Post-Concussive Blues

I don’t think they would x-ray something that wasn’t causing pain during an exit physical, so broken hardware wouldn’t be diagnosed until he had extensive review before signing a new contract.

I suspect he broke a screw or loosened the hardware on that awkward slide last season. This would explain why he passed his physical when the Twins signed him last year, and why he can’t pass a physical this year—this would be a new x-ray finding. He doesn’t have any ongoing symptoms or limitations currently, so there is no indication for an operation to remove the hardware and introduce surgical risk at this time, but there is concern for future instability and need for operative management. Alternatively, this was a known concern last year, and why he settled for the contract that he did.

That’s pretty cool!

Great trade. I’m fine with letting go a high risk, high reward, often injured, probable relief pitcher for a proven good starting pitcher on a favorable contract. The money coming our way would nearly completely offset the Maeda contract if we cut him tomorrow, but more likely, it keeps the door open for a trade deadline acquisition. Raley has upside, but he’s 25 years old and our 4th best corner OF/1B prospect.

Dang, I want this to go through.

He’s a great pitcher, and his long, affordable contract makes him so valuable. This was a great deal. Fans saying that we should have “gotten an ace” for Graterol should follow that up with an actual example of aces with multiple years of control being traded for single, possibly relief prospects. There aren’t any.

Great deal. Maeda is a cheap stud controlled for three more years. Graterol is a relief prospect whose arm is about to fall off.

This is great, but I think you missed my favorite: Josh Donaldson vs. his own manager, John Gibbons: https://youtu.be/99dhn2K0bcQ The incident isn’t amazing, but the after game interview is awesome: https://youtu.be/H2VY2xRUGuM

I wonder if his shoulder is still a problem, and teams aren’t giving him a major league contract that he is seeking.

I put the over/under on HR for 2nd Base at 5, and Arraez will still win the batting title.

I’m so excited for baseball! Our line up is going to crush it!

Thank god. He’s not that good anymore, and that contact will look bad in a couple years.

Funny and true

Yes, I know. I doubt it will go in the player’s favor, but even for 1 year of Bryant, I think I would do the deal.

Darvish and Bryant for Larnach, Balazovich, and Gordon. We take all of Darvish’s salary.

This is a way bigger factor than the existence of winter here.

If we sign Hamels and Bumgarner, we will have an awesome rotation for Fantasy Baseball in 2012! But seriously, Hamels would be a great addition to our staff, probably similar to Odorizzi last year.

Players pay state income tax wherever the game is played, on top of federal taxes. So 50% Minnesota, 50% other locations. This does have large financial implications. The classic example was the 2012 Marlins - Blue Jays trade where players went from 0% state income tax in Florida to high taxes in Ontario. This is a brief, interesting article on the subject: https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2012/11/26/taxing-blue-jays-marlins-and-other-pro-athletes/

One to go!!

Way to finish the season strong, overcoming injuries. I’m excited Rosario is getting hot again.

Thanks, it’s just brown and water.

That seems about right. I don’t know if Hildenberger will have enough time to regain his spot—he didn’t get called back up yet—so I’d sub him for Thorpe so we have another lefty. Romo is a RHP.

I think that is a reasonable offer. One benefit of acquiring him now (or this winter) would be that he can receive a qualifying offer next offseason. That goes away if he is traded during his contract year, right?

For those proposed packages, absolutely yes!

I like Rocco