Pandemic Baseball 2020

[dr. b 492]

I'm not sure. The cynic in me assumes the reason is to maximize merch sales before the change comes into effect. I think they've stopped putting the Chief Wahoo logo on all their hats and jerseys, but a quick look at their official store website still shows a lot of jerseys with "Indians" across the chest.

[dr. b 492]

Dang. Mets are getting Lindor and Carrasco from Cleveland

 

Your Mets are really having a great time since Cohen bought them, gralic. It's killing me to see the Padres and Mets really going for it like this when I hoped that I would be seeing the Jays making these kinds of moves this winter. Toronto totally has the flexibility to do it, and I think they've been trying - and of course the winter ain't over yet - but so far they haven't added much.

 

I'm 100% on board the Padres bandwagon this year, but I will pull for the Mets too. I want to see more teams trying to win like this and not just dumping salary.

 

Also Cleveland is a damn joke. They're absolutely gutting that team.

 

edit: Also also about the Padres recent acquisitions:

 

 

Why were there not more teams in on acquiring these guys? It's pretty nuts to me that SD could make these big acquisitions at a relatively low cost to their farm system. Normally the price tag would be higher. Good on them for making the deals and improving the team. I just don't get why more teams are not trying harder to win.

[Garlic Junior 136]

Sucks to be a Cleveland fan right now. No name, no squad.

[dr. b 492]

I was just reading an article on The Athletic re: the universal DH and Jayson Stark presents an interesting idea:

 

Quote

On one hand, the universal DH would be in effect for all 30 teams, just as it was in the 2020 season. On the other hand, there would be one huge difference. Once a team takes its starting pitcher out of the game, it would also lose its DH for the rest of that game.

 

That's a really interesting concept that could help to restore the importance of starting pitchers in today's game. It's hard to say though if this rule would have the best interest of starting pitchers in mind. More innings and more pitches can be harmful to a pitcher's arm with the way the game is played these days with 100 mph fastballs and max effort style pitching. The proposed rule obviously incentivizes leaving a starter in as long as possible

 

I kinda like the idea though.

[Garlic Junior 136]

That's just a horrendous idea imo I hate, hate hate hate, HATE the DH rule.

 

But it's better than that suggestion.

[dr. b 492]

I prefer a DH to watching pitchers hit because hardly any pitchers seem to take batting even remotely seriously. Ideally pitchers would hit and actually try to be kinda good at it. Roles in the game are so specialized now though that it's hard for a pitcher to focus on anything other than pitching. Lots of guys on the mound look like they could barely field a ground ball cleanly, forget about swinging a bat...

[Garlic Junior 136]

True, but that's the fun in it, to me. Forces the manager to make nuanced decisions instead of just plowing through the lineup.

 

But I know, I know, "baseball is too slow and boring for the kidz".

[dr. b 492]

I tend to disagree on your first point. In many cases it's a very simple decision for the manager when the pitcher's spot is coming around in the lineup. 

[dr. b 492]

12 hours ago, Garlic Junior said:

But I know, I know, "baseball is too slow and boring for the kidz".

Forgot to reply to this bit earlier

 

I will never find baseball boring, but I think the game - especially in the later innings - has gotten painfully slow. Sometimes it feels like there is absolutely no flow/rhythm to the game. There are some things that have a big impact on overall game time that will be hard to change, like TV commercial breaks probably aren't going anywhere, but they can do things with the rules to encourage a better flow to the game. The 3 batter minimum rule has helped a bit I think, but what gets me the most is slow pitchers. I hate watching guys that take so much time between pitches. It's truly awful. The worst is when you've got a slow pitcher who has a habit of stepping off the mound, and a guy at the plate who wants to step out of the box after every pitch. MLB still isn't doing enough to cut down on that stuff. I now realize how lucky I was as Blue Jays fan for so many years, they had some really fast workers (Halladay, Dickey, Buehrle). Buehrle especially. He didn't waste time and almost never shook off the catcher. His philosophy was that he wasn't the game caller, the catcher was, so he'd just do his best to execute every pitch that was called. You love to see it.

[Garlic Junior 136]

Completely agree, I'd rather see rules that sped up the batter/pitcher from arsing around than rules that mess with the tactics of the game (that includes the 3 batters minimum rule, hate it).

[dr. b 492]

The Jays signed George Springer yesterday! They finally found somebody who would take their money  Nice addition to the outfield. 

 

Honorable mention to Kirby Yates as well. I hope he will continue to be a reliable guy in the bullpen. 

[dr. b 492]

Reports now that the Jays have also signed Michael Brantley

[dr. b 492]

OK so they didn't get Brantley

[Garlic Junior 136]

Damn, was about to get on the Jays hype train again

[dr. b 492]

Springer is still reason enough to get excited

[dr. b 492]

The Jays traded for Steven Matz: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/01/blue-jays-nearing-deal-to-acquire-steven-matz.html

 

He wasn't good last summer, but I guess we're hoping that was an anomaly. Not that he was especially good the seasons before last summer. He showed some promise during his first two seasons in the league and has fallen off since then, it seems like (you can tell how closely I follow the Mets ) Most pitchers really like working with Jays' pitching coach Pete Walker, so I hope the Jays coaches and analytics team can help Matz unlock some more of his potential. I like the idea of having another lefty in the rotation, even if he's just an end of the rotation innings eater type of guy. Maybe he'd even be a long reliever. I guess we'll see how it all plays out in the spring!

 

edit: Forgot to mention they got Marcus Semien on a one-year deal as well. Even if he's not as great as he was in 2019, he's still an upgrade over some of the guys they were running out in the infield last summer. I think it's a nice little signing. Can't believe the A's couldn't keep him on a similar contract. Either he wanted out of Oakland, or Oakland just isn't spending _any_ money this year (they're a bit of a trash organization...)

[Garlic Junior 136]

Hopefully he works out better than Dickey did, although Matz was never my favourite pitcher.

Semien is a decent get.

[dr. b 492]

Bauer going to the Dodgers

 

Earlier in the winter people tried to link him to the Jays... I don't want my favourite team to have anything to do with this guy. Phew. Forget the off-the-field stuff, I'm not convinced he's that good of a pitcher. 

[Garlic Junior 136]

Dodged a Bauellet

[Eizan 126]

4 hours ago, little birdy said:

Bauer going to the Dodgers

 

Earlier in the winter people tried to link him to the Jays... I don't want my favourite team to have anything to do with this guy. Phew. Forget the off-the-field stuff, I'm not convinced he's that good of a pitcher. 

 

Yea, but for the Dodgers he's like a #4 starter. He would be after Kershaw, Price and Buehler right? 

[dr. b 492]

I guess that depends on what Price has left in the tank. They've also got Urias who had potential to be quite good I think.

 

Bauer's career numbers are remarkably similar to that of Tanner Roark, just one or two good seasons and the rest OK/mediocre. I doubt he'll be as good this summer as he appeared to be last summer but only time will tell.