DJL44

I don't think the owners start making the big bucks until school lets out. Opening Day on May 15th would be just fine for them. If they decide to add more playoffs I would be in favor of going back to a 154 game schedule. Drop a week of regular season games so the World Series isn't in the middle of November.

Looks like the minor leaguers will be there starting March 1. The lockout started in December - when did you purchase your trip - last year?

Why not? Even if they are only spending 50% of their revenue sharing money on salaries they start with a $125M payroll budget. That's before figuring in ANY local revenue. Teams could spend $170-180M without blinking. The luxury tax starts at $210M. Teams are not spending at those levels because they don't need to spend like that to make the playoffs. If MLB succeeds in the negotiations it will become even easier to make the playoffs by adding 2-4 teams. Once you're in the playoffs the best you can do is increase your odds from 40% to 60% likely to win each round.

I disagree. Once teams are in the playoffs they have at least a 40% chance to advance in each round. It's a series of coin flips to get to the World Series. Also, each team is receiving more revenue sharing dollars than the luxury tax spending limits. No team is cash limited for payroll. If the Twins want to spend like the Yankees they're already able to. Of course spending that money on payroll would limit their ability to use cash flow to finance debt to develop real estate around baseball stadiums which is the true business of major league baseball in the current era.

I would like to understand where this myth came from that baseball lacks competitive balance and that revenue sharing is the way to solve that problem. Baseball has competitive balance - 24/30 teams made the playoffs in the last 6 seasons. It has never been easier to make the playoffs. The Royals, Indians and Rays have been in the World Series recently. Teams also have PLENTY of shared revenue. The estimates are that the Twins start with $250M in the bank before they start counting the local revenue. The shared revenue is HIGHER than the luxury tax threshold. The idea that either one of these is a problem that needs to be fixed seems detached from reality.

MLBPA wants to increase the minimum salary to $775k and create a $100M bonus pool for pre-arb players. I'd say they're looking out for the younger players. Increased revenue sharing is not going to improve competition. For one, baseball is already one of the more competitive sports with 24 of 30 teams qualifying for the playoffs in the last 6 seasons. The teams with the longest playoff droughts are the Mariners, Phillies, Tigers and Angels. None of those teams are small market, in fact the Phillies and Angels would lose resources if there was more revenue sharing. The game's real problem is actually the lack of game action and increasing length of games. It is the most boring version of MLB I have ever experienced. The audience is shrinking because of it. MLB doesn't seem interested in expanding their fanbase. They would rather be a boutique sport for rich people and compulsive gamblers.

Four mediocre starts in AAA and you're ready to put him in the Opening Day rotation? Let's see if he's even healthy first.

It might be the player they take #1 overall in 2023 after they finish in last place with this rotation

Sure, why not. Would the Astros be interested in some of our 40 man roster cuts? Stashak, Jax or Thorpe? Tyler Duffey for Odorizzi would also be fair.

In this era of defensive shifting it is much harder to stick at 3B with poor range.

The only thing I like better about Sabato is his age. Encarnacion-Strand made a huge impression, especially for a 4th round pick.

Never draft for need, especially in round one. Always draft the best player available. A good organization can make trades to balance out positions.

Kepler is a perfectly acceptable backup CF

Isn't it crazy that it's easier to see AAA baseball on local TV than MLB? I worry that gambling sponsorship is going to ruin the broadcast TV experience. Every situation is going to be framed in terms of betting odds (37% odds of a strikeout in this plate appearance) that only appeals to compulsive gamblers.

The "Superstation" era was quite successful. Baseball was a regular show on television. During the day it was the Cubs on WGN and evenings were the Braves on TBS. Fan interest grew, especially in areas that don't have a local MLB team to follow. I've met Cubs fans in Idaho and Braves fans in Nevada because they watched the team every day on cable. Baseball is a soap opera - you follow your favorite characters. This is part of why Oakland and Tampa have a hard time building a fan base - they kill off the main characters in the middle of the story arc.

I agree with this sentiment. The Twins have no reason to move fast. At this point they've missed out on the chance to choose the players they really want. They need to be opportunistic because the rest of the shortened offseason will be a chaotic mess. I think they will grab another Kenny Rogers / Lance Lynn late bargain for the rotation. Call Philly and tell them you're willing to make their problem with Didi Gregorious go away for a price. When you're shopping at the thrift store there's no reason to act immediately. Better to do some digging through the bins.

I think Greinke would be less happy to be in MN than Ricky Nolasco

Miguel Sano has to be moved to DH to get him out of the infield. He should be 3rd or 4th on the depth chart at 1B. On days when Donaldson needs a break benching Sano is probably the best option for the Twins. He does less damage on the bench than he does at 1B. Rooker should be trade bait for relief pitching. I hope that trade pans out better than LaMonte Wade did.

There are plenty of pitchers in the Hall of Fame not as good as Sandy Koufax. That's not the minimum requirement.

From the Fangraphs description of WPA: Junk stat

Relief pitcher is NOT a position. Pitcher is a position and the best starting pitchers are far more valuable than all relief pitchers. This is recognized by general managers and reflected in wages where all but the very best relievers are paid less than a mid-tier starter. WPA is a junk stat like Game Winning RBI. If you were going to design a stat specifically to overrate relief pitchers it would look like WPA. This is evident in your list where Joe Nathan places ahead of Randy Johnson. This is clearly a complete garbage stat when it comes to evaluating who was the better pitcher. Give me first pick assembling a baseball team and I'll take Randy Johnson (or any starting pitcher on that list) over Joe Nathan every single time. Working out of the bullpen is easier. That's why mediocre starters can switch to the bullpen and have so much success. Relievers don't have to pace themselves and never see the same batter twice. Often the reliever comes in with the platoon advantage facing batters they are well equipped to get out The main reason we have relief pitchers is it upsets the batter's timing to change pitchers throughout the game. Smoltz was moved to the bullpen out of injury concerns. He instantly became the best reliever in baseball which is what you would expect if you waste the talent of a Hall of Fame starter in that role. Joe Nathan pitched well but he pitched in a role that is easier and provides less value to his team than a good 3rd starting pitcher.

If you think this is even close I question whether you understand how baseball games are won and lost. The difference in their contribution is 1102.1 IP and 456 runs allowed. That's a pitcher with a RA9 of 3.72 in over 1000 innings! That's a successful career as a #2 starter. It's actually better than Jose Berrios' career so far. We can look at WAR - since they're pitchers it is easy to compare them directly. Pitcher WAR WAA Santana 51.1 32.8 Nathan 26.4 14.0 That includes all the imaginary bonus credit that BBREF WAR gives relievers for leverage. Joe Nathan was basically half the pitcher of Johan Santana. By WAA he's not even half. Santana was the best pitcher in MLB for a stretch of about 3 seasons (2004-2006). Joe Nathan was the best pitcher in MLB never. Relief pitchers are in the bullpen because they're not good enough to be starting pitchers. There are basically two pure relievers who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame - Hoyt Wilhelm and Mariano Rivera. Dennis Eckersley's combined career is worthy but not just his relief innings. If I'm feeling generous I could be convinced on Goose Gossage but then we need to also let in some more starting pitchers. Nobody else belongs. Elect the best starting pitchers (aka the best pitchers) from this era instead. That includes Johan Santana.

Tony La Russa watched the guys juice up and put them in the lineup every damned day.

Relievers are way overrepresented in Cooperstown. Tim Hudson was a better pitcher than almost all the relievers who have been inducted.

Don't know how you feel about Dick Bremer but he fits the type of people who have been previously inducted. So out of the possibles we have Players: Joe Mauer, Brian Dozier, Dave Goltz?, Roy Smalley? Corey Koskie? Slim pickings here. Non-players: Dick Bremer, Terry Ryan, Dave St. Peter, Mike Radcliff