The Hey its 2021 now guys MLB thread

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

The Red Sox signed their top pick.  Their second round pick (40) did not sign and they will be compensated in next year's draft (41). 

Ah thank you.

[WI_Inferiority_Complexes1]

John Axford is back on the Brewers. Party like it’s 2009.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

John Axford is back on the Brewers. Party like it’s 2009.

Next up....Derrick Turnbow

[MUBurrow]

Plus, I have no idea what the deal is with Rocker's health/arm, but the Mets at least have a plausible story as to why they did this. If there's ZERO health concerns and a team just decided to spike a top draft pick for whatever reason, that seems like it would have fallout among the players and agents, no?

Agreed - I don't think teams would do that to intentionally spite someone, but it seems pretty crapty that the Mets can use a pick on Rocker then decide they don't want to sign him and now he can't start his MLB career. I get that its only fair given that the system lets players decide not to play. But man does it seem unfair to the guy.

In other sports, you see players slip for injury concerns all the time. But I can't recall hearing of a team drafting a guy and then locking him out of their facility.  You have to assume that if the Mets don't take Rocker there, someone else does later in the draft where the perceived risk is lower.  That's why I was asking whether the Mets offered him a below slot deal or something.  Can they trade his rights? I have to imagine someone would be willing to throw a couple million at him. 

[shoothoops]

The Red Sox signed their top pick.  Their second round pick (40) did not sign and they will be compensated in next year's draft (41).

Jud Fabian. CF, Florida, very good defense, and, prior to this past season, a high average, line drive hitter. He was a preseason top 10 pick on a preseason number 1 type team. Both he and his team were down a bit for what was expected.

His average dropped 45 points, and his K rate went up a lot. He changed his approach to more of the increased HR power plus increase K’s that has been more common recently.

Fabian is betting on himself that he won’t do much worse draft wise next year, (likely better to much better if he can fix his offense a bit, 2 strike swing etc and approach) plus his team will be good, and, he gets to play with his incoming Freshman younger brother. He’s “only” 20 which is young for a Junior.

Typically, many/most top 3 round picks sign but of course not all. Middle rounds gets more mixed. If it is a veteran college player that thinks his draft range, $ etc isn’t going to improve much, they sign. Rocker had teammates leave in 4th round, 5th round picks. He also had teammates that were not picked until later, closer to 10th round etc that are returning to Vandy.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

He would have already had a seven figure value right?  Isn't delaying your pro career for the sake of another million or so a pretty short-sighted decision?

[rocky_warrior]

He would have already had a seven figure value right?  Isn't delaying your pro career for the sake of another million or so a pretty short-sighted decision?

Yes.  I suspect there were some legit concerns about Rockers arm, but Boras involvement probably is what really killed the chance of any deal.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Yes.  I suspect there were some legit concerns about Rockers arm, but Boras involvement probably is what really killed the chance of any deal.

Right.  I am actually talking about Fabian and shoothoops statement that he is "betting on himself."

[jsglow]

John Axford is back on the Brewers. Party like it’s 2009.

I think it's a fantastic move by Stearns.  Ax was injured for all of '19 and couldn't play minor league ball in '20. Was even in the Jay's broadcast booth at the start of this year.  Then Team Canada called and his performance demonstrated that he still had something.  Then the Jays signed him to AAA where at Buffalo he had an 0.84 ERA over 9 outings and 10+ innings of work topping out at 98. 

So for the price of a bag of balls the Crew finds an eligible veteran reliever AFTER the 7/31 deadline who is seemingly bringing the heat, if only for the shortest of runs.  Give me a half dozen innings Ax-man while the Covid plague passes.  Absolutely brilliant.

[rocky_warrior]

Right.  I am actually talking about Fabian and shoothoops statement that he is "betting on himself."

Whoops.  I didn't keep up.  Nevermind then (though your comment applies to both, hah) .

So for the price of a bag of balls the Crew finds an eligible veteran reliever AFTER the 7/31 deadline who is seemingly bringing the heat, if only for the shortest of runs.  Give me a half dozen innings Ax-man while the Covid plague passes.  Absolutely brilliant.

Not possible, I've been assured by shoot that the cards made the best/cheapest move possible by getting Lester and Happ.

[shoothoops]

He would have already had a seven figure value right?  Isn't delaying your pro career for the sake of another million or so a pretty short-sighted decision?

Boston had less than $2 Million left to pay Fabian. Baltimore is reported to have been going to draft Fabian with the next pick and pay him $3 Million. Fabian was the youngest draft eligible player in the draft. He has 2 years of eligibility left if he wants it. (He will likely play one more year, play with his brother, and, increase his draft stock and $) He has some leverage.

There are so many stories and examples of the choices of MLB Prospects, MLB Teams, College Players. One size doesn’t fit all.

Jack Leiter would have likely been a 1st round pick out of high school, but, he was determined to go to Vandy. His dad never went to college. So they visited as a Freshman to learn about the highly respected pitching development program there, as well as the baseball culture there and how they blend in with the rest of their college life. Leiter wasn’t the biggest kid at the time. By the time Leiter reached his Junior year in high school, he was up to mid 80’s and eventually mid 90’s when reaching college.

This year, Jordan Lawlar, Vandy commit, 6th overall out of Dallas Jesuit, was not a sure thing to sign with Arizona Diamondbacks. He signed this past weekend for a little over $6.7 Million. But is was no slam dunk as he strongly considered Vandy. David Weathers’ son Ryan, a few years ago was also a Vandy commit that signed with San Diego Padres out of high school at 7th overall first round. Examples vary.

[jsglow]

Not possible, I've been assured by shoot that the cards made the best/cheapest move possible by getting Lester and Happ.

I betcha Ax-Man gets an inning tonight. I just hope he can keep his excitement level down as he hits 98 on the gun and the crowd roars. Can you imagine how he's feeling walking into the clubhouse, shaking hands with his long time friend and manager?  Hell, he'd gladly play for nothing. I truly hope he succeeds.

[cheebs09]

I betcha Ax-Man gets an inning tonight. I just hope he can keep his excitement level down as he hits 98 on the gun and the crowd roars. Can you imagine how he's feeling walking into the clubhouse, shaking hands with his long time friend and manager?  Hell, he'd gladly play for nothing. I truly hope he succeeds.

We think him and Dillard have a comedy show post game? Maybe roast Counsell’s presser?

[jsglow]

We think him and Dillard have a comedy show post game? Maybe roast Counsell’s presser?

Absolutely.  Tim is lining that up right now. But Ueck is getting the first crack at Couns asking if HE still has anything.   

[shoothoops]

Whoops.  I didn't keep up.  Nevermind then (though your comment applies to both, hah) .

Not possible, I've been assured by shoot that the cards made the best/cheapest move possible by getting Lester and Happ.

This is the problem you made/started that we’d like to not have to repeat today. That’s up to you.

I never once said the Cardinals made the best possible move. I never once said they made the cheapest possible move.

I said the moves were low cost, low risk. I didn’t say whether or not the moves would help their team. As you kept posting and posting about it, I kept asking you to provide a specific better or alternative solution. That’s something you haven’t been able to do. I never said there was or wasn’t one. I asked you to name yours.

I did say that their team has used more than 10 starters, much due to injury. They hope to get back Flaherty, Mikolas, even Hudson etc..at some point. So they want to bridge a gap. Happ had an E.R.A. of 1.91 in his first 5 starts this season. Lester had a 5 start stretch at the beginning of June with a 2.55 E.R.A. They may or may not be able to deliver a small quantity of starts they are being asked to do at low cost, low risk. Many have understandably low expectations. (One if the players the Cardinals gave up is expected a big salary bump soon.)

As mentioned several times, their team decided the asking price was too high for some of their top prospects. Many people are commenting positively about how Minnesota was able to land couple of high level prospects in their recent trade. That was not a trade the Cardinals were willing to make. I believe they are 6 or so back of the wild card. I would have to check. You can’t have it both ways. You can’t say they are non-contending, and then say why didn’t they trade a too prospect for a later season rental for a team less likely to contend.

Now this can be linked to prior to the season, which is considered a more valuable discussion, and one I had. That’s when you want to go back and understand where I felt the Cardinals lacked depth both in their rotation and lineup, both before and after adding Arenado. I’m sure there is even a related post here about it somewhere. Their team has placed a higher emphasis and draft and development over all else in recent memory. Well they didn’t add enough, and, their desired outfield has played few games together this season. And their rotation has had several injuries. They didn’t approach things like the Dodgers. It hasn’t been popular.

They are expected to return several players from injury for 2022. They are expected to promote prospects, and they are expected to make off season acquisitions. They would rather do this than blow up their team for years to come or trade top prospects for a less likely contending team. So, they are in the middle. When it’s brought up to them that they didn’t do enough this past off season to anticipate this possibility, as well as to capitalize off of what you do have, the answers fall flat, just as I and many others mentioned before the season started.

Stuck in neutral is both a solid band name, and, more of an unsual spot for their team. But, it is what it is.

[Uncle Rico]

https://twitter.com/katiejwoo/status/1422239235541770245?s=21

[rocky_warrior]

You can’t have it both ways. You can’t say they are non-contending, and then say why didn’t they trade a too prospect for a later season rental for a team less likely to contend.

OK shoot.  I get it, and I'll leave you alone about it.  But I do 100% believe they are non-contending, which is to say there's not a single (or multiple) moves they could have made to make the team contending (unless they could aquire the entire Dodgers organization).  So, the move they made is silly to me.  I'll go back to this, and update that  I think they can only lose 5 more games to sub .500 clubs now...

Sorry, it's not *really* hyperbole.  By my count, the Cards have 29 games left against .500+ squads, so we can fairly safely assume they lose at least 14 of those.  That gives them maybe 6 losses in the other 30 games to make the playoffs.  5 if they don't come back today.

edit:  Oh, and I don't think they play another .500+ team until the crew on Aug 17, so yeah, they'll lose 6 before then.

[shoothoops]

OK shoot.  I get it, and I'll leave you alone about it.  But I do 100% believe they are non-contending, which is to say there's not a single (or multiple) moves they could have made to make the team contending (unless they could aquire the entire Dodgers organization).  So, the move they made is silly to me.  I'll go back to this, and update that  I think they can only lose 5 more games to sub .500 clubs now...

We can go back and count all of your posts that end with they aren’t a contending team. Perhaps you keep repeating that because it’s unusual for their franchise. No one else here ever said they were or weren’t including me.

I’ve kindly and patiently attempted to explain to you many times in many ways their situation, and what they are doing, why, how, etc…and even how they got there in the first place.

You seem more interested in this than (checks notes to keep track of what team) oh you said you were a Cubs fan.

And specifics still seem to elude you.

[shoothoops]

https://twitter.com/katiejwoo/status/1422239235541770245?s=21

Katie has always had a good sense of humor. Did you happen to read the first reply to her tweet? Well look right here, it’s from Katie herself, and, she was kind of enough to provide link to the article that explains why they made those trades.

Here ya go:

https://twitter.com/katiejwoo/status/1422240785664249860?s=21

I sometimes to forget to ask posters the question, Cubs or Brewers? Maybe just put in your posts to make it easier, thanks.

[The Hippie Satan of Hyperbole]

Katie has always had a good sense of humor. Did you happen to read the first reply to her tweet? Well look right here, it’s from Katie herself, and, she was kind of enough to provide link to the article that explains why they made those trades.

Here ya go:

https://twitter.com/katiejwoo/status/1422240785664249860?s=21

You must be a fun guy to hang out with.

[shoothoops]

You must be a fun guy to hang out with.

I am.

[rocky_warrior]

And specifics still seem to elude you.

So you won't say that they aren't contending.  And you won't say that they are contending.  And you'll explain why they made a move because they think the could possibly be contending.  And that the organization will always try to contend.  But you won't state an opinion.  But you will argue why my position is dumb. 

I don't think I'm the one lost on specifics.

[jesmu84]

Cardinals fun are a funny bunch.

[rocky_warrior]

You seem more interested in this than (checks notes to keep track of what team) oh you said you were a Cubs fan.

Hearing about losers isn't particularly of interest to most in this thread.  But I'll throw a few things out since you asked.

What's happening with Rafael Ortega is incredible right now.  I doubt he keeps it up, and  unlikely he gets a roster spot next year.  But if he does keep it up, that's amazing.

In the end, super impressed with what the Cubs got for some rental players.  Based on what I see in the NL central, they're fairly well positioned for so .500ish year next year, pending offseason moves.  And lots of talent in the pipe for 2024, 2025.

But honestly, we should all just be happy for the crew this year., They're getting it done, even if a WS title is a long shot.

[shoothoops]

So you won't say that they aren't contending.  And you won't say that they are contending.  And you'll explain why they made a move because they think the could possibly be contending.  And that the organization will always try to contend.  But you won't state an opinion.  But you will argue why my position is dumb. 

I don't think I'm the one lost on specifics.

You brought up the topic. I didn’t. You said there were less expensive/cheaper alternative moves. I said, well, cost wasn’t an issue as they were low cost moves. (and provided that info)

You kept posting. So in response to your initial and subsequent posts I asked a simple question, what would you have specifically done instead considering their circumstances and situation. It wasn’t a trick question. Seems like a logical question to ask since you not only brought it up, you kept bringing it up over and over.

All you had to do was say, “Well I would do this with xyz and that with abc etc…” any specific thing. That’s it. I would have possibly replied with a specific reply as to it. I’m not the one who brought (brings it up). They did what they did. I explained why. I can’t offer an opinion of your alternative if you don’t provide one.

Both before the season as well as the past few days I have referenced their off season what they had and didn’t needed and didn’t prior to this season, as well as other things going on with their team then and now, etc..good, bad, indifferent, well as some things.

Their approach (clearly explained several times by now) clearly bothers you enough to keep posting about it over and over again. Since you aren’t interested in a specific discussion, I’m not sure what else can be added productively.