The latest from the NL East:
- Mets outfielder Michael Conforto suggested Saturday that he’s unsure if he’ll be able to slot into the team’s lineup on Opening Day next year, according to James Wagner of the New York Times (Twitter link). Conforto suffered a torn capsule in his left shoulder in late August, ending his season, and then underwent surgery earlier this month. The 24-year-old noted that the procedure should help stave off future shoulder dislocations, which would certainly be optimal for him and the Mets. Conforto emerged as a breakout performer and one of the few bright spots for the woebegone Mets before the injury, hitting .279/.384/.555 with 27 home runs in 440 plate appearances. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said on the heels of Conforto’s surgery that the club’s optimistic he won’t have to alter his swing upon returning. He’s roughly six months away from resuming baseball activities.
- Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper is “very close” to making his highly anticipated return, manager Dusty Baker told Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com and other reporters Saturday. Harper, out since Aug. 13 with injuries to his left knee and calf, could be back in Washington’s lineup as early as Monday, per Zuckerman. That would give the superstar a week to readjust to game action before the Nationals’ NLDS matchup against a to-be-determined opponent (likely the Cubs).
- The Braves’ previously reported agreement with Korean shortstop prospect Jihwan Bae became an official signing Saturday, according to Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Braves have high hopes for the 18-year-old Bae, whom special assistant Chad MacDonald heaped praise on Saturday. “It’s an elite runner, top-of-the-scale runner,” MacDonald said. “He’s very athletic. He stays at shortstop, he’s going to be a solid to plus defender there. His bat-to-ball skills are really good. There’s more power in the bat. If everything clicks, we have a left-handed version of Trea Turner, who I signed in San Diego. Again, maybe not that much power, but certainly the impact speed and defense, with bat-to-ball skills and a left-handed hitter.” As MacDonald mentioned, he was in the Padres’ front office when they inked Turner after selecting him 13th in the 2014 draft. Turner has since blossomed into a star with the Nats.
Take your time, Bryce. Don’t want a long term injury. Fans in NY are waiting with bated breath.
I don’t know why yankees fans are so confident signing harper when they literally ran out of money this offseason
The Yankees run out of money haha more like their being smart and staying under the luxury tax.
Harper will end up signing a ridiculous contract with the Yankees, hit .320 with 42 homers in his first season in NY. Be the darling of the New York media. Then he’ll suffer from injuries and general malaise, drop to .261 with 16 HRs, and be booed every time he shows his face on the field. It’s called “Ellsbury Syndrome”.
Yankees are gonna sign Machado, not harper
Why not both?
Thanks Carnac the Magnificent..
Hi Bryce! Fan in NY here. No matter what decision you pick, pick what’s best for you and your family.
Ofc we’d love to have you (like 29/29 other teams)
I can’t understand how this comment got a dislike. It wasn’t meant to be sarcastic at all. As a NY fan would I be ecstatic if Bryce signed with the Yankees? Sure.
But not enough to blatantly call/wish/speculate while he has on a Nats uniform. That’s just disrespectful to team, player, and their fans. I apologize on behalf of other Yankees fans who can’t hold their excitement.
And fyi he could still resign with the Nats. It will take a lot money which their owner has no problem spending.
No way can the Nats afford to sign Harper. Sure, the Lerners’ can afford him, but the Nats revenue cannot. It’s why they have backloaded and deferred tens of millions of dollars on all the big contracts they’ve signed. They’ll be paying Scherzer and Strasburg for years after each are done playing. The team owners are not going to go into their own pockets to sign Harper.
The Nats are currently involved in lengthy litigation vs. the Os over MASN royalty payments. The Nats are entitled to significantly more teevee money than they are currently receiving. Once the litigation is over they will receive both back payments and a significant future increase.
They have been backloading contracts for this very reason, they may not be able to afford something now but know that they will be able to afford it in the future. The Nats are not now, nor will they in the foreseeable future be, a small revenue franchise. They won’t spend with the Yanks, Dodgers and Red Sox but they will spend enough to compete in the NL East.
That’s a long winded way of saying that, if the Nationals fail to sign Harper it won’t be due to lack of funds. They can and will make a competitive offer.
Folks keep ignoring the relatively close relationship between Harper’s agent and Nats ownership/management. All parties involved have known for years that the day would come when they’d have to sit down and discuss an extension for Harper. And they have dealt with each other with that thought in the foreground. When Boras needed a spring invite/minor league deal for one of his clients the Nats were always there. Salary arbs, settled before a hearing. It would be quite a slap in the face for Boras to take his client elsewhere.
I obviously have no idea what Harper will do. But he appears comfortable where he is. The relationships between player, agent, ownership, management, team and fans appear to be solid. Long as the Nats make a competitive offer, and I expect that they will, he may surprise y’all and choose to become D.C.’s own Mantle. Just sayin’.
The Nats can’t count on any MASN money coming soon. The MASN litigation has taken a long time, and it will continue to languish in the courts through the various appeals. No predicting when that may happen, or what the payoff will be.
The O’s are contesting the litigation tooth and nail, and don’t forget O’s owner Peter Angelos is an accomplished and tough attorney. For the Nats to assume a windfall coming soon, and base roster decisions on it, would be premature and likely to backfire on them.
That said, I don’t think the Nats are counting those chickens. They know the O’s and Angelos very well through all their territorial dustups. They may or may not re=sign Harper, but not with MASN money per se.
“The MASN litigation has taken a long time, and it will continue to languish in the courts through the various appeals.”
Sounds like you haven’t focused on the particulars, lester. This is not a litigation based dispute and it isn’t before the courts. The original Os/Nats deal provided that the Os would allow the Nationals to open shop within the Os territory in return for the rights to broadcast Nats games over the O’s station, MASN. Any dispute as to what those rights are worth was to be settled by binding arbitration. Oddly enough, there was a dispute.
The arbitration was held and the Nats were awarded a substantial increase. The Os were able to overturn the arbitrator’s award not because it was found to be unfair but based on the technicality that the Nats were represented by attorneys who were concurrently representing MLB.
The next arbitration award isn’t likely to be any kinder to the Os, and that one will stick. The O’s are only delaying the inevitable and they will be paying in interest for the privilege.
” . . . don’t forget O’s owner Peter Angelos is an accomplished and tough attorney.”
Angelos is a product liability/personal injury attorney. He has as much business handling this IP rights arbitration as your internist has performing brain surgery. He is also 88 years old. Younger than Ted Lerner but still….
“For the Nats to assume a windfall coming soon, and base roster decisions on it, would be premature and likely to backfire on them.”
They can’t base roster decisions on an expected windfall no matter how large. A windfall is down the road while the roster must be paid now. And it isn’t accurate to describe the increased MASN money as a ‘windfall.’ This was contemplated and expected since they signed the original deal.
The Nats will get substantially more teevee money, that is going to happen. The timing is still unclear, but the result isn’t in doubt. Which, as aforesaid, is why they try to backload their contracts. Before Scherzer’s contract is up, it will be paid for by increased broadcast fees. Those FAs who insist on front loading their contract have signed elsewhere. Doubt Harper will be in a particular hurry as long as the overall number is big and shiny.
Yes, I used the wrong term, litigation.
I shall have to ignore the Washington Post’s reporting on this matter. After all, what would Barry Svrluga and Thomas Boswell know about it, anyways?
“Yes, I used the wrong term, litigation.”
You also spoke about an ongoing appeal when there is currently nothing to appeal. You wrote about the matter languishing in the courts when it isn’t currently in a court at all. You wrote about Angelos alleged expertise in this area. You also, well, I could go on. Fact remains that, despite naming but not citing good sources, your original comment reads as if written by someone who is only vaguely familiar with the situation. Attempting to blame .that condition on the Post’s reporters is flat out lame.
Naming members of the Wash Post’s Nationals staff doesn’t prove, or even support, anything you wrote here, lester. You are claiming that they have provided you with your info hence my argument should be with them.
Funny thing, I read the Post’s Nats coverage as well. How could the two of us have understood it so differently? Before I take your bait and start arguing with Boswell and Svrluga why don’t you link to where they support any part of what you wrote, rather than just waving their names in my face. I’ll wait….
I don’t like this post either, Xabial.
Just kidding. I too didn’t see anything wrong with your original post, so don’t worry about the trolls.
Yankrrs out of me money? Oh man such sarcasm,, new ownership may say they won’t spenf but traditionally they will.
Trea Turner comparison. No pressure bud
Braves should trade with Houston?????????????????????????!! Kemp, Sims, Muller, and Ruiz for C.Moran,D.Fisher,J.Gustave and H.Perez.
Now go sign Darvish and go after Otani.
HA!
Looks like Braves Nation has a new Bae.
Good Grief…that pun was fatal, but it did cover the bases.