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The MLB Thread

I'm guessing the Dodgers will be favorites to win the World Series next year with Sasaki joining the team.
They were going to be favorites without him, but I'm sure signing him didn't hurt their odds..

People shouldn't get the idea that he's gonna be top shelf right away. I'm sure he'll do fine, but he needs some work and has plenty of room to improve from what I hear.

What the Dodgers have done is lock up their pitching staff for quite some time. They've basically insured they will be a contender every year for the foreseeable future.

Glasnow - 4 years (he's 31)
Yamamoto - 11 years (he's 26)
Snell - 5 years (he's 32)
Ohtani - 9 years (he's 30)
Sasaki - 6 years of control (he's 23)

In addition, they've got some very good, young arms

Gavin Stone (out for 2025)
Michael Grove
Jackson Ferris
Bobby Miller

And veterans

Kershaw
May
Gonsolin

They could easily go to a 7 man rotation without sacrificing too much quality.

I wish my A's had this kind of organization.... :csad: They'll be playing in Sacramento (which won't help them much), but maybe the move to Vegas will..... Wish they could have worked out a deal to get a new home in Oakland......
 
My wife's birthday is Feb 20 so we decided to drive out to AZ, see a spring training game, drive out to Sedona to go look at rocks :funny: , do a day trip to the Grand Canyon, and then head back home. She wants to go see the Cubs play. Sounds like a pretty good trip to me. I've never been to a spring training game.

EDIT: Sheesh......I just heard the Dodgers signed Tanner Scott away from the Padres on a 4 year $72M deal. They don't usually hand out big bucks for relievers so they must really like this guy. It definitely gives them a legitimate closer.
 
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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.,

Wright was one of the really good guys and someone that anyone would want on their team. I hadn't heard that Sasaki had eliminated anyone, but anyone would want that guy. He will probably help any team he's on. Barring injuries, I think the Dodgers probably "need" him the least, but want him in a big way because he's inexpensive and has a very, very high ceiling. Time is getting short and we'll soon know where he goes. Pitching is the most determinant position in MLB and throwing out yet another quality pitcher is the best thing you can do if you want to win.
Yeah, David Wright is like Nomar. Both players wore the same number, everybody. Everyone desired guys like that. On all the teams, both were the best at their positions, and injuries derailed their chances at Cooperstown. And that's painful, considering both were better than Jeter in his prime. I want to reply to what you said about Soto not getting on with guys in SD. I think Manny was the problem. He gets upset over mistakes and acts like an Arkham inmate whenever a teammate makes a mistake. I doubt Juan Goato was the problem. Sean Manaea was on the 2022 Padres, and he said nice things about Juan Goato! Roki is a talented guy, but I'd rather have Pena. We did not have room in our rotation or bullpen for Roki.


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Yeah, David Wright is like Nomar. Both players wore the same number, everybody. Everyone desired guys like that. On all the teams, both were the best at their positions, and injuries derailed their chances at Cooperstown. And that's painful, considering both were better than Jeter in his prime. I want to reply to what you said about Soto not getting on with guys in SD. I think Manny was the problem. He gets upset over mistakes and acts like an Arkham inmate whenever a teammate makes a mistake. I doubt Juan Goato was the problem. Sean Manaea was on the 2022 Padres, and he said nice things about Juan Goato! Roki is a talented guy, but I'd rather have Pena. We did not have room in our rotation or bullpen for Roki.


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Yeah.....I said I thought that was more of another person's problem than it was Soto. A team is made up of a LOT of different personalities and some of them don't mesh. Machado is definitely one of those guys who can be tough to be around, but gives it his all on the field. If you are a Machado, Soto (Goato LOL), Betts, etc., you've earned the respect of your teammates and part of what makes you great is your personality. In sports, physical talent generally isn't enough and sometimes those personal characteristics can be tough to take, but without those grating personalities, they aren't the players they are. That's a long way of saying these guys aren't like the rest of us and their teammates generally understand that. They'll do, and put up with, just about anything to win (Like the Astros cheating LOL).

WRT Sasaki, we'll agree to disagree. If the Mets didn't think he would make them a significantly improved team, they wouldn't have been after him. Sasaki would have been a great pickup for the Mets and has a very, very high ceiling. He would have to be considered, minimally and probably higher, as a top 5 free agent pitcher this off season. As far as the Mets pitching, here's my take:

Manaea - solid starter

Senga - "Might" be very good, but comes with some question marks because of injury.

Peterson - solid starter, but a little bit up and down over the years. Potential is definitely there, but which Peterson will pitch?

Montas - I think this is where the quality "may" start to fall off. Montas had a couple really good years for my A's, got injured and hasn't looked quite as good since. He "might" revert back to that form as the injury in 2023 could have affected him last season. Plenty of talent, but question marks remain.

Holmes - Here's where things start to get dicey. Holmes is more than fine as a reliever, but how will he do as a starter? This raises a lot of questions and how things will work out is yet to be determined.

Blackburn, Canning, Megill - I'm VERY familiar with the first 2 because of the association with the A's and Angels. Both are rotational guys and I think it's fair to say you can probably expect average seasons. Could one of them break out? Sure, but I don't see it. You are probably more familiar with Megill than I am, but I've seen him pitch a few times and wasn't overly impressed. Still, who knows what'll happen.

Overall, I'd say the Mets have a shot to have a very good rotation, but with no one who is going to be in the Cy Young race. Also, the potential to be "not so" solid definitely exists. If things go right, they'll be fine. If not......

You can have your guys like Ohtani, Soto, Judge, etc. Those guys can be game changers, but THE most important position in baseball is the pitcher. Even the best get tagged, but if you have a top shelf pitcher, even the great hitters are going to have a tough day. Pitching is the biggest key to winning games in MLB.

EDIT: I wasn't familiar with Pena (who signed as an international player with the Mets) so I looked him up and he certainly looks like a good one. The thing about the vast majority of international signings is that you don't know how they are going to look when they step up in class. Diego Cartaya was considered one of the top prospects in the minors until he started moving up. At that point his hitting fell off dramatically and he sunk like the Titanic. Young players are always a gamble. I guarantee you the Mets would have preferred to land Sasaki and the reason is simple. He competed and starred in a very competitive league (probably equivalent to AAA or maybe a shade higher) so you know a little more about how he's likely to do. Plus, he's more MLB ready. As I've said though, baseball is a funny game. Sasaki could be plagued by arm trouble, Pena could be the next coming of Lindor and the Mets get the best end of the deal. You never know for sure....
 
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One of my absolute FAVORITES and an absolute no brainer for the hall. Imagine where he might have ended up if he had started his career in the US instead of Japan. Dude had it all; run, field, hit, throw......one of the true greats of the game. Congrats and hats off.....

Whoever didn't vote for him and caused him to fall one vote short of being a unanimous selection, should have their head examined and not be allowed to vote anymore because s/he is an idiot or worse.
 
Padres lose Profar to Braves. San Diego is sinking and the Braves have a very nice outfield. I'm glad he's going to ATL so I don't have to watch him as often. He's kind of a jerk, but a good player. The San Diego management group is really subpar these days. Sasaki cited management stability as a main reason he went to the Dodgers. The Padres are a mess.

 
I'm not as high on Pete as a lot of others are. He's always had good power stats, but can't really hit a good pitch. My take is that he's a mistake hitter. That being said, he's shown consistent power and probably deserves a contract in the $30M range because, even given his shortcomings, there aren't a lot of guys who can do what he does. He probably also helps the guys in front of him get better pitches later in the count just because he's dangerous. Still, the guy is basically a .240-.250 hitter and can be gotten.
 
I needed an opportunity to say something about my favorite team, the Oakland A's, without it being derogatory and now is my chance. Who do people think had the best offseasons in MLB.

To me, it's

Dodgers - by pretty much a mile
Mets - strong pickups and resignings - Getting AJ Minter from the Braves was an underrated move
A's - Well.....I can say I don't think they'll be in the basement this year (Thank you Angels LOL). Picking up Springs (TB) and Severino (Mets) will help solidify their rotation and their hitting started coming around last year. If things fall right for them, I could see them coming in around .500. I think people are underrating them, but they're my team so maybe I'm not seeing things clearly.

One team I think is being overrated is the Braves. They lost a LOT of pitching (Fried, Morton, and Minter). That's gotta hurt. I could see them coming in behind the Mets (who I think will win the division) and maybe the Phillies. Maybe ATL has some young guys they really like, but they didn't do much to improve themselves in the offseason. I like signing Profar though. That's a good outfield and I'm glad that jerk is all the way across the country. :funny:

EDIT: Sorry @Immortalfire . I just calls 'em like I sees 'em.

EDIT2: Looked up the Braves minor league prospects and they look pretty stacked in the pitching department. Maybe a couple of those guys can come through for them.
 
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That's because the Dodgers are ruining baseball. :whatever:

ORRRRRRRR......maybe it's because they made rule changes like putting pitchers on a clock so the game doesn't drag on longer than a migraine headache.
 
I don't see why people think the Pete Alonso deal with the Mets was so bad for him. I had him figured for "about" 30M on a multi year contract and he signed a 2 year with a player opt out after this year at 27M a year. That means if he does well in EITHER this year or next, he's gonna make some big money in free agency. Sure, it kicked the can down the road for at least a year, but the timing was bad all around. It's a good deal for the Mets too because they were going to have a much tougher time without him.

The problem with Alonso, IMO, is that his stats look better than they are. In high leverage situations, he's usually gotten by the better pitchers in the league. He's not really a grinder and is kind of hit or miss at the plate. I see him as sort of a mistake hitter with a ton of power.
 
He was ordered to pay it all back, but I doubt he'll ever be able to, even after he gets out of prison.
I wonder if he had some kind of insurance.....probably not, but that was the first thing that popped into my head. Next time I sign a contract for $700M, I'm purchasing fraud insurance and that's that.
 

Yeah......it's 30M year one (inc signing bonus) and 24M in year 2 with a player opt out. Pete gets his 30M this year and if he has an up year, he's kicked the can down the road for only one year, and should get his longer term 30M+ contract he's looking for. He has one of the quickest bats in the league and should have a good year. His stats were down last year and this is his "show me" year.

Good deal for him and the Mets. There's nothing wrong with the way Boras represented him. Anytime you frustrate management, you're doing your job. LOL.
 

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