Baseball 2015 (5 Viewers)

[jazzeum]

Actually, declining attendance remains a problem. That is the reason for last season's splurge. However, injuries and lack of talent did nothing to fix the problem. Moreover, declining ratings on YES, their sports network, was also the reason for the splurge. Fox now owns a huge chunk of YES and they aren't happy with the declining ratings. There is a limit to how much they can spend, though.

In my view, their financial model is broken but they can't face the prospect of a few lean years like the Red Sox have. They also have not developed any players of note in the last few years. They are in a situation of their own making.

 

[Panzer ace]

Actually, declining attendance remains a problem. That is the reason for last season's splurge. However, injuries and lack of talent did nothing to fix the problem. Moreover, declining ratings on YES, their sports network, was also the reason for the splurge. Fox now owns a huge chunk of YES and they aren't happy with the declining ratings. There is a limit to how much they can spend, though.

In my view, their financial model is broken but they can't face the prospect of a few lean years like the Red Sox have. They also have not developed any players of note in the last few years. They are in a situation of their own making.

I was reading today about how several teams want to be more like the Cardinals. They are just about in the middle of team payrolls ($107mil) and they have tons of homegrown/farm developed talent. Most of all, as they do that they pretty much compete for the World Series year in and year out.

 

[jazzeum]

The Cards are a model franchise. They are exceedingly good at judging talent and are judicious in the free agents they sign. It's a good mix of home grown and free agents. They are the prototype.

 

[lancer]

The Cards are a model franchise. They are exceedingly good at judging talent and are judicious in the free agents they sign. It's a good mix of home grown and free agents. They are the prototype.

They sure made the move on Pujols when everyone thought they were crazy and it hasn't hurt them. That took guts. Cards are always there, year in, year out. If memory serves, I think they have won the second most Series titles, behind the NYY's. -- Al

 

[Warrior]

The Jays just got Donaldson from the A's for four players.

Wow, the Jays are really loaded now offensively (feel free to chime in anytime now Michael and tell me divisions aren't won on paper).

Sox make two huge moves, Jays counter win one huge move, Rays make one huge negative move and lose Maddon, aka, the smartest guy in the room/AL East (well, second smartest as we all know the O's manager is).

Let's Go O's!!!! and MFY's; anytime either of you wants to do something, feel free, jump on in, the water is fine.

 

[sammy719]

The Jays just got Donaldson from the A's for four players.

Wow, the Jays are really loaded now offensively (feel free to chime in anytime now Michael and tell me divisions aren't won on paper).

Sox make two huge moves, Jays counter win one huge move, Rays make one huge negative move and lose Maddon, aka, the smartest guy in the room/AL East (well, second smartest as we all know the O's manager is).

Let's Go O's!!!! and MFY's; anytime either of you wants to do something, feel free, jump on in, the water is fine.

I'm sure the Yanks will join in the money pit at some point but as far as the O's and owner Peter Angalos ain't gonna happen, yea every now and then they make a little noise but just not his/O's management thing, I'm just hoping they can resign Cruz, Miller, Markakis and try and keep a some what healthy team on the field, O's have 2 great pitching prospects to go along with a solid starting rotation and if they get back Wieters, Machado, Davis, Markakis, Cruz, A. Jones, along with a few utility guys held over from last year team I'll take our chances with any team...Sammy

 

[lancer]

I'm sure the Yanks will join in the money pit at some point but as far as the O's and owner Peter Angalos ain't gonna happen, yea every now and then they make a little noise but just not his/O's management thing, I'm just hoping they can resign Cruz, Miller, Markakis and try and keep a some what healthy team on the field, O's have 2 great pitching prospects to go along with a solid starting rotation and if they get back Wieters, Machado, Davis, Markakis, Cruz, A. Jones, along with a few utility guys held over from last year team I'll take our chances with any team...Sammy

Completely agree, Sammy. O's will concentrate on keeping their FA's and keeping the present team intact as much as possible. Don't see any big splash signing as likely or necessary. Pitching in good shape, position players in good shape, why tinker with a good team? Just sign Markakis and Cruz and call it an off-season. -- Al

 

[jazzeum]

From all that I've read, the Yankees are not planning to spend wildly. That doesn't mean that can't change but it isn't the present plan.

 

[Warrior]

Completely agree, Sammy. O's will concentrate on keeping their FA's and keeping the present team intact as much as possible. Don't see any big splash signing as likely or necessary. Pitching in good shape, position players in good shape, why tinker with a good team? Just sign Markakis and Cruz and call it an off-season. -- Al

Signing Cruz is risky, counting on him to hit another 40 home runs is not very sound.

And is Muchacho going to be 100% again or is he now injury prone; one more injury and it could be adios Muchacho.

On sportstalk radio today, they were saying maybe the best strategy is instead of having an ace and then three good pitchers, maybe a team is better off having four very good pitchers and no real ace like the Let's go O's!!; no thanks, give me a Kershaw, Lester, Mad Bum, King Felix who is a virtual lock every fifth day.

No thanks to four very good pitchers, you need an ace.

 

[lancer]

If anyone on this forum can play baseball, you might want to try pro-ball. I see MLB's minimum salary is now $507,500.00. How do they make ends meet?:rolleyes2: -- Al

 

[Panzer ace]

If anyone on this forum can play baseball, you might want to try pro-ball. I see MLB's minimum salary is now $507,500.00. How do they make ends meet?:rolleyes2: -- Al

MLB clearly reads the forum. I read somewhere that the salary increase was made to keep up with the rising costs of toy soldiers and complaints related to the same.

 

[lancer]

MLB clearly reads the forum. I read somewhere that the salary increase was made to keep up with the rising costs of toy soldiers and complaints related to the same.

It is painfully obvious that I chose the wrong career or chose the wrong decade to be born, as I missed all this big money that seems to be floating around. I suspect the same is true for many of us. $500 grand ain't a bad salary, and then it goes up. That's a lot of toy soldiers. Oh well, someone has to be a worker bee. :wink2: -- Al

 

[Warrior]

If anyone on this forum can play baseball, you might want to try pro-ball. I see MLB's minimum salary is now $507,500.00. How do they make ends meet?:rolleyes2: -- Al

507,500.00 a year; is that all?

I made that and then some at the Chicago Toy Soldier Show this year..........

 

[lancer]

O's have lost FA Nelson Cruz to Seattle for $57 million over 4 years. Big offensive hole to fill for the O's which won't be impossible IF Davis can regain his 2013 form. I guess the O's figured Cruz a bargain at the $8 million they paid him but not at the $14.5 million per year that Seattle is going to pay. I can understand the O's reluctance because Cruz is 34 and will almost certainly drop off in production the last half of the contract. -- Al

 

[Warrior]

O's have lost FA Nelson Cruz to Seattle for $57 million over 4 years. Big offensive hole to fill for the O's which won't be impossible IF Davis can regain his 2013 form. I guess the O's figured Cruz a bargain at the $8 million they paid him but not at the $14.5 million per year that Seattle is going to pay. I can understand the O's reluctance because Cruz is 34 and will almost certainly drop off in production the last half of the contract. -- Al

That is an insane amount of money for Cruz.

Have to give him credit; nobody wanted him after he got busted for PED's, the Let's Go O's!!! took a flyer on him on a one year deal, he put up huge numbers and now he cashed in.

Just get Davis in the gym, on a diet and on the same PED's Cruz used this past year and you'll be in business............:wink2:

 

[jazzeum]

My son says he's going to play in the same city where the "Cheathawks" play.

 

[lancer]

Shades of Mike Mussina. The O's have officially pissed me off and are now on my bad side. The idiots let Nick Markakis go to Atlanta for $45 million over 4 years. The O's have obviously misjudged their man and tried to get him on the cheap. The O's have now managed to lose 2 of their top players from last year (9 years in Markakis' case) in the last few days. Sliding backwards is not the way for a division winner to approach the off-season. If Markakis felt that Atlanta offered the best deal, I wonder what the cheapskate O's offered him. Markakis had let it be known that he wanted to stay in Baltimore, so I can only assume that they went REAL cheap on their offer. What's next, trade Adam Jones? -- Al

 

[sammy719]

Shades of Mike Mussina. The O's have officially pissed me off and are now on my bad side. The idiots let Nick Markakis go to Atlanta for $45 million over 4 years. The O's have obviously misjudged their man and tried to get him on the cheap. The O's have now managed to lose 2 of their top players from last year (9 years in Markakis' case) in the last few days. Sliding backwards is not the way for a division winner to approach the off-season. If Markakis felt that Atlanta offered the best deal, I wonder what the cheapskate O's offered him. Markakis had let it be known that he wanted to stay in Baltimore, so I can only assume that they went REAL cheap on their offer. What's next, trade Adam Jones? -- Al

Yea, all those fans that finally started showing up and supporting the Orioles must have been to much for Angalos, let's go back to the 14 year losing trend and hanging out in the bottom of the East, much safer and so quiet down there, and surely less exspensive un....f'ing real, lose Cruz I thought well that would be enough coin to resign Markakis and maybe Miller, noooooooooooppppppppppppppeeeeeeee, so I'm sure Miller will be gone by weeks end, whatever, should have known better then to think that *** of an owner would try and keep a good thing going, just done with sports at the moment...Sammy

 

[jazzeum]

Probably the only owner cheaper than Angelos is Fred Wilpon, the Mets owner.

 

[lancer]

I wonder what Buck is thinking after watching his big bopper and his excellent lead-off hitter go bye-bye? I hope he isn't beginning to think maybe he might be better off somewhere else. Cruz and Markakis gone with Miller almost certain to be gone. The O's have more or less said they don't want Miller at the money he will command. All of a sudden, the O's got holes to fill and questions about the health of 2 other key players in Machado and Wieters. From solid team to questions all over the place practically overnight. What fun.:rolleyes2: -- Al