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A Washington vs Houston matchup in the World Series would be must watch TV if you ask me because of the tremendous starting pitching on both sides. I could actually see that matchup going either way too because Washington seems to have everything working at the right time.Comment -
A Washington vs Houston matchup in the World Series would be must watch TV if you ask me because of the tremendous starting pitching on both sides. I could actually see that matchup going either way too because Washington seems to have everything working at the right time.
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This time last year, agent Scott Boras was waiting to see whether the Dodgers would issue southpaw Hyun-jin Ryu a qualifying offer at season’s end. The team did extend the offer, and Ryu accepted, betting that he’d be better off taking the big one-year payday and trying to turn in a big campaign in advance of a trip onto the open market.
That bet has paid off more handsomely than anyone expected, with Ryu turning in his best season as a big leaguer. Boras is understandably excited to market the starter at a high-point in value; the veteran agent tells Yonhap News that he’s angling for both a hefty salary and an extended length of contract. Is one more important than the other? “That’s like saying, with a car, do want the engine or the steering wheel?” says Boras. “You want both.”
Ryu couldn’t have scripted things better on the field in 2019. He was unbelievable for almost the entire year, outside of a few rough starts in late August. All told, Ryu spun 182 2/3 innings of 2.32 ERA ball with 8.0 K/9 against just 1.2 BB/9. Opposing hitters managed only an 85.3 mph average exit velocity and 30.8% hard-hit rate.
Now, Ryu will enter free agency on the heels of a fully healthy and productive season — and without the drag of draft compensation, since he cannot be issued a second qualifying offer. Boras says the southpaw was not only “the best pitcher in the league,” but “we’re just beginning to see the real Ryu.”
There has never been much question of Ryu’s ability, as he has been steadily excellent since coming over from his native Korea in 2013. But he hasn’t always been available owing to arm and other maladies. Ryu missed almost all of the 2015-16 seasons and half of 2018. That’s a red flag for a team considering a lengthy and lucrative outlay.
Never one to allow a bad fact to get him down, Boras posits a silver lining bright enough to blind one from seeing the storm cloud that renders it. Ryu’s injury history is, per Boras, a blessing in disguise: “He is, age-wise, 32, but the truth is, innings-wise, he’s probably about 26 or 27, because he doesn’t have many innings on his arm. That makes him very valuable.”
It’ll certainly be interesting to see how the market situation plays out for Ryu. The Dodgers continue to make sense for him, particularly given the team’s predilection to employ highly talented but injury-prone starters. Which other teams will follow suit, and to what extent, isn’t clear. There’s obviously both upside and downside to a pitcher of this ilk — a premium vehicle with low miles but a lengthy history of time spent in the mechanic’s shop, to extend Boras’s auto analogy.Comment -
Nats in full control, Yankees at least making it a seriesComment -
Either AL team.A Washington vs Houston matchup in the World Series would be must watch TV if you ask me because of the tremendous starting pitching on both sides. I could actually see that matchup going either way too because Washington seems to have everything working at the right time.
A NYY/Washington matchup would be equally good.
But yeah, I'm old school, I prefer 2-1 pitchers duels over 10-8 homer fests where the games take 4 hours and 10 minutes to play.
My brother (another baseball fan) said to me the other day "I can't watch some of these games" and he's right.
Give me a crisp 2 hour 20 minute pitchers duel with limited trips to the mound from pitching coaches and one pitching change from each side.Comment -
Nationals might have too much rest after they sweep the Cardinals today.Comment -
It’s only been five weeks since outfielder Mike Tauchman was diagnosed with a Grade 2 calf strain that came with a six- to eight-week recovery timetable, seemingly ending his season. However, general manager Brian Cashman told Joel Sherman of the New York Post prior to today’s Game 3 against the Astros that Tauchman is “healthy end eligible” to return to the roster, should New York need to place Giancarlo Stanton (or anyone else) on the injured list.
Stanton is currently day-to-day with a quadriceps issue and didn’t start either Game 2 or Game 3 of the current series, but he homered in Game 1 and is hitting .300/.467/.600 thus far in a tiny sample of 15 postseason plate appearances. His bat would be a welcome addition against a potent ’Stros pitching staff, of course, but playing shorthanded also does the club no favors. That said, putting Stanton on the injured list is no small decision; should the Yankees do so and then advance to the World Series, Stanton would be ineligible to return. Notably, there’s quite a bit of rain in tomorrow’s forecast in New York, and potential postponement could buy the team some time to further deliberate.
Tauchman, 28, was a godsend for the injury-plagued Yankees in 2019. The 2013 tenth-round pick never got an extended look in the Majors with the Rockies, but he stepped up with a strong .277/.361/.504 batting line with 13 home runs, 18 doubles and a triple in 296 plate appearances. Even if Tauchman isn’t added to the ALCS roster, the Yankees would have the ability to reset their 25-man group between the ALCS and a theoretical World Series berth.Comment -
How about Zimmerman...Only played for the nats ....sticks it out and makes it to the world series ...Can't get much sweeter than that!...Kinda like Matt Cain for the Giants...Comment -
I’m very excited for Soto in the World Series.Comment -
Cards were simply outclassed. Washington is a dangerous team so I’m interested to see if they can go all the way. Would be fitting since they let Harper go and at least reach the World Series without him. Would be a great story if they go all the way.
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Now thinking Nats go all the way, will have too much time to prepareComment -
I think Washington has a better chance agains the Yankees but they will be good against whoever they play because their pitching is lights out. I agree about one thing though and that is its more fun to watch a nail biting 2-1 game than a 10-9 slugfest where nobody can get anybody out. That comes from being a National League fan where that type of baseball is played on a regular basis.Comment -
The cardinals are straight trash can fuk emComment -
foookkkkkk the cardsComment -
Joe Maddon agrees to be new manager of Los Angeles Angels
The Los Angeles Angels have reached an agreement with Joe Maddon to make him their next manager, the team announced Wednesday.
Maddon is expected to receive a three-year contract in the $12 million to $15 million range, a source told ESPN. He will be formally introduced by the Angels at a news conference next week.
"We are thrilled that Joe is coming back home and bringing an exciting brand of baseball to our fans," general manager Billy Eppler said. "Every stop he has made throughout his managerial career, he has built a culture that is focused on winning while also allowing his players to thrive. We believe Joe will be a great asset for our club and look forward to him leading the team to another World Series championship."Comment -
Yankees vs Astros is the World Series.Comment -
October 16 is an important date in the histories of the Royals and White Sox, as the two teams each clinched the American League pennant on this day back in 1985 and 2005, respectively. Kansas City recorded a 6-2 win over the Blue Jays in Game Seven of the 1985 ALCS, completing the comeback after being down 3-1 in the series and winning the second AL pennant in club history. The Royals went on to take the further step of capturing the franchise’s first World Series that came October, topping the Cardinals in another seven-game set. The 2005 ALCS was also Chicago’s first step en route to a World Series title, as the White Sox beat the Angels in five games before sweeping the Astros in the Fall Classic. 2005 ended a pair of long droughts for the White Sox, as it marked the club’s first pennant since 1959 and its first World Series title since 1917.
News from around the AL Central…
- The Giants, Padres, and Mets have all shown some interest in Royals special advisor Mike Matheny as a possible candidate to fill their managerial vacancies, MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan writes. Matheny hasn’t been linked to any of those clubs for an interview, however, and “word has it that the Padres are going another direction,” Flanagan writes. [UPDATE: Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Giants hadn’t spoken to Matheny as of three days ago.] All three of those teams have already amassed a long list of candidates for interviews, as you can follow via MLB Trade Rumors’ central post for the many rumors and reports floating around concerning the offseason managerial carousel. Matheny has also been widely tabbed as the leading contender to be the Royals’ next manager, and while Flanagan notes that Matheny’s hiring is “not as certain as it once was,” the former Cardinals skipper still appears to be “the odds-on favorite” for the job.
- Byron Buxton stands out as a prime extension candidate this offseason, MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park opines, looking at the Twins’ model in extending Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco last spring. Both of those players were coming off solid but not surefire breakout seasons (Polanco’s year was also marred by an 80-game PED suspension) in 2018, while Buxton is similarly coming off something of a mixed 2019 campaign. He hit .262/.314/.513 with 10 homers in 295 PA while contributing excellent baserunning and center field defense, though Buxton’s year was marred by injuries, including season-ending shoulder surgery that could cause him to miss the start of Spring Training. With this health uncertainty in mind, Buxton could have interest in locking in a long-term payday, though he would be foregoing potentially big arbitration raises in both 2021 and 2022 (Buxton has three arb years left as a Super Two player). Buxton has also achieved some financial security already, with close to $9.5MM in career earnings that includes his $6MM signing bonus as the second overall pick of the 2021 draft. Beyond Buxton, Park figures Jose Berrios and Miguel Sano are also extension candidates.
- Assuming the Indians are no longer cutting costs, the Athletic’s Zack Meisel (subscription required) estimates that the Tribe could have roughly $17MM to spend this winter. The current payroll sits at $102MM, as Meisel calculates based on current salaries, some minimum contracts, and MLBTR’s projected salaries for Cleveland’s arbitration-eligible players (with a few non-tender candidates not counted). That leaves the Tribe short of their $119.5MM Opening Day payroll from 2019, giving the club some extra cash to pursue needed help in the infield and outfield. Meisel also guesses the Indians could look into some future payroll certainty by discussing extensions with Mike Clevinger and/or Shane Bieber.
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Been a pretty fun postseason so far, Nats what a surpriseComment -
Yankees should bounce back today or are they fuking chucked?Comment -
Why cant these cunts schedule a double-header already??!!
If this baby goes 7 then Astros wont play until next week.
You can argue that gives them rest, but you could also argue a whole week might take a team out of their rythm.
You could also argue I'm a drunk fucking idiot who has no clue what he's talking aboot, eh
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Yankees, Astros dugouts engaged in shouting match over whistling related to pitch-tipping, per reports
The Yankees and Astros got into it during Game of the ALCS
The Houston Astros and New York Yankees will resume the American League Championship Series on Thursday night after Game 4 was postponed by a day due to inclement weather. The Astros lead the best-of-seven series by a 2-1 margin, having taken each of the past two games. The Astros also allegedly lead the series in a different category: stealing signs and/or figuring out the opposing pitcher's tells.
On Wednesday, Astros manager AJ Hinch called the various allegations "kind of funny" and said "If they don't want to tip their pitches, then they should take consideration into doing the same thing over and over again," per ESPN.com. Intentionally or otherwise, Hinch is conflating the actual issue as it pertains to what the Astros are supposedly doing.
Sign-stealing and picking up on pitcher's tells have been part of baseball forever. Sometimes pitchers and teams get mad at the opposition for what's generally considered acceptable sign-stealing and tip-discovering, but for the most part every team is trying to get the others' signs and tells for the sake of gaining a competitive advantage.
There are some lines of demarcation between acceptable and unacceptable information stealing and relaying. For example, picking up on signs the way Carlos Beltran did -- either with intense pregame video work or acute in-game observation -- is fine. But using an illegal video stream during the game? That's not fine. The Astros are perceived to have crossed those lines in the ways they gain and share the information.
According to Andy Martino of SNY, the dugouts got into an argument during Game 1 after a Yankees coach "noticed a whistling sound in the opposing dugout on certain pitches." The whistling, considered a step too far, has not been an issue in the subsequent games. Martino added that other big-league personnel believe the Astros use video cameras to steal signs. Do remember that last fall Cleveland filed a complaint with Major League Baseball about a person claiming to be an Astros employee who was filming their dugout.
Whatever the Astros are (or aren't) doing this series, it has led to a frenzy of accusations.
During Game 2, Astros third baseman Alex Bregman was caught on camera saying "glove," leading to speculation that James Paxton -- whose tell the Astros had already cracked once this season -- was tipping. In Game 3, the Astros laid off Luis Severino's secondary pitches to the extent that former big leaguer Alex Rodriguez tweeted they might have found a tell.
At minimum, the Astros do seem to be involved with pitch-tipping and sign-stealing allegations more than any other club. The Astros were the ones who figured out Yu Darvish was tipping during the 2017 World Series, and have since been linked to Paxton multiple times, Tyler Glasnow in the ALDS, and even Craig Kimbrel in last year's ALCS.
Perhaps all those connections between the Astros and tipping just inspire more paranoia. But the Astros probably don't mind -- even if they're on the up-and-up and not quite as good at stealing signs or discovering tips as believed, they might have an edge if other pitchers and teams are so concerned about that aspect that they lose their focus.
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Just pucker your lips and blowComment
