[El Nino]

Talks of Goldy going to St. Louis Cardinals.

[jrgum3]

I don't know if I want Harper to go to my Giants. On one hand, they could use a big bat like him but on the other hand I think they'd be crazy to sign him because I think they have more pressing concerns like their bullpen and starting pitching and getting Harper would mean not addressing those other concerns.

[Chi_archie]

It would be interesting to see the Sox go after Harper

[koz-man]

Cubs open to trading 3B Kris Bryant


Kris Bryant won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2015, an MVP Award the next season, and he will forever be remembered in Chicago for making the last play to clinch Game 7 of the Cubs' 2016 championship, grinning as he released the throw to first. At that time, it was easy to envision him spending his career with the franchise that had drafted him second overall in 2013.

But it's possible that the Cubs will trade him, perhaps as soon as this winter. As part of their early off-season discussions, sources say the Cubs have indicated to other teams they are willing to discuss trade proposals for almost all of the players on their roster, including Bryant, who struggled in 2018, batting .272 with 13 homers in 102 games. Bryant went on the disabled list twice with left shoulder trouble.

Past efforts to reach a long-term agreement with Bryant have not advanced -- the Cubs made a significant offer last winter, without a deal being concluded -- and the third baseman, who turns 27 in January, is about to get much more expensive as he moves toward free agency eligibility after the 2021 season.
Theo Epstein, the head of baseball operations, was asked earlier this week at the GM meetings about the availability of Bryant and first baseman Anthony Rizzo in trades.


"We've never operated with untouchables," he said. "It sends the wrong message. Given what we're trying to accomplish, it would be virtually impossible to envision the deal that would make sense to move them. I just don't believe in untouchables. Why limit yourself?"

After the 2016 World Series, it seemed that the Cubs might have a chance at a dynasty, with an incredible core of young position players -- Bryant, Rizzo, left-handed slugger Kyle Schwarber, middle infielders Addison Russell and Javier Baez, and catcher Willson Contreras.

But the Cubs have not played to expectations in the last couple of seasons, and there has been concern within the organization about the club's clubhouse culture since the 2016 championship season. The team has turned many coaches the last two winters, and after Chili Davis was fired as the Cubs' hitting coach, he told ESPN Chicago, "I wish the Cubs well. Things didn't mesh easily or all the time with the players. I have no hard feelings."

A philosophical disconnect seemed to develop in Davis's working relationship with Bryant early in the season. Davis told Chicago Sun-Times that he would not blame himself for his firing, and offered good wishes for the next hitting coach.

"Hopefully, he has better success at this than I did," said Davis. "But regardless of who's there, certain players there are going to have to make some adjustments, because the game's changed, and pitchers are pitching them differently. They're not pitching to launch angles and fly balls and all that anymore. They're pitching away from that.
"They're going to have to make that adjustment whether I'm there or not."

[yisman]

Empiremaker is empiremake2?

Son of a bitch why did I not get a point for that post?

Are you aware that this is a thread about baseball?

[BigSpoon]

Joe Mauer retires after a 15 year career, all with the Twins.

[Cross]

Mauer made a boatload of cash off one strong season.

[batt33]

Mauer made a boatload of cash off one strong season.

right spot right time

[JMobile]

Just boggles my mind. J.D. Martinez didn't get his $$$ but Harper wants $400 million... J.D. Martinez has a higher 162 game average in HR's, RBI's, Batting Average, doubles, OPS is basically the same.

Martinez has one more year of service than Harper. Harper is 5 years younger, but body is arguably more damaged than Martinez. Whoever signs Harper for 10 years has to plan on eating $30-40 million/year for 3-4 years

JD much better.

[EmpireMaker]

There’s been plenty of attention centered on the Mets’ bullpen needs this offseason, and new general manager Brodie Van Wagenen plainly indicated yesterday that his team is in the market for “multiple” bullpen pieces (Twitter link, with video, via MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo). “I can’t imagine we’d be looking to try and do a ’one and done’ situation,” said Van Wagenen. As for the type of reliever he’s looking for, Van Wagenen spoke in general terms — missing bats, controlling the strike zone — but suggested that closing experience might not be a big factor. In fact, it seems there’s no guarantee the Mets even plan to use a set closer in 2019.
“I think a lot of teams are going away from a traditional closer,” said Van Wagenen. “I think we had — in [Robert] Gsellman and [Seth] Lugo last year — a lot was asked of those two guys. They were about as good as they could be. As long as we can control their workload and not put them in situations that are over-taxing, I think both those guys can get outs at the back end of the game — the last three outs in particular. We’ll see whether other guys can be added to that mix.”
Here’s more from Queens…

• In other Mets news, Van Wagenen says he feels the club is at least “covered” at the catching position, as Tim Healey of Newsday writes. That won’t stop the organization from looking at upgrades. In fact, the Mets have made a strong early push for glove-first backstop Martin Maldonado, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. It seems he’s the club’s top catching target in free agency, with Wilson Ramos of secondary interest. Meanwhile, pursuit of star Marlins backstop J.T. Realmuto does not sound particularly realistic. The Fish are evidently not enamored of the top New York prospects, so there may not be a deal to be made. (What should Realmuto cost in a trade? Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs took a worthwhile look at the subject.)
• Though late-blooming Jeff McNeil’s MLB audition lasted just over two months last season, he looks to have done enough to assure himself a spot in next year’s lineup. Van Wagenen said at this week’s GM Meetings that McNeil is “penciled in” as the team’s everyday second baseman for the 2019 season (Twitter link via Healey). McNeil opened eyes with a .329/.381/.471 slash through 248 plate appearances, and while he only homered three times in 63 games, he also hit 11 doubles and racked up six triples in that time. Most encouraging of all, perhaps, was the infielder’s minuscule 9.7 percent strikeout rate. Even if his .359 average on balls in play regresses, as one would expect, McNeil’s knack for putting the ball in play should help him hit for a quality average and get on base at a solid clip.
• The Mets have some coaching vacancies to fill, including hitting coach and bench coach. Puma tweets that former D-backs hitting coach Dave Magadan is among the Mets’ candidates to replace Pat Roessler at that position, while Matt Ehalt of the North Jersey Bergen Record tweets that former Cubs/Red Sox hitting coach Chili Davis could also be in the mix. Meanwhile, Jim Riggleman, who recently left the Reds after being passed over for their managerial vacancy, is a candidate to take over as Mickey Callaway’s bench coach, Ehalt adds.

[cincinnatikid513]

please tell me joe mauer is not a hall of famer

[ApricotSinner32]

Joe mauer is the real deal or no go?

[Otters27]

Joe Mauer retires after a 15 year career, all with the Twins.

Wow. Guy was an incredible athlete

[koz-man]

Joe Mauer, the 2009 American League MVP who has spent all 15 seasons of his major league career with the Minnesota Twins, announced his retirement Friday.

Mauer made his announcement in a letter to fans that was released by the Twins and is set to run in both The Minneapolis Star-Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press on Sunday.

"After much consideration I have decided to retire from playing baseball," Mauer wrote in the letter. "The decision came down to my health and my family. The risk of concussion is always there, and I was reminded of that this season after missing over 30 games as a result of diving for a foul ball.

"Thank you, Minnesota Twins, and thank you, fans, for making my career as special and memorable as it was. Because of you I can leave the game I love with a full and grateful heart."

In his 15 major league seasons, Mauer has appeared in six All-Star games, won three Gold Gloves, three batting titles and racked up 2,123 career hits, all with his hometown Twins.

He is one of 22 former MVPs to play his entire 15-plus-year career with one franchise. Each of the previous 21 is in the Hall of Fame.

[Chi_archie]

Wow that makes ya feel old

[Cross]

Can’t believe people making big news over Kris Bryant. Just because he is available to trade doesn’t mean they won’t trade him unless they get a huge haul in return.

[JMobile]

Anybody watching the MLB All Stars?

[El Nino]

please tell me joe mauer is not a hall of famer

If you are a fan of WAR, he is. Just based on career traditional #'s, he falls short in every other category. 2011 hurt him. Had he stayed healthy and been around his 162 game average of 185 hits that season instead of the 85 he had...he probably would need 4 more years in the majors, 5 tops to get 3,000 hits. If he did that, he'd prob get in the hall.

[BigSpoon]

Nats ownership vetoed a deal that would have sent Bryce Harper to the Astros at the trade deadline. Not sure if it would have been enough to beat the Red Sox but would have been exciting. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/2...gton-nationals

[batt33]

Nats ownership vetoed a deal that would have sent Bryce Harper to the Astros at the trade deadline. Not sure if it would have been enough to beat the Red Sox but would have been exciting. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/2...gton-nationals

Astros...may have got lucky.....

[EmpireMaker]

Baseball fans everywhere were stripped of high-level trade deadline intrigue last season, as Ken Rosenthal details in a stunning report for The Athletic, when a trade that would have sent Bryce Harper to the Astros in exchange for a trio of prospects was nixed by Washington’s ownership group. The trade, said to have been agreed upon a day before the July 31 deadline, would have sent 2017 first-rounder J.B. Bukauskas to the Nats, as well as two other prospects, one of which was reportedly catcher Garrett Stubbs. Though Bukauskas faces questions about a third pitch, which could relegate him to eventual relief duty, and Stubbs has cooled after a blistering 2016 performance for Double-A Corpus Christi, the package was surely superior in value to the compensatory pick the Nationals will receive should Harper depart in free agency, which, as Rosenthal notes, will come after the fourth round in next year’s draft, by virtue of the club exceeding the luxury tax total in 2018. Houston, which received middling corner-outfield production from Josh Reddick and Marwin Gonzalez last season, would certainly have benefitted from Harper’s presence in a lineup diminished by injuries to Carlos Correa and a substandard season from George Springer, though the departing asset cost would’ve assuredly been hefty for only two months of the 25-year-old superstar.

• Though no official reason was offered for the disapproval, Rosenthal speculates the Nationals owners may have been worried about damaging their relationship with Harper in the offseason to come. The club, after all, did offer Harper a reported $300MM over ten years on the last day of the 2018 season, and figures to further its aggression in efforts to sign the generational talent. During the August waiver period, the club also shot down a Dodger effort to acquire Harper, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times. It appears this offer, which reportedly included outfielder Yasiel Puig at its center, was nixed at the front office level, though it’s certainly plausible that previous ownership mandates were a significant factor in the team’s eventual refusal to depart with the star. Puig, certainly, would have been an intriguing return for just over a month’s use of Harper – the 27-year-old has had his share of on-field dustups, to be sure, but has remained a force at the plate: in an odd reverse split, the polarizing Cuban has put up a 142 wRC+ against right-handed pitching the last two seasons, good for 12th among qualifiers in baseball during that span, and is under team control through the 2019 season.
• After being stonewalled in their Harper pursuit, sources told Rosenthal that the Astros pivoted their attention (to, obviously, no avail) in the final hours to White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia, dangling right-handed pitching prospect Francis Martes, whose damaged right elbow was apparently of no concern to the Southsiders. Garcia, who’s been around replacement-level in five of his six major league seasons thus far, seemed an odd target for an Astro club not much in need of a right-handed boost – the 27-year-old, after all, posted a minuscule 1.4% BB rate in the season’s first half, and again sunk to a level of below-league-average production by the time his season ended in knee surgery in mid-September.

[jrgum3]

That would have been interesting if Bryce Harper went to the Astros as they were the only team I thought had a chance to derail the Red Sox from winning the World Series and Harper may have put them over the top.

[koz-man]

Justin Verlander's offseason is off to a good start.
The Houston Astros ace and supermodel wife Kate Upton welcomed a baby daughter, Genevieve Upton Verlander, to the world earlier this week, the couple announced Saturday.

[Chi_archie]

Justin Verlander's offseason is off to a good start.
The Houston Astros ace and supermodel wife Kate Upton welcomed a baby daughter, Genevieve Upton Verlander, to the world earlier this week, the couple announced Saturday.

oh wow

big news

[BigSpoon]

Going to be a wild offseason with lots of big names being moved potentitally. Also, to see who 'wins' the Harper and Machado sweepstakes.

[El Nino]

Justin Verlander's offseason is off to a good start.
The Houston Astros ace and supermodel wife Kate Upton welcomed a baby daughter, Genevieve Upton Verlander, to the world earlier this week, the couple announced Saturday.

Wonder how big her will be.

[JMobile]

Yankees might pick up Harper if Harper is willing to play at first base.

[Cross]

How long til hot stove deals actually start happening?

[batt33]

Yankees might pick up Harper if Harper is willing to play at first base.

Interesting thought there.

[jrgum3]

Should be a very interesting offseason when these moves actually start happening. So many big names gonna change teams that its more exciting than the actual season.

[EmpireMaker]

Jose Altuve provided an update on his rehabilitation from knee surgery, telling MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters that he’s “not doing a lot” in the early stages of his recovery process, though “the only thing they told me is we’re going to be 120 percent for the first day of Spring Training, and that’s what really matters.” Altuve underwent the procedure shortly after the Astros were eliminated from the ALCS, after playing through the injury for much of the second half of the season. More will be known later in Altuve’s rehab process, though for now, it doesn’t seem like the surgery will keep Altuve from being ready to go for next season.
Here’s more from around the American League…

• Whit Merrifield is arguably the Royals’ biggest trade chip, though the team’s lack of interest in dealing him is indicative of GM Dayton Moore’s unique team-building process, Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star writes. On paper, a player who turns 30 in January doesn’t have much long-term value to a Royals team that has 2021 as its internal start date to once again be competitive. Moore, however, has spoken openly about how disappointing the 2018 season was for the Royals, and he has been hesitant to enter into a full rebuild. As Mellinger puts it, “holding onto Merrifield serves several purposes simultaneously: projects hope and confidence to players and fans, helps maintain culture of professionalism in the clubhouse, creates the best possible team for 2019, provides time to see what might be needed in a few years, and retains the ability to trade a presumably still valuable asset next summer or winter.”
• “There is nearly a zero chance Michael Brantley will return to the” Indians in 2019, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. A reunion between the two sides seemed pretty unlikely, as Brantley’s strong 2018 season has put him in line for a lucrative free agent contract. This made him an imperfect fit to return to the Tribe’s outfield, as Cleveland may be exploring ways to cut some veterans from the payroll while still looking to contend again next season.
• Three evaluators from rival teams shared their thoughts on Sonny Gray with George A. King III of the New York Post, noting that the Yankees right-hander still has some solid trade value despite a rough season in the Bronx. “I think he [has value] because with the way starting pitching is right now, you look at him as a reclamation project. There has to be value with what starting pitching has become,” one evaluator for an AL rival said.

[Chi_archie]

Jose Altuve provided an update on his rehabilitation from knee surgery, telling MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters that he’s “not doing a lot” in the early stages of his recovery process, though “the only thing they told me is we’re going to be 120 percent for the first day of Spring Training, and that’s what really matters.” Altuve underwent the procedure shortly after the Astros were eliminated from the ALCS, after playing through the injury for much of the second half of the season. More will be known later in Altuve’s rehab process, though for now, it doesn’t seem like the surgery will keep Altuve from being ready to go for next season.
Here’s more from around the American League…

• Whit Merrifield is arguably the Royals’ biggest trade chip, though the team’s lack of interest in dealing him is indicative of GM Dayton Moore’s unique team-building process, Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star writes. On paper, a player who turns 30 in January doesn’t have much long-term value to a Royals team that has 2021 as its internal start date to once again be competitive. Moore, however, has spoken openly about how disappointing the 2018 season was for the Royals, and he has been hesitant to enter into a full rebuild. As Mellinger puts it, “holding onto Merrifield serves several purposes simultaneously: projects hope and confidence to players and fans, helps maintain culture of professionalism in the clubhouse, creates the best possible team for 2019, provides time to see what might be needed in a few years, and retains the ability to trade a presumably still valuable asset next summer or winter.”
• “There is nearly a zero chance Michael Brantley will return to the” Indians in 2019, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer writes. A reunion between the two sides seemed pretty unlikely, as Brantley’s strong 2018 season has put him in line for a lucrative free agent contract. This made him an imperfect fit to return to the Tribe’s outfield, as Cleveland may be exploring ways to cut some veterans from the payroll while still looking to contend again next season.
• Three evaluators from rival teams shared their thoughts on Sonny Gray with George A. King III of the New York Post, noting that the Yankees right-hander still has some solid trade value despite a rough season in the Bronx. “I think he [has value] because with the way starting pitching is right now, you look at him as a reclamation project. There has to be value with what starting pitching has become,” one evaluator for an AL rival said.

that is an important knee

[Cross]

I’m sure it is just a scope for Altuve. He should be good to go.

[BigSpoon]

Wonder how big her will be.

Interesting thought there.

[JMobile]

Yankees will rack up big names over the offseason.