The Mad King

Hopefully the new trainers can limit all the soft tissue injuries this season. I still worry about Alcala and Maeda, whether they'll be the same pitchers again. One has to also consider Alcala's mental outlook. If he's not confident in the elbow he won't pitch as well. When he's confident you can see it in his face and he is definitely dangerous when he is.

Underrated? Not by true fans. Underpaid? Sadly yes.

I look forward to seeing him pitch here in Jacksonville

I still see his season as three parts. Pre-covid Covid Post-covid The covid part includes the first month or two that he came back. That was his crappy part.

Great take

It would be nice to get as excited about Martin as we were when we got him in return for Berrios. Julien needs a position. I think we'll see Lee earlier than September if they don't stay healthier than last season. Let's hope the new trainer is the real upgrade this season.

Honestly? I thought trading Berrios in 2021 was waving the white flag. If you're not going to keep your own home grown talent then you're just in a cycle of constant rebuilding. Might as well deal Maeda first. There's no guarantee he'll ever be 2020 Kenta again. Gray sands Mahle keep until the deadline. Obviously Joe Ryan will only be here until he hits free agency in a few years...

Eternal hope. Did anyone pick Cleveland last year? Maybe the team is suddenly healthy and the starting rotation all pitch to their potential. Ryan learns change up to compliment his fastball and becomes unhittable. Maybe the bullpen won't blow games. Miranda and Polanco turn into defensive wizards and the bats pop. Whatchamacallit holds down short and Lewis comes back a month earlier than expected, as good as new. And maybe Buxton stays healthy.... I'll just leave the rose colored glasses here while I go buy lottery tickets...

So now the team is being run by Stand-Pat Gillick...

I've been saying "Jeffers is gonna be an all star" for a couple years now. So obviously my expertise is limited to how much food I can ingest while WATCHING the games...

Baddoo was a short term hurt. He had a decent rookie campaign (and played very good against the Twins) during a season we used 7 center fielders. No, he wasn't supposed to play in Minnesota that year but he would have been one of those 7 had her not been chosen. His regression last year and Celestino's improved first half made it hurt less. We'll have to see how his career shakes out. For me, too early to tell.

Scenario A is, to me, what's going on here. I think it also signals the end of Gordon as an infielder. Until injuries make that a need.

Back to card sorting season. Here's an '81 Carew

Can he actually play defense?

I'm good with Jeffers. And a sidekick. Bigger bases. More steals. I'm failing to see the logic that being 3"closer together means more stolen bases. It also means 3" less the catchers need to throw. It evens out.

I'm still high on this kid. Clearly his middle season numbers coinsided with his covid and return. It lingers. A good changeup could do him wonders, try to get away from the curve he likes to keep hanging.

Like everyone else is saying, I don't see them getting value return. He needs to get back to swinging at first pitch strikes like he did in '19. His contact is team friendly and until these others can prove their ability to stay healthy, we kind of need him out there.

What if... What happens to Miranda if the trade had never been made and Donaldson had a good year? Another way the twins won today trade...

I always thought the trade was made with very strong input from Tingler because he managed them both. And that Pagan want going anywhere because they had another year of team control. New pitch or not, the improvement in stats could also be due to the change in roles, from high leverage to mop up. Year to year - relief pitchers have to be the least predictable players on all of sports. Sample size is just too low and circumstances change all the time.

Is there a thread somewhere that lists all the players contact status (length) ? I've been looking forward to an article like this since July. I always keep an eye on the long-term outlook, as though I owned the team?

Another point, even if we knew 100% that Lewis was coming back good as new, he's still not getting there until May or June so we have to waste a roster spot for an interim SS. Assuming Correa isn't coming back.

Sign him for the year. Until Kiriloff proves he can stay healthy you can't count on him.

Great write up!

Last year's team, for me, was defined by a game in Oakland where Buxton did everything he could to win the game and Blankenhorn, Donaldson, and Araezz blew the game. This year it was a Friday night game in Cleveland in which Buxton could not even pinch hit in a tie game

I wish I had your optimism