2015 MLB Thread

[Red001]

the owners Boros has been getting the best deals from are the older, 80+, ones who want a championship before they die

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correct he gets paid until 2028, kinda like Bobby Bonillia's deal with the Mets

 

[SirHumper]

Max Scherzer will receive $15 million per year for 14 years. He's going to get $210 million, but with the payments being spread out over such a long period of time, inflation all but guarantees that the $105 million in deferred money he will receive will actually be less valuable than it would be if he was getting all of it over the life of the contract.

There are a lot of reasons Scherzer and the Nationals might have wanted to structure the deal this way. Scherzer and his agent get to wave around his "$210 million" contract like a big victory over the Tigers and their GM Dave Dombrowski, while also enjoying the security that will come from 14 years of solid income taxed at a lower rate. Meanwhile, the Nationals have found a way to cut down their luxury tax hit.

However, Max turns 31 this July which means he will get paid $15 million a year through his 45th birthday. It’s good for Max, and in the short term for the Nationals by avoiding the luxury tax hit. But in the long term it could hurt the Nationals future payroll structure by paying out $15 million to a person who is no longer with the ball club. Just ask the Tigers, they are still paying a portion of Prince Fielder’s 9-year 209 million contract. I believe the Tigers still owe Fielder somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 million, with the Texas Rangers picking up the rest of the tab. Needless to say, neither the Tigers or Rangers are very happy with that deal.

These long term contracts are insane especially for pitchers. These guys are all one elbow or rotator cuff away from disaster.

 

[SirHumper]

When it comes to baseball analysis, Vegas betting odds aren't exactly scientific. The odds aren't even necessarily based entirely on how good the teams are, but rather how much people will bet on them. But still, it's interesting to see how your team ranks.

"Bovada Sportsbook" just released its World Series odds:

Washington Nationals -- 6/1
Los Angeles Dodgers -- 8/1
Boston Red Sox -- 12/1
Chicago Cubs -- 12/1
Los Angeles Angels -- 12/1
St. Louis Cardinals -- 12/1
Detroit Tigers -- 14/1
Seattle Mariners -- 16/1
San Francisco Giants -- 18/1
Toronto Blue Jays -- 18/1
Baltimore Orioles -- 20/1
Chicago White Sox -- 20/1
Kansas City Royals -- 25/1
New York Yankees -- 25/1
San Diego Padres -- 25/1
Cleveland Indians -- 28/1
Atlanta Braves -- 33/1
Miami Marlins -- 33/1
New York Mets -- 33/1
Pittsburgh Pirates -- 33/1
Oakland Athletics -- 40/1
Texas Rangers -- 40/1
Cincinnati Reds -- 50/1
Milwaukee Brewers -- 50/1
Houston Astros -- 66/1
Tampa Bay Rays -- 66/1
Arizona Diamondbacks -- 100/1
Colorado Rockies -- 100/1
Minnesota Twins -- 100/1
Philadelphia Phillies -- 100/1

Go Detroit Tigers!!!

 

[Red001]

the phillies should be more like300 or 400 to 1

 

[alexpnz]

Aw shit.....the return of the great Alex Rodriguez is in gear!
http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/sto...w-york-yankees-meets-barry-bonds-hitting-tips

 

[MustBeGood]

When it comes to baseball analysis, Vegas betting odds aren't exactly scientific. The odds aren't even necessarily based entirely on how good the teams are, but rather how much people will bet on them. But still, it's interesting to see how your team ranks.

"Bovada Sportsbook" just released its World Series odds:

Washington Nationals -- 6/1
Los Angeles Dodgers -- 8/1
Boston Red Sox -- 12/1
Chicago Cubs -- 12/1
Los Angeles Angels -- 12/1
St. Louis Cardinals -- 12/1
Detroit Tigers -- 14/1
Seattle Mariners -- 16/1
San Francisco Giants -- 18/1
Toronto Blue Jays -- 18/1
Baltimore Orioles -- 20/1
Chicago White Sox -- 20/1
Kansas City Royals -- 25/1
New York Yankees -- 25/1
San Diego Padres -- 25/1
Cleveland Indians -- 28/1
Atlanta Braves -- 33/1
Miami Marlins -- 33/1
New York Mets -- 33/1
Pittsburgh Pirates -- 33/1
Oakland Athletics -- 40/1
Texas Rangers -- 40/1
Cincinnati Reds -- 50/1
Milwaukee Brewers -- 50/1
Houston Astros -- 66/1
Tampa Bay Rays -- 66/1
Arizona Diamondbacks -- 100/1
Colorado Rockies -- 100/1
Minnesota Twins -- 100/1
Philadelphia Phillies -- 100/1

Go Detroit Tigers!!!

:rofl: the Cubs are 12/1. That is a the make money sucker bet off the lovable losers nationwide fans.

 

[SirHumper]

nobody really cares about complete games anymore, what managers want is 6 to 7 innings from their starters and then hand it over to their bullpen.
it worked real well for Kansas City last year

Yes you are right and it's because of this stupid pitch count mentality managers have in today’s game. They try to protect and get as much mileage as they can out of pitchers. However, you know what? I haven’t seen any less injury or clear cut examples of longevity from this new approach. In fact it seems pitchers of this generation are injured more frequently and only last for a few years. Just look how Justin Verlander and Tim Lincecum’s careers have gone south. Up until the 1990s pitchers like Jack Morris would stay in a game as long as they were hot. Hell Mickey Lolich once pitched a 14 inning complete game and he did it on three days rest. Most pitchers of Lolich’s era enjoyed more than three or four solid seasons e.g. Nolan Ryan. Many pitched well into their late 30s, it didn’t affect them anymore than it would today. And speaking of Nolan Ryan when he was part of the Rangers management team it was his belief that if a veteran starter is doing well you leave him in. But sadly in the end he was over ruled.

Because of pitch counts you will probably never see another 30 game winner or any modern day pitcher reach the 300 victory level and there will be less and less 20 game winners too. Its not like they are 19 or 20 years old rookies and just starting out in the pros. A veteran, should be allowed to go as long as he can. If he has to turn it over to the bullpen in the sixth or seventh inning like I saw Max Scherzer do last year, then is he really worth all the money they’re paying him?

 

[Red001]

SirHumper it's all of that plus the rise of the bullpen pitchers and the fact that the game has changed. good starting pitchers give you 7 innings great ones give you 8 and the majority give you 5 maybe 6
also they do not teach you how to pitch through trouble in the minors they just pull you as soon as you get yourself in trouble so if they make it to the majors they don't know how to pitch in those situations and get lit up

 

[Mayhem]

I'm not sure to what degree, but let's give some credit to batters who are better equipped. Hi-def, hi-speed film, computerized thingamajigs that you hook yourself up to, etc. Combine that with the ability to better crawl up any player's ass and find out what makes him tick, especially the pitcher. As said, the game has changed. I theorize that todays batter is better equipped to take advantage of late inning fatigue than they used too.

Sandy Koufax was mentioned earlier. Let's keep in mind that the man had to retire before his arm fell completely off. I want to see great baseball, but I do have genuine sympathy for the collective price that players through history have had to pay. And honestly, I just want my team to win (Go Orioles!). If it takes more pitching changes....cool.

 

[MustBeGood]

Pitchers these days don't last deep into games because of now the pitch count stat is used to determine when to pull or leave in.

 

[Red001]

pitch counts are only part of the tool towards when to pull a pitcher,watch a pitcher's location for a better indication of tiredness and fatigue. and remember they do not count the 8 warmup pitches before an inning starts as part of the pitch count

 

[SirHumper]

Bill Monbouquette, a 20-game winner for the Boston Red Sox and a member of the team's Hall of Fame, died Sunday. He was 78. The Red Sox said Monbouquette died due to complications from leukemia.

Monbouquette, a native of Medford, Massachusetts, spent the first eight seasons of his 11-year career with the Red Sox. He was a four-time All-Star and led the team in wins three times. The right-hander did not miss a start from 1960-65 and threw a 1-0 no-hitter against the White Sox on Aug. 1, 1962. He won a career-best 20 games the following year. Monbouquette also pitched for the Tigers, Yankees and Giants from 1966-68 and finished his career with a 114-112 record and a 3.68 ERA.

R.I.P. Bill Monbouquette

 

[barebeaverlover]

Bill Monbouquette, a 20-game winner for the Boston Red Sox and a member of the team's Hall of Fame, died Sunday. He was 78. The Red Sox said Monbouquette died due to complications from leukemia.

Monbouquette, a native of Medford, Massachusetts, spent the first eight seasons of his 11-year career with the Red Sox. He was a four-time All-Star and led the team in wins three times. The right-hander did not miss a start from 1960-65 and threw a 1-0 no-hitter against the White Sox on Aug. 1, 1962. He won a career-best 20 games the following year. Monbouquette also pitched for the Tigers, Yankees and Giants from 1966-68 and finished his career with a 114-112 record and a 3.68 ERA.

R.I.P. Bill Monbouquette

I remember Bill. R.I.P. Bill

 

[Mayhem]

Orioles acquire outfielder Travis Snider in trade with Pirates

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/...with-pirates-about-snider-20150127-story.html

The Orioles acquired the left-handed-hitting outfielder they had been seeking all offseason, trading a minor league pitcher and a player to be named later to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night for Travis Snider..

The Orioles have had interest in Snider since baseball's annual winter meetings in December, but the talks were rekindled recently and heated up this week, when the Orioles agreed to deal promising left-hander Stephen Tarpley and another low-level minor leaguer to Pittsburgh.

Snider, who turns 27 next week, hit .264 with a .338 on-base percentage in a career-high 140 games with the Pirates in 2014. A 2006 first-round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays, he had 13 home runs and drove in a career-high 38 RBIs last year.

“Snider is a solid, dependable power-hitting outfielder and is an excellent fit for Camden Yards," Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette said. “[He] should be a good addition to the club at bat and in the field."

The Orioles were able to fill their biggest offseason need without being forced to deal one of their elite prospects or a member of their current 25-man roster. When the sides talked in December, the Pirates were focused on left-handed reliever Brian Matusz.

Considered an above-average defensive outfielder, Snider has played 236 games in right field and 222 in left field in a major league career that spans parts of seven seasons. He is a career .246 hitter in 1,706 big league plate appearances, and his splits against right-handers (.245 average) and lefties (.249 average) are similar. He has never been a full-time major leaguer; his 359 plate appearances last year were the most of his career.

Making his debut at age 20 with the Blue Jays, Snider played with Toronto for parts of five seasons before being dealt to the Pirates in July 2012 for another first-round pick, pitcher Brad Lincoln. In 2009, Snider was widely considered one of the Top 10 prospects in all of baseball — he was ranked the sixth best prospect in the game by Baseball America — but he has never come close to reaching his ceiling.

He agreed to a $2.1 million contract this offseason to avoid arbitration and has one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining before potentially becoming a free agent after the 2016 season. Snider was expected to be pushed into fourth outfielder duty by the Pirates, who seemingly have given their starting right field job to 23-year-old phenom Gregory Polanco.

“We didn't plan to move [Snider],” Pirates senior vice president and general manager Neal Huntington said. “But we feel we have enough depth to sustain the loss. We've gained two quality players, we've created roster flexibility and we've created some payroll flexibility.”

Tarpley, the Orioles' third-round pick in 2011, was 3-5 with a 3.68 ERA in 13 games (12 starts) for short-season single-A Aberdeen last year, his first professional season. He was a late addition to the Orioles' minicamp — which focuses on the organization's top young pitchers — this month.

Tarpley was seen as one of the Orioles' more promising arms in the lower levels of the minor league system, but still raw and a few steps away from being considered one of the organization's top prospects. He was slotted to open the season at low-A Delmarva.

Huntington told Pittsburgh reporters that the player to be named later would be similar to Tarpley. One other name that was discussed during the negotiations, according to a source, was 22-year-old lefty Steven Brault, who pitched at Low-A Delmarva and High-A Frederick in 2014.

In order to make room for Snider on the 40-man roster, the Orioles designated catcher Michael Ohlman for assignment. Ohlman, 24, hit .236 with two home runs and 33 RBIs in 113 games with Double-A Bowie in 2014.

The Orioles have been searching for another big-league outfielder since Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz left via free agency this winter. They preferred a left-handed hitter with some power potential and defensive ability, but had not yet found a match on the free-agent market.

The Orioles recently offered a one-year deal to Colby Rasmus and also had limited interest in Nori Aoki and Ichiro Suzuki. But once all of those players signed, it appeared that the best route to fill their outfield need was by trade.

I don't know the guy, but this seems like a good move. :thumbsup:

 

[barebeaverlover]

Orioles acquire outfielder Travis Snider in trade with Pirates

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/...with-pirates-about-snider-20150127-story.html



I don't know the guy, but this seems like a good move. :thumbsup:

Tons of talent-never lived up to the hype. Good defensively, can't seem to get it together at the dish. He may hit 20 HR at Camden. Very solid player-nothing spectacular.

 

[Mayhem]

For all that everyone mentions HRs, they are the very last thing on my priority list. OBP, slugging, BA, defensive skills. Homeruns really aren't that meaningful to me if the other categories are filled up. However, I also realize that I am a distinct minority on this subject.

 

[Red001]

no Mayhem your not, the A's build their entire team that way.
Snider was rushed to the majors but he is entering his peak years, ages 27-33, and he will help the O's a lot. also Showalter seems to put his players in the best situations for them to succeed

 

[MustBeGood]

Tulowitzki is staying in Colorado and the trade talks are being put to bed.

 

[MustBeGood]

Plus the Sox get Gordon Beckham signed as an FA. He's back as a trade rental from the Angels last year that got the Sox a SS prospect. 1 year deal for $2.

Tank is being sent to the minors after spring training after resigning for $4.5 million.

 

[Red001]

i bet tulo gets moved in July when the Rockies are out of it and he's still healthy.
the Mets better pay attention to the commish's remarks, he gets what they are doing but he also expects them to step when they need to.