This week in baseball blogs:
- The Runner Sports asks whether Orioles third baseman Manny Machado or Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper would make for a better free agent target for the Yankees after the 2018 season.
- The Unbalanced explains why Team USA’s victory in the World Series Baseball Classic is a big deal.
- Baseball Hot Corner praises the WBC.
- Outside Pitch MLB delves into why the White Sox haven’t yet found a suitable return for on-the-block left-hander Jose Quintana.
- Big Three Sports believes “the bar is set extremely high” this year for Red Sox southpaw David Price.
- TwinsDaily.com analyzes the effect catcher Jason Castro‘s pitch-framing skills could have on Minnesota’s hurlers.
- Sports Talk Philly eulogizes former major league pitcher, manager and general manager Dallas Green, who passed away Wednesday.
- Chin Music Baseball suggests that improved speed could yield a breakout season for Tigers third baseman Nick Castellanos.
- The 3rd Man In argues that the Brewers should have sold high on right-hander Junior Guerra
- Legends on Deck chats with Padres outfielder Jabari Blash.
- A’s Farm interviews Athletics assistant general manager Dan Feinstein about the team’s prospects.
- Clutchlings talks with Blue Jays assistant GM Andrew Tinnish about their international signings from last summer.
- Camden Depot views a healthy version of the Orioles’ Darren O’Day as one of the majors’ premier relievers.
- Districk On Deck checks in on the projections for the Nationals’ hitters.
- Nyrdcast offers a detailed preview of the 2017 Cardinals.
- Pirates Breakdown lists a few free agent relievers the Pirates could pursue.
- BP Toronto features a piece from a former minor league GM, who explains how minors teams prepare for the season.
- Ladodgerreport wants Julio Urias to begin the season in the Dodgers’ rotation.
- South of the 6ix focuses on the Blue Jays’ rotation.
- Clubhouse Corner profiles Astros outfield prospect Daz Cameron.
- Off The Bench Baseball previews the American League East and launches The Baseball Alliance Podcast.
- Underthought looks at saves data from the previous two years and searches for a better way to evaluate closer performance.
- Jays From the Couch could see Toronto southpaw Francisco Liriano serving as the best fifth starter in baseball this year.
- Outside Pitch MLB ranks the 10 biggest trades of former Braves GM Frank Wren’s tenure.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) deconstructs the 1986 Astros’ rotation, which helped the team to an LCS berth.
- Pinstriped Prospects polls readers on whether the Yankees should allow facial hair.
- Rotisserie Duck shares some fantasy baseball advice.
- The Point of Pittsburgh advises Pirates fans not to focus too much on spring training stats.
- Halo Headquarters wonders if longtime Angels manager Mike Scioscia is entering his final season with the club.
- Everything Bluebirds wants no part of a reunion between the Blue Jays and free agent utilityman Kelly Johnson.
- Call To The Pen writes about what’s in store for the Phillies’ rotation this year.
- Sports Heaven runs down the five main reasons the Pirates missed the playoffs last season.
- Jays Journal lists five players who have surprised for Toronto this spring.
- Mets Daddy interviews Mets pitching prospect Chris Viall.
Please send submissions to ZachBBWI @gmail.com.baseba
Kyle Hendricks is the best #5 in baseball. Get out of here with that Liriano nonsense.
Absolutly Right!
How is Kyle Hendricks a 5 starter? He’s fairly easily their 3rd isn’t he
because he is starting their 5th game.
I don’t think that makes you the 5th starter though in their sense. If that were the case, Aaron Sanchez is the jays fifth starter which obviously isn’t true. The article is strictly on skill, not where they are slotted
I agree. But I assume that is what SFF was referring to.
I feel like we’re really forgetting Pomeranz. Before the trade and injury he a Cy Young candidate and worth an arguable top 20 prospect. I don’t expect him to return to that form, but he deserves to be called Boston’s 4th starter until he sucks this season.
I think Anderson is more the 5 considering he had to win the job over Montgomery. Hendricks just happens to be the pitcher who will be starting the 5th day. I think either Epstein or maddon was saying that they were doing that because of certain match ups
“To be perfectly honest, if half of the prospects pan out to be good to MVP level players, then the Yankees will not need to sign Bryce Harper nor Manny Machado.” – That should not be something you are counting on.
Agreed.
Pan out to be good to MVP level are you serious be happy if a couple are good asking them to be MVP level is probably asking to much.
“But the biggest factor short-circuiting a trade is the reluctance of every general manager to be Rich Hahn’s next victim.”
Actually, the TOP reason why Quintana hasn’t been traded is this inaccurate narrative.
The Sox ripped off NO ONE. In fact, they were the ones who were conned…into making a fair deal.
The Sale deal was fair because the Red Sox got a top 10 pitcher.
The Eaton deal APPEARED to be a heist on paper. In reality, the giant red neon BUST sign is flashing above Giolito’s head and lots of people knew this before the trade. Hahn evidently did not. Remove his name value and a deal of Eaton for Lopez and Dunning is about right.
PS- First sentence of this piece reminds that there is little quality control in blogging…
“One after another, media insiders continue to hack away at the artifice that has walled in Quintana.”
Poor Jose…walled in by all that artifice.
Hahn is trying to get the post hype deal on Giolito, and he picked up two other great prospects in that deal. For a team not trying to win, they got a great deal.
That article about the Yankees signing Machado or Harper leaves out a lot of background. Good article but it shouldn’t really be using the stolen base numbers against Machado. Not his fault the O’s had the red light on all year last year for all players and stole 19 as a team compared to the Nats’ 121. Harper’s best year for stolen bases was 21 last year while being thrown out 10 times. Machado’s best year he stole 20 while being thrown out 8 times.
Not to even mention the Yankees have been supposedly shopping Castro for quite a while now. Which would open up a spot in the infield and also free up more money. Personally I would actually say that seeing as how the Yankees will have over $75 million off the books by then and the luxury tax threshold should move up. I see them making a run at both especially if they move Castro. But I could also see working with Scott Boras being a holdup on dealing with Harper.
I would take Manny over Harper.
Pinstripe Prospects worried about Yankee tradition and facial hair is typical of a blog with a few loyal visitors trying to get people to visit and comment on the stupid crap they write. A few weeks ago they were going all political and now it’s hair issues. Enough. Fake news. No story there, Yankee tradition is what it is. No names on the back of the jersey and keep your egos in check as the team comes first. In a world with millennials having the need to voice whatever is on their mind that very moment and demand safe spaces for their feelings that blog fits into that space.
The real story with Quintana is that Hahn is really pushing hard to trade him now before any injury concerns or possible regression on a last place team brings his value reasonably down.
I would not deal the farm unless I was one pitcher away (Astros, Seattle, Texas, etc) and I would do that at the deadline only soooo that limits the market.
Hahn wants the Yanks and Braves and Pirates involved to rip a chunk of their farm from them but it makes zero sense unless those teams actually think they are ready to win it all and still they wouldn’t know that until the deadline?
If Hahn wants to trade Q now the asking price will come down and it has little to do with prior trades he made!