A’s aren’t viwed as underrated. Oakland doesn’t support them or follow them the way the Bay Area does the Giants. It’s easier and cheaper to get to Oakland, yet the Giant’s bring in more than 1.6 million more fans per year. So not underrated, just irrelevant in terms of interest. They would be better off in Portland or Nashville.
The A’s are better than the Giants, and the city is easier to navigate, but the experience at AT&T is so much better than in Oakland that I would go to SF every time. Great looking park, much better amenities, and the time in the park is worth the getting to the park.
Mariners are going to be the worst team in the AL next year. The Rangers are .500 at best, they have a good rotation (although no depth), Gallo is their only elite position player. Angels are terribly constructed and outside of Ohtani the pitching is going to be much worse than many assume, not to mention the entire team can only be good if Trout plays 162, which isn’t a lock either.
It’s most likely going to be a 2-team race, and maybe even Oakland running away with it if the Astros are deflated by the scandal and all other 14 teams are going to head hunt them all year.
The Astros are going to be really good, the Angels are likely going to be very good, Texas is expected to be .500 as well. The only team in that division which is a sure fire to finish under .500 is the Mariners.
The A’s rotation is completely different. Those 97 wins wont help them pitch this year.
You may be optimistic, but the season hinges on three injured pitchers and one that wasn’t a great prospect, went into 2019 with a negative WAR and was suspended for PED use.
Montas added a splitter that was unhittable last year. Nothing to do with PEDs.
Also PEDs dont matter and do not make players better or worse.
Puk and Luzardo will get Cy Young votes if they throw 150+ IP. Manaea was elite when he came back last year, but even if he’s not he’s probably the 4th best. Fiers is an American hero rounds out the rotation, he’s got 2 no hitters. Then there’s Bassitt, and the SIX mlb-ready guys at AAA, and there goes your argument BYE
Yes, towards the bottom of the top 100 rankings. Unlike Ohtani, Canning and Heaney. You don’t think extra velocity helps a splitter?
Anyway, the point remains, you think Caha, who broke out at age 30 will repeat. You think Semien who almost doubled his previous best WAR will repeat. You think Puk, and Manea, and Luzardo who all had significant injuries last year will come through. And you think Montas was not helped by PEDs.
I can’t ever remember a team with that kind of staff projected with so many wins. Can you? Yet somehow they are underrated? I completely disagree.
From FanGraphs – “The biggest holes on contending teams, Part 2 – Pitching”
“Los Angeles Angels
The Hole: The Angels had only a single pitcher throw more than 100 innings last year. That’s bad. What’s worse is that it was Trevor Cahill, who had a 5.98 ERA and still beat his FIP (6.13), good for a -0.8 WAR effort over 102.1 innings. He’s a free agent at the moment, and that was the pitcher the Angels used most.
[…]
Despite a lot of churn, however, they aren’t exactly running out an inspiring rotation. Shohei Ohtani is back, and projects to be their best pitcher on a rate basis, but he’ll be on a strict innings limit. Dylan Bundy is somehow only 27, but it’s hard to see anything but an average pitcher with injury risk to the downside given his uneven career.
Julio Teheran is probably a FIP beater, but with Steamer projecting him for a 5.47 FIP, that isn’t enough. Andrew Heaney is basically Dylan Bundy, only a year older (somehow) — a guy you’d like as an innings-eater but with a checkered injury history.
If there’s upside in this rotation (aside from Ohtani), it’s Griffin Canning, whose fastball/slider combination has looked good in his short career. He’s also coming off of a season shortened by elbow inflammation, and he had a 4.58 ERA and 4.75 xFIP in 2019 — we’re not talking about an ace with a hurt elbow here. Overall, the team has a bunch of league average starters with downside risk.”
The later entry in the same article for the A’s:
“The Hole: […] the pitching staff, a perennial thorn in the A’s side. Frankie Montas looks like an ace, PED suspension aside, and Jesus Luzardo was electric in his short stint in the majors (including the Wild Card game) in 2019. But the rest of the staff is heavy on question marks: Sean Manaea didn’t look the same upon his return from shoulder surgery, Chris Bassitt is best suited as an innings-eater, and Mike Fiers is teetering on the edge of relevance.
[…]
The Fix: Luckily for the A’s, they aren’t stuck with the five starters I named above. A.J. Puk, the team’s top prospect, will start in 2020. He’s something of a unicorn; a 6-foot-7 lefty who throws harder than every other southpaw starter in baseball. He has three solid secondary offerings to pair with his fastball, and while his track record is short due to Tommy John surgery in 2018, he has the potential to eclipse Montas and Luzardo as the best pitcher on the team this year.
Given the A’s perpetual financial limitations, a free agent signing is probably out of the question. But Puk might be enough to tip their rotation over the edge from shaky to solid. Start him in the majors, pitch him to his innings limit, and let the chips fall where they may.”
TL;DR – Writer assumes AJ Puk will be sent to AAA to start the year (he won’t). So, A’s – 3 guys with ace potential, Angels – “a bunch of league-average starters with downside”.
This question was posted by someone: “If the people suspended for the sign stealing scandal have been fired, does that mean their suspensions will begin if they are rehired?” and you responded “Correct.” As I recall, the suspensions are worded very specifically for a period that ends after the 2020 World Series. So if, for instance, Hinch were to be hired as a manager this December, he could assume the role right away, having served his suspension. In effect, he is serving his suspension and his dismissal concurrently until the WS is over. Is this a misunderstanding of the situation?
I think he was saying that if somebody hired Hinch, his suspension would prevent him from being involved with MLB activities immediately. As it is right now, being unemployed is preventing him from being involved with MLB activities for the team.
There’s no way a suspension wouldn’t “start” until somebody hired an employee as it would be tantamount to a lifetime ban in most cases.
That didn’t sound right… the ruling on Luhnow and Hinch came and then they were fired… I think they are currently serving their time. In the case of Cora and Beltran… if the league suspends them after they were fired, then they may have to serve it before they can manage again.
Who’s the idiot who corrected you and said the Rockies haven’t been in the playoffs since 2009? Even if you’re one of those weird people who doesn’t consider a wild card berth as “the playoffs”, they still made it to the NLDS in 2018.
Always thought it was silly for people to suggest a pitcher coming off injury be moved to the pen. Do you think getting up 70+ games a year in the pen puts less strain on a player than starting once a week?
MLBTR, you going to post anything about Nimmo’s diagnosis? Doesn’t seem like he will be able to play the OF as much anymore if his neck injury is permanent.
No. Marsh is not part of this deal. Pederson is not worth his salary. To the Angels, and Dodgers, he has negative value, the Angels are taking on his salary so they can get Stripling. Jordyn Adams might be part of the deal. But not Marsh. I actually don’t even think it’s Adams.
36-HR is most definitely worth more than $8 million. Pederson and Stripling are worth far more than Rengifo. There must be some real value coming back from the Angels.
These comments prove my point. 50% of the posters are lonely trolls. 40% know what they are talking about. And the other 10%, well let’s leave that for debate
I’m surprised there aren’t very many Betts and Price puns.
Anyway, Mookie Betts is really going to help the Dodgers significantly, but he’s only one really good player. But if Price makes a resurgent and healthy season? Now that combo along with good to above average contributions, then they have something to pay close attention to. My team is Atlanta and if they make it back to the playoffs again this season, the Dodgers are going to be really really tough.
Ready for ball season over here. Hurry the H up!
First comment.
You must be so proud.
Not to mention the pride his parents must feel…..
He can now die knowing he has accomplished at least one great thing.
Proud as a Pelican.
Isn’t that how the saying goes? Or, did I get that wro….
There are 9 comments above yours
Sorry, but I just changed my preference setting from OLDEST to NEWEST and you are near the bottom now.
This. Yes, this is Clever. Quick and painless.
These chats are for dimwits.
Thank you for the meaningful insight.
A’s win 97 games back to back and are still underrated, god MLB sucks
How many pizza rolls do you think I can eat?
34. your tongue will pay the price though, as they’re filled with lava.
Gotta let those guys cool for 35, maybe 45, minutes.
Every question was a baseball question. Wow, never thought it could happen. Good job MP.
Dude….like so many.
Thank you for showing confidence in my abilities.
Nearly one.
Halibut flavored popsicles.
An African or a European swallow?
How do you know so much about swallows?
It’s not a matter of where he holds it. It’s a simple question of weight ratios.
A’s aren’t viwed as underrated. Oakland doesn’t support them or follow them the way the Bay Area does the Giants. It’s easier and cheaper to get to Oakland, yet the Giant’s bring in more than 1.6 million more fans per year. So not underrated, just irrelevant in terms of interest. They would be better off in Portland or Nashville.
The A’s are better than the Giants, and the city is easier to navigate, but the experience at AT&T is so much better than in Oakland that I would go to SF every time. Great looking park, much better amenities, and the time in the park is worth the getting to the park.
The Athletics had a Pythagorean of 86 wins last year as I recall, and the division looks to be staying very tough.
Mariners are going to be the worst team in the AL next year. The Rangers are .500 at best, they have a good rotation (although no depth), Gallo is their only elite position player. Angels are terribly constructed and outside of Ohtani the pitching is going to be much worse than many assume, not to mention the entire team can only be good if Trout plays 162, which isn’t a lock either.
It’s most likely going to be a 2-team race, and maybe even Oakland running away with it if the Astros are deflated by the scandal and all other 14 teams are going to head hunt them all year.
Baltimore? Detroit?
Both will have better records than Seattle will next year.
The Astros are going to be really good, the Angels are likely going to be very good, Texas is expected to be .500 as well. The only team in that division which is a sure fire to finish under .500 is the Mariners.
…and most people know you’re a troll.
Excuse me…..What league does Baltimore and Detroit play in?
The A’s rotation is completely different. Those 97 wins wont help them pitch this year.
You may be optimistic, but the season hinges on three injured pitchers and one that wasn’t a great prospect, went into 2019 with a negative WAR and was suspended for PED use.
Thats funny because he was named a top 100 prospect multiple times in his career, so, uh, stop lying?
baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mon…
Montas added a splitter that was unhittable last year. Nothing to do with PEDs.
Also PEDs dont matter and do not make players better or worse.
Puk and Luzardo will get Cy Young votes if they throw 150+ IP. Manaea was elite when he came back last year, but even if he’s not he’s probably the 4th best. Fiers is an American hero rounds out the rotation, he’s got 2 no hitters. Then there’s Bassitt, and the SIX mlb-ready guys at AAA, and there goes your argument BYE
Yes, towards the bottom of the top 100 rankings. Unlike Ohtani, Canning and Heaney. You don’t think extra velocity helps a splitter?
Anyway, the point remains, you think Caha, who broke out at age 30 will repeat. You think Semien who almost doubled his previous best WAR will repeat. You think Puk, and Manea, and Luzardo who all had significant injuries last year will come through. And you think Montas was not helped by PEDs.
I can’t ever remember a team with that kind of staff projected with so many wins. Can you? Yet somehow they are underrated? I completely disagree.
From FanGraphs – “The biggest holes on contending teams, Part 2 – Pitching”
“Los Angeles Angels
The Hole: The Angels had only a single pitcher throw more than 100 innings last year. That’s bad. What’s worse is that it was Trevor Cahill, who had a 5.98 ERA and still beat his FIP (6.13), good for a -0.8 WAR effort over 102.1 innings. He’s a free agent at the moment, and that was the pitcher the Angels used most.
[…]
Despite a lot of churn, however, they aren’t exactly running out an inspiring rotation. Shohei Ohtani is back, and projects to be their best pitcher on a rate basis, but he’ll be on a strict innings limit. Dylan Bundy is somehow only 27, but it’s hard to see anything but an average pitcher with injury risk to the downside given his uneven career.
Julio Teheran is probably a FIP beater, but with Steamer projecting him for a 5.47 FIP, that isn’t enough. Andrew Heaney is basically Dylan Bundy, only a year older (somehow) — a guy you’d like as an innings-eater but with a checkered injury history.
If there’s upside in this rotation (aside from Ohtani), it’s Griffin Canning, whose fastball/slider combination has looked good in his short career. He’s also coming off of a season shortened by elbow inflammation, and he had a 4.58 ERA and 4.75 xFIP in 2019 — we’re not talking about an ace with a hurt elbow here. Overall, the team has a bunch of league average starters with downside risk.”
The later entry in the same article for the A’s:
“The Hole: […] the pitching staff, a perennial thorn in the A’s side. Frankie Montas looks like an ace, PED suspension aside, and Jesus Luzardo was electric in his short stint in the majors (including the Wild Card game) in 2019. But the rest of the staff is heavy on question marks: Sean Manaea didn’t look the same upon his return from shoulder surgery, Chris Bassitt is best suited as an innings-eater, and Mike Fiers is teetering on the edge of relevance.
[…]
The Fix: Luckily for the A’s, they aren’t stuck with the five starters I named above. A.J. Puk, the team’s top prospect, will start in 2020. He’s something of a unicorn; a 6-foot-7 lefty who throws harder than every other southpaw starter in baseball. He has three solid secondary offerings to pair with his fastball, and while his track record is short due to Tommy John surgery in 2018, he has the potential to eclipse Montas and Luzardo as the best pitcher on the team this year.
Given the A’s perpetual financial limitations, a free agent signing is probably out of the question. But Puk might be enough to tip their rotation over the edge from shaky to solid. Start him in the majors, pitch him to his innings limit, and let the chips fall where they may.”
TL;DR – Writer assumes AJ Puk will be sent to AAA to start the year (he won’t). So, A’s – 3 guys with ace potential, Angels – “a bunch of league-average starters with downside”.
This question was posted by someone: “If the people suspended for the sign stealing scandal have been fired, does that mean their suspensions will begin if they are rehired?” and you responded “Correct.” As I recall, the suspensions are worded very specifically for a period that ends after the 2020 World Series. So if, for instance, Hinch were to be hired as a manager this December, he could assume the role right away, having served his suspension. In effect, he is serving his suspension and his dismissal concurrently until the WS is over. Is this a misunderstanding of the situation?
I think he was saying that if somebody hired Hinch, his suspension would prevent him from being involved with MLB activities immediately. As it is right now, being unemployed is preventing him from being involved with MLB activities for the team.
There’s no way a suspension wouldn’t “start” until somebody hired an employee as it would be tantamount to a lifetime ban in most cases.
Antonio brown
Bud black
That didn’t sound right… the ruling on Luhnow and Hinch came and then they were fired… I think they are currently serving their time. In the case of Cora and Beltran… if the league suspends them after they were fired, then they may have to serve it before they can manage again.
Who’s the idiot who corrected you and said the Rockies haven’t been in the playoffs since 2009? Even if you’re one of those weird people who doesn’t consider a wild card berth as “the playoffs”, they still made it to the NLDS in 2018.
If you read the chat, the arbitrary name used in the chat was “Gonzo”
Chicken burgers
Mookie mookie mookie, mookie? Mookie mookie mookie mookie mookie. Mookie, mookie, mookie! Mookie mookie mookie mookie mookie mookie mookie/mookie? Mookie mookie mookie, mookie mookie mookie mookie mookie mookie. Mookie, “mookie” mookie mookie, mookie mookie? Mookie…
Hitch and Luhnow are serving their suspensions. The subsequent firings did not terminate the suspensions.
Ohtani since being limited to 100 innings should be moved to bullpen/ long releif. That way would be able to pitch in the playoffs still
Wait is he being dealt at the deadline in this scenario?
Always thought it was silly for people to suggest a pitcher coming off injury be moved to the pen. Do you think getting up 70+ games a year in the pen puts less strain on a player than starting once a week?
If Hinch was banned from Major League Baseball, how was he able to conduct an interview on an MLB-owned baseball channel?
I’d guess the suspension is from the teams and not the company and its subsidiaries?
If Pete Rose is banned for life, who keeps giving him terrible hats?
MLBTR, you going to post anything about Nimmo’s diagnosis? Doesn’t seem like he will be able to play the OF as much anymore if his neck injury is permanent.
anyone think marsh could be the prospect the Angel’s send ? I hope not
CaAngels.
No. Marsh is not part of this deal. Pederson is not worth his salary. To the Angels, and Dodgers, he has negative value, the Angels are taking on his salary so they can get Stripling. Jordyn Adams might be part of the deal. But not Marsh. I actually don’t even think it’s Adams.
36-HR is most definitely worth more than $8 million. Pederson and Stripling are worth far more than Rengifo. There must be some real value coming back from the Angels.
I pray it isn’t Marsh. any other prospects is ok with me . stripling could be a real surprise
These comments prove my point. 50% of the posters are lonely trolls. 40% know what they are talking about. And the other 10%, well let’s leave that for debate
If you know what percentage of posters are what, you have too much time on your hands.
Like all segments of society, some are worth talking to, some are not, and some you want to avoid at all costs.
Yea mac that’s true. I’m retired so yea I have time lol
Thanks Mark.
“Vernon Wells to the Angels” still makes me cringe!!!!
I’m curious if anyone predicted the return for Betts and Price. Usually if anyone posts a potential trade it is hogwashed.
I’m surprised there aren’t very many Betts and Price puns.
Anyway, Mookie Betts is really going to help the Dodgers significantly, but he’s only one really good player. But if Price makes a resurgent and healthy season? Now that combo along with good to above average contributions, then they have something to pay close attention to. My team is Atlanta and if they make it back to the playoffs again this season, the Dodgers are going to be really really tough.
Ready for ball season over here. Hurry the H up!