Pitchers & Catchers Report 2/12/2025

[Tabe]

1 hour ago, Craig H said:

Every idea that comes out of Manfred is no better than Homer Simpson designing a car. 

I'm looking forward to when they just start stealing ideas from Rock n Jock Baseball, like a golden 8 ball and if you hit a homer with it you score 8 runs.

But sure, anything else before robot umps...

8 ball actually is a better idea than the golden hitter. 

[odessasteps]

I hate to say it, but at least when playing the show, I don't mind the extra inning base runner. (I also build my team like 1980s Whitey Herzog) 

I don't want it in real life mind you. 

[RIPPA]

Per credible reporting (and not Boras mouthpiece Jon Heyman) Juan Soto has received offers that are at least (if not beyond) $600 million

Basically - only teams who made offers at that level are still being considered. The expectation is that all offers are for at least 12 years and contain one or more opt out

Boras said that Soto is currently "narrowing the field"

A lot will come down to if Soto and Boras are giving teams the opportunity to keep upping their bids since there is a common belief in MLB that Steve Cohen "refuses to be outbid". So by that logic - if Soto just wants to squeeze every dollar out of it, he could easily jack up the Mets price until he is tickling $650 million

Anyway - pretty much every expects a decision by the Winter Meetings next week

[RIPPA]

Well look who suddenly has money to spend

Luis Severino has signed a 3 year, $67 million deal with the Athletics?!?!?!?!

As a reminder - Severino rejected a QO so the team no longer in Oakland will also have to surrender a draft pick

EDIT - it should be noted that this is the largest guarantee in the history of the franchise

[SirFozzie]

I want to grab Red Sox fandom by the collective scruff of their neck and tell them that none of this press shit really matters. It's manipulating fans.

Red Sox Spin: "Red Sox want meeting with Boras to set once and for all a "Deal gets done" price". Why would Boras do anything like this? If he names a price and it gets done, then how much more could he have received by playing it off more?

Boras Spin: "Insider for MLB team says his team is favorite." This works as two things for Boras, one, it motivates other teams to up the bid because their fans will put pressure on them, and it puts pressure on that team's fans.. after all, you don't want to be the team that was THIS close to signing a generational piece and left out, right?

I've been down on the red sox spending, but I don't think you can blame them if Soto falls through.. it's not like OOTP or MLB the Show, where you give them a number, they say yes, it's over. There are living, breathing people on the other side, and more factors than just years/$$$. You don't give a more than $600 million offer if you're not serious about spending.

What I DO want from the Red Sox is no matter how the Soto sweepstakes ends, they have an idea on the next steps and pivot to them immediately. Pitching is still the #1 need.

(and at risk of getting dogpiled, I said it last year with Ohtani, but it just boggles my mind we're in the $700 million era, and my reflexive action is to say "We could get more from 3 $233 million players than one $700 million player", but that's just my view.

[Craig H]

Once Soto is off the board, the Cubs will be looking to trade Bellinger and maybe Suzuki, although Suzuki has a full NTC. Sounds like the Yankees or Seattle may be the landing spots for Bellinger. I look forward to seeing whatever dirty laundry NY or Seattle gives us back in return. Jed will probably ask for a bag of skid marked underwear.

[colonial]

Had a friend ask me if Rob Manfred is the Vince Russo of baseball and, if so, who is the Jim Cornette of baseball?

[odessasteps]

Costas

[Tabe]

7 minutes ago, odessasteps said:

Costas

Hmmm... once legendary superstar who has become an old man yelling at clouds? Yep, that fits. 

[Kuetsar]

57 minutes ago, Tabe said:

Hmmm... once legendary superstar who has become an old man yelling at clouds? Yep, that fits. 

Who tends to be right about most things?

[Tabe]

16 hours ago, Kuetsar said:

Who tends to be right about most things?

I'll give him credit for being right quite often if you'll concede he lost his fastball several years as a commentator.

Edited December 7, 2024 by Tabe

[RIPPA]

Mets sign Clay Holmes to a 3 year, $38 million dollar deal

Oh I should also mention that the Mets are converting him to be a starter

[RIPPA]

Oh and this is technically media but it is so specific to MLB I will mention it here

Jon Heyman got in a screaming match with someone at WFAN (I am spacing who and I can't find the link - check Awful Announcing)

Basically the WFAN host kept making Arson Judge jokes and implied (or outright said) that Heyman is getting paid by Scott Boras

So Heyman got mad and hung up mid-interview

[Kuetsar]

7 hours ago, Tabe said:

I'll give him credit for being quite often if you'll concede he lost his fastball several years as a commentator.

Oh hell yes. . . .

Edited December 7, 2024 by Kuetsar

[Dolfan in NYC]

4 hours ago, RIPPA said:

Oh and this is technically media but it is so specific to MLB I will mention it here

Jon Heyman got in a screaming match with someone at WFAN (I am spacing who and I can't find the link - check Awful Announcing)

Basically the WFAN host kept making Arson Judge jokes and implied (or outright said) that Heyman is getting paid by Scott Boras

So Heyman got mad and hung up mid-interview

TO WIT ....

 

 

[RIPPA]

Well Willy Adams won’t be someone’s plan B if they don’t sign Juan Soto

7 years, $182 million with the Giants

Edit - it’s the largest contract in Giants history 

[Kevin Wilson]

Juan Soto is a damn good baseball player but him getting $700+ million (as still rumored) is crazy to me. I know he won't touch Ohtani's per year average but paying that much for a career .285 hitter with so-so defense in his prime is something else.

I know his younger age and good injury history are big pluses but its still a lot of guaranteed money in a very team-sport.

[Hamhock]

10 hours ago, Kevin Wilson said:

Juan Soto is a damn good baseball player but him getting $700+ million (as still rumored) is crazy to me. I know he won't touch Ohtani's per year average but paying that much for a career .285 hitter with so-so defense in his prime is something else.

I know his younger age and good injury history are big pluses but its still a lot of guaranteed money in a very team-sport.

I don’t disagree, but one only needs to go back into the 2019 version of this thread to see guffawing over the Machado and Harper deals, both of which are total steals now in hindsight. And I’m not singling anyone out - it’s an absolute unknown how a contract plays out, but am just noting that time, performance and inflation do funny things to sticker shock.

Edited December 8, 2024 by Hamhock

[Cobra Commander]

the two newest members of the Baseball HOF are Dave Parker and... Dick Allen

[Dolfan in NYC]

Soto to the Metropolitans

15/765

[Contentious C]

I wonder if I could convince him to give me $765k to become a Mets fan.

[Dolfan in NYC]

The Yanks final offer was 16/760 per Nightengale

[Nice Guy Eddie]

On one hand, I'm kind of relieved that the Yankees can spend that money on multiple areas of need. On the other hand, I feel sick to my stomach. 

[sabremike]

https://x.com/Alex_Kozora/status/1865959675755393204?t=rJmP0iVhUFJ6_jpFw3YSHg&s=19

[RIPPA]

8 hours ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

The Yanks final offer was 16/760 per Nightengale

Boras... err... Heyman confirmed that offer

The Red Sox final offer was $700 million over 15 years

So he clearly was taking the highest offer