This week in baseball blogs…
- Pirates Breakdown (links: 1, 2), The Point of Pittsburgh and DiNardo’s Dugout (podcast) react to the franchise-altering trades the Bucs have made in the past week.
- Astros County analyzes the club’s acquisition of Gerrit Cole from the Pirates.
- Good Fundies borrows from “The Simpsons” to weigh the pros and cons of the Mets signing Adrian Gonzalez, while Musings Of A Baseball Addict is skeptical of the move.
- Jays Journal shares a podcast interview with Blue Jays legend Tony Fernandez.
- Sports Talk Philly speaks with Phillies slugger Rhys Hoskins.
- Rox Pile talks with Rockies first baseman Ryan McMahon.
- NatsGM (podcast) interviews agent Joshua Kusnick, who provides insight into the business and discusses being fired by former clients Kenley Jansen and Lorenzo Cain.
- Extra Innings UK chats with Indians prospect Todd Isaacs, who recently hosted a prospect-laden home run derby in the Bahamas.
- Camden Depot has a plan for fixing MLB’s economics.
- BP Toronto posits that the slow offseason could make it easier for the Blue Jays to extend Josh Donaldson.
- Fish Stripes revisits last offseason’s trade in which the Marlins sent Luis Castillo to the Reds for Dan Straily.
- STL Hat Trick names five moves the Cardinals should have made by this point of the offseason.
- FSH Baseball imagines how Edgar Martinez’s career might have gone had he played the field.
- East Village Times argues that the Padres shouldn’t spend big this offseason.
- World Series Dreaming focuses on potential breakout players for the Cubs.
- The K Zone looks at the stars-and-scrubs approach to roster building.
- The Sports Tank and BoSox Injection write about Boston’s ongoing pursuit of J.D. Martinez.
- NY Yankees Digest puts together a couple Yanks-Rays trade proposals centering on Chris Archer.
- The Loop Sports previews the White Sox’s bullpen for 2018.
- Jays From the Couch is optimistic about Joe Biagini’s chances of turning into a useful starter.
- District On Deck handicaps the Nationals’ No. 5 starter options.
- Chin Music Baseball lists five starting pitchers with plenty to prove in 2018.
- Motor City Bengals examines best- and worst-case scenarios for the 2018 Tigers.
- Hardball Via Hardcore assesses the Mariners’ offseason to date.
- The Giants Cove isn’t impressed with the club’s big-name acquisitions.
- Pinstriped Prospects runs down some Yankees whose days with the organization could be numbered.
- Mets Daddy criticizes ownership for stonewalling the media.
- Call to the Pen evaluates the Phillies’ in-house options for their rotation.
- The First Out At Third sees some hope for recently signed Brewers righty Yovani Gallardo.
- Dodgers Way forecasts potential non-roster invitees and minor league targets for the team.
- Kennedy’s Commentary isn’t thrilled with the three true outcomes style of baseball.
- Everything Bluebirds credits GM Ross Atkins for helping to restock the Blue Jays’ farm system.
- Bronx To Bushville highlights some of the Brewers’ winter league performances.
- Rotisserie Duck asks you to play GM with some of baseball’s richest contracts.
- Clubhouse Corner’s Bernie Pleskoff shares his Florida Spring Training Guide.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) has a piece on the Twins’ hiring of Jim Kaat as a special assistant, and explains how Craig Biggio’s kids are following in the Hall of Famer’s footsteps.
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Time for the weekly fix of bad Chris Archer trade proposals!
Those Yankee trade proposals are simply stupid. Who comes up this stuff this guy who wrote that trade proposal for Archer is hilarious. A trade for Archer begins with Gleyber plus the actual proposals this guy made were so Yankee friendly I laughed out loud.
Always demand more from the Yankees and Dodgers. It is the only way to balance their massive financial advantage. If fact, stop trading with them and see how many players they lose to rule 5
LAD’s “financial advantage” helped out ATL this offseason, allowing us the possibility of signing a franchise-altering free agent in 2019 by taking on Matt Kemp, and in turn, allowing them more flexibility to get under the tax threshold.
Stillerfan, I agree with you.
Yup. As far as the Dodgers go rumors are always around Verdugo, Buehler and our top guys. Then we see the same players traded for significantly less to other teams. JD martinez, Ozuna, David Price , Cole Hamels are some examples
Rumors are always higher than reality. Rumors are by the fans and media. Trades are by the team. Looking deeper than the top names requires research, which fans and media dont do until after the trade.
Teams aren’t in the business of trading top prospects anymore. Archer is very good and cost controlled, but his actual numbers aren’t top tier.
If Torres is traded it will be him plus filler, or three 3-15 prospect guys. Even teams like the yanks and dodgers protect their farm.
The first one isn’t that bad. Andujar is probably their second best prospect and Adams will probably turn into a decent middle of the rotation pitcher. If Gardner was included, the days could turn him around and flip him for more assets. If Torres is traded, I highly doubt the Yanks would trade him in the division
Wow. What a brilliant observation that the Yankees won’t trade within their division their number one prospect which they won’t be trading to anyone. Glad you took a risk at expressing your opinion.
So there’s no Red Sox friendly blogs out there? Yea those trades were a little light for an inner division trade but Archer isn’t a pitcher worth Torres headlining a package. If the Yankees were to acquire Archer he’d be pitching against the same teams minus the Yanks of course and his numbers are less then impressive. Archer would not be the Yanks number one starter so Torres is off the table like it or not.
Archer is not going to get a top 10 prospect, from anyone.
Surprise a Red Sox fan complaining about the Yankees and now it’s about a blog.
Why would Rays want Gardner???
They wouldn’t
The Rays are likely still trying to figure out how to get rid of Span.
Hey chino—the rays want any player that can attract a few fans and distract them from the reality that the franchise WILL NOT be successful until THEY MOVE to a venue where they CAN ATTRACT A FAN BASE that is financially viable.
Just a general message to MLBTR staff. You’re really embarrassing yourselves by linking to The Giants Cove. Its a one-trick pony existing solely for the purpose of criticizing every move by the Giants. Even during their run of WS championships every article was critical because apparently those titles were not won in a sabermetrically pleasing manner. The benefit of young talent is obvious, but why is potentially winning a WS title a few years in the future better than actually winning one in present time? I’m guessing Brian Sabean’s dog sh*t on this guy’s lawn or something.
If you don’t like it, read one of the many other articles they linked.
Oh, real mature. Down-vote me for offering a suggestion. If you don’t want to read the articles, then don’t, you did not need to down-vote me.
Ohhh, real real mature. Multiple people down-voting me for no reason. What did I do this time? I don’t think I offended anyone.
It’s the internet. Some people get their jollies that way. The more you complain the more they know they got to you.
I once answered a persons question regarding the CBA by copy/pasting the pertinent info as well as a link to the MLBPA PDF of the CBA with article, section and page numbers. I got 3 down votes. Just let it go, you are feeding them.
bigcubsfan
I didn’t down vote you. And….I don’t need to read the article and I haven’t read one from that blog in a long time because they are all identical. In fact, the MLTBR tag line is always the same when they link to it…..”The Giants Cove is critical/not impressed with the Giants’ recent moves”. I would think MLTBR would want to link to intelligently written blogs, but the Giant’s Cove isn’t. Its someone with an ax to grind.
They are right in a way. The Giants continue to defy analytics and call it computer stuff. Then they lose 98 games and still dont care. They deserve the criticism. And im talking about now 2018 not 2014
I agree. Certainly the Giants have not been able to develop much young talent in the last 5 years and that hurts them at the MLB level. But when you write the same articles whether the team wins 100 games (and WS titles) or loses a 100 games in a season that says you are not impartial.
The author is really butthurt in that article. I think every armchair GM wants their team to rebuild. When it doesn’t happen they pitch a fit. Too bad this guy has a public place to cry. I hope not for long since he insulted the Giants fan base in the article as well. He might regret that.
Embarrassed is the East Village Times breakdown of Padres not exactly insightful
Does MLBTR receive anything to link to these blogs? I’m just curious because some of them are flat out awful.
Pirates Breakdown articles were pretty good. Also really enjoyed BP Toronto’s contribution. Good work all.
It’s interesting to read the one about the cardinals because I guess the article was written before grichuk got traded.
I see all these articles but what seems to get lost in the seam of things is the Rockies need for a SP. lineup is top 5, bullpen is top 6-7, but their rotation is lacking. I feel the need for them to add an alex Cobb type piece. They have enough everywhere else but they haven’t addressed pitching in years. McMahon will hopefully fill in throughout the year and become a quality first basemen. Everywhere else is solid. Have been waiting on this move for awhile. Young prospects can’t create enough of a rotation to win a WS.
Lineup is not top 5. Average at best.
What do you mean not top 5.
Rockies offense 2017.
Hits.Runs. Average. Obp. And ops were all top 5. Half these categories the Rockies were top 3. What a stupid comment hahahaha
It may be that free agent pitching doesnt want to sign in Colorado because of what pitching there could do to their stats and future earnings, or perhaps the school system has taken a turn for the worse.
I’m thankful that you guys provide us extra reading material. But these blogs are some of the lowest educated baseball minds writing their opinions.
Word
Padres shouldn’t spend the monkey’s at the San Diego zoo can tell us that.