Scholarship table
https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2018/10/25/brewers-hitting-coach-darnell-coles-resigns-after-erratic-offensive-year/1758051002/Coles out as Brewers hitting coach. A welcome change. After dishing out the cash and trading half the farm, the offense had to be better than it was. A little surprised at Tunnel being dismissed given the strength of the bullpen, though not really a role that is immune to changes (Bill Castro's longevity being the exception). Don't think it could have happened without Derek Johnson's ok, and he's done enough that I trust his judgment.
Bottom line, he is a very good player that I don't care for. If we do sign him, my hope is we can get to his head and change some of things he does. I believe in reformation and a few chances in life, not totally throwing people on the trash pile. I didn't realize you were such a hardliner.
Fans don't have that power, it will come from his teammates and coaches, or more importantly from within.
According to the article, Coles wasn't pushed.
Lol.
Don't think it could have happened without Derek Johnson's ok, and he's done enough that I trust his judgment.
Derek Johnson leaving also, apparently heading to Cincinnati.
This feels like a big loss.
Something isn't sitting right with these departures.
Cubs pick up the option on Hamels, trade Smyly to the Rangers.Apparently, according to Ken Rosenthal, the Smyly trade had to happen to "clear salary" before picking up the Hamels money.
This looked like an easy decision. Only cost the rangers $1m for a guy who is actually a pretty good pitcher when he is healthy. (Of course that is a big IF).
I'll be extremely surprised if Hamels is worth the $20M. I think his one-third of season or so of resurgence is mostly an illusion that likely won't be repeated. But hey, the Cubs seem to have an unlimited budget to throw away, so go for it. Maybe extend Darvish, too.
I also think I saw somewhere that the Rangers were on the hook for Hamels' $6M buyout if the Cubs didn't pick up his option (presumably a term of that trade) so they had incentive to help the Cubs clear salary.
The Cubs also have a full rotation with Montgomery as the 6th starter. They very well may not get Harper or Machado but I think a lot of people are overanalyzing the trade of Smyly in terms of where they'd be willing to go in terms of the luxury tax.
Chatwood as well. The trade of Smyly is pretty "meh" to me in every way, it was more that Rosenthal, routinely one of the most connected, well informed guys, made is seem like where the payroll is could be a roadblock. The fact that KR framed the trade in that light seems to mean something.
For the Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers and maybe a handful of other franchises, "afford" is a meaningless word.They can choose not to afford somebody, they can choose not to run up their payroll and/or not to reach the luxury-tax threshold, but to say they "can't afford" somebody ... that's silliness.It was like apologists who said Reinsdorf couldn't have "afforded" to keep the dynastic Bulls (or at least most of them) together. He chose not to.I mean, I have the means to afford a Lamborghini. (As do many other Scoopers, I'm guessing.) But I choose not to buy one because I do not believe it would not be a wise allocation of my resources.
Discuss: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/11/mlb-free-agent-predictions-2019.htmlMy initial reactions: 1. Harper at $420M/14 from the Dodgers and Machado at $390/13 from the Phillies. I don't often pretend to know more than the experts, but this will not happen. Last year was the beginning of a trend, not an anomaly. I don't put either player at a greater than 50% chance to get 10+ years. (caveat - if there are 3 mutual options or opt outs over the life of a deal, you could make it 100 years if you want because the term becomes kind of meaningless).2. I think some of these SPs were made to look better than they are at the end of 2018, due to managers going to their bullpen earlier and more often than they will over a full year (even in the new MLB). Gio was great for the Brewers after the trade, for example, but he was also put into good situations by CC. If someone wants to give him $24/2, he should laugh to the bank. 3. Don't overpay for old pitchers that were reclamation projects. Underpay for your own new reclamation projects. I'd rather take swings at Clay Buccholz, Marco Estrada, or Chris Tillman vs paying Charlie Morton, Anibal Sanchez or Eovaldi.4. These projections really show how qualifying offers punish players. Ryu should be worth far more than one extra year $9M vs Gio or Anibal Sanchez.