MLB offseason 2019

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by droopydrew19

braves

even worse.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

A work stoppage is in the cards. 100 legitimate major league players are unsigned as camp opens. That's shameful.

Or is it there are 100 younger cheaper guys who are worth seeing in Spring training?

Like every other game Baseball will get younger especially with analytics.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Or is it there are 100 younger cheaper guys who are worth seeing in Spring training?

Like every other game Baseball will get younger especially with analytics.

If 100 MLB players can't find jobs, the league needs to expand. They have 25-man rosters - that means four teams are out of work.

The players should be outraged.

[browna]

I like the Padres, the lovable losers, playing in a great city and great ball park. Went to a game there a season and a half ago.

A few years back they stocked up in FA, Kimbrel, Kemp. Sold Kimbrell to Boston at deadline and finish 4th in the NL W. This is a different commitment with likely the same outcome.

Machado will take the money and run. He will put up decent numbers, but the Padres need a lot of help in a few areas, or hope a bunch of no name guys have career years. Tough division too with Dodgers Diamondbacks and Giants. It’s basically like putting Machado on the Blue Jays this year.

Hosmer and Will Myers there, but pitching is a concern.

And this from Espn:
The Padres have spent $474 million in free agency the past two seasons -- tops in the majors. San Diego had spent a combined $309 million in free agency in the previous 25 seasons, which ranked 27th in the majors.


Harper would’ve been a better signing for the same dough, if that was possible.

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

If 100 MLB players can't find jobs, the league needs to expand. They have 25-man rosters - that means four teams are out of work.

The players should be outraged.

Well based on this list..

https://www.mlb.com/news/2019-mlb-fr...ts/c-293292274

I barely see the makings of one more team. It's not like Harper doesn't have any action on him either. He's reportedly turned down 300 million dollar offers from more than one team.

Lets face it by the time these guys get to free agency many are a bit older, and teams are smart to avoid handing out long term guaranteed money to athletes this age.

The MLB Players union needs to stop crying about how much old broken down guys are getting paid, and see what they can do to get younger players into the game earlier with fewer years of team control so more guys can be free agents at 26 to 28 years old, and more players are in the league at 20.

It's happening in all the other sports. I don't see Baseball being able to resist it either.

Look at the NHL even with an expansion team, and another one coming, players over 30 are having a tougher time finding jobs every coming year.

[bluejays]

The problem with baseball is development and physical strength. I'm not sure most 20 year olds are capable at playing at the MLB level. The "issue" with Vlad Jr's callup is something they certainly will probably work on when they open CBA talks, but the PA can't bitch about it when they negotiated it. It is really interesting to see the evolution of the game suddenly. You don't need old overpriced guys who will be a burden in their later years of their contracts. So seeing this gives me happiness to see that the MLBPA didn't win even though every contract negotiation seems to be the PA winning.

Back to Harper though, only a handful of teams can afford him. What price he puts himself at is a whole other thing, but only a few will put an offer to him so it'll likely not be a bidding war. While hockey isn't the same as baseball, this guy is every bit Crosby as in a generational talent (not attitude). Look at his numbers and see how he's heads and shoulders above 99% of the league. Baseball just isn't set up the same way as hockey or basketball for individuals to carry the team, but this guy on skill level is a generational talent, there is absolutely no disputing that - even on a message board.

[GirlySports]

My wish is for Harper to go to the Mets.

A) it would be interesting in NY
B) i just took the Mets @25-1 to win the world series.

[Strange Brew]

I’ve read some articles that the 100 unsigned free agents is quite an exaggeration. There are definitely some legitimate players in there but a large part of the list are fringe big leaguers who will not be getting a contract in any case.

But 100 sounds good.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by fleury

The problem with baseball is development and physical strength. I'm not sure most 20 year olds are capable at playing at the MLB level. The "issue" with Vlad Jr's callup is something they certainly will probably work on when they open CBA talks, but the PA can't bitch about it when they negotiated it. It is really interesting to see the evolution of the game suddenly. You don't need old overpriced guys who will be a burden in their later years of their contracts. So seeing this gives me happiness to see that the MLBPA didn't win even though every contract negotiation seems to be the PA winning.

Back to Harper though, only a handful of teams can afford him. What price he puts himself at is a whole other thing, but only a few will put an offer to him so it'll likely not be a bidding war. While hockey isn't the same as baseball, this guy is every bit Crosby as in a generational talent (not attitude). Look at his numbers and see how he's heads and shoulders above 99% of the league. Baseball just isn't set up the same way as hockey or basketball for individuals to carry the team, but this guy on skill level is a generational talent, there is absolutely no disputing that - even on a message board.

I'm as big a Nat's fan/Harper fan as you get, but the bolded part is ridiculous. If you only look at 2015, it's probably somewhat true. But it's pretty hard to say if that was who he is or other years are who he is. If he repeated 2015 in any of the last 3 years, he'd get his 400 million dollar contract, but he's a big risk/reward proposition that could pan out to be a regular mvp finalist, or a big bust who hits .220 with 20 hr more than half his years.

[flames_fan_down_under]

There are some legitimate big leaguers on that list of FAs.

Harper
Kimbrel
Keuchel
Gio Gonzalez
Jose Iglesias
Carlos Gonzalez
Marwin Gonzalez

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Well based on this list..

https://www.mlb.com/news/2019-mlb-fr...ts/c-293292274

I barely see the makings of one more team. It's not like Harper doesn't have any action on him either. He's reportedly turned down 300 million dollar offers from more than one team.

Lets face it by the time these guys get to free agency many are a bit older, and teams are smart to avoid handing out long term guaranteed money to athletes this age.

The MLB Players union needs to stop crying about how much old broken down guys are getting paid, and see what they can do to get younger players into the game earlier with fewer years of team control so more guys can be free agents at 26 to 28 years old, and more players are in the league at 20.

It's happening in all the other sports. I don't see Baseball being able to resist it either.

Look at the NHL even with an expansion team, and another one coming, players over 30 are having a tougher time finding jobs every coming year.

Look, I get AAAA players having a tough time finding work. I get older veterans with injury history not earning retirement contracts.

I don't understand how the 31 year old 2015 Cy Young winner who started 34 games last season with a 3.74 era doesn't have a job at the beginning of spring training.

And I disagree, most 20 year olds are not ready to play in the show. I don't want to watch a bunch of kids getting embarrassed by major league pitchers on a nightly basis because the billionaire owners won't pay MLB quality talent even a fraction of what it's worth.

[bluejays]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Look, I get AAAA players having a tough time finding work. I get older veterans with injury history not earning retirement contracts.

I don't understand how the 31 year old 2015 Cy Young winner who started 34 games last season with a 3.74 era doesn't have a job at the beginning of spring training.

And I disagree, most 20 year olds are not ready to play in the show. I don't want to watch a bunch of kids getting embarrassed by major league pitchers on a nightly basis because the billionaire owners won't pay MLB quality talent even a fraction of what it's worth.

I wouldn't either. It's probably the owners internally talking and saying, "look at what some of the budget teams did, that's the model I'm going to employ", as they look to build the team on a tighter budget. Does it make sense to pay anyone $300M over 10 years, when it will inevitably backfire after max 6 years? To me, it's smart for every single team to avoid that. It sucks to be the player who thinks highly of themselves and expected that contract, but in a year the owners wised up, they gotta adjust their strategy accordingly, and perhaps look for a shorter term. I don't feel sorry for the players at all. The owners take the risks of ownership. If they feel the fans will get pinched in the later years of these contracts by handcuffing the team, it is what it is. Players stop crying and adjust your bargaining stance. It's not a conspiracy.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Insert "I'm rich biatch!" gif

https://twitter.com/user/status/1100439890670600192

[Samonadreau]

^deservedly so. Guy is a stud.

[KelVarnsen]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1101209561338445825

[GirlySports]

$330 mill over 13 years, that's much less than everyone thought.

[Senator Clay Davis]

He barely did better on AAV than ARod did....in 2001. Biggest guaranteed total sure, but surely he has to be very disappointed.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

13 years? He'll be 39. I'm guessing there's an out clause along the way somewhere?

edit: apparently not.


Jeff Passan@JeffPassan
Bryce Harper’s deal with the Phillies will be for 13 years and $330M, league sources tell ESPN. It will not include any opt-outs.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

13 years? He'll be 39. I'm guessing there's an out clause along the way somewhere?

edit: apparently not.


Jeff Passan@JeffPassan
Bryce Harper’s deal with the Phillies will be for 13 years and $330M, league sources tell ESPN. It will not include any opt-outs.

remember, universal DH by then

[SuperMatt18]

Fun game...could you have made a playoff team out of just players that weren't signed by Jan 1 2019. https://www.mlb.com/news/2019-mlb-fr...ts/c-293292274

Introducing your Las Vegas Vipers! (Felt bad to not make them the Expos but no way Machado or Harper would sign in Montreal).

Catcher
Yasmani Grandal (30 years old, 3.6 WAR) -- Signed 1-year deal with MIL (1/14).
Martin Maldonado (32, 0.9)

First Base
Wilmer Flores (27, 0.5) -- Signed 1-year deal with ARI (1/21).

Second Base
Jed Lowrie (35 years old, 4.9 WAR) -- Signed 2-year deal with NYM (1/16).
Asdrubal Cabrera (33, 2.7) -- Signed 1-year deal with TEX (1/24).

Third Base
Mike Moustakas (30, 2.4) -- Signed 1-year deal with MIL (2/19)

Short Stop
Manny Machado (26 years old, 6.2 WAR) -- Agreed to 10-year deal with SD (2/19).
Jose Iglesias (29, 2.5)

Left Field
Marwin Gonzalez (30, 1.6)
Derek Dietrich (29, 0.8) -- Signed MiLB deal with CIN (2/19).

Center Field
A.J. Pollock (31 years old, 2.5 WAR) -- Signed 4-year deal with LAD (1/26).

Right Field
Bryce Harper (26 years old, 3.5 WAR)
Carlos Gonzalez (33, 1.7)

Starting Pitcher
Dallas Keuchel (31, 3.6)
Anibal Sanchez (35, 2.4) -- Signed 2-year deal with WSH (12/27-cheated a little on this one)
Gio Gonzalez (33, 2.0)
Derek Holland (32, 2.0) -- Signed 1-year deal with SF (1/14).
Clay Buchholz (34, 1.9)
Wade Miley (32, 1.5) -- Signed 1-year deal with HOU (2/1).

Relief Pitching
Adam Ottavino (33 years old, 2.0 WAR) -- Signed 3-year deal with NYY (1/24).
David Robertson (34, 1.5) -- Signed 2-year deal with PHI (1/3).
Craig Kimbrel (31, 1.5)
Oliver Perez (37, 1.1) -- Signed 1-year deal with CLE (1/25).
Luis Avilan (29, 0.9) -- Signed MiLB deal with NYM (1/10).
Tony Sipp (35, 0.9)
Zach Duke (36, 0.9) -- Signed 1-year deal with CIN (2/11).

A pretty old team overall but they would probably be competitive enough depending on what division they are in (gunning for the AL Central).