BamaDoc

Thoughts: if asymptomatic he could be hitting off machines or even off live pitching somewhere else and not be far behind. It is also possible he could feel fatigue for some time so I guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Hope nothing serious with Kopech. We have reports saying healthy and personal mater. Hopefully if it is Covid, he is asymptomatic and is just in holding pattern. If so, the delay may provide convenient excuse to hold him back for a week or so at start of the season and regain the year of contract control.

Growing up the 83 team was a lot of fun. Still pissed they lost to orioles. Hoyt, Dotson, Bannister, and Burns finished the year something like 42-5 combined over second half or post allstar or some point. Hoyt would have pitched game 5. FFFFFFFF

Can't get full tweet to open. Sounds like still trying to play and been dealing with personal stuff. Wish him well. Sometimes posters rip people and forget that there is a real person on the other side and it is their life, not just our entertainment, that is effected. (Not pointing this at anyone, just an observation)

I see where we are and other teams near the ASB. If we are not contending, I move for best prospect who is hopefully low minors and not due for 40 man. If we are out of it, there will be contending teams who will look at him as a decent upgrade and we should get something of value. If we are in the thick of things, I may not rock the boat. It requires Collins to look passable on defense or Zavala rebounding to at least be a defensively competent backup. If contending you can't have Grandal wear down. I love Yermin as a personality but realistically, he is a possible DH and emergency only catcher.

Would the bad genes guy be......Yermin Madrigal?

He is not hurting his stock but as a pinch hitter, besides Mazarra vs a LHP and whoever is at second, who else would he pinch hit for? It may be worth a shot and he could be dh insurance if someone is injured. He probably is improving his trade value if nothing else. I also wish he had gotten an opportunity last year. I still think it is possible he has a role next year if McCann and EE don't come back. No guarantee Vaughn is ready, injuries happen etc.

I saw that and thought it might tipping. Looked like he kept it in longer on a breaking ball and almost took it out and put it back more so on fastballs. Anyone hear a velocity number?

McCann and EE are in the last year of contracts. If both improve a bit defensively, I see no reason you couldn't have Collins and Yermin be a platoon DH and second and third catcher. Collins left handedness helps (unless Sheets steps up and better fills that need). This also assumes as Abreu ages, there may be more time available at first as he DHs more.

Law qualifies his rankings with comments that he rewards higher ceilings more than floors. I guess because of power projections, he penalizes Madrigal. His take. We all get to have our own. He was never that high on Chris Sale either due to injury concerns. Win some lose some.......hope he loses big on Madrigal ala Sale!

I like starting out with Robert 8 to keep pressure off while we see how he adjusts to MLB. An added bonus is after Madrigal assumes the 9 slot. They batted 1-2 with each other last year so they will have some familiarity with each other. I can see Robert on first and Madrigal manipulating the ball as needed. His naturalish stroke to RF produces first and thirds or a score if Robert is on second. If you defensively shift to the right side, the third baseman is in a short stop position, Madrigal could bunt up third them to death.

I don't mind the proposal. The Athletic has a article looking at the last several years. What I don't like is in a few years, sub .500 teams got into the playoffs. I don't like that. My simple solution would be that you have to be .500 to be in. If there are sub .500 qualifiers, in that particular year, I would give a additional bye to the #2 seed.

I don't disagree with a lot of what you point out but George Brett and Frank Thomas and later Carlton Fisk were Lau disciples.

I would say setting the tone for the team which to me includes managing the clubhouse egos and drama is job one. The second biggest job to me is the handling of the pitching staff and especially the bullpen. I think he has been decent here and concede we don’t have all the information on players health that he does and may not divulge. I also can’t for sure say how much of bullpening is actually done by Cooper.

Tayron Guerrero was designated for assignment on Jan 2.........guess he is going thru waivers? Encarnacion and Cishek not formally announced and 40 man is full. Delay do to trying to make a deal for 40 man relief? If you say" no big deal, lots of dead meat " why haven't they already done so? Who are your cuts and/or who would you trade?

I believe Keuchel has won some as well.

Happy New Year to all and may we do something new.........Win! Been a long time for us old timers. Thanks to everyone who contributes.

I appreciate the effort. I get long posts from when I started the Reasonable Off Season but this looks like it was written a long time ago and then edited not by deleting but by more comments. Better if you just cut out the unnecessary stuff. Goodish first post and welcome to the board.

If he is “kinda average “ that would be a tremendous improvement over what we trotted out there on many occasions!

I wonder if the 40 man issues are why the signings haven't been announced? Obviously teams know we have to remove someone so not sure you could be working on a 2:1 trade or getting a return not requiring 40 man placement.

Ok I have probably called out more people for wanting Alex Wood who couldn't pitch last year because of repeated back issues. In the interest of fairness, I found this in an Athletic article about Houston sign stealing where they talked to Wood As he drove to a throwing session this week near his offseason home in Atlanta, so he is maybe somewhat healthy. At least it didn't say he was in traction or bed ridden. The article also stated he was looking for a pillow contract to be a FA again after the season.

Nice find. I was wondering how they worked together. It goes both ways, Grandal probably put in a good word. Also, Gio probably liked throwing to Grandal or he could have gone elsewhere.

He is a good addition. I had him in my plan to start the year in the rotation and then piggyback with Kopech when he comes up.

isn't he going to be a catcher? LOL for whoever used to post that

Reds pitching coach used to be Vanderbilt's pitching coach. Had Gray in college. In another post, I discussed how many of the college coaches learned how to communicate analytics to players in part because of smaller staffs. I think it helps at the pro level that a coach is talking to you instead of a "nerd".