MLB Offseason: February 15 isn't THAT far away...
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How do you figure that? Actually pretty good in the second half after a miserable start. Lots of young talent, and now an ace and a very good closer to push the pitchers back down a peg. If that's a tire fire, not many teams can look good to you. Where are the 'tire fire' positions in your mind?
And entertaining that you were immediately wrong about Price vs Greinke. Unless you think he's getting more than 217M? I said 7/210, was pretty much spot on.
And entertaining that you were immediately wrong about Price vs Greinke. Unless you think he's getting more than 217M? I said 7/210, was pretty much spot on.
Bob Nightengale is reporting that the Cardinals were second in the race for Price.
THANK YOU BOSTON AND ALSO DAVE DOMBROWSKI
C, 3B, 1B, CF, LF and most of the starting rotation.
THANK YOU BOSTON AND ALSO DAVE DOMBROWSKI
C, 3B, 1B, CF, LF and most of the starting rotation.
My dream: Cubs come away with Shelby Miller, Shark (nickname I hate but too lazy to check spelling), and Heyward.
I think Miller will come at the cost of Soler. I hope not.
I think Miller will come at the cost of Soler. I hope not.
With the way the Braves have been shedding money and selling anything that isn't bolted to the walls (rumor is that Liberty Media has a deal in place to sell the team now that the Cobb County deal is done but it's being kept under wraps), I don't think Miller would cost too much. The Cubs already have one fat catcher with a great bat; Vogelbach+ would probably spring Miller.
Over $30M AAV for 7 years w/ an opt-out over 3. The question is, which side will wish they could use it more at that point?
I was never happy AA left or Shapiro is in. I just never saw the sky falling like other fans were.
The Jays, though I wished they had as least tried to make an offer, were never going to re-sign Price. Boston was going to offer 20-30 million more, so I'm not as heartbroken as others are.
With the occasional exception, the opt-out almost always benefits the player. If they get hurt or turn shitty / old / old and shitty, they still have the money locked in. If they go all Greinke and opt out after a lights-out season, they test the market and get even more money. The team takes on the same risk for less upside.
The big risk for the player is that the regional sports network / local TV contracts that have been absolutely ludicrous over the past few years have proven themselves to be a bubble of a phenomenon -- CSN Houston is bleeding money and can't make its payments to the Astros, and the Dodgers' deal with Time Warner (the one that has let them spend money with impunity the last few years) is having severe revenue issues because no one in Los Angeles wants to pay the additional fee to Time Warner just to watch Dodgers games. So a few years from now, the market for free agents is going to be very, very different. The Cubs badly miscalculated the market, too: They made a really, really stupid move, aligning their radio and television contracts to run jointly through ... I think 2019, in the hopes of signing some sort of mega deal in 2020. Except by that point, the money well will be completely dry.
What they did was align their TV packages though, right? They had a portion on CSN and a portion on WGN/whatever and what they did was make sure both ended at the same year. Whether the well is dry by then who knows - I suspect if they have sustained success for the next 2-3 years that problem will take care of itself.
This was a lot of wrong for one page, kinda impressive.
Greinke is not getting more than 217M. Not sure how you even decided to go that way, but that was never going to be a thing. He's 2 years older, and isn't getting more than 5 years, 6 if someone does something stupid. Price was always going to be a 7 year deal. Greinke would have to get an extra 5M/year to compensate. Do you think he's getting 36M/year? For 6 years?
You're way off base here too. Ignoring what they get paid (who cares, not my money), several of those aren't so bad. Other ones are just kids you haven't heard of, but played just fine. Sandoval is overpaid, and had a bad year. Expecting him to bounce back, he hasn't been terrible in the past, and even last year, wasn't 'tire fire' bad. .243, 10 HR. Mostly made some shitty errors.
Hanley at 1B will be an adventure, but still can't be the shittiest fielder to stand at 1B. Had a monster April before hurting his shoulder, so if he's healthy again, not worried about hitting. Last year for Papi, so he can be stashed at DH after that if he's not moved.
Shocked you even mentioned Catcher, as Swihart is a fairly hot prospect and handled himself pretty well last year. And Vasquez is working his way back from TJ surgery, he'll be there also at some point. 20-something teams wish their catching situation sucked like Boston's...
LF and CF: Castillo and Bradley? Again, kids that played pretty well last year. Good defense (amazing for Bradley), decent bats. Not superstars, but decent players. Now with Chris Young as backup to provide some pop. And with Betts rounding out the group, outfield looks fine.
Starting rotation now looks like: Price, Buchholz,
Eduardo Rodríguez, Porcello, Miley. It's not the Tigers from a few years ago with a stable of #1s, but doesn't look too shabby to me. Looked bad when Porcello was a #1 in it, but if he's #4 and Miley is #5, looks better than what most would trot out in those spots. And Henry Owens looked pretty good at the end of last year, he's on the outside looking in, waiting for a spot. Kelly will be in the bullpen unless there's an injury or trade, I'm guessing.
Anyway, just don't see what your tire fire comment is based on. Complain about offense, Boston was 3rd highest scoring last year, with a stronger 2nd half. Pitching in the 2nd half was also pretty good after a disaster of a first half. Can't argue that Price doesn't help there by reslotting everyone else down to where they fit better. And Kimbrel out to help out with closing games, another area they sucked and blew games left and right last year.
Not saying that they're automatic WS champs, but to say Price was a waste and they are a tire fire is just stupid. They'll be much improved by this move, only the money I think is dumb (but the going rate lately). Been sniffing the Cubs glue a little too hard...
In 2018 the Red Sox will be paying 4 guys (3 age 33+) $94million. That might not be good.
Can't argue with the money part, but like I said, it doesn't come out of my checkbook. Plus of being a big-market, high-revenue team I suppose; no penny-pinching.
Just the way the contracts have gone since the TV deals kicked in. Used to be that 20M was reserved for the superstars, Aces and sluggers. Then non-sluggers started getting it, and 30M has become the new 20M.
The price on Price was definitely a bit over the top (read: crazy), but if the money is there, ok. Can't argue that he isn't a good pitcher, and he'll immediately stabilize the rotation and make the other guys look better by pushing them down a slot.
Sox also have a bunch of money coming off the books, and a solid chunk of young players stepping up, so I'm ok with overpaying in spots knowing that they are severely under-paying in other spots. Should work out fine from that perspective. Ace pitcher was a need.
Just the way the contracts have gone since the TV deals kicked in. Used to be that 20M was reserved for the superstars, Aces and sluggers. Then non-sluggers started getting it, and 30M has become the new 20M.
The price on Price was definitely a bit over the top (read: crazy), but if the money is there, ok. Can't argue that he isn't a good pitcher, and he'll immediately stabilize the rotation and make the other guys look better by pushing them down a slot.
Sox also have a bunch of money coming off the books, and a solid chunk of young players stepping up, so I'm ok with overpaying in spots knowing that they are severely under-paying in other spots. Should work out fine from that perspective. Ace pitcher was a need.
Overpay is the new pay. That much is true. Still, they can't be happy with where the Sandoval contract sits now.
Especially because they can't expect him to fill the Ortiz role of "fat guy who hits dingers," because outside of his bonkers 2009, Sandoval has never been a power hitter. And they owe a lot of money to a guy whose OBP has gone down every year since 2011.
Edit: According to multiple sources, a ~Mystery Team~ has offered a contract to Samardzija north of $100 million.
I bet I could sell a photo of Jordan Zimmermann's face to the tabloids for thousands if I could capture it at the exact second he learns that Jeff fucking Samardzija could get a hundred million bucks.
Wrigley Chapter of the Fried Chicken and Beer Club, opening April 2016. (That hatchet job the Sox planted on Francona that year was still one of the most ridiculous things I've ever seen.)
Realtalk, I'm not thrilled about the Cubs signing a 37-year-old pitcher who had arguably the second-best season of his career in his walk year, but it's not for a ton of cash and it's only a two-year deal, so it's not like they're on the hook for an albatross of a deal that will keep them from spending elsewhere. But man, a 37-year-old guy with a history of elbow problems ... that's not someone I'd put a ton of stock in.
Edit: I guess what I'm saying is that even though the draft is a craps shoot, the Epstein / Hoyer team has drafted extraordinarily well, and surrendering your first-round pick for a guy who's probably on the last contract of his career doesn't really strike me as the smartest move and it feels like a "Plan C" reactionary move.
Realtalk, I'm not thrilled about the Cubs signing a 37-year-old pitcher who had arguably the second-best season of his career in his walk year, but it's not for a ton of cash and it's only a two-year deal, so it's not like they're on the hook for an albatross of a deal that will keep them from spending elsewhere. But man, a 37-year-old guy with a history of elbow problems ... that's not someone I'd put a ton of stock in.
Edit: I guess what I'm saying is that even though the draft is a craps shoot, the Epstein / Hoyer team has drafted extraordinarily well, and surrendering your first-round pick for a guy who's probably on the last contract of his career doesn't really strike me as the smartest move and it feels like a "Plan C" reactionary move.
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D-Back sign Zack Greinke to 6 year deal
Well ... I guess Tony La Russa is no stranger to pitcher changes that no one sees coming.
Holy shit. Guess the Diamondbacks are spending that new TV money before the bubble bursts completely.
206.5 million over 6 years
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