***MLB Off season Thread 2019/2020***

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throwittoblythe

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Aug 7, 2006
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L.......O........L........

Can't say I disagree, but was curious what KC fans thought. The twitter responses to that post suggest they're not a big fan. They have a young team and they just hired a guy who was run off from STL because he was toxic to the young players.

Also, get used to Matheny always deferring to veterans who are beyond their prime. Those guys will get far more starts than the young pups because of unwritten rules or something...
 

CloneFan4

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Aug 5, 2010
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Does KC ownership want to lose? Because that's a hire that's going to continue the landslide from grace that was their 2015 WS win
 

CTTB78

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Apr 7, 2006
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I just hope the Twins spend some serious damn money on some pitching.

That would be nice, but Falvey and Co. can't bid with the Yankee$, Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers or even the Angels or Astros.
The Twins will always be in the diamond in the rough market, unfortunately. The lack of a cap in baseball always has the small market guys at a disadvantage.
 

BoxsterCy

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Going to be an interesting and fun next five days or so.

Really good summary of key dates from the Star Tribune edition this morning over the next month of so, busy stuff.

Now: Eligible veterans become free agents; teams can negotiate with their own free agents for five days but cannot sign anyone.

Monday: Teams can extend a qualifying off ($17.8 M for 2020) to their own free agents; deadline for picking up player options.

Tuesday: Free Agency begins. AKA the free for all begins!

Nov. 11 – 14: Major league award winners announced.

Nov. 15: Deadline for free agents to accept qualifying offers.


Linky to the full aticle: For Twin fans as it mostly about them.
http://www.startribune.com/twins-ha...n-free-agency-clock-starts-ticking/564168692/
 

BoxsterCy

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Misc Yankee notes:
  • Yanks declined to pick up Encarnación's option**
  • Aaron Hicks had Tommy John.
  • Yanks fire pitching coach Larry Rothschild
  • Does Chapman opt out? Guessing yes.
  • Do Yanks qualify offer Didi Gregorius? Guessing no on the $17.5M.
  • What about free agents Brett Gardner ($7.5 million in 2019), right-handed reliever Dellin Betances ($7.25 million), catcher Austin Romine? Betances had the worst luck in becoming a FA when he missed the entire year.

** Edwin the parrot is now a full time Cyclone alternate mascot at my place.

edwin Cy CF scale.jpg
 

BryceC

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Congrats to the Nats on winning last night. They kicked the **** out of my Cardinals to get there. Glad to see Mad Max win one. Big props to them.

Question for Royals fans from a Cards fan: What's the initial reaction to the Matheny hire?



 
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BryceC

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As a Royals fan who watched probably 200 baseball games from 2013-2015, which my wife put on every day, I do wonder about the future of baseball. I didn't watch 1 minute of baseball in 2018 or 2019. I won't probably watch 1 minute of baseball the next 2 years. I get "The Process", but the difference in the process in baseball is that while you're building up your prospects you aren't even watching the guys that will eventually take you back to the playoffs. You're literally just spinning your wheels, waiting for prospects to emerge if they ever do. It's a tough sport to be a fan of when there are 162 mostly meaningless games and you're years away from playing any meaningful baseball.
 
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BoxsterCy

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Didn't see this Gerrit Cole stuff until this afternoon. Damn, dude, wearing a Scott Boras hat to post game interviews? JFC. And telling the team "I don't work for you anymore" the instant the series is over. Guy sounds like a ****.

Asked by a team official to meet with reporters after their 6-2 loss to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, Cole, who was wearing a Boras Corp. hat, said, "I'm not employed by the team." However, after agreeing to interviews, he started out with, "I guess as a representative of myself ..."

Cole is represented by agent Scott Boras and is poised to command a big payday on the free-agent market.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27975988/free-agent-gerrit-cole-thanks-astros-fans-support

With Boras I wonder who of the moneyed teams will pony up the insane money he will demand. You're going to end up likely eating $100M plus in salary after he's washed up unless you think he's Verlander II and will be pitching effectively till he's 38 or something.
 
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heitclone

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Way up there
As a Royals fan who watched probably 200 baseball games from 2013-2015, which my wife put on every day, I do wonder about the future of baseball. I didn't watch 1 minute of baseball in 2018 or 2019. I won't probably watch 1 minute of baseball the next 2 years. I get "The Process", but the difference in the process in baseball is that while you're building up your prospects you aren't even watching the guys that will eventually take you back to the playoffs. You're literally just spinning your wheels, waiting for prospects to emerge if they ever do. It's a tough sport to be a fan of when there are 162 mostly meaningless games and you're years away from playing any meaningful baseball.

To be fair, this has always been the case. Heck us old timers remember when only 4 teams made the playoffs, so this is actually an improvement, more teams qualify now than ever.
 

VeloClone

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Jan 19, 2010
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Didn't see this Gerrit Cole stuff until this afternoon. Damn, dude, wearing a Scott Boras hat to post game interviews? JFC. And telling the team "I don't work for you anymore" the instant the series is over. Guy sounds like a ****.



https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27975988/free-agent-gerrit-cole-thanks-astros-fans-support

With Boras I wonder who of the moneyed teams will pony up the insane money he will demand. You're going to end up likely eating $100M plus in salary after he's washed up unless you think he's Verlander II and will be pitching effectively till he's 38 or something.
While Boras gets his players money, I really think he does serious damage to the rep of his players. My question: Do asshats gravitate toward him or does he coach his clients to be asshats? Maybe both?
 

CyGuy5

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Dec 4, 2013
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As a Royals fan, the Matheny here was pretty much worst case scenario. Even though we knew it was coming it’s still an awful hire. In my opinion, Dayton Moore needs to go. What he did to bring the Royals a title in 2015 was great, but he’s made some terrible moves as of late and I think it’s time for a change.
 

BoxsterCy

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Finally, some baseball news.

I was of half a mind that when the Twins gave Odorizzi the qualifying offer of $17.5M that they were counting on him declining it. Is best that he did call the bluff, if it was one, and accept it. Maybe if he pitches well through mid-2020 they can work out a contract. Starting pitching is SO hard to come by. Anyway, good news for the Twins. And better one year money than Jack was likely to get elsewhere but obviously lacks the security of a multi-year.

https://www.mlb.com/twins/news/jake-odorizzi-accepts-twins-qualifying-offer
 
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