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

There's that one Padre fan that lurks
He probably accepts losing..might as well
adres:

 

Report: Dodgers to sign Cuban infielder Jose Miguel Fernandez to MiLB deal
http://dodgersdigest.com/2017/01/08...infielder-jose-miguel-fernandez-to-milb-deal/

 

Seems like a depth move. Maybe he can hit LHP!

 

LOL... the Twins must be shitting now.

 

LOL... I owned a national ad agency for PI lawyers

 

Remember Badler ranking JMF pretty high and then of course you never forget the name because of the obvious.
Saw this report on Twitter hours ago and thought it was just one of the many gag-reports, but I guess it's real
Micah Johnson is probably pretty peeved

 

Here is the interesting thing about this article, "but Fernandez has been — by most accounts — MLB-ready for awhile." Looks like MGT might be trying to put pressure back on the Twins.

 

It's a minor league deal for 200k so I doubt it's as the alternative to Dozier. Also unclear if he can still play 2B. Probably just depth, and like I said, if he can put together a .750 OPS vs LHP he'll probably get some starts.

 

Yeah it's a minor league deal so it's obviously not going to put any pressure on the Twins.
And to be frank, LAD doesn't have to play any games like that..the MF offer is JDL - reportedly - that's enough.
I was thinking similarly..if JMF can do .250/.360/.370 overall he might make for a decent, old school type of place setter at the top of the lineup on occasions.
That's what I get out of his profile..has great ABs and can work his way on base in a variety of ways, could also be a good fit as a contact guy for when they just need solid/simple bat control and contact to get a runner home from 3B with less than 2 outs as he's mainly been a pull guy.
Looks like the added weight could possibly hurt him defensively, but then possibly give him a little extra pop at the plate..have to see with that..they might have him shed some lbs

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=fernan018jos

 

Say what you want but this guy must TRULY LOVE playing baseball and for that he's a cool cat!

 

The Kochi Fighting Dogs.
One hell of a name for a team...

 

Odd move for sure with the current make up of the team, though a lot of the teams MIF depth are not the best guys at the plate. I really don't see how this would be tied to a Dozier deal unless they are preparing to lose some of that depth via trade. For 200K, it seems like a worthwhile risk.

 

And just like that, here is a new Badler article on him:
Jose Miguel Fernandez, a 28-year-old second baseman who had been one of the best hitters in Cuba before he left the country, is finalizing a deal to sign a minor league contract with the Dodgers with a $200,000 signing bonus. The deal, first reported by Universo Deportivo, is exempt from the international bonus pools.

Given the cost, Fernandez could turn out to be a bargain for the Dodgers.


Fernandez stands out for his excellent strike-zone discipline and contact skills with a short lefthanded swing, which led to high OBPs playing in Cuba. During his final full season (2013-14) playing in Cuba, Fernandez ranked second in Serie Nacional in OBP by hitting .326/.482/.456 with 65 walks and 10 strikeouts in 314 plate appearances.

At that time, Fernandez was a major league ready player. However, it’s been more than two years since Fernandez last played in a competitive game in Cuba. He played during the start of the 2014-15 Serie Nacional season and hit .315/.415/.426 with only one strikeout in 65 plate appearances. Then in October 2014, Fernandez was suspended for attempting to leave Cuba. He missed the rest of the season and didn’t participate in any international tournaments, then left Cuba late in 2015 to pursue a contract with a major league team and has been a free agent since April. Most recently, Fernandez has played winter ball in the Dominican Republic for Aguilas, batting .286/.369/.286 in 18 games with more walks (8) than strikeouts (5) and no extra-base hits.

Fernandez’s layoff from competitive baseball and the fact that few teams expecting to contend in 2017 are in need of a second baseman hampered his market. Fernandez had been the second baseman on the Cuban national team, including at the 2013 World Baseball Classic where he hit .524/.545/.667 in 21 at-bats with no strikeouts.


At 5-foot-10, 185 pounds, Fernandez doesn’t do anything flashy, relying on his ability to control the strike zone and put the ball in play with good plate coverage and below-average power. Fernandez’s swing isn’t the most conventional—his back foot will slide out from underneath him, costing him balance—but he has the bat control and hand-eye coordination to square up fastballs, is able to keep his hands back to adjust to breaking pitches and hangs in well against lefthanded pitching. Defense is a concern with Fernandez, a limited runner who lacks first-step quickness and doesn’t have much range at second base. Fernandez does have experience at third base (that’s where he mostly played this winter), but his arm is better suited for second.

 

Haha.
I was going to write that Vick's image is on their uniforms...but shrunk (shrank?) away from it.
I'm so glad you stepped up to the plate...clean base hit.

 

Me vale verga