2014 MLB Season: How Many Pitchers Will Die For Our Sins?

Discussion in 'Sports and Fitness' started by tomalak301, Mar 27, 2014.

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  1. Yanks

    Yanks Commodore Commodore

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    ...and this game clearly demostrates that numbers aren't everything.

    Who da thunk that som many runs would be scored last night.

    I think I would have left Shields in to finish the 6th.
     
    Yanks, Oct 1, 2014
    #841
  2. 1001001

    1001001 Serial Canon Violator Moderator

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    Well, the A's collapse is both complete and epic. Sorry JM, that must be heartbreaking.

    Bring on the Royals!

    :techman:
     
    1001001, Oct 1, 2014
    #842
  3. Jedi_Master

    Jedi_Master Admiral Admiral

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    I am feeling more philosophical this morning, after many, many bottles of wine.

    What primarily happened this season is that Billy Beane began to believe in his own press, and felt that if he traded bits here and bits there he could kluge together a world beater. But in the process he destroyed the chemistry of his existing team, and ended up with a bunch of mercs who were only playing for themselves, not the team. The remainder of the season showed that lack of chemistry. The Cespedes trade was not a loss, but it did show the entire team that they were all just pieces on the Moneyball chess board, and who wants to play for a team that doesn't show any loyalty whatsoever?

    One other overlooked issue is the amount of injured players, including several of the bats that sparked their fantastic first half of the season.

    So we are looking at a rebuilding year next year with Fuld, Gomes, Dunn, Lester, Hammel, and the Shark gone. Gentry will be healthy and likely play centerfield, Vogt might end up playing right, as for the rest I don't know. We need a better catcher, fill in our rotation, etc. Blehhh

    Anyways enough about me.

    Go Royals! They are a fun team and their loyal fanbase deserves to enjoy October.
     
    Jedi_Master, Oct 1, 2014
    #843
  4. Timby

    Timby o yea just like that Administrator

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    Samardzija isn't a free agent until after the 2015 season (but he's arb-eligible, so the A's will probably trade him -- that being said, he isn't necessarily gone). I'm also not sure the assumption that Lester is done with the A's necessarily holds water, as the team only has roughly $50 million on the books for 2015 ($16 million coming off from Beane's reliever spending spree last offseason alone).
     
    Timby, Oct 1, 2014
    #844
  5. Jedi_Master

    Jedi_Master Admiral Admiral

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    I would like to think he would be second starter next year, and Pomeranz would slide in as the fifth starter. But if Beane is looking to restock or get a quality bat at second they may let the Shark go, and back end Pomeranz and Chavez.

    Lester will get a massive deal, and he has made every indication that he wants to go back to Boston. With Oakland's ownership looking at having to carry at least a portion of the cost of the new stadium, I don't see them putting all their eggs in the Lester basket.
     
    Jedi_Master, Oct 1, 2014
    #845
  6. Timby

    Timby o yea just like that Administrator

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    Lester is basically Schrödinger's Pitcher at this point. :lol: Red Sox and Cubs fans both think he's going to them (to add more fuel to the fire, he just put his suburban Boston home up for sale), A's fans think he's gone, and of course the Yankees are always in the background with their utter dumpster fire of a rotation.

    In any event, it's not outside the realm of possibility that Price costs more in arbitration this offseason than Lester does in free agency.
     
    Timby, Oct 1, 2014
    #846
  7. Jedi_Master

    Jedi_Master Admiral Admiral

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    If I was the Yankees, I don't know who I would chase - Lester or Price?

    I think Price has the potential to have bigger, flashier games, but Lester is more consistent. I am sure you have a view on this Timby. ;)
     
    Jedi_Master, Oct 1, 2014
    #847
  8. Scout101

    Scout101 Admiral Admiral

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    Answer to the question is Price (when paying for pitching, pretty much always buy as young as you can afford). But since they'd have to TRADE for Price, kinda eliminates the Yankees from considering him right now, doesn't it? We've been over this a few times, but Yankees aren't exactly flush with prospects or exciting young players to use as trade chips. As in, not sure they have much of any tradeable assets, and definitely not enough to land a marquis Ace.
     
    Scout101, Oct 1, 2014
    #848
  9. Jedi_Master

    Jedi_Master Admiral Admiral

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    True. So the Yankees will basically be aiming for Lester, Scherzer or Shields.
     
    Jedi_Master, Oct 1, 2014
    #849
  10. 1001001

    1001001 Serial Canon Violator Moderator

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    1001001, Oct 1, 2014
    #850
  11. Jedi_Master

    Jedi_Master Admiral Admiral

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    Jedi_Master, Oct 1, 2014
    #851
  12. Skywalker

    Skywalker Admiral Admiral

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    This song goes out to Jon Lester:

    [yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wivXgn75lw[/yt]
     
    Skywalker, Oct 2, 2014
    #852
  13. Trekker4747

    Trekker4747 Boldly going... Premium Member

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    Go Royals!
     
    Trekker4747, Oct 2, 2014
    #853
  14. Yanks

    Yanks Commodore Commodore

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    I think they have to land one of these. My prediction is Scherzer. (just rumblings I've heard)

    I'd love Lester. Consistent, top notch lefty...

    But that said, with all the injuries and pine-tar the Yankees dealt with on their pitching staff, their pitching wasn't the reason they didn't make the play-offs. They couldn't score runs. Hell, they scored less runs than they did in 2013 with all those season ending injuries. They got to get some pop back in the line-up.

    I did enjoy my trip to Yankee Stadium in July. I got to see Jeter play in the new Stadium (and the beat the Reds both games)
     
    Yanks, Oct 2, 2014
    #854
  15. Timby

    Timby o yea just like that Administrator

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    They have a lot of holes, though. The rotation is a patchwork mess (Sabatha is old, shitty and probably broken for good and that contract is a mess; Tanaka's arm is a ticking time bomb; God knows what they'll get out of Nova and Pineda is probably looking at a harsh regression -- his walk rate is crazy low and well out of line with his norms, and his BABIP against isn't sustainable), and beyond that there are holes at short (well, there already was a hole at short), second, third, right, DH and arguably first (Teixeira may be toast at this point, and his contract is an albatross, too). Rodriguez's return has the potential to help out if he shows up in shape, but that depends on whether or not his hips have ground to dust at this point.

    The other thing working against the Yankees (and everyone else this winter) is that this is not a particularly deep free agent class. There's a clear top tier of pitchers with Scherzer and Lester, then a few rungs below that you have Shields, and after that it's a pile of mediocre has-beens and reclamation projects all around. On the position player side ... ouch. No one is going to confuse guys like Hanley Ramirez or Pablo Sandoval huge stars, and they're probably the best hitters who will be on the market, along with Russell Martin (who's on the wrong side of 30 and will probably need a position change at some point).

    This is not an offseason for huge spending. (Which means Rube is going to drop like 5/95 on Aramis Ramirez or something.)
     
    Timby, Oct 2, 2014
    #855
  16. Timby

    Timby o yea just like that Administrator

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    And what a tremendous performance by the Detroit bullpen. Holy moly. (Let's Go O's.)
     
    Timby, Oct 3, 2014
    #856
  17. Jedi_Master

    Jedi_Master Admiral Admiral

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    Screw the Tigers! Go Baltimore!
     
    Jedi_Master, Oct 3, 2014
    #857
  18. Timby

    Timby o yea just like that Administrator

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    I really want to see Baltimore go all the way, which is weird. I mean, I fell in love with the O's after living in Baltimore 2012 - 2013, and Camden is seriously my favorite stadium in the league -- I can't criticize a single thing about it. I've always been a fan of Buck Showalter, and guys like Hardy and Markakis and Machado are awesome.

    But it tears me up because the ownership is terrible (Angelos made his money from asbestos and fen-phen lawsuits, and he's known for treating employees like slaves) and it's shameful that Dan Duquette is getting the praise for this current core roster. Wieters, Jones, Tillman, Machado, Davis and Hardy all came to the O's due to Andy MacPhail, who was unceremoniously sacked a few years ago. (MacPhail also made similarly shrewd moves for the Cubs when ran their baseball ops for nearly a decade, and kept a leash on Jim Hendry for a few years after that.)

    But, whatever. Fuck it. #WeWontStop
     
    Timby, Oct 3, 2014
    #858
  19. Jedi_Master

    Jedi_Master Admiral Admiral

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    I have a couple of buddies from Maryland who are huge O's fans, and for obvious reasons I hate the Tigers. I don't care if they were playing the Dante Satans I wouldn't cheer for Detroit.
     
    Jedi_Master, Oct 3, 2014
    #859
  20. 1001001

    1001001 Serial Canon Violator Moderator

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    Bah!

    Not a great start. The Royals played good defense and the Angels squandered a good start from Weaver.

    The heart of the order goes 0-18??

    :scream:
     
    1001001, Oct 3, 2014
    #860
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