Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox on winning the 2018 World Series. They managed to beat the Yankees, topple the Astros dynasty, and blitz the Dodgers; losing only one game each series. But now, it's the GMs turn to win their respective offseasons
Already happened
Oct. 29: As of 9 a.m. ET on Monday, all eligible players are free agents. MLB used to make players file for free agency, which was a total waste of time. Now players automatically become free agents once eligible. It is important to note free agents can not sign with new teams just yet. They have to wait five days for that.
Oct. 31: Most contract option decisions are due on this date. Some contracts specify a different date -- the Phillies had to make their decision about Jimmy Rollins' 2011 option following the 2009 season, for example -- but the vast majority have to be made three days following the World Series. Some option decisions are no-brainers, like the Giants picking up their $12 million club option for Madison Bumgarner. This offseason's notable contract option decisions belong to Elvis Andrus (can opt out of four years and $58 million), Brett Gardner ($12.5 million club option), Cole Hamels ($20 million club option) and Clayton Kershaw (can opt out of two years and $65 million), among others.
Future Sched:
Nov. 2: Deadline for teams to tender their eligible free agents the qualifying offer. The qualifying offer is a one-year contract worth $17.9 million this offseason. To be eligible for the qualifying offer, a player must have spent the entire 2018 season with his team and have never received the qualifying offer previously. The Dodgers can give Hyun-Jin Ryu a qualifying offer but not Manny Machado because Machado was acquired in a midseason trade.
Nov. 3: Free agency begins. The five-day exclusive negotiating period will end this coming Saturday and free agents will be truly free to negotiate and sign a contract with any team. That said, much like the regular season, MLB free agency is a marathon, not a sprint. We (probably) won't see a rash of signings on Day 1 of free agency because MLB is not a salary-capped league, and players aren't as worried about getting left out in the cold when cap space runs out.
Nov. 4: Gold Glove winners announced. MLB has already revealed the three Gold Glove finalists at each position in each league.
Nov. 5: Finalists for the major 2018 awards are announced. Those awards are: Manager and Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and Most Valuable Player. Three finalists are announced for each award in each league. MLB has been announcing finalists for a few seasons now in an effort to generate buzz.
Nov. 6-8: General manager meetings in Carlsbad, California. Generally speaking, the GM meetings are to cover off-the-field matters, and I expect sign-stealing and other forms of high-tech cheating to be discussed following this postseason's chaos. Also, when you put all 30 GMs in one place, inevitably deals get discussed and sometimes completed. Last year the Athletics traded Ryon Healy to the Mariners during the GM meetings.
Nov. 8: Silver Sluggers announced. If the Silver Slugger award is your thing, this is the date for you.
Nov 8-15: The MLB Japan All-Star Series. Every few years MLB sends a team of All-Stars across the pond to play a series of exhibition games against a team of Japanese All-Stars. Yadier Molina and Rhys Hoskins are among the players to have already committed to the event. Here are the game dates and locations:
Nov. 8-11 in Tokyo
Nov. 13 in Hiroshima
Nov. 14-15 in Nagoya
The MLB All-Stars lead the all-time series 48-20, though the Japanese All-Stars won three of the five games in 2014. The 2018 event will help serve as a development opportunity for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. MLB Network will broadcast every MLB Japan All-Star Series game live.
Nov. 12: Deadline for free agents to accept or reject the qualifying offer. Players who accept the qualifying offer sign that one-year, $17.9 million contract and remain with their team. Players who reject the qualifying offer are attached to draft pick compensation. Their former team receives a draft pick should they sign with a new team, and their new team has to forfeit a draft pick and international bonus money. (The exact penalty depends on the team's revenue sharing and luxury tax situation.) Bryce Harper, Patrick Corbin, Craig Kimbrel, and Dallas Keuchel are among the free agents who will undoubtedly receive and reject the qualifying offer to test free agency.
Rookies of the Year announced. In our September voting, Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and Angels pitcher-slash-slugger Shohei Ohtani won the awards.
Nov. 13: Managers of the Year announced. In our September voting, Braves manager Brian Snitker and Athletics manager Bob Melvin won the awards.
Nov. 14-15: Owners meetings in Atlanta. The owners meetings handle off-the-field business matters. These typically aren't a big source of hot stove news.
Nov. 14: Cy Youngs announced. In our September voting, Mets righty Jacob deGrom and Rays lefty Blake Snell won the awards.
Nov. 15: Most Valuable Players announced. In our September voting, Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich and Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts won the awards.
Nov. 19: Comeback Players of the Year announced. In our September voting, Mets righty Zack Wheeler won the NL award while Rays third baseman Matt Duffy and Red Sox lefty David Price tied for the AL award.
Nov. 20: Designated Hitter of the Year announced. We did not vote on the DH of the Year award in September. I reckon J.D. Martinez is the odds on favorite to win.
Nov. 20: Deadline for teams to add eligible minor leaguers to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. Generally speaking, college players drafted no later than 2015 and high school players drafted no later than 2014 are Rule 5 Draft eligible this winter, as are players signed internationally no later than 2014. Among the notable Rule 5 Draft eligible prospects this winter are Rockies shortstop Brendan Rodgers and Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller. Expect both (and many others) to be added to the 40-man roster on this date.
Nov. 26-29: MLB Players Association executive board meeting in Dallas. The MLBPA is not happy about several things -- they've been most vocal about last offseason's frigid free agent market, understandably -- and they recently made two high profile hires that indicate the union is gearing up for the toughest labor negotiations since the 1994-95 work stoppage. The good news? The current collective bargaining agreement does not expire until December 2021. A work stoppage is not imminent. I wouldn't call the current labor climate peaceful, however.
Nov. 30: Non-tender deadline. This is the deadline for teams to offer their pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible players a contract for 2019. They don't have to sign them just yet, but they do have to offer a contract. Players who do not receive a contract offer and considered "non-tendered" and thus become free agents. Several notable players are non-tendered every offseason as teams decide their salary outweighs their performance, and the trade market turns up nothing exciting. Jared Hughes and Drew Smyly were among last year's non-tendered players.
Dec. 9-13: Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. This is typically when all offseason hell breaks loose. The Winter Meetings are the busiest week of the offseason, if not with big trades and free agent signings, than with gobs of rumors. It is four days (well, three days, really, since everyone heads home the last day) of non-stop hot stove action. Historically, the biggest moves of the offseason are consummated at the Winter Meetings. GMs can talk face-to-face with agents and other GMs to get things done.
Dec. 9: Today's Game committee Hall of Fame announcement. A few years ago the Hall of Fame replaced the old Veterans Committee with four new "eras" committees that meet every few years. The four new committees: Early Baseball (1871-1948), Golden Days (1950-69), Modern Baseball (1970-87), and Today's Game (1988 to present). The Today's Game committee will meet this year at the Winter Meetings to vote on eligible players. The folks at Hall of Stats came up with some potential candidates for consideration by the Today's Game committee.
Dec. 13: Rule 5 Draft. By rule, players selected in the Rule 5 Draft must remain on their new team's 25-man big league roster all season in 2019, otherwise they must go through waivers and be offered back to their original team. Teams are often looking for middle relievers and bench players and lottery tickets in the Rule 5 Draft and most players wind up back with their original team. The Royals stuck Rule 5 Draft gold last offseason with righty Brad Keller, who they poached from the Diamondbacks. Joe Biagini, Mark Canha, and Odubel Herrera are notable recent Rule 5 Draft success stories. The Rule 5 Draft is the unofficial end of the Winter Meetings. Everyone packs up and heads home after that.
Jan 11, 2019: Deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to submit 2019 salary figures. The player files what he believes he should be paid in 2019 while the team counters with that they believe the player should be paid in 2019. It is important to note the two sides can still agree to a contract of any size even after filing salary figures. The vast majority of arbitration-eligible players agree to a contract before filing salary figures. Matt Swartz and MLB Trade Rumors released salary arbitration projections earlier this month. Their model has proven to be quite accurate over the years.
Mid-January: BBWAA voting results for the 2019 Hall of Fame class announced. Among the first year eligible players joining the ballot this offseason are Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Todd Helton, Lance Berkman and the late Roy Halladay. Holdovers include Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Mussina and Edgar Martinez. Rivera is a lock for induction and both Martinez (70.4 percent) and Mussina (63.5 percent) came close to the 75 percent threshold needed for induction last year, and could get in this year. This is Martinez's tenth and final year on the Hall of Fame ballot, it should be noted. Baseball-Reference.com has the full 2019 Hall of Fame ballot.
Feb. 1-20: Arbitration hearings. Inevitably, a few arbitration-eligible players and their teams are unable to come to terms on a contract each offseason, and they wind up in front of an arbitration panel. Each side makes their case and the three-person panel picks either the salary the player filed or the salary the team filed, nothing in between. Again, teams and players can work out a contract of any size prior to a hearing, even after filing salary figures.
More and more teams are employing a "file-and-trial" approach these days, meaning they cut off contract negotiations after filing salary figures. That is designed to put pressure on the player to sign. Arbitration hearings can get contentious (Yankees president Randy Levine had some harsh worse for Dellin Betances following their 2017 hearing) and both sides typically do all they can to avoid them. Sometimes though, the salary gap is too wide to be bridged. Last offseason Mookie Betts and Trevor Bauer were among the players to win their arbitration hearing while Marcus Stroman and Eugenio Suarez were among those to lose.
Mid-February: Spring training camps across Florida and Arizona open. Hooray for that. Cactus League play begins February 21 and Grapefruit League play begins February 22.
March 20-21: The 2019 regular season begins with the Athletics and Mariners playing a pair of games in Tokyo. MLB has played the opening series in Japan several times in recent years as part of the league's effort to grow the game globally.
March 28: Opening Day! The A's and Mariners will be back home to continue their seasons while the other 28 clubs begin their regular seasons. Like last year, Opening Day is a Thursday this year. That accommodates a few more off-days throughout the season for each team.
info from CBSSports
Sites to Monitor for MLB News:
MLBTradeRumors and their Free Agent Tracker
MLB.com - 2019 Free Agents
Yahoo Sports MLB Guide to the 2018-2019 Free Agent Class
SPOTRAC MLB
RotoWorld MLB Page
Already happened
Oct. 29: As of 9 a.m. ET on Monday, all eligible players are free agents. MLB used to make players file for free agency, which was a total waste of time. Now players automatically become free agents once eligible. It is important to note free agents can not sign with new teams just yet. They have to wait five days for that.
Oct. 31: Most contract option decisions are due on this date. Some contracts specify a different date -- the Phillies had to make their decision about Jimmy Rollins' 2011 option following the 2009 season, for example -- but the vast majority have to be made three days following the World Series. Some option decisions are no-brainers, like the Giants picking up their $12 million club option for Madison Bumgarner. This offseason's notable contract option decisions belong to Elvis Andrus (can opt out of four years and $58 million), Brett Gardner ($12.5 million club option), Cole Hamels ($20 million club option) and Clayton Kershaw (can opt out of two years and $65 million), among others.
Future Sched:
Nov. 2: Deadline for teams to tender their eligible free agents the qualifying offer. The qualifying offer is a one-year contract worth $17.9 million this offseason. To be eligible for the qualifying offer, a player must have spent the entire 2018 season with his team and have never received the qualifying offer previously. The Dodgers can give Hyun-Jin Ryu a qualifying offer but not Manny Machado because Machado was acquired in a midseason trade.
Nov. 3: Free agency begins. The five-day exclusive negotiating period will end this coming Saturday and free agents will be truly free to negotiate and sign a contract with any team. That said, much like the regular season, MLB free agency is a marathon, not a sprint. We (probably) won't see a rash of signings on Day 1 of free agency because MLB is not a salary-capped league, and players aren't as worried about getting left out in the cold when cap space runs out.
Nov. 4: Gold Glove winners announced. MLB has already revealed the three Gold Glove finalists at each position in each league.
Nov. 5: Finalists for the major 2018 awards are announced. Those awards are: Manager and Rookie of the Year, Cy Young, and Most Valuable Player. Three finalists are announced for each award in each league. MLB has been announcing finalists for a few seasons now in an effort to generate buzz.
Nov. 6-8: General manager meetings in Carlsbad, California. Generally speaking, the GM meetings are to cover off-the-field matters, and I expect sign-stealing and other forms of high-tech cheating to be discussed following this postseason's chaos. Also, when you put all 30 GMs in one place, inevitably deals get discussed and sometimes completed. Last year the Athletics traded Ryon Healy to the Mariners during the GM meetings.
Nov. 8: Silver Sluggers announced. If the Silver Slugger award is your thing, this is the date for you.
Nov 8-15: The MLB Japan All-Star Series. Every few years MLB sends a team of All-Stars across the pond to play a series of exhibition games against a team of Japanese All-Stars. Yadier Molina and Rhys Hoskins are among the players to have already committed to the event. Here are the game dates and locations:
Nov. 8-11 in Tokyo
Nov. 13 in Hiroshima
Nov. 14-15 in Nagoya
The MLB All-Stars lead the all-time series 48-20, though the Japanese All-Stars won three of the five games in 2014. The 2018 event will help serve as a development opportunity for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. MLB Network will broadcast every MLB Japan All-Star Series game live.
Nov. 12: Deadline for free agents to accept or reject the qualifying offer. Players who accept the qualifying offer sign that one-year, $17.9 million contract and remain with their team. Players who reject the qualifying offer are attached to draft pick compensation. Their former team receives a draft pick should they sign with a new team, and their new team has to forfeit a draft pick and international bonus money. (The exact penalty depends on the team's revenue sharing and luxury tax situation.) Bryce Harper, Patrick Corbin, Craig Kimbrel, and Dallas Keuchel are among the free agents who will undoubtedly receive and reject the qualifying offer to test free agency.
Rookies of the Year announced. In our September voting, Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and Angels pitcher-slash-slugger Shohei Ohtani won the awards.
Nov. 13: Managers of the Year announced. In our September voting, Braves manager Brian Snitker and Athletics manager Bob Melvin won the awards.
Nov. 14-15: Owners meetings in Atlanta. The owners meetings handle off-the-field business matters. These typically aren't a big source of hot stove news.
Nov. 14: Cy Youngs announced. In our September voting, Mets righty Jacob deGrom and Rays lefty Blake Snell won the awards.
Nov. 15: Most Valuable Players announced. In our September voting, Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich and Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts won the awards.
Nov. 19: Comeback Players of the Year announced. In our September voting, Mets righty Zack Wheeler won the NL award while Rays third baseman Matt Duffy and Red Sox lefty David Price tied for the AL award.
Nov. 20: Designated Hitter of the Year announced. We did not vote on the DH of the Year award in September. I reckon J.D. Martinez is the odds on favorite to win.
Nov. 20: Deadline for teams to add eligible minor leaguers to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft. Generally speaking, college players drafted no later than 2015 and high school players drafted no later than 2014 are Rule 5 Draft eligible this winter, as are players signed internationally no later than 2014. Among the notable Rule 5 Draft eligible prospects this winter are Rockies shortstop Brendan Rodgers and Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller. Expect both (and many others) to be added to the 40-man roster on this date.
Nov. 26-29: MLB Players Association executive board meeting in Dallas. The MLBPA is not happy about several things -- they've been most vocal about last offseason's frigid free agent market, understandably -- and they recently made two high profile hires that indicate the union is gearing up for the toughest labor negotiations since the 1994-95 work stoppage. The good news? The current collective bargaining agreement does not expire until December 2021. A work stoppage is not imminent. I wouldn't call the current labor climate peaceful, however.
Nov. 30: Non-tender deadline. This is the deadline for teams to offer their pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible players a contract for 2019. They don't have to sign them just yet, but they do have to offer a contract. Players who do not receive a contract offer and considered "non-tendered" and thus become free agents. Several notable players are non-tendered every offseason as teams decide their salary outweighs their performance, and the trade market turns up nothing exciting. Jared Hughes and Drew Smyly were among last year's non-tendered players.
Dec. 9-13: Winter Meetings in Las Vegas. This is typically when all offseason hell breaks loose. The Winter Meetings are the busiest week of the offseason, if not with big trades and free agent signings, than with gobs of rumors. It is four days (well, three days, really, since everyone heads home the last day) of non-stop hot stove action. Historically, the biggest moves of the offseason are consummated at the Winter Meetings. GMs can talk face-to-face with agents and other GMs to get things done.
Dec. 9: Today's Game committee Hall of Fame announcement. A few years ago the Hall of Fame replaced the old Veterans Committee with four new "eras" committees that meet every few years. The four new committees: Early Baseball (1871-1948), Golden Days (1950-69), Modern Baseball (1970-87), and Today's Game (1988 to present). The Today's Game committee will meet this year at the Winter Meetings to vote on eligible players. The folks at Hall of Stats came up with some potential candidates for consideration by the Today's Game committee.
Dec. 13: Rule 5 Draft. By rule, players selected in the Rule 5 Draft must remain on their new team's 25-man big league roster all season in 2019, otherwise they must go through waivers and be offered back to their original team. Teams are often looking for middle relievers and bench players and lottery tickets in the Rule 5 Draft and most players wind up back with their original team. The Royals stuck Rule 5 Draft gold last offseason with righty Brad Keller, who they poached from the Diamondbacks. Joe Biagini, Mark Canha, and Odubel Herrera are notable recent Rule 5 Draft success stories. The Rule 5 Draft is the unofficial end of the Winter Meetings. Everyone packs up and heads home after that.
Jan 11, 2019: Deadline for teams and arbitration-eligible players to submit 2019 salary figures. The player files what he believes he should be paid in 2019 while the team counters with that they believe the player should be paid in 2019. It is important to note the two sides can still agree to a contract of any size even after filing salary figures. The vast majority of arbitration-eligible players agree to a contract before filing salary figures. Matt Swartz and MLB Trade Rumors released salary arbitration projections earlier this month. Their model has proven to be quite accurate over the years.
Mid-January: BBWAA voting results for the 2019 Hall of Fame class announced. Among the first year eligible players joining the ballot this offseason are Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Todd Helton, Lance Berkman and the late Roy Halladay. Holdovers include Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Mussina and Edgar Martinez. Rivera is a lock for induction and both Martinez (70.4 percent) and Mussina (63.5 percent) came close to the 75 percent threshold needed for induction last year, and could get in this year. This is Martinez's tenth and final year on the Hall of Fame ballot, it should be noted. Baseball-Reference.com has the full 2019 Hall of Fame ballot.
Feb. 1-20: Arbitration hearings. Inevitably, a few arbitration-eligible players and their teams are unable to come to terms on a contract each offseason, and they wind up in front of an arbitration panel. Each side makes their case and the three-person panel picks either the salary the player filed or the salary the team filed, nothing in between. Again, teams and players can work out a contract of any size prior to a hearing, even after filing salary figures.
More and more teams are employing a "file-and-trial" approach these days, meaning they cut off contract negotiations after filing salary figures. That is designed to put pressure on the player to sign. Arbitration hearings can get contentious (Yankees president Randy Levine had some harsh worse for Dellin Betances following their 2017 hearing) and both sides typically do all they can to avoid them. Sometimes though, the salary gap is too wide to be bridged. Last offseason Mookie Betts and Trevor Bauer were among the players to win their arbitration hearing while Marcus Stroman and Eugenio Suarez were among those to lose.
Mid-February: Spring training camps across Florida and Arizona open. Hooray for that. Cactus League play begins February 21 and Grapefruit League play begins February 22.
March 20-21: The 2019 regular season begins with the Athletics and Mariners playing a pair of games in Tokyo. MLB has played the opening series in Japan several times in recent years as part of the league's effort to grow the game globally.
March 28: Opening Day! The A's and Mariners will be back home to continue their seasons while the other 28 clubs begin their regular seasons. Like last year, Opening Day is a Thursday this year. That accommodates a few more off-days throughout the season for each team.
info from CBSSports
Sites to Monitor for MLB News:
MLBTradeRumors and their Free Agent Tracker
MLB.com - 2019 Free Agents
Yahoo Sports MLB Guide to the 2018-2019 Free Agent Class
SPOTRAC MLB
RotoWorld MLB Page
Yankees news from the past day or 2 is that Brett Gardner is taking a pay cut of around 3 million to return next year. Had his 12.5 million option turned down, they resigned him for 7.5 million, but the now turned-down option was tied to a 2 million buyout.
Only going to list the name signings or I'll never get work done:
Cubs exercised their $6.25 million club option on RHP Pedro Strop for 2019.
Strop, 33, could have been bought out of the option for $500,000, but it was an easy yes for the Cubs to keep him on the roster for 2019. He battled a hamstring that cost him the end of his 2018 season, but he was one of the most consistent bullpen options for the Cubs with a 2.21 ERA and 57/21 K/BB ratio over 59 2/3 innings. He'll be a high-leverage option for Chicago in 2019
Dodgers signed INF David Freese to a one-year, $4.5 million dollar contract.Waiting on Kersh now.
Freese also gets the $500,000 from the Dodgers declining his original club option for $6 million, so essentially it's a one-year, $5 million dollar deal for the veteran infielder. The 35-year-old performed well for the Dodgers in the regular and postseason after being acquired from Pittsburgh, and he should be a quality bench option for Los Angeles that gets starts against left-handed pitching.
A report out of Japan indicates that the Seibu Lions will hold a press conference on Monday to announce that they will post left-hander Yusei Kikuchi.Ah that time of year where I need to go to the NPB and research Japanese pitchers...
It's been widely expected that Kikuchi would be posted this winter and play in the major leagues in 2019, and now it appears closer to becoming a reality. Kikuchi, 27, put up a 3.08 ERA and 153/45 K/BB ratio over 163 2/3 innings in the Japan Pacific League this season. He's generally viewed by scouts as a potential mid-rotation starter.
I want Kershaw back, I don't care to see Machado come back. Madson should not see the mound once for the Dodgers next season.
I'd like to see Kershaw remain in LA, either on a new deal or the current one. If not, though, come be a part of it, New York, New York.
But don't go home to one of those damn Texan teams, though.
But don't go home to one of those damn Texan teams, though.
Rangers acquired LHP Drew Smyly and a player to be named later from the Cubs for a player to be named later.As a result...
The Cubs were looking to shed a little payroll since they picked up Cole Hamels' $20 million option, so they've flipped Smyly and his $7 million salary to Texas. The left-hander missed all of 2017 and was limited to just one rehab start in 2018 following Tommy John surgery, but he should enter spring training without any limitations and could be a mid-rotation stater for the Rangers if his stuff bounces back.
Cubs exercised LHP Cole Hamels' $20 million option for 2019.
The two sides weren't able to work out a different deal and the Cubs just decided to go ahead and pick up Hamels' option in order to keep him around. The veteran left-hander struggled mightly for the first four months this past season with the Rangers (4.72 ERA over 20 starts) but rebounded with a 2.36 ERA over 12 outings with the Cubs. He will turn 35 next month.
By Pac-12 Go To PostI'd like to see Kershaw remain in LA, either on a new deal or the current one. If not, though, come be a part of it, New York, New York.
But don't go home to one of those damn Texan teams, though.
Madison Bumgarner is paid half of Kershaws salary and is the better pitcher in their current state. If the dude opts out he’s hunting for more money. Anyone other than us who wants to pay that should get him.
By The Frankman Go To PostDeadline passed and I see no deal…
No opt out either. They're probably dotting the i's at the moment. Adding an additional year or two to the present deal.
Give Kershaw the money and the deal. He's been a fantastic Dodger. Let's keep him here. Seeing him pitch elsewhere would suck. To me he's someone like Ethier. If I had seen that dude in another jersey, it would have been awful.
By Fenderputty Go To PostThree more years of over paying for shitty post season performances
David Price broke through this year (except against the Yankees). Have faith in Kershaw.
By Fenderputty Go To PostThree more years of over paying for shitty post season performancesIt's a little overblown, to be honest. He's been somewhat mismanaged in the postseason. But yeah, he's not been his regular self consistently.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic says the deal is for three years and $93 million plus incentives. So, in essence, Kershaw used his opt-out as leverage to get another year and at least $28 million added on to his contract. Kershaw hasn't made 30 starts in season since 2015 due to injury and his velocity was noticeably down in 2018, but he was still highly effective with a 2.73 ERA and 155/29 K/BB ratio over 161 1/3 innings. He will turn 31 next March.Hopefully velocity drop isn't a flag.
By jar155 Go To PostIt's a little overblown, to be honest. He's been somewhat mismanaged in the postseason. But yeah, he's not been his regular self consistently.
I realize that to some extent. I suppose my only real gripe is that this could potentially keep money from being spent elsewhere. It's like the Kobe gift but without the rings. That being said, it isn't my money and it this new contract doesn't hinder the off season acquisitions, I'm not mad.
By The Frankman Go To PostHopefully velocity drop isn't a flag.
He's been changing his pitching style all season and has even expressed public frustration that this is now part of his game. He's going to have to transform more over those next three years.
In Yankees news from earlier today, CC is taking a pay cut to return to the Bronx. 1 year, 8 million. (Oh that I could take such a cut.)
Jacob deGrom has been announced as the 2018 National League Cy Young Award winner.
The 30-year-old right-hander was by far the best pitcher in the game during the 2018 regular season, delivering a 1.70 ERA and 269 strikeouts over 217 innings. It was the sixth-lowest ERA among qualified pitchers since Major League Baseball lowered the mound in 1969. Just ignore deGrom's 10-9 record, which was a product of poor run support, a shaky bullpen, and bad luck. He beat out Max Scherzer and Aaron Nola for the hardware with 29 of the 30 first-place votes.
By Adam Go To PostSo Frankie, Ohtani got ROY. 🤔
Now that he's one season in, have you changed your mind about him?
Predictably broke down and will be forced to do one of the other in the future. Still feel his book isn't written yet.
According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Nationals have agreed to a two-year deal with free agent catcher Kurt Suzuki.Not a bad resigning
The deal is pending a physical. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that it's a two-year, $10 million deal. Suzuki jumps to a division rival after spending the past two seasons with the Braves. The 35-year-old batted .271/.332/.444 with 12 homers over 105 games in 2018. This will be Suzuki's second stint with Washington, as he previously played for the club in 2012 and 2013.
Kenley Jansen will undergo heart surgery on November 26.He'll be ok, whether he can recapture his form is another issue.
The procedure was expected after Jansen dealt with an irregular heartbeat again this season. The best-case scenario for his recovery is two weeks, although it could take him as long as eight weeks. The closer is expected to be ready for the start of spring training either way.
Astros acquired INF Aledmys Diaz from the Blue Jays for RHP Trent Thornton.Diaz a few years ago looked like a bigtime prospect for the Cards
He will likely serve in a utility role for his new team and can be viewed as a replacement for Marwin Gonzalez, who is likely to depart in free agency. Diaz played in 130 games for the Blue Jays this year, slashing .263/.303/.453 with 18 home runs and 55 RBI.
Red Sox re-signed INF/OF Steve Pearce to a one-year, $6.25 million contract.Now this is how you bury a lead!
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports first reported the deal and the Red Sox have officially announced it. After batting .279/.394/.507 with seven homers over 50 games down the stretch for the Red Sox, Pearce took home World Series MVP honors on the strength of three home runs and eight RBI during the Fall Classic. He'll turn 36 next April but should be useful again in a platoon role at first base with Mitch Moreland.
By Adam Go To PostSo Frankie, Ohtani got ROY. 🤔I have learned you hardly have to play to win RoY
Now that he's one season in, have you changed your mind about him?
By unknown Go To PostWe got blackace's boy paxton.I like the return for him
By The Frankman Go To Post
Predictably broke down and will be forced to do one of the other in the future. Still feel his book isn't written yet.
By blackace Go To PostI have learned you hardly have to play to win RoY
Oh ye of little faith. He's gonna beast next year as DH.
Adrian Beltre announced his retirement on Tuesday morning.
The 39-year-old Beltre made it official with a statement released through the Rangers. "After careful consideration and many sleepless nights, I have made the decision to retire from what I've been doing my whole life, which is playing baseball, the game I love," Beltre said in the statement. This puts a bow on a fantastic 21-year career in which he was a four-time All-Star and a five-time Gold Glove Award winner. He'll walk away with a .286/.339/.480 lifetime batting line, 477 homers (30th all-time), and 3,166 hits (16th all-time) between stops with the Rangers, Dodgers, Mariners, and Red Sox. What a career. His next stop will undoubtedly be Cooperstown.
By The Frankman Go To PostAdrian Beltre announced his retirement on Tuesday morning.
I hope somebody rubbed his head on the way out.
Braves signed C Brian McCann to a one-year, $2 million contract.
The deal was reported by Mark Bowman of MLB.com and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, but it is now official. McCann became a free agent late last month after the Astros declined his $15 million club option for 2019. He turns 35 in February and batted just .212/.301/.339 with seven home runs and 23 RBI in 63 games in 2018 while dealing with a knee injury, but he's slated to serve in a platoon with Tyler Flowers in his return to Atlanta.
Braves signed 3B Josh Donaldson to a one-year, $23 million contract.
The deal was reported earlier Monday and has now been made official by the club. Donaldson surely could have received a multi-year pact from someone, but it looks like he's ready to bet on himself bouncing back following an injury-shortened 2018 campaign. If healthy, he will provide the Braves with a potent middle-of-the-order bat. With Donaldson aboard, it looks like Johan Camargo will shift into a super utility role.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reports that the Tigers have reached an agreement with left-hander Matt Moore on a one-year deal worth between $2-3 million.One of the most talented bums I have ever seen pitch. Had stuff where he should dominate but pitches turribly.
The deal is pending a physical. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com previously reported that the two sides were nearing an agreement. Moore became a free agent earlier this month after the Rangers declined his $10 million club option for 2019. The southpaw struggled with a 6.79 ERA over 12 starts and 27 relief appearances this past season, but the rebuilding Tigers are willing to take a shot on him, most likely with a return to the starting rotation. If it works out, they could flip him for a prospect at the deadline.
Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports hears that the Rangers and Jesse Chavez have agreed to a two-year contract in the range of $8 million.Nice under the radar move.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that a deal was close. It's a nice payday for Chavez, who turned 35 in August and had to settle for a one-year, $1 million deal last offseason. He gives the Rangers a lot of flexibility in how they could use him in 2019.
Chris Archer underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a bilateral hernia.Was pretty good when healthy.
Archer dealt with groin and abdominal issues off and on during the 2018 regular season and was limited to 148 1/3 total innings between the Rays and Pirates. The recovery time for this procedure is typically six weeks, so the 30-year-old right-hander should be 100 percent leading into the start of spring training in February. He's due a $7.67 million salary from the Bucs in 2019.
According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, there is "significant momentum" toward a trade that would send Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the Mets.Holy crap there is a lot of chatter about this... for the record as long as the Mets ship out Bruce and keep 2B Jeff McNeil I have no issues with it.
Passan writes that "there is an increasing expectation a trade will get finished." Cano has not yet been approached about waiving his no-trade clause, but Passan hears the veteran second baseman is "expected to agree to it" if a deal does come together. It'd obviously be a massive blockbuster, as Diaz is arguably the best closer in the game at age 24 and Cano still has the cachet of a superstar even at age 36. Cano is owed $120 million over the next five years, but Andy Martino of SNY.tv reported Tuesday that the rebuilding Mariners would be willing to eat about $10 million annually to move the remainder of his contract. Maybe that changes with Diaz's inclusion. He isn't arbitration-eligible until next winter.
It's a salary dump, and besides he's been clean for quite some time. Had good peripherals and although he's not a 35+ HR guy anymore (Yankee Stadium), he still can hit it to all fields.
By The Frankman Go To PostIt's a salary dump, and besides he's been clean for quite some time. Had good peripherals and although he's not a 35+ HR guy anymore (Yankee Stadium), he still can hit it to all fields.
Narrator: He was busted this year.
By Pac-12 Go To PostNarrator: He was busted this year.And came back in August and still raked. In 80 games he had a .374/.471/.845 split with 10 HRs and 50 RBIs
Among the Mets prospects being mentioned in the talks are right-hander Justin Dunn, a first-rounder in 2016, and outfielder Jarred Kelenic, the sixth overall pick in 2018. Second baseman Jeff McNeil also has been mentioned, as well as veterans with big contracts such as right fielder Jay Bruce, left-handed starter Jason Vargas and right-handed reliever Anthony Swarzak.
I can get behind this
By blackace Go To PostCano can slash… but not sure why an NL team would want him? Are they going to move him to 1st?I think the idea was that he play some 2nd and 3rd, 1st is blocked by Dom Smith/Peter Alonso (which is why they need to trade Bruce.)
By blackace Go To PostI can get behind thisYou'll get Bruce and Vargas and like it!
Rangers signed RHP Edinson Volquez to a one-year, $2 million dollar contract.More Cano-Diaz news
This technically is a new contract, but it actually was triggered when Volquez had his contract purchased from Triple-A Nashville last week, and now the 35-year-old is signed to an MLB deal. He missed the 2018 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but he should be ready to roll for spring training, and he should compete for a spot in the Texas rotation.
According to Andy Martino of SNY, the Mets are hesitant to include Jeff McNeil in the deal for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz.Yes. The fact that they aren't including McNeil means they want Cano to to play other positions than 2nd.
McNeil was a late entry into the Cano-Diaz sweepstakes, but it sounds like the Mets would prefer to hold onto the 26-year-old after his impressive 2018 campaign. Martino reports that in exchange for including McNeil, the Mets could include Gerson Bautista; a 23-year-old right-hander who struggled mightily with the Mets in limited time last year. It sounds like this one is going to get done soon, but right now, McNeil is likely hanging around to play with Cano and Diaz in New York.
Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports reports that the proposed trade sending Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz to the Mets is not expected to be finalized Friday.Wow... that's a lot. I'm thinking the cash offset is substantial.
The expectation had been that the deal would be made official at some point Friday, but evidently there will still be some more legwork to do. The delay is not a surprise given that there is a lot of money and a no-trade clause involved, but all indications remain that the trade will be completed eventually. Once finalized, the trade is expected to send Cano, Diaz and cash (Andy Martino of SNY.tv says it's about $60 million) to the Mets for Jay Bruce, Anthony Swarzark, Jarred Kelenic, Justin Dunn and Gerson Bautista.
EDIT: It is.
Andy Martino of SNY.tv reports that the Mariners will send roughly $60 million to the Mets in the proposed Robinson Cano/Edwin Diaz trade.
It's exactly half of what Cano is owed over the next five seasons and does not include the money the Mets are saving by shipping the contract of Jay Bruce and Anthony Swarzark to Seattle. In addition to Bruce and Swarzak, the Mariners are also expected to receive Jarred Kelenic, Justin Dunn and Gerson Bautista. The trade is expected to be finalized sometime over the weekend.
Frank, I was in NYC recently and met up with Cajole Juice for dinner one night. First time we'd met in person -- a really great guy and had a nice time. Brought you up since I mentioned I posted at this forum and you were over here and he had a big laugh since it's been so long. Anyway, just saw your name on the main page and figured I'd share that fun tidbit.
By The Frankman Go To PostI think the idea was that he play some 2nd and 3rd, 1st is blocked by Dom Smith/Peter Alonso (which is why they need to trade Bruce.)Naw we aren't taking your shit salaries and paying for Cano without fleecing your future some
You'll get Bruce and Vargas and like it!
By Meier Go To PostFrank, I was in NYC recently and met up with Cajole Juice for dinner one night. First time we'd met in person – a really great guy and had a nice time. Brought you up since I mentioned I posted at this forum and you were over here and he had a big laugh since it's been so long. Anyway, just saw your name on the main page and figured I'd share that fun tidbit.That is awesome. Him and LJ11 were tortured Mets fans and I was the overwhelmingly positive Mets fan back then Boy how times have changed... I used to read his blog, great that he's doing well.
Jon Heyman of Fancred Sports reports that the Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz trade to the Mets is done.But wait, there's more...
The full deal will see the Mets get Cano, Diaz and $20 million in salary relief, while the Mariners will take the contracts of Jay Bruce and Anthony Swarzak with prospects Justin Dunn, Jarred Kelenic and Gerson Bautista also headed to Seattle. Cano has waived his no-trade clause, and the only thing that keeps this from being official right now is that the various parties have to take physicals, and the commissioner's office has to approve of the financial aspects. It should be officially announced by Monday, at the latest.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Mets have discussed a possible Corey Kluber trade with the Indians.Jesus Christ this GM is balls to the wall going all out.
The Mets' trade for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz hasn't even been officially announced yet, but new GM Brodie Van Wagenen is eager to make another impact move. It's fair to wonder what pieces the Mets could legitimately offer, as the Indians would surely like to get a major-league caliber outfielder in addition to salary relief. Brandon Nimmo would certainly qualify, though he's needed in the Mets' outfield at the moment. While this is just speculation, a three-way trade involving Noah Syndergaard would open up some other possibilities. The Dodgers have also been linked to Kluber in recent days.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that MLB clubs have been notified that Japanese left-hander Yusei Kikuchi will be available through the posting system beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday morning.He only wants to play out West... should be interesting since the Padres are going to be aggressive in pursuing him.
Teams will have a 30-day window to negotiate with Kikuchi, with the deadline for terms to be submitted falling on January 2 at 5 p.m. ET. This will be the first year of the new posting system between MLB and NPB, which includes a tiered system of a release fee depending on the final terms of the contract. Kikuchi, who is represented by Scott Boras, posted a 3.08 ERA and 153/45 K/BB ratio over 163 2/3 innings with the Saitama Seibu Lions in 2018. He doesn't turn 28 until next June. The southpaw projects as a mid-rotation arm and has already drawn interest from the likes of the Dodgers, Padres, Giants, and Mariners.
EDIT: Just broke
The Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts have agreed to a four-year extension through 2022.
Terms aren't yet known. The club previously picked up their 2019 option on Roberts, but they continued to work on hammering out a long-term agreement. It's a deserved reward after Roberts has led the club to three straight division titles and back-to-back NL pennants. He holds a 287-200 record (.589) over three seasons at the helm.
By The Frankman Go To PostEDIT: Just broke
The Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts have agreed to a four-year extension through 2022.
The analytics department has already simulated the 2019 season 10,000 times and has determined all starting lineups and in-game changes to make through the All-Star break.