On this date in 2013, for the first time in baseball history, two playoff games on the same day ended with the score of 1-0, as Leo Panetta of NationalPastime.com writes:
“In Game One of the ALCS, the Tigers blank Boston at Fenway Park with the contest’s lone run scoring on Jhonny Peralta’s sac fly in the sixth, and Jon Jay‘s fifth inning sacrifice fly at Busch Stadium provides the only run the Cardinals will need to take a 2-0 game advantage to Los Angeles in the NLCS.”
Here’s this week’s look around the baseball blogosphere..
- Screwball Baseball doesn’t blame Clayton Kershaw for his postseason woes.
- Pinstripe Pundits wonders if Ian Desmond is the Yankees’ answer at shortstop.
- Inside The Zona discusses Patrick Corbin after surgery.
- Blue Jays Plus looks at Colby Rasmus‘ time in Toronto.
- Beisbol’s wonders if James Shields is worth it for the Royals.
- Bless You Boys looks ahead to the Tigers’ offseason.
- Lasorda’s Lair sees Hanley Ramirez back in Dodger blue.
- The Baseball Stance looks at how J.J. Hardy‘s deal affects the Bombers.
- Rays Colored Glasses wonders if Ryan Howard could interest the Rays.
- Royals Blue doesn’t want a repeat of the 1985 World Series.
Please send submissions to Zach at ZachBBWI@gmail.com.
All Shields is doing this postseason is setting up their highlight reel for extra inning dramatics. Even if they win it all, he’s made Dayton Moore’s decision very easy.
I think Shields is a great pitcher, but not worth a long term commitment (outside looking in). However, I can very much see how DM could justify his contract especially if they end up winning the WS. If Moustakas and Hosmer can turn this into real value in the season (instead of a combined 1.0-1.2 fWAR) and they stop giving so much playing time to Aoki (’15 FA) and start Dyson instead, the Royals could keep being a very dangerous team for the very near future (’16 is when Gordon can be a FA). That said, a Shields contract could handicap them since it seems that a lot of players will be getting raises soon.
Desmond is going to cost a fortune though. All it seems like is people trying to find who will play shortstop for the next 5+ years. Shortstop is just like every other position. We worried about someone picking up after Jeter? It can’t be anyone? He had a 0.600 ops, and was terrible in the field.
There is no guarantee that any of them get to free agency. Sometimes it’s better to pick from what you have instead of waiting for what may be available.
Besides for Lowrie and Hanley most of their options would be 1 year type deals anyway. SO it’s not like it’s an either or situation. They can fix SS this yr, which isn’t hard as Jeter was awful, and wait for Desmond if they wanted to. Unless they want Hanley it might make sense to take the risk. Though i think the Nats will lock Desmond up.
But then it opens you up to a potentially large bidding war. Often times it’s better fill the need in the market with several options rather than waiting.
Next winter it’s Desmond, 37 year old Rollins, and Pennington. So basically you got one shortstop starter. If Desmond turned down that $85MM is he looking at $100MM+? Wouldn’t it be better to snag even a lesser player at less than half that this winter?
Maybe they replicate Boston’s strategy of last year, which is to sign Drew for one year for more money than he’s worth and kick the can. Hanley isn’t worth a long term contract and the other options aren’t particularly appealing either
Are Phillies willing to eat all that contract though? Howard was been pretty bad for 3 years now. His 2013 was better, but it also was riding on a BABIP that he hadn’t seen since 2006. He is pretty toast, but would think the Phillies would at least want some salary taken a la vernon wells.
That has to be their first order of business this offseason. Have to make a decision on Ryan Howard, one way or another. I have no idea what management/ownership is willing to do or eat. And sadly it’s getting to the point where I don’t even care til big changes (Amaro) are made.
I’d think the Phillies would be willing to eat almost all the salary if they actually got something in exchange. The murmurs about an outright release probably have no foundation in reality, but simply the idea that the fanbase is willing to pay him to play for another team without getting something in return probably has the Ownership Group more willing to help finance his transition to somewhere in the AL if they can get a prospect or two of the near-MLB or high-ceiling variety.
And nobody is going to give prospects of any quality at all to get him.
Hence the “near-MLB or low-minors/high-ceiling” qualifier.
It makes no sense to blame Kershaw for his performance this post season. He was blatantly misused. People so desperately cling to the idea that “oh, he is a good pitcher, he should pitch deep into games.” Nonsense. You pitch until you’re tired, then you are relieved. That is how it works. Sometimes you get tired in the 2nd inning, sometimes you get tired in the 9th. He got tired in the 7th. Both times. He should have been removed, and the vast majority of those runs should have never happened.
The Dodgers had multiple arms they could have used to relieve Kershaw, none of which pitched even one pitch in the post season. It isn’t Kershaw’s fault. He threw 6 strong and the bullpen should have picked up their weight.
I agree in the overall idea, but… the Dodgers bullpen was lousy. I think Mattingly made the right call by sticking with Kershaw until it failed because the only other great option was using Jansen to get out of those situations and hoping the bullpen doesn’t implode. The second option may have worked wonders, we can’t really know, but leaving Kershaw is the best option available if Jansen in the 7th was off the table. They should have been a great bullpen but even after Kershaw was pulled they allowed more runs and it was even a struggle when Greinke pitched well because the bullpen gave that up. :/
Dan Haren and Kenley Jansen each threw zero pitches this post season. Either could have and should have relieved Kershaw. It should have gone Kershaw through 6th, Haren in 7th and 8th, Jansen in 9th.
Looks like Drew will be the Yankee best option at SS in 2015. Another veteran looking for a bounce back year along with Beltran, A-Rod & Teixeira. At least he won’t need a long term commitment.
The Rays and Ryan Howard??? They can’t afford James Shields or David Price, but they CAN afford Ryan Howard? Alrighty then.
Clearly someone didn’t read the article.
Hahaha, no he did not. I would make the trade if I could get Howard for a high upside, far from MLB ready pitching prospect (TINSTAAPP) and they eat all but 2-5 million dollars over the rest of his contract.
You are correct. I did not. What is the point? It’s the PHILLIES. They DO NOT eat money on contracts. They don’t do it. So without reading the article, I’m gonna go out on a HUGE limb and say that the Rays are going to send a prospect package to Philly, and Philly is going to eat almost all of the contract. Then Howard is going to come to St Pete and DH full time and find his swing again, right?
Except two things are wrong with this picture: the Phillies don’t eat money on contracts and the Rays don’t trade away prospects for big money players. Now you want to break TWO unwritten rules in one deal? Alrighty then.
The Phillies stopped eating money on contracts after the Thome trade. They were snakebitten when he turned into an awesome hitter that they were paying $30MM to be awesome for another team.
That said, the OG finally seems to be coming around on that again. Maybe it’s just because they’ve got a hefty new TV contract on the books starting in 2016, but either way they’ve made more noises about actually being willing to eat salary (and letting Amaro say it as well) than they have since 2005.
The Rays don’t trade top prospects for expensive players. In this case, the discussion is about middling prospects (near-MLB BP arms, or low minors/high ceiling guys) for a player who won’t cost much (talking eating all but ~$5MM).