Baseball super thread
- Thread starter fishfanmiami
- Start date
Since the Nationals posted this Tweet, they are 16-41 against the Phillies…and they got no-hit tonight.
Baseball. Salaries are stoopid <sic>.
I've been an SF Giants fan longer than a Fin Fan (is that possible)?
The contract awarded to Ohtani is just stupid, and really turns me off from the whole sport. It's been getting that way for a while, but I'm done. I don't care that SF didn't land him. Anyone with an ear to the ground knew where this was going.
Football is getting there too. Not that I care how much contracts are. I do care that I can't afford a game where I spent my honeymoon though.
%$@$%
I've been an SF Giants fan longer than a Fin Fan (is that possible)?
The contract awarded to Ohtani is just stupid, and really turns me off from the whole sport. It's been getting that way for a while, but I'm done. I don't care that SF didn't land him. Anyone with an ear to the ground knew where this was going.
Football is getting there too. Not that I care how much contracts are. I do care that I can't afford a game where I spent my honeymoon though.
%$@$%
Because someone has to represent!
In baseball news....
www.yahoo.com
theathletic.com
www.batterypower.com
www.federalbaseball.com
@Fin Fan in Cali
@utahphinsfan
@The Goat
Dodgers acquire Andre Lipcius from Tigers and place Clayton Kershaw on 60-day injured list
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired infielder Andre Lipcius from the Detroit Tigers for cash on Monday. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred pitcher Clayton Kershaw to the 60-day injured list. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has said he expects to return in July or...
Padres mailbag, Part 2: Rotation talk, Merrill’s Korea prospects, Kim hypothetical
Readers submitted questions about a possible Ha-Seong Kim trade, Jackson Merrill's role, how players are responding to Mike Shildt and more.
theathletic.com
Braves News: Ronald Acuña Jr. injury update, roster cuts, and more
Atlanta Braves news and notes from Tuesday
www.batterypower.com
Washington Nationals news & notes: Patrick Corbin not walking folks; Joey Gallo + more
Notes and quotes from West Palm Beach, FL.
www.federalbaseball.com
@Fin Fan in Cali
@utahphinsfan
@The Goat
Thanks brother but i couldn't open.In baseball news....
Dodgers acquire Andre Lipcius from Tigers and place Clayton Kershaw on 60-day injured list
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired infielder Andre Lipcius from the Detroit Tigers for cash on Monday. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred pitcher Clayton Kershaw to the 60-day injured list. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has said he expects to return in July or...
Padres mailbag, Part 2: Rotation talk, Merrill’s Korea prospects, Kim hypothetical
Readers submitted questions about a possible Ha-Seong Kim trade, Jackson Merrill's role, how players are responding to Mike Shildt and more.
Braves News: Ronald Acuña Jr. injury update, roster cuts, and more
Atlanta Braves news and notes from Tuesday
Washington Nationals news & notes: Patrick Corbin not walking folks; Joey Gallo + more
Notes and quotes from West Palm Beach, FL.
@Fin Fan in Cali
@utahphinsfan
@The Goat
Thanks brother but i couldn't open.
Hmmm that is so weird it's working on my end.... maybe now?
Padres mailbag, Part 2: Rotation talk, Merrill’s Korea prospects, Kim hypothetical
Readers submitted questions about a possible Ha-Seong Kim trade, Jackson Merrill's role, how players are responding to Mike Shildt and more.
theathletic.com
Padres mailbag, Part 2: Rotation talk, Merrill’s Korea prospects, Kim hypothetical
Readers submitted questions about a possible Ha-Seong Kim trade, Jackson Merrill's role, how players are responding to Mike Shildt and more.
theathletic.com
No bro I have to sign up. Thanks anyway.Hmmm that is so weird it's working on my end.... maybe now?
Padres mailbag, Part 2: Rotation talk, Merrill’s Korea prospects, Kim hypothetical
Readers submitted questions about a possible Ha-Seong Kim trade, Jackson Merrill's role, how players are responding to Mike Shildt and more.
That's odd I'm not signed up ...i must be using the force without realizing it
....oh well here goes! In Part 1 of our latest Padres mailbag, we discussed the chances of reunions with Tommy Pham and Blake Snell, luxury tax considerations and potential timelines for Jakob Marsee and Graham Pauley. Without further ado, let’s get to Part 2 and more of your questions (which have been edited for length and clarity).
How confident is the front office with Randy Vásquez, Jhony Brito, Matt Waldron and Pedro Avila (maybe even Drew Thorpe, Robby Snelling, etc.) filling out the back of the rotation? — Davis B.
Here is a potential hint: The Padres were one major-league team that had talks with Hyun Jin Ryu before the veteran lefty opted for an eight-year, 17 billion won ($12.8 million) deal to return to the Korea Baseball Organization’s Hanwha Eagles. In terms of dollars, maybe Ryu and agent Scott Boras were aiming for the largest total guarantee. Maybe San Diego’s interest was tempered significantly by Ryu’s age (37 this month) and two Tommy John surgeries. But the fact Ryu settled for an average annual value of $1.6 million would seem to reinforce that the Padres feel fairly confident about their in-house candidates for the back of the rotation.
We’ll see if they are overconfident. The pitchers listed above have combined for 32 major-league starts. Everything could crumble if Yu Darvish or Joe Musgrove goes down with an injury. The Padres, who expressed at least some interest in free agents Michael Lorenzen and Eric Lauer over the offseason, remain open to adding a starter.
But the Padres have been encouraged by the spring performance of various young pitchers. The front office has plenty of faith in pitching coach Ruben Niebla and pitching development director Rob Marcello Jr. The organization likes Ryan Bergert, who logged a 2.86 ERA in nine Double-A games last season, and Jairo Iriarte, who showcased electric stuff in camp before he was reassigned to the minor-league side. The Padres still could strike a big-league deal with a starting pitcher, but unless they suffer a significant injury, I don’t see it being particularly likely in the next few weeks.
What’s your sense of how the players are feeling with Mike Shildt running the team compared to Bob Melvin? What’s different about Shildt’s approach? — Jon H.
Everyone is saying positive things. The vibes seem good. Those in uniform have appreciated Shildt’s communication, passion for the sport and continuing interest in player development. It should be noted that, two springs ago, Padres players were similarly effusive in their praise for Melvin. A lot has happened since then. High-level athletes have a rare ability to compartmentalize, and Padres players certainly have made use of that ability as president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, now on his fifth full-time manager, continues to turn over the coaching staff.
Shildt does have the advantage of inheriting a team that experienced profound disappointment last season. Failure can make accomplished, relatively stubborn players more receptive to instruction or new ways of doing things, and the Padres should be motivated to honor the memory of Peter Seidler. Shildt isn’t reinventing the wheel, but he has placed an emphasis on finer parts of the game in which the Padres consistently came up short last season (a year after they largely produced in the same situations).
The most noticeable difference from Melvin has shown up in Shildt’s interactions with Preller, at least the ones that aren’t behind closed doors. Shildt, who prides himself on being an “organizational man,” has appeared in near-lockstep with his boss. That was never really the case with Melvin. Later in their tenures, it also wasn’t the case with Andy Green and Jayce Tingler. Things may seem harmonious before any games have been played, but we’ll have to wait to see how Preller and Shildt navigate choppy waters together.
What would have to happen for Jackson Merrill to not be named the Opening Day center fielder? — Joshua P.
Merrill looks likely to break camp with the team, and because the Padres don’t want to bring up a top prospect to ride the bench, he would play quite a bit. And probably more than a little in center field, where he has shown plenty of aptitude for a 20-year-old with no official appearances at the position.
Would the Padres put him there on Opening Day, in what would be his major-league debut and his first-ever trip outside of the United States? I don’t think he’s a lock for such an assignment. The Padres could ease some of the pressure by putting José Azocar or Óscar Mercado or Tim Locastro in center field in the season opener — perhaps with Merrill in left field. (Gocheok Sky Dome’s dimensions are 400 feet to straightaway center and 325 feet down the foul lines.) If they sign Michael A. Taylor or bring in a different center fielder in the next week or so, they might consider starting Merrill in Double A or Triple A.
But the Padres aren’t worried that Merrill will shrink from a challenge. Barring an injury or a dramatic drop-off in the final days of camp, there’s a good chance he will be in the lineup on March 20 — and a good chance he will be in center field.
Is there still a chance Ha-Seong Kim is traded after the Korea series but before the rest of the league plays? Last I heard, there were questions about whether this would count as an in-season trade and reduce his value by making him ineligible for a qualifying offer, but has the front office asked for or received clarification on this? — Jonathan R.
At this point, I’d be very surprised by a late-March trade. The Padres waited as long as they did to ask Xander Bogaerts to change positions partly because they had been exploring the trade market for Kim; after no satisfactory deal materialized, they went ahead and flipped the middle of their infield. Yes, if they were to trade Kim early this season, they could return Bogaerts to shortstop, but the swift reversal would be embarrassing for the organization. I’ve also gotten the sense that the Padres are at least a little more optimistic than they were several weeks ago about the possibility of extending Kim, although it seemingly remains a long shot.
In the unlikely event Kim does get traded between the Korea series and Domestic Opening Day, his eligibility (or lack thereof) for a qualifying offer would be up to MLB and the MLB Players Association to resolve. It would be a situation without precedent since the qualifying offer was introduced in 2012, and the league has not established firm guidelines for such a hypothetical.
Simple speculation question for you, Dennis: Who plays up the middle for the 2025 Padres? If Merrill is on the dirt, how do they keep his skills there honed while playing on grass in ’24? — Jake L.
Here is a speculative answer: Bogaerts at second base, Fernando Tatis Jr. in center field, and some kind of catching timeshare between Luis Campusano and Ethan Salas, who Padres officials have indicated could reach the majors by the end of this year.
If Kim isn’t kept beyond 2024, Merrill probably could return to being a full-time shortstop without too much trouble; he’s young and athletic, and he believes there are secondary benefits to playing the outfield.
“I’d say, honestly, the outfield has helped my infield work, (given) the amount of footwork that we do in the outfield to make sure that we’re ready for every possible situation,” Merrill said recently. “Everything falls into footwork.”
Tatis is another shortstop candidate — he remains interested in eventually returning to his original position — but he also could take on another new challenge in center field. In theory, putting him there (or, perhaps, keeping Merrill there) could help the Padres extract more overall value from their outfield. Aside from Cody Bellinger, who can opt out of his new contract after this season, next winter’s potential market for free-agent center fielders isn’t great. Meanwhile, the corner-outfielder class looks a bit better; Juan Soto isn’t coming back, but the possible options include Anthony Santander, Max Kepler, Alex Verdugo and Tyler O’Neill.
utahphinsfan
Club Member
In baseball news....
Dodgers acquire Andre Lipcius from Tigers and place Clayton Kershaw on 60-day injured list
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired infielder Andre Lipcius from the Detroit Tigers for cash on Monday. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Dodgers transferred pitcher Clayton Kershaw to the 60-day injured list. The three-time Cy Young Award winner has said he expects to return in July or...
Padres mailbag, Part 2: Rotation talk, Merrill’s Korea prospects, Kim hypothetical
Readers submitted questions about a possible Ha-Seong Kim trade, Jackson Merrill's role, how players are responding to Mike Shildt and more.
Braves News: Ronald Acuña Jr. injury update, roster cuts, and more
Atlanta Braves news and notes from Tuesday
Washington Nationals news & notes: Patrick Corbin not walking folks; Joey Gallo + more
Notes and quotes from West Palm Beach, FL.
@Fin Fan in Cali
@utahphinsfan
@The Goat
It appears RA will be good to go on Opening day.
Though, IIRC, the last time RA missed significant time in the Regular season the Braves won the Fall Classic.
You guys should be go to go this season. If it isn't the Dodgers vs Braves in the NL Championship series I'm going to be disappointed as I was last year...no offense to the Padres fans in house hopefully they make it far as well...but like in Highlander....there can only be one...⚔
utahphinsfan
Club Member
I don't worry so much about the Braves which is nice unlike a certain NFL franchise.
Agree on the NLCS
Because someone has to represent!
I spent over six years in LA and went to a lot of games. Mostly against the Giants, but still...
I appreciated the bond of the fans. Not too different than SF.
A highlight was seats by the warm up mound and watching Hideo Nomo pitch from 15 feet away. Maybe 20.
Vin Scully? A master.
Baseball. I hope it never gets bastardized like football.
March 28th everyone....coming up fast...
utahphinsfan
Club Member
