2014 MLB Season Discussion

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Profar is out for three months. Wonder what the Rangers are going to do. Odor is probably a little too green to bring up at this point. 

 
Machado will start the season on the DL and the Rays nearly lost Matt Moore today. He barely deflected a ball from smacking him in the face. Cut his lip but he'll be fine.

 
The Braves released Freddy Garcia today. I can't say I understand the move, as it leaves them with only 3 healthy starters that have MLB experience (Teheran, Wood, Hale) for the first couple weeks of the season. Ervin Santana isn't expected to join the rotation until April 12, and hopefully Mike Minor would be ready to go around that same time. Gavin Floyd is expected to be out until May.

So the fourth starter to open the season is...Gus Schlosser.

 
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pitfallharry219 said:
The Braves released Freddy Garcia today. I can't say I understand the move, as it leaves them with only 3 healthy starters that have MLB experience (Teheran, Wood, Hale) for the first couple weeks of the season. Ervin Santana isn't expected to join the rotation until April 12, and hopefully Mike Minor would be ready to go around that same time. Gavin Floyd is expected to be out until May.

So the fourth starter to open the season is...Gus Schlosser.
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I just realized that the season opened in Australia over the weekend.

I dislike this starting a week ahead halfway around the world.

How long until Puig has permanent residency in the doghouse?

 
CaseyRyback said:
Profar is out for three months. Wonder what the Rangers are going to do. Odor is probably a little too green to bring up at this point.
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You're gonna see Odor up and starting at 2B. Adam Rosales and Josh Wilson have both been absolutely dreadful at the plate this spring (not that they were any good in the first place, but there is a reason their back-ups). They really have no other choice but Odor at this point. I feel a hell of a lot better with Odor playing every day than Adam Rosales or Josh Wilson.

And the bad Rangers news doesn't stop there. Soto is going to be out a while so J.P. "I Strike Out For A Living" Arencibia is your every day catcher. Darvish might have to miss opening day, too.

Edit: Nevermind on Odor. JD just said he wouldn't start in the majors. The beginning of the season is going to be pretty bad for the Rangers until everyone gets healthy.

 
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GhostShark said:
And the bad Rangers news doesn't stop there. Soto is going to be out a while so J.P. "I Strike Out For A Living" Arencibia is your every day catcher. Darvish might have to miss opening day, too.
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I think many players can fight for that nickname.

It wouldn't be so bad if he walked, he does have some power, but never gets on base.

 
GhostShark said:
You're gonna see Odor up and starting at 2B. Adam Rosales and Josh Wilson have both been absolutely dreadful at the plate this spring (not that they were any good in the first place, but there is a reason their back-ups). They really have no other choice but Odor at this point. I feel a hell of a lot better with Odor playing every day than Adam Rosales or Josh Wilson.

And the bad Rangers news doesn't stop there. Soto is going to be out a while so J.P. "I Strike Out For A Living" Arencibia is your every day catcher. Darvish might have to miss opening day, too.

Edit: Nevermind on Odor. JD just said he wouldn't start in the majors. The beginning of the season is going to be pretty bad for the Rangers until everyone gets healthy.
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Bad part is that is when they usually run up a lead in the division. They have owned April for the last few years.

The Rangers and Cowboys stadiums have to built on ancient Indian burial grounds. All these injuries and all the terrible luck over the last few years back up my theory.
 
pitfallharry219 said:
So now Atlanta has signed Aaron Harang to be the fourth starter after releasing Garcia this morning. Guess we dodged the Schlosser bullet.
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He hasn't really been that good for a few years has he?

I wonder if anyone is going to take a chance on Arroyo at this point, maybe a half season guy?

 
burritoman said:
I just realized that the season opened in Australia over the weekend.

I dislike this starting a week ahead halfway around the world.

How long until Puig has permanent residency in the doghouse?
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I realize that MLB wants to extend its fanbase and all, but I think this puts teams that travel to these locations at a disadvantage. I'm not sure on the rules, but it seems they have to cut their roster to size earlier as well as break spring training earlier just to go play halfway across the world. *If* Australia is truly an untapped fan base, let the WBC do its job to bring baseball to the rest of the world instead of forcing teams to go play.

 
burritoman said:
He hasn't really been that good for a few years has he?

I wonder if anyone is going to take a chance on Arroyo at this point, maybe a half season guy?
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Also surprised that Arroyo hasn't found a job. I'm glad my Reds let him go, simply because he is too expensive at this point with all of the arms that we have, but a team that is starving for pitching could do a lot worse. I know he was looking for a 3 year contract and that seems a stretch, but he is a workhouse and hasn't shown any signs of aging just yet.

 
NinjaPenguin777 said:
The Ian KInsler curse. You better hope you guys don't start the season winless for a few games. It may get scary. His 0-162 dream may come true!
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The curse of a guy who declined right after he got a massive extension from a sleazeball. That said, the curse feels more and more real as we get closer to next week.

Good news today is that Robbie Ross continues to dominate as a starter. I hope he and Scheppers can help hold that rotation today.
 
CaseyRyback said:
The curse of a guy who declined right after he got a massive extension from a sleazeball. That said, the curse feels more and more real as we get closer to next week.

Good news today is that Robbie Ross continues to dominate as a starter. I hope he and Scheppers can help hold that rotation today.
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I'll admit I don't follow Texas that well, but whatever happened to Martin Perez? Is he around? I remember in OOTP he was a highly rated prospect that always seemed to flame out in AA whenever I traded for him in that game lol.

 
NinjaPenguin777 said:
The Ian KInsler curse. You better hope you guys don't start the season winless for a few games. It may get scary. His 0-162 dream may come true!
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Probably not with an opening series against the Phillies. I'm glad they'll miss Darvish, giving them a better chance to not waste a Lee start.

 
GhostShark said:
Martin Perez is going to be the opening day starter most likely.
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I looked him up on Baseball Reference. It seems he had a pretty decent rookie season. I haven't kept up with MLB like I used to, but I'm surprised that I didn't realize that he had arrived as was doing well.

NinjaPenguin777 said:
Um Arroyo was signed by the DBacks weeks ago

https://twitter.com/jcrasnick/status/438428179204567040
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That's not a bad landing spot for him. I definately think that he will hold up for two more years and staying in the NL doesn't hurt.

 
Feeding the Abscess said:
Not a fan of Goldschmidt, pitfall?
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I love him as a player, but I'm just trying to shake things up fantasy-wise. I'm interested to see what Abreu can do, as I think he has the upside to make up for Goldschmidt's power numbers. We'll see about Puig, but hopefully he can keep his average up and doesn't do anything too boneheaded to the point where Mattingly finally gets fed up.

 
Reds303 said:
Also surprised that Arroyo hasn't found a job. I'm glad my Reds let him go, simply because he is too expensive at this point with all of the arms that we have, but a team that is starving for pitching could do a lot worse. I know he was looking for a 3 year contract and that seems a stretch, but he is a workhouse and hasn't shown any signs of aging just yet.
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You from Cincy? I've been out there a few times to watch the Astros play the Reds. Last year we went to Pittsburgh instead.

NinjaPenguin777 said:
Um Arroyo was signed by the DBacks weeks ago

https://twitter.com/jcrasnick/status/438428179204567040
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The Astros really need to go back to the NL, so I can pay attention to real baseball again. I had no idea he got signed.

 
burritoman said:
You from Cincy? I've been out there a few times to watch the Astros play the Reds. Last year we went to Pittsburgh instead.

The Astros really need to go back to the NL, so I can pay attention to real baseball again. I had no idea he got signed.
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Minnesota. I just can't in good conscience root for any team that uses the DH lol.

 
pitfallharry219 said:
I love him as a player, but I'm just trying to shake things up fantasy-wise. I'm interested to see what Abreu can do, as I think he has the upside to make up for Goldschmidt's power numbers. We'll see about Puig, but hopefully he can keep his average up and doesn't do anything too boneheaded to the point where Mattingly finally gets fed up.
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The less I see of Abreu (and more I see of Puig), the more inclined I was to not have them on any of my fantasy teams. I think we are both happy with how that trade turned out.... might be a different story later in the season, though.

 
Rangers opening rotation is Scheppers, Perez, Ross, Joe "Why Am I Still Employeed" Saunders and prospect Nick Martinez. My guess is that Martinez gets one start before Darvish returns. Saunders will be pushed to long man duty once Colby Lewis is ready. And Ross and Scheppers will battle to see who will keep a rotation spot once Harrison is ready.

 
DNukem170 said:
DH > Pitcher hitting.
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For offensive reasons, sure. But having to decide if a pitcher should bat, plus the advantage that a decent hitting pitcher can give you makes NL baseball more strategic. You could get into a whole debate on the topic and still have a split decision on what is better. I actually prefer having two leagues with different rules, it makes for two different game styles.

 
There's, like, 5 good hitting pitchers.

Said strategy typically devoles into if you need the pitcher to bunt or not. If you don't need to bunt, you either pinch hit or give your opponent a free out.
 
I'd rather see a pitcher hit than Brendan Ryan lol. NL teams can't hide bad fielders that can hit at DH, they have to decide how much defense they want to sacrifice vs. offense. Any rule that is implemented solely to increase attendance and backed by a union to keep more players in jobs they cannot do is bound to work out badly. They DH might keep more casual fans interested, but it ruins the strategy of the game and makes hard decisions more automatic.

There is two styles of the game, NL vs AL. I cannot understand why fans of the DH cannot be happy with the AL league and leave it at that. If you don't want to see the pitcher bat, don't watch NL games. You'll never see any strategical decisons like the double switch in AL games, nor do AL managers have to manage a bullpen like NL managers do.

 
Saying there's no strategy in the AL is just as foolhardy. There's plenty of strategizing going on in the AL, thanks to managers like Leyland, Scoscia, and Showalter, and bullpens get used just as often nowadays. Hell, only a handful of teams actually have a decent DH. DHs overall have seen a sharp drop in production the last 5 years or so.

EDIT: Why the hell is everybody going bonkers over the White Sox adding bacon on a stick? OPACY's Jack Daniels booth had it a few years ago.
 
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All the more reason to let pitchers bat if DHs are dropping in production. Being able to hit is only one part of the game, and if you want to hit you should be able to play defense somewhat or at least have your team be prepared to handle the drop off in production. To me, adding a spot in a lineup where a guy is only there to do one thing seems odd and out of place.

 
GhostShark said:
Rangers opening rotation is Scheppers, Perez, Ross, Joe "Why Am I Still Employeed" Saunders and prospect Nick Martinez. My guess is that Martinez gets one start before Darvish returns. Saunders will be pushed to long man duty once Colby Lewis is ready. And Ross and Scheppers will battle to see who will keep a rotation spot once Harrison is ready.
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Luckily you have nothing to worry about against the Phils, I'll be surprised if they score more than 2 runs each game.

 
I love the AL no-strategy talk. I needed a good laugh.

A prime example: There's no way the Rays get as far as they do without some sort of strategy. Joe Maddon is doing an incredible job in Tampa Bay.

 
Where did I say there was no strategy at all in the AL? I said, there are no strategical decisions LIKE the double switch. Yes, the AL has strategy, the NL just has more. If you enjoy watching part time players bat, you're probably going to support the DH. If you believe that a baseball player should have to play both parts of the game, no matter how bad they are at it, then you will probably want to watch the NL.

 
Joe Maddon is a freaking wizard, I don't know how he does it almost every year with that payroll and horrible park.

 
Reds303 said:
All the more reason to let pitchers bat if DHs are dropping in production. Being able to hit is only one part of the game, and if you want to hit you should be able to play defense somewhat or at least have your team be prepared to handle the drop off in production. To me, adding a spot in a lineup where a guy is only there to do one thing seems odd and out of place.
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I said it was going down, not an automatic out.

The AL doesn't have less strategy than the NL, just different strategies, especially these past few years.
 
vrs1650 said:
Joe Maddon is a freaking wizard, I don't know how he does it almost every year with that payroll and horrible park.
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What does their stadium have to do with anything?

Just for my own curiosity, have you ever been to the Trop? People talk about it like its a dumpster even if they've never been there. Its not a bad park. It's nothing exciting and it does have annoying quirks like the rings, but it's not some rat hole like some people try to make it out to be. Its a bland dome sure, but the Rays ownership has done a lot with it to improve the experience.

No one ever complains about Fenway Park b/c of its "historical value", but all I've ever heard from people that have been to games there is that its an awful place to actually watch a baseball game.

The Rays rebuilt their centerfield area. I don't know if anyone ever posted pictures/renders but I can't wait to see it on Monday. They are also making all of the padding in the stadium blue. I don't know what took so long for that to happen. http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/tb/ballpark/rays_360.jsp

Pitchers batting is a waste of time. Even the best hitters get out 7/10 times. What's the point of having a pitcher bat when most of them are terrible, or they only bunt? Yea it's great if you have the rare pitcher that can hit. Otherwise its a waste of a line up spot

 
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Miggy at 10/300 is kind of absurd. Can't really hate on the deal because players deserve theirs, but dude has a lot of weight on him at 31. Don't know if his body will last til 40.

 
CaseyRyback said:
Miggy at 10/300 is kind of absurd. Can't really hate on the deal because players deserve theirs, but dude has a lot of weight on him at 31. Don't know if his body will last til 40.
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A little absurd, yes, but the man has proven he's the best hitter in the game. This deal will likely end up like Pujols', but at least the Tigers didn't end up giving him the Bobby Bonilla treatment.

 
tcrash247 said:
Luckily you have nothing to worry about against the Phils, I'll be surprised if they score more than 2 runs each game.
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That's harsh, Ryan Howard will probably hit 30 homers and drive in 100 runs or so. Then again, can the rest of that lineup make up the rest of that.

HydroX said:
A little absurd, yes, but the man has proven he's the best hitter in the game. This deal will likely end up like Pujols', but at least the Tigers didn't end up giving him the Bobby Bonilla treatment.
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Aren't the Mets still paying him until like 2025 or something like that?

 
Because I was curious, I googled the league averages. I can't seem to find a league info for slugging and on base percentage so if anyone can, please post them. Here are the batting averages by league for the last 4 years-

2010  -   .260 AL   .255 NL

2011  -   .258 AL   .253 NL

2012  -   .255 AL   .254 NL

2013  -   .256 AL   .251 NL

So it seems that adding the DH adds about 5 points to batting average. Its hard to draw conclusions without the rest of the slash numbers, but it seems that it is adding a small amount of offense.

 
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I grew up watching the Cardinals, so the DH thing seems silly to me. I guess it also seems that those who grew up watching AL teams feel the same way about the pitcher hitting... So long as the National League doesn't change, I don't what the American League does.

 
NinjaPenguin777 said:
What does their stadium have to do with anything?

Just for my own curiosity, have you ever been to the Trop? People talk about it like its a dumpster even if they've never been there. Its not a bad park. It's nothing exciting and it does have annoying quirks like the rings, but it's not some rat hole like some people try to make it out to be. Its a bland dome sure, but the Rays ownership has done a lot with it to improve the experience.

No one ever complains about Fenway Park b/c of its "historical value", but all I've ever heard from people that have been to games there is that its an awful place to actually watch a baseball game.

The Rays rebuilt their centerfield area. I don't know if anyone ever posted pictures/renders but I can't wait to see it on Monday. They are also making all of the padding in the stadium blue. I don't know what took so long for that to happen. http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/tb/ballpark/rays_360.jsp
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Because a trussed up piece of crap is still crap. It's an eyesore on TV (though I will give them props on getting rid of the Home Depot carpet a few years back), it looks trashy, and not even the players like it. Nobody in the Rays organization actually wants to play there. Hell, they'd probably use the Spring Training facilities if they could.

And a lot of people complain about Fenway and Wrigley, though the latter moreso than the former. But at least Fenway has renovated enough to at least make things tolerable and the weird dimensions add some actual good quirks. Wrigley is an even worse dump, but at least it has a better excuse.
 
burritoman said:
Aren't the Mets still paying him until like 2025 or something like that?
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An article I just googled says 2035:

"It's July 1, so that means Bobby Bonilla got a check for $1,193,248.20 today, just as he will every July 1 through 2035. That's due to a deferral clause from when the Mets bought out the final year of Bonilla's contract before the 2000 season.

The deal was signed by the Marlins in 1996, but Bonilla was traded to the Dodgers in the 1998 blockbuster that involved Gary Sheffield and Mike Piazza. Bonilla was later flipped to the Mets. He then only played 60 games in 1999, hitting .160/.277/.303, so the Mets saw fit to get rid of him before the 2000 season instead of paying him $5.9 million that year.

And now they'll be paying him a bit more than four times that -- just stretched out over 25 years."

 
I'm sure a bunch of CAGs on here play the show, is there any thread that has a CAG online league? That'd be kind of interesting to play a season of 30 games or so.

 
burritoman said:
That's harsh, Ryan Howard will probably hit 30 homers and drive in 100 runs or so. Then again, can the rest of that lineup make up the rest of that.

Aren't the Mets still paying him until like 2025 or something like that?
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Correction, Howard will get hurt by the All Star break.

 
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