2014 Baseball season/Off Season Discussion

[tim_m]

I still remember that incredible play Jeter made in the playoffs years back when he went deep into the hole got the ball jumped made the throw and got the runner at first. I can't remember when it was exactly. I'm sure you guys remember the play i'm referring to though. Bad defenders do not make plays like that.

[Falcon]

I still remember that incredible play Jeter made in the playoffs years back when he went deep into the hole got the ball jumped made the throw and got the runner at first. I can't remember when it was exactly. I'm sure you guys remember the play i'm referring to though. Bad defenders do not make plays like that.

Many bad defenders have made great plays along the way.

And I don't classify Jeter as "bad", I fall in more with an average defender who had a flare for the occasional spectacular play.

[pilferk]

I still remember that incredible play Jeter made in the playoffs years back when he went deep into the hole got the ball jumped made the throw and got the runner at first. I can't remember when it was exactly. I'm sure you guys remember the play i'm referring to though. Bad defenders do not make plays like that.

Or "the flip" vs the Oakland a's in the 2000 alds.

He def has a flair for the dramatic, and I've always felt he excels at the things the defensive saber metrics devalue (or don't value). He makes every routine play look easy. He never makes errors. He has great field sense. He has great anticipation. He hustles every play. He has a strong arm, in general. Again, I mean this in accessing his career.

Really, the defensive metrics hammer him mostly on his range to his left. And it's not that thse plays don't get made...it's that he doesn't make them.

I don't think he's Ozzie Smith....but I'd grade him above average, who seems to almost always excel in the big moment. The advanced saber metrics make him look like he stumbles over his own feet every other inning...

But then...excelling in the big moment is what he does best, on both sides.

[tim_m]

That flip play i put up there with his best ever. It was simply incredible. I'd never seen anyone make a play like that before. I'm not sure we'll ever see someone do something like that again.

[GeorgeSteele]

Hey guys, check out Skinny CC Sabathia:

http://deadspin.com/cc-sabathia-is-skinny-now-and-its-weird-1522399837

[pilferk]

Hey guys, check out Skinny CC Sabathia:

http://deadspin.com/cc-sabathia-is-skinny-now-and-its-weird-1522399837

I'm SURE this is going to help him increase his velocity back up.....

Seriously, we'll see.  But there was already enough speculation that his weight loss was, in part, to blame for his decrease in velocity.  I don't see this helping.

[tim_m]

Maybe his weight is some part of it but i think just simply aging is the bigger reason. If he's gonna be effective he's going to have stop trying to be a power pitcher and become more of a control pitcher. Every aging power pitcher goes through it. Its just a matter of can he adapt and change.

[pilferk]

Maybe his weight is some part of it but i think just simply aging is the bigger reason. If he's gonna be effective he's going to have stop trying to be a power pitcher and become more of a control pitcher. Every aging power pitcher goes through it. Its just a matter of can he adapt and change.

Agree, 100%.

My point is more that the New York media pushed the theory last year, and this isn't going to help.

Because I doubt cc is going to find 95 again, any time soon. Wether he's 240 or 310....

[tim_m]

Maybe his weight is some part of it but i think just simply aging is the bigger reason. If he's gonna be effective he's going to have stop trying to be a power pitcher and become more of a control pitcher. Every aging power pitcher goes through it. Its just a matter of can he adapt and change.

Agree, 100%.

My point is more that the New York media pushed the theory last year, and this isn't going to help.

Because I doubt cc is going to find 95 again, any time soon. Wether he's 240 or 310....

I have faith he can adapt and become a finesse and control pitcher that can pitch to the corners to compensate for the lower velocity.

[tim_m]

You know i have to admit selfishly that i wish Rivera would play one more year so that he and Jeter could now go into the HOF.

[pilferk]

Dempster announces he will not pitch in 2014:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140216&content_id=67833240&vkey=news_bos&c_id=bos&partnerId=ed-7914486-653540143

I know it was looking like he was going to be the odd man out, come the end of camp...but still...I think this is a "big deal" for the Sox. 

[faldor]

Dempster announces he will not pitch in 2014:

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20140216&content_id=67833240&vkey=news_bos&c_id=bos&partnerId=ed-7914486-653540143

I know it was looking like he was going to be the odd man out, come the end of camp...but still...I think this is a "big deal" for the Sox. 

could be. But I think it'll be a bigger deal off the field than on the field. He was, by all accounts beloved by all of his teammates and kept everyone loose with his humor and carefree attitude. That sort of stuff can get overlooked but it can be real important to team chemistry. He was a huge part in the complete turnaround in culture last season.

On the field, it hurts their depth a bit. It's always good to have a veteran presence in your back pocket in case an injury arises with another starter, and that's pretty much inevitable. But the Red Sox have 4 capable young arms of filling that void.

[GeorgeSteele]

If any of you guys are bored today, here's a nice statistical analysis on 'Hustle', using Jeter and Cano as the subjects.

http://regressing.deadspin.com/quantifying-robinson-canos-lack-of-hustle-does-it-act-1525478158/@kylenw

[Falcon]

Baseball America's Top 100 prospects list was released tonight, here it is:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2014-baseball-america-top-100-prospects-free/

[Falcon]

The Yanks just gave Brett Gardner 52 million for 4 years.

They now have over 200 million dollars invested in guys on the wrong side of 30 whose main asset is their legs.

 

[Falcon]

Apparently the Angels and Trout maybe close to a 5-6 year deal worth 150-160.

It also looks like the Cards Jaime Garcia surgically repaired shoulder is acting up, back to STL for an MRI tomorrow.

Speaking of  contracts, the Cards extending him in 2011 for 4 years at 27.5 was goofy then, it's beyond goofy in hindsight as well.

[tim_m]

The Yanks just gave Brett Gardner 52 million for 4 years.

They now have over 200 million dollars invested in guys on the wrong side of 30 whose main asset is their legs.

 

He's only 31 so its not terrible. Not great but not terrible. I'd have a bigger problem with it if it were until his late 30s. By then he'd definitely would have lost a step. By 35? Maybe not.

[tim_m]

Apparently the Angels and Trout maybe close to a 5-6 year deal worth 150-160.

It also looks like the Cards Jaime Garcia surgically repaired shoulder is acting up, back to STL for an MRI tomorrow.

Speaking of  contracts, the Cards extending him in 2011 for 4 years at 27.5 was goofy then, it's beyond goofy in hindsight as well.

only 5-6 surprises me. With how young he is if there's anyone you could give an 8-10 year deal to it would be him.

[Falcon]

The Yanks just gave Brett Gardner 52 million for 4 years.

They now have over 200 million dollars invested in guys on the wrong side of 30 whose main asset is their legs.

 

He's only 31 so its not terrible. Not great but not terrible. I'd have a bigger problem with it if it were until his late 30s. By then he'd definitely would have lost a step. By 35? Maybe not.

I actually think Gardner's deal is OK, it's more of a reflection on how far overboard the Ellsbury contract was - they're basically the same player.

[Falcon]

Apparently the Angels and Trout maybe close to a 5-6 year deal worth 150-160.

It also looks like the Cards Jaime Garcia surgically repaired shoulder is acting up, back to STL for an MRI tomorrow.

Speaking of  contracts, the Cards extending him in 2011 for 4 years at 27.5 was goofy then, it's beyond goofy in hindsight as well.

only 5-6 surprises me. With how young he is if there's anyone you could give an 8-10 year deal to it would be him.

It appears the Trout camp wants to keep it 5-6 so he can hit free agency in his age 27-28 season.

Someone will undoubtedly give him 8-10 years at God knows what then.

Great for Trout, not so great for the Angels if it does happen.

Huge AAV overpay probability during his arbitration years while only buying out 2 years of free agency, not the smartest business move it would seem.