up to around 34 seconds per pitch.

 

[HereticBD]

So, intentional walks are gone because they want to "speed up the game", but endless batter/pitcher timeouts, and pointless mound visits are still in?

What a joke.

 

[RedCansLoom16]

Chris Sale, explosive athlete.




Multiple, multiple sport athletes on the squad this year.

 

[RedCansLoom16]

Candoval out here trying to bunt for base hits. Dunno if thats a good sign or a bad one. Honestly looks pretty quick though.