MLB NEWS/RUMORS Thread

won't be surprised if jd martinez has to settle for a 1yr deal after boras' absurd demands/posturing

but it is seriously amazing all the guys who haven't signed yet [link]
makes you wonder if/when the dam will break...

 

i like this, and agree
like when conor mcgregor called nate diaz the fattest skinny guy he'd ever seen

 

A bird in the hand is better than your bird in your hand.

 

Is Logan Forsythe the full-time 2nd baseman?
by Hunter Thompson | Dodgers Nation — 2 hours ago

Logan Forsythe is coming off an up and down season in 2017. Fans had high expectations for the second baseman after he was acquired for highly touted prospect Jose De Leon. The Dodgers picked up Forsythe’s $8.5 million option for the 2018 season, but will he be the full-time starter at second?

Forsythe slashed .224/.351/.327 in 2017 with 6 home runs and 19 doubles. He drew a career-high 69 walks, which led to the great on-base percentage. However, his power that he displayed during the few seasons before he was acquired was not there. His .327 slugging percentage was the lowest mark since his rookie year, and his 6 home runs were a far cry from the 37 he hit between 2015 and 2016. Moving from the AL East to NL West could have played a role, but his slugging percentage was even lower in 2017 than it was when he was a Padre. Forsythe did end up being one of the Dodgers more reliable hitters during the postseason. He slashed .297/.435/.351 with 2 doubles, 6 RBIs and 2 stolen bases during the playoffs.

Forsythe got off to a hot start, hitting .295 in April, but wasn’t the same after an injury sidelined him until late May. One thing that plagued Forsythe throughout the season was his difficulty with right-handed pitching. Forsythe slashed just .190/.315/.262 against righties in 2017. The flip side was his dominance against left-handed pitching. He slashed .290/.418/.452 against southpaws. Forsythe has always been much better against left-handers in his career, but 2017 saw a dramatic difference in his splits.

In the midst of Logan’s struggles, he found himself in a platoon at second with Chase Utley. Utley also had a tough year, but gave the Dodgers more production against right-handed pitchers. One thing that Utley lacked was Forsythe’s defensive prowess, which was often missed during tough plays and double play situations. While Utley is unlikely to return to the Dodgers for the 2018 season, the Dodgers do still have internal options to platoon with Forsythe.

One option is Chris Taylor. Taylor is coming off a career year, hitting .288/.354/.496 with 21 home runs. He primarily played in the outfield in 2017, and is likely to return to that role unless the Dodgers were to acquire an outfielder. Taylor has played plenty of second base in his career, including 19 starts at the position in 2017. If the Dodgers don’t acquire an outfielder and Joc Pederson can’t replicate his postseason success, Taylor will likely stay in the outfield. However, he could be a prime candidate to get some reps at second base if the outfield does get more crowded.

In theory, another option at second is Kiké Hernandez. However, Hernandez does not make much sense as a platoon partner for Forsythe as he also struggles against right-handers. Against righties, Hernandez slashed just .159/.244/.255 but had much more success against lefties, slashing .270/.367/.579. While Hernandez will be a platoon player in 2018, he’ll more than likely get the bulk of his starts against lefties.

Austin Barnes is also an option for a second base platoon. While he got most of his starts at catcher in 2017, he does have plenty of experience in the infield. Offensively, he may represent the best option for a platoon. Barnes was nothing short of dominant against righties in 2017, slashing .321/.444/.459. If the Dodgers hold onto Yasmani Grandal and Kyle Farmer proves he can be a serviceable backup, Barnes could fill this role. However, Barnes would need to improve defensively. He may be the worst option at the position for defensive purposes, but if he improves his bat will make up the difference. This option could be gone if the Dodgers deal Grandal, which is a possibility. If that were to happen, Barnes would become the Dodgers full-time catcher.

Hopefully Forsythe figures out his issues with righties in 2018, but it’s good to know that the Dodgers have a couple options in case he doesn’t. We’ll see soon enough what the Dodgers plan is, but Forsythe will likely go into the season as the full-time starter.

 

lol poor orioles
file under "could fuck up a wet dream"

Orioles tell intolerant fans to unfollow them on Twitter after holiday tweet
by Chris Cwik | Big League Stew — 18 hours ago

Like any other brand on Twitter, the Baltimore Orioles decided to send out what should have been a harmless holiday message to their fans. On Dec. 26, the first day of Kwanzaa, the team sent out a message telling their fans to have a “Happy Kwanzaa.” Because this is the Internet, you already know people got mad.

Here’s the tweet that made people angry:

Just hours after that message was sent, the team hopped back on Twitter to respond to those who were unhappy with that tweet. That message was pretty clear: If you promote “hate or bigotry,” don’t follow the team.

The full message reads:

“A common love of the Orioles is what brings everyone together on this page. We’re happy to have a diverse fan base of the best fans in the world. If you cannot show respect for others, kindly unfollow us. There is no room for hate of bigotry on our social media or in our ballpark.” ​

On the one hand, it’s disappointing that the Orioles felt they had to issue this response based on some of the comments they received for the initial tweet. On the other, kudos to them for sending out such a strong message in the face of those who would rather spread hateful messages online.

The team has had too much experience with that type of thing in 2017. In May, Orioles outfielder Adam Jones told reporters he was taunted with racial slurs while playing at Fenway Park. The Red Sox apologized and began cracking down on hateful language at the park. In September, the Red Sox released a statement denouncing “racism and hate.” The message from the Orioles hits similar notes.

As the team explained on Twitter, the thing that brings fans together is love for their team. If a subset of those fans aren’t being respectful, the Orioles have every right to not want them as part of their community.

 

Roundtable: Is Darvish or Arrieta the better signing for Dodgers?
by Daniel Starkand | Dodger Blue — 2 hours ago

Coming off a season in which they won 104 games and reached the World Series for the first time since 1988, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been relatively quiet this offseason on the free agent market.

They have inked right-handed pitcher Tom Koehler to a contract, but he will not make up for the loss of Brandon Morrow to the Chicago Cubs and the possible loss of Tony Watson, who may too sign elsewhere.

The Dodgers could also be losing another key contributor to their pitching staff in starter Yu Darvish, who was expected to command one of the more lucrative contracts amongst starters.

With the Dodgers desire to get below the luxury tax threshold in 2018, signing one of the high-end starters like Darvish or Jake Arrieta seems unlikely, but there hasn’t been much movement on the starters market so if the price tag comes down then the Dodgers may get involved.

One thing the Dodgers value is depth, so it is likely that they will add a starting pitcher at some point this offseason. While the pitchers are comparable in some regard, one may be a better fit for Los Angeles than the other.

The Dodger Blue staff debated which starter the team should to sign if they want to add a top-of-the-rotation arm.

Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand):
Both Darvish and Arrieta are phenomenal pitchers and would slide in great behind Clayton Kershaw in the Dodgers rotation, but if I had to choose one I would lean towards Darvish. I know it’s hard to get over his World Series struggles, but a lot of that could be attributed to him tipping his pitches. If he hadn’t pitched well for the Dodgers up until that point I would be more concerned. But he was great for them after coming over from the Texas Rangers at the trade deadline and was masterful in his National League Division and Championship Series starts. If the Dodgers can correct Darvish’s tipping pitches issue, which shouldn’t be hard to do, then in his second full season coming off of Tommy John surgery, I think he has a chance to return to the dominant pitcher he once was. Two years ago I definitely would have taken Arrieta, but he has regressed in each of the past two seasons after his 2015 Cy Young campaign. And with him starting the 2018 season at age 32, I would be weary handing out a nine-figure contract to a pitcher on the decline.

Matthew Moreno (@MMoreno1015):
When free agency began, I didn’t believe the Dodgers would be too involved in potentially signing Jake Arrieta or Yu Darvish. But the longer they remain free agents, the more of a possibility I give it. They are both entering their age-32 season and through Darvish has logged more career innings, I think re-signing him would be the better option than inking Arrieta. Darvish historically has fared better than his counterpart, and should be improved in 2018. While there were some bumps in the road this past season, it must be noted it was his first full year since undergoing Tommy John surgery. Yes, many will remember two abysmal starts in the World Series, but there’s a relatively clear answer to that. It isn’t as though Darvish simply wilted on the biggest stage. So with the familiarity and his superior talent, re-signing Darvish would be a sound decision — assuming the price is right for the Dodgers.

Matt Borelli (@mcborelli):
While you can’t go wrong with either option, I would rather see the Dodgers sign Yu Darvish over Jake Arrieta. For one, Darvish offers more stability and familiarity to the club, given he was traded to the organization last July and has experience working with the coaching staff and backstops, Austin Barnes and Yasmani Grandal. Darvish saw his peripherals improve with the Dodgers and enjoyed a dominant one and a half-month stretch with the club that spanned from the beginning of September through the start of the World Series. Darvish carried his late-regular season success into the postseason, where he initially thrived. He not only tallied wins in the NLDS and NLCS, but his presence allowed the Dodgers to not rely too heavily on Clayton Kershaw by starting him on short rest like in previous postseasons. Yes, Darvish faltered in the World Series. But if recent reports are correct that he tipped his pitches, it becomes more understandable as to why he struggled to the extent that he did. Bringing back Darvish allows pitching coach Rick Honeycutt to correct any flaws in his mechanics to ensure that a similar incident doesn’t occur again. Signing Darvish over Arrieta is also beneficiary in that it wouldn’t require giving up a draft compensation. The Chicago Cubs extended a qualifying offer to Arrieta, in which he declined, meaning any club that inks him has to yield a pick. That isn’t the case for Darvish, as he was traded midseason and thus, wasn’t eligible for a qualifying offer.

 

almost forgot to turn in my hall of fame ballot
was really easy this year...