2019 Misc MLB News

[MadScientist]

Brewers should really get involved. I know that it'd be a huge stretch to the payroll, but imagine Machado at SS instead of Arcia!

 

*Imagining rooting for a guy I'd rather see Aguilar punch in the face*

 

I feel sick to my stomach.

[TURBO]

lol Manny's Dad trying to get his boy paid!

 

Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports reports that the Yankees and Dodgers have not made Manny Machado an official contract offer this offseason.

 

Machado's father, Manuel, told Z Deportes that his son has received offers from the Yankees, Dodgers and Phillies and that there's been "a lot of interest" from the White Sox, but Heyman is hearing otherwise. While it doesn't necessarily matter that he hasn't gotten "official" offers from either club, the Dodgers have never seemed likely to re-sign Machado and him landing with the Yankees has been looking less and less likely by the day.

 

Source: Jon Heyman on TwitterJan 18 - 12:30 PM

[pacopete4]

Big part of me is happy to see him struggling to find his fit. Not that it matters because he will still be a clown and be filthy rich but it is nice to see it play out very slowly and not as grandiose as he may have wanted.

[Eye Black]

Interesting article...

 

Why Mets making Cubs castoff Chili Davis hitting coach shouldn't cause alarm

Cubs president Theo Epstein didn't really want to fire Davis, according to multiple sources

 

Some snippets from the article (there is plenty more if you’re interested in reading the full article):

 

Cubs president Theo Epstein didn't really want to fire Davis, according to multiple sources, yet felt he had no choice but to give in to the wishes of at least a few of his star hitters, most notably Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo.

 

"He caved," was the way one person close to the situation put it. "He's not happy about it. He thinks it's BS that the players complained about Chili, but he wasn't going to stick with his hitting coach just to make a point."

 

......

 

The source of disconnect apparently centered around the launch-angle concept, which is at the root of the home run-or-bust approach that is so prevalent in today's game.

 

Bryant, among others, is all about the uppercut swing, taught to him by his father, a noted private hitting instructor, while Davis has always preached situational hitting, which means sacrificing power at times to make contact.

 

Suffice it to say, some players don't want to hear that in this era when no one sees any harm in striking out.

 

Beyond that, however, Davis indicated that pitchers have made adjustments to the launch-angle approach and he couldn't get some of the Cubs' hitters to understand that.

 

"Regardless of who's there (as the next hitting coach)," Davis told the Sun-Times, "certain players there are going to have to make some adjustments because the game has changed and pitchers are pitching them differently. They're not pitching to launch angles and fly balls and all that anymore. They're pitching away from that."

Also, this Tweet from Jesse Rogers this evening: Kris Bryant admits he and Chili Davis did not match up philosophically.

[Eye Black]

Regarding Chili Davis’ comments about launch angle adjustments being made, I also saw some interesting comments in a recent Justin Turner interview.

 

Here are Justin Turner’s comments:

 

“I think everyone is on this launch angle bandwagon and no one really understands what it means or how to produce it or do it the right way. I think launch angle is just a byproduct of matching the plane of the pitch. I feel like you have a different swing for a fastball and a slider, sinker, curveball, you’re going to have a different swing plan to try to give yourself the most room for error. Everyone talks about launch angle like you’re trying to swing up on every pitch, and that’s not the case. At least in my eyes. I’m not trying to swing up on every pitch if I’m facing the Brewers bullpen, who all throw 98 up in the zone, swinging up is not a very good recipe for them. You’re going to have to try to get on top and match that plane. I think it’s just a misunderstanding. It’s so easy for all these guys on TV, analytics guys, and guys trying to break down swings, to say that launch angle is the devil. But that’s not the case. I think if you’re making the right moves and trying to match planes, then launch angle is going to happen. It’s definitely a byproduct of your swing and what you’re trying to do.”

[jerichoholicninja]

Never understood why all this launch angle business is such a big deal now. I was coached in high school 15 years ago to have a slight upward swing. It wasn't a matter of hitting the ball in the air but the very obvious fact that when your swing matches the downward plane of the ball you increase your chances of squaring up the ball.

 

I agree with Chili though, the problem is now batters don't change their approach. Doesn't matter the count, the score, where runners are, they take the same swing and approach.

[AdvantageSchneider]

I wouldn't want to give Machado a 10 year $300M contract when he's dogging it in a playoff game in his walk year.

 

I also think the Boras method of waiting out the teams to get a bidding war has backfired on the players. Teams have turned the tables and are waiting the players out.

 

The next labor was is going to be a doozy. Better get your fix in before the CBA expires.

[brewerfan82]

First, this is a pretty cool resource I didn't know about:

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/tools/free-agent-tracker

 

Second, it's January 19th and if you sort the free agents by projected WAR, you get the following percentages of players still unsigned:

 

>0.5 proj WAR (70 total free agents): 40.0% unsigned

>1.0 proj WAR (48 total free agents): 35.4% unsigned

>1.5 proj WAR (29 total free agents): 31.0% unsigned

>2.0 proj WAR (19 total free agents): 31.6% unsigned

>2.5 proj WAR (13 total free agents): 38.5% unsigned

>3.0 proj WAR (8 total free agents): 50.0% unsigned

 

Pretty unbelievable, but also a reminder that any teams with money to spend still have a lot of options available out there.

[Eye Black]

Just your run-of-the-mill January trash talking between the Cubs and Cardinals...

 

Bryant tweaks St. Louis; Yadi snaps back

[jerichoholicninja]

Just your run-of-the-mill January trash talking between the Cubs and Cardinals...

 

Bryant tweaks St. Louis; Yadi snaps back

 

"Who would want to play in St. Louis? It's so boring. I always get asked, 'Where do you like to play, where do you not like to play?' And St. Louis is a place I don't like to play."

 

That comment drew a loud cheer from the Chicago faithful, and Dempster followed suit.

 

"I remember when I was getting traded," said Dempster, "and they asked me, 'Hey, how about St. Louis?' I said, 'Zero chance, pal. No way.' I wouldn't even go there as a free agent. Not happening."

 

...

 

Catcher Molina, never one to mince his feelings on social media, then fired back with an Instagram post that included not only a screenshot of Bryant's interview with Dempster, but also a photo of Dempster giving up a home run to then-Cardinal Lance Berkman.

 

"All stars, elite players and leaders of their teams do not speak bad about any city," Molina wrote. "There should be respect, and you should play and compete with respect. Only stupid players and losers make comments like the ones made by Bryant and Dempster."

 

Several of Molina's teammates echoed his sentiments in comments on his Instagram post. Third baseman Matt Carpenter replied with a series of fire emojis, while left fielder Marcell Ozuna issued a poetic warning to the Cubs.

 

"From outside they speak and talk like tiger," wrote Ozuna, "but at the end they [sic] gonna be like little cat."

 

Other teammates offered their endorsement with a simple 'Like.' Molina, in the comments section, continued to engage with fans hours after making his original post.

 

So Bryant made an obvious tongue in cheek joke during a comedy spot at a Cubs event and Molina and his teammates decided to start a Twitter fight over it calling him and Ryan Dempster stupid and losers. If that isn't that whole trashy Cardinals organization in a nut shell.

[OnTheBlack]

 

He means Machado is a turd, and he likely joins the majority of Brewer fans in not wanting him on the team. Fortunately, Stearns is a smart GM, and knows Machado would be embraced in Milwaukee about as well as a wet fart.

 

 

Really? Because I seem to remember a whole lot of people being real excited about the possibility of Machado coming over here in free agency.

 

I think it's a lot easier to say you don't want Machado when there's virtually zero chance it's going to happen. I don't really like the guy....but I like an elite power hitting SS/3B.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

 

He means Machado is a turd, and he likely joins the majority of Brewer fans in not wanting him on the team. Fortunately, Stearns is a smart GM, and knows Machado would be embraced in Milwaukee about as well as a wet fart.

 

 

Really? Because I seem to remember a whole lot of people being real excited about the possibility of Machado coming over here in free agency.

 

I think it's a lot easier to say you don't want Machado when there's virtually zero chance it's going to happen. I don't really like the guy....but I like an elite power hitting SS/3B.

 

Yes, there were a lot of people excited by the idea of Machado at deadline time. Things change. Brewer fans have first-hand experience seeing how big of a douche he is now.

[TURBO]

 

He means Machado is a turd, and he likely joins the majority of Brewer fans in not wanting him on the team. Fortunately, Stearns is a smart GM, and knows Machado would be embraced in Milwaukee about as well as a wet fart.

 

 

Really? Because I seem to remember a whole lot of people being real excited about the possibility of Machado coming over here in free agency.

 

I think it's a lot easier to say you don't want Machado when there's virtually zero chance it's going to happen. I don't really like the guy....but I like an elite power hitting SS/3B.

 

That was before he acted like a punk in the NLCS series vs Jesus and Arcia... Things change.

[coolhandluke121]

Big part of me is happy to see him struggling to find his fit.

 

If by "big part of me" you mean "every fiber of my being", then I concur. Suck it Manny.

 

I think the players have a legit gripe though. They should be getting more of the revenue. To me the solution is obvious - pay them more when they're young and are actually worth it. It's hard to argue that owners should go back to handing out huge free agent deals again, as that would often put their teams at a competitive disadvantage. But you can't just let them pocket the extra money; it should go to the players who are earning it. The young guys are getting way underpaid.

[Fear The Chorizo]

Big part of me is happy to see him struggling to find his fit.

 

If by "big part of me" you mean "every fiber of my being", then I concur. Suck it Manny.

 

I think the players have a legit gripe though. They should be getting more of the revenue. To me the solution is obvious - pay them more when they're young and are actually worth it. It's hard to argue that owners should go back to handing out huge free agent deals again, as that would often put their teams at a competitive disadvantage. But you can't just let them pocket the extra money; it should go to the players who are earning it. The young guys are getting way underpaid.

 

True, but it's a two way street - under the current system, younger players should be more open to buying out a few initial FA years in order to get a large longterm extension earlier in their careers. Some power agents (Boras, et. al) make it a point to never allow their best clients to sacrifice how soon they reach free agency in order to get an extension with their 1st ballclub. Not having that option on the table probably cost Harper from having a current deal paying him $30M plus similar to Trout, had they approached the Nationals after his MVP season looking for an extension. A Boras client like Bryant is really over a barrel - he's gotten record pre arb and 1st year arbitration contracts, but he won't actually reach free agency until he is 30 in 2022. He was intentionally held in the minors in order to maximize their amount of control - now there are questions about his shoulder that sapped him of power most of last year, which will probably carry over to his FA year and coupled with his eventual age cost him a mega deal.

 

I found it funny that Longoria was criticizing the system with the big name FA's still unsigned, when he essentially signed a longterm extension that bought out a few FA years the moment he debuted in MLB with the Rays. IMO, premium collegiate draftees who rocket through the minors and are almost instant all-stars (Longoria, Braun, Bryant, Tulo, Verlander, etc) fare much better in terms of career earnings if they sign extensions early on rather than playing through 6 years of team control/arbitration with the hopes of cashing in around their 30th birthday. That was true close to a decade ago when guys like Longoria, Braun, and Tulo all signed these types of deals, and it's even more true now. For guys picked from HS that are likely generational talents (Trout, Harper, Machado, Kershaw, etc.), it's a tougher call, but I think it's almost always better in a world of guaranteed contracts to take as much money as you can, as soon as you can.

[coolhandluke121]

Waiting made sense for a long time there. Then they cracked down on PEDs (meaning players can't stay in their prime until their late 30's) and teams got more discerning about value at the same time. I agree though. There should be more early extensions, and I think there will be soon. But even that could be something teams don't do when there are so many cheap players in their prime always coming up, due to team control rules and antiquated arbitration settlements that don't reflect true value.

[RollieTime]

MLB is trying to reduce the amount of relievers used in a game by getting rid of the 10 day DL, going back to the 15 day DL stint, and increasing the amount of time a player needs to remain optioned in the minors once sent down before they can be brought back up.

[jerichoholicninja]

MLB is trying to reduce the amount of relievers used in a game by getting rid of the 10 day DL, going back to the 15 day DL stint, and increasing the amount of time a player needs to remain optioned in the minors once sent down before they can be brought back up.

 

I don't think the 10 day DL has any effect on relievers. That's more for giving your SP a break without tying up a roster spot. But lengthening the amount of time a player has to be optioned would really have an impact. I doubt the players union would approve this as all this minor league shuttling gives more service time and MLB pay to players who wouldn't be on the roster at all.

[RollieTime]

MLB is trying to reduce the amount of relievers used in a game by getting rid of the 10 day DL, going back to the 15 day DL stint, and increasing the amount of time a player needs to remain optioned in the minors once sent down before they can be brought back up.

 

I don't think the 10 day DL has any effect on relievers. That's more for giving your SP a break without tying up a roster spot. But lengthening the amount of time a player has to be optioned would really have an impact. I doubt the players union would approve this as all this minor league shuttling gives more service time and MLB pay to players who wouldn't be on the roster at all.

 

I think they mentioned the 10 day DL since it allows you to place a guy on it for such a short time with a “fake” injury. If the player will now need to miss 4-5 more games, it might stop teams from “misusing” the short DL stint.

[coolhandluke121]

I know it doesn't help the Brewers, but honestly I can understand where they're going with that. Right now, teams kind of have to exploit it to compete. I wouldn't call it a "loophole", but it is a strategy that would eventually start to not feel right if it takes over the game and causes even more games to go 4+ hours.

[reillymcshane]

MLB is trying to reduce the amount of relievers used in a game by getting rid of the 10 day DL, going back to the 15 day DL stint, and increasing the amount of time a player needs to remain optioned in the minors once sent down before they can be brought back up.

 

I don't think the 10 day DL has any effect on relievers. That's more for giving your SP a break without tying up a roster spot. But lengthening the amount of time a player has to be optioned would really have an impact. I doubt the players union would approve this as all this minor league shuttling gives more service time and MLB pay to players who wouldn't be on the roster at all.

 

I think they mentioned the 10 day DL since it allows you to place a guy on it for such a short time with a “fake” injury. If the player will now need to miss 4-5 more games, it might stop teams from “misusing” the short DL stint.

Yeah, the 10-day thing allowed a team to put a starter on the IR and miss only one start. The team would just put him on the IR the day after a start, and call him up right in time for his turn in the rotation - having just missed one start. Dodgers did this a ton.

 

It's a great strategy for a team who has a guy that they want to give a rest to on occasion during the year. You get an extra off day during a week and you just skip the guy in the rotation. That guy is put on the DL with 'fatigue' or 'soreness' and just gets to relax for 10 days before hoping right back in the rotation.

[KeithStone53151]

I know it doesn't help the Brewers, but honestly I can understand where they're going with that. Right now, teams kind of have to exploit it to compete. I wouldn't call it a "loophole", but it is a strategy that would eventually start to not feel right if it takes over the game and causes even more games to go 4+ hours.

 

USA today posted in their article that apparently game times went down from 2017 to 2018. They claim teh average game time was 3 hours and 44 seconds. I don't buy that personally. I feel like the average game I attended was closer to 3.5 hours than 3 hours.

[coolhandluke121]

I know it doesn't help the Brewers, but honestly I can understand where they're going with that. Right now, teams kind of have to exploit it to compete. I wouldn't call it a "loophole", but it is a strategy that would eventually start to not feel right if it takes over the game and causes even more games to go 4+ hours.

 

USA today posted in their article that apparently game times went down from 2017 to 2018. They claim teh average game time was 3 hours and 44 seconds. I don't buy that personally. I feel like the average game I attended was closer to 3.5 hours than 3 hours.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the "average" game actually was a tiny bit shorter, but only because there weren't a lot of teams doing what the Brewers did with their bullpen. If we see more copycats, the average game length is going to go up. Like, a lot. Unless they take serious steps to counteract it.

 

And it may be that Brewer games were longer than average, leading to us having a different perspective. But I admit I'm not looking at those stats right now. Just making educated guesses based on how they used their staff.

[jerichoholicninja]

I know it doesn't help the Brewers, but honestly I can understand where they're going with that. Right now, teams kind of have to exploit it to compete. I wouldn't call it a "loophole", but it is a strategy that would eventually start to not feel right if it takes over the game and causes even more games to go 4+ hours.

 

USA today posted in their article that apparently game times went down from 2017 to 2018. They claim teh average game time was 3 hours and 44 seconds. I don't buy that personally. I feel like the average game I attended was closer to 3.5 hours than 3 hours.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the "average" game actually was a tiny bit shorter, but only because there weren't a lot of teams doing what the Brewers did with their bullpen. If we see more copycats, the average game length is going to go up. Like, a lot. Unless they take serious steps to counteract it.

 

And it may be that Brewer games were longer than average, leading to us having a different perspective. But I admit I'm not looking at those stats right now. Just making educated guesses based on how they used their staff.

 

I don't think the Brewers did a whole lot of mid inning pitching changes and most relievers were starting innings and pitching whole innings, they just used a lot of pitchers to get through games.

[istanbultaye]

I would be interested to see a breakdown of pitcher usage stats per team. Average # of pitchers per game, # of appearances greater, equal or lesser than 1 inning, etc. Though the Brewers did tap into their bullpen earlier than most teams, most of their relievers would go more than an inning if they didn't run into trouble.