The 2018 Major League Baseball Player Chatter, News and Fantasy Thread.

[hotcross]

The AL wild card race and the NL division races are especially interesting. I hope the A's are able to overtake the Yankees for the top Wild Card spot but even if they don't I think they're still plenty capable of taking a one game playoff in Yankee Stadium.

both teams Oakland and Yankees have somewhat tricky schedules remaining.

I think a team needs to be playing hot so they have some momentum going into the playoffs.

[batt33]

Geez now the the Giants decide to pitch...shut out rockies 2 games in a row

[EmpireMaker]

The Yankees have promoted one of the game’s best pitching prospects, left-hander Justus Sheffield, from Triple-A Scranton, Conor Foley of the Scranton Times-Tribune reports. Sheffield’s not on the Yankees’ 40-man roster, which is full, so they’ll need to create space for him.

Sheffield entered the professional ranks as a 2014 first-round pick of the Indians, who chose him 34th overall, but only lasted a couple years in the organization. The Tribe, hoping to win a World Series in 2016, dealt a package including Sheffield, outfielder Clint Frazier and lesser pieces to the Yankees for star reliever Andrew Miller at that July’s non-waiver trade deadline. Miller nearly helped the Indians to a title after the trade, but they fell in seven games to the Cubs in the Fall Classic that season.
Sheffield was a well-regarded prospect when Cleveland sent him to New York, and that remains the case. The 6-foot, 200-pounder ranks as the majors’ 22nd-best prospect at Baseball America (subscription required), while both MLB.com (No. 27) and FanGraphs (No. 50) are among other prominent outlets that are bullish on him. In their free scouting report, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com note that the 22-year-old Sheffield may end up with three “plus” offerings – a 92 to 97 mph fastball, a slider that sits in the mid-80s and a changeup – and add that he has the potential to emerge as a No. 3 starter in the majors.
Sheffield has impressed as a starter in the minors, including this season at Scranton, where he logged a stingy 2.56 ERA/3.13 FIP with 8.59 K/9, 3.68 BB/9 and a 44.9 percent groundball rate in 88 innings. But the Yankees did recently prepare Sheffield to work as a reliever upon his first big league promotion, and he may fill that role in the coming weeks. After all, with Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, C.C. Sabathia and Lance Lynn, the Yankees currently have a set rotation, and that group will shrink if the Bombers get past the AL West runner-up in the wild-card round and advance to the ALDS.
While Sheffield looks like a potential reliever for the Yankees right now, he may have a shot to win a spot in their rotation in 2019. The only two members of the Yankees’ starting staff who are sure to return next season are Severino and Tanaka. Happ, Sabathia and Lynn are set to become free agents, and there aren’t any obvious in-house replacements on hand beyond Sheffield. Fellow youngsters Domingo German – whom the team’s recalling from Scranton, per Foley – and Jonathan Loaisiga have struggled in the majors this season, while Jordan Montgomery will miss a large portion of 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June. Therefore, the door could be open for Sheffield, who ranks as the Yankees’ No. 1 prospect at Baseball America and MLB.com.

[BigSpoon]

David Wright and Victor Martinez both retiring after the season, apparently

they each should've retired 3+ years ago

Not a chance it happens 3 years ago with their guaranteed contracts. NFL players have to be so envious of them.

[El Nino]

Wright should have 5 years ago.

Lol I thought he was retired.

[Chi_archie]

wow David Wright never gave up

[koz-man]

ST. LOUIS -- The Los Angeles Dodgers arrived in St. Louis for a four-game series with teetering playoff hopes and a need for their marquee players to get hot at just the right time. With three home runs on Saturday, and five in two days, Yasiel Puig has moved beyond hot into sizzle territory.

Puig drove in a career-high seven runs on Saturday in a 17-4 rout over the Cardinals while enjoying the first three-homer game of his career. It was an impressive follow-up to Friday, when he belted two home runs against the Cardinals.

With the win, the Dodgers moved a game ahead of the Cardinals for the second wild-card slot in the National League. L.A. has taken the first three games of the series, with the finale set for Sunday.

[Otters27]

Dodgers back in it now.

[JMobile]

Dodgers back in it now.

I told you guys. Put high money on them.

[yisman]

Lots of late season shenanigans with pitchers being late scratched.



Buchholz, deGrom, etc.

[hotcross]

^^didn't understand that last comment about DeGrom, he pitched 7 innings Sunday, didn't he?

maybe you were referring to his start previous in the week

[Cross]

Dodgers will find a way to blow it for sure.

[batt33]

Dodgers will find a way to blow it for sure.

just give the manager time.....

[EmpireMaker]

The Astros called up top outfield prospect Kyle Tucker from Triple-A today, and that could very well mark the team’s final September promotion, manager A.J. Hinch tells reporters (Twitter links via Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle). Hinch added that Tucker probably won’t play much in the season’s final weeks, though with Tucker having already debuted earlier this summer and his season in Triple-A Fresno over, there’s little reason not to bring Tucker back up. The 21-year-old former No. 5 overall pick hit just .154/.254/.212 in 59 plate appearances with the ’Stros earlier this year, but he decimated Triple-A pitching at a .332/.400/.590 pace, swatting 24 homers and swiping 20 steals along the way.
More from the American League…

• In an interesting look back at what could have been, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald examines the Red Sox’ initial pursuit of Jose Abreu when he was an international free agent. The BoSox maxed out at six years and $60MM in their pursuit of the vaunted Cuban slugger according to Silverman, but they ultimately lost out when the White Sox offered a total of $68MM guaranteed over that same term. Silverman runs through a series of trickle-down effects, as Boston instead pivoted to re-sign Mike Napoli. That was one of many lackluster offseason moves that set the stage for the ill-fated 2014-15 offseason that saw the Sox sign Hanley Ramirez and Pablo Sandoval. There’s little sense in fretting too much over hindsight, but it’s nonetheless an intriguing reminder of the domino effect that so many offseason moves (and non-moves) carry.
• Mookie Betts exited today’s game with soreness in his left side, the Red Sox announced today. That’s the same issue that caused him to land on the disabled list earlier this summer, but manager Alex Cora tells reporters that this instance was precautionary and not considered serious (Twitter link via Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic). Betts is expected to see some time at DH in the Red Sox’ upcoming series against the Yankees, with J.D. Martinez lining up in right field in his place.
• The Blue Jays are making some changes in their scouting department, as first reported by Robert Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). Specifically, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi reports that pro scouts Jon Bunnell, Dan Evans, Bryan Lambe and Kimball Crossley are being let go. A pair of veteran Jays scouts, Jim Beattie and and Brad Matthews are retiring as well. While some organizations have begun to pare back on their pro scouting staffs, Davidi notes that the Blue Jays are planning on replacing all six of them.

[koz-man]

Boston's Mookie Betts leaves game after getting hurt, says he'll play Tuesday

BOSTON -- Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts left Sunday's 4-3 win over the New York Mets in the sixth inning after appearing to hurt his side while making a throw to home plate.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said postgame that Betts will get treatment Monday and is expected to play Tuesday afternoon when the Red Sox open a three-game series with the New York Yankees in the Bronx.

Cora said the move to take out Betts was precautionary. The three-time All-Star leads the majors with a .337 batting average and is a contender for MVP.

In June, Betts hit the disabled list with left side soreness and missed 12 games. Cora said the latest injury was not related to that.

"I'll be ready to go Tuesday," Betts said, adding that the side doesn't hurt when he bats, but that when he throws it's a little sore.

[Otters27]

Diamondbacks fading fast

[Otters27]

Big series also starting tonight Rockies Dodgers

[Chi_archie]

Boston's Mookie Betts leaves game after getting hurt, says he'll play Tuesday

BOSTON -- Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts left Sunday's 4-3 win over the New York Mets in the sixth inning after appearing to hurt his side while making a throw to home plate.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said postgame that Betts will get treatment Monday and is expected to play Tuesday afternoon when the Red Sox open a three-game series with the New York Yankees in the Bronx.

Cora said the move to take out Betts was precautionary. The three-time All-Star leads the majors with a .337 batting average and is a contender for MVP.

In June, Betts hit the disabled list with left side soreness and missed 12 games. Cora said the latest injury was not related to that.

"I'll be ready to go Tuesday," Betts said, adding that the side doesn't hurt when he bats, but that when he throws it's a little sore.

no reason not to rest a bit

[jrgum3]

Big series also starting tonight Rockies Dodgers

Yep thats huge but sadly I think the hated Dodgers find a way to sneak into the playoffs maybe even claiming yet another division crown.

[BigSpoon]

Big series also starting tonight Rockies Dodgers

Yup, a huge series. Should be fun to watch.

[El Nino]

Yup, a huge series. Should be fun to watch.

Would love to see the Rockies win it...doubtful though.

[JMobile]

Diamondbacks fading fast

Consider them out. It's all about the Rockies and Dodgers.

[Cross]

Last two weeks of regular season, exciting in NL.

[batt33]

Last two weeks of regular season, exciting in NL.

for some ...others not so much

[yisman]

so many guys getting scratched

teams can't even figure out lineups

[EmpireMaker]

No MLB team would evaluate a player based only upon his accumulation of traditional, outcome-oriented statistics. But one of the game’s primary mechanisms for determining compensation — the arbitration process — remains rooted in the kinds of numbers that once dominated the backs of baseball cards.
On occasion, that disconnect can boost a player’s arb earning power beyond the valuation of his actual value. Not long ago, for instance, Chris Carter was non-tendered after leading the National League in home runs. More frequently, the good or bad fortune that can skew the arb results simply means more or less money in the pocket of a given player who is good enough that his team will pay up regardless.
MLBTR continues to model arbitration salaries every fall. While there’s always some tweaking, the basic principles remain as they were when the arb projections began back in 2011. For hitters, the key factors — as MLBTR arb guru Matt Swartz ascertained many moons ago — are playing time and power. The accumulation of plate appearances, home runs, and runs batted in are the biggest factors in driving earning power through arbitration, even if those are far from the only things that go into making for a productive baseball player.
While prior years’ performances certainly factor in, we’re focused here on which players have done the most in 2018 to boost their next salaries. It took a few assumptions regarding Super Two qualification to make the list, but they seem rather likely to be correct when that’s finalized.
On to the list:

• Francisco Lindor, SS, Indians: Remember when Lindor was supposed to be an outstanding defender and baserunner with a high-contact profile at the plate? Yeah, he has done all of that and topped thirty home runs for the second-straight season, elevating his game along with his arb earning power in an exceptional campaign. Lindor also has 120 runs and 23 steals.
• Trevor Story, SS, Rockies: Dingers and defense are the calling card for Story, who’s also getting on base at a .340+ clip after a dip last year. Also helping his cause? Story has driven in over a hundred runs and swiped 26 bags, so there are plenty of counting stats for his agents to make into exhibits if it makes it to a hearing.
• Trea Turner, SS, Nationals: It’s a shortstop route at the top. Though Turner has modest power, he’s approaching twenty dingers and forty steals. He also continues to play on a more-or-less everyday basis while hitting at the top of the lineup. Topping 700 plate appearances will be another notable milestone to cite.
• Eddie Rosario, OF, Twins: While he doesn’t deliver eye-popping counting stats and isn’t playing a premium defensive position, Rosario has done plenty in 2018 to boost his arbitration case. Through 589 plate appearances entering play today, he had racked up a .288/.323/.475 slash with a healthy combination of 23 homers, 86 runs, and 76 runs batted in.
• Kyle Schwarber, OF, Cubs: Similarly, Schwarber doesn’t have a gaudy dinger tally for a corner outfielder and has even less to point to in the other counting areas. But he has put the ball over the fence 25 times in just 478 plate appearances.
• Michael Conforto, OF, Mets: It’s hard to fault Conforto too much for what has been a relatively disappointing season in light of his outstanding 2017 effort. Given his serious shoulder procedure, it’s probably a success in the aggregate. And from an arb perspective, he has done fine for himself. With 25 long balls and 69 RBI through a hefty 578 plate appearances, Conforto will earn well.
• Max Kepler, OF, Twins (likely Super Two): Though he hasn’t broken out, Kepler keeps putting up solid numbers that’ll play fairly well in arbitration. Despite a poor .228 batting average, he could end the year with twenty bombs and six hundred total plate appearances.
• Chris Taylor, INF/OF, Dodgers: No, this hasn’t been quite the follow-up that might have been hoped for after an out-of-nowhere 2017 season. But Taylor is still hitting at an above-average rate and might reach 600 PAs. He also has 16 homers and nine steals on the year and could get a boost for playing up the middle defensively.
• Tommy Pham, OF, Rays: The overall output for Pham this year has been solidly above-average, but doesn’t jump off the page for a corner outfielder. Still, he’ll earn especially well given his excellent 2017 season. In 2018, thus far, he’s carrying a .425 slug with 17 homers, a dozen steals, and 53 RBI.
• Nomar Mazara, OF, Rangers: He’s over twenty dingers and will likely reach at least 75 RBI, so Mazara has some of the counting stats you like to see. He’ll also top 500 plate appearances. Though he hasn’t yet taken the next step, his volume of work will pay out rather well in the arbitration process.
• Honorable mention: Matt Davidson of the White Sox is a likely Super Two player who isn’t going to get to 500 plate appearances, so he falls short of making the list. But he still warrants mention since he’s a sneaky pick here as a player who many likely did not know was already at arb eligibility. With twenty homers this year, he’s one away from 50 total on his resume, so he should command a relatively healthy salary despite his low plate-appearance tally and less-than-stellar overall performance to this point in his career.

[jrgum3]

Folty laid an egg for me tonight in both my h2h leagues. Luckily I’m still ahead in my big money h2h points league on realtime sports and have my pitching lined up for a bunch of starts in what has now become a sprint to the finish line since this is the last week of the playoffs.

[El Nino]

Dodgers going to win the West...barf.

[Chi_archie]

No MLB team would evaluate a player based only upon his accumulation of traditional, outcome-oriented statistics. But one of the game’s primary mechanisms for determining compensation — the arbitration process — remains rooted in the kinds of numbers that once dominated the backs of baseball cards.
On occasion, that disconnect can boost a player’s arb earning power beyond the valuation of his actual value. Not long ago, for instance, Chris Carter was non-tendered after leading the National League in home runs. More frequently, the good or bad fortune that can skew the arb results simply means more or less money in the pocket of a given player who is good enough that his team will pay up regardless.
MLBTR continues to model arbitration salaries every fall. While there’s always some tweaking, the basic principles remain as they were when the arb projections began back in 2011. For hitters, the key factors — as MLBTR arb guru Matt Swartz ascertained many moons ago — are playing time and power. The accumulation of plate appearances, home runs, and runs batted in are the biggest factors in driving earning power through arbitration, even if those are far from the only things that go into making for a productive baseball player.
While prior years’ performances certainly factor in, we’re focused here on which players have done the most in 2018 to boost their next salaries. It took a few assumptions regarding Super Two qualification to make the list, but they seem rather likely to be correct when that’s finalized.
On to the list:

• Francisco Lindor, SS, Indians: Remember when Lindor was supposed to be an outstanding defender and baserunner with a high-contact profile at the plate? Yeah, he has done all of that and topped thirty home runs for the second-straight season, elevating his game along with his arb earning power in an exceptional campaign. Lindor also has 120 runs and 23 steals.
• Trevor Story, SS, Rockies: Dingers and defense are the calling card for Story, who’s also getting on base at a .340+ clip after a dip last year. Also helping his cause? Story has driven in over a hundred runs and swiped 26 bags, so there are plenty of counting stats for his agents to make into exhibits if it makes it to a hearing.
• Trea Turner, SS, Nationals: It’s a shortstop route at the top. Though Turner has modest power, he’s approaching twenty dingers and forty steals. He also continues to play on a more-or-less everyday basis while hitting at the top of the lineup. Topping 700 plate appearances will be another notable milestone to cite.
• Eddie Rosario, OF, Twins: While he doesn’t deliver eye-popping counting stats and isn’t playing a premium defensive position, Rosario has done plenty in 2018 to boost his arbitration case. Through 589 plate appearances entering play today, he had racked up a .288/.323/.475 slash with a healthy combination of 23 homers, 86 runs, and 76 runs batted in.
• Kyle Schwarber, OF, Cubs: Similarly, Schwarber doesn’t have a gaudy dinger tally for a corner outfielder and has even less to point to in the other counting areas. But he has put the ball over the fence 25 times in just 478 plate appearances.
• Michael Conforto, OF, Mets: It’s hard to fault Conforto too much for what has been a relatively disappointing season in light of his outstanding 2017 effort. Given his serious shoulder procedure, it’s probably a success in the aggregate. And from an arb perspective, he has done fine for himself. With 25 long balls and 69 RBI through a hefty 578 plate appearances, Conforto will earn well.
• Max Kepler, OF, Twins (likely Super Two): Though he hasn’t broken out, Kepler keeps putting up solid numbers that’ll play fairly well in arbitration. Despite a poor .228 batting average, he could end the year with twenty bombs and six hundred total plate appearances.
• Chris Taylor, INF/OF, Dodgers: No, this hasn’t been quite the follow-up that might have been hoped for after an out-of-nowhere 2017 season. But Taylor is still hitting at an above-average rate and might reach 600 PAs. He also has 16 homers and nine steals on the year and could get a boost for playing up the middle defensively.
• Tommy Pham, OF, Rays: The overall output for Pham this year has been solidly above-average, but doesn’t jump off the page for a corner outfielder. Still, he’ll earn especially well given his excellent 2017 season. In 2018, thus far, he’s carrying a .425 slug with 17 homers, a dozen steals, and 53 RBI.
• Nomar Mazara, OF, Rangers: He’s over twenty dingers and will likely reach at least 75 RBI, so Mazara has some of the counting stats you like to see. He’ll also top 500 plate appearances. Though he hasn’t yet taken the next step, his volume of work will pay out rather well in the arbitration process.
• Honorable mention: Matt Davidson of the White Sox is a likely Super Two player who isn’t going to get to 500 plate appearances, so he falls short of making the list. But he still warrants mention since he’s a sneaky pick here as a player who many likely did not know was already at arb eligibility. With twenty homers this year, he’s one away from 50 total on his resume, so he should command a relatively healthy salary despite his low plate-appearance tally and less-than-stellar overall performance to this point in his career.

very true

[koz-man]

The Yankees announced that the start time of today's game against the Red Sox has been moved to 7:05 p.m. tonight due to the current forecast of inclement weather throughout the afternoon. All Yankee Stadium Gates will open to fans with valid tickets at 5:30 p.m.

[koz-man]

The Yankees have officially announced that pitchers Justus Sheffield and Domingo Germán are being called up from Triple-A today. They also have moved Clint Frazier (post-concussive migraines) from the seven-day disabled list to the 60-day DL.

[BigSpoon]

Dodgers going to win the West...barf.

Dodgers could still choke the lead away to make way for Roctober.

[Cross]

Yelich making a strong case for MVP, he just hit for the cycle again. He must love Reds pitching.

[JMobile]

Dodgers could still choke the lead away to make way for Roctober.

It's not going to happen.

[yisman]

Trevor Story's elbow injury a big blow to Colorado's playoff hopes.