The 2019 Major League Baseball Player Chatter, News and Fantasy Thread.

[Carseller4]

Cubs will beat the Astros in next years series.

[Cross]

Astros won’t have enough pitching to get back there.

[yisman]

Strasburg officially opts out of his last 4 years because he's at peak value.

[batt33]

Strasburg officially opts out of his last 4 years because he's at peak value.

perfect time to do it.

[BigSpoon]

Will the Nats be able to keep both Strasburg and Rendon? I doubt it.

[jrgum3]

Will the Nats be able to keep both Strasburg and Rendon? I doubt it.

I would think the Nats would do everything they can to keep Rendon but if I were them I wouldn't let Strasburg leave if I could help it because that guy takes his game to another level in the postseason. Will be interesting to see what they do with those two guys because they were instrumental to their success.

[EmpireMaker]

Reports indicate that the Yankees have reached an agreement to keep closer Aroldis Chapman in pinstripes through 2022.New York will add a third year valued at $18MM in addition to the two years and $30MM that remained on Chapman’s previous contract with the club, bringing its total commitment to the hurler to $48MM over the next three seasons, according to reporting from ESPN’s Jeff Passan (link).
Chapman had been facing a Saturday deadline on an opt-out decision regarding the remaining two seasons on the five-year contract he signed with the club prior to the 2017 season, but the addition of a third season has apparently persuaded him to forego open market opportunities. His original deal with New York represented the largest guarantee ($86MM) ever given to a free agent reliever, and this extension essentially serves to bring Chapman’s six-year Yankees outlay to a whopping $104MM.
Our own Steve Adams predicted on Friday that a three-year deal would be the 31-year-old pitcher’s most likely free agency outcome if Chapman’s representatives at Magnus Sports had been unable to reach an extension accord with New York. That both club and agency were able to come to an agreement should be a boon to the Yankees bullpen, being that Chapman’s presence will allow fellow relievers Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino, Tommy Kahnle, and Chad Green to remain in the roles they held in 2019. And that’s before accounting for the Cuban native’s personal performance.
In 2019, Chapman, though not exactly the radar gun-breaking flamethrower he once was, recorded superlative numbers by pretty much any measure. He posted 57 innings — his most since signing with New York–en route to a sparkling 2.21 ERA; his 13.4 K/9 rate and 0.47 HR/9 were also ready evidence of the lefthander’s late-inning dominance. Working in the small confines of Yankee Stadium, Chapman recorded 37 saves–his seventh time in the last eight seasons eclipsing the 30-save plateau.
Had Chapman chosen to opt-out and forego the remaining two years on his deal, he would have in all likelihood entered free agency with a $17.8MM qualifying offer attached to his name. Last offseason saw another great closer of the current era, Craig Kimbrel, remain on the open market well into the regular season after being attached to a QO, so it’s fair to wonder whether that spectacle encouraged Chapman to remain with the bird in hand. Regardless, tonight’s development marks a continued union between arguably the game’s best closer and a team that has in recent years come tantalizingly close to postseason paydirt.
With Chapman off the board, names like Will Harris, Will Smith, Daniel Hudson, and Dellin Betances likely represent the upper end of the 2019-2020 free agent relief class. MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes recently took a look at some of this winter’s most interesting free agent bullpen arms.

[ApricotSinner32]

Yankees got it next year or no??????????

[koz-man]

Sources: Aroldis Chapman agrees to contract extension with Yankees

New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman opted for a contract extension instead of free agency, agreeing Saturday to a deal that will keep him with the Yankees through the 2022 season, sources told ESPN.
Chapman, 31, could have opted out of the final two years of his contract with the Yankees and become a free agent this winter. Instead, the Yankees agreed to add another year for $18 million to the end of the next two years, which were due to pay him $30 million.

[Chi_archie]

Sources: Aroldis Chapman agrees to contract extension with Yankees

New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman opted for a contract extension instead of free agency, agreeing Saturday to a deal that will keep him with the Yankees through the 2022 season, sources told ESPN.
Chapman, 31, could have opted out of the final two years of his contract with the Yankees and become a free agent this winter. Instead, the Yankees agreed to add another year for $18 million to the end of the next two years, which were due to pay him $30 million.

We will see what he has left

[BarkingToad]

Strasburg officially opts out of his last 4 years because he's at peak value.

Makes sense

[Esco]

It be nice if the Jays signed Strasburg as a FA, but we ll know that isnt gonna happen

[Cross]

Strasburg and Cole on the market, oh my.

[Otters27]

Strasburg and Cole on the market, oh my.

Dodgers and Yankees

[Carseller4]

I think the Cubs make a push for Cole.

[JMobile]

Dodgers and Yankees

Come on Dodgers.

[ApricotSinner32]

Chapman is a fuking cab driver send him back to africa

[Cross]

Please be right for once in your life, Carseller.

[batt33]

Dodgers and Yankees

pretty Much, don't see to many other teams forking out the money.

[EmpireMaker]

Phillies righty Jake Arrieta won’t exercise the opt-out clause in his contract, keeping him in his deal with the Phillies for the 2020 season, the Associated Press reports. Arrieta will earn $20MM for the 2020 season, the final year of the three-year, $75MM pact he signed with Philadelphia in March 2018.
MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported in October that Arrieta was going to remain with the Phillies, and indeed, it became increasingly obvious throughout the veteran right-hander’s injury-marred year that the opt-out clause wouldn’t be a factor. Arrieta revealed in July that he was trying to keep pitching despite suffering from a bone spur in his throwing elbow, and while he toughed it out as long as possible, Arrieta eventually hit the injured list in mid-August and soon underwent season-ending surgery.
The end result was a 4.64 ERA, 2.16 K/BB rate, and 7.3 K/9 over 135 2/3 innings for Arrieta, easily his least-impressive performance since his early-career struggles as a member of the Orioles in 2010-12. Arrieta posted by far the largest hard-hit ball (38%) and home run (19.4%) percentages of his career, while his 7.1% swinging-strike rate was the third-lowest total of his career.
Arrieta’s stay in the 2017-18 free agent market was a lengthy one, as he was hampered by the qualifying offer and a feeling amongst some teams that he was beginning to a decline following a good but not great 2017 season with the Cubs. Over two seasons with the Phillies, Arrieta has a 4.26 ERA, 7.2 K/9, 51.4% grounder rate, and 2.30 K/BB rate — decent numbers, though hardly what the Phils expected from a pitcher earning $25MM in average annual value.
The best-case scenario for Arrieta and the Phillies is that the bone spur was the root cause of his struggles, and he’ll rebound for a healthy and productive age-34 season. That would be a welcome boost to a Phillies team that was let down by its starting pitching almost across the board last season, though Philadelphia is expected to be pursuing some upgrades this winter. A good year from Arrieta would also increase his chances at another multi-year in free agency next offseason, as a repeat of his 2019 numbers would likely limit his market to only one-year offers.

[jrgum3]

pretty Much, don't see to many other teams forking out the money.

They should be willing to consider it because those two guys right now are the best in baseball. If you're serious about winning a World Series you should be going after Cole or Strasburg in FA.

[Chi_archie]

They should be willing to consider it because those two guys right now are the best in baseball. If you're serious about winning a World Series you should be going after Cole or Strasburg in FA.

yep you need the top pitching studs

[Stallion]

The Dodgers are going to lose in the first round again next year.

[yisman]

Chase Anderson traded to Toronto.

[koz-man]

Cubs exercise Anthony Rizzo's $16.5M option for 2020

CHICAGO -- One day after picking up the 2020 option on pitcher Jose Quintana, the Chicago Cubs did the same with former All-Star first baseman Anthony Rizzo.
Rizzo will make $16.5 million next season, the first of two option years the Cubs hold on him.
The Cubs also declined options on right-handers Brandon Morrow, Tony Barnette and Kendall Graveman, a sourced confirmed to ESPN's Jesse Rogers. Morrow's option was for $12 million, and he will receive a $3 million buyout. Barnett and Graveman both had options for $3 million. The Associated Press earlier reported news on the declined options.

[JMobile]

The Dodgers are going to lose in the first round again next year.

No. How much you wanna bet?

[stevenash]

Please be right for once in your life, Carseller.

You're asking too much here.

[BigSpoon]

Chase Anderson traded to Toronto.

I guess that rules the Jays out of the Cole and Strasburg sweepstakes now.

[Carseller4]

Cubs will make major moves.

No way the let Rossi go in with anything less than their all.

[JaimeMiro]

Interesting as Madison Bumgarner received a $17.8 million qualifying offer on Monday.

[batt33]

Interesting as Madison Bumgarner received a $17.8 million qualifying offer on Monday.

yeah think they Giants fanbase would have had revolt if it didn't happen....

[ApricotSinner32]

Heard the orioles are due to win the whole fuking thing.

[EmpireMaker]

The Phillies have announced a wide slate of roster moves today, setting the team up for another fascinating offseason. In particular, the club has shorn a big chunk of its 2019 pitching staff from the roster in one fell swoop.
Philadelphia declined club options over righty Jared Hughes, righty Pat Neshek, and lefty Jason Vargas. Also heading to the open market are five players were outrighted: infielder Phil Gosselin and righties Jerad Eickhoff, Mike Morin, Blake Parker, and Edubray Ramos.
That’s a big chunk of innings going onto the open market despite ongoing control rights. To be exact, the Phils are kicking 219 2/3 of their frames from 2019 back into free agency. It’s hard to argue with any of the decisions.
Hughes was solid as a late-season gap-filler, but didn’t rate at a $3MM price tag for 2020. He’ll get a $250K buyout on the way out. Neshek takes $750K with him instead of pitching for $7MM. That’s no surprise after he was limited to 18 frames due to injury. Vargas is due a $2MM buyout instead of a $8MM salary; the Phils evidently feel they can do better in the rotation on the open market this winter.
The biggest departure is that of Eickhoff. The once-promising starter projected to earn only $1.5MM, with one more season of control thereafter, but the Phils decided to cut bait after watching him struggle to a 5.71 ERA over 58 1/3 innings. Eickhoff had a few encouraging outings upon his return from a long injury layoff, but struggled thereafter and was again sidelined with arm woes.
The other three were also eligible for arbitration. Morin, who has a $1.2MM projected arb salary, struggled to get strikeouts during his stint with the club. Parker surprisingly turned in 11.2 K/9 and 2.2 BB/9 in 25 frames but also gave up a host of homers and earned runs. Perhaps he’d have been worth a lower-cost keeper price but the Phils weren’t biting at a projected $4.7MM. The 26-year-old Ramos entered the year as a key piece but struggled with injuries and showed a velocity decline when he was available. He projected to earn only $800K, but the team may not have been convinced of his ability to return to full health.
Meanwhile, a host of players were added back to the 40-man roster. Among the players activated from the 60-day injured list is starter Jake Arrieta, who has exercised his player option and will remain with the organization. On the heels of a messy, injury-marred campaign, that comes as no surprise. Additionally, outfielder Odubel Herrera was reinstated from the restricted list after the conclusion of his suspension for a violation of the league’s domestic violence policy. His future with the organization remains unclear following this procedural move.

[Cross]

Ross going to set a new culture in Chicago, probably not getting Cole though.

[jrgum3]

Ross going to set a new culture in Chicago, probably not getting Cole though.

I always thought Ross would make a good manager. Former catchers usually do so I’m interested to see how he does with the Cubbies.