2017 MLB Regular Season Thread

[biggentleben]

 

I think Kopech is going to be really, really good unfortunately. 

 

I like him a lot (had him #1 in my Southern League prospects that came out yesterday), but there's a fairly low floor with him still, as high as that ceiling may be.

[Vanimal46]

I feel it's worth noting how awesome Corey Kluber has been as we wind down the season....

15-1 - 1.62 ERA - 221/23 K/BB ratio - 161.1 IP over his last 22 starts. He'll surpass 200 innings for the 4th consecutive season. 

[biggentleben]

Judge breaks the rookie record with home run #50.

[Vanimal46]

 

Judge breaks the rookie record with home run #50.

 

First time there's been multiple players with 50+ HRs since 2007 when A Rod and Prince Fielder (Milwaukee version) hit 54 and 50 HRs, respectively. 

[Mike Sixel]

heck of a catch by Hicks to rob a grand slam. wow.

[Otto von Ballpark]

In Hicks' first game off the DL. He added 3 walks (including a bases-loaded one for an RBI) and a SB.

 

Here's the catch:

 

[Otto von Ballpark]

Will be interesting to see if Hicks can play himself back into the Yankees postseason plans.  Ellsbury had been hot in his absence, but has cooled of late (1-for-16 since the Twins series).  Matt Holliday has been pretty poor in the second half as well, so the DH spot could be in play. (Greg Bird would be in that conversation too, I suppose.)

[Mike Sixel]

 

Will be interesting to see if Hicks can play himself back into the Yankees postseason plans.  Ellsbury had been hot in his absence, but has cooled of late (1-for-16 since the Twins series).  Matt Holliday has been pretty poor in the second half as well, so the DH spot could be in play. (Greg Bird would be in that conversation too, I suppose.)

 

At a minimum, I'd guess he's a defensive sub in any game he doesn't start. I think it's a lock he's on the post season roster if healthy.

[FattCrapps]

 

Coming into August, the Twins were 50-53, Braves were 48-56. Not exactly a whole lot of difference. At the point when the first announcement of Jaime Garcia between the Braves and Twins happened, the Braves had a better record, but they were 10 games farther out of a playoff spot.

 

Braves chose to bring up youth and put them in important spots for the rest of the year, immediately demoting Johnson from the closer role into no-leverage situations, and you see why.

 

I think Snitker and Molitor will both be seeking employment this offseason - at least it'd be surprising if they both weren't.

For sure.  No doubt Molitor is on the hot seat.  He barely limped into the playoffs with that rock solid bullpen and a lineup full of veteran hitters.  Sad!

 

There's always next year for the Cobb County Braves.

 

 

[biggentleben]

 

For sure.  No doubt Molitor is on the hot seat.  He barely limped into the playoffs with that rock solid bullpen and a lineup full of veteran hitters.  Sad!

 

There's always next year for the Cobb County Braves.

 

With Falvey and Levine, Molitor is still highly likely to be gone - even if he is a likely candidate for manager of the year.

[notoriousgod71]

This time of the season is always bittersweet as it means seeing guys play their final games. Today it was Matt Cain (who is amazingly only 32 years old) and it was a fitting end for his career as he tossed five shutout innings but didn't get the win. That seemed to happen to him more than any pitcher I've seen.

[Vanimal46]

Pittsburgh Pirates 1B John Jaso is calling it a career... He's set for the next adventure in his life, living like a real life Pirate! He has a sailboat and will be sailing the seven seas, looking for treasure! He's also going to help Puerto Rico rebuild, and live his life the way he wants to. 

 

He played 9 MLB seasons, and made $17+ MM in his career. Good luck to him and his future endeavors. 

[Vanimal46]

The Mets are not bringing back manager Terry Collins next year. There are now 2 openings for manager jobs in baseball... 

 

 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

The Mets are not bringing back manager Terry Collins next year. There are now 2 openings for manager jobs in baseball... 

Actually 3. Detroit, Philadelphia, and the Mets.

[gunnarthor]

Hope Gardy gets another shot to manage.

[FattCrapps]

Tsk tsk.  Cobb County can't even cheat correctly!

 

 

Atlanta Braves general manager John Coppolella has resigned as Major League Baseball investigates whether the team broke rules regarding the international player market.

The Braves released a statement Monday, saying that MLB continues to investigate the matter. John Hart, the Braves' president of baseball operations, will perform the team's GM duties until the team hires a replacement for Coppolella.

 

 

[Vanimal46]

 

Tsk tsk.  Cobb County can't even cheat correctly!

 

 

Atlanta Braves general manager John Coppolella has resigned as Major League Baseball investigates whether the team broke rules regarding the international player market.

The Braves released a statement Monday, saying that MLB continues to investigate the matter. John Hart, the Braves' president of baseball operations, will perform the team's GM duties until the team hires a replacement for Coppolella.

 

Wow. Must be pretty serious to warrant him resigning. I mean, Preller was lying about player injuries in trades and got a suspension + a slap on the wrist. This must be much more complicated and calculated cheating. 

[Mike Sixel]

I think any player signed under these violations should be a FA......and get to keep whatever money they have from ATL already.

[Vanimal46]

Jeff Passan is speculating about the Braves' GM news on Twitter. This quoted tweet below feels like the most notable of news coming out right now. 

"To put it mildly, John Coppolella was not well-liked among his peers. Well-loathed would be more accurate. A lot of schadenfreude right now."

Nevertheless, if the minor league roster stays in tact, this will be one of the most sought after job openings in baseball along with the manager opportunity. 

[biggentleben]

 

I think any player signed under these violations should be a FA......and get to keep whatever money they have from ATL already.

 

The word is that it is not issues in player signing but in violating putting team name on money given to certain people that other teams essentially put under the table. The investigation is going back to when Frank Wren was still GM, so it's not likely to be something that results in players released - but that's also according to a Braves guy who got a quick briefing this morning and told me what I can go with and what I can't. Not enough to go with to do an article on it, so I'll wait for the rest to come out.

 

The investigation is ongoing, however, and involves essentially all facets of the work Coppy was doing.

 

What intrigues me is that two "bright young baseball minds" that worked under John Hart at some point have now been in big trouble in the Latin market in Preller and Coppolella. He doesn't have a contract for 2018 currently and could find himself without a job. Others have told me that what's investigated involves all the way up to Schuerholz, so it could be a significant front office cleaning in Atlanta - which would not be a bad thing, frankly.

[Mike Sixel]

 

The word is that it is not issues in player signing but in violating putting team name on money given to certain people that other teams essentially put under the table. The investigation is going back to when Frank Wren was still GM, so it's not likely to be something that results in players released - but that's also according to a Braves guy who got a quick briefing this morning and told me what I can go with and what I can't. Not enough to go with to do an article on it, so I'll wait for the rest to come out.

 

The investigation is ongoing, however, and involves essentially all facets of the work Coppy was doing.

 

What intrigues me is that two "bright young baseball minds" that worked under John Hart at some point have now been in big trouble in the Latin market in Preller and Coppolella. He doesn't have a contract for 2018 currently and could find himself without a job. Others have told me that what's investigated involves all the way up to Schuerholz, so it could be a significant front office cleaning in Atlanta - which would not be a bad thing, frankly.

 

thanks for the update. 

[gunnarthor]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/10/mlb-investigating-braves-kevin-maitan-signing.html

 

Sounds like the Braves might lose Maitan (who would keep his bonus just like the Red Sox guys a year ago). If released, Maitan, a top 75 prospect, would be a free agent.

[drjim]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/10/mlb-investigating-braves-kevin-maitan-signing.html

 

Sounds like the Braves might lose Maitan (who would keep his bonus just like the Red Sox guys a year ago). If released, Maitan, a top 75 prospect, would be a free agent.

That would be a pretty big deal. Would be good to be Maitan, easily hits 8 figures. 30 mil? Too little?

[Otto von Ballpark]

That would be a pretty big deal. Would be good to be Maitan, easily hits 8 figures. 30 mil? Too little?

The Red Sox IFAs were still subject to IFA bonus rules (although the first $300k of their new bonuses were exempted).

[Mike Sixel]

Wow, that could be a lucky break to some team that just traded for 500K in IFA money.....

[biggentleben]

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/10/mlb-investigating-braves-kevin-maitan-signing.html

 

Sounds like the Braves might lose Maitan (who would keep his bonus just like the Red Sox guys a year ago). If released, Maitan, a top 75 prospect, would be a free agent.

 

They have investigated his signing and found nothing at the most recent reporting. One of the complaints about Coppolella was centered around the Maitan signing as he accepted less money to go to the Braves than the Nationals and Cardinals came up with at the very end, but by then he had bonded with other Braves signees at showcases and they were very obviously bonded at the fall instructs last season, so there were bonds already in place before they were signed, and many in Florida last fall said in order to get Maitan, there were three others that needed to come with him that were in the Braves class.

 

Where there were issues were with a player the Braves already had pen to paper with who is only 14 currently. Dumb move to put it to paper, basically, and that is the smoking gun that led to the immediate resignation.

[Mike Sixel]

 

They have investigated his signing and found nothing at the most recent reporting. One of the complaints about Coppolella was centered around the Maitan signing as he accepted less money to go to the Braves than the Nationals and Cardinals came up with at the very end, but by then he had bonded with other Braves signees at showcases and they were very obviously bonded at the fall instructs last season, so there were bonds already in place before they were signed, and many in Florida last fall said in order to get Maitan, there were three others that needed to come with him that were in the Braves class.

 

Where there were issues were with a player the Braves already had pen to paper with who is only 14 currently. Dumb move to put it to paper, basically, and that is the smoking gun that led to the immediate resignation.

 

pretty much every team does that, they just don't put it on paper, and they don't have FO infighting to expose it.....

[gunnarthor]

Was this link posted yet? https://sports.yahoo.com/john-coppolellas-resignation-just-start-atlanta-braves-problems-230643724.html

 

"While the long-term fallout of Coppolella’s actions remains unclear, the focus of MLB’s investigation narrowed in recent days to the bundling of international amateur signing bonuses to circumvent spending restrictions, according to sources. The scope of the Braves’ scheme remains unclear, but a source familiar with it deemed it “significantly bigger” than a similar one employed by the Boston Red Sox in the 2015-16 signing period. To skirt rules that limited them to signing players for a maximum $300,000 bonus, Boston overpaid for bonuses on lesser players represented by the same buscon, or trainer, of more highly regarded players, to whom extra money was funneled. The five players signed in the scheme were declared free agents, and the Red Sox were banned from signing any international players for a year."

 

Sounds like MLB thinks it's bigger than the Red Sox scandal.  Apparently mlb is looking at bundling (the same practice done by the Red Sox, under the table benefits and pre-draft deals "struck months in advance."  That last one could open a pretty big hornets nest if they were really to look into it.

[biggentleben]

The "big" name that the Braves could lose is Derian Cruz.They signed Dian Toscano and Carlos Portuondo from Cuba for more than most thought they would get, and Cruz was a highly-regarded prospect in the class the season before the big 2016 class the Braves signed. All three were represented by the same trainer. There's some discussion about some low-money guys in that class being "hidden" from other teams by the Braves to keep their prices down, like Juan Carlos Encarnacion and Yoeli Lopez.

[biggentleben]

One of the throw away lines in Passan's article and mentioned in Rosenthal's article as well was that the league is in the midst of investigating as many as 15 teams for international violations. The most recent CBA did give the commish's office a lot more teeth in the international market to discipline, so this could be an interesting offseason.