This week in baseball blogs:
- Hardball Via Hardcore sees Seattle as a logical landing spot for Shohei Otani.
- Jays From the Couch believes Toronto should explore a trade for Cardinals outfielder Randal Grichuk.
- Reviewing The Brew tries to find out what Ryan Braun’s trade market could look like this offseason.
- Blessyouboys names Tigers who likely won’t be back with the team in 2018.
- Clubhouse Corner shares potential offseason strategies for the Indians and Diamondbacks.
- LegendsOnDeck compares the seasons of AL MVP contenders Jose Altuve and Aaron Judge.
- The Sports Tank expects Jake Arrieta’s big-game track record to help his cause in free agency.
- Pop Culture Abstract evaluates the Cardinals’ offense.
- MetsMind asks if Matt Harvey’s fastball command will ever return.
- Motor City Bengals regards the Tigers and Nationals as logical trading partners.
- Pirates Breakdown chats with with one of the Bucs’ top prospects, left-hander Taylor Hearn.
- Sports Talk Philly talks with Hall of Fame voters Jayson Stark, Andrew Baggarly, Kevin Cooney and Danny Knobler about Jimmy Rollins’ Cooperstown chances.
- Mets Daddy calls the team’s managerial opening “a dead-end job.”
- Boston Sports Extra recaps Drew Pomeranz’s season.
- Jays Journal lists free agent bullpen targets for Toronto.
- The Point of Pittsburgh examines if Ivan Nova’s arm slot was the culprit for his second-half decline.
- Call to the Pen (links: 1, 2) analyzes the Phillies’ 40-man roster.
- BP Toronto has a post-mortem on the Blue Jays’ season.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) previews Game 7 of the ALCS and profiles Astros outfield prospect Juan Ramirez, who was part of the Justin Verlander trade.
- The Loop Sports is optimistic about the White Sox’s future behind the plate.
- Pinstriped Prospects highlights the best hitting performances by Yankees prospects in 2017.
- Everything Bluebirds wonders where Dalton Pompey fits on the Blue Jays.
- Ladodgerreport writes about the club’s NLCS-clinching win over the Cubs.
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Oh boy let’s not do this again Braun to the Dodgers is just not going to happen. I’m sorry it’s just not. The dodgers have no need for Braun. He is now at the age where you have to significantly take into account his injury issues. You also have to take into account his negative defensive values this year. I’m sorry this story just needs to die. He’s not as valuable as once thought. Also for a team attempting to clear the threshold along with finally displaying athleticism and extreme flexibility, Braun would provide a clog. Again, that key word “depth” will be on display again next year. They probably won’t sell low on Joc, Trayce a year after injury will probably get another chance as a 4th/5th OF, Toles will eventually be back from injury, and finally the presence of Verdugo and Diaz. That’s not even factoring in the potential return of Gonzo. The Dodgers As constructed are deep, flexible, and young. They are finally starting to shed the bad ugly dead money, they were in a sense, forced to take on due to a non existent farm, no youth movement and a need to usher fans back into the stands as a show of good faith. So yeah it’s not going to happen especially at the prices once believed.
Braun also has a no trade clause and with the Brewers good again, probably won’t waive it.
So you think Braun wouldn’t waive his no trade clause to go to the Dodgers, a consistent World Series contender, because the Brewers are “good again”?
They may be good again, but they still have a long way to go until they are at the stage the Dodgers are currently at. Seeing as he’s going to be 34 years old going into next season, he probably doesn’t have long enough to wait for that to happen with the Brewers. He would waive that no trade clause in a heartbeat.
He did say now that the brewers are good, he wants to be with the brewers team that makes it to the world series
consistent world series contenders? Have I missed something you have been watching for the last 30 years? This year is literally the 1st appearance since 1988.
not everyone wants to pick up and leave and go to a new city lol. I would not move if I wear him. the Brewers are good and have a great future he can be the one vetren of that team
The focus of that piece was to find the most feasible match and the author clearly cited San Francisco as more likely landing spot–if he were to be moved. Of course, he would have to agree to any deal.
Jerry Dipoto has made a lot of moves and some of them have been mistakes but if he gets Ohtani, I’m sure I speak for every M’s fan when I say I’ll forget every mistake he has ever, or will ever make
Yes.
Dipoto’s biggest challenge, in my opinion, is to not get Seattle stuck in a cycle of mediocrity. If the pieces to propel them into the postseason and remain in contention aren’t there, he probably needs to consider a reassessment and consider moving Seager, which would mean eating some salary, as well as Cruz, Paxton, and Diaz. Those are the chips that could bring something back to move forward with.
This offseason will be his 3rd with Seattle and perhaps the most challenging yet. If things don’t improve sharply, we could see considerable selling at the deadline. If they struggle and he doesn’t make any considerable moves to get even younger, I could see this going on for a while: good enough to make things interesting, but not good enough to really get anywhere.
Sounds like the Rangers needs to get in this mix
The mariners are in a situation where they almost have to get ohtani.
I agree. If not, they’ll have to get creative to find young pitching, because there’s very little on the farm.
Why would Otani without an H go to the Mariners. He wants to pitch and hit and he’s good enough to do it, end of story.
Did you read the article?
Right, he’s been spelling his own name wrong in English on his Jerseys.
The reasoning Seattle makes sense is laid out clearly in the article.
Also, even with Cruz here for another year, Ohtani could mostly pitch during his first year and occasionally give Cruz or one of the outfielders a day off and then after Cruz leaves, DH for 2 or 3 days a week
And that would give him time to adjust to America and the MLB without so many demands
That was kind of what I had in mind: allowing him to DH when he starts and letting him pinch hit in the middle games before his next start. Hard to imagine any skipper willing to let him bat the day before a start, or the day after.
A pitcher can’t “DH” when he starts. There would simply be no DH. If he hits for himself during a start, then needs to be replaced on the mound, they would have play like the NL the rest of the game.
Brewers, you’re right. Poor choice of words on my part, and the second goof I’ve made today. I had meant to say “bat”, rather than “DH”. But you misunderstood the point.
Ohtani could feasibly bat when he pitches, just as he would in the NL. There’s no rule that says an AL team must have a DH.
They would have to pinch hit for him once he came out of the game, or let their relievers bat, but Cruz would take care of one PA, and at that point you wouldn’t likely have more than one additional PA to cover.
I didn’t misunderstand anything. You said he could DH for himself. I thought you meant “he could DH for himself”. Had you said he could “bat” for himself then my post (and the last two paragraphs of your reply) would have been obvious. Your choice of words made it look like you’re someone who didn’t understand the DH rule. Sorry for the confusion.
Brewers, it’s on me, but I felt it was still clear despite my mistake. Apparently I was wrong there as well. Regardless, it was good to see this tackled because a lot of fans of AL teams probably aren’t aware of the DH rules.
This reminds me, the Mariners actually lost their DH late in a game in 2015 or 2016.
I’m not sure why, but everyone on here always seems to have a problem with anything you do.
24, I get that feeling sometimes as well. The point regarding Ohtani was simply that he could bat when he pitches. I thought that part was clear. That one was on me, though, and I felt the commenter was fair enough. I had actually said that twice today, though I know better. Glad the gaffes were brought to my attention.
It’s the commenters that mouth off dismissing ideas rudely without evidence or any substance, just an empty opinion, that I don’t care for. But, I suppose it comes with the territory when you expose your ideas and thoughts to a wide audience.
Overall, the responses have been overwhelmingly positive, though. The goal is constructive baseball talk and entertainment.
Anyway, I appreciate your sentiments.
You’re really good at exposing your thoughts and ideas to a wide audience, Stevil.
I thoroughly enjoy your writing style. Eloquent.
Classy too.
Same here
Thanks, I appreciate that .
I remember that. I think it happened to Tampa Bay too. Accidentally put Longoria and someone else both as 3B on the lineup. The lost the DH and I think their pitcher actually got a hit too.