#Kyle Drabek

[niallodonohoe]

C's Rewind - How The Northwest Was Lost

C’s Rewind – How The Northwest Was Lost

[iloveyoupittsburghpirates-blog]

It Will Never Be The Same, Pittsburgh Pirates

My Dearest Pittsburgh Pirates, 

I wasn’t planning on writing you until Spring Training but obviously things have occurred that need to be addressed. It took me a couple days to get up the nerve to do this. It’s one of the hardest letters I’ll ever write even if it all was inevitable. In a matter of 48 hours, you traded away your number one pitcher and the face of your franchise. Gerrit Cole was shipped to the World Series champion Houston Astros and former MVP Andrew McCutchen is on his way to San Francisco. Brutal. I’ve been in favor of trading Cole because with two years left before free agency I knew his value would do nothing but decline especially if he had another mediocre season. You also have some decent options in the farm system to potentially replace Cole. You have nothing like that for Cutch except maybe for the under-performing and often hurt former first round pick, Austin Meadows. This is arguably the saddest moment as a Pirates’ fan since Sid slid in 1992 and the aftermath doesn’t seem anymore promising. Damn you, Pittsburgh Pirates.

The return for Cutch and Cole has been ridiculed beyond belief. Out of everything I can complain about in this situation, the return isn’t one of them. Cole netted you Joe Musgrove, a pitcher who flew through the minors in dominant fashion known for quality control and a high groundball rate before finally arriving in the majors only to crash and burn. He pitched decently when called up in 2016 with a 4.06 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP in ten starts. Last year was a disaster. As a starter, he had a 6.12 ERA and opponents had a .908 OPS against him. He was finally relegated to the bullpen where he seemed to get back on track posting a 1.44 ERA and lowering OPS against to .565. He’s thrown less than 200 innings in the majors so with the help of Ray Searage he could potentially still turn into a good starting pitcher. They also received a hard throwing reliever, Michael Feliz, who could be a nice compliment to Felipe Rivero at the back of the bullpen. He’s 24 and had a down season last year (5.63 ERA 1.56 WHIP) after being much better in 2016 (4.43 ERA 1.18 WHIP). The peripherals are interesting. His FIP in ’16 and ’17 were 3.24 and 3.78 respectively. The most interesting thing about him is his K’s/9 which both years were a ridiculously impressive 13.2 and 13.1. His 3.0 and 4.1 BB/9 aren’t but that’s something Searage can fix. They also received an OF prospect, Jason Martin, who was the Astros 15th best prospect. He’s got some pop and athleticism but the former 8th round pick projects as a 4th outfielder. 

The last piece, and the other focal point of this trade with Musgrove, is 3B Colin Moran. With Jung-ho Kang not returning, you were desperate to fill his spot. Moran will be givwn that chance. He’s 25 years old, he’s 6′4″, and he bats lefty which is a bonus when you play at PNC Park. Moran, another former 1st round pick, was the Astros 9th best prospect but he had a very interesting turn around last season. In 2016, Moran was in AAA and played in 117 games hitting 10 homers with an OPS of .697. Not very good by any standards. According to a very interesting article by Baseball America, Moran rebuilt his entire swing before last season and focused more on implementing launch angles, the trend that changed baseball. His results with the new swing were staggering: 79 games, 18 homers, and an OPS of .916. He added 175 points just to his slugging percentage. If he would have played a full season he might have hit 35 homers. That doesn’t guarantee it will translate to the majors but there’s certainly more hope. For a player like Cole, who has slipped from a top 20 pitcher a few years ago to more like a top 40 starter last year, I’m content with this return.

For Cutch, I was less hopeful simply because he only has one year left on his contract and his cost is more than double Cole’s. He had a bounce back season last year but that’s after the worst season of his career. The return for Cutch was modest at best. Kyle Crick is a hard throwing relief pitcher with control problems. Searage could fix him too and then Crick could join Rivero, Feliz, and Kontos to make up a pretty impressive bullpen. The other piece was another outfielder, Bryan Reynolds, who was the Giants 4th best prospect but they are also known to have one of the worst farm systems in baseball. I could argue you would have been better off keeping Cutch, letting him leave in free agency at the end of the year, and taking the compensatory draft pick. To be fair, you haven’t been good at drafting in that part of the first round (Conner Joe, anyone?) but it’s moot at this point anyway. The Cutch trade, even more than the Cole trade, designates the end of an era. An era that could have led to much more success if treated properly. Cutch is a generational player. From 2013-2015, you had a chance to go all in so maybe you didn’t end up in the Wildcard games against Bumgarner or Arrieta, the two best pitchers in the world at those moments. You were so worried about mortgaging the future that you didn’t do anything to enhance the roster. Now we are in the future and you seem like Old Mother Hubbard and only Mitch Keller is in the cupboard. In 2016, you made your most egregious error yet by starting the season with embarrassing options in the starting rotation (Locke, Nicasio, Voggelsong) which you declared as a bridge year. You can’t afford to have “bridge years” when the clock on Cutch and Cole is ticking. You never went all in so that you could protect the future and now in Cutch’s tenure you won a total of three playoff games, you only had three winning seasons, and the bevy of prospects you so carefully protected haven’t amounted to much. All this era will be remembered for now is a wasted opportunity.

That might be too harsh. I always liked Cole and our success in those seasons couldn’t have happened without him. When I look back on this team though, I’ll remember Cutch. Cutch was the first time a Pirates’ player was my favorite player since Barry Bonds. I was convinced for years that I would never see another winning season in my lifetime until Cutch came along. There’s many memories I’ll hold dear for the rest of my life. Obviously the Black Out game, the best Pirates’ memory in my life, doesn’t happen without him. Cutch’s walkoff homer against St. Louis when we were down 5-4 in extra innings in that series before the All Star break will probably the be the specific game moment I remember him for the most similarly to how I always remember Bonds’ walkoff homer off Lee Smith when his arms shot in the air off the crack of the bat. The one moment that stands out most was during a game I attended in San Diego. After a win, Cutch ran out to two young Pirates’ fans in center field. He reached up and handed them his batting gloves. The excitement and joy on those kids’ faces gets me emotional to this day. The one kid repeatedly yelled, “I love you” as Cutch trotted back to the dugout. It’s a moment that made me proud to be fan of the Pirates. Proud to tell people that Cutch was my favorite player. Proud that this was the face of our franchise. In my 34 years of life, I have seen seven winning seasons and one of those was in 1988 when I was five and can’t remember it. Three of those winning seasons were because of Bonds, Bonilla, Van Slyke, and Drabek. The other three were because of some good pitching but mostly Cutch. I live in LA so I might make it a point to go to a couple more Dodgers’ games when they play the Giants to watch him. I will always root for him. The only thing left to say to Cutch is thank you. Thank you for ending the losing streak. Thank you for giving Pirates’ fans a reason to cheer again. Thank you for being one of the best Pirates ever. You will be sorely missed, Cutch.

 P.S. unfortunately stands for Pittsburgh Steelers and I just can’t right now. Between these two trades and that game, it was a brutal weekend to be a Pittsburgh sports’ fan. Let’s Go Pens…

[goalhofer]

Last MLB Player To Wear Each Jersey Number: Toronto

1: Aledmys Diaz (2018)

2: Clayton Richard (2019-present)

3: Brandon Drury (2019-present)

4: Kyle Drabek (2010-14)

5: Eric Sogard (2019-present)

6: Marcus Stroman (2014-present)

7: Richard Urena (2017-present)

8: Cavan Biggio (2019-present)

9: Danny Jansen (2018-present)

10: Reese McGuire (2019-present)

11: Kevin Pillar (2014-19)

12: Edwin Encarnacion(2010)(retired for Robbie Alomar 2011)

13: Lourdes Gourriel; Jr. (2018-present)

14: Justin Smoak (2015-present)

15: Randal Grichuk (2018-present)

16: Freddy Galvis (2019-present)

17: Ryan Goins (2013-17)

18: Curtis Granderson; Jr. (2018)

19: Jose Bautista (2010-17)

20: Josh Donaldson (2015-18)

21: Luke Maile (2017-present)

22: David Paulino (2018-present)

23: Dalton Pompey (2018-present)

24: Danny Barnes (2016-18)

25: Marco Estrada (2015-18)

26: Yangervis Solarte (2018)

27: Vladimir Guerrero; Jr. (2019-present)

28: Billy McKinney (2018-present)

29: Devon Travis (2015-present)

30: Anthony Alford (2017-present)

31: Joe Biagini (2016-present)

32: Scott Diamond (2016)(retired for Roy Halladay 2018)

33: Edwin Jackson (2019-present)

34: Matt Shoemaker (2019-present)

35: David Phelps (2019-present)

36: Clay Buchholz (2019-present)

37: Teoscar Hernandez (2017-present)

38: Carlos Ramirez (2017-18)

39: Jake Petricka (2018)

40: Brian Wolfe (2007-09)

41: Aaron Sanchez (2014-present)

42: Frank Thomas; Jr. (2008)(retired league wide for Jackie Robinson 1997)

43: Sam Gaviglio (2018-present)

44: Ryan Tellez (2019-present)

45: Thomas Pannone (2018-present)

46: Daniel Hudson (2019-present)

47: Brandon Cumpton (2018)

48: William McGuire (2018)

49: Jonathan Davis (2019-present)

50: Justin Shafer (2018-present)

51: Ken Giles (2018-present)

52: Dennis Tapera (2015-present)

53: Joaquin Benoit (2016)

54: Sean Reid-Foley (2018-present)

55: Russell Martin; Jr. (2015-18)

56: Ryan Borucki (2018-present)

57: Trent Thornton (2019-present)

58: Tim Mayza (2017-present)

59: Julian Merryweather (2018-present)

60: Leonel Campos (2017)

61: Mpho Ngoepe (2018)

62: Jacob Waguespack (2019-present)

63: Hector Perez (2019-present)

64: Derek Law (2019-present)

65: Elvis Luciano (2019-present)

66: Kawasaki Munenori (2013-15)

67: Jonathan Davis (2018)

68: Ryan Tellez (2018)

69: Peter Munro (1999)

70: Reese McGuire (2018)

71: Luis Santos (2017-18)

72: Never issued

73: Never issued

74: Never issued

75: Never issued

76: Never issued

77: John Axford (2018)

78: Never issued

79: Never issued

80: Never issued

81: Never issued

82: Never issued

83: Never issued

84: Never issued

85: Never issued

86: Never issued

87: Never issued

88: Never issued

89: Never issued

90: Never issued

91: Never issued

92: Never issued

93: Never issued

94: Never issued

95: Never issued

96: Never issued

97: Never issued

98: Never issued

99: Never issued

[flauntpage]

Report: Phillies Acquire Realmuto for Sanchez, Alfaro, Stewart

I have to say, I absolutely did not see this trade getting to the finish line, but the Phillies have reportedly struck a deal with the Miami Marlins for catcher J.T. Realmuto:

Realmuto to #Phillies is finalized. Alfaro, Sanchez, Will Stewart going to #Marlins. 3-player package

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 7, 2019

The Phils also kicked in an international bonus slot.

Tucked away in the depths of baseball anonymity with the Marlins since his Major League debut in 2014, the 27-year-old Realmuto has emerged in recent seasons as one of baseball’s best catchers. He led all catchers in fWAR a season ago, slashing .277/.340/.484 over 125 games. Throw in 30 doubles, 21 homers, and 74 RBIs from a guy who primarily worked behind the dish on a talent-deprived team in a pitcher-friendly park, and it’s not hard to imagine those numbers will only increase with the Phillies. And it’s not just about the offense. He also has an excellent arm. According to MLB StatCast, his 1.90 second pop time was the best of any catcher that attempted at least five throws to second base last season. The man can run, too:

.@JTRealmuto turned on the jets – and it paid off big time. pic.twitter.com/22DSxU5d8Q

— MLB (@MLB) August 24, 2017

That’s the good news. Now the bad.

The package of prospects including top prospect Sixto Sanchez, Jorge Alfaro, and minor league pitcher Will Stewart is a steep price to pay for Realmuto’s two remaining years of control, and one that, frankly, feels like a lot. Here’s what I wrote yesterday when word of a possible deal first broke:

It’s not that Sanchez should be untouchable, but I don’t view the upgrade from Alfaro to Realmuto worth the value of the Phillies’ top overall prospect. Look at it this way. At Realmuto’s peak value, he’s probably a three-win upgrade from Alfaro. Is that move, with a roster that’s not yet a viable contender sans Harper/Machado, worth punting on a 20-year-old pitcher that has elite front-end starter potential, or selling short on what such potential could fetch in return? That’s a no for me.

Maybe it works out, but my initial reaction is that this feels like a little bit of a reach. This is not to say that Sanchez is on the brink of becoming the next Pedro Martinez. There are both injury concerns to consider and the lack of certainty regarding what a 20-year-old prospect will ultimately become:

Evaluator: “i would not feel good at all about acquiring Sixto Sanchez” because of injury concerns

— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) February 7, 2019

Plus, prospects bust. Dom Brown. Kyle Drabek. We’ve been down this road before. In fact, I will readily concede that Philadelphia sports fans, particularly The Process crowd :::ducks:::, have generally come to overvalue assets and unknown entities. Still, I’m not sure the value of these particular prospects is best utilized by whatever the upgrade is by going from Alfaro to Realmuto. Seemingly, unless the injury concerns from the Phillies are significant enough that the team has reason to believe Sanchez won’t pan out, one would think there would be a better deal, particularly in a climate where teams value youth/control.

To me, the overall evaluation of this trade is not independent of how the Harper and Machado sagas play out. Was the addition of Realmuto THE MOVE, one that serves as spin, compensating for what would surely be a sense of disappointment should they miss out on one of these guys, or the precursor to a blockbuster signing of a superstar in the coming days that will make the Phillies the team to fucking beat once again? If that’s the case, then screw it, I’m in. Let’s go. But until we have that answer, it’s tough to fully gauge the deal. What we do know right now is that the Phillies just got better in the short-term, we just don’t know at what cost.

The post Report: Phillies Acquire Realmuto for Sanchez, Alfaro, Stewart appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Report: Phillies Acquire Realmuto for Sanchez, Alfaro, Stewart published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[lilylyonsaq6]

Buy it on Amazon - http://ift.tt/2F5HToX - Cheap Toronto Blue Jays 2013 Team Autographed Signed Home Plate -- Click the link to buy now or to read the 188 4 & 5 Star Reviews.Subscribe to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd9Ab35pJ6VSAbw4QAPdBGw?sub_confirmation=1 Like us on Facebook for videos, pictures, coupons, prizes and more - http://ift.tt/2wCDdi2 Cheap Toronto Blue Jays 2013 Team Autographed Signed Home Plate I absolutely love this product. Got this for my cousin and everyone is happy. ... Reviewer : Mia Loved this, had been searching for a good quality at a reasonable price and was not disappointed. ... Reviewer : Ethan Click http://ift.tt/2F5HToX to buy now on Amazon or to read more reviews. Measures 11-1/2 x 11-1/2 - Precut Slot on Back for Easy Hanging Autographs were obtained Blue Jays Spring Training and at the team hotel in Cleveland in July 2013. 18 Total Signatures: John Gibbons, Jose Reyes, Munenori Kawasaki, Josh Thole, Mark DeRosa, Steve Delabar, Brett Cecil, J.A. Happ, Aaron Loup, Kyle Drabek, Brad Lincoln, Chad Jenkins, Dustin McGowan, Darren Oliver, Juan Perez, Todd Redmond, Sergio Santos and Chad Mottola Plate is made out of Wood - Blue Jays Logo is Engraved After days of research, bit the proverbial bullet and bought this as a gift. My better half could not be happier with it. ... Reviewer : Emily Click http://ift.tt/2F5HToX to buy now on Amazon or to read more reviews. ***Let Us Know What You Think… Comment Below!!*** Watch my other review Videos – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd9Ab35pJ6VSAbw4QAPdBGw Subscribe to our Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd9Ab35pJ6VSAbw4QAPdBGw?sub_confirmation=1 Like us on Facebook for videos, pictures, coupons, prizes and more - http://ift.tt/2wCDdi2 #Toronto Blue Jays 2013 Team Autographed Signed Home Plate This is a review video for : B00JWZ3M0Y Related Videos in Channel

[amtushinfosolutionspage]

Blue Jays Mailbag: Baseball Bloodlines, Osuna’s Salary, the Future in CF

This article originally appeared on VICE Sports Canada.

Andrew Stoeten answers your questions in our Blue Jays Mailbag, which runs weekly at VICE Sports. You can send him questions at stoeten@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter.

The Blue Jays’ season is still going. I couldn’t blame you for having tuned out a while ago, but the team is still theoretically in it, and, therefore, still capable of kicking us in our guts, the way that they did against Houston on Sunday.

But who wants to talk about that? Surely not I! And evidently not our fine mailbag readers, either, as we’ve got a fresh batch of questions that mostly look forward to 2018—or, at the very least, to possible August trades.

A legitimate playoff race sure would be more fun, but we can make do! So let’s do it!

If you have a Blue Jays question you’d like me to tackle for next week, be sure to send it to stoeten@gmail.com. As always, I have not read any of Griff’s answers.

For what Osuna could bring back this offseason vs. how expensive (saves) he is going to get, do you think it’s worth dealing him? Adam

I’m definitely of the mind that a great closer is worth more to an elite team than he is to one a tier or two below that, which seems to be where the Blue Jays are destined to end up in 2018. So I’d absolutely explore trading him—though the team’s best shot to really cash in on him may have been at the trade deadline that just passed, especially with the way he’s looked since then. But there are two things, in particular, that give me pause about this idea.

One is that the Jays simply aren’t as far away from being good as it feels. Twitter’s @James_in_to pointed out on Monday that the Jays have lost five games leading with two outs in the 9th—and if they’d recorded those five outs they would be 57-54 and tied for the wild card. With the right tweaks—and there are obvious places they’re not getting value this year (right field and second base)—they can still be pretty good.

The other is the fact that Osuna isn’t due to get that expensive. He’ll pass through arbitration for the first time this winter. The record contract for a first-time-eligible reliever, according to MLB Trade Rumors, still belongs to Jonathan Papelbon, who made $6.5 million in 2009 on the back of his outstanding first three seasons in the big leagues. Osuna has been outstanding, especially in the areas that get relievers paid in arbitration, picking up 84 saves and pitching to a 2.84 ERA in his first three seasons. But Papelbon went to arbitration for the first time with 113 saves and a 1.70 ERA. Osuna should come in lower than that.

The record for a second pass through arbitration also belongs to Papelbon, who went up to $9.35 million in 2010 after a 38-save 2009 season. But he faltered slightly that season (he still had plenty of saves, but his ERA jumped to 3.90), and doesn’t hold the record for a third-time-eligible reliever. That goes to O’s closer Zach Britton, who after his incredible 2016 season was left on the bench in the wild-card game by Buck Showalter LOLOLOLOL made $11.4 million this year.

Osuna will start getting paid, but nothing the deep-pocketed Blue Jays can’t afford. Photo by Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

That’s not even all that expensive, and those are records Osuna almost certainly won’t quite reach.

More importantly, the Jays should never be trading a player because of how expensive he’s going to get. If a trade presented itself that would make the team better, sure. But moving him out of fear of the cost? This is Toronto, not Tampa Bay.

—

If the Jays were to fill LF, RF, and one SP spot internally (Biagini, Hernandez, Pearce, Zeke/Smith). Where could the 30M go? Adrian

Giancarlo?

—

Do bloodlines artificially inflate prospect value? Bo Bichette and Vlad Jr. are media darlings, how much do their last names feed that? Neel

Honestly? I don’t think very much.

I mean, I’m sure there’s an element with Vlad Jr. that has fueled hype among fans, because of who Vlad Sr. was in this country, and how much Vladito reminds us of his pop, physically (though Jr. actually controls the hell out of the strike zone, rather than relying on his ability to barrel pitches off a bounce). But, no disrespect to a guy who had a really nice career, I don’t think people are in a lather about Bichette because he’s the son of Dante.

Bo Bichette at last month’s Futures Game. Photo by Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The Jays have Cavan Biggio in the system, and now Kacy Clemens, who despite their Hall of Fame names don’t get a fraction of the hype the other two do. That’s because they haven’t done anything to deserve it.

The reason you hear so much about Guerrero and Bichette is that they’re really, really, really good. The same reason you heard about Travis Snider as a prospect, or Aaron Sanchez and Noah Syndergaard, or Brett Lawrie, or all the other much-hyped prospects we’ve heard of through the years (Kyle Drabek was hyped on merit, too—merit at the time, that is). Relax and enjoy it.

—

Is Kevin Pillar the answer at CF with Alford and possibly Pompey coming up soon, or even a FA replacement? Craig

The Jays will need to see Pompey and Alford healthy first before they can make that determination (and I think it’s still probably a little early to be putting Alford in the bigs, since he missed so much development time during his college football career, and really was only promoted to the big leagues because of guys getting injured ahead of him on the depth chart). But yeah… Pillar…

April and early May sure were great months for Kevin Pillar, weren’t they? Since then, though, it’s been awful having to watch him come to the plate every day. And if that feels harsh, a quick perusal of his numbers should set you straight.

Since May 20, the day he returned from his suspension for using a homophobic slur, Pillar has slashed .206/.256/.328. That’s good for a wRC+ of just 52. Over the last two calendar years, among the 125 players to have come to the plate at least 1000 times, Pillar’s wRC+ of 87 ranks 120th.

It’s been a rough ride for Pillar after his hot start. Photo by Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

You can live with a wRC+ in the 90 range when you get the kind of value Pillar provided on the base paths and in the outfield in 2015 and 2016, but that just hasn’t been the case for him this year. He’s been a run below average on the bases this year—he was two runs above last year and eight runs above in 2015—and defensively he’s been merely very good, as opposed to elite-elite-elite. His UZR in center field this season is 6.2, as compared to 21.4 last year, and 14 the year before that.

I must admit, it’s hard to envision someone like Pompey or Alford, or anybody, being much worse than this version of Pillar—even though the glove has brought him up to 1.3 WAR on the season—but that seems to me like an issue the club would prefer to have those players force, rather than simply handing them the job and ditching the incumbent. The bar isn’t exactly set high, so it’s entirely possible we could see those guys—or Teoscar Hernandez—take Pillar’s job at some point next season. I’d be surprised if they went another way before that, though. Unless some team actually wanted to give them something good for him.

—

The rumours of Dee Gordon had me excited. We need team speed badly. Do you see the Jays getting faster for next season? That Far Cry Guy

Good Lord. For the life of me, I will never understand Blue Jays fans and their obsession with speed. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly a useful element of the game—I’m not saying avoid players who might steal a few more bases and beat out a few more double plays than the guys currently on the Jays are capable of—but let’s not act like it’s a fucking panacea. The Jays need more good players, not more fast ones.

WATCH: VICE Sports Meets Dee Gordon

If being fast is part of what makes someone good—like Gordon—then that’s great, but there’s no need to elevate it into some kind of extra special force out there on the diamond. We know pretty well what Gordon’s speed is worth—FanGraphs’ all encompassing baserunning metric, BsR, pegs him at 6.6 runs above average this season. Impressively, that’s the third-best mark in the league. But it only can do so much, as their explainer on the stat tells us:

BsR is like any other run value statistic available on FanGraphs in that it tells you the number of runs above or below average a player is at that particular aspect of the game. As usual, zero is league average for that particular year and every nine or ten runs above or below average is equal to about one win.

Gordon’s speed on the basepaths has been worth less than a win this season. His speed bleeds into his athleticism as a defender, and that’s helped make him even more valuable. But this stuff—especially at second base or in left field—can only go so far. Being able to hit the baseball is still pretty important. And the disruptive powers speedsters wield when they’re on base isn’t as significant as you think—they often end up distracting the hitters behind them as much as they do the opposing pitcher, or more.

Sure, in a perfect world, you’d like a Mike Trout at every position: fast, athletic, with an otherworldly bat. In reality, teams have to make compromises. And if that means compromising speed for the ability to hit because it means getting a better player overall—like when the Jays, who themselves admit their long-term aim is to get younger and more athletic, still went and brought in Steve Pearce and Kendrys Morales—that’s completely fine.

That’s three solid starts in a row now for Marco! Can we confidently say his struggles seem to be behind him now? Kate

The fact that he did so well against a really strong Houston lineup over the weekend certainly seems to bode well. It certainly bodes much better (if we’re talking about boding) than pitching well against the A’s and the White Sox did.

I’m not sure that three starts is enough to say that he’s back to being “Good Marco,” but I’d imagine that there are teams still looking to add some starting pitching that have taken notice. His next three starts are likely to be against the Yankees, Rays, and Cubs. Those should be telling.

—

Does Estrada have more value as an August trade chip or a buy low signing for the Jays? Leemo Legs

Why not both?

Estrada will have something to play for down the stretch even if the Blue Jays don’t. Photo by Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

I mean, yes, there’s a chance that Estrada pitches his free agent value back up over the next couple of months—especially if he does it after being moved to a contender and into the playoffs. But he’ll still look like exactly the kind of mid-tier veteran starter with upside beyond his likely salary that the Jays will be targeting this winter.

—

If Marco Estrada is a WWE Champion who wins a Blue Jays Royal Rumble? Jordan

This is obviously a reference to this picture of Estrada holding the WWE title belt at ringside Monday night at the Air Canada Centre. It’s actually a pretty interesting question, because the guy who would be the odds-on favourite based solely on the Jays’ listed heights and weights would be Joe Biagini, who at 6’5″ is tied for the tallest player on the club, and at 240 pounds, outweighs Kendrys Morales (who is only 6’1″) by 15 pounds, and the 6’4″ Justin Smoak by 20. Of course, height and weight alone do not make a Royal Rumble champion (plus, Biagini is not technically a Blue Jay at the moment), but he’d be hard as hell to get out of the ring, even if he didn’t particularly want to be there.

Blue Jays Mailbag: Baseball Bloodlines, Osuna’s Salary, the Future in CF syndicated from http://ift.tt/2ug2Ns6

[theredhairing40]

versatility

The Blogger: What's wrong with baseball players being versatile?

Strange Boy: Versatile???

The Blogger: Having the ability to play different positions, and having the ability to hit, and pitch when needed.

Strange Boy: Who was known to do both? (Modern day wise)

The Blogger: Rick Ankiel is an example, and also Micah Owings, and Kyle Drabek.

Strange Boy: Ankiel and Drabek converted to position players though.

The Blogger: Yep... Drabek a second basemen, and Ankiel an outfielder.

Strange Boy: What I find interesting is when they have position players pitch an inning or two. John Baker back in 2012 or 2013 is a good example.

The Blogger: That was the Cubs game against the Rockies that lasted 6.5 hours -_-

Strange Boy: At least he got the win didn't he?

The Blogger: Yeah :o

[brianhrdss]

(Sugar Land, TX– April 24, 2017) – The Bridgeport Bluefish (3-2) defeated the Sugar Land Skeeters (2-3) 2-0 at Constellation Field on Monday evening and have now taken three of the first five games in the season opening seven-game series. The Bluefish pitching staff registers their first shutout of 2017, and have allowed just one unearned run in the last 18 innings pitched overall. Bridgeport scored right away off Sugar Land Starting Pitcher Kyle Drabek in the top half of the first inning when Jose Cuevas hustled down the line from third base on a wild pitch thrown by Drabek with two men out for the game’s first run. The ‘Fish added an insurance run in the top half of the third again off Drabek on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Sean Burroughs, plating Cuevas to make it 2-0 in favor of the visitors. The rest of the night belonged to Bridgeport Starting Pitcher Rainy Lara, as he faced the minimum in the first three innings before the Skeeters got their first hit of the night on a clean single by Jeremy Barfield with two outs in the top of the fourth. Lara was helped out all night long by his defense, who turned two double plays behind him, while centerfielder Daniel Fields made a tremendous diving catch as well to take a base hit away from Derrick Pyles to open up the home half of the sixth inning. Lara then handed the baseball off to his bullpen, and the dynamic duo of Zac Grotz and David Carpenter retired all six batters they faced, with Grotz striking out the side in the eighth and Carpenter shutting the door in the ninth for his second save. Lara (1-0) earned the victory, firing five seven scoreless innings, giving up just three hits, walking one, striking out three. Drabek (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing two runs on four hits, walking one, striking out three and throwing a wild pitch. Alberto Callaspo led the offensive attack for Bridgeport with three hits. Bridgeport returns home for the first time in the 2017 regular season following their seven game road trip on Friday, April 28th when they host the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard. First pitch on Opening Day is scheduled for 4:05. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive schedule posters presented by the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

[woodlandsstuctr]

31 AUGUST 2015: Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (44) during a regular season Major League Baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. *****For Editorial Use Only*****

18 APRIL 2015: Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Kyle Drabek (51) is set to deliver a pitch during a regular season game between the Chicago White Sox and the Detroit Tigers played at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI.

On Monday, the Arizona Diamondbacks signed former first-round pick and right-handed pitcher Kyle Drabek to a minor league contract. That news didn’t stop any presses, nor did it shake up the baseball world–nor should it have. But it was pretty cool nonetheless.

The move potentially reunited two high school teammates who played on a state championship team and many publications also crowned them the 2006 national high school champions. click here for complete story

Baseball: Drabek looking for return to glory with Goldschmidt On Monday, the Arizona Diamondbacks signed former first-round pick and right-handed pitcher Kyle Drabek to a minor league contract.

[howtallcelebrity-blog]

All about Kyle Drabek : height, biography, quotes

How tall is Kyle Drabek

See at http://www.heightcelebs.com/2015/11/kyle-drabek/

for Kyle Drabek Height

Kyle Drabek's height is 6ft 1in (1.85 m) Kyle Jordan Drabek (born December 8, 1987) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago White Sox organization. He made his first major league start with the Toronto Blue Jays on September 15, 2010 against the Baltimore...

[flauntpage]

Report: Phillies Acquire Realmuto for Sanchez, Alfaro, Stewart

I have to say, I absolutely did not see this trade getting to the finish line, but the Phillies have reportedly struck a deal with the Miami Marlins for catcher J.T. Realmuto:

Realmuto to #Phillies is finalized. Alfaro, Sanchez, Will Stewart going to #Marlins. 3-player package

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 7, 2019

The Phils also kicked in an international bonus slot.

Tucked away in the depths of baseball anonymity with the Marlins since his Major League debut in 2014, the 27-year-old Realmuto has emerged in recent seasons as one of baseball’s best catchers. He led all catchers in fWAR a season ago, slashing .277/.340/.484 over 125 games. Throw in 30 doubles, 21 homers, and 74 RBIs from a guy who primarily worked behind the dish on a talent-deprived team in a pitcher-friendly park, and it’s not hard to imagine those numbers will only increase with the Phillies. And it’s not just about the offense. He also has an excellent arm. According to MLB StatCast, his 1.90 second pop time was the best of any catcher that attempted at least five throws to second base last season. The man can run, too:

.@JTRealmuto turned on the jets – and it paid off big time. pic.twitter.com/22DSxU5d8Q

— MLB (@MLB) August 24, 2017

That’s the good news. Now the bad.

The package of prospects including top prospect Sixto Sanchez, Jorge Alfaro, and minor league pitcher Will Stewart is a steep price to pay for Realmuto’s two remaining years of control, and one that, frankly, feels like a lot. Here’s what I wrote yesterday when word of a possible deal first broke:

It’s not that Sanchez should be untouchable, but I don’t view the upgrade from Alfaro to Realmuto worth the value of the Phillies’ top overall prospect. Look at it this way. At Realmuto’s peak value, he’s probably a three-win upgrade from Alfaro. Is that move, with a roster that’s not yet a viable contender sans Harper/Machado, worth punting on a 20-year-old pitcher that has elite front-end starter potential, or selling short on what such potential could fetch in return? That’s a no for me.

Maybe it works out, but my initial reaction is that this feels like a little bit of a reach. This is not to say that Sanchez is on the brink of becoming the next Pedro Martinez. There are both injury concerns to consider and the lack of certainty regarding what a 20-year-old prospect will ultimately become:

Evaluator: “i would not feel good at all about acquiring Sixto Sanchez” because of injury concerns

— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) February 7, 2019

Plus, prospects bust. Dom Brown. Kyle Drabek. We’ve been down this road before. In fact, I will readily concede that Philadelphia sports fans, particularly The Process crowd :::ducks:::, have generally come to overvalue assets and unknown entities. Still, I’m not sure the value of these particular prospects is best utilized by whatever the upgrade is by going from Alfaro to Realmuto. Seemingly, unless the injury concerns from the Phillies are significant enough that the team has reason to believe Sanchez won’t pan out, one would think there would be a better deal, particularly in a climate where teams value youth/control.

To me, the overall evaluation of this trade is not independent of how the Harper and Machado sagas play out. Was the addition of Realmuto THE MOVE, one that serves as spin, compensating for what would surely be a sense of disappointment should they miss out on one of these guys, or the precursor to a blockbuster signing of a superstar in the coming days that will make the Phillies the team to fucking beat once again? If that’s the case, then screw it, I’m in. Let’s go. But until we have that answer, it’s tough to fully gauge the deal. What we do know right now is that the Phillies just got better in the short-term, we just don’t know at what cost.

The post Report: Phillies Acquire Realmuto for Sanchez, Alfaro, Stewart appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Report: Phillies Acquire Realmuto for Sanchez, Alfaro, Stewart published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[imissbeingyoung-blog]

think of it as they're taking a badly timed vacation...

[flauntpage]

Report: Phillies Acquire Realmuto for Sanchez, Alfaro, Stewart

I have to say, I absolutely did not see this trade getting to the finish line, but the Phillies have reportedly struck a deal with the Miami Marlins for catcher J.T. Realmuto:

Realmuto to #Phillies is finalized. Alfaro, Sanchez, Will Stewart going to #Marlins. 3-player package

— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) February 7, 2019

The Phils also kicked in an international bonus slot.

Tucked away in the depths of baseball anonymity with the Marlins since his Major League debut in 2014, the 27-year-old Realmuto has emerged in recent seasons as one of baseball’s best catchers. He led all catchers in fWAR a season ago, slashing .277/.340/.484 over 125 games. Throw in 30 doubles, 21 homers, and 74 RBIs from a guy who primarily worked behind the dish on a talent-deprived team in a pitcher-friendly park, and it’s not hard to imagine those numbers will only increase with the Phillies. And it’s not just about the offense. He also has an excellent arm. According to MLB StatCast, his 1.90 second pop time was the best of any catcher that attempted at least five throws to second base last season. The man can run, too:

.@JTRealmuto turned on the jets – and it paid off big time. pic.twitter.com/22DSxU5d8Q

— MLB (@MLB) August 24, 2017

That’s the good news. Now the bad.

The package of prospects including top prospect Sixto Sanchez, Jorge Alfaro, and minor league pitcher Will Stewart is a steep price to pay for Realmuto’s two remaining years of control, and one that, frankly, feels like a lot. Here’s what I wrote yesterday when word of a possible deal first broke:

It’s not that Sanchez should be untouchable, but I don’t view the upgrade from Alfaro to Realmuto worth the value of the Phillies’ top overall prospect. Look at it this way. At Realmuto’s peak value, he’s probably a three-win upgrade from Alfaro. Is that move, with a roster that’s not yet a viable contender sans Harper/Machado, worth punting on a 20-year-old pitcher that has elite front-end starter potential, or selling short on what such potential could fetch in return? That’s a no for me.

Maybe it works out, but my initial reaction is that this feels like a little bit of a reach. This is not to say that Sanchez is on the brink of becoming the next Pedro Martinez. There are both injury concerns to consider and the lack of certainty regarding what a 20-year-old prospect will ultimately become:

Evaluator: “i would not feel good at all about acquiring Sixto Sanchez” because of injury concerns

— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) February 7, 2019

Plus, prospects bust. Dom Brown. Kyle Drabek. We’ve been down this road before. In fact, I will readily concede that Philadelphia sports fans, particularly The Process crowd :::ducks:::, have generally come to overvalue assets and unknown entities. Still, I’m not sure the value of these particular prospects is best utilized by whatever the upgrade is by going from Alfaro to Realmuto. Seemingly, unless the injury concerns from the Phillies are significant enough that the team has reason to believe Sanchez won’t pan out, one would think there would be a better deal, particularly in a climate where teams value youth/control.

To me, the overall evaluation of this trade is not independent of how the Harper and Machado sagas play out. Was the addition of Realmuto THE MOVE, one that serves as spin, compensating for what would surely be a sense of disappointment should they miss out on one of these guys, or the precursor to a blockbuster signing of a superstar in the coming days that will make the Phillies the team to fucking beat once again? If that’s the case, then screw it, I’m in. Let’s go. But until we have that answer, it’s tough to fully gauge the deal. What we do know right now is that the Phillies just got better in the short-term, we just don’t know at what cost.

The post Report: Phillies Acquire Realmuto for Sanchez, Alfaro, Stewart appeared first on Crossing Broad.

Report: Phillies Acquire Realmuto for Sanchez, Alfaro, Stewart published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/