The 2020 Major League Baseball Player Chatter, News and Fantasy Thread.

[EmpireMaker]

NL West – Dodgers (106-56; won division by 21 games)

• It’s hard to assess the Dodgers’ roster without knowing if their planned Mookie Betts acquisition will go through. There are many moving parts involved in that deal, as a Betts pickup would send fellow outfielders Alex Verdugo and Joc Pederson, not to mention righty Kenta Maeda, to different teams. Regardless of that, and regardless of what wasn’t an especially active offseason for the Dodgers before the Betts swap, they’re in line to take home their eighth straight division championship in 2020. That said, they’ll face more competition from the Diamondbacks and Padres. Those two teams have enjoyed impressive offseasons, though it’s still difficult to imagine either toppling the juggernaut Dodgers in 2020.

NL East – Braves (97-65; won division by four games)

• The Braves lost a few key free agents in Josh Donaldson, Dallas Keuchel and Julio Teheran, but they still look like a rock-solid club when considering the talent on hand and their new additions. Ronald Acuna Jr., Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies and Mike Soroka continue to headline their core, and they’ve picked up Will Smith, Marcell Ozuna, Cole Hamels and Travis d’Arnaud in free agency. There’s little doubt the Braves will be very good again in 2020; problem is that they’re stuck in a division with two or three real challengers. The Nationals, last year’s world champions, as well as the Mets and Phillies have done quite a bit of tinkering with their rosters this winter. Even the Marlins have tried to better themselves. All things considered, the NL East is shaping up to be a dogfight this year.

NL Central – Cardinals (91-71; won division by two games)

• Like the NL East, the NL Central should be hotly contested in 2020. The Cardinals ruled by a thin margin last season, but they’ve since had a pretty low-key offseason. For the most part, they’ll be relying on their talent from 2019 to nab another title this year. Luckily for the Cardinals, neither the Brewers nor Cubs look demonstrably better (they’re arguably worse) than they were last season, and the Pirates’ roster is a mess. The Reds have been one of the offseason’s busiest teams, though, and look as if they’ll have a chance to jump from 75-win team to playoff-caliber club in 2020.

[ApricotSinner32]

NL West – Dodgers (106-56; won division by 21 games)

• It’s hard to assess the Dodgers’ roster without knowing if their planned Mookie Betts acquisition will go through. There are many moving parts involved in that deal, as a Betts pickup would send fellow outfielders Alex Verdugo and Joc Pederson, not to mention righty Kenta Maeda, to different teams. Regardless of that, and regardless of what wasn’t an especially active offseason for the Dodgers before the Betts swap, they’re in line to take home their eighth straight division championship in 2020. That said, they’ll face more competition from the Diamondbacks and Padres. Those two teams have enjoyed impressive offseasons, though it’s still difficult to imagine either toppling the juggernaut Dodgers in 2020.

NL East – Braves (97-65; won division by four games)

• The Braves lost a few key free agents in Josh Donaldson, Dallas Keuchel and Julio Teheran, but they still look like a rock-solid club when considering the talent on hand and their new additions. Ronald Acuna Jr., Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies and Mike Soroka continue to headline their core, and they’ve picked up Will Smith, Marcell Ozuna, Cole Hamels and Travis d’Arnaud in free agency. There’s little doubt the Braves will be very good again in 2020; problem is that they’re stuck in a division with two or three real challengers. The Nationals, last year’s world champions, as well as the Mets and Phillies have done quite a bit of tinkering with their rosters this winter. Even the Marlins have tried to better themselves. All things considered, the NL East is shaping up to be a dogfight this year.

NL Central – Cardinals (91-71; won division by two games)

• Like the NL East, the NL Central should be hotly contested in 2020. The Cardinals ruled by a thin margin last season, but they’ve since had a pretty low-key offseason. For the most part, they’ll be relying on their talent from 2019 to nab another title this year. Luckily for the Cardinals, neither the Brewers nor Cubs look demonstrably better (they’re arguably worse) than they were last season, and the Pirates’ roster is a mess. The Reds have been one of the offseason’s busiest teams, though, and look as if they’ll have a chance to jump from 75-win team to playoff-caliber club in 2020.

[jrgum3]

Reds look good on paper.

The division is wide open for the Reds now we'll see if all those moves pay off...

[Chi_archie]

The division is wide open for the Reds now we'll see if all those moves pay off...

central could be fun to watch

[koz-man]

Reds look to sort outfield during Spring Training


CINCINNATI -- That’s one crowded outfield for the Reds, especially when you consider that 25 percent of the 40-man roster is currently held by a player whose primary position is in the outfield.
That’s 10 outfielders in total. Obviously, not all of them will be on the 26-man roster and some familiar players from last season may not make the club. It will give manager David Bell, the coaches and the front office plenty to chew over throughout Spring Training, from doling out playing time in camp to deciding who will be with the club when camp breaks on March 23.

“I’ve never seen it not work itself out,” Bell said. “Maybe there will be surprises but I’m confident we’ll just figure it out. And when you have the guys that we have, it makes it a lot easier. They want to win and are willing to do what it takes.”

The Reds went into the offseason with several outfielders already, but each brought a level of uncertainty to the mix. There was also a need for more offense on a club that could not support quality pitching performances. Cincinnati had a minus-10 run differential while finishing fourth with 75 wins in the 2019 National League Central division race.


That prompted the front office to seek players with more established track records. The biggest move was to sign power-hitting corner outfielder Nick Castellanos to a four-year, $64 million contract. In December, Japanese star Shogo Akiyama was signed to a three-year, $21 million contract. A smaller move in the fall brought in speedster Travis Jankowski, formerly of the Padres.

The new players joined a group that already included Nick Senzel, Jesse Winker, Aristides Aquino, Phillip Ervin, Josh VanMeter and Scott Schebler. There is also Rule 5 player Mark Payton.

“We’re not just looking at, ‘Hey this is our lineup on Opening Day, and this is what we have to go with.’ It’s how you can be the best possible team over the course of a full season,” general manager Nick Krall said.
Senzel and Winker had their seasons end early each of the last two years because of injuries. As a rookie, Aquino had two months of extremes in 2019, with 14 homers and 1.158 OPS in August before he struggled while hitting only five homers with a .619 OPS in September. Both the lefty-hitting Winker and righty-hitting Ervin have splits more fitting of a platoon.

VanMeter spent the previous Spring Training in Minor League camp but came up after a strong month in Triple-A and became a versatile role player. Schebler hit 30 homers for the Reds in 2017 and missed time with injuries in ’18. He endured a brutal year last season, first struggling and losing his roster spot to Senzel, then struggling for Triple-A Louisville before finishing the season on the affiliate’s injured list because of shoulder surgery.
Even with the full squad due to report on Feb. 16, specific outfield spots still have yet to be assigned. Versatility will definitely be key.

Castellanos could appear in left field or right field -- but has below-average defensive ratings.

Akiyama -- a five-time Gold Glove center fielder over nine seasons in Japan -- will be used in all three spots and likely serve as the primary leadoff hitter.

Senzel, a natural infielder who learned on the job in center field last season, could be used there or at second base.

Winker, Ervin, Jankowski and Schebler can play all three spots as well. The outfielder who could get squeezed most is Aquino, who has a Minor League option and solely played right field last season.

“We have a lot of options and that’s what you need. It’s like a dream come true for any team, manager, players, fans or city where you have a team that has depth and a lot of guys that are going to contribute," Bell said. "It’s a great situation. This is a kind of situation that you want to be in in any organization, on any team.”

[Otters27]

Is there any pitcher that throws under 90 these days?

[Stallion]

Maybe the Dodgers can get out of the 1st round of the playoffs this season.

[BigSpoon]

Kendrys Morales retires after a 13 year career. He had a nice career, won a championship and made over $69M in career earnings.

[batt33]

Hunter Pence returns to the The Giants.On Friday night they announced they have signed the former star outfielder to a one-year, $3 million contract that includes up to $2.5 million in incentives.

Pence batted .297 and hit 18 homers last year, making the All-Star team after winning a job out of camp with the Rangers.

[Cross]

Ah, Kyle Hendricks, the Professor!

[mr. leisure]

Twins pull out of original three-team Mookie Betts trade with Dodgers, Red Sox with next steps uncertain

The Twins will keep Brusdar Graterol after all

[stevenash]

Hunter Pence returns to the The Giants.On Friday night they announced they have signed the former star outfielder to a one-year, $3 million contract that includes up to $2.5 million in incentives.

Pence batted .297 and hit 18 homers last year, making the All-Star team after winning a job out of camp with the Rangers.

I always liked Hunter Pence

[EmpireMaker]

The Boston Red Sox have agreed to a two-year, $10MM deal with outfielder Andrew Benintendi, avoiding arbitration, per Alex Speier of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). The deal is set to pay out $3.4MM this season and $6.6MM in 2021, tweets MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. He will count against the luxury tax at $5MM per season.
The news comes at a good time for the Red Sox, who are mired in negotiations to deal away fellow outfielder Mookie Betts. As for Benintendi, he was eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason, and he’ll have one more season of eligibility after this new extension expires prior to 2022. He is due to hit free agency after the 2022 season.
Prior to reaching the agreement, team and player had been set to face off in arbitration. The Red Sox offered $3.4MM. Benintendi requested $4.150MM. It’s certainly noteworthy that Benintendi ultimately agreed on the sum put forth by the team (with the second year addendum). Benintendi is represented by Excel Sports Management.
Benintendi, 25, wasted no time in making his ascent to the majors after the Red Sox made him a first round pick out of the University of Arkansas in the 2015 draft. He has been a steady contributor in left since making his debut as a 21-year-old at the tail end of 2016. Benintendi’s best year came in 2018 when he put together a stellar campaign at the dish worth 3.9 bWAR/4.4 fWAR, more than playing his part in helping the Red Sox to a now-under-review 2018 World Series title.
Outside of that 2018 season, Benintendi has been closer to average at the plate, sandwiching a 122 wRC+ season in 2018 between marks of 102 wRC+ and 100 wRC+ in 2017 and 2019, respectively. He’s a solid baserunner, and though anecdotal evidence might say otherwise, defensive metrics have not looked kindly on Benintendi’s overall body of work, especially in 2019 (-10 OAA, -3 DRS, 1.4 UZR). Still, at only 25-years-old, there’s plenty of upside remaining in Benintendi’s overall profile, and for the next two seasons, the Red Sox will have him under contract at reasonable rates.

[jrgum3]

I always liked Hunter Pence

Me too he was a big reason why the Giants won the World Series twice his first go around with the team. I think he can still play but more than likely he is just a much needed mentor for the younger players on the team which isn't a bad thing.

[batt33]

Me too he was a big reason why the Giants won the World Series twice his first go around with the team. I think he can still play but more than likely he is just a much needed mentor for the younger players on the team which isn't a bad thing.

agreed, While the new leadership is in to numbers, stats and all that stuff, It's nice to know that they still factor in team chemistry and presence of mentors.

[Cross]

Pence is an odd dude, but very cool!

[BigSpoon]

Twins pull out of original three-team Mookie Betts trade with Dodgers, Red Sox with next steps uncertain

The Twins will keep Brusdar Graterol after all

It would be crazy if the Betts trade is off.

[Chi_archie]

Pence is an odd dude, but very cool!

Adds flavor

[koz-man]

Rays trade Emilio Pagan to Padres for Manuel Margot, prospect

The Tampa Bay Rays traded reliever Emilio Pagan to the San Diego Padres for center fielder Manuel Margot and catcher/outfielder prospect Logan Driscoll, the teams announced Saturday.
The Rays boasted one of the deepest bullpens in baseball, and now the same can be said of the Padres, who add Pagan to a group that includes Kirby Yates, Drew Pomeranz, Craig Stammen, Matt Strahm and Andres Munoz.
Pagan, 28, posted a 2.31 ERA across 70 innings for the Rays last season. He led the team's vaunted bullpen in saves (20) and strikeouts (96) and posted career highs in WHIP (0.81) and opponent average (.179).

[JaimeMiro]

Dodgers looked like they had Mollie Betts signing under wraps; how quickly the tide turns
Not bad having some preseason drama

[ApricotSinner32]

Dodgers looked like they had Mollie Betts signing under wraps; how quickly the tide turns
Not bad having some preseason drama

[stevenash]

MLB team totals are out.
My best bet is the Reds to win more than 83.5 games.

[cincinnatikid513]

MLB team totals are out.
My best bet is the Reds to win more than 83.5 games.

hope so, hard to trust this team though

[Cross]

So I think Betts trade is finally done?

[mr. leisure]

Dodgers, Angels unable to complete Joc Pederson trade after Mookie Betts deal restructured, per report

The trade had been agreed to pending the completion of the Mookie Betts blockbuster

The pending trade that would have sent outfielder Joc Pederson from the Dodgers to the Angels is now off, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Last week, the Dodgers had reportedly agreed to send Pederson and right-hander Ross Stripling to the Angels in exchange for infielder Luis Rengifo. The Pederson deal was contingent upon the blockbuster trade that would send Mookie Betts to the Dodgers from the Red Sox.
That Betts blockbuster deal was restructured, and eventually finalized on Sunday. That seemingly would clear the decks for the Pederson deal to also be finalized, but, per Rosenthal, that's not going to happen. As well, Stripling will also go back to the Dodgers.
Pederson, who turns 28 in April, is coming off a 2019 season in which he hit 36 homers with a 127 OPS+ and 3.3 WAR. For his career he owns an OPS+ of 118 across parts of six major league seasons. The lefty struggles against same-side pitching, which means he's best deployed as the heavy half of a platoon arrangement. He can get by in center, but he's best deployed in an outfield corner these days.

Pederson, who was second-year arbitration-eligible this offseason, will be paid a $7.75 million salary for 2020. He's eligible for free agency next offseason.
Following the addition of Betts, the Dodgers have a crowded outfield, which means they're likely still looking to move Pederson. Given Pederson's left-handed power and relatively modest price tag, that should be easily achieved.
As for what happened between the Dodgers and Angels, Rosenthal reports that it's possible the deal was pegged to the Betts trade in its original format. Since the structure of the Betts trade changed, it may have nixed the Pederson deal.

[EmpireMaker]

While recovering from November wrist surgery, Tyler Glasnow is tinkering with his arsenal. The big right-hander plans on ditching his changeup and replacing it with a splitter, tweets MLB.com’s Juan Toribio . Glasnow’s changeup has never been a primary feature of his arsenal, topping at a 10.3% usage rate in 2017. It also hasn’t been a particularly effective pitch, save for in 2019 when hitters managed to slug just .125 against it, albeit in very limited usage (3.5%). It’s certainly intriguing to dream on a splitter to compliment Glasnow’s two lockdown offerings, but the pitch will have to survive spring training before taking on much (if any) significance. On a night of high drama, let’s check in on a couple other pitchers…

• Michael Wacha recognizes the starting depth he will be contending against in Mets camp this spring, but he’s undaunted, per Newsday’s Tim Healey. After all, as Healey points out, Wacha twice fought his way back into the Cardinals rotation last season after time in the bullpen. Of course, that might also be a sign that he’s the likeliest of the Mets’ six rotation candidates to start the year out of the money (both literally and figuratively, given the incentives in Wacha’s contract for games started). Wacha finished last season with a 4.76 ERA/5.61 FIP across 126 2/3 innings, and he’s only twice crossed the 150 inning threshold. It’ll be an uphill climb for Wacha to make the rotation by opening day, but it’s not impossible. Given the injury rate, there’s a decent chance he finds his way into the rotation at some point in 2020 regardless.
• Jack Flaherty isn’t eligible for arbitration until after the 2020 season, which means he can’t test free agency until following 2023, but the Cardinals ought to do their due diligence in locking him up now, writes Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Easier said than done of course, especially with a player who has already shown signs of understanding his tremendous value. Frederickson recounts Flaherty’s rejection of the Cardinals salary offer before last season, which cost him $10,000, though the penalty was worth it from Flaherty’s perspective. The statement he was able to make about the current system was of bigger importance to the Cardinals’ ace. That’s a good sign in terms of Flaherty’s character and competitive spirit, but perhaps less so for Cardinals fans hoping for news of an early extension. Flaherty’s displeasure with the arbitration system has little to do with the Cardinals, of course, but after a dominant 2019 in which he posted a 2.75 ERA/3.46 FIP, including a mind-boggling 0.91 ERA in the second half, it’s understandable for Flaherty to be at least a little displeased at making close to the league minimum.

[JaimeMiro]

Dodgers, Angels unable to complete Joc Pederson trade after Mookie Betts deal restructured, per report

The trade had been agreed to pending the completion of the Mookie Betts blockbuster

The pending trade that would have sent outfielder Joc Pederson from the Dodgers to the Angels is now off, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Last week, the Dodgers had reportedly agreed to send Pederson and right-hander Ross Stripling to the Angels in exchange for infielder Luis Rengifo. The Pederson deal was contingent upon the blockbuster trade that would send Mookie Betts to the Dodgers from the Red Sox.
That Betts blockbuster deal was restructured, and eventually finalized on Sunday. That seemingly would clear the decks for the Pederson deal to also be finalized, but, per Rosenthal, that's not going to happen. As well, Stripling will also go back to the Dodgers.
Pederson, who turns 28 in April, is coming off a 2019 season in which he hit 36 homers with a 127 OPS+ and 3.3 WAR. For his career he owns an OPS+ of 118 across parts of six major league seasons. The lefty struggles against same-side pitching, which means he's best deployed as the heavy half of a platoon arrangement. He can get by in center, but he's best deployed in an outfield corner these days.

Pederson, who was second-year arbitration-eligible this offseason, will be paid a $7.75 million salary for 2020. He's eligible for free agency next offseason.
Following the addition of Betts, the Dodgers have a crowded outfield, which means they're likely still looking to move Pederson. Given Pederson's left-handed power and relatively modest price tag, that should be easily achieved.
As for what happened between the Dodgers and Angels, Rosenthal reports that it's possible the deal was pegged to the Betts trade in its original format. Since the structure of the Betts trade changed, it may have nixed the Pederson deal.

Changes Dodgers fan outlook on season

[jrgum3]

MLB team totals are out.
My best bet is the Reds to win more than 83.5 games.

Interesting take there. The division is wide open and on paper the Redlegs look good. Hope it translates into wins because I think they could be fun to watch.

[Chi_archie]

While recovering from November wrist surgery, Tyler Glasnow is tinkering with his arsenal. The big right-hander plans on ditching his changeup and replacing it with a splitter, tweets MLB.com’s Juan Toribio . Glasnow’s changeup has never been a primary feature of his arsenal, topping at a 10.3% usage rate in 2017. It also hasn’t been a particularly effective pitch, save for in 2019 when hitters managed to slug just .125 against it, albeit in very limited usage (3.5%). It’s certainly intriguing to dream on a splitter to compliment Glasnow’s two lockdown offerings, but the pitch will have to survive spring training before taking on much (if any) significance. On a night of high drama, let’s check in on a couple other pitchers…

• Michael Wacha recognizes the starting depth he will be contending against in Mets camp this spring, but he’s undaunted, per Newsday’s Tim Healey. After all, as Healey points out, Wacha twice fought his way back into the Cardinals rotation last season after time in the bullpen. Of course, that might also be a sign that he’s the likeliest of the Mets’ six rotation candidates to start the year out of the money (both literally and figuratively, given the incentives in Wacha’s contract for games started). Wacha finished last season with a 4.76 ERA/5.61 FIP across 126 2/3 innings, and he’s only twice crossed the 150 inning threshold. It’ll be an uphill climb for Wacha to make the rotation by opening day, but it’s not impossible. Given the injury rate, there’s a decent chance he finds his way into the rotation at some point in 2020 regardless.
• Jack Flaherty isn’t eligible for arbitration until after the 2020 season, which means he can’t test free agency until following 2023, but the Cardinals ought to do their due diligence in locking him up now, writes Ben Frederickson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Easier said than done of course, especially with a player who has already shown signs of understanding his tremendous value. Frederickson recounts Flaherty’s rejection of the Cardinals salary offer before last season, which cost him $10,000, though the penalty was worth it from Flaherty’s perspective. The statement he was able to make about the current system was of bigger importance to the Cardinals’ ace. That’s a good sign in terms of Flaherty’s character and competitive spirit, but perhaps less so for Cardinals fans hoping for news of an early extension. Flaherty’s displeasure with the arbitration system has little to do with the Cardinals, of course, but after a dominant 2019 in which he posted a 2.75 ERA/3.46 FIP, including a mind-boggling 0.91 ERA in the second half, it’s understandable for Flaherty to be at least a little displeased at making close to the league minimum.

Glasnow with a good splitter could be tough

[batt33]

Dodgers, Angels unable to complete Joc Pederson trade after Mookie Betts deal restructured, per report

The trade had been agreed to pending the completion of the Mookie Betts blockbuster

The pending trade that would have sent outfielder Joc Pederson from the Dodgers to the Angels is now off, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Last week, the Dodgers had reportedly agreed to send Pederson and right-hander Ross Stripling to the Angels in exchange for infielder Luis Rengifo. The Pederson deal was contingent upon the blockbuster trade that would send Mookie Betts to the Dodgers from the Red Sox.
That Betts blockbuster deal was restructured, and eventually finalized on Sunday. That seemingly would clear the decks for the Pederson deal to also be finalized, but, per Rosenthal, that's not going to happen. As well, Stripling will also go back to the Dodgers.
Pederson, who turns 28 in April, is coming off a 2019 season in which he hit 36 homers with a 127 OPS+ and 3.3 WAR. For his career he owns an OPS+ of 118 across parts of six major league seasons. The lefty struggles against same-side pitching, which means he's best deployed as the heavy half of a platoon arrangement. He can get by in center, but he's best deployed in an outfield corner these days.

Pederson, who was second-year arbitration-eligible this offseason, will be paid a $7.75 million salary for 2020. He's eligible for free agency next offseason.
Following the addition of Betts, the Dodgers have a crowded outfield, which means they're likely still looking to move Pederson. Given Pederson's left-handed power and relatively modest price tag, that should be easily achieved.
As for what happened between the Dodgers and Angels, Rosenthal reports that it's possible the deal was pegged to the Betts trade in its original format. Since the structure of the Betts trade changed, it may have nixed the Pederson deal.

I thought this trade was a done deal...interesting

[koz-man]

MLB team totals are out.
My best bet is the Reds to win more than 83.5 games.

Yes!!!

[ApricotSinner32]

Interesting take there. The division is wide open and on paper the Redlegs look good. Hope it translates into wins because I think they could be fun to watch.

[stevenash]

To me it looks like a Yankee/Dodger World Series

[EmpireMaker]

Athletics right-hander Daniel Mengden underwent arthroscopic surgery on his pitching elbow Monday, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Mengden will miss at least two months as a result, making it likely he’ll begin the season on the 60-day injured list, according to Slusser.
The 26-year-old Mengden divided last season between the A’s and their Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas, totaling 13 appearances for both teams. He started nine games for Oakland and pitched to a 4.83 ERA/4.69 FIP with ugly strikeout, walk and groundball rates over 59 2/3 innings. Mengden fanned 6.34 hitters per nine, walked 4.07 and induced grounders at a 36.3 percent clip. He was much better in those categories in the minors (8.58 K/9, 2.82 BB/9, 51.4 percent GB rate), but his run prevention was somewhat similar. Mengden wound up with a 4.22 ERA/4.55 FIP across 64 frames and 10 starts.
While Mengden has mostly been a starter in the majors since he came on the scene in 2016, he’d have been in line to compete for a bullpen spot this spring. The A’s, after all, have plenty of other rotation candidates or locks (Frankie Montas, Sean Manaea, Mike Fiers, Jesus Luzardo, Chris Bassitt and A.J. Puk are among them). It’s now up in the air whether Mengden will throw another pitch as a member of the organization, considering he’s out of minor league options. But if he does go on the 60-day IL, Oakland will save a 40-man roster spot and put that decision on hold.

[JaimeMiro]

To me it looks like a Yankee/Dodger World Series

Reality is different... Dodgers ain't winning if they don't learn how to beat the rules, still crying over 2017 World Series
Hope Astros spank that ass in another rodeo