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

[batt33]

Pat the Bat is back and will try to mentor the next generation of Giants sluggers.
Pat Burrell, a key piece on San Francisco's 2010 championship team, will be the hitting coach for the San Jose Giants.

[JaimeMiro]

^
Nova's done, once the league figured out how to hit his off speed junk he was reduced to a run of the mill ordinary starter.

Was thinking the same, maybe Tigers have something else up their sleeves

[BigSpoon]

josh donaldson to the twins 4 years 92 million

No one was willing to give him the $100M he was looking for.

[EmpireMaker]

The last elite free agent of the winter came off the board Tuesday when third baseman Josh Donaldson agreed to a four-year, $92MM guarantee with Minnesota. Not only does the addition strengthen an already power-happy Twins offense, but it’s also a significant blow for an Atlanta team that received outstanding production from Donaldson in 2019. The club’s situation at third, where Johan Camargo and Austin Riley are in-house front-runners to take over for Donaldson, now looks far less imposing sans Donaldson.
Camargo was effective as recently as two years ago, but his production nosedived during a season to forget in 2019. Riley’s not far removed from a run as a standout prospect, and he began his major league career well last season. However, thanks largely to a bloated strikeout rate (36.4 percent), he endured enormous struggles as 2019 progressed.
There aren’t any obvious answers left at third in free agency, so the Braves could begin the season with what they have at the position and opt for a power bat at another spot (Marcell Ozuna? Nicholas Castellanos?). On the other hand, there are two all-world trade chips in the Cubs’ Kris Bryant and the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado looming on that market.
While Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that the Braves are “expected” to revisit previous talks with the Cubs regarding Bryant, David O’Brien of The Athletic throws a bit of cold water on that. The Braves “haven’t been gung-ho on either,” per O’Brien. As was reported previously, the Braves have concerns over Bryant’s defense. And the former MVP’s contract status figures to help stand in the way of a trade with the Braves or anyone else for at least a little while longer. The Cubs and the rest of the league continue to await word on whether Bryant has one or two years of control left after he filed a service-time grievance in October.
Similarly, there are questions over how much longer it’ll be before Arenado becomes a free agent. Unlike Bryant, Arenado is on a long-term contract – a guaranteed $234MM over seven years – but he will be able to opt out of it after his age-30 season in 2021. The massive amount left on Arenado’s deal, his opt-out rights and a hesitance to surrender multiple prospects for him have led to wariness from the Braves, according to O’Brien.
As of last month, general manager Alex Anthopolous and the Braves were on the hunt for a middle-of-the-order hitter. The hope then was that Donaldson would take on that role again in 2020, but the two-time reigning NL East champions’ lineup suddenly looks much weaker now that he’s gone. With strong free-agent options dwindling, the Braves hardly shoo-ins to land either Bryant or Arenado, and their projected Opening-Day payroll ($140MM) already $5MM higher than last year’s season-ending outlay, it’s unclear where the Braves will go from here.

[jrgum3]

Pat the Bat is back and will try to mentor the next generation of Giants sluggers.
Pat Burrell, a key piece on San Francisco's 2010 championship team, will be the hitting coach for the San Jose Giants.

I loved Pat Burrell when he played for the Giants. He wasn’t a great hitter but he could run into one just often enough to help your club. I think it’s good he’s working with the Giants minor leaguers.

[Chi_archie]

I loved Pat Burrell when he played for the Giants. He wasn’t a great hitter but he could run into one just often enough to help your club. I think it’s good he’s working with the Giants minor leaguers.

Every team needs a Burrell or two to win

[ApricotSinner32]

I loved Pat Burrell when he played for the Giants. He wasn’t a great hitter but he could run into one just often enough to help your club. I think it’s good he’s working with the Giants minor leaguers.

[Stallion]

Atlanta needs some help if they want to compete next year.

[stevenash]

Atlanta needs some help if they want to compete next year.

Truth, right now Washington is the team to beat.

[Cross]

Anyone that is mentioning Kris Bryant’s defense as a negative is only trying to drive his trade value down. He is a solid defender, not a gold glover. Also he can add value by playing corner outfield spots decently.

[batt33]

I loved Pat Burrell when he played for the Giants. He wasn’t a great hitter but he could run into one just often enough to help your club. I think it’s good he’s working with the Giants minor leaguers.

Pat and Mike Morse seem to go hand in hand in my mind, for that role.....just one pitch....

[EmpireMaker]

The White Sox and utility player Andrew Romine have agreed to a minor league contract, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports. Romine will earn a $900K salary if he reaches the majors in 2020.
A fifth-round pick of the Angels in 2007, Romine debuted in the majors in 2010 and has since combined for 1,323 major league plate appearances with the Halos, Tigers and Mariners. While Romine has lined up all over the diamond in that span, offensive success has been hard to come by for the 34-year-old switch-hitter. So far, Romine has only managed a .235/.291/.301 line with 10 home runs.
Romine saw at least some MLB action in each season from 2010-18, but he spent all of last year in Triple-A ball with the Phillies. He slashed .289/.342/.409 with eight homers and 21 stolen bases across 417 trips to the plate.

[JaimeMiro]

The last elite free agent of the winter came off the board Tuesday when third baseman Josh Donaldson agreed to a four-year, $92MM guarantee with Minnesota. Not only does the addition strengthen an already power-happy Twins offense, but it’s also a significant blow for an Atlanta team that received outstanding production from Donaldson in 2019. The club’s situation at third, where Johan Camargo and Austin Riley are in-house front-runners to take over for Donaldson, now looks far less imposing sans Donaldson.
Camargo was effective as recently as two years ago, but his production nosedived during a season to forget in 2019. Riley’s not far removed from a run as a standout prospect, and he began his major league career well last season. However, thanks largely to a bloated strikeout rate (36.4 percent), he endured enormous struggles as 2019 progressed.
There aren’t any obvious answers left at third in free agency, so the Braves could begin the season with what they have at the position and opt for a power bat at another spot (Marcell Ozuna? Nicholas Castellanos?). On the other hand, there are two all-world trade chips in the Cubs’ Kris Bryant and the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado looming on that market.
While Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets that the Braves are “expected” to revisit previous talks with the Cubs regarding Bryant, David O’Brien of The Athletic throws a bit of cold water on that. The Braves “haven’t been gung-ho on either,” per O’Brien. As was reported previously, the Braves have concerns over Bryant’s defense. And the former MVP’s contract status figures to help stand in the way of a trade with the Braves or anyone else for at least a little while longer. The Cubs and the rest of the league continue to await word on whether Bryant has one or two years of control left after he filed a service-time grievance in October.
Similarly, there are questions over how much longer it’ll be before Arenado becomes a free agent. Unlike Bryant, Arenado is on a long-term contract – a guaranteed $234MM over seven years – but he will be able to opt out of it after his age-30 season in 2021. The massive amount left on Arenado’s deal, his opt-out rights and a hesitance to surrender multiple prospects for him have led to wariness from the Braves, according to O’Brien.
As of last month, general manager Alex Anthopolous and the Braves were on the hunt for a middle-of-the-order hitter. The hope then was that Donaldson would take on that role again in 2020, but the two-time reigning NL East champions’ lineup suddenly looks much weaker now that he’s gone. With strong free-agent options dwindling, the Braves hardly shoo-ins to land either Bryant or Arenado, and their projected Opening-Day payroll ($140MM) already $5MM higher than last year’s season-ending outlay, it’s unclear where the Braves will go from here.

That's crazy good job security right there... The ability to opt out of an already crazy good contract

[stevenash]

I loved Pat Burrell when he played for the Giants. He wasn’t a great hitter but he could run into one just often enough to help your club. I think it’s good he’s working with the Giants minor leaguers.

Struck out to much.

[Cross]

What is the next splash move this off season?

[BigSpoon]

Totally forgot that Beltran is the Mets new manager.

And now he is gone without managing a single game for them. The 3rd manager to lose his job from the Astros cheating scandal.

[ApricotSinner32]

And now he is gone without managing a single game for them. The 3rd manager to lose his job from the Astros cheating scandal.

wow

[koz-man]

Astros avoid arbitration with George Springer

The Houston Astros and outfielder George Springer agreed Thursday to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration, owner and chairman Jim Crane announced.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but MLB.com is reporting the deal is worth $21 million.
Springer, 30, had been seeking $22.5 million in arbitration while the Astros had been offering $17.5 million.
Springer was selected as an All-Star for the third straight season in 2019, setting career highs in batting average (.292), home runs (39), and RBIs (96).
He has hit at least 20 home runs in five of his six seasons for the Astros and was named the 2017 World Series MVP when Houston defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.

[Carseller4]

Anyone that is mentioning Kris Bryant’s defense as a negative is only trying to drive his trade value down. He is a solid defender, not a gold glover. Also he can add value by playing corner outfield spots decently.

I still think Bryant is traded. Hopefully for pitching.

[jrgum3]

And now he is gone without managing a single game for them. The 3rd manager to lose his job from the Astros cheating scandal.

Crazy how Major League Baseball dropped the hammer on anyone associated with the scandal.

[EmpireMaker]

As of late December, the Red Sox reportedly weren’t “actively shopping” right fielder Mookie Betts, even though the superstar has frequented trade rumors this winter. Two weeks later, it seems the team does indeed plan to retain Betts, at least for new. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said this week the Red Sox expect to open 2020 with Betts on their roster, as Rob Bradford of WEEI relays.
“That’s really been my expectation all along,” said Bloom. “I think big picture, and this applies to everything, we’re not doing our jobs if we’re not open to anything that improves our chances to compete as successfully and as often as possible over the course of the next decade. That has kind of been our guiding principle as we have accessed interest in any of our players. But you do that with the expectation that they will be here. And that will certainly be the case with Mookie.”
Even if Betts does stick with Boston into the season, this year’s Opening Day could go down as his last with the franchise. The 27-year-old former MVP is entering his final season of team control, and he’ll likely reel in one of the richest free-agent contracts in baseball history if he gets to the market next winter. Betts has, of course, made it known on multiple occasions that he’s interested in shopping his services around the majors.
For now, despite the turmoil surrounding the organization – which just fired manager Alex Cora – Boston’s roster does look talented enough to push for a playoff spot in 2020. The Red Sox seem intent on doing just that after a down 2019, though it would be exceedingly difficult without their best player, Betts, on the roster. At the same time, trading Betts would presumably restock their pool of young talent to some degree. It may also be the most realistic path for the club to shave off a significant amount of money from its payroll – if that’s part of the plan.
Betts is due to rake in an arbitration-record $27MM this year, while the Red Sox are projected to begin the season with a $237MM competitive balance tax payroll. Losing Betts’ salary would obviously make it far more realistic for Boston to get under the $208MM threshold – a number it’s on track to surpass for the third straight season. Surpassing the mark for a third consecutive year would subject the Red Sox to a 50 percent tax on overages next winter, but it’s highly debatable whether that should be a major concern for deep-pocketed owner John Henry.
Team brass did indicate in September that they’d like to get under the line, though Henry insisted last week that the club’s more focused on competing than slashing payroll. Bloom, meanwhile, said Wednesday that “the goal to get under the CBT is not an end in itself,” adding, “We will attempt to do it in a way that’s consistent with that larger goal.”
Whether Betts will wind up as part of Boston’s long-term picture remains to be seen. If we’re to believe Bloom, though, it appears Betts will stay put for at least the time being.

[ApricotSinner32]

As of late December, the Red Sox reportedly weren’t “actively shopping” right fielder Mookie Betts, even though the superstar has frequented trade rumors this winter. Two weeks later, it seems the team does indeed plan to retain Betts, at least for new. Chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said this week the Red Sox expect to open 2020 with Betts on their roster, as Rob Bradford of WEEI relays.
“That’s really been my expectation all along,” said Bloom. “I think big picture, and this applies to everything, we’re not doing our jobs if we’re not open to anything that improves our chances to compete as successfully and as often as possible over the course of the next decade. That has kind of been our guiding principle as we have accessed interest in any of our players. But you do that with the expectation that they will be here. And that will certainly be the case with Mookie.”
Even if Betts does stick with Boston into the season, this year’s Opening Day could go down as his last with the franchise. The 27-year-old former MVP is entering his final season of team control, and he’ll likely reel in one of the richest free-agent contracts in baseball history if he gets to the market next winter. Betts has, of course, made it known on multiple occasions that he’s interested in shopping his services around the majors.
For now, despite the turmoil surrounding the organization – which just fired manager Alex Cora – Boston’s roster does look talented enough to push for a playoff spot in 2020. The Red Sox seem intent on doing just that after a down 2019, though it would be exceedingly difficult without their best player, Betts, on the roster. At the same time, trading Betts would presumably restock their pool of young talent to some degree. It may also be the most realistic path for the club to shave off a significant amount of money from its payroll – if that’s part of the plan.
Betts is due to rake in an arbitration-record $27MM this year, while the Red Sox are projected to begin the season with a $237MM competitive balance tax payroll. Losing Betts’ salary would obviously make it far more realistic for Boston to get under the $208MM threshold – a number it’s on track to surpass for the third straight season. Surpassing the mark for a third consecutive year would subject the Red Sox to a 50 percent tax on overages next winter, but it’s highly debatable whether that should be a major concern for deep-pocketed owner John Henry.
Team brass did indicate in September that they’d like to get under the line, though Henry insisted last week that the club’s more focused on competing than slashing payroll. Bloom, meanwhile, said Wednesday that “the goal to get under the CBT is not an end in itself,” adding, “We will attempt to do it in a way that’s consistent with that larger goal.”
Whether Betts will wind up as part of Boston’s long-term picture remains to be seen. If we’re to believe Bloom, though, it appears Betts will stay put for at least the time being.

[JaimeMiro]

All this talk about cheating scandals leaves a bitter taste; if the game is over move on -- MLB should make changes to the rules not keep feeding us same nonsense

[stevenash]

Astros should vacate all their championships.

[Chi_archie]

All this talk about cheating scandals leaves a bitter taste; if the game is over move on -- MLB should make changes to the rules not keep feeding us same nonsense

its pretty terrible

[BigSpoon]

Astros should vacate all their championships.

Their 2017 championship will be forever tarnished.

[koz-man]

Rockies to retire Larry Walker's jersey on April 19

The Colorado Rockies will retire the jersey of outfielder Larry Walker on April 19, the team announced Friday.
Walker, the National League MVP in 1997, played 10 seasons with the Rockies, batting .334 with 258 home runs and 848 RBIs. His 17-year career also included stops in Montreal and St. Louis.
"I can't tell you how taken aback I am by this gesture," Walker said in a statement. "I am both thrilled and honored."
Walker ranks first in Rockies history in batting average, on-base percentage (.426) and slugging percentage (.618). He was a five-time All-Star, a seven-time Gold Glove winner and won the NL batting title three times.

[stevenash]

^
Walker should be in the Hall of Fame

[Cross]

Without cheating, offenses may struggle in mlb next year.

[EmpireMaker]

The Josh Donaldson free-agency derby came to a long-awaited end Wednesday when the star third baseman agreed to a four-year, $92MM contract with the Twins. Previous reports indicated Donaldson’s preference was to re-sign with the Braves, with whom he thrived in 2019, but it doesn’t appear they made a spirited attempt to retain the 34-year-old.
Asked by Alison Mastrangelo of WSB-TV whether Atlanta made him a “competitive” offer, Donaldson said, “No, I mean, they ended up offering me late, like a day or so before.” Donaldson went on to state that he “really enjoyed” his one-year stint with the Braves, whom he called “a good fit for me,” and added that it was “a dream come true to be able to play there.”
Details of Atlanta’s offer to the former MVP are unclear. Regardless, the loss of Donaldson is an enormous blow to the Braves, who are now tasked with replacing one of the foremost players in the game at a time when free-agent choices have greatly decreased. Donaldson was among the Braves’ premier players in 2019, their second straight NL East-winning season, and there’s essentially no way to fill his void via the open market even if the club signs one of the two best bats available in outfielders Nicholas Castellanos and Marcell Ozuna.
For one, neither Castellanos nor Ozuna is in Donaldson’s stratosphere. Furthermore, signing one of the two would still leave the Braves devoid of a high-end option at third base, where they’re currently projected to rely on Johan Camargo and Austin Riley. There are answers on the trade market in the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado and the Cubs’ Kris Bryant – players capable of replicating or bettering Donaldson’s 2019 production – but it doesn’t seem the Braves are prepared to swing a deal for either of them.
Besides the fallout from baseball’s much-publicized sign-stealing fiasco, the Braves’ 3B situation stands as one of the game’s most interesting storylines as spring training nears. They still boast a very talented roster, yet they’re unquestionably weaker after failing to pony up for Donaldson. General manager Alex Anthopoulos is now likely at work to find a hitter with the ability to help make up for Donaldson’s loss, but it’s anyone’s guess whether he’ll pull it off before the season begins.

[jrgum3]

Rockies to retire Larry Walker's jersey on April 19


The Colorado Rockies will retire the jersey of outfielder Larry Walker on April 19, the team announced Friday.
Walker, the National League MVP in 1997, played 10 seasons with the Rockies, batting .334 with 258 home runs and 848 RBIs. His 17-year career also included stops in Montreal and St. Louis.
"I can't tell you how taken aback I am by this gesture," Walker said in a statement. "I am both thrilled and honored."
Walker ranks first in Rockies history in batting average, on-base percentage (.426) and slugging percentage (.618). He was a five-time All-Star, a seven-time Gold Glove winner and won the NL batting title three times.

I always loved watching Larry Walker play. Hopefully he winds up in the HOF where he belongs.

[ApricotSinner32]

Astros avoid arbitration with George Springer


The Houston Astros and outfielder George Springer agreed Thursday to a one-year deal to avoid arbitration, owner and chairman Jim Crane announced.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but MLB.com is reporting the deal is worth $21 million.
Springer, 30, had been seeking $22.5 million in arbitration while the Astros had been offering $17.5 million.
Springer was selected as an All-Star for the third straight season in 2019, setting career highs in batting average (.292), home runs (39), and RBIs (96).
He has hit at least 20 home runs in five of his six seasons for the Astros and was named the 2017 World Series MVP when Houston defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.

[JaimeMiro]

Astros should vacate all their championships.

Why? That's madness. Most winners cheat, just don't get caught.

[Otters27]

Why? That's madness. Most winners cheat, just don't get caught.

True. Stealing Signs has been going on at all levels forever

[koz-man]

^
Walker should be in the Hall of Fame

Agree. The Rocks are campaigning for him with the retirement of jersey.