This week in baseball blogs…
- The 3rd Man In predicts landing spots for five top free agents.
- StatsSwipe projects the average annual value of five free-agent starting pitchers.
- Call to the Pen (links: 1, 2, 3) ranks the game’s 30 best free agents, opines that the Yankees don’t need Manny Machado, and runs down the Phillies’ need areas.
- Off The Bench (links: 1, 2) picks one free agent for each contender.
- PhilliesNation is skeptical of Bryce Harper signing a deal in excess of 10 years
- MLB & Fantasy Baseball Analyzed offers thoughts on Harper and his fellow qualifying offer recipients.
- Pinstriped Prospects (links: 1, 2) weighs the pros and cons of a Yankees-Harper and Yankees-Machado union.
- Rising Apple doesn’t want the Mets to sign Craig Kimbrel.
- Know Hitter is leery of the Mariners’ decision to trade Mike Zunino.
- M-SABR shares a study on the usage and effectiveness of the changeup from 2015-18.
- The K Zone hands out MLB awards for 2018.
- Chin Music Baseball highlights the best player at each position in 2018.
- The Giants Cove applauds San Francisco for hiring Farhan Zaidi as its president of baseball operations.
- Reviewing The Brew tries to construct a perfect offseason plan for the Brewers.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2, 3) asks how aggressively the Yankees should pursue a trade for Corey Kluber, reacts to Joe Mauer’s retirement, and responds to the news that Collin McHugh could return to the Astros’ rotation.
- Tomahawk Take lists five players the Braves should consider pursuing on the trade market.
- East Village Times sees free agent Josh Harrison as a sensible target for the Padres.
- Mets Daddy argues that Peter Alonso should start next season in the minors.
- Angels Avenue analyzes a few Halos relievers who had unexpectedly great seasons and could help the team in 2019.
- Rox Pile focuses on five Jeff Bridich quotes from a recent conference call.
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The Point of Pittsburgh looks at the recently released Steamer projections and how the Pirates can get into the playoffs.
- Motor City Bengals examines five notable, Tigers-related stats from the Steamer projections.
- Mets Critic wonders if the club will truly be a big spender this offseason.
- Foul Territory (podcast) discusses hot stove season.
- Everything Bluebirds believes the Blue Jays can learn from their ill-fated Jaime Garcia signing.
- A’s Farm runs downs the organization’s minor league coaching staff for 2019.
Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com
Manny to philly confirmed
Dodgers
They have turner and seager
Neither of them play OF
how many outfielders does your team need. Manny is a 3B/SS just so you know
Neither does Manny.
Nevermind i had a brainfart and started thinking about Harper
You have a very gassy brain, lol ooops I confused Harper with Machado. That happens to real baseball fans everyday!
NOT!
Not with Seager coming back. Dodgers would be the wiser to invest the 350 million plus that Machado is gonna get and invest in pitching.
His defense at SS is a perfect fit for that team…
If its the Dodgers version of Macahdo defensively they’ll be ok. If its like Baltimore he will fit right in
Confirmed?
Earth to Manny!
No connection.
There’s been an ey sighting.
ey sighting??
Is she in a “jam”?
Lol, obsess much? Dude, get off the net and enjoy life. You are one sad old fella.
Try to focus your comments on the story, and not your stalker-like obsession with the two of us.
@saber His name isn’t xabial
Haven’t seen much of her lately.
Do you have her tied up?
I think she had Sunday school to attend to. She’ll be back on here once the bus drops her off today and completes her homework
Cancer
Santana at 3rd, Manny at SS & Hoskins at 1st
Doesn’t matter who plays 2nd that defense will stink
That offense with manny 3 Hoskins 4 and Santana 5 hole will be fire
Doesn’t Hoskins usually bat 2nd
He did this past year because Kapler isn’t very bright. Hoskins career splits batting 2nd 104 games .226/.324/.459 and 4th 88 games .279/.418/.606. He did the same with Santana who is much better hitting 5th .282/ .371/.499 instead of 4th .226/.357/.402. You can look at their 2018 splits and see the same huge discrepancies.
Cat beat me to it, this year Hoskins hit .296/.429/.592 hitting 4th
Harry pness…..It’s been one of my biggest gripes with Kapler. He over analyzes things and when he is wrong he won’t correct it. He started Hoskins at clean-up and for the first 27 games and he hit .318/.468/.553. He hit 2nd for most of the next month and slashed .154/.250/.286. After the HBP DL stint he did rebound somewhat but ultimately when he bats 4th he is a much better hitter
Seeing them go 8-20 and Aaron Nola slip from the cy young in September had me cringing every day, and I’m a yanks fan
I’ve been a fan since before Dick (at that time Richie because of the Philly press) Allen was RoY. I have had the cringes of the 64 collapse, the absolutely awful teams of the early 70’s and late 80’s, many years of mediocrity and about a dozen years of really good teams. I have hardened with age…lol.
There is a huge difference between the way a pitcher pitches to a #2 hitter and a #4. The #3 hitter is usually the best batter on the team. So, the #2 needs to have a good eye and be a table setter for them. Pitchers usually give them their best stuff and it should not surprise anyone if they have lower stats than if they were hitting 4th. A good portion of the time pitchers are pitching from the stretch to #4 hitters. That is why they are usually power hitters with less on base skills. Pitchers are much more likely to throw a bad pitch from the stretch. The constant shuffling of lineups by modern day managers has to hurt players chances of getting into a rhythm. When I first started watching baseball 30+ years ago you would see someone like Ryne Sandberg hitting 2nd his entire career and someone like Andre Dawson hitting 4th. You pretty much knew what the lineup was going to look like before the cards were released. Hopefully, it is something that won’t be long lasting.
On a good day in New Jersey I’d pick up channel 6 from Philly and watch a game.
Skip came in one time and watched the Orioles on WJZ
I can’t wait for something anything to happen
I hope something happens before the winter meetings
Zunino for Mallex was ok but I am ready for something big
I am hoping to see a couple of 3 team trades happen soon. With so many teams on the cusp of contention and several good prospects blocked on their respective teams it should be an exciting offseason. Hopefully, Harper and Machado come off the board early. Already getting tired of twice a day updates on them. It will be interesting to see where they land though. My guess would be the White Sox get Harper and I am not sure Machado lands the contract he wants with his attitude. Cano had the same attitude when he was a free agent and if Seattle hadn’t jumped into the mix I am not sure he would have come close to topping the Yankees offer anywhere else. He is a talented player but $30m+ to one player can easily cripple a mid-market team. Plus, most of the big market clubs don’t seem to be all that interested, with only the Yankees having a current opening at SS. They have been burned by every large contract they have given out so I just don’t see them doing it again. Maybe if Tanaka had opted out but since he stayed they would have $100m+ AAV tied up in 4 players if they signed him (Tanaka, Stanton, Ellsbury and Machado) Doesn’t seem to be the direction Hal wants to go in.
Signing Josh Harrison to play 3B for the Padres makes more sense than dumping the farm for Suárez or giving up anything of value for Franco or Sano.
Stay the course and trust the rebuild. Hudson Potts is a year away it looks like, sign Harrison to a two year deal for 12 million. He is a gamer and will play his butt off. Similar to Hosmer, another good personality, likable baseball gamer.
Or, San Diego can play Urias as SS which I know has been rumored, start Harrison at 2B and figure out a solution for 3B, either way Harrison is a fiery competitor that wants to win. Getting that infused into a young everyday lineup is critical, a lot of the traits Hosmer possesses are the same in which Harrison does, a short-term deal w/him makes a lot of sense if this is the course they indeed say they want to go down.
Padres could:
Jedd Gyorko reunion for say Gabriel Arias and Craig Stammen.
Resign Yangervis Solarte
Trade for Brandon Drury from the Blue Jays for some rule 5 guys like Pedro Avila, Brad Zunica, Hansel rodriguez.
Inquire on marlins Brian Anderson whom probably cost Adrian Morejon as the headliner but you can add in Brett Kennedy Buddy Reed Josh Naylor and some rule 5 guys given the marlins need at almost every position. The padres can put together a quantity vs quality package.
Even more so the marlins could package Brian Anderson and Wei yun chen plus prospects like Trevor rogers to send to the padres for Wil myers and mlb ready assets like Luis Perdomo Miguel Diaz javy Guerra and some rule 5 prospects.
Lol pay $7.5m of Gyorko’s salary and take back Jon Jay just to get rid of him then give up a couple guys with actual value to bring him back? I think not.
Slow old Solarte always thinking outside box
Are you mentally challenged? My comment didn’t mention Solarte.
You’re forgetting that the blue jays are in a massive rule 5 crunch. No roster spots for fringe players. They either need to be legit roster players or can be off the 40 man
I am hoping the Yankees trade for Myers. He was a solid 1st baseman and a lefty. Exactly what the Yankees need. Maybe the Padres can package him, some $$, and a good lefty pitching prospect for Andujar. Yankees can shift Torres over to 3rd and resign Neil Walker for 2nd. There would be other moving parts but that could be a solid foundation.
Will Myers was a lefty? When was that 3rd grade? Wow. You think Yankees Lou Gherig, Don Mattingly, 27 WS would let Myers put on pinstripes you are on drugs
You´ve got to be joking. Andujar for Myers? In what universe? Padres are going to be hampered by Myers/Hosmer contracts FOR YEARS
Andujar is not even going to arbitration till 2021. Myers is due over 70M. This is insane.
Yankees either go for a huge improvement on 1B or ride it out with their own options.
Since when was Wil Myers a lefty?
One issue I need to point out with signing a guy because he’s a “good clubhouse personality.” Just because a guy’s personality meshes well with one team doesn’t mean it will mesh well with all of them (see Sandoval, Pablo and Shields, James).
Yea that new age “personality” really important lol. The 72 -74 A’s had lots of personality. So overrated. It’s talent that wins games. Winning brings team together
Padres should sign Donaldson to play 3rd and move him at the deadline
For small market teams not expecting to compete, I love that strategy. Reap the benefits of a possible comeback and then trade them for whatever their prospect value is in the market.
Move him if he’s playing well that’s no guarantee
Let’s put him on NL team with no DH because he’s last played full season when?
“Know Hitter” also said the Mariners traded Smith AND Gohara for Smyly (they traded Gohara for Smith and then Smith for Smyly).
Not sure why anyone would take their articles seriously if they don’t even understand the fundamentals of any basic barter system better than a typical internet commenter.
Probably the underrated article was the improvements in our minor league system and international scouting department. For a team that already finds a way to put together competitive teams from our farm system with very few Latin American players coming through the system we should probably start seeing some gains from these improvements by the time a new ballpark opens in 2023.
Pretty good way to reinforce our minor league system for a second push if/when that comes.
Last thing we want see is paying a higher ticket price and angry at under performing money hog FA giants. So no big names, please