NEWS/RUMORS/AROUND MLB Thread (Oct 2016 - Feb 2017)

Tanking doesn't necessarily work in general, not in any sport.
No guarantees

 

Hell no.

We're the Dodgers, not the fucking Cubs.

 

Why they would want to build a team similar to this one, with what it proved to be in the end, I guess is beyond me. Another loser version of the LAD? Just don't get it at all why we want a team like the one we have now.
Yes, we got far...but I can't help wondering if where we did get is primarily due to a SF massive defecation. In the real world, any kind of even decent showing by them, and we either are the WC team, or just not in it.
Not accepting the fact that SF flat out sucked ( not saying you are, either), is fantasyland, and that was our booster to the playoffs, more than any other reason.
True, we took advantage of it, another team might not have, is the truth also. The NLW sucked, btw.
My problem was the ridiculous pitching staff of rebounds and the walking wounded. Not CK, the ones they knew were damaged, and signed them anyway. Getting Hill for Montas and Cotton, although he did win a few, is what eventually, if we don't sign his 36 year old ass next year, already being nixed by many on here?
Seems like there were other alternatives to the path we travelled, and were just ignored, for economy's sake.
One year we went on a 42-8 run, this year came from way behind during the SF dissolve, and had CY and MVP, and best this and that.
I guess, pretty sure in fact, something else is wrong.

 

No tanking, but I think in hindsight, things would have been done a bit differently if this FO had been in charge at the start of Guggs instead of the fractured base of Colletti/White/Kasten. Basic fans look at the development under Friedman and think they've been in the drivers seat for a lot longer than they have and that makes shit frustrating. This FO inherited a lot of crap and people expected championships immediately, which basically never happens. I think if the new FO is in charge from day 1, we are probably looking at a much more complete organization top to bottom. We just completed year two of the new FO, ask me which route I wish we had taken after year 5, which is what Epstein just completed in Chicago.

 

I read somewhere that the Giants in the first half had near record luck and in the second half had near record bad luck. For those that don't know, they consider luck based on balls that find gloves/holes on exit velocity and such. I remember the Wood game were we finally gave up a run and everyone was pissed at him. Everyone climbed back on to him sucking, but just ignored that I think every hit was under 80 MPH off the bat. That team has guys that find holes by just continually making contact. If you survive on weak contact early in the season, you are going to have trouble later when you're getting tired, the bat slows, pitchers tend to be a bit crisper and they start getting a better book on you. Those weak bloop singles into RF/LF, become weak IF popouts and that 10 hopper into the OF becomes a 14 hopper to the MIF. This game tends to even out which is why numbers people are so prevalent in the game today.

 

Giants have exercised Moore's contract. Their rotation currently stands at Bumgarner, Cueto, Moore, Alphabet Soup and maybe Blach if they decide to spend somewhere else. I've heard that they may move Cain to the BP and see if his stuff plays up in short bursts. There aren't any arms in the system right now that are garnering scary #5 options. None of their top starting prospects did much of note. They have two 80 Power arms that are getting attention, but not putting it all together yet and they're bullpen arms.

 

Just ask the Edmonton Oilers, #1 pick 4 of 7 years (top 4 in 6 of 7) and they are just now good because they got the best player since Sid.

 

That's a fine starting front four, imo. I guess you can't think that, along with so many other things now on here, but that's good. And system arms on the sparse side may hurt them eventually, but barring injuries, it's a strong four. And let's face it, Blach looks pretty damn good. And if they need to go out and get somebody they will, absolutely, just like we did. They have a history of pretty good signings, not perfect, but good enough.
And I don't see the NLW sucking overall to the degree it did this year...no way.

 

I don't see the SF second half as a correction, more like an almost complete collapse...and if exit velocity and the rest of the SABR numbers mean they weren't good, then how does one explain 50% of the championships as theirs in the last six seasons..? They were the same kind of team back then, too.
And if how the market availabilitymade it truly difficult to "fix" the staff, why didn't they sign the ones they could have, before the market became diluted as it did? Money was not a theoretical problem, supposedly, so being forced to trade two top prospects for an old rental guy might have been avoided...and a signing would have given us a good pitcher for at least a couple of years hence...to slot in after CK or Maeda, who is over rated.
They could have landed pitchers that would have bolstered us for years to come.
What was the priority, as if we didn't all know ?

 

I'm gonna do some little write-ups on the teams in the NL West and where they are probably heading and what I think they should do. It'll be one at a time and who knows how long it will take me to finish these, but here we go...
The Padres
What a fall from grace for the 2014-2015 off season World Champions. Another abysmal year had them in the cellar of the NL West and sellers at the trade deadline. A glimmer of hope that they could climb out of it in a couple of seasons with savy deals seems to be somewhat in question now. The trading back of Colin Rea cost them Luis Castillo who was getting high praise from scouts and Preller lost both 30 days of a paycheck and likely the respect of his peers. The Red Sox are also pissed at the Padres, if you were wondering. That is not to say that their farm is without hope...

Before the Marlins debacle and subsequent Red Sox moans, the Padres had fared well rebuilding the farm. We saw Manny Margot(Kimbrel Trade) manning CF for them at the end of the season and he is considered one of the top prospects in baseball. He is a plus defender up the middle with a solid bat with not much power. He should be a dangerous leadoff hitter for them for the next few years. The other bat to make an appearance was that of Hunter Renfroe and we all remember him well. I just want to go on record for saying to my GF that cares nothing about baseball, "Crap, the Padres called up Renfroe. Big time power bat with no book on him yet, should kill us when we see him", "I DON'T CARE!" Anywho, Giancarlo Stanton 2.0 is probably not what he is, but likely a guy who hits a ton of HR's, matches with a ton of K's and doesn't hit for much Avg and doesn't walk enough for a power hitter. Sounds like prime Mark Reynolds with better defense. They were able to also nab Anderson Espinoza(Pomeranz) who is considered a front of the rotation pitcher, some solid filler pieces in other deals and some intriguing Cubans in the Int'l signing period. They have done a great job of righting the ship on the farm in a hurry, but it came at the cost of a now barren 25 Man roster...

The team has $32 million in guaranteed money for next year, (Olivera 6M, Kemp 2.5M, James Shields 11M, Melvin Upton 11.4M and Jedd Gyorko 2.5M). None of those players will be suiting up for the Padres next season. Every other player is either Arb, Pre-Arb or a FA, that's a hell of a thing. Their roster is young and should concentrate on continuing to rebuild a farm that took a big hit after the arrival of Preller. They have an emerging star to build around at 1B in Wil Myers that is under contract for 3 more seasons and should probably be their only untouchable vet. I only think he is untouchable right now due to him having a good, but not great season. I think he is worth holding onto for another year and see if he increases his value to a point where you could get some big time talent back in a year or at the trade deadline.

With that above, I think you see where they need to go. The Padres need to sell everything they can and punt the next couple of seasons. Nobody will show up for a 70-win team there anyway, but they are still kinda screwed. For their main pieces, Ace Tyson Ross may be out for the start of the season to undergo Thoratic Outlet Syndrome(Josh Beckett surgery) and catcher Derek Norris is coming off of an absolutely HORRENDOUS year (.186/.255/.328) . They could look to cash in on Yangervis Solarte as he has been a solid contributor at 3B and could probably land them some more good talent on the farm. They also have Oswaldo Arcia under contract and should be fairly cheap. He has not been good lately, but is still young and a former 20 HR guy with solid peripherals. See if he can fix things and then use him as a piece at the deadline. Your OF is then set with Arcia, Margot and Renfroe.

Going forward it looks like the Padres know they are going to have to take some knocks over the coming seasons. They have done a good job rebuilding the farm and added a ton of depth to it, but a lot of that talent is years away from even making a case to be in the Show. The division is way ahead of them in all other aspects and the Padres should concentrate on 2019 being the year that they can jump back into the fray. Their payroll is going to be fairly open so they should look to take on some bad contracts in order to try to land even more talent. Taking Pablo Sandoval back in exchange for Solarte could make for them landing a Devers/Groome type. They have the payroll flexibility to do deals like that and going that route could make for an intriguing club down the line.

This off season looks to be the perfect storm of terrible for the Padres, weak FA market, not much MLB ready talent and not many tradeable assets means that the usually active Padres FO is going to have to get creative and could likely look to capitalize on the minimal assets they do have. They're going to be bottom dwellers for the foreseeable future and doing anything outside of looking towards 2019-20 as the years to compete again could spell disaster for the organization.

 

Blach made us look bad, but every LHP with a pulse made us look bad. He's projected out as more of a reliever down the road as his stuff is very middle of the road. Can't take small sample sizes of a prospect at the end of the season where there is no book on him yet. Has never had great numbers in the minors and his stuff isn't sharp enough for prolonged success in the majors. I do agree, their front 4 is very formidable and the FO is going to have to make some changes here so that we can hang with them over the stretch of a 162 game season as their rotation is currently much more dangerous than ours is set up to be.

 

Idk if it's fair or not to say, but I think most teams have a number five that is flexible, or at least, a work in progress. Maybe a few are set and solid all the way through five, but idk.
I'd be happy with four solid, dependable front four, each with a measure of bona fide stamina.
What we had, in spite where we got, was hardly that.

 

Tanking? We've been tanking for 28 years.

 

I draw the line at hockey, so I'll take your word for it.

 

I like the Nerds.

That said, they will sign Mel Clark and Jim Morris to round out the rotation.