The 2017 Major League Baseball Player Chatter, News and Fantasy Thread.

[Chi_archie]

Crazy day in MLB. Blowouts, almost a nono in the toughest park. Lester 10 runs in 1st only 4 erned though

yeah couple teams scored double digits and like 4 teams with 3 hits or less

[BigSpoon]

The Dodgers have a 7.5 game lead over a Dbacks team that is 17 games over .500 The Dbacks would be leading every other division besides theirs and the AL West.

Dodgers and Astros have been too good so far this season.

[koz-man]

$6,511: Price paid for two seats behind home plate for tonight's Home Run Derby, the highest price paid on StubHub.

[stevenash]

$6,511: Price paid for two seats behind home plate for tonight's Home Run Derby, the highest price paid on StubHub.

If it's worth it to the couple that bought it, so be it.
You can't put a price on happiness.

[stevenash]

Dodgers and Astros have been too good so far this season.

And expect both teams to be juiced to the beejeesus in the second half.
Astros will be -190 every game they're supposed to be -160

[EmpireMaker]

There aren’t many contending clubs with a clearly defined need behind the plate, though injuries over the next three weeks could obviously impact that thinking. Beyond that, some teams may simply covet a better backup option to their current starter, while others yet may simply look to do some long-term shopping now, even if they’re not clearly in the mix for a postseason spot. Here’s a look at some of the potentially available receiving assets from around the game…
Rentals
Jonathan Lucroy, Rangers | Remaining Salary: $2.38MM
Lucroy was one of the marquee names moved at last year’s non-waiver trade deadline, and while he was a monster for the Rangers down the stretch in 2016, he’s been anything but that in 2017. Through 261 plate appearances, the free-agent-to-be is hitting just .256/.303/.364 — a far cry from the .292/.355/.500 slash he posted following last July’s trade to Texas. His long-heralded framing skills have taken a nosedive in 2017 as well, though he’s still thwarted a hefty 34 percent of stolen base attempts against him. The Rangers are reportedly open to dealing Lucroy, who has already begun to lose some playing time to Robinson Chirinos.
Alex Avila, Tigers | Remaining Salary: $907K
Avila’s breakout has been among the most unexpected elements of the 2017 campaign. After years of seeing his productivity decline, he’s emerged as a force at the plate, hitting a ridiculous .299/.423/.535 with 11 homers through just 227 plate appearances. Many are understandably skeptical of Avila’s success and expect heavy regression. While that’s probably in store, to some extent (his .413 BABIP looks particularly unsustainable), Avila leads the planet in hard contact. Among players with at least 200 plate appearances, no one is within even five percent of the 30-year-old Avila’s hard-hit rate. In terms of exit velocity, Avila’s average mark of 92.9 mph trails only Aaron Judge, Miguel Sano and Joey Gallo (min. 50 batted ball events). He’s always been a hugely patient hitter (14 percent walk rate), and Avila now has one of MLB’s most impressive batted-ball profiles to go along with that keen eye.
Rene Rivera, Mets | Remaining Salary: $794K
Teams eyeing a quality backup could be quite intrigued by Rivera, who continually posts strong framing and caught-stealing marks and is also having a decent offensive season. The 33-year-old is hitting .259/.303/.422 with six homers and has been especially effective against left-handed pitching in recent years. His cheap salary and strong glovework would be an improvement over several No. 2 catchers throughout the league.
Nick Hundley, Giants | Remaining Salary: $907K
Hundley’s strikeout and walk rates have taken substantial detours in the wrong direction this season, but he’s still batting a respectable .264/.286/.443 with four homers through 148 plate appearances. He’s long been a bat-first catcher, and the fact that he’s shown decent pop despite playing his home games at the cavernous AT&T Park could hold appeal to teams in need of an experienced backup.
Kurt Suzuki, Braves | Remaining Salary: $680K
The 33-year-old Suzuki has had his best season at the plate since 2014 with the Twins, slashing .250/.342/.461 with seven homers through just 151 plate appearances with the Braves. While SunTrust Park has proven to be homer-friendly, five of Suzuki’s seven big flies have come on the road, so it’s not just the new park that’s led to the resurgence. Suzuki was among the game’s worst at preventing stolen bases from 2015-16, but he’s had a rebound there as well, nailing eight of 29 potential thieves (27.5 percent).
Welington Castillo, Orioles | Remaining Salary: $2.7MM (plus $7MM player option)
Castillo is technically controllable through 2018 due to a player option, but any team acquiring him would be doing so with the hope that he played well enough to forgo that option, so he’s listed with the other rentals. It’s not certain that the O’s will market Castillo — GM Dan Duquette has persistently characterized his team as a contender — but Baltimore is four games under .500 and 7.5 games back in the AL East. Since opening the season with a 22-10 record, the Orioles are 20-36. Even if Duquette doesn’t want to market top-shelf pieces like Manny Machado and Zach Britton, gauging the market on Castillo makes some sense. He’s hitting .258/.298/.412 and has struggled since returning from a groin injury, but if he comes out firing after the break, he could be of interest given his plus power relative to other catchers.
Controlled Through 2018
Tyler Flowers, Braves | Remaining Salary: $1.5MM in 2017 (including $300K buyout of $4MM 2018 club option)
The Braves haven’t given much of an indication that Flowers is on the market, but GM John Coppolella has long been open to dealing veteran pieces that aren’t under contract in the long term. It should be noted that Flowers’ deal contains incentives based on games started, so he’ll actually probably earn another $600-900K this season, as he’ll take home $100K for every fifth start through 90 and another $150K for every five starts after that. Flowers is hitting .306/.397/.440 with the best framing marks of his career but also some uncharacteristic troubles in preventing the running game. He’s thrown out just 18 percent of runners this season and posted just a five percent mark in 2016. Some of that is likely on the Atlanta staff, but the trend is nonetheless concerning.
Devin Mesoraco, Reds | Remaining Salary: $3.3MM in 2017, $13MM in 2018
Mesoraco has been limited to 235 plate appearances in the Majors since Opening Day 2015 due to a series of hip and shoulder injuries. He was on the cusp of emerging as one of the game’s best offensive catchers when his body began to break down, and he’s on the disabled list once again right now due to a strain in his surgically repaired left shoulder. The Reds probably don’t mind the idea of freeing up the remaining $16.3MM or so on his contract, but it’s tough to imagine a trade given his unfortunate inability to stay on the field since signing his four-year extension.
Longer-Term Assets
J.T. Realmuto, Marlins | Pre-arbitration, controllable through 2020
Listing Realmuto at all is a stretch, as president of baseball ops said just this weekend that he’s not discussing the young catcher in trades. However, the Marlins are prepping to act at least partially as a seller, and even though Realmuto isn’t making much more than the league minimum, a team could certainly take a run at making a Godfather-style offer to acquire four and a half seasons of a catcher that has batted .303/.348/.440 over the past two seasons despite playing his home games in an extremely pitcher-friendly setting. That said, it seems extremely unlikely that Realmuto does change hands.
Cameron Rupp, Phillies | Pre-arbitration, controllable through 2020
Rupp, on the other hand, is a more logical long-term piece for clubs looking to bring in some help behind the dish. The Phillies have Andrew Knapp, a potential starter, serving as their backup right now. Meanwhile, prospect Jorge Alfaro is honing his skills in his first taste of Triple-A. Alfaro isn’t exactly setting the world on fire in Lehigh Valley, but if the Phils believe that one of Knapp or Alfaro can be their long-term answer behind the plate, then fielding offers on Rupp makes some sense. There’s no rush with Alfaro struggling, though, and Rupp hasn’t exactly helped his trade stock with a .220/.310/.370 slash this season, so this scenario shouldn’t be characterized as especially likely, either.
Tucker Barnhart, Reds | Pre-arbitration, controllable through 2020
Barnhart is having a quietly productive season on a last-place team that is still in the midst of a rebuild. I doubt the Reds are anxious to move him since he’s affordable and playing well, but I also highly doubt that GM Dick Williams would deem Barnhart to be untouchable. He’s hitting .273/.337/.401 with a pair of homers through 212 plate appearances on the year and has thrown out a league-leading 51 percent of potential base thieves.
Currently in the Minors
Kevin Plawecki, Jett Bandy, Andrew Susac, John Ryan Murphy
There are literally dozens of players that could be listed here, so perhaps listing any options under this category is an exercise in futility. That said, each of these players has some Major League experience and was once viewed as a potential starter. They’re all “blocked” to varying extents in the Majors right now as well, so a team looking to roll the dice on a relatively young asset whose stock is down could view players of this ilk as buy-low options.

[Otters27]

Was Judges bat corked?

[Chi_archie]

Was Judges bat corked?

I don't think so

[El Nino]

Was Judges bat corked?

No... he had a custom bat made for the derby that totally met MLB regulations

[mr. leisure]

I would hope no one would cheat in a HR derby .

That would be pretty low .

[koz-man]

Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters in Miami today that MLB has done more testing of baseballs than ever, and he can say with "absolute certainty" that the balls fall within historic specifications. (In other words, they're not juiced).

[stevenash]

Was Judges bat corked?

Judge hit over 4 miles of homeruns last night when you add up the distance of each of the 47 taters he smashed.

Frank Howard, the original big bopper (along with Matt Holliday and others) say Judge has the greatest power out of any hitter they've ever seen.

And Howard has played against guys like Mantle, Killebrew, Kaline, McCovey, etc. etc. etc.

[stevenash]

Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters in Miami today that MLB has done more testing of baseballs than ever, and he can say with "absolute certainty" that the balls fall within historic specifications. (In other words, they're not juiced).

While not juiced they're more than likely wound up tighter, the bouncier the ball, the further it will travel and all that.

Also, aerodynamic engineers will tell you if you use a heavier bat, the better chance you have to put one out than say an lighter bat will help you with your bat control and more than likely hit for better average,

Listen, all the data is out there, seek it out.
Smithsonian has data, every credible source has data.

[stevenash]

Just for shits and giggle I'm looking at the HR leaders from 1968 (yes, it was Frank Howard)
Anyway Jimmy Wynn, tied for 10th with 26 HR's (this year 26 HR's doesn't even put you in the top 100) anyway that season Wynn stole 11 bases and was thrown out 17 times, like why bother.

[yisman]

this year, it doesn't count

I watched like 2 batters and that was it

[EmpireMaker]

The Twins are “checking in” on a few starting pitchers around the game, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Minnesota is seemingly limiting its interest to controllable arms at this point.
That’s not terribly surprising to hear. After all, the Twins are still treading water in the AL Central and AL Wild Card races. And GM Thad Levine said recently that the organization “would be very open to spending aggressively on assets that we could use to propel our team forward this year and for years to come.”
As noted in that above-linked post, the Twins have an obvious need — both now and in the near future — for reliable starting pitching. While there’s little reason to think that the team would part with significant future talent just for an immediate upgrade, it makes sense that the club would value the chance at contending this year while also considering arms that could bolster the roster for a few more seasons to come.
Rosenthal notes that Jose Quintana of the White Sox and Sonny Gray of the Athletics are two pitchers who’d likely appear on Minnesota’s list of possible targets, though it’s not clear whether the Twins have eyes for either in particular. He also suggests Dan Straily of the Marlins as an option, though again there’s still no indication that he’s specifically on the radar of Levine and chief baseball officer Derek Falvey.
Of course, those sorts of pitchers — Quintana and Gray, in particular — figure to draw interest from many other organizations. Those two have done so for quite some time, in fact, with the continued demand perhaps also representing a big reason that their respective organizations have felt comfortable waiting to deal them.
At this stage, there’s still a lack of clarity as to how the market will develop. Quintana and Gray might spur bidding wars; certain contenders could pivot to more affordable rental pieces (or even relievers); and/or we could see other long-term rotation assets (such as Julio Teheran or Gerrit Cole, among many other possibilities) reach the market to meet the demand. The level of involvement of teams such as the Twins will very likely play a role in dictating those developments, though the question remains whether Minnesota will press to get a deal done for a new starter.

[Cross]

And the cubs player blows the all star game, what's next???

[stevenash]

Still don't understand why Justin Turner isn't still a Met?
I guess they thought Eric Campbell was their next big thing.

[Chi_archie]

And the cubs player blows the all star game, what's next???

might be some new curse

[stevenash]

No pitcher has started more than 35 games in MLB in over a decade.
50 years ago Jim Bunning started 40 games and virtually every team's ace made at least 35 + starts a season.
And with the exception of maybe Nolan Ryan who pitched, what? 26 seasons? Blew their arm out.

[Otters27]

No pitcher has started more than 35 games in MLB in over a decade.
50 years ago Jim Bunning started 40 games and virtually every team's ace made at least 35 + starts a season.
And with the exception of maybe Nolan Ryan who pitched, what? 26 seasons? Blew their arm out.

Probably one workhorse will come along

[BigSpoon]

this year, it doesn't count

I watched like 2 batters and that was it

I'm glad the winner doesn't determine the World Series home field advantage anymore though.

[El Nino]

I would hope no one would cheat in a HR derby .

That would be pretty low .

Guys cheat in beer league softball. The history of baseball is littered with cheating. A ball is going to come off the bat hotter (greater exit velocity) from an 85-90 MPH fastball than a 55 MPH BP pitch when hit on the barrel of the bat. ESPN telling us that Judge hit balls over 510 feet in that derby. Yet, the longest HR hit this season in the majors is 496 feet by Judge. This is factoring in elevation, humidity, hitter friendly parks, etc. Either the stat cast was being fukked with at the derby, the balls were juiced, or the bats were.

[mr. leisure]

Guys cheat in beer league softball. The history of baseball is littered with cheating. A ball is going to come off the bat hotter (greater exit velocity) from an 85-90 MPH fastball than a 55 MPH BP pitch when hit on the barrel of the bat. ESPN telling us that Judge hit balls over 510 feet in that derby. Yet, the longest HR hit this season in the majors is 496 feet by Judge. This is factoring in elevation, humidity, hitter friendly parks, etc. Either the stat cast was being fukked with at the derby, the balls were juiced, or the bats were.

I`ll go with balls being juiced .

[stevenash]

[QUOTE=El Nino;27080949]Guys cheat in beer league softball. The history of SPORTS is littered with cheating.QUOTE]
FYP

Not just sports, cheating on Wall Street, cheating on spouses, etc. etc. if you're not cheating, you're not trying hard enough"
(quote made famous by Mark Grace by the way ironically)

[yisman]

I wish MLB would go back to returning to action on Thursday.

4 days without sports is brutal.

[Andy117]

Still don't understand why Justin Turner isn't still a Met?
I guess they thought Eric Campbell was their next big thing.

Justin Turner was a backup player (and he played like one) with the Mets. No one in baseball knew what kind of hitter he'd become.

[Otters27]

I wish MLB would go back to returning to action on Thursday.

4 days without sports is brutal.

Friday is kind of like opening day for sports bettors

[Chi_archie]

I wish MLB would go back to returning to action on Thursday.

4 days without sports is brutal.

its been hard

[El Nino]

I wish MLB would go back to returning to action on Thursday.

4 days without sports is brutal.

Wimbledon baby!

[EmpireMaker]

Earlier today, MLBTR’s Jeff Todd ran down a number of currently murky injury situations in the American League that could impact teams’ thinking as the non-waiver trade deadline approaches. The National League, of course, offers a similarly unsettled number of injury issues which, depending on the progress of the players in questions, could spur teams to seek a replacement or stand pat and hold out for internal reinforcements. We’re not looking at definitive holes that stem from players known to be out for the season (e.g. Adam Eaton’s ACL tear), but rather at ongoing injury issues that could have either positive developments or setbacks/a lack of forward movement in the next two and a half weeks, thus directly impacting a team’s strategy.
Arodys Vizcaino, Braves: Teams in need of relief help would no doubt like to consider the high-powered Vizcaino, potentially giving Atlanta an interesting chip. But he’s now shelved with a finger issue that will keep him out for an indeterminate length of time. It remains to be seen whether the righty will be able to show he’s back to health before the month is out. If not, his cheap price tag makes it unlikely that he’ll clear waivers in August, further casting doubt on the possibility of a trade.
Trea Turner, Jayson Werth & Michael Taylor, Nationals: While the Nats feel comfortable with their position in the standings, and don’t really need to prioritize performance down the home stretch so much as in the postseason, they’ll remain mindful of the health problems impacting a notable portion of the roster. While the bullpen obviously remains the focus (and has a few open injury issues of its own), there are some significant dings and dents on the position-player side. Turner’s injury is the most concerning, though the club likely won’t learn much before the deadline and isn’t likely to add an impact shortstop regardless. Werth and Taylor, though, will need to be watched closely to see how they are progressing. It’s a bit difficult to see the Nats going after a major bat, though perhaps that can’t be ruled out entirely. More likely, the team could consider pursuing a bench player who’d help cover for these injuries while also improving the reserve unit once the team is back to full health (so much as is possible with Adam Eaton not expected to return this year).
Neil Walker, Mets: While the Mets are anxiously awaiting the returns of starters such as Noah Syndergaard and Matt Harvey, neither is likely to be dealt anyhow. And, regardless of how quickly some of those names make it back to the active roster, the Mets’ deadline course seems largely plotted; over the next couple of weeks (and into August), New York figures to sell off some short-term veterans like Walker, who is a free agent at season’s end. He has only just begun moving towards a rehab assignment, so a return in time for a deadline deal seems unlikely. But Walker would still be an obvious August trade candidate given his hefty salary.
Cesar Hernandez & Howie Kendrick, Phillies: The question here is just when Hernandez and Kendrick can rejoin the team. Kendrick is a virtual lock to be traded. He’s a free agent at season’s end that has already turned down a qualifying offer once, thus making him ineligible to receive one in 2017 (and the Phils likely wouldn’t offer one anyhow). Hernandez certainly doesn’t need to be moved, as he’s controlled for three seasons beyond the current campaign. However, he’s a quietly productive player, and if a team expressed interest in picking up some controllable infield help, the Phils surely wouldn’t hesitate to bring in some more minor league talent while also paving a path for top prospect Scott Kingery to make his MLB debut.
Edinson Volquez & Brad Ziegler, Marlins: Volquez is likely to be back before the deadline, and given the paucity of starters on the market, he could be appealing to a team in need of rotation stability. His overall numbers are hardly dominant, but he’s turned in a 3.66 ERA in his past nine starts. Ziegler’s status is much cloudier, and his lack of results makes his two-year, $18MM pact a tough one to move anyhow.
Chase Anderson, Brewers: Milwaukee seems likely to be in the market for rotation help even if Anderson progresses at a faster-than-expected pace. But, on the flip side, if he appears to slow to progress from his oblique strain, the Brewers’ rotation search would only be hastened and, speculatively speaking, could expand to include multiple arms.
Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey & Brett Anderson, Cubs: The Cubs figure to explore the market for rotation help regardless of this trio’s progress, given the steps back that each member of their rotation has taken following last year’s deep postseason run. Hendricks has already been sent out on a minor league rehab assignment and could return from the disabled list as soon as this weekend, per Gordon Wittenymyer of the Chicago Sun-Times, but he’s already been on the shelf longer than anticipated after having his target date pushed back.
Zach Duke & Kevin Siegrist, Cardinals: Duke hasn’t pitched in the Majors this year, as he’s spent the entire 2017 campaign rehabbing from surgery last October. Siegrist, meanwhile, has an ominous-sounding spinal sprain but is also out on a minor league rehab assignment at the moment. Getting one or both back healthy would be a boost to the Cardinals’ relief corps, but a lack of progress or any setbacks would give the team another potential area of focus in trades.
Yangervis Solarte, Padres: It’s pretty straightforward. Solarte could be a nice infield utility type for a contender, particularly one looking for help at third base. But he’s currently out with an oblique injury. If he’s healthy, he’ll be a plausible chip; if not, the Pads will hold onto his affordable control rights and reconsider after the season.
Eduardo Nunez, Giants: Among the most obvious trade pieces in all of baseball, Nunez is nearing a return from a hamstring strain. Assuming all goes well, the Giants will have little reason not to get something back for a player they targeted last summer.
Rubby De La Rosa & J.J. Hoover, Diamondbacks: While Arizona may not be able to keep pace in the NL West, and may not really be inclined to spend big to prop up its chances in 2017, it’ll surely at least look into some upgrades. Like many teams, the bullpen could stand to add a few pieces, which could make all the difference in a short series (the Wild Card play-in or NLDS). But just how great is the need? If these two hurlers are at full speed, perhaps the D-Backs can hang onto their prospect capital or deploy it elsewhere. (Honorable mention: Yasmany Tomas.)
Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers: This situation is a bit tricky and is utterly speculative, but the respected veteran has been rather forthcoming about his present limitations. While the Dodgers increasingly look to be a force, no team is perfect, and this one may have some interesting opportunities to add offense — in addition to looking into pitching, as expected — depending upon A-Gon’s status. Rookie extraordinaire Cody Bellinger could bump to the outfield in favor of a new first baseman, or the team could pursue a more flexible piece that would allow it yet more options to mix and match, if it seems that Gonzalez won’t be occupying a spot down the stretch and (in particular) into the postseason.

[Cross]

Gotta watch some Wimby, I believe that is a sports. Men's tennis at least. Women's is so brutal.

[yisman]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-white-sox-jose-quintana-20170713-story,amp.html

In a stunning development, the Chicago Cubs mortgaged a large chunk of their future Thursday by acquiring prized left-hander Jose Quintana for four prospects.
Those prospects include outfielder Eloy Jimenez and pitcher Dylan Cease, along with infielders Matt Rose and Bryant Flete.

[BigSpoon]

Good trade for both sides I think. Cubs needed another SP and Quintana under team control through 2020 for relative cheap money. White Sox get some more prospects for the rebuild. Robertson and Frazier should be next to get traded to complete the fire sale.

[koz-man]

Good trade for both sides I think. Cubs needed another SP and Quintana under team control through 2020 for relative cheap money. White Sox get some more prospects for the rebuild. Robertson and Frazier should be next to get traded to complete the fire sale.

Agree ...this could be the move the Cubs need to turn things around.