MLB NEWS/RUMORS Thread

Rival MLB executive says no chance Dodgers re-sign Darvish
by Matthew Moreno | Dodger Blue — 19 minutes ago

When the Los Angeles Dodgers reached an agreement with the Texas Rangers to acquire Yu Darvish moments before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline expired, it was solely with an eye on the postseason. Los Angeles hoped Darvish would be the missing ingredient to the franchise’s first World Series in 1988.

The trade marked a second consecutive year the Dodgers added a starting pitcher to the fold on what potentially was merely a three-month rental. Though, Rich Hill was ultimately re-signed last winter, agreeing to a three-year, $48 million contract.

Darvish figured to command a five-year contract at a much heftier salary than what Hill received. But two poor starts in the World Series may have resulted in an adverse effect on Darvish’s market.

From the Dodgers’ standpoint, a executive not with the team left little possibility to their re-signing of Darvish, via Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball:

“No chance,” one rival exec said of the odds of a Darvish re-signing by the Dodgers.

Darvish went 4-3 with a 3.44 ERA, 3.38 FIP and 1.15 WHIP in nine starts for the Dodgers. He spent time on the 10-day disabled list due to back stiffness and worked with pitching coach Rick Honeycutt to refine his mechanics and delivery.

The right-hander found his footing as the regular season wound to a close, and he carried that into the playoffs. Darvish was stellar in the National League Division Series and Championship Series, but allowed a combined nine runs (eight earned) and pitched just 1.2 innings in both of his World Series starts.

Even without the struggles against the Houston Astros, there was some doubt as to whether the Dodgers would give serious consideration to re-signing Darvish. He’s entering his age-32 season, and the club’s front office to this point has shied away from long-term deals.

The Dodgers were willing to extend to five years for Zack Greinke, but not the six years nor record salary he received from the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Jake Arrieta and Darvish reside as the top free-agent starting pitchers this winter. They both are reportedly of interest to the Minnesota Twins, among other clubs.

 

in a related story...

man, @THINKBLUE was on it

 

darvish seems like a good dude
too bad he sucked lemur choad when we needed him most

 

Per Jon Heyman...

• The Minnesota Twins are said by sources to be considering a run at one of the big free-agent starters available after their amazing success story last year. They are thought to be considering even the very top guys – Yu Darvish, Jake Arrieta, Lance Lynn and Alex Cobb – as they look to improve off their surprising 2016 playoff team.

 

• Brandon Morrow appeared on MLB Network Radio today, stating that “all things being equal,” he’d prefer to return to the Dodgers (Twitter link, with audio). Morrow specified that at age 33, he’d prefer to sign with a contending team, noting that he doesn’t necessarily care about pitching as a closer versus pitching in a setup capacity. Morrow raved about the young talent and clubhouse on the Dodgers, noting that the team is poised to be a contender for years to come — a highly appealing factor to him (and other free agents). Though perhaps we shouldn’t read too much into his comments, Morrow did note that “to be able to hopefully in that for three to four years … it’s definitely an attractive situation.” Morrow does indeed seem to have a strong case for a multi-year deal after a return to prominence in L.A. this past season. We pegged him for a three-year, $24MM contract on last week’s ranking of the game’s top 50 free agents.

link

 

Draft picks each team would lose by signing a Qualified Free Agent
by Tim Dierkes | MLB Trade Rumors — 10 hours ago

Jake Arrieta, Wade Davis, Lance Lynn, Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain, Alex Cobb, Greg Holland, and Carlos Santana received one-year, $17.4MM qualifying offers from their teams earlier this week. If those players sign elsewhere, here’s a look at the draft picks the signing team would lose.

Competitive Balance Tax Payors: Tigers, Dodgers, Yankees, Giants, Nationals

If one of these teams signs a qualified free agent, it must forfeit its second-highest and fifth-highest pick in the 2018 draft. The team will also have its international signing bonus pool reduced by $1MM. The Tigers are highly unlikely to sign one of the nine players listed above, but the other four teams might. The Giants’ second-highest pick will fall somewhere in the 30s overall, so they stand to lose the most if they sign a qualified free agent.

Non-Disqualified Revenue Sharing Payees: Diamondbacks, Braves, Orioles, Reds, Indians, Rockies, Astros, Royals, Marlins, Brewers, Twins, Athletics, Pirates, Padres, Mariners, Rays

These 16 teams received revenue sharing and did not exceed the competitive balance tax. If one of these teams signs a qualified free agent, it forfeits its third-highest pick. These teams face the smallest draft pick penalty.

All Other Clubs: Red Sox, Cubs, White Sox, Angels, Mets, Phillies, Cardinals, Rangers, Blue Jays

These nine remaining teams would forfeit their second-highest pick and and have their international signing bonus pool reduced by $500K. The penalty is something of a middle ground, but it would sting for a team like the Phillies to sacrifice a pick in the 30s.

What happens if a team signs two of these nine free agents? The CBA calls for forfeiture of the next highest available draft pick. For example, if a team has already lost its second and fifth-highest picks and it signs a second qualified free agent, it would lose its third and sixth-highest picks. So as in the past, if you’ve already signed one qualified free agent, the draft pick cost to sign another is reduced.

 

let it go dude
we got who we got and it didn't work out