The Swamp

Boston can also pay a bunch of money to figure out what Eric Hosmer will be for the next seven years too.

(Hosmer's GF works in Boston now, so who knows if that will be a factor)

I'd be down with either of those moves assuming the top of a Stanton package is painful.

mister d wrote:I'd be down with either of those moves assuming the top of a Stanton package is painful.

I'm of the belief that signing Moustakas to a 5-year deal is better than signing Hosmer to a 7-year deal. Position scarcity at third base and can move to DH if his defense becomes a liability. Moustakas did gain weight after his ACL injury, but I don't think that's going to be a long-term issue.

Logan Morrison is also an intriguing two-year signing, even if he was a relative flash in the pan last year. He would conceivably take a discount to play in Kansas City.

The Royals figuring out just what they're doing this offseason is going to be fun. I'm prepared for whatever, because I don't know what the best thing to do is -- especially given the contracts that are currently on the books. Well, ok, the best thing to do is to not sign Escobar and led Mondesi/Merrifield be your middle infield for the next few years.

(ETA: Just realized the Royals could go with the Moustakas/Mondesi/Merrifield/Morrison infield)

What's the deal with those two being the "big" UFAs you'll lose and Cain being an afterthought? Just age?

mister d wrote:What's the deal with those two being the "big" UFAs you'll lose and Cain being an afterthought? Just age?

Age and injury history. I also think the Gordon contract plays into it too. Royals fans are seeing what can happen when you give a longish-term deal to an OF on the wrong side of 30.

Solid effort from the 2 sport athlete. Also I like that they highlight the wrist injury as he spinning to win.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/2139 ... -pba-event

wlu_lax6 wrote:Solid effort from the 2 sport athlete. Also I like that they highlight the wrist injury as he spinning to win.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/2139 ... -pba-event

I don't think a lot of people will give it the respect it deserves, but throwing a perfect game on the oil patterns they use for pro events is pretty damn impressive.

brian wrote:

wlu_lax6 wrote:Solid effort from the 2 sport athlete. Also I like that they highlight the wrist injury as he spinning to win.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/2139 ... -pba-event

I don't think a lot of people will give it the respect it deserves, but throwing a perfect game on the oil patterns they use for pro events is pretty damn impressive.

I once bowled a game on the U.S. Open oil pattern. After it was over, I went to the counter and asked for a different lane. My average at the time was in the 170-180 range, and I bowled something like a 107. It was brutal.

Sabo wrote:

brian wrote:

wlu_lax6 wrote:Solid effort from the 2 sport athlete. Also I like that they highlight the wrist injury as he spinning to win.
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/2139 ... -pba-event

I don't think a lot of people will give it the respect it deserves, but throwing a perfect game on the oil patterns they use for pro events is pretty damn impressive.

I once bowled a game on the U.S. Open oil pattern. After it was over, I went to the counter and asked for a different lane. My average at the time was in the 170-180 range, and I bowled something like a 107. It was brutal.

I was struggling yesterday. The AWESOME Duckpin lane I was bowling was slick and was getting no grip on my hook......or I just am not very good.

Beltran retires...HOF?

My kneejerk was "absolutely" but the numbers don't exactly support that. I would listen to any side that doesn't mention the Wainwright PA.

Curious whether the Yankees are stockpiling international money for Otani or the soon-to-be-FAs from Atlanta.

mister d wrote:Curious whether the Yankees are stockpiling international money for Otani or the soon-to-be-FAs from Atlanta.

Twelve prospects made free agents in Atlanta, restrictions on spending and a lost draft pick. That is quite a punishment, isn't it?

It’s huge, but not declaring those players free agents would set the rules up as a cost-benefit versus literal restriction.

Didn't Boston get caught doing something similar, yet received a slap on the wrist and a guffaw'd "Don't you go doing that again!" ??

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I wouldn’t say I’m inspired but Cashman has earned the benefit.

(Placeholder for my first person Cardinals hacking story)

The great success that the Astros and Cubs had with tearing it down to the bare bones leaves me more interested in the Tigers now than I have been in recent years. It made sense to spend big to go for the long-shot when a dying billionaire was in charge. Now it makes sense to focus on acquiring young talent using every possible method.

Losing 100 games for a few years is not a hard price to pay for a fan if it looks like they are doing the right things. And so far, they seem to be to me. Both in terms of player personnel decisions, but also organizational matters like staffing up in the analytics department.

The billionaire leaving a $200MM gift to an aging 1B can throw a little wrench in that plan.

brian wrote:(Placeholder for my first person Cardinals hacking story)

So I'm at a company event last night and I don't get to keep up on the company gossip because I'm remote, so I'm sitting at a table with about 10 co-workers and one guy tells us that his wife got a job as a software developer with the Cardinals starting January 1.

So I just said "Wow, that's cool." reflexively (because it is). But then I quickly added "Is she in charge of hacking other teams?"

You'd have thought I farted or called the Pope an asshole in the Vatican. I swear not only did no one even laugh a little politely I got some legitimately mean stares. Cardinals fans are the fucking worst.

If it helps, I laughed. Whenever we reorganize this country, we need to find a way to combine the outer Boston suburbs and St. Louis.

So who makes it to MLB first....Rafael Palmeiro or his son Preston (22 year old playing single A for the O's)
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/2169 ... e-back-mlb

Neither seems like a real strong bet.

I'm weirdly(?) against Stanton for the Yankees. Seems like a bad fit insomuch as Stanton can be a bad fit anywhere. We're already crazy RH, we have his younger clone, someone either has to learn LF or you're locking up a $200MM DH, he's got that escape clause and there are two massive UFAs coming out next year who fit much better. If this is to drive up the baseline cost in case Boston gets involved (as they should), cool. If its serious ... eh.

mister d wrote:I'm weirdly(?) against Stanton for the Yankees. Seems like a bad fit insomuch as Stanton can be a bad fit anywhere. We're already crazy RH, we have his younger clone, someone either has to learn LF or you're locking up a $200MM DH, he's got that escape clause and there are two massive UFAs coming out next year who fit much better. If this is to drive up the baseline cost in case Boston gets involved (as they should), cool. If its serious ... eh.

Right. Instead of shipping assets to Florida, why not just shoot the moon on a deal for Harper. At that point you're only out a draft pick and a bunch of money in a market where you can afford to overpay a guy by about $10M a year for 10 years if necessary.

His top comp is Juan Gonzalez which instantly feels really spot on.

Ohtani to the Halos.

Ohtani - "I'd like to go somewhere where I will be used creatively"
Scioscia (eating baloney sandwich on the toilet) - "You will be allowed to pick jersey colors every other full moon"

Is it wrong for me to start hoping for injury rehab assignments?

So Jim Leyritz, who I thought was still in prison, has broken Stanton to the Yankees. I can't even get my head around what kind of package it will take, this is so weird.

What I’ve seen is if it happens, it’ll be a top prospect (presumably Frazier) offset by carrying a bad contract. So basically a Yankee incented salary dump where they also land Stanton. I still don’t like the fit and all of that, but the Boston reaction to Jeter handing him off might make everything worth it.

mister d wrote:The billionaire leaving a $200MM gift to an aging 1B can throw a little wrench in that plan.

After Judge, Stanton and Harper bust, the Yankees will beg the Tigers to send them Cabrera to them for their latest "next Jeter." Big Papi II.

looks like competitive balance is back to being a Problem

So does Stanton protect judge or vice Versa? Seems like yo D have to have judge it in front of Stanton.

I'm excited to see what prospects are included here. The reports are all "not the top" but the top is really just Torres so that phrasing makes me think guys like Frazier and Sheffield and Adams and maybe even like Florial are all safe too.

So Starlin Castro, 1/2 of the McCann trade and a lottery ticket SS born a few weeks before 2000 for the reigning NL MVP. Contract the Marlins.

Boston should get Yelich so we can talk about how both teams got the wrong fit OF.

Kinda blows my mind how the Marlins didn't approach Stanton and privately ask for a list of teams he'd approve a trade, and that, if he broke radio silence to anybody (friends, etc), that he'd be looking at playing alongside a roster full of replacement level players. That, they needed him to keep quiet so that the Marlins could then start negotiations with all those teams simultaneously...You know...be the first team of all time to create a market frenzy over an all-star player at the Winter Meetings.

Embarrassing.

I think they figured they could force his hand by agreeing to terms ahead of the waiver and failed spectacularly.