Official MLB Offseason Thread

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 8:24 am

Tommy Hanson died last night. WTF? He was 29.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 8:41 am

Just saw that. I know the obvious assumption will be drugs, but it there a virus or something else that could cause sudden "catastrophic organ failure" at 29?

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 8:43 am

Forgive me for this, but it's one of those situations where you hope the toxicology comes back with enough stuff to kill the Bud Clydesdales.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 8:47 am

Eh, I'm pretty sure I read he had a kid.

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 8:49 am

For a guy with his injury history, it doesn't have to be recreational drugs.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 8:53 am

Ohhhhhhh ...

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 10:51 am

Can't meningitis-ey things do that?

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 11:37 am

Do rich young white people still die of AIDS?

Keg · Post by **Keg** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 1:01 pm

Hanson had a brother die at the age of 24:

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/may/28 ... s-20130529" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Post by **brian** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 3:48 pm

Keg wrote:Hanson had a brother die at the age of 24:

http://articles.latimes.com/2013/may/28 ... s-20130529" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That's insanely tragic. Last week a CMU student was killed in a hit and run by a drunk driver. The story noted his older (and only) brother died in a drunk driving accident over the summer. I can't even imagine were I their parents.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 4:22 pm

mister d wrote:Just saw that. I know the obvious assumption will be drugs, but it there a virus or something else that could cause sudden "catastrophic organ failure" at 29?

Not to be a downer, but that is just about the same description they used when my brother died. It was drugs.

howard · Post by **howard** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 5:02 pm

But Hanson apparently walked into the hospital, complaining of trouble breathing. 36 hours later, death due to multiple organ failure. That is weird. Found unconscious and taken to the hospital, sure, a dozen scenarios can explain that.

Spent the morning with two other doctors trying to guess what happened here, really starved for information.

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 5:05 pm

howard wrote:But Hanson apparently walked into the hospital, complaining of trouble breathing. 36 hours later, death due to multiple organ failure. That is weird. Found unconscious and taken to the hospital, sure, a dozen scenarios can explain that.

Spent the morning with two other doctors trying to guess what happened here, really starved for information.

Didn't the reports say that some of his teammates were with him at the hospital? To me, that suggests some advance warning.

howard · Post by **howard** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 5:31 pm

I'm sorry I can't remember or find the source, but I had the sense that he was comatose, and his visitors came because he was on death's door.

I also should not have said 'walked into the hospital', because I did not read that. My point is that he was conscious. Going from conscious to dead like that while under medical care, for a 29yo, healthy enough to be a pro athlete, is extremely unusual.

I am really anxious for more info, this is bugging the shit outta me. Lamar Odom (found unconscious after lots of drugs) is how these things usually go. Well, except the surviving part, but them Kardashians are witches.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 9:59 pm

From the Sports Director of the ABC local affiliate in Atlanta:

@ZachKleinWSB: We've obtained Tommy Hanson initial incident report
Crime Incident listed as "Overdose"
Official cause will be known in toxicology report

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Wed Nov 11, 2015 2:08 pm

Yankees trade John Ryan Murphy to Minnesota for Aaron Hicks.

Weird as F trade given the current makeup of the Yankees roster with the 30+ OF locked in for next season and Judge on the way in for Beltran for 2017.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Wed Nov 11, 2015 2:54 pm

Steve of phpBB wrote:Do rich young white people still die of AIDS?

No but they die of MDMA, if this really is multiple organ failure due to drugs.

howard · Post by **howard** » Wed Nov 11, 2015 5:55 pm

Yeah, I haven't seen any fatal cases of MDMA overdose, I suppose that can get you from conscious and talking (with a little pulmonary edema) to dead in 36 hours, from what I read.

howard · Post by **howard** » Wed Nov 11, 2015 11:04 pm

Ok, so Hanson was found unconscious and not breathing when EMS responded; the first report that he was complaining of difficulty breathing wasn't accurate. Much less weird, just as tragic if run-of-the-mill fatal overdose.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tommy-hanso ... ce-report/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 8:36 am

I don't know why, and maybe it makes me a bad person, because I'm sure he left family behind who are going to miss him, but I can't work up a lot of sympathy for that type of death, and therefore don't view it as "tragic". Though I suppose "tragic" would be one of those adjectives that demands a point of view, so while I don't, others can.

Gunpowder · Post by **Gunpowder** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 9:01 am

What if it were a bourbon overdose, huh???

I don't necessarily agree with you but a lot of people have similar views and it doesn't make you a bad person unless you are also a fan of the Baltimore Ravens, because they are all bad people.

Steve of phpBB · Post by **Steve of phpBB** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 10:20 am

A_B wrote:I don't know why, and maybe it makes me a bad person, because I'm sure he left family behind who are going to miss him, but I can't work up a lot of sympathy for that type of death, and therefore don't view it as "tragic". Though I suppose "tragic" would be one of those adjectives that demands a point of view, so while I don't, others can.

I guess it depends on how much you see someone with substance abuse problems as a victim. If an inability to resist drugs or alcohol is something that "happens to" someone, then to me, this type of death would be the same as dying in a car accident.

Post by **brian** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 11:50 am

It also pre-supposes that he was an addict and this wasn't a rare dalliance with drugs. (i.e. the Len Bias variable.)

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 12:46 pm

Even if it's not tragic in one definition, it's at least extremely sad, when a drug death leaves behind innocent collateral damage, such as children who won't have their father, and close friends and relatives who lose that person unexpectedly, and way too soon.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 12:47 pm

I think I'd have more sympathy for the addict than the party kid smoking so much marijuana he overdoses.

Giff · Post by **Giff** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 3:01 pm

I kinda view nearly every unexpected death as tragic in its own way. Like sancarlos said, even if the person is the direct cause of the death, that doesn't mean there isn't someone out there who isn't mourning that death. When I think of this story, I think of how devastated his friends and family must be.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 3:03 pm

Headline: Breakdancing man dies after hitting head in French nightclub as he attempts backflip

Post by **brian** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 6:57 pm

Colby Rasmus becomes the answer to a trivia question.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 7:35 pm

brian wrote:Colby Rasmus becomes the answer to a trivia question.

That damned first round pick compensation for free agent signings smited him! Free agents really aren't free, in most cases like his. I wonder if the Players' Association will address that in the next negotiation.

edited to change smiled to smited.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 7:40 pm

Its an elective franchise tag, more or less. Rasmus is a big winner here, its not like he was going to get $12MM per for 3 years if not for that 1st round pick.

And the Braves ... man ... they're just tearing it all down, huh?

Rex · Post by **Rex** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 8:08 pm

Braves trade asset for Caucasian prospect pitchers, film at 11

Post by **brian** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 1:06 am

mister d wrote:Its an elective franchise tag, more or less. Rasmus is a big winner here, its not like he was going to get $12MM per for 3 years if not for that 1st round pick.

And the Braves ... man ... they're just tearing it all down, huh?

In the most bizarre way the system worked here re: Rasmus. If he tears shit up next year he can get a big FA deal. The Astros get a guy who should be about 1-1.5 WAR probably so it's not like he called their bluff on a horrible decision. Whole thing is just fascinating.

HaulCitgo · Post by **HaulCitgo** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 10:10 am

Only thing I figure is trying to build for the opening of the new stadium. By no means a baseball guy but I've seen enough braves to know that maybe you should keep the defensive guy that plays where the balls are hit. Now watch the Sox trade mookie betts. Fav player since Dave Henderson and Sam Horn. Sox should really trade pedroia and move betts back to second and let Jackie Bradley get another season in CF.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 10:18 am

Nothing would make me happier than seeing the Sox trade Betts for now help. And totally agree; they had the makings of an incredible (homegrown) up the middle but they couldn't see past Lil' Dustin.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 3:21 pm

Wieters accepts QO as well.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 4:29 pm

I like it. Anderson, Kendrick, Kennedy and probably Iwakuma should have as well. I could probably make an argument for half the guys on the list.

From MLBTR:
Brett Anderson, SP (Dodgers)
Wei-Yin Chen, SP (Orioles)
Chris Davis, 1B (Orioles)
Ian Desmond, SS (Nationals)
Marco Estrada, SP (Blue Jays)
Dexter Fowler, OF (Cubs)
Yovani Gallardo, SP (Rangers)
Alex Gordon, OF (Royals)
Zack Greinke, SP (Dodgers)
Jason Heyward, OF (Cardinals)
Hisashi Iwakuma, SP (Mariners)
Howie Kendrick, 2B (Dodgers)
Ian Kennedy, SP (Padres)
John Lackey, SP (Cardinals)
Daniel Murphy, 2B/3B (Mets)
Colby Rasmus, OF (Astros)
Jeff Samardzija, SP (White Sox)
Justin Upton, OF (Padres)
Matt Wieters, C (Orioles)
Jordan Zimmermann, SP (Nationals)

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 5:11 pm

Pitchers should value long-term contracts more because their performance is more variable, in particular due to injuries.

Rewards are asymetrical. Taking the bigger annual payday but for only one year, in hopes of next winter landing at least the contract you would have gotten right now, doesn't incorporate this. Further, while it might work out on average, the individual player can't take this as the last word.

The better pitchers on the list will get lucrative long-term deals. They may not average $15MM per year. But anything in that ballpark will be a better way to go that the QO.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Nov 13, 2015 6:47 pm

Sure, you can do what Marco Estrada did and essentially bet against yourself by not taking the QO.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Sat Nov 14, 2015 12:31 pm

Klaw went in on the Sox even harder than expected. Something like "when dombrowski was hired, this was the trade you dreaded him making". Two of his top 50 overall and two other non non-prospects for a possibly downslope reliever.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Sat Nov 14, 2015 1:52 pm

mister d wrote:Klaw went in on the Sox even harder than expected. Something like "when dombrowski was hired, this was the trade you dreaded him making". Two of his top 50 overall and two other non non-prospects for a possibly downslope reliever.

I was in a sports vacuum last night. Holy shit, what a bad trade.