I’m OK with Cueto, Samardzija not so much. I’d be OK with Zimmerman as well.
Brandon Crawford signs a 6-year extension @ $75 million.
They’re buying somewhat high, right after a career year. But given what shortstops with some pop cost, this’ll probably end up being a pretty good deal.
Also, now I can buy a Crawford jersey!
Worth it.
I noted this on the other thread although I got part of it wrong, but Big Papi has announced he will retire AFTER the 2016 year.
Four minor leaguers. 2 pitchers a catcher and a SS.
So… does the thread title indicate that Trig is preparing for another Orange October?
Have always liked him. May end up being a bargain.
Some small changes for next year:
Increased safety netting is likely to be in place by the opening of the 2016 season and a new three-year agreement with FOX will allow fans to watch live in-market streaming on any mobile device, Commissioner Rob Manfred announced as the quarterly Owners Meetings wrapped up on Thursday.
Expanding the netting is a no-brainer, but exactly where to put it isn’t. Be interesting to see how they balance that.
The streaming thing I have no interest in as long as FOX is still tying everything to a cable subscription. Once they do like ESPN or HBO and figure out how to offer a cord-cutter option, then maybe.
Wait, does that mean MLB.tv will work for local games (if your local is a Fox affiliate)? or does this mean that games will stream to yet-another-streaming-service?
Unclear, but my guess is that you’ll have to have access to FOX Sports Go, which as far as I know means having a cable subscription. It would be nice if I’m wrong and MLB.TV would work, but the cynic in me says that’s unlikely.
Yeah, I’m not holding my breath either.
It doesn’t bother me (since I solved my problem by moving out of the region) but it would be nice to see MLB.tv cut better deals with the local providers (if that is what it really means).
I’d love it, but I’ll be utterly shocked if that means the blackout on MLB.tv is lifted. Fox (Sports) lives and dies by those live sports contract, and to a lesser extent Comcast or whoever your local vampire is.
So a few weeks ago the Twins traded OF Aaron Hicks to the Yankees for C JR Murphy. On paper, both orgs were moving some depth for a position of need, with Hicks probably having more upside but higher risk and Murphy being lower-ceiling but safer (and oh my god any port to get us out of Hurricane Suzuki back there).
That’s mildly interesting if you’re a Twins or (ugh) Yankees fan, but the gossip that made its way to me earlier this week is way more amusing:
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Apparently, a few years ago then-Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire went off after a few beers at some charity event or whatever about how that kid (Hicks) was “loony” and belonged “in the loony bin.”
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After the trade deadline this past season, Hicks asked Twins manager Paul Molitor to discuss his role with the team moving forward. Apparently the conversation went something like this:
“What’s up?”
“Oh, I just want to figure out something where I don’t play every day.”
“What’s wrong, you hurt?”
“Nah, I just feel like playing every day is too hard on my body.”
“…”
Molitor then tells the front office to take the first offer anywhere close to reasonable they can, because holy shit get this guy out of my clubhouse.
So anyway, good luck NY!
Funny stuff there. Teams are required to disclose injuries for trades, but not laziness.
The White Sox have picked up catcher Alex Avila. Which answers the question of whether his dad, the Tigers GM, was going to dispense any nepotism…nope. On the one hand, Alex has been really bad offensively for a long time, and he gets hurt a lot…so letting him go is good for the team. On the other, I hate seeing guys go to division rivals, because it would be just Detroit’s luck to watch him suddenly get healthy and go back to his 2011 All-Star offensive form over in Chicago.
I’ll always have a soft spot for how much ass he kicked for my 2011 fantasy team.
Price to the Red Sox for 7 years, $217.
Quite the bargain, only 31 bucks a year. ;)
Makes the 5 years/$110 million that Detroit paid for Jordan Zimmermann look like a bargain.
Price gets an opt-out after 3 years. First 3 years of the contract are $30m each, then the next is $31, last three years are $32.
Guessing he stays right where he is…which is kind of the difference between opt outs for pitchers and hitters. Have a feeling that Jason Heyward’s deal will include an opt out at year 3 or 4, and that barring an injury he’s almost assured of taking it. Age also obviously a factor, but still. Pitchers need the security just a tad more than hitters, I think.