This week in baseball blogs…
- The First Out At Third compares the NL MVP cases of Christian Yelich and Javier Baez.
- Good Fundies regards Jacob deGrom as a legitimate NL MVP candidate.
- Rotisserie Duck takes a look at some of the top MVP candidates in both leagues.
- Foul Territory wonders if the Yankees would have been better off trading for Yelich than Giancarlo Stanton last winter.
- MLB & Fantasy Baseball Analyzed proposes five blockbuster offseason trades.
- Rising Apple names a potential Mets trade target from every team.
- Chin Music Baseball delves into Chris Davis’ horrific season.
- Call to the Pen looks ahead to potential offensive changes for the 2019 Phillies.
- The Point of Pittsburgh looks at who would be the Pirates’ Cy Young winner by various metrics.
- Rox Pile spotlights Rockies breakout reliever Scott Oberg.
- Friars On Base believes Hunter Renfroe has done enough to earn a spot on next year’s Padres.
- Baseball Rabbi (podcast) discusses topics including Aaron Judge’s future career prospects and why Lou Brock may be a less deserving Hall of Famer than Jim Rice.
- Jays From the Couch doesn’t expect a “stupid” offseason from the team’s front office.
- Mets Daddy wants the club to keep Wilmer Flores.
- The K Zone argues that America’s changing culture influences how baseball is played.
- Outfield Fly Rule doles out minor league awards for the Braves.
- Pinstriped Prospects names five minor league Yankees pitchers who turned in underrated performances in 2018.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) has a piece on the Astros’ new Triple-A affiliate, and ranks the Twins’ 2018 walk-off losses.
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Yelich had the most trade value in the game and the Yankees would have had to put Torres into the deal if they wanted him. Stanton’s massive contract was one that cost less prospects and the Yankees could afford. Seems like a really nearsighted viewpoint.
“Yankees would have had to put Torres into the deal if they wanted him” I strongly disagree jto, none of the prospects the Brewers sent were as highly touted as Torres. The Yankees had plenty of prospects to put together a package better than Milwaukee’s.
What they asked from Milwaukee could be different than what they would ask from New York
The whole article was definitely hindsight is 20/20…
Only reason yanks got Stanton cheap was because of his contract. Yelich would probably cost Andujar and Frazier plus a pitching prospect. I doubt Torres would have been offered for Yelich.
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They could’ve but at what cost? The Brewers traded away Brinson (a top 20 prospect), Isan Diaz (a top 75-100 prospect), Monte Harrison (a top 50-75 prospect) and SP Jordan Yamamoto who wasn’t ranked a top 100 prospect but still had a spectacular year at high A+ in 2017. Maybe the Brewers wanted prospects that specifically filled their organizational needs. In comparison, I think the Yanks probably would have to give up 1 of Torres or Sheffield plus Florial and one other prospect (Cave, McKinney perhaps). Yanks may have felt that was too much to give up for what wasn’t a MUST have situation since they had Judge, Hicks, Gardner, Ellsbury and Frazier going into spring 2018. You never know. I’ve seen situations where the ask from one team was absurd but the ask for another team was reasonable. It’s all about what you want vs what they wan’t to give up.
Also, you can never predict what a player is going to end up doing. Stanton had an historic year and to get him for Guzman and Devers and his contract was an easy yes for Cashman. They offset his contract for 2018 by trading Castro in the deal and they didn’t give up a top 5 prospect to do it.
They’re straddled with Stanton’s contract for years, and that money could’ve been used for one of the deepest FA classes in years. Yelich would be a terrific LH bat with speed and power, something they desperately need.
*saddled with Stanton’s contract*
Yelich is having a career year he might not repeat. Stanton can opt out after 2020.
“Saddled” is a big word. He has a hefty contract, but in the final 3 years of his deal when other superstars are making 40M+/yr, his 25-29M won’t seem terrible.
Except if Stanton doesn’t opt out of his deal (which I can’t see him doing) he will be making 25M+ at age 35,36,37. Ask guys like Pujols what happens when you lose bat speed once you hit mid 30’s.
Pujols is in his 40’s. They have been lying about his age for years.
He’s not worth that contract!
And it’s the Yankees, they can absorb a big contract here and there just like Boston and other big market teams.
Of course Yelich probably would be a beast in Yankee stadium, but the cost in prospects would have been too severe. Yelich is also having a career year and Stanton is hitting closer to his career average. It wouldn’t seem as bad if Stanton’s numbers were closer to his MVP year. I did get a chuckle out of the typo stating the Yankees hold an option for Stanton in the year 1928 lol.
They would have most definitely been better off with Yelich. He’s the MVP in my mind this year. Stanton is good and having a good year but not like Yelich.
Stanton in 2017 was a lot better than Yelich this year.
Yelich over Stanton??? Haha haha! That’s funny.
Yelich is better than Stanton. Why is that funny?
Because it’s silly to say when Stanton has been better their whole careers going back to the minors and one year isn’t enough to change that.
Yes. Yelich over Stanton!!
MVP
@simchifan and @eileen You guys are victim of today. Yes, Yelich is having a tremendous year. Stanton is having an “off” year or “normal season”. His normal season is still a 35+ hrs and probably 100 rbi. He stayed healthy and is only 28. There’s no buyers remorse. He’s a legit threat to hit 50 hrs every year. There WAR for 2016 +2017 were dead even. There defense in RF ranked the same. Stanton hit 45 more hrs than Yelich in those two seasons. Both teams should be happy with who they have.
Judge Judy you made a fool of yourself. Yea Yelich is BETTER than Stanton. Keep laughing while the adults have a discussion
LOL
Especially when you factor in the cost of their contracts to their value.
What’s the value of a guy who’s hit almost 100 homers the last two years? Show me a comp that was out of their arbitration years?
It was just a comparison of this year between the two players, which is what the article was about. Just mentioning the value of Yelich is even higher this year when he’s only being paid $7M compared to Stanton’s $25M.
You’re only saying it because you‘re a Red Sox fan. For your information both are better than J.D. Martinez, who is riding an unsustainable BABIP he won’t repeat next year.
Who said anything about J.D.? I’m not hating on Stanton, it’s just obvious Yelich has been better than Stanton THIS year.
This year yes.
Apples and Oranges,Who Cares
Ask Khris Davis
Oh boy. A Brewers blog on whether a Brewer or a Cub should be the MVP. I bet that’ll be a thrilling unbiased read. *eyeroll*
Yelich is. I’m a Cub fan. Any Cub fan who still thinks it’s Baez is biased and wrong.
Oh so your a Cub fan so therefore thats it then huh? No one can disagree with you or their biased because you have decreed it to be so and your statement that you are a Cubs fan somehow gives you more credibility than other Cubs fans?
No, I’m being honest not a homer cause he is el mago! He’s our mvp not the leagues
Jeez you are awfully defensive. Who cares if he wins the mvp. Will that help the cubs win the World Series
I’ll vouch for him, he’s is a cubs fan for sure.
I agree that Yelich is the MVP this year. Baez is younger and if his skills keep trending upward as it is he definitely has at least one MVP in his future, but not yet.
I’m not a fan of either team but I would suggest Baez. 80 xtra base hits from a 2B/SS and he’s a better defensive player at a middle infield position too? He gets my nod.
It’s not biased, it’s backed with stats that prove Yelich should be the MVP and finishes with the best argument: Cubs are still a playoff team without Baez, Brewers are not a playoff team without Yelich.
You can see into the future? The Cubs are a mere 2.5 games ahead of the Brewers, s0 how are the Cubs a playoff team without Baez, but the Brewers aren’t without Yelich?
What future? An alternate future?
I am not so sure the Cubs are in the playoffs without Baez this year.
The Cubs are NOT playoff team without Baez. Aside from Zobrist, the Cubs sluggers are all having down years at the plate. They probably win 10 less games without his RBIs and defensive work.
Rizzo is having a normal great year
Brewers won 86 games last year. They’re at 88 right now. They’ve benefited from the emergence of Aguilar and Hader as star caliber talent and additions such as Cain (5+ WAR), Jeffress and Miley. To say the incremental improvement is solely because of Yelich would be untrue. They have several guys that emerged this year.
Ray Derek everybody. Give him a hand. He thought of this whole statement by himself
Yelich should win MVP he has the rare power speed combo with stellar defense.
Like Baez? But yes I agree he should be.
Baez has more stolen bases than Yelich. Baez is the best base runner in the league. Baez has more power than Yelich. Baez is a defensive wizard at not one but 3 postions including SS which is the most important position. Baez has a better power/speed ratio and Baez has versatility that cannot even be measured in value to his team where Yelich does not.
Baez is MVP
Yelich comes through more in the clutch and he is also everything Baez is. Look honestly I don’t care about the mvp. I want the Cubs to win. So we will see. Either way it’s a 2 man race now
Yelich has a .925 OPS with RISP. Baez has a .897. It’s a small difference. A matter of 2 or 3 hits.
Agree its a two man race
Baez is not the best base runner in the league he is a very good base runner but not the best.
Who is the best base runner in the league if its not Javy
Are we talking National only or American League too?
I am just going with two off the top of my head one NL guy and 1 AL guy. In the NL Hamilton is the better base runner but Java is the better player. In the Al Betts is the better base runner. There is two right there I’m sure there are others those are just the first two that come to mind and are easily better base runners.
Hahah Yelich has more net steals and produces better baserunning value than Baez. Just because Baez runs more (and gets thrown out more) doesn’t mean he’s better. Baez shouldn’t even be in the conversation with his below league average OBP.
That’s a pretty dumb comment
I personally stay towards Yelich because his OBP is a big one and Yelich has 30 points on Baez. Also he is hitting 320 towards the end of the season, very impressive. I also don’t think it’s a 2 man race I think DeGrom could finish second.
Oh so OBP dictates MVP? Ok hahaha you said it!
JKB you obviously didn’t read the article…it says go to fangraphs and it will show that Yelich is the better base runner…and you say that Baez plays three infield positions well…Yelich could easily play all three outfield positions well…the Brewers didn’t need him to do that so why hold that against him…Baez is a great player but you have to give it to Yelich because they are so close in everything but Yelich just has better offensive numbers
Yelich is terrific and worthy. Baez is more valuable to his team. Yelich playing LF does not create value. I am not punishing Yelich. I am crediting Baez. What he does as a middle infielder and I mean at both SS and 2B alone is more valuable than any outfielder. A defensive SS for example is more valuable than an OF who is good.
How many defensive plays is Javy in compared to Yelich or any outfielder. Infield defense is more important than OF defense. It aways has been
JKB, Um I mean OBP shows how often you get on base. Shouldn’t decide MVP but should sway voters towards Yelich over Baez.
Had to laugh on the DeGromm to the A’s for their 4 top prospects. Like Beane would do that. Murphy will not be traded with the A’s thin catching prospects. When was the last time a team’s top 4 prospects all in the top 100 traded for 1 player? I can’t think of any.
That deal is fanciful thinking, but 2 of the 4 seems like a reasonable expectation, and I think Beane would make that move if he senses a window. Murphy might be Oakland’s only real catching prospect, but it’s also perhaps the biggest organizational need for the Mets right now – definitely more so than another shortstop or starter. Perhaps they’re not really a great match in practice.
Personally, I don’t think they’re trading DeGrom anyway, even if it might be the pragmatic move.
I would say 3/4 because his value is very high.
My point is 4 top 100 prospects do not get traded for only 1 player. Has it ever happen before?
Tons of times.
Many times. You think the Mets would trade a Cy Young winner for anything less?
He definitely would to win a World Series.
DeGrom won’t come cheap.
I’m all for bringing back Flores, but I’m not sure there’s a place for him on the roster once Alonso comes up (which seems imminent.) unless they find a way to get rid of Bruce. My prediction is that he’ll be non-tendered and end up with an AL team looking for a cheap DH option.
Props to Outfield Fly Rule on citing the up and coming talent that stood out this season throughout Atlanta’s organization. I was just taking a hard look at Michael Reed’s season in the minors before catching their post, where they mention him as a runner-up. Atlanta’s pitching still heavily outweighs their fielders, but they’re making strides and have plenty of chips to trade to fill in any future holes.
I just wanna point out, the Orioles have to pay Chris Davis $42 million in deferred payments until 2037. WOW I feel bad for fans of the Baltimore organization.
The thought of the Rockies trading Arenado and only getting Devers and Vazquez is laughable. The Rockies would almost definitely want at least 1 blue chip pitching prospect and a better hitter than Devers
Arenado only has one year of control. Look what Stanton cost after an MVP season because of a big contract. A pre-arbitration Devers is worth more than a pitching prospect or 1 year of Arenado.
Is Devers that good? Other than power he doesn’t bring much more to a team. He doesn’t have much of a OBA or hit above .250. Rockies could sign Moustakas as a FA who is a better player.
Devers is not even yet arbitration eligible, is almost a decade younger than Moustakas and can realistically be a 30 HR bat in Coors.
Everyone discussing the Yelich trade… my take on this- Show me ANY team who would not match/beat the Brewers offer to the Marlins now? How many said the Brewers gave up way too much?
I know that you won’t agree with me but imo the Cardinals gave up better prospects…I did not say package…obviously the Brewers gave up more players but the cardinals players I think had more value…I mean Sandy A alone is better than anything the Brewers gave up…Siera looks like he might be just as good as Brinson…if the cardinals would have included a couple more prospects they should have easily got Yelich