MLB 2020/2021 Off-Season Thread

[gunnar hendershow]

5 minutes ago, Toe said:

I've heard the local baseball people here mention Lindor to the Jays, but that seems a little far fetched to me. 

I would love to see the Jays add one more top-of-the-rotation arm to join Ryu.

It's not a great class outside of Bauer. Kluber was once elite but who knows if he still has it. I expect Kluber to have to settle for a one or two year deal. Tanaka is really good but his health has to worry you as well.

As for where Bauer goes? Who knows. He once said he'd play on one year deals, but I think being able to cash in on the Cy Young during a pandemic is probably more the route he'll go. My gut says the Angels move heaven and earth to bring him there.

[Meacon Keaton]

40 minutes ago, damshow said:

They're moving him to 3B

I’m not telling you when my next parade is, just to keep you from pissing on it.  

And yeah, Bauer is the only top level starter this year, but there’s like a dozen decent to good 2’s or 3’s out there. I just hope we don’t have to wait until February for everyone to start signing. I need some moves to be made and hopefully soon.

[gunnar hendershow]

With the volume of 2s and 3s I'd expect it to be a long slog until players start getting signed up.

[gunnar hendershow]

The Marlins have hired Kim Ng as their GM. First female GM in baseball history.

[The Buscher]

Great hire for them, Ng's been long overdue for an opportunity.

[gunnar hendershow]

1 minute ago, B-li Manning said:

Great hire for them, Ng's been long overdue for an opportunity.

I remember in 2018 there was talk of the Orioles (and maybe Mets as well?) giving Ng a serious look. I remember thinking at the time she'd be a great hire.

[The Buscher]

6 minutes ago, damshow said:

I remember in 2018 there was talk of the Orioles (and maybe Mets as well?) giving Ng a serious look. I remember thinking at the time she'd be a great hire.

There's still hope yet.  It's the Marlins, they eventually trade everyone - probably GMs included!

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

1 hour ago, Toe said:

I've heard the local baseball people here mention Lindor to the Jays, but that seems a little far fetched to me. 

I would love to see the Jays add one more top-of-the-rotation arm to join Ryu.

I think the Jays are interested and the farm system to do it, it's just whether they think it's worth it to trade for a pending free agent. Lindor has also said Toronto is a place he'd like to play, so that's where that's coming from.

Personally, I'd be ecstatic. It'd be a very Donaldson-like move. Move Bichette to 2B, Biggio to 3B. Along with Vlad, that's quite the infield.

[Meacon Keaton]

Wouldn’t you want to keep Biggio at second and have Bo at 3rd? I didn’t watch much of Toronto outside of the Yankee games but Biggio doesn’t strike me as a corner infielder.

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

13 minutes ago, Meacon Keaton said:

Wouldn’t you want to keep Biggio at second and have Bo at 3rd? I didn’t watch much of Toronto outside of the Yankee games but Biggio doesn’t strike me as a corner infielder.

I guess it depends on where they think Bichette fits in best and where they want to keep him, but Biggio played a fair bit  third this year. The Jays basically used him a bit like Ben Zobrist, however, more and more I assume they'll find a more permanent spot for him in the infield. 

I think it also depends on who they have to fill out their bench. They are much more likely to move Biggio into the outfield when they end up pinch hitting or having a pinch runner. 

[The Buscher]

I'd be hard pressed to trade for Lindor without making it contingent on an extension, but I don't know how keen people who are hitting free agency next year are to lock into a new contract now given the financial circumstances surrounding the sport.

[Gabriel]

16 minutes ago, B-li Manning said:

I'd be hard pressed to trade for Lindor without making it contingent on an extension, but I don't know how keen people who are hitting free agency next year are to lock into a new contract now given the financial circumstances surrounding the sport.

I guess it would depend on how they're forecasting the immediate future. Signing an extension now might mean giving up some money in order to have that peace of mind... but waiting until next off season may not help. Things could be worse next off-season. Maybe someone who gets offered a bit under their market value this year gets half of that next off-season?

Covid's not going anywhere yet, and if they can't find a way to increase revenues if they can't have full capacity in the stadiums, this could be the off-season that gives a lot of guys the best chance at a decent pay day and some long term stability.

It'll be a gamble for a lot of free agents or guys who can be extended this winter. There are still some teams out there like Toronto who are willing to open up the checkbooks right now, but if revenues take another major hit in the upcoming season, maybe there aren't any of those teams next year.

[Meacon Keaton]

Look at the potential shortstop class for next offseason. If I’m Lindor, and I’m coming off a down year, I’d happily accept a big extension as part of a trade. I think it’s Correa, Story, Seager, and some other shortstop that can all be on the market next year.

[gunnar hendershow]

6 minutes ago, Meacon Keaton said:

Look at the potential shortstop class for next offseason. If I’m Lindor, and I’m coming off a down year, I’d happily accept a big extension as part of a trade. I think it’s Correa, Story, Seager, and some other shortstop that can all be on the market next year.

Baez. It's a really strong class. Bryant and Arenado at 3B too.

[The Buscher]

I think there will be partial crowds in every park by Opening Day 2021, with the possible exception of Toronto and that might be another situation where they'll have no choice but to open in Buffalo again depending on the travel restrictions Canada has in place.

I'd expect the states and cities to set their crowd limits like they've been doing...more people allowed in in Florida and Texas, less in New York and California.  But still, limited crowd is better than no crowd and I feel like early in the season, stadiums are 2/3rds empty pretty often.

Any sort of ticket revenue is better than none at all, and there's always a chance full crowds can be back in July/August depending on vaccine rollout.  Toss in 155+ games being carried by teams' regional networks and I just can't buy the owners trying to act like they'll be in an even worse financial position than they were this year.

If you're offered an extension that gets you close to what the normal market would bear, that's one thing.  But when it's possibly your once chance to hit free agency during your prime, you have to be careful.

[The Buscher]

Mike Clevinger to get Tommy John surgery and miss the 2021 season.

[gunnar hendershow]

9 hours ago, B-li Manning said:

Mike Clevinger to get Tommy John surgery and miss the 2021 season.

I saw that news and with it saw the Padres signed him to a 2 year deal.

[The Buscher]

My vote would be:  Bonds, Clemens, Helton, Jones, Kent, Rolen, Schilling, Sheffield, Vizquel, Wagner

No Manny because he got caught in the era of PED testing.  No Sosa because he's getting like 13% of the vote through 8 years and is a lost cause.

Ultimately I think Schilling is the only lock (got 70% last year).  A Schilling-only induction ceremony would have been a nightmare but now if they can get fans into Cooperstown by next summer it'll be a joint induction with the class of 2020 and he'd be drowned out by Jeter support.

 

[Meacon Keaton]

I’ve got...maybe six?

Bonds, Clemens, Helton, Pettitte, Manny, Sheffield, and Vizquel.

Ok, seven, but I was on the fence with Helton. And fuck Schilling. I hope he never gets in.

[The Buscher]

With Schilling, I'm on the fence every year on whether simply being an asshat with terrible opinions is reason enough to keep someone out when the point is to honor somebody's accomplishments as a ballplayer.  Numbers-wise I can't say his inclusion is unwarranted but it would be funny to see him just get booed his entire speech.  If he misses out again I'd laugh.

I just hope Billy Wagner gets more love.  Hoffman had more saves through longevity but Wagner was objectively better by any other metric.