The MLB Thread

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MLB Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg announces his cancer has returned and spread

Sandberg announced his metastatic prostate cancer diagnosis in January 2024

www.independent.co.uk

 

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[InCali]

The Sox are really going for the gold next year.

 

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[InCali]

Yeah......I didn't want to tell everybody that I bought it. I'm really modest and thought it might sound like I was bragging.

 

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[TheBatman22]

We'll see which signing works out better. Hitting starts at the legs and Soto should be fine for the next few years in the OF. It's hard on your legs though (which is why the Dodgers want to move Mookie to 2nd). Ohtani is being paid about 20M/year more, but he's also expected to be a frontline starter so that makes sense (some LOL). The Dodgers are being smart with the pitching. They look to be going with a 6 man rotation which will really help keep their starters fresh and hopefully minimize injuries. Ohtani is going to be DH plain and simple and pitching about 1 game a week. This could save a lot of wear and tear on his body. I suspect they'll use his day in the pitching slot to rest guys like Will Smith and Mookie. Baseball is a long, long season and that extra day off every week or so is a big deal when you get into October. Anyway, I can see Ohtani having a very strong 6-8 years. He keeps himself in terrific shape and the Dodgers are doing everything they can to take care of him during the year (and if you're paying someone $70M per year, you damn well better ). There were rumors that he wanted or felt he could pitch late in the season, but the organization wasn't having any of it. He's gonna have a pretty light workload as MLB players go.

Juan Soto is a generational talent! He's like Reggie Jackson, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffy, Jr. Lou Gehrig, and Ted Williams all rolled into one. His contract will age well. Juan doesn't abuse his body; he doesn't smoke, drink, or go carousing. Trusted sources express the Mets are planning a six-man rotation as well. So far, David Peterson, Kodi, Frankie Montes, and Clay Colmes are in the starting rotation. They are in on Luis Castillo and Framber Valdez. Jeff Passan reported the Mets are in the lead for Roki Sasaki, and John Heyman wrote that the Mets are in on Bregman probably because he could play second base, and the Mets are still in on Pete Alonso! That would be a heck of a lineup!



Mookie Betts is a great player and will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer one day, but he's no Juan Soto! I look forward to many battles against the Dodgers in the playoffs! It should be fun!









On July 19th, My favorite NY Mets player ever! David Wright is getting his jersey retired and will make it in the Mets Hall of Fame!

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[InCali]

Juan Soto is a generational talent! He's like Reggie Jackson, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffy, Jr. Lou Gehrig, and Ted Williams all rolled into one. His contract will age well. Juan doesn't abuse his body; he doesn't smoke, drink, or go carousing. Trusted sources express the Mets are planning a six-man rotation as well. So far, David Peterson, Kodi, Frankie Montes, and Clay Colmes are in the starting rotation. They are in on Luis Castillo and Framber Valdez. Jeff Passan reported the Mets are in the lead for Roki Sasaki, and John Heyman wrote that the Mets are in on Bregman probably because he could play second base, and the Mets are still in on Pete Alonso! That would be a heck of a lineup!



Mookie Betts is a great player and will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer one day, but he's no Juan Soto! I look forward to many battles against the Dodgers in the playoffs! It should be fun!

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On July 19th, My favorite NY Mets player ever! David Wright is getting his jersey retired and will make it in the Mets Hall of Fame!

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We'll see. Juan Soto certainly has got all the tools and could be headed to Cooperstown for sure, BUT baseball is a funny game and you never know what's going to happen. Injuries can pop up and people can fall off. Soto certainly seems to be focused on being the best player he can so he certainly has that going for him, but we can never predict the future with any certainty and that goes for Ohtani also. When he was in SD, rumors floated that he wasn't really a clubhouse guy. I think most of his teammates let it ride because he was doing his job, but some felt that he wasn't really one of the guys....so to speak. It's not a knock on him or anyone else who takes their job seriously and is really more of a problem with people who have a problem with it. Still the Machados of the world are out there.

WRT Sasaki, I will be very, very surprised if he signs with an east coast team. TBH, this media stuff we're reading is just so they can get views. In SD, they're saying he's probably coming to the Padres (and he might). In LA, they're saying he's probably coming to the Dodgers (and he might) and I guess in NY, they're saying the Mets are the frontrunners. I don't listen to that crap. I "think" the Dodgers and Padres are the most likely. He has friends on both teams and (though still a long way away) it's closer to home. I strongly suspect that a young guy like him will want some familiarity after leaving the country. Media outlets will say just about anything to get you to read their stories and we all know it.

Not to say Sasaki won't sign with the Mets, but I think it's a real long shot. I think a lot of teams are going to the 6 man rotation asap, but it's not easy to put together 4 or even 3 (potential) frontline starters and when you get to 4-6, the quality is going to suffer for most teams. Not to disparage the Mets starters, but they don't stack up against the Dodgers top 4 (assuming everyone stays healthy). IMO, a rotation with Glasnow, Ohtani, Yamamoto, and Snell as your top 4 just can't be touched by anyone else. Any one of those guys could potentially have a CY Young quality year and you just don't see that 1-4. Even if they don't get Sasaki, you have 3 more guys (Kershaw-who could probably be a serviceable 5 or 6, Gonsolin-a former all star, and May-who, when healthy I think is better than either) who can fill out the rotation. Bobby Miller had a very rough time last year and fell apart after a very promising start, but if he can pull it together, he's got frontline stuff. If, however, the Mets do sign Sasaki, that will be a TREMENDOUS off season for them.

The Mets are going to be a solid contender next year and snagging Soto was a big (albeit expensive) win for them. I really do wish them well. They've got the bank and revenue to be a great team for a long time. I just hope everyone stays healthy and we have a great MLB season next year. The Mets will certainly get a lot of coverage and interest. It appears they may be taking over as the go to destination for top players who come to NY and that makes me very happy.,

 

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World Series champion Dodgers top MLB luxury tax at $103 million as record 9 teams owe penalty

The Los Angeles Dodgers topped a record nine teams owing Major League Baseball’s luxury tax this year with an unprecedented $103 million penalty.

apnews.com

 

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Rickey Henderson, baseball’s greatest leadoff hitter and ‘Man of Steal’, dies aged 65

Rickey Henderson, baseball’s greatest leadoff hitter and the all-time stolen base king, died Friday in Oakland at the age of 65 after battling pneumonia

www.theguardian.com

 

[InCali]

Rickey Henderson, baseball’s greatest leadoff hitter and ‘Man of Steal’, dies aged 65

Rickey Henderson, baseball’s greatest leadoff hitter and the all-time stolen base king, died Friday in Oakland at the age of 65 after battling pneumonia

www.theguardian.com

I'm a big A's fan and back in the day, I used to take a day off work on Wednesdays when they had their day games at home. We'd make fried chicken, potato salad, spike our lemonade with vodka, and show up early to watch McGwire and Canseco take batting practice. Really great team and it's tough to watch them now. Dave Stewart, Bob Welch, Eckersley, Dave Henderson, Harold Baines, the juice brothers (Jose and Mark).....and Rickey.

I was at the game when he broke Lou Brock's stolen base record and was sitting directly in line of 3rd base when he stole 3rd for the record. He immediately ripped the base out of the ground, they stopped the game, and Rickey, modestly, pronounced himself the greatest base stealer of all time.

While I was at the game, I got a silver coin commemorating the event and a piece of parchment they were handing out.

Rickey was a one of a kind. Thanks for the memories.

 

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[InCali]

I've been out of town, but heard that Walker Buehler inked a one year deal with the Red Sox.

 

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Ex-Dodgers slugger signs two-year, $37 million deal with Rangers | Sporting News

A former Dodgers slugger is headed to Texas.

www.sportingnews.com

 

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[InCali]

That’s a good deal for both parties. I think he could’ve gotten 6 to 8 million more over three years with another team. He’s a really, really good guy and a fan favorite down here.

I think the holdup was the deferred money, but it sounds like they maybe took care of that with the signing bonus.

 

[blueharvest]

Shohei Ohtani to become a father for the 1st time in 2025

Shohei Ohtani is adding a newcomer to his family lineup

abcnews.go.com

 

[InCali]

Shohei Ohtani to become a father for the 1st time in 2025

Shohei Ohtani is adding a newcomer to his family lineup

abcnews.go.com

New bobblehead in LA.

 

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Sammy Sosa to return to 2025 Cubs Convention after reconciliation

Sammy Sosa is set to return to the Chicago Cubs' winter fan convention for the first time since he retired in 2007, the team announced Saturday.

www.google.com

 

[InCali]

Corbin Burnes to D-backs for 6 years and $210M.

That takes the top 3 FA pitchers (Snell, Fried, and Burnes) off the market.

Dodgers officially meet with Sasaki. IMO, waiting to meet with the Dodgers and Padres, pretty much eliminates most of the teams he's met with; especially the NY teams, but includes Cubs and Rangers. I have a strong suspicion that it's down to the Dodgers or Padres, with the Dodgers having a leg up. His relationship with Darvish remains THE wildcard.

 

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[InCali]

Dodgers sign Hyeseong Kim. This was a guy the Padres were trying to get. He hasn't been tested at the MLB level, but has a lifetime BA of over .300 and has won multiple Gold Gloves while playing at both shortstop and 2nd base. The price was reasonable at about $12M over 3 years and a 2 year option for 2028-29.

https://www.mlb.com/news/dodgers-rumors-latest-trades-and-signings

EDIT:

https://www.mlb.com/news/gavin-lux-reds-dodgers-trade

Dodgers trade Gavin Lux to the Reds for Mike Sirota and the #37 pick in the draft. Sirota has a chance to be a solid centerfielder.

I kind of saw this one coming when the Dodgers signed Hyeseong Kim. Their infield was really getting crowded and there had been a lot of rumors about dealing Lux. The Yankees came up pretty often.

Maybe I'm reading something into this that isn't there, but I think if the Dodgers felt like they needed to add to the international bonus pool money in order to sign Roki Sasaki, they would have taken the opportunity to do so with this trade. They have just over $5M in money while some other teams have in excess of $7M.