MLB 2018 Season

[buckchuckler]

I'm, not saying the Cardinals aren't hot right now, but, the Dodgers are below .500 at home and we're swept at home -- in a four game series-- by the Reds in May.

Something amazing, Reds division.  As of like 2 days ago the Reds were .500 in games not started by Homer Bailey and 1-16 (or so can't exactly remember) is games he starts.  Yikes!

[JWags85]

Something amazing, Reds division.  As of like 2 days ago the Reds were .500 in games not started by Homer Bailey and 1-16 (or so can't exactly remember) is games he starts.  Yikes!

Homer Bailey has two fantastic pitching performances in back to back years, and despite never having an above average WAR or exceptional year by any metric, gets wildly overpaid and then gets hurt and pitches like crap throughout the duration of his contract.  Between him and Bronson Arroyo.  Reds love paying princely sums for mediocrity on the mound.

[buckchuckler]

Homer Bailey has two fantastic pitching performances in back to back years, and despite never having an above average WAR or exceptional year by any metric, gets wildly overpaid and then gets hurt and pitches like crap throughout the duration of his contract.  Between him and Bronson Arroyo.  Reds love paying princely sums for mediocrity on the mound.

Hard to just pin that on the Reds.  That is a chronic problem throughout baseball.  There are very few rosters which do not include a pitcher that is wildly overpaid (and was thought to be at the time.)  Heck, there are few that have done a better job than Brian Sabean and Bobby Evans in SF, yet given the chance, they heaped money on Jeff Samardizja.  Houston may be the only team, that is good, and not historically frugal (Rays, A's) that doesn't have a guy like that on their roster.  Pitching contracts turn ugly quickly.  Often in the season following their signing.


*** and in what is probably the coolest story of the day, the Rockies have added Matt Holliday back to the MLB roster.   

[chapman]

There are very few rosters which do not include a pitcher that is wildly overpaid (and was thought to be at the time.) 

Brewers did something well!*




*At least I'm pretty sure Suppan, Lohse, and Garza are finally all off the books

[TallTitan34]

Andrew McCutchen has cleared waivers.

[MUBurrow]

Andrew McCutchen has cleared waivers.

Cleveland would have to be the most likely destination for him, yeah? Otherwise maybe the Yankees with Judge out for the better part of another month or Atl to platoon with Markakis and do the "vet leadership" thing.

[DegenerateDish]

I realize this will sound silly in old school baseball terms, but in a year with no clear favorite, one could argue that Nola is the NL MVP, and have him not win the Cy Young (I think deGrom wins it).

His 8th inning K of Harper with runners at 1st and 2nd, to keep the shut out going, that was as clutch a performance from a pitcher this year. I realize he only plays once every 5 days, but without Nola, the Phillies are not in playoff contention this season.

[TallTitan34]

I realize this will sound silly in old school baseball terms, but in a year with no clear favorite, one could argue that Nola is the NL MVP, and have him not win the Cy Young (I think deGrom wins it).

His 8th inning K of Harper with runners at 1st and 2nd, to keep the shut out going, that was as clutch a performance from a pitcher this year. I realize he only plays once every 5 days, but without Nola, the Phillies are not in playoff contention this season.

No Scherzer love?

[DegenerateDish]

No Scherzer love?

I love him and he's having an awesome year, I don't think one can go wrong with Nola/Scherzer/deGrom for the Cy Young, it's almost splitting hairs. If I had a vote, I'd personally give it to deGrom. Of the three and their respective teams this particular season, I think with the Mets/Nats underachieving, I think Nola has been the most valuable to his team.

All three guys have been total studs, I'd not argue anyone saying Scherzer is the best of the three this year.

[TallTitan34]

I think with the Mets/Nats underachieving, I think Nola has been the most valuable to his team.

Agreed!

[🏀]

Brewers did something well!*




*At least I'm pretty sure Suppan, Lohse, and Garza are finally all off the books

Still paying Lohse.

[withoutbias]

He may not be great tonight, or not meet the wildly high expectations immediately, but I am pumped for KopechDay. I was fortunate enough to get to spend a few hours with him this past January and he was awesome to me and my family. Hope he has a great future with the Sox and can't wait to see him pitch in person tonight.

as someone who has spent some time with the guy personally do you think that the 22 year old kopech has matured and changed since he was tweeting racist, homophobic stupid things as a 17 year old high schooler or do you believe kopech is a racist pos like the scoop cubs fans believe hater still is 8 years later?

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I like Cole.

The Baez 481 foot shot was something to behold in person.

[MU82]

The Baez 481 foot shot was something to behold in person.

Yeah, he really tagged it.

You like how I slid that in there?

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Yeah, he really tagged it.

You like how I slid that in there?

Nicely done.

[DegenerateDish]

as someone who has spent some time with the guy personally do you think that the 22 year old kopech has matured and changed since he was tweeting racist, homophobic stupid things as a 17 year old high schooler or do you believe kopech is a racist pos like the scoop cubs fans believe hater still is 8 years later?

I can’t speak to Kopech’s inner personality and what his views/beliefs are. I’ve spent a lot of time around pro athletes at events with and without cameras, and can confidently say Kopech demonstrated he gets “it”. The interaction I had with him may have been part of his maturation process. I obviously don’t support what he said 5 years ago, but I also saw him ask if he could go to a few patients rooms where kids were too sick to come to the event (no cameras or PR people were anywhere when he did this).

Two days after we met him, I was leaving SoxFest with my son going out to Mich Ave to catch a cab. Unbeknownst to me, Kopech was standing about ten feet away from us (with his then girlfriend). No one recognized him, hell I didn’t. He saw me texting on my phone, and came over and said bye to my son and I, shook our hands, and wished us well.

I believe he has recognized his past mistakes on Twitter, addressed them, and I hope he continues to show a side that I saw to not just me, but everyone.

[Jockey]

I love him and he's having an awesome year, I don't think one can go wrong with Nola/Scherzer/deGrom for the Cy Young, it's almost splitting hairs. If I had a vote, I'd personally give it to deGrom. Of the three and their respective teams this particular season, I think with the Mets/Nats underachieving, I think Nola has been the most valuable to his team.

All three guys have been total studs, I'd not argue anyone saying Scherzer is the best of the three this year.

You make a good argument.

[TallTitan34]

Soooooooo Harvey?

[MUBurrow]

Soooooooo Harvey?

UGGGHHH. I wish they'd just stop.

[TallTitan34]

If I were the Reds and couldn't strike a trade, I would just give him to the Brewers so I don't have to pay the remainder of his money.

[jsglow]

I honestly don't know why the Reds didn't do a deal.  They get exactly zero after 6-7 more starts.

[#UnleashSean]

Harvey was throwing a gem until the 6th.

Guessing with him starting the Brewers couldnt make a deal.

[MUBurrow]

I honestly don't know why the Reds didn't do a deal.  They get exactly zero after 6-7 more starts.

My only guess is that the Brewers offer must have been so low, that the Reds turned it down just to show that the front office is willing to play hardball for future deals? Makes some degree of sense if the Brewers would only take him as a salary dump but the Reds wanted to pay the $1.5M or so left on his deal in exchange for a fringy prospect.

[MUBurrow]

An additional weird way to look at it (as I peek at the Cin-ChC box score) is that if Harvey was going to give the Brewers 5 starts by replacing Anderson or Guerra, what is the marginal utility of that upgrade for MKE vs Harvey making projected starts for the Reds vs the Cubs, the Cards and LAD.

[#UnleashSean]

My only guess is that the Brewers offer must have been so low, that the Reds turned it down just to show that the front office is willing to play hardball for future deals? Makes some degree of sense if the Brewers would only take him as a salary dump but the Reds wanted to pay the $1.5M or so left on his deal in exchange for a fringy prospect.

Most likely what happened. Reds didn't like the lowball. 1.1m isn't to much to pay. Sterns doesn't want to give up anything substantial this year for a half full glass pennant race.