Kolek planning to go pro
Sure, if sports fans across the nation suffered collective amnesia, he'd be right. But since that's not likely, most fans would remember the players who are gone, recognize that what's on the field is an inferior product and turn away in droves. Like in 1987, when football fans stayed away en masse from the NFL's replacement games.
But fans came back to the NFL. Remember James had a three year window. Would fans come back in three years? That's the question.
Huh, does he have that reputation? I had no idea. It isn't like that has been his thing for like 20 years.
Buck, I am assuming teal here. My point was that some players sign with a team that offers less $ than another. Scott Boras clients do not - and they know that when they hire him.
This seems much ado about nothing. Epstein was asked if he considered Bryant and Rizzo "untouchables" for trades and he said words to the effect of, "I've never considered a player untouchable and I'm not going to do that now."That somehow has been spun into "The Cubs will consider trading Bryant." I mean, that's not totally wrong, but it's awfully misleading.
Agree. He'll be traded in time, but it won't be this year. He will be one of the casualties of the fact that they can't pay all of their young guys. With this many years of control left, I can't picture a package that would satisfy Theo
They know it's a long shot to re-sign him eventually. Rumors have been out there for a while that he's always been pissed about the service time issue, and he was going to 100% test the market when the time comes. Shoulder is probably an issue, but I'm personally not surprised by this news.I can see the Cubs and Mets being trading partners here.
Rumors abound that the Cubs are not only open to trading Bryant, but are "making an effort" to trade him.My first thought here is that his shoulder must be a problem, I just don't understand why else they would shop him.The initial report I saw I didn't mention because it was just a "there are not untouchables" deal, which doesn't mean much, but since there have been some report that it may be more than that. I can't see it happening. Who knows though.
Great stuff, as usual.
Well, you have the stupid pissing matches covered, so I thought I would just relay stories that people that don't follow the offseason may have missed. Sorry it wasn't up to your standards.
Come on - posting the Bryant stuff was laughable as was what Buster Olney turned an innocuous comment into. Pure clickbait.You also got extra worked up about legitimate questions about the Sox pursuit of Harper and Machado. Maybe some of it was semantics but I wasn't trying to be a dick. I've said it before that I think Hahn has done a really nice job so far but there's still a long way to go.
Giants looking to dump Bumgarner, Brewers and Phillies said to be interested. I really hope the Brewers don't give up the farm for a one year rental.
There are some real warning signs starting to creep up with MadBum too. He's been the most important piece to the Giants' awesome "every other year" streak, but a team expecting him to put them over the top in 2019 is going to be disappointed methinks.
In regards to Amazon potentially picking up the regional Fox channels, I'm excited for the potential to get better access to Brewers games out of market.
Yeah, the Brewers were a game from being in the World Series last year, this is not the time to recklessly go for it.
One of the most interesting issues with baseball free agency is the impact it is having on team identity and the face of a team in its region.Maybe it is because I qualify as an old-timer, but every city had its superstar. The Cubs had Ernie Banks. The Cardinals had Stan Musial. The Yankees had Mickey Mantle. The Dodgers had... well, the Dodgers had boatloads. The Braves (Milwaukee and Atlanta) had Hank Aaron. And so on... These guys did winter road shows, they signed autographs and they did enough public relations to choke a horse. Heck, until he died, Ernie Banks was everywhere!It's tough to identify with a baseball player now. Kris Bryant is a good point. The well has been so poisoned by the service time issues related to the Cubs that I see no way Bryant will be back after his contract expires. You don't forget stuff like that if you are a ballplayer. No one thought this kid could have been the next face of the franchise -- or they were too caught up in nickels and dimes to think that way.Albert Pujos was even worse. The Cardinals offered him $200 million to play baseball in St. Louis. His nickname was el hombre and he was going to be on the same level with Stan the Man, who was an icon in St. Louis long after he retired. The Angels offered him $240 million to play in Orange County. So he leaves and his wife says goodbye by claiming the Cardinals disrespected she and her husband by not exceeding the Angels offer.Every team has had this issue with at least one player. That's the hard part about baseball. It's about the players and their relationship with the community in which they play. That relationship really doesn't exist anymore.
Every team has had this issue with at least one player. That's the hard part about baseball. It's about the players and their relationship with the community in which they play. That relationship really doesn't exist anymore.
Let's not forget that teams have never had a problem severing the relationship between a player and the community in which he plays when injury, age or something else diminishes his performance.