Congratulations to Jon Morosi, one of the reporters most frequently cited here at MLBTR, who has announced (Twitter links) that he’ll now be working full-time for the MLB Network and MLB.com. He adds that he’ll continue working for FOX Sports as a game reporter and on FOX Sports 1 network shows. Here’s more from around the game.
- Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein has acquired an unusual reputation within the game and changed the qualifications typically associated with becoming a top team executive, Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post writes in a lengthy profile. As Svrluga points out, ten of baseball’s GMs are now Ivy League products, and none were the year before Epstein took over the Red Sox GM job. The profile features a number of fascinating details about Epstein’s life in the game, like how he used to trade game tickets for class notes when he was working for the Padres and going to law school simultaneously, and how, with the Red Sox, he got access to 30 years of college baseball stats by sending interns to NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis to photocopy them.
- With the regular season on its way, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe lists baseball’s 50 most important players, in his estimation. There are certainly some placements one might quibble with, but it’s hard to disagree too strenuously with Cafardo’s pick for No. 1, Angels superstar Mike Trout. Cafardo also lists 20 potential breakout candidates (topped by Phillies infielder Maikel Franco) and ten comeback candidates, including Josh Hamilton of the Rangers.
“When the Reds’ three-team Jay Bruce fell apart due to medical issues this offseason, there was speculation about Bruce’s knee, only it turned out that the issue was the Reds’ dissatisfaction with the medicals of one of the prospects they would have received.”
I think you mean there was speculation about Michael Saunders’ knee due to his torn meniscus from last spring.
Could be but I don’t know if I would consider him a prospect anymore
It was never Saunders. Its been said time and time again it was a minor leauger in the Jays system who scared cincy
Not one Card on any of the first two lists. Well done Nick. Biased maybe?
Great read on the Theo Epstein article. Any extension talks in the works?
Another “homer” article from Nick Cafardo, citing the Red Sox promise of monumentous accomplishments this year and the near future.
Wow, MLB Traderumors, isn’t there anybody else you can cite that might no be so biased in his article comments.
What a joke, the whole baseball world is waiting for “big Pappi” to have another year so lets put him high up on the list.
Not too much mention of the Mets pitching staff, how about them Royals, but of course, Mookie and JB JR are the toast of baseball.
5 of the top 50 are Red Sox and 3 of the 20 breakouts are Red Sox. MLBTR should simply use “and Cafardo writes another homer article about the Sox.” tagline and be done with it everyday.
And 5 of the top 50 are Blue Jays a division rival…is he also a double homer agent?
Cafardo artcile was brutal! Justin Verlander not mentioned in one of the categories?