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Post by awall on Jun 12, 2020 5:58:40 GMT -5
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Post by awall on Mar 16, 2020 8:44:01 GMT -5
There will be lots of blame to go around. Mistakes have been made in many places. So let's get back to the spread in the US and what it means for MLB, please. I'm wondering when we might see games begin again. 2021 if I had to place a bet.
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Post by awall on Mar 3, 2020 11:47:41 GMT -5
Sigh.
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Post by awall on Mar 2, 2020 7:27:58 GMT -5
Workman looked nice yesterday!
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Post by awall on Feb 21, 2020 7:49:51 GMT -5
Or just stating that Ortiz's opinion about baseball is actually good, despite the random poster on the internet telling me different. Has the game of baseball had an ambassador since Ortiz left? I don't think so. Outside of Pedro, I can't find any other player current or former who agrees with his point of view. He's arguing against the current biggest stars in the game. He also has tested positive for steroids and played alongside Manny Ramirez and the Red Sox are CURRENTLY being investigated for cheating. He's not just saying what Altuve did was ok, he's flat out denying he cheated. Emphasis added to point out that they are being investigated for cheating in a season right after they got busted for cheating (Applewatch-gate).
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Post by awall on Feb 20, 2020 8:52:10 GMT -5
Right, this is all on Fiers. Please, this on everyone involved who didn't do the right thing when it first started.
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Post by awall on Feb 10, 2020 7:49:46 GMT -5
I like this deal even more than the previous one, given the long-term health concerns with Graterol. This package may have a bit lower ceiling, but seems to have a higher chance of producing solid MLB contributors under team control for many years.
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Post by awall on Feb 5, 2020 13:23:40 GMT -5
The last couple times I've logged onto the forums I saw this thread and my eyes read it "Post Malone" instead of "Post Mookie" (the Syracuse newspaper inexplicably writes a lot of Post Malone stories). So anyway, not only do I have no more Mookie, I've also been brain-tricked into thinking about Post Malone multiple times today. An even rougher morning than it needed to be! and you are in Syracuse in winter? oof.
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Post by awall on Feb 5, 2020 13:20:44 GMT -5
Is anyone "in the know" available to summarize what the draft/international money implications of not getting under the cap this year would have been going forward?
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Post by awall on Feb 5, 2020 9:02:12 GMT -5
I think the return in this trade is fine. It speaks to how bad that Price deal really looks to the rest of MLB at this point. Yes, there will be a dip in the on-field product this year. I'm OK with that as long as they are able to reset the team for the long term, and I think that getting nothing but a draft pick for Mookie after this year and being stuck with that Price contract going into 2021 would not leave the team in as good a position moving forward.
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Post by awall on Dec 11, 2019 12:37:39 GMT -5
If the Sox can move Price and have to add a guy like Beni to get the other team to take on most of Price's salary, I'm all for it. I'd much rather do that and hopefully keep Betts and Martinez than cobble together some lineup that might contend this year if a bunch of things go well for injury-plagued veteran pitchers. i am firmly in the rebuild camp.
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Post by awall on May 28, 2019 11:26:13 GMT -5
When my soon-to-be 10 year old son played his first year of tee-ball, we got him the baseball card option when it was time to do the annual photo package. When filling out the info, it asked for a position. There was no hesitation when I asked what position to put on his card, it was 2nd base, because that's where his hero played at the time. I don't think there's another comeback in his knees. I think he has given everything his body will let him give to playing the game of baseball. My heart aches for him having to go through this and it's going to be hard to tell my boy that Pedey is done (assuming that will be the eventuality). Unfortunately, the loud-mouthed jerk fans who have always existed now have readily available platform to spew their filth, but I don't think the vast majority of fans begrudge Pedroia anything.
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Post by awall on May 28, 2019 6:43:22 GMT -5
I still can't watch that first pitch to Evans without getting teared-up. A great ballplayer, he taught me a lot about about what being a fan should and shouldn't mean.
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Post by awall on Jan 17, 2019 8:52:14 GMT -5
No, actually, my view of this is as someone who has the equivalent of an advanced degree in personality psychology and who understands the science of what makes people happy.
Craig Kimbrel has already made 55 Million Dollars. Financial security for his family is almost certainly not an issue.
Science shows that above a certain level of income (it's probably 100K now) extra money doesn't make you any happier.
Science also shows that what makes you happier are memorable, pleasant experiences, especially those with people you care about.
I can guarantee you that if you told Craig Kimbrel that (for certain either way) he could have $56M more dollars but lose in the post-season for three straight seasons, or $20M more dollars for one season and also be on the mound after retiring the side in the WS-clinching game and having CV jump into his arms and then the rest of his teammates mob him, and then another duck boat parade, etc., not only would he choose the latter, he'd laugh at the idea that you had to ask him the question.
The tricky part is balancing the likelihood of repeating versus winning with a new team, and other factors like the ones you mention. It's true that being a champion with two different teams is a great, memorable experience, and that's why a 4-year deal with a team that looks like a really serious contender would be very appealing as well. That would be an easy choice over a 1-year return deal.
I think you can throw behavioral science away when you're dealing with professional athletes. whether or not it makes you happier has nothing to do with whether or not they want to make as much as possible. Professional athletes' contracts are about a lot more than providing for their families.
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Post by awall on Jan 7, 2019 8:32:50 GMT -5
I wonder if Greg Holland could be brought in at a reasonable number/yrs at this point? Maybe something involving options on both sides to give him an opportunity to show that the end of last year was really where he’s at compared to his time at St Louis? Do you mean as the closer or one more arm? What I'm trying to understand is why he or any other replacement level reliever should get money from a team that's trying to keep salary below that second threshold. The glow that still seems to radiate from those faded arms might just be from all the Ben-Gay. The Sox have much better options in-house. I was thinking as a guy who could be in the mix as closer or set-up man. His numbers after going to the Nationals were impressive and there's been a lot written about his lack of Spring Training affecting his performance with the Cardinals. I threw him out there as a potential option only for people who are looking for them to bring in an established arm (probably not a lot of guys on this site).
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Post by awall on Jan 6, 2019 10:56:20 GMT -5
I wonder if Greg Holland could be brought in at a reasonable number/yrs at this point? Maybe something involving options on both sides to give him an opportunity to show that the end of last year was really where he’s at compared to his time at St Louis?
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Post by awall on Dec 13, 2018 14:37:23 GMT -5
Thanks for the post-season and best of luck to him against anyone but the Sox.
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Post by awall on Nov 19, 2018 8:38:42 GMT -5
he's going to get at least 4/75 from somebody.
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Post by awall on Nov 16, 2018 20:17:58 GMT -5
Great news!
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Post by awall on Nov 14, 2018 20:10:23 GMT -5
Sweet, another reason to root against him!
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Post by awall on Nov 6, 2018 20:16:50 GMT -5
Are the impacts on draft compensation for players lost after a QO was made more harsh now than the previous CBA? How about the penalties on a International signing money?
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Post by awall on Nov 5, 2018 13:06:17 GMT -5
I have to start obeying the caption you see to the left, so this should be my last post other than quick responses to actual personnel moves.
I think it's pretty easy.
Re-sign Eovaldi, Pearce, and Kelly. All should sign for a larger-than-usual hometown discount.
Assuming the medicals are sound, sign Andrew Miller to a 1-year, prove-you're-healthy-and-incidentally-get-a-ring deal. The extra money you need to pay to get him to take the 1 year deal should be offset by the allure of the One Ring and his familiarity with the franchose and DDo.
If no one offers Pomeranz a guaranteed MLB contract, re-sign him to a split 1-year deal.
Trade Blake Swihart, perhaps with others, for an OF prospect who can take over in CF or RF in 2020 (so that JBJ can be traded going into his walk year, a crucial step in staying under the tax limit, and also a way to add a young arm to the mix for the post-2020 rotation). One version simply gets you a projected solid-average glove-first guy who can catch everything and hit at the bottom of the order.* You could of course also trade for a guy with a year or two of MLB experience.
In a perfect world, of course, you get someone who is viewed as a glove-first guy but who has offensive upside that his current team doesn't see. From DDo's perspective, Cameron Maybin in reverse.
You can add position player talent to get someone better. There's no limit there. Dalbec's staying at 3B and is going to be trade bait at some point, so Swihart and Dalbec for a really sweet OF prospect whose ETA is this September (and of course a well-evaluated lottery ticket or two) would be yummy. Chavis doesn't make sense to me as a LF for this team (because of Fenway's RF), and seems much more likely to succeed the Moreland / Pearce platoon in 2020 as a guy who would be adequate and dirt-cheap ... but if if there's a team that wants him as a long-term 3B option, which is to say they think his glove can be average at 3B, then maybe you trade him now and worry about 1B in 2020 later. Chatham and Howlett are potential sweeteners to get a bit of an upgrade.
* I did poke around and verify that there are teams who might need a catcher and who have OF prospects that are interesting. I'm resisting the temptation to list and evaluate all the possibilities!
Curious as to your thoughts on trading JBJ. If you are of the mind that he's one of the home-grown guys you can't afford to extend long-term, what's your sense in terms of the return you could get this off-season vs going into his walk year? In my mind, he's a guy I move now if there's a good offer, thinking his value is higher now than it will be in another year. It's the BB "better to move em a year early than a year late" theory creeping over into my baseball fandom.
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Post by awall on Nov 1, 2018 11:42:43 GMT -5
I'm moving JBJ for young pitching and switching Mookie back to CF, signing a guy along the lines of Brantley or Markakis for RF. I'd also move Sale now that Price opted in. I don't trust the long-term durability after what happened despite the relative kid glove treatment he got this year. I'd sign Eovaldi to fill his spot in the rotation. Kimbrell gets a QO with the hopes he gets signed elsewhere. Holt is moving on and Lin gets to fill his super-sub role. Would love to re-sign Pearce if it's reasonable. I'm also moving X-man for the best minor-league talent I can and signing Asdrubal Cabrera or Iglesias. Thought process being to try and move some highly rated guys while they are at peak value and get talent that can be ready to contribute in 1-2 years down the road. I don't see how they can keep all of the home-grown guys forever.
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Post by awall on Oct 30, 2018 6:20:28 GMT -5
Please allow me to vent/rant on the ridiculous state of the MLB "closer". The postseason reinforced to me just what spoiled babies many closers are. They have become baseball's version of the prima donna WR in football; guys with a lot of talent who need to be coddled and handled with kid gloves. It has driven me crazy for years hearing about how impressive it is when a closer enters a game in and situation that isn't a clean start to the 9th inning with a 1-3 run lead. Also, I am driven mad by the whole "you can't expect a closer to to be on the top of his game if you bring him into a non-save situation". Dear lord have mercy! Watching starters do whatever was asked of them, being available any time, whenever needed reinforced how coddled the guys who get anointed "closer" really are. It really is all about the stats and money, it would seem. Going into a game with runners on base and trying to shut down a rally doesn't show up cleanly in the everyday fan's stat reading and doesn't lend itself to the higher contract.
TLDR, yea, I'm fine with not overpaying for Kimbrel or any other established closer this off-season.
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Post by awall on Oct 29, 2018 18:06:37 GMT -5
I still want to know how many time a WS has ended with 6 straight Ks. What bullpen domination.
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