We’ll round up a few notes from the Senior Circuit to finish the weekend.
- The Marlins are in ongoing negotiations with Sinclair Broadcast Group about a new TV rights contract, reports Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. The parties’ current deal, which will pay the club a league-low $20MM for broadcast rights on Fox Sports’ regional networks in 2020, expires at the end of the season. The figures the parties are discussing for 2021 and beyond are unclear. However, Jackson notes that the Marlins turned down an offer which would’ve paid north of $50MM annually in 2017; that offer was put on the table after the current Bruce Sherman/Derek Jeter group agreed to buy the franchise, but before the franchise sale was completed, and new ownership preferred to negotiate the TV deal on their own. Whether that particular offer (or something higher) is still on the table isn’t known. What is apparent, however, is the new TV contract will be far more lucrative than the old deal, which could spur ownership to significantly increase spending on player payroll (Jackson estimates an extra potential $20MM annually) in future seasons.
- Brewers’ reliever Corey Knebel is progressing well from March 2019 Tommy John surgery, manager Craig Counsell told reporters (including Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). Knebel won’t be ready for the start of the season, but he’ll begin throwing from a mound next week as he ramps up his rehab, McCalvy reports. Knebel signed a one-year, $5.125MM contract to avoid arbitration in December, suggesting the club believes he’ll make an impact in 2020.
- Brewers’ outfielder Tyrone Taylor underwent minor surgery this offseason to repair a wrist injury, he told reporters (including McCalvy). Nevertheless, Taylor should be at full strength for the start of spring training. The 26-year-old has only 12 MLB plate appearances to his name. Coming off a passable two-year run in Triple-A and with Milwaukee having traded Trent Grisham to San Diego this offseason, though, Taylor has a shot to earn a reserve outfield spot in spring training.
When is the downvote coming back?
The day the owner of this site concedes to cowards.
Why do you even want it? The comment section, for the most part, has gone downhill in the last year or so. A silly downvote won’t change that. I mostly ignore the comment section (obviously, mostly is accurate).
Eh. This site got rid of the downvote and discourages arguement on the message boards. This site is is a speculation site on a sport, which is a subset of a subset of extreme passion.
It’s just less dynamic this way. MLBTR has been trying to grow as a more serious business for the last two years and it’s wild that they’re missing the most valuable resource. They should be creating a full reputataion system a’la reddit karma with trolls, flair, reputation and even contests.
Instead they keep thinking one dimensional like a news ticker.
tl;dr The elimination of dowvote is a the icon for how little imagination the founders here have.
when you can use it responsibly
I loved the Jeffries, Knebel, Hader trio a few years ago when all were healthy. Bring that back.
Well first Knebel has to get healthy, then Jeffress has to prove to be effective again. I enjoyed that trio as well, but sadly I don’t think we’ll see it again.
See what Stanton can do at Coors I guess
Sorry wrong comment
How can you have NL notes and not include the hottest rumors?
Like the one gaining steam on Reddit. Arenado for Andujar and Stanton.
Deserves its own post.
actually Reddit-sourced rumors deserve to have their own site entirely
Why would the Rockies even want to do that?
I don’t know… a doubles machine and a second guy MVP who hit 59 HR at sea level in a hitter friendly park for about the same money as one excellent player ?
Nothing to see here…
That would be awful for Colorado.
Miami isn’t a hitters park
He’l was referencing Coors as the hitters park.
He*
They wouldn’t. Stanton right now is worse then Arenado and Miguel cant field at all.
Wow, Stanton in Colorado would flirt with 70 HRs. He hit 59 here in Miami. the key part would be health. If he stays healthy, and the NL goes to the DH in a couple of years, Stanton may even go on to become the All Time HR leader
If I’m Colorado, I do that deal and vote for a DH in the next CBA.
For some reason, writers just like to ignore that when a team like the Marlins, who receive more than 50% of their revenue from Central Fund/Revenue Sharing money, signs a TV deal for more money, that it has almost zero effect on payroll. All that increase does is replace money that no longer comes in from MLB. The Rays are in the same boat, as, to a lesser degree, are several other teams.
That’s what has become the organic consequence of Revenue Sharing. The Marlins or Rays could double their attendance, and triple their broadcast revenues. And it would have no effect on payroll. Those revenues would be offset by lower CF/RS payments. So while MLB is happy the Fish got a new deal, it really doesn’t mean much for the Fish.
Good post. It’s correct to a certain degree. The new contract opens up the revenue possibilities that would come with newer TV options…like advertisers, stadium naming, etc. And that’s before the ability to build a bigger market by adding onto the roster.
As for the Rays, I think with this possibility of playing in Montreal, it will eventually lead to them moving there as the new Montreal Expos. With that, I think it will further allow the Marlins to build the market in Florida I’ve always felt that MLB made a mistake in expanding a second time in Florida, just a few years after the Marlins. They needed to allow the Marlins to build their market, then, after assessing if there was room for a second team, then they could expand. Instead, this split the market in Florida before it was ever built up. It’s hurt both franchises.
I think the Marlins could become big after this new deal and a move of the Rays that would would allow the Marlins to “re-brand” back to the ‘Florida’ brand, and focus on taking most of the Florida market up through north Florida, which may be split between the Braves and them at the state border areas. It’s the same type of market enjoyment that some of the mid-market teams enjoy where they are the only team in the area.
Yeah I have no clue why someone would want to ignore the Marlins. Not a clue at all!
Excellent news for the Fish if they can maximize the new tv deal.
The Marlins are doomed. Questionable owners as an ongoing legacy, ballpark is poorly located, and there’s no discernible fan base. Doomed.
Keep believing what E!SPN told you.
Been to Miami many times, Marlins. Doomed. You and those three other Marlins fans in Florida keep the faith, though.
Cool
Passing through for a couple of days does not make you an expert over what all of us that live here know.
Again, keep believing what E!SPN told you.
My concern is that deal was for getting to watch a Realmuto, Stanton, Yelich team play baseball…..I’d like more context on what the worst recent deal is worth, and/or if $50 million is the bottom rate.