MLB 17-18 Offseason: The Giants are preparing for EYBS' return

The Modern Era Committee has elected Jack Morris and Alan Trammell to the Hall of Fame.

Trammell getting in is real good, but Jack Morris getting elected to the Hall is a joke and opens the door for a slew of average pitchers (by JAWS, he's something like the second-worst pitcher in there now). Having Morris, with his career ERA+ of 105--literally the definition of just a tiny bit better than league-average--in and keeping Mussina and Clemens out for another voting cycle is hilariously bad.

Edit: By JAWS, there are three pitchers lower than Morris in the Hall, and two (Catfish Hunter and Candy Cummings) is in there for their historical meaning to the game, and another (Left Gomez) is in because of an overly generous Veterans Committee from way back when. The five guys between Bob Lemon at 115 and Morris at 164 are all deadball-era dudes.

 

Tiant's a Hall of Very Good guy, but he at least has a better case than Morris because he had two seasons in which he was indisputably the best pitcher in his league.

 

With the exception of Stark (who still has his moments), all old-school "rub some dirt on it" guys who think grit is all that matters, which explains why Morris sailed in on that ballot, and a couple of guys--DeWitt, Beeston, Alderson and Schuerholz--who absolutely hated Marvin Miller and the union.

 

I'm going to ban you for a day if you say this again.

 

In other news, Dan Duquette now says the Orioles aren't interested in talking to any pitchers who want more than a two- or three-year deal.

I'm still wondering why the O's blocked Duquette from taking over in Toronto. Dude's an idiot and he's completely annihilated the team Andy MacPhail built. You were in last place last year, your rotation is a tire fire and the Yankees just added one of the best hitters in baseball ... and your response is to trade away international pool money and nibble at fringe players from other organizations. God damn it.

 

They don't even get that much in ticket revenue. Baltimore is far more a football city than it is baseball; it's not uncommon for Camden to draw 15,000 people even in June or July, and on gameday you can walk up to the box office and get great seats for maybe ten bucks. The park fills when the Yankees or Red Sox are in town, or if the O's are still in playoff contention in September.

Edit: Scott Boras is telling teams that the starting point for Jake Arrieta is 7 / 200. Uh, so long, Jake, congrats on the Cy Young and thanks for helping win a World Series and hitting awesome pitcher dingers, but, yeah, no.

 

And is starting to have injuries pile up ... and had a significant drop in velocity this past season, likely due to overuse in 2015 and 2016.

Good on Boras for shooting for the moon, because that's his job, but that's a contract the Cubs don't need, considering they already have three more years of Lester with a full no-trade. (Oh, and that little Heyward contract.)