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

[BigSpoon]

Yankees going to keep mashing their way through the season, what a lineup on paper once everyone gets healthy. Scary.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Yankees going to keep mashing their way through the season, what a lineup on paper once everyone gets healthy. Scary.

then fail in the playoffs due to striking out too often against good pitching

[JMobile]

then fail in the playoffs due to striking out too often against good pitching

I consider Didi and Gardner as clutch hitters though.

[EmpireMaker]

Cubs free-agent acquisition Craig Kimbrel is scheduled to join the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Since signing with his new club, Kimbrel had been working at the Cubs’ complex in Arizona, but will now travel to Sacramento for his first game action, which is slated for Tuesday, adds Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
The 31-year-old Kimbrel, fresh off signing a 3-year, $43MM contract, has yet to appear in a professional game this season, but that will change this week, with the electric closer set to get some minor-league seasoning before he appears out of a Major League bullpen. While it doesn’t appear that Kimbrel will be in Chicago by the June 20 mark that was tentatively suggested by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, one would imagine that Kimbrel should be ready for big league competition before too long.
And the reinforcements couldn’t come too early for the Cubs, a team that has fielded a bullpen that as a whole has graded out as roughly average thus far. While the Cubs’ most pressing need might be left-handed relievers, Kimbrel will no doubt strengthen a unit that features just two players sporting a FIP below 4.00. As a team, the Cubs have blown 12 saves in 2019, and while saves are of course a flawed metric, the number is nonetheless indicative of the current unit’s lack of reliability.
On the flip side, for his career, Kimbrel’s FIP sits at an outlandish 1.96, placing him in the company of some of the game’s all-time great relief pitchers. And while last season gave way to some red flags—especially in the postseason—any bullpen would benefit from adding an arm like Kimbrel’s. Currently sitting in first place in the NL Central, the 39-31 Cubs will welcome the stability, debth, and experience that Kimbrel should provide.
As of now, reports that Kimbrel’s stuff has looked as good as ever in workouts are the only basis upon which to evaluate Kimbrel’s readiness, but the coming days will give scouts and fans alike their first look at Kimbrel’s dynamic stuff since last October. Needless to say, the intensity of game action—even in the minor leagues—is a far cry from the private showcases that Kimbrel conducted during his free agency, and a nearly eight-month hiatus from affiliated games will surely require some time to readjust to the grind of a Major-League season. With that in mind, though, the Cubs can look forward to the impending addition of an elite bullpen arm as the race for playoff position intensifies.

[batt33]

Yankees going to keep mashing their way through the season, what a lineup on paper once everyone gets healthy. Scary.

your not kidding....geezo

[mr. leisure]

Colorados bullpen is a bloody disgrace .

[ApricotSinner32]

Cubs free-agent acquisition Craig Kimbrel is scheduled to join the Triple-A Iowa Cubs, tweets Mark Gonzales of the Chicago Tribune. Since signing with his new club, Kimbrel had been working at the Cubs’ complex in Arizona, but will now travel to Sacramento for his first game action, which is slated for Tuesday, adds Jordan Bastian of MLB.com.
The 31-year-old Kimbrel, fresh off signing a 3-year, $43MM contract, has yet to appear in a professional game this season, but that will change this week, with the electric closer set to get some minor-league seasoning before he appears out of a Major League bullpen. While it doesn’t appear that Kimbrel will be in Chicago by the June 20 mark that was tentatively suggested by ESPN’s Jeff Passan, one would imagine that Kimbrel should be ready for big league competition before too long.
And the reinforcements couldn’t come too early for the Cubs, a team that has fielded a bullpen that as a whole has graded out as roughly average thus far. While the Cubs’ most pressing need might be left-handed relievers, Kimbrel will no doubt strengthen a unit that features just two players sporting a FIP below 4.00. As a team, the Cubs have blown 12 saves in 2019, and while saves are of course a flawed metric, the number is nonetheless indicative of the current unit’s lack of reliability.
On the flip side, for his career, Kimbrel’s FIP sits at an outlandish 1.96, placing him in the company of some of the game’s all-time great relief pitchers. And while last season gave way to some red flags—especially in the postseason—any bullpen would benefit from adding an arm like Kimbrel’s. Currently sitting in first place in the NL Central, the 39-31 Cubs will welcome the stability, debth, and experience that Kimbrel should provide.
As of now, reports that Kimbrel’s stuff has looked as good as ever in workouts are the only basis upon which to evaluate Kimbrel’s readiness, but the coming days will give scouts and fans alike their first look at Kimbrel’s dynamic stuff since last October. Needless to say, the intensity of game action—even in the minor leagues—is a far cry from the private showcases that Kimbrel conducted during his free agency, and a nearly eight-month hiatus from affiliated games will surely require some time to readjust to the grind of a Major-League season. With that in mind, though, the Cubs can look forward to the impending addition of an elite bullpen arm as the race for playoff position intensifies.

[jrgum3]

Colorados bullpen is a bloody disgrace .

Tell me about it I thought my Colorado bet was good today but nope they had to blow a 3 run lead in the later innings. If you score 13 runs you should win just about every single time.

[Chi_archie]

Tell me about it I thought my Colorado bet was good today but nope they had to blow a 3 run lead in the later innings. If you score 13 runs you should win just about every single time.

That would hurt

[JaimeMiro]

Tell me about it I thought my Colorado bet was good today but nope they had to blow a 3 run lead in the later innings. If you score 13 runs you should win just about every single time.

been good for overs. over cashed in the 3rd inning

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Tell me about it I thought my Colorado bet was good today but nope they had to blow a 3 run lead in the later innings. If you score 13 runs you should win just about every single time.

except at Coors field...

[dudekid]

Yankees going to keep mashing their way through the season, what a lineup on paper once everyone gets healthy. Scary.

yup Ive been saying it for weeks, they were doing all this without hicks, judge, didi, stanton, severino...crazy

[Cross]

Blackmon had 15 hits in that last series!

[koz-man]

Padres, Rockies break 4-game series runs record

DENVER -- In a historically high-scoring series, the outcome was decided by a pinch-hitting pitcher.
On a bases-loaded walk, no less, off a starter who was making his first major league relief appearance.
That seems appropriate for such a wacky series.
The Padres and Rockies set a modern-era record by combining for 92 runs in a four-game series, with San Diego pitcher Matt Strahm drawing a pinch-hit, bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning to rally past Colorado 14-13 Sunday.
"A four-game series here, it feels like a month,'' Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer said. "This was a grind.''

[Otters27]

Thinking of going big on an MLB game

[JMobile]

Thinking of going big on an MLB game

Brewers

[BigSpoon]

then fail in the playoffs due to striking out too often against good pitching

Maybe, but at least they'll make the playoffs.

[batt33]

Padres, Rockies break 4-game series runs record


DENVER -- In a historically high-scoring series, the outcome was decided by a pinch-hitting pitcher.
On a bases-loaded walk, no less, off a starter who was making his first major league relief appearance.
That seems appropriate for such a wacky series.
The Padres and Rockies set a modern-era record by combining for 92 runs in a four-game series, with San Diego pitcher Matt Strahm drawing a pinch-hit, bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning to rally past Colorado 14-13 Sunday.
"A four-game series here, it feels like a month,'' Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer said. "This was a grind.''

wonder how long each game took....

[jrgum3]

Blackmon had 15 hits in that last series!

I love Charlie Blackmon. Probably overpaid to get him in my auction but to me he’s worth the $33 I paid to get him on that team.

[EmpireMaker]

The Braves plan for left-hander Dallas Keuchel to make his season debut Friday against the division-rival Nationals, according to manager Brian Snitker (via David O’Brien of The Athletic and Mark Bowman of MLB.com).
Keuchel has pitched two minor league tuneup games since he ended his protracted trip to free agency with a one-year, $13MM agreement on June 7. The first, in which Keuchel threw seven shutout, one-hit innings at the Single-A level, went swimmingly. Keuchel added another seven frames in a Double-A start Saturday, though he allowed 11 hits and three earned runs. However, the Braves are “encouraged” by the fact that Keuchel threw 101 pitches in that outing, Bowman writes.
Although the reigning NL East champion Braves lead their division by 2 1/2 games this year, they’ve gotten to this point with middling starting pitching. In need of a complement to superb rookie Mike Soroka, the club made a notable in-season commitment to the 31-year-old Keuchel, who often excelled in Houston over the previous half-decade and has a 2015 AL Cy Young Award on his resume.
Keuchel is now about to join a Braves rotation which, aside from Soroka, isn’t the most trustworthy group. Julio Teheran has enjoyed a major bounce-back year in terms of bottom-line results, but as always, his peripherals aren’t as encouraging as his ERA. Meantime, Max Fried has cooled off since a great start, Mike Foltynewicz has been surprisingly poor after what looked like a breakout 2018, and Kevin Gausman (now injured), Sean Newcomb, Kyle Wright, Touki Toussaint and Bryse Wilson haven’t offered solutions over a combined 22 starts.
Fortunately for Atlanta, Keuchel’s not the only reinforcement on the way. Injured center fielder Ender Inciarte – out since May 15 with a lumbar strain – has been cleared for baseball activities and could embark on a rehab assignment next week, per Bowman. However, as Bowman notes, Inciarte will not reclaim the starting job in center field when he returns to the majors.
The Braves can’t sit rookie standout left fielder Austin Riley, who will continue to line up alongside Inciarte’s center field replacement, Ronald Acuna Jr., and right fielder Nick Markakis. The defensively adept Inciarte had center on lockdown in Atlanta from 2016 until landing on the IL this year, but his injury and subpar start over the first month and a half of this season opened the door for the hot-hitting Riley.

[Chi_archie]

Padres, Rockies break 4-game series runs record

DENVER -- In a historically high-scoring series, the outcome was decided by a pinch-hitting pitcher.
On a bases-loaded walk, no less, off a starter who was making his first major league relief appearance.
That seems appropriate for such a wacky series.
The Padres and Rockies set a modern-era record by combining for 92 runs in a four-game series, with San Diego pitcher Matt Strahm drawing a pinch-hit, bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning to rally past Colorado 14-13 Sunday.
"A four-game series here, it feels like a month,'' Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer said. "This was a grind.''

It's just incredible

[JaimeMiro]

Padres - Brewers might be another low scoring series... like the under tomorrow

[dudekid]

Who we like today fellas? Im kind of leaning toward the Rays at +140. Bullpen day for thm which can be hit or miss, but I dont think JA Happ is all that great. I think they are being underpriced after getting shut out by Tanaka last night.

[BigSpoon]

Padres, Rockies break 4-game series runs record


DENVER -- In a historically high-scoring series, the outcome was decided by a pinch-hitting pitcher.
On a bases-loaded walk, no less, off a starter who was making his first major league relief appearance.
That seems appropriate for such a wacky series.
The Padres and Rockies set a modern-era record by combining for 92 runs in a four-game series, with San Diego pitcher Matt Strahm drawing a pinch-hit, bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning to rally past Colorado 14-13 Sunday.
"A four-game series here, it feels like a month,'' Padres first baseman Eric Hosmer said. "This was a grind.''

Both teams bullpens must be spent.

[Otters27]

Who we like today fellas? Im kind of leaning toward the Rays at +140. Bullpen day for thm which can be hit or miss, but I dont think JA Happ is all that great. I think they are being underpriced after getting shut out by Tanaka last night.

Thanks dude I'm going to tail there. Dodger burned me again last night

[JMobile]

Thanks dude I'm going to tail there. Dodger burned me again last night

Dodgers today with Kershaw on the mound.

[koz-man]

Astros 2B Altuve to be activated Wednesday

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve will be activated Wednesday and is "ready to go" in his return from a strained left hamstring, manager A.J. Hinch said Tuesday.
"I feel pretty good," Altuve told reporters in the Astros' locker room. "My confidence is up. I'm just ready to come here and play again and help the team."
Altuve has not played for the Astros since May 10 because of his hamstring injury. He has played five games at Triple-A Round Rock in a rehab assignment.
"It's been forever," Altuve said. "But at the same time it's helped me a lot that the guys have been playing so good and winning a lot of games. Makes me feel better about not playing."

[ApricotSinner32]

good luck today everyone!

[mr. leisure]

Taking a flyer on the rockies +148

[yisman]

Yankees unlimited money to spend, they go and get Encarnacion when they already have a DH in Frazier plus Stanton is back and Judge will be returning

[batt33]

according to MLB rumours out of the top 50 available players to trade Giants haveSmith as the No. 1 available piece before the deadline, with Bumgarner ranking right behind him. Left-hander Tony Watson (No. 6), right-hander Sam Dyson (No. 11) and third baseman Pablo Sandoval (No. 15) also cracked the top 15.

Interesting to see what happens.....

[Cross]

Cubs tomorrow over White Sox, no way they lose back to back here.

[batt33]

Cubs tomorrow over White Sox, no way they lose back to back here.

Not a bad call there....

[JaimeMiro]

Padres - Brewers might be another low scoring series... like the under tomorrow

Bot 8th, score 4 - 1, under on track...

[mr. leisure]

QUOTE=yisman Yankees unlimited money to spend


Yep , just like the last 35 years .