2018-19 Offseason News, Rumors, Trades

BoSox Rule

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I haven’t seen anybody else say that he can opt out any year after 3, just that he can opt out after 3.
 

jon abbey

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I haven’t seen anybody else say that he can opt out any year after 3, just that he can opt out after 3.
Heyman took three tweets to explain it and still wasn't crystal clear, but there's an opt-out after each year starting in 2021 according to him, this is the first of the three tweets.

 

SemperFidelisSox

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The Giants have a ton of upside in the lower rungs of their system, but they’re still years away from contending for a championship, Harper will spend the rest of his 20’s finishing in 4th place, and that asssumes they keep Bumgarner, Panik long term.
 

jon abbey

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The Giants have a ton of upside in the lower rungs of their system, but they’re still years away from contending for a championship, Harper will spend the rest of his 20’s finishing in 4th place, and that asssumes they keep Bumgarner, Panik long term.
Quickly looking at the new BA Prospect book that came on Tuesday (yay), SF is ranked 28th in farm systems currently and while their top three are very young (two just acquired last summer) and do have tons of upside, it is a quick falloff after that. That's why they hired Zaidi, but I think they're still as badly positioned as almost anyone in the NL even with Harper.
 

Plympton91

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If players like Nosh barrison are going to be a available for $2 million a year on 1 year deals, then a team with San franciso’s resources could easily pull a Red Sox 2013 in any given year.

Even just this year, they could still follow up a Harper signing with Gio Gonzalez, Adam Jones, CarGo, to dream on a one-year dead cat bounce, and maybe Keuchel if they really wanted to try and sneak in. AZ has punted, the Dodgers pitching staff is increasingly duct tape and bailing wire, SD isn’t there yet, and CO always finds a way to not be as good as they look on paper.

Then next year they can start free agency knowing they’re goi g to try to compete, and look for the mid-tier starting players like Wilson Ramos and Michael Brantley who signed very reasonable contracts.
 

The Gray Eagle

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Nosh Barrison? :D Is he related to the Beatle Veorge Barrison, Presidents Ailliam Benry Barrison and Benjamin Barrison, or the actor Dex Barrison?
 

jon abbey

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I mean, obviously he's Yiddish, so a different set of Barrisons entirely.
 

bsj

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Am i the only one who thinks 13 years, meaning till 38, with no optouts, in the NL, is a bit crazy?

He's a very good player but he's no mike trout. I'd sign trout to 13 years right now, and he's a year older.

Unless they know the universal DH is a sure thing soon, which helps a little
 

E5 Yaz

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Am i the only one who thinks 13 years, meaning till 38, with no optouts, in the NL, is a bit crazy?

He's a very good player but he's no mike trout. I'd sign trout to 13 years right now, and he's a year older.

Unless they know the universal DH is a sure thing soon, which helps a little
Well, the owner said he would spend stupid money
 

E5 Yaz

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If it is 13, it's the longest actual contract by 2 years over the Helton-Rockies deal

... outside the Bobby Bonilla deal, of course
 

Plympton91

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I had always assumed there was an outside chance that DC would jump in and sign Harper at the last minute. I don’t buy that they can’t afford another ten figure contract. Now that he is definitively off the market, I wonder if they would be a potential landing place for Kimbrel? Add a closer to the nice set up guys they’ve stockpiled and beat Philly with pitching and defense.
 

jon abbey

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I had always assumed there was an outside chance that DC would jump in and sign Harper at the last minute. I don’t buy that they can’t afford another ten figure contract. Now that he is definitively off the market, I wonder if they would be a potential landing place for Kimbrel? Add a closer to the nice set up guys they’ve stockpiled and beat Philly with pitching and defense.
Don’t forget Rendon has $200M+ coming before next season, they don’t want to lose him.
 

E5 Yaz

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Salvador Perez with UCL damage in his throwing arm. /mlbtr

Gee, I wonder what team has 3 catchers and is only planning to carry 2?
 

Sad Sam Jones

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The remaining free agents have been signing quickly since spring training games have started. With Adam Warren to the Padres and Carlos Gomez to the Mets today, the number who have averaged at least 1 WAR over the past three seasons is down to nine:

• Dallas Keuchel
• Craig Kimbrel
• Gio Gonzalez
• Evan Gattis
• Adam Jones
• Denard Span
• Logan Morrison
• Martin Maldonado
• Carlos Gonzalez

That's three guys who might have a significant impact on a team and a handful of possibly useful role players. Maldonado seems like a no-brainer for the Royals now as they may otherwise open the season without a healthy catcher with more than 100 career MLB plate appearances.

*
 

Plympton91

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The remaining free agents have been signing quickly since spring training games have started. With Adam Warren to the Padres and Carlos Gomez to the Mets today, the number who have averaged at least 1 WAR over the past three seasons is down to nine:

• Dallas Keuchel
• Craig Kimbrel
• Gio Gonzalez
• Evan Gattis
• Adam Jones
• Denard Span
• Logan Morrison
• Martin Maldonado
• Carlos Gonzalez

That's three guys who might have a significant impact on a team and a handful of possibly useful role players. Maldonado seems like a no-brainer for the Royals now as they may otherwise open the season without a healthy catcher with more than 100 career MLB plate appearances.

*
They probably view that as a feature don’t they? Their goal is to lose as many games as they can this year.

Just started planning for my AL only fantasy draft. God, what a wasteland the AL catcher’s position is. If Perez is out for the rest of the season that leaves Sanchez and Zunino as the only major leaguers in the bunch I think, and they both took huge steps backwards last year. Even as bad as I expect Vazquez to be offensively, he may be in the top half of catchers.
 

edoug

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Not to condone what he did but why he did it could be more damning.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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FWIW, I live near the Baers and people who know them well have nothing but good things to say about Larry, Pam and the family.

This doesn't excuse nor does it condone his behavior. However, unlike other cases where well known people are exposed for bad acts and it turns out that their horrible behavior was sort of an open secret amongst people in their orbit, that doesn't appear to be the case with Baer.

Regardless, this was a horrible look for him and I feel for his wife and kids.
 

jon abbey

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So basically just Kimbrel and Keuchel left out there for impact guys? Kimbrel seems to make a lot of sense for ATL or WAS, not as sure about Keuchel.
 

jon abbey

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Doolittle was pretty great for the Nats last year. Do you really think they'd turn over the closer role to Kimbrel? I don't see it.
I do, just because they're that thin behind him, plus Doolittle is on the DL (now IL) a lot, my rough estimate has him missing almost half of the last four seasons combined.

2015: April 4-May 26, May 30-Aug 22
2016: June 30-Sept 2
2017: May 3-June 2
2018: July 10-Sept 17
 

Yelling At Clouds

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So basically just Kimbrel and Keuchel left out there for impact guys? Kimbrel seems to make a lot of sense for ATL or WAS, not as sure about Keuchel.
ATL for Keuchel also, Folty and a bunch of their other pitchers are dealing with injuries already.
 

dcmissle

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Failing to address the bullpen in ST or earlier, as opposed to mid season, has been a Nats problem for years.

A few years ago ownership told Rizzo no — only to then give Matt Wieters (and Scott Boras) $21 million for two years.

Last season they were thin, the manager overused relievers in April/May and they never recovered from that + a thin rotation.

Maybe they have learned.
 

Plympton91

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With the acquisition of Berraclaugh and Rosenthal, I thought they were in pretty good shape, but adding Kimbral would be awesome. Then they can use Doolittle as the relief ace and let Craig get his 3 outs in the 9th inning like he prefers.
 

Koji’s Slider

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The Mets are hiring ESPN Analyst Jessica Mendoza, Yes, that one, as a special assistant. She will remain in the booth.
 

glennhoffmania

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The Mets are hiring ESPN Analyst Jessica Mendoza, Yes, that one, as a special assistant. She will remain in the booth.
Wait, what? What has she ever done to qualify for a FO position? And how can she still announce games while employed by a team?
 

Plympton91

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Wait, what? What has she ever done to qualify for a FO position? And how can she still announce games while employed by a team?
I mean, she’s one of the best softball players ever. And, has a Master’s degree from Stanford. What skills do you think she lacks that, say, a retiring minor league baseball player ascending to the same role would have?
 

OurF'ingCity

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I think her credentials are solid, but it is weird that she'll still be doing games. I guess she'll recuse herself from calling Mets games? Since Van Wagenen is already a prime example of conflict-of-interest I assume he doesn't give a shit, but one would think ESPN might have something to say about that.
 

glennhoffmania

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I mean, she’s one of the best softball players ever. And, has a Master’s degree from Stanford. What skills do you think she lacks that, say, a retiring minor league baseball player ascending to the same role would have?
I don't know. Maybe some actual experience coaching or playing baseball, or working in a front office? This may be shocking but college softball and professional baseball aren't the same thing.
 

Plympton91

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I don't know. Maybe some actual experience coaching or playing baseball, or working in a front office? This may be shocking but college softball and professional baseball aren't the same thing.
The position is, “special advisor,” so it seems to me it can be anything from entry level on up. What front office experience or professional baseball experience did all those (all male) quants Billy Beane hired right out of Ivy League undergraduate colleges have?

I think it’s great a that women are finally getting some opportunities in baseball front offices. Why piss on a long overdue change.
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

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I don't know. Maybe some actual experience coaching or playing baseball, or working in a front office? This may be shocking but college softball and professional baseball aren't the same thing.
There are a lot of examples of baseball greats, who have done very poorly either managing or in the front office. Experience is nice, I suppose, but it's not needed.

What coaching or playing experience did Theo Epstein have? How about Dave Dombrowski?
 

glennhoffmania

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There are a lot of examples of baseball greats, who have done very poorly either managing or in the front office. Experience is nice, I suppose, but it's not needed.

What coaching or playing experience did Theo Epstein have? How about Dave Dombrowski?
If I recall, Theo started out as an intern and a FO assistant and worked his way up, no? I didn't say playing or managing experience is required. I specifically included front office experience as well. But generally a special assistant seems to be someone who has had some experience at some level working in some sort of capacity within a baseball organization.