2016 MLB Regular Season - It's an Even Year...

[Timby]

There really are times I wonder about Maddon. He sticks with what works too long after it stops working. He definitely leaves Arrieta, Lester or Lackey in too long at times, even when they're clearly gassed. But then he will take an on-fire Hendricks out in the fifth because they're down one run.

I said it when he was hired: Maddon, beyond his "quirky" personality and making players dress up in goofy outfits or whatever, just likes to pull levers and push buttons, and much of his reputation as a great manager comes from breaking out shifts that hadn't been used since the '50s. He has a lot of knocks against him, particularly bullpen management, which is a rather dangerous combination when he's working with Epstein, who has never in his career built a genuinely good bullpen.

He's definitely not a Don Baylor or Jim Riggleman or some dumpster-dive like that, but I don't think he deserves to be lionized. Arrieta, in particular, should have gotten a lot more rest than he did at the tail-end of 2015, and anyone with half a brain could see that Hammel was toast at the start of August.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

And they claimed Arrieta, especially, would get more rest this year. I haven't seen much of that, at least in a voluntary sense. He's gotten shelled a couple times and had to come out.

Still, Maddon does have some magic. He's gotten a lot out of young guys, and they're off to a 2-0 start post-ASG. Hopefully they've "adjusted back".

 

[Timby]

Cubs traded Vogelbach (edit: and Paul Blackburn) to Seattle for Mike Montgomery, which seems like a really small return. Maddon must have been screaming at Epstein and Hoyer for a LOOGY. I mean, I guess he's under team control for half a decade, and Vogelbach was position-blocked everywhere considering he's fatter than Schwarber, but ... yeesh. At 27, Montgomery's FIP is ugly as sin.

I'd guess this means they really are not getting Miller unless they pony up Schwarber (and I forget, can you trade players who are on the 60-day DL?).

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Rumor has it the Yanks really want Schwarber, but the Cubs should get Miller and Chapman for him.

Even if Vogelbach is fatter than Schwarber, he hasn't suffered a major knee injury that may very well keep Schwarbs from playing catcher ever again. That leaves him developing into a mediocre OF for a Cubs team that has tons of extremely talented OFers.

 

[Timby]

Yeah, I mean, the problem is that the pitching market is incredibly thin, so it really is a seller's market and it's forcing teams to get creative (like the Orioles deciding to try to salvage Jimenez by shoving him to the pen).

I just hate trading top prospects for a bullpen rental. If Schwarber++ is the price for Chapman, I'd rather just go for a second-tier bullpen arm like Kintzler or Abad.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

Apparently, the Cubs also received RHP Jordan Pries (AAA) from Seattle in that trade.

 

[Timby]

Multiple sources are saying that Chris Sale is available.

Mother of God, if that's true, then Epstein and Hoyer need to be banging on Rick Hahn's door with a sledgehammer and slipping him notes saying, "All our prospects, pick any three."

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I saw one story where the Sox turned down a motherlode for Sale. It was vague.

 

[Skywalker]

Multiple sources are saying that Chris Sale is available.

Mother of God, if that's true, then Epstein and Hoyer need to be banging on Rick Hahn's door with a sledgehammer and slipping him notes saying, "All our prospects, pick any three."

If true, the Red Sox must be kicking themselves for giving up Anderson Espinoza just last week (still not very happy about that, he was super young but he has a ton of potential) when they could have held off a little longer and possibly used him as a centerpiece to get Sale.

 

[tomalak301]

The Giants have sucked the bed since the ASB, but the Dodgers have also sucked. Must be nice playing in the NL West and with Kershaw out for an unknown period of time, this trading deadline and final few months of the season are going to be rather interesting.

 

[Yanks]

Fun watch yesterday. Tanaka v Bumgardner.

I don't think I've ever seen as many high fastball swing and misses as Bum tosses.

Tanaka was strong. I would have left him in for the 7th. The normally untouchable bullpen was suspect and Bet and Miller each gave up one run and the Giants tied the game in the 8th.

Then, the Yankees uncharacteristically answered scoring one in the bottom of the inning. Then Chapman survived the top of the 9th for the Yankees win.

 

[Tom Hendricks]

Carlos Beltran is the MVP of the Yankees.

 

[Yanks]

Carlos Beltran is the MVP of the Yankees.

No question.

 

[Timby]

Chris Sale has been scratched from tonight's start. Let the wild, baseless speculation begin!

Edit:

What the fuck, was someone talking shit about Drake LaRoche?

 

[tomalak301]

This story is different than him being scratched because of the flu.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Apparently Sale refused to wear those ass-ugly throwback 80's uniforms. He got a pair of scissors and started cutting his uniform into little bits.

And you know what? Sure, they pay him a lot of money, but anyone who takes a stand against ugly unis like that is OK in my book. What are the Sox gonna do next, bring back the shorts?

 

[Kronos]

Those uniforms actually look nice.

What a goofy thing to throw a fit about, almost as bad as throwing a tantrum over some kid being banned from the clubhouse.

 

[tomalak301]

Apparently Sale refused to wear those ass-ugly throwback 80's uniforms. He got a pair of scissors and started cutting his uniform into little bits.

And you know what? Sure, they pay him a lot of money, but anyone who takes a stand against ugly unis like that is OK in my book. What are the Sox gonna do next, bring back the shorts?

There are times when baseball goes a little far with the turn back the clock. I kinda wish if you're going to do that, there should be a limitation of like 20 years. I wish teams would start wearing jerseys they wore in the 90s.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ I still miss the black jerseys that the Mets used to wear...

I also believe that whoever came up with the Turn AHEAD The Clock jerseys should be assessed some kind of penalty, such as execution without trial. Those suckers were even uglier. They looked like somebody threw up on a pair of pajamas.

 

[tomalak301]

^ I still miss the black jerseys that the Mets used to wear...

Was that the Piazza era? He's going into the hall of fame, the mets should bring those uniforms back to celebrate.