Cardinals Defense was great this year as evidenced by them getting a record 5 gold gloves! Astro make tenders to Justin Verlander 1 year 18m, which apparently he may consider. While Carlos Correa laughs at 5 years 160M wanting 10 years 300M which is not going to happen for the Astros and I'm glad, that type of contract is a millstone for the franchise.
Justin Verlander worked out for scouts yesterday and reports are that he was impressive. Astros did make a 1 year qualifying offer but he's looking for a multiyear deal so he's likely to reject that which means we'll get a compensatory draft pick if he signs somewhere else. He's said before he expects to be the Tom Brady of basebll, he's 37 or 38 so it's risky for sure to give him a long term deal
Scott Boras on MLB teams tanking the season when they feel they have no shot at the playoffs. CARLSBAD, Calif. -- Baseball's most influential agent said the sport was the victim of a "competitive cancer" caused by teams unloading veterans to accumulate draft picks, and that the Atlanta Braves' World Series title was a direct result of tanking. Atlanta made a series of July acquisitions and went on to its first World Series title since 1995. "We have seen the championship in 60 days," he said. "The rules allow them to be a less-than-.500 team at Aug. 1 and add four players, five players from teams that no longer wanted to compete and for very little cost change the entirety of their team and season. "And we saw this unfold to the detriment of teams that create at vast expense, planning and intellect and won over 100 games. In doing all this, we have now created an understanding that a fan would not know who the true team is until, frankly, the trading deadline." Boras: Braves' WS title a result of tanking in MLB
Boras is a master manipulator who has no moral compass, but he's the best agent in the game who gets huge contracts for his clients. Those who know the game understand what he's doing. He's taking advantage of the stars aligning for the Braves to create a fallacious conspiracy theory. None of the 4 players acquired by the Braves were can't miss, like a Mookie Betts or Max Scherzer. Two weren't even starters when they came to the Braves. Atlanta simply was looking for depth and to replace its injured star. By a stroke of luck for the Braves, all got hot at the same time. How often does it happen with 4 late season trades that all 4 were significant factors in the playoffs? He wantonly accused teams of tanking, which is BS. Here are the facts. For years, teams who have losing records and don't have a chance for the playoffs will assess their rosters and their payrolls and try to take advantage of the market by trading established players, many of whom have huge contracts and who haven't lived up to expectations, for younger, promising talent either on MLB rosters or in the minor leagues, who can help the teams in the future. The "tanking" accusation applies to the NFL and the NBA, where the lowest teams get the top draft choices for players who immediately will be on the big teams' rosters. It doesn't apply to baseball, where even the top draft choices very rarely will rise to a MLB team before their 3rd, 4th, 5th years in the minors. MLB teams don't respond to him (but they should) because they're used to his BS, which is for the sole purpose of hyping his clients. He's very good at what he does, but you can't believe most of what he says.
Cy Young award will be announced tonight. Gerrit Cole seems to be the AL favorite, which to me seems odd, did he have a Cy Young year? Didn't he slip when they took away his goo? I'll be curious to see if Krebs feels like Cole had Cy Young year. I know the Astros don't have a dog in this fight, we won games by beating the opponent to death with our bats, if our starter went 5 innings that was huge!
Cole did not have a great year. In fact, after the pitchers started being inspected for foreign substances his production dropped way off. And of course he flopped completely in the wild card game. I see one of the CY winners had 13 wins. Fifty years ago he would have been the #4 starter.
Big news here in Houston. Justin Verlander has accepted a 1 year deal worth 25 million and will return to the Astros next season. No doubt Verlander will be a welcome addition to the Astros staff, of one thing I'm sure Justin will have been a great rehab patient doing everything he should do to return to health. He will still be late 30's but in great shape. I thought for sure he would go somewhere else, but I'm glad to see him return to the Astros.
Well Cole finished 2nd to Blue Jays Robbie Ray, who btw is a free agent now...so he's probably a Yankee next year! Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Robbie Ray capped a career 2021 season with the Cy Young award on Wednesday, besting Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees and Lance Lynn of the Chicago White Sox. Armed with a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball and change-up repertoire, Ray was 13-7 with a 2.84 ERA (1.04 WHIP) in 193.1 innings pitched while leading all American League pitchers with 6.7 WAR. Ray became the first Blue Jay to win the award since Roy Halladay took home the honors in 2003, joining a club featuring Pat Hentgen in 1996 and Roger Clemens in 1997 and 1998. Ray became a free-agent after the 2021 season and is one of the top pitchers on the market. "I'm enjoying free agency,'' he said while accepting his award via video call with MLB Network. "The process is a lot of fun.''
I have found myself making excuses for the Yankees pissing away large sums of money on extravagant contracts over the years. So someone explain to me how $25 million to a 38 year old coming off Tommy John is a smart move.
It's a risky move for sure. But I hope that he's in the same area code as Nolan Ryan, who Dr. McMullen thought was done after the 1988 season and wouldn't pay him, he was over 40 at the time. All he did was go to the Texas Rangers where all he did was throw 2 more no hitters and win his 300th game, all in all he played 5 more successful years... Could that be Justin Verlander ...we hope so. Besides it's not my money! I'm glad that they took the risk. Now 10 years, 340M for Carlos Correa that's nuts!
Correa reportedly took a cheap shot at Derek Jeter which took him off Yankee fans Christmas list immediately. I don't see him ending up in the Bronx at any price.
The CY Young winners are great pitchers I'm sure...but how long has it been since we had winners who won 20 games, pitched almost 300 innings and had at least 10 complete games. Did this years winners have a single complete game between them? Barely 10 wins, did either make 200 innings?
Purdue plays Northwestern this Saturday at noon. Is this the right topic to post in? It's at Wrigley Field.
Well finally!! Gil Hodges one of my favorite Dodger of my '50' youth finally made the HOF. He was voted in by the Veterans Committee. Hodges became the latest Brooklyn Dodgers star from "The Boys of Summer" to reach the Hall, joining Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Roy Campanella and Pee Wee Reese. An eight-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glover at first base, Hodges enhanced his legacy when he managed the 1969 "Miracle Mets" to the World Series championship, a startling five-game win over heavily favored Baltimore. Hodges was still the Mets' manager when he suffered a heart attack during spring training in 1972 and died at 47.
I had forgotten that was how he died. Gil Hodges was a favorite of mine also, as were all the Dodgers. Terry, you and I were kids around the same time. I knew nothing about segregation, not even that Jackie Robinson was the first black player in MLB. All I knew was that he was a super ball player. I also loved Duke Snider, Campanella, etc. Hodges was a native of Petersburg, IN, which I didn't learn until my family moved to Indiana just before my senior year in HS. Over the years, I've met and talked with Carl Erskine on several occasions. I'll spare you the details. He lives in his hometown of Anderson, a 20 minute drive north of where I live. He's still kicking at 95. You'll like this story. Stick with me. The Anderson School Corporation built a new elementary school and named it after him. On behalf of my firm, I provided the financial guidance for the project. At the dedication, there was a silent auction. One item was a Brooklyn Dodgers baseball cap with his autograph on the underside of the bill. I bid for and won the cap and sent it to JO'Co, who I knew would appreciate it from a historical perspective.
Looks like Spring Training is going to be delayed as the MLBPA and the owners are still fighting over the various issues. I wonder if we'll get a shortened Spring or a delayed start to the season. Maybe even a shortened season?