mvp 78

Happy to contribute the first trade JBJ 2020 post.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/05/examining-the-red-sox-potential-trade-chips.html If and when Bloom returns to the trading floor, he won’t have a Betts to work with. It’s quite unlikely he’ll seriously entertain talks for long-term core player such as Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts. It’s not likely the team will be keen to discuss Andrew Benintendi and Christian Vazquez given that each has multiple seasons of affordable control remaining. Even younger players like Alex Verdugo and Michael Chavis surely aren’t going anywhere. But Bloom sure has a lot of other guys that would be worth talking about … Brandon Workman, RP: In retrospect, it’s surprising there wasn’t more talk of Workman in the offseason. He ran up over seventy frames of sub-2 ERA ball last year with big strikeout and groundball numbers. And he was approximately the only pitcher in baseball that seemed immune to the long ball, though walks remain a concern. With only a $3.5MM salary, Workman is a really nice target for the many teams that will be looking to compete as hoped without adding financial obligations. Jackie Bradley Jr., OF: The salary considerations go in the opposite direction here, as Bradley’s $11MM walk-year payout isn’t very friendly to the pocketbooks. He’s not likely to be a sought-after player unless he really makes a rebound at the plate. But he has shown that ability before and is a quality up-the-middle defender. Kevin Pillar, OF & Mitch Moreland, 1B: These veterans are both going to have to show what they’ve got on the field before any other teams take a look. But each could be a mid-season rental target. Eduardo Rodriguez, SP: Perhaps the most valuable potential Red Sox trade target that could realistically be shopped, the quality southpaw only just reached his 27th birthday after a productive and healthy 2019 season. He’s due a reasonable $8.3MM (on a full season basis) with one more arb year to go, so the Red Sox will probably intend to hang onto him for 2021 … though their plans could probably be changed with the right offer. Matt Barnes, RP: He keeps producing monster strikeout numbers with good but not great results, due in part to some free pass proclivities. There’d be a ton of interest if the Red Sox make him available, but as with Rodriguez, there’s little reason for the team to sell short. Barnes is earning a full-season $3.1MM salary in 2020 with another pass through arbitration to come thereafter. J.D. Martinez, OF/DH: Might there be added interest with a temporary National League DH? That’d be a risky strategy since the designated hitter could disappear in 2021, particularly given Martinez’s significant post-2020 obligations ($19.375MM apiece in 2021 and 2022). The slugger’s now less likely than ever to opt out of the remainder of his deal. Nathan Eovaldi, Martin Perez & Collin McHugh, SPs: None of these hurlers would be moved at the moment, but perhaps that could change if mid-season trades are possible. The former is owed a lot of coin, but could conceivably be swapped in the right circumstances — if he returns to form. The latter two are buy-low free agent signees who’d be possible deadline flips in a normal year. Perez does come with a 2021 option.

It's a weird short season. I bet they just punt on it knowing that if they are 5 games back at game 75 it looks better than if they are 10 games back at game 150. Though there may be lots of cost cutting measures some smaller market teams make to save money. Maybe the Sox can capitalize on that?

Then why don't the owners just give the players a higher %? It's not like those billionaires need the money. The players are fine with taking a pay cut. They are fine with a prorated salary. They just don't want the terms the ownership put forward. They'd take half of their salary to play half of the games.

The players don't share in the profits when the owners make money. Why should they share in the losses? That makes no sense. They have a CBA that they bargained for. Changing up the pay system is a no go.

To really understand what the players think about the revenue-split idea, one needed only hear what MLBPA executive director Tony Clark told The Athletic: "A system that restricts player pay based on revenues is a salary cap, period. This is not the first salary-cap proposal our union has received. It probably won't be the last. That the league is trying to take advantage of a global health crisis to get what they've failed to achieve in the past -- and to anonymously negotiate through the media for the last several days -- suggests they know exactly how this will be received. None of this is beneficial to the process of finding a way for us to safely get back on the field and resume the 2020 season -- which continues to be our sole focus."

Imagine thinking the worst part of having baseball in 2020 would be a playoff format...

The owners cut the draft down to just 5 rounds this year. They are looking to get rid of dozens of MiLB teams. MLB owners will always care more about the money than fans do. As for the players, I think it's fine with them putting up a stink. Forcing them to have to isolate away from their families for 6 months is not something they collectively bargained for.

Article on Benintendi’s struggles last season. https://www.rotoballer.com/analyzing-andrew-benintendis-2019-struggles/735221

MLB going with a 5 round draft this year. Losing that 2nd rounder sucks really hard.

In New England they don’t forget.

Dierdorf was a dumbass who sounded like a dumbass. I actually hate guys like Fouts who are dumbasses that try to sound smart.

Did Limbaugh ever do actual games? I thought he was just in studio for one week. I wouldn't call that a broadcaster.

Have not watched one second of it. I didn't like the Bulls growing up. Jordan was the greatest of all time, but also a complete jerkoff. I think I'd find it irritating to watch.

Jessica Mendoza was fine. She was better than Joe Morgan at the very least. The worst sports "broadcaster" all time was Dennis Miller. Yuck!

ESPN's production has sucked forever. People blamed it on Jessica Mendoza, but it wasn't her fault at all.

@Buster_ESPN At least one MLB ownership group has instructed its front office to cut its payroll in 2021. A lot of club execs expect others to follow. The youngest players (who are paid little, per CBA agreement) and the players with existing long-term deals won't necessarily be affected. @Marc_Normandin A Red Sox exec recently said it'd take three years for finances to normalize, and implied nothing players care about should be up for discussion until then. Laying some groundwork for a fight here.

Um, that was NOT the "here comes the pizza" game.

The Red Sox were live streaming that one a few weeks ago. I just want to watch game 5. It's more interesting to me and underrated.

I don't think many Giants fans became Patriots fans just because the Pats had success. Remember that the Giants did still win Super Bowls in that period.

Braves are saying they won't come back this year if they aren't in the East Division.

Who are they playing?

I actively root against hometown crowds if they are not my own.

Hometowns have an enormous affect on refs and umps. Robots would mitigate this.

https://www.overthemonster.com/2020/5/5/21247733/kbo-espn-korea-baseball-organization-casey-kelly