The 2018 Hot (Cold) Stove of Major League Baseball

[DeletedUser33003]

More minor news.....

Matt den Dekker signed a a minor league deal with the Mets. In fact, they originally drafted him and promoted him into the majors, and then traded him. den Dekker is not a big bat, but he's shown league-average ability from time to time. Where he shines is in the outfield. He can field all three positions quite efficiently, though left field seems to be more of a challenge for him.

Tyler Matzek signed a similar deal with the Mariners, he specifically hopes he can bounce back. The young pitcher was emerging as a talent in 2014, and then he dealt with injuries, and hasn't been the asme since. The last time he was in the league was 2016.

Here's hoping to both have break outs.

 

[DeletedUser33003]

Dan Straily, the glorified ace of the Marlins staff lost his arbitration hearing yesterday, left with a team offered salary of $3.375 million, compared to the $3.5 million he was applying for.

Straily is stuck on a team that isn't going to compete anytime soon, and he is just getting into his prime. Whether he's excited by leading an unimproved staff, on a demolished roster, I would gather we could guess, but Straily is probably happy that he is finally earning a seven figure salary, after pitching for six years for virtually the veteran minimum.

 

[DeletedUser33003]

Brandon Maurer lost his arbitration hearing with the Royals, losing his bid for a salary of $3.5 million, and instead being given his team's offer of $2.95 million. Maurer, who just began converting to a closer role in 2016, showed that he's very close to being in the company of Wade Davis and Kenley Jansen last season, when analyzing his metrics.

He averages a strikeout an inning, and though he had a high walk rate for part of last season, which led to elevated ERA, it is likely he will turn that around. Despite the setback in salary expectation, Maurer can rest assured that people still believe in his skill set, or he simply wouldn't have had the opportunity again in KC.

 

[DeletedUser33003]

Of the top tier free agents, Jason Vargas was at the bottom of the pitching pile.

But, he has value, despite his age, and he finally commanded it. He signed with the Mets on a three year deal, with $8 million per, through the first two seasons, and the third, an option year, at $10 million, all three totals are guaranteed, if they are fully exercised. He also has a shot at 1.5 million in incentives each year, with $250K paid for inning benchmarks of 160, 170, 180, 190, 200, and 210.

Vargas is coming off the best season of his life arguably, which included an 18 win season, and enough strikeouts to make heads turn to recognize that Vargas had a command not seen before.

We've seen pitchers like this before, and perhaps the framing work of Salvador Perez at the backstop helped Vargas improve in a way not totally seen by him up to this point in his career. Time will tell what Vargas is capable of, and so will this deal.

 

[DeletedUser33003]

Edison Volquez signed a minor league deal with the Rangers, that lasts for two years, and has Spring Training invites for 2018 and 2019.

It's an interesting signing, because the Rangers seemed content with their current rotation. Volquez, who is getting paid by a previous contract with the Marlins still, is making a comeback from both a UCL break, and a knee injury, where both required surgery, the UCL of course was a TJ procedure.

Volquez was released by the Marlins after the TJ surgery, but were left on the hook for the full salary on his 2017 contract year, which was $13 million.

Volquez' contract with the Rangers gets him $2 million by making the team roster, and $4.5 million in incentives.

Volquez, when on his game, is a decent four, even three man in a strating rotation. When he's not, he's the first guy you're giving off days once September call-ups arrive.

Hopefully with the extra money, and the rehab assignments the Rangers can provide will get Volquez back on the bump in 2019.

 

[DeletedUser33003]

We'll fast forward for some breaking news.....

The Hosmer deal is finally done! Eight years, $144 million, with $20 million paid each of the first five seasons, and $13 million paid on the remaining three, with a $5 million signing bonus in those years, with the Padres.

This falls short of the average $21 million he was looking for, but it does accomplish the length he was looking for.

The Padres had been working hard to sign Hosmer, and it would seem they finally caved on the eight year figure, but it would seem that based on the projects in salary Hosmer was project to command, he had to actually sacrifice some of the money for the long-term years he wanted.

It's important to note that Eric Hosmer is a Bor-as client, and that makes two Bor-as clients, at different spectrums of the free agent market, who have inked deals with clubs. This helps the theory that Bor-as was running his mouth this off-season, as a tactic, rather than be whole-hearted in his criticism of the MLB and it's franchises.

This may be the first time Bor-as has compromised on a deal in any meaningful way. So there's hope for February yet.

 

[DeletedUser]

We'll fast forward for some breaking news.....

The Hosmer deal is finally done! Eight years, $144 million, with $20 million paid each of the first five seasons, and $13 million paid on the remaining three, with a $5 million signing bonus in those years.

This falls short of the average $21 million he was looking for, but it does accomplish the length he was looking for.

It's important to note that Eric Hosmer is a Bor-as client, and that makes two Bor-as clients, at different spectrums of the free agent market, who have inked deals with clubs. This helps the theory that Bor-as was running his mouth this off-season, as a tactic, rather than be whole-hearted in his criticism of the MLB and it's franchises.

You left out a critical detail here. Who did he sign with? (I'll google it, so no harm done. lol)

 

[DeletedUser33003]

You left out a critical detail here. Who did he sign with? (I'll google it, so no harm done. lol)

Thanks! Got it updated, sorry I forget!

 

[DeletedUser]

It is really sad that every single player goes for the money, even when the difference is negligible. EVERY. SINGLE. PLAYER. There is no reason at all for a fan to be loyal to a team or player, because neither has any loyalty at all to the fans. Players put the almighty dollar ahead of anything else, and so do teams. With things like personal seat licenses and variable pricing depending on the opponent, teams prove that they also care more for money than for their fans. This is why I only go to games to keep peace in the family and would much rather watch them on TV, if at all. When I was younger, I had an insatiable appetite for sports, but no longer.

End of rant. Carry on with what you were doing.

 

[DeletedUser33003]

You're not wrong. I think what happened is that team owners got found out by players and their representatives when it came to how much money they were making way back when. It's been said that some of these owners could have comfortably paid players half million dollar contracts as far back as the 40's.

The disconnect between the heyday of baseball and the game now, in my view, is a parallel to our country and what it experienced between then and now.

In the 40's, we loved ourselves, we loved our neighbors, we loved our jobs, and we loved our kids. We were in a war that was suppose to end all wars, but instead, because it wasn't truly addressed, it created more war. But in that bubble, we grew our own unique culture with love. It was flawed, it was chauvinistic, and it was arrogant.

It was also secure, rich, and comfortable.

We've lost nearly all of that, up to now, and consequently, the game has lost much of it too. Baseball has always been a deep reflection of society and culture in the States. And because we've lost our edge, and forgot what this country was founded for, we can expect that the game does not maintain those same values too.

But it's not all gone. Whenever a team signs a local player, there's a thrill to be had in the fan base. Whenever a team brings in something that's a rarity now, like ice-cold watermelon slices in a cart, people hear the story and remember what drew them in the first place. And of course, the cross-town rivalries were always a big hit. New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles prove that to this day, but St. Louis used to have it, Philadelphia too. When the league re-aligns again, to emphasize locality, that will help a little.

Baseball can be greater than it has been, and so can the US. It just takes people dreaming, trying, and most of all, believing. Because the game can only show what we put into it.

 

[DeletedUser]

In the 40's, we loved ourselves, we loved our neighbors, we loved our jobs, and we loved our kids. We were in a war that was suppose to end all wars, but instead, because it wasn't truly addressed, it created more war. But in that bubble, we grew our own unique culture with love. It was flawed, it was chauvinistic, and it was arrogant.

It was also secure, rich, and comfortable.

We've lost nearly all of that, up to now, and consequently, the game has lost much of it too. Baseball has always been a deep reflection of society and culture in the States. And because we've lost our edge, and forgot what this country was founded for, we can expect that the game does not maintain those same values too.

This is a simplistic and unrealistic view of the past. And it has nothing to do with the economics of baseball. The difference between then and now in sports can be summed up in two words that both boil down to...money. The two words are television and advertising. Yes, there was advertising before television, but it was like GBs before the Arc. It didn't warp the game. But when you combo advertising with television, you get a monster that warps the economics of the entire world. Prices in general, not just in sports, are so much higher now than then in large part because they have to offset the billions (if not trillions) of dollars spent in advertising. From simple commercials to naming rights on stadiums to sponsoring various sporting enterprises and tours, corporate spending on advertising has warped the normal supply/demand dynamics of our economy. There simply was not this kind of money in sports before television.

 

[Graviton]

There simply was not this kind of money in sports before television.

...and players were virtual slaves to their teams prior to free agency. They had to work winter jobs or barnstorm in the offseason to make ends meet, even the great ones. They were not being paid commensurate to their true value. Their salaries from year to year most often had nothing to do with their performance or their fan appeal but the simple whims of the owner. You said Valhalla's was a simplistic and unrealistic view of the past; well I believe your harkening back to the days when there wasn't so much money in baseball meets that criteria as well.

I don't know about you, but I also desire to make as much money as I can. I see nothing wrong with anybody else doing the same thing, even when it's millions of dollars.

 

[DeletedUser33003]

Sure it was simplistic, it was four paragraphs and seven sentences trying to capture and condense similarities between baseball and our country from the 40's to 2018.

Sure, there's nuance that gets left behind. Capturing the spirit of anything isn't about discussing each thing that happened. It's about getting the essence.

Heck, in the 40's, marriage between my wife and I would be criminal, that doesn't mean there isn't redeeming qualities in that time period, or that everything about it is worthless.

And yes, television has had an impact on our world in so many ways that haven't helped. We could also point where it has helped.

As bad as any decade is, there is equal good in it as well, usually from the same places producing the bad.

I understand your point, but I never want to be to a point that I lose all hope.

 

[DeletedUser33003]

The Padres claimed Roman Wick, who was waived by the Cardinals a few days ago, when they made room on their 40-man roster for Bud Norris.

Wick is a 25 year old pitcher, but he's also known as a catcher and rightfielder. Move over Shohei Otani!

The Twins signed a split contract with Anibal Sanchez, where he has $500K guaranteed, and could make $2.5 million for making the team's roster, and another $2.5 million in incentives. It would be hard pressed to see Sanchez achieve any incentives, his past three years with the Tigers was some of the worst pitching recorded in the majors, and though he has consistent experience in the league, I would think the Twins could still find a better pitcher, especially since they were just in the market for Yu Darvish.

In the ever-burgeoning drama that is known as The Marlins, they are now being sued by Miami-Dade County, because the sell of the team was suppose to entitle the county to a revenue share. The county is suing the current owners, to include Derek Jeter, and the previous owner, Jeffrey Loria. Since this news broke, the new ownership group issued a statement that the sale agreement indemnified them from the stadium deal, which this revenue share money is related to. I wish I had purchased parking lots around that darn stadium. Not for the parking revenue, but for the ever increasing real estate value! And with this nugget of info, you could drive the price up even more, because you know the new ownership group is going to forced into this somehow, and they'll buy something around the stadium and hand it to the county as compensation. What can I say, I'd like to retire with an Outrage 420!

The Dodgers agreed to a non-invitee minors deal with 33-year old left-handed pitcher, Cesar Ramos. Ramos is a lefty specialist, so he always has value, despite plus-4 ERAs. He still holds batters to respectable batting averages, but the numbers are tilted by his effective handling of left-handed batters.

The Diamondbacks re-signed Jorge De La Rosa to a minors deal, with a $2.25 million upgrade for making the roster. De La Rosa had been a starter for nearly a decade in Colorado, before moving to the D-Backs to become a middle relief/setup man. He was pretty crisp last season in that role, so it's a little surprising he's going to have to actually work for a roster spot. He held left-handed batters below .200, but allowed right handed batters to go .262. With that said, he had limited innings, as he was used in very specialized situations, so a .262 batting average on one half of the plate doesn't say much. What does say much is that in high leverage situations, that is relief appearances that started with runners on base, De La Rosa allowed one base-runner across, compared to inheriting 33 on base total. To me, that speaks to his shut down ability, so offering him a minors deal seems like a good way to run a quality arm off. He accepted, so he must know something we don't know. Godspeed!

The last arbitration hearing of the off-season came in on Sunday. Scooter Gennett, who we talked about briefly in January, won his hearing against the Reds. He was awarded $5.7 million, compared to the $5.1 million the team offered. If you're keeping track, out of the 22 arbitration hearings that occurred this off-season, the players won 12. All in all, a pretty even stat line in those hearings, but as you may recall, the biggest hearings of the year landed in the player's side of the aisle. And the one's that did not, were lower end salaries, save for three or four where I wide margin was involved. Gennett had a career year, so his settlement is logical. Hopefully he'll continue to build on it, and get himself out of Cincinnati so he can actually play baseball somewhere.

The Dodgers signed Chase Utley for two years, and $2 million. This was a signing that was largely expected. The Dodgers love Utley as a field leader, likely grooming him for management, and his price tag is dirt cheap for the services he provides.

After his showcase, it appears that the Rangers and the Giants are the forefront in trying to sign Tim Lincecum. Both team's staffs came away very impressed with what he showed. The Giants are where Lincecum established himself as a force to be reckoned with, and would serve as a tearful homecoming, where Lincecum was forced to leave the team due to injury. If the Giants do sign him, there wouldn't be a dry eye in AT&T Park upon his entry into a game.

Lastly for this update, the Phillies signed Fernando Abad to a minors deal, that would pay him $3.1 million if he makes the team. I've noticed that the recent spat of minors deal seem to be increasing in payout for making the team. I can't tell the strategy, because Abad, and De La Rosa, the last two I've reported on, are really solid relief pitchers with great metrics, and no recent injury troubles. These guys are very likely to make the rosters of their respective teams, so why are teams signing them to minors pacts? Just when you think you understand the business of baseball.....

 

[DeletedUser33003]

Tony Watson, one the league's more dependable setup men signed a deal with the Giants. This particular deal took a long time to materialize, but in this case, the team and the player were largely believed to be a pair going into 2018.

It's for three years, and the terms are in conflict, but it rangers between $7 million and $21 million, though what is sure is that $7 million is guaranteed. The third year is a player option, that contains a small buyout.....says USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

From earlier reporting this month, The Rangers decided not to sign closer Seung Hwang Oh because he didn't pass his physical. During an MRI, there were problems found in his pitching arm.

 

[DeletedUser33003]

The Pirates have been getting rid of baseball players. And those that remain, namely David Freese and Josh Harrison don't like it.

They both are rattling the spears of wanting out, Harrison the most, and they've become very vocal in their displeasure with the major sell-off orchestrated by the Pirates front office.

While many other big stories are occurring, this one is a major disruption to Pirates Spring Training, and should be paid attention to. If Harrison and Freese, two of the most productive players Pittsburgh has left, are openly critical and hostile about the team, it could spell quick exits, and even more lost games for the Pirates.

 

[Graviton]

Yeah, it's gonna be ugly in Pittsburgh this year.

I don't know what happened to Anibal Sanchez. Seems like one day he's tossing a no-no and the next he couldn't pitch his way out of a wet paper bag.

 

[Graviton]

John Henry apparently blames former hitting coach Chili Davis for the drop-off of the Red Sox offense in 2017. Couldn't have anything to do with David Ortiz taking his .315/.401/.620 slash line and 38 homers with him when he retired, right?

https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/red-sox-owner-john-henry-throws-shade-at-chili-davis/

As a Cubs fan, I welcome Chili with open arms.

 

[Graviton]

I was reading a recap of yesterday's Spring Training action, and saw this (emphasis mine):

"Kyle Schwarber got two hits and stole two bases for Chicago."

 

[Graviton]

Here's an idea that might address both the pace of play issues and the explosion of home runs: don't replace the game ball. You'll have to replace it after homers or foul balls, of course. But let's rewind the clock back to the Dead Ball Era, or even harken back to sandlot ball, and leave the ball in the game until it goes out of play. No matter how scuffed, scratched, dirty, or misshapen it gets from being smacked around, keep on using it.

The ball won't fly as far, so theoretically there will be fewer home runs and more balls actually in play on the field, where so some defense can happen. There might be some advantage to the pitcher as well, in that a scuffed ball might dance a bit more, and a dirtier ball might be harder for the batter to see.

Of all the ideas I've seen tossed around to answer the question of pace of play, and in particular the Three True Outcomes problem, I've yet to see this one. I'm not sure how viable it is, but it's less wacky than handing out free runners or mandating the number of pitchers on a roster.