2020-2021 Hot Stove League (1 Viewer)

[Panzer ace]

All the fan sites in DC continually harp on this aspect, to sign Soto now, along with Turner. Fans are still ticked off that Harper left (at least some fans are) and a whole lot more are still angry over Rendon leaving, blaming the huge Strasburg contract, feeling the money should have gone to Rendon. Truth is, Rendon was gone, didn't want to stay in DC, wanted Left coast sunshine for his family and future, but the fans are angry anyway. If Soto and Turner get away there could be civil unrest in Nats land. :rolleyes2: We shall see... -- Al

I am not sure if it is a DC/Baltimore thing but their recent three big free agent departures, Harper, Machado and Rendon are bating an average of .246 with a combined total of 17 home runs.

All for a total 2021 salary of $81.5 mil and contracts that total $875 mil.

Maybe the Nats and O’s are better off without them.

 

[lancer]

I am not sure if it is a DC/Baltimore thing but their recent three big free agent departures, Harper, Machado and Rendon are bating an average of .246 with a combined total of 17 home runs.

All for a total 2021 salary of $81.5 mil and contracts that total $875 mil.

Maybe the Nats and O’s are better off without them.

It would seem that is a truth hard to argue with and while sorry to see them all go, the money needed to sign them would have crippled both teams, as the Strasburg contract will with the Nats, so all I can do is wave bye-bye and say good luck. Their new teams get to worry about their numbers now.:wink2: -- Al

 

[Panzer ace]

It would seem that is a truth hard to argue with and while sorry to see them all go, the money needed to sign them would have crippled both teams, as the Strasburg contract will with the Nats, so all I can do is wave bye-bye and say good luck. Their new teams get to worry about their numbers now.:wink2: -- Al

Then there is Gausman.

The Giants are paying him a paltry $525k yet he is 7-0 and a certain all-star. He could even get some Cy Young award votes.

 

[lancer]

Then there is Gausman.

The Giants are paying him a paltry $525k yet he is 7-0 and a certain all-star. He could even get some Cy Young award votes.

Really enjoying the former O's success. I stay busy following former O's and Nats on their journey around MLB and even still root for them as long as they are not playing against the O's and Nats. Keeps me involved. -- Al

 

[lancer]

The O's early season bubble has burst and with it Matt Harvey's good start to the season has evaporated. After starting the season 3-1 for the O's, Harvey lost his 5th straight decision today. He is having real problems with pitch location. In his last 4 starts he has gone a total of 13.2 innings, yielding 29 hits and 24 earned runs. His record now stands at 3-6 with a 6.84 ERA. I don't see him being pulled from the rotation, not soon anyway, the O's simply don't have anyone to replace him, but he won't last too much longer with the numbers he's putting up. Too bad as I really wanted to see him succeed, both for him and the O's. -- Al

Things just going from bad to worse for Harvey. Lasted 3 innings against the Mets tonight, giving up 7 runs on 8 hits. Now, in his last 6 starts, he has allowed 31 runs on 39 hits in just 19.2 total innings and his ERA has ballooned to 7.41. Still has a job, although I think partly due to Means being on the IL, but how much longer can the O's afford to keep running him out to the mound? He has proven to be a disappointment after such a promising start.
Also a disappointment has been the Nats LHP Patrick Corbin. He was expected to be a big part of a strong rotation but he has been largely ineffective for the most part. He has been completely inconsistent with lots of early inning problems and is now sporting an ERA of 6.41. He is in no danger of losing his job though because the Nats rotation is a disaster and at least Corbin is pitching every 5th day and giving them 5 or so innings. It is what passes for adequate for the Nats right now. :rolleyes2: -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

Harvey should retire. He has nothing left. He reached the apex and then flamed out.

 

[lancer]

Harvey should retire. He has nothing left. He reached the apex and then flamed out.

Looks that way, unfortunately. -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

Looks that way, unfortunately. -- Al

You have to feel bad for him.

 

[mikemiller1955]

announced today...and I don't think it was intentional...
but in last Sunday's game against Toronto...
Astro's Aledmys Diaz while batting...was hit by a fastball and the result was a broken hand...
6-8 weeks recovery...
Diaz pretty much replaced Marwin Gonzales (one of my favorite players) that was shipped off to the Red Sox...
Diaz...a utility player...spelled almost every position except catcher and pitcher...

 

[lancer]

announced today...and I don't think it was intentional...
but in last Sunday's game against Toronto...
Astro's Aledmys Diaz while batting...was hit by a fastball and the result was a broken hand...
6-8 weeks recovery...
Diaz pretty much replaced Marwin Gonzales (one of my favorite players) that was shipped off to the Red Sox...
Diaz...a utility player...spelled almost every position except catcher and pitcher...

Mike, that is unfortunate but it seems to be a plague in MLB this season. Lots of players being injured and losing time because of being HBP. Nats just had a pitcher, Voth, hit in the face while trying to bunt. Helmet visor helped deflect the ball a bit but the man's nose was broken and he faces quite a while off. Bryce Harper was also hit in the face but avoided serious injury. Don't know what's behind the seeming increase in HBP, perhaps just my perception as it happens every year, just seems highlighted this year. Perhaps the foreign substance scandal that is rearing it's head, making it hard to control one's pitches? -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

Lots of injuries this season. It’s a challenge to many major league teams. That’s why build a strong bench is key. For example, the Mets are playing without their regular 2B, 3B and outfield, not to mention that one of the SP they traded for (Carrasco) hasn’t played this season and Syndergaard may not play this season (maybe September). Somehow they’ve been able to keep their heads above water until some of the regulars return.

 

[lancer]

Lots of injuries this season. It’s a challenge to many major league teams. That’s why build a strong bench is key. For example, the Mets are playing without their regular 2B, 3B and outfield, not to mention that one of the SP they traded for (Carrasco) hasn’t played this season and Syndergaard may not play this season (maybe September). Somehow they’ve been able to keep their heads above water until some of the regulars return.

With a little help from a force of nature call 'deGrom'.^&grin Mets have done really well considering their injuries. Can't say the same for the rest of the NL East who all are just treading water or sinking.:rolleyes2: -- Al

 

[lancer]

Harvey should retire. He has nothing left. He reached the apex and then flamed out.

With each failed start, this truth now seems obvious. Harvey got beaten again tonight, looking good for 3 innings but then losing it in the 4th, lasting 3.1 and giving up 5 ERs. If the O's lose this game, (and they trail 6-2 in the 6th) then Harvey will be 0-7 in his last 8 starts with only 27 IP, and an ERA of 13.33 over those 8 starts, none of which has he even made it 5 innings. His stats just continue to spiral downwards. This is actually hard to watch. -- Al

 

[Warrior]

Ryan Spaeder has a thread of interesting tweets tying the Astros cheating scandal back to Carlos Beltran and goes onto say that it was used in NY and Texas. Also said that a Dodgers employee made like he was an MLB employee and set up cameras around MMP in Houston during the '17 WS.

"The Royals were the first team with a full analytics and video department close by their dugout, doing so in 2015, their World Series Championship year. How they used it, I do not know.

The Yankees had cameras in left, center, and right, all pointing at the pitcher's glove, rather than the catcher, to pick up his grip.

Aaron Judge 2017-18 home - .312/.440/.725Aaron Judge 2017-18 road - .256/.404/.531

The Dodgers had an employee who was caught setting up cameras at Minute Maid Park wearing an MLB Polo Shirt, when he should have been wearing a Dodgers Polo, during the 2017 World Series."

Oh boy, here we go...............

 

[Warrior]

Ryan Spaeder has a thread of interesting tweets tying the Astros cheating scandal back to Carlos Beltran and goes onto say that it was used in NY and Texas. Also said that a Dodgers employee made like he was an MLB employee and set up cameras around MMP in Houston during the '17 WS.

"The Royals were the first team with a full analytics and video department close by their dugout, doing so in 2015, their World Series Championship year. How they used it, I do not know.

The Yankees had cameras in left, center, and right, all pointing at the pitcher's glove, rather than the catcher, to pick up his grip.

Aaron Judge 2017-18 home - .312/.440/.725Aaron Judge 2017-18 road - .256/.404/.531

The Dodgers had an employee who was caught setting up cameras at Minute Maid Park wearing an MLB Polo Shirt, when he should have been wearing a Dodgers Polo, during the 2017 World Series."

Oh boy, here we go...............

The Mets should be outraged over the Royals cheating.

The Astros should be outraged over the Yankees and the Dodgers cheating; both teams cheated and still lost to the Astros.

So how did the Yankees let Quasimodo know what pitch was coming, did they ring one church bell for a fastball, two for a curve and three for a slider?

 

[mikemiller1955]

I just studied up on this...
this is interesting...
all this on the eve of cracking down on pitcher's usage of foreign substances on balls...
I don't know if baseball can handle a scandal like this right now...
my understanding is that he is gonna open the whole can of worms tomorrow...

 

[jazzeum]

The Mets should be outraged over the Royals cheating.

The Astros should be outraged over the Yankees and the Dodgers cheating; both teams cheated and still lost to the Astros.

So how did the Yankees let Quasimodo know what pitch was coming, did they ring one church bell for a fastball, two for a curve and three for a slider?

Without more detail, it’s hard to say if the Royals were cheating.

However, the Yankees’ actions sound like definite cheating.

The more I hear, the more I wonder if everybody is looking for an edge.

My son said to me what if deGrom is cheating. My answer was I hope he isn’t but who can be sure.

 

[mikemiller1955]

I didn't notice this in last night's game...
or ever before for that matter in any of his outings...
but that doesn't mean it's not true...
talking about Lance McCullers Jr....an Astro's pitcher...

a friend of mine that is a heavy Astro's baseball fan...
like George...Al...Brad and Jason...more a student of the game than I will ever be...
told me that Lance McCullers Jr....always touches his hair a lot when he pitches...claiming he always has...

he told me McCullers relies on his curve ball a lot...but uncannily threw very few last night...
then my friend claiming the curve ball needs the most spin (his opinion) and could really benefit from a foreign substance to be more effective...
believed he may have been doctoring the ball with a substance in his hair for a long time...

the post game talk show even mentioned his reluctance to throw a curve ball last night...
so.............I don't know...
maybe McCuller's has been doctoring the ball...

not trying to push a conspiracy theory...
but it seems like a lot of pitchers have long hair now that I think about it...
food for thought...

 

[mikemiller1955]

The Mets should be outraged over the Royals cheating.

The Astros should be outraged over the Yankees and the Dodgers cheating; both teams cheated and still lost to the Astros.

So how did the Yankees let Quasimodo know what pitch was coming, did they ring one church bell for a fastball, two for a curve and three for a slider?

the Astro's have no room to be outraged...
but LA and NY fans may get taken down a notch if this is proven...
let the bells toll and beat the trashcan drums slowly...:tongue:

 

[lancer]

I may be the only one not in an uproar over this doctored ball crap, but I grew up when it was a part of the game that was understood to be illegal, but was not a well enforced rule, was in fact an accepted part of the game unless so egregious it couldn't be ignored. I mean, the spitball has been illegal forever. Fans of a certain age certainly remember HoF pitcher Gaylord Perry and Whitey Ford, both famous for their doctored pitches. Many other big winners have used foreign substances or scuffed/cut balls to achieve their wins, such as Orel Hershiser, Mike Scott, Joe Niekro, Tommy John (yes, THE man after whom the operation is named), and the famous Lew Burdette who's career I only caught the tail end of but was a brilliant proponent of the doctored baseball. There are many, many others. It's odd that the doctored ball, in terms of cheating, doesn't really bother me, yet the steroid scandal angered me quite a bit. I can see only problems and further delay in games by this sudden crack down, but cheating is cheating so I guess it will all be for the better, until the pendulum swings back to the batter and we go back to 8 Hrs and 15 runs per game with the resultant 4 1/2 hour games. I kind of like the game this year, with the many pitching duels, lower scoring, and shorter games. Tinker, tinker, tinker... :rolleyes2: -- Al