[EmpireMaker]

Padres left-handed reliever Jose Castillo departed his sim game after six pitches Tuesday because of forearm tightness, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
This is the latest setback for Castillo, who missed all of last season because of a teres major strain and threw just two-thirds of an inning in 2019 while dealing with a flexor strain and a torn ligament in his hand. The severity of Castillo’s current issue isn’t yet known, but considering forearm problems often serve as a precursor to Tommy John surgery, he and the Padres are surely holding their breath leading up to Wednesday’s re-evaluation.
Still just 25 years old, Castillo debuted in 2018 with a very productive rookie season, during which he fired 38 1/3 innings of 3.29 ERA/2.53 SIERA ball, managed a tremendous 34.7 percent strikeout rate, and complemented that with a solid 8.0 percent walk rate. Castillo also averaged about 95 mph on his fastball then and held his own against both left- and right-handed hitters. With the Padres expected to contend in 2021, Castillo could re-emerge as an important part of their bullpen if he’s healthy, but it’s once again up in the air whether he’ll be able to contribute.
The news is better in regards to right-hander Dinelson Lamet, who was among the majors’ best starters in 2020 before elbow trouble ended his season in late September. Lamet threw 15 pitches and reached 96 mph on his fastball Tuesday, according to Cassavell, but he may not necessarily be ready for Opening Day. Understandably, the Padres are erring on the side of caution with Lamet, but he has “been right on track” in his recovery so far, general manager A.J. Preller said.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Man Castillo has an electric arm but hasn't been able to stay healthy for years now.

[Chi_archie]

Mercy rule sounds a lot like Little League. This is why I don't bet spring training but I understand the rule as it makes perfect sense that teams wouldn't want to overextend their pitchers in Spring training.

yeah, teams are paying these guys so much $, their biggest liability is pre season injuries. So for the past few decades they continue to turn over more and more stones to find ways to reduce injuries.

this one makes sense, since you have a set schedule of who is pitching in spring training, so you can't have guys warming up in the bullpen to come in, in the middle of an inning.

it reinforces what we've always known. spring training is not at all about winning for these teams.

I've never really bet it. because there are too many weird variables anyways.

but with this rule and the being able to end a game early. are there books where the rules would make unders plus expected value?

checking for wind of course

[batt33]

Hard to believe Spring training is already here. Seems like it kind of snuck up on us this year but it is a welcome sight to see the boys of summer back for another season.

Watched the Giants game....forgot the player..31 years old 3500+ bats in the minor leagues...still trying to catch on...

[BigSpoon]

yeah, teams are paying these guys so much $, their biggest liability is pre season injuries. So for the past few decades they continue to turn over more and more stones to find ways to reduce injuries.

this one makes sense, since you have a set schedule of who is pitching in spring training, so you can't have guys warming up in the bullpen to come in, in the middle of an inning.

it reinforces what we've always known. spring training is not at all about winning for these teams.

I've never really bet it. because there are too many weird variables anyways.

but with this rule and the being able to end a game early. are there books where the rules would make unders plus expected value?

checking for wind of course

Even I'm not that much of a degenerate to bet on Spring Training games.

[Stallion]

Spring Training games are a pure coin toss.

[stevenash]

Man Castillo has an electric arm but hasn't been able to stay healthy for years now.

Pitchers with electric arms tend to break down more often than others.
Curve ball artists too, they tend to blow out their elbow more often though.
That's why when I played scholastic ball a lot of the Pony Leagues (14 and 15 year old) would not allow curve ball any pitcher to throw one.
I was written rule to protect the kids arms. I think that rule has been modified these days.

I hate the curve ball anyway (not really)
I was both a DH and a backup catcher in college, as a catcher that ball will eat you up worse than a fastball.
As a DH you hated to face a good curve ball pitcher, you have to be really patient on the pitch, and even if you time the pitch right if the pitcher is really good he make that ball break like s little girls heart the second it got to the plate.

Never had the pleasure of hitting or catching a knuckle ball but I have heard first hand on how that pitch is a little slice of heaven.

[EmpireMaker]

Although the Mets missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year in 2020, they look as if they’ll head into the upcoming regular season as a popular pick to contend. New owner Steve Cohen’s arrival early in the winter brought a great deal of optimism for Mets fans, who suffered for years under the yoke of the Wilpons. Cohen has largely lived up to the hype since taking over, as he oversaw an active offseason in which the Mets’ roster looks to have taken steps forward.
The Mets did lose second baseman Robinson Cano for the year because of a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs, and they didn’t reel in any of Trevor Bauer, George Springer or J.T. Realmuto in free agency, but they still ponied up for several notable names in recent months.
Shortstop Francisco Lindor, an elite player for a large portion of his career, and quality right-hander Carlos Carrasco came over in a major trade with Cleveland. James McCann, who ranked second behind Realmuto among free-agent catchers, signed a four-year, $40MM deal to assume the reins as the Mets’ starting backstop. Righty Marcus Stroman, who opted out of last season thanks to COVID-19, stuck around when he accepted the Mets’ $18.9MM qualifying offer, and they filled out their season-opening rotation last month with the signing of fellow RHP Taijuan Walker to a three-year, $23MM guarantee late. Reliever Trevor May, lefty Joey Lucchesi, infielder Jonathan Villar, and outfielders Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr. were also among those who became Mets during the offseason.
Despite the loss of Cano, the Mets look as if they’ll have a high-end offense in 2021 with Lindor and McCann complementing holdovers Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso, Dominic Smith, Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis. The starting staff also looks good with Carrasco, Stroman and Walker joining ace Jacob deGrom and David Peterson (and don’t forget that Noah Syndergaard will return from his Tommy John recovery during the summer). The bullpen appears to be more of a question mark, especially with Seth Lugo having undergone elbow surgery last month, though the signings of May and lefty Aaron Loup should help New York’s cause.

[Cross]

If spring training a coin toss, just bet on the underdogs.

[jrgum3]

Watched the Giants game....forgot the player..31 years old 3500+ bats in the minor leagues...still trying to catch on...

That's a lot of at bats and dedication. I'm not sure even though I love the game that I could stick with it even though I hadn't made it to the show after logging so much Minor League time but then again I guess when you're a ballplayer you play for the love of the game.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Pitchers with electric arms tend to break down more often than others.
Curve ball artists too, they tend to blow out their elbow more often though.
That's why when I played scholastic ball a lot of the Pony Leagues (14 and 15 year old) would not allow curve ball any pitcher to throw one.
I was written rule to protect the kids arms. I think that rule has been modified these days.

I hate the curve ball anyway (not really)
I was both a DH and a backup catcher in college, as a catcher that ball will eat you up worse than a fastball.
As a DH you hated to face a good curve ball pitcher, you have to be really patient on the pitch, and even if you time the pitch right if the pitcher is really good he make that ball break like s little girls heart the second it got to the plate.

Never had the pleasure of hitting or catching a knuckle ball but I have heard first hand on how that pitch is a little slice of heaven.

I threw a knuckleball before learning to throw a curveball.

[Otters27]

I threw a knuckleball before learning to throw a curveball.

Love the knuckle ball. Coaches were against it for some reason though. Never understood

[stevenash]

Love the knuckle ball. Coaches were against it for some reason though. Never understood

The knuckle ball is ab art form.
It's one thing to throw one, it's a science to know how to control it.
My guess is that pitch drives pitching coaches insane, it's an easy pitch to steal on.
Almost every pitching coach today has amazing amount of pitching knowledge, from when to pull his pitcher out of a game to the mental aspect of pitching, the mechanics......
I bet each and every pitching coach today never threw a knuckle ball and I reckon they can't fix the mechanics of a knuckle ball pitcher is my guess.

Here's a list of some of the best knuckleball *hitters*

[JMobile]

The homerun everybody is talking about

[Stallion]

Ohtani should just hit.

[jrgum3]

Ohtani should just hit.

Probably would do him a lot of good if he focused solely on hitting but he does possess a great arm and can probably help the Angels pitching staff if he stays healthy. That's a big if though since he's already had major arm problems so far in his career. I think if he does suffer another injury to his arm they'll just go ahead and scrap the idea of him being a 2 way player so he can be a full time DH.

[EmpireMaker]

March 4: The initial recommendation for treatment of Valdez’s injury is surgery, tweets Heyman. The recovery time on the recommended operation would be sizable enough that there’s concern the left-hander could miss the entire season, Heyman adds.
That’d register as a surprise, although we don’t know the extent of the fracture at this point or whether the imaging performed after that initial announcement revealed any additional damage. The club is still seeking further opinions.
March 3, 12:10pm: Valdez has been diagnosed with a fractured left ring finger, general manager James Click announced to reporters (Twitter link via FOX 26’s Mark Berman). There’s no timetable for his return yet, as he’s slated for additional tests and imaging.
11:58am: Astros lefty Framber Valdez is dealing with a finger injury, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports. The amount of time he’s expected to miss isn’t clear, as he’s still being evaluated by doctors, but Heyman adds that it’s believed to be “serious” and is expected to keep him out of action for awhile. Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle tweets that Valdez took a Francisco Lindor grounder off the hand during yesterday’s outing, though he pitched another inning after doing so.
An absence of any length for Valdez would be a tough hit for the Astros, who are already unlikely to get much of anything from Justin Verlander in 2021 after he underwent Tommy John surgery last year. Valdez stepped up in Verlander’s absence and played a huge part in Houston’s playoff run, breaking out with 70 2/3 innings of 3.57 ERA ball over the course of 11 appearances. The 27-year-old completed at least seven innings on six occasions and completed six frames in nine of his 11 outings.
Fielding-independent metrics suggest that Valdez’s 2020 breakout was even better than reflected in his ERA. Valdez’s 60 percent ground-ball rate was one of the best in the game, and his 26.4 percent strikeout rate and 5.6 percent walk rate were both markedly better than the league average. The lefty’s 2.85 FIP and 3.23 SIERA both suggest that his 2020 success was far from a fluke.
For the Astros, Valdez is expected to slot into the rotation’s top three alongside Zack Greinke, Lance McCullers Jr., Jose Urquidy and Cristian Javier. It’s a solid-looking group thanks to surprise showings from both Valdez and Javier in 2020, but the depth beyond that quintet lacks big league experience and/or success. Their most experienced options, Josh James and Austin Pruitt, are both on the mend from surgery. James had hip surgery in late October, which came with a six to eight month recovery period. Pruitt had elbow surgery in September and, as of January, was not expected to be ready for Opening Day.
Righty Brandon Bielak was hit hard in 12 appearances last year (six starts, six relief outings), and righties Luis Garcia and Bryan Abreu both have fewer than 15 MLB frames under their belts. Garcia did get the ball in a playoff game, but that was largely out of necessity. Prior to 2020, he’d yet to even pitch in Double-A.
Meanwhile, Tyler Ivey and Nivaldo Rodriguez are both on the 40-man roster, but Ivey has yet to pitch in the big leagues and Rodriguez only tossed eight innings of relief in 2020. Prospect Forrest Whitley is also on the 40-man, and he’s still considered a Top 100 farmhand even if his stock has tumbled over the past two years. Former Red Sox swingman Hector Velazquez is in camp as a non-roster player, but the Astros historically haven’t brought in many veterans on non-guaranteed deals and that’s again the case in 2021.

[Otters27]

Ohtani should just hit.

I really want to see a bonfire two way player. Hoping he can pull it off

[Chi_archie]

I really want to see a bonfire two way player. Hoping he can pull it off

I

I agree, it is great entertainment

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Man Castillo has an electric arm but hasn't been able to stay healthy for years now.

Castillo to have Tommy John surgery...guy can't stay healthy.

[Cross]

Pitching is probably the worst thing you could do to your arm, unless you are a knuckleballer!

[Stallion]

Ohtani needs to just hit, if he pitches every 5th day as well it will shorten his career.

[JMobile]

Dodgers lost for the first time yesterday

[BigSpoon]

I really want to see a bonfire two way player. Hoping he can pull it off

Agreed, they need to give him a couple more seasons to try and make it work.

[jrgum3]

The knuckle ball is ab art form.
It's one thing to throw one, it's a science to know how to control it.
My guess is that pitch drives pitching coaches insane, it's an easy pitch to steal on.
Almost every pitching coach today has amazing amount of pitching knowledge, from when to pull his pitcher out of a game to the mental aspect of pitching, the mechanics......
I bet each and every pitching coach today never threw a knuckle ball and I reckon they can't fix the mechanics of a knuckle ball pitcher is my guess.

Here's a list of some of the best knuckleball *hitters*

If they did teach knuckle balls earlier you would have a lot less arm injuries in youngsters learning to pitch. Of course it's like you say that it's probably tough to teach especially if you didn't throw one so you don't see a lot of pitchers with that pitch in their arsenal.

[Otters27]

If they did teach knuckle balls earlier you would have a lot less arm injuries in youngsters learning to pitch. Of course it's like you say that it's probably tough to teach especially if you didn't throw one so you don't see a lot of pitchers with that pitch in their arsenal.

I used to go perpendicular to the 2 seems and throw it about 65 mph.

My nails would touch the seems

[Cross]

Ohtani throwing gas and hitting bombs, love to see it!

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Ohtani throwing gas and hitting bombs, love to see it!

Can he stay healthy and do it in the regular season?

[Chi_archie]

Can he stay healthy and do it in the regular season?

That's the question

[Stallion]

No, he will get hurt again if he tries.

[stevenash]

Brewers just announced JB Jr. will be the everyday right fielder Lo-Cain remains the everyday centerfielder, Yelich is the everyday left fielder.

Thins is Bradley has rarely played right is a gold caliber centerfielder, Cain never really played right he played center while Garcia played left, and in KC, Alex Gordon played left all those years when he was with KC, Cain played center 100 percent for and KC used a platoon in right.

Interesting, that's Counsell's decision
Cain is hurt again, might not matter.

Braun looks like he's done and I say good riddance.

Brewers rotation is pretty good, not elite, but good.

That's a good team on paper.

[EmpireMaker]

The Astros have agreed to a contract with righty Jake Odorizzi, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (Twitter link). The deal is a two-year pact with a player option for the 2023 season. Odorizzi is represented by Excel Sports Management.
Reports surfaced yesterday about Houston’s interest in Odorizzi, which seemed natural considering that Framber Valdez is in danger of missing the entire 2021 season after suffering a fractured ring finger on his throwing hand. While nothing has been decided about Valdez’s status just yet, Odorizzi’s addition will help reinforce an Astros rotation that also includes Zack Greinke, Jose Urquidy, Lance McCullers Jr., and Cristian Javier. More inexperienced options like Luis Garcia and Brandon Bielak will now project as Triple-A depth rather than be called upon to immediately contribute at the big league level.
Odorizzi doesn’t quite fit the Astros’ usual model of pitching acquisition, as he lacks the big spin rates that Houston has often favored in recent years. It could be that the need to replace Valdez put Odorizzi on the team’s radar, and Astros GM James Click is quite familiar with Odorizzi from their time together in the Rays organization. Houston will be gaining a veteran arm who has a track record of eating innings, though Odorizzi did pitch only 13 2/3 frames with the Twins in 2020 due to a series of minor injuries.
Blister problems, a ribcage strain, and being struck in the chest by a line drive resulted in three separate injured list stints for Odorizzi, bringing a sour end to what had been a pretty successful tenure in Minnesota. Odorizzi posted a 4.01 ERA and an above-average 24.83K% over 323 1/3 innings in 2018-19, and chose to return to the Twin Cities in 2020 after accepting the team’s $17.8MM qualifying offer.
This decision to bet on himself didn’t entirely work out, as a more typical Odorizzi season in 2020 would have likely resulted in a longer and more lucrative free agent deal for the hurler (who turns 31 later this month). With Odorizzi having control over his fate for the 2023 season, he ended up technically receiving the three-year contract he hoped to receive for much of the winter, though it took him almost a week into March to finally land the contract.
After exceeding the competitive balance tax threshold in 2020, the Astros are pretty close to the line again, with a projected $200.7MM tax number before counting the cost of Odorizzi’s deal. It would seem as if Houston will exceed the $210MM threshold with the signing, though the Astros would have the entire season to duck back under the $210MM mark and avoid an increased tax bill as a two-time payer.
Moreso than paying additional dollars, the Astros’ bigger concern about the luxury tax may be more related to the draft-pick compensation penalties attached to teams that go over the CBT, as the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal recently noted. With McCullers, Carlos Correa, and possibly Justin Verlander all in line to receive qualifying offers next winter, the Astros may be planning to reload their farm system with extra compensatory picks should these players all reject a QO and sign elsewhere. Houston would also have to surrender a higher amount of draft and international signing bonus capital for signing a free agent who rejected a QO from another club.
MLBTR ranked Odorizzi 11th on our list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, projecting him for a three-year, $39MM deal. The Twins, Giants, Angels, Red Sox, Cardinals, Mets, Phillies, and Blue Jays were among the many teams who had some level of interest in Odorizzi over the course of the offseason, with clubs joining and departing the hunt depending on other transactions.

[JMobile]

Tommy Pham not having a good spring training season

[Cross]

That Brewers outfield is pretty solid.

[jrgum3]

Brewers just announced JB Jr. will be the everyday right fielder Lo-Cain remains the everyday centerfielder, Yelich is the everyday left fielder.

Thins is Bradley has rarely played right is a gold caliber centerfielder, Cain never really played right he played center while Garcia played left, and in KC, Alex Gordon played left all those years when he was with KC, Cain played center 100 percent for and KC used a platoon in right.

Interesting, that's Counsell's decision
Cain is hurt again, might not matter.

Braun looks like he's done and I say good riddance.

Brewers rotation is pretty good, not elite, but good.

That's a good team on paper.

The Brewers are often a forgotten team in the NL central but I agree with you they could sneak up on people.