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

[koz-man]

Little League World Series canceled for first time because of coronavirus

The Little League World Series will not be played this year for the first time since the organization began because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Little League International, which announced the move Thursday, also canceled regional tournaments and the championship tournaments in other Little League divisions, including softball, but said the events would return in 2021.
The organization has not, however, called off the 2020 regular season. Little League president Stephen Keener said there was reason for optimism that teams could play this spring and summer, depending on restrictions in states and localities.
The Little League World Series has been played each year since the first tournament in 1947. The next iteration was to be the 75th playing of the tournament; that milestone has been pushed back to 2022.

[batt33]

Little League World Series canceled for first time because of coronavirus


The Little League World Series will not be played this year for the first time since the organization began because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Little League International, which announced the move Thursday, also canceled regional tournaments and the championship tournaments in other Little League divisions, including softball, but said the events would return in 2021.
The organization has not, however, called off the 2020 regular season. Little League president Stephen Keener said there was reason for optimism that teams could play this spring and summer, depending on restrictions in states and localities.
The Little League World Series has been played each year since the first tournament in 1947. The next iteration was to be the 75th playing of the tournament; that milestone has been pushed back to 2022.

Just another causality....

[EmpireMaker]

Reigning AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander was hampered by a pair of spring health troubles — a lat strain and a groin injury that required surgery — but the Houston ace told reporters Thursday that he’s progressed to playing long toss (Twitter links via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). The lat strain, per Verlander, is mostly healed up, and he’s made “a big stride” in his rehab from the groin surgery as well.
Both updates are encouraging for the Astros, although there’s still no formal word from the team on a timetable for the right-hander’s return to the mound. At the time of Verlander’s surgery in mid-March, Astros general manager James Click put a rough six-week timetable on his rehab process. We’re a couple days past that point now, although with the 2020 season in limbo, it’s only sensible to be a bit cautious in the rehab process.
Verlander added that the surgery is “already showing some benefit in my mechanics” as he works to make his delivery as efficient as possible (link via the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome). Notably, Verlander revealed that the surgery stemmed from an MRI that revealed his adductor muscle had nearly torn off the bone completely.
Verlander, 37, is signed through the 2021 season at $33MM per year under the terms of the extension he signed with Houston late in Spring Training last year. He responded to that contract with arguably the best season of his Hall of Fame career. Verlander led the league with 223 innings and pitched to a 2.58 ERA with a masterful 300-to-42 K/BB ratio (12.1 K/9, 1.7 BB/9) and narrowly edged now-former teammate Gerrit Cole for Cy Young honors in the AL. He made at least 30 starts for the 13th time in 14 years, and his 179 ERA+ represented a career best.

[jrgum3]

Let's just say Trout's career so far has had no clouds hanging over it.
Sad thing is Bonds was going to the Hall without the 'alleged'steroid use.
Trout has tested clean every season so far, which is remarkable because his body is chiseled.

I'm discounting the 2011 season where Trout was a mid summer 19 year old call up and had only 123 regular season at bats.
His first eight full seasons are mind boggling, blows the most hardened baseball minds

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+
2012-2019	1159	5138	4217	883	1297	245	46	280	736	196	36	794	1088	0.308	0.422	0.587	1.009	179
Average	145	642	527	110	162	31	6	35	92	25	5	99	136
per 162 games	162	718	589	123	181	34	6	39	103	27	5	111	152

Once again I'm omitting the year 2011.
In 2017 Trout missed 48 games with that thumb injury where he couldn't hold a bat no less swing one and still wound up finishing fourth in the MVP voting.
In the seven full seasons that he's played in at least 139 or more games he's won the Rookie of the Year, been an All Star all seven of those seasons, won the Silver Slugger Award all seven of those seasons, and in those seven seasons finished first or second in the MVP voting all seven times (three time MVP winner and four time MVP runner up)

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	Awards
2012	139	639	559	129	182	27	8	30	83	49	5	67	139	0.326	0.399	0.564	0.963	168	AS,MVP-2,RoY-1,SS
2013	157	716	589	109	190	39	9	27	97	33	7	110	136	0.323	0.432	0.557	0.988	179	AS,MVP-2,SS
2014	157	705	602	115	173	39	9	36	111	16	2	83	184	0.287	0.377	0.561	0.939	168	AS,MVP-1,SS
2015	159	682	575	104	172	32	6	41	90	11	7	92	158	0.299	0.402	0.59	0.991	176	AS,MVP-2,SS
2016	159	681	549	123	173	32	5	29	100	30	7	116	137	0.315	0.441	0.55	0.991	172	AS,MVP-1,SS
2017	114	507	402	92	123	25	3	33	72	22	4	94	90	0.306	0.442	0.629	1.071	186	AS,MVP-4
2018	140	608	471	101	147	24	4	39	79	24	2	122	124	0.312	0.46	0.628	1.088	198	AS,MVP-2,SS
2019	134	600	470	110	137	27	2	45	104	11	2	110	120	0.291	0.438	0.645	1.083	185	AS,MVP-1,SS

No doubt Trout is on a one way ticket for the Hall of Fame. Shame he's on a team that is wasting his talents year after year.

[ApricotSinner32]

Reigning AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander was hampered by a pair of spring health troubles — a lat strain and a groin injury that required surgery — but the Houston ace told reporters Thursday that he’s progressed to playing long toss (Twitter links via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). The lat strain, per Verlander, is mostly healed up, and he’s made “a big stride” in his rehab from the groin surgery as well.
Both updates are encouraging for the Astros, although there’s still no formal word from the team on a timetable for the right-hander’s return to the mound. At the time of Verlander’s surgery in mid-March, Astros general manager James Click put a rough six-week timetable on his rehab process. We’re a couple days past that point now, although with the 2020 season in limbo, it’s only sensible to be a bit cautious in the rehab process.
Verlander added that the surgery is “already showing some benefit in my mechanics” as he works to make his delivery as efficient as possible (link via the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome). Notably, Verlander revealed that the surgery stemmed from an MRI that revealed his adductor muscle had nearly torn off the bone completely.
Verlander, 37, is signed through the 2021 season at $33MM per year under the terms of the extension he signed with Houston late in Spring Training last year. He responded to that contract with arguably the best season of his Hall of Fame career. Verlander led the league with 223 innings and pitched to a 2.58 ERA with a masterful 300-to-42 K/BB ratio (12.1 K/9, 1.7 BB/9) and narrowly edged now-former teammate Gerrit Cole for Cy Young honors in the AL. He made at least 30 starts for the 13th time in 14 years, and his 179 ERA+ represented a career best.

[Chi_archie]

Reigning AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander was hampered by a pair of spring health troubles — a lat strain and a groin injury that required surgery — but the Houston ace told reporters Thursday that he’s progressed to playing long toss (Twitter links via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). The lat strain, per Verlander, is mostly healed up, and he’s made “a big stride” in his rehab from the groin surgery as well.
Both updates are encouraging for the Astros, although there’s still no formal word from the team on a timetable for the right-hander’s return to the mound. At the time of Verlander’s surgery in mid-March, Astros general manager James Click put a rough six-week timetable on his rehab process. We’re a couple days past that point now, although with the 2020 season in limbo, it’s only sensible to be a bit cautious in the rehab process.
Verlander added that the surgery is “already showing some benefit in my mechanics” as he works to make his delivery as efficient as possible (link via the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome). Notably, Verlander revealed that the surgery stemmed from an MRI that revealed his adductor muscle had nearly torn off the bone completely.
Verlander, 37, is signed through the 2021 season at $33MM per year under the terms of the extension he signed with Houston late in Spring Training last year. He responded to that contract with arguably the best season of his Hall of Fame career. Verlander led the league with 223 innings and pitched to a 2.58 ERA with a masterful 300-to-42 K/BB ratio (12.1 K/9, 1.7 BB/9) and narrowly edged now-former teammate Gerrit Cole for Cy Young honors in the AL. He made at least 30 starts for the 13th time in 14 years, and his 179 ERA+ represented a career best.

what will he have left, when we finally get back?

[deadphish]

Shame on you Otters.
Trout is hands down the best overall player, not just this year, but this generation.
Trout is the best player since Mickey Mantle.

gonna toss my 2 cents in here. i believe Trout is the best "overall" plyer in the game today. but can he pitch? if u throw that into the "overall" equation, 1 of his teammates could claim that honor in near future...if he can stay healthy.

however, IMO the best overall athlete to play the game EVER is obvious 2 me...any1 care to share their opinion b4 i share mine?

[koz-man]

On May 5 in Baseball History...


1925 - Ty Cobb is 6-for-6, including three home runs, in Detroit's 14-8 win over the Browns. Cobb's 16 total bases tops Joe Hauser's 14 of August 2, 1924.


1978 - Pete Rose singles off Montreal's Steve Rogers for career hit 3,000. The Expos beat the Reds 4-3.

[stevenash]

gonna toss my 2 cents in here. i believe Trout is the best "overall" plyer in the game today. but can he pitch? if u throw that into the "overall" equation, 1 of his teammates could claim that honor in near future...if he can stay healthy.

however, IMO the best overall athlete to play the game EVER is obvious 2 me...any1 care to share their opinion b4 i share mine?

It is my belief that if needed Mike Trout could come out of the bullpen in the ninth inning and record a three out save if the Angels needed him to do that. lol

Now I think I know where you are going with your opinion of who you think was the greatest athlete to play major league baseball.
The man who could hit 60 plus homers a season and throw complete game shutouts too.
Babe Ruth.
Am I right?
And if so I can not argue one bit with that.

[Cross]

Babe Ruth was no Mike Trout, lol.

[Otters27]

Shame on you Otters.
Trout is hands down the best overall player, not just this year, but this generation.
Trout is the best player since Mickey Mantle.

Watched him a lot this summer

[JMobile]

Fernando Tatis Jr might be as good as Trout.

[stevenash]

Fernando Tatis Jr might be as good as Trout.

Let's see if Junior can replicate his rookie season before we can make Trout comparrisons.
He is off to a good start though, I wish him well.
My guy Adalberto Mondesi in KC is another promising shortstop, not quite the talent Tatis is but will be a top tier SS for years.
Mondesi has more speed, Tatis has much more pop.

[batt33]

No doubt Trout is on a one way ticket for the Hall of Fame. Shame he's on a team that is wasting his talents year after year.

Hate to see great players not being able to play in the world series.

[EmpireMaker]

A little over a year ago, there were plenty of Yankees fans clamoring for the team to make a huge splash in free agency and sign infielder Manny Machado. The Yankees did give it some consideration, but they ended up taking themselves out of the Machado sweepstakes in January 2019 when they made a far less splashy acquisition with the signing of fellow infielder DJ LeMahieu to a two-year, $24MM guarantee. A bit over a month later, Machado landed with the Padres on a franchise-record pact worth $300MM over 10 years.
If you were to bet on one of those players turning in an MVP-contending campaign last season, it would have been Machado, owner of the vastly superior track record. Shockingly, though, LeMahieu wound up far outdoing Machado. While dividing time among first, second and third for the AL East-winning Yankees, the ex-Cub and Rockie LeMahieu managed a career-high 5.4 fWAR and slashed .327/.375/.518 with 26 home runs (he had never toaled more than 15 in a previous season) across 655 plate appearances. The performance earned LeMahieu a fourth-place finish in AL MVP voting, trailing Mike Trout, Alex Bregman and Marcus Semien. Not bad for someone whom the Yankees could have only expected to be a complementary player when they added him.

Now, unfortunately for New York, it’s uncertain whether the soon-to-be free agent LeMahieu will ever don its uniform again. Even if the coronavirus pandemic doesn’t prevent a season from happening in 2020, LeMahieu could exit via the open market thereafter. As of late February, there hadn’t been momentum toward an extension.
If LeMahieu, slated to be the Yankees’ top second baseman in 2020, does leave as a free agent, how might they react? There are always other free agents, but the rest of the upcoming class at the keystone looks decidedly less promising. Players like Kolten Wong, Jonathan Villar, Cesar Hernandez, Jonathan Schoop and Jurickson Profar are among the best of the bunch, but there aren’t any stars in the group (granted, LeMahieu wasn’t a star before he put on the pinstripes).
Another option for the Yankees could be to move Gleyber Torres back to second base and focus on the top of the shortstop market, which looks a lot more promising. The highly accomplished trio of Semien, old pal Didi Gregorius and Andrelton Simmons are in line to lead the way. Perhaps a better idea would be to try to swing a trade for one of the premier shortstops in the game – the Indians’ Francisco Lindor and the Rockies’ Trevor Story could be available as players heading into their last seasons of control in 2021. The trade market for second basemen doesn’t look as if it will be nearly as enticing, but maybe the Royals will finally relent and show some willingness to move Whit Merrifield.
In the event a LeMahieu re-signing or a major middle infield acquisition doesn’t come together before 2021, would there be any immediate in-house replacements on hand? It’s hard to find an heir apparent worth getting excited about. The Yankees don’t have any prospects who are going to be ready right away. Higher up, the 25-year-old Tyler Wade could open 2020 on the Yankees’ bench, and maybe he’ll do enough to work his way into starting consideration for the ensuing season. To this point, though, he has done little to inspire. Wade offered mediocre offense at the Triple-A level during the past two years and has batted an unsightly .197/.268/.298 with three homers in 241 plate appearances as a Yankee. Fellow 40-man option Thairo Estrada doesn’t look like anything close to a surefire future regular, either.
All said, the Yankees’ middle infield situation could be a compelling one to watch when next offseason rolls around. You would think the Yankees will do all they can to re-up the soon-to-be 32-year-old LeMahieu, but until an extension comes together, there will be plenty of speculation about how they’ll handle second and short in 2021.

[jrgum3]

Hate to see great players not being able to play in the world series.

LA keeps trying to add to their lineup though. Getting Rendon was huge this offseason but we'll see if they have enough pitching to match.

[koz-man]

Angels' Albert Pujols not yet ready to talk retirement

Albert Pujols, who celebrated his 40th birthday in January, has already cemented his place in the Hall of Fame. But a shortened or canceled 2020 season would significantly affect his ability to reach key milestones.
Pujols sits 44 home runs from 700 and 298 hits from 3,500; only Hank Aaron has both. Next year will mark the end of his 10-year, $240 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels, which is presumed to also coincide with the finale of his career.
He isn't so sure about that.
"I don't think about it that way," Pujols told ESPN in Spanish. "It's my last year under contract, but that doesn't mean I can't keep playing. I haven't closed that door. I'm taking it day by day, year by year, but you haven't heard from my mouth that I'm going to retire next year, or that it's going to be my last year, or that I'm going to keep playing. I haven't said any of that. When that time comes, we'll see. Just because you have one year left on your contract doesn't mean it's your last year. It could be, but it could not be. God hasn't put that in my heart yet."

[stevenash]

On this date, May 2, 2012 exactly eight years ago Jared Weaver threw the Angels franchise tenth no hitter.

[Otters27]

Little League different than pro sports. Might be a sign of no college football

[deadphish]

It is my belief that if needed Mike Trout could come out of the bullpen in the ninth inning and record a three out save if the Angels needed him to do that. lol

Now I think I know where you are going with your opinion of who you think was the greatest athlete to play major league baseball.
The man who could hit 60 plus homers a season and throw complete game shutouts too.
Babe Ruth.
Am I right?
And if so I can not argue one bit with that.

strike 1!
care to try again?

[Chi_archie]

On this date, May 2, 2012 exactly eight years ago Jared Weaver threw the Angels franchise tenth no hitter.

wow, I remember that now

[stevenash]

LA keeps trying to add to their lineup though. Getting Rendon was huge this offseason but we'll see if they have enough pitching to match.

The Angels tried like hell to improve their pitching last winter but Artie said he wasn't going to overpay Cole by millions to get him and all the rest of the quality starting pitching signed with their old teams or signed elsewhere.
Angels front brass isn't stupid, they know where they are lacking and they won't mortgage the kids to get it.

[JMobile]

When is the season gonna start? Any word?

[stevenash]

When is the season gonna start? Any word?

What I'm hearing is they would like to have an abbreviated 60 game tournament type schedule to determine who goes to the World Series.
That's just talk however but that idea is being kicked around.

[Cross]

3 leagues, 3 central locations to play games was latest proposal I heard.

[batt33]

3 leagues, 3 central locations to play games was latest proposal I heard.

Hard to wrap the mind around that,..

[mr. leisure]

3 leagues, 3 central locations to play games was latest proposal I heard.

Better than nothing I guess

[ApricotSinner32]

Reigning AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander was hampered by a pair of spring health troubles — a lat strain and a groin injury that required surgery — but the Houston ace told reporters Thursday that he’s progressed to playing long toss (Twitter links via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). The lat strain, per Verlander, is mostly healed up, and he’s made “a big stride” in his rehab from the groin surgery as well.
Both updates are encouraging for the Astros, although there’s still no formal word from the team on a timetable for the right-hander’s return to the mound. At the time of Verlander’s surgery in mid-March, Astros general manager James Click put a rough six-week timetable on his rehab process. We’re a couple days past that point now, although with the 2020 season in limbo, it’s only sensible to be a bit cautious in the rehab process.
Verlander added that the surgery is “already showing some benefit in my mechanics” as he works to make his delivery as efficient as possible (link via the Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome). Notably, Verlander revealed that the surgery stemmed from an MRI that revealed his adductor muscle had nearly torn off the bone completely.
Verlander, 37, is signed through the 2021 season at $33MM per year under the terms of the extension he signed with Houston late in Spring Training last year. He responded to that contract with arguably the best season of his Hall of Fame career. Verlander led the league with 223 innings and pitched to a 2.58 ERA with a masterful 300-to-42 K/BB ratio (12.1 K/9, 1.7 BB/9) and narrowly edged now-former teammate Gerrit Cole for Cy Young honors in the AL. He made at least 30 starts for the 13th time in 14 years, and his 179 ERA+ represented a career best.

Is Gerrit cole the goat???????

[deadphish]

3 leagues, 3 central locations to play games was latest proposal I heard.

interesting

[EmpireMaker]

The Cardinals reached the 2019 NLCS on the strength of their pitching and defense, as the team’s offensive efforts could best be described as middle of the pack. After letting Marcell Ozuna leave in free agency and trading Jose Martinez to the Rays, St. Louis did more to subtract than add from the lineup during the offseason, as Brad Miller and the re-signed Matt Wieters were the only position players inked to Major League contracts.
Young players like Tommy Edman, Harrison Bader, Lane Thomas, Tyler O’Neill, and (eventually) top prospect Dylan Carlson are expected to make up some of this offensive slack as they grow into being big league regulars. If and when the 2020 season gets underway, however, the Cards are also counting on several underachieving veteran bats — i.e. Dexter Fowler, Matt Carpenter, Yadier Molina — to get back to form.
At the very least, Paul Goldschmidt performed markedly better than that group. The six-time All Star’s first season in St. Louis saw him hit .260/.346/.476 with 34 homers over 682 plate appearances. This worked out to a 113 OPS+ and 116 wRC+, both of which ranked second on the team (behind Edman) among Cards batters with at least 349 PA. Goldschmidt also came up big in the Cardinals’ five-game triumph over the Braves in the NLDS, posting a 1.383 OPS over 23 plate appearances to help lead St. Louis to its first postseason series victory since 2014.
All in all, it was a very solid showing for a veteran hitter in his age-31 season. However, “very solid” is not what the Cardinals were expecting from Goldschmidt, especially given their major investment in his future during the 2018-19 offseason.
The Cards paid a hefty price to acquire Goldschmidt from the Diamondbacks in December 2018, sending Luke Weaver, Carson Kelly, minor league infielder Andy Young, and a Competitive Balance Round B pick in the 2020 draft (that 75th overall pick was used on Dominic Fletcher, a strong defensive outfielder ranked by MLB Pipeline as the 20th-best prospect in Arizona’s farm system). It was a lot to give up for just one year of Goldschmidt’s services, though the Cardinals kept the slugger away from free agency by signing him to a five-year, $130MM extension last spring, locking Goldschmidt up for the 2020-24 seasons.
It was the priciest contract in Cardinals history, topping the seven-year, $120MM deal given to Matt Holliday in the 2009-10 offseason. The Holliday contract, incidentally, is widely considered to be one of the best nine-figure free agent deals in baseball history — entering his age-30 season at the time of the agreement, Holliday remained a very productive player until almost the very end of the seven-year pact, as injuries began to take their toll. He was limited to 703 PA over the last two seasons (2015-16) of his Cardinals contract, though Holliday still managed a 113 OPS+ and 115 wRC+ during that stretch.
Some might call this a “very solid showing” for an injury-plagued Holliday in his age 35-36 seasons….especially considering that it essentially matched what the 31-year-old Goldschmidt did over only slightly fewer plate appearances in 2019.
Granted, that observation is probably better served to illustrate that Holliday was a very underrated player moreso than it was to hint that Goldschmidt is already in a decline phase. Still, considering how sharply Goldschmidt’s 2019 numbers dropped off from his superstar-level production in Arizona, the Cardinals can’t be happy about already having to consider if he has already peaked.
From 2013-18, Goldschmidt batted .301/.406/.541 over 3944 PA for the Diamondbacks, hitting 181 homers and posting a 149 wRC+/150 OPS+. His 2019 campaign, therefore, marked easily the worst season of seven-year span, and Goldschmidt also posted the lowest batting average, OBP, slugging percentage, walk rate (11.4%), and BABIP (.302) of those seven years in 2019, while generating his second-highest strikeout rate (24.3%).
As per Statcast numbers that date back to 2015, Goldschmidt also posted his lowest hard-hit ball rate (42.4%), exit velocity (90.1 mph) and xwOBA (.361) of the Statcast era. His xwOBA is higher than his .346 wOBA, however, and since Goldschmidt had never previously enjoyed less than a .340 BABIP in any of his full Major League seasons, there is some element of bad luck to his 2019 results. As MLBTR’s Connor Byrne pointed out last July, however, Goldschmidt’s sprint speed has been in decline as he has gotten older, which has been borne out in his dwindling stolen base totals and, by extension, his ability to beat out grounders and keep up those inflated BABIP numbers.
Connor’s piece (titled “The Surprisingly Disappointing Paul Goldschmidt”) was published on July 2….which, in classic reverse-jinx form, ended up being just about the nadir of Goldschmidt’s season. After posting a .742 OPS from Opening Day through July 2, Goldschmidt proceeded to hit .274/.354/.554 over his final 326 PA. It marked the second straight year that Goldschmidt rebounded from tough beginning to a season, as he had only a .721 OPS through his first 243 plate appearances of the 2018 campaign before crushing it to the tune of a whopping 1.040 OPS over his 447 remaining PA.
It’s possible St. Louis could look at those 2018 numbers and think that Goldschmidt might just be evolving into a slow-start type of player. And again, it should be noted that Goldschmidt in no way was a bad player in 2019, with a 2.9 fWAR. The issue is that the Cardinals were certainly counting on Goldschmidt’s prime to last at least a couple of years into his extension, not see it potentially already end before his extension even begins.
As a what-if, let’s imagine Goldschmidt hadn’t inked that new deal with the Cards and instead tested free agency. On the heels of his 2019 performance and going into his age-32 season, he wouldn’t have come anywhere close to five years and $130MM on the open market. Jose Abreu was the only other major name in the first base market, and the unusual nature of Abreu’s relationship with the White Sox makes him something of an outlier rather than as a Goldschmidt comp. Abreu openly wanted to remain in Chicago, to the point that he accepted the team’s one-year, $17.8MM qualifying offer and then signed a further extension through the 2022 season (an extra two years and $32.2MM).
Abreu is a year older than Goldschmidt and doesn’t have such a long track record of elite performance. Yet, considering how many felt the White Sox were generous in their extension with Abreu, could something in the neighborhood of a three-year guarantee for $50MM-$60MM have been Goldschmidt’s ceiling in free agency? Teams are less willing than ever to pay a premium for anything below top-level offense from a first base-only player, and it’s likely multiple clubs would have been worried by Goldschmidt’s 2019.
Plus, a qualifying offer would have also been attached to Goldschmidt’s services, and it’s not out of the question that he could have himself accepted the $17.8MM QO as a form of a pillow contract. On the other hand, he also might have been wary about leaving any further potential long-term money on the table since his early-career extension with the Diamondbacks ended up being a bargain for the club. Goldschmidt and his representatives might have looked for a multi-year deal that, ideally, contained an opt-out after the first year, allowing Goldschmidt to re-enter the market if he did indeed prove that 2019 was an aberration.
In any case, the qualifying offer could have potentially helped the Cardinals in re-signing Goldschmidt at a much lower price than $130MM. Or, while walking away from Goldschmidt entirely would have been bold given how much they sent to the D’Backs, the Cards could have looked elsewhere and, in this scenario, had $130MM in future funds to allocate to another offensive player. Perhaps St. Louis could have made a big push for Anthony Rendon, or maybe outbid the Twins for Josh Donaldson (a longtime Cardinals target).
It’s all total speculation, of course, as Goldschmidt is on the Cards’ books through the 2024 season. Of all the veterans St. Louis is relying on once baseball eventually gets underway, the length and cost of Goldschmidt’s contract make him the player the Cardinals most strongly hope can get back on track.

[EmpireMaker]

When is the season gonna start? Any word?

Major League Baseball officials have become cautiously optimistic this week that the season will start in late June, and no later than July 2, playing at least 100 regular-season games, according to three executives with knowledge of the talks. They requested anonymity because the plan is still under consideration.
And not only would baseball be played, but it would be played in their own major-league ballparks, albeit with no fans.
MLB is considering a three-division, 10-team plan in which teams play only within their division – a concept gaining support among owners and executives. It would abolish the traditional American and National Leagues, and realign the divisions based on geography.
The plan, pending approval of medical experts and providing that COVID-19 testing is available to the public, would eliminate the need for players to be in isolation and allow them to still play at their home ballparks while severely reducing travel.
The divisions would keep many of the natural rivals together, while playing one another before an expanded playoff format.
Here's a look at the possible realignment structure:
EAST

• New York Yankees and Mets, Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins

WEST

• Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners

CENTRAL

• Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers

It’s too early to expound on the details, the officials cautioned, with new ideas floated each week.
It’s also not known whether teams would have to open the season in Arizona, Florida and Texas for several weeks before everyone could return to their home stadiums. Yet, they could squeeze in 100 to 110 games, and perhaps even have several thousand fans in attendance before or during the playoffs.
EARLY IDEA: MLB considers radical move for 2020 season
REFUNDS: MLB paves way for teams to refund COVID-19 postponements
“It’s all coming together,’’ one of the officials said. “I’m very optimistic."
One of the additional benefits to playing in major-league cities is it would alleviate a possible split among players who are opposed to playing the entire season in Arizona/Florida/Texas. Several high-profile players, including the Angels' Mike Trout and the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw expressed strong resistance to playing the season away from their families.
MLB and union officials have yet to engage in formal discussions about the financial ramifications of playing without fans, with three owners telling USA TODAY Sports three weeks ago that they would refuse to play unless the players were willing to take a pay cut. Four other team officials insist they would require financial relief from the players.
Yet, there is now optimism among executives that they could settle their differences in negotiations on a sliding scale depending on the loss of revenue from gate receipts, parking and concessions. Teams also would have to revise their revenue-sharing plan.
The most encouraging signs, the officials said, is that testing is becoming more available, more states are re-opening, and more politicians such as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot saying teams could play in their own ballparks this summer.
MLB teams likely will still return to their own spring-training facilities in Arizona and Florida when they resume workouts. Players are expected to be given a week to return to spring training sites, and have 18 to 21 days before the start of the season.
Veteran agent Scott Boras proposed that players report to spring training in May, beginning with the pitchers and catchers. Players would be isolated from the population for three to four weeks, grouping them according to whether they ever tested positive with no symptoms, were hospitalized, have recovered with antibodies or tested negative.
“We have strong young athletes,’’ Boras said, “and we can ready them. They want to create a return to normalcy and certainly our national pastime is a sign of that.’’
MLB officials are hoping it won’t be necessary to quarantine players, and normalcy will prevail once the regular season commences, but the schedule and playoff format promises to be dramatically different.
“This is going to be a season,’’ one of the executives said, “like we’ve never seen.
“But that’s fine. It’s at least a season.’’

[EmpireMaker]

“I’m more optimistic today than I was 10 days ago,'' Rays manager Kevin Cash said Friday. "It sounds like there’s enough thought from so many different corners — players, owners, league officials — that the industry as a whole is really trying to put their heads together to make something come together for some sort of a season.''
The next few weeks are considered critical, as the medical and societal impact of reopening parts of the country will dictate the league’s timetable.
The preferred plan would be to start play in late June or early July with as many teams as possible playing in home parks, such as the Rays at Tropicana Field, while competing in their regular divisions with an abbreviated schedule of at least 80 games.
Related: Here’s hoping the NFL doesn’t stand for No Fan League
The Arizona scenario, in which all players and staff would essentially live and play in a colonized bubble, is much less likely. So, too, is having all teams play at spring sites and compete in Cactus and Grapefruit leagues. Other reports about having teams assigned to “hub” sites in Arizona, Texas and Florida, or realigned into three geographical divisions, are being downplayed or dismissed.
Here are some of the issues that do need to be settled:

• Schedule. The basic premise is to play as many games as possible no matter when they start, which could include scheduled doubleheaders, perhaps seven innings. There also is some desire to expand the postseason field, which would generate more national TV money. That has to be balanced with weather concerns of playing into November (unless the league opts for a neutral-site World Series) and into flu season as the potential of not finishing the playoffs is a concern. Are 80 games enough for the regular season? 100? Are the playoffs expanded from 10 teams to 14? Or 16? Would the league dare try an NCAA-style tournament?

Related: Lightning, NHL still in theoretical stage of bringing back hockey

• Logistics. With teams competing in their regular-season stadiums, players would live at home with their families. Visiting teams could travel as usual, on chartered planes and buses, and stay in hotels, asked to follow the local social-distancing protocols but not quarantined. Travel could be reduced, such as by limiting teams to playing in their own divisions and the corresponding geographical divisions, with the Rays mostly playing American League East opponents, plus the National League East teams.
• Testing. MLB officials know for any plan to work they have to be able to regularly test players, staff, umpires and others allowed into stadiums. They also know they can’t appear to be cutting in line to get the tests ahead of hospitals or government agencies. Testing could be mandatory initially, then for cause, using more basic daily protocols, such as in Korea where players have their temperatures recorded multiple times, including on their way into the stadium.
• Rosters. The general consensus is that players want to get going and could be ready after two to three weeks of a “spring” training, which would also be held in home cities for most teams. So maybe a mid-May announcement for players to start getting ready and an early June opening of camps? Rosters are certain to be expanded beyond the planned 26. Teams will need extra bodies, especially pitchers, given the abbreviated build-up period and condensed schedule. It is unlikely there will be a traditional minor-league season, so teams will want extra players available in case of injury or illness. There could be a taxi squad or a development program at spring sites. If so, does top prospect Wander Franco make the cut if the Rays carry 30 active players? 33? Or could he be among 10-20 players in a training program?
• Finances. Players agreed in March to get paid their set salaries on a prorated basis based on games played. Owners say that deal was struck assuming fans would be in the stands, which accounts for roughly 40 percent of local revenues, and now want players to take a further cut. The simplest solution may be a revenue-sharing plan, first between the teams, then at a set percentage with the players.

[jrgum3]

Major League Baseball officials have become cautiously optimistic this week that the season will start in late June, and no later than July 2, playing at least 100 regular-season games, according to three executives with knowledge of the talks. They requested anonymity because the plan is still under consideration.
And not only would baseball be played, but it would be played in their own major-league ballparks, albeit with no fans.
MLB is considering a three-division, 10-team plan in which teams play only within their division – a concept gaining support among owners and executives. It would abolish the traditional American and National Leagues, and realign the divisions based on geography.
The plan, pending approval of medical experts and providing that COVID-19 testing is available to the public, would eliminate the need for players to be in isolation and allow them to still play at their home ballparks while severely reducing travel.
The divisions would keep many of the natural rivals together, while playing one another before an expanded playoff format.
Here's a look at the possible realignment structure:
EAST

• New York Yankees and Mets, Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, Baltimore Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins

WEST

• Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels, San Francisco Giants, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Seattle Mariners

CENTRAL

• Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, Detroit Tigers

It’s too early to expound on the details, the officials cautioned, with new ideas floated each week.
It’s also not known whether teams would have to open the season in Arizona, Florida and Texas for several weeks before everyone could return to their home stadiums. Yet, they could squeeze in 100 to 110 games, and perhaps even have several thousand fans in attendance before or during the playoffs.
EARLY IDEA: MLB considers radical move for 2020 season
REFUNDS: MLB paves way for teams to refund COVID-19 postponements
“It’s all coming together,’’ one of the officials said. “I’m very optimistic."
One of the additional benefits to playing in major-league cities is it would alleviate a possible split among players who are opposed to playing the entire season in Arizona/Florida/Texas. Several high-profile players, including the Angels' Mike Trout and the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw expressed strong resistance to playing the season away from their families.
MLB and union officials have yet to engage in formal discussions about the financial ramifications of playing without fans, with three owners telling USA TODAY Sports three weeks ago that they would refuse to play unless the players were willing to take a pay cut. Four other team officials insist they would require financial relief from the players.
Yet, there is now optimism among executives that they could settle their differences in negotiations on a sliding scale depending on the loss of revenue from gate receipts, parking and concessions. Teams also would have to revise their revenue-sharing plan.
The most encouraging signs, the officials said, is that testing is becoming more available, more states are re-opening, and more politicians such as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot saying teams could play in their own ballparks this summer.
MLB teams likely will still return to their own spring-training facilities in Arizona and Florida when they resume workouts. Players are expected to be given a week to return to spring training sites, and have 18 to 21 days before the start of the season.
Veteran agent Scott Boras proposed that players report to spring training in May, beginning with the pitchers and catchers. Players would be isolated from the population for three to four weeks, grouping them according to whether they ever tested positive with no symptoms, were hospitalized, have recovered with antibodies or tested negative.
“We have strong young athletes,’’ Boras said, “and we can ready them. They want to create a return to normalcy and certainly our national pastime is a sign of that.’’
MLB officials are hoping it won’t be necessary to quarantine players, and normalcy will prevail once the regular season commences, but the schedule and playoff format promises to be dramatically different.
“This is going to be a season,’’ one of the executives said, “like we’ve never seen.
“But that’s fine. It’s at least a season.’’

That 3 division setup would make things interesting while keeping most of the natural rivals together and playing each other like they're accustomed to. It's good to see that baseball is thinking outside the box to salvage the season. Hopefully they come up with something and we get a season in.

[Chi_archie]

That 3 division setup would make things interesting while keeping most of the natural rivals together and playing each other like they're accustomed to. It's good to see that baseball is thinking outside the box to salvage the season. Hopefully they come up with something and we get a season in.

Agreed

[Otters27]

Is Gerrit cole the goat???????

Yes