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

[jrgum3]

Just an amazing day with the Giants capping off a brilliant season with a Division title on the last day. I just hope that they continue this in the playoffs. It still seems surreal that they were the best team in baseball all year long and have a real shot at winning the World Series. Obviously it won't be easy in the NL with everyone who made it seeming like they have a strong case to make for winning it all. Looking forward to the playoffs for the first time since 2016 although I always love October baseball. It's just better when your team is in it which goes without saying.

[EmpireMaker]

For players eager to win now, the usual move is to want their teams to add veteran players to help put the club over the top. Bryce Harper may be an exception, as when speaking to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb and other reporters following the Phillies’ season-ending loss to the Marlins, Harper stressed that “we can’t just keep going out and buying and buying and buying. We need homegrown talent. When you look at teams that have homegrown talent, those are the teams that have success….We need guys to come up from the minor leagues and have success and be successful. Not have to go up and down.”
Aaron Nola and Rhys Hoskins stand out as recent success stories from Philadelphia’s player pipeline, but apart from that duo, the Phillies have struggled to find consistent contributions from within the organizations. Highly-touted youngsters like Alec Bohm, Scott Kingery, Mickey Moniak, and Adam Haseley have yet to make much of an impact at the big league level, and Gelb notes that the Phils have been lacking a streamlined approach throughout the organization — there appears to be “a disconnect between what was taught below and preached in the majors.” The Phillies are already making changes in the player development department and are on the lookout for a new hitting coach, though it remains to be seen if the team can figure out this “disconnect” while still addressing their 2022 needs and being competitive next season.
More from around the NL East…

• J.D. Davis will undergo surgery Tuesday to fix a torn ligament in his left hand. The Mets infielder played in only 73 games this season due to four separate trips to the injured list related to his hand injury, and Davis told The New York Daily News’ Deesha Thosar and other reporters that he expects to have a normal offseason after his surgery, so he should be ready for Spring Training. As to whether or not he’ll be at the Mets’ camp is another question, as after a year of trade rumors, Davis said his “gut feeling” is that he “could be out of here” and headed to another team. “It’s kind of 50/50, kind of a flip of the coin,” Davis said. “I know there’s going to be plenty of changes up and down from the front office all the way down to here….But there’s a possibility that I could come back. I love New York. I love the fans.”
• As Davis mentioned, the Mets will be undergoing many changes, including a possible overhaul of the coaching staff that could include manager Luis Rojas. Of all the coaches, The New York Post’s Mike Puma (Twitter link) believes pitching coach Jeremy Hefner is the likeliest to remain in Queens. 2021 is the last guaranteed year of Hefner’s original two-year contract, but the Mets hold a club option on Hefner’s services for next season.
• The Nationals definitively won’t be making a change at pitching coach, as manager Davey Martinez told reporters (including MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman) on Saturday that Jim Hickey for a second season on Washington’s staff. Other changes could be forthcoming to the coaching corps, however, and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo told Zuckerman and company today that the Nationals are “certainly going to make some changes in the player development and scouting ranks.” The idea is that “ten or 12 years with the same staff shows the cohesion, and then when you make some nice tweaks to get a new set of eyes and some new ideas is never a bad thing,” Rizzo said.

[Cross]

Maybe Yankees can lose a heart breaker on Tuesday!

[BigSpoon]

Jays eliminated with the wins by NYY and BOS, sad.

[stevenash]

just because they hate the Yankees.

Who doesn't?

[Stallion]

I think TB is gonna play great today, just because they hate the Yankees.

[JMobile]

No matter what they do me thinks they'll be right there next year.
They're on the up.

Uh oh.
Mobile's Kershaw has the ouchies.

Yeah, the Kershaw saga is probably over. Max Scherzer is my go-to pitcher now.

[stevenash]

Yep, I'm very interested to see what transpires.

No matter what they do me thinks they'll be right there next year.
They're on the up.

Uh oh.
Mobile's Kershaw has the ouchies.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

will be interesting to see how the Pads regroup for next year

Yep, I'm very interested to see what transpires.

[stevenash]

New York booed at home in big loss to Tampa Bay.

Yankees suck.
Yankees suck.

[Checkerboard]

New York booed at home in big loss to Tampa Bay.

Rays' bottom 5 mlb payroll is less than 25% of Yankees' league second highest.

[Chi_archie]

After a disappointing season with high expectations, the Padres are planning to part ways with manager Jayce Tingler after two seasons at the helm, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). The decision has not been confirmed by the club, who calls the news of Tingler’s fire “premature,” tweets AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Still, expectations are that Tingler will be let go.
The Padres shocking collapse this year has been well-documented, and it appears that Tingler will be left holding the bag. Despite the frustrating season, Tingler will finish his tenure in San Diego with a winning record, sitting currently at 115-105, a .523 winning percentage.
The Padres were the “it” team of 2020, Tingler’s first season as manager. A relative unknown at the time of his hire, Tingler nonetheless led the Padres to the playoffs for the first time since 2006 and finished second in manager of the year voting. Though they were swept by the eventual champion Dodgers, it was a competitive and spirited three-game series, setting the stage for a tight divisional race in 2021.
The future looked bright for Tingler, who was hand-picked to manage the club by A.J. Preller, who himself was promoted to president of baseball operations and extended through 2026 in February. Preller’s promotion came amid a busy winter, after which the Friars were all but assumed to push the Dodgers for the NL West crown. The Padres extended Fernando Tatis Jr., locking in their star shortstop as the future of the franchise, and they overhauled their rotation with trades for Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, and Joe Musgrove, among other moves.
The 2021 season began on script with the Padres having a share of the best record in MLB as late as 54 games into the year, as MLB.com’s Sarah Langs recently tweeted out. They were 34-20 at that point in the season on May 30th. The injuries began to pile up, and from that point on, the rollicking-good-fun Padres have been nothing short of a disaster. They’ve gone 44-62 since, guaranteeing a losing campaign yesterday with their 82nd loss. The loss came at the hands of the Giants, who took the Padres’ Cinderella season right out from under them and wore it for themselves.
The Padres on-field failures are wide-ranging, though injuries no doubt played a role. The inflexibility of a roster weighed down with hefty contracts for under-performing veterans also played a part. It certainly seems a touch hypocritical for Preller to send Tingler packing, and yet it would hardly be a surprising development. There have been quite a few front office people let go, in fact, as repercussions of the difficult season have been felt throughout the organization. Recent weeks, as well, have been marred by rising tensions and in-dugout altercations that drew national attention, perhaps even providing cause for a Tingler dismissal.
Development failures have also been central to the Padres narrative. With that in mind, the futures of MacKenzie Gore, Adrian Morejon, and Ryan Weathers will be of particular interest for anyone in a leadership role moving forward. It wasn’t long ago that these young arms were the crown jewels of a deep farm system, but trades have depleted the system’s depth while their young hurlers have yet to establish themselves as difference-makers at the Major League level.
The spotlight will shine ever brighter on Preller in the days and weeks to come. Given his recent extension, it seems he’ll continue as the primary driver within the organization, though his next managerial hire will likely be his last unless the team can get itself back on track.

will be interesting to see how the Pads regroup for next year

[mr. leisure]

Mariners down 4-3 got runners on 1st and 2nd no outs bottom of 8 at the time of this post

Winner 6- 4 , nice comeback by the M`s .

[Otters27]

Mariners down 4-3 got runners on 1st and 2nd no outs bottom of 8 at the time of this post

[EmpireMaker]

After a disappointing season with high expectations, the Padres are planning to part ways with manager Jayce Tingler after two seasons at the helm, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). The decision has not been confirmed by the club, who calls the news of Tingler’s fire “premature,” tweets AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. Still, expectations are that Tingler will be let go.
The Padres shocking collapse this year has been well-documented, and it appears that Tingler will be left holding the bag. Despite the frustrating season, Tingler will finish his tenure in San Diego with a winning record, sitting currently at 115-105, a .523 winning percentage.
The Padres were the “it” team of 2020, Tingler’s first season as manager. A relative unknown at the time of his hire, Tingler nonetheless led the Padres to the playoffs for the first time since 2006 and finished second in manager of the year voting. Though they were swept by the eventual champion Dodgers, it was a competitive and spirited three-game series, setting the stage for a tight divisional race in 2021.
The future looked bright for Tingler, who was hand-picked to manage the club by A.J. Preller, who himself was promoted to president of baseball operations and extended through 2026 in February. Preller’s promotion came amid a busy winter, after which the Friars were all but assumed to push the Dodgers for the NL West crown. The Padres extended Fernando Tatis Jr., locking in their star shortstop as the future of the franchise, and they overhauled their rotation with trades for Blake Snell, Yu Darvish, and Joe Musgrove, among other moves.
The 2021 season began on script with the Padres having a share of the best record in MLB as late as 54 games into the year, as MLB.com’s Sarah Langs recently tweeted out. They were 34-20 at that point in the season on May 30th. The injuries began to pile up, and from that point on, the rollicking-good-fun Padres have been nothing short of a disaster. They’ve gone 44-62 since, guaranteeing a losing campaign yesterday with their 82nd loss. The loss came at the hands of the Giants, who took the Padres’ Cinderella season right out from under them and wore it for themselves.
The Padres on-field failures are wide-ranging, though injuries no doubt played a role. The inflexibility of a roster weighed down with hefty contracts for under-performing veterans also played a part. It certainly seems a touch hypocritical for Preller to send Tingler packing, and yet it would hardly be a surprising development. There have been quite a few front office people let go, in fact, as repercussions of the difficult season have been felt throughout the organization. Recent weeks, as well, have been marred by rising tensions and in-dugout altercations that drew national attention, perhaps even providing cause for a Tingler dismissal.
Development failures have also been central to the Padres narrative. With that in mind, the futures of MacKenzie Gore, Adrian Morejon, and Ryan Weathers will be of particular interest for anyone in a leadership role moving forward. It wasn’t long ago that these young arms were the crown jewels of a deep farm system, but trades have depleted the system’s depth while their young hurlers have yet to establish themselves as difference-makers at the Major League level.
The spotlight will shine ever brighter on Preller in the days and weeks to come. Given his recent extension, it seems he’ll continue as the primary driver within the organization, though his next managerial hire will likely be his last unless the team can get itself back on track.

[Cross]

Playoff baseball coming up, trying to pick a team for a futures bet… thinking D Rays and Giants right now.

[Stallion]

Jays win, Yankees Lose!!

[jrgum3]

So Kershaw injured again?

Yeah he's on the IL but I think it's just the Dodgers just being cautious with him. It will be interesting to see whether he comes back in the playoffs and can return to form if he returns at all this season.

[Chi_archie]

So Kershaw injured again?

what a puss

c'mon

[JMobile]

The Diamondbacks got to Kershaw last time but I agree with you I expect Kershaw to be better this time around against the Brewers in a must win game.

So Kershaw injured again?

[Otters27]

Yankees and Red Sox in control of own fate.

Jays and Mariners need to win and get help.

Thanks. I was about to ask that question. Will be crazy big Mariners get it

[Checkerboard]

Yankees and Red Sox in control of own fate.

Jays and Mariners need to win and get help.

[stevenash]

That is understandable lol...Did you come out ahead on the poker tables?

I'd like to get out there one more time.
3400 km. flight is brutal though.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Vegas was great, enjoyed the Wynn poker room and sports book! Tennis was fun, but maybe was a bit low on sleep to play how I would have liked.

That is understandable lol...Did you come out ahead on the poker tables?

[Cross]

Thank you sir, how was Vegas? How did you fare in the tennis tournament?

Vegas was great, enjoyed the Wynn poker room and sports book! Tennis was fun, but maybe was a bit low on sleep to play how I would have liked.

[EmpireMaker]

The Pirates are planning to promote shortstop prospect Oneil Cruz to make his major league debut, reports Héctor Gómez of Z101 (Twitter link). The 22-year-old checked in as the game’s #50 overall farmhand on Baseball America’s midseason update. Cruz is already on the 40-man roster.

Cruz signed with the Dodgers out of the Dominican Republic over the 2015-16 international signing period. Los Angeles included Cruz, who was then in Low-A, as part of a package headed to Pittsburgh for Tony Watson at the 2017 trade deadline. The left-handed hitter has spent the past four years climbing the minor league ranks, moving fairly slowly but posting big numbers at every level.
In 2018, Cruz hit .286/.343/.488 while spending the entire season at Low-A. He split the 2019 campaign between High-A and Double-A and was added to the 40-man roster that offseason to keep him from selection in the Rule 5 draft. Last year’s canceled minor league season obviously cost Cruz the chance to play in games, although he was part of the Bucs’ alternate training site group.
As Cruz has aged, he’s continued to fill out one of the bigger frames in affiliated ball. The 22-year-old is now listed at 6’7″, 210 pounds, and he’ll soon become the tallest shortstop in major league history. That atypical profile has led to some concern among prospect evaluators he’d eventually have to move off the position, but he’s worked there exclusively in the minors this year and has continued to hold his own. In their midseason report, BA pegged Cruz as a capable defender, and evaluators credit him with one of the better arms in the minor leagues. There’s still some sentiment he could wind up moving into the outfield eventually, but it seems he’ll at least get an opportunity to first try and stick on the left side of the infield.
While there may be some questions about his long-term defensive home, there’s no debate concerning Cruz’s power potential. His exceptional size and athleticism leads to some of the game’s biggest power projection, with Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs grading his raw power as a future 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale. BA, meanwhile, pegs his power potential at a 70 on the same scale.
Cruz’s size has led to some trepidation about his ability to consistently make contact. Longer-levered players can sometimes have trouble synchronizing their swing mechanics, and Cruz indeed had some alarming strikeout numbers early in his minor league career. As he’s climbed the ladder, he’s ironed out those issues significantly. Cruz has taken 302 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A this season, hitting .310/.375/.594 with seventeen home runs and a 22.8% strikeout rate that’s right in line with this year’s major league average.
With Cruz performing at a high level on both sides of the ball, the Pirates will give him a two-game cameo to close out the season. He can still be optioned to the minors in one more season, and he’s only played in six career Triple-A games. It’s certainly possible he starts next season back in the upper minors, whether for developmental or service time reasons. (Barring a change to the current service time structure in the upcoming collective bargaining agreement, the Pirates would only have to keep Cruz in the minors for a couple weeks to delay his path to free agency by an additional season). But whatever long-term plans the organization has, they’ll reward his consistently strong performance with his first big league call to close out this season, giving fans a glimpse at one of the most exciting young players in the organization in the process.

[jrgum3]

Jays lose 2 of 3 to the Yankees, they must sweep the Orioles. Yankees play TB who have nothing to play for, Boston plays Washington, and Seattle plays LAA and Ohtani will not be starting. I can see a play-in game for the play-in wildcard game.

That Jays bullpen made me nervous and I'm not even a fan of the Jays. They managed to get it done but man you Jay fans must've been sweating in the late innings. It seems that is the case with most every teams bullpen these days.

[jrgum3]

Dodgers have Kershaw on the mound tonight. Let's see if the Brewers can hit him

The Diamondbacks got to Kershaw last time but I agree with you I expect Kershaw to be better this time around against the Brewers in a must win game.

[stevenash]

How about a four way tie?

https://www.mlb.com/news/american-league-wild-card-tiebreakers-explained?partnerId=zh-20211001-478399-mlb-1-B&qid=1026&utm_id=zh-20211001-478399-mlb-1-B&bt_ee=2d2Q0hF6ovedwMPWNUgHBfNXCpD9aGmpFf8xQ7D%2FWjDFJJeLRd67EWx27p9i96I%2B&bt_ts=1633094758877

[JMobile]

Giants will clinch this weekend because the Dodgers will lose at least 1 to the Brew Crew and even if they don't I think the Giants get 2 out of 3 from the Padres to finally lock up the division.

Dodgers have Kershaw on the mound tonight. Let's see if the Brewers can hit him

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Jays lose 2 of 3 to the Yankees, they must sweep the Orioles. Yankees play TB who have nothing to play for, Boston plays Washington, and Seattle plays LAA and Ohtani will not be starting. I can see a play-in game for the play-in wildcard game.

Trying to knock the Yankees completely out of the playoffs and get to 100 wins is worth playing for.

[Stallion]

Jays lose 2 of 3 to the Yankees, they must sweep the Orioles. Yankees play TB who have nothing to play for, Boston plays Washington, and Seattle plays LAA and Ohtani will not be starting. I can see a play-in game for the play-in wildcard game.

[mr. leisure]

Going to be an exciting weekend for baseball with all the different playoff scenarios .

[stevenash]

Huge opportunity wasted. Still a slim chance with the Red Sox losing but it looks pretty bleak for the Jays.

And the Sox catch the Nats this weekend who don't give a shit.
I do believe Washington has no shits left to give anyway, they gave half their team away too soon if you ask me.

[BigSpoon]

Ace Ray tonight, hopefully they win tonight to take 2 of 3 from Yankees.

Huge opportunity wasted. Still a slim chance with the Red Sox losing but it looks pretty bleak for the Jays.