Martin Maldonado used an illegal bat in game one of the World Series. The bat was supplied to him by Albert Pujols. The Astros lost anyway and Justin Verlander now has the worst earned run average in World Series history.
Mike Trout, Taylor Ward, Luis Rengifo and Shohei Ohtani are finalists for the Silver Slugger Award.
The Orioles outrighted Chris Ellis and Aramis Garcia. The Tigers hired Mark Connor as their amateur scouting director. Veteran reliever David Robertson plans to pitch in 2023. We’ll see if anybody else plans for him to pitch. Nolan Arenado is going to stick with the Cardinals.
Joe Espada is no longer under consideration for the White Sox managerial position. The Royals are now considering Will Venable for their managerial opening.
Photo credit: Rex Fregosi
so the World Series could end November 6th. That’s messed up. The season is too long, the playoffs go on too long. By cracky, the World Series should start the first week in October.
Albert Piehole was always a cheat, but to many he was “All That”. I never, ever thought he was a “Clean Player” as his numbers were crazy good. He put up numbers never seen before, like Bonds and ARod and so many others. But the Writers’ will put him in the HOF and continue to diminish the institution. Ortiz, IRod, Piazza, etc. If you see numbers that were never earned by Ruth, Gehrig, Williams, Foxx, Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Bench and the others who played in smaller venues, then no matter how much you Loved, Worshipped and liked your favorite that played between 1991 and now there is a very high level of truth that they used PEDs. MLB and Selig choose poorly to look the other way, but they should have listened to Hank Aaron when he purposed allowing the cheaters to have their own wing in the HOF and acknowledge what was going on. But Bud was a Used Car Salesman who only cared about making money for his Bosses and not about the game like Landis. Every team had PED users, corked bats, substance to applied to balls pitched and other just as un-reputable circumstances going on. We had our share also such as Glaus and Spiezio and others. Remember that the more you hit the more you get paid. Follow the Money or follow it back and you will always find the Cheaters and Lair’s Club.
Putting up numbers never seen before?
Hmmm…
I wonder what steroids Trout and Ohtani are taking?
Secret Stuff.
Couldn’t he have cheated better for us!
Nope Due to TrAdition even our cheaters suck.
You didn’t read the article did you? Pujols didn’t cheat by using the bat. The bat was legal for anyone who entered MLB in 2010 or earlier, but players who joined after that (like Maldanodo) were subject to new rules for bats so it wasn’t legal for Maldonado to use.
It’s absurd that there are different bat rules for different players, but that’s a different issue.
Question for anyone privy to the inner workings of the Baseball Trade Values Adjusted Field Value calculation:
I understand that Rendon is a bad trade asset once we factor in his salary, but how is it possible that his AFV for the next 4 years is only 19.7? Are they basically assuming he will never play full seasons again?
For comparison, if I look at the AFV of Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt, who are two other geriatric corner infielders, we see that they have AFVs of 120.5 over 5 years and 62.8 over 2 years respectively.
I understand that Arenado and Goldschmidt have had great health their entire careers, but Arenado just turned 31 and Goldschmidt is already 34 (social security checks are already in the mail). How can anyone say they are expected to be great producers the upcoming years but not Rendon?
I wouldn’t be surprised if Rendon has a healthy 2023 coupled with great production and all of a sudden his AFV goes up. On the other hand, if Arenado tears his ACL next year I bet he will officially become an “Albatross”.
I found another old timer with a similar profile as Rendon. Freddie Freeman.
Same age as Rendon. Similarly unathletic. Similarly corner infielder. Similarly good On Base approach. Similar power.
Freddie has an AFV of 151.7 over the next 5 years.
AFV per year:
Rendon = 4.9
Arenado = 24.1
Goldschmidt = 31.4
Freeman = 30.3
To me this clearly points to the Angels needing to 100% keep Rendon at least until he plays healthy for a while. Furthermore, they can even move him to First Base (especially if Walsh isn’t back from his injury) to preserve his body more. Only then will his Adjusted Field Value magically correct itself.
Here’s their explanation for calculating player values. Basically they look at what a guy would get as a free agent. A 32 year old coming off multiple injury riddled years wouldn’t get much. Those other guys have been healthy so they get a higher value.
BTV does update their ratings a few times per year. There’s a shot that Rendon could get a boost after a few months of normal production. Of course, he’ll have to stay healthy and productive for a few months first.
Thank you for linking BTV’s explanation. I had read it already but failed to link it for everyone else.
Anyway, I agree with your take.
I think our best hope is for him to come back healthy and productive for some time before any talks of trying to trade him.
Because as we can see with the latest IIWPM posts, any trades involving Rendon this offseason are losing propositions.
Maybe the Dodgers will trade us Freeman for Rendon?
Sorry, just no comparison there.
Of course the Dodgers wouldn’t trade Freeman for Rendon. The two reasons are because Rendon’s contract is more expensive and he has been hurt the last two seasons.
However, I believe the Adjusted Field Value (as defined by Baseball Trade Values) of the two players could be similar if Rendon could shake off injuries for a while and prove he is not injury prone. Of course, that wouldn’t be enough to trade the players due to the pay discrepancy. Rendon will likely remain a negative trade asset for the remainder of his contract, just not as low as he stands now.
The point of my initial posts was simply to state that Rendon’s current trade value is crazy low because the projections for his future on field production are low. And undoubtedly these projections are only low because they project him to miss a lot of playing time due to injury. My bet is that if he plays healthy for even one season he won’t be listed as the worst trade asset in baseball anymore. That spot can go back to the rightful player, Giancarlo Stanton.
Agreed that it’s not likely that a player can have 4 times the negative value of the best player. This is where the simulator fails. You have to conclude that it considers the player untradeable so it’s pointless packaging him with positive values
It looks like the Phillies plan on starting Syndergaard if the game isn’t rained out.
If I am a Philly fan, I’d be nervous with Syndergaard trying to get by with painting the corners
Or Houston running on them.
Not sure if it was linked previously but Bill Shaikin asked Manfred about the Angels sale and was told the league is vetting interested bidders with background checks. Expects there to be multiple bidders which slows the process down. Doubtful its done by Opening Day.
If true, my guess is Ohtani will not be allowed to be traded while the sale is pending and the likelihood of him walking for nothing or being dealt in July for a seriously diminished return are the two most likely scenarios barring a dramatically improved Angels performance in 2023 with Nevin.
I’m tracking this too, no trade of Ohtani. That’s ok, Angels desperately need his pitching ability and I enjoy watching it. Even if it is for a limited time.
I’m still not all doom and gloom with Ohtani. Look in April/may last year, we were top 5 in baseball. If everyone is healthy and in the field this team can win. Winning creates culture, one in which Ohtani may want to stay in.
I’m with you although we can now see the April/May team last year overachieved. Too much swing and miss in this line-up. But with a couple under the radar FA signs and or minor trades, this team could take off. Sadly, I’m not confident in this GM and being a lame duck year with the sale transition, not sure how much the front office can and will make it happen.
The obvious reason why we sucked after May is because Rendon went down with injury!
When he plays 150 games this coming year all will be solved!
There is some truth to this though. When he was in and playing, we were winning.
Exactly. I’d rather take the bet that he can play and be productive than to sell him at an all-time low.
When guys go 2+ years being non-productive, the probability in equaling pervious max performance goes down, less than equal.
But can we find a way to keep him healthy? If we give him more days off, or DH more, then he’s on the field for longer in the season. Our manager is going to have to put in some work with Trout and Rendon this year and managing their workloads.
Players don’t get healthier or better when they age, except for Bonds and Ortiz, and you can’t do than anymore.
returns for Ohtani
Winter = ?
August = ?
adamantly against trading Ohtani this winter but what is your guess to “seriously diminished returns”?
seeing this year’s playoffs, Ohtani was pretty much way mo’ bettah than any other starter one all the playoff teams, their #1s included. That’s worth bunches in October.
So that’s worth a bunch of talent in August. To me that’s at least two top MLB prospects – especially when you add his middle of the order bat to your October line-up too.
How much more do you think he is worth this winter vs. August? Another player or two? If its me, i’d rather start the season with him and see what the club can do if everyone stays healthy.
And if we head to the playoffs in 2023, wouldn’t you want to roll in there with Ohtani on our side?
I wish I could be as optimistic as you, but I see a team that finished with one of our worst seasons in recent memory, after many seasons in a row where people thought “we’re decent, and a few pieces away from the playoffs” but that never happened.
And now the sale is probably going to mean the GM won’t spend enough to make any noticeable improvement over last year.
So for one, that makes it seem pretty unrealistic to predict playoffs for us next year.
Given that, it increases the odds then the Ohtani won’t want to stay.
Even if that is wrong, what if Ohtani would consider staying? Many people have wisely pointed out that giving him the contract he wants may be actually bad for this team. (e.g. a $50MM DH in 4 years?)
Obviously I can’t tell the future, and there are so many variables that many things could happen. But given what I just wrote, there seem to be a lot of factors that lean towards Ohtani not being here past 2023 (via either his decision or ours).
And that lead me to my “adamant” point that I have said many times:
It is absolutely inexcusable for the Angels to let Ohtani walk away for a draft pick a year from now.
Especially because odds are that his presence on the team for just 2023 won’t result in a serious playoff run. Having him around “to enjoy watching him play” for 2023 makes no sense to me. Especially reflecting on the haul that Soto returned. (No, I’m not claiming the haul for Ohtani will be equal.) But I am claiming that
[Ohtani haul] > [my enjoyment of watching him play for 2023]
Sadly I agree with you.
However, given the pending sale of the team, it is unlikely we can trade him this offseason. Therefore, we are likely to have him at least for the beginning of the season before we can look at trading him.
Given these lousy parameters, my ultimate optimistic prediction is:
1) We start the season hot again like 2021.
2) Rendon is healthy and productive again.
3) New ownership approaches Ohtani with grandiose plans for the future of the team.
4) Ohtani signs off on said plans and agrees to a 10 yr/$300 million contract, giving us a great hometown discount!.
5) All is right with the world.
I really really hope this comes true.
I would much rather have Ohtani on our team, and watch him stay an Angel for life, and be part of multiple post-seasons. He’d probably be one of the most famous players in baseball history, and everyone would remember the Angels as part of that (instead of all historical stories revolving around the Yankees, Red Sox or Dodgers). That is what the emotional side of me wants.
The part of me that wants to pretend to be GM and decide what we should do right now for the benefit of the future of the team, says otherwise.
I’d much prefer they would agree.
Right now you will probably not get a single top 20 MLB prospect for Ohtani strait up in trade. But you can still get a couple Top 100 guys. That return likely drops by 30% by the trade deadline. It’s not half cause he’d be a “lock up the play off race” move and that ads some value to that half season.
We may luck into a POGMOBOEIEIO who will desperately over pay a little for Ohtani, but the time we could get a huge haul for him has passed.
But hurray, we got to watch him in August and September.
I’m sure he could be traded, but any bidder would want to know if they’re bidding on a team with or without Ohtani.
Arte can actually ask them what they prefer. He probably has/will.
The MLB can stop a team from trading a player while they’re up for sale? Source? Soto? Unless there is a specific buyer who is buying the team but the owner’s approval isn’t done yet and said owner has told Arte not to trade Ohtani but for some reason Arte tries to trade him anyway? Because Andrew?
Sounds like desperate fan bullshit, but maybe there’s something I’ve never heard of. Examples?
Not that it matters. Signing Ohtani whether it’s smart or not is the extremely Arte thing to do. Starz.
What are you smoking dude?
I never implied MLB was holding up a trade. My thought was simply that Arte appears to be keeping Ohtani so that a new owner decides what to do with him and he’s not the guy who traded Shohei on his way out.
If the commissioner thinks the sale won’t close until after Opening Day, I do not see a new owner having the ability to call the shots on a trade or extension….therefore it will likely be the 2 scenarios I mentioned.
Ah. See, you mentioned Manfred… pending sale…. Ohtani not allowed to be traded… no mention of Arte anywhere.
The way sentences and paragraphs work it gives the impression that Manfred has something to do with not allowing a trade while a sale is pending. Which is why I was like “WTF? I’ve never heard of that.”
Pujols using an illegal bat. Not a surprise.
Pujols using an illegal bat with MLB approval. Not a surprise.
Pujols using an illegal bat with MLB approval given back in 2010. WTF?
Apparently gramps was grandfathered in, according to Manfred.
Grandfathered in his illegal bat, along with his steroid use…..
At least they used the right root word to describe him—grandfather
Looking at the massive difference between 35-40 year old David Ortiz and 35-40 year old Pujols, I doubt Pujols was still using at that stage.
***Except from Early July 2022 to October 2022 when Grandpa Geritol slashed .321/.384/.695 in 211 PAs
NEVER cut a cheater any slack. Once a cheater-always a cheater. Matters not-in Cards and Gambling-Race car Driving-Sports-Table games. Once rationalized they just keep going with it. Lying falls right in place with it.
its funny though how the shift will be outlawed right after gramps retired.
i think the shift hurt his decade more than anyone else’s.
Player/coach?
Which decade? The one he was born in or the one he claims to be born in?