Did anyone see Saturday Night Live last night????
Cubs fans have got to watch it...funny shit.
Cubs fans have got to watch it...funny shit.
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The Cubs have declined the 2017 option on Jason Hammel making him a free agent, per the team.Comment -
Major League teams have until 5pm ET today to extend qualifying offers to their impending free agents — a decision that could significantly impact the market for a number of players this winter. For those unfamiliar with the process, the collective bargaining agreement stipulates that teams can make a “qualifying offer” to free agents that spent the entire season on the roster — midseason trades and signings are ineligible — if they wish to secure draft pick compensation for the loss of that player. The QO is a set one-year value determined by averaging the salaries of the top 125 players in the league. This year, the value of that sum comes to $17.2MM.
A player will have one week to survey the market and determine whether he wishes to accept the QO or reject in search of a more lucrative free-agent deal. If a player accepts the offer — something that has happened only three times since the system’s implementation in 2012 (Matt Wieters, Colby Rasmus and Brett Anderson) — that player is considered signed for the following season at $17.2MM. The contract is considered a free-agent deal, and as such, that player is not allowed to be traded without his consent until June 15.
If the player rejects a QO, he’s free to sign with any team for any amount (including the team from which he rejected the QO). However, whichever team signs a player that has rejected a QO must surrender its top unprotected pick in the upcoming draft (unless the player re-signs with the team that made the QO). The first 10 selections are protected, so those clubs would only be required to part with their second-highest pick. A team that signs multiple players that have rejected a QO continues to forfeit its top unprotected pick for each subsequent signing. The team that lost the free agent in question, meanwhile, will receive a compensatory draft pick at the end of the first round. The order of comp picks, like the draft order itself, is determined based upon the previous year’s standings.
Last year there were a record 20 players to receive QOs (valued at $15.8MM based on 2015 salaries). There should be fewer this year, given the weak free-agent market, but there should still be a double-digit total of QOs extended. Here’s a list of who will reportedly receive qualifying offers thus far, and we’ll update this throughout the day and include the full list when the 5:00pm deadline has passed:
- Jeremy Hellickson, Phillies (link)
- Yoenis Cespedes, Mets (link)
- Neil Walker, Mets (link — team reportedly “intends” to barring setback in injury rehab)
- Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays (link)
- Jose Bautista, Blue Jays (link)
- Ian Desmond, Rangers (link)
- Dexter Fowler, Cubs (link)
- Kenley Jansen, Dodgers (Twitter link via the OC Register’s Bill Plunkett)
- Justin Turner, Dodgers (Twitter link via the OC Register’s Bill Plunkett)
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The Rangers need to go out and get an Ace in the offseason. Learn from the prior years, we need a true ace.Comment -
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Montgomery will fill Hamel's shoes just fine.Comment -
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Tim Tebow’s performance in the Arizona Fall League had not exactly been playing to rave reviews.
One American League scout on Monday afternoon described it as “a complete farce,” which wasn’t the worst of the talent evaluator descriptions of the former quarterback-turned-professional baseball player’s performance here.
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And so Monday night brought a welcome reprieve — for one game, anyway — when Tebow hit a walk-off single with the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth inning to give the Scottsdale Scorpions a 4-3 victory over the Mesa Solar Sox in front of 1,012 at Scottsdale Stadium.
“Yeah, those are the situations you love. I mean, that’s fun,” Tebow, a member of the Mets’ organization, said afterward. “A lot of pressure, but they’re fun moments.”
With the Scorpions already having tied the score with a ninth-inning run, Tebow, 0-for-3 with a walk entering the at-bat, stepped in against righthander Drew Steckenrider of the Marlins’ organization. He threw a first-pitch fastball, which the lefthanded-hitting Tebow sent down the third-base line for the game-winner.
MetsMets' Tim Tebow at Arizona Fall League
Tebow had been 5-for-40 with one RBI in his Scorpions career to that point.
He credited in part a pregame conversation he had with Reggie Jackson, a Yankees adviser who was in town visiting with some of his club’s prospects on the Scorpions such as Greg Bird, Gleyber Torres and James Kaprielian.
“The whole day they had been throwing me outside fastballs and they had the shift on a little bit, and [before the game] Mr. Jackson was just talking about letting it get deep and going with it,” Tebow said. “So first pitch tried to let it get deep and hit it opposite way, especially when they play you for a pull.”
Tebow, who won two national titles and a Heisman Trophy at Florida along with an NFL playoff game for the Denver Broncos, said being in previous high-pressure situations was a help.
“One hundred percent,” he said. “Your body doesn’t know the difference of stress and pressure, what it is. You just have to handle what it is. If it’s getting up and speaking in front of 20,000, if it’s playing football in front of 100,000 or if it’s bases loaded, two out and the bottom of the ninth; your body just knows it’s stress, it’s pressure and how are you going to handle that mentally? All the games, the ups and the downs, all of it help prepare you for pressure-packed, stressful moments, in my opinion. And, even more importantly, for life’s pressure-packed moments.”Comment -
It's really up in the air whether Bartolo Colon returns in 2017. The Mets have a glut of starting pitching if everyone is healthy. And Colon will turn 44 next May. But if he's amenable on the Mets' terms, it could happen. "One of the things is: We have a lot of starting pitching," Mets GM Sandy Alderson said Monday. "If it all comes back, we really have a lot of starting pitching. On the other hand, we'd love to have Bartolo back. We have to reconcile those two things."Comment -
Come on ColonComment -
Tebow is a joke
Stick to broadcastingComment -
Please no more Tebow talk, this is baseball not Skip Bayless.Comment -
If Cubs are going to win again what moves do they need to make.Comment -
Cubs also need to get Heyward right at the plate, and decide how to replace Fowler.Comment -
The Pirates and Nationals connected on a notable July trade that sent Mark Melancon from Pittsburgh to D.C. in exchange for Felipe Rivero and Taylor Hearn, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that a second blockbuster between the two sides was also discussed at length. Pittsburgh and Washington talked about a potential trade that would’ve sent Andrew McCutchen to the Nationals according to Rosenthal, though the deal apparently crumbled because there were too many moving parts at play. He adds that top prospect Victor Robles was one Pirates target in the deal.
It’s unlikely that the talks are picked back up due to the fact that there’s a gap between how the Pirates view McCutchen and how the Nats view him, Rosenthal continues, though serious trade discussions involving the 2013 NL MVP do at least indicate that the Bucs could be open to moving him this winter.
McCutchen turned in what was far and away the worst season of his career in 2016, taking notable steps backwards in terms of his offense, defense and baserunning. The 30-year-old’s .256/.336/.430 batting line still checked in a bit above the league average, per park-adjusted metrics like wRC+ and OPS+, but McCutchen had batted at least .292 with an OBP of at least .400 in each of the four prior seasons. Meanwhile, he stole a career-low six bases and was caught seven times. And in center field, the once premium defender turned in awful Defensive Runs Saved (-28) and Ultimate Zone Rating (-18.7) marks, though Rosenthal hears that the Pirates believe his poor ratings are due to the fact that McCutchen was positioned too shallow for much of the season (a problem that Dexter Fowler recently cited when discussing his own defensive improvements).
It’s not entirely clear if the Pirates will look to move McCutchen this winter or if they’ll just opportunistically listen to offers, though the team does have a near-MLB-ready replacement in the form of top prospect Austin Meadows. But even if they don’t, ESPN’s Buster Olney reports that his defensive shortcomings in 2016 could spell the end of his time in center field (Twitter link). Per Olney, the Bucs are considering a new outfield alignment that would feature Gregory Polanco in left field, Starling Marte in center field and McCutchen in right field.
If the Pirates do look to move McCutchen, though, there are undoubtedly a number of teams that would line up to take a chance on him returning to his previous heights. He’s owed a reasonable $14MM next year and also has a $14.5MM club option on his contract, which comes with a $1MM buyout. Even on the heels of a down season for McCutchen, the opportunity to acquire someone of his ceiling and owe him just a $15MM guarantee over one year (with a reasonably priced option for a second season) is intriguing for any club in need of outfield help. However, the challenge, as is the case when inquiring on any star-level player coming off a down season, will be agreeing on a price point. The Pirates almost certainly would value McCutchen at a very high level, but interested parties may be reluctant to pay a premium price for a 30-year-old that could be entering into a decline phase.
That disparity is highlighted by the package reported by Rosenthal; Robles currently ranks as the No. 10 prospect in all of baseball according to MLB.com, but Rosenthal notes that the Pirates weren’t keen on trading McCutchen for only one outfield prospect that has yet to play above Class-A. That’s certainly understandable, as it’s not uncommon at all for toolsy young outfielders to flame out, and being left with nothing to show for trading the face of the franchise would be a disastrous outcome.Comment -
Wait till Cutch maybe returns to form after a few months before trading himComment -
The Giants met this week with representatives of top free agent relievers Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen, and Mark Melancon, Bob Nightengale of USA Today (on Twitter) and Jon Morosi of MLB Network (Twitter link) report. Finding a solution for the ninth inning is perhaps the top priority for Giants GM Bobby Evans, so it’s not surprising to hear that he’s looking into the three best options on the open market. It’s far from clear at this point whether the Giants are particularly interested in any of these pitchers. It will certainly be interesting to see the strategic approaches of the players and teams in the market for premium closers. There are plenty of suitors circling, but they’ll surely be somewhat cautious in doling out potentially record-setting contracts.
- We took a look yesterday at the latest on Greg Holland, who’s a risky but intriguing alternative to the three major options just noted, but there’s more ground to cover today. The Cubs are among many organizations that have real interest in Holland, as Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. They certainly aren’t alone, as Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports that clubs including the Rays, Indians, and Mariners — in addition to the many others who were reportedly on hand for his recent showcase — could still be involved.
- While the Marlins’ priority is in the rotation, the club may consider bolstering its relief corps as an alternative, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro reports. President of baseball operations Michael Hill suggests that the team will allow the market to “dictate[] the direction” that’s ultimately taken, at least to some extent, and that the Fish will explore all free agent and trade possibilities. But if the price for a worthwhile rotation addition proves too steep, the organization may perhaps pivot a bit. “You see the trends now, and the analytics, and they may say you don’t want to face guys a third time through the lineup,” Hill said. “It puts more of an emphasis to have a stronger bullpen. A lot of our success this year was because of our strong bullpen.” Frisaro notes that the Marlins have long been interested in Chapman, though it would seemingly be a big surprise were the club to enter his market in earnest.
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Chapman going to ask for too muchComment -
Phils win World series
Future lockComment -
Haha at Phils to win anything.Comment -
Braves sign Bartolo Colon to a 1 year deal worth $12.5M. This is one day after signing R.A. Dickey to a 1 year $7.5M deal. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/1...atlanta-bravesComment
