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

[koz-man]

Harper returns to D.C. as Nationals host Phillies

It's a safe bet that it will be the biggest Tuesday night game in April in the history of Nationals Park.


Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper, the No. 1 overall pick by Washington in 2010, makes his return to the nation's capital when the Nationals host Philadelphia.


Harper made his debut with the Nationals in 2012, was the National League MVP in 2015 and was named to the NL All-Star team six times in Washington. He signed a 13-year contract with the Phillies in late February.


What kind of reception will Harper get?

[dudekid]

Poor Yanks, I feel sooo bad for them...

I will say opening the door for Voit to get more playing time is a good thing

[BigSpoon]

Giants acquire OF Kevin Pillar from the Jays for 3 guys I've never heard of. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/2...llar-blue-jays

[JMobile]

Rumor is the Padres are looking to sign Dallas Keuchel this week.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Rumor is the Padres are looking to sign Dallas Keuchel this week.

really not a fan of this but I guess having a veteran on the staff will help the young arms.

[batt33]

Can’t believe the Giants cooled off the Dodgers 4-2 at Dodger Stadium. They may struggle this year but anytime the Giants beat LA it’s a good day.

Couldn't agree More

[Cross]

Why are there already two off days for most teams? Can’t they save these for later in year??

[jrgum3]

Giants acquire OF Kevin Pillar from the Jays for 3 guys I've never heard of. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/2...llar-blue-jays

Derek Law was one of their better relievers at least imo but they had to give something of value up to get Pillar because he’s not a rental.

[EmpireMaker]

The Nationals received bad news on shortstop Trea Turner tonight, as X-rays revealed that he sustained a fractured right index finger on a bunt attempt, manager Dave Martinez revealed following tonight’s loss (Twitter link via ESPN’s Buster Olney). He’ll be out for a yet-to-be-determined period of time.
Turner, looking to bunt his way aboard in the first inning of tonight’s game, left too much of his hand exposed and caught the brunt of a 92 mph Zach Eflin fastball on his right index finger. He was replaced by Wilmer Difo without finishing the at-bat and could very well be replaced by Difo for the foreseeable future with a trip to the injured list surely around the corner. Alternatively, the Nats have one of the game’s best infield prospects in Carter Kieboom, though the 21-year-old is not yet on the 40-man roster and has only played in 62 games above A-ball.
The loss of Turner comes at time when the Nats have opened the season 1-3 and been outscored by opponents at a 26-16 clip. Swapping out Turner, one of the team’s best offensive players, for the light-hitting Difo won’t do the lineup any favors. There’s little available on the open market at present, though the A’s did just cut veteran middle infielder Cliff Pennington loose if Washington is eyeing some veteran minor league depth from outside the organization.

[EmpireMaker]

It would be a good move for them IMO. I don't think Strahm is ready.

Rumor is the Padres are looking to sign Dallas Keuchel this week.

[EmpireMaker]

April 2: Murphy will miss “at least” a month, manager Bud Black tells Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (Twitter link). The Rockies are still awaiting official second opinion on the injury.
April 1: Murphy has indeed been placed on the IL, with Pat Valaika called up to take his spot on the active roster. The team announced the injury a an avulsion fracture.
March 30, 10:00pm: There’s concern within the team that Murphy may have tendon or ligament damage, per Groke; if true, Murphy could miss “several weeks,” Groke writes (subscription required).
8:42pm: Rockies first baseman Daniel Murphy has suffered a fractured left index finger, Nick Groke of The Athletic tweets. Murphy will see a specialist Monday, but he’s likely on his way to the 10-day injured list.
The 33-year-old Murphy incurred the injury Friday, marring a win over the Marlins and a 2-0 start for the Rockies. He sat out their loss to Miami on Saturday, when Ryan McMahon took the helm at first base. McMahon and Mark Reynolds could see the lion’s share of time at first as the Rockies await Murphy’s return. As of now, there’s no timetable for a comeback, per Thomas Harding of MLB.com.
Murphy is just a couple games into his tenure with the Rockies, who signed him to a two-year, $24MM contract over the winter. It was otherwise a quiet offseason for Colorado, which is counting on Murphy – formerly of the Mets, Nationals and Cubs – to offer a significant upgrade at first. Rockies first basemen finished the 2018 season second to last in the majors in fWAR (minus-1.9) and hit a horrid .224/.295/.388, owing to poor performances from McMahon, now-center fielder Ian Desmond and Pat Valaika. Murphy batted a respectable .299/.336/.454 in 351 PAs, on the other hand, and has provided consistently above-average offensive production throughout his career. That has been especially true since a breakout showing with the Mets in the 2015 postseason.

[JaimeMiro]

Washington National fans are crazy. Some dude had Harper's jersey on spelled, "Farter" well he sure showed em

[Otters27]

Why are there already two off days for most teams? Can’t they save these for later in year??

Never understand this. Kind of like a football team that has a buy early

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Greinke hit 2 homers last night in dbags win over SD...unbelievable

[dudekid]

Swarzak getting the nod in a jam in the 9th for the Mariners. Could be a nice source for saves off the wire

[Chi_archie]

Swarzak getting the nod in a jam in the 9th for the Mariners. Could be a nice source for saves off the wire

always interesting which scrap heap arms end up being a treasue in some competitors bullpen each year

[BigSpoon]

Derek Law was one of their better relievers at least imo but they had to give something of value up to get Pillar because he’s not a rental.

Pillar might be the Giants best outfielder now.

[koz-man]

Hot-hitting Dodgers, Stripling to face Giants


Ross Stripling pitching against the San Francisco Giants always will have a certain ring to it, three full years after one of the more memorable major league debuts in recent history.
The Dodgers' starter, who will face the Giants on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, delivered a hitless outing at San Francisco on April 8, 2016. Hitless did not equal no-hitter, though, not on this night.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts decided to remove Stripling from his debut with a no-hitter intact after 7 1/3 innings. At 100 pitches, Roberts felt as if the right-hander, with Tommy John surgery in his past, had shown enough. Cue the foreboding music.
Chris Hatcher replaced Stripling and the Giants' Trevor Brown hit a home run that started San Francisco toward an eventual victory in 10 innings.
That game remains just one of three career starts Stripling has made against the Giants, although he does have seven relief appearances against the Dodgers' main rival. Over 28 1/3 innings, Stripling has a 2.86 ERA against San Francisco.

In his season debut Friday, Striping went 5 1/3 scoreless innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but that game did not end well for the Dodgers. In what would become the longest regular-season game by time in Dodger Stadium history (6 hours, 5 minutes), the Diamondbacks rallied for a 5-4 victory in 13 innings.
Even if Stripling (0-0, 0.00 ERA) does not continue to start when Clayton Kershaw and Rich Hill return from injury later this month, he still figures to have a job in the bullpen waiting for him and more starts when the opportunity arises.
"I understand that's what gives me value and that (the front office) loves having those kinds of swing guys who can give them length out of the bullpen, get one out in the eighth inning and then make a start two days later," Stripling said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "And I've accepted that. I don't get caught up in roles like I did maybe a year or two ago."
The Giants will send left-hander Derek Holland (0-1, 6.75 ERA) to the mound for his second start of the season. He gave up three runs on four hits over four innings in a loss to the San Diego Padres on Friday.



In his first season with the Giants last year, the veteran went 0-2 against the Dodgers with a 3.92 ERA over six appearances (four starts).

[JMobile]

Greinke hit 2 homers last night in dbags win over SD...unbelievable

Those were no doubters too.

[batt33]

Derek Law was one of their better relievers at least imo but they had to give something of value up to get Pillar because he’s not a rental.

Yea I was kinda interested in how law was going to do this year.......

[jrgum3]

Of course the Cubs bullpen had to blow that 4-2 lead they had going into the 8th. Not only did they blow a win for Lester who I have on my fantasy team but they cost me my bet I had on the Cubs that I thought was looking good to cash.

[JaimeMiro]

Blake Swihart take a bow; still can't believe the Red Sox won

[EmpireMaker]

Cardinals left fielder Marcell Ozuna was scratched from Wednesday’s lineup after experiencing pain in his torso, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Goold further tweets that Ozuna is headed for an MRI tomorrow, and manager Mike Shildt expressed some concern about a potential intercostal strain. It’s a frustrating development for both team and player, as Ozuna was hoping to bounce back from an injury-marred 2018 season in which ongoing shoulder issues hampered his swing. The Cardinals, meanwhile, were hoping that a healthier Ozuna could pair with offseason acquisition Paul Goldschmidt to bolster the middle of the batting order. If Ozuna needs to miss time, Tyler O’Neill could step into a larger role with the club, and Jose Martinez (who started in place of Ozuna today) could get some additional at-bats as well.
More from the NL Central…

• In light of the recent wave of extensions throughout Major League Baseball, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com asked a few Brewers players about their thoughts on some recent deals and their own willingness to engage in discussions. Third baseman Travis Shaw stated that he’s “open for business” when it comes to talking about a potential long-term deal to keep in Milwaukee beyond the 2021 season (currently slated to be his final season of team control). Late-inning terminator Josh Hader, meanwhile, suggested that his current focus is more on playing baseball than thinking about that side of the game. “If they feel they want to do an extension, then that’s the business side of it,” said Hader. “They control that.” The 24-year-old Hader has not yet even accumulated two full years of Major League service time and remains under club control through the 2023 season. Milwaukee president of baseball ops David Stearns added to McCalvy that while he’s not closed off to extension talks during the season, “there’s a reason” most deals are completed before Opening Day.
• Cubs skipper Joe Maddon said Wednesday that the two-year extension signed by managerial peer Terry Francona doesn’t have him thinking about his own contract status (link via Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun Times). “I’ve been treated more than well,” said Maddon. “So I don’t lament or worry about things like that.” Maddon added that he’s not in the business of comparing himself to other skippers throughout the league. Wittenmyer, however, notes that Maddon’s current $6MM salary is substantially higher than the rates at which the influx of younger managers are being paid throughout the league. That, certainly, will be a factor in negotiations with the Cubs (or any other club, if he is not retained).

[koz-man]

Cubs, Bote agree to 5-year deal through '24

ATLANTA -- Chicago Cubs infielder David Bote, who burst onto the national scene with a walk-off grand slam last season on Sunday Night Baseball, has been rewarded with a new, five-year deal through the 2024 season.
Bote, 25, will make $15 million guaranteed over the course of the contract, which begins in 2020. The Cubs hold team options of $7 million for 2025 and $7.6 million for 2026, with a buyout of $1 million, that could increase the value of the deal to $28.6 million if exercised, a source told ESPN.
"David is somebody who has worked extremely hard to be in this position," Cubs president Theo Epstein said Wednesday. "Going forward, we know he's going to work as hard as anyone in the game."
Bote is a rarity on the Cubs in that he was a low-round draft pick who has made it. He has been in the organization since 2012, when he was taken in the 18th round. After bouncing around the minors for almost seven years, he finally made it to the big leagues last season.
"It's a crazy, long story," Bote said with a smile. "Just super humbled and grateful."

His August grand slam, with the Cubs trailing the Washington Nationals 3-0, made him an instant folk hero in Chicago; but he wasn't a one-hit wonder. He ended the season with the third-highest exit velocity in all of baseball, though he faded some down the stretch with a .239 average and six home runs in 184 at-bats.
The Cubs could be getting a steal, as Bote will be paid the going rate for a backup player. If he turns into something more -- he already is a defensive whiz -- the team will have some cost certainty for a potential starter on their hands.
Epstein indicated Bote's play right now is the "floor" based on his talent.
"With how hard he hits the ball and his desire to learn and make adjustments and his work ethic, there's a significant chance he raises the floor and takes on a greater role in the future," Epstein said.
With a wife and two kids at home, Bote gets security and peace of mind, knowing he'll be with the Cubs for at least the next half-decade.
"They haven't done anything like this [pre-arbitration deal] with anyone else," Bote said. "They've seen the work that I put in. It doesn't stop now."
As Epstein added, "It's a really nice story. Someone with his background and hard work gets rewarded."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Otters27]

Cubs lose again. Ouch

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Of course the Cubs bullpen had to blow that 4-2 lead they had going into the 8th. Not only did they blow a win for Lester who I have on my fantasy team but they cost me my bet I had on the Cubs that I thought was looking good to cash.

cubs look pretty brutal so far...avoiding them until they show me something.

[Chi_archie]

Cubs fans are going apeshit suicidal

I love it

[dudekid]

Matt Boyd, wow. Another 13 Ks and generating a ton of swinging strikes. This guy looks like he is starting to put it all together

[cincinnatikid513]

this just in rays alvarado is nasty

https://www.google.com/amp/s/deadspin.com/good-lord-this-jose-alvarado-pitch-is-nasty-1833786911/amp

[BigSpoon]

this just in rays alvarado is nasty

https://www.google.com/amp/s/deadspi...1833786911/amp

The Rays are legit, going to be in the hunt in the AL East all season imo.

[JMobile]

Lots of teams with days off today.

[Cross]

Cubs bullpen is a shit show right now. Ownership so cheap, they could use Kimbrel.

[batt33]

Lots of teams with days off today.

Giants cant lose today!

[jrgum3]

Giants cant lose today!

True I just hope the rain stays away long enough tomorrow because I’ll be at the home opener which I’m actually looking forward to it since I’ve never been to a Giants home opener. They may suck but there’s nothing like opening day.

[EmpireMaker]

Cardinals left fielder Marcell Ozuna was scratched from Wednesday’s lineup after experiencing pain in his torso, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Goold further tweets that Ozuna is headed for an MRI tomorrow, and manager Mike Shildt expressed some concern about a potential intercostal strain. It’s a frustrating development for both team and player, as Ozuna was hoping to bounce back from an injury-marred 2018 season in which ongoing shoulder issues hampered his swing. The Cardinals, meanwhile, were hoping that a healthier Ozuna could pair with offseason acquisition Paul Goldschmidt to bolster the middle of the batting order. If Ozuna needs to miss time, Tyler O’Neill could step into a larger role with the club, and Jose Martinez (who started in place of Ozuna today) could get some additional at-bats as well.
More from the NL Central…

• In light of the recent wave of extensions throughout Major League Baseball, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com asked a few Brewers players about their thoughts on some recent deals and their own willingness to engage in discussions. Third baseman Travis Shaw stated that he’s “open for business” when it comes to talking about a potential long-term deal to keep in Milwaukee beyond the 2021 season (currently slated to be his final season of team control). Late-inning terminator Josh Hader, meanwhile, suggested that his current focus is more on playing baseball than thinking about that side of the game. “If they feel they want to do an extension, then that’s the business side of it,” said Hader. “They control that.” The 24-year-old Hader has not yet even accumulated two full years of Major League service time and remains under club control through the 2023 season. Milwaukee president of baseball ops David Stearns added to McCalvy that while he’s not closed off to extension talks during the season, “there’s a reason” most deals are completed before Opening Day.
• Cubs skipper Joe Maddon said Wednesday that the two-year extension signed by managerial peer Terry Francona doesn’t have him thinking about his own contract status (link via Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun Times). “I’ve been treated more than well,” said Maddon. “So I don’t lament or worry about things like that.” Maddon added that he’s not in the business of comparing himself to other skippers throughout the league. Wittenmyer, however, notes that Maddon’s current $6MM salary is substantially higher than the rates at which the influx of younger managers are being paid throughout the league. That, certainly, will be a factor in negotiations with the Cubs (or any other club, if he is not retained).