[jrgum3]

Read where Boston is making a big push for Robbie Ray.

That would be interesting but I kind of hope he stays with Toronto after the terrific season he just had with them capped off by a Cy Young award.

[Otters27]

Who has never won a world series?

Mariners, Rockies....

[EmpireMaker]

The free agent starting pitching market has moved very quickly over the offseason’s first few weeks, and it seems another domino could soon fall. Southpaw Steven Matz is likely to pick his destination before Thanksgiving, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link).
Interest in Matz has been robust, with the Red Sox, incumbent Blue Jays, Mets, Dodgers, Cardinals and Angels among teams already rumored to have interest. Jon Heyman of the MLB Network adds the Tigers, Cubs and Giants to that mix. The Mets have put forth a formal offer, although they’re joined in that regard by seven other clubs, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (on Twitter).
Matz is coming off a nice season in Toronto, rebounding from an awful 2020 campaign to toss 150 2/3 innings of 3.82 ERA ball. The 30-year-old didn’t miss too many bats, but he only walked 6.6% of opponents and induced grounders at a solid 45.5% clip. Matz’s 4.12 SIERA wasn’t quite as impressive as his ERA, but both his actual run prevention and peripherals have typically hovered right around 4.00.
That’s valuable mid-rotation production, although Matz has previously had some issues with the long ball. Home runs weren’t an issue in 2021, but he served up an astonishing 14 round-trippers in just 30 2/3 frames with the Mets in 2020. That showing seemingly marked for an ugly end to a generally solid tenure in Queens, but the New York front office apparently has interest in bringing him back into the fold after his bounceback showing this year.
Each of the Tigers, Cubs and Giants entered the offseason known to be targeting rotation help. The Cubs claimed Wade Miley off waivers from the division-rival Reds. Detroit has already signed Eduardo Rodríguez, while San Francisco has reunited with Anthony DeSclafani and are seemingly on the verge of a deal with Alex Wood. None of that trio has as marked a rotation need as they did just two weeks ago, but there’s enough uncertainty on all three clubs’ staffs that they can and probably will make another rotation addition of some sort this winter.
The Jays considered making Matz an $18.4MM qualifying offer but ultimately decided against it. Toronto won’t receive a compensatory pick if he were to sign elsewhere, then, while adding Matz wouldn’t cost another team a draft pick.

[jrgum3]

Who has never won a world series?

Mariners, Rockies....

The Astros hadn't won one until they won by cheating in 2017. The Expos never won one before moving to Washington but the Nationals managed to break through and get a ring. The Rangers, Padres and Tampa Bay Rays are on the list but unlike the Mariners they've at least reached the World Series.

[Chi_archie]

The free agent starting pitching market has moved very quickly over the offseason’s first few weeks, and it seems another domino could soon fall. Southpaw Steven Matz is likely to pick his destination before Thanksgiving, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post (Twitter link).
Interest in Matz has been robust, with the Red Sox, incumbent Blue Jays, Mets, Dodgers, Cardinals and Angels among teams already rumored to have interest. Jon Heyman of the MLB Network adds the Tigers, Cubs and Giants to that mix. The Mets have put forth a formal offer, although they’re joined in that regard by seven other clubs, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com (on Twitter).
Matz is coming off a nice season in Toronto, rebounding from an awful 2020 campaign to toss 150 2/3 innings of 3.82 ERA ball. The 30-year-old didn’t miss too many bats, but he only walked 6.6% of opponents and induced grounders at a solid 45.5% clip. Matz’s 4.12 SIERA wasn’t quite as impressive as his ERA, but both his actual run prevention and peripherals have typically hovered right around 4.00.
That’s valuable mid-rotation production, although Matz has previously had some issues with the long ball. Home runs weren’t an issue in 2021, but he served up an astonishing 14 round-trippers in just 30 2/3 frames with the Mets in 2020. That showing seemingly marked for an ugly end to a generally solid tenure in Queens, but the New York front office apparently has interest in bringing him back into the fold after his bounceback showing this year.
Each of the Tigers, Cubs and Giants entered the offseason known to be targeting rotation help. The Cubs claimed Wade Miley off waivers from the division-rival Reds. Detroit has already signed Eduardo Rodríguez, while San Francisco has reunited with Anthony DeSclafani and are seemingly on the verge of a deal with Alex Wood. None of that trio has as marked a rotation need as they did just two weeks ago, but there’s enough uncertainty on all three clubs’ staffs that they can and probably will make another rotation addition of some sort this winter.
The Jays considered making Matz an $18.4MM qualifying offer but ultimately decided against it. Toronto won’t receive a compensatory pick if he were to sign elsewhere, then, while adding Matz wouldn’t cost another team a draft pick.

Miley a good pick up for the cubs

[stevenash]

My in-laws have Red Sox connections, they tell me Semien is very much on the radar.
That's what the Red Sox free agency plan is.
Middle infield, and starting pitching.

Xander is a free agent next year, his asking price will be the same as Correa's, Sox won't take on another big contract like Mookie's was.
Semien's contract will be a fraction of what the Sox what have to pay Xander to stay.

If Boston does sign Semien he'll play 2B this upcoming season, Xander will stay at SS, most likely his last at Fenway.
Sox still want to resign Schwarber, he wants to test the market, and the Sox said "by all means."

Sox will probably land Robbie Ray.
They'll have to pay up for him though. Big time.

Sad news.
Doug Jones the great Cleveland reliever died yesterday.

Guys we watched play when we were in Jr. HS, or HS are now dying off.
Reality check guys.

RIP Doug Jones.
Man he could get some clutch late innings outs, huh?

[JMobile]

Who has never won a world series?

Mariners, Rockies....

Padres....1998 was a close season until strike 3 to Tino Martinez was called a ball.

[EmpireMaker]

The Reds are open to trading free agent starter Sonny Gray this offseason, reports Buster Olney of ESPN (Twitter link). However, Olney hears that Cincinnati isn’t amenable to moving either of Luis Castillo or Tyler Mahle.
No deal involving Gray appears to be close, but he’s seemingly the most likely Reds starter to wind up on the move at some point. That’s not especially surprising, since Gray’s also the most expensive of their top trio. Cincinnati has opened the offseason scaling back expenditures, and general manager Nick Krall has spoken about “aligning (the team’s) payroll to its resources.” Early reports suggested a Castillo deal could be part of those efforts, but Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic reported last week that it was doubtful any deal involving the 28-year-old would come to fruition.
Gray looks like a fairly straightforward trade candidate as he enters the final guaranteed year of his contract. He’s slated to earn around $10.67MM in 2022 and remains under club control for 2023 via $12.5MM club option. (Gray would also receive a $1MM assignment bonus in the event of a trade). That’s a reasonable sum for a pitcher of Gray’s caliber, but it also makes him Cincinnati’s fourth-highest paid player. And the three players set to earn loftier sums (Joey Votto, Mike Moustakas and Eugenio Suárez) wouldn’t be easy to move. Votto’s a franchise icon who has full no-trade protection; Moustakas and Suárez are coming off bad 2021 seasons and wouldn’t figure to hold much appeal to other clubs.
On the other hand, Gray offers a blend of fairly substantial but still team-friendly salary that could make a trade realistic. He’s coming off a season in which he posted a 4.19 ERA/3.85 SIERA across 135 1/3 innings. That’s decent mid-rotation production, and Gray was even better over his first couple seasons in Cincinnati. Despite pitching in one of the league’s more hitter-friendly home environments, the right-hander reeled off 231 1/3 innings of 3.07 ERA ball from 2019-20.
Gray has backed up those solid results with strong underlying numbers. While he typically runs walk rates a bit higher than the league average, he also generates an enviable combination of punchouts and grounders. Gray has posted above-average strikeout and ground-ball percentages in each of the past three seasons. His 27% and 47.2% marks in those categories in 2021 were his lowest since 2018, but even those were both markedly above the respective league averages (22.6% and 42.7%) for starting pitchers.
Installing Gray into the middle of a rotation should have plenty of appeal around the league. The Dodgers were already rumored to have interest in that possibility this offseason, and others would join them if the Reds’ front office began to discuss trade frameworks in earnest.
Both Castillo and Mahle could bring even greater returns, as they’re arguably superior pitchers who are more affordable. Like Gray, both righties are controllable for two more seasons, but they’re proceeding through arbitration. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Castillo for a $7.6MM salary in 2022; Mahle is projected to bring in around $5.6MM. Both pitchers would stand to earn a final raise in 2023, although it’s unlikely either would match or top the value of Gray’s $12.5MM option that year.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t seem the Reds are preparing to tear the roster down completely. Coming off an 83-win season with a strong core led by their talented rotation, it’s not implausible that Cincinnati could compete next season. A frugal offseason would certainly make building a strong roster more difficult for Krall and his front office, particularly with middle-of-the-order presence Nick Castellanos likely to sign elsewhere as a free agent. A returning group including Castillo, Mahle, Votto, Jesse Winker, Jonathan India and Tyler Stephenson certainly has promise, though. Speculatively speaking, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them target near-MLB players in potential discussions involving Gray to help thread that needle of remaining competitive while cutting costs.

[jrgum3]

Padres....1998 was a close season until strike 3 to Tino Martinez was called a ball.

I saw that 1998 Yankee team in person and I have to say that was probably the Yankees best team out of all the championship runs they had with Jeter on the team. Its hard to compare eras but that Yankee team measures up favorably against any of the Yankee teams from the past that won it all and is definitely one of the best teams of all time in MLB history.

[EmpireMaker]

Steven Matz won’t be returning home to join a Mets rotation in need of help.
The free-agent pitcher agreed to terms with the Cardinals on a four-year deal worth $44 million, an industry source confirmed Tuesday night. The contract includes incentives that can increase its value to $48 million. ESPN first reported the agreement, which is pending a physical.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

I saw that 1998 Yankee team in person and I have to say that was probably the Yankees best team out of all the championship runs they had with Jeter on the team. Its hard to compare eras but that Yankee team measures up favorably against any of the Yankee teams from the past that won it all and is definitely one of the best teams of all time in MLB history.

Everytime the SD Padres or Chargers made the World Series or Superbowl, they played historically great teams...just our luck

[Chi_archie]

Everytime the SD Padres or Chargers made the World Series or Superbowl, they played historically great teams...just our luck

yeah, it's uncanny

[Otters27]

The Astros hadn't won one until they won by cheating in 2017. The Expos never won one before moving to Washington but the Nationals managed to break through and get a ring. The Rangers, Padres and Tampa Bay Rays are on the list but unlike the Mariners they've at least reached the World Series.

That's what I was thinking don't remember the Ms ever making a world series. Can't believe those Griffy teams never got there

[stevenash]

I saw that 1998 Yankee team in person and I have to say that was probably the Yankees best team out of all the championship runs they had with Jeter on the team. Its hard to compare eras but that Yankee team measures up favorably against any of the Yankee teams from the past that won it all and is definitely one of the best teams of all time in MLB history.

I too as well saw that 1998 Yankee season and I agree.
That team was the last super team we've seen in baseball in the past quarter century.

Believe it or not I've ben trying to write a book.
It'll probably never go anyplace as it's a herculean task, I'm loving the effort but it's a pain in the ass.

The book pretty much deals with the past quarter century of baseball.
Starting with the end of the Braves incredible string of division titles and the start of the Yankee dynasty to the Red Sox living the dream to the finally, at last Cubs, all the way to now.

It started out innocently enough, I was collecting data for the age old question "Does good pitching beat good hitting"?
(Short answer, it does.)

I don't want to get too long winded in this post.
I wanted to collect data, proof if you will that good pitching does indeed good hitting so I was looking at the past 25 World Series winning teams and how they won it all.

Short answer to the question, 19 of the past 25 World Series winners won due to better pitching.
Pitching staffs, top to bottom usually consist of 11 pitchers or about 44 percent of the team.
Teams with superior hitting with an average pitching staff will usually get beat by teams with the superior pitching and weaker hitting.
That's my opinion backed up with data.

The Angels won their championship with solid pitching, Giants too.
KC had two rock solid starters with a six man bullpen that was virtually unhittable.
That bullpen unit was pretty much the best bullpen you'll ever see in MLB again.
But who knows as we enter the bullpen era of baseball.

Fans usually overlook the fact that the Yankees and Red Sox won their titles with guys like Pedro, and Mariano, and Andy Pettitte...
They're usually thought of of these superior power teams with the likes of Manny and Papi and all.
Look at their pitching staffs as well.

To answer your question.
Yes, the 1998 Yankees were the last super team I've seen.
Top to bottom, all 14 batters and position players, all 11 pitchers, bullpen and starters.

[JMobile]

I saw that 1998 Yankee team in person and I have to say that was probably the Yankees best team out of all the championship runs they had with Jeter on the team. Its hard to compare eras but that Yankee team measures up favorably against any of the Yankee teams from the past that won it all and is definitely one of the best teams of all time in MLB history.

Yankees were unstoppable that year.

[Stallion]

If the Jays lose Robbie Ray and Semien they are done.

[Cross]

Hate to see the Cardinals get Matz.

[Cross]

Love the Wander deal both for him as a 20 year old with generational wealth and great for rays obviously.

[EmpireMaker]

Former saves leader Kirby Yates is back on the free agent market, with last offseason’s one-year deal with the Blue Jays having wrapped up. That $5.5MM gamble didn’t pan out for Toronto, as Yates suffered a flexor strain that required a March Tommy John surgery. The 34-year-old is expected back at some point midseason in 2022, MLBTR’s Steve Adams confirms, a timeline that seems to align with the typical approximate fourteen-month recovery from TJS.
Ken Rosenthal of Athletic reported yesterday (on Twitter) that Yates is likely to land a two-year contract this offseason. It’s become fairly common to see teams sign pitchers rehabbing from Tommy John procedures to two-year deals, writing off most or all of the first season with an eye towards buying low on a talented arm in year two. Last offseason, the Dodgers and Mariners agreed to deals of this ilk with Tommy Kahnle and Ken Giles, respectively.
In most instances, such deals involve salaries a bit above the league minimum for the first year and a few million dollars above that the following season. There’s not yet any indication about what kind of offers Yates is looking at specifically, although the possibility for a late-season return in 2022 could give him a bit of a boost relative to other similar situations. Assuming his recovery continues as planned, Yates could market two potential stretch runs and postseasons. Kahnle and Giles, on the other hand, were expected to be out for all of 2021 at the time they signed their respective deals.
Yates has barely pitched over the past two seasons on account of elbow issues, so it’s easy to forget how dominant he was at his peak. A late bloomer who bounced around the league on waivers through the first few years of his MLB career, he took his game to a new level upon landing with the Padres in 2017. Between then and the end of 2019, the right-hander pitched to a 2.31 ERA across 179 1/3 innings of relief, striking out a brilliant 38.7% of batters faced while walking just 6.8%. In addition to his aforementioned 2019 saves crown, he was selected to the All-Star game and finished seventh in National League Cy Young award voting that season.
Even as he enters his age-35 season, Yates should still have a decent number of suitors hoping he can recapture some of that late-game dominance. Rosenthal lists the D-Backs as one team with interest, and others likely have entered or will enter the fray over the coming weeks. The Twins and Dodgers were among the clubs known to have interest in Yates during his trip through free agency last winter.

[Otters27]

What college has the most MLB players ever?

[stevenash]

What college has the most MLB players ever?

USC I think.
Arizona State has got be up there too.

Currently?
Probably Vandy.

[jrgum3]

USC I think.
Arizona State has got be up there too.

Currently?
Probably Vandy.

All time I think you're right it's USC but currently Vandy produces the most MLB players.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

I wouldn't mind seeing a Yates/Padres reunion.

[stevenash]

I wouldn't mind seeing a Yates/Padres reunion.

Only Mo did it better than Trevor.

[jrgum3]

That's what I was thinking don't remember the Ms ever making a world series. Can't believe those Griffy teams never got there

Yeah its crazy to think they've never gotten to a World Series especially since they had a generational talent in Junior but the M's just haven't been able to break through. That 2001 M's team was one of the best teams of all time in the regular season but they ran into the Yankees in the postseason which ended their amazing 116 win season.

[EmpireMaker]

Rich Hill has already emphatically stated that he’ll be back for 2022, a season in which he’ll be 42 years old. But would the Red Sox be interested in a reunion with the Massachusetts native? “There is an interest, without a doubt,” Hill told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. “There’s a need on the other end. [But] the need for starting pitching is very apparent throughout the league — not just in Boston. It’s also many other clubs that need it.”
The lefty is certainly correct about the demand throughout the league, as starting pitchers have been flying off the shelves so far this offseason. In just over three weeks since free agency began, Eduardo Rodriguez, Justin Verlander, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, Anthony DeSclafani and Andrew Heaney have all been inked already, with Alex Wood reportedly close to signing as well. Despite his age, Hill figures to garner lots of interest as well, given his solid 2021 campaign. His tally of 158 2/3 innings was the second-highest of his career, trailing only the 195 innings he logged as a 27-year-old in 2007. Between the Rays and Mets last year, he put up an ERA of 3.86 with a strikeout rate of 22.7% and walk rate of 8.3%, producing 1.7 fWAR in the process.
The Red Sox have already lost Eduardo Rodriguez to the Tigers, leaving them with a rotation of Nathan Eovaldi, Chris Sale, Nick Pivetta and Tanner Houck, with Connor Seabold, Kutter Crawford and Garrett Whitlock among the options for the back end. There’d certainly be room to add Hill into the mix, though whether they prefer Hill to some other options on the market remains to be seen.
More tidbits from around the league…

• After an excellent 258-game stretch with the Twins over three different seasons, Nelson Cruz was traded to the Rays before last year’s deadline. Although the club isn’t completely ruling out a reunion, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the top of their to-do list this winter. Dan Hayes of The Athletic spoke to GM Thad Levine about the situation. “In a most ideal case, when you’re building a roster you would like to have a DH spot as an open position to rotate guys through and give them a partial day of rest,” he said. “We have chosen to go a different route in each of the last couple seasons because we felt we had an elite DH.” As noted by Hayes, the club is going to be primarily focused on pitching for now, which makes sense given that they’ve lost Jose Berrios to trade, Michael Pineda to free agency and Kenta Maeda to Tommy John surgery. Cruz also struggled after being traded to the Rays, hitting .226/.283/.442, for a wRC+ of 96, raising questions about how productive he will be as a 41-year-old in 2022. But Levine still left the door open a crack, saying they “want to keep the DH spot open to allow for a bunch of players to rotate through that position, unless something exceptional comes our way, at which point we’d have to review it.”
• Bud Black is heading into his sixth season as the skipper of the Rockies, which is also the final year of his current contract. In a recent mailbag, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post says he heard that extension talks were ongoing, but that he “checked that out with general manager Bill Schmidt, who told me that wasn’t true. Schmidt added, however, that talks with Black are certainly possible in the coming months.” Schmidt was the VP of scouting with the Rockies from 2007 until May of 2021. At that point, he was named interim GM, in the wake of the resignation of Jeff Bridich, before officially getting the job last month. As he enters his first offseason in the GM chair, it’s unclear whether he considers Black to be part of the future he envisions for the franchise. Black, 64, has a record of 349-359 in his time with the Rockies and an overall record of 998-1072 when combined with his nine seasons with the Padres.

[Chi_archie]

Rich Hill has already emphatically stated that he’ll be back for 2022, a season in which he’ll be 42 years old. But would the Red Sox be interested in a reunion with the Massachusetts native? “There is an interest, without a doubt,” Hill told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. “There’s a need on the other end. [But] the need for starting pitching is very apparent throughout the league — not just in Boston. It’s also many other clubs that need it.”
The lefty is certainly correct about the demand throughout the league, as starting pitchers have been flying off the shelves so far this offseason. In just over three weeks since free agency began, Eduardo Rodriguez, Justin Verlander, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, Anthony DeSclafani and Andrew Heaney have all been inked already, with Alex Wood reportedly close to signing as well. Despite his age, Hill figures to garner lots of interest as well, given his solid 2021 campaign. His tally of 158 2/3 innings was the second-highest of his career, trailing only the 195 innings he logged as a 27-year-old in 2007. Between the Rays and Mets last year, he put up an ERA of 3.86 with a strikeout rate of 22.7% and walk rate of 8.3%, producing 1.7 fWAR in the process.
The Red Sox have already lost Eduardo Rodriguez to the Tigers, leaving them with a rotation of Nathan Eovaldi, Chris Sale, Nick Pivetta and Tanner Houck, with Connor Seabold, Kutter Crawford and Garrett Whitlock among the options for the back end. There’d certainly be room to add Hill into the mix, though whether they prefer Hill to some other options on the market remains to be seen.
More tidbits from around the league…

• After an excellent 258-game stretch with the Twins over three different seasons, Nelson Cruz was traded to the Rays before last year’s deadline. Although the club isn’t completely ruling out a reunion, it doesn’t seem like it’s going to be the top of their to-do list this winter. Dan Hayes of The Athletic spoke to GM Thad Levine about the situation. “In a most ideal case, when you’re building a roster you would like to have a DH spot as an open position to rotate guys through and give them a partial day of rest,” he said. “We have chosen to go a different route in each of the last couple seasons because we felt we had an elite DH.” As noted by Hayes, the club is going to be primarily focused on pitching for now, which makes sense given that they’ve lost Jose Berrios to trade, Michael Pineda to free agency and Kenta Maeda to Tommy John surgery. Cruz also struggled after being traded to the Rays, hitting .226/.283/.442, for a wRC+ of 96, raising questions about how productive he will be as a 41-year-old in 2022. But Levine still left the door open a crack, saying they “want to keep the DH spot open to allow for a bunch of players to rotate through that position, unless something exceptional comes our way, at which point we’d have to review it.”
• Bud Black is heading into his sixth season as the skipper of the Rockies, which is also the final year of his current contract. In a recent mailbag, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post says he heard that extension talks were ongoing, but that he “checked that out with general manager Bill Schmidt, who told me that wasn’t true. Schmidt added, however, that talks with Black are certainly possible in the coming months.” Schmidt was the VP of scouting with the Rockies from 2007 until May of 2021. At that point, he was named interim GM, in the wake of the resignation of Jeff Bridich, before officially getting the job last month. As he enters his first offseason in the GM chair, it’s unclear whether he considers Black to be part of the future he envisions for the franchise. Black, 64, has a record of 349-359 in his time with the Rockies and an overall record of 998-1072 when combined with his nine seasons with the Padres.

rich hill , old as dirt

[stevenash]

Read a very nice piece on the late, great Doug Jones.
Once he changed to that circle change up pitch of his he was untouchable.
One of the slowest pitch velocity wise in the history of all modern day closers.

Dude as all class, and wish more clubs would get away from all this "have to throw 100 mph and have to hit 500 foot home runs"

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Read a very nice piece on the late, great Doug Jones.
Once he changed to that circle change up pitch of his he was untouchable.
One of the slowest pitch velocity wise in the history of all modern day closers.

Dude as all class, and wish more clubs would get away from all this "have to throw 100 mph and have to hit 500 foot home runs"

I remember him...RIP

[Cross]

Sorry Nasher, velocity is here to stay. That circle change is way more filthy when you can throw high 90s heat to go with it.

[stevenash]

Sorry Nasher, velocity is here to stay. That circle change is way more filthy when you can throw high 90s heat to go with it.

Jones hit 94 on thee slow gun.
That was good enough in the late 80's.
He did have the best off speed pitch in the game at the time.

When I was a teenage Messersmith had the best curveball I ever saw, and the only other curveball artist that rivaled Andy was Mussina's devastating knuckle curve.

[JMobile]

Mets sign Eduardo Escobar. I don't know if he will make a difference

[Cross]

Lots of nasty curves out there today. Those cutters are insane too.

[jrgum3]

Mets sign Eduardo Escobar. I don't know if he will make a difference

They also got Starling Marte and Mark Canha. Might not make too much of a difference but at least they're out there trying to improve their team this off season.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

They also got Starling Marte and Mark Canha. Might not make too much of a difference but at least they're out there trying to improve their team this off season.

Marte is a nice addition, I've long been a fan of his.