MLB 2020/2021 Off-Season Thread

[gunnar hendershow]

46 minutes ago, Buschie Lee said:

I think it's only going to get worse under the new CBA.  Increasing penalties, forfeiture of international pool money, being docked draft picks, etc.  The union of course wants none of this, but the owners want it in to "regulate themselves" (aka find an excuse to depress salaries).

Oh of course.

Players should honestly concede on some of the caps the owners want in exchange for a salary floor. Seems like their best negotiation tactic.

[The Buscher]

Reports coming out that the Mets set a noon EST deadline for Bauer before they presumably pull the offer off the table.  Being jaded by the Wilpons for so many years, part of me wonders if they've got an inkling he won't come here so leaking the deadline allows them to make like they turned him down and not the other way around.  Guess we'll find out in 40 minutes or so.

I'm just glad there's a deadline one way or another.  Bauer seems like the type of dude that would've waited to make the announcement at halftime of the Super Bowl.

[The Buscher]

The supposed deadline has passed and Bauer has now put a signed Mets hat giveaway on his website, and if you enter the giveaway it says "I can't wait to take the mound in New York!"

If he's not a Met this will go down as the biggest troll job in MLB history.

-edit-

Aaaaaand now he has a Dodgers and Angels cap giveaways too.  "I can't wait to take the mound in Los Angeles!"  along with Bauer-specific merch for both teams.  And now he's doing his announcement on his website this afternoon.

I'd probably find this hilarious if it weren't my team involved tbh.  Like I said, I can take him or leave him.  Talented guy, would help the team, but the rotation is good anyway and it's easy to see why people find him grating.  Ready for this to be over with one way or the other.

[Meacon Keaton]

It could be a troll job even if he has signed depending on how much they’re gonna pay him...

[The Buscher]

Starts his video, spits on the MLB caps and spells JAPAN in the air with his finger.

[The Buscher]

LOL and the Dodgers it is. Thank god it's over.

Trevor Bauer can swallow my load.

[Meacon Keaton]

 

[The Buscher]

We'll see on the contract terms but the expectation is that whatever team signed him was going to give him a 3 or 4 year deal with a huge 2021 base salary and an opt out (essentially allowing Bauer to get his big pay day and walk while keeping the luxury tax down since it's based on AAV).

Him doing this every year is what he craves even more than the money.

[Meacon Keaton]

If I can be serious and not “lol mets” for a minute; I think you guys are much better off making a run at Paxton or Odirizzi on one year deals than handing that douche wad $40 million a year over the next three seasons. Maybe he’ll be as good as he was last year, but the headache and sideshow he brings with him is something you should be able to help yourself get over it.

[The Buscher]

Yep, I'm not mad that the Mets lost out on him.  Mad that he trolled an entire fanbase needlessly but all the more reason to be glad he's on the team.  Even with the opt-outs, that's an ugly contract.

Steve Cohen is going to take heat from the media for missing Springer and Bauer and not even making an attempt at signing Realmuto, but like everyone else they don't want to make blowing past the luxury tax an annual thing and it'll be hard enough to do that with the Lindor and Conforto extensions hopefully coming up.

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

Interesting swap between the A's and the Rangers.

 

[gunnar hendershow]

Khris Davis is apparently older than Andrus. It's a weird move, Davis was almost as bad as Chris Davis last year. A's usually don't make adds to improve the team like this but they uncharacteristically did.

[Meacon Keaton]

It's very much a trade you'd see on The Show and go "Well, that's not realistic. Why would either team agree to that?"

[The Buscher]

In a fantasy draft franchise I did where I rolled with the universal DH, I ended up with Khris Davis and he was so fun to mash dingers with.  Had to eventually try to deal him though as his skillset was very one dimensional.

[apsham]

On 05/02/2021 at 00:46, Meacon Keaton said:

Meanwhile the Angels are idiots and continue to add to their already good outfield, by trading for Dexter Fowler. 

You need pitching, you morons.

This should be common knowledge. There's been a movie out about this for decades now.

[Meacon Keaton]

4 minutes ago, apsham said:

This should be common knowledge. There's been a movie out about this for decades now.

Even longer!

[Meacon Keaton]

And don't forget Angle in the Infield

[Twist]

5 hours ago, Meacon Keaton said:

And don't forget Angle in the Infield

Actually, there are 4 angles in the infield.

[GhostMachine]

10 hours ago, Meacon Keaton said:

Even longer!

Thanks for posting this. While the Disney movie is quite good, its trash compared to the original.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Pedro Gomez unexpectedly passed away.

https://www.espnfrontrow.com/2021/02/remembering-espn-sportscenter-reporter-pedro-gomez/