The 2016 Major League Baseball Player Chatter, News and Fantasy Thread...

[LT Profits]

Positive Day for Profar
It won’t go down officially as his first game with the Rangers since 2013, but Monday was nonetheless an encouraging day for Jurickson Profar.

Playing in an intrasquad scrimmage at the club’s spring training complex in Arizona, Profar made two great plays defensively at shortstop and also smacked a home run off of Cole Hamels. Having had his last two years wiped out due to a muscle tear in his right shoulder, Profar was playing a position for the first time since the beginning of 2014.

"It feels great," Profar said. "You know it's just one intrasquad game, but it feels good to be out playing."

Manager Jeff Banister was also feeling good about what he saw out of Profar.

"Day 1, I would say if you were looking to put some check marks on the positive side, it would be how he moved to the baseball and how he moved on defense," Banister said. "No second thoughts diving for the ball, came up and threw the ball. Very instinctual. I'm sure it was fun for him to play defense and swing the bat."

Obviously, one day in an intrasquad scrimmage doesn’t exactly justify us firing up the Profar hype train again, but the former top prospect will take all the positives he can get after a couple miserable years. The Rangers undoubtedly will stick the 23-year-old in the minors to begin the season and let him get his feet wet again, but it will be interesting to see if he can get back on the radar in deep fantasy leagues if he shows well in Arizona.

Source: Ryan Boyer@Rotoworld_BB

[koz-man]

Pittsburg did him wrong and he will be gone at the first opportunity. Also, his loyalty will certainly not be as strong as it would be if they had given him even a decent contract.

Yep, Pitt burned that bridge...

[Wrigley]

let the spring games begin good to see ball back

[BigSpoon]

Aroldis Chapman banned 30 games under MLB domestic violence policy.

[Cross]

Nice pick up yanks.

[Shortstop]

No, that was Danny Almonte, who is American and thus played for Team USA. I believe Abraham is Dominican.

That's right! I remember the last name. Wonder what Danny is doing these days?

[Shortstop]

let the spring games begin good to see ball back

Amen, Brother!

[EmpireMaker]

This is the type of thing the Pirates should have done with Cole.


The Royals have officially agreed to a new contract with catcher Salvador Perez. The deal covers six years for the Beverly Hills Sports Council client, including the coming season, and does not include any options. It guarantees three preexisting club options and adds two new seasons at the back end, with a total guarantee of $52.5MM.

All told, then, Perez will be promised the payouts contemplated in his original extension in addition to receiving $36MM in new money. Part of that comes in the form of a $6MM signing bonus, so there’s some added cash coming to Perez up front. His new 2017 salary will be $3MM, and he’ll earn $7.5MM and then $10MM in the two seasons to follow before taking home $13MM annually in the two new years covered by the deal.
A contract restructuring has long been said to be in the works between the sides. Perez was playing under an early-career deal that allowed the club to control him through 2019, via club options, for the relatively meager sum of $16.5MM. The original contract, negotiated by his prior agents, promised him just $7MM over five years, though of course it was reached before he had even logged a full season in the majors.
While many players have worked out second extensions after originally signing team-friendly pacts, Perez’s situation was rather unique. His first deal turned out to be unusually tilted in the club’s favor, leaving him with little leverage and no contractual protection for the years to come. Though Perez won’t receive the kind of lengthy, high-dollar commitment that some others have achieved — most of them, superstar-level performers — the new deal represents a notable achievement under the circumstances.
With the agreement, Kansas City will be committed to Perez through his age-31 season. That’s still relatively youthful, of course, but the big-framed backstop has already logged 545 games behind the dish through his first five campaigns. That’s only increased over time, as he’s averaged 143 games over the past three seasons.
Of course, that workload also goes to show Perez’s durability. He’s battled through plenty of dings and dents along the way, providing ample proof of his willingness to push his body for the club. It remains to be seen whether he’ll be given some more opportunities for rest over the coming seasons, but certainly the club has a vested interest in ensuring his longevity.
Since taking over as the full-time receiver in 2013, Perez has compiled a .270/.297/.420 slash line with 17 home runs annually. He’s declined over the past two years to a below-average overall contributor at the plate, but has certainly shown the ability to put up at least league-average production offensively. Of course, Perez shines most notably with the mask on, as he has consistently rated as a quality defender in terms of blocking and throwing. He isn’t well loved by framing metrics, though obviously that doesn’t account for his game management abilities and broader contributions on and off the field.
All told, there’s plenty of risk in the deal for the defending champion Royals, particularly given that the organization already enjoyed risk-free contract control for three more seasons. But it’s hard not to appreciate the commitment to a player who has had a major role in the team’s recent rise to prominence.
The move represents the latest investment in what’s proven to be a busy offseason for K.C. The club had already struck a significant pact to keep star left fielder Alex Gordon, signed a big contract with free agent righty Ian Kennedy, inked reliever Joakim Soria, brought back another arm in Chris Young, and added yet another rehabbing starter in Mike Minor. It also worked out arbitration-only extensions with Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas, though it remains to be seen whether lengthier pacts can be struck with either of those players or fellow young stalwarts Eric Hosmerand Alcides Escobar.

[Wrigley]

Aroldis Chapman banned 30 games under MLB domestic violence policy.

NFL should take notice

[LT Profits]

Following up on Perez:

Royals Extend Salvador Perez, the Most Royals Player

[Otters27]

Aroldis Chapman banned 30 games under MLB domestic violence policy.

These guys with ONE of a Kind god given talent. Too many waste it being stupid

[Chi_archie]

NFL should take notice

how so?

[koz-man]

Aroldis Chapman banned 30 games under MLB domestic violence policy.

Plus losing close to 2 million.

Ha Ha Ha I'm lov'en it.....wish it was more!

[mr. leisure]

let the spring games begin good to see ball back

Opening day a month away !

[Cross]

So jacked, going to be in Arizona when cubs play them first week of season.

[EmpireMaker]

Cardinals Extend Kolten Wong

By Jeff Todd | March 2, 2016 at 7:02pm CST
7:02pm: SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo tweets the annual breakdown of Wong’s contract. He’ll earn $1.25MM in 2016, $2.5MM in 2017, $4MM in 2018, $6.5MM in 2019 and $10.25MM in 2020. The Cardinals hold a $12.5MM option for Wong in the 2021 season, which comes with a $1MM buyout.
10:20am: The Cardinals have announced an extension with 25-year-old second baseman Kolten Wong. Wong, a client of PSI Sports Management, will reportedly be guaranteed $25.5MM over five years, beginning in 2016. The contract also includes a $12.5MM option (with a $1MM buyout) for another season, and doesn’t come with any no-trade protection.

Because it begins with the 2016 campaign, the deal will give St. Louis control over two free agent seasons — the latter via option — in addition to covering Wong’s entire arbitration eligibility. He’ll be under team control through his age-30 campaign. Wong had entered the spring with just over two years of MLB service under his belt and had yet to qualify for arbitration.
Last year was Wong’s first as a full-time regular, and he came out of the gates strong with an excellent first half. He ultimately faded down the stretch, struggling in particular against left-handed pitching. All told, his overall offensive output — a .262/.321/.386 batting line with 11 home runs and 15 stolen bases over 613 plate appearances — represented a fairly close match to his 2014 campaign.
With excellent baserunning and strong glovework added into the equation, Wong has played at about a 2-WAR rate to start his career. Surely, both he and the team will hope that he can build off of that as he matures. Even if he doesn’t develop into a sturdy everyday regular, he figures to represent a heavily-used and readily platoon-able option at second.
Indeed, the club already has a platoon mate on hand in the righty-swinging Jedd Gyorko, who is controllable through 2020 (the final season via option). He has fared much better against opposing southpaws over his first several seasons in the majors. The Cards added Gyorko earlier this winter from the Padres, taking over his prior extension (with about a fifth of the tab staying on San Diego’s books).
It remains to be seen precisely how playing time will be allocated — Gyorko could, at least in theory, also spend time at first with Matt Carpenter entrenched at third — but the club certainly now has infield options moving forward. By locking up Wong now, before he has a chance to boost his earning power and shorten his free agent timeline in the coming season, St. Louis will lock in a quality player at a reasonable rate of pay. For Wong, of course, the deal represents a chance to secure earnings now rather than rolling the dice year-to-year.
Ultimately, it’s not clear how much room for growth there is in Wong’s game. He walks and strikes out just a bit under the league average rates, with a career ISO that’s right at the mean for his position. Most of his other batted-ball results stand at or near that of a league-average player, and he never exactly set the world on fire in the minors. He’s certainly justified his former status as a first-round pick and top-100 prospect, but probably isn’t ticketed for stardom.
Of course, the Cards don’t need Wong to play at a superstar level to justify this commitment, and the Gyorko acquisition seems to suggest they don’t really expect it, either. There aren’t many direct comparables for the deal, but the most recent at the second base position is the four-year, $20MM extension reached by the Twins and Brian Dozier last winter. That contract only covered his arbitration eligibility, and represented the heightened arb earning ability in his power bat.
A better comp, though, might be found in another deal last winter: center fielder Adam Eaton’s five-year, $23.5MM pact with the White Sox, which came with two club options. That contract has long looked like a nice get for the team, and today’s deal only adds to that impression. Wong understandably fell shy of the six-year, $50MM+ guarantees landed by two other 2+ service-time players in recent years, Carpenter and Jason Kipnis, each of whom were coming off of much bigger seasons when they signed their deals.

[Otters27]

Anyone like Carlos Gonzales to have a comeback type year. Seems pitchers have found the hole in his swing.

[Chi_archie]

Opening day a month away !

yeah baby!!!!

[Shortstop]

Anyone see any Spring Training games they like today?

[koz-man]

Looking for a Spring Projected lineups. I use to have a good one, but lost it.

[LT Profits]

Looking for a Spring Projected lineups. I use to have a good one, but lost it.

http://www.baseballpress.com/lineups/2016-03-03

[Shortstop]

Aroldis Chapman banned 30 games under MLB domestic violence policy.

These guys with ONE of a Kind god given talent. Too many waste it being stupid

Plus losing close to 2 million.

Ha Ha Ha I'm lov'en it.....wish it was more!

Wow! Penalty should have been much more, in my opinion...

[EmpireMaker]

THURSDAY: Capps is headed to see famed surgeon Dr. James Andrews on Monday, he told reporters including Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). While that link hardly means that Tommy John surgery is inevitable, it does suggest that there’s significant concern with his elbow, and even a non-surgical option would likely involve a reasonably lengthy rest and rehab period. The club is still “weighing options,” MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro adds on Twitter.
Capps tells Spencer that he is “in the wait-and-see stage still” with regard to his elbow. Though he’s obviously hoping to avoid surgery, he added that “peace of mind would be nice” given the uncertainty he’s currently experiencing. He indicated that his MRI showed “some stuff there,” though it’s unclear when the issues cropped up. Andrews examined Capps back in 2014, advising against a procedure at the time, and the hope is that his experience (with Capps and many others) will help reach a conclusive decision.
“On the mound, stuff comes out really good,” Capps said. “It’s just really painful right at the end (of the delivery) right now. It just kind of crept up, like tightness, and then it started progressing something more. I never felt it pop or anything.”
TUESDAY: Marlins righty Carter Capps, who is expected to play a key role at the back of the bullpen, is headed for an MRI after experiencing elbow soreness, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports. Per the report, Miami has begun making making trade inquiries for relief help.
While it isn’t yet clear whether Capps has received a diagnosis, let alone what it might be, it appears as if the club could be preparing for the worst. Whatever the results, Capps will seek a second medical opinion, per the report.
The 25-year-old already missed significant time down the stretch in 2015 due to a sprained right elbow. Based in part on that history, as well as his propensity for throwing hard, Capps rated as the 10th most likely pitcher in all of baseball to require Tommy John surgery in the recently-compiled research of MLBTR contributor Bradley Woodrum.
That was an unfortunate way for Capps to end what was otherwise a breakout campaign. Over his 31 frames on the year, he compiled a sparkling 1.16 ERA. He backed that up with exceptional peripherals, including 16.8 K/9 against just 2.0 BB/9, that suggested he was at least as good as his results. (Indeed, his league-leading 0.87 SIERA indicated he might well have been even better.)
Spencer notes that Capps had been expected to challenge A.J. Ramos for the Marlins’ closer role, based in part on a desire to give him a more limited and predictable workload. Losing him for any significant stretch would represent a significant loss for a club that has hopes of turning things around after a disappointing season last year. There are other right-handed power arms on hand in the persons of Bryan Morris and Kyle Barraclough, but neither showed anything close to Capps’ overall form in 2015 and moving them up the pecking order would open more questions in the middle relief corps.

[oiler]

think Gonzalez going to have a strong year

[LT Profits]

Looking for a Spring Projected lineups. I use to have a good one, but lost it.

Looks like Baseball Press already has some lineups up for Friday.

[BigSpoon]

Wow! Penalty should have been much more, in my opinion...

I agree, its equivalent to about 3 games for a NFL season. A slap on the wrist really.

[Chi_archie]

Looks like Baseball Press already has some lineups up for Friday.

been getting up earlier and earlier this year it seems

[koz-man]

Looks like Baseball Press already has some lineups up for Friday.

Thanks LT. No pitchers listed....

[LT Profits]

Thanks LT. No pitchers listed....

All pitchers are up now. Remember that all bets during exhibition season are Action regardless of starters

[LT Profits]

Thanks LT. No pitchers listed....

You made your post at 2:18 ET, pitchers were already up then. They are under the team names.

[EmpireMaker]

I agree, its equivalent to about 3 games for a NFL season. A slap on the wrist really.

I drafted him so that is long enough

[LT Profits]

Bruce Levine of WSCR-AM reports that the White Sox "may now be focused on" Carlos Gonzalez and Jay Bruce in their pursuit of left-handed power.

The report adds that CarGo's contract and the Rockies' asking price "is the holdup right now" and that Bruce "might be more practical." Levine was told by one general manager who had talks with the Rockies about Gonzalez that they asked for "my top two minor league players, a major league player and to absorb most of the contract." Bruce, meanwhile, was nearly dealt to the Blue Jays last week in a three-team trade before the deal fell apart because of a physical issue involving a prospect. He would come significantly cheaper than CarGo, but of course isn't nearly as good of a player.

Source: Chicago.cbslocal.com

[koz-man]

All pitchers are up now. Remember that all bets during exhibition season are Action regardless of starters

I understand. But those pitchers only throw about 2 or 3 innings.

There was a site out there that would list all probable pitchers for that game.

[LT Profits]

I understand. But those pitchers only throw about 2 or 3 innings.

There was a site out there that would list all probable pitchers for that game.

Oh I see. I think I remember that site too, but damned if I remember what it was.

[mr. leisure]

I understand. But those pitchers only throw about 2 or 3 innings.

There was a site out there that would list all probable pitchers for that game.

Anybody the name of this site ?