This week in the baseball blogosphere…
- Outside Pitch MLB examines the possibility of a Yankees–Pirates trade involving center fielder Andrew McCutchen.
- MLB451 predicts the postseason.
- Wayniac Nation explains why Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman deserves NL MVP consideration.
- BaseballDocs puts together a couple potential Brewers–Dodgers trades featuring outfielders Ryan Braun and Yasiel Puig.
- Now On Deck has an offseason plan for the Orioles.
- Clutchlings revisits the 2012 Blue Jays–Mets deal that sent R.A. Dickey to Toronto and Noah Syndergaard to New York.
- Chin Music Baseball lists six non-playoff teams that will be under pressure to compete next year.
- Brew Crew Fever grades the Brewers’ season.
- The Point of Pittsburgh projects salary figures for the Pirates’ arbitration-eligible players.
- Camden Depot names the five biggest surprises of the Orioles’ season.
- Jays From the Couch likes Toronto in an underdog role.
- Yanks Go Yard breaks down the Yankees’ platoon options for 2017.
- Pirates Breakdown delves into recent budget-related comments by general manager Neal Huntington.
- Halo Headquarters identifies some Angels prospects who could make big league impacts in 2017.
- Dan Grant of Same Page Team touches on Blue Jays–Rangers, Orioles manager Buck Showalter’s avoidance of superstar closer Zach Britton in the AL wild-card game, and the Toronto fan who threw a beer can at O’s outfielder Hyun Soo Kim. Everything Bluebirds also blasts that fan for his moronic act.
- All Sports With Steve argues that Major League Baseball should extend the wild-card round to three games.
- DieHard NYY doesn’t want the Yankees to trade catcher Brian McCann.
- The Runner Sports looks back on the Astrodome’s role as a shelter during Hurricane Katrina.
Please send submissions to ZachBBWI @gmail.com
Freeman deserves the MVP award. Plain and simple
LMAO!
You must be one of those bandwagon cubs fans.
Says the “bravesiowafanboy”. Pot meet kettle. Btw, I hate the Cubs
Where you live does not dictate you fandom. Tool
No chance in hell.
Foolish your obviously not a legit fan if you can’t see it being a possibility.
I’m surprised he didn’t say goldshmit
Don’t make absurd statements and then question other people’s authenticity if they’re a fan or not
What was absurd? I made a fair statement if ppl can read numbers there wouldn’t be an argument. Numbers talk foolish opinions don’t. I’m speaking baseball not fantasies here
Typical braves fan lol
Yes, Freeman had a great year on offense. And yes, you can argue that he’s a great defensive first baseman as well (which has saved the Braves on multiple occasions throughout the years). But the fact is, there are players like Bryant that have been even better this year than Freeman has, and playing a tougher position than first base to boot. You could try to argue that he should get more consideration than fellow first baseman Anthony Rizzo, and while many people would disagree, you could make a good case for that. It certainly isn’t really a stretch to say that he should at least be considered for it. But to say that he should win the MVP award, “plain and simple”? Even many of the most ardent Braves’ fans would disagree with you.
Freeman for MVP? Haha
MVP goes to a player on winning teams that actually was a difference maker on said team. Not taking anything away from Freeman, but the braves are in the cellar, so it’s hard to make the case that he’s the league MVP
I hate that my fellow Braves fans love to overreach when valuing our players. Freeman was fantastic. Kris Bryant and Corey Seager were better. Period. Can’t we just enjoy Freeman’s season without insisting he was the best player in the league?
He was the best player in the NL with the team he was surrounded with and still having those numbers on top of being the teams biggest leader. It’s not about numbers strictly if it were like the article above states Jeter would have won up multiple. Freeman may be tied with votto and trout as the leagues most well rounded best player. None of the stated about would produce the numbers freeman did with the team he was on. (Minus maybe trout because lets be real he is the best player in baseball.
haha…Freeman is a first basemen. He had a wrc+ that’s 3 points better than bryant, who plays a much harder defensive position and is a better baserunner. Go homer somewhere else
BryNt also plays surround with a great pitching staff and a lineup that protects his 160k a year take away 4 or 5 all stars and put him in the braves this year and he is nowhere near that good.
This is pathetic. Freeman is good but there are many other players in the league that he doesn’t even compare to. And saying Votto is one of the leagues best players is also a joke. Neither of them even come close to the ability of Trout, Machado, Bryant, Harper and many more.
Votto for sure, and freeman to a lesser degree are defintly two of the top players in the league. Votto might’ve been the best hitter this year, or at the very least, the best hitter in the second half
Trout and Machado are in a different league so they aren’t even in the argument for NL MVP, Harper is nowhere close to the Harper of last season and that’s what he would need to beat either Freddie or Nolan Arrendo (Col) and Bryant is only so good because he has like 5 all stars in his line up before and after him. Considering freeman had no support until the last month basically and still put up MVP numbers. How can one justify most valuable player when you can’t even look at the whole picture. If trout is the best player in the league this year and let’s say next year they get 2 above average bats to put behind him your going to tell me his numbers won’t be better?
You’re putting me in the weird spot of arguing against Freeman. He had an excellent season. It should be commended. He plays good first base defense and had an elite bat. Kris Bryant was as good at the plate with great defense at a more premium position.
Freeman should get his second career top 5 finish in MVP voting but there’s no legitimate argument for him winning it. No voter is going to say, “well, he had garbage teammates, that should give him a bonus.” That just isn’t how it works.
No but he raise his team up from a 110 loss team to not even a 100 loss. Aka MVP doing what others couldn’t. Kris Bryant would have nowhere near the number freeman has if he were on the same team this year and frankly not many guys would. I’m not putting Bryant down but if he wasn’t stacked to the max in the line up around him he wouldn’t have half the RBIs he does now and he wouldn’t be considered an MVP candidates. Only superstars succeed with nothing around them in a lineup Freddie deserves to at least be a top tree MVP finalist. Numbers talk but you still must consider if there are decent players around them to help elevate those numbers.
Stop… we “must not”. He didn’t lead the braves to victory, he wasn’t the best hitter, and he wasn’t the best defender. His/my team sucking adds zero credence to your argument.
Freeman … MVP …. LMAO!
Freeman was one of the best hitters in baseball in the second half and definitely should be in the discussion. He was one of the main reasons the Braves finished hot and screwed up their draft pick for 2017.
Second half? Who cares? What about the first half when the team needed him? No he is NOT even in the discussion. I mean wake up!
He was an above average bat in the first half the point is he did his job one player doesn’t determine a teams record but one player can raise a team around him aka most valuable player. His second half was historic if Harper had a second half like freeman we wouldn’t be arguing this point.
I can see Hart adding both McCann and free agent Cespedes to the Braves this winter. These two moves would make the Braves contenders moving into the new stadium..A line-up with Freeman, Cespedes, Kemp, and McCann would be the best in the NL East.
You want 5 starting outfielders? Not practical and they let McCann go for a reason we don’t want him back look at his numbers he is only a defender at this point in his career.
1. Hart isn’t the GM
2. Coppy won’t sign a player for 30 annually. It’s not going to happen for at least another 5 years.
Braves will trade for a catcher and sign some platoon players for 5 million for third and/or 2nd and trade/sign 2 veteran pitchers (probably trade. Even though that will leave them with a pretty empty farm again)
1. No Hart oversees coppy he is his boss and one of the final decision makers. He is also the main architect for the braves rebuild.
2. You don’t empty you farm system or even multiple top ten prospects unless they get major talent back. This is arguably the top farm system in the league it doesn’t just go empty from trading for stop gaps one year guys. Also you don’t empty the farm and expect to compete when you haven’t even hit the second stage of the rebuild and getting the prized prospect just to give him away for older ppl makes no sense unless it is a major upgrade.
3. You underestimate the value of our prospects, any one of the top ten prospects is in the top five for any team in baseball except maybe the Yankees. We ha e more top 100 prospects than any team In baseball…. they won’t change hardly touch the farm.
I think the Brewers have the stronger farm right now.
Also the Braves prospects are all boom or bust so a large majority of them won’t make it. They tend to get lucky with a few under the radar type guys, however so we shall see
I think the Braves have showed interest in McCann, he is rated anywhere from a 1.6 to 3.0 WAR the last 2 years on Fangraphs which places him around 10th for catchers. Yanks will have to pay some of his salary to move him.
Braves have more top 100 prospects then any team in baseball including the brewers. Brewers have a top 5 prospect system for sure but not number one. Reguardless of high risk or not more top 100 prospects than any other team speaks for itself.
No it wouldn’t and that lineup is still likely to be worse than the Nats. The Braves have like 1 quality pitcher, they are much, much further away from competing than yo and an old catcher.
I can see Cashman trading for more young pithing this winter. He might move McCann to the Braves for Newcomb and Fried or to the Nats for Fedde and Glover. Then I can see him moving Gardner to either the Astros or Giants for pitching. Cashman might try and move some prospects for a young controllable pitcher. Yanks look to sign free agents in 2018 after they access their young prospects.further.
WAY overvaluing McCann’s value. You will never get that from the braves period not for a mid thirties catcher.
No way the Braves give them Newcomb or Fried, let alone Newcomb and Fried. McCann just isn’t worth that anymore especially as he continues to age.
It’s going to be tough to trade both McCann and Gardner. . .McCann has a full NTC and is making $34MM over the next two seasons while Gardner can be traded without his consent but is owed a minimum of $23MM over the next two seasons. Plus the Yankees consider both of these guys to be leaders of the team (though I don’t think that should prevent a trade).
They should keep McCann as the backup catcher and occasional DH and 1B. If he can be a bit more productive with the bat (and maybe less catching will help him) he could take more DH at-bats. Gardner is more tradable if the Yankees throw some money in a deal but he really does not have a ton of value because his offense is so limited for an OF. They didn’t receive an “acceptable” offer on Gardner last year and he’s probably worth less now.
Can only hope that Frazier is banging down the door by mid-season and the Yankees are forced into making a decision and Gardner or Ellsbury move into the 4th OF stage of their career.
I’d rather see the Yankees keep butler and deal McCann.
The guy says not to make stupid moves but says that the O’s should sign trumbo??LOL
While we are giving the MVP to Freeman midas whale give the CY Young to Tehran.
Midas whale.
Complete different caliber of players not even a chance for Tehran but freeman will get MVP votes and will be a top five MVP candidate