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By Mark Polishuk | at
Click here to read the transcript of today’s live baseball chat.
MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com
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im not sure Tampa is even a playoff team without Snell and Morton
oh thats a bad take buddy.
feel free to explain why. Toronto has improved and you shouldnt ever count the Yankees out. I dont think Tampa’s pen will be as lucky this year with some of the names that did well last year and I’m not sold on Glasnow. the lineup is solid but still lacks a real heavy hitter that can carry an offensive attack.
You are absolutely wrong, they are currently the best team in the AL and it’s not close, because they also get to add the #1 prospect who’s MLB-ready.
If you think they lack SP, Willy Adames or Brandon Lowe can pretty much get you a rotation regular by themselves.
You’re a Red Sox fan, clearly punching down on them due to homerism. Real baseball fans can look at that roster and shake in fear. Defense, offense, pitching, they have the highest levels combined of all 3 than any other AL team, and I dare anyone to present an argument as to why their fave team is better than the Rays.
You also speak as if they don’t always use openers and other non-traditional 1-5 SP style of managing. The Rays are better than any AL team, period.
The Rays won the East fairly easily without Morton even being good. The amount of talent they received back can probably offset something close to Snell’s value, plus their farm has much more immediate help for 2021 than the Yankees do
Dark side is a Phillies fan with very valid points. Any team who loses there top two starting pitchers should hesitate when wondering if said team can replicate last years results. The rays lineup def is good but dark side is right no super heavy hitter in the middle of the lineup. Rays have great defense and a good bullpen but that doesn’t take away from the question marks.
Why would a Red Sox fan try to badmouth a team that’s never won a world series when we won just two years ago?
I agree with Darkside, Rays are probably the third best team in the east. Sadly the Yankees have done a solid job plugging up roster holes and the Jays are primed to glow up big this season
Not a bad take. In 2020 the Jays blew a few games they should have won against the Rays (although those were on Montoya who’s still manager). Add an improved Red Sox, somewhat healthier Yankees and you have a vulnerable Rays.
“Vulnerable” how? Losing 2 SP? How long have you been following this game? Cant be long because the Rays pretty consistently turn water into wine when it comes to pitching, plus they have a fantastic bullpen.
“Vulnerable” but they made the WS last year and get to add the consensus best prospect since Bryant. Surrree…..
At this point, anyone who bets against TB is deliberately outing themselves as a casual, which is fine, cool, good for you. Real analysts will always disagree with you and you will always be wrong.
FanGraphs’ latest team WAR projections for 2021 have the Rays 4th in the AL East:
Yankess 50.6
Blue Jays 41.5
Red Sox 35.7
Rays 33.6
Orioles 20.0
Granted the offseason isn’t over and the team WAR projections won’t necessarily mirror projected standings, but I think it’s fair to say that Marty McRae’s take (Rays are clearly the best team in the AL and “real analysts” will always disagree with anyone who says otherwise) is terrible, as usual.
Nobody considers wander Franco MLB ready. He has a half season at single A in 2019 and a half season in rookie ball. Clearly your the one new to the game or new to the rays fan base because your wildly over estimating your teams top prospect and his readiness. Yes he’s the top prospect in baseball no he’s not anywhere close to the majors.
Water to wine always runs out. History proves that. I’m sorry you are too ignorant to history. The Rays, so long as they aren’t financially invested, will always and forever be vulnerable whether or not it’s 2021 or beyond.
Please refrain on right and wrong assertions. You’ve been exposed as an angry tool with racial tendencies.
The guy uses war projections… LOL.
Snell had a couple great years… 2019 was very average. Morten was a great pitcher, but not so great in 20. Yarborough, flemming, glasnow make a solid top 3. They always seem to come up with someone. Honeywell should be ready.
Actually Bravesiowa fan Baseball America clearly thinks that Franco is ready and will contribute in 2021. Apparently he stung the cover off the ball at the alt site and the thinking is he will start at AAA with a very early callup likely.
I’d agree. Snell is a legit ace. Morton is a veteran professional. Those are two huge losses. They did sign wacha and still have glasnow and yarby and have a tremendous pen. That offense is questionable. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they made the playoffs, but on paper I’m saying the jays and Yankees are better. Rays do still have the best pitching in the division, though
I literally don’t think I’ve gotten a question answered in my three years here
Ask if he likes mustard on his hot dogs… that is usually a crowd pleaser.
I hope Chace asked the pizza question after that pep talk, Gibs!
What are you asking … I’d say I’ve asked 10 times and usually gets posted 6 out of 10
Flex
A Chatting Average over .300 is excellent. A .600 CHA is hard to believe, but I guess it’s possible in a small sample size.
What’s his Weighted Questions Answered (WQA+)?
Same here
I’m right there with you Chase.. probably because I’m a Tiger’s fan lol
I remember when the bucks signed Brady… the sports talk shows were flooded with people saying it was a mistake. He was going to do terrible there. He cant play outside of new england.
When I was born, Grover Cleveland was president
Greatest Grover ever until Sesame Street
Grover Cleveland Alexander would like a word
Yeah I thought of him after I’m posted… but The Amazing Grover, come on! 😉
did Mark really just call the CBT penalties “minimal?”
“ did Mark really just call the CBT penalties “minimal?”
The actual penalties are minimal for a MLB team. The teams use them as an excuse not to spend more on salaries.
They are minimal, unless you’re tens of millions over for 3 or 4 consecutive seasons. But if a team is $10M over for one year, their penalty is $2.2M. If a team can afford a $218M payroll, which is what it would be $10M over, then that team can afford a $2.2M penalty. $2.2M equals about 1% of the total payroll.
Tanaka is not worth $10 million, let alone $15 million.
If Robbie Ray is making $8-mil, Tanaka is worth at least $16-mil.
Smyly is making $11m, Kyle Gibson $9.6m, Duffy $15.5. I believe Tanaka is (at the very least) worth $12m/1 year
Tanaka is worth around 12/13 mil. He has regressed and ’20 saw him falling back to a low 4 ERA as the season continued. He doesn’t pitch long in games either which is often overlooked. Say what you will about Bauer-he throws 110-120 pitches and goes six innings most times. There’s value in that. Tanaka never does that.
I would hypothetically prefer 2 or even 3 Tanakas for the price of one Bauer. I’ve always like Tanaka; and idk, there’s something about Bauer that rubs me the wrong way.
Willie Mays was the greatest living former player even before Hank Aaron passed away. I agree with Mark that Aaron is easily in the top 5, but a very good argument can be made that Mays was the greatest ever.
I asked the question. I’ll admit I’m biased for Aaron, but I’ll also admit that I completely forgot about Mays still being alive. I can’t believe I forgot about him, but looking him up and his 156 career WAR (!!!!) compared to Aaron’s 143 is insane. Mays’ defense was definitely what put him over the top.
RunDMC:
We’re all biased towards our favorites. Aaron was close to being the best ever. My favorite quote about Hank was that it was easier to slip the sunrise past a rooster than slip a fastball past Hank Aaron.
A toque? No baseball cap? Brutal