caulfield12

In addition to the universal DH, the MLBPA is interested in changes that would use draft picks to incentivize winning and grant players the ability to earn additional service, which could allow them to hit free agency earlier and theoretically counteract what the union believes is the manipulation of service time by teams. Low-revenue teams that succeed -- whether by finishing above .500 or making the playoffs -- would be given greater draft positions or bonus pools under the union's proposal, according to sources. While the depth of the penalties were not clear, the union suggested teams that lose 90-plus games in consecutive years could be affected negatively in the draft. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/25935056/mlb-players-discussing-rule-changes-alter-game Passan, on possible rules changes upcoming in next two years, including three batter minimums for relievers, 20 second pitch counts, NL DH, extra roster spots...

Guess we’ll see if they want to carry five outfielders, six if you count Leury. Probably should let Engel play everyday in Charlotte, there’s that 2-3% chance he can be a productive offensive player still.

What is going to be the statute of limitations on JR/Hahn complaints if they don’t sign either player? 25 years? 50 years? Will some fans somehow find a way to still blame KW? If the Yankees/Padres get him with a two year opt out, that’s about the only way there will be anything resembling a positive spin to it, and that’s going to still be a relatively hollow one because it will mean they weren’t willing to sweeten the overall contract enough to get him to extend the opt out to the 3-4 year range. And then having to live with all those veteran guys who are NOT Machado struggling in another development year.

Competitive 2019, here we come. Just need one more starting pitcher.

Not to mention the fact that waiting until almost every player that could possibly help them win this year would be removed from the market...from the cutting off the nose to spite the face guide to public relations. If you polled it, I couldn’t imagine such a move even hitting 25% popularity in this particular fanbase.

Where’s Teri Hatcher smirking in the elevator when you really need her?

Glad. I slept through the Ricketts exchanges...and Buddy Bell still sucks! By the way, what the hell is MBFFL?

Terry Bevington was just named special assistant to the ghost of Buddy Bell, and will be coordating the assignments of Jeff Keppinger, Mark Teahen and Emilio Bonifacio as roving minor league fielding instructors. ”Loyalty in this special organization know no bounds.” Chris Getz

We’ve had more ban bets in the last year than in the preceding decade...where is this online machismo coming from?

Sox farm system sucks. Madrigal sucks. Collins sucks. Those that don't suck are hurt or will suck after returning from injuries. Sources suck. The Super Bowl sucks. Basically, in the end we're all going to die after paying more than our fair share in taxes. And Jack Parkman is too optimistic about the farm system and not optimistic enough about Lucas Giolito's TOR potential.

The only real entertainment so far today is imagining Timbo speaks in the voice of Colossus... And that Keith Law’s evil twin has joined the board to provoke our minor league experts on Collins.

https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/san-diego-padres/payroll/ Over $23 million in dead contracts this year, Myers’ deal blowing up next year and at least 14 other salaries undetermined to fill out a roster...so let’s call it $78-79 million.

Look at the NBA, those superstars are now holding their teams hostage with trade requests...AD, Porzingis, Butler, Irving, etc. The owners are making record profits and every year, less of that money is going to the players. Are you going to ask them to sacrifice...if not, why should the players be the ones to give in? If you were a schoolteacher on strike and you thought you deserved $30 per hour, would you readily accept going back to work for just $17.50? And what about all those teachers coming after you who will be locked into lower salaries as well...because you were willing to settle for 42% less than what you’re worth in terms of historical production and your being only 26.

It’s the Phil Jackson/Jordan debate all over again. Jordan was obviously more important in this case...but how much more important is Belichick than Brady, who will go down as the greatest QB of all-time undoubtedly. The Patriots have had a plethora of great assistants along the way, but none could replicate his methods or success as head coaches, at least not yet. I also don’t imagine we’ll ever see him coach another QB again, starting this upcoming season at 67.

For a non blowout, one of the worst Super Bowls in history, certainly one of the most boring. I guess Belichick is back in front of Saban for greatest coach of the modern game.

Sounds like the perfect new thread title for Super Bowl Sunday... Or at least SS Hangmen: Collywobbles

https://www.nj.com/expo/sports/g66l-2019/01/44755201946874/mlb-rumors-predicting-where-top-7-remaining-free-agents-land-bryce-harper-to-phillies-mystery-team-lands-manny-machado-yankees-sign-starter.html NJ.com predicts Harper to Phils, Machado to Sox Bryce Harper Why it will happen: Philadelphia will find a way to make Harper a contract offer with the biggest annual salary and most money in history. Let’s say nine years, $326M. Team ‘stupid money’ gets its guy. At some point this winter, it feels like rumors pivoted from the Phillies truly pursuing Machado to going all-in on Harper. The left-handed slugger will join Rhys Hoskins to form one of the best lineup duos in the sport. Manny Machado Why it will happen: With Harper in Philadelphia, Machado’s best possible landing spot becomes Chicago over places like San Diego and Miami. For just over $250M, the White Sox get a future Hall of Famer and a building block to put prospects around. This could work, much like the majority of Machado’s time in Baltimore.

Killer Whales SHOULD be the answer, this process is taking a toll on everyone. Or collectibles/collectables. Collywobbles...?

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/columnists/bryce-miller/sd-sp-miller-padres-manny-machado-bryce-harper-20190203-story.html This is your chance, Padres. This is the moment, if you land Manny Machado or Bryce Harper, to show a grumbling fan base with the patience of craft beer-drinking saints that things truly are different. This is your opportunity, your gaping doorway, to trample the “no way they’ll sign someone like that” pessimism that lingers over the franchise. There are plenty of your fans — those still buying tickets, those who surrendered already and those weighing their next discretionary-spending moves — who simply refuse to buy into this long organizational rebuild until they see the big spend on a truly big name. ... Those are words. In truth, words Padres fans have heard. Show them that you want to shake up their dusty reality and shatter their assumptions. Make it clear, after smartly constructing an unmatched farm system, that this process sincerely owns a finish line. The Padres also are talking again with the Marlins about J.T. Realmuto, arguably the best catcher in the game. He’s the complete package that Austin Hedges isn’t and likely never will be. The Padres recently told the Union-Tribune they ducked out of discussions because the asking price was too high, but now claim Miami has circled back. “It went silent,” a source with direct knowledge said. “Now it started up again. Things change.” No target, though, feels more important or makes more sense than Machado. Rarely do you find someone so talented, so young, so contract-controllable at the position you direly need. Word came from Machado’s camp, a highly-placed source said, that he’s willing to play third base rather than his preferred spot at shortstop — opening the door for the eventual arrival of Fernando Tatis Jr. Those whispers about potential character issues? A source said the Padres “wouldn’t pursue him” if they thought those reached any kind of concerning level. Plus, if Hosmer is the clubhouse leader the teams claims him to be and pays him to be, he’s the perfect teammate to bend Machado’s ear.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_professional_sports_leagues_by_revenue And yet MLB is still generating considerably more than the NBA in revenue. The latest figure for 2018 is around $9.4 billion. Basically, MLB is directly in the middle, between the NFL and NBA. This is despite all the doom and gloom articles from the 1980’s on about the death of baseball. It’s never going to be like the glory days of the 50’s and 60’s again but...cue Janes Earl Jones speech from Field of Dreams. “The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game -- it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again. Ohhhhhhhh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.”

I’m guessing it’s a writer who only has experienced Midwestern winters tangentially and thinks 1) everyone in America aspires to live in Southern California and 2) players don’t actually have hometowns and are stuck in their playing cities throughout the offseason, and 3) Spring Training doesn’t also take place in a warm weather setting.

https://sports.yahoo.com/why-bryce-harper-padres-actually-192122791.html A lot would have to go right, but a lot had to go right just for us to be in this position. The Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants and others seemingly decided Harper wasn't the right move, leaving him with few appealing options. If he truly doesn't want to return to Washington D.C., it shouldn't surprise us at all that Harper is meeting with the Padres. The Phillies and White Sox have plenty of warts, too, so along came the Padres executives, to boast of a bright future, remind Harper that he got married at the Mormon Temple in San Diego, tell him how short their trip to Las Vegas was. If the Padres are really smart, they'll walk into that meeting and simply take out their weather apps. On the last day of January, it's 63 degrees in San Diego. That's as strong a reason as any to sign somewhere.

Corporate tax? What the heck is that...?

https://www.gaslampball.com/2019/2/1/18207040/what-if-san-diego-padres-manny-machado-bryce-harper-jt-realmuto The idea of the Padres carrying a $160 million payroll based on past evidence isn’t very likely...yet that’s where the White Sox would be heading if everything goes right in 2021-23. It’s going to be the biggest PR hit imaginable if he actually picked the Padres, for a number of obvious reasons. Why: At age 26, Machado would bring four All-Star appearances and two Gold Gloves to a team that has a clear need at shortstop and third base, and the idea of pairing him with Fernando Tatis Jr makes Padres fans weak in their knees. Long considered one of the best defenders at third base, Machado spent most of the 2018 season back at his original position of shortstop and proved that he can still handle the job. He’s coming off the best offensive year of his career, batting .297/.367/.538 with 37 home runs. He’s the complete package, a player who is always a threat at the plate and plays premium defensive positions. Since he debuted at age 19 and played a full season at age 20, he’s unusually young for a free agent, which means that he might still be getting better and he has a great chance of staying healthy and productive through a long contract. Oh, and supposedly Tatis has always idolized him. If you need more arguments for why Machado is an ideal fit for the Padres on paper, please read this piece by AJ Cassavell of MLB.com and this piece by Matt Snyder of CBSSports.com.