Hello There, Guest! (LoginRegister)

Post Reply 
2018 MLB Spring Training
Author Message
Brookes Owl Offline
Heisman
*

Posts: 7,965
Joined: Sep 2004
Reputation: 165
I Root For: Rice Owls
Location:

The Parliament AwardsCrappiesDonators
Post: #1
2018 MLB Spring Training
Most teams have Pitchers and Catchers reporting on the 14th - Wednesday!

Hot Stove barely warmed up and then went cold. So many big FAs unsigned that: 1) we're hearing the "C" word and 2) there may be a FA spring training camp.

I doubt this is collusion. I think we've got a confluence of issues: Teams trying to get/stay under the luxury tax (Yankees, Dodgers), player value becoming more and more an issue with front offices, draft penalties for signing FAs who were given qualifying offers (again, back to value). These guys aren't going to remain unsigned, but teams are willing to wait to see if asking prices go down. For the Dodgers, as one example, I still think there's a chance they make a realistic offer to Darvish (he wants to play in LA), but they're going to try to trade Kemp first. I think the valuation, when looking at whatever penalty they incur for signing Darvish (it won't be huge and could be easily justified for 2018) is really skewed by the team's view of 2019 (Kershaw, Harper free agents) and the benefit of resetting the luxury tax %.

Happy with where the Dodgers are, though. Pecota thinks they'll have the best record in baseball (with Astros) at 99 wins. Pecota is hard to take too seriously but has been pretty close the last 4 or 5 years (for Dodgers anyway).

Biggest question marks, to me: 1) Can Kershaw stay healthy? Not just off the injured list, but strong and able to have solid command and control. 2) Outfield: I know Puig will be everyday RF, will Taylor be everyday CF or platoon? How does Pederson fit in? Has he fixed his swing (again)? What about Toles? And Kemp - what the heck are they going to do with him?
There's a lot of depth but not much certainty. 3) Rounding out the rotation - once again a lot of depth but not much certainty at the back end. Kershaw, Hill, Wood are solid. Maeda? Hearing he'll back to a starting role, but who knows. Ryu? Buehler?

I don't know about the FA market at this point, but I wouldn't be upset if LA could get either a quality starter or solid outfielder by trading Grandal and Pederson, or maybe package Kemp with one of those guys to get rid of the contract, then go after a FA.
(This post was last modified: 02-09-2018 05:00 PM by Brookes Owl.)
02-09-2018 03:19 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Advertisement


AllTideUp Offline
Heisman
*

Posts: 5,154
Joined: Jul 2015
Reputation: 559
I Root For: Alabama
Location:
Post: #2
RE: 2018 MLB Spring Training
In what is sure to be another boring and non-competitive year for the Atlanta Braves, I will have a hard time watching a lot of baseball this season.

Maybe they'll surprise me though.
02-09-2018 04:29 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Brookes Owl Offline
Heisman
*

Posts: 7,965
Joined: Sep 2004
Reputation: 165
I Root For: Rice Owls
Location:

The Parliament AwardsCrappiesDonators
Post: #3
RE: 2018 MLB Spring Training
Cubs sign Darvish




OK
02-10-2018 06:37 PM
Find all posts by this user Quote this message in a reply
Post Reply 




User(s) browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)


Copyright © 2002-2024 Collegiate Sports Nation Bulletin Board System (CSNbbs), All Rights Reserved.
CSNbbs is an independent fan site and is in no way affiliated to the NCAA or any of the schools and conferences it represents.
This site monetizes links. FTC Disclosure.
We allow third-party companies to serve ads and/or collect certain anonymous information when you visit our web site. These companies may use non-personally identifiable information (e.g., click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over) during your visits to this and other Web sites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services likely to be of greater interest to you. These companies typically use a cookie or third party web beacon to collect this information. To learn more about this behavioral advertising practice or to opt-out of this type of advertising, you can visit http://www.networkadvertising.org.
Powered By MyBB, © 2002-2024 MyBB Group.