Random news and notes for MLB 2018

[jjfanec]

I cannot believe the Cubs gave up Gleyber Torres (and spare parts) to rent Aroldis Chapman for 2 months. I know they won the World Series that year, but my goodness would this look like a retrospective nightmare if they hadn't. Torres is so good. And he's 21.

 

Soler is finally looking decent too. IMO the Cubs really gave up a chance to have a dynasty type team right now to make sure they left no stone unturned to win the WS in 2016. Which, after 100+ years I guess you can argue the merit of that, but wow. I'm really glad we aren't facing the prospect of going up against a lineup that includes Bryant, Rizzo, Torres, Jimenez, Almora and Contreras in a year or two.

 

It won a world series and they still have a very good team so I don't think they are losing too much sleep. But you are right they gave up a ton for that series and then in subsequent trades. They will have a very expensive lineup and very old rotation in a couple years.

[tmwiese55]

And just think how close they were to still not winning (down 3-1) and needed extras in game 7. It worked though so it was all worth it. They'd have given this all away, of course they'd still have a good team likely to make the playoffs (and as we've seen with Cardinals, it's kind of a numbers game of making the playoffs enough you'll eventually get lucky and win) for several more years but really gave up some big future controlled talen.

[JosephC]

I think the Chapman deal was a terrible deal for Chicago and I personally know Cub fans who think the same thing.

 

When that trade was made, the Cubs had a 59-39 record and the .602 winning percentage was the best in baseball. They had a 7 game lead which was the largest lead in any of the divisions. They were +149 in runs scored and had badly underperformed versus their pythW-L% which stood at a fairly staggering .657. They were going to the playoffs with or without Chapman, so the Chapman deal was based on playoff performance alone. Chapman was solid but unspectacular in the playoffs. 3.45 playoff ERA (up from the 1.55 ERA he produced duing the regular season), 1.09 playoff WHIP (up from 0.86), 12.1 K/9 (down from 14.0), 3.4 BB/9 (up from 2.8). Those aren't bad numbers by any stretch, but a reliever posting a 3.45 ERA and 1.09 WHIP is definitely, without question, not worth trading a top 10 prospect (plus more) in all of baseball for. But I think the thing that truly defined this trade was Chapman's line in game seven of the World Series:

A. Chapman (W, BS) 1 1/3 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 2 earned runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts, 1 home run allowed

He may have been credited with the win, but he entered the game with 2 outs in the eighth and one runner on first base with the Cubs holding a 6-3 lead. Next two batters doubled and homered and Chapman had given up a three run lead just two batters into his performance in the seventh game of the World Series. Eventually bailed out by the offense, there is no other way to put it...Chapman flopped in the situation he was brought in for.

 

This was a bad trade for the Cubs.

[stoutdude04]

To be fair...didnt Maddon run Chapman out there like 5 games in a row?

[jjfanec]

To be fair...didnt Maddon run Chapman out there like 5 games in a row?

 

Yeah. In the world series he pitched 7 innings and gave up 7 base runners with 11 ks. He gave up 3 runs and what 2 were in that one game. He was bad that game but great outside that

[SRB]

I hate that everything the Cubs/Maddon do gets excused because they ended up (barely) winning. Maybe they would be/would have been much better if they were run better.

 

Was thinking of this the other day with the idiotic choice to have pitchers playing LF in a 1-0 game. The fact that it "worked" means they got lucky, not that it wasn't monumentally stupid.

[jerichoholicninja]

I hate that everything the Cubs/Maddon do gets excused because they ended up (barely) winning. Maybe they would be/would have been much better if they were run better.

 

Was thinking of this the other day with the idiotic choice to have pitchers playing LF in a 1-0 game. The fact that it "worked" means they got lucky, not that it wasn't monumentally stupid.

 

All pitchers do during BP is shag fly balls. They're used to it. The other guys who played LF were a former catcher who can't play defense anywhere and their regular starting catcher. I'm sure the defense was a wash at worst.

 

While some don't like the ROOGY/LOOGY philosophy, it got him the matchups he wanted and saved bullpen arms. I won't say it was genius but it was a great use of resources and something more teams should do if they want to play matchups.

[istanbultaye]

I don't disagree with a managers right to swap pitchers between positions, but the pitchers should get no more than 1-2 warmup pitches if they've already pitched once in the inning (just enough to make sure they remember how to throw it in the general vicinity of the plate instead of beaning people on the first pitch).

[tmwiese55]

Yea those pitchers were an upgrade on D over Schwarber, no doubt in my mind on that.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

I cannot believe the Cubs gave up Gleyber Torres (and spare parts) to rent Aroldis Chapman for 2 months. I know they won the World Series that year, but my goodness would this look like a retrospective nightmare if they hadn't. Torres is so good. And he's 21.

 

Soler is finally looking decent too. IMO the Cubs really gave up a chance to have a dynasty type team right now to make sure they left no stone unturned to win the WS in 2016. Which, after 100+ years I guess you can argue the merit of that, but wow. I'm really glad we aren't facing the prospect of going up against a lineup that includes Bryant, Rizzo, Torres, Jimenez, Almora and Contreras in a year or two.

 

I would give up Ted Williams for a World Series Championship.

[AKCheesehead]

 

Thought this was really cool. Not sure I've ever heard the full audio from an intense ejection situation before. Quite interesting as well that if I were to watch without sound I think I may draw a different conclusion and feel the umpire appeared a bit aggressive, whereas with the audio I feel he handled it very well.

 

For context, this was in May 2016, and "the situation" and "MLB did nothing to that guy" refer to the Chase Utley takeout slide that broke Ruben Tejada's leg in the previous postseason.

 

Finally saw this and tried to watch, but MLB has apparently wiped this from the internet.

[jerichoholicninja]

 

Thought this was really cool. Not sure I've ever heard the full audio from an intense ejection situation before. Quite interesting as well that if I were to watch without sound I think I may draw a different conclusion and feel the umpire appeared a bit aggressive, whereas with the audio I feel he handled it very well.

 

For context, this was in May 2016, and "the situation" and "MLB did nothing to that guy" refer to the Chase Utley takeout slide that broke Ruben Tejada's leg in the previous postseason.

 

Finally saw this and tried to watch, but MLB has apparently wiped this from the internet.

 

Terry Collins' mother is probably quite happy about that.

[jerichoholicninja]

https://twitter.com/Majin_Drew_/status/1006981833978929152

 

While this version of it still exists.

[adambr2]

I cannot believe the Cubs gave up Gleyber Torres (and spare parts) to rent Aroldis Chapman for 2 months. I know they won the World Series that year, but my goodness would this look like a retrospective nightmare if they hadn't. Torres is so good. And he's 21.

 

Soler is finally looking decent too. IMO the Cubs really gave up a chance to have a dynasty type team right now to make sure they left no stone unturned to win the WS in 2016. Which, after 100+ years I guess you can argue the merit of that, but wow. I'm really glad we aren't facing the prospect of going up against a lineup that includes Bryant, Rizzo, Torres, Jimenez, Almora and Contreras in a year or two.

 

I would give up Ted Williams for a World Series Championship.

 

You could make a strong case that the Cubs would have won it without him.

Or you could make a case that they would have won several between 2016-20 with Torres. We'll never know.

[BrewersSuperCollector]

Maybe. But bring in Chapman knocked Hector Rondon into the 8th inning guy. The 8th inning guy was put to the 7th inning guy. The trickle down of talent can’t be forgotten. I want one championship. I’ll worry about a second after the first has been achieved.

 

 

 

 

 

I cannot believe the Cubs gave up Gleyber Torres (and spare parts) to rent Aroldis Chapman for 2 months. I know they won the World Series that year, but my goodness would this look like a retrospective nightmare if they hadn't. Torres is so good. And he's 21.

 

Soler is finally looking decent too. IMO the Cubs really gave up a chance to have a dynasty type team right now to make sure they left no stone unturned to win the WS in 2016. Which, after 100+ years I guess you can argue the merit of that, but wow. I'm really glad we aren't facing the prospect of going up against a lineup that includes Bryant, Rizzo, Torres, Jimenez, Almora and Contreras in a year or two.

 

I would give up Ted Williams for a World Series Championship.

 

You could make a strong case that the Cubs would have won it without him.

Or you could make a case that they would have won several between 2016-20 with Torres. We'll never know.

[LouisEly]

Pitching is fragile and the Cubs do not have the pitching depth to survive a season. Darvish is fragile, Lester is 34, Chatwood has never thrown more than 165 innings in a season, no minor league depth... they have bats, but you can make a strong argument that they don't have the pitching to get there. If they have another starter go down they are in trouble.

[trwi7]

Juan Soto was called up to the majors on May 20th. Today the Nationals and Yankees completed a game that was suspended on May 15th. Juan Soto hit a home run today in the completion of the suspended game. This game goes in the books as completed on May 15th. So technically Juan Soto hit his first major league home run 5 days before he was called up to the majors.

[TURBO]

Juan Soto was called up to the majors on May 20th. Today the Nationals and Yankees completed a game that was suspended on May 15th. Juan Soto hit a home run today in the completion of the suspended game. This game goes in the books as completed on May 15th. So technically Juan Soto hit his first major league home run 5 days before he was called up to the majors.

 

*POOF*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(mind blown)

[Baldkin]

Juan Soto was called up to the majors on May 20th. Today the Nationals and Yankees completed a game that was suspended on May 15th. Juan Soto hit a home run today in the completion of the suspended game. This game goes in the books as completed on May 15th. So technically Juan Soto hit his first major league home run 5 days before he was called up to the majors.

 

[tmwiese55]

Trout is really underappreciated and under talked about nationally. If he was on the Yanks or Sawx the coverage would like LeBron gets as far as best player ever talk

 

https://deadspin.com/mike-trout-doesnt-deserve-this-****-1826949330

[Ennder]

Trout is really underappreciated and under talked about nationally. If he was on the Yanks or Sawx the coverage would like LeBron gets as far as best player ever talk

 

https://deadspin.com/mike-trout-doesnt-deserve-this-****-1826949330

 

To add to this I find this stat completely amazing.

 

"Mike Trout hasn’t gone more than two games without reaching base since being called up for good in April 2012"

 

That's 6 seasons and never gone more than 2 games in a row not reaching base.

[DuWayne Steurer]

Trout is really underappreciated and under talked about nationally. If he was on the Yanks or Sawx the coverage would like LeBron gets as far as best player ever talk

 

https://deadspin.com/mike-trout-doesnt-deserve-this-****-1826949330

 

To add to this I find this stat completely amazing.

 

"Mike Trout hasn’t gone more than two games without reaching base since being called up for good in April 2012"

 

That's 6 seasons and never gone more than 2 games in a row not reaching base.

 

 

That's absolutely mind boggling.

[DuWayne Steurer]

By the end of the season (Barring injury), Trout will move into the top 100 all time for cumulative WAR, with probably around 65.0-ish WAR. He should pass guys like Andre Dawson and Dave Winfield, Billy Williams, and Willie McCovey. In his age 26 season.

 

This is nuts.

[tmwiese55]

And just think he could have been ours, so close.

[OnaBadger58]

By the end of the season (Barring injury), Trout will move into the top 100 all time for cumulative WAR, with probably around 65.0-ish WAR. He should pass guys like Andre Dawson and Dave Winfield, Billy Williams, and Willie McCovey. In his age 26 season.

 

This is nuts.

 

It's too bad MLB has no idea how to market their players. This guy is beyond a generational player. He is literally the Michael Jordan of baseball. There are still plenty of people who will tell you that Bryce Harper is the best player in baseball despite Trouts WAR being 34 higher with only 600 more AB's.