caulfield12

Probably because, like Arenado, there's at least a 50/50 chance he stays with the Red Sox...probably better in the case of Betts than Nolan, actually.

Pollock being 31 Opening Day 2019 will be one factor limiting his FA deal to the $100 million range. You're not going to find a better player at that price, and you're not going to find someone in their 20's unless you're willing to give Harper or Machado $300-500 million and a share of the club, lol.

Why do I have a feeling KW will sign Adam Jones a FA three years too late and try to "spin" his addition to the fans as being a move to compete in 2019...?

That intentional walk was ordered by Renteria? Btw, Palka can join that long list of fielding-challenged, offensively competent 1B/DH/LF/RF types we've accumulated over the last twenty years...a list too long to even bother with.

They're going to have to be happy with AJ Pollock, a closer and a "higher quality but not ace level" veteran starting pitcher...

Paying Machado that much money would be nuts. It's the old "walk year" syndrome. How many times in baseball history have big-time FA's signed huge deals coming off career years and then wet the bed the following year? Can anyone think of someone who outperformed their walk year in their first year after signing a huge extension?

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=1b&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2018&month=0&season1=2018&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0 Abreu should be tied or ahead for the 4th "best" 1B in the majors after statistics are added from tonight's game...

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=ss&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2018&month=0&season1=2018&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0 Anderson ranked 16th out of 26 qualified SS's 0.6 fWAR, 1.0 fWAR is 15th. Pace for 2.0-2.5 at the moment.

Off topic...when is there going to be a COMPELLING NBA playoff game...talk about snoozers. 85.4 MPH change-up blasted into near-earth orbit.

If we mention Collins is 0 for 2 with 2 K's, that means his next hit will be for XB's, right? Clarkin sporting a Gio/Fulmer-esque 7.02 ERA in AA. Pretty pretty bad.

Moncada now 6 for his last 25 (3 of those hits came in one game)...has had some hard hit balls and "just fouls," but he and Abreu have been trending in opposite directions recently. One plus, K rate has been slowly falling. Yolmer nearing "super-sub"/not quite playoff-caliber starter territory again.

No, the bannable offense would be for ANYONE who bought into the Nestor Molina hype from Paddy and KW, lol...

Kurt? He might be better off in the wrestling field...

Jeff Marquez and Clarkin were Cashman's revenge for Quintana and Jose Contreras.

Kevin Maitan was one everyone probably got hoodwinked on. Perhaps we overreacted a couple of years ago about Benintendi and Devers...Devers, so far, has taken a step back. Swihart is STILL an interesting possibility if we could pry him lose from Boston (speaking of catcher obsessions). At different points, we all wanted Swanson/T.Turner/Bregman & Tucker via trade. And all those potential targets with the Pirates haven't turned out to be as good as once projected. Torres in NY has been as good as advertised.

I will definitely go with Sheets in that contest...although you never know, Engel could accidentally run into one before he joins the Jamey Carroll Lifetime Cushy MLB Pension Club.

Well, one thing’s for sure, not having strong pitch framers is ONE factor for our terrible walk numbers (thinking Gio and Fulmer in particular.) That said, Giolito’s been battling his mechanics all season long and also has ungodly number of hit batters, wild pitches and passed balls while on the mound. You could at least understand that with someone like Jordan Hicks throwing 103-105 out there. One big plus with Castillo is his contract will eventually be easier to move because his offense is pretty darned solid, and teams are always in need of an upgrade from that position, with very few exceptions.

Luc Besson (director) and the conductor of the NY Philharmonic Orchestra...

Well, one obvious reason for the upswing has been the “Obama’s going to take away our guns, so we need to stockpile them now” refrain of the NRA from 2008-2016...it’s hard for me to imagine, but they successfully painted a picture of government jackboots storming into houses across American and confiscating everyone’s weapons.

Flores has been (pretty) quietly having a very nice season...era in the mid 2’s. All the focus on that team has been with Cease, the five outfielders and Sheets.

It’s possible. I can’t remember the exact article, but wasn’t one of Castillo’s strengths supposed to be “pitch framing”? Of course, the irony is that is one specific skill where Tyler Flowers improved significantly over time, but even the patience of the White Sox wore thin with him. Nevertheless, he’s had a career resurgence with the Braves.

Rutherford RBI single drives in Call...

Melky is better off with the Indians...

That’s EXPLICITLY why they brought in the (relatively expensive) veteran in Castillo instead of giving all the playing time to Smith and Narvaez...

When’s the last time we couldn’t figure out a place for another position player because of TOO MUCH depth? Probably when we had Fields coming off his 2007 and Crede coming back from injury (as well as Uribe)...and they tried to put Fields in LF.