This week in baseball blogs…
- Rays Colored Glasses sees the Cubs as logical suitors for Chris Archer.
- MLB & Fantasy Baseball lists Archer and 20 other players who could end up on the move at the trade deadline.
- Always The Jake wants the Indians to revolutionize their pitching staff.
- Angels Avenue examines the early success of Halos rookie Jaime Barria.
- Know Hitter names the seven best fits for Hanley Ramirez.
- Bronx To Bushville (links: 1, 2) analyzes the performance of the Brewers’ rotation.
- East Village Times focuses on Padres third baseman Christian Villanueva’s highly productive rookie season.
- Rox Pile goes through starting pitchers the Rockies could acquire.
- The Pinch Runner contends that the Pirates misused Charlie Morton.
- FSH Baseball writes an “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” episode called “The Gang Gets Chase Utley into the Hall of Fame.”
- Rotisserie Duck checks in on the WAR leaders from the season’s first two months.
- Believeland Ball argues that the Indians should pursue Athletics closer Blake Treinen.
- The Sports Tank regards Max Scherzer as the best pitcher in the game.
- Camden Depot looks into the reasons for Chris Davis’ drastic decline.
- Jays From the Couch assesses Toronto’s season to date.
- Rising Apple offers early grades for the Mets’ offseason free-agent signings.
- Bucs Dugout focuses on Josh Bell’s middling season thus far.
- Chin Music Baseball names the 10 best players of May.
- PhoulBallz interviews Phillies pitching prospect JoJo Romero.
- Notes from the Sally scouts Marlins pitching prospect Trevor Rogers.
- Minor League Ball picks out five minor league teams worth watching.
- The Runner Sports makes a case for the Astros to promote Double-A outfielder Myles Straw to the majors instead of the more touted Kyle Tucker.
- The K Zone features interviews with a few draft prospects.
- Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network profiles and interviews Cal State Fullerton righty/draft prospect Colton Eastman.
- The 3rd Man In talks to California-based high school pitcher/draft prospect Dominic Pipkin.
- A’s Farm shares a progress report on the team’s top 10 picks from last year’s draft.
- The Point of Pittsburgh gives odds on whom the Pirates will select with the 10th pick of the draft.
- Pro Baseball Detroit runs down five players the Tigers could draft after the first round.
- Pinstriped Prospects lists players the Yankees could redraft.
- Foul Territory Baseball asks if Odubel Herrera is an NL MVP candidate.
- SportsTalkPhilly.com looks at Herrera and the Phillies’ other All-Star candidates.
- Everything Bluebirds credits Russell Martin for his versatility.
- Mets Daddy assesses rookie manager Mickey Callaway’s first two months at the helm.
- Sports Talk Florida notes that the Rays have a rather daunting June ahead.
- Pirates Breakdown views the Bucs as an unpredictable team.
- Redleg Nation urges the Reds to retire Vada Pinson’s number.
- Jays Journal makes a case for Toronto to move on from manager John Gibbons.
- Call to the Pen takes a look at the late-game setup of the Phillies’ bullpen.
- Motor City Bengals breaks down which colleges the Tigers have drafted the most players from.
- MetsMerizedOnline.com is hoping the Mets’ offense turns things around with RISP.
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User 4245925809
Vada Pinson was another good/solid ballplayer not quite good enough to be enshrined. Like Tommy Davis, Rico Carty, Dick Allen and many others of that generation.
Teams should retire numbers of the superb quality players they had of yesteryear and i hope the reds do so with Pinson.
jorge78
Remember offense was down that decade…..
IACub
Cubs have four starters who are locked in guaranteed contracts for multiple years, a first division starter with a few years of team control left, and a swing man who has been vocal about wanting the chance to start…”Cubs seem like a good candidate for Chris Archer.”
CubsFanForLife
So long as we’re in the 21st century, writers will continue to posit the Cubs as a good fit for Archer.
biasisrelitive
LOL literally one of the last teams I would think needs to add a controllable starter. Who would he replace in the playoffs rotation.
Travis’ Wood
Omg that first article… was it written by a 5 year old? Cubs have 5 starters all under control through at least 2020 plus Montgomery but they need Archer? And straight up for Caratini? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA thats possibly the worst trade proposal of all time. Yet somehow that got written down by someone, reviewed and published by someone, and linked here by someone. COME ON!
Travis’ Wood
*Package built around Caratini, didn’t mean to say straight up. Either way thats a freaking joke
thegreatcerealfamine
Joke being not enough or too much?
Travis’ Wood
You have to ask? Caratini as the main piece to get Archer? Lol…. gonna take at least 2-3 top 100 guys to get Archer.
biasisrelitive
Exactly talk About a trade that makes no sense for both sides not nearly enough for archer and also does not fill a need for the Cubs
brucewayne
You can never have too much pitching !
simschifan
You guys still think Archer is worth anything huh? Ok keep dreaming. I’m sure someone will pay for his mediocrity.
thetruth 2
He’s on a team friendly deal, durable, and with a high strikeout rate. If you think the Rays will expect something less than 2 top 20-50 MLB prospects with lottery tickets at a minimum you’re kidding yourself.
thegreatcerealfamine
He’s a Cubs fan..so do the math.
ReverieDays
Comments like this one about entire fan bases show who the real idiots are.
simschifan
I don’t care what kind of contract he has. He is overrated. I would say the same thing if he was going to any team. They will over pay for him. I watch more than enough Rays games with him pitching to see that. They will get what they want for him I’m sure but for one, Cubs don’t need him and for two they will not overpay for him. And besides they don’t have much left to give. You know what they say about opinions…
Travis’ Wood
Whether you think Archer is overrated or not is irrelevant. a league average pitcher with his contract is worth more than a package centered around Caratini…. and we can all agree Archer is better than average. Archer doesn’t have to be an ace to be worth a lot.
Bryzzo2016
Archer has turned into a middle of rotation starter at best, probably less for a contender. That said, this is terrible and lazy on the writer. The Cubs rotation is locked up for years to come. Their “6th” starter would start for most teams.
The Cubs might add a bat, in spite of having the best offense (Runs/game) in the NL, or maybe another pen arm, in spite of having one of the best pens in the league, BUT they won’t add another starter.
Run diff. is the best way to determine how strong a team is and the Cubs easily have the best run diff in the NL, in spite of playing fewer games than any team in the NL, so it should only increase.
The Rays will find a taker for Archer, a desperate team willing to overpay in a thin market for starters at the this year’s deadline. But that team WON’T be the Cubs and if for some bizarre reason it was, it would take a helluva lot more than F’n Carantini.
simschifan
Agreed, it will not be the Cubs.
brucewayne
Signed for 2 more years is not locked up for years to come. Especially when there is no pitching in the minors to replace them in 2 years! The BP is not that much better off.
dcahen
Yeah, hands down best offense, best starting pitching, & best bullpen; yet they only have the 5th best record & are 2nd in their own division. In fact, until the last week or so, they’ve been average. Must be the idiot manager!
jdgoat
Honestly caratini for archer sounds pretty good for the cubs
Travis’ Wood
You don’t say….
dewssox79
The Cubs have bad pitching under control. Darvish is bad or on the DL. Chatwood is a hot mess. Quintana is pitching like a 3. It is hendricks and Lester and that isnt enough to win a world series.
Now if they were to deal for Archer it would be a lot more than just Caratini. Cubs fans be like “Justin Wilson for Archer is fair and stuff”
simschifan
Archer sucks and his highly overrated keep dreaming. Someone else can overpay for him.
thegreatcerealfamine
Yea cause someone else has way more to offer.
therealryan
Over the past 3 years Chris Archer ranks top 5 in IP, top 10 in SIERA, K%-BB%, and xFIP and top 15 in fWAR and FIP. He also comes with 3.5 years of control at about $30 million total. You can claim that he “sucks and is highly overrated” but the reality is he is one of the top 20 pitchers in MLB who is signed to an incredibly team friendly deal and is immensely valuable.
simschifan
He’s still not worth the prospects it will take to get him. Maybe from the Yankees cause they have an abundance. But will they trade in division? There are better options.
mike127
Quintana is pitching like a 3. Not bad considering he’s their #4. Easy on the Hendricks and Lester isn’t enough to win a World Series. Just a few years back the Tigers rotation was……….Verlander, Scherzer, Price and Purcell—-they didn’t win the World Series either. The playoffs are a crapshoot. Just get there and you have a chance.
ReverieDays
You mean the same Cubs that won with just Lester and Hendricks and an Arrieta/Lackey duo that wasn’t much better than Quintana/Darvish probably are? Goofball.
Travis’ Wood
That bad pitching is leading the NL in ERA. If you think Darvish is bad you are a straight up moron who puts more emphasis on a few bad starts rather than his entire career of quality pitching.
chesteraarthur
Remember that Royals staff that won a WS? If you’re going to troll, at least do it well.
Phillies2017
The Gang Runs for Office is a classic episode. Id love to hear the speech Charlie writes to get Utley in.