As Spring Training continues, here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on today:
1. Ohtani to make Dodgers debut:
The Dodgers had their first Cactus League game against the Padres last week in preparation for the Korea Series in Seoul next month, though superstar offseason addition Shohei Ohtani has not yet made his first spring appearance for the club. That’ll change today, as the Dodgers have announced that Ohtani will make his debut in today’s game against the White Sox. Left-hander Garrett Crochet will take the mound for the White Sox opposite Dodgers youngster Bobby Miller, with the game scheduled for 2:05pm CT. The two-way superstar will be limited to only hitting this year as he rehabs from elbow surgery, though he’ll be building off an incredible 2023 campaign that saw him slash a whopping .304/.412/.654 in 135 games while hitting an AL-best 44 home runs en route to his second MVP award in three years.
2. Cubs working on potential trade?
Center fielder Cody Bellinger’s deal with the Cubs has not yet been made official, and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic indicated yesterday that the Cubs are trying to work out a trade to clear space on the 40-man roster. Per Sharma, Chicago hopes to move a pitcher off its 40-man roster via trade in the coming days rather than risk losing a player for nothing on waivers. Speculatively speaking, that could mean the Cubs are shopping an arm towards the back of their bullpen depth chart such as Keegan Thompson, Jose Cuas, or Yency Almonte, or perhaps even a prospect such as Porter Hodge or Caleb Kilian. Sharma went on to suggest that if a trade cannot be worked out quickly, the Cubs could still designate a player for assignment in hopes that a trade of that player could be finalized over the seven-day window following the DFA.
3. MLBTR Chat today:
While teams around the league are already participating in Cactus and Grapefruit League games, a handful of the winter’s top free agents remain unsigned and plenty of offseason shopping lists around the league remain unfulfilled. Are you wondering if there’s more in store for your team as camps open in Arizona and Florida? If so, tune in this afternoon when MLBTR’s Steve Adams hosts a live chat with readers at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to join in on the chat once it begins or read the transcript after its completed.
Betts
Freeman
Ohtani
Ruth
Gehrig
Mantle
Greene
Torkelson
Carpenter
“Betts, Freeman, Ohtani”
…Comparing guys that played 100 yrs apart is rather silly, liberal Steve. Only the Ivy League analytics nerds think these are valid Comparisons. Due to recency bias, the media and by extension the public will always promote the most recent and latest group of superstars as “the greatest”.
No,it isn’t. You can compare them by looking at how good they are to their peers.
@mlb fan
wRC+ is an all encompassing hitting statistic used to compare players equally across any era. It removes that issue you have there.
Actually it does nothing to compare players equally.
WRC+ does not account for players not playing against black players let alone players from other countries. How many Dominican and Japanese players did Babe Ruth play against? Black players? Hispanic players in general? So no, it really does not compare the player mentioned equally.
@drasco036
You are able to compare players from different eras with that stat.
wRC+ is park and league-adjusted, allowing one to to compare players who played in different years, parks, and leagues. Want to know how Ted Williams compares with Albert Pujols in terms of offensive abilities? This is your statistic. wRC+ is the most comprehensive rate statistic used to measure hitting performance because it takes into account the varying weights of each offensive action and then adjusts them for the park and league context in which they took place.
Yeah, I know what wRC+ is, it doesn’t account for opponent talent level or are you just choosing to flat out ignore minorities didn’t played against the great bambino?
It cannot compare eras, how many pitchers in that era were in pitch labs throwing 20+ in break? 95mph now is an average fastball, don’t think guys like PCA and Kiermaier were patrolling center field? I’m sorry but those guys were not as talent as the players now.
WRC+ doesn’t NOT factor in talent. Period. If I go to Petco and jack a ton of home runs against high school pitchers, my wRC+ would not reflect negatively the fact I put up numbers against no one’s.
@drasco036
wRC+ takes into account the overall talent of the league but also understands that not all ballparks are the same and weather has an impact as well. That’s why 100 is league average because that is what the average for the league including all skill levels.
Do you or do you not understand that the over all talent level has greatly improve in 2024 than in 1920? Jesus
“All encompassing hitting”…So in other words you just ignore that black players couldn’t play back then, because it doesn’t help your point, right? Also baseball is a little more than just “hitting”, my friend.
@drasco036
What talent level has improved since then? The only difference we’re seeing is pitchers going fewer innings, meaning they could throw harder for a shorter period of time and batters no longer trying to make contact but more focus on power. What talent do you speak of that was missing from before?
Compared to computers of the the day, the Apple one was a great computer. Compared to computers now the Apple one is garbage. It’s basically the exact same comparison
Do you think Babe Ruth could swing his 44 ounce bat and catch up to a 100 mph heater? How about low 90s slider? Even guys in the 80s would not compare with guys playing now. It’s comparing muskets and machine guns.
Please tell me you are f ing joking. Wow you have to be 90 years old to think those guys are on the same plane of existence talent wise.
Seriously just look at some of these fact, like players being bigger and stronger in general. Players have a ton more experience before stepping foot on a diamond, never mind the levels upon levels of minor league systems but from high school on. Why the heck do you think pitchers are in pitch labs right now? Because it’s NOT making them better? How about the mountains of analytical data? Oh pitching don’t go as deep? No crap! Do you know why? Because teams have mountain and mountain and mountains of analytical data telling them NOT to have pitchers go deeper. Specialized/weaponized bullpens. The fact now baseball is GLOBAL! Every think of even if everything else was the same, the shear amount of talent in the pool would have made it deeper and more competitive?
Absolutely a terrible terrible take.
@drasco036
Do you think the pitchers back then would be going 9+ innings and throwing 97+ all the time? It’s a different strategy but the skill to adapt to the strategy change hasn’t changed. Pitchers were throwing high 90s back then but the differences is they managed their use of the heat because they were expected to go 9+ innings. Today’s pitchers are babied to the point that they can’t go beyond 4 innings and we’re talking about a guy being incorrectly named as the 2023 Cy Young who couldn’t go more than 5 innings and had an FRA of about 4.00. Do you honestly think the skills are significantly better today? Most guys today would struggle against the Ruths of the past.
@drasco036
If we have pitching labs, how the heck can they pitchers not survive beyond 4 innings and still post a 4+ FRA/xERA? You’d think with more tech, knowledge and skill, they’d be capable of putting up better numbers than they actually do. The problem IS lack of skill because we’re valuing guys who have more power over actually making contact. So, yes, when that is valued more than contact, you’d get bigger guys where they result in more whiffs and less overall action. It’s the failure of the Three True Outcome generation that we’re still trying to weed out, no thanks to the Geeks who promoted that nonsense. The TTO guys would be absolutely destroyed by the past generation because they lack the skill to perform at that level.
“No thanks to the geeks” that right there invalidates any argument you might try to make.
I’m guess you don’t work in a skill based career field otherwise you would understand but the fact is, these guys have thousands of hours of more training now. They are clearly better you just have your head in the sand and refuse to admit it.
Why are you needlessly being a d*ck?
So despite players being bigger, faster stronger, being more mechanically sound, having more training, more technology, more access to information, better training facilities, better coaching, better recovery methods, better modes of transportation for better rest, having access to the the greatest players/talent in the world,… despite all that you think that players are some how worse? Explain to me that process please. Because I would LOVE to know how your mind is justifying that line of thinking.
Not to mention all races are allowed now
@drasco036
I’ve debunked all your points already above. Now, I’ll wait for you to actually provide something to argue against.
No, you stated opinions. Incredibly ignorant ones at that within a very narrow spectrum.
@drasco036
No, I stated basic facts and a difference between strategy in the MLB. You can see the old MLB system still in play in Japan, as their teams are focused on SPs going long innings and batters having more focus on contact over power. So, I ask again, with all these new technologies and apparent knowledge and health benefits, how come the overall ability remains the same? Look at historical data for season stats. We haven’t seen a major increase the the runs per game and ERAs have remained quite similar.
Mantle never played with Ruth and Gehrig. Try Tony Lazzeri.
In 1921, Babe Ruth hit more HRs by himself than any TEAM. Lets see Ohtani match that.
Babe Ruth never pitched or hit in Japan or faced a Japanese player or a Mexican player, Dominican player, Cuban player, black player…. Yeah….
That’s not even a good “flex” it just supports the argument that players were less talented then.
The complete game has vanished. Durability is rare. They eliminated LOOGYs, but added another pitching position to the team. The players aren’t necessarily better or worse, but they are used differently. Its now rare to see a SP hit 200 innings. In my lifetime, Nolan Ryan, Frank Tanana and Mickey Lolich would throw 300. Today’s pitchers will throw more 95mph in their appearance, but it will be a much shorter appearance. To say that past pitchers couldn’t do that if used the same way is ridiculous. Asking today’s Starters to throw 10 complete games won’t happen. Rooting for the starters and the closers is traditional. Its hard, even today, to root for that 6th inning guy.
Babe Ruth played against dozens of Japanese players and kicked their asses
Babe Ruth most definitely played in Japan, @drasco. He faced Japanese players and he crushed massive dongers off them.
Yes, stym, players are better now. It’s a simple matter of better training methods being bigger faster and stronger. Just like there are no world Records at Olympics from 1920 still standing. Players are simply too big, too fast, too strong, too specialized and too knowledgeable.
Anyone who thinks the talent pool isn’t deeper in today’s game is simply lying to theirselves so they can continue to romanticize the “golden age”.
Those players were big fish in a small pond. Todays pond is the entire world with several different species of fish.
Lol…take a joke mlb fan. I guess you missed the Tigers trio. Though if I were to nitpick, I would note that Mantle didn’t play with Ruth and Gehrig
FivePoundBass, thumbs up for user name!
5 Lbs is hard to surpass
Yeah, five pound. The guy obviously put the Tigers group in there as a joke. I assume he’s a fan. Then mlbfan calls him an analytics nerd and fanboy, even though he made no reference to analytics at all.
Agreed. Different rules… different context. Not sure why we cannot appreciate all without making needless comparisons.
Every time liberalsteve posts, I get a major headache.
I.M. Insane
It’s because he’s a liberal, obviously.
Yall are arguing the same points made continuously for a hundred years in mlb history, as if it is a new argument.
We can compare to peers at the same time. That is about as close as you can get. Changes: rules, gloves,roles, mounds, artificial turf, diversity, medical,money, player movement, sport popularity.
mlb may be one of the lesser chosen sports among the most athletic comparatively.
Many would not play in mlb today just by choice.
In 10 years, the posting system of Eastern countries will probably be different and mlb may have more eastern young players.
Many 3rd world counties don’t represent mlb now almost at all. Indian, Iraq, etc play currently?
I don’t understand the emotion in comments really.
There is no foolproof way to compare. We have what we have. Things change.
Things will continue to change.
Pythagoras
Lincoln
Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man
That infant Mantle was some player, even in his crib starting in 1931.
They say 3-year-old Mickey was on deck when Carl Hubbell struck out the five Hall of Famers in a row in the 1934 All Star Game.
@Liberalsteve
The modern guys are overrated. Let’s look at their wRC+ for the careers. Just overall better players back in the days. They don’t make players like they used to.
Betts: 140
Freeman: 142
Ohtani: 146
Ruth: 194
Gehrig: 171
Mantle: 170
Greene: 108
Torkelson: 95
Carpenter: 122
I also think pitchers have gotten better, but it’s still impressive what Ruth, Gehrig, and Mantle did in much larger stadium
the only thing that wRC+ proves is that Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle were a lot better than their peers than current players are. That doesn’t mean they are better players overall. Back then there were a lot of players that wouldn’t even play in the minors right now.
Basically the worst players right now are much better than the worst players back then.
@SoCalBrave
So incorrect. Pitchers back then actually were expected to pitch the whole game not just 4 or 5 innings, like an opener. Second, the supposed improvement in pitching is mostly due to two issues. First, pitchers aren’t expected to actually pitch like they used to. They’re expected to throw hard for a few innings. Second, batters have changed their goal, from being contact hitters to being power hitters. So, which more power comes more whiffs and thus more Ks. Hitters back in those days were more about contact and Ruth was an outlier.
That might be true in football, where physical size is vital. Natural talent is the biggest determinant in baseball and that spans generations. While you may think the old-time players weren’t as physically impressive, I feel their skill and natural talent overcome that.
Beyond that, forgetting about an absolute comparison of these players. It is incredibly optimistic to compare the impact/relavance/careers of Freeman, Betts and Ohtani to Ruth, Gehrig and Mantle. Babe Ruth hit more home runs than entire teams. Gehrig slugged at comparable levels to Ruth before having his career shortened. Mantle is lauded as one of the best pure talents in MLB history. Ohtani has been incredible and could be an all-timer, but the others are not close to being all-timers.
Ruth had an affair an affair and was a notorious drunk…..good at baseball but I believe your wife is considered a peer…..
Whyd you list the Tigers. That’s my team, but seems like you’d use
Semien
Seager
Garcia
As a more established example.
I mean Trout/Ohtani/Rendon(e) even looked good on paper a few years ago
It wouldn’t be a big surprise if the Cubs ended up including a first baseman in a trade. They now unexplainably have them falling out if the sky.
Too much talent?
Might as well see what they can get for Mervis.
The Cubs have so many redundant pieces right now I can’t believe they even bothered to bring some of them into camp. The lineup is basically set the only questions left being bench players. Who will stay? I would like to think they should have made those choices already. So bodies should start leaving soon hopefully as AB’s become more invaluable.
Ohtani debut will be fun to watch. I’m thinking if the Dodgers don’t win it all this year it will be hilarious. NYM proved last year, you can’t buy a championship:)
The Mets didn’t but the Rangers did.
Why? Even the best players at every position wouldn’t be a lock to win a championship.
@LambchoP
The top teams don’t win the championships anymore. It’s all about getting into the WC spot. Your team is fighting for a spot in the playoffs so you’re coming in hotter than the teams who have the spot wrapped up by June. If you’re an owner, you want to plan to win somewhere around 86-90 for a WC spot or a .530 win percentage.
@OldYork
Especially if you’re Jerry Dipito.
@Go Go Power Rangers
Well, he might have a plan to do that but his teams are generally poorly constructed. Their window of contention is right now and they doubled down on doing nothing to get better. I don’t believe he’s serious about winning.
@lambchop the Mets bought a old team, my guess is they were bidding against themselves for verlander and max after a point. That could’ve been eppler or cohen but they betted on the wrong horses also they could’ve just bought bad contracts for prospects like the dodgers did years ago.
Time to trade Wisdom and Madrigal
That’s got Tampa wrote all over it !
Madrigal has real value. I don’t know why they still have Wisdom. Ridiculous K #s and a liability with a glove.
Because Wisdom offers better than league average offense and has the ability (poorly) to play multiple positions.
Power
Madrigal is a bench player and borderline major leaguer.
I’d take a flyer on Keegan Thompson.
Cubs have a surplus of pitching, can’t keep them all let’s make a deal
Best to have a surplus of pitching than anything else with all the pitcher injuries these days.
Well that’s disappointing that the Cubs are going to trade a Pitcher. I had other plans.
The Cubs currently just need to make a 40 man move but I’m fairly positive they will move a position player or two at some point this spring.
I still say DFA is the way to go. Brennen Davis might draw interest. I’d deal him before he gets hurt again. He’s really not needed anymore. I haven’t completely lost faith in Keegan or Killian yet. Davis could bring back a decent A Ball pitcher.
Who?
The player that makes most sense to trade is Smyly even if they had to pay half his contract. If the Cubs do not wish to go over the luxury tax, they need to clean up at least 5 million dollars. DFA doesn’t do anything for cleaning up the Cubs money.
Padres are looking for cheap OF’s aren’t they? Just a thought. I’d try that before a P.
Oh trading Smyly would be awesome. But I don’t think anybody wants him even at half price. I’d attatch a low A prospect to him to unload the whole 11 million. They could use that around the deadline maybe.
Manea got 27 million guaranteed, you don’t think a team would be interested in Smyly for 5 million dollars?
I’m pretty sure if that were a true statement, Smyly would of been dealt already. At best he’s a reliever for the Cubs. An 11 million dollar reliever is a bad deal for any reliever who isn’t a set up man or closer. So if your statement is accurate, He should be gone.
Why is the big picture so hard for people to see? Let’s break it down in baby steps
Smyly career era as a reliever 3.16
Smylys numbers as a reliever last season 2.51
Is a 3 era reliever worth 5 million dollars? Yeeeeessssss
They are going to have to go the DFA route multiple times and soon. I guess the good (and bad) in all of this is that the guys that are falling in that 34-40 on the list are all pretty viable players, now or in the future. I’m sure not all teams can say that.
That said—if it is the trade route the Cubs will be trading guys from the 40 man one by one or trading for guys that are not on other teams 40 man…so there is a big lean on the scouting department.
Also to watch is that the Cubs still only have two catchers on the 40 man and we all know that somebody will be added to the shuttle at some point.
Lots of roster gymnastics incoming for that lower quadrant of the 40 man.
The Cubs won’t need to add a third catcher unless an injury happens. You don’t need to clear a 40 man spot for the “just in case”
The Cubs will only need to clear 40 man spaces if they break camp with a guy like Cooper or if they make additional moves to augment the current roster.
Alfaro and Hudson are more than enough backup for Gomes and Amaya. Plus being able to sneak Aliendo through the rule 5 draft was also huge. C isn’t a problem for the Cubs. Alfaro isn’t really an elite defender or framer but has an above average bat and a great arm More than enough to be a 3rd C and Hudson has shown pretty well so far.
dras–that’s what I am saying—there is zero possibility that the Cubs can go through the entire season with just Gomes and Amaya. They don’t need a third catcher now, but you have to agree that they will need to clear space at some point. And to uncle’s point whether it is Hudson or Alfaro—at some point somebody will be added at the expense of an existing player.
That’s where my statement of gymnastics with the lower quadrant will have to happen.
Those last 6-8 players on that 40 man are pretty darn good to some other teams, I suspect.
By the time that happens hopefully somebody will be gone or maybe someone hits the 60 day. I don’t foresee that as being an issue at all. Maybe it’s even Gomes or Amaya. Gomes is 36 and Amaya hasn’t exactly been the Rock of Gibraltar so far. Madrigal tears one of his paper mache hamstrings or Davis back seizes up again. Odds that ST ends without someone getting injured are basically zero.
They SHOULD be! I have no idea what they’re waiting for.
Drascoo-Why is it so hard to see what’s in front of your face? If that were true why is he still here?
Because all the reasons I just said. Up until this point and maybe beyond depending on how Jed, who obviously love Smyly having signed him three times, feel. But up until this point the Cubs have:
1.) not been backed up against the luxury tax threshold
2.) did not need to open a 40 man roster spot.
Up to this point, his value to the Cubs outweighed/or weighs saving 5 million and opening a 40 man slot.
You do this, good poster but you refuse to admit players you do not like have any value. The reason guys like Madrigal, Wisdom, Smyly, etc are here still is they have value to the organization. Otherwise they wouldn’t be. This team lately has shown zero hesitation in canning guys, Heyward, Mancini, Barnhart so you ask why is he still here? Because he has value to the team plain and simple. And every player I mentioned have value to this team and have value to other teams as well of the Cubs choose to make them available
Gomez goes to the IL. Alfaro gets called up. No move necessary. Gomez get healthy. Alfaro gets designated. Won’t need to happen until if such happens, and he could easily pass thru waivers.
Gomes…
But Gomes would have to go to the 60 day IL for a corresponding move to not be necessary since Alfaro isn’t on the 40 man.
Odds are Alfaro, Peralta, Smith all opt out of their minor league deals before ever seeing Wrigley this season. Cooper is the only guy I could see breaking camp.
Why should the Cubs settle for a minor trade when they can make a bigger splash?
Craig Counsell has already indicated the Cubs will roll out a 6-man rotation later this season when their weekly schedule becomes a bit fuller and with the presence of Japanese starter Shota Imanaga on the staff. Currently the Cubs have 4 clear veteran starters and a mix of mostly younger pitchers to take up the #5 and eventual 6th spot.
All this suggests the Cubs may be looking to add another veteran SP to the mix, preferably one who can miss bats. There are a few free agent starters still available including premium southpaws Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery. The Cubs are very close to the first luxury tax threshold with the recent re-signing of Cody Bellinger. Adding either Snell or Montgomery would put them well over that threshold and also give them 3 southpaws in the top 5 of their rotation.
Adding a right-hander might be preferable. The best available via a trade is former Cub Dylan Cease who would instantly be their top power pitcher and also be significantly cheaper when considering their luxury tax threshold dilemma. Acquiring Cease from the White Sox would necessitate subtracting two players from their 40-man roster. This could be accomplished if the Cubs and White Sox agree on a package that includes INF/OF Christopher Morel and 2B Nick Madrigal. Each may be considered spare parts on the northside and both would fill a couple of glaring holes on the White Sox. A straight deal involving the three players might not work but can be balanced off by including some prospect capital including young talent already on each team’s 40-man roster.
Another benefit of this intracity trade would be the possibility of opening up 3B for FA Matt Chapman on the northside.
The cubs are not trading Morel
I can think of a whole lot more players and prospects on the Cubs who would be harder to pry from the team and who might interest the White Sox in a Dylan Cease trade than Christopher Morel.. This list would include top OF prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong and top SP prospect Cade Horton just for starters.
There’s no way PCA will be traded.
Or Horton.
WSox probably won’t be able to trade Cease for a good headliner prospect until April or May when an otherwise good team has a rotation perform worse than they feared or key injury.
It will take consequences in the standings, as we didn’t see top tier prospects get traded for anyone this offseason.
Besides that, if the Cubs were to blow by the luxury tax, it would likely be trading for a legit middle of the order bat on bad team around deadline if they are playing well.
@ rondon
Isn’t that what I suggested? PCA and Cade Horton are just the beginning of the Cubs players/prospects who would be considered more un-tradable than Morel.
Frankly, as a Cubs and White Sox fan, I find Morel more valuable as a trade chip right now. The Cubs would be selling high on him with his solid positive but limited offensive production that also that comes with the huge red flag of too many strike outs and questions regarding his defense. The Cubs have a wealth of young outfield and infield talent that look far more promising to me than what Morel offers. The coaches are giving Morel first crack at their wide open 3B position, a spot that I feel Matt Shaw will occupy next season with a far better overall hit tool and steadier glove.
The ‘retooling’ White Sox can afford to experiment with Morel more than the win-now Cubs. They can hand him the keys to 2B in 2024. They can also allow Morel to continue improving on his defensive versatility by letting him play multiple positions. This could include reps at 2B, 3B and in RF. Yoan Moncada has a proven history of injury with his chronic back issues. Morel could find himself as the White Sox regular 3B at some point in 2024, to say nothing about next season when Moncada is likely gone when the White Sox buy out his 2025 option which they are sure to do barring a repeat of his 2019 numbers. RF also continues to be a gaping hole on the southside, one that might be filled by one of 2 recently acquired prospects who each bat from the left side, Dominic Fletcher or Zach DeLoach. Morel could provide some right-handed hitting thunder to pair with either of those prospects or just win the job outright.
Unlike the Cubs, the White Sox don’t have the wealth of outfield and infield talent in their pipeline, at least not at the upper levels. They have one fairly sure talent in SS Colson Montgomery and a couple of maybes with 3B/2B Bryan Ramos and 2B/SS Jose Rodriguez along with the two outfielders already mentioned that might include another maybe lefty bat in Oscar Colas.
And the Cubs aren’t likely going into luxury tax territory.
Personally I’d offer the White Sox a package of players to restock their org, for Cease.
Maybe like Killian, Wisdom, Madrigal, Cuas, Keegan Thompson and throw in Bote if they want him.
That won’t get you Cease. That’s like trying to trade all the worst baseball cards you have for a Nolan Ryan rookie card. Just because you add a bunch of names you don’t need doesn’t mean the other team wants any of them.
Dog bone:
Killian 40 man roster
Wisdom 40 man roster
Madrigal 40 man roster
Cuas 40 man roster
Thompson 40 man roster
Do you think the White Sox have that many open 40 man roster spots?
Half the W Sox 40 man, doesn’t belong on any teams 40 man.
Alright unc, lol, just for kicks I’d throw in Dom Smith, Roderer, Smyly and Cooper.
Over Half of all those 10 or 11 guys I named, would easily make their opening day 26 man roster. And for a little lagniappe, we could include either Mastro or the rights to Stroop.
The White Sox might take Drew Smyly if the Cubs pick up a big chunk of his salary and include a player like Nick Madrigal with him in a trade. The White Sox could offer back versatile glove first utility infielder Nicky Lopez as part of a return package. Lopez has a plus glove at 2B, SS and 3B, something Madrigal can’t provide the Cubs in a backup role as a SS.
Smyly would fit right in to a White Sox rotation that is chock full of aging and injury prone pitchers who are looking to reestablish some value as the club retools in 2024. Smyly would have a much better opportunity to start on the southside and become yet another flip candidate for the White Sox by the summer trade deadline. Madrigal can return to the southside as their starting 2B where his bat profiles best. He has not shot at the keystone on the northside with Nico Hoerner entrenched there. Nicky played a nice 3B with the Cubs in 2023 but his bat lacks at the position.
A, Madrigal and Smyly are worth more than that. If the Cubs picked up a “big chunk” of Smylys money he wouldn’t need anyone attached to him.
Second, the Cubs are not going to take back a guy that needs to be on the 40 man roster.
Third, the Cubs have a gold glove caliber back up shortstop named Nico Hoerner and Madrigal can simply play second where he is a plus defender. In a pinch, the Cubs call up Vazquez to play short if absolutely necessary.
But they are still the Cubs.
@fables
You must believe the Cubs are without a budget. What “holes” would Madrigal or Morel fill? Vaughn and Moncado have to play. Vaughn to get better. Moncado to make his contract moveable. They already have Lopez for 2B. If you are going to propose a trade, list players the other team would actually value, not just ones you feel are unneeded by the Cubs.
I think Ohtani is past his peak. The Angels got his best years, he’s still a great player, don’t get me wrong.
From a purely business perspective, this guy is off the charts. The Angels had the chance to grow up and act like a big Market team but just blew the opportunity to expand the brand maybe even get a new stadium, build an entertainment complex and have the entire country of Japan as your fans. You probably could have inspired a ton of Japanese investment or maybe take on minority Partners to help Finance something huge. Nice going Arte.
@M.C.Homer
Agreed. By age 29 or 30, the pitcher starts to decline, however, Ohtani’s a bit of a different character from regular pitchers so I could see him still being serviceable into his early 30s. Probably a decent 4/5th guy.
Header font change on mobile or just me?
Buzzz I see a smaller sharper looking font for a moment sometimes before the page fully loads, then i get the normal font
I get that font now but even after it is fully loaded.
Me too now. Here to stay
The Dodger’s spring training schedule is concerning. Flying to South Korea is as dumb as when teams play in London. I get the whole growing the game thing but it’s already big in Asia and people in London don’t care about MLB (or the NFL) If the South Koreans want to see the Dodgers make them fly to LA and buy a ticket.
Big boomer energy right here.
@JimmyCatfish
Future of MLB is in Asia, not North America. They need to expand there for the league to survive. I’d like to see the league play a month of games over there in 2025. Eventually, some of the MLB teams will be moving to Tokyo, Seoul, Osaka, Taichung, Taipei City, Tianjin, Sydney and so on.
Yes the league that just recorded record revenues needs East Asia to survive…
lol they will play games there but do you have freaking clue how long those flights are? Yeah let’s have a three game series in Sydney get ready for your 14 hour flight from LA! Tokyo, 10 hours. Never going to happen.
Nah, MLB is surviving nicely. Asia has its own leagues, and smartly limits contracts. Why would they want our over priced “stars?”.
JC
“Flying to South Korea is as dumb as when teams play in London. ”
So, smart, then?
“If the South Koreans want to see the Dodgers make them fly to LA and buy a ticket.”
Yes. The terrible business decision of making your product more available to potential customers. Everyone knows its better to make your product as hard as possible to come by so,only those who really want it can bet it. Don’t want any of those on the fencers to try the product and maybe become loyal customers.
More available to potential customers like they do with broadcast blackouts on a home team’s market?
And your sarcastic business decision quip is actually a proven, successful strategy
Muted for failing economics
Muted for failing marketing
Muted for the sake of muting
JC
Muted (dumb [butt])
Actually they do which is why MLB and the NFL continue to play games there (London). The Asian markets are rabid baseball fans already.
On the flip side, I really get a sense that some of the players and employees on the Angels were tired of the team catering to Ohtani.
He’s already getting special treatment by the Dodgers, but I will say he seems a lot more engaged with his Dodgers teammates than he ever was with the Angels
Traffic is going to be real bad today. I live next to Camelback Ranch
@jeff Horton
Just to see 2 ABs from Ohtani in a spring training game? What a waste of time.
Not going. just have to drive by going home
York, speaking of catering or simply adjusting to Shohei….. here’s an example and some behind the scenes info that the general public may not know about. The draw for Ohtani was so strong by Japanese tourists, the Angels had to build a holding cell for luggage. These people would come right off the plane with luggage in tow, show up at Angel stadium and try to get in any way possible. Some of them not even baseball fans. They just want to be in the same room as Ohtani. This man can draw fans like a rock star. The Dodgers just wrote their marketing campaign for the next 10 years, regardless of his performance
Its not regardless of his performance. If he wishes to remain a draw, he will have to produce. Fans will move on if he doesn’t. The Dodgers ads will read, “Come see the Famous Ohtani. He used to be special.”
Ohtani spring HR in his first game. Worth each of 70,000,000,000 pennies