check out this submarine delivery of Padres relief pitcher, Kaz Makita.
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That is sweet. I wish I could pitch like that. Hard to throw strikes that way but easy on the arm.Comment -
Byung Hyung Kim pitched like that
very effective against same handedness
but can get pummeled against opposite
there was also another reliever recently who pitched sidearm[quote=jjgold;5683305]I win again like usual
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[quote=Whippit;7921056]miami won't lose a single eastern conference game through end of season[/quote]Comment -
He is going to bloody his knuckles getting that low, lol..Comment -
8:50pm: The Marlins issued a statement to Hanks indicating that the purchase agreement included language protecting the new ownership group from claims relating to the stadium agreement. “This claim has absolutely nothing to do with the [current] ownership group,” the organization says.
6:31pm: Miami-Dade County is suing the Marlins, the former ownership group led by Jeffrey Loria,and the team’s current ownership group, according to a report from Doug Hanks of the Miami Herald. The litigation will address a dispute that has arisen over the municipality’s rights to a share of profits from the sale of the organization that was wrapped up last fall.
Details of the suit are still somewhat sparse at this time. But the general parameters of the matter were laid out by Hanks a few weeks back and are touched upon in the above-linked post. The county claims “fuzzy math” was utilized to prevent it from recouping a share of the sale profits.
Generally, of course, a local government would not have a direct claim to the proceeds of the sale of a sports franchise. But Miami-Dade County forked over hundreds of millions of dollars to enable the construction of Marlins Park. As part of the 2009 agreement that led to the new stadium, the county (along with the city of Miami) is entitled to a five percent share of certain profits from the franchise sale. Loria now claims that the $1.2B sale did not leave him with any profits within the terms of the contract.
It’ll surely be interesting to see how this litigation plays out. The current ownership group (led by Derek Jeter and Bruce Sherman) will necessarily be involved, given that it now owns the entity that inked the original contracts, though its potential exposure to liability is not clear at this point. While it’s always possible that things could end up being settled out, the discovery process could lead to the airing of quite a lot of fascinating information regarding the Marlins’ finances. That possibility, no doubt, will also play a role in how things shake out.
Whether or not the team will be impacted moving forward, the suit also promises to be of quite some relevance to the ongoing debate over the public financing of stadiums. The Marlins Park episode has long been cited by opponents as a prime example of the harms the public can suffer when municipalities pay for the facilities utilized by sports teams.Comment -
So far the biggest contract for free agent has been Yu Dervish. Followed by Lorenzo Cain. Lots more high ranking guys to sign. If the Giants sign Jake Arrieta, they would be stack.Comment -
Odorizzi traded to the Twins.[quote=jjgold;5683305]I win again like usual
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[quote=Whippit;7921056]miami won't lose a single eastern conference game through end of season[/quote]Comment -
Padres reportedly agree to sign Eric Hosmer to largest contract in franchise history
The Padres and free agent first baseman Eric Hosmer have agreed to an eight-year deal with an opt-out clause after the fifth year, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Several outlets are reporting it's the largest deal in Padres history, and here's how the deal breaks down, according to Bleacher Report's Scott Miller:
Sources: Hosmer to #Padres is for 8 years, opt out after 5, front-loaded deal: $20 million each of first 5 years, $13 mil each of last three years, AAV $18 mil.
8:33 PM - Feb 17, 2018
Miller notes that there is also a $5 million signing bonus, making this an eight-year, $144 million deal.
Huge deal for the Pads
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Think they will regret signing Hosmer to that deal.Comment -
Rather than exercise a player opt-out clause in his previous contract, Justin Upton chose to avoid free agency by agreeing to a new five-year, $106MM contract to stay with the Angels. Upton’s enjoyment of his time in Anaheim certainly played a role in his decision to remain, though as he told reporters (including the Orange County Register’s Jeff Fletcher), he was also wary of a long wait on the open market. “I kind of got a little taste of it two years ago when I was a free agent,” Upton said. “I kind of understood the way the trend was going. At the end of the day, if you can avoid it, avoid it, because things are definitely changing.” Upton tested free agency in the 2015-16 offseason and had to wait until mid-January to land a deal, though he did eventually land a very healthy six-year, $132.75MM commitment from the Tigers. Upton’s presence would’ve certainly created a big ripple effect in this winter’s free agent class, though it’s also possible to think that he would’ve been one of the many other top names still looking for new teams as Spring Training camps open.
Some more Halos news…
- Angels owner Arte Moreno met with the media (including MLB.com’s Maria Guardado) at the opening of his team’s spring camp to discuss several topics, including Mike Trout’s future in an Angels uniform. Moreno said that there isn’t any particular rush to discuss another extension with Trout, though the idea is “always in our minds. We’re always thinking about it. It’s not only him, because we have other players. But if you look at long-term plans, you’re always trying to position yourself properly when it’s time to do it.” Trout’s previous extension (a six-year, $144.5MM deal) runs through the 2020 season and has to already be considered a major bargain, given Trout’s superstar-level play and the fact that he would’ve been a free agent this offseason had he not agreed to that deal.
- With a projected luxury tax payroll of roughly $175MM and an Opening Day payroll of around $187MM in actual dollars, Moreno said his team has some flexibility to add players during the season if necessary. The Angels have consistently spent big money under Moreno’s ownership, and while the results haven’t always matched the expenditures, Moreno said that he would “get out” of owning the team altogether rather than pursue a bare-bones rebuild in the style of the Astros or Cubs.
- Albert Pujols’ last two offseasons were hampered by foot surgeries, so the slugger was happy to simply enjoy a normal winter and focus solely on training rather than rehabbing, he told Guardado and other reporters. Pujols said he explored new training facilities and a regiment focused on agility and flexibility drills, which led to a weight loss of close to 15 pounds. After suffering through easily the worst of his 17 MLB seasons, Pujols is hoping his better health leads to a big rebound year, particularly since the Angels are hoping for him to get more action at first base in order to free up DH at-bats for Shohei Ohtani.
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As a guy from San Diego, I don't like this contract. Hosmer is not worth that much.Comment -
Go Padres, back in the discussion maybe.Comment -
Trade interest in outfielder Hunter Renfroe has picked up, according to a tweet from Jon Morosi of MLB.com. The report comes less than 24 hours after the Padres’ signing of Eric Hosmer to an eight-year, $144MM contract.
The signing of Hosmer would seem to displace incumbent first baseman Wil Myers, pushing him back to the outfield where he began his career. That would correspondingly create a logjam in the outfield for the Padres, as Renfroe, Jose Pirela and Manuel Margot had previously seemed tabbed for the three spots there. The team also has Alex Dickerson, Travis Jankowski, Cory Spangenberg and Matt Szczur, all of whom are candidates to compete for at least some at-bats. With all this in mind, it’s no surprise that teams would be calling about the 26-year-old Renfroe. Whether or not the Padres are seriously considering trading him remains to be seen, of course.
Renfroe boasts less than a full season’s worth of MLB at-bats for his career, and has struck out in over 28% of them. His power upside is tremendous, however, and that potential has translated to 30 career long balls thus far. It’s worth noting that after being recalled from the minors on September 18th of last season, Renfroe smashed six homers in his final 11 games of the season. If the former top prospect can work to reduce his sky-high 33.7% career chase rate and improve his contact overall, he’d be a truly valuable hitter for any major league ballclub.
Which teams are interested in acquiring the righty-hitting Renfroe and what they’d be willing to give up is unclear at this time. Morosi notes that the Braves are currently looking to add an outfielder, and Renfroe is a long-term piece (he’s under team control through at least 2023) that could certainly help the Braves during their next window of contention if he pans out. The Indians are in need of a right-handed hitting outfielder as well, though that fit is merely speculative. It’s also easy to wonder at this point whether teams who’ve shown interest in Brewers outfielder Domingo Santana (the Diamondbacks come to mind) might also have interest in Renfroe.
Renfroe was taken 13th overall by the Padres out of Mississippi State University during the 2013 draft, and rose quickly through the minors at first, reaching the Double-A level by the midway point of the following season. Prior to 2016, MLB Pipeline described him has having “plus-plus raw power to his pull side.” The publication also noted one of his biggest drawbacks: an aggressive, lengthy swing that makes him vulnerable to “quality secondary pitches” on the outer part of the plate. He’s long been lauded for his physical strength, as well as the quality of his contact when he’s able to put the bat on the ball.Comment -
NL West going to be a beast of Division again.Comment -
Orioles re-signed Tillman to a one year contract. He was awful last season.[quote=jjgold;5683305]I win again like usual
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[quote=Whippit;7921056]miami won't lose a single eastern conference game through end of season[/quote]Comment -
With all the position players in camp, Aaron Boone addressed the entire Yankees team for the first time. "It meant a lot to me," he said. "It's something I'll never forget." His speech included some video and a simple message: "I wanted them to leave that room knowing the expectations are there and we're ready to embrace that."
I'm still having a hard time thinking Aarons the yanks skipper!?!
We'll see soon how he does...Comment
