[EmpireMaker]

The Marlins are known to be looking for more outfield help, with Kyle Schwarber already reported as one of the names on the team’s radar. Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of The Miami Herald shed some more light on the Marlins’ pursuit, writing that Schwarber is looking for a three-year contract worth around $60MM.
Such a deal would top the Marlins’ four-year, $53MM pact with Avisail Garcia in dollars if not years, though it would also fall short of the four years and $70MM MLBTR projected Schwarber to land this winter. Three years and $60MM is still a healthy sum, particularly for a team with Miami’s traditionally limited payrolls, yet the Marlins have already shown a greater willingness to spend in order to upgrade their offense.
The Phillies are another team that has been linked to Schwarber, while the Red Sox and Nationals (the slugger’s two most recent clubs) have also expressed some level of interest in a reunion. Since several of the top free-agent bats have already landed new deals, Schwarber’s status as one of the top hitters available has only risen, so it’s fair to assume that other teams have already shown interest or will do so once the post-lockout dust settles. It remains to be seen whether Schwarber’s market will develop to the point where the Marlins or any other club eventually puts a four-year offer on the table.
Of other outfielders linked to the Marlins, Nick Castellanos “is viewed as too expensive,” while Eddie Rosario is another consideration if Schwarber is also ultimately deemed to be beyond Miami’s price range. Recent reports indicated that Castellanos is looking to score a seven- or eight-year contract, and even if that is an aim-high projection that could be lowered post-lockout, it would still seem like Castellanos might not be a fit for the Fish. Additionally, signing Castellanos have a further cost in the form of draft pick compensation, since he rejected the Reds’ qualifying offer.
The Marlins could possibly avoid the free agent route entirely by landing an outfielder in a trade, as before the lockout, Jackson and Mish note that Miami was in “ongoing discussions with one American League team.” The in-house fallback plan would be to have Brian Anderson play right field and the newly-acquired Joey Wendle take over as the everyday third baseman, but the Fish would prefer to have an established outfielder on the grass rather than Anderson, even if Anderson has looked at home as an outfielder. Anderson had a 7.9 UZR/150 and +6 Defensive Runs Saved over 1223 innings as a right fielder in 2018-19, but is also coming off an injury-plagued 2021 season.
Miami’s offseason pursuits led them to consider such players as Starling Marte, Manny Pina, and Yan Gomes, with the first two receiving contract offers. For Marte, the Marlins and two other teams made four-year offers worth roughly $60MM, and according to Jackson/Mish, Miami was prepared to spend a little more to bring Marte back to South Beach. Marte’s camp wanted something around a $70MM payday, however, and ended up topping that number handily with the $78MM over four years that Marte received from the Mets.
Pina was another player the Marlins lost to a division rival, as while the Fish offered Pina $4MM on a one-year deal, the Braves doubled that offer and signed Pina for two years and $8MM. However, the Marlins instead landed a longer-term target in Jacob Stallings, acquiring the backstop from the Pirates for a three-player trade package. Interestingly, Jackson/Mish write that the Red Sox came very close to trading for Stallings, which would have indicated the Sox were ready to move on from Christian Vazquez either next winter (2022 is Vazquez’s last year under contract) or perhaps this offseason if a trade partner could have been found.

[JMobile]

Not a strike, it’s a lockout.

Can you explain the lockout for degenerates like me with a low IQ?

[jrgum3]

Can you explain the lockout for degenerates like me with a low IQ?

Basically a strike is when the workers or in this case players tell management we're not going to show up. A lockout is a tool used by the owners during a labor dispute where they tell the players not to show up. During this time teams are not allowed to talk to the players, make free agent signings or swing trades.

[jrgum3]

Basically a strike is when the workers or in this case players tell management we're not going to show up. A lockout is a tool used by the owners during a labor dispute where they tell the players not to show up. During this time teams are not allowed to talk to the players, make free agent signings or swing trades.

I'll admit that I looked this up but here is the article detailing the difference between a strike and a lockout:

https://www.nytimes.com/article/mlb-lockout.html

[EmpireMaker]

The Brewers had talks with the Blue Jays about a trade that would have seen Randal Grichuk head to Milwaukee in a straight-up exchange for Jackie Bradley Jr., The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports. This was one of multiple alternate Bradley-for-outfielder deals explored by the Brewers before finally acquiring Hunter Renfroe from the Red Sox on Wednesday.
While the Brew Crew had to surrender two prospects along with Bradley in that deal, Renfroe is both less expensive than Grichuk and has been a better player over the last three seasons — Renfroe had a 3.5 fWAR since the start of the 2019 campaign, while Grichuk has been worth 1.5 fWAR. The Brewers’ outfield mix now consists of Renfroe, Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, and Tyrone Taylor, so barring any other transactions to shift some money around, Grichuk may no longer be on Milwaukee’s radar.
More from around the NL Central…

• The Cubs “were on the periphery” of the Kevin Gausman hunt and “were heavily involved” in trying to sign Steven Matz, according to The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma. However, Chicago weren’t willing to sign either pitcher to as lengthy of a commitment as the five-year deal Gausman received from the Blue Jays or the four-year deal Matz got from the Cardinals. While the Cubs are aiming for shorter-term deals for quality starting pitchers, they have thus far been successful on that front, landing Marcus Stroman on a three-year contract and claiming Wade Miley off waivers from the Reds. Along these same lines, Sharma suggests that Danny Duffy could be a target for the Cubs, as Duffy can likely be had for a one-year pact given his injury-shortened 2021. The team also needs more strikeout pitchers, either in the rotation via the trade market or in the bullpen.
• Though the Pirates signed Jose Quintana and traded for Zach Thompson as part of the Jacob Stallings deal, GM Ben Cherington told reporters (including The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Kevin Gorman) before the lockout commenced that the Bucs are still looking to add another starting pitcher to their mix. There isn’t much settled in a rotation that is short on experience apart from Quintana, and Cherington feels the Pirates’ incumbent arms will have to translate their promise into performance to win jobs during Spring Training. “There was nobody that we assumed is in our rotation, but there are a lot of guys who have a chance to be,” Cherington said.

[Cross]

Cubs staff already way stronger than last year.

[Otters27]

Basically a strike is when the workers or in this case players tell management we're not going to show up. A lockout is a tool used by the owners during a labor dispute where they tell the players not to show up. During this time teams are not allowed to talk to the players, make free agent signings or swing trades.

Good explanation. How long will this lockout last

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Cubs staff already way stronger than last year.

Same with the Padres. Now let's hope we have a season.

[stevenash]

I was reading what Manfred said yesterday.
Both sides are taking all the proposed rule changes off the table.
THANK GOD and that's encouraging.

[JMobile]

Basically a strike is when the workers or in this case players tell management we're not going to show up. A lockout is a tool used by the owners during a labor dispute where they tell the players not to show up. During this time teams are not allowed to talk to the players, make free agent signings or swing trades.

Thanks for that. I got a new OLED 65 TV for next baseball season.

[jrgum3]

Good explanation. How long will this lockout last

After hearing what Manfred had to say when they started this lockout I don't think they're going to play until a new collective bargaining agreement is agreed upon. When that'll be is anybody's guess but it's possible the start of the season is delayed until both sides can come to terms on a new CBA.

[EmpireMaker]

The Brewers had talks with the Blue Jays about a trade that would have seen Randal Grichuk head to Milwaukee in a straight-up exchange for Jackie Bradley Jr., The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports. This was one of multiple alternate Bradley-for-outfielder deals explored by the Brewers before finally acquiring Hunter Renfroe from the Red Sox on Wednesday.
While the Brew Crew had to surrender two prospects along with Bradley in that deal, Renfroe is both less expensive than Grichuk and has been a better player over the last three seasons — Renfroe had a 3.5 fWAR since the start of the 2019 campaign, while Grichuk has been worth 1.5 fWAR. The Brewers’ outfield mix now consists of Renfroe, Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, and Tyrone Taylor, so barring any other transactions to shift some money around, Grichuk may no longer be on Milwaukee’s radar.
More from around the NL Central…

• The Cubs “were on the periphery” of the Kevin Gausman hunt and “were heavily involved” in trying to sign Steven Matz, according to The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma. However, Chicago weren’t willing to sign either pitcher to as lengthy of a commitment as the five-year deal Gausman received from the Blue Jays or the four-year deal Matz got from the Cardinals. While the Cubs are aiming for shorter-term deals for quality starting pitchers, they have thus far been successful on that front, landing Marcus Stroman on a three-year contract and claiming Wade Miley off waivers from the Reds. Along these same lines, Sharma suggests that Danny Duffy could be a target for the Cubs, as Duffy can likely be had for a one-year pact given his injury-shortened 2021. The team also needs more strikeout pitchers, either in the rotation via the trade market or in the bullpen.
• Though the Pirates signed Jose Quintana and traded for Zach Thompson as part of the Jacob Stallings deal, GM Ben Cherington told reporters (including The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Kevin Gorman) before the lockout commenced that the Bucs are still looking to add another starting pitcher to their mix. There isn’t much settled in a rotation that is short on experience apart from Quintana, and Cherington feels the Pirates’ incumbent arms will have to translate their promise into performance to win jobs during Spring Training. “There was nobody that we assumed is in our rotation, but there are a lot of guys who have a chance to be,” Cherington said.

[JMobile]

The Brewers had talks with the Blue Jays about a trade that would have seen Randal Grichuk head to Milwaukee in a straight-up exchange for Jackie Bradley Jr., The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reports. This was one of multiple alternate Bradley-for-outfielder deals explored by the Brewers before finally acquiring Hunter Renfroe from the Red Sox on Wednesday.
While the Brew Crew had to surrender two prospects along with Bradley in that deal, Renfroe is both less expensive than Grichuk and has been a better player over the last three seasons — Renfroe had a 3.5 fWAR since the start of the 2019 campaign, while Grichuk has been worth 1.5 fWAR. The Brewers’ outfield mix now consists of Renfroe, Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain, and Tyrone Taylor, so barring any other transactions to shift some money around, Grichuk may no longer be on Milwaukee’s radar.
More from around the NL Central…

• The Cubs “were on the periphery” of the Kevin Gausman hunt and “were heavily involved” in trying to sign Steven Matz, according to The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma. However, Chicago weren’t willing to sign either pitcher to as lengthy of a commitment as the five-year deal Gausman received from the Blue Jays or the four-year deal Matz got from the Cardinals. While the Cubs are aiming for shorter-term deals for quality starting pitchers, they have thus far been successful on that front, landing Marcus Stroman on a three-year contract and claiming Wade Miley off waivers from the Reds. Along these same lines, Sharma suggests that Danny Duffy could be a target for the Cubs, as Duffy can likely be had for a one-year pact given his injury-shortened 2021. The team also needs more strikeout pitchers, either in the rotation via the trade market or in the bullpen.
• Though the Pirates signed Jose Quintana and traded for Zach Thompson as part of the Jacob Stallings deal, GM Ben Cherington told reporters (including The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Kevin Gorman) before the lockout commenced that the Bucs are still looking to add another starting pitcher to their mix. There isn’t much settled in a rotation that is short on experience apart from Quintana, and Cherington feels the Pirates’ incumbent arms will have to translate their promise into performance to win jobs during Spring Training. “There was nobody that we assumed is in our rotation, but there are a lot of guys who have a chance to be,” Cherington said.

Adding Renfroe is a big deal. I think Renfroe had a better season than Tommy Pham. Pham seem to go downhill ever since joining the Padres.

[stevenash]

After hearing what Manfred had to say when they started this lockout I don't think they're going to play until a new collective bargaining agreement is agreed upon. When that'll be is anybody's guess but it's possible the start of the season is delayed until both sides can come to terms on a new CBA.

Manfred is an idiot.

Did you guys know he's an Ivy League law school grad in, get this, specializing in labor and employment law.

Seriously, you can't make this shit up.

[Cross]

Yeah, owners and Manfred are the worst. Too bad your ordinary baseball fan doesn’t realize this. Players want the best product on the field and simply asking these greedy billionaire owners to budge a bit.

[Cross]

If baseball isn’t back in time, going to be very pissed.

[stevenash]

From the "It's about fukking time" department.
Gil Hodges is officially a Hall of Famer.

[jrgum3]

If baseball isn’t back in time, going to be very pissed.

I agree if they don't start the season on time or have a large portion of the season cut into I'm sure we won't be the only fans who are pissed.

[EmpireMaker]

Right-hander Kodai Senga signed a new five-year contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, according to The Kyodo News and other outlets. Full salary details aren’t known, though Senga will receive $5.3MM in 2022.
More pertinently for North American fans, the contract also contains an opt-out clause following the 2022 NPB season that would allow Senga to leave the Hawks for a potential deal with a Major League team. The opt-out clause is contingent on Senga banking enough service time in 2022 to officially qualify as a full free agent outside of the NPB/MLB posting system, which probably shouldn’t be considered a lock given that Senga missed quite a bit of the 2021 season recovering from an ankle injury.
However, Senga’s strong finish to the year should help answer any doubts about his health. The righty posted a 2.66 ERA over 84 2/3 innings for the Hawks, along with a 26.47% strikeout rate and 7.94% walk rate. If that wasn’t enough, Senga also helped Japan’s Olympic baseball team capture the gold medal at this past summer’s Tokyo Games.
Senga has made no secret of his desire to eventually test himself in MLB, and as he told reporters, “my thinking on that has not wavered” even after signing this multi-year pact with the Fukuoka team. “As a ballplayer, it’s essential to live my life always aiming higher….(Next year) I want to blow past all the numbers I’ve managed up to this point,” Senga said.
His biggest obstacle to a jump to North America has been, simply, the Hawks’ refusal to let him test the market. The Hawks have a team policy against posting any of their players to North American teams, and thus Senga has had to simply wait until he has been eligible. While it seems quite likely that he will indeed become a free agent next winter, the five-year contract does allow Senga some flexibility, as a number of factors could end up changing his mind. Injuries or a dip in form might convince him to stay with Fukuoka, or in terms of bigger-picture issues, the state of the pandemic or what the next MLB collective bargaining agreement may look like will certainly play into Senga’s eventual decision.
Senga has been one of Japan’s better pitchers for the better part of a decade, first working as a star reliever out of the Hawks’ bullpen and then becoming a regular starter in 2016. Senga has a 2.69 ERA and 28.33% strikeout rate over 945 career NPB innings, making three All-Star teams and twice leading the Pacific League in strikeouts. If he stays healthy and keeps pitching this well in 2022, Senga (who turns 30 in January 2023) should have no trouble attracting a noteworthy multi-year contract from Major League teams next offseason.

[BarkingToad]

From the "It's about fukking time" department.
Gil Hodges is officially a Hall of Famer.

When will the same be said about Gary Sheffield and Curt Schilling?

[stevenash]

When will the same be said about Gary Sheffield and Curt Schilling?

You can make a case for both of them.

Most people don't realize how good Shef was.
Some say he was a compiler, 500 taters is 500 taters, 22 years or 42 years, 500 is the bench mark.

Schilling?
That's all political.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

I agree if they don't start the season on time or have a large portion of the season cut into I'm sure we won't be the only fans who are pissed.

Count me in fukk these greedy owners and players.

[stevenash]

LaMarr Hoyt just died.


Former Cy Young winner and White Sox ace LaMarr Hoyt dead at 66 (msn.com)

[stevenash]

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com...-hoyt-released

[BigSpoon]

Count me in fukk these greedy owners and players.

Both sides shouldn't take the fans for granted, which it seems like they are doing.

[JMobile]

Anybody know about the pitcher the Padres sign from the Yankees? I think Luis Garcia

[Cross]

I loved watching Sheffield wag that bat around.

[EmpireMaker]

The Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros have expressed interest in free agent shortstop Trevor Story, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman in his latest insider piece for Audacy’s “Big Time Baseball” podcast. Heyman reiterates that he’s also heard Seattle convey interest in the shortstop, as MLBTR covered prior to the lockout last week. As is the case with all player-team connections made in the lockout age, no talks can take place between either party until the lockout is lifted.
Interestingly, Boston was recently cited as a team who reached out to free agent shortstop Carlos Correa’s camp. The path to that connection being anything more than due diligence lies in moving All-Star Xander Bogaerts off the position, an option neither the player nor Boston front office have indicated is on the table. The takeaway from a potential Correa pursuit is in many ways identical to a hypothetical Story one— sign an All-Star shortstop to guard against a Bogaerts departure, improving infield defense in the interim.
Just like Boagaerts, Story has yet to give a firm indication that he’ll be anything but a shortstop heading into the 2022 season. As we saw with Boston’s recent reacquisition of Jackie Bradley Jr. however, the Red Sox clearly aren’t afraid of shuffling players around if it means upgrading their defense. Even on the heels of a modest-for-him campaign, metrics across the board agree that Story would be an improvement with the glove over the incumbent Bogaerts. Of course, with Seattle allegedly showing interest in Story as a third baseman it’s possible Boston can do the same, choosing instead to move Rafael Devers (a subpar defender in his own right) off his position for a presumed upgrade in Story.
The Houston connection, for what it’s worth, would require the least moving parts to bring Story aboard. With Correa out of the picture for now, the Astros have a clear opening at shortstop that Story could fill. As is the case with the Red Sox, a Story signing may push the team past the first luxury tax threshold if he signs somewhere in the vicinity of MLBTR’s predicted six-year, $126MM guarantee. This may be a bridge too far then for Houston, though they’ll likely have plenty of financial wiggle room as soon as 2023 (to say nothing of a CBA that may change entirely).
Financial complications aside, the Astros pursuit of Story may hinge on how ready they are to give top-ranked prospect Jeremy Peña a look. Peña dominated in a 30-game showing at Triple-A this year, swatting 10 home runs to go with a .287/.346/.598 slash line. The home run power is new, and certainly encouraging for Houston brass to consider, but still may not be enough to hand the starting shortstop job to a 24-year-old.
The Astros remain the top dogs in the AL West but should expect the overall competitiveness of their division to increase next year. The drop-off from a 7.2 bWAR Carlos Correa to whatever it is a rookie can produce may be less palatable than simply turning to a steady producer like Story. With Story locked in alongside Alex Bregman and Jose Altuve through 2024, the team would then have the benefit of shopping Peña around for talent beyond the infield, or can simply hold onto him as a very enviable depth piece

[EmpireMaker]

SAN DIEGO -- The Padres needed pitching, so they went out and found a pair of high-upside right-handed arms to add to their bullpen.


San Diego has finalized deals with relievers Luis García and Robert Suarez, the team announced on Wednesday. García, coming off a strong season with the Cardinals, inked a two-year contract. Suarez’s pact is for one year, after he’d spent the past five seasons pitching in Japan.


Without question, pitching was the Padres' top priority entering the offseason, and although they still have some question marks in their rotation, these moves should go a long way toward solidifying their bullpen.


What are they getting?


Before hitting free agency this winter, García, 34, spent time with the Phillies, Angels, Rangers and Cardinals, amassing a 4.16 ERA over his nine seasons. Most recently, he put forth an impressive 2021 season, posting a 3.24 ERA and a sub-1 WHIP for St. Louis.


García's success was due in part to a heavy sinker that averaged 98.3 mph last season. He began throwing the pitch with much greater regularity in 2021 -- pairing it with an excellent slider -- and the results followed. He posted a 2.72 FIP, an indicator that the strides he made in ’21 are real.


Suarez, meanwhile, is a bit more of a mystery, as he has never pitched in the big leagues, but his success in Japan, with both SoftBank and Hanshin, speaks for itself. Across five seasons in NPB, Suarez posted a 2.81 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. Last year the 30-year-old notched a 1.16 ERA with a minuscule 0.77 WHIP. He didn’t allow a homer and permitted only six unintentional walks across 229 batters faced.


How do they fit?


The Padres have a deep group of relievers, with 27 of the places on their 40-man roster occupied by pitchers. But that relief corps comes with its share of concerns.


San Diego non-tendered Matt Strahm, Trey Wingenter and José Castillo on Tuesday. Entering the 2022 season, Drew Pomeranz and Dinelson Lamet have lingering health questions as well. Meanwhile, bullpen staples Emilio Pagán, Tim Hill and Austin Adams struggled down the stretch in ‘21.


As such, the Padres felt it was imperative to bolster their bullpen depth. They've done that in a big way over the past few days, first adding hard-throwing lefty Ray Kerr in the Adam Frazier trade with Seattle, then adding a pair of right-handers with upside.


• Padres trade Frazier to M's for prospect duo


What's next?


Even with these moves, the Padres' bullpen is by no means set in stone. After losing Mark Melancon to free agency, the closer spot is open. (Melancon signed with the D-backs on Wednesday.) Pomeranz would presumably handle that role if healthy, but he's coming off flexor surgery, and the Padres will likely need to wait until spring for his status.


Meanwhile, the Padres could still use a boost in their rotation, as a lack of depth cost them dearly last season. According to sources, nothing is imminent in regard to the team's search, but general manager A.J. Preller will continue to explore the trade market.


And while pitching remains a priority, the Padres could still shake things up on offense. Having lost Frazier via trade and Tommy Pham to free agency, San Diego hopes to add a power-hitting corner-outfield bat.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Both sides shouldn't take the fans for granted, which it seems like they are doing.

Cross thinks the owners are the only greedy ones

[stevenash]

Cross thinks the owners are the only greedy ones

Yeah.
When I played ball (scholastic) the owners were the evil ones.
Players got filthy rich and filthy greedy and the tables were turned.

Without owners, there is no ball park, no ball park employees, nothing.
Now pre 1966 players were treated like dirt and the owners held all the cards.

1966 Marvin Miller was elected the first MLBPA
The year before in 1965 the average salary for a player was 19k.

Sixteen years later when Miller retired in 1982 the average players salary was 241k
Best thing Miller did was abolish the reserve clause that bound players to the team that signed them.
Miller was Curt Flood's counsel.
When it was all said and done Flood said of Miller "he's a union leaders dream"

Miller was a business genius, graduated NYU with an advanced degree in economics.
Before baseball Marvin Miller the United Steel Workers negotiator, UAW, and the National War Labor unions.
The guy was the GOAT of negotiators.

You want to blame Miller for this, but you can't.
He dis right by all the players, problem was he was too good at what he did, like I said, the GOAT.

I can tell you when all this shit started.
1977, right after the reserve clause was completely struck down and the players had total free agency.

[JMobile]

Mets need a manager, looking into Showalter or Ausmus.

[stevenash]

Mets need a manager, looking into Showalter or Ausmus.

Showalter was Girardi before Girardi was Girardi.
An anal stiff.

Mets could use an old school meets new school type of catcher to manage.
Like a Tony Pena or someone like that.

[Cross]

Can we agree that an owner worth billions that is unwilling to spend money in order to give fans a decent product should not be allowed? Looking at you, Pirates and Indians.

[Cross]

Why should Pirates ownership be rewarded with revenue sharing if they are not willing to compete to win? Players should be paid what they are worth in the market they are in. That is all they want. That is why players want to become free agents a year earlier. Rookie contracts are bargains for baseball owners. Doesn’t work that way in soccer. Players get what they are worth, no rookie contracts kept cheap by league rules.