MLB - NEWS & NOTES

As much as I dislike the Yankees...They have an even bigger gripe.

Having a base runner at second base sniping signals is one thing, but the Astros went WAY beyond that...

 

Reds sign Nicholas Castellanos to a four-year deal

The Cincinnati Reds have signed outfielder Nicholas Castellanos to a four-year deal worth $64 million. The contract includes opt-outs after both 2020 and 2021, which is certainly good for Castellanos, allowing him to go back out on the market if he has a big year. Odd that the Reds would agree to that, but on an annual basis it’s kind of a bargain for them so you figure that has something to do with it.

With Castellanos in the fold the Reds are going to have a lot of outfielders when they hit Goodyear, Arizona in a couple of weeks, with newcomer Shogo Akiyama, Jesse Winkler, Nick Senzel, Aristides Aquino, Travis Jankowski, Scott Schebler, and Rule 5 draftee Mark Payton already on the roster. Senzel was an infielder before last year, of course, so he could move back to the dirt, perhaps taking over short from Freddy Galvis, who could be dealt. Alternatively, the Reds could trade from their newfound outfield surplus.

Castellanos, however, will have left field to himself. While he’s shaky at best with the glove, he had a breakout year at the plate in 2019, hitting .289/.337/.525 overall (OPS+ 121), but slugging at a blistering .321/.356/.646 pace (OPS+ 151) after being traded from the Tigers to the Cubs. In Chicago — rescued from cavernous Comerica Park — his big doubles power turned into big homer power.

Now that he’ll be playing in hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark one can only imagine the damage he’d do.

source; NBCsports

 

Umps will be mic’d up and will give replay explanations starting this year

Pedro Gomez of ESPN reports that, starting this season, umpires will be mic’d up and will announce if reviewed calls are upheld or overturned. Gomez adds that they may also explain rules, if necessary.

As it is now, umpires just get on the headset, get the replay decision and then signal the call non-verbally, be it safe, out, or whatever. Fans watching on TV or listening on the radio then get an extended explanation from the broadcast crew about what happened. Or, quite often, an attempt at an explanation, starting with “well, apparently the replay official saw . . .” or something like that. Now it’ll come straight from the crew chief’s mouth.

Joe West is a crew chief, by the way, so if you were worried that he did not get enough screen time before now, he and his colleagues are about to get more.

 

Lame

 

Agreed

 

I hope John Henry chokes to death on a syphilis-infected penis

 

TRADE BREAKDOWN

DODGERS GET: OF Mookie Betts, LHP David Price, cash (all from BOS)
RED SOX GET: OF Alex Verdugo (from LAD), RHP Brusdar Graterol (MLB Pipeline's No. 83 prospect, from MIN)
TWINS GET: RHP Kenta Maeda (from LAD)

 

The blockbuster trade that would send Mookie Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers has hit a snag: the Red Sox, Jeff Passan of ESPN reports, were “spooked” by the medical reports of Minnesota Twins pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol. Graterol is slated to join the Red Sox while the Dodgers are to send Kenta Maeda to Minnesota and Alex Verdugo to Boston.

Graterol, 21, has had Tommy John surgery and missed time in 2019 because of a shoulder injury. Passan says that, despite the concern, officials with all three teams involved remain confident the deal will be completed. It may, however, require some sort of work-around, be it an alteration to the amount of money changing hands in the deal or the substitution or addition of players to the deal. It could also transform back into a two-team deal involving just the Red Sox and Dodgers.

When news of this trade hit Tuesday night, it seemed to create discomfort with more Red Sox fans than it pleased. This news about the health of a key component of the deal and the delay in getting it finalized will likely only extend that discomfort, at least for the time being.

NBC

 

LOS ANGELES -- For the second time in a week, the Dodgers appear to have acquired elite outfielder Mookie Betts plus former Cy Young Award winner David Price and cash from the Red Sox in a complicated transaction that was resuscitated on Sunday after nearly collapsing.

The team did not confirm the agreement but according to MLB.com sources, the Dodgers will send outfielder Alex Verdugo (their top prospect a year ago), shortstop Jeter Downs (their No. 5 prospect currently) and catcher Connor Wong (their No. 28 prospect) to the Red Sox.

In the original deal, the Dodgers would have sent pitcher Kenta Maeda to the Twins and not have dealt Downs or Wong. But Boston would not accept pitcher Brusdar Graterol from the Twins after viewing his medical records, forcing the Dodgers to reconstruct the deal to save it and costing Los Angeles prospects it didn’t intend to trade.

The Dodgers will still send Maeda to Minnesota, but in the reworked deal will also send $10 million to cover his incentive-laden salary, plus a Minor Leaguer. In addition to Graterol, the Dodgers will receive the Twins’ No. 67 overall pick in this year’s Draft, and Minor League outfielder Luke Raley, who hit .302/.362/.517 at Triple-A last season. Raley was selected by the Dodgers in the 2016 Draft and came over to the Twins in the ‘18 Brian Dozier trade.

RED SOX-DODGERS TRADE
Red Sox get: OF Alex Verdugo, SS Jeter Downs, C Connor Wong
Dodgers get: OF Mookie Betts, LHP David Price, cash

DODGERS-TWINS TRADE
Dodgers get: RHP Brusdar Graterol, OF Luke Raley, 67th pick in 2020 Draft
Twins get: RHP Kenta Maeda, Minor Leaguer, cash

The Red Sox and the Dodgers will split the remaining $96 million owed to Price over the next three years, while the Dodgers will pay Betts’ $27 million salary for 2020, after which he’ll be a free agent.

By comparison with the originally reported deal, the Dodgers receive Graterol and the 67th overall pick, but it cost them Downs, Wong and an additional $10 million, as well as a swapping of two Minor Leaguers.

The deal the Dodgers and Angels reportedly had agreed upon that would have sent Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson, pitcher Ross Stripling and Minor League outfielder Andy Pages to the Angels for controllable 22-year-old infielder Luis Rengifo and a Minor Leaguer is no longer in the works, reports MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal.

The Red Sox, seeking immediate relief from the competitive balance tax, felt compelled to shed Betts, who is determined to hit the market and seek a record $400 million free-agent deal.

To get the trade done, however, the Dodgers also had to take on a reported $16 million a year in Price’s contract. Any money sent by the Red Sox to the Dodgers will count toward Boston's luxury tax payroll, prorated annually over the three years remaining on the deal.

MLB.com

 

I hate this version of the deal a little less.

Love it compared to the proposed playoff format changes, though.

And John Henry can still eat a dick.

 

What a great day.........we have our first game of Spring Training ball today.

Rangers and Royals @ 3:05PM EST.

Not sure if it will be televised anywhere but if anybody knows what channel or app.....let me know

 

Jose Bautista is working out as a pitcher, he wants to be a two-way player. A first baseman/pitcher, supposedly he gets his fastball up to 94 mph.

He's 39 years old.

 

Not a bad idea if he can get movement on a pitch....he's been done as a hitter for like 4 years.

If that 94 is straight....he's gonna get pummeled.

 

He's done as a hitter, if he could get people out, I could see him in a middle relief role. He can also play occasional first base to give the everday starter a day off.

 

MLB is suspending Spring Training. Delay to start of season.