Unbelieveable performance by Anibal Sanchez tonight. Can't believe the Cards can score 13 runs in an elimination game to go to the NLCS and then the next game muster only 1 hit. If they don't wake up at the plate their in trouble because the Nats pitching is lined up nicely after game 1.
-
Comment -
Cares blew their load. Happens all the time in baseballComment -
Sanchez vs Mikolas will be a fun battle going forward. Nats were crazy good today but Cards still in thisComment -
Third baseman Anthony Rendon is currently trying to help lead the Nationals to a World Series, but he’ll have a busy several weeks ahead when his team’s season ends. The 29-year-old, a first-time All-Star in 2019, is slated to reach free agency in roughly a month. Rendon will be hands down the premier position player on the open market, where only he and Astros right-hander Gerrit Cole will stand legitimate chances to rake in contracts of $200MM or more. In landing a $200MM-plus guarantee, Rendon would be joining a select group of stars whom franchises made massive commitments to in hopes they’d eventually help push their rosters over the top. The past doesn’t necessarily dictate the future, but let’s nonetheless take a look at how the $200MM position player club has fared so far…
- Mike Trout, CF, Angels (10 years, $360MM): It’s way too soon to evaluate this extension. Trout’s only one season into it, though the best player in the game/future Hall of Famer did continue to amaze in Year 1 of the pact.
- Bryce Harper, OF, Phillies (13 years, $330MM): As with Trout, it’s too early to say how well Harper’s contract will work out. But Harper, Rendon’s former teammate in Washington, did perform well in the first year of what’s sure to stand as the richest free-agent contract ever (at least until Mookie Betts hits the market a year from now).
- Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Marlins (13 years, $325MM): We’re a half-decade into this monumental extension, a gamble that didn’t really work out in the low-budget Marlins’ favor. The hulking Stanton did win an NL MVP with the club in 2017, but he combined to appear in just 193 games during injury-shortened 2015-16 seasons. Penny-pinching Miami got Stanton’s contract off its books after his MVP campaign in trading him to the Yankees, with whom he was very good (but not elite) last year. Stanton barely played during the ’19 regular season as he dealt with more injury troubles, though the complete story on his year hasn’t been written yet. With New York heading for the ALCS, Stanton could still emerge as a postseason hero in the coming weeks. Regardless, they owe him huge money through 2027.
- Manny Machado, 3B, Padres (10 years, $300MM): Like Trout and Harper, Machado just received his payday a year ago, so it’d be premature to offer an assessment on it. However, Machado didn’t wow in the first year of it, which may not augur well for the Padres.
- Alex Rodriguez, 3B, Yankees (10 years, $275MM): Remember this? After seven years on the once-record contract he signed with the Rangers, Rodriguez – whom Texas traded to the Yankees before 2004 – opted out of it on the heels of the 2007 season. He wound up with another historic payday, in which the highs were extremely high and the lows extremely low. A-Rod continued to thrive from 2008-11 (the Yankees wouldn’t have won their most recent title in ’09 without his brilliant playoff performance), but injuries and a 162-game suspension in 2014 for performance-enhancing drugs weighed him down over the next several years. Rodriguez wasn’t able to finish out the deal (at least on the field), as the Yankees released him in August 2016. However, the should-be Hall of Famer did collect the remaining money on his contract.
- Alex Rodriguez, SS, Rangers (10 years, $252MM): This guy again. A-Rod’s first $200MM-plus pact was an earth-shaking gamble for the Rangers, who expected him to “allow this franchise to fulfill its dream of continuing on its path to becoming a World Series champion,” then-owner Tom Hicks said when they signed him going into 2001. Rodriguez did his part, including during an AL MVP-winning season in 2013, but the team floundered in spite of his excellence. In one of the most significant trades in the history of the sport, the Rangers sent Rodriguez to the Yankees after just three seasons.
- Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Tigers (eight years, $248MM): Cabrera was coming off his second straight MVP-winning campaign and his eighth All-Star season when he scored this payday in 2014, but it still looked like a questionable move for the team back then. Cabrera already had two years left on his previous contract, meaning this one didn’t kick in until his age-29 campaign in 2016. While Cabrera did continue as an offensive force that year, the future Hall of Famer hasn’t been the same player since. Cabrera has managed a minuscule 0.2 fWAR in upward of 1,200 plate appearances dating back to 2017. He’ll be on the rebuilding Tigers’ books at exorbitant salaries through 2023. Not ideal.
- Albert Pujols, 1B, Angels (10 years, $240MM): Pujols is unquestionably an all-time great (which explains why the Angels paid him so much), but he hasn’t played like it since leaving St. Louis before the 2012 season. Set to play his age-40 season and second-last year of his contract in 2020, Pujols has posted a mere 6.4 fWAR in almost 5,000 PA as an Angel. He’s fresh off his third consecutive minus-fWAR campaign, and it’s fair to say he now counts as someone the Angels wish they wouldn’t have signed to one of the richest contracts ever.
- Robinson Cano, 2B, Mariners (10 years, $240MM): It was a stunner in December 2013 when the Mariners emerged as the winners of the Cano sweepstakes, luring him from the big-spending Yankees. The Mariners were mired in a 12-year playoff drought then and hoping the longtime star would help dig them out of it. Six years later, the M’s still haven’t returned to the postseason. That’s hardly Cano’s fault, though, as he has recorded mostly stellar production throughout his contract so far. However, Cano received an 80-game PED suspension last year, which proved to be his final season in Seattle. The club dealt Cano to the Mets in a blockbuster, farm system-restocking trade for the M’s last winter. Cano just put up a career-worst year in his return to New York, likely leaving the Mets wishing they didn’t take the risk.
- Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies (seven years, $234MM): Toss Arenado on the “too early to evaluate” pile. The extension he signed before this season won’t take effect until next year.
- Joey Votto, 1B, Reds (10 years, $225MM): Votto landed this extension in the wake of the 2011 season, the former NL MVP’s second of six All-Star campaigns, though it didn’t kick in until 2014. Now 36 years old, Votto just wrapped up a surprisingly pedestrian season, which is worrisome with four years and $100MM remaining on his contract. With the exception of 2019, the hitting virtuoso has done nothing but stand out at the plate. At this point, all the Reds can do is hope he’ll bounce back next year.
- Prince Fielder, 1B, Tigers (nine years, $214MM): In an effort to win a championship in his final years, now-late Tigers owner Mike Ilitch authorized an enormous guarantee for Fielder entering the 2012 season. Fielder did hold his own as a hitter from 2012-13, but the Tigers didn’t win a championship in either season, and they dealt the big-bodied slugger to the Rangers after that. The Fielder acquisition certainly wasn’t great for the Rangers, as he largely underwhelmed in their uniform from 2014-16 before neck injuries forced him to unofficially call it a career.
Comment -
New York Yankees to start Masahiro Tanaka in Game 1 of ALCS
HOUSTON -- With plenty of rest before the onset of the American League Championship Series, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone could have set up his starting rotation however he wanted to. His final decision: Righty Masahiro Tanaka will start Game 1 against the Houston Astros on Saturday at Minute Maid Park.Comment -
Scherzer going to get it done today.Comment -
Yankees are hotComment -
Astros don't lose at home. WTF?Comment -
MLB bringing in a dead ball for the playoffs?Comment -
After a 2019 season that saw things go entirely sideways in Denver, changes figure to be afoot for the Rockies this offseason. Despite returning most of a roster that managed a postseason berth in 2018, Bud Black’s club whimpered to a 71-91 record this past season and likely would have ended up in the NL West cellar had it not been for a circumspective second-half collapse on the part of the rival Padres.
Nick Groke of The Athletic, for one, is already musing on potential changes that GM Jeff Bridich could make in an effort to get the club back in contention for 2020 (link). Specifically, Groke points out several players who could be on the “hot seat” this winter, given the club’s current 40-man roster squeeze. Five players currently on the club’s 60-day injured list–Brendan Rodgers, Scott Oberg, Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson and Chad Bettis–will need to be moved off the IL this offseason, necessitating at least five impending roster decisions for Bridich. Groke identifies pitcher Jeff Hoffman as the man that should fall firmly into his club’s roster trimming crosshairs, as his age (26) and near-complete lack of production (6.11 ERA in 209.1 career innings) render his former top-50 prospect status little more than a wistful memory. Groke names ten other players as possible roster casualties, although Bridich signee Ian Desmond–who has produced a cumulative -1.7 fWAR in three Colorado seasons after agreeing to a 5-year/$70MM deal in 2016–is conspicuously absent from his list.
Desmond has two years and $25MM in guarantees remaining on his deal (the pact includes a $15MM option for 2022 which is attached to a $2MM buyout), but it may be time to wonder if the club should swallow bravely and push the ’eject’ button on the ill-fated Desmond deal. While it would be enticing to believe that the former shortstop could be on the brink of a turnaround, there would be little hard evidence to support such a case: his .304 BABIP in three Colorado seasons is only marginally below his .321 career marker, and his 2019 XWOBA of .309 was right in line with his WOBA of .317; moreover, Desmond is 34 years old, and his troubles at the plate are really only the beginning of his performance problems.
When Desmond came to the Rockies in 2017, he was a distinct shortstop/centerfielder hybrid who, despite something of an inconsistent offensive track record, offered somewhat stable value on the bases and in the field. As you might expect for a player reaching his mid-thirties, much of that athletically dependent ability has appeared to abandon Desmond. 2019 marked the first time since 2012 that the native Floridian recorded a negative baserunning metric (-1.7 BSR), while his work in the Rockies outfield was generally a horrorshow. A move back to centerfield produced a -19 DRS mark in 2019 for Desmond, with UZR also generally thumbing its nose at his up-the-middle efforts (-7.2 UZR in 2019 at CF).
Admittedly, metrics indicated a roughly average performance for Desmond in 300-plus innings in left field, but can the club continue to justify running out an average-fielding corner outfielder with negative basepath value and a bat that has been markedly below-average in his three years in Colorado? After all, Desmond’s combined 80 wRC+ during his three years in purple and black is, in itself, indicative of a player who probably should not be long for a major league roster. Add in the other imitations to Desmond’s current game, and the patina of “veteran leadership” falls short of explaining his prospective inclusion on Colorado’s 2020 roster.
It is exceedingly rare to see club’s simply cut bait on $25MM in financial commitment. Still, when winning takes precedent, there is a recent parallel for weighting on-field results over balance sheet concerns. The Red Sox–though operating in an entirely different financial habitat than the Rockies–have continued to pay handsomely for the services of outfielder Rusney Castillo; all they’ve asked of Castillo in return is that he kindly provide those services to the Red Sox of Pawtucket, rather than Boston. Point being: when a pennant-seeking organization recognizes a player can’t play up to his contract, they do whatever it takes to sidestep a sunk cost fallacy. If the Rockies plan on contending in the next two seasons, they might be well served to begin their offseason roster trimming with a rather painful decision, rather than paring away mid-20’s players who may yet have their best baseball ahead of them.Comment -
After a 2019 season that saw things go entirely sideways in Denver, changes figure to be afoot for the Rockies this offseason. Despite returning most of a roster that managed a postseason berth in 2018, Bud Black’s club whimpered to a 71-91 record this past season and likely would have ended up in the NL West cellar had it not been for a circumspective second-half collapse on the part of the rival Padres.
Nick Groke of The Athletic, for one, is already musing on potential changes that GM Jeff Bridich could make in an effort to get the club back in contention for 2020 (link). Specifically, Groke points out several players who could be on the “hot seat” this winter, given the club’s current 40-man roster squeeze. Five players currently on the club’s 60-day injured list–Brendan Rodgers, Scott Oberg, Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson and Chad Bettis–will need to be moved off the IL this offseason, necessitating at least five impending roster decisions for Bridich. Groke identifies pitcher Jeff Hoffman as the man that should fall firmly into his club’s roster trimming crosshairs, as his age (26) and near-complete lack of production (6.11 ERA in 209.1 career innings) render his former top-50 prospect status little more than a wistful memory. Groke names ten other players as possible roster casualties, although Bridich signee Ian Desmond–who has produced a cumulative -1.7 fWAR in three Colorado seasons after agreeing to a 5-year/$70MM deal in 2016–is conspicuously absent from his list.
Desmond has two years and $25MM in guarantees remaining on his deal (the pact includes a $15MM option for 2022 which is attached to a $2MM buyout), but it may be time to wonder if the club should swallow bravely and push the ’eject’ button on the ill-fated Desmond deal. While it would be enticing to believe that the former shortstop could be on the brink of a turnaround, there would be little hard evidence to support such a case: his .304 BABIP in three Colorado seasons is only marginally below his .321 career marker, and his 2019 XWOBA of .309 was right in line with his WOBA of .317; moreover, Desmond is 34 years old, and his troubles at the plate are really only the beginning of his performance problems.
When Desmond came to the Rockies in 2017, he was a distinct shortstop/centerfielder hybrid who, despite something of an inconsistent offensive track record, offered somewhat stable value on the bases and in the field. As you might expect for a player reaching his mid-thirties, much of that athletically dependent ability has appeared to abandon Desmond. 2019 marked the first time since 2012 that the native Floridian recorded a negative baserunning metric (-1.7 BSR), while his work in the Rockies outfield was generally a horrorshow. A move back to centerfield produced a -19 DRS mark in 2019 for Desmond, with UZR also generally thumbing its nose at his up-the-middle efforts (-7.2 UZR in 2019 at CF).
Admittedly, metrics indicated a roughly average performance for Desmond in 300-plus innings in left field, but can the club continue to justify running out an average-fielding corner outfielder with negative basepath value and a bat that has been markedly below-average in his three years in Colorado? After all, Desmond’s combined 80 wRC+ during his three years in purple and black is, in itself, indicative of a player who probably should not be long for a major league roster. Add in the other imitations to Desmond’s current game, and the patina of “veteran leadership” falls short of explaining his prospective inclusion on Colorado’s 2020 roster.
It is exceedingly rare to see club’s simply cut bait on $25MM in financial commitment. Still, when winning takes precedent, there is a recent parallel for weighting on-field results over balance sheet concerns. The Red Sox–though operating in an entirely different financial habitat than the Rockies–have continued to pay handsomely for the services of outfielder Rusney Castillo; all they’ve asked of Castillo in return is that he kindly provide those services to the Red Sox of Pawtucket, rather than Boston. Point being: when a pennant-seeking organization recognizes a player can’t play up to his contract, they do whatever it takes to sidestep a sunk cost fallacy. If the Rockies plan on contending in the next two seasons, they might be well served to begin their offseason roster trimming with a rather painful decision, rather than paring away mid-20’s players who may yet have their best baseball ahead of them.
wowComment -
Nationals' Max Scherzer magical again after an Anibal Sanchez gem
ST. LOUIS -- It was five years and 364 days ago that Anibal Sanchez sat in a dugout on a crisp October night, one day after dominating his opponent, and watched Max Scherzer do the very same thing. The two were teammates in a devastating Detroit Tigers starting rotation back in 2013, facing the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, and they became the first duo in postseason history with back-to-back starts of at least five no-hit innings against the same team.
On Saturday, with the afternoon shadows creeping over Busch Stadium, Sanchez watched as Scherzer did it again -- taking the ball a day later, following in his footsteps, and achieving history once more, this time wearing a Washington Nationals uniform.
"I've always said that teams can create what is essentially a domino effect -- if one guy's going well, the other guy can come in and do well simply because he's motivated to do the same thing," Sanchez said in Spanish. "It's a competitive thing."
Less than 24 hours after Sanchez held the St. Louis Cardinals hitless through 7⅔ innings, Scherzer carried a no-hitter through six Saturday, leading the Nationals to a 3-1 victory and giving them a commanding 2-0 lead in this National League Championship Series. The Cardinals have combined for four hits in the 18 innings that have comprised this series, the fewest for any team in a two-game span within the postseason, according to research from the Elias Sports Bureau.Comment -
Lets see what Verlander can do tonite .Comment -
Extra innings! how long will it go? love itComment -
Good jobs Astros!Comment -
I thought the astros were going to blow that. Good stuffComment -
The Nationals achieved a 2-0 series lead over the Cardinals in the NLCS on Saturday, with the last out of their 3-1 victory being recorded by pitcher Daniel Hudson. It also marked the culmination of a whirlwind week for the righty Hudson, who caught a fair amount of flack for missing the team’s Game 1 matchup–despite the fact that his absence was a result of the birth of his third daughter. The modest firestorm surrounding Hudson’s prioritization of family values was, perhaps as much as anything, a reflection of how quickly social media can convert molehills into mountains in this day and age.
Hudson, at least, isn’t losing perspective on the situation, as he demonstrated to Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic (link). “I went from not having a job on March 21st to this huge national conversation on family values going into the playoffs,” Hudson explained to Ghiroli. “Life comes at you fast. Man, I don’t know how that happened and how I became the face for whatever conversation was going on.” Although it’s tempting for many to view ballplayers as mercenaries singularly focused on winning games, Hudson’s comments provide a reminder that the men of Major League Baseball are, first and foremost, men–with all of the same personal issues and considerations that the rest of us workaday humans also experience. We at MLBTR, for one, extend sincere congratulations to Hudson’s family on the birth of their new baby girl Millie. After settling for a $1.5MM guarantee from the Blue Jays last year, Hudson will hit the open market this offseason after pitching to a 2.47 ERA across 73 innings in 2019; it stands to reason that he should be able to secure a new guarantee that will leave plenty left over for diaper money.
More from the buzzing environment surrounding D.C.’s team…
- In another Ghiroli piece, the unique career of Anibal Sanchez is appreciated in the afterglow of his dominant Game 1 NLCS showing (link). As Ghiroli points out, Sanchez has operated in familiar territory in 2019–as the often-overlooked “fourth starter” operating behind a trio of fearsome frontline aces. During his time in Detroit, Sanchez was something of an afterthought in the shadow of three guys named Verlander, Price, and Scherzer, and he’s taken a similar position in D.C. as the elder statesman of a staff featuring Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin, and Max Scherzer (again). If Sanchez was feeling bashful about not receiving shine in the leadup to this postseason, he didn’t show it on Friday: in a rousing performance that saw him deploy pitches anywhere from 66 to 93 mph, Sanchez became the first pitcher in LCS history to throw at least 7 2/3 innings and not allow more than one walk and a hit. Interestingly, Ghiroli notes that the pitcher nearly retired in the winter of 2018, even going so far as to tell his agent that he would hang up his spikes if he didn’t receive a contract offer by his birthday on Feb 27–the Twins eventually came calling with just a few days to spare, and the Nationals of 2019 are thankful that the rest might end up being postseason history.
Comment -
Looks like we have a great AL pennant seriesComment -
Great cocking off by Correia after that bomb.Comment -
I think the Cards + money tonight is good value.Comment -
Big win for the Astros last night. Now they have Cole ready to go in the Bronx for a big game 3.
Comment -
Under just might hit in this one, one hit so far...Comment -
Nats pounding the Cards, quite shocking.Comment