The 2021 Major League Baseball Player Chatter, News and Fantasy Thread

[JAKEPEAVY21]

With his size, it seemed like Heyward should have been a big Homerun guy. Just such a messed up swing. Very good eye and good fielder his whole career though.

Yeah it's wild that he hasn't hit for more power over his career.

[Chi_archie]

Matt Carpenter has heard from a few teams about a potential contract, but he is “super prepared for an extremely slow free-agency pace here,” the former Cardinals All-Star told The Athletic’s Katie Woo. “I totally understand that I’m not necessarily a highly sought-after free agent and that there are a lot of unknowns going forward.” Even without the uncertainty of labor talks and a potential transactions freeze looming this offseason, Carpenter likely would have faced a thin market anyway considering his lack of production over the last three seasons.
However, Carpenter sees possible changes to the sport as helpful to his chances of landing a new job. Should the DH come to the National League, for instance, or “the potential of banning and limiting shifts” becomes a reality, Carpenter might draw more interest. Within a week of his 36th birthday, Carpenter reiterated that he wants to continue his career into a 12th big league season, but seemed at peace with whatever the offseason will bring. “If I play, no matter where, I’ll be perfectly happy with that,” Carpenter said. “And if I don’t, and if I’m staying home and going to be a dad and I finished my career with one and only one organization, I’ll be perfectly happy with that as well.”
More from around baseball…

• The Pirates are still “hopeful” of re-signing Yoshi Tsutsugo, GM Ben Cherington told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Kevin Gorman and other reporters. The two sides were in talks before free agency opened, though Cherington didn’t give any hints about any possible progress towards a deal. Tsutsugo started games at first base and both corner outfield positions for the Pirates in 2021, and while that versatility would still be factored into Pittsburgh’s plans for next season, Cherington did note that “most of our conversations have been around first base.” That doesn’t seem to bode well for Colin Moran, who is currently penciled in as the Pirates’ first baseman for next year, and is (like Tsutsugo) a left-handed hitter. For what it’s worth, Tsutsugo has shown reverse-splits tendencies during his two MLB seasons, though that amounts to only 447 total plate appearances.
• The Braves have six seasons remaining on their current TV contract with Bally Sports, and the team will soon receive an increase in their annual revenues from that deal, Tim Tucker of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Beginning in 2023, the Braves will receive over $100MM per year, and that number will rise to close to $120MM by 2027. It isn’t known if this increase will directly impact payroll, but Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has said the Braves have more available to spend in 2022. The TV contract and other details about the team’s business were revealed in a Liberty Media (the Braves’ parent corporation) investors conference this past Thursday, which included Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei saying that there weren’t any plans to sell the Braves. Given all the positive information presented to investors, it isn’t surprising that Liberty Media would want to keep the team, as revenues generally continued to rebound both in the wake of the pandemic, and with the Braves’ World Series run adding even more of a benefit. As Maffei simply put it, “it has been a pretty good run” for Liberty Media since buying the club in 2007.

good luck matt carpenter

[EmpireMaker]

Matt Carpenter has heard from a few teams about a potential contract, but he is “super prepared for an extremely slow free-agency pace here,” the former Cardinals All-Star told The Athletic’s Katie Woo. “I totally understand that I’m not necessarily a highly sought-after free agent and that there are a lot of unknowns going forward.” Even without the uncertainty of labor talks and a potential transactions freeze looming this offseason, Carpenter likely would have faced a thin market anyway considering his lack of production over the last three seasons.
However, Carpenter sees possible changes to the sport as helpful to his chances of landing a new job. Should the DH come to the National League, for instance, or “the potential of banning and limiting shifts” becomes a reality, Carpenter might draw more interest. Within a week of his 36th birthday, Carpenter reiterated that he wants to continue his career into a 12th big league season, but seemed at peace with whatever the offseason will bring. “If I play, no matter where, I’ll be perfectly happy with that,” Carpenter said. “And if I don’t, and if I’m staying home and going to be a dad and I finished my career with one and only one organization, I’ll be perfectly happy with that as well.”
More from around baseball…

• The Pirates are still “hopeful” of re-signing Yoshi Tsutsugo, GM Ben Cherington told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Kevin Gorman and other reporters. The two sides were in talks before free agency opened, though Cherington didn’t give any hints about any possible progress towards a deal. Tsutsugo started games at first base and both corner outfield positions for the Pirates in 2021, and while that versatility would still be factored into Pittsburgh’s plans for next season, Cherington did note that “most of our conversations have been around first base.” That doesn’t seem to bode well for Colin Moran, who is currently penciled in as the Pirates’ first baseman for next year, and is (like Tsutsugo) a left-handed hitter. For what it’s worth, Tsutsugo has shown reverse-splits tendencies during his two MLB seasons, though that amounts to only 447 total plate appearances.
• The Braves have six seasons remaining on their current TV contract with Bally Sports, and the team will soon receive an increase in their annual revenues from that deal, Tim Tucker of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. Beginning in 2023, the Braves will receive over $100MM per year, and that number will rise to close to $120MM by 2027. It isn’t known if this increase will directly impact payroll, but Atlanta president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has said the Braves have more available to spend in 2022. The TV contract and other details about the team’s business were revealed in a Liberty Media (the Braves’ parent corporation) investors conference this past Thursday, which included Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei saying that there weren’t any plans to sell the Braves. Given all the positive information presented to investors, it isn’t surprising that Liberty Media would want to keep the team, as revenues generally continued to rebound both in the wake of the pandemic, and with the Braves’ World Series run adding even more of a benefit. As Maffei simply put it, “it has been a pretty good run” for Liberty Media since buying the club in 2007.

[jrgum3]

With his size, it seemed like Heyward should have been a big Homerun guy. Just such a messed up swing. Very good eye and good fielder his whole career though.

He started out that way it seemed like he was going to have prolific power early in his career but as the years went by his power dipped and his average dropped a lot. I thought Heyward was going to be a superstar at first and now I think he's had an average career.

[Cross]

With his size, it seemed like Heyward should have been a big Homerun guy. Just such a messed up swing. Very good eye and good fielder his whole career though.

[stevenash]

Heyward is done. I don't think he can hit anymore.

Never really much of a hitter.
Won gold five times in right field.
One of the best fielding outfielders of his generation.

Year	Age	Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	GDP	Awards
2010	20	ATL	NL	142	623	520	83	144	29	5	18	72	11	6	91	128	0.277	0.393	0.456	0.849	131	13	AS,MVP-20,RoY-2
2011	21	ATL	NL	128	456	396	50	90	18	2	14	42	9	2	51	93	0.227	0.319	0.389	0.708	93	7
2012	22	ATL	NL	158	651	587	93	158	30	6	27	82	21	8	58	152	0.269	0.335	0.479	0.814	117	4	MVP-28,GG
2013	23	ATL	NL	104	440	382	67	97	22	1	14	38	2	4	48	73	0.254	0.349	0.427	0.776	114	7
2014	24	ATL	NL	149	649	573	74	155	26	3	11	58	20	4	67	98	0.271	0.351	0.384	0.735	109	2	GG
2015	25	STL	NL	154	610	547	79	160	33	4	13	60	23	3	56	90	0.293	0.359	0.439	0.797	117	13	MVP-15,GG
2016	26	CHC	NL	142	592	530	61	122	27	1	7	49	11	4	54	93	0.23	0.306	0.325	0.631	68	12	GG
2017	27	CHC	NL	126	481	432	59	112	15	4	11	59	4	4	41	67	0.259	0.326	0.389	0.715	84	8	GG
2018	28	CHC	NL	127	489	440	67	119	23	4	8	57	1	1	42	60	0.27	0.335	0.395	0.731	94	7
2019	29	CHC	NL	147	589	513	78	129	20	4	21	62	8	3	68	110	0.251	0.343	0.429	0.772	100	12
2020	30	CHC	NL	50	181	147	20	39	6	2	6	22	2	0	30	37	0.265	0.392	0.456	0.848	129	1
2021	31	CHC	NL	104	353	323	35	69	15	2	8	30	5	1	27	68	0.214	0.28	0.347	0.627	68	4
12 Yrs				1531	6114	5390	766	1394	264	38	158	631	117	40	633	1069	0.259	0.341	0.41	0.75	102	90
162 Game Avg.				162	647	570	81	148	28	4	17	67	12	4	67	113	0.259	0.341	0.41	0.75	102	10
CHC (6 yrs)				696	2685	2385	320	590	106	17	61	279	31	13	262	435	0.247	0.326	0.383	0.708	87	44
ATL (5 yrs)				681	2819	2458	367	644	125	17	84	292	63	24	315	544	0.262	0.351	0.429	0.781	114	33
STL (1 yr)				154	610	547	79	160	33	4	13	60	23	3	56	90	0.293	0.359	0.439	0.797	117	13

[JMobile]

Heyward and Hosmer could be a fantastic duo in Padre Brown!

Heyward is done. I don't think he can hit anymore.

[stevenash]

KC has Pratto and that other guy for 1b. They don’t need another washed up loser blocking them

You talking about Hunter Dozier?
Yeah, he plays all all the corners, !B, 3B, LF
O'Hearn more than likely will be traded or learn to love life in Omaha.

Nick Prato is the future at 1B but he hasn't had a MLB at bat yet.
And I'm not even saying start Hosmer, he's knows the fundamentals of hitting inside out, and he's got managerial skills too.
Point being Prato can benefit from having Hosmer around.

If Prato pans out and can hit MLB pitching like he did AAA pitching, man, that IF will be stacked.
Mondesi Jr., Witt Jr., Prato.
Benetendi and Whit in the outfield too.

[Otters27]

How many years can ohtani be a two way player?

Who's the last guy to do it in consecutive years

[daneblazer]

KC has Pratto and that other guy for 1b. They don’t need another washed up loser blocking them

[stevenash]

Love the idea!! I don't care who takes him but do not want him on squad going forward.

I know what you're saying, he did his job with the Pads while he was there.
Now, he's not a fit in the direction SD is going.

Hosmer can fill the role Carlos Santana did for us last season.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Ugh.
Bring him back to KC I say.
Let him work with Bobby Witt Jr., Nick Prato, and Kyle Isbel.
That'll be a nice infield, Modesi Jr., Witt Jr., Hos may have a little something left.
He's still revered there.

Love the idea!! I don't care who takes him but do not want him on squad going forward.

[EmpireMaker]

This evening marked the deadline for teams to add Rule 5 draft-eligible players to their 40-man rosters. Accordingly, we’ve seen a large swath of transactions within the last couple days. Here, we’ll make note of the players each team protected from the Rule 5 draft, acquired from outside the organization, and removed from the roster before the deadline. We’ll also keep track of how many 40-man roster spots each team has left vacant.
AL East
Baltimore Orioles

• Added to roster: Felix Bautista, Kyle Bradish, Logan Gillaspie, DL Hall, Kevin Smith, Terrin Vavra
• Claimed: Lucius Fox (from Royals)
• Number of open roster spots: 1

Boston Red Sox

• Added to roster: Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, Jeter Downs, Josh Winckowski
• Number of open roster spots: 3

New York Yankees

• Added to roster: Oswaldo Cabrera, Ron Marinaccio, Everson Pereira, Stephen Ridings, JP Sears
• Designated for assignment: Clint Frazier, Rougned Odor, Tyler Wade
• Traded: Nick Nelson, Donny Sands (to Phillies)
• Number of open roster spots: 0

Tampa Bay Rays

• Added to roster: Jonathan Aranda, Calvin Faucher, Ford Proctor, Tommy Romero
• Traded: Brent Honeywell Jr. (to A’s)
• Number of open roster spots: 0

Toronto Blue Jays

• Added to roster: Hagen Danner, Bowden Francis, Leo Jimenez, Zach Logue
• Claimed: Shaun Anderson (from Padres)
• Number of open roster spots: 2

AL Central
Chicago White Sox

• Added to roster: Jason Bilous, Bennett Sousa
• Number of open roster spots: 5

Cleveland Guardians

• Added to roster: Tyler Freeman, Steven Kwan, Bryan Lavastida, Cody Morris, Jhonkensy Noel, Richie Palacios, Konnor Pilkington, Bryan Rocchio, Jose Tena, George Valera
• Acquired: Tobias Myers (from Tampa Bay)
• Designated for assignment: Justin Garza, Daniel Johnson, J.C. Mejia, Scott Moss, Kyle Nelson, Harold Ramirez, Alex Young
• Number of open roster spots: 0

Detroit Tigers

• Added to roster: Kody Clemenes, Angel De Jesus
• Outrighted: Niko Goodrum, Jacob Robson, Nivaldo Rodriguez
• Number of open roster spots: 1

Kansas City Royals

• Added to roster: Jonathan Bowlan, Maikel Garcia, MJ Melendez, Nick Pratto, Collin Snider, Nathan Webb
• Lost on waivers: Lucius Fox (to Orioles)
• Designated for assignment: Kyle Zimmer
• Number of open roster spots: 0

Minnesota Twins

• Added to roster: Blayne Enlow, Royce Lewis, Jose Miranda, Cole Sands, Chris Vallimont, Josh Winder
• Designated for assignment: Willians Astudillo, Charlie Barnes
• Outrighted: Kyle Garlick, Devin Smeltzer
• Number of open roster spots: 0

AL West
Houston Astros

• Added to roster: Jonathan Bermudez, Shawn Dubin, Jeremy Pena, Joe Perez
• Traded: Garrett Stubbs (to Phillies)
• Lost on waivers: Kent Emanuel (to Phillies)
• Outrighted: Freudis Nova
• Number of open roster spots: 1

Los Angeles Angels

• Added to roster: Elvis Peguero
• Outrighted: Chad Wallach
• Number of open roster spots: 0

Oakland Athletics

• Added to roster: Nick Allen, Jonah Bride, Jordan Diaz, Jorge Juan, Cody Thomas
• Acquired: Brent Honeywell (from Rays)
• Number of open roster spots: 6

Seattle Mariners

• Added to roster: Ray Kerr, Alberto Rodriguez, Julio Rodriguez’
• Number of open roster spots: 1

Texas Rangers

• Added to roster: Ezequiel Duran, Ronny Henriquez, Ricky Vanasco
• Outrighted: Kyle Cody, Edwar Colina
• Number of open roster spots: 3

NL East
Atlanta Braves

• Added to roster: Freddy Tarnok, Drew Waters, Brooks Wilson, William Woods
• Number of open roster spots: 0

Miami Marlins

• Added to roster: None
• Number of open roster spots: 0

New York Mets

• Added to roster: Jose Butto, Ronny Mauricio, Adam Oller, Mark Vientos
• Number of open roster spots: 3

Philadelphia Phillies

• Added to roster: Luis Garcia, James McArthur, Jhailyn Ortiz
• Acquired: Nick Nelson, Donny Sands (from Yankees), Garrett Stubbs (from Astros)
• Claimed: Kent Emanuel (from Astros)
• Number of open roster spots: 1

Washington Nationals

• Added to roster: Donovan Casey, Evan Lee
• Number of open roster spots: 1

NL Central
Chicago Cubs

• Added to roster: Ethan Roberts, Nelson Velazquez
• Number of open roster spots: 3

Cincinnati Reds

• Added to roster: Allan Cerda, Alexis Diaz, Daniel Duarte, Hunter Greene, James Marinan
• Number of open roster spots: 0

Milwaukee Brewers

• Added to roster: None
• Outrighted: Mark Mathias
• Number of open roster spots: 5

Pittsburgh Pirates

• Added to roster: Liover Peguero, Canaan Smith-Njigba, Jack Suwinski, Travis Swaggerty
• Designated for assignment: Michael Perez
• Number of open roster spots: 0

St. Louis Cardinals

• Added to roster: Brendan Donovan, Freddy Pacheco, Jake Walsh
• Number of open roster spots: 4

NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks

• Added to roster: Cooper Hummel, Kristian Robinson, Ryan Weiss
• Outrighted: Miguel Aguilar, Kevin Ginkel, Riley Smith
• Number of open roster spots: 1

Colorado Rockies

• Added to roster: Noah Davis, Ryan Rolison, Ezequiel Tovar
• Number of open roster spots: 1

Los Angeles Dodgers

• Added to roster: Jacob Amaya, Michael Grove, Eddys Leonard, James Outman, Jorbit Vivas
• Designated for assignment: Billy McKinney, Zach Reks
• Number of open roster spots: 0

San Diego Padres

• Added to roster: Efrain Contreras, MacKenzie Gore, Eguy Rosario, Steven Wilson
• Lost on waivers: Shaun Anderson (to Blue Jays)
• Outrighted: Reggie Lawson, Jorge Ona
• Number of open roster spots: 0

San Francisco Giants

• Added to roster: Sean Hjelle, Heliot Ramos, Randy Rodriguez
• Designated for assignment: Jay Jackson, Dedniel Nunez (returned to Mets as 2020 Rule 5 draftee)
• Number of open roster spots: 0

[jrgum3]

Will Bryce Harper ever get a world series though

As of right now I'd say no but one man can't do it all by himself in baseball. You need pitching to make it happen which is why I'd give Trout a better shot to win one now that the Angels are actively addressing their pitching staff.

[stevenash]

Hosmer to the Cubs gaining traction

Ugh.
Bring him back to KC I say.
Let him work with Bobby Witt Jr., Nick Prato, and Kyle Isbel.
That'll be a nice infield, Modesi Jr., Witt Jr., Hos may have a little something left.
He's still revered there.

[Cross]

Heyward and Hosmer could be a fantastic duo in Padre Brown!

[JMobile]

Hosmer to the Cubs gaining traction

I saw that. As long as Heyward stays in Chicago lol. If Padres trade away Hosmer, Padres can go for Chris Taylor to play 2nd base and move Cronenworth to 1st base.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Hot stove is actually heating up already.

Hosmer to the Cubs gaining traction

[Otters27]

Will Bryce Harper ever get a world series though

[Chi_archie]

Hot stove is actually heating up already.

yes, let's see some big moves

[jrgum3]

Yeah, would love to see your guy get it.
I snagged Harper in the second round, Burnes in the third round and still only finished fourth place in the NFBC.
Let me tell you guys, the pro fantasy sports writers/analysts are real tough competition.
Wouldn't want it any other way.

They lockout this spring and I'll be beyond rip shit.

Tell me about it if there's no baseball this spring I'll be a little depressed because I always look forward to opening day and another fantasy baseball season because to be honest even though I'm actually pretty good at the other fantasy sports most specifically fantasy football fantasy baseball remains my favorite I guess because it's every day and you have to stay on top of it. It's much more challenging than fantasy football by far.

[EmpireMaker]

There are plenty of opportunities available for the Yankees, widely expected to be one of the league’s more active teams this winter. After dipping below the luxury tax threshold to reset their penalties in 2021, it seems the club is poised for a big offseason.
Early comments from general manager Brian Cashman have stoked that fire, with the baseball ops leader telling reporters at last week’s GM Meetings the front office has some financial leeway. Owner Hal Steinbrenner echoed that sentiment, telling David Lennon of Newsday that Cashman’s suggestion is “accurate.” The New York chairman declined to delve into specifics about where the club’s budgetary limit might land, but he didn’t downplay the possibility of some noteworthy moves.
The most straightforward path to a big winter would seem to be dipping into the free agent shortstop market. Not only has Cashman already professed a desire to upgrade the position, he’s confirmed the club has been in contact with the reps for multiple free agents. Jon Heyman of the MLB Network tweeted this week that the Yankees and incumbent Dodgers were among the clubs with interest in Corey Seager, while Yankees’ brass has expressed a willingness to consider Carlos Correa despite his role in the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal.
It remains to be seen whether the Yankees will be willing to commit anywhere in the neighborhood of the $300+MM guarantees it could take to land Seager or Correa though. The club has two of the game’s most promising shortstop prospects — Oswald Peraza and Anthony Volpe — rising up the minor league ranks. Matthew Roberson of the New York Daily News reported yesterday that the Yankees were more likely to pursue a stopgap option than to play at the top of the market at the position based on the belief that Peraza and/or Volpe could take the reins in the not too distant future. If the Yankees were to eschew the star free agents at the top of the market, Andrelton Simmons or Freddy Galvis could profile as short-term options to stabilize the infield defense.
Whether the Yankees should be willing to sit out this offseason’s shortstop class is up for debate, but doing so could allow them to allocate more funds towards locking up star outfielder Aaron Judge on a long-term deal. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Judge to command a salary in the $17.1MM range in 2022, his final season of arbitration eligibility. The three-time All-Star is slated to reach free agency next offseason.
Judge has already expressed openness to an extension. Cashman told reporters (including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com) this evening the club was willing to talk about a long-term deal with Judge’s representatives but hasn’t yet opened talks. Locking up Judge at this stage of his career would no doubt require a massive investment. The 29-year-old has already banked a significant amount during his run through arbitration, and he’s coming off a stellar .287/.373/.544 showing across 633 plate appearances.
A reunion with Brett Gardner would require a far smaller outlay but could eventually be on the to-do list. The Yankees have continued to bring the fourteen-year veteran back in recent seasons, but the 38-year-old is currently a free agent after both sides declined their ends of a 2022 option. The Yankees haven’t discussed a potential reunion with Gardner’s reps in the early stages of the offseason, Cashman said (via Hoch), but the GM said his belief is the career-long Yankee intends to continue playing.
In non-player news, Cashman also expressed a desire to expand the coaching staff. The Yankees are planning to hire three hitting coaches and an additional pitching instructor (Hoch link). That’s become an increasingly common approach, particularly this offseason. We’ve already seen teams like the Brewers and Orioles hire two hitting instructors as co-hitting coaches, with an assistant working underneath that top duo. The Yankees parted ways with previous hitting coach Marcus Thames at the end of the season.

[Cross]

Hot stove is actually heating up already.

[BigSpoon]

AL Cy Young winner and the 2nd and 3rd place finishers in the AL MVP ballot, yet still didn't even make the playoffs.

[JMobile]

Marlins and Giants are top teams interested in Castellanos

[stevenash]

Sadly, it looks like Harper is going to get NL MVP today

Yeah, would love to see your guy get it.
I snagged Harper in the second round, Burnes in the third round and still only finished fourth place in the NFBC.
Let me tell you guys, the pro fantasy sports writers/analysts are real tough competition.
Wouldn't want it any other way.

They lockout this spring and I'll be beyond rip shit.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Sadly, it looks like Harper is going to get NL MVP today

[Otters27]

Remember when MLB guys used to have to get off season jobs

[Chi_archie]

Baez getting some love in free agency.

he'll get paid

[jrgum3]

A little suprised that Mad Max finished third in the NL Cy young voting but I guess some of that is because he didn't spend the whole season with the Dodgers. He was phenomenal when he came over to the Dodgers as much as I hate to admit it.

[EmpireMaker]

The Baseball Writers Association of America revealed the results of Cy Young award balloting this evening. Robbie Ray of the Blue Jays (now a free agent) and Corbin Burnes of the Brewers were named the American League and National League winners, respectively.
Ray claimed the AL award in resounding fashion, an achievement made all the more remarkable by his 2020 struggles. The southpaw dealt with significant control problems during the shortened campaign, leading the D-Backs to trade him to Toronto for essentially no return. After the end of the year, the Jays jumped the market to bring Ray back, buying low on the talented hurler with a one-year, $8MM pact.

That move will go down as one of the best of general manager Ross Atkins’ tenure in Toronto. Not only did Ray get back to heights that saw him make an All-Star team and garner some Cy Young support in 2017, he posted the best showing of his eight-year career. Ray worked 193 1/3 innings of 2.84 ERA ball, striking out an elite 32.1% of batters faced. That swing-and-miss stuff was nothing new, but the 29-year-old also cut his walk rate by almost two thirds. Just one year after walking 17.9% of opponents, Ray doled out free passes at just a 6.9% clip in 2021.
64 American League pitchers tallied 100+ innings this past season. Among that group, Ray ranked 3rd in ERA, strikeout percentage, strikeout/walk rate differential (25.2 percentage points) and SIERA (3.22). He led all AL hurlers in both innings pitched and swinging strike rate (15.5%). That stellar showing earns Ray his first Cy Young award and positions him as one of the top pitchers on this offseason’s free agent market.
As mentioned, the voting tilted quite strongly in Ray’s favor. He appeared on all 30 ballots, receiving 29 first-place votes and one second-place tally. The Yankees’ Gerrit Cole (who received the lone first-place nod that didn’t go to Ray) was the clear second-place finisher, with Lance Lynn of the White Sox coming in third. Nathan Eovaldi, Carlos Rodón, Frankie Montas, Lance McCullers Jr., Liam Hendriks, José Berríos, Chris Bassitt, Lucas Giolito and Raisel Iglesias also received down ballot support.
Voting in the National League was far more contentious, with very little separation between Burnes and the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler at the top. Both players received twelve first-place votes and appeared on all 30 ballots in some capacity, but Burnes’ 14-9 edge in second-place finishes wound up making the difference. The other six first-place votes went to eventual third-place finisher Max Scherzer, who split the season between the Nationals and Dodgers.
To some extent, the battle between Burnes and Wheeler came down to weighing volume versus rate effectiveness. Wheeler tossed an MLB-best 213 1/3 innings, while Burnes worked 167 frames. That’s a rather significant nod in Wheeler’s favor, but Burnes’ per-inning accomplishments were incredible. The Milwaukee righty ranked second among the 62 NL hurlers with 100+ innings in ERA (2.43) while pacing the league in SIERA (2.61), strikeout percentage (35.6%), strikeout/walk rate differential (30.4 percentage points) and swinging strike rate (16.6%).

That’s not to imply Wheeler was ineffective. The Phils’ righty was among the top ten in the league in most rate categories as well. But voters ultimately gave an ever so slight edge to Burnes’ utter domination of opponents, even if that came with a lighter workload than the one Wheeler shouldered.
Like Ray, Burnes takes home his first Cy Young award. He’d finished sixth in last year’s balloting and now looks like one of the game’s top handful of hurlers moving forward. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Brewers, who control Burnes via arbitration through the end of 2024, try to open extension talks with his representatives at CAA Sports over this offseason.
In addition to the three finalists, Walker Buehler, Brandon Woodruff, Kevin Gausman, Adam Wainwright, Julio Urías and Jacob deGrom picked up some down ballot support. Buehler was the only non-finalist to garner any second-place votes, with two runner-up nods.

[Cross]

Baez getting some love in free agency.

[JMobile]

So Justin Verlander staying with the Astros for one more year?

[stevenash]

They need another top line starter to make me a believer. Scherzer would be ideal but a trade for a younger guy under team control is probably more realistic.

The bullpen did a nice job last seasson.

MLB eight rankned.

Iglesias doesn't get enough love.
Insane K ratio.

Name	G	IP		W	L	ERA		SV	BS	HLD		SO	BB		HR
Raisel Iglesias	65	70		7	5	2.57		34	5	0		103	12		11
Steve Cishek	74	68.1		0	2	3.42		0	4	21		64	41		2
Mike Mayers	70	71.1		5	4	3.53		2	3	17		88	25		11
Jose Quintana	14	18.1		0	0	3.93		0	0	2		22	3		3
Jose Quijada	26	25.2		0	2	4.56		0	0	4		38	15		2
Tony Watson	36	33		3	3	4.64		0	3	12		25	14		3
Andrew Wantz	21	27.1		1	0	4.94		0	1	0		38	11		5
Alex Claudio	41	32.2		1	2	5.51		1	0	2		30	15		6
Junior Guerra	40	64.1		5	2	5.74		0	2	2		59	44		6
Sam Selman	18	17		0	1	6.35		0	0	1		11	8		1
Aaron Slegers	29	31		2	2	6.97		0	2	2		25	15		6

[Cross]

Angels must be going all in finally, sacrificed some draft players by getting Thor.