2018-19 Hot Stove League

[soulpope]

Bryce Harper has reportedly agreed to sign with the Phillies for 13 years, $330 million, according to Jeff Passan.

To many the most valued player in this winter’s free-agent class, to others the most valued player in the history of free agency, Harper on Thursday concluded his extended offseason by agreeing to a $330-million, 13-year contract with the Phillies, according to sources. The deal includes no opt-outs and a full no-trade clause, according to sources.

[JSngry]

13 years? Like, thru 2032?

[Dan Gould]

Well they promised to spend stupid money and they did.

I do think its possible the city celebrates another championship in the first five years though, and probably more likely a world series winner than the Giants are/will be.

[Dave James]

20 minutes ago, JSngry said:

13 years? Like, thru 2032?

Territory only currently occupied by Bobby Bonilla.

[Brad]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

13 years? Like, thru 2032?

I may be pushing up daisies by then! 

[JSngry]

I mean, people get hurt. Sometimes on the field, sometimes off. Sometimes they get fully healed, sometimes they don't.

Thirteen years is a long time for one guy to never get hurt.

[Dave James]

[ghost of miles]

What Bryce Harper’s stats at Citizens Bank tell us about how he might perform in Philadelphia

[ghost of miles]

T-Mobile just sent out an email offering all of its customers yet another free season of MLB.TV:

[Dave Garrett]

Interesting analysis from @ptak on Twitter:

 

[Dan Gould]

So Severino is shut down with a rotator cuff issue  - supposedly not too serious - and Sonny Gray is now saying that the Yankees made him throw too many sliders but his isn't like Tanaka's and it kept getting him into hitter's counts (the stats don't really back him up, but that's his story now).  Will be interesting if he's really good in Cincy.  I think he has the stuff for it, I remember being disturbed when the Yanks got him originally I thought it was a good pick up at the time.

[paul secor]

When I watched Sonny Gray pitch for the Yankees, It looked as if he was constantly nibbling at the corners, as if he didn't trust his stuff to get hitters out. As the games went on, he'd get into trouble - walks, too many pitches, etc. I think he had good enough stuff to get hitters out without nibbling, but he evidently didn't have that confidence.

[Dave James]

2 hours ago, paul secor said:

When I watched Sonny Gray pitch for the Yankees, It looked as if he was constantly nibbling at the corners, as if he didn't trust his stuff to get hitters out. As the games went on, he'd get into trouble - walks, too many pitches, etc. I think he had good enough stuff to get hitters out without nibbling, but he evidently didn't have that confidence.

I have no idea how the Yankees coached him up, but there's no doubt that Gray was a different pitcher after the trade. If he picks his game up again in Cincinnati, it will say a lot about whether he could or couldn't handle the pressure of pitching in New York.

[Dan Gould]

Not good: Knuckleballer Steven Wright suspended 80 games for some sort of Human Growth hormone.  Ironic considering that he doesn't exactly need help on the fastball.  This really sucks considering how weak the bullpen looks right now and what he might have done in the first half, or as rotation depth.  Sad he's gone from an All-Star nod to two and a half more-or-less lost years now.

On the bright side maybe his knee issue will benefit from extended rest and he can be strong for the second half.

[Dave James]

4 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

Not good: Knuckleballer Steven Wright suspended 80 games for some sort of Human Growth hormone.  Ironic considering that he doesn't exactly need help on the fastball.  This really sucks considering how weak the bullpen looks right now and what he might have done in the first half, or as rotation depth.  Sad he's gone from an All-Star nod to two and a half more-or-less lost years now.

On the bright side maybe his knee issue will benefit from extended rest and he can be strong for the second half.

Good thing he has a second career to sustain him in his time of need:

 

[soulpope]

13 hours ago, paul secor said:

When I watched Sonny Gray pitch for the Yankees, It looked as if he was constantly nibbling at the corners, as if he didn't trust his stuff to get hitters out. As the games went on, he'd get into trouble - walks, too many pitches, etc. I think he had good enough stuff to get hitters out without nibbling, but he evidently didn't have that confidence.

Fair assesment ....

[Dan Gould]

Sad to hear that Tom Seaver has dementia and is retiring from all public appearances including the 50th anniversary of the Amazin's win in 1969.  In 1975 or so my parents were looking to move from Long Island to CT and we went to his house in Greenwich at least a couple of times (I remember being impressed by the wraparound porch) but it didn't go beyond that so there was no contact with him directly.  And anyway my parents probably weren't as impressed as I was since he helped break their hearts in '69. 

[Brad]

That was very sad to hear. He's been suffering from lime disease for awhile and that may have hastened the dementia.  Getting old is not a lot of fun. 

[Dan Gould]

Check out this story - top pick by the Cubs is hitting upper 90s after 11 years out of the game.  He was a late first rounder in 2001, lost a season and a half to TJ surgery, then developed the yips and couldn't throw strikes.  He graduated from college, and started working with young pitchers and now he's attempting a comeback. Shades of that guy that inspired the movie a few years ago.

Pretty live arm too:

https://www.mlb.com/news/luke-hagerty-eyes-amazing-comeback-with-cubs

38 years old, a very live lefty arm? If the Yips don't come back I don't see why he shouldn't get a major league chance at some point.

[Dan Gould]

Severino out "until May" at least. And Aaron Hicks will start on the "injured list". He's been out since March 2 still can't swing a bat freely.

 

[ghost of miles]

2 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Severino out "until May" at least. And Aaron Hicks will start on the "injured list". He's been out since March 2 still can't swing a bat freely.

 

Yeah, the two guys we just signed to extensions. Not great, Bob!

[Dave James]

2 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

Severino out "until May" at least. And Aaron Hicks will start on the "injured list". He's been out since March 2 still can't swing a bat freely.

 

Dallas Keuchel?  With Clint Frazier barely hitting his weight this Spring, the Hicks issue may be the most concerning,

[T.D.]

The Era of Mind-Blowing MLB Paydays Could Be Coming to an End

Owners have been rewarding aging stars with massive contracts, but it’s a losing equation.

[Dave James]

56 minutes ago, T.D. said:

The Era of Mind-Blowing MLB Paydays Could Be Coming to an End

Owners have been rewarding aging stars with massive contracts, but it’s a losing equation.

With MLB looking down the barrel of a work stoppage in a couple of years, the timing of a contract moratorium would be seen as collusion by the MLBPA.  Considering that profits for owners have never been higher, that could make for a pretty ugly and perhaps lengthly confrontation. 

[Dan Gould]

Does anyone think that the player's union would back off of guaranteed contracts (the truly huge difference between their sport and everybody else) in return for an earlier shot at free agency or perhaps mandated free agency at a set age?  The willingness to sign large money/long contracts would increase if you could unceremoniously dump dead contracts with no further money due.

By the way the article is already out of date - Vladi Jr is injured and won't be on the major league roster anyway.  Then he's got to play himself back into shape and that's what the minors are for.