2017 MLB Thread

[The Buscher]

The best team doesn't always win the World Series - but the Dodgers are basically at the point where if they don't win the it all this year it would be one of the biggest failures in baseball history.

The closest comp I could find would be the 2002-06 Yanks where they were just going ham adding guys like Giambi, Matsui, A-Rod, Sheffield, Big Unit, Pavano, Damon, Abreu etc. and blowing away the field both in terms of money doled out and prospects given up only to not win a title until a few years later when many of those players had moved on and the farm system had largely dried up.

[Your Mom]

Darvish has sucked lately but a change of leagues might fix that

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

Totally. Not only is he moving to the NL, the Dodgers play teams such as the Braves, Mets, Padres, White Sox, the Giants and the Phillies. A few contenders in there as well, but he should have some teams he'll get to beat up on in the next two months.

[The Buscher]

I'm kinda surprised that Jay Bruce is still a Met.  27 HR, 72 RBI and a whole grip of contending teams that need corner outfield or DH help.

I guess it speaks to the market that a guy like him generated almost no interest on the trade block.  Teams just aren't enthused about power bats if they bring little else to the table at this point.  And Sandy pretty much loaded up the team with them because Moneyball is all about identifying market inefficiencies and collecting those players in a hope that everyone else was undervaluing them.

I suspect the Mets will tag Bruce with the qualifying offer and he may well be a Met in 2018.  Mental to think about considering he seemed like a lock to be traded last off-season.

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

And nearly was traded to the Blue Jays, if not for a failed physical.

EDIT: Apparently that was before his trade to the Mets, though I thought it was after. 

[Meacon Keaton]

5 hours ago, Busch Strowman said:

Yankees get Sonny Gray for Fowler (injured), Kaprelian (injured), and Mateo (overrated). A complete fleece job.

I'm gonna just start rooting for them now, fuck this.

I have (had) high hopes for Fowler but I absolutely agree on Mateo being overrated. He's a good glove, but I don't think he's more than a .240 hitter in the bigs.

I was hesitant on getting Gray, because I assumed it'd take Redheaded Frazier or Torres to seal the deal. I'm glad it didn't and I'm quite happy with this trade, especially since we have Sonny under contract for next year too.

Jump on in the winners pool, Busch, the water is fiiiine.

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

Willy Garcia and Yoan Moncada collided on the field in the White Sox/Blue Jays game. Garcia slid to catch the ball and Moncada knee'd him in the head, looked pretty awful. Garcia seemed okay, but was taken out for evaluation. Moncada was carted off the fielded.

[Lowerdeck]

Once again we learned that Brian Cashman is one of the best in the business.  That and Dave Dombrowski is quite overrated.

[Meacon Keaton]

Addison Reed isn't a bad pick up to put in your set up spot. I really expected you all to be a bit more ambitious today though I'm quite glad you weren't.

[gunnar hendershow]

Fuck the Orioles.

They sell all their international signing money. They acquire worthless players. They don't sell Britton at peak value (though reasonably they can still get a haul in the offseason if Houston wasn't gonna part with Kyle Tucker or Forrest Whitley right now) and don't even bother trading away someone like Brach or Castillo who can at least not some small return that might turn into an everyday major leaguer in 2 years. The entire organization is so poorly run. They think they're contenders but their starting pitching is so bad even if they manage to sneak into the wild card game again they'll surely get clobbered.

Dodgers made out well only having to part with Willie Calhoun and some spare parts to get Darvish. It's good for them to have another starting pitcher since that rotation is injury proof now. They'll probably win close to 110 games and should win the World Series, it'll be an absolute shock if they don't.

For the A's I think Fowler recovers from that injury and could become a star, but really there was zero room for him on the Yankees anyway. They've learned from the 2000s and are using international money wisely to constantly keep a pipeline into the farm system, much like LA does. When big money can spend big on international scouting they're going to be perennial contenders.

[Meacon Keaton]

59 minutes ago, damshow said:

Fuck the Orioles.

They sell all their international signing money.

To the Yanks, no less!

[Lowerdeck]

13 hours ago, Meacon said:

Addison Reed isn't a bad pick up to put in your set up spot. I really expected you all to be a bit more ambitious today though I'm quite glad you weren't.

Reed was a decent pickup, as was Nunez.

I was referring to Dombrowski calling the Yankees the Golden State of baseball.  That and his usual eagerness to deal top prospects for established talent.  Seems like the only thing that reigned him in this year was being near the luxury tax level.  I'd hate to see Devers go for someone like a Todd Frazier.

[Meacon Keaton]

Three errors in the first inning has the Yanks down 2-0 so far in Gray's first start in pinstripes. First three batters all hit simple ground balls that the Yanks infield just couldn't seem to figure out how to field.

Also what does everyone think of a trade of Joey Gallo for Taijuan Walker? I have an expansion team in my Strat league but I had the foresight to take Gallo in the expansion draft. We're terrible as eighteen of the other nineteen teams have been in existence since 2005 (and the league uses farm systems) so we likely won't compete for another three or four years. Does anyone see Gallo being more than a .220 guy that can hit 35-45 homers? And would you rather have a 24-year old Taijuan Walker over him?

[Meacon Keaton]

Ended up trading Joey Gallo, Blake Snell, and some cash for Taijuan Walker, Carlos Rodon, and Blake Rutherford.

I can't help but feel like Gallo's average is always going to be around the Mendoza line, and his power isn't enough to justify it for me, especially when I have enough strike out artists on my team as is. Blake Snell was an odd request from the guy I traded with, but he's burned me a few times this year, so I was ok with it. I sent him cash to allow him to release Brett Anderson's contract from his payroll, which ended up being around the $2 million range, which is fine, because since I'm expansion, and so terrible, but lack any big contracts, I'm sitting on like $54 million heading into next season.

Walker was obviously the centerpiece of the trade. At least initially. He's right up there as one of, if not the, best pitchers on my roster now. And he's only twenty-four, so there's still plenty of time for him to get even better. Rodon was a nice consolation piece. I think the guy I traded with has given up on him, but I still see quite a bit of potential in there. And if the White Sox can turn things around, he'll hopefully be there to help right the ship. Speaking of which: Blake Rutherford.

The guy I traded with has the Yankees farm system. And last season he was in the championship series, and he once again has a great team lined up for another post-season run. So I thought, "Hey this guy has Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper in his outfield, can't hurt to ask." So I asked him what it would take to get somebody like a Clint Frazier or Blake Rutherford. He poo-poo'd the Frazier request almost immediately, but he didn't kick me out of bed in regards to Rutherford. So I kept up the negotiating with Walker as the centerpiece of the trade. We got to Gallo and Snell for Walker and Rodon. One last shot, I asked what he needed in return to throw Rutherford in the mix. He said $2 million (which again, I have $54 mill) and I sent him a reply so fast he probably got it right after hitting 'send'. 

So in short (too late) I'll probably be terrible again next year, but the future (three-five year plan!) is looking bright for the Dogtown Hounds. 

[Meacon Keaton]

24-years ago today, Nolan Ryan plunked Robin Ventura and proceeded to slap on a headlock and wail on his forehead in a way that would make Mick Foley proud. 

 

[gunnar hendershow]

The part that's never shown in that fight is the pile of bodies on top of Nolan Ryan after they fell down. Dude almost died.

[Meacon Keaton]

Darren Daulton has passed away after his long battle of cancer. He was one of my favorite players growing up. Damn shame.

[Lint]

1 hour ago, Meacon said:

Darren Daulton has passed away after his long battle of cancer. He was one of my favorite players growing up. Damn shame.

I had two goldfish growing up...I named them Daulton and Kruk.  I'm sad now

[Draevyn]

Who can throw away wins better than the Blue Jays? NOBODY!

This team really needs a kick in the ass but I'm not sure what's going to help them. That management shake-up last year seems to have done them in at least for now.

[gunnar hendershow]

Former Oriole and Angel (and some other teams including the '87 Twins), 1979 AL MVP, and 1995 NL Manager of the Year Don Baylor passed away. A great personality who spent most of his life in baseball. RIP