Other Baseball

http://screengrabber.deadspin.com/blue-jays-and-rangers-brawl-completely-ignore-game-1776771655 Started when relief pitcher Matt Bush "accidentally" hit Jose Bautista with a fastball in the ribs. Both sides were hot. Two batters later, Smoak grounds into a sure double play but Bautista goes in Utley-like (interference is called) and the second baseman - Roughed Odor - did not like it. A little shoving and then a real punch and Bautista was nearly TKO'd! For baseball, it was amazing. Sadly, it's the last time these two teams play each other this year, unless they meet in the playoffs. The next inning, the Blue Jays immediately hit Prince Fielder and the benches em…

https://www.twincities.com/2018/03/15/st-paul-saints-seek-minimum-wage-exemption-salary-cap-threatens-operations/ We've had a lot of discussion about how the minor leaguers often do not earn a livable wage. Wouldn't it be great if a minimum wage law by Minnesota forces the issue? I wouldn't want and wouldn't expect the Saints to fold, but they're the marquee team in the AA, make the league pay these players more. Get the ball rolling and hopefully the bad press baseball gets for dragging it's feet carries over to the affiliated leagues which are bankrolled by actual billionaires.

This thread is for discussion about the 2022 MLB Postseason. This year’s playoff teams are as follows. American League 1. Houston Astros (106-56) 2. New York Yankees (99-63) 3. Cleveland Guardians (92-70) 4. Toronto Blue Jays (92-70) 5. Seattle Mariners (90-72) 6. Tampa Bay Rays (86-76) National League 1. Los Angeles Dodgers (111-51) 2. Atlanta Braves (101-61) 3. St. Louis Cardinals (93-69) 4. New York Mets (101-61) 5. San Diego Padres (89-73) 6. Philadelphia Phillies (87-75)

Feel free to chime in here about any of the (non-Twins) 2020 MLB postseason games!

I thought I'd get this going now (and pin it), even though we still have a few weeks to go. Please use this thread to track MLB NON-TWINS transactions. If you want to have a more in-depth discussion on a particular transaction, or major news, please start a separate thread. If you just want to make a few comments here there on the myriad of non-Twins MLB transactions, do so here. And as always, since this is the 'other baseball' forum, try to keep the Twins talk to the Twins talk forum. Difficult to do on a Twins site, and there will be no admonishment if it strays to that (wish the Twins had done this or glad they didn't do that), but try to keep focus on the 'other.' …

While this could be discussed in today's Winter Meetings thread, I think that the Chris Sale trade warrants its own thread. Chris Sale to the Red Sox in exchange for Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech and two more prospects. 1.) Sale is out of the AL Central. 2.) The White Sox got a great haul! Moncada's the #1 prospect in baseball, and Kopech has a 100 mph fastball and is a starter. Dave Dombrowski is certainly aggressive. Will Sale stay healthy? Do the Red Sox use throwback uniforms?

60 Minutes had an exclusive interview with Shohei Otani last night... Trying to find the video as we speak, and will post it once it's available. He WILL sign with an MLB team after the 2017 season, CBA and potential money left on the table be damned. The big key with him signing in the MLB is finding a team that will allow him to pitch and DH or play in the field. I don't know how he'll choose his MLB team all things being equal. After watching his highlights and interview last night, I'd love for that guy to be on my favorite team.

http://deadspin.com/the-jose-fernandez-trade-rumors-just-started-and-report-1743497841 Sounds like Fernandez might be on the block. Healthy, he's a real ace and under team control for a few more years. But he's had health issues - 19 starts the last two years - and, apparently, an attitude issue. Miami has made a lot of trades for good prospects and I doubt the Twins could start a conversation without at least including Berrios. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

The Braves made 100 million, with a bad tv deal and a 130MM payroll......there is plenty of money for the actual players to get more..... https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/the-braves-profits-provide-glimpse-into-baseballs-books/

Astros found an issue with #1 pick Brady Aiken's elbow. Aiken says he feels fine but the Astros have dropped their offer to him from the original 6.5m down to 3.168m, a huge dropoff. They also have already come to terms with another draftee, Jacob Nix, and had agreed to pay him 1.5m more than his slot amount on the assumption that Aiken would sign. However, if Aiken doesn't sign, they would lose his slot bonus and would therefore be over the draft budget and have to forfeit a few draft picks next year. They appear ready to not sign Nix if it comes to that but the players association and his agent may fight them on that. "MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said the p…

We had a regular season thread... Might as well make an off-season thread to track signings, firings, trades, etc.

Game 1 starts tonight. They're forecasting that it will be over 95 degrees at first pitch. Which would be the hottest temperature at the start of a game since the 2001 WS in Phoenix, AZ. The Dodgers and Astros are the first 100 win teams to meet in the World Series since 1970. Kershaw v. Keuchel tonight. I predict both pitchers will see the 6th inning at least.

Manfred is out of control. I mean seriously. http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/17118662/mlb-commissioner-rob-manfred-says-looking-possible-limits-use-relief-pitchers-games

http://www.piratesprospects.com/2014/05/vance-worley-back-on-track-as-a-starter-after-working-with-jim-benedict.html Last week, Vance Worley had a successful start for the Indianapolis Indians, the AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team had sent him to Extended Spring Training to stretch him out, but also to get his mechanics cleaned up. I don't know that I agree with his comments about not being given a real chance this spring, but it is an interesting article.

Are they not airing all the games on regular cable? It seems ridiculous that youd have to have mlbnetwork to watch the playoffs...

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal 8m BREAKING: Tanaka to #Yankees, seven years, $155M, opt-out after fourth year.

Sorry I didn't wanna start a new thread, but I would like a general baseball thread, not just a forum. I wanted to post, watching MLB, that SF had signed Longoria AND McCutcheon. Missed that. Not thread worthy, but would like a low-impact thread to post such tidbits. Perhaps it exists already, but didn't see one in my initial look.

We have a thread every year to post news and tidbits about happenings and signings around the game. If the news is 'big', feel free to start a separate thread. Not everything needs to go here, but, consider this thread a collective. I'll start with this news bit:

Bryce Harper is going to have a detailed piece written in ESPN the Magazine, and the article is online now. He goes in-depth about the unwritten rules of baseball, how baseball is a "tired sport", and needs more self-expression from ball players. I'm still in the middle of reading it, but so far it's a good read. Here's the link.

Let’s hear it. Mine is the death of the SP does more damage to baseball than 3 true outcomes, slow pace of play, and dramatic shifts combined.

According to the Sporting News, MLB is looking at 2 rules changes in order to "enhance" the game of Baseball and attract the younger crowd. 1. No more having pitchers throw 4 pitches for an intentional walk. Instead, managers will signal for a batter to take the base. (this is a pace of play rule and is stupid in the extreme. Games have been won and lost by a pitcher having to throw an intentional walk) 2. Raising the strike zone from just below the knee to just above the knee. (Hello, Owners, I think you've just helped reduce the value of your sinker ball pitchers to zero. But, that's an opinion as I have no hard data to back that up) Anyway, comments, ridicule and…

7 years $140 million. So much for being dead set on testing free agency, eh?

According to Jeff Passan, the first big domino has fallen as the Padres and Manny Machado have agreed to terms. Recent reports were that the Padres had offered somewhere between 8 years and $240-280 million. Apparently no one topped it. Itll be interesting to see what the final tally is. Mark Feinsand is reporting 10 years, $300 million. https://twitter.com/Feinsand/status/1097911249399177221

Predictions? Analysis? I like the Royals in six. Much better BP and deeper lineup overcomes Mets SP advantage.

I didn't see anyone post anything, so here goes. After raking for the Jays AAA team in April and early May, Chris Colabello was called up and immediately inserted in the Jays LF spot for Tuesday's night's game with the Yankees (following Danny Valencia in LF for the Jays on Monday night- Valencia's played four positions for the Jays this year, and was a scratch for this game after spraining his ankle while tripping on the clubhouse stairs on Monday night). Meanwhile, back to Colabello, he's played all of one professional game in LF, back in 2013 for Rochester, but apparently survived out there, at least for one night. Oh.... Cola also went 2-4 with a single and a dou…

While a lot of the angst over the bunt against the shift the other day focused on Berrios's none no hitter, the unwritten rules of the game, and Dozier's somewhat confusing statement (see attached) on the bunt in that situation, the actual question of bunting against the shift remains. I always wondered, why not? At the same time I heard pundits like Dan Gladden question it, because you give up the chance for an extra base hit. Supposedly. In theory Danno is correct, in practice it's not that clear. The shift's intent is to prelude not only the extra base hit, but any base hit. The shift is effective in keeping runners off base, and of course producing outs. But it…

Setting aside the unfortunate injury... I hope this provides the impetus for MLB to start enforcing rule 6.01 and/or 5.09 and declaring automatic DPs when runners clearly interfere rather than attempt to beat a force play with a "slide." Utley's slide was a clear violation of an existing rule. And the entire replay fiasco that followed was ridiculous.

Your one stop shop for all things trade related around the league.

Talk about adding the DH to the NL has "more momentum" than before. It sounds like the NL is still going to go very slow into the discussion, and it probably won't be in time for the 2017 CBA, more but more people in the NL seem to be considering it. http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/mozeliak-says-more-momentum-for-dh-in-national-league/article_a9649bff-5ba1-5a1a-9864-e6b40f6dda12.html Personally, I detest the NL game and hope they add the DH sooner rather than later. But it seems like it'll eventually happen.

http://bbwaa.com/ Griffey was a near unanimous pick - 3 votes shy of 100%. Piazza got in as well. Bagwell, Raines and Hoffman were all around 70% and might get in next year - Raines has one year left on the ballot, I believe. Nomar and Jim Edmonds fell off - I'm not sure they are HOFers but they have some good arguments. Both, for example had more 5 WAR seasons than Tim Raines and in fewer seasons. But voters tend to vote for compiled totals as opposed to seasons, which hurts them.