2019-2020 MLB Non-Phillies News/Notes Discussion

[julio]

I am certainly not suggesting julio is not a baseball fan!

Heh.

On the other hand, I guess it's clear that, while I've been avidly following the Phillies since about the time the Vet opened...other things are just more important. Some of them, a lot more important.

So, if MLB and the Players' Association are foolish enough to let their argument about who gets how much of the excess profits the industry rakes in lead to a work stoppage... well, I'll miss the Phillies - but as was the case in 1994, I'll have plenty of other things to do - it won't be the end of my world.

But yeah, it's fine if some of you care about who gets how much - or even if some of you somehow conclude that these levels of remuneration are "deserved." I won't agree with you... but that wouldn't be anything "new," you know?

[jimbomill]

reality intrudes in my world on a regular basis, and I just can't find it in me to care about the allocation of MLB's monopoly rents

Well put. If a player signs a deal, then that's precisely what he's worth.

[jimbomill]

He's just taking a business gamble. Someone was tweeting today that teams have basically become insurance companies. They are assuming the same function that Michael Schwimer's company has, giving these guys loans that don't have to be paid back, but with incredible, unshared returns for the teams if they mature.

It is good for the business (MLB teams) and good for the player inking the contract as who would sign a BAD deal? Probably nobody, thanks to agents. Could there be a better deal? Maybe in the future, but tomorrow is not promised to anyone ....

[Florida_Sunshine]

In taking a gander at the Atlanta Journal Constitution, it is pretty obvious that Albies had his legitimate reasons for taking what would appear to be a below market deal. Keep in mind his best friend is Acuna, they grew up together and he feels that the Braves took a chance on both of them by signing them together and developing them.

His quote............ “I see it this way: If I left dollars on the table, I know I’m going to keep playing hard … and get it later,” Albies said. “… I took (the contract) because I want my family to be safe.”

So, the lesson here is what may make sense to one of us, may not make sense to someone else.

[zambonir]

If it works for him it works for him. And agents should work for the players not vice-versa. But the Braves still played them, whether it was taking advantage of his emotions or taking advantage of the current economic climate. It's insane they couldn't negotiate something better (just by using Kingery as the benchmark even).

Unfortunately baseball players - but no humans really - aren't very good at seeing into the future. For him to say he's going to get his later, at 31, is no more realistic than when a free agent signs with a last place team expecting to win. But it's understandable they would think that.

Ozzie Albies’s New Deal Could Be the Worst an MLB Player Has Ever Signed

[mdougherty12]

538 piece on the recent explosion in contract extensions in MLB:

What’s Behind MLB’s Bizarre Spike In Contract Extensions?

[allentown]

But yeah, it's fine if some of you care about who gets how much - or even if some of you somehow conclude that these levels of remuneration are "deserved." I won't agree with you... but that wouldn't be anything "new," you know?

I didn't interpret what you said as not minding if the owners walked off with all the money, just that your sympathy lies with the minor leaguers and early-in-arb guys, who collectively see only a rounding error of baseball's revenue.

I think Phillies fans are very sensitive to a player signing a below-market deal to stay long-term with another team. Phillies fans strike me as slightly desperate to have their team's players love the Phillies, their fans, and Philly and we don't see the below-market deals to stay in Philly. The last player (at least whom I remember) signing below-market in Philly was Schilling, and the Phillies treated him shabbily in return.

These deals look great for the team, but some of these guys will bomb. Are the Phillies going to make out like bandits on the Kingery deal?

I think it was a huge blow to Philly self-esteem when Trout re-upped with LA.

Arguing whether Acuna got what he was worth is at least less obnoxious then all the media who were crying over the winter that Harper was being denied his due.

[Squire]

Orioles sign former Phillies farmhand INF Jesmuel Valentin. I always liked him as a prospect.

[julio]

I didn't interpret what you said as not minding if the owners walked off with all the money, just that your sympathy lies with the minor leaguers and early-in-arb guys, who collectively see only a rounding error of baseball's revenue.

Just the minor-leaguers, actually. "Early-in-arb" guys are making a half-million dollars a year. That may be a rounding error on baseball's revenue - but IMHO, it's still enough that I really don't care if their collective bargaining agreement doesn't get them "more."

I think it was a huge blow to Philly self-esteem when Trout re-upped with LA.

Man, that says a lot about the fragility of "Philly self-esteem." Don't know whether you were referring to the Phils' front office, or the fan base, or the city generally... but regardless.

[andyb]

What is different this year? More HRs. More TTOs. Slower pace of play.

Not surprising. To deal with the pace of play they need to deal with strikeouts (and all the 3 outcome players that try to hit HRs every AB).

Just About Everything This MLB Season Has Been Extreme

[julio]

4 posts were merged into an existing topic: (OT) 2017 Politics, Gubmint (anything that makes your blood boil!)

[tom81]

Really interesting article by Joel Sherman in today’s Post. It goes into the increase in hit batters as a side result of the analytics change and the reasons for it.

https://nypost.com/2019/05/01/how-baseball-analytics-have-put-players-at-risk/

[andyb]

I think shifts have something to do with it also. When a defensive shift is on you want the batter to pull the ball into the shift. This necessitates throwing inside more.

[tom81]

Nationals Fire Pitching Coach Derek Lilliquist

[el-pietro]

Syndegaard threw a complete game shut out and hit a home run in a 1-0 win. Dominant performance.

[Philsmania]

Syndegaard threw a complete game shut out and hit a home run in a 1-0 win. Dominant performance.

Yes, but Rick Wise threw a no-hitter and hit two home runs!

[andyb]

Senzel finally up for the Reds. Playing out of position in CF. Lots of freak injuries because he was really ready last year.

[zambonir]

It's a long season but enjoy the schadenfreude before tonight.

The Nationals Are Having A Hard Time Adjusting To Their Self-Imposed Mediocrity

[teabag259]

After they shut down Strasburg several years ago for the postseason because they assumed they would be World Series contenders for years to come I have looked forward to their demise.

[zambonir]

Well, they weren't wrong, they've contended every year since then and won the divison three times. Given their track record they probably would have found another way to screw up 2012 if he had pitched!

But I don't mind seeing them fail. Truth is they are not that bad this year, they have injuries and firing the pitching coach because your bullpen stinks is pretty lame (usually also true when you fire the hitting coach), it's just action for the sake of action when the problem is usually higher up (in the Nats' case, the GM, though Martinez has certainly not looked great. Ironically I suspect if you look back at posts we would have been happy to have him over Kapler at the time).