2022 MLB Thread formerly the 2021 thread..

[Samsara]

I'm so sick of the Astros and some of their fans. I keep seeing how Astros fans are trying to put up this united front of "us and our team against the world." 

Look, the Astros didn't just "steal signs." They had an elaborate system in place in order to always know what was coming. This isn't Joe Player on second seeing what is coming by spotting the sign and relaying it quickly to the batter. This is an all out program designed to cheat every opponent. It's a black mark on the sport, very akin to the Black Sox scandal. It challenges the very integrity of the game itself.

And as much as he blusters, Rob Manfred didn't really do anything. He slapped the wrists of the Astros (and soon to do the same to the Sox). The teams then fired the suspended people to try and save some face. But because they talked and admitted their cheating to MLB, Manfred gives them what amounts to a free pass. Total bullshit. What Manfred (if he really cared about the game) should have done, was legitimately punish the franchises by instituting five-year playoff bans for the Astros (and soon to be Red Sox). This punishes the franchises (don't tell me the owners didn't know, of course they did), by costing them postseason revenue, and punishes the players by not giving them anything to play for except their stats and a paycheck. Yes, it would have disastrous financial impact (assuming fans didn't come to the ballpark much) on the Astros (and soon to be Red Sox), but that's the point, isn't it -- consequences for one of the most hideous black eyes to the integrity of baseball.

Dusty Baker joining the Astros - great. Nice PR move getting an old school, non-analytics coach, to coach a bunch of cheaters.

If this was the Yankees, instead of the Astros, as a fan, while I still would love my team, I wouldn't support them until the entire front office, coaching staff and players were cleared out. I wouldn't be making excuses and sob stories and rallying around the team. It just pisses me off. Yes, EVERY team tries to gain an advantage. But not in the way the Astros and Red Sox did (the latter, I assume). They cheated not only their opponents, but the game itself, and Manfred and MLB should be ashamed of itself for the minor slap on the wrist punishments they have metered out.

/rant

[TAC]

Betts, Price to the Dodgers

https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/red-sox/report-red-sox-trade-mookie-betts-david-price-three-team-blockbuster-deal-involving-dodgers

[JayOctavarium]

Mooooooooookieeeeee

Damn

[TAC]

Mookie is fucking electrifying. You guys will enjoy the hell out of him. Price is a douche, but he was not made for Boston. He should thrive out there. No way the Dodgers don't win the World Series this year.

[King Postwhore]

Ugly, ugly, ugly.

[TAC]

So the Equipment Truck left yesterday for Spring Training, Mookie is traded, and the Sox still don't have a manager for this year!!! WT f'n F??

[KevShmev]

Mookie is fucking electrifying. You guys will enjoy the hell out of him. Price is a douche, but he was not made for Boston. He should thrive out there. No way the Dodgers don't win the World Series this year.

Do they have their own trash cans?

[dparrott]

Mookie is fucking electrifying. You guys will enjoy the hell out of him. Price is a douche, but he was not made for Boston. He should thrive out there. No way the Dodgers don't win the World Series this year.

Oh I'm sure something will go wrong.  It always does.    

[romdrums]

Mookie is fucking electrifying. You guys will enjoy the hell out of him. Price is a douche, but he was not made for Boston. He should thrive out there. No way the Dodgers don't win the World Series this year.

Unless they play the Astros*.

[pg1067]

Yesterday was wild!

The Sox give up a guy one season removed from an MVP, a former Cy Young award winner (who, if healthy, is a #2 caliber starter) AND enough cash to cover half of Price's salary in exchange for a couple of prospects!  That's nuts.  I liked Alex Verdugo, but he's completely unproven, and I've never heard of Chauncey Gatorade.*

I don't like losing Kenta Maeda to the Twins because it thins out an already thin bullpen, but I'm otherwise completely on board with this.**

I don't entirely understand sending Joc Pederson to the Angels for some scrub infielder, but there's no room for him anymore.


* - It's possible that I may not have correctly spelled the name of the pitcher that the Sox got from the Twins.

** - AND, as an added bonus, the Dodgers should also now be able to kick every other team's ass at bowling.

[lordxizor]

I like that trade for the Twins. They get a decent pitcher who can help them now in exchange for a fireballing prospect that they intended to use out of the bullpen next season, but may have eventually been able to be a starter. 50/50 shot at best of him becoming an impact player. I would rather they had gone out and gotten a starter closer to ace level, but that was always really only a pipe dream for the Twins. I like the moves they've made and expect them to win the division again in 2020. Whether they'll be able to contend against other playoff team remains to be seen.

[pg1067]

I like that trade for the Twins. They get a decent pitcher who can help them now in exchange for a fireballing prospect that they intended to use out of the bullpen next season, but may have eventually been able to be a starter. 50/50 shot at best of him becoming an impact player. I would rather they had gone out and gotten a starter closer to ace level, but that was always really only a pipe dream for the Twins. I like the moves they've made and expect them to win the division again in 2020. Whether they'll be able to contend against other playoff team remains to be seen.

I think if they use Maeda as anything but a spot starter, they'll be unhappy.  He was at his best out of the bullpen.

[lordxizor]

I like that trade for the Twins. They get a decent pitcher who can help them now in exchange for a fireballing prospect that they intended to use out of the bullpen next season, but may have eventually been able to be a starter. 50/50 shot at best of him becoming an impact player. I would rather they had gone out and gotten a starter closer to ace level, but that was always really only a pipe dream for the Twins. I like the moves they've made and expect them to win the division again in 2020. Whether they'll be able to contend against other playoff team remains to be seen.

I think if they use Maeda as anything but a spot starter, they'll be unhappy.  He was at his best out of the bullpen.

I admittedly know very little about Maeda. What I'm reading this morning is that as a starter he did pretty well the first two times through the order, but fell apart the third time through. Which isn't unusual really. The Twins certainly intend to use him as a starter. They must see something there that the Dodgers didn't. We'll see how it turns out.

[pg1067]

I like that trade for the Twins. They get a decent pitcher who can help them now in exchange for a fireballing prospect that they intended to use out of the bullpen next season, but may have eventually been able to be a starter. 50/50 shot at best of him becoming an impact player. I would rather they had gone out and gotten a starter closer to ace level, but that was always really only a pipe dream for the Twins. I like the moves they've made and expect them to win the division again in 2020. Whether they'll be able to contend against other playoff team remains to be seen.

I think if they use Maeda as anything but a spot starter, they'll be unhappy.  He was at his best out of the bullpen.

I admittedly know very little about Maeda. What I'm reading this morning is that as a starter he did pretty well the first two times through the order, but fell apart the third time through. Which isn't unusual really. The Twins certainly intend to use him as a starter. They must see something there that the Dodgers didn't. We'll see how it turns out.

That was, indeed, the narrative on him, but I don't think it was completely borne out by the numbers.  Either way, over the course of 2017-19, he performed much better out of the bullpen than he ever did as a starter.  Regardless, at $3.125M/yr. for the next four seasons (his age 32-35 seasons), he's a freakin' bargain.

[Dream Team]

An honest take which mirrors mine:

https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2020/2/5/21123730/mookie-betts-red-sox-trade-los-angeles-dodgers

[lordxizor]

Looks like the deal may be stalled because the Sox aren't sold on the Twins pitcher they were set to get. He's profiling as more of a reliever than a starter, which Twins coaches have been leaning towards this off season. It will be interesting to see how this pans out.

[pg1067]

So...the trade apparently changed slightly because the Bosox decided they didn't like Chauncey Gatorade.

The Dodgers still get Betts and Price (with the Sox picking up half of Price's salary), but they are giving up Kenta Maeda and two prospects.  They also get Chauncey and a draft pick from the Twins.

The Twins still get Maeda, along with a prospect and some cash from the Dodgers.

The Sox still get Alex Verdugo, along with a couple prospects from the Dodgers.

So...basically, it's the same trade, except now the Dodgers get Chauncey and had to give up a few prospects.


Also, for whatever reason, the Joc Pederson/Ross Stripling trade to the Angels for a dude and a couple lesser dudes has apparently been nixed.

[ProfessorPeart]

Three batter minimum is here. Frankly, I am all for this right now. I hate the whole 'let's use 5 pitchers this inning'. I may go back on it, but for now I am for this.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/mlb-makes-it-official-the-threebatter-minimum-rule-is-here-212819166.html

[TAC]

What a fucking clown show the Astros press conference is. This owner is a tool. At no point does he even say he's the disappointed with the players. Really??


It's bad when Alex Bregman is the one to look sane. He actually took PERSONAL responsibility in his short prepared statement. I appreciate that. Altuve did not BTW. We'll see what that other players say when the clubhouse opens.


And I love Matt Vaskergian. He's been calling BS all morning.

[Samsara]

Honestly, with all this Astros/cheating bullshit, and Manfred doing some asinine things regarding playoff format, I'm almost done with MLB. I love baseball, but there comes a point where too much crap and too many changes just alienate people. I don't want to be the old guy in the room who doesn't embrace evolution of a sport, but at this point, I'm really fed up with MLB. I'll support baseball as a sport, youth leagues, high school, college, etc. But MLB needs a new commissioner. Pronto.

[pg1067]

Three batter minimum is here. Frankly, I am all for this right now. I hate the whole 'let's use 5 pitchers this inning'. I may go back on it, but for now I am for this.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/mlb-makes-it-official-the-threebatter-minimum-rule-is-here-212819166.html

I'm reserving judgment.  I can't stand when we get multiple 3-minute delays in an inning to allow for pitching changes.  I don't know if this is the answer, though, and I wonder how often we'll see a pitcher claiming to be injured so that he can be removed after facing only a one or two batters.  I think I'd prefer a 0-2 on-field warmup pitches rule (and ditto for warmups at the start of an inning).  As far as I know, baseball is the only sport that allows a person coming into the game to have on-field warmup (after having off-field warmup!).  When I first started watching hockey about 30 years ago, if a new goalie came in during the game, his team had some amount of time to pepper him with shots.  They got rid of that after some teams used it as a way to rest their players.  No good reason why pitchers coming into the game and starting an inning need 8 warmup pitches.

What a fucking clown show the Astros press conference is. This owner is a tool. At no point does he even say he's the disappointed with the players. Really??


It's bad when Alex Bregman is the one to look sane. He actually took PERSONAL responsibility in his short prepared statement. I appreciate that. Altuve did not BTW. We'll see what that other players say when the clubhouse opens.


And I love Matt Vaskergian. He's been calling BS all morning.

I'm quite looking forward to the March 30 Astros at A's game (Astros first road game).  I hope the fans in Oakland really let the Astros have it all game long.  The Angels home opening series against the Astros on April 3-5 should be even better.  I might even look at going to one of those games.

[Samsara]

The Houston players should be ashamed of themselves. In the end, whether they (or any pro athlete for that matter) like it or not, they are role models to kids. What does this say to the 11 year old who idolizes Altuve and the rest of them? That they cheated, and while bad, its ok if you get away with it, because it might not really even impact the outcome? (Or some such bullshit?)

SMH.

Shit's wrong man.

[ProfessorPeart]

I'm quite looking forward to the March 30 Astros at A's game (Astros first road game).  I hope the fans in Oakland really let the Astros have it all game long.  The Angels home opening series against the Astros on April 3-5 should be even better.  I might even look at going to one of those games.

What would be perfect is another sewage backup at the park. Those love to happen at the A's park.

[pg1067]

I'm quite looking forward to the March 30 Astros at A's game (Astros first road game).  I hope the fans in Oakland really let the Astros have it all game long.  The Angels home opening series against the Astros on April 3-5 should be even better.  I might even look at going to one of those games.

What would be perfect is another sewage backup at the park. Those love to happen at the A's park.

They had a sewage leak during a game at Dodger Stadium last year (or maybe it was the year before).  Unfortunately, the Astros and Dodgers won't play each other this season.

The Houston players should be ashamed of themselves. In the end, whether they (or any pro athlete for that matter) like it or not, they are role models to kids. What does this say to the 11 year old who idolizes Altuve and the rest of them? That they cheated, and while bad, its ok if you get away with it, because it might not really even impact the outcome? (Or some such bullshit?)

Well...this is where a good parent steps in and tells his/her kid, "It's great to have Jose Altuve as a role model as far as how to play second base and hit a baseball, but idolizing athletes beyond what they do on the field is ill-advised.  Also, human beings sometimes make mistakes and do dumb things."

[romdrums]

I hope the Astros see a lot of inside fastballs this year.

[Samsara]

Well...this is where a good parent steps in and tells his/her kid, "It's great to have Jose Altuve as a role model as far as how to play second base and hit a baseball, but idolizing athletes beyond what they do on the field is ill-advised.  Also, human beings sometimes make mistakes and do dumb things."

I agree. But you know as well as I do that good parents are a rarity. That's the reality, and these athletes are role models regardless.

[DragonAttack]

Etiquette prevents me from putting an image of a douche bag on this forum in regards to the Asstros' owner.

For real?  I mean, WTW!?!!? 

[Cool Chris]

This could get interesting on the games start. I might actually have to watch a couple Astros games.

[TheCountOfNYC]

Do the Astros play the Yankees and/or Dodgers this year? Those are the two teams that got screwed over the most from the cheating. I would love to see Houston get booed out of Yankee and Dodger Stadium.

[TAC]

Do the Astros play the Yankees and/or Dodgers this year? Those are the two teams that got screwed over the most from the cheating. I would love to see Houston get booed out of Yankee and Dodger Stadium.

Pretty sure the Yankees are just as dirty as the Astros and Red Sox. Cora pretty much called them out in London last year.

[pg1067]

Do the Astros play the Yankees and/or Dodgers this year? Those are the two teams that got screwed over the most from the cheating. I would love to see Houston get booed out of Yankee and Dodger Stadium.

Yankees yes; Dodgers no.

[TAC]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/rob-manfred-astros-continued-sign-stealing-scheme-during-2017-postseason/ar-BB108q9k?li=BBnba9I

The Home Road splits are ridiculous.

https://www.12up.com/posts/astros-home-vs-road-splits-from-2017-playoffs-suggest-evidence-of-sign-stealing-01dsjze4xax2

[Hyperplex]

Just saw this article posted and found it .... interesting. I am not much of a baseball person, but I find the league's response to the Astros intriguing.

"MLB's Rob Manfred is latest villain in Astros' cheating scandal"
https://www.axios.com/rob-manfred-mlb-commissioner-astros-sign-stealing-df5cb5e0-023f-41be-be6e-7aa9988c1e35.html

Thoughts and opinions on this piece?

[TAC]

He has taken heat for granting immunity to the players, but as the MLBPA pointed out last night in their statement, the players cannot be held accountable in any way per the CBA.
The MLBPA is upset that they seem to feel that by giving them immunity (that they already had), the players thought they were catching a break. Not sure why the players or their reps wouldn't know that.

The "piece of metal" comment to me was not a big deal, as it was really only blown up by a Dodger (Justin Turner) as the Dodgers are mad about everything right now, and rightly so.



Teams have been complaining about the Astros for a couple of years now. Not sure why Manfred has never felt like it deserved any investigation previously. It wasn't until a player (Mike Fiers) and a highly reputable reporter (Ken Rosenthal) put their names to it, that Manfred could simply not ignore it anymore.

[DragonAttack]

Just agreeing with all the anti Manfred and A**tros comments.

I did hear a good one from a correctional officer on the radio over the weekend.  He suggested that all home plate umpires swipe the batters with a metal detecting wand before they step up to home plate