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2016 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL THREAD


SuperDave

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Time to start this and especially now that the Winter Meetings are well underway this week at Opryland in Nashville.  Pretty cool looking resort but very touristy with all the Christmas decorations and holiday tunes being pumped in their relentlessly!

 

The two FA signings of Zack Greinke and David Price are off the charts with 6+ year deals at $206 and $217 million a piece.  Just ridiculous.  I can see Greinke being worth it, but not Price.

 

Lot of deals today with Castro going to the Yankees minutes after it was announced after they signed  (former Royals) IF/OFBen Zolbrist to 4 years and $56 million.  I thought my Mets would get him, but it wasn't meant to be.  He is 34 years old now and at the end of his deal he will be 38, so perhaps in a way good for the Mets.  Stat wise he is quite similar to Daniel Murphy and whether the Mets have interest in resigning Murph remains to be seen.  One drawback is the first round pick the Mets will lose if signing him.

 

One question...why do you lose a draft pick to some free agent signings anf not others?

 

Braves traded Shelby Miller to Diamondbacks for a few players.  The 'Backs staff is shaping up fine now.  Still no one can top the Mets on this and is in uncharted territory.  Don't think they'll be able to hold on to all five with these contracts now, but certainly for a couple of years.  I'm hoping they can lock a few of them up before free agency comes into play for them.  Won't happen with Matt Harvey as being represented by that a-hole Boras!  Mets need to increase the payroll to lock at least Noah, Matz and Jacob!  Holding onto three would be good.  May have to trade Harvey eventually and hope get a lot in return before free agency becomes a factor in this and decreases the return on a deal.

 

We'll see what the Mets do and hope to sure up a good IF shortly before Dillon Herreira is ready.  Not sure hiow high the Mets are on him as they were willing to sign BZ to four years.  Mets need some outfield help to.  Would love Upton or Heyward, but not sure if that's possible.  Mets need to spend a bit more even if they're still paying out on the Bernie Madoff fiasco.  That was the Wilpon's problem and the team and fans should not have to suffer for this....but then again, Mets did much better than I thought they would in 2015!

 

Mets will need some relief pitching and we'll see what they do and whether they resign Taylor Clippard who was great the first month and a bit shaky after.  They may consider using and signing Bartolo Colon in a relief role.  He did quite well in the post season with this!  May work out!  Also, Michael Conforto with two months in the bigs at 22 years old did well with 9 hrs.  Not bad for a start and coming out of AA ball.  Even better handling the pressure and able to produce, when coming up as the Mets were vying for a post season birth and got much more than that and he certainly helped.  Michael will only get better and become more comfortable and situated with the Mets.  Could eventually be a 25+ hr and 90 rbi+ producer eventually and hit .280+.  We'll see.  Many sports media have compared him to Mattingly, but far too early on that front.  Get back to me in ten years on that!

 

Want to hear what everyone has to say about my possibilities on the Mets off season and all other acquisitions during the off season for the other 29 teams plus prophecies and predictions for the 2016 season for playoff contention, individual performances (standout), comebacks etc.  In other words...just voice it all as the 2016 MLB season is now upon us as the Winter Meetings are in high gear!

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I'm really hoping the Mets don't bring back Tyler Clippard. I don't give a damn how good his regular stats may have looked--all I know is that every time he came into a game in the playoffs, my ulcer started flaring up.

I'm also wondering if Dodger Blue will be looking to try and decrease some of that payroll. They've spent more money than I can count trying to buy a pennant & have gotten bupkis in return the last few years.

Boston paid a lot of moolah for David Price & he may be another Kershaw--eye popping regular season stats & then doing jackshit come October...

 

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O's have reportedly offered Chris Davis $150 mil for 7 years.  Will this be enough?  My guess he wants to stay in Baltimore, so we'll see as the negotiations go on.

Mets just acquired Neil Walker from Bucs for Jon Niese.  I like this deal.  It's a fair trade off in salary and may be for only one year as Walker is eligible for FA  after next year, while Dilson Herreira is given more time in AAA for the Mets to be ready for the bigs.  Mets have more money to play with as the Cubs signed Ben Zobrist. Something like an extra $13 million now.  We'll see if the Mets do anything else during the winter meetings and make a run at a big name like Heyward.

 

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Mets have reportedly just signed Asdrubal Cabrera from the Rays for two years.  The deal guarantees Cabrera $18.5 million over two years.  They still have free money to spend as not signing Ben Zobrist and the trade of Niese for Walker saved them some dough.  This later deal solidifies their infield.....but where does it leave Wilmer Flores.  Probably in a platoon position, but depending on how Cabrera performs.  Perhaps, the Mets will revisit trades involving Wheeler/Flores once again.  BTW Cabrera has good power with 15 hr in 2015 and along the lines of Walker.

Mets still need another outfielder (CF) with Grandy and Michael Conforto.  Michael will be a great player and as I said in the opening of this thread, he will just get better at 22 years with a good glove, lots of power and hits for average.  We shall see how he does in his first full season in the bigs! I have confidence in him!  I think he's the real thing! We'll see!

Not sure now about Heyward if the Mets consider him.  It's not the dollars per year that worry but length of contract which will undoubtedly be 7-10 years.  Although, only 26 years old, I am always quite apprehensive on contracts over 5 years.  The Mets, I think have only done two FA  signings in this region with Mike Piazza and Carlos Beltran and overall worked out well for them.  Both of them are members of their all time team!   So many of these deals go sour with overpaying, injuries, players past their time etc.  I think the David Price deal may wind up being a really bad deal for the BoSox!  Now, Greinke for the DBacks not so much as I have more confidence in him.  Who knows....and we'll see!

Was the Johan Santana deal over four years as I think it may have been?  Saw a post yesterday on www.metsblog.com that he wants to make a comeback.  Hasn't pitched since 2012.  He gave everything he had with the Mets first no hitter in June, 2012.

Waiting for opinions from Paul and hopefully Strider shortly!  Of course Rick you're invited too as I'd like to hear your take on the initial Rick Davis offer!

 

 

 

 

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I'm also wondering if Dodger Blue will be looking to try and decrease some of that payroll. They've spent more money than I can count trying to buy a pennant & have gotten bupkis in return the last few years.

 

Their evil fans don't deserve a pennant.

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I have not been keeping in tune with all the Winter Meeting deals going down, but I would have to think going into the next season, the Mets should be favored to repeat as NL East champs. Washington may give them a good push, but more often than not, the Nats are usually more hype than substance.

We shall see in about 4 months time...

 

baseball_zpsa6498512.gif

 

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I have not been keeping in tune with all the Winter Meeting deals going down, but I would have to think going into the next season, the Mets should be favored to repeat as NL East champs. Washington may give them a good push, but more often than not, the Nats are usually more hype than substance.

We shall see in about 4 months time...

 

baseball_zpsa6498512.gif

 

The Nats need a serious revamping of their pen as seeing what the Mets did to them in series 4 and 5 of the six as they just killed the Nats pen in the later innings in those series.  After the Mets clinched, the last series the Nats had the Mets as they just didn't hit.

Hopefully, Bryce Harper and Pappelbon have worked everything out after their well noted on screen fiasco.  Just need to be mature about it.  With the Dust man at the helm now, I think things will change as he's one of the best and will not put up with any BS from his players!

With the Nats, I wouldn't be surprised if they pull the trigger on Upton, Davis or Heyward!  Who knows?

In the NL East it will be the Nats or the Mets with little competition except for the Marlins who may compete for a WC birth.  The Braves and Phils may be looking at 95+ loss seasons.  Some on the MLBN tonight are saying possibly over 100+.  We'll see as the season has yet to start and these are just projections....predictions!

 

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I'm wondering if the Zach Greinke deal will alter the dynamics in the NL West--of course, we're entering a year with an even number, so recent history tells us 2016 will be the year the G-Men make it back to the World Series. 

And, of course, the Dodgers have plenty of unfulfilled potential, hmmmm....

 

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Michael Cuddyer of the Mets has announced his retirement from the game after 15 seasons.  This is quite a surprise!  Seems like his injuries have taken their toll on his body.  He still had one year left on his contract for $12.5 million, so this should free up some loot for the Mets to spend on the off season.  Not sure what kind of buyout clause he has, so we'll see.

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The Pete Rose situation--I've said before how I feel about it. Put the man in the "Hall of Fame" and whatever asterisk you want to on his plague to say that he bet on the game, do it.

I believe Pete himself has said that if he had any other vice, had he been an alcoholic or a wife beater that he would have been forgiven a long time ago, and I think I would agree with him on that...

 

 

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It doesn't matter Paul, the players, coaches and managers are told every year in Spring Training that betting on baseball will get you banned from the game and yet still he did it.  When given the chance to come clean, he lied.  When given many more chances to come clean, he lied.  He did it to himself and I have no problem with baseball kickin' his ass to the curb.  

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The Pete Rose situation--I've said before how I feel about it. Put the man in the "Hall of Fame" and whatever asterisk you want to on his plague to say that he bet on the game, do it.

I believe Pete himself has said that if he had any other vice, had he been an alcoholic or a wife beater that he would have been forgiven a long time ago, and I think I would agree with him on that...

 

 

He HAS TO BE IN IT.   The guy has more hits than anyone that ever played.  There is no justification for keeping him out for gambling.  He is the only one that got caught.  You can bet your bottom dollar many others gambled.  Hell, remember Prothro, the coach of the LA Rams and SD Chargers?  He bet against his own team.  And he was the head coach.  I know he is on up for the Hall.  But if OJ Simpson is on the Wall of Shame in Buffalo, Pete Rose's crimes are minimal in comparison.  And I do not want to hear that shit about him being found not guilty.  He is as guilty as they come and it was a racist verdict.  Take him down and put Rose in.  Its the right move.  He will be in when he is dead.  That is certain.  Let him see his name in there. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Should have mentioned this a few days ago, but a big congrats to Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza who have been elected to the 2016 class of the MLB Hall of Fame in Cooperstown! :thumbsup:  Griffey will be going in as a Mariner and Piazza as a Met.  Both well deserve the honor.  Griffey received the most first ballot votes in history breaking Tom Seaver's record.

Piazza is a big music fan and is often seen at various metal shows with Eddie Trunck , who is the host of That Metal Show among other things.  Piazza often used "The Rover" as his walk up music.  There is an interview with Piazza talking with Eddie Trunck over on  Metsblog  I think yesterday about music and how he got into trouble with Guns N Roses some years ago.  I think the interview is also on Soundcloud.

https://www.sny.tv/mets/news

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After telling fans they were done, The Pizza Man cracks open his wallet once again to sign Justin Upton.  That's a major upgrade to the Tiger's defense and offense, and puts them over the salary cap for the first time.  If everyone can stay healthy, that makes our line-up down-right scary and our bench stronger.  It also makes the American League Central a very tough place to compete. 

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23 hours ago, Bong-Man said:

After telling fans they were done, The Pizza Man cracks open his wallet once again to sign Justin Upton.  That's a major upgrade to the Tiger's defense and offense, and puts them over the salary cap for the first time.  If everyone can stay healthy, that makes our line-up down-right scary and our bench stronger.  It also makes the American League Central a very tough place to compete. 

What about your bullpen pal?

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On 1/20/2016 at 0:44 PM, paul carruthers said:

^^ Bullpen is the Tiger's issue every year, is it not?

I believe Cespedes is still dangling out there on the free market--is there a shot that maybe the Mets could sign him after all this time?

 

 

 

 

 

Give him a week and just maybe he will see the post?  Hmmm.  Or he has and has no good answer.  That is the more likely scenario.  I have no idea what my own boys have up their sleeves but keeping Davis to me was a good thing.   One would think at some point his strike outs would diminish and his HR's would stay close to the same as now at least for a couple of years.  I am not sure if Miller was signed by anyone yet?  The ex Red Sock, Oriole, Yankee, leftee?  Many more moves I would think are looming.  They have to be.  I hear Chen is gone.  Someone told me where but I forgot since it was not Baltimore.  

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