The owners and the MLBPA came to an agreement, and there is a new 5-year collective bargaining agreement. Baseball is about to change some.
The winning league of the all-star game no longer gets homefield advantage in the World Series. It now goes to the team with the best record. This is a great change.
The 15-day DL is now the 10-day DL. This is a very good change as well, and a boon for the players.
The regular season will be lengthened by 5 days, to give more off days. I think this is a slightly bad thing for fans (would have preferred 2 or 3 days), but it's better for the players and probably slightly better for quality.
There is now a "phi base" between 2nd and 3rd that players must avoid. Weird change, but we'll see how it plays out.
The Athletics are being phased out of revenue sharing over the next 4 years. Hard to see this as anything other than punishment to the owners for the dump they play in.
The dirt on the warning track is being replaced with trampolines. It'll take some getting used to, for sure, but this is an unequivocal benefit to the game.
The compensation system is being drastically overhauled. Signing FAs will now only cost either a 2nd and 5th rounder or a 3rd rounder, depending on some spending/market thresholds.
Players will now run the opposite way around the bases in the 5th inning.
Teams have pledged to get to pre-1980s levels of emissions by 2021.
Major League Baseball no longer acknowledges the state of Montana.
Smokeless tobacco is now banned in clubhouses, though current players are grandfathered in.
Comments
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EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
You can’t leave first until you chug a beer.
Any man scoring has to chug a beer.
Chug a beer at the top of all odd-numbered innings.
And the fourth inning is the beer inning.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Who’s going to play Phi base? Wasn’t that the reason to expand the roster?
And what about the 17 minute break after the 9th in extra inning games?
Payne HertzQuote Reply
Blake DeWitt.
mylesQuote Reply
Hey, we know how to play softball
berseliusQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
No mention of the changes in indentured servitude for immigrants? (The American Ninja Warrior-style obstacle course—with bonus crocodiles and pythons—remains the same despite the rumors of a new final wall challenge.)
ceruleanQuote Reply
So that second rate ball club in Chicago made a pretty big trade today.
JonKneeVQuote Reply
Looks like the current offers for Fowler are in the range I expected. The Cubs should definitely sign him if that continues. If he gets more than 4/60ish, I’d probably pass.
dmick89Quote Reply
Muster ————–> passed
Wenningtons Gorilla CockQuote Reply
JonKneeV,
Chris Sale had a change of Sox.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I just hope he finds his new uniforms comfortable.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
That dude is a real cut-up in the clubhouse, I hear.
berseliusQuote Reply
Sounds like a Wade Davis deal is happening. Let’s see if it costs Soler.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
You would think that the biggest takaway from Davis’s success might be that you can find a dominant reliever from a mid range starter but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
berseliusQuote Reply
Maybe the Cubs are trying to get Duffy or Ventura as well. It’d be nice to see them pick up a starter.
PerkinsQuote Reply
berselius,
You can, just as you can win a lot of money by buying a bunch of lottery tickets.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I hope the Cubs don’t give up too much to get Davis. I think Davis is a great closer and probably worth what they might give up, but with two closers still available, I’d rather just spend the money and save the players for a deal for a starter.
dmick89Quote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
dmick89,
Considering what it took to get Sale, maybe the plan is to get Davis and turn Edwards and Monty into starters.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
I’m OK with that.
dmick89Quote Reply
cerulean,
I’m not sure that would be a good plan. I don’t think Edwards has a chance as a starter.
dmick89Quote Reply
For the record—kudos to Hahn for absolutely fleecing the BoSox. Damn. The Red Sox are effectively paying Sale $111M for 3 years. And they gave up the top prospect in all of baseball and a plausible SynderChapman. Crazy.
ceruleanQuote Reply
dmick89,
I was a joke. I wouldn’t be shocked to see him go three or four innings, maybe even a spot start, but I wonder about his health. I think he’d be effective enough, but I like him the superutility pitcher role.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
Considering the Cubs defense, I am curious about Ryan Williams and his seemingly elite sinker. (I wonder what the spinrate on it is.) He is a darkhorse candidate for an effective MLB pitcher. Maybe he could work with Cyle on a good change.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
Just sign Jansen and be done with it.
Do a prospect swap with LAD of Happ for De Leon.
Sign Ross for depth and maybe a Blevins for that lefty bullpen piece.
Trade Soler for another lefty plus a decent prospect.
Done.
ceruleanQuote Reply
This is false. I am not funny enough to be a joke.
ceruleanQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
I’m curious how trading for a second closer in 6 months is preferable to just paying money for Jansen or Chapman. That seems at odds with the front office’s MO.
I get wanting to extract value from Soler and clear the outfield logjam, but this is curious unless there’s also a SP coming back from the Royals as part of a bigger deal.
PerkinsQuote Reply
berselius,
That’s awful. WALK AWAY.
ceruleanQuote Reply
berselius,
I hope not. That would suck. Rosenthal seems to think it’s just Soler.
dmick89Quote Reply
Perkins,
Yeah, that only makes sense if others are coming back in addition Davis.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Yeah, I’d rather pay Chapman over $100 million and 6 or more years than give up a top prospect to get another closer at this point. Not that I want them to pay Chapman that much, but the Cubs just won the World Series. They have the money. They don’t have an endless supply of talent to trade away for closers who have little team control left.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Yeah, if Chapman (or Jansen) costs only money, that seems far preferable. And they have to be flush with cash from the World Series revenue, shitloads of merch, and what they’re going to rake in from ticket sales in 2017.
Also, whoever said tickets would increase by “a fuckload,” winner winner, chicken dinner. My season tickets are going up by 20%. I had been thinking of trying to get better seats, but not now.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Jansen would also cost a draft pick, but that’s less of a concern with the new CBA.
dmick89Quote Reply
If it’s just Soler, that’s fine. I’d make that trade, but I’d also go out and re-sign Fowler. If you’re letting Fowler walk without signing another outfielder, it would be nice to have Soler around as depth. That came in handy this past season and would likely again.
dmick89Quote Reply
Yeah, I’d do straight-up. There’s the Soler of our dreams and the Soler of reality, and the latter has just not been very good or healthy thus far. If there were a clear path to playing time for him, I’d be a little more willing to roll the dice one more year and see if he can break out, but at this point he’s buried in the depth chart and on the fast track to getting traded for Chris Coghlan by midseason. Better to get a Wade Davis for him while the Cubs still can.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Sounds like it’s a done deal. Sealed.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Pending physicals.
dmick89Quote Reply
dmick89,
Everyone, turn your heads and cough.
RynoQuote Reply
I need an adult.
mylesQuote Reply
I wouldn’t trade both Happ and Soler for Davis. I’m not sure I would trade Happ straight-up for Davis (though I could be persuaded, probably). I’m fine with Soler + a lotto ticket or two.
mylesQuote Reply
I wonder if we could trade Arrieta for Giolito.
mylesQuote Reply
I wouldn’t trade Happ straight up for Davis. Trading Soler is about as far as I’d be willing to go. I’m just surprised the royals couldn’t get more for him. If they’d waited until the deadline the Cubs would have given them their top 5 prospects.
dmick89Quote Reply
myles,
I’d make that trade.
dmick89Quote Reply
In a heartbeat, I’d make it. Wonder what it’d take.
mylesQuote Reply
myles,
giolito’s K/9 is way too high for this org
EnricoPallazzoQuote Reply
Trading Soler for one year of Wade Davis is the epitome of selling low. Idk why they’re doing this now. I think you could still get an elite reliever for Soler mid-season unless he’s had a season ending injury or sucks to the tune of .180/.200/.350.
If he bounces back like we’ve seen flashes of, you could get a starter for him.
The trade might work out just fine for the Cubs because Soler might not be very special. But he’s still young with relatively few plate appearances at the MLB level and could turn into someone much better than he has showed thus far.
JonKneeVQuote Reply
JonKneeV,
I thought he’d be part of a package for a cost-controlled starter, but I might be in the camp that is overvaluing Soler.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
JonKneeV,
The only time they’d not have sold low on Soler is after the 2014 season. He could become something special, but more than likely what you’ve seen is what he’ll be. I’m not overly thrilled about a second trade for a closer in 5 months, but I don’t think giving up Soler costs the Cubs anything other than depth. That of course proved valuable this past season.
I like the trade less if they don’t acquire another decent outfielder.
dmick89Quote Reply
I heard the best way to get rich is to invest in gold. Lots and lots of gold. The price might go to an all time high someday. It’s a proven fact that at somepoint, gold was cheaper than it is today. And I’m not just saying this because I sold my soul to the powerful Gold lobby.
EdwinQuote Reply
Ian Desmond —————-> Coors Field
5 years/70MM and the loss of the #11 overall pick.
Good to see the Rox add some offense. They always struggle to hit the ball.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
Gotta outslug the competition since they can’t seem to pitch.
Rice in limboQuote Reply
dmick89,
I doubt they acquire another outfielder. They already acquired Jay and the outfield is looking really crowded even with Soler leaving (especially if Baez gets regular playing time, and I think he should).
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I was hoping for that as well, but in retrospect I don’t know if that was realistic since the 2014-2015 offseason. Soler had a great half season in 2014, and a great postseason in 2015, but beyond that he’s been more potential than performance.
PerkinsQuote Reply
My main concerns with the Cubs for 2017:
Rotation depth, especially if one or more starters goes down
The proposed Jay/Almora platoon in CF (Heyward should start there)
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
TIL: Wade Davis is the second cousin of Jody Davis.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
I’m actually not sure that Baez should get more starting time. He still struggles at the plate, especially against RHP, so anything less than elite defense and he’s basically a replacement player. I like having him as a solid bench/platoon/spot starter, and as a late game sub. I’m not sure I like the idea of him getting 500+ PA a season though.
EdwinQuote Reply
The Cubs’ outfielders, ranked by my expectation of value per game played at that position:
Bryant
Heyward
Schwarber
Almora
Zobrist
Szczur
Jay
And Happ is waiting in the minors, for now.
This doesn’t include La Stella or Baez or Contreras or Strop (hehe) and also doesn’t factor in Candelario should an infielder and an outfielder go down.
The Bryant-Zobrist-Baez versatility means they have far more depth than we are giving credit.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Edwin,
He’s 24 years old and has improved his plate approach each year. If he produces at the same rate as last year he’s a very valuable player on offense.
One of his top comps on offense is Rickie Weeks. If Baez is close to Weeks with his bat and continues being Baez on defense, you have to get him in your lineup every day.
JonKneeVQuote Reply
Edwin,
Baez is a special enough defender to make even a subpar bat work.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Rizzo the Rat,
But is he a Cubs bullpenist?
RynoQuote Reply
JonKneeV,
I’m not sure his plate approach has actually improved. His O-Swing% was 42.9% last year, up from 39% the prior two seasons. His big thing last sesason was that his O-Contact% went from about 48% to 62%. His Swinging Strike% was better at 14.4%, but that’s still a lot of swing and miss. His BB% has also dropped every single season, and his ISO is only about .150 so far.
That being said, I feel like I have a terrible track record on Cubs prospects, so who knows.
EdwinQuote Reply
cerulean,
Maybe. It just seems to me like it’s putting an awful lot of high value on defense. Like I said, anything short of “special defense” or if the offense dips into “below subpar”, his value takes a nose-dive real fast.
EdwinQuote Reply
Also, Candelario, Zagunis, and Hannemann are all close if a lot of injuries happen—I assume Andreoli is gone in the Rule 5. Whether any of them stick is another story. However, if one of them does impress, there is a possible trade chip.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Edwin,
His defense is special. Where he loses value on defense seems to be on some decision making. Better decisions typically come with learning not to force plays that won’t be close, which for him are few.
ceruleanQuote Reply
Seriously. Is it done or nah?
RynoQuote Reply
B U L L P E N I S M I G H T I E R
ceruleanQuote Reply
Yes.
mylesQuote Reply
Davis-Soler trade officially official.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Royals Review’s take on the deal, which makes me really like it for the Cubs. Apparently, Soler is the worst thing every. (dying laughing)
http://www.royalsreview.com/2016/12/7/13866162/royals-get-weak-return-for-wade-davis
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
Smokestack Lightning,
It is a pretty weak return for Davis in my opinion. At the same time, it kind of irritates me the Cubs have given up this much for two closers over the last 5 months.
dmick89Quote Reply
If they don’t extend Davis, odds are they’re going to give up even more to acquire another closer next year because the odds are pretty good that Edwards is going to walk a lot more batters than he did in his call up this season.
dmick89Quote Reply
Especially with two closers still available on the free agent market.
dmick89Quote Reply
Yeah, I’m fine with the deal in ye olde proverbial vacuum, but I still hate this sort of trade in principle and would rather have just seen the Cubs spend money on Jansen or Chapman.
Otoh, money can now be spent elsewhere, and Davis, if healthy, should be every bit the equal of Jansen and Chapman.
Smokestack LightningQuote Reply
It’s nice to know that one-for-one trades still get made in this day and age.
Rizzo the RatQuote Reply
New Shit
http://obstructedview.net/cubs-acquire-wade-davis-divest-jorge-soler/
mylesQuote Reply