2 games tomorrow then 4 on Friday. Love the playoffs with the day games
The 2019 Major League Baseball Player Chatter, News and Fantasy Thread.
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Otters27BARRELED IN @ SBR!
- 07-14-07
- 30760
#3326Comment -
EmpireMakerSBR Posting Legend
- 06-18-09
- 15582
#3327Veteran outfielder Cameron Maybin went through a difficult few months leading up to the 2019 campaign. After Maybin didn’t produce enough with the Marlins or Mariners last year to merit a major league contract, he languished on the free-agent market until the Giants brought him in on a minors pact in late February. A month later, the Giants released Maybin in the wake of a DUI arrest, though he did catch on with the Indians on another non-guaranteed deal in the coming days.
Despite the fact that the Indians’ outfield was an obvious question mark coming into the season, Maybin wasn’t able to get past the Triple-A level as a member of the organization. As a result, the Indians traded Maybin to the Yankees for cash on April 25 in what appeared would go down as an inconsequential swap.
However, since joining the Yankees, the 32-year-old Maybin has capitalized on a surprisingly large amount of playing time in a Yankees outfield that has dealt with a slew of injuries. The resurgent Maybin’s scheduled to head back to free agency after his 2019 stint with the World Series-contending Yankees concludes, but he prefers to stay where he is, per Brendan Kuty of NJ.com.
Asked if he’d like to re-sign with the Yankees, Maybin said, “I think that goes without saying.” The well-traveled Maybin added that the Yankees are “by far the best organization” he has played for since he began his pro career as a first-round pick of the Tigers in 2005.
The Yankees, meanwhile, are surely thankful for the way Maybin has stepped up this year. While Maybin didn’t look like much of an offensive threat when he joined the club, the speedster has teed off on opposing pitchers for a .285/.364/.494 line with 11 home runs and nine steals in 269 plate appearances this year. He has been a versatile defender at the same time, having seen at least some action at each outfield position (primarily the corners).
Maybin may be able to parlay this season’s production into a major league deal before next year, but whether the Yankees will be the team to give him his next contract is in question. They’ll likely go into 2020 with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton (whose injury-wrecked regular season helped open the door for Maybin) and Aaron Hicks as their starting outfield. They’ll also continue to have control over Mike Tauchman (who will be out of options), Clint Frazier and the injury-riddled, costly Jacoby Ellsbury. Plus, despite the presences of those six, no one will be surprised if New York re-ups its longest-tenured player, pending free-agent outfielder Brett Gardner. Should that happen, it would only make a Maybin re-signing look less likely than it already does.Comment -
koz-manSBR Hall of Famer
- 11-21-08
- 7102
#3331Mets dismiss Mickey Callaway after 86-win campaign
Mickey Callaway was the toast of New York when the Mets won 11 of their first 12 games with him as manager in 2018.
Less than two years later, Callaway no longer has a job.
The Mets on Thursday cut ties with the second-year manager despite an 86-76 season highlighted by a midsummer surge that put them in the postseason hunt.
Ultimately, New York fell short of October baseball, and it cost the 44-year-old Callaway his job.Comment -
mr. leisureSBR Posting Legend
- 01-29-08
- 17507
#3332Mets dismiss Mickey Callaway after 86-win campaign
Mickey Callaway was the toast of New York when the Mets won 11 of their first 12 games with him as manager in 2018.
Less than two years later, Callaway no longer has a job.
The Mets on Thursday cut ties with the second-year manager despite an 86-76 season highlighted by a midsummer surge that put them in the postseason hunt.
Ultimately, New York fell short of October baseball, and it cost the 44-year-old Callaway his job.Comment -
stevenashModerator
- 01-17-11
- 65627
#3334Comment -
jrgum3SBR Hall of Famer
- 07-21-17
- 7005
#3335Of course Melancon blows a lead in the 8th to help screw up my under. The Braves bullpen is holding them back from being elite.Comment -
JaimeMiroSBR MVP
- 03-14-17
- 2515
#3336We're now in the thick of things; Astros up nextComment -
EmpireMakerSBR Posting Legend
- 06-18-09
- 15582
#3337- It’s “likely” the Athletics will non-tender or trade right-handed reliever Blake Treinen, according to Slusser, who also names second baseman Jurickson Profar as someone who’s in danger of winding up on the outs. Just a year ago at this time, Treinen was coming off perhaps one of the greatest seasons a reliever has ever posted. It would have unthinkable then that the A’s would be considering cutting the cord on him 12 months later, but it’s now understandable in light of his rough 2019. Injuries limited Treinen to 58 2/3 innings, and his numbers declined across the board when he was able to take the mound. Treinen recorded a 4.91 ERA/5.14 FIP with 9.05 K/9 and 5.68 BB/9 before his season ended in mid-September because of a stress reaction in his back. Although Treinen lost his job as the A’s closer this year, the saves he has amassed will help him in the arbitration process, where he’d be in line to collect a raise over the $6.4MM he earned in 2019. But the low-budget A’s could simply choose to walk away from the 31-year-old after his nightmarish campaign.
- Profar, like Treinen, entered the season as a player the A’s were counting on to successfully fill a big role. After acquiring the switch-hitter from the Rangers last winter, Oakland gave Profar ample opportunity to build on a career-best 2018 this season. Instead, Profar stumbled to an uninspiring .218/.301/.410 batting line in 518 plate appearances and earned negative grades at the keystone (minus-10 DRS, minus-1 UZR). The 26-year-old, who made $3.6MM in ’19, has one more season of arbitration eligibility remaining.
- The Athletics may have too many starters lined up for 2020 to justify re-signing pending free-agent left-hander Brett Anderson. The same likely goes for fellow soon-to-be FA starters Homer Bailey and Tanner Roark, Slusser suggests. The A’s acquired both righties over the summer, and the team ended up receiving surprisingly decent production from Bailey after years of struggles with multiple franchises. The 33-year-old Bailey, who told Slusser he “really enjoyed” his stint as an Athletic, pitched to a 4.30 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 across 73 1/3 innings in their uniform. Roark managed similar numbers in his 55 frames as a member of the club, with which he notched a 4.58 ERA and put up 8.2 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9.
- Lefty reliever Jake Diekman, yet another in-season trade pickup, could also depart in the next several weeks. However, the A’s at least figure to discuss retaining him, Slusser relays. He has a $5.75MM mutual option (or a $500K buyout) for next season. Diekman struggled mightily with his control as an Athletic this year, though, as he issued 16 walks, allowed 16 hits and yielded 10 earned runs in a 20 1/3-inning sample.
- This was a stunningly poor season for designated hitter Khris Davis, whom the team signed to a two-year, $33.5MM extension in April. At that point, Davis was coming off three consecutive 40-home run seasons and a remarkable four straight in which he batted .247. Both streaks came to an end this year, in which Davis hit .220/.293/.387 with 23 HRs in 533 trips to the plate as he dealt with injuries. But Davis “wasn’t injured at the end of the year,” said manager Bob Melvin, who expects a bounce-back performance from the slugger in 2020. Executive vice president Billy Beane shares Melvin’s optimism, saying he looks for a return to Davis’ “annual 40 homers, .247” next year.
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Otters27BARRELED IN @ SBR!
- 07-14-07
- 30760
#3338Braves 8th inning pitcher blew it for themComment -
CrossSBR Hall of Famer
- 04-15-11
- 5777
#3339Braves manager needs to be fired, how is your ace the game 3 starter???Comment -
koz-manSBR Hall of Famer
- 11-21-08
- 7102
#3341Braves stick with Ronald Acuna Jr. for Game 2 against Cards
ATLANTA -- Ronald Acuna Jr. remains in Atlanta's lineup, hitting leadoff and playing center field, for Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Acuna drew criticism from manager Brian Snitker and his teammates for his lack of hustle on a long fly ball in the seventh inning of the Cardinals' 7-6 win in Game 1 on Thursday night. Still, Acuna had three hits, including a two-run homer, and he remains a key to Atlanta's hopes in the series.Comment -
Chi_archieSBR Aristocracy
- 07-22-08
- 63172
#3342Braves stick with Ronald Acuna Jr. for Game 2 against Cards
ATLANTA -- Ronald Acuna Jr. remains in Atlanta's lineup, hitting leadoff and playing center field, for Game 2 of the NL Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Acuna drew criticism from manager Brian Snitker and his teammates for his lack of hustle on a long fly ball in the seventh inning of the Cardinals' 7-6 win in Game 1 on Thursday night. Still, Acuna had three hits, including a two-run homer, and he remains a key to Atlanta's hopes in the series.
I'd love to see him hit a 480 foot blast tonight and circle the bases in 14 secondsComment -
JMobileSBR Posting Legend
- 08-21-10
- 19074
#3343
I was always right.Comment -
EmpireMakerSBR Posting Legend
- 06-18-09
- 15582
#3344This week’s comments from Astros owner Jim Crane, wherein he expressed uncertainty about pursuing Gerrit Cole and stated a preference to remain south of the luxury tax, didn’t sit well with some of the team’s fans. Crane hardly issued a formal decree that Cole would sign elsewhere, but that’s long been the expectation based on Houston’s avoidance of doling out lengthy contracts to pitchers under the current regime. Rather, the Jeff Luhnow-led Astros have thrived at acquiring high-end pitching talent with multiple years of control while dodging the danger of six- and seven-year deals for pitchers.
Justin Verlander came to Houston with two years of club control remaining at a time when the Tigers desperately needed to shed money and replenish the farm. His subsequent extension the following year, while steep in annual value at $33MM, was only two years in length. Cole himself was acquired with two seasons of control remaining. This summer’s Zack Greinke trade was cut from the same cloth: pay up in young talent to add an elite arm without the inherent risk of committing six-plus years to said arm. Greinke is signed through 2021. In this regard (and many others), the Astros are the embodiment of the modern front office; pay a premium in annual value but eschew long-term commitments.
Recognizing that trend, the more interesting part of Crane’s comments was not that the Astros are unsure about pursuing a reunion with Cole but that the Astros prefer to remain under this year’s $208MM luxury barrier altogether. At first glance, that seems like an extraordinarily difficult task for the ’Stros to manage.
Based on the luxury tax calculations of our friend Jason Martinez at Roster Resource, Houston already has $165MM worth of salary counting against the luxury tax. Cot’s Contracts has them at $163MM. You might think that leaves about $43-45MM with which to work, but those estimates only include guaranteed contracts and estimated player benefits. They do not include the forthcoming raises for arbitration-eligible players, nor do they include the small but certainly not negligible chunk of money that’ll go to the pre-arbitration players on Houston’s 2020 roster.
The dilemma that’ll face the Astros this offseason becomes immediately apparent just by looking at their highest-profile arbitration case. George Springer earned $12MM in 2019 as part of a two-year, $24MM contract. That multi-year deal bought out Springer’s second and third arbitration seasons, but as a Super Two player, he’ll be eligible a fourth and final time this winter. I asked MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for an early peek at Springer’s arbitration projection, and Matt kindly and quickly got back to me with a projection of a $6.9MM raise for Springer.
As Matt further pointed out, Springer’s reps could even try to argue that his “base” for that raise should be higher than $12MM. He’d have earned more than that in 2019 had he gone year-to-year rather than sign that two-year deal, as the Astros filed at $8.5MM in 2018 and Springer at $10.5MM. The two-year deal was a compromise, but his camp could push for the raise to be based off a salary more reflective of what he might’ve earned in a more traditional arbitration setting. For instance, while the two sides agreed that his Arb-2 and Arb-3 years were worth a total of $24MM, Springer’s side could say that his 2018 season was worth roughly $9.5MM (the midpoint between their filing numbers), meaning 2019 was worth more like $14.5MM. Building a raise off that number would obviously push his salary higher than simply giving him a raise off his 2019 rate of $12MM.
Digression aside: Springer could very well cost Houston in the neighborhood of $20MM next season. Meanwhile, Roberto Osuna will be in line for a raise on this year’s $6.5MM salary, as will Carlos Correa ($5MM), Brad Peacock ($3.11MM), Jake Marisnick ($2.19MM), Aledmys Diaz ($2MM) and Joe Biagini ($900K). Lance McCullers Jr. won’t earn a raise after missing 2019 due to Tommy John surgery, but players who miss an entire year due to injury typically repeat the prior salary they’d earned in arbitration. That’d be another $4.1MM for McCullers. Chris Devenski has a club option that’d add another $2.825MM to the ledger if exercised. We know Aaron Sanchez is trending toward a non-tender thanks to his ill-timed shoulder procedure, but that does little to assuage the Astros’ mounting tax bill.
The Astros, as currently constructed, look to be a surefire luxury tax payor. It’s not just that signing an elite free agent would put them narrowly over the top; rather, doing so would send the Astros crashing through that ceiling and likely catapult them into the second tier of penalization by placing them more than $20MM over the initial threshold. If the goal is to avoid the tax entirely, the focus should be more on the current roster rather than any potential free agents.
So, what can the Astros do if the really are aiming to avoid penalization? They’ll be tasked with moving some existing contracts and perhaps be pushed into some additional non-tenders (or trades of lower-end arbitration-eligible assets). Josh Reddick and his four-year, $52MM contract come with a $13MM luxury hit. The Astros have an MLB-ready heir in right field with Kyle Tucker emerging late in 2019, so moving Reddick makes sense. It’d be difficult, however, for the Astros to find a taker without offsetting some of that salary — either by including cash in the deal or taking another (smaller) contract back in return. That’s a start, but it’s not going to do the job on its own.
How about Yuli Gurriel? He’s signed only through the 2020 season, and his $47.5MM contract comes with a $9.5MM annual luxury hit. He’ll turn 36 next June as well, so while he had a terrific 2019 season, it’s worth wondering whether this could’ve been his peak year. There’s also Osuna, who is only controlled through 2021 and could see his arbitration salary spike north of $10MM next year. The Astros have already locked in Ryan Pressly’s salaries thanks to his spring extension, so they’ll have a late-game replacement should they shop Osuna.
Looking at the team’s list of arbitration-eligible players, it’s arguable that Houston doesn’t need to pay upwards of $4MM for a fourth outfielder such as Marisnick. Trading him would pare things back a bit further.
The problem for Houston is that even in an immensely hypothetical scenario where they make several of these moves, they’re still going to be hard-pressed to make their necessary additions while remaining under that luxury limit. For argument’s sake, let’s say the Astros non-tender Sanchez, manage to dump all of Reddick’s contract without taking any money back (unlikely) and then trade each of Osuna, Marisnick and Devenski.
Accomplish that set of hypothetical (and, again, unlikely) goals, and they could come in $10-15MM south of the tax line … before accounting for pre-arbitration players (i.e. league minimum, or close to it).
At that point, Houston’s rotation would consist of Verlander, Greinke, a returning McCullers and Jose Urquidy. They’d still need to add at least one starting pitcher. Behind the plate they’d be looking at Garrett Stubbs, who had a 79 wRC+ in Triple-A this season and will turn 27 next May. They’d still need to add a catcher. In the bullpen, perhaps they could piece things together with Pressly, Peacock, Biagini, Josh James, Bryan Abreu, Framber Valdez, Cionel Perez and other internal options, but it seems likely they’d want to add a reliever.
There are obviously ways to address those needs without spending heavily in free agency. Any of the speculative trade scenarios could net a reliever or a catcher. Houston could take a largely blocked prospect like Abraham Toro and trade him as part of a package to acquire some pitching help that, like Toro, has yet to reach arbitration. We know that Tucker and Forrest Whitley are effectively off limits in trade talks, but the Astros still possess other appealing minor leaguers, even if their farm system is nowhere near the powerhouse it once was (15th on Baseball America’s midseason rankings, outside the top 15 at MLB.com).
None of this is to say that the Astros can’t address their offseason needs and also check in below the $208MM luxury tax line. It’s possible, but it’ll take some creative maneuvering and perhaps require some moves that don’t go over well with fans. That’s the reality of fielding such a deep roster with high-end rotation talent (Verlander, Greinke) and paying to retain homegrown stars (Altuve, Alex Bregman) while others prosper in arbitration (Springer, Correa). On the plus side, that overwhelmingly talented core the Astros possess should make them division favorites again in 2020 regardless of what supplementary pieces are acquired this winter.
The question for the Astros, though, should be whether the necessary gymnastics to stay below the luxury line are worth it. Houston could cross the luxury barrier by less than $20MM in 2020 and pay a maximum of … $4MM in penalties. Even if they exceed the top tax line by $40MM, they’d see their penalties total about $10.4MM. Paying the luxury tax on a yearly basis comes with some consequences. Paying it once and dipping back under the threshold a year later (say, when Springer, Gurriel, Peacock and Michael Brantley are all off the books) shouldn’t amount to much more than a slap on the wrist.
One thing that’s constant throughout these scenarios: none of them involve Gerrit Cole. Unless the Astros make some shocking trades this winter or suddenly decide they’re comfortable living in the second or third luxury bracket for the next couple of seasons, his salary no longer fits into this complex puzzle.Comment -
batt33SBR Hall of Famer
- 12-23-16
- 6035
#3345status quo for kershaw in the playoffs...Comment -
koz-manSBR Hall of Famer
- 11-21-08
- 7102
#3348Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer dominate Dodgers in Game 2
LOS ANGELES -- The bullpen gate swung open and out trotted ... Max Scherzer? Yep, Washington's ace surprised the Los Angeles Dodgers and even a few teammates in the eighth inning Friday night.
"All the chips are on the table right now," Scherzer said.
"We weren't expecting that," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Stephen Strasburg turned in another dominant playoff outing, Scherzer struck out the side and Washington held off the Dodgers 4-2 Friday night to even their National League Division Series at a game apiece.
Even with Scherzer's bullpen bombshell, Washington's shaky relief corps still ran into trouble. Daniel Hudson labored through the ninth, loading the bases with two outs before striking out Corey Seager for the save. The tense final inning also included a twisting, falling grab by third baseman Anthony Rendon on Cody Bellinger's pop fly in shallow left field, as well as a gutsy intentional walk by manager Dave Martinez that brought the winning run to bat.
Game 3 is back in Washington on Sunday night, where Scherzer was expected to face major league ERA leader Hyun-Jin Ryu.Comment -
ApricotSinner32Restricted User
- 11-28-10
- 10648
#3350Stephen Strasburg, Max Scherzer dominate Dodgers in Game 2
LOS ANGELES -- The bullpen gate swung open and out trotted ... Max Scherzer? Yep, Washington's ace surprised the Los Angeles Dodgers and even a few teammates in the eighth inning Friday night.
"All the chips are on the table right now," Scherzer said.
"We weren't expecting that," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
Stephen Strasburg turned in another dominant playoff outing, Scherzer struck out the side and Washington held off the Dodgers 4-2 Friday night to even their National League Division Series at a game apiece.
Even with Scherzer's bullpen bombshell, Washington's shaky relief corps still ran into trouble. Daniel Hudson labored through the ninth, loading the bases with two outs before striking out Corey Seager for the save. The tense final inning also included a twisting, falling grab by third baseman Anthony Rendon on Cody Bellinger's pop fly in shallow left field, as well as a gutsy intentional walk by manager Dave Martinez that brought the winning run to bat.
Game 3 is back in Washington on Sunday night, where Scherzer was expected to face major league ERA leader Hyun-Jin Ryu.Comment -
CrossSBR Hall of Famer
- 04-15-11
- 5777
#3354Garrett Cole is on a different planet right now.Comment -
CrossSBR Hall of Famer
- 04-15-11
- 5777
#3356Who thinks Dodgers go down in round one??Comment -
EmpireMakerSBR Posting Legend
- 06-18-09
- 15582
#3357Sunday will mark the first postseason game played in St. Louis in three years, but Cardinals manager Mike Schildt will be trusting the game’s start to a relatively practiced postseason hand. Redbirds legend Adam Wainwright–a free-agent-to-be this offseason–will be taking the ball for Schildt, who is counting on the pitcher’s experience with what promises to be a raucous Busch Stadium atmosphere.
“You have to account for some of the vibe that’s going on out there,” Schildt told Anne Rogers of MLB.com today, “You have to be able to calm your nerves and you have to be able to control your adrenaline, because I’ve seen it where guys go out there and they’re feeling on top of the moon and their adrenaline is rushing, and two innings later they’re out of gas.”
As Rogers notes, Wainwright will be making his 24th appearance in a postseason game (13 starts), after first appearing in the national October spotlight in 2006 as a relief ace for then-manager Tony La Russa’s World Series-winning Cards team. That year saw a 24-year-old Wainwright begin his playoff career with 9.2 scoreless innings, and he has only followed up that initial success by compiling a nifty 3.03 ERA across 89.0 career postseason innings. This year marked the now-38-year-old’s first season over the 30-start mark since 2016, and this October should provide him yet another opportunity to assure the Cardinals–and rival clubs–that he deserves a healthy free agent guarantee this winter.
More notes from around the National League in anticipation of Sunday’s NLDS doubleheader…
- The Associated Press is circulating a story involving Wainwright’s teammate Ryan Helsley, who did not take kindly to witnessing the en masse enactment of the Braves’ “Tomahawk Chop” tradition during Game 1 of the NLDS this Thursday (link). In comments originally made to writer/hero Derrick Goold, Helsley, who is a member of the Cherokee nation, called the “Chop” “disappointing” and “disrespectful”. “[The tradition] just depicts them in this kind of caveman-type people way who aren’t intellectual. They are a lot more than that. It’s not me being offended by the whole mascot thing. It’s not. It’s about the misconception of us, the Native Americans, and how we’re perceived in that way, or used as mascots.” Of course, with the NLDS tied 1-1 heading to St. Louis for Game 3 of the best-of-five NLDS, it’s possible Helsley could have a say in preventing the series returning to Atlanta. The 25-year-old Oklahoman pitched to a 2.95 ERA in 36.2 innings in 2019, his rookie season.
- Giants executive Farhan Zaidi already made MLBTR headlines today, when he gave some insight into the team’s ongoing search for a new GM. In a separate set of quotes relayed by NBC’s Alex Pavlovic, Zaidi conducted something of a performance self-assessment in regard to his work at the 2019 trade deadline–and it’s clear Zaidi is a fair critic (link). “I feel like I alternate nights losing sleep about not potentially buying at the deadline and trying to improve our chances this year, or selling more at the deadline and setting ourselves up better for 2020 and going forward,” Zaidi admitted to Pavlovic. It stands to reason that the veteran baseball man would be left with some cognitive dissonance over his team’s activity this summer, being that the club took something of a walk-the-line approach in their dealings.
While San Francisco held onto impending free agents Madison Bumgarner and Will Smith (and sacrificed the potential prospect assets they might have acquired in a deal involving those players), the team also shaved down the bullpen by sending away Drew Pomeranz, Sam Dyson, and Mark Melancon in separate deals. To be fair, Zaidi was in perhaps the toughest position of any club executive heading into this year’s deadline, as his expected-to-flounder 2019 Giants ripped off a stunning run of success in advance of the Jul. 31 push-or-shove precipice. After playing to their expected level for much of the year, Bruce Bochy’s boys of summer went 19-6 in July, ultimately forcing their front office leader into something of a compromising position. The Giants went 22-36 from Aug. 1 onward, ultimately finishing with a 77-85 record.
Comment -
JaimeMiroSBR MVP
- 03-14-17
- 2515
#3358Yankees looking solid so far. still too early thoughComment -
ApricotSinner32Restricted User
- 11-28-10
- 10648
#3359Yankees are too good it's all over babyComment
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