2021 Misc. MLB News

[logan82]

Good riddance. Consistently one of the worst.

[TURBO]

Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reports that MLB has stopped testing 40-man roster players for PEDs due to the expiration of the sport's drug agreement.

 

This is part of the fallout of the owners locking out the players when the previous collective bargaining agreement expired at the start of December. It's anybody's guess if players will actually take the risk to use something during the work stoppage, but chief executive officer of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Travis Tygart says it is feasible that some will. “You could easily do what the cyclists were doing even in a good testing program, which was microdosing of testosterone,” said Tygart. “You can do testosterone gels or oral pills that could be out of your system and you can do more in maybe weeks.” And if there's some unusual performances or breakouts when the 2022 MLB season eventually gets underway, there could be questions about the legitimacy of those numbers. It's just another topic in a very complicated situation which doesn't appear anywhere close to getting settled.

 

SOURCE: Associated Press

Feb 7, 2022, 4:09 PM ET

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reports that MLB has stopped testing 40-man roster players for PEDs due to the expiration of the sport's drug agreement.

 

This is part of the fallout of the owners locking out the players when the previous collective bargaining agreement expired at the start of December. It's anybody's guess if players will actually take the risk to use something during the work stoppage, but chief executive officer of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Travis Tygart says it is feasible that some will. “You could easily do what the cyclists were doing even in a good testing program, which was microdosing of testosterone,” said Tygart. “You can do testosterone gels or oral pills that could be out of your system and you can do more in maybe weeks.” And if there's some unusual performances or breakouts when the 2022 MLB season eventually gets underway, there could be questions about the legitimacy of those numbers. It's just another topic in a very complicated situation which doesn't appear anywhere close to getting settled.

 

SOURCE: Associated Press

Feb 7, 2022, 4:09 PM ET

 

Can I ship the testosterone directly to the Yelich residence, or should I use a middle man?

[nate82]

Wasn't sure where to put this.

 

Hiura working on toning down his leg kick.

https://theathletic.com/3117354/2022/02/08/brewers-keston-hiura-toning-down-his-leg-kick-with-help-from-longtime-coach-first-big-step-toward-a-rebound?source=user-shared-article

[JosephC]

Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reports that MLB has stopped testing 40-man roster players for PEDs due to the expiration of the sport's drug agreement.

 

This is part of the fallout of the owners locking out the players when the previous collective bargaining agreement expired at the start of December. It's anybody's guess if players will actually take the risk to use something during the work stoppage, but chief executive officer of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Travis Tygart says it is feasible that some will. “You could easily do what the cyclists were doing even in a good testing program, which was microdosing of testosterone,” said Tygart. “You can do testosterone gels or oral pills that could be out of your system and you can do more in maybe weeks.” And if there's some unusual performances or breakouts when the 2022 MLB season eventually gets underway, there could be questions about the legitimacy of those numbers. It's just another topic in a very complicated situation which doesn't appear anywhere close to getting settled.

 

SOURCE: Associated Press

Feb 7, 2022, 4:09 PM ET

 

Can I ship the testosterone directly to the Yelich residence, or should I use a middle man?

 

Time for Braun to make that big comeback!

[PinaMadness]

Jeremy Giambi passes away.

 

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33254989/former-mlb-player-jeremy-giambi-dies-47

 

Update: His death ruled a suicide by gunshot.

[nate82]

Eric Thames signing with the A's on a minor league deal. I think he will be the A's 1B in 2022.

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/02/athletics-to-sign-eric-thames-to-minor-league-deal.html

[homer]

Jeremy Giambi passes away.

 

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33254989/former-mlb-player-jeremy-giambi-dies-47

 

Update: His death ruled a suicide by gunshot.

 

wow. very sad.

[Roderick]

Eric Thames signing with the A's on a minor league deal. I think he will be the A's 1B in 2022.

 

So you are saying you have highheat information that the Brewers have a trade for Matt Olson all locked up?

[wallus]

Soto turns down a 13 year, $350 million dollar extension offer. Yikes

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Soto turns down a 13 year, $350 million dollar extension offer. Yikes

 

Really makes you start to question the MLBPA's argument that the players aren't getting their fair share, doesn't it?

[Underachiever]

Soto turns down a 13 year, $350 million dollar extension offer. Yikes

 

Really makes you start to question the MLBPA's argument that the players aren't getting their fair share, doesn't it?

No. Not at all. Using an individual case to make that argument is silly.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Soto turns down a 13 year, $350 million dollar extension offer. Yikes

 

Really makes you start to question the MLBPA's argument that the players aren't getting their fair share, doesn't it?

No. Not at all. Using an individual case to make that argument is silly.

 

In the middle of a collective bargaining stalemate, it simply is not a good look. Which is likely exactly why the Nationals let word leak out that Soto turned the offer down. Game playing.

 

Perhaps I worded it wrong, though. MLBPA has a point that all players are not getting a fair share. But it is also a fair argument that the MLB salary structure is extremely top heavy, and it is deals like this that back that idea up.

[sveumrules]

Soto turns down a 13 year, $350 million dollar extension offer. Yikes

 

Yikes what? Yikes that Soto is cognizant of his market value & didn't want to settle for less than his actual worth within the economic structure of MLB?

 

Juan is slated for 16-17 million in Arby's this year with two more trips after that before free agency. That's like 70 million right there, which would essentially mean he is signing a 10/280 deal as a 26 year old free agent when he could be in line for a contract in the neighborhood of 400 million by going year to year.

 

Boras knows what he is doing.

[homer]

Soto turns down a 13 year, $350 million dollar extension offer. Yikes

 

Yikes what? Yikes that Soto is cognizant of his market value & didn't want to settle for less than his actual worth within the economic structure of MLB?

 

Juan is slated for 16-17 million in Arby's this year with two more trips after that before free agency. That's like 70 million right there, which would essentially mean he is signing a 10/280 deal as a 26 year old free agent when he could be in line for a contract in the neighborhood of 400 million by going year to year.

 

Boras knows what he is doing.

 

Yeah my first thought when I saw that number was that it was pretty low considering Betts got 12/365 million

[jerichoholicninja]

Could Soto get more? Maybe, probably. But is an extra 20, 30, 40, 50 million dollars on top of 350 million going to make any difference in his life whatsoever? No. If he doesn't want to be a National than that's fine but players turning down more money than the entire combined lifetime earnings of some team's entire fanbase isn't going to win the hearts of many people.

[sveumrules]

Soto has a chance to shatter contract records given the start he's had to his career at such a young age. Signing for 350 million could be leaving over 100 million dollars on the table. Even if you already have 350 million, 100 million is still a lot of money.

 

Juan's plate discipline stats are better than Ted Williams (or anyone else) through the same age, which is pretty insane. Here's how Soto stacks up against some of the other all time great starts to a career through age 22 with all the stats adjusted for era...

 

Soto: 206 BB%+ | 80 K%+ | 119 AVG+ | 132 OBP+ | 129 SLG+ | 156 wRC+

Teddy: 180 BB%+ | 92 K%+ | 127 AVG+ | 134 OBP+ | 153 SLG+ | 177 wRC+

Musial: 118 BB%+ | 44 K%+ | 131 AVG+ | 125 OBP+ | 149 SLG+ | 170 wRC+

Trout: 154 BB%+ | 115 K%+ | 120 AVG+ | 124 OBP+ | 136 SLG+ | 165 wRC+

Foxx: 160 BB%+ | 151 K%+ | 116 AVG+ | 121 OBP+ | 142 SLG+ | 160 wRC+

Pujols: 114 BB%+ | 71 K%+ | 120 AVG+ | 117 OBP+ | 136 SLG+ | 154 wRC+

Eddie: 154 BB%+ | 139 K%+ | 103 AVG+ | 112 OBP+ | 135 SLG+ | 150 wRC+

Mel Ott: 170 BB%+ | 99 K%+ | 108 AVG+ | 117 OBP+ | 129 SLG+ | 147 wRC+

DiMaggio: 63 BB%+ | 75 K%+ | 114 AVG+ | 104 OBP+ | 143 SLG+ | 144 wRC+

[homer]

Could Soto get more? Maybe, probably. But is an extra 20, 30, 40, 50 million dollars on top of 350 million going to make any difference in his life whatsoever? No. If he doesn't want to be a National than that's fine but players turning down more money than the entire combined lifetime earnings of some team's entire fanbase isn't going to win the hearts of many people.

 

Sure but why don't we say the same thing about the owners? Probably because we have no idea what they make.

[Jopal78]

Could Soto get more? Maybe, probably. But is an extra 20, 30, 40, 50 million dollars on top of 350 million going to make any difference in his life whatsoever? No. If he doesn't want to be a National than that's fine but players turning down more money than the entire combined lifetime earnings of some team's entire fanbase isn't going to win the hearts of many people.

 

Sure but why don't we say the same thing about the owners? Probably because we have no idea what they make.

 

It's kind of funny the hero worship/distortion that goes on in the baseball labor fight. Just change the context, what if instead of baseball players they were all auto workers for a single American car company.

 

In a wage dispute, the auto workers could always leave and go make cars for another company in Mexico, Japan or Korea but wouldn't be paid as much as they currently get. They don't have the skill set to move to a different industry (NFL, NBA, NHL) so they're stuck as auto workers.

 

The auto workers make the finished product, but don't own the finished product. It's the car company's obligation to continue to market the product, sell the product; and the auto worker's don't share in any of that cost or risk.

 

Certainly, if the car company is really successful they could share more of their profits with the workers, but they're under no real obligation to do so, and wouldn't be alone in America sharing none of their profits with their workers.

 

As most sides do in a labor fight the MLBPA is trying to win in the Court of public opinion. In reality they have less leverage than it seems.

 

The owners always could go the same way they did in '95 and offer $25,000 guarantees to professional players not in organized baseball to come to spring training with another $100,000 guaranteed if they make an opening day roster, and they'd have to beat of the folks who show up in Arizona and Florida with a stick.

[homer]

Could Soto get more? Maybe, probably. But is an extra 20, 30, 40, 50 million dollars on top of 350 million going to make any difference in his life whatsoever? No. If he doesn't want to be a National than that's fine but players turning down more money than the entire combined lifetime earnings of some team's entire fanbase isn't going to win the hearts of many people.

 

Sure but why don't we say the same thing about the owners? Probably because we have no idea what they make.

 

It's kind of funny the hero worship/distortion that goes on in the baseball labor fight. Just change the context, what if instead of baseball players they were all auto workers for a single American car company.

 

In a wage dispute, the auto workers could always leave and go make cars for another company in Mexico, Japan or Korea but wouldn't be paid as much as they currently get. They don't have the skill set to move to a different industry (NFL, NBA, NHL) so they're stuck as auto workers.

 

The auto workers make the finished product, but don't own the finished product. It's the car company's obligation to continue to market the product, sell the product; and the auto worker's don't share in any of that cost or risk.

 

Certainly, if the car company is really successful they could share more of their profits with the workers, but they're under no real obligation to do so, and wouldn't be alone in America sharing none of their profits with their workers.

 

As most sides do in a labor fight the MLBPA is trying to win in the Court of public opinion. In reality they have less leverage than it seems.

 

The owners always could go the same way they did in '95 and offer $25,000 guarantees to professional players not in organized baseball to come to spring training with another $100,000 guaranteed if they make an opening day roster, and they'd have to beat of the folks who show up in Arizona and Florida with a stick.

 

 

I'm sorry but your analogy is off. Almost anybody can learn to be an auto worker. You don't like it, fine we'll hire someone else and won't see a difference in productivity. MLB players are the 1/10th of 1% and Soto is in the top 10% of that. He wants to leave? Fine, we'll hire Chris Magruder's younger brother to play instead.

[Jopal78]

 

 

I'm sorry but your analogy is off. Almost anybody can learn to be an auto worker. You don't like it, fine we'll hire someone else and won't see a difference in productivity. MLB players are the 1/10th of 1% and Soto is in the top 10% of that. He wants to leave? Fine, we'll hire Chris Magruder's younger brother to play instead.

 

I’m sorry but that’s a false equivalency. In the micro sense, sure Soto probably means a lot to pro baseball in DC. In the macro sense though, if Juan Soto never played another inning, MLB would continue on as it always has.

 

But more importantly they’re baseball players, the play baseball games for money.

 

Hypothetically, if all players on all the MLB teams never played again it’s not like they can go out and play professional football or basketball games for money. They’d have to find another way to make money.

 

Again hypothetically, the owners of MLB teams can always get new players. Other than those who are fans of certain players if you’re a fan of a particular team you already are basically a fan of some laundry, a stadium experience and a past heritage, none of which can be altered by players on the field. With all different players I’m sure some folks would say the game sucks now, and yes maybe there wouldn’t be pitchers throwing 100mph every night, but there’d still be homeruns, and players scoring from first on a double, and relay throws nailing runners at the plate. It would still be pro babes all. Most likely the consumer of professional baseball isn’t going to notice any difference without being told (radar gun, spins on a curveball etc.).