This week in baseball blogs…
- Jays From the Couch and BP Toronto each explore an extension for Josh Donaldson.
- Chin Music Baseball regards the Padres as an odd fit for Eric Hosmer.
- East Village Times sees Lorenzo Cain as a better target than Hosmer for the Pads.
- The Redbird Daily wants the Cardinals to pass on Hosmer in favor of Logan Morrison.
- 216Stitches analyzes this winter’s class of free agent outfielders.
- Twins Daily ranks Minnesota’s best assets.
- Underthought criticizes Marlins ownership for breaking up an elite outfield.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) looks at a potential Manny Machado acquisition for the Yankees. TRS also profiles a pair of potential two-way players for the Astros.
- Reviewing The Brew’s writers discuss an ideal future outfield alignment for the Brewers.
- The Point of Pittsburgh compares the Pirate careers of Barry Bonds and Andrew McCutchen during their team-controlled years.
- Righteous Shift is holding out hope that Indians third baseman Yandy Diaz’s power will come around in 2018.
- The Loop Sports reacts to the White Sox’s Joakim Soria and Luis Availan acquisitions.
- Big Three Sports writes about the adjustments Byron Buxton made at the plate last season.
- The K Zone is bullish on Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes.
- Camden Depot challenges the notion that Orioles owner Peter Angelos is cheap.
- Pinstriped Prospects examines the state of the Yankees’ 25-man roster.
- Blue Jays Beat wonders if the club should trade Devon Travis.
- Sports Talk Philly and Call to the Pen each focus on the Phillies’ lineup.
- Pirates Breakdown explains how the Pirates could hit for more power next season.
- Rox Pile names 18 things for the Rockies to look forward to in 2018.
- District On Deck makes five Nationals predictions for 2018.
- Jays Journal lists 12 Toronto predictions for this year.
- NY Yankees Digest offers some predictions for the Bronx Bombers.
- Kennedy’s Commentary addresses the lack of veteran free agent signings this winter.
- DiNardo’s Dugout (podcast) covers topics including the slow-moving offseason and the Rockies’ acquisitions.
- Mets Daddy argues that Johan Santana doesn’t merit Hall of Fame enshrinement.
- Everything Bluebirds previews Jays shortstop Troy Tulowitzki’s season.
- Dodgers Way forecasts salaries for the team’ arbitration-eligible players.
- The Giants Cove criticizes the club for “a one-dimensional approach to roster building” in recent years.
- Rotisserie Duck pays tribute to the former major leaguers who passed away in 2017.
- Chris Zantow remembers former major league player and coach Rob Picciolo, who died this week.
Please send submissions to ZachBBWI @gmail.com.
What happened to Jason Martinez hoe come he doesn’t write no more? Did he move to another site?
I’m pretty sure he just conducted a chat the other day.
Thank you.
How can MLB speed up the free agent market? This is painfully slow.
By setting dangerous precedents. Just relax.
Why is MLBTR so against Hosmer to Cardinals? A few weeks they stated Hosmer and Cardinals are not a match but they still seem they are a perfect match.
They aren’t. If he’s an upgrade at all, the marginal cost of that upgrade is astronomical.
I was rooting for the Cards to sign both Hosmer and Moose
Hosmer isn’t close to worth what he will bring.
He would be an upgrade. WS experience and hits for average. I would totally be fine with gyroko as utility.
I would too, if they got Donaldson or Machado. Hosmer isn’t worth $140 million + for the Cards.
Yeah true but Donaldson is getting out of his prime in a year or two. Machado is going to cost a top pitching prospect for 1 year. Both 1 year rentals and machado extension is possible but that would go above Hosmer money.
No a Machado extension is not possible.
Thank you Scott Boras
Machado isn’t with Boras you dumb ass!
Cards current first basemen is roughly the same as hosmer. And he has World Series experience. Hosmer slides carp to third which weakens third base by putting carp there over better defensive 3b gyorko. Small gains at 1b, if any at all, would be negated by losses st 3b. All this for paying $20 million a year. Makes zero sense.
Exactly
Did Werth to Nationals make sense at the time? That’s exactly why Hosmer to San Diego Padres – at this time – is a great fit.
No and he didn’t get Nats past 1st round of playoffs
One player can’t do that.
Not a great fit, mainly cause a. they already have wil myers at 1st and b. 7 years 140 mill? A contract like that really messes with spending when the padres would be competitive assuming players called up in 2019 would hit arb in 2022, 2023, 2024 (hosmers deal would run through 2024).
Really?! A great fit?? First off you got Myers at 1B. Second even with Hosmer the Padres will still not go to the postseason. In my opinion the Padres shouldn’t be wasting there money on Hosmer.
That’s why they’d be signing him for 6-8 years because they’ll be ready to make the playoffs by then.
Machado is said to cost around 300M I don’t think any team wants to pay that.
c1234 the word is THEIR, not there! There you have it.
Pretty sure Devon Travis wouldn’t get much in a trade for the simple fact he can’t stay healthy, as for Tulo he will once again spend the majority of the season on the DL imo. He also wouldn’t get much from a trade, his production has declined big time, he can’t stay healthy and on top of all of that he doesn’t live up to his contract.
It would be selling low due to his injury record, but Travis is an impact player when he is healthy. The return would be similar to Travis – long-shots with really high ceilings.
Did they really compare McCutchen and Barry bonds. One cheated the other is a great all around player. That’s all that can be said.
Bonds was the most dangerous player in the game before he ever stuck a needle is as$. He deserves to be in the HOF based on the Pitt years alone. He juiced, but so did everybody else in that era. Pitchers included. Roids don’t make your hand-eye better or his ability not to chase anything he didn’t want to swing at. He was terrifying to opposing pitchers. Cutch is a good player. Bonds was the closest thing to Ruth the game will likely see… & he played GG defense in his younger days. It’s not even close.
Homer
Guys. Let’s Reserve the word Great for those who will be Hall of Famers.
I think the cards would be smarter to wait til the trade deadline to trade for 3B upgrades. The price will be much lower, we will have a much better idea of where we stand in the rankings, and Gyorko isn’t terrible. Hosmer and moose aren’t big upgrades worth the money they will command.
Agrees. Spend that Hosmer money on pitching. They should overpay for Addison Reed.
The trade deadline could see a ton of big time players made available. With all of the pending FA’s for next offseason, there is a chance many will be made available. Josh Donaldson and Adrian Beltre are two third basemen that I wouldn’t be surprised to see on the trade block this summer.
GM’s are learning not to overpay for FA’s. Agents haven’t given up trying to fleece for their commissions. That’s ultimately why it’s taking forever for the dominoes to fall. Every single top FA has significant concerns & GM’s are getting more savvy to handing out term that kills payroll in the latter years. Adopt a year to year system. Your paid based off your most recent production. If you’re worth the big money, you’ll get it. If you’re not, you’re not.
Yup the GM’s are learning not to be stupid with these ridiculous long term contracts. Especially to FA pitchers who have injury histories. Absolutely should go year to year.
Man, I don’t know how I missed the deaths of Daulton and Frohwirth in 2017. Peace to their families. Daulton’s 92 and 93 seasons are some of the best catcher-hitting years in recent memory.