MLB 2022

[gunnar hendershow]

 

[Pooker]

I have family at the Red Sox/Blue Jays game tonight. They're massive Red Sox fans and haven't been to a game in over five years. They picked one hell of a game to go to.

[Lowerdeck]

Was hoping Toronto would put up 30.  Ended up being 28, which is still a Boston franchise record for most runs given up I'm a game.

[gunnar hendershow]

I was hoping they'd give up 31 so the O's could bury 30-3. 

[The Buscher]

9 hours ago, damhausen said:

 

No idea who Jarren Duran is but I’d have yanked him out of the game instantly after this and maybe even asked the front office to demote him.

I just don’t know how you make zero attempt to get the ball.

[gunnar hendershow]

34 minutes ago, CM Busch said:

No idea who Jarren Duran is but I’d have yanked him out of the game instantly after this and maybe even asked the front office to demote him.

I just don’t know how you make zero attempt to get the ball.

He completely lost it and then reacted like he thought it went out of the park. I've seen some minor league games and the defensive blunders in those are nowhere near this bad.

[The Buscher]

Mets acquire 1B/DH Daniel Vogelbach from the Pirates for RHP Colin Holderman

My initial reaction is that I hate it.

I get why they did it, they obviously need a bat as the Dom Smith/JD Davis DH platoon has been the worst in the majors.  Vogelbach seems to crush RHP.  But his basic stat line is as bad as he is because he’s completely unplayable against LHP.  You have to platoon him and now go out and get another bat for that when you could’ve kept trying for a Josh Bell, Trey Mancini, or CJ Cron who could’ve played every day.

Moreover, bullpen has been a big weakness for this team.  Drew Smith has an ERA over 5 since mid-May, Seth Lugo looks washed up.  Maybe it’s my fault for falling in love with Holderman after only 15 big league appearances but he has great stuff and seemed a lot more trustworthy than the guys we have now.  Also nearly the entire bullpen is up for free agency this year and they got rid of a guy with 6 years of control.

[gunnar hendershow]

Yeah I don't really get that trade unless they were told they had no shot at someone like Mancini without parting with a high-end prospect.

[Lowerdeck]

On 23/07/2022 at 08:13, CM Busch said:

Mets acquire 1B/DH Daniel Vogelbach from the Pirates for RHP Colin Holderman

My initial reaction is that I hate it.

I get why they did it, they obviously need a bat as the Dom Smith/JD Davis DH platoon has been the worst in the majors.  Vogelbach seems to crush RHP.  But his basic stat line is as bad as he is because he’s completely unplayable against LHP.

 

I've also seen rumors about Dom Smith going to Boston, because the combo of Bobby Dalbec and Franchy Cordero at 1B is pretty bad.  But apparently the FO is using this as a bridge to Tristan Casas.

 

The Sox should sell some pieces, but letting Bogaerts and/or Devers go trying to be cheap is unforgivable.

[Toe]

Bogaerts is a tough one. He's been a great Red Sox and is having a pretty good season, but he's also 29 so that big extension is kind of scary. 

[gunnar hendershow]

Given how bad the 30+ signings have been on the Phillies I'd almost jump at moving Boagerts. You just don't know when that decline is going to happen.

[The Buscher]

On 23/07/2022 at 09:50, damhausen said:

Yeah I don't really get that trade unless they were told they had no shot at someone like Mancini without parting with a high-end prospect.

So coming back to this, supposedly the Mets are not only still in on Mancini as well as a handful of other right-handed bats but right now they view Mancini as their #1 target.

But after getting Vogelbach I'm really not sure I understand it.  Vogey mashes RHP to the tune of a 149 WRC+.  Simply put, he's got to be the DH every time there is a RHP starting.  So the main opening they have now is to get a better righty hitting DH to platoon with him against LHP.

What I didn't realize is that Mancini has reverse splits.  His 100 WRC+ against LHP this year is only marginally better than JD Davis' 95 WRC+ against them, and their career WRC+ against lefties is basically even.  Moreover, even though he's better against RHP (119 WRC+) he won't be playing over Alonso, Marte, Vogey, or even Canha (140 WRC+ vs RHP).

Now, he'd be nice to have to fill in for guys, and I've been begging for JD to get demoted for ages.  In a vacuum I'd most certainly rather have Mancini on the roster than JD.  But with the current roster construction I can't really justify a highly touted prospect of any sort unless a good reliever is coming over too.  And really the AL standings are such a shitshow at the moment, the O's would be smart to keep Mancini unless someone trades them a better prospect than they could get with the qualifying offer now that it's officially back again.

[The Buscher]

Druw Jones hurt his shoulder during his first batting practice as a professional and will likely be out for the season rather than debut in short season ball, surgery is on the table.

Their 2019 (Corbin Carroll) and 2021 (Jordan Lawlar) 1st round picks also underwent shoulder surgery last year.

Imagine a team with the name Diamondbacks being snake bit.

[The Buscher]

Mike Trout has been out since July 12th with reported back spasms, has now been diagnosed with a rare back condition called "costovertebral dysfunction" and it doesn't seem he's particularly close to returning this season.  Moreover, Angels doctors believe this is a condition that will need to be managed and monitored for the rest of his career.

As a Mets fan, I'm getting flashbacks to David Wright still being on a Hall of Fame trajectory by age 32 only to get spinal stenosis which effectively ended his career.

Trout is a week and a half away from turning 31.  If he somehow retired right now, he'd go into the HOF first ballot.  Although most HOFers accumulate huge numbers by playing a long time, you only have to appear in part of 10 seasons to be eligible.  His 8-year run from 2012-19 saw him doing historical, unheard of stuff...it really didn't matter what else he did after that.  That stretch him put him above the point where he'd have to play a long time and compile numbers.  He'll have a spot in Cooperstown waiting for him someday.

But man it would be so depressing to see a generational talent taken from the game this soon.

[gunnar hendershow]

Ken Griffey, Jr had a bit longer before the injuries hit him but when they did it was just brutal. Basically never played a full season again.

So disappointing to see this about Trout. He's a HOF lock and his peak is a tad below Willie Mays but probably cements him as the 2nd greatest CF in history. That's regardless of anything else that happens.

It sounds really ominous and I feel like they were holding back exactly how bad this is.

[The Buscher]

Yankees get:
OF Andrew Benintendi (who is supposedly getting vaccinated, though the Yankees don't go to Toronto again until late September)

Royals get:
LHP TJ Sikkema (Yankees' #19 ranked prospect)
RHP Beck Way (Yankees' #21 ranked prospect)
RHP Chandler Champlain (unranked)

So basically nothing.  Sikkeman is 24 years old and still in high A ball, and he's the best they were able to get?

It's just like the Gallo trade, a team sends an All Star to the Yankees for seemingly nothing prospects because everyone props Yankee prospects up on a pedestal.

[gunnar hendershow]

Behold Trey Mancini's likely final at-bat at Camden Yards.

 

[gunnar hendershow]

The Mets have given up what appears a bit of nothing for Tyler Naquin and Philip Diehl.

[The Buscher]

I heard a little bit about Jose Acuna on some of the Mets fan boards but really this seems like a good swap.

Naquin likely takes the roster spot of Travis Jankowski who has been exclusively used as a pinch runner and late game defense.  Fans fell in love with Jank because he had a couple of game-winning hits in April, but he's literally not had a hit since May.  He has a 47 WRC+ which for a non-catcher is basically unrosterable.

Jank's bat is so bad that they played McNeil in the outfield on days Canha or Marte had to sit rather than put Jank there even though he was the 4th OF on the depth chart.  Naquin can actually hit righties well and be in the lineup a few times a week.

They do still need a right-handed bat somewhere.  I feel like the only reason Mark Vientos hasn't gotten called up to replace JD Davis yet despite the Mets needing a player like him is because Vientos is being shopped in trades.

[The Buscher]

 

Rob Manfred is still an asshole, news at 11.