2023 MLB Thread

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Mark on some serious copium.

"We're all here today because we lost Craig. But I've reflected on this. You know, Craig has lost us and he's lost our community. It's a really special place to be."

That's just a idiotic, pandering thing to say.  His contract was up and he went to another team for a boatload more money. Wish him luck. Say you believe in your organization. Move on.

"Craig lost us..." GMAFB.  He owes you and the organization nothing.

[Uncle Rico]

You got your wish.   Be happy.

He wants Attanasio to sell to one of the local Milwaukee billionaires.

What’ll happen is, Mark will sell to an outsider and 4elder won’t like his politics or where’s he or she is from or how they run the organization.  If we’ve learned one thing through the years, 4elder is happiest complaining about teams he follows.  Wait until Shaka hits his first rough patch.

[Dickthedribbler]

How about this. Counsell,  over the last six months, considering all the possibilities:

" I'm 53 years old. All the smart baseball people tell me I'm one of the top managers in the game. I wonder what it's like to work for an owner who has virtually an unlimited supply of money and a willingness to spend it on me. I wonder how many World Series I can win if my owner has the money to pursue the free agents I want and the other players I need to construct my team. My current contract is up in 2023 and I owe it to myself and to my family to find out."

It might not be any more than that. He's taken the Brewers to what, 5 playoffs in 9 years. Maybe he's grown weary of trying to pull rabbits out of a hat with a patchwork roster of promising young players and various journeymen and retreads hitting .220.

[Hards Alumni]

How about this. Counsell,  over the last six months, considering all the possibilities:

" I'm 53 years old. All the smart baseball people tell me I'm one of the top managers in the game. I wonder what it's like to work for an owner who has virtually an unlimited supply of money and a willingness to spend it on me. I wonder how many World Series I can win if my owner has the money to pursue the free agents I want and the other players I need to construct my team. My current contract is up in 2023 and I owe it to myself and to my family to find out."

It might not be any more than that. He's taken the Brewers to what, 5 playoffs in 9 years. Maybe he's grown weary of trying to pull rabbits out of a hat with a patchwork roster of promising young players and various journeymen and retreads hitting .220.

It's precisely that.

[BrewCity83]

It's the Cubs.  It's the CUBS!!!!

[Lennys Tap]

It's precisely that.

Exactly. So why, until it (logically) happened why did you opine that there was 0% chance he was leaving?

[MU82]

It's precisely that.

Yep. Oh, and $40M, too.

[Hards Alumni]

Exactly. So why, until it (logically) happened why did you opine that there was 0% chance he was leaving?

Because that is how I felt at the time.  I'm sure you've never been wrong in your life, Lenny, have you? 

No need to answer.  Being a man is admitting when you are wrong, which is why I stood behind my comment and wagered on it.  I was wrong and I paid my donk tax.

Anything else interesting to add?

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

The Angels hire 71 year old Ron Washington?

I guess...

[Lennys Tap]

Because that is how I felt at the time.  I'm sure you've never been wrong in your life, Lenny, have you? 

No need to answer.  Being a man is admitting when you are wrong, which is why I stood behind my comment and wagered on it.  I was wrong and I paid my donk tax.

Anything else interesting to add?

Of course I’ve been wrong. I just found it puzzling that before he left you felt there was 0% chance of it happening and after he left you said he made the logical move. Why would there ever be 0% chance of a smart guy like Counsell doing something logical?

[Hards Alumni]

Of course I’ve been wrong. I just found it puzzling that before he left you felt there was 0% chance of it happening and after he left you said he made the logical move. Why would there ever be 0% chance of a smart guy like Counsell doing something logical?

Guess you should have wagered too.  But you didn't.  Nor did you offer your opinion at the time.

Additionally, my original comment was that he'd be fired.  I had forgotten his contract was up, but since I'm not a jag off I took the wager.

[jficke13]

Per the Athletic, Brewers open to trading everyone on the roster. Gonna be a ticket to rebuild city.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Per the Athletic, Brewers open to trading everyone on the roster. Gonna be a ticket to rebuild city.

#specialcommunity

[Pakuni]

A sucky year for White Sox fans just got much suckier.

https://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20231109/benetti-bolts-white-sox-joins-tigers-broadcast-booth

[Uncle Rico]

Per the Athletic, Brewers open to trading everyone on the roster. Gonna be a ticket to rebuild city.

I’m good with this.  Had Woodruff not gotten injured, I’d have been open to trading Burnes for MLB ready sluggers and running with Woody as the ace.

You already have plenty of good middle infielders and outfielders in the system and are set at catcher for 2-3 years, though with Quero knocking, a return on Contreras should be good enough that you can move him. 

I’d move Burnes and Adames for sure and listen on Williams.  It won’t be popular but it’ll be right.  Sign a few bounce-back candidates and see what happens

[MUfan12]

I’d move Burnes and Adames for sure and listen on Williams.  It won’t be popular but it’ll be right.  Sign a few bounce-back candidates and see what happens

Yep. Can only bite at the apple so long, and they've had a longer than usual window of contention for a small market team.

Good news is that it shouldn't be a long process. Some good young talent on the way.

[4everwarriors]

"We will have a manager," aina?

[Uncle Rico]

Yep. Can only bite at the apple so long, and they've had a longer than usual window of contention for a small market team.

Good news is that it shouldn't be a long process. Some good young talent on the way.

Correct.  I always forget about Quero, probably because of how good Contreras was.  I doubt they move Contreras, but I’d curious what kind of package they could get for him today

[DegenerateDish]

A sucky year for White Sox fans just got much suckier.

https://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20231109/benetti-bolts-white-sox-joins-tigers-broadcast-booth

This was sadly inevitable. When Jason was going through an “interesting” contract renegotiation with the Sox last offseason, I was at the same time switching jobs myself. We talked about our respective situations and he told me how the Sox were looking to eff him over in multiple negotiating points (without getting too much in the weeds).

I’m supposed to have dinner with him towards the holidays, and even knowing this was going to happen either now or next year, still unbelievably bummed by this news.

[MU82]

Per the Athletic, Brewers open to trading everyone on the roster. Gonna be a ticket to rebuild city.

I don't follow the Brewers very closely, but maybe this is the right thing to do.

Still, from afar, it seems really weird that a team that just won its division BY NINE GAMES would go into full-rebuild mode.

[Uncle Rico]

I don't follow the Brewers very closely, but maybe this is the right thing to do.

Still, from afar, it seems really weird that a team that just won its division BY NINE GAMES would go into full-rebuild mode.

Not necessarily.  You have two commodities entering their final arbitration year.  Adames isn’t a piece they have to keep or should overpay to keep. 

Burnes is a different animal because he’s a pitcher but giving him a massive deal is a recipe for disaster, imo.  He isn’t Verlander or Scherzer.  He’s 29 and going to get a massive deal somewhere and best of luck to him and the team that sign him. 

If Woodruff was healthy for 2024, I’d see a case to run it back one more time but with his injury, they can reset and given the system, a rebuild doesn’t have to be Pirates-like but similar to 2015-17 Brewers where they were contending a year and a half into a full reset

[Lennys Tap]

This was sadly inevitable. When Jason was going through an “interesting” contract renegotiation with the Sox last offseason, I was at the same time switching jobs myself. We talked about our respective situations and he told me how the Sox were looking to eff him over in multiple negotiating points (without getting too much in the weeds).

I’m supposed to have dinner with him towards the holidays, and even knowing this was going to happen either now or next year, still unbelievably bummed by this news.

I thought the White Sox were supposed to be an organization that emphasizes loyalty - even when it’s to their detriment. The only positive of their horrible product last year was Jason and they let him go - to Detroit?? Really? What a sh!t show.

[MU82]

Not necessarily.  You have two commodities entering their final arbitration year.  Adames isn’t a piece they have to keep or should overpay to keep. 

Burnes is a different animal because he’s a pitcher but giving him a massive deal is a recipe for disaster, imo.  He isn’t Verlander or Scherzer.  He’s 29 and going to get a massive deal somewhere and best of luck to him and the team that sign him. 

If Woodruff was healthy for 2024, I’d see a case to run it back one more time but with his injury, they can reset and given the system, a rebuild doesn’t have to be Pirates-like but similar to 2015-17 Brewers where they were contending a year and a half into a full reset

That seems reasonable, Unk, and you obviously follow the organization far more closely than I do. I hope it works out for my Brewer-fan friends.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

That seems reasonable, Unk, and you obviously follow the organization far more closely than I do. I hope it works out for my Brewer-fan friends.

It won't.

[Shooter McGavin]

This was sadly inevitable. When Jason was going through an “interesting” contract renegotiation with the Sox last offseason, I was at the same time switching jobs myself. We talked about our respective situations and he told me how the Sox were looking to eff him over in multiple negotiating points (without getting too much in the weeds).

I’m supposed to have dinner with him towards the holidays, and even knowing this was going to happen either now or next year, still unbelievably bummed by this news.

Thanks for the insight.  This just smells bad.  Reinsdorf seems ready to sell or move the team and is eliminating payroll at all levels.  He is making his books look as good as possible.  The Nashville White Sox may be a reality soon.  What a garbage owner.  He has one championship that he produced since the 80s.  He lucked into Jordan.  Any schmuck could have built an empire around him. Kudos to him for not trading him. Which I’m sure he thought about.  Otherwise his legacy is nothing.  What a shame.  The only worse owners in all of sports are the McCaskeys.