2018 MLB Thread

[Meacon Keaton]

I’d love to see them do a Hard Knocks type show during spring training with all the free agents if they decide to hold a group training. I think that’d be a fascinating bit of television. 

[Your Mom]

3 minutes ago, Meacon said:

I’d love to see them do a Hard Knocks type show during spring training with all the free agents if they decide to hold a group training. I think that’d be a fascinating bit of television. 

I would watch the hell out of that

[Meacon Keaton]

Sounds like Todd Frazier is going to the Mets on a two-year deal. Lame. I was hoping we'd bring him back.

The luxury tax threshold is $197 million. The Yankees want to stay around $187 million are for in-season call-ups and trade, which means they only have $10 million left to spend as they're right around $176. Not sure who or what they're going after now.

I just wish some team would be dumb enough to take that awful Jacoby Ellsbury contract (and the player ) away. That'd free up sooooooo much money. Home boy ripped us off good. 

[GhostMachine]

4 hours ago, The Chiksrara Special said:

I would watch the hell out of that

I would, too, as long as the team isn't the Yankees.

[Meacon Keaton]

23 minutes ago, GhostMachine said:

I would, too, as long as the team isn't the Yankees.

How come? :/ 

[GhostMachine]

Because...I hate them.

GO RED SOX!! (And Cubs. And Reds. And anyone playing the Yankees.)

[Twist]

GO YANKS!

What are we talking about?

[Meacon Keaton]

So it’s like a Love/Hate thing. I get that. I hate we gave Ellsbury such a big contract. Luckily for us, Love conquers Hate.

Just now, Twist said:

GO YANKS!

What are we talking about?

GhostMachine’s fandom of the Yanks is a complicated one.

[Twist]

But he loves the Yanks, that’s the crux of it?

Good. So.

GO YANKS!

[Schlitzbrille]

I already told y'all 2018 is the year the Orioles win it all.

[Meacon Keaton]

1 hour ago, Fly Eagles Fly said:

I already told y'all 2018 is the year the Orioles win it all.

Dead. To. Me.

[The Buscher]

14 hours ago, Meacon said:

Sounds like Todd Frazier is going to the Mets on a two-year deal. Lame. I was hoping we'd bring him back.

Two years, $17 million pending a physical.  Funny how we brought up batting average a couple of weeks ago as I'm already seeing Met fans slagging off on Frazier because he hit .213 last year while ignoring that he hits for power and is really good defensively.  He had a 3.4 WAR last year which is way better than the other free agent infielders the Mets were considering (Neil Walker, 1.5 and Eduardo Nunez, 1.3) and is about even with Josh Harrison (3.3) who not only would've cost more money but also would've required giving up somebody in trade.  I love the deal.

Cespedes-Bruce-Frazier could be a really powerful 3-4-5.

[Meacon Keaton]

1 hour ago, Buschoru Suzuki said:

Two years, $17 million pending a physical.  Funny how we brought up batting average a couple of weeks ago as I'm already seeing Met fans slagging off on Frazier because he hit .213 last year while ignoring that he hits for power and is really good defensively.  He had a 3.4 WAR last year which is way better than the other free agent infielders the Mets were considering (Neil Walker, 1.5 and Eduardo Nunez, 1.3) and is about even with Josh Harrison (3.3) who not only would've cost more money but also would've required giving up somebody in trade.  I love the deal.

Cespedes-Bruce-Frazier could be a really powerful 3-4-5.

Yeah, never mind the .344 OBP and the fact he’s a natural born leader. We brought him in halfway through the season and he was the team leader come October. The defense and power is just an added bonus. I’m quite jealous that he picked Queens over Bronx but I’m assuming we were stuck on the cheap one year deal offer we kept feeding him. 

[gunnar hendershow]

Moustakas surely winds up in NY on a 1-year deal or something now right?

[Meacon Keaton]

16 minutes ago, damsher hatfield said:

Moustakas surely winds up in NY on a 1-year deal or something now right?

Not unless we get rid of Ellsbury’s contract or trade Robertson, which I hope doesn’t happen.

Yankees have literally $10 million to spend at the moment if they want that $10 million cushion from the luxury tax. I think Cash may legit sit tight.

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

13 hours ago, Meacon said:

Not unless we get rid of Ellsbury’s contract or trade Robertson, which I hope doesn’t happen.

Yankees have literally $10 million to spend at the moment if they want that $10 million cushion from the luxury tax. I think Cash may legit sit tight.

Who do you think gets the job? Does it become a spring training competition? 

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

Exciting news today. Shohei Ohtani got a spring training invite.

https://www.mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-leads-angels-non-roster-invites/c-265995500

[Meacon Keaton]

7 minutes ago, Ms. Canadian Destroyer said:

Who do you think gets the job? Does it become a spring training competition? 

For third? As it stands right now it'll likely be Miguel Andujar. Very good bat, but below average glove, at the moment. Which is a huge reason I'm unsure about them possibly going after Eduardo Nunez. He's in the same boat; good hitter but weaker fielder. I feel like if they're going to bring someone else in to cover third, instead of or with Andujar, then it needs to be a fielder first, then a hitter. With this line-up, we don't necessarily need a heavy hitter at the hot corner. 

So right now, Andujar. But I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if we sign someone in the next two weeks to compete with him for the job. 

Tyler Wade is the wildcard. He can play second or third (and more, but those are the two positions of need). I don't think he'll beat out Andujar at third or Torres at second, but he's a nice utility guy to have in case one of them stumbles out of the gate. 

If baseball worked out the way I wanted (unlike football ) then Danny Espinosa would have a fantastic spring and have the second base job going into the season, allowing Gleyber Torres (thanks again Cubbies!) a little more time to recover from his TJS in Triple-A, and saving a few months of service time, obviously. But Espinosa will likely suck the big one, Wade will play second until Torres is 110% healthy (taking no chances), and then we'll have two potential superstar youngin's playing in the infield. 

1 minute ago, Ms. Canadian Destroyer said:

Exciting news today. Shohei Ohtani got a spring training invite.

https://www.mlb.com/news/shohei-ohtani-leads-angels-non-roster-invites/c-265995500

Gee. Hope he makes the team. What an underdog story.

[Mx. Canadian Destroyer]

1 minute ago, Meacon said:

For third? As it stands right now it'll likely be Miguel Andujar. Very good bat, but below average glove, at the moment. Which is a huge reason I'm unsure about them possibly going after Eduardo Nunez. He's in the same boat; good hitter but weaker fielder. I feel like if they're going to bring someone else in to cover third, instead of or with Andujar, then it needs to be a fielder first, then a hitter. With this line-up, we don't necessarily need a heavy hitter at the hot corner. 

So right now, Andujar. But I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if we sign someone in the next two weeks to compete with him for the job. 

Tyler Wade is the wildcard. He can play second or third (and more, but those are the two positions of need). I don't think he'll beat out Andujar at third or Torres at second, but he's a nice utility guy to have in case one of them stumbles out of the gate. 

If baseball worked out the way I wanted (unlike football ) then Danny Espinosa would have a fantastic spring and have the second base job going into the season, allowing Gleyber Torres (thanks again Cubbies!) a little more time to recover from his TJS in Triple-A, and saving a few months of service time, obviously. But Espinosa will likely suck the big one, Wade will play second until Torres is 110% healthy (taking no chances), and then we'll have two potential superstar youngin's playing in the infield. 

Didn't realize Torres had had TJS. Thought he might be an option, though I don't know how much he's played third or how quickly they want to move him up.

 

[Meacon Keaton]

Just now, Ms. Canadian Destroyer said:

Didn't realize Torres had had TJS. Thought he might be an option, though I don't know how much he's played third or how quickly they want to move him up.

 

He had TJS on his non-throwing arm, so it's not too big a deal. But he's pretty much only projecting as our second baseman of the future. I think everybody is hoping he's the next Altuve. I'd settle for a better Starlin Castro. 

Also I'd be shocked if he's not on the 25-man roster by the middle of May, if not Opening Day depending on how recovered he is. He's one of about a dozen guys who have already reported for Spring Training, so he's definitely an eager beaver.