2022 MLB Non-Phillies News/Notes

[LoneStarPhan]

Cannot argue against these two.

[BostonRoss]

I remember reading someone arguing against including Ripken in 2001 because Scott Brosius had better numbers!

[Philsmania]

Every now and then MLB creates special extra roster spots for retiring greats. I know they did it in 1983 for Bench and Yastrezmski. They should have done that for Ripken and Gwynn in 2001.

[zambonir]

Good read if you have ESPN+

'It's a dying breed. And it sucks': The decline of the starting pitcher -- and...

[gmwannabe]

That was a great trade the Braves just made. Waters was blocked and they picked up the 35th pick, in which $2.2 million of slotting goes with it. Nice thinking.
gm

[andyb]

Agree. The consensus also seems that it is unlikely Waters will hit enough to be a regular, so this is a trade of a defensive CF at a position where the Braves have depth and some minor pieces for a very high compensation pick (35 overall).

The Phillies may not have the upper minors depth to pull this type of trade off, but one wonders since they never seem to try (especially in years where they start out down a draft pick).

Brief Athletic analysis of the deal:

Braves trade prospects to Royals for draft pick

[Philsmania]

So, are teams allowed to trade draft picks now?

[zambonir]

Only the revenue-sharing picks. Has always been thus.

[bkeich]

It really is a shame we don't try to snooker the poorer teams like this.

Here are 3 players that we have very little use for us, give us your draft pick that was going to force you to spend money.

[bkeich]

Does anyone else still struggle with looking at stats this year.

Literally my entire life my brain has been trained to slightly discount AL stats and slightly inflate NL stats because of the designated hitter. Of course the league leader in XXX is in the AL, they dont have to account for the pitcher batting. Of course the team leader in runs scored is in the AL, they get one more hitter.

Funny to me how I still have that as a first thought when I look at stats. Hopefully before I die of old age I get over it

[andyb]

This is the stupidest attempt at changing rules yet:

Explaining baseball's next experiment to limit shifts: The 'pie-slice rule'

So infielders need to be on the dirt and not just on one side of 2B but outside of the pie. Just deaden the ball and make home runs less important and force batters to use the whole field. This stuff is not rocket science and now they want to change the game fundamentally while also making the field look silly.

[bkox]

They have already deadened the ball and most fans and players are complaining

[andyb]

They have already deadened the ball and most fans and players are complaining

Not really. They have put them in humidors which hurt early in the season and may be helping now. Also, batters that hit home runs are complaining. Not sure I hear that from pitchers and singles hitters.

The ball still carries much further than it did 20 years ago and this has changed the game by incentivizing players to hit over shifts. That gives you boring 3-outcome baseball. Hitters would adapt to survive in any change to the ball. There may be casualties. Castellanos for one may have become a hitter with doubles power which was what he was when he came up. One could argue that he needs to adapt.

[zambonir]

Can't remember which thread had the discussion about whether Astros fans should be happy with their organization's overall success...

Representative of Astros Twitter in my timeline. They're 27 games over .500, won 8 of last 10, and have a 12-game division lead. They butcher the 7th in Anaheim tonight and the goddamn sky is falling. Bunch of spoiled brats. https://t.co/rT8OrNqhTB

— W.W. McClyde ( @WWMcClyde ) July 13, 2022

[zambonir]

Don't ever play the Phillies. Even if you beat them.

Charlie Montoyo has been fired as manager of the Blue Jays, sources tell @TheAthletic .

— Ken Rosenthal ( @Ken_Rosenthal ) July 13, 2022

[andyb]

Is this that whole incident with Guerrero yesterday over the challenge? Seemed a distinct lack of respect and communication there that was unhealthy and probably festering over time.

[BaseballCat]

Did not see the play yesterday, but I have always liked Charlie Montoyo as a manager and is worthy of consideration in the future if Thomson does not work out. Liked him with the Durham Bulls and Tampa Bay. Don’t know anything about this situation, but just my two cents.

[Philsmania]

Charlie Montoyo was a Phillies pharmhand at one point in the '90's. He had quite a fan following on the old Hank Davis Phillies Listserv. Montoyo walked quite alot but didn't do much else, if I recall. He was a poor man's Dave Hollins, in that regard.

[zambonir]

If Thomson does not work out here the Jays should hire baseball's only Canadian manager.

Honestly don't remember Montoyo from the listserv either!

It seems like the losing streak led to the firing more than anything that happened yesterday. And, possibly, that Toronto waited until today because nobody cares about baseball in Canada today (NHL free agency).

[andyb]

I guess it could have been worse. Clearly this is why Benintendi is on our trade target list though....

Ten players on the Kansas City Royals' 26-man roster will not make the trip to Toronto this week because they are unvaccinated, sources tell ESPN. That includes the team’s lone All-Star and a top trade target, outfielder Andrew Benintendi. Multiple regulars among those missing.

— Jeff Passan ( @JeffPassan ) July 13, 2022