LWFS

Edgy MD wrote: Yeah, the guy who loses an inside track at the opening day roster is José Peraza. The real squeeze is going to be between Albert Almora, Jr., and Guillermo Heredia. Almora and Heredia are pretty much the same, in terms of what they're giving you... it's just, which guy do you think will give you more with that particular skill set? Peraza-Villar seems to be more of a defense-leaning vs. offense-leaning thing (Peraza's had more range/a more consistent glove, if the metrics are to be believed; Villar's got a little more pop/basestealing speed). As with Olympic swimming pools and research papers... depth is good.

DOES he have more upside than Marisnick, though? He's three years younger, and was a first-round pick... but at 27 in a couple of months, he's no kid. Marisnick has generally provided value as good or better than AAJ (in the 1.5-2.5 range, with pop), even in Almora's best season, and in half the playing time. I can't believe this didn't cross my mind before now... but why NOT Marisnick? Lack of interest on Jake's part?

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Let's stay behind the dish and go with Robinson Chrinos If this is true, I don't WANT to know the story behind it.

Todd FrazierheydidyouknowhesfromJersey?

Curveball porn? WHOOT, THERE IT IS* [YOUTUBE]Zalb4aZD4Vo[/YOUTUBE] *More dirty-Miami-bass-y/superior to (and released a month before) "Whoomp"

It's "TIE-wan," like "Here comes Diaz to close things out in the ninth-- time to Taijuan on." Plus, he's just 28. (29 in August.) PLUS plus, for the connoisseurs among us: check out that ass! That's, like, a Recker-class buttleship there.

He's got a big, loopy curveball and is basically the best case future Matz, or what Zito would be if Zito lasted. Plus, he remembers the nineties. Like, in person! We need more of that on this TikTok-y, meme-talking, whippersnapper-heavy team.

All this discussion over what-next rotation options? Why not this https://www.mlb.com/player/taijuan-walker-592836handsome gent/onetime https://www.fangraphs.com/players/taijuan-walker/11836/stats?position=Ptop-prospect/interesting-uniform-number-wearer? https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/WY9yVM168x5ENYs3fKDEp9FQUAA=/1400x1400/filters:format(jpeg)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22234585/1277404859.jpg> https://sportshub.cbsistatic.com/i/r/2020/08/27/9dcb9f2f-723b-41bc-9b05-a5375f8f34e1/thumbnail/1200x675/f0a7c90ae08ff5d1dcf7e99e731182a7/usatsi-147339121.jpg> Early injury issues, yes, and he graduated from Tommy John University (Class of 2018), sure, but he did provide three years of 25-plus starts before that. And, as he seems to be following deGrommy postgraduate track (fastball velo/control on the uptick, slider gaining bite), why not let him study from the professor in person? That bounceback 2020-- 2.70 ERA (4.56 FIP, bleggh) over 11 starts, with a 1.37 ERA over 6 AL East starts-- is a pretty nice capper on his application. Also, he's into https://blogs.fangraphs.com/taijuan-walker-talks-pitching/analytics/Driveline-based motion refinement! And unlike some guys of that bent, who offer naught but Twitter fuckboi nuggets and t-shirts embossed with their "personal brand," our man Taijuan gives out free homemade tacos. https://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/03/arizona-diamondbacks-taijuan-walker-tacos-free-tacos-yes-mlbFROM A RENTED TRUCK.

Lucchesi's cheap, right? Throw him in, too. Then sign Paxton for depth. BOOMROASTED

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=55573 time=1612625949 user_id=68] =LWFS post_id=55548 time=1612565509 user_id=84] The Dodgers DID make Bauer the highest paid player over the first two years.

=RealityChuck post_id=55388 time=1612387073 user_id=82] OK, but pales in comparison to the much superior Book of Life, which used the same themes.

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Davis and a shit prospect is where I start. Cubs wanna save the $$? Then save the $$ Davis and a shit prospect sounds good. You want a prospect prospect? Throw in Hendricks. Then we sign Almora for 4th OF, and we've got a Cub Alumni Club to go along with our Clevelander one.

The Dodgers DID make Bauer the highest paid player over the first two years. One would presume they offered more.

Not incidentally... it felt REALLY good to unfollow him on Twitter just now.

A Boy Named Seo wrote: Yeah I think it's interesting to see the Mets had limits they absolutely wouldn't cross on Realmuto, Springer and Bauer. All very good players, but arguably not top-20, in the heart-of-their-prime players. I think maybe that's good? It's VERY frontloaded, so he gets his highest-AAV white whale in both 2021 (40M) and 2022 (45). Unless he's injured or arrested/convicted of something in 2022, he's not staying the third year. So... he's essentially getting paid like he's already Greg Maddux/Randy Johnson, only he gets to opt out after Year 1 if he actually lives up to said contract. ALL the risk is on the Dodger side, and it's fully priced in. I like his chances of being a good pitcher from this point on, but... Christ, that seems like a shitty deal. If Odorizzi can give you 75 percent of Bauer's value over the next two years-- a VERY good bet-- at, like, 1/3 the price... that's a MUCH better buy. (Provided you use the savings and don't Wilpon 'em or give 'em to a VC buddy.)

GOOD HEAVENS, MR. YAMAMOTO-- YOU'RE PROMISING! https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/jordan-yamamoto-657141?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlbGood spin rates on the fastball (below-average velocity, but good command) and curveball, and the slider appears to be a pretty solid out pitch. Low-risk, interesting reward. At the very least, he's a good emergency starter/swingman option with growth potential. Nice get for low-value prospects.

Like, whether butchering stuff or making WTF genius plays, he always seemed to be working so damn hard. Like the anti-Beltran.

[snorts]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Seven of the ten are in the American League, none in the NL East. I mean, one of them was in the NL East

And Mets fans get pissed because this billionaire a dozen times over and then some more, plops about a billion dollars into this stock play but meanwhile, appears to be haggling over two million here and three million there (pennies relative to his wealth and this latest stock play) to avoid baseball's luxury tax while whiffing on Springer and Realmuto, the top prizes in this year's FA class. Whatever. It's Cohen's money and he can do what he wants with it. Did Mets fans think that Cohen would fold his hedge fund business after he purchased the Mets? Because that's what hedge funds do: they invest hundreds of millions of dollars in financial instruments. That's how Cohen made the money to buy the Mets in the first place. People are getting annoyed over THIS aspect of things? Near as I can tell, most of the dyspeptic reactions I'd heard from Mets fans were over the perception that Point72's losses in this had plunged Cohen into a post-Madoff Wilponian sorta financial place. Also, there was some (rightful) gnashing and wailing about the reminder of how Uncle Steve makes his sausage, and the attendant reminder that he-- Twitter canoodling notwithstanding-- is far from "one of us" in many ways that matter more than wearing the same ballcap during the summer. (Kindasorta what faux-populist Portnoy was driving at, moreorless.)

I still like Rosenthal as an option. So does MLB.com's https://www.mlb.com/news/trevor-rosenthal-a-top-free-agent-relieverMike Petriello, who argues convincingly that Rosenthal's bounce back is no mirage. [bLOCKQUOTE]In Rosenthal's case, we'd say the 2020 performance means a lot. We'd seen him be great in the past. The velocity remains excellent. The ability to throw strikes looks much improved. There's a history of pitchers needing a minute coming off of Tommy John surgery. [/bLOCKQUOTE] Super-bullpen(Rosenthal inclusive)-plus-JBJ-plus-rotation-lotto-tix may be a better use of the $32M between this team and the luxury tax than certain Twitter shit-stirrers.

The Rickey Retinue? The problem with naming something after Rickey is, there's a LOT of quirks with Rickey. You'd have to remind someone you're telling about this that you're not talking about his legendary trash talk, or talking about himself, or weird-ass work habits. (Or, y'know, the basestealing and best-leadoff-hitter-ever things.)

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: I think Jay was trying to relay Davey's combativeness. He was probably the most combative manager we ever had Dallas Green?

Dude has Resting CheneyFace. Whatcha gonna do? He was big into first responders and vets' groups... and gave a bunch to https://www.mlb.com/news/steven-matz-donation-nyc-coronavirus-first-responderslocal COVID relief this year. So, he's kinda like our Dolly Parton, except in no other way whatsoever is he like Dolly Parton. Edgy MD wrote: One of those rare weirdos who throws lefty and bats righty. The Carreon Club!

Yes but he has upside. The Luchesi guy is like Matz without the high ceiling. Point in fact: The 6'5" Lucchesi has three inches on the 6'2" Matz, so Joey has a higher ceiling. Also: come ON now.