1. #176
    batt33
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    Quote Originally Posted by koz-man View Post
    Kris Bryant: 'Not good' that stars Bryce Harper, Manny Machado remain unsigned

    CHICAGO -- Cubs star Kris Bryant expressed frustration for free agents Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, who remain unsigned with less than a month to go before spring training begins.
    Harper and Machado, along with many other free agents, still are looking for jobs as February nears, marking the second consecutive winter in which free-agent signings have ground to a halt.
    "It's really weird," Bryant said Friday from the Cubs' annual winter fan convention. "Two of the best players in the game, and they have very little interest in them, from just what I hear. It's not good. It's something that will have to change. I know a lot of the other players are pretty upset about it."

    It's not just veteran free agents ages 30 and up who are still looking for fair contracts. Now it's the younger stars of the game.
    On his Instagram account, San Francisco Giants third baseman Evan Longoria also expressed his dismay over the situation and urged the players to "stand strong for what we believe we are worth."

    Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr., who is a friend of Machado's, called the free-agency situation "unfortunate."
    "Right now we have to sit and wait," Almora said. "It's unfortunate, arguably, the best two guys in the league are taking this long to sign. The game is changing right before our eyes. It's a conversation we have to have with our player rep. A lot of us are eager to have those conversations."
    Bryant said he is certain Harper won't be signing with the Cubs, who have squashed any talk of adding a high-priced player.
    Red sox owner saying "young players production is impacting free agency"

  2. #177
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    Cubs will allow Addison Russell to join the team this year after his ex-wife gave the Cubs permission to do so.

    Looks like she wants that alimony.

  3. #178
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    Quote Originally Posted by batt33 View Post
    Red sox owner saying "young players production is impacting free agency"
    Okay but Harper and Machado are both only 26 years old. I'm surprised only a few teams are interested in them. So few teams actually trying to win.

  4. #179
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigSpoon View Post
    Okay but Harper and Machado are both only 26 years old. I'm surprised only a few teams are interested in them. So few teams actually trying to win.
    Only a few teams interested because of what it would cost.

  5. #180
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    Cody Allen will be closing games for the Los Angeles Angels next season, but the long-time fixture of the Cleveland bullpen may still add some value to the Indians’ 2019 bullpen: as a scout. It was Allen who first brought Jon Edwards to the attention of the Cleveland front office after working out at the same facility as the right-hander, per the Athletic’s Zack Meisel. Edwards, 30, made 9 appearances for the Indians last season after making his way back to the game, missing all of 2017 and almost leaving baseball altogether. Now Edwards is one of the arms that manager Tito Francona will turn to as the Indians’ bullpen tries to make up for the loss of both Allen and Andrew Miller in free agency.
    The glass half-full approach might look at the 2.9 WAR totaled by the Indians bullpen in 2018 and say there’s not all that much room to make up. Still, the bullpen unit earned 6.9 WAR in 2017 after fueling the Indians’ World Series run in 2016, and they’ve helped spark an evolution of the bullpen league-wide. It’s an uncertain unit this time around, with Edwards, Adam Cimber, Nick Goody, Dan Otero, Neil Ramirez and Tyler Olson the most established arms set to pitch in front of closer Brad Hand. Former starters Danny Salazar and Cody Anderson may get the Collin McHugh treatment if they can get healthy this season and contribute as McHugh did for the Astros last year. Salazar is a particularly interesting wrinkle as his career 10.51 K/9 could move even higher in shorter stints out of the pen. He was a top-3 pitcher in their rotation before getting injured. Mike Clevinger and Shane Bieber may have usurped his spot in the rotation, but Salazar has the opportunity to be an impact arm where Cleveland needs the help most.
    Newly-acquired youngsters Jefry Rodriguez and Chih-Wei Hu have added to the organization’s overall depth, and they’ll compete with veteran castoffs like James Hoyt, Justin Grimm, and A.J. Cole to claim the open spots in Cleveland’s pen. It’s a long season, and just as often as a veteran bullpener falls apart, a new stud develops out of nowhere. There’s a case to be made that the Indians collection of arms is more than enough to put together a dominant bullpen, it’s just unclear which 7-10 names are most likely to be a part of it. The Indians may feel that the risk of paying significant money to tired, veteran arms isn’t any more risky than relying on a large group of high-end hopefuls to develop confidence and dependability in the nine months from when pitchers and catchers report in February to the playoffs in October. There’s high-end potential in the names above, and they have another reason to be optimistic as well: top prospect Triston McKenzie has risen steadily through the system, and it’s not outside the realm of possibility that the 21-year-old could be ready for an Adam Wainwright/David Price style call up if he continues to succeed in Triple A.
    Francona may cull together a functional group from the arms already in-house, but no matter how you slice it, it’s a far cry from the back-end dependability the AL Central champs have leaned on throughout this current run atop the division. There are other issues at hand for the Indians as well, who are facing a significant amount of roster churn. There’s a leadership void to fill around Francisco Lindor, and it’s unclear at this time who will step up, per Cleveland.com’s Paul Hoynes. Lindor certainly has the talent to be “the guy” in the clubhouse, but it’s tough for the best on-field producer to also shoulder the load of managing the clubhouse as a lone sheriff. Allen has been a big-time leader in the bullpen, and Rajai Davis a vocal veteran leader who will no longer be with the club as well. They may have more of a fight on their hands for the AL Central crown too, as the Twins added a ton of right-handed power as they look to rebound, and the White Sox rebuild is nearing a crescendo.
    Even if they capture their fourth straight division title, the Indians will have a tough time surviving the playoff gauntlet in a top-heavy American League if they don’t get some reliability and shutdown firepower from their bullpen. The Yankees have not been shy about investing heavily in their bullpen for a couple of seasons, and the rest of the league is starting to follow suit, but as of right now, the Indians, as well as some other contenders like the Red Sox and Cubs, are holding steady with the arms they’ve got in-house. In the past it’s been unwise to invest in the bullpen, an area of notoriously fickle year-to-year performance, but the tide has turned and the Indians run the risk of seeming painfully out-of-step. The rotation remains stacked, but given that it only took one year, $8.5MM for LA to lock down Allen, it’s fair to wonder if the Indians are playing a little too fast and loose with their bullpen.

  6. #181
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    Will January give us a Machado or Harper signing?

  7. #182
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigSpoon View Post
    Okay but Harper and Machado are both only 26 years old. I'm surprised only a few teams are interested in them. So few teams actually trying to win.
    and they both were not paid long term over the top contracts.......Just saying.....

  8. #183
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    I could see hArper on a really good team buying in and having a monster year if we'll protected in the line up

  9. #184
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    Doyers reportedly interested in A.J. Pollock

  10. #185
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cross View Post
    Will January give us a Machado or Harper signing?
    yes

  11. #186
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    Quote Originally Posted by El Nino View Post
    Doyers reportedly interested in A.J. Pollock
    I think he might end up going under radar most under rated free agent out there

  12. #187
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    Cards' Yadier Molina takes exception to quips by Cubs' Kris Bryant

    CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals won't see each other until early May, but the heat already has been turned up on one of baseball's best rivalries.
    Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant called St. Louis "boring" during a comedic moment at the team's annual fan convention this weekend. When Cardinals star catcher Yadier Molina heard about the comment, he responded by saying "only stupid players and losers" make fun of other cities.

    Bryant was being interviewed on a stage by former pitcher Ryan Dempster on Friday night when the two joked about the possibility of playing for the Cardinals.
    "Who would want to play in St. Louis?" Bryant asked. "Boring. So boring. I always get asked, 'Where would you like to play? Where would you not like to play?' St. Louis is on the list of places I don't like to play. It's rough."
    Dempster piled on, adding that at one point in his career there was a chance he was going to be traded to St. Louis.

    "I'm like, 'Zero chance in hell,'" Dempster said. "No way. Won't even go there as a free agent. Not happening."
    Cardinals outfielder Marcell Ozuna, commenting on Molina's post, also took exception to the comments.
    "From outside they speak and talk like tiger but at the end they gonna be like little cat .. #cerorespectforthisstupidplayers #quevivastlouis #LOVESTL," Ozuna said on Molina's post.
    The teams first square off next season on May 3-5 in Chicago. Bryant and the Cubs don't make their first appearance in St. Louis until May 31.

  13. #188
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    Cubs/Cards rivalry still going strong!!

  14. #189
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cross View Post
    Will January give us a Machado or Harper signing?
    Boy I hope so this is dragging on long enough but I assume these guys will sign soon causing other big name free agents to finally be scooped up in the process.

  15. #190
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    Quote Originally Posted by El Nino View Post
    Doyers reportedly interested in A.J. Pollock
    And Doyers want to trade Joc Pederson to Chi Sox.

  16. #191
    BigSpoon
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cross View Post
    Will January give us a Machado or Harper signing?
    Maybe after the Superbowl in February.

  17. #192
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    How social media is negatively impacting Hall of Fame voting


    Buster OlneyESPN Senior Writer
    Bill Ballou has covered baseball for the Telegram & Gazette of Worcester, Massachusetts, for more than three decades, and in December, he explained why he was not voting for Yankees closer Mariano Rivera -- or anybody else, out of respect for Rivera.

    Ballou believes that the value of closers doesn't match that of other positions, which is hardly an outrageous argument to make. There are 30 front offices that agree with him, apparently, based on the lesser compensation they annually apply to relief roles relative to what starting pitchers are paid. Because of that perspective, he decided that he couldn't vote for Rivera. But he acknowledged in his column that he knows his opinion is in the minority.

    "I could be wrong about all of this," he wrote, "and everyone I have the debate with says, 'I see your point, but Rivera is different.' Maybe he is and I'm just missing something. Rivera could be the first Hall of Famer elected unanimously. I think I'm right about closers, but not so much that I would deny Rivera a chance to be the first unanimous Hall of Famer."

    Following that reasonable rationale, he decided to not submit a ballot, rather than hurt Rivera's percentage in the voting. And yet through the blitzkrieg of social media, Ballou was lambasted. Just before Christmas, Ballou mentioned the outpouring of response to his column in this tweet.

  18. #193
    Cross
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    This will be a big hot stove week, it has to be!

  19. #194
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    Right-hander Miles Mikolas is scheduled for free agency after the 2019 season, though both he and the Cardinals have interest in negotiating a contract extension. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the team has already been in touch with Mikolas’ agent “about what the framework would look like for an extension,” while Mikolas told Goold and other reporters that he would be open to a longer-term stint in St. Louis.
    It’s something that the Cardinals and my agency have to work out – if the numbers work out and everything turns out to be it’s absolutely something that could happen,” Mikolas said.
    Talks may not begin in earnest until the Cards open their Spring Training camp, which conveniently takes place in Mikolas’ hometown of Jupiter, Florida. While most players prefer to have contract negotiations wrapped up before Opening Day in order to avoid distractions, Mikolas doesn’t mind if talks stretch into the season. This could give the Cardinals some time to address other extension candidates, though GM Michael Girsch recently indicated that the team may take something of a wait-and-see attitude towards Marcell Ozuna, Michael Wacha, and Paul Goldschmidt — the latter because he has yet to play a game in a Cardinals uniform, and Ozuna and Wacha because of some injury concerns in 2018.
    Mikolas signed a two-year, $15.5MM deal with the Cardinals last winter in the wake of a dominant three-year run in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants, following an undistinguished 91 1/3 innings with the Padres and Rangers from 2012-14. Mikolas’ second stint in the big leagues was, needless to say, a vast improvement over his first — the righty posted a 2.83 ERA, 5.03 K/BB rate, and 49.3% grounder rate for St. Louis, while his 200 2/3 innings pitched ranked tenth among all MLB starters.
    ERA predictors (3.28 FIP, 3.67 xFIP, 3.93 SIERA) weren’t quite as bullish on Mikolas’ performance, and he didn’t miss many bats, with only a 6.55 K/9 rate. Still, Mikolas exhibited excellent control (a league-low 1.3 BB/9) and limited his hard contact, with a .271 wOBA and an only-slightly higher .283 xWOBA. Mikolas turns 31 in August, though his arm hasn’t faced too much of a workload over 10 pro seasons, after Mikolas spent his first five seasons as a reliever. Indeed, Mikolas has looked quite durable over the last two years, with just 200+ inning performance for the Cardinals and a 188-inning performance for the Yomiuri Giants in 2017.
    That first Mikolas contract has already proven to be a bargain for the Cardinals, yet Mikolas has also benefited since he has quickly lined himself up for an even larger payday, whether as a free agent next winter or in an extension. Mikolas’ contract came without any allowance for his lack of Major League service time, so the Cardinals don’t retain any arbitration control over Mikolas even though he’ll only have slightly more than three years of MLB service time by the end of the 2019 season.
    The Cards haven’t been shy about locking up key players during John Mozeliak’s reign atop the baseball operations department, and Goold estimates that a Mikolas extension could fall somewhere between Kyle Lohse’s extension in 2008 (four years, $41MM) and the five-year, $80MM free agent pact Mike Leake signed with St. Louis in the 2015-16 offseason. The Cardinals face losing Wacha in free agency and Adam Wainwright is year-to-year at this point, and while the team has a number of intriguing young arms in the fold, there’s certainly value in keeping a durable veteran like Mikolas amidst these more unproven rotation options.
    Mikolas’ unique career history makes him something of difficult player to find a comp for, extension-wise. Mikolas might also feel a desire to lock in another big salary while his value is at its highest, rather than test what is becoming an increasingly hard-to-predict free agent market next winter. Even if Mikolas pitches well for the Cardinals this season, it would be interesting to see what teams would offer a 31-year-old who doesn’t generate a ton of strikeouts, especially if the Cards were to issue Mikolas a qualifying offer in the fall.

  20. #195
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cross View Post
    This will be a big hot stove week, it has to be!

    Come on

  21. #196
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    Quote Originally Posted by EmpireMaker View Post
    Right-hander Miles Mikolas is scheduled for free agency after the 2019 season, though both he and the Cardinals have interest in negotiating a contract extension. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the team has already been in touch with Mikolas’ agent “about what the framework would look like for an extension,” while Mikolas told Goold and other reporters that he would be open to a longer-term stint in St. Louis.
    It’s something that the Cardinals and my agency have to work out – if the numbers work out and everything turns out to be it’s absolutely something that could happen,” Mikolas said.
    Talks may not begin in earnest until the Cards open their Spring Training camp, which conveniently takes place in Mikolas’ hometown of Jupiter, Florida. While most players prefer to have contract negotiations wrapped up before Opening Day in order to avoid distractions, Mikolas doesn’t mind if talks stretch into the season. This could give the Cardinals some time to address other extension candidates, though GM Michael Girsch recently indicated that the team may take something of a wait-and-see attitude towards Marcell Ozuna, Michael Wacha, and Paul Goldschmidt — the latter because he has yet to play a game in a Cardinals uniform, and Ozuna and Wacha because of some injury concerns in 2018.
    Mikolas signed a two-year, $15.5MM deal with the Cardinals last winter in the wake of a dominant three-year run in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants, following an undistinguished 91 1/3 innings with the Padres and Rangers from 2012-14. Mikolas’ second stint in the big leagues was, needless to say, a vast improvement over his first — the righty posted a 2.83 ERA, 5.03 K/BB rate, and 49.3% grounder rate for St. Louis, while his 200 2/3 innings pitched ranked tenth among all MLB starters.
    ERA predictors (3.28 FIP, 3.67 xFIP, 3.93 SIERA) weren’t quite as bullish on Mikolas’ performance, and he didn’t miss many bats, with only a 6.55 K/9 rate. Still, Mikolas exhibited excellent control (a league-low 1.3 BB/9) and limited his hard contact, with a .271 wOBA and an only-slightly higher .283 xWOBA. Mikolas turns 31 in August, though his arm hasn’t faced too much of a workload over 10 pro seasons, after Mikolas spent his first five seasons as a reliever. Indeed, Mikolas has looked quite durable over the last two years, with just 200+ inning performance for the Cardinals and a 188-inning performance for the Yomiuri Giants in 2017.
    That first Mikolas contract has already proven to be a bargain for the Cardinals, yet Mikolas has also benefited since he has quickly lined himself up for an even larger payday, whether as a free agent next winter or in an extension. Mikolas’ contract came without any allowance for his lack of Major League service time, so the Cardinals don’t retain any arbitration control over Mikolas even though he’ll only have slightly more than three years of MLB service time by the end of the 2019 season.
    The Cards haven’t been shy about locking up key players during John Mozeliak’s reign atop the baseball operations department, and Goold estimates that a Mikolas extension could fall somewhere between Kyle Lohse’s extension in 2008 (four years, $41MM) and the five-year, $80MM free agent pact Mike Leake signed with St. Louis in the 2015-16 offseason. The Cardinals face losing Wacha in free agency and Adam Wainwright is year-to-year at this point, and while the team has a number of intriguing young arms in the fold, there’s certainly value in keeping a durable veteran like Mikolas amidst these more unproven rotation options.
    Mikolas’ unique career history makes him something of difficult player to find a comp for, extension-wise. Mikolas might also feel a desire to lock in another big salary while his value is at its highest, rather than test what is becoming an increasingly hard-to-predict free agent market next winter. Even if Mikolas pitches well for the Cardinals this season, it would be interesting to see what teams would offer a 31-year-old who doesn’t generate a ton of strikeouts, especially if the Cards were to issue Mikolas a qualifying offer in the fall.
    Good luck today gentlemen.

  22. #197
    JAKEPEAVY21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cross View Post
    This will be a big hot stove week, it has to be!
    hope so, I'm getting tired of checking MLB.com daily and seeing that my Padres have not made any trades yet...

    logjam in the OF and lack of a 3rd baseman needs to get sorted out in the coming weeks...

  23. #198
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cross View Post
    This will be a big hot stove week, it has to be!
    I hope so, very slow and cold winter so far.

  24. #199
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    Barry Bonds might get a shot for the HOF.

  25. #200
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    Quote Originally Posted by JMobile View Post
    Barry Bonds might get a shot for the HOF.
    he really did not need to take steroids...it juiced up his numbers but he was a HOFer without the help

    I hope he gets in

  26. #201
    cincinnatikid513
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    mariano riveria should be 100 pct voted in to the hall of fame but there are always a few jackarses who wont' vote for somebody first time on ballot

  27. #202
    batt33
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    Quote Originally Posted by JAKEPEAVY21 View Post
    hope so, I'm getting tired of checking MLB.com daily and seeing that my Padres have not made any trades yet...

    logjam in the OF and lack of a 3rd baseman needs to get sorted out in the coming weeks...
    same here with the giants.....and I agree Bonds didn't need to use..... to be an HOF

  28. #203
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    Everyone just waiting for Harper and Machado to make their move I guess. Hopefully it gets done soon but I'm willing to bet that they make us wait until at least after Super Bowl Sunday before making their decision.

  29. #204
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    Though the Cardinals may not have many further additions to make to their 2019 roster, that doesn’t mean the club’s offeason business is complete. In comments today, as MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch was among those to report, owner Bill DeWitt Jr. made clear that the organization has serious interest in keeping newly acquired first baseman Paul Goldschmidt beyond the coming campaign.
    It’s certainly not a surprise to hear that the Cards have interest in a long-term arrangement, though it certainly could have been the case that the team would instead have taken more of a wait-and-see position. Foreseeable though it may have been, it is notable that the Cards are seemingly embarking upon an extension effort (or at least, are laying the groundwork for one) at this early juncture.
    Negotiations, it seems, likely haven’t begun. But DeWitt and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak made clear that they fully intend to pursue contract talks, perhaps as soon as this spring.
    “We’d love to have him here longer than one year,” said DeWitt, “and we’ll just see how that plays out.” He went on to hint at the Cardinals’ thinking on the initial decision to acquire Goldschmidt in a deal that cost young, controllable, MLB-level talent: “I think worst case is we get a top Draft choice, but that’s not our goal when we trade for a player like Paul Goldschmidt.”
    Though Mozeliak wasn’t quite as forthcoming, he did cite the same idea of a one-year “gamble” that DeWitt did. Clearly, the organization pulled the trigger on the trade in part due to the potential for gaining an exclusive bargaining window and recruitment opportunity.
    Of course, the timing of all this is less than clear. Mozeliak did say that the first step would be to allow Goldschmidt to settle in with the club in Spring Training. Then? “Ultimately, we’ll sort of, as we round the first turn, get a better idea of what the second turn looks like,” said Mozeliak. Whether that will mean late-spring talks, negotiations during the season, and/or an effort to bring him back via free agency is at this point anyone’s guess.
    It’ll certainly be interesting to see how things progress. With just one year to go until free agency, Goldschmidt is tantalizingly close to picking his own team and likely commanding a massive new deal. He’s also already 31 years of age and plays a position that teams have increasingly hesitated to invest in. Of course, Goldschmidt is hardly a common first baseman, either.

  30. #205
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    Quote Originally Posted by batt33 View Post
    same here with the giants.....and I agree Bonds didn't need to use..... to be an HOF
    I hate the Giants(sorry bud) but Bonds deserves to be in

  31. #206
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    Yankees deal Sonny Gray and minor league P Reiver Sanmartin to the Reds for 2B prospect Shed Long and a high draft pick. The Reds and Gray agreed to a three-year, $30.5 million extension.

  32. #207
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    The long-rumored trade of Sonny Gray to the Reds came through on Monday, with Gray and minor league reliever Reiver Sanmartin going to Cincinnati, infielder Shed Long going to the Seattle Mariners and outfielder Josh Stowers and a 2019 competitive balance pick (from the Reds) going to the New York Yankees.

    It's a puzzling deal for the Reds, it adds some value for the Yankees in moving a player they didn't want and I'm not really sure why the Mariners are here, unless Jerry Dipoto was bored.

    Gray's tenure in New York was a disaster, but the Reds are hoping that reuniting him with his college pitching coach Derek Johnson -- who came over from the Milwaukee Brewers and was with Gray at Vanderbilt -- will help Gray rediscover his form.

  33. #208
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    I believe the Reds made a great move getting Sonny Gray. His career 53 percent ground ball rate will be a big plus at Great American Ball Park.

    Some pitchers can't play or handle the lights of New York...his 2018 stats

    By Breakdown ERA W L SV SVO GP GS CG IP H R ER HR BB SO AVG
    Home 6.98 4 4 0 0 15 11 0 59.1 78 47 46 11 35 45 .318
    Away 3.17 7 5 0 1 15 12 0 71.0 60 26 25 3 22 78 .226

  34. #209
    Cross
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    Reds at least trying to contend.

  35. #210
    JMobile
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    Asdrubal Cabrera signs a 1 year contract with the Rangers.

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