MLB News & Notes (other than Cubs or Sox)

[rok]

It's not too late for the Brewers and Cards to get stuck with Cobb and Holland respectively.

[rok]

https://twitter.com/JonHeyman/status/972970838751358984

[1060Ivy]

Will either Cobb or Holland end up in NL Central? 

[funkster]

I'm just glad he was a Cub when he posed naked.

That whole thing was so creepy.

[Butcher]

Agree to disagree...

[1060Ivy]

Title is a bit misleading but still an interesting article by Ringers Baumann on changing nature of starting rotation. Trend is clear across MLB including the Cubs.


Like most starting rotations in baseball, the Cubs starting rotation can be grouped into starters who you expect 7 innings and those who you don’t. Maddon really pressed seemed to press the concept with starters like Hendricks who has evolved from a starter that you don’t expect to go through the oppositions line up more than twice to a starter who you’ld trust to go 7+ innings.


Baumann notes that clubs seem to focus on assembling 3 starters expected to go 7 innings and 2 who aren’t with bullpen built to be expected to handle the difference. The extreme drop in pitchers qualifying for ERA title helps to demonstrates the trend of decreasing use of starters. The ‘all or nothing’ approach by hitters has contributed to corresponding starter usage as starters throw more heat and tire earlier.


https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2018/3/12/...on-kershaw

[1060Ivy]

Lynn signs 1 year deal with Twins for $12 MM with incentives of $1 MM for pitching 170 innings and another $1 MM for pitching 180 innings


http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/22751...atter-what

[rok]

<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="jstraw" data-cid="328793" data-time="1520820275">
I'm just glad he was a Cub when he posed naked.

That whole thing was so creepy.</blockquote>
Wait until you see the upcoming Arrieta-Kapler centerfold edition.

[funkster]

Throw some Steve Stone in there.

[rok]

Sounds like Altuve is about to sign a $150 mil extension.


https://www.mlb.com/news/jose-altuve-nea...-268898340

[AlexV]

https://twitter.com/darenw/status/975002...00354?s=19


These games don't matter and he was probably always going to need some seasoning, but damn, that's rough.

[rok]

Would they start him in the minors if this continues? I would assume no, but the thought has probably crossed the Angels FOs minds.

[MrSheps]

Would they start him in the minors if this continues? I would assume no, but the thought has probably crossed the Angels FOs minds.

Yeah, they're sort of in a tough spot. Makes me happy (at least for now) that the Cubs didn't get him.


Also, there are all these scouts now saying how he's going to need something like 1K at bats in the minors after watching him for 2 weeks. They may be right, but why were the scouts not able to figure that out analyzing his swing from his time in Japan? I guess because the pitching was not as good? Then again, it's spring training, I assume he's faced several AA and AAA pitchers. Anyway, it'll be interesting to see what happens to him.

[rok]

This would be weird.


https://deadspin.com/the-new-tax-bill-co...1823897230

[funkster]

While I agree to an extent, I think the twitter folks who are downplaying Ohtani's ST start as irrelevant are probably wrong.  That's not a good sign.