It's Time Again for the Hot Stove League!
mfpark said:
Mikescott: The Yanks will not even notice the $5MM to Walker. If he works out, great. If not, they dump him and move on and sign or trade for a glove later in the season. Lots of cash for Cashman to play with. A totally different way of thinking than all but a handful of clubs.
having watched Walker play for the Mets, I think it's a pretty good deal. Walker doesn't have quite the range he used to, but he can turn a DP, and he makes all the plays he gets to. He can mentor the young guys, and he'll play wherever the team needs him. He's a switch hitter with power, so he can even fill in occasionally at DH when they give Stanton or Judge a rest.
Burner said:
$5 million really is pocket change in baseball today. Walker is giving it one more chance to resurrect his career by showing he can stay on the field and the Yankees cheaply bought time to bring the young guys along in the way they see as optimal.
Might be pocket change to the yankees but could make a difference in the summer when they need to trade for a pitcher and they do not want to be over the luxury tax threshold. Plus Walker is a defensive liability. Can't believe they could not find a good defensive infielder with some experience. Just not their best move.
The defensive metrics show him around average. And he passes the eyeball test too. He's not a gold glover, but he's not a liability either.
Well, since he's a former Mets first baseman, he will probably hit 350 with 40 homers. That's what usually happens.
A number of the younger Yanks infielders are struggling to get into gear this spring. Wade is okay but still gets overpowered by lefties. As noted, Walker rates as an average second baseman who can play other positions in a pinch. Good teammate, good off the bench. I would have been happy if the Mets had signed him again.
the risk with Walker is that the last two injury-plagued years are a trend. Because before that, when he was healthy, he had more range at 2B, and played between 129-159 games a year.
If the Yanks get the guy the Mets had for the first half of 2016, this deal is a steal.
For the price that they paid if they use him for half a season, bring up the kid, and trade him for a bag of balls its still a steal.
And Torres was just optioned to Scranton.
No surprise here. He is coming off of Tommy John surgery, has almost no at-bats above double A under his belt, and is struggling at the plate this spring. Oh, and this extends Yankees control over him by a season provided he stays down on the farm for at least three weeks.
Interesting extension. Astros extend Altuve five years past his current 2019 contract end date for a total value of $151MM. It includes a full no-trade clause and a $21MM signing bonus. He is a Boras client as of last year.
This may be reflection of the new FA market. A young player taking his payday as early as possible, and a team locking up a young player long before he hits the FA market. In 2024, when this Altuve extension is over, he will be 34 years old and most likely facing at best a series of one year contracts. So rather than wait for perhaps an even bigger payday after 2019, he is locking down now. And the Astros are spending their big money on the best years of his career (at least they hope).
I don't know where else to put this, but I figured this thread had a lot of discussion of sabermetrics as we discussed possible offseason moves. For the perhaps two of us on MOL who are interested in metrics, I'll link to an article on the work that is proceeding on fielding metrics. I'm looking forward to the day when we have good, reliable measures of fielding prowess.
ml1 said:
The slow demystification of defensive statistics
It’s refreshing to read an article about sabermetrics that is upfront about all the caveats.
Train_of_Thought said:
Wins the internet today for me!
The photo is three years old. The home run is 12 years old. A good joke teller waits for just the right moment.
The Phils just locked up Scott Kingery through 2026.
Who? you ask.
(Cut to me, rubbing hands together, picturing at least nine seasons of Mets torment.)
DaveSchmidt said:
The Phils just locked up Scott Kingery through 2026.
Who? you ask.
(Cut to me, rubbing hands together, picturing at least nine seasons of Mets torment.)
Interesting part of the new trend of tying up young players early. The guy has never had an at bat in the majors, but he had an ***-kicking minor league 2017 and a really hot spring training. I have a feeling this one might turn out better than the Astros' long term deal with Jon Singleton who also had not played an inning in the majors (and was coincidentally traded to the Astros by the Phillies).
Question is, where do they play Kingery? The Phillies already have good players at first, second, and short, and they are stacked in the outfield. I guess they could play him at third, where Franco has had a rough spring, but then again he smacked 24 and 25 homers the last two years and I don't think Kingery has played third base much if at all. Wondering if there is a trade in the offing involving Hernandez (incumbent second baseman)?
There’s talk for now of using him like a Zobrist, while Franco gets one more chance to meet expectations after adjusting his swing. If Franco proves himself, you look to deal Hernandez for pitching. If Franco doesn’t, you keep Hernandez, who is proving to be an excellent second baseman.
Or, if you like and keep both, you’re left with a proto-Zobrist for $4 million a year. That’ll play, in more ways than one.
I know the Hot Stove League is over (we are now in the Snow Ball League season it seems).
But one big off-season signing is so far turning out to be spectacular. Ohtani is everything the Angels could have dreamed of and then some.
Sure, he has pitched only one start. But he was pumping balls in there in Syndegaard-fashion, easily pushing the mid to high 90's on fastballs. His splitter was devastating. His swing and miss count was at elite levels. I will be curious to see how he fares in his second start because it is against the same team he faced in his first start, the A's. Major league batters are pretty good at whacking pitchers once they figure out their patterns--and the best major league pitchers either change their patterns or are strong enough to bull through lineups anyway.
What impresses me as much is how hard Ohtani hits the ball. He had a ground ball single that had an exit speed of almost 113 mph. That is nuts. He had three batted balls over 100 mph in one game already. And he is close to elite speed running from home to first base--far faster than the average MLB player.
When the Angels signed him I must admit I wondered if he had the tools to compete at the MLB level as a batter. He had about 400 ABs in the Japanese league, and really only one big season at the plate (2016). His first few years he was mediocre to Mendoza-line as a batter, although better than most pitchers at the plate. So to be showing the bat speed and contact angles he has so far in the MLB is exceptional for him.
As a fan, I hope he can keep this up for a long, long time. After all, he is only 23+ years old.
He’s going to keep me up late more than a few nights this season just to watch him.
he threw a 100 MPH and hit a ball at 100 MPH in the same week. Previous two guys to do it were Gerrit Cole and Syndergaard
DaveSchmidt said:
Arrieta update: So far, so good.
Yes, I just checked last night's box scores and he is putting up excellent numbers.
ml1 said:
he's been 100 times better than Yu Darvish so far.
Yes, they are not happy in Chicago these days:
Steve Rosenbloom Chicago Tribune
Cubs baseball honcho Theo Epstein paid $126 million for Yu Darvish, and for that, the top-of-the-rotation arm has returned a 40.50 ERA in the fifth inning. No lie. True fact.
Maybe you’re thinking that’s a typo. Maybe you’re thinking I should’ve written 4.50, which is still bad, but better than 40.50. If I were writing about Darvish’s ERA in the first inning, then I would’ve written 4.50. But in the fifth inning, it’s 40.50. Put a dollar sign in front of that ERA, and Epstein still might’ve overpaid at this point.
In an interview on the “McNeil & Parkins Show’’ on WSCR AM-670 on Wednesday, Epstein explained Darvish’s April faceplant as “part of the journey.’’
“I think it’s just part of the process for him right now,’’ Epstein said. “Pitching is largely mental, just like baseball. He’s been a really effective pitcher, if not a dominant pitcher. So, he has a strong mental skill set, but like most pitchers, like most players, it’s not perfect. It’s not fully formed. It’s not instantly transferable to a new set of circumstances and a new environment and new challenges and a new coaching staff and new scouting reports and a new way of doing things and new expectations. Because of that, you’re going to see an adjustment period.’’
Maybe that explains Darvish’s 6.86 ERA in four starts, maybe not. Maybe that explains allowing fewer than four in runs in just one of his four starts. But I don’t see how that explains Darvish’s Little League meltdowns in the fifth inning of a couple of starts.
Jake Arrieta, meanwhile, also is adjusting to a new team. Presumably, the Phillies have new routines and new scouting reports for Arrieta. But no matter. The former Cubs ace and Cy Young Award winner just delivered his third straight quality start. Just hours after Epstein offered his take on Darvish on the Score, Arrieta worked seven innings and allowed just one earned run on four hits against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday. Arrieta lowered his ERA to 1.82 in four outings. He has allowed five earned runs total this season, or as many as Darvish allowed in his last start. Sorry, but I can’t separate their outings, not after the Cubs got to the pitching store first and chose Darvish over Arrieta. That makes it impossible to avoid viewing part of this season as a one-on-one game, and while it’s early, it already feels like Darvish has H-O-R-S.
Darvish is scheduled to start against the Brewers at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon, and you watch, another lousy outing and he’ll be hearing “Booooo’’ not “Yuuuu.’’ Darvish can’t match Arrieta’s legend, but he needs to move six or seven innings closer to respectability.
Just wanted to leave this here:
mfpark said:
Ok, I know most folks around here don't care much about the Milwaukee Brewers. I mean, no one here will likely be upset that the Brewers just summarily axed their long-time, loyal, hometown, unionized hot dog and brat vendor (Klement's Sausage) for a union-busting filler-stuffing competitor without even a chance to negotiate a new deal (although the Brewers may lose the racing bratwursts as a result--not sure on whether the team or Klement's holds the image rights).
But perhaps you might find it interesting that the Brewers just traded a top prospect and three decent prospects for Christian Yelich, late of the Marlins. He is absolutely worth every prospect they gave up. He is 26 years old, hits well for average with moderate pop, runs exceptionally well, and can play all three outfield positions. He is good for their need for a center fielder, assuming they don't also land Lorenzo Cain (they are one of four teams reportedly in the hunt). Yelich is controllable for four years at relatively below-market rates (especially compared to Cain or even Bruce) all locked into a contract, with a $15M club option for the fifth year against a modest buy out.
Yelich is the type of young player you build clubs around--a solid role player who has enthusiasm and multiple skills. Of course, the Mets could not be players here because they have almost no prospects to trade. The Brewers have been stockpiling prospects for the last two years by trading off veterans, and now even with this dump they still have several good outfield prospects to trade for pitching, plus a low enough payroll (Yelich is low impact) to still chase Cain or perhaps Yu Darvish. Another example of how the Mets are in a deep hole and it is going to take a number of years to dig themselves out.
Meanwhile, I pity the poor Marlins fans. Jeter will go into the Hall of Fame in 2020 on the first ballot, but Miami fans will likely be burning his effigy rather than celebrating his induction.
“Arrieta update ...”
I see what you did there again.
Seriously, though, props to Our Man in Morristown.
Thanks. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Or even more frequently if you buy String Cheese Theory.
Mets should sign Kershaw...he'd make a good fourth starter. ;-)
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$5 million really is pocket change in baseball today. Walker is giving it one more chance to resurrect his career by showing he can stay on the field and the Yankees cheaply bought time to bring the young guys along in the way they see as optimal.