caulfield12

See Getz, Chris. Although to be fair Grifol does date back to the championship era teams of 2013-2016, one Madison Bumgarner away from two consecutive World Series world Series titles. https://kingsofkauffman.com/2022/10/07/kc-royals-thinking-pedro-grifol/ https://theathletic.com/3761699/2022/11/04/white-sox-pedro-grifol-montoyo/ Personally I feel he's already feeling the pressure of running a bullpen without Liam and Crochet. Kelly and Graveman were pretty much forced on him. Same with Bummer. IMO there's (currently) simply not enough reliable options there...especially for tie games or ones with 1-3 run deficits. He's still not even sure Lopez can get the job done with a flat fastball that doesn't miss bat at 100. Reynaldo can only be great with a reliable second pitch. Most likely the slider.

Twins with the highest odds to make postseason of those who missed last year... https://sports.yahoo.com/expect-the-unexpected-which-mlb-teams-could-surprise-in-2023-and-knock-out-presumed-playoff-contenders-223318497.html

Of course AJ Pollock two homers and 5 RBI's against the Angels.

The number of years for a catcher with that previous amount of wear and tear...well, it was very generous compared to what other teams like MIL who wanted to go year to year were willing to offer. And they really needed a great defensive catcher more than additional offense...but no use crying over spilled milk.

Twins vs. Marlins might as well be played at a mausoleum. Alcantara and Maeda (591 days away from the majors) have both been great...almost zero offense in this one. Would honestly rather see a game in the Metrodome...such a stark contrast with the lively atmosphere of the WBC. Twins batting top of 9th down 1-0. Can't imagine they will let Alcantara try to finish it out this early in the season. But there he is...

Colome cost Narvaez, which eventually forced them to overspend on Grandal.

LaRussa handled the Sosa recall last year so poorly it doesn't near revisiting. Personally more excited about Brayan Ramos, but everyone has their own infield favorites.

I might be wrong about LOTS of things...but evaluations of baseball players/teams is probably not near the top of that particular list. (Unless it was unnecessary hyperbole in comparing Yasiel Puig to Roberto Clemente in his first two seasons, lol.)

You don't like them...block them, don't read them, doesn't matter whatsoever to me. If I was paid to write, then your comments might actually matter to me. Retiring soon at 53/54 due to investments...not writing skill, lol. I learned an invaluable lesson from my father not to work so hard you have a heart attack at age 63 and never get to fully enjoy life. I definitely won't be thinking of you when I am in Thailand and Japan this summer...

Sosa or Romy for 2B, lol... Rocchio is another top prospect at SS. Then there's Zack Collins, once famously referred to by Hostetler as 1 overall draft pick material.

Tatis is pretty much living inside your head right now, lol... Well, the Padres suck anyway. Just 3-3 home start against Colorado and AZ. Blew a 5-1 lead for Darvish with porous bullpen and defensive miscues.

If you now feel self-enlightened...more power to you, I guess.

So the point of coming to the thread to bring attention to yourself is what exactly?

Seiya Suzuki Suzuki (left oblique strain) had two at-bats in a simulated game in Arizona on April 3, while also playing four innings of defense. It was the outfielder's first game at-bats since injuring his left oblique in late February.

Immediate coming from AAA...surely you jest?

"The bad news: the White Sox were booed off the field during their home opener, they gave up seven homers that traveled a combined 2,780 feet and lost by nine runs. A position player pitched the ninth. The good news: It only took 2 hours, 36 minutes. Theo Epstein hasn’t done a solid like this for the White Sox since the Cease/Jimenez trade…" Jon Greenberg The Athletic Pretty difficult to give up roughly 1/2 mile of homers in just one game!

https://theathletic.com/4378592/2023/04/04/cactus-league-scouting-padres-ethan-salas/?source=freedailyemail&campaign=601983 Law: Padres’ Ethan Salas looks like a superstar in the making — I can’t believe this kid is 16 By Keith Law 7h ago The Padres signed 16-year-old catcher Ethan Salas, the younger brother of Twins prospect Jose Salas, for $5.6 million this January — the highest bonus in this year’s international free agent class. He won’t turn 17 until June, but was already in minor league camp, and in a five-inning intrasquad game on Saturday morning he caught a rehabbing Joe Musgrove. I can’t believe this kid is only 16. Salas catches like a veteran already, and just watching him catch Musgrove it was easy to forget there was a 15!? year age difference between the two. Salas showed soft hands and agility behind the plate, with plenty of arm strength in warmup throws, and he had no trouble blocking the few times he had to get into position to do so. At the plate, he has an incredibly simple swing and controls the barrel very well, with a direct path to the ball and the ability to pull his hands in to adjust to stuff on the inner third. It’s contact over power for now, given his age, of course, but also because he doesn’t always keep his front side strong, landing late and rolling over his front foot enough that it deprives him of some of the strength he should get from his legs.

Biggest messes Washington vs. Orioles dispute (see article) Pittsburgh and Colorado (see article) Cleveland, Cincy, Minnesota and AZ (Bally group, about to miss payment) Then you have the Astros (see article) and Rangers (last of Bally unpaid teams with deadline looming)...who should get resolved somehow. Basically leaving that core group of six troubled RSN situations (four in the two weaker Central divisions) and then finally resolving the ongoing Wash vs. Baltimore fiasco https://baltimoresportsandlife.com/which-mlb-teams-should-feel-best-and-worst-about-their-rsn-situations/

Teams clearly in danger with Bally Twins Guardians Reds Diamondbacks ???? Rangers (seems likely to get paid, still not finalized) Already/recently paid Angels Padres Brewers Braves Cardinals Marlins Rays Royals Tigers Safest 7 TOR Cubs LAD Boston Seattle NYM NYY Own part or all of networks A's Giants Phillies White Sox

Bally Sports viewership from Opening Day shows the popularity of local sports rights. Nine of Diamond’s 14 MLB teams posted ratings increases, with five of those increases eclipsing 20%. Here are the superlatives: The Padres (+75%) had its most-watched Opening Day in the history of the market's RSN, which launched in 2012 The Angels (+25%) posted the clubs' biggest Opening Day number since 2014 The Cardinals (-5%) had the most-watched TV program in the St. Louis market since the Super Bowl The Padres, Rangers (+30%), D-backs (+27%), Angels and Rays (+23%) saw the biggest Opening Day gains among Diamond’s MLB teams. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/SB-Blogs/Newsletter-Media/2023/04/03.aspx

Let's give Kopech through at least May or early June before pronouncing him a bust...

Opportunity cost-wise, it would have been better to just skip the billboard and raise more (ditectly) donations for charity...of course that would not garner much or any attention from a PR standpoint.

The same type of winning as a quality start when your ERA is 5.40?

OAK is always surprisingly scrappy at home... Top of the 10th and CLE is busy yet again manufacturing more runs. Wonder if the Guardians are going to have to trade Rosario if they don't get their $47-52 million media rights payment?

Obviously he'll get until mid-May before they burn rookies in their Top 5 system (Xavion Curry likely next up)...but he's on short notice right now. Just manufactured yet another run to tie it up at 8-8. Battle of pens is unlikely to go to the A's. And now it's 10-8 Guardians...pretty much inevitable.