I dont care that catchers and pitchers dont report for a couple more weeks. We're going to get this started NOW because there is already plenty to talk about.
Will the Dodgers be unstoppable with Ohtani?
Will Texas be able to withstand Seager's absence to start the season?
and what would a sale of the Baltimore Orioles mean to the city, local fans, and all of baseball?
EDIT: and now a retrospective. Yes, the Dodgers were indeed unstoppable, Texas flailed back down to mediocrity with a sub .500 record, and Baltimore had another strong year to make B2B postseason appearances while the new ownership group looks to make a splash this off-season to help them push further into the playoffs in '25.
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Baltimore fans everywhere
Nats fans:
Reds fans in the same boat. #selltheteamBob was trending and his son got in front of a Mike and basically told the fans to be grateful for our consistently bottom 5 payroll because "where else are you gonna go?" He basically insulted his own team in the sense of "who would buy this" but the fans took it as if he was saying the ball games were the only thing in town and the attendance through the first month of the season was like 3,000 per game.
Meanwhile FC Cincy is selling out and winning the Supporters Shield. Yeah Bob, the fans are the problem.
I quit paying attention to the Pirates a couple of years ago; and won't start again until they have different ownership. I refuse to support a bottom dwelling team that so that the owner can pocket millions of dollars every year.
The Lerners put the team up for sale over 2 years ago. They haven't found a buyer. Overvaluation and the MASN revenue encumbrance are the major issues. As they look for a buyer, the Lerners seem to have no further interest in spending money to build a winning team in DC. The sale needs to come here soon as their MiLB roster is about to mature in a solid foundation.
The sale of the Orioles included maintaining ownership of the media revenues that the Nats generate. Bud Selig and Angelos royally f'ed the Nats by requiring their media revenue to be shared with the Orioles because a team in DC would be encroaching on Baltimore's revenues due to city proximity. If it wasn't for the desire of winning a world series before the late Ted Lerner died, and the family spending the money to do so, the Nats would be equivalent to the Reds, Pirates, Brewers, etc. And now, with no further desire to win, the remaining Lerner family has turned the team into a low-market team unwilling to spend.
It doesn't help that Lerners made their billions in commercial real estate, which, isn't a hot commodity post-COVID.
As a die hard Blue Jays fan my biggest concern about the season is that Vlad Jr is on the cover of MLB the show this year. I feel that could be a poor omen.
I thought that was only an NFL thing
I'm going to trust your wisdom on that. From your mouth to the universe please...
I have not played a baseball video game since RBI, but man me and my cousin have some epic battles back in the day.
Tecmo Baseball was my jam. Never got into RBI or Bases Loaded... played the hell out of Sports Talk Baseball for the Genesis, and then a huge gap until The Show was on PSP. Recently got back into The Show with '23, but there's just so much there. Tried playing a full legit season and i simply just don't have the time.
The only two baseball games that one could ever need are MVP 2005 and Backyard Baseball
I also played a lot of Basewars during my NES days. Basically a combination of baseball and battle bots. The machine players would wear down throughout the course of the game, to the point where they could get destroyed then the team would be playing down a person. I remember spending some time meticulously upgrading certain players who would eventually become enforcers on the field and just being able to obliterate others... and the best was when my pitcher had a rocket for an arm (almost literally) and plunking an opposing batter could destroy it. Fun times!
I'm just glad it's not a Brave.
The interesting part of the Orioles sale is that one of the buyers has partnered with Ted Leonsis on some of the Monumental Sports investments. There are thoughts that once the Orioles sale is complete. (understand there are two main stages to the sale 1) 40% sale initially 2)Remaining 60% complete upon Angelos passing) that assuming MASN is part of the sale, the television rights of the National might move to Monumental Sports Network upon sale of Nats to Ted Leonsis.
Not sure what I think of Leonsis owning Nats although Lerners have shown that now that the patriarch is gone they have little interest in keeping the team. They want the cash infusion to shore up the real estate business considering the hits it took during Covid (eg: losing Dulles Town Center to foreclosure sale)
Ted has a serious dichotomy between his two primary sports franchises with the Capitals trending down after about 15 years of success and the Wizards continue to be a cellar dweller and just replaced their coach. Adding Baseball to the mix just means his focus is diluted that much more.
Orioles to be sold for 1.7B
Also saw that the Maryland legislators are slightly pissed because apparently in November Angelo's son told congress and the governor that they would not sell the team for the duration of the new 15 year lease that was just agreed to. Either way team is staying in Baltimore as the lease conveys with the sale.
and apparently Ripken is part of the group that is buying the O's
Friendly reminder - pitchers and catchers start reporting on Wednesday
Dodgers and Padres have already reported. BASEBALL SEASON IS HERE!
https://www.si.com/mlb/2024/02/03/spring-training-reporting-dates-30-tea...
Apparently there are a couple teams very eager to get the season going.
The Nats and Astros will begin training in their newly renamed Cacti Park of the Palm Beaches with Travis Scott.
Getting closer to Opening Day!
I ran across this little blurb on The Athletic about Gavin Cross. Thought y'all would be interested.
"We're getting the band back together."
Braves sign Adam Duvall
Great deal, 1 year for $3M to platoon with Kelenic. Apparently his folks called up AA & Co with an offer they couldn't refuse.
Now all we need to do is bring back Uncle Jesse from the White Sox at the deadline (or before, that's fine too), and--now this is controversial--trade for Will Smith from the Royals at the deadline to guarantee a World Series win.
ONLY NINE DAYS TO OPENING DAY!
Did I mention we're putting the band back together?
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/braves-sign-jesse-chavez-minors.html
You're actually going to need 4 of them to win the championship. Also, you'll need to be able to beat the Phillies in the playoffs.
I kid of course, the Braves are looking really good heading into 2024.
Tough day for you guys with the Strider news.
Yeah, that and Fried sucking so far this season. =^(
So much to unpack on this Ohtani/translator thing. Ohtani made his statement yesterday, stating that (among other things) that Mizuhara stole $4.5M to pay off his gambling debts. I just have so many questions:
- Why did Ohtani's people set up an interview with ESPN for Mizuhara to admit that Ohtani helped him to pay off his gambling debts?
- If there was a theft, (a) how did Mizuhara have access to Ohtani's accounts, and (b) how did Ohtani's team not notice 9 $500k wire transfers?
- Why is a translator allowed to go in debt by $4.5M?
- Did Ohtani really not know that his really close buddy gambled at all? If he had that much of a gambling problem, how did that not show to the person he's closest to?
Now, I don't think Ohtani bet on baseball at all; he's not stupid. I doubt he was gambling at all. The taking care of his friend's debts angle makes sense on the surface. And when his people pointed out that paying off the bookie was illegal, they about-faced, and came up with the theft story. This will all come out in the end, because there will be fingerprints (metaphorically speaking) and evidence about who authorized the wire transfers. But it's still a fascinating story.
Right- the reason why gambling on baseball is the ultimate sin is not just to throw more balls in the dirt to hit the under... it's the bribery aspect of it. You gamble big money, you are now "owned" by the bookie- and you will do anything to fix games, give info on who is injured, who is starting, who is struggling in the cage etc. The extortion angle is much much more serious here.
It's tough to tell if the translator Mizuhara is crazily addicted to gambling or if he's Ohtani's fall guy.
It's a little bit hard to imagine a scenario where you're so addicted to gambling that you gamble on behalf of yourself with someone else's money to that extreme. His salary was $500K, so he doesn't and would never have millions to gamble. So, he was either stealing 10X his annual salary to gamble (and somehow thought he could get away with it) or he did it with Ohtani's blessing.
It just seems so unlikely to me that Ohtani was completely in the dark about the gambling. The bookie thought the client was Ohtani (despite never meeting) and gave that level of credit. The money was directly from Ohtani's account. Ohtani agreed to let Mizuhara release that story to ESPN, but it was his lawyers that stepped in and changed the narrative.
I just don't know how Mizuhara can do this on his own with that level of deceit and still be ostensibly Ohtani's best friend. How can Mizuhara not be anxious about that level of deceit to his best friend? It's all too unbelievable. Mizuhara is either a super villain or Ohtani was at least knowledgeable. And if Ohtani was knowledgeable and let this continue, that would be a major issue legally and professionally (as we know from the MV7 story).
Edit: Turns out Mizuhara is the super villain that is crazily addicted to gambling. Completely forged his resume to get hired, impersonated Ohtani over the phone, diverted financial alerts and notifications to himself, and misled Ohtani's financial team. Just freaking crazy.
Slate article
The one thing that doesn't pass the sniff test... Why does his translator have full access to his money?
Also, when Trout is on record saying Ohtani has an excellent grasp of the English language, why even have the translator anymore.
Man, you have more faith than I do. Some people legitimately think they are untouchable and bigger than the game. If he was as involved with sports betting as it seems, I would find it highly unlikely that Ohtani was betting on everything except baseball.
In many cases, the interpreter is used to speak and respond to questions quickly. Most multi-national workers can understand English, and process it- its the speaking back that is a challenge.
I've also read that in Japan it's common for businessmen to use translators even if they speak English, particularly during negotiations, because it gives them an extra beat to gather themselves before responding. Having that time buffer gives them a moment to clear the emotions tied to what they've just heard before responding so they can put forth a more logical, less emotional response.
Heard some talk on MLB radio that that isn't unheard of, and is actually closer to the norm than not. Translators frequently seem to perform personal assistant-type taskings due to the language barrier involved. That's understandable in a situation where, for example, a fringe MLB player playing in Korea, and not having the funds for multiple people to help out. For a guy like Ohtani, though, I would think it's unusual, but maybe not if it's not an uncommon task for interpreters.
Just gonna leave this out there:
Happy Orioles sale becomes official day to all who celebrate!
The parade across the Key bridge to celebrate has been postponed. New date TBD.
I'm thinking about throwing $20 on the A's opponent run line every game this season. I'm fairly certain I could make out decently. The cap, talent, ownership, and politics are going to make that team all time bad.
Edit: 1-0. Guardians -1.5 (+110) hits.
I'm thinking that's a good idea for opposing pitchers closer to the top of the rotation. Maybe not every pitcher though.
This reminds me of Pete Fuitik of College Football News and his Cavalcade of Whimsy column he used to write. He had this theory that double digit home dogs almost always cover the spread. I actually think it might work out to a little better than 50%, so if you had the time and money to invest maybe you make out, but for those kind of gains you are better off investing in something else.
Happy opening day for those who celebrate
First ever opening day as defending World Camps. Banner gets hung today!!
So it's the Dodgers, Braves and then everyone else...
Vegas O/U on wins:
Dodgers 104.5
Braves 102.5
Astros 93.5
Yankees 91.5
...
Athletics 57.5
Vegas set the Nationals at 65.5, which is a really low projection from wining 71 games last year. We'll see, but their success really depends on the emergence of young talent, many of which currently are not on the opening day roster. So, as a Nats fan, I expect pain with a silver lining of hope in the form of young player development. And it would be nice to finish above the Mets... so close last year.
That's about how it turned out last regular season, but it didn't work out so great for the favorites did it?
yea, I don't think being the favorite is key to wining the WS. October baseball is always the clutchiest team at that moment with a little bit of luck. But it's hard to look at the Dodgers roster and think they should just dominate every game they play. But, who knows, they already have controversies swirling, injuries can happen, and maybe their experiment with Betts at SS blows up in their face.
From your keyboard to God's ears.
Happy beginning of the last year of Patrick Corbin's terrible contract to all those who celebrate.
Nats game flashed the bar that Strasburg still has three more years since they haven't agreed on retiring him. What an anchor!
Yeah, that is truthfully the worst of the two contracts.
You don't give a guy a big deal *after* he wins you a WS.
Then when do you give it? That was his best season of his career. He was very deserving of the WS MVP and was so dominant in those playoffs. He was 30 years old and it was completely reasonable to offer him a big contract and keep him the face of the franchise. If the Nats didn't, another team would have. (See, for example, the Angels contract with Anthony Rendon.)
And tbf, at that time, Strasburg had injury history but nobody could have predicted he would come down with thoracic outlet syndrome so bad that he is borderline physically disabled. It's honestly a super sad scenario for what was one of the best pitchers in the game. He went from ultra dominant MVP to now unable to lift his kids up in just a couple of years.
The lack of his retirement is a different issue and one that the Nationals need to get right. They couldn't reach a retirement resolution despite gearing up for a retirement ceremony at the end of the 2023 season. And the Nationals went so far as to publicly announce that they expected Strasburg to report to 2024 spring training, even though they know he's borderline physically disabled. He deserves better, and he deserves to move on with his life. I don't know if he deserves as much as his agent is requesting, but he is entitled to it by contract. And he deserves a respectful place in Nats lore. From his #1 overall selection to his WS MVP, he is probably the greatest National of all time (notably, very short history).
To me its a paying a guy for what he did vs. paying for what he's going to do in the future.
No, no one could have predicted his thoracic outlet syndrome but giving a guy with his overall injury history a 7 year contract at 31 was extremely risky.
100% agreed on this, I don't know enough about the ins and outs of MLB contracts but its at best shitty PR and at worst disrespectful to a guy who has given everything to this team and brought the WS win home.
In baseball (and all professional sports except PGA/tennis), that's the way it's done. They paid his value.
The Scherzer contract was really risky, he had injury history and the Nats overpaid for his value at the time of signing. Scherzer went on to win 2 Cy Young awards and a game 7 of the world series. In hindsight, one of the best contracts ever signed for an older pitcher.
The Nats passed on resigning Harper and Rendon, disappointing a lot of fans. Harper is arguably surpassing expectations on that signing, but the Phillies took a huge risk that 29 teams were not willing to take. The Angels took a risk on Rendon and it's now considered one of the worst signings. He has pretty much done nothing, been often injured, and when not injured been unproductive. He has always hated media and interviews, which was almost endearing when he was a Nat, but as an Angel he pretty much pissed off everyone from media to management to fans.
The Ohtani contract is risky. The Soto contract will be risky. Contracts for all major players are really risky because there are no garauntees on their performance, but always garauntees on their payment.
And yea, we definitely agree the Nats definitely need to retire Strasburg the right way. He deserves it. The fans deserve it. There would also be the added bonus that he doesn't show up on roster and his payment wouldn't count towards the roster payroll. I think because the roster payroll is so low, ownership wants to keep Strasburg's salary on it. They would have the 29th payroll out of 30 teams if you took his salary away. (And Oakland is 30th... so really, the lowest besides the most dysfunctional team in baseball.)
Well the retirement is now official but seeing differing opinions on what it does for payroll. They are paying out his contract but rumored to be deferred.
Yea. I see that. I hope Strasburg gets the send off he deserves and some historical recognition.
As I understand it, there's a difference between overall payroll, active payroll, non-active (injured) payroll, and the amount that counts toward luxury tax. Overall payroll is a sum of active + non-active + deferred payments. My understanding is that he moves off the non-active payroll, and what counts toward luxury tax, but stays on overall payroll. All deferred payments, such as Scherzer's payments, stay on that overall payroll but only has an effect on the balance sheet and no effect on building a roster.
And a typical Twins start to the year. Win a low-scoring contest, lose a star player to the 15d-DL.
MLBPA coming out against the pitch clock claiming it is leading to pitcher injuries.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39890102/mlbpa-says-shorter-pitch-cl...
My only question is why MLBPA pay to do the research? I agree MLB should pay, but if they are not, why not use your own resources and use it as bargaining power? There could be a good reason, I just don't know.
It's that and the need for every pitcher to throw 100+ on every fastball. They're literally asking things the body just cannot handle. And combine that with the crackdown on anything that helps the pitcher get a grip on the ball and you're asking guys to hold the ball tighter, putting more strain in the forearm, asking them to still throw 100+ and now saying you need to do it every 20 seconds.
It's a combination that was destined to lead to disaster
I read an article on the athletic about this and also what pitchers have to do to throw the sweeper which has been such a trendy pitch that has also coincided with the rise in elbow injuries. It mentioned that a lot of pitchers are starting to go the opposite way and stop using it and start throwing more changeups and other off-speed pitches because the risk isn't worth the reward.
This
Bring the pitchers back down to 90's level of speed and we might see on TJ surgery every 3 years across the entire league. The pitch clock has nothing to do with it, other than accelerating the literal time to the pitchers heading to the DL.
Four of Wakes pitchers this weekend touched 95. I was thinking along the lines of what you said here, wondering how soon one of them would be facing a TJ surgery.
without knowing any of the pitchers or their mechanics, I can almost guarantee 1 of those 4 is going to have an extended stint on the DL before their career is over at Wake. Or worse, they permanently damage things and their draft stock crashes.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/39900377/mlb-pitching-injuries-tommy...
Yep. They instituted the pitch clock in the minors the season before it went into the majors, and the injury rate actually decreased, lending more credence to the uptick in injuries this season being related to other things (like increased velocity, decrease in grip-enhancement, etc.) than the pitch clock.
Hope many of you saw this. What has happened to the Wakefield family this past year is saddening. I hope the kids get the support they need to be functioning citizens, they deserve that.
https://x.com/Orioles/status/1778065583583461621
I don't have a Twitter/X so I can't embed, but for the O's fans on here you have to love this.
This could just be the Texas talking, but Angel Hernandez should be executed. Evidence for the prosecution.
The MLB Umpires Association needs to take a look in the mirror. Angel's atrocities on the field are giving them all a bad reputation.
Every time they let A. Hernandez umpire, it's a more justification for a computerized strike zone. They should do better to protect their jobs.
I do think the next step is to implement the challenge format in use within the minor leagues. A quick request, instant return, like 10 seconds tops. Limit the challenges only to the catcher and the number of challenges, but reward when correct. Probably will be in mlb in 2025.
It appears to be working well at the lower levels, and given how the pitch clock has turned out so far, MLB and PA should green-light this immediately. As for how it gets implemented the batters need to have some a challenge as well. I would love to see a provision put in place that if 3 challenges result in a call being overturned, then the plate umpire needs to hit the showers early for calling a sh!t game. This means either a delay so one of the other umpires can get suited up for plate work, or there's always a reserve umpire on standby to take over (especially for games called by Hernandez).
What if Hernandez is the reserve ump?
Then nobody challenges... Unspoken rule for both teams going into the game - if Angel is the reserve, we dont challenge anything.
So I went to a Tides game Friday night and it was the first time I'd seen the challenge thing. It's a quick turnaround evolution, and the majority of calls actually got reversed (balls turned to strikes). What I don't like for this is the batter can't challenge bullshit strike calls, and also that if even a gnats ass amount of ball is in the zone, it's a strike. Would prefer at least majority of the ball in the zone, if not the soccer standard whole of the ball over whole of the line.
yea, I agree that it would be ideal to have it be at least 33% or 50% of the ball cross the plate or something. But I guess Tennis is the same way when a ball has a fraction of a hair on the line, it's called in. So, maybe just some getting used to it. They are still adjusting the size of the strike zone in various MiLB leagues, so still some experimentation there.
Baseball America on rules they're trying in MiLB
Sad to see it ending this way. Sounds like his health is rapidly deteriorating and he's retiring to spend as much time as he has left with his family.
late to the game here but it's more that he's just old and not motivated to do the grind. said he should have pulled the trigger on retiring during spring training, but gave the season a go and as soon as it started realized he just didn't want to do it any more
This happened last week but it's worth dropping here because I know everyone loves a good laugh. Great troll job by the Pirates broadcast team after the Bucs put up 5 on the Phils in one inning
https://x.com/JomboyMedia/status/1779695177575153877
I've lost my confidence in the replay system. I've seen too many "call stands" responses out of the review team in New York to believe they care to even get the call right.
So are the bullpen golf carts universal across MLB, or is this just a Nationals thing?
Technically, universal. They were big in the 70's and 80's but became basically obsolete due to it not being cool to come out of the bullpen using a cart. Doolittle changed that. It's a pretty neat story.
MLB.com Story
Federal Baseball story 1
Federal Baseball story 2
MLB.com story on bullpen cart history
"All you gotta do is check the baseball. If there's cheese on it, it's gone.."
Calling @French for play confirmation.
Angel Hernandez was shown the retirement door.
Unfortunately he then walked into the wall, confirming he has been unable to discern rectangular shapes for a while now.
It's pretty remarkable when the retirement of an umpire is remarkable.
He promptly walked straight into the wall which was over 3" outside the frame and then tossed the union rep when he tried to explain where the door was.
Linky
He sucks
Unfortunately, there's pricks like Brian Walsh who are just in the league and already letting the power get to their heads, so I have zero faith that anything will actually improve other than the names of shitty umpires we hate.
Well the Mets are full on Metsing this year
Ever thus to the New York Mess
Most expensive roster surely means playoffs, right? ... right?
Lopez has had a couple disaster years since he was traded from Baltimore after his ASG appearance. He hasn't been *BAD* this year and I'm sure someone is going to take a chance on him, but I can't see him in anything more than a middle reliever until he can get his WHIP down (which oddly he's currently having his 2nd best season of his career at this point) and get the ball on the ground more.
lolMets gonna lolMet
You lose Angel Hernandez and replace him with like 2 or 3 young guys who are just as bad
I does look like he could've said something.
he definitely mouthed something. The video quality isnt great so I can't see exactly what he said, but some words definitely came out.
Welcome to true summer, where it's hot, pool time is in full-swing, and baseball is the only men's pro sport in action in America!
... Bruh..Copa America
I will be in the building on Friday for Columbia/Costa Rica... looking forward to it!
I'm not discounting the tournament, but I'm also not a soccer fan so it's just a blip on the summer radar, just like the Olympics.
How anyone can not be a soccer fan in 2024 is crazy to me. Games are more accessible than ever for pretty much every league and tournament, and the USMNT is at or near its peak. Matches are only gonna go about 2 hours total and there's no commercials except halftime.
If this was the USMNT thread I'd keep my contrarian comment to myself. But since it's the MLB thread I'll point out that increasing accessibility to a sport you don't really like isn't going to make you like it more.
It's like if you give me free tickets for life to see Limp Bizkit in concert, I'm still not going.
This does make sense. Part of the point I was trying to make is that it used to take effort to follow soccer, which would keep people from becoming interested. To fit your analogy, how would you know you didn't like Limp Bizkit if you never heard them?
By looking at this guy for two seconds
This. And I apologize to my fellow baseball fans for leaving the door open to allow a soccer sub-thread.
My interest in MLS cratered when the newest worst owner in the NFL, David Tepper, stole the Raleigh bid to bring a team to Charlotte (and very quickly threatened the city to build him a new stadium or he'd move both the Panthers and MLS team, when Raleigh already had a dedicated MLS venue planned).
Translation: My city didn't get it's planned MLS team, so fuck that sport.
Its also minor league shit quality whose best players regularly are retirees from Europe looking to make some money with little pressure to win.
But yeah, also that a rich asshole, who has since more than proven how much of a rich asshole he is, stole the bid we were going to get and then shit talked us during the introductory press conference. He's such an asshole he's basically already alienated the rest of the state from following the Panthers, having a Charlotte FC following has been a non-starter since the beginning.
I could not agree with this post more. MLS is gar-bage, and Tepper- the guy that took a 5'08 QB number 1 in the NFL draft- is a total asshole rube.
Agreed in terms of international- I love it- I watch it whenever I can. I don't think I have ever watched a full MLS game though. It's a different game- smaller fields, less pretense of defense and strategy, not the best players in the world. It's a novelty compared to top international tourneys like Euro, World Cup, COPA
I love soccer. Which is why I also have never watched a full MLS game.
I religiously watch the Bundesliga, have a casual interest in the EPL, I'll watch AC Milan games every now and then because of the US guys, and I try and watch as much of any international match that's on. Which is quite the 180 from before the 2010 World Cup. Couldn't stand soccer, or so I thought. Was sick that summer and watched out of boredom and got hooked.
The best soccer in the world is club soccer in Europe (EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga, Series A). Followed by international soccer. Club soccer in the US (aka MLS) is faaar behind. There's a reason that stars who play most of their careers in Europe 'retire' to the MLS (Beckham, Zlatan, Messi come to mind). The quality just doesn't compare. I can't blame anyone who watches MLS for not getting into soccer. I also can't blame people who only watch the US play on the international level. It's just not good soccer. Watch a season of European club soccer or follow anybody else besides the US in a world cup and then tell me you don't like soccer.
Another factor that I think is often overlooked is the commentary. Making a soccer game enjoyable to watch, beyond the quality on the field, is the commentary. It's truly an art and I have yet to watch a game with an American commentator who is any good. Listen to Landon Donovan and then listen to literally any British commentator and the difference is night and day. Good soccer commentary is an art form that Americans just don't get.
Good soccer
commentaryis an art form that Americans just don't get.FTFY
both are true
In an effort to steer this conversation away from futbol and back to the baseball diamond, I want to point out that we are almost exactly midway through the 162-game season. How are people liking/hating what their team has done so far, and how do you like their chances in the 2nd half?
I know we have some Yankees and Orioles fans around here that are probably feeling pretty good. Also we have several (sigh) Phillies and Braves fans. Are the Braves relegated to shooting for a wildcard at this point? Are the Phillies a legit juggernaut, or is Harper about due for his annual 40-to-50-missed-games injury?
Checks notes: yep still hate this phillies team- the most impossible to root for. US Womens soccer team is more likable. My O's are doing just fine- concerned about starting pitching and the yankees being damn good, but Cleveland just kicked our asses. That could be a playoff series preview. The diamondbacks are 100% mid... fighting injuries- not a playoff team.
I do not understand how a neutral observer can look at the Phillies and the Braves - who have Marcell Ozuna - and conclude that the former are the ones that are impossible to root for.
Then again, I don't think you've ever been neutral about anything in your life. So to each their own.
There are no neutral observers when it comes to Philly....in any sport.
The Nats are way overperforming (despite a very poor showing in San Diego this weekend) and find themselves in an unlikely position of competing for one of 2 wildcard spots. The starting pitching has been way better than expected. It's exciting and frustrating at the same time. It was clear going into the season the plan was to get 1-year rentals to trade at the deadline and restock the minors with no plan to compete. Now that they are competitive, they have adhered to that plan even with several 1-year rentals performing poorly, especially Joey Gallo and Eddie Rosario. They could do a lot more to be more competitive, but are choosing not to, until maybe now.
The word is James Wood will in fact be called up July 1. It will be interesting to see how they approach the deadline. Most likely they'll keep the focus on improving for the future rather than pushing for the playoffs this year. Their window of playoffs probably doesn't begin until next year, and only if they begin using the free agent market to fill holes and build a contending team in the next offseason.
At exactly 81 games in, I'm OK with where the Twins are at. They had some significant issues with the IL immediately to start the season with Lewis and Correa lost early and the acquisition of DeSclafani blowing up in their face, but the lineup has stabilized and they have shown to a be a competitive team in a surprisingly competitive AL Central. The starting and mid-relief pitching still has me very concerned, and I expect them to deal before the deadline - the question is who are they going to part with. My best guess is that Kepler is going to be the one to get shipped off since he's in his last year under the club option, and Austin Martin would get the nod to fill-in as the every day RF or platoon with Castro.
All that said - another injury to either Buxton, Correa, or Lewis could absolutely tank the season and put the team out of wild card contention really fast.
Rangers fan here. Yeah, um, so this season so far? Whatever, 2023 WORLD CHAMPS!!!!!
Somehow, despite them not having won anything, I have even more faith in these Phils than in the Utley/Howard/Rollins core that actually did win something. That phaith has been rewarded with the better-than-expected injury news today. I gotta believe.
August edit: no I don't. This team continues to find new ways to torture me. How can a roster filled with starpower have such low baseball IQ? Yeah, they're still in first. Who's gonna tell 'em?
Post-postseason edit: crazy how I called that. These guys will probably get close but not win at least one more time, and my suffering will continue.
Only a 10 Day IL for Harper and Schwarber. Going to miss the upcoming Cubs and Braves series but then should both be back for the Dodgers.
Really, the big loss so far has been Realmuto. Pitchers just haven't been as good without him behind the plate, especially the bullpen. But they found the opportunity to get him healthy for the playoffs and took it. Should hopefully pay off in October.
You definitely wouldnt put them on the 60-day IL. I would expect at least Harper, and probably both, to be out until after the AS break. And, honestly, maybe a little longer. Rushing back from a hamstring injury, up 8 games in East and 14 games for WC, would be really foolish.
Happy Bobby Bonilla day!
Besides being a shit bag perv that tried to bed every female ESPN worker/intern, he also agreed to this disaster pay out. Great work Steve Phillips.
The Yankees are a complete mess right now and I'm here to savor all of it. It's also nice to see that every division is still competitive at the half-way mark. The only division leader that seems to have things on lock-down is Philly, but that's provided they can weather the current DL storm. Everywhere else is looking to be a solid two or three-team race into late summer which should make for a lot of good baseball.
That National Anthem was... awful... or did I just hear a cat get murdered on live TV?
I thought something was wrong with my TV!
Based on these comments my take on it was relatively polite - https://www.whiskeyriff.com/2024/07/15/ingrid-andress-just-delivered-one...
I stepped on a cat once and it screamed better than that.
I'm enjoying the commentary, but man don't miss hearing the call from Berman and Morgan
The Miami Hurricanes of announcing
Bak Bak Bak Bak Bak Bak Bak Bak Bak Bak Gone
Yeah, I don't miss that for a second
Must have been later than I thought when I wrote that. What I meant to say was "man do I miss..."
Still a great broadcast and production last night with the exception of the anthem.
That anthem...
https://youtu.be/p1UGpVnvZ9A?si=hvORvP3iJZlUPndj
gold ole youtube takedown...
here's a difference clip... this one only has the ending, but its more than enough to get the point across about how bad it was
Yeah, she was drunk and checked herself into rehab today
Man, that last sentence...she is not in a good head space right now. Hope she gets the help she needs.
What do you think about your team's trade deadline deals?
Let's just take a moment - if the season ended today, the AL Central - the AL FUCKING CENTRAL would have three teams in the playoffs. Who had that on their bingo card?
The Royals is the major surprise. And Witt is just ridiculous. It's also a surprise on how good the Guardians have been, having the best record in baseball. And how mediocre the AL west has been, although Houston is on a comeback and the Mariners may have some offense now. Still two months to figure this out.
Go Guardians!
What I like about the Twins is that each phase of their game has been inconsistent. They have been lights out at times on offense, defense, and pitching, but rarely this year has it all come together consistently. Even during their 12 game win streak earlier this year, there were only a few games that I recall where the pitching was insane and the hitting matched it. If all of that comes together at the end of the season (and guys like Correa and Lewis stay healthy) this team will be extremely dangerous.
Unless derailed by injuries, every team pretty that makes the playoffs has a chance to be dangerous. It's all about getting on the right streaks at the right time.
Baseball is a weird sport where playing a long and arduous 162 games to prove your worth to make it to the posteaseason. Then in the postseason, you play three or four sets of best-of-3or5or7-game series in which the right combination of pitching, hitting, and luck results in a WS championship.
I mean, the Oakland As just recently won 3-game series against the Phillies and against the Astros, so yea, pretty much any team can win once they're in the playoffs.
My A's were sorta on a hot streak. Dropped 2 to the dodgers though ☹️
As a Nats fan, I'm right there with you. The Nats are ending the year with a lineup of everyone under 30 and under team control. Trying to weed out who can play at the MLB and who is AAAA. Have a few top 100 prospects waiting in the wings too, so the future is looking better.
It sucks what's happening to the As though. Rooker and Miller are stars though.
This should seem familiar to Hokies.
Looking forward to doing it again!
Best comment from the article:
Damn
RIP, Billy
Not to be confused with Billy Beane, the former Met and A's manager played by Brad Pitt in the movie Moneyball.
People have been thinking it is the same person that passed, but not the same guy, and a number of radio hosts have mixed up the two today with this announcement.
Condolences to the Bean family.
Thanks, I was getting confused about that.
I'll be honest, had me thinking it was Beane as well, mainly because I saw heartfelt messages coming from MLB, Oakland and Boston.
I thought the same when you posted it yesterday morning, and when you look at him you are like yeah that could be the guy (not really a well know face). It was not until after I heard about the mix up on the radio that I came in and added the comment
Yeah, he sorta looks like Brad Pitt. ;^)
Of course if the White Sox break their losing streak it just had to be against the A's, smh
Got to love how they waited until the streak was over to fire their manager
Yea, seen that. Guess they wanted to see how bad it could get before cutting ties
HOKIE LEGEND IS GETTING THE CALL TO THE SHOW!! Zach Brzykcy will make his debut tomorrow with Nationals.
Note: Legend is a little bit TIC. If you wondering why you've never heard of him, it's because he was mediocre in college, went UNDRAFTED but found his groove as relief pitcher in the Nationals minor league system. Huge congrats to a Hokie that, against the odds, is making his dreams come true by playing in the MLB. And, he has a real legitimate chance to be a mainstay in the Nats bullpen for the next several years.
Tough debut for Brzykcy. He came in to pitch the 9th, the team down 6 runs. Was only able get 2 outs (1 via SO), gives up 2 walks, 3 hits, and 5 ERs (tbf, the next relief pitcher Ribalts let in 2 of the runs, but they still get charged to Brzykcy as they got base via hit or walk on Brzykcy). His ERA sitting at a lofty 67.5. Better luck next time.
First Strike Out:
Nowhere to go but up. If he's been dominating in the minors like he has, he should be able to right the ship.
Yeah another up and way down Hokie moment I watched this weekend.
First step, done!
I'm hoping their bats can heat up. This team is just too streaky right now for my blood pressure.
Well then its a good thing we are playing the Cubs and Nats to end the season, lol
Don't worry- teams will throw the .230 hitting Schwarber a hanging middle middle ball to open the game and get their team and mojo going in playoff games. Idiots.
The Twins... cannot get over how bad they have been this month. They had the WC and arguable the AL Central nearly on lock-down, and then the entire team went into a shell. The pitching staff has been a wreck, and Duran has been a shadow of himself. All the injuries, vets not playing like they are vets, poor hitting, and carousel of players being run between the bigs and AAA has made this an awful finish. 4 games to go, 2 games to makeup in the standing. My only real hope is that Atlanta plays out of their minds for their own playoff hopes against KC, and Twins can close-out the series with Miami and take 2 from Baltimore who is probably more focused on setting their pitching lineup and getting rest before their first round series... fingers crossed...
Tigers are red hot. They are the 24 version of the 23 Rangers. Nobody would be surprised if they ride this hot streak to a WS title. They are smoking hot. As an orioles fan- Im obviously rooting or them. After that - if the D backs hold on- I'll root for them too. Then its a crusade to avoid a Yankees Phillies world series. Two insufferable teams.
I'd happily pull the Dbacks in by knocking the Mets out on Monday, if'n y'all just keep it close. But with the Padres gunning for the division now, that remains to be seen. The Dodgers' magic number is down to 1, though, so at any point the Padres may decide to throttle back.
D backs are playing .500 ball at best the last couple weeks. They were hot there for a stretch. HUGE series vs. the Padres here in PHX this weekend. 2 out of 3 ought to get it done.
Games 2 and 3 of the Braves-Mets series have been postponed to a Monday doubleheader, if necessary.
https://www.mlb.com/news/mets-braves-september-25-26-games-rescheduled
The article goes through some of the pitching implications, but the "if necessary" (not stated in the article, but reported elsewhere) is the most interesting part. If the team winning the first game clinches, and the other team is eliminated, do they play the second game? If the Diamondbacks are eliminated by the time Monday rolls around, are either game played? Or if the Diamondbacks would be eliminated by each team going 1-1, do the Braves and Mets just decide to forfeit one game each, sending both teams to the playoffs?
What I hate the most about this is one or both teams coming out of this, if they are playoff-bound, have to travel to either Milwaukee or San Diego to play an afternoon game right after a doubleheader, as there are no games reportedly being played Tuesday night due to the vice presidential debate. Is that even allowed in the regular season, much less the postseason? It's a shitty way to start the postseason, that's for sure.
Note: Last night's cancellation wasn't for Helene, it was for a line of thunderstorms that were marching longways through Atlanta last night. Helene isn't there yet. Atlanta natives please correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I was getting from weather radar last night.
Monday's games may be at the "Commissioners discretion" [sic] if the Diamondbacks are already eliminated.
And if the playoff picture is set after the first game, then the second game probably won't be played.
As recently as a week or so ago, the Astros had the best record in baseball since their 12-24 start to the season. But they seem to be rolling into the playoffs on a bit of a mediocre stretch. And if Yordan Alvarez's knee is really hurt, their World Series hopes are going to take a major hit.
All that being said, I wouldn't want to draw the Astros in the playoffs. Their pitching has been great since the terrible start, and if healthy their first 6 hitters are probably the best in baseball - Altuve, Bregman, Diaz, Alvarez, Tucker, Pena.
I had expected to see a much larger attendance in Atlanta this afternoon. I know its an afternoon game on a weekday, and there are other challenges affecting the whole region, but this is effectively a post-season game that is maybe at 50% capacity.
Between storm recovery and the chemical plant explosion/fire in Conyers, feel like people's focus is elsewhere. They also are still muddling through Georgia losing to Bama. That's like a state sponsored mourning event.
They missed a really fun 8th inning if they didn't show
Mets clinch
Braves are all but forced to pitch Sale in Game 2, which puts him in jeopardy for the Wild Card round.
Not a great day for Atlanta
Now Arizona becomes the biggest NY fan
Had to scratch Sale to boot. Surviving game 2 so far.
And he's going to be out longer, apparently
"In flux" is right. I think we're going to have to call somebody up from Gwinnett to start tonight's game. Maybe AJ Smith-Shawver, who recently completed a rehab assignment, but has not been pitching well over the past month. Maybe Ian Anderson, the postseason is his thing. I don't know. Then maybe Fried and then I have no idea for game 3. Everybody else was used over the past two days or is hurt (Sale).
RIP, Pete Rose
Just saw that (well Wifey saw and knew I would want to know)
As a lifetime Big Red Machine fan I like to think this is the way Charlie Hustle arrived home:
SAFE of course
RIP to the best hitter ever. And the millixecond that there were actual sports books IN MAJOR LEAGUE parks- Nats Park, Chase Field, etc and gambling on your phone nation-wide, Rose should have been immediately inducted into the HOF. The moment there were bet MGM ads on the pitching mound, let him in. Manfred is literally in business with Vegas and the sports books now, but Rose committed the ultimate sin- Ohhhh Kayyy.
I dont think it was that cut and dry with Rose, but he should have been given a 2nd (or third, or 4th) look. The way I understand it, he was 1) placing bets illegally through a system of others that were laundering/placing bets for him, and 2) some of those bets included games he was directly involved in. That 2nd part is what really got him with the commissioner - he was betting on games he could personally influence the outcome of, which is a massive conflict of interest.
Sure, but when you are a literal business partner with sports books like MLB is now- how is that not a conflict of interest? It's the very definition of it. I'm not excusing what Rose did- but Giammati's main rationale was that the black sox scandal nearly ended the sport. OK. It is orders of magnitude easier to gamble on your own team now - use a burner phone to place your bet in your car- and nobody is crying that this is going to end the game. It's a joke really. There are betting ads in every stadium now. The horse long ago left the barn.
MLB (or any professional league) being in bed with a sports book still raises a lot of questions for, and even more so when individual teams/ownership groups have partnerships. That said, there is still a degree of separation between those relationships and directly affecting the outcome of the games that are played (although I'll hear an argument for a GM manipulating rosters for the sake of coming out on top of bets).
But back to Rose - what he did was a modern day version of using a burner phone placing bets on the team he managed. He circumvented the rules of the league, and he got caught. What I do think is complete BS is that there have been numerous infractions across the professional leagues where players have been caught gambling on games in the league, and they end up with a modest 1-year ban, and nothing like the lifetime ban that Rose got. THAT is the problem I have with the whole situation.
What Rose did was worse because he was MANAGING a team. He had direct knowledge and influence over outcomes.
For those that say "he never bet AGAINST his team" that's a weak argument. If he bet on them to win Monday, he's probably going to push his bullpen harder, move the lineup around etc. Shocker when he doesn't bet on them to win the next day because he's used up the bullpen.
No betting on your own sport is literally the number one rule in all professional sports. The higher up the foodchain you go (player to coach to manager) the more egregious breaking the rule is.
Also: This inning is sponsored by Bet MGM. This call to the mound is sponsored by FanDuel folks. Stop by the BET ESPN bar in the outfield folks. It's just a little tough to take with FanDuel and Bet MGM ads on every jumbotron in the major leagues. I mean seriously. They partner with gaming companies now. LOL
So, are you saying that because a team partners with an alcohol supplier, that the players are going to be more susceptible to drinking in the clubhouse? That's not necessarily true, nor would it mean that any player is more susceptible to any advertising in the ballpark.
As others have said, there's a huge bright line (Rule 21, or is it rule 35?) about players gambling on the sport. They know it, and regardless of who the team partners with, they understand that it's a bannable offense. Give the players credit: they're smart enough to know that (a) the gambling advertising is for the fans, and (b) the more money they bring in via these ads means the more money for players.
I'm saying that if gambling is the ultimate baseball sin, MLB should have the guts not to take sportsbook ad money or have fucking betting windows IN THEIR BALLPARKS. Have the guts not to lust after every penny. Don't have gambling ads in your ball parks if that is the ultimate sin. Don't get anywhere near it. It's laughable hypocrisy. To your point below, I don't see this as any different if Budweiser Ads were at BYU and they had a beer garden in the outfield.
It's not the ultimate sin. It's the ultimate sin for players. Big difference. Who gives a shit if the fans are betting?
Put it this way.
If the league is taking sponsorship money from a beer company, it would ring hollow to suspend players for being drunk.
It would ring hollow to suspend players for being drunk at any point outside the stadium, yes. But it would be entirely appropriate to suspend players for being drunk while they're at the ballpark in a working capacity.
Like anabolic steroids- MLB owners don't give 2 shits about gambling hurting the sanctity of the game- they care about money. So don't pretend that Pete Rose broke the moral fabric of baseball when you take ad money from gambling shops. They don't care if their players or managers place bets through family members etc. They care about ad money from bet mgm. Shoehi Ohtani- wink wink wink- had NO idea his camp was betting millions on baseball. wink.
Again, Rose was managing a team which makes the sin of gambling exponentially worse.
Then after he was caught and was banned from baseball, he continued to publicly claim he never bet on baseball, never bet on the Reds, never bet against them, yadda yadda yadda.
He had decades to come clean and instead spit in MLB's face when they knew he was guilty.
He was a great baseball player but a shitty human and pathological liar. He committed the ultimate sin of gambling on his own sport. He can stay out of the hall of fame.
Rose can be scum and bet on his own team and not be in the HOF- I don't give a shit really. What I am saying is don't pretend that gambling is that level of taboo... then do business with... drum roll... Fucking gaming companies. It's laughable on every level. Does baseball have steroid ads on the mound? Do MLB clubs have partnerships with Balco now?
Easy. You can partner with gambling sites while still prohibiting players from gambling. Ads are not focused towards the players, but the consumers of the product.
Allowing players to gamble on the sport would be something that breaks the game, because it breaks the public confidence in it. You don't want anybody thinking, "Well maybe that guy struck out because he's got a bet riding on that." But allowing fans to bet on the game? NBD.
Last year against Northwestern James Franklin TOTALLY did not know the spread when he ran a trick play up 14 with 5 seconds left... nahhh...
Which is why he's on the ineligible list. Not a "lifetime ban", he's permanently ineligible. And he should be, for no other reason than pour encourager les autres.
Astros fans really showing up today...
They should have brought some bats with them, since the Astros didn't seem to bring theirs.
they seem to have found them in the 9th
Hunter Brown starting for the 'Stros today. That would have been my choice too, with Blanco (hopefully) in game 3 in Detroit.
I think all wildcard games are at the host location these days (not that it materially alters your main point)
I didn't realize that.
And for the Astros is doesn't matter anyway. 3 runs in two games ain't going to get it done.
O's getting blanked was not on my bingo card
Braves in another elimination game tonight. Good thing we have Fried on the mound. The bullpen looked pretty good yesterday as well.
The bats.....not so much. And looks like we're up against Joe Musgrave. I think I like our chances against him rather than against Clease.
I have Braves Orioles under 1.5 runs scored combined today. Pay the Man.
Love you, bud, but I hope you lose that bet.
I was at that orioles game and I have never experienced the feeling of an insurmountable 1 run lead while I was physically at a game like I did yesterday (I've experienced it plenty of times as an orioles fan watching on tv though..).
It was just a brutal experience
O's go down with a whimper. Considering how they played a significant part of this season in first place.
Astros go down, and I'm all for it.
And in non-playoff news - the Twins dismissed their entire MLB hitting staff.
O's need to do the same thing, if not adding the manager to the list. They tweaked Adleys swing and approach this year and it dropped his batting average 30 points. The vibes were real bad the second half of the season, they were a .500 team. The only reason the orioles spent the majority of the season in 1st is because the Yankees were playing just as bad, sometimes worse, and wouldn't take the division when the O's were handing it to them. Some of that was due to injuries but the approaches by the hitters were just horrible and that came to light in the wildcard series. They didn't even attempt to manufacture runs or play station to station, the O's approach all year was swinging harder to increase exit velo's and drive the ball more.
The literal difference in the series is the Royals young superstar SS got 2 hits with 2 outs and runners in scoring position and the O's young superstar SS struck out twice with 2 outs and runners in scoring position. It sucks they wasted an incredible season from Burnes and now he'll walk.
A lot of changes are needed this offseason. Hopefully the new ownership will open up the checkbook and fill some of the more glaring holes.
Amen, we could be the Astros- or we could totally fuck up this young core of great draft picks. This is a turning point. We scored 1 fucking run at home in a 2 game playoff series. Seriously? A team that won 90 games can't get a base hit. Mountcastle fucking swings at a pitch that hit him 4 feet inside the plate at a critical critical time. A joke. The O's can get a couple championships out of this core or they could totally fuck this up. They nailed their draft picks- make it count.
You're absolutely right. We could be the Astros or we could be the Blue Jays the last 5 or 6 years. Orioles ownership and management need to decide which of those it'll be.
Thank god Angelos is gone. The man that wouldn't pay Cal market value in his last deal because "no MLB player is worth 10 million"... As A rod signed for 250 plus million. So very glad those assholes are out. So there is hope now. Hyde needs to learn how to manage star players, vs. scrappy 100 loss money ball types- he needs to turn that corner.
Don't worry too much if you're an Orioles fan. They are going to be good for the foreseeable future.
The problem is having to play in the wild card. I like that it gets additional teams in the playoffs, but no baseball postseason baseball series should be decided by a best-of-three. It kind of diminishes the 162-game season IMO.
It's better than 1 like it used to be.
Baseball is very weird in that the season is so long that only the truly best rosters make the playoffs, then when in the playoffs, it's whoever is hot and lucky that wins the World Series.
There have been 12 Wild Card Series since introduced in 2022. The team that won game 1 has won all of them. 10 of the 12 were sweeps.
I'm starting to lean towards paring back the number of teams in postseason play, and having them play longer series. The 3 game series isn't working, especially with a break for the top seeds.
The single worst thing about America is the first round of the NBA playoffs taking 3 weeks. So don't model that.
Fair point. Maybe just going back to four teams from each league, two 5-game series and a 7-game series prior to the 7-game World Series.
One of the articles I read was talking about the Orioles trying to hit a 3-run homerun to tie the game while nobody was on base. Oof.
This is just how lots of guys are at the plate nowadays. Swing first, ask questions later
Small ball died when everyone shifted to launch angles, exit velocity, and 3 true outcomes. Now they're tracking swing speed which is just going to force even more people to just swing out of their shoes instead of going with the pitch and making productive outs.
you just summed up the Twins hitting approach for the last 2 years. All of those coaches responsible have been sacked as of Monday.
Dang, you have to admit this is a quality clapback
The feathers are a nice touch
Freeman just locked up the WS MVP
Unless a Yankee comes to life and the Yankees win the next 4 games, Freeman is a lock. 1000% agree.
That puts a bow on 2024, and the free agency period is open. Where will names like Soto, Burns, Snell, and Alonso (plus a whole lot more) land? What will come out of the GM meetings next week? Will the Twins be under different ownership by Spring training? Can the White Sox actually find a way to get worse this off-season by trading away their pitching?
Breaking: Soto will re-sign with the Yankees for the millions of obvious reasons. He's a dick and they have the most money. Like peanut butter and Jelly
Yankees fans are concerned about the Mets getting Soto. Cohen could basically tell Soto to name the price and Soto's already basically implied he's going to the highest bidder. Hal Steinbrenner has already made comments suggesting he's unwilling to add a ton of money to their payroll and, IMO, the Yankees are more than just Soto away from making another World Series run. They have some glaring holes in their pitching staff and in the field/lineup that I'm not sure if they can address if they sign Soto to as much money as he's going to demand.
If they are smart, they will let Cole walk too vs. adding a 5 year 40 mil per contract - which would make him 43 years old making 40 million dollars. He only pitches 5 innings. Id let him walk in a heartbeat.
Soto's not a dick, but he is listening to Boras and wants to get paid. Nothing about that guy is dickish. Weird comment.
And I don't think the Yankees will sign him. Yankees have signed their top players for a " Yankee discount" and haven't shown a willingness to outbid teams for inordinate contracts. And the CBT is expensive enough that even the richest teams have to consider it if they're interested in making profits. The Yankees are expected to pay $60-70M tax this year and would probably get to about $100M if they sign Soto. Signing Soto would also make it pretty much impossible to reset the CBT thresholds, so they would handcuff themselves to a superhigh tax for over a decade. And although the Yankees do make the most revenue (they made $679M in 2023), their operating income is marginal ($2.1M in 2023). Would they be OK with a negative operating income to sign Soto? That's probably what it would take. But idk, maybe they would be OK with that because their crosstown rivals are crazy stupid with money.
Speaking of the crosstown rivals, the Mets are interesting. The Mets have some high salary players coming off payroll this year, so they could use this year to get under the CBT threshold. But Cohen has shown he may not care about money. Cohen has paid over $100M in CBT the last two years. With revenues of $393M, the Mets operating income was $-292M in 2023, and it's likely to be similar in 2024. How long does Cohen burn hundreds of millions of dollars? I think he has to be thinking about getting back under the CBT to at least reset it. But maybe not.
In all seriousness, the Nats are in one of the best positions to pay what Boras is seeking. They have a young roster that has a lot of star potential and can position themselves to compete for playoffs starting 2025. All their major contracts are off the books except 1 (Strasburg), who is only on payroll for 2 more years. After arbitration, they'll be about $140M under the CBT threshold (meaning, they can sign about $140M in free agents and still not pay the CBT). When they were competing to be in the playoffs, they had a top 5 payroll. So, if they wanted, they could outbid every other team for Soto and still be able to spend on some other free agents without paying tax. They have decent revenues ($355M in 2023 for a last place team) and a healthy operating income ($63M in 2023). It is an open question on whether the management will spend again to win, as signing Soto will increase revenues, but likely to decrease operating income.
Soto also made comments in the summer about how much he liked being on the Nats that raised some eyebrows.
That would be quite the coup to trade him away to start the rebuild for all of San Diego's best prospects and then resign him when they all graduate to the bigs and start to get experience.
Soto being back on the Nats would get me downtown to see them play a lot more than once a year...
Yeah the Nats aren't giving Soto 800 million dollars. Not in this life. He will sign with the Yankees, Mets or Dodgers. Teams that print their own money.
Technically, teams have a 5 day window to negotiate with free agents. So there will be no landing elsewhere for another 4 days.
Also, Braves start off quickly by trading Jorge Soler to the Angels for Griffin Canning.
Simple breakdown of all pending FAs by position and WAR - https://www.mlb.com/news/2024-25-mlb-free-agents-by-position
The first thing I noted - there a very few individuals on this whole list that are under 30
A few notable players that I think are going to get a lot of attention:
My Orioles need a bat that can hit in the clutch, a closer (desperately) and a 3-4 ish starter AND to re-sign Burnes. Then we will be rolling. My diamondbacks need a top line starter and they need to move Alek Thomas while he has a little value.
Most places I am reading think Burnes and Santander are both gone. Likely need to pick two other pitchers to go after. Seeing smoke on them going after Pete Alonso. Not sure that really hits for me.
Alonso is the last thing we need. Keep Santander- hes better.
I don't think Pete Alonso is going to get near what he thinks he should get. From The Athletic's Top 50 Free Agent Ranking by Keith Law:
I tend to agree. Outside of his annual appearance in the HR derby, it feels like he's rarely making his value. I could see a team taking chance on him by sliding him over into a DH role and as a utility player, but he may need to put starting at 1B in his rear view mirror
Bellinger electing free agency would be a choice. Coming off 2.2 WAR year with multiple IR stents doesn't suggest he'll get a long term contract. I mean, last year he was coming off a 4.4 WAR year and the best he got was this contract (that has another player option next year for more money). I don't see how he does better than that this offseason.