Joe Lucia

Their TV deal is dog shit and was signed prior to the boom we're seeing now. Boondoggle Field will probably bring in more money since it'll be owned by the team and not the city, but not enough to push them into the top tier of spenders. I think their payroll will max at something like $130 or $140 in a couple years. The thing that's amused me about this rebuild is the public talking points about building around pitching. Yeah, the 90s teams did that, but they were also a top five (at worst) payroll team, and the offense wasn't completely anemic either.

So what's the plan in Atlanta? I've never been this detached. Of course, I've had other issues with my sports teams also. Every young player I start to like is being traded away. I didn't think the team would ever become the new Tampa Rays. Think back to after the 2012 season when they acquired the Uptons. The team was set up for a three year contention window with JUp and Heyward hitting FA after '15. Fredi managed them to an NLDS loss in '13, and the wheels fell off in '14. They closed the window a year early and started traded the pending free agents (and thankfully, the overpaid, luxury closer) for good to great returns. This winter, they traded Simmons (whose bat has never looked like it'll progres) for MOAR PITCHING, and sold super high on Miller, picking up the new SS of the future in the same deal. The only guys left with value on the major league roster are Freeman, Teheran, and Inciarte, and two of them are locked up long-term to friendly deals and coming off bad years. They might flip Inciarte to turn him into more quantity position player prospects, but I doubt the other two get moved. They'll be shit again in '16, and they'll probably be "fun" in '17 with nothing but young guys on the roster. Out of all of the trades over the last year, the only one that confused me at the time (and still does four-plus months later) was the Wood/Olivera trade, because Hacktor hadn't shown much in pro ball up til then, already may be having his position changed, and is 30.

8/$184 Damn, Cubs.

If the Angels sign Heyward, and just assume they give him $20 million a year, they'll be paying five players on their active roster roughly $130 million. That includes the $28.4 million they're paying Josh Hamilton to exist in Texas.

Ken Giles is an Astro Asdrubal Cabrera is a Met

re: Walker, it's less "the Pirates are cheap" and more "the Pirates had four guys for three positions not including prospects and he was the most expensive/closest to free agency". Still wonder what they do about first base this year - not sure if Bell is ready. If Searage can work his magic on Niese, though...man, they'll be in good shape because he's two relatively affordable club options for '17 and '18. Oh, and the Tigers got their lefty - Justin Wilson from the Yankees. Ken Giles to Houston looks close as well.

They dramatically overpaid for Shelby, but I would have rather given up that package than the proposed Fernandez package (and like everyone, I love Fernandez). They would have had a third rotation spot to fill giving up Corbin as opposed to two in the Miller trade, and I don't think Robbie Ray and two of their random arms are a better option than Ray and one of their random arms.

There are record revenues in baseball for I believe the 13th straight year. ...so lets implement a cap to restrict player wages even though the owners are making more money than ever. The only way the players would end up in a good place is if the floor is ludicrously high.

It was $45 for Iwakuma. Either that means I'm good at my job or I spend too much time doing my job.

Wade Miley and Jonathan Aro to Seattle for Carson Smith and Roenis Elias. Smith is a niiiiiiiiice get for Boston.

No one inducted from the pre-integration ballot, which means that it should probably fall off a cliff and die forever.

The wacko relief market this winter really tells me that the Phillies would be insane not to trade Ken Giles. Awesome + years of control + super cheap = BRING ME YOUR PROSPECTS

Nothing yet on Iwakuma that I've seen. I'd assume something like $45MM total. re: Madson. This is the same Oakland team that gave Rich Hill $6 million guaranteed based on what, six good starts to close the year? I mean, I know their pitching staff blew last year, but this seems...odd. Not much in the way of long-term commitments, buuuuuuuuuuuut....

Ryan Madson got 3/$22 from Oakland (lol). Iwakuma got three years from the Dodgers. Utley back to LAD on a one-year, $7 million deal. Salty to the Tigers for the league minimum (thanks, Marlins!). They also signed BIG PELF for I believe 2/$16.

The Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl. Yup. Just end it there.

Arizona was a sneaky good team last year, even though they finished under .500. An MVP candidate in Goldy, a very solid (to put it mildly) outfield in Pollock, Peralta, and Inciarte, a rotation that was actually not that bad with Ray, Anderson, and Corbin heading it...I don't think Greinke immediately makes them the favorites in the division, but the West isn't exactly elite right now. The Rockies and Padres will stink. The Dodgers and Giants have plenty of questions. There's still a lot of offseason left to play out, but I wouldn't be shocked if I was picking Arizona in four months.

John Lackey to the Cubs, 2/32

Big Pelf got 2/16 from the Tigers. Samardzija at 20MM per looks pretty good right now.

Here's the major difference between Rose/Jackson and Bonds/Clemens. Rose and Jackson are formally banned from baseball. Bonds and Clemens are not. The only justification for removing Rose's ban is "he's served his time!". Considering that earlier this year, Manfred ruled against removing Jackson's ban, Rose's ban isn't going anywhere, especially with how much more we know about his gambling (and how much we're still learning) than Jackson's.

Something else to keep in mind with Shark/Cubs - just say he gets 5/100 from them at a straight 20 per year. Because of how young this team is, they're *still* not over 100MM in payroll for the last four years of the contract. Yes, Arrieta and Bryant and the rest of the kids will get expensive sooner rather than later, but the Cubs don't exactly have a number of Soriano-esque contracts on the ledger. Plus, they're the Cubs. They print money.

He also doesn't have a ton of mileage on his arm and throws reeeeeally hard. Still some projection left in him, even going on 31.

I've started talking to a new lady months after an awful breakup of a three-plus year relationship (that resulted in her *just* moving out of our apartment this weekend). I've been having some medical issues that popped up over the last week, and this fucking chick...proceeds to send me a cookie arrangement as a "get well soon" gift. Something similar happened once in the three-plus years with the ex. I like this.

Drew Pomeranz could be A Thing if he could ever stay healthy. Problem is, he really never has been.

I interviewed Peter Gammons this morning. What a delightful man.