2024 MLB Thread; RIP Willie Mays & Pete Rose. Dodgers win #8!

[madj55]

Angels tweeted this picture out. First reply was “An Angel in the Outfield”.

RIP.

 

[macbk]

Angels tweeted this picture out. First reply was “An Angel in the Outfield”.

RIP.

Damn

 

[bapar11]

Sad as Hell

 

[xxpizzo]

R.I.P to both fellas

another sad day for baseball man

 

[651akathepaul]

Another car accident.

 

[af1 1982]

Have a feeling the Phil's ain't gonna get either Bryce Harper or Machado

 

[madj55]

Have a feeling the Phil's ain't gonna get either Bryce Harper or Machado

Nats are out on Harper.

If it’s between the Phillies and the White Sox, I think he heads to Philly

Wouldn’t be shocked if he ends up a Yankee though, even though they’re saying they have little interest.

 

[you go boy]

Don't think the yanks will get either since they so frugal recently smh

 

[EnvyTheGreen]

Don't think the yanks will get either since they so frugal recently smh

They almost can’t. Red Sox win WS and they don’t put an offer in to the two best (HoF caliber) hitters OR the pitchers on the market?

They’ll look like chumps. Paxton was a great move, but they basically need to bring in one of those two hitters.

Since they are so quiet on both, I think they are playing coy with who they want (and will get).

 

[j rain]

Bryce turned down 10 years/300 mil. He’s living in a fantasy world. How much more is he expecting to get?

He hit .250 last year. He’s striking out more than ever. If you want to sell tickets? He’s your man. I just don’t think he’s an elite player. An elite player needs to be more consistent and well rounded.

Good luck to whomever wins the Harper sweepstakes. I’m ready for the Soto and Robles era.

 

[mr jordan04]

Yea, you can’t give a guy the biggest contract in baseball history after hitting under .250 for the year. He’s good, but it that good! Trout on the other hand, back up the brinks truck for him.

Curious to see who’s dumb enough to give him 8+ years then regret it half way through like the mariners just did with Cano

 

[EnvyTheGreen]

Yea, you can’t give a guy the biggest contract in baseball history after hitting under .250 for the year. He’s good, but it that good! Trout on the other hand, back up the brinks truck for him.

Curious to see who’s dumb enough to give him 8+ years then regret it half way through like the mariners just did with Cano

He’s been significantly better than Machado, and was better than Stanton when he got his contract.

While he wasn’t quite as good as ARod or Pujols, or even Miggy (LOL at that contract, paying him $30M/season ages 33-40!), he’s still been great when healthy (age-21 season wasn’t good and age-23 was decent).

Even though he didn’t have a great contract year (and impressive that an .889 OPS season is deemed bad for him), he’s going to get multiple $300M+ offers, and perhaps some above $350M (but less than $400M and probably more than 10 years).

Between his age (really should just be entering his prime) and marketability, I doubt this will be the same situation as Cano (who signed after his age 30 season, and is still producing at a good enough level that his contract isn’t woeful, yet).

I know Machado’s defense (at 3rd, at least) is elite and worth money, but he’s really not the offensive player Harper is. His best season - this past one - was very comparable to Harper’s mediocre, sub-.250BA 2018.

 

[cubanref]

Looks like this wasn't an accident

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...jose-castillo-killed-car-crash-caused-bandits

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Former major league players Luis Valbuena and Jose Castillo were killed in a car crash caused by highway bandits who then robbed them, officials said Friday.

The 33-year-old Valbuena and 37-year-old Castillo died late Thursday when their SUV crashed as it tried to veer around an object on the road, Yaracuy state Gov. Julio Leon Heredia said on his Twitter account.

Officials said some bandits place or throw objects on highways to force vehicles to stop or crash so they can rob the occupants. Heredia said four people have been detained after being found with property of the athletes.

 

[mr jordan04]

Didn’t yordano ventura have his stuff stolen after he crashed too?

 

[mr jordan04]

E EnvyTheGreen based on his age and “potential,” I can see why somebody might give him 10+ years

But looking at his stats, he’s a .279 career hitter, drove in over 100 runs just once in his career, and batted over .300 only twice in his career. That is not somebody I would feel confident to give 300-400 million over the next 10 years, regardless of age.

 

[HIM]

Mike Napoli retired? I vividly remember his debut. Game against detroit and he hit a hr off verlander. This is a trip. Feels like it was just a couple years ago

 

[af1 1982]

ITS TIME

Let's get it Phils. Time to make history

by spending the most in one offseason and still not winning a world series

 

[rolaholic]

Fitting...

 

[bigpat630]

Read on twitter Kluber trade talks intensifying. Get it done Dodgers!

 

[macbk]

Winter Meetings >

 

[RyGuy45]

We're at that point where candidates with 6% of the regular vote are getting into the Hall.

Lee Smith and Harold Baines elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

Lee Smith and Harold Baines were voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday by a veterans committee tasked with deciding this year’s “Today’s Game Ballot.”

Smith got a perfect 16-for-16 on votes from the Today's Game committee. Baines earned 12 of the 16 votes, which is the exact 75 percent needed for induction.

Smith spent 15 years on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot but never finished higher than 50.6 percent of the vote. Baines peaked at 6.1 percent and fell off the ballot in 2011 after not getting the necessary 5 percent to stay on.

 

[CP1708]

We're at that point where candidates with 6% of the regular vote are getting into the Hall.

Niketalk HOF elections >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Real HOF elections.

 

[macbk]

https://thebiglead.com/2018/12/10/harold-baines-hall-of-fame/

I'm gonna be real honest with you guys. I'm 27 years old. Been watching baseball since I can remember. I legit have no clue who Harold Baines is. I've only heard of Lee Smith as the original "king of saves".

 

[nick.]

Could make a case for Smith.

Baines getting in, let alone before Edgar Martinez, is a travesty.

 

[RyGuy45]

Everything else aside, what this Banes entry does is completely change the HOF game. Everyone now has a real chance be let in and this is going to turn the hall on its head.

Tom Verducci:

But the attention here isn’t just about his election; it’s about how it influences many players on ballots for years to come. How do you now not put Rusty Staub in the Hall? (He had 2,716 hits and more than 600 more games in the outfield than Baines.) Omar Vizquel? (More hits than Baines, 2,877, and a far superior defensive component.) Al Oliver? (He had 2,743 hits and a greater WAR, more MVP votes and more Silver Sluggers than Baines.) Tommy John and Jim Kaat? (They have 288 and 283 wins, respectively, making them the Baines of starting pitchers.)

But don’t stop at compilers. Twelve months from now, Tommy John, Dave Parker, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy are likely to return to the Modern Baseball Era Committee ballot. Without exception, every year they were on the writers’ ballot with Baines all of them out-polled Baines.

Baines had two seasons with a WAR of at least 3.0. Two. That’s it. There are 791 players not in the Hall of Fame with more than two 3-WAR seasons.

Baines never had 200 hits, never scored 90 runs, never hit 30 homers, never hit 40 doubles, never finished in the top five in OPS, never finished in the top eight in MVP voting, rarely played defense for his final 15 seasons, and had a .313 OBP against lefthanded pitching.