MLB

New York Mets: Offseason Moves Progressing As Expected

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The New York Mets are still in a good spot after Liam Hendriks signed with the Chicago White Sox. Hendriks is the first big name to fall off the extremely slow-moving free-agent market. His signing leaves George Springer, Trevor Bauer, J.T. Realmuto, and D.J. LeMahieu as the final big names looking for deals.

Hendriks was always on the Mets’ radar but was a “want” not a “need” for their bullpen. Their bullpen already had plenty of dominant hard-throwing righties, making left-hander Brad Hand a perfect fit for them. Once the Mets signed James McCann, they were already out on Realmuto. For the Mets’ sake, they hope Reamulto signs in the American League.

Two Controversial Figures

Trevor Bauer’s free agency went from something exciting to a Bauer-esque annoying, drawn-out episode. Bauer is commanding the highest AAV in baseball history, which has to make Jacob deGrom chuckle. If anyone deserves Bauer’s asking price, it is deGrom or current AAV record holder Gerrit Cole. After trading for Carlos Carrasco, the Mets are out on Bauer until the price becomes reasonable.

The Mets got a dynamic bat when they acquired Francisco Lindor, which brought George Springer’s future into question. Springer is also commanding a large deal, but the Mets also have huge contracts on their books. Michael Conforto, Noah Syndergaard, and Lindor are some of the names that warrant contract extensions. Robinson Cano’s hefty contract is also a burden thanks to Brodie Van Wagenen and steroids.

The Mets are the only team that can afford to pay Springer his asking price. MLB’s uncertainty with the designated hitter also puts the Mets in a tough roster situation. Despite the questions surrounding the roster, the Mets are still the front runner for Springer.

The Silent Assassin

It takes a lot to frustrate D.J. LeMahieu, but the New York Yankees did it. Whether the anger is real or a hardball tactic, LeMahieu urged his agent to reach out to a handful of teams, including the Mets. LeMahieu is a huge wild card for the Mets because there technically is nowhere for him to play on the infield.

Obviously, LeMahieu is better than J.D. Davis and the Mets would make a trade if he was signed. Davis is too valuable to keep on the bench and becomes the odd man if LeMahieu signs. Opening the wallet for LeMahieu would benefit the offense and defense more than signing Springer. LeMahieu is the better hitter, and the Mets can settle with signing Jackie Bradley Jr. or Kevin Pillar.

Even though all three players have different odds to join the Mets, you can throw those away with Steve Cohen as the owner.

 

MLB News: Baseball world loses the Dodger’s Tommy Lasorda, he was 93

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Major League Baseball lost one of its icon MLB managers last night when Tommy Lasorda passed away. Lasorda was manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers for 21 years. Lasorda was recently hospitalized for an undisclosed illness that some believe was the coronavirus. Just three days ago, the Dodgers reported that Lasorda has been released from the hospital and was resting comfortably at his home.

Lasorda had a record of 1,599-1,439 while managing the Dodgers from 1976-96, guiding them to World Series championships in 1981 and ’88. The franchise won four National League pennants and eight division titles under Lasorda. The beloved manager was last seen in public on Oct. 27 in Texas during game 6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. The Dodgers won the World Series for the first time since 1988.

The 93-year-old Lasada was an icon with the Dodgers and an ambassador for the team and all of MLB. Everyone, even opponents, loved him. He had a heart attack in June 1996 and retired from managing the Dodgers the following month. In 2000, Lasorda managed the U.S. Olympic baseball team to a gold medal at the Sydney Games. Lasorda was also hospitalized in 2012 in New York after having a heart attack.

The ever-popular Tommy Lasorda was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. He was, before his death, the oldest living member of the Hall of Fame.

New York Yankees News/Rumors: Eight teams that are stuck in limbo this offseason

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To say that this offseason is as bizarre as the shortened 2020 baseball season is an understatement. The New York Yankees and several other teams have been extremely slow to do anything to improve their teams for the 2021 season. The big shakers and movers have been the San Diego Padres and the Chicago White Sox. Some teams have let several pitchers walk, like the Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays. The Astros, with $55 million to spend have let their two best hitters in 2020 walk. Today we look at eight teams that seem to be doing nothing, as time is quickly running out. Spring training starts on February 21.

American League:

The New York Yankees:

The New York Yankees have been mostly silent, almost to the extreme of wondering if the front office is on vacation. The Yankees seem to be banking everything on the re-signing of DJ LeMahieu while having only one veteran experienced pitcher and a depleted bullpen. The Yankees also have questions at backstop and shortstop but have made it pretty clear that they will do little to provide an upgrade at those positions. With owner Hal Steinbrenner’s statement that he wants to spend $30-40 million less than last year, it’s doubtful that the Yankees will be spending this offseason. After losing three pitchers and a backup catcher, the Yankees are running out of time to fill those positions.

The New York Yankees 2021 payroll as of now, according to FanGraphs is projected to be about $75 million below what they would have spent in 2020. If they nonetheless fail to re-sign LeMahieu and significantly upgrade their starting rotation and bullpen, Yankee fans will see their World Series dought extend to twelve years. The Yankees have made two minor moves in adding Nestor Cortes Jr. to the bullpen, and they traded for Greg Allen for outfield depth, making the re-signing of Brett Gardner less likely.

The Houston Astros:

The Houston Astros, after being beat out by the lowly Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 ALCS, will likely remain mostly static. There are several reasons for this. Probably the most important one is that they will likely have to spend big next year. Three reasons for their recent success are Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Zack Greinke. With Houston Astros, other than cheating, they have been all about starting pitching. This season they lost Cole to the Yankees in free agency, and after this season, they will lose both Verlander and Grinke leaving them with no pitching and big bills. They have lost their two best hitters from the 2020 season, but are not in the mix to re-sign them.

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins president Derek Falvey spent big on Josh Donaldson last winter (four years, $92 million). At the same time, however, most of Minnesota’s positions are filled, and the starting pitching market, one area of need, fairly weak. The Twins could play for Trevor Bauer and more likely will resign Nelson Cruz now that Bauer has said he wants a 5-6 year contract for big money. If the New York Yankees are in a staring contest with DJ LeMahieu the Twins are in the same staring contest with Nelson Cruz.

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox have done little more than the embarrassing re-signing of Houston Astro’s cheating developer Alex Cora. Like the Yankees, the Red Sox can fill Fenway park no matter how bad the team is and is only interested in cutting payroll, as exhibited by letting Mookie Betts go west. Obviously after finishing last in the American League East, the Red Sox need to do more than just retool. the Red Sox actually have a path to the top of the AL East in 2021. If they were to augment their core with a second baseman, a center fielder and pitching depth. But like the New York Yankees the Boston Red Sox will seemingly not have any big hires in their immediate future.

Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals, once one of the toughest competitors for the New York Yankees, hasn’t been much of a team since then. Their last 100 game winning season was in 1977 when they lost to the Dodgers. The Royal’s are a sad team the doesn’t spend the money, and when they get an outstanding player, homegrown or not, they seem to trade them away and get little in return. The odd thing is that they have one of the most loyal fan bases in baseball for a small market.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays although almost winning a World Series, are dumping payroll this offseason, first by letting Charlie Morton walk and then trading away pitching ace Blake Snell. Although the Rays have more than doubled their payroll in the past few years, don’t look for them to be spending big. The Rays have bigger problems like getting a new Stadium that isn’t the laughing stock of baseball. If anything, the Rays will likely remain crafty and rely on their strong farm system. You can be sure the the Rays will use what resources they have smartly.

National League:

The Washington Nationals are an interesting team to watch after many big acquisitions and winning the World Series in 2019; none of those expenditures paid off this year when then totally flopped. With Strasburg and Corbin’s big contracts on the books, don’t look for them to be big spenders. The Nationals’ offseason have consisted of a few minor-league signings, a slew of declined contract options, but have been going extremely slow with filling the many major holes. But unlike many of the teams on this list National’s GM Mike Rizzo explained Tuesday that they’re just getting started. So far those may not seem like moves made by a serious World Series contender.

The Philadelphia Phillies:

Philadelphia Phillies Club president Andy MacPhail has basically said to Phillies fans that the team is near broke. After getting Bryce Harper, Didi Gregorius, and J.T. Realmuto and not reaching the postseason the past two years, they will not be spending; they will be dumping. They are stuck with a huge Harper contract, much like the Yankees are on the hook for Giancarlo Stanton. The Phillies have already let Realmuto and Gregorius walk, saying they don’t have the money to pay them.

With MLB spring training starting on February 21st, even with these teams you have to assume that the coming six weeks will be more active than the first two months of the offseason. There are too many free agents out there unsigned and to many teams still have holes to fill.

MLB: Start of the Minor League season at Double-A And Class-A will be delayed

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The coronavirus pandemic, and some ugly disagreements between MLB and the Players Association, made sure that there wasn’t a Minor League season in 2020. And, despite the fact that the 2020 MLB campaign took place under severe health protocols, the start of the 2021 MiLB year will be delayed, according to Baseball America.

While Spring Training is expected to begin on time, the start of the Minor League season at Double-A and Class-A will be delayed. MLB sent a memo to MiLB teams this week, letting them know that the aforementioned levels’ seasons won’t be starting on time.

The reason behind the decision has to do with logistics. MLB doesn’t want too many people at each team’s camp, so they told minor league teams that the Spring Training for Double-A and Class-A players will not begin until MLB and Triple-A players have departed from spring training.

According to Rotoworld, the delay “will allow for more social distancing during a time when the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the world.”

MLB doesn’t want to take any chances

This scenario will cause that even if MLB Spring Training starts on schedule, several minor leaguers wouldn’t be reporting to their sites until late March or early April, pushing back the starts of their seasons.

Of course, all these scenarios are tentative because of the unpredictable nature of COVID-19 and its effects on the population and professional sports.

In 2020, the virus and a conflict between MLB and the union regarding compensation and revenue virtually erased the possibility of playing minor leagues. The more affected party was the players, especially minor leaguers at the lower levels, who struggled with income and lost valuable development time. The Yankees and Mets, like all other clubs, were hit by this situation.

By the look of things, low minors players’ year will be affected once again. The hope, however, is that this time, they can play out the season and restart their formative process.

Yankees News: What should we expect from Domingo German in 2021?

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New York Yankees, Domingo German

I think it’s safe to say that very few people support Domingo German the person. I quite frankly didn’t want him on the roster after what happened in his abuse case and then his retiring fiasco. This didn’t deter the Yankees, who probably got to talk to the young right-hander. He’s heading into his age 28 season, and time is running out on waiting for him. With all of that said, his pitch mix bodes well among the analytical side of baseball. This, paired with an analytical pitching coach in Matt Blake, has success written all over it. The Yankees need starters, and Domingo German could be a surprise for them in 2021.

One of Baseball’s Best Curveballs

Domingo German had a 44.7% strikeout percentage on his curveball, one of baseball’s best marks. Among pitchers with 100 plate appearances with their curveball, he had the 6th highest strikeout percentage on that pitch. He was also 6th in whiff% as well, giving him one of baseball’s very best curves. His curveball had a minuscule .251 xwOBA against in 2019 and a .191 xBA against. His ability to avoid hard contact on his curve and get those swings and misses make it a very valuable asset.

Having Untapped Potential

Domingo German has a career 4.52 ERA, but that’s not the full story. See, his xFIP, SIERA, and pCRA (all ERA estimators based on your strikeouts, walks, and home runs, among other things) suggest that he’s much better than that. His xFIP is 4.08, his SIERA is 3.91, and his pCRA is at 3.84 since 2018. This suggests that German is more of a high 3-ERA pitcher, and that’s pretty good for an American League pitcher. While I know that he isn’t an elite starter, he still has the potential to be a guy who would be a 3 in plenty of other rotations. While he can’t be a guy you rely on in a game 2, if he’s your back end starter, his potential makes him an amazing option.

Can Domingo German Control His Biggest Problem as a Yankee?

His obvious issue is his home runs. His HR/FB% was 17.6%, which is really high. He had a 1.89 HR/9 in 2019, and that will not cut it. His issues with the longball come from his inability to pitch on the road for some reason. Who would think that German could have a 1.41 HR/9 at the Bronx and a 2.27 on the road? His fastball is thrown in the middle a ton, and it led to a lot of home runs, and while I don’t think it’s something that would fully change, I think Matt Blake will have German elevate his fastball more. This would generate swings and misses and allow German to be more swing and miss and fewer souvenirs in the outfield seats.

Do I think Domingo German will be a top-flight starter for the Yankees? No, but I think he’s going to be a really solid arm for them. He’s going to get innings and contribute, and it’ll be a season that shows off German’s promise as a starter.

 

New York Mets: Who Deserves Their Contract Price, Springer or Bauer?

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New York Yankees, Trevor Bauer

The New York Mets seem to be on different wavelengths with Trevor Bauer and George Springer in their negotiations. Both players want large contracts, but only one of them actually deserves any amount close to their asking price.

The Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal was a treasonous act to Major League Baseball. They never got the correct punishment, but nothing else can be done to fix the past. Springer proved before and after the scandal that he is still an All-Star caliber player. His pedigree of averaging .270/.361/.491 with 35 home runs and 28 doubles is terrific production.

On the other hand, Bauer has an inconsistent career. Bauer is still an outstanding pitcher, but he is not worth Gerrit Cole money. Bauer’s first four full seasons resulted in ERAs over four but then followed it with two out of three seasons with ERAs under 2.50. The money that Bauer wants is better off allocated to multiple players who could benefit the team more. We also cannot forget the, for lack of a better term, “crap” that comes with Trevor Bauer off the field.

Open the Wallet

Neither player will get their asking prices, but at least Springer is realistic. Not a single person looked at Bauer’s price as a reasonable request. $40M would easily net the Mets Jake Odorizzi and Masahiro Tanaka and might even leave them with money to spare.

In the current free-agent market, there is a dramatic dropoff in center field talent. This is what makes Springer the Mets top priority and more deserving of his contract request. $30M per year over five seasons would still be an overpay, but the Mets would have an idea of what Springer will bring. Other pitchers on the market are capable of matching or bettering Bauer’s numbers for a better price. If the Mets need to overpay for a player, Springer is the way to go.

New York Mets: Robinson Cano Homers Twice in First DR League Game

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New York Mets, Robinson Cano

Suspended New York Mets second baseman Robinson Cano made a return to competitive baseball with a bang. Cano joined the Estrellas Orientales in the Dominican Winter League and hit two home runs in his first game. Steroids or not, the sweet Cano swing never gets old.

Both homers were hit with the same ferociousness we saw throughout Cano’s PED filled 2020 season. At 38-years old, the worst thing for Cano is spending time on the sidelines, collecting dust. His first in-game at-bats since late September showed no such rust. Cano was a force in the middle of the lineup for the four seed Estrellas.

The competition is not quite at the MLB level but turning around two home runs is still an impressive feat. The Estrellas took game one of their playoff series 8-4 and put themselves in a good spot with Cano joining Fernando Tatis Jr. in the same lineup.

Whether the handful of games Cano plays means anything for his baseball future, positive results are always helpful. Cano will likely hold down the three spot and DH again during the second game of their series on Monday. If the homers continue, the question will be, is he still juiced?

New York Mets Hire Zack Scott as Senior VP and Assistant GM

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The New York Mets supplemented their front office by bringing in another former Boston Red Sox executive. Red Sox assistant GM Zack Scott will join the Mets as their new senior VP and Assistant GM.

Much like their new GM Jared Porter, Scott has an extensive resume working in the Red Sox organization. Scott and Porter worked together for 10 years in Boston. He specialized in the analytic, advanced professional scouting, and baseball systems departments. This is another good hire for a franchise trying to bolster an analytic department that the Wilpons neglected.

Scott is also another executive who is still in their 40s. Instead of holding out for Theo Epstein, the Mets are trying to find their own versions of him. These are people that Sandy Alderson and Steve Cohen hope to entrust the future of the franchise with.

This is all part of the Mets trying to build their own culture by bringing in experienced front office personnel. For the first time in the franchise’s history, there is a motive to build for success in the present and to sustain it in the future. While the big-name free agent is not here yet, the front office is on its way to being one of the best in baseball.

MLB Analysis: The NBA has burst the “bubble,” will MLB follow suit. A discussion

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Jason Collins, Brooklyn Nets

For MLB, the New York Yankees, and all the other baseball teams from coast to coast, the 2021 baseball season holds as many questions as they had as they negotiated the 2020 season. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association took many lessons from their bubble experiment at Disney World this summer. Still, the most important was a humbling admission: There is no perfect solution to the coronavirus pandemic for an American professional sports league.

They may have learned much, but one thing that will not continue is games in the “bubble.” The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association agreed to start their 2021 season with no bubble. The MLB learned a lot, too; not the least was that by holding the 2020 baseball postseason entirely in the bubble, they prevented an outbreak of the coronavirus and completed the season on time.

The 2020-21 season begins today, December 22, 2020, and runs through March 4, 2021! After leaving the NBA’s “bubble” at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, teams likely anticipated a bit of a layoff between seasons. Early reports indicated the 2020-21 campaign wouldn’t begin before mid-January at the earliest and March at the latest. Due to financial considerations, that start date has been bumped up to today. The first game will be tonight on TNT featuring the Golden State Warriors vs. the New York Nets. There will be no bubble, but there will also be no fans in the stands at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

However, for other games in some parts of the country, a limited number of fans will be allowed in the arenas according to state and city regulations. The NBA and NBAPA have come up with strict health protocols to conduct a safe season. However, the two governing bodies will not make taking the coronavirus vaccine a demand.

Now the question is, will MLB follow the NBA’s lead? With the start of spring training, no decisions have been announced for the 2021 baseball season. The MLB owners and the MLBPA (player union) will have to come together to iron out all these details. After contentious negotiations last year, you can expect the same and maybe even greater conflicts to getting the season going. The owners have already requested a shorter season, one that could lop off the first month of the season, shortening it to as few as 130-135 games. MLBPA director Tony Clark immediately shot that down.

Clark made it clear that the players union is sticking to the CBA that calls for a 162 game season at full pay. The owners feel with so much unknown that it will be difficult to complete a 162 game season after just playing 60 games in 2020. Clark and Meyers reiterated that:

“We’ve seen anonymous quotes attributed to club sources casting doubt on the start date and length of the season, “Bruce Meyer, the MLBPA’s senior director of collective bargaining and legal, said in a statement on Tuesday. “To be clear and ass we’ve made clear to the league, players are planning on showing up on time for spring training and for a full 162-game season as set forth in the collective bargaining agreement and the leagues previously issued schedule.”

So, already disagreements are arising on how long the season will be. But there are a host of other issues to be ironed out. Not the least of which is if the universal DH will be continued, if the man on second base after nine innings, if the three batter rule, and how long the season will be. In recent years the MLB and the MLBPA have had some pretty poor relations. With all the issues to be solved before starting the 2021 baseball season, look for some sparks to fly.

MLB News/Rumors: How long will the 2021 baseball season be?

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If the MLBPA has any say, it will be a full 162 games for full pay. MLB reached out to the players union, asking them if they would be open to a shortened season in 2021 that might lop off at least the first month of the season. The immediate response was absolutely not. A big fat NO! MLBPA Executive director former Yankee Tony Clark reiterated what he said  at the end of the season, “the players are planning for a 162-game season and plan to show up for spring training on time.”

The beginning of the season and how long it will be has yet to be ironed out, along with many other 2020 rule changes as to whether they will be continued. Not the least is if there will be a universal DH in 2021 and if they will keep the man on second base after nine innings. At the end of this year, the current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is set to expire after the 2021 season. The MLBPA is not going to seem weak, going into those negotiations. They will want to hold firm for everything they want for the 2021 season.

The CBA is the negotiated agreement that governs almost every aspect of the working relationship between management (the clubs) and labor (the players). While we’ve had a long run of labor peace in baseball — the sport has gone without a labor stoppage since 1995 — there’s reason to fear that may end with the next round of negotiations. At another time closer to the negotiation I will explain the complex issues involved.

But for now, the details of the 2021 season have to be ironed out, and for owners, it’s not starting well with the denial of playing a full season of games in 2021. In a USA Today story this week, team owners were quoted as skeptical that a full-length season could be completed.

“We’ve seen anonymous quotes attributed to club sources casting doubt on the start date and length of the season, “Bruce Meyer, the MLBPA’s senior director of collective bargaining and legal, said in a statement on Tuesday. “To be clear and ass we’ve made clear to the league, players are planning on showing up on time for spring training and for a full 162-game season as set forth in the collective bargaining agreement and the leagues previously issued schedule.”

If you recall, the length of the MLB 2020 season and how much baseball players would be paid caused long and tense negotiations before Commissioner Rob Manfred mandated the 60 game season. There is no reason to expect anything different before this upcoming season. With so much unknown about the 2021 season, don’t expect any of these issues to be decided by spring training in the headlights. There are so many unknowns from the effect the coronavirus will have on the season, if fans will be in the stands, how successful the hopeful vaccines will be, and if players will be required to take the vaccines. Much more to come on this and many other MLB subjects in the weeks to come.

EmpireSportsMedia.com’s Columnist William Parlee is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research. Follow me on Twitter @parleewilliam.