RIPPA Posted November 1, 2018 Author Share Posted November 1, 2018 More random updates - Yanks declined Brett Gardner's option. However, he will still return to the club as he immediately signed a cheaper one year deal with the club Declined option was $12.5 million Buy-out was $2 million New deal is $7.5 million. So basically the Yanks save $3 million - Dodgers are stalling on all their decision. They agreed with Clayton Kershaw to move his deadline for opting out till tomorrow (Friday). The also pushed back their deadline to decide on David Frese till tomorrow also - Options Picked up Fernando Rodney - Oakland ($5.25 million) Jose Quintana - Chicago (NL) ($10.5 million) - Options Declined Brian McCann - Houston ($15 million) Yangervis Solarte - Toronto ($5.5 million) Josh Harrison - Pittsburgh ($10.5 million) Jung Ho Kang - Pittsburgh ($5.5 million) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted November 1, 2018 Share Posted November 1, 2018 RIP Stretch. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSJ Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 I guess you had to have been there to really appreciate what Willie McCovey meant to kids on the west coast. The NY writers could babble until they were blue in the face about Willie, Mickey, and the Duke, but at the end of the day, it's NY guys talking about NY ballplayers. The Dodgers? The Giants? Hell, scratch the surface and these were NY ball clubs. How about the players? Mantle was an Okie farmboy who played in the Big Apple; Aaron, Mathews and Adcock were as Southern as a plate of grits and gravy. Willie Mays was lovable to be sure, but he could never quite shake off the stigma of being a NY ballplayer. Frank Robinson, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Roberto Clemente. Orlando Cepeda... For one reason or another fans just wrote these guys off as "east coasters" and left it at that, but Stretch? Stretch was by GOD OURS!!! I've said over and over again that if you were a white kid born in the late 1950s the two most important people in terms of integration and breaking down doors were James Brown and Willie McCovey. I could (and probably have) written pages and pages on how important James Brown was to my rethinking everything that I thought I knew about music and while it's all hip and shit to carry on about how much Dr. King meant to us, the real day to day to truth is that Dr. King was so far over our heads that it was just pathetic... However, we'd been taught that a certain kind of guy could play first base, that this was a position reserved for big, slow white guys who hit like they played defense, slowly and ponderously, striking out frequently and knocking the cover off the ball nearly as frequently, and here was this cool and elegant as fuck black dude showing us that everything that we thought we knew about playing the position was just flat-out wrong!!! You see, Stretch was cool and what's more, he was OURS, he was the legit first guy that we could point to and say without reservation, "He's our guy! A legit west-coast ballplayer and whether or not he gets traded is irrelevant, he will always be a legit westcoast ballplayer. Thanks for showing us how it's supposed to be done, Mr. McCovey, and thanks for making it easier for the next guy in line. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted November 2, 2018 Author Share Posted November 2, 2018 Cubs will pick up Cole Hamels $20 million option They are also trading Drew Smyly to the Rangers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 After doing some interviews this week, it turns out Montoyo didn’t even apply for the Jays job. They specifically requested permission from Tampa to interview him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChesterCopperpot Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 Dodgers and Kershaw stay together 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grilledcheese Posted November 2, 2018 Share Posted November 2, 2018 I get that he isn't 2011-2014 Kersh, but realistically, who the fuck has ever been that good? I am super jazzed he sticks around, and I'm hoping that they continue to field a WS contender and can bring home a title. They also got the deal done with Freese, which I like in the sense that he is a player in the same mold as Utley whom they will have to do without. Unless of course he accepts a coaching job there. I don't know how realistic that is, seeing as they just announced the entire coaching staff is coming back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted November 2, 2018 Author Share Posted November 2, 2018 7 players got Qualifying Offers this year (which is the new low) Patrick Corbin, SP, Diamondbacks Yasmani Grandal, C, Dodgers Bryce Harper, OF, Nationals Dallas Keuchel, SP, Astros Craig Kimbrel, RP, Red Sox A.J. Pollock, OF, Diamondbacks Hyun-Jin Ryu, SP, Dodgers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS81177 Posted November 3, 2018 Share Posted November 3, 2018 Only one of them I can see really being hurt by the QO (assuming he doesn't accept) is Grandal. I get that Catcher is a wasteland and good ones are few and far between but I can't imagine anyone is gonna dole out big bucks for him. Everyone else should have no trouble finding a new team (though of all of them, Ryu is most likely to stay with his current team in my opinion) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted November 3, 2018 Author Share Posted November 3, 2018 Chris Woodward will be the Rangers next manager Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted November 4, 2018 Author Share Posted November 4, 2018 Red Sox and Nationals are the only two teams to have to pay the luxury tax Red Sox weren't even remotely close to staying under. Only over by almost $41 million Yet - everyone will continue to blame the Yankees Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolfan in NYC Posted November 5, 2018 Share Posted November 5, 2018 Yes. But, Counterpoint: Fuck the Yankees. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChesterCopperpot Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 The Reds will be wearing 15!!!!!!!!! fucking awesome throwbacks this year as part of their 150th anniversary 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS81177 Posted November 6, 2018 Share Posted November 6, 2018 Anythng to distract from how terrible the team on the field is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted November 7, 2018 Author Share Posted November 7, 2018 CC Sabathia stays with the Yanks for another year 1 year, $8 million is the report Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted November 7, 2018 Author Share Posted November 7, 2018 Lance McCullers Jr had TJ and will miss the entire season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted November 7, 2018 Author Share Posted November 7, 2018 The Nats offered Bryce Harper basically 10 years, $300 million (no opt outs) which he turned down. It is unclear if Harper has ruled them out totally or not Based on the reports Harper (well Scott Boras) wants at a minimum a bigger deal that Giancarlo Stanton got (which was $325 million) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted November 7, 2018 Author Share Posted November 7, 2018 In news that will be surprising to no one who has been paying attention the like last 5 months - multiple reports are out saying the Yanks will not sign Bryce Harper. However that doesn't stop Scott Boras for desperately wanting teams to believe they are still in play. BRYCE WILL PLAY FIRST FOR THEM!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianS81177 Posted November 8, 2018 Share Posted November 8, 2018 Because a month can't go by without Jerry DiPoto making some sort of trade with Tampa Bay, the Mariners have sent Mike Zunino, Guillermo Heredia and a minor league pitcher to the Rays for Mallex Smith and a minor league outfielder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odessasteps Posted November 9, 2018 Share Posted November 9, 2018 Reminder that the Japan Series is going on right now (0445) still in the first inning on the MLB network. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted November 9, 2018 Author Share Posted November 9, 2018 Joe Mauer has officially retired Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RIPPA Posted November 10, 2018 Author Share Posted November 10, 2018 Chase Utley will also be retiring Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabe Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 3 hours ago, RIPPA said: Joe Mauer has officially retired Career .328 hitter as a catcher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSJ Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 11 minutes ago, Tabe said: Career .328 hitter as a catcher. A really amazing player for most of his career. Is he a HOFr? Certainly an interesting case could be made. I think he falls short and winds up with guys like Matt Williams in the Hall of the Very Good, but there were definitely times in his career where I thought "I'm watching a HOFr!" Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabe Posted November 10, 2018 Share Posted November 10, 2018 I say no. His years as not-a-catcher simply weren't impressive and there weren't enough years at catcher to override that. But, for 900 games, he was arguably a top 5 all-time catcher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts