Grayson Rodriguez to the IL with a shoulder issue.
View: https://twitter.com/sandwich_pick/status/1785709895582408927
View: https://twitter.com/sandwich_pick/status/1785709895582408927
May 2024 News and Notes
- Thread starter Wingack
- Start date
In less than shocking news, Byron Buxton left with a sore knee in the 2nd inning today after he was caught stealing. It followed his 100th plate appearance of the year, so this was pretty deep into the season for him to still be healthy.
Did they ever make a card for the guy with the spray can and rags pictured below? Or were his efforts too futile to make the Topps cut?
So maybe because we have been binging Line of Duty and I suspect everything, but gun to my head, I would bet there is nothing wrong with him and they are just giving him a few weeks. My evidence:
1) He is 23 and threw 163 innings between AAA and MLB last year, so they probably don't want him over 180-185, including any postseason.
2) He threw 101 pitches on Tuesday, only the 2nd time in MLB he has hit 100 pitches (this can be read as evidence pro or con probably).
3) Bradish and Means are both due back this week so they have seven guys for five spots.
So… is MLB messing with the baseballs again? This probably deserves its own thread, but there’s a compelling across the board lack of offense.
Total batting average so far down to .240, lowest mark since 1968. HRs down to their lowest rate in a decade, SLG and OPS similarly at the lowest mark since 1991.
The article mentions runs go up in the summer as the weather warms but this is despite that.
https://www.sportscasting.com/mlb-trends-2024-batting-average-hits-lowest-mark-since-1968/
Total batting average so far down to .240, lowest mark since 1968. HRs down to their lowest rate in a decade, SLG and OPS similarly at the lowest mark since 1991.
The article mentions runs go up in the summer as the weather warms but this is despite that.
https://www.sportscasting.com/mlb-trends-2024-batting-average-hits-lowest-mark-since-1968/
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Arraez has played first, or he could DH. Or the Padres could be trading Kim and moving X back to SS (not that that makes sense)
Why is Preller giving up Head for Arraez, lol.
View: https://twitter.com/CraigMish/status/1786571259540607145
View: https://twitter.com/CraigMish/status/1786571259540607145
Cronenworth is signed to a long deal and has an OPS over .800 this year at first. They're actually decent there this year. Maybe they do have a deal for Kim in the works.
I don't know about the return but Arraez is a fading asset, a singles hitter and a mediocre defender who is paid a lot, only under control through next year, and basically a replacement player so far this season (0.1 bWAR).
It's a lot of potential chaos midseason, but wouldn't their best alignment be:
1B: Arraez
2B: Cronenworth
SS: Kim
3B: Boegarts
Maybe leave Arraez and Cronenworth where they've played most recently if it's mostly considered a wash defensively, but either way, it seems Preller still believes in the rotisserie approach to team building, where he acquires players first and tries to figure out how or if they can fit together later.
1B: Arraez
2B: Cronenworth
SS: Kim
3B: Boegarts
Maybe leave Arraez and Cronenworth where they've played most recently if it's mostly considered a wash defensively, but either way, it seems Preller still believes in the rotisserie approach to team building, where he acquires players first and tries to figure out how or if they can fit together later.
The funniest thing is they pulled then mid inning. I would have thought to let them at least finish that 1/2 inning to avoid stopping the whole game.
Edit - it is a jomboy link showing the whole episode play out. Dunno how to make it pop up here
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6h-2ZDuH8G/?igsh=MWcxYWtzcWEzcTFpMQ==
Old friend Nate Eovaldi on the IL with groin discomfort.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/eovaldi-to-the-injured-list/ar-AA1o7bki?ocid=HPCDHP&pc=HPDTDFJS&cvid=5955210993b347b4ad40eb1d46a29c2f&ei=5
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/eovaldi-to-the-injured-list/ar-AA1o7bki?ocid=HPCDHP&pc=HPDTDFJS&cvid=5955210993b347b4ad40eb1d46a29c2f&ei=5
Another pitcher we were told to feel mad at the Red Sox for not acquiring, Aaron Civale, bumped his ERA up to 6.14 with another poor start last night for Tampa. His K rate is still excellent and his FIP is almost two runs lower, so he might be worth having after all. Weirdly he had 10 starts after Tampa got him last summer and also posted an abysmal ERA that was 1.7 runs higher than his FIP. Maybe it's a fiendishly clever move by Tampa to keep his Arb number low. He's free of their tyranny after the 2025 season.
I think Civale will probably be fine, this season got off to such a weird, stupid start in many respects. I've created a rule for myself that I'm not believing anything I see in this season until Ronald Acuna has a higher ISO than Nolan Schanuel and Steven Kwan.
So more info on the Arraez deal:
1) MIA will pay almost his entire salary.
2) Their purpose is to try to restock their farm system some with a bulk deal, they have one of the 2-3 worst systems right now.
3) SD will probably mostly DH him and let him lead off.
1) MIA will pay almost his entire salary.
2) Their purpose is to try to restock their farm system some with a bulk deal, they have one of the 2-3 worst systems right now.
3) SD will probably mostly DH him and let him lead off.
He is indeed a singles hitter and mediocre defender, but he has been a valuable player nonetheless and just turned 27. His bWAR from 2021 to 2023 was 3.4, 4.2, 4.9. He was an All-Star and Silver Slugger he past two seasons, getting substantial down-ballot MVP votes in each. His top ten comps on Baseball Reference through age 26 include a bunch of singles hitters and mediocre defenders like Wade Boggs, Tony Gwynn, and three other Hall of Famers. I suspect his hitting only .299 in the first month of the season is just a mild slump rather than the beginning of a steep decline.
On the other hand, it's hard to get excited about any decision involving the Padres or Marlins, so I will take a deep breath.
The BR comps are solely about his offense, they don't reflect that he is a somewhat below average defender at 2B. SD plans to use him primarily at DH, but since he doesn't hit for power or walk much, his value is almost entirely in his contact ability, which has been worse so far this season (admittedly only 20 percent of a season).
Anyway I can see how this trade makes sense all around, just saying I don't think two years of Arraez is especially valuable. When NY had Starlin Castro, he was a similar offense-first 2B who had almost 1400 hits through his age 27 season (do the math there, that is a lot!!!) who had two years of control left, but NY was happy to dump him in the Stanton deal as a negative asset. Arraez is a notch better than Castro but I wouldn't want my team giving up much for either.
As for being an All-Star, Joey Gallo and Andrew Benintendi were both All-Stars just a couple of months before being traded to the Yankees, both were horrible from day 1 and have continued to be horrible ever since.
Happy to be out of the Miami morass presumably, good for him.
Now that we see they’re on the TB-style “trade guys with 2 years left” plan, curious if they will trade Chisholm too (team control through 2026).
Video game numbers for Skenes in AAA. 27.1 IP, 3 ER (0.99 ERA), 45 K / 8 BB.
Want to see what an 80 grade fastball looks like? Here's the PitcherNinja breakdown of his College World Series appearance with LSU, where he touched 102 mph in the 1st inning and threw 40+ fastballs 100+.
View: https://youtu.be/ij6fC1qsW7Y?si=JXVveWvsfdmKydHK&t=409
Good marketing by the Pirates. Announce and hype the call up a few days in advance. A Saturday game against the Cubs. Ticket prices will probably be crazy by Friday.
Sad news, Sean Burroughs died, while coaching his kids little league game.
https://www.nj.com/sports/2024/05/ex-mlb-first-round-pick-dies-suddenly-at-43.html
https://www.nj.com/sports/2024/05/ex-mlb-first-round-pick-dies-suddenly-at-43.html
The Giants have had 5 position players go on the IL since they left Fenway, did we sneak our awful luck into their luggage?
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/05/jung-hoo-lee-leaves-game-with-left-shoulder-strain.html
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/05/jung-hoo-lee-leaves-game-with-left-shoulder-strain.html
The Guardians have released their City Connect uniforms that will be put to use for the first time on Friday.
Considering those of other teams I recall seeing, these seem very tame. They put CLE in an art deco inspired font across the front and brought back the red and blue piping from the '80s. I guess the tri-color hat is different, but it feels like something that could always be found in the team shop. I was expecting, and would have preferred, that they go with "The Land" nickname that the Cavs first introduced a few years ago but has caught on as general usage. No one goes around calling the city "CLE".
The most interesting thing is that they could actually be introducing new permanent branding, but doing so under the radar in the form of the socks. I could see them incorporating the Guardian illustration (or using it to launch a different variation) full-time. The "Winged G", which looks more like something a Van Halen fan doodled on their graphing paper in 1982 than anything art deco, has always been universally panned.
My theory was that they knew whatever they introduced first was going to be hated regardless, so the Winged G was a sacrificial lamb. It makes absolutely zero sense that they use two different letter logos, and the "Diamond C" is unquestionably better than the generic block C the Indians had resorted to their last several seasons. They should absolutely have a cartoon version of one of the Guardians from the Hope Memorial Bridge to represent what the team is named for rather than the G. A faction of the fanbase would cry that it's a Chief Wahoo imposter, but that portion of fans is going to complain about every single branding decision they make... and secretly they'll appreciate the different direction. So I could see this being a low key way to introduce a Guardian character and if it comes across as the saving grace of the City Connect uniforms, they can develop it further.
Considering those of other teams I recall seeing, these seem very tame. They put CLE in an art deco inspired font across the front and brought back the red and blue piping from the '80s. I guess the tri-color hat is different, but it feels like something that could always be found in the team shop. I was expecting, and would have preferred, that they go with "The Land" nickname that the Cavs first introduced a few years ago but has caught on as general usage. No one goes around calling the city "CLE".
The most interesting thing is that they could actually be introducing new permanent branding, but doing so under the radar in the form of the socks. I could see them incorporating the Guardian illustration (or using it to launch a different variation) full-time. The "Winged G", which looks more like something a Van Halen fan doodled on their graphing paper in 1982 than anything art deco, has always been universally panned.
My theory was that they knew whatever they introduced first was going to be hated regardless, so the Winged G was a sacrificial lamb. It makes absolutely zero sense that they use two different letter logos, and the "Diamond C" is unquestionably better than the generic block C the Indians had resorted to their last several seasons. They should absolutely have a cartoon version of one of the Guardians from the Hope Memorial Bridge to represent what the team is named for rather than the G. A faction of the fanbase would cry that it's a Chief Wahoo imposter, but that portion of fans is going to complain about every single branding decision they make... and secretly they'll appreciate the different direction. So I could see this being a low key way to introduce a Guardian character and if it comes across as the saving grace of the City Connect uniforms, they can develop it further.
The Athletic has an interesting writeup on the use of bat speed metrics and their possible connection to a rise in core injuries among hitters as they try to optimize.
https://theathletic.com/5477905/2024/05/13/mlb-new-bat-speed-numbers?source=user-shared-article
https://theathletic.com/5477905/2024/05/13/mlb-new-bat-speed-numbers?source=user-shared-article
A sticky situation in Houston last night: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/40148726/astros-ronel-blanco-ejected-foreign-substance-check