Arena The Major League Baseball Thread

Amazing.

 

The irony is that his explanation of how easy a game like soccer is to understand is pretty much the reason why I personally don't care for the sport at all.

 

This is hilarious.
Reminds me of when I tried to get my ex GF (who is from Eastern Europe) into baseball and she got so pissed off by all the rules and everything and I kept trying to patiently explain the strike zone, foul balls, hits, putouts etc...and she got so mad I finally gave up.

As a soccer fan, baseball really angered her lmao.

 

so apparently this year they are modifying the baseballs for fewere home runs

i coulda swore manfred swore that there was nothing different about them to begin with

 

@JEDI-RISING

 

some players have no trade clauses. he is the first with a no mask clause

i just had to

 

id like a powerball ,,,er baseball contract

 

As always, everyone's missing the big news. Tim Tebow has retired.

Amazing.

 

I respect the hell out of what the Padres are doing with Tatis. They recognized early on they had something special, even before they got him from the White Sox, and they've treated him that way the entire team.

Counter to what most teams would do, they didn't manipulate his service time to extra "cheap", putting him on the roster on opening day back in 2019. And now, they haven't underpaid him for what the CBA allows them to do.

Yes, the numbers are eye-popping. Yes, the concerns of small sample size and injury are there. But if I was a Padres fan, I'd be happier about this than anything else they've done this off-season, or in recent years. I would have loved if Cleveland - after such a small sample size - would have given that contract to Lindor. Hell, I'd love if they gave it to Bieber right now.


Meanwhile, the broke owners will continue to give out contracts like this*, but only to the super mega stars. We'll continue to see The middle 70% squeezed out and given minimal contracts with minimal length and minimal security for the players. We'll continue to see the average player's career length be remarkably just short of service time needed to be a free agent.


*except in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Oakland, and Tampa Bay

 

This is going to keep happening as long as the top end contracts keep increasing and it's something I've been thinking about for a few years. There is no MLB middle class any more. Why give a mid-tier guy $10M when you can get 75% of their production for 5% of the cost? And if you're the mid-tier guy who thinks he's worth $15M instead of $10M, why take a multi year deal at a lower AAV instead of betting on yourself?

I'm glad I don't have to come up with the solution, because I have no idea what it is.

Amazing.

 

We forgot to mention that the first pitchers and catchers reported yesterday...

 

I think a lot of it @AmazingB on what happens now with the ball apparently finally being deflated. KBO stated that HR's were down 30% last year after they did something similar with the ball as well. So perhaps now the premium is going to be on contact pitchers and defense instead of HR hitters and power pitchers. Us Cubs fans are joking it since the team has a lot of contact pitchers with a defense that should be good. If that were happen perhaps the maga deals are not as useful there pay becomes more equal among the ranks.

And MLB announced today that AAA ball will begin on April 6th followed AA a month later:

 

See, I don't think it's going to work as intended. I get what they're going for, but if shifts didn't cause players to change their approach, I don't think this will. If there are fewer home runs hit, all that does is make each home run all the more valuable. I think we end up with the same approach by hitters, just slightly fewer home runs.

If you want to change hitters approach, you have to go back to building stadiums where center field is over 450 feet away and the power alleys are 400 feet and that's obviously not happening.

Amazing.

 

it's happening in the fodeuss!

 

i think either is fine, i'm no stickler.

 

The funny thing about Tatis Jr's contract, is when it's over, Bobby Bonilla will still be getting paid by the Mets.

 

you mean no more endless speculation on espn an foxsports1 and about his supernatural possibiliies?!