I’m surprised about the rumors over Jordan Hicks signing an extension with StL. Though maybe firing Matheny after the hazing stories came out solved some of that.
Speaking of Matheny, have you read his “letter to parents”? For a guy who seemed to turn a blind eye to hazing, his letter to little league/high school bball parents is pretty spot on.
Going down Immaculate Grid rabbit hole, the Baltimore Orioles had multiple seasons in the late 70s early 80s where they only had 12 pitchers play for the team the entire year. And for 9 years 3/4 or 3/5 of the starting rotation were the same 3 guys.
I didn’t look at other teams in that era, but that’s still seems like incredible stability.
I misread the right column on immaculate grid today and thought it said All-Star instead of Cy Young. I was furious until I figured it out. My brain is not right.
Hey RC, resident contract guru, when guys are traded but the sending team pays part oth salary, how does that figure in the competitive balance tax? If Verlander is traded bu the Mets pay $20M of his salary next year, does that 20M in competitive balance stay with the Mets?
And if a player is dfa’d and not playing anywhere, do future years’ salaries still count? For example, Machado is getting $35M/yr for the next 10 years. He’ll be 41 in 2033. If he’s out of baseball at age 38, are the Padres still on the hook for $35M in cbt? (Assuming current contract clauses still in place then.)
I know a lot of folks are kind of take it or leave it with Taylor (and possibly for the booth guys and Elise Menaker) but generally I feel like everyone does the best job they can. I’m especially impressed with Taylor’s guns and her ability to dash away from imminent showers
andcounting:
I misread the right column on immaculate grid today and thought it said All-Star instead of Cy Young. I was furious until I figured it out. My brain is not right.
I told you not to stay up so late watching Friday Night videos.
I’m pretty sure if the money is not absorbed by the new team via trade or claim that it remains in the old team’s coffers. A DFA without a claim or trade is the same, the remainder of the contract was never claimed and if the guy never plays again the old team pays him the balance and it stays with their accounting. If they do latch on with another team a la Hosmer or Heyward the new team plays the prorated league minimum to take a bit off the old team’s burden.
I was annoyed by Boog yesterday so watching with the radio feed on. Randall probably should have caught another 20 secs after the call to carch the full Hughes reaction.
Flipped to tv to hear the interview with Tauch.
I like Taylor and Elise quite a bit and thought Elise did well on color commentary last weekend. I was less excited about the PxP guy but he was ok. Some days I like Boog and some days he Buugs me. Mostly Iisten to the TV feed for JD. If it’s a 3man booth or JD isn’t on, I usually flip to radio.
As far as I see the Cots folks didn’t include Bobby in their tables so I really don’t know, I think the original AAV of his contract expired years ago anyway so that’s probably why
So you could have a CBT payroll well over the top limit, bit of enough money was deferred, you could have much lower operating. Whether that’s a good thing, I don’t know.
BVS: I like Taylor and Elise quite a bit and thought Elise did well on color commentary last weekend. I was less excited about the PxP guy but he was ok. Some days I like Boog and some days he Buugs me. Mostly Iisten to the TV feed for JD. If it’s a 3man booth or JD isn’t on, I usually flip to radio.
I liked Matt Spiegel and Elise Menaker on the radio last weekend too – they definitely needed more reps (Spiegel in particular) but it was cool to see some pretty fresh people just take a stab at it for a day or two. Would love to see Elise take the color role on days when Coom is out instead of it just being Pat and Zach, though I don’t have nearly as negative an opinion on Zaidman as others do.
berselius: I liked Matt Spiegel and Elise Menaker on the radio last weekend too – they definitely needed more reps (Spiegel in particular) but it was cool to see some pretty fresh people just take a stab at it for a day or two. Would love to see Elise take the color role on days when Coom is out instead of it just being Pat and Zach, though I don’t have nearly as negative an opinion on Zaidman as others do.
Apparently the Cards issued a statement that they’re not trading Arenado. Given tomorrow is the last time the Cubs play them and they still have games against the Beers and the Redlegs, I’m good with that.
I figured iut what bothers me so much about Cubs post game live. It’s the camera angle, especially on the wide shots. It’s too high, so we see too much shiny pate.
Tonight they have a semicircular couch that puts them even lower.
It’s the average of a bunch of randomized sims, that difference is in the noise. But I choose to believe that the 0.8% difference in playoff odds between the two teams is significant (dying laughing)
BVS: Says the physics guy. (dying laughing). Us Bio types would never choose to claim 0.8% is significant. Or maybe even 8.0%.
It depends on the flavor of physics. I don’t remember how the whole joke goes, but I remember that the last two are that if you’re an astrophysicist, having the same order of magnitude means two vals are equal, and for a cosmologist, having the same sign means two values are equal (dying laughing)
The timing of this trade deadline is rather complicating, as by record and standing the Cubs should buy, but facing a division rival immediately ahead of them the series surrounding the deadline might make buyer’s remorse even more stinging if they don’t at least split
Comments
Brewers lose.
PerkinsQuote Reply
That inning was an infomercial for up-the-middle defense.
andcountingQuote Reply
Alas the Dodgers are being useless tonight
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Strength of schedule etc etc but the Cubs are on quite a run of great games.
berseliusQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
But they sure are making this interesting
Rice CubeQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Back in March we were citing strength of schedule for these couple weeks for an entirely different reason
BVSQuote Reply
David Bell gets 3 more years with Cinci. Seemed like a perfect fit for St Louis after Marmol gets canned.
BVSQuote Reply
berselius,
That catch shocked the pants right off Clark.
BVSQuote Reply
Stupid Dodgers
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I’m surprised Marmol still has a job. Shildt and Matheny were fired for a lot less.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Perkins,
Maybe Jocketty still has the password to The Cardinal Way(tm) and so he knew he had to extend Bell now before there was an opening in StL.
BVSQuote Reply
Perkins,
I’m surprised about the rumors over Jordan Hicks signing an extension with StL. Though maybe firing Matheny after the hazing stories came out solved some of that.
Speaking of Matheny, have you read his “letter to parents”? For a guy who seemed to turn a blind eye to hazing, his letter to little league/high school bball parents is pretty spot on.
BVSQuote Reply
Going down Immaculate Grid rabbit hole, the Baltimore Orioles had multiple seasons in the late 70s early 80s where they only had 12 pitchers play for the team the entire year. And for 9 years 3/4 or 3/5 of the starting rotation were the same 3 guys.
I didn’t look at other teams in that era, but that’s still seems like incredible stability.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
Incredible luck even back then when guys just toughed out injuries and pitched with probably several things broken
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I misread the right column on immaculate grid today and thought it said All-Star instead of Cy Young. I was furious until I figured it out. My brain is not right.
andcountingQuote Reply
Updated post with the Pat Hughes call
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Hey RC, resident contract guru, when guys are traded but the sending team pays part oth salary, how does that figure in the competitive balance tax? If Verlander is traded bu the Mets pay $20M of his salary next year, does that 20M in competitive balance stay with the Mets?
And if a player is dfa’d and not playing anywhere, do future years’ salaries still count? For example, Machado is getting $35M/yr for the next 10 years. He’ll be 41 in 2033. If he’s out of baseball at age 38, are the Padres still on the hook for $35M in cbt? (Assuming current contract clauses still in place then.)
BVSQuote Reply
I know a lot of folks are kind of take it or leave it with Taylor (and possibly for the booth guys and Elise Menaker) but generally I feel like everyone does the best job they can. I’m especially impressed with Taylor’s guns and her ability to dash away from imminent showers
https://twitter.com/Taylor_McGregor/status/1685132742558695426?t=BfAARD6ii5WROwRzsyxDrw&s=19
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I told you not to stay up so late watching Friday Night videos.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
I’m pretty sure if the money is not absorbed by the new team via trade or claim that it remains in the old team’s coffers. A DFA without a claim or trade is the same, the remainder of the contract was never claimed and if the guy never plays again the old team pays him the balance and it stays with their accounting. If they do latch on with another team a la Hosmer or Heyward the new team plays the prorated league minimum to take a bit off the old team’s burden.
Rice CubeQuote Reply
⚾️ Immaculate Grid 118 8/9:
Rarity: 297
🟩🟩🟩
⬜️🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩
Once again I forgot about Rich Hill.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
Rice Cube,
I was annoyed by Boog yesterday so watching with the radio feed on. Randall probably should have caught another 20 secs after the call to carch the full Hughes reaction.
Flipped to tv to hear the interview with Tauch.
I like Taylor and Elise quite a bit and thought Elise did well on color commentary last weekend. I was less excited about the PxP guy but he was ok. Some days I like Boog and some days he Buugs me. Mostly Iisten to the TV feed for JD. If it’s a 3man booth or JD isn’t on, I usually flip to radio.
BVSQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
So are the Mets paying CBT for Bonilla?
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
You may have to ask a Mets beat guy or check the spreadsheet on Cots but I feel like he might have been grandfathered in
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
As far as I see the Cots folks didn’t include Bobby in their tables so I really don’t know, I think the original AAV of his contract expired years ago anyway so that’s probably why
https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/national-league/new-york-mets/
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I remembered Doug Drabek won a Cy Young and also played for the White Sox but not at the same time
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I see. So deferred money doesn’t count.
So you could have a CBT payroll well over the top limit, bit of enough money was deferred, you could have much lower operating. Whether that’s a good thing, I don’t know.
BVSQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
That’s ok. I remembered a CWS Cy Young winner, and then clicked the Baltimore box.
BVSQuote Reply
⚾️ Immaculate Grid 118 8/9:
Rarity: 246
🟩🟩⬜️
🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩
That CWS was brutal, especially since they’ve had so many guys come close recently (I guessed Sale)
berseliusQuote Reply
Key difference w/ Schildt is that Marmol is buds with Mozeliak.
berseliusQuote Reply
I liked Matt Spiegel and Elise Menaker on the radio last weekend too – they definitely needed more reps (Spiegel in particular) but it was cool to see some pretty fresh people just take a stab at it for a day or two. Would love to see Elise take the color role on days when Coom is out instead of it just being Pat and Zach, though I don’t have nearly as negative an opinion on Zaidman as others do.
berseliusQuote Reply
“It’s 100 degrees out here, so that shower felt good”
(dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
RIP Bartolo Colon(‘s career)
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/07/bartolo-colon-to-officially-retire-2.html
Rice CubeQuote Reply
berselius,
LaMarr Hoyt won it right when I started watching baseball so it sticks out for some reason.
andcountingQuote Reply
I’m others.
andcountingQuote Reply
Looks more and more like Ohtani won’t be traded but free agency might be a thing since it seems all of Cubs X just ejaculated all at once
https://twitter.com/670TheScore/status/1685370488900530177?t=mzQA-Cx737-wn8aYF0BQWQ&s=19
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Madrigal –> up
Mastrobuoni–> down
https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1685385745660329984?t=FMMkZCt6U7DCW_iQOEwQgQ&s=19
Rice CubeQuote Reply
andcounting,
Based on what little I’ve seen Aisle424 outhates you by an order of magnitude (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
To-day’s base ball squadron
CF Tauchman
2B Hoerner
LF Happ
1B Bellinger
RF Suzuki
SS Swanson
DH Morel
C Gomes
3B Madrigal
berseliusQuote Reply
Scherzer –> Rangers?
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/07/rangers-in-serious-talks-with-mets-about-max-scherzer-trade.html
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Braves thumping the Beers
PerkinsQuote Reply
Looks like Scherzer deal got done, Mets aren’t afraid to eat money
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Happ
berseliusQuote Reply
More runs, Cubs. This is 2023 Wainwright, not the 2013 version.
PerkinsQuote Reply
Taillon looking shaky tonight.
PerkinsQuote Reply
I wish Taillon would quit screwing around
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Dodgers currently not useless
Rice CubeQuote Reply
No Mike Tauchman out there for the Cards (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Broors lose
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I guess Seiya just can’t pick up Wainwright that well
Rice CubeQuote Reply
He must read the blog, has really settled down.
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
Unless he’s transformed into a thousand suns, I don’t see how that’s possible. (dying laughing)
andcountingQuote Reply
Trading for Ohtani < Getting Madrigal off the IL.
andcountingQuote Reply
Tauchman!
PerkinsQuote Reply
Apparently the Cards issued a statement that they’re not trading Arenado. Given tomorrow is the last time the Cubs play them and they still have games against the Beers and the Redlegs, I’m good with that.
PerkinsQuote Reply
It’s something of a luck dragon miracle that more of these free baserunners didn’t score tonight but also maybe don’t press your luck
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
no whammies
berseliusQuote Reply
MMMMMMMM ——> Inverted
berseliusQuote Reply
So they have to buy now right
Rice CubeQuote Reply
berseliusQuote Reply
Yay!!!
Even the mop up relievers untouchable tonight.
Plus ACs favorite Cub with 2 hits.
BVSQuote Reply
Reds lose
Rice CubeQuote Reply
I figured iut what bothers me so much about Cubs post game live. It’s the camera angle, especially on the wide shots. It’s too high, so we see too much shiny pate.
Tonight they have a semicircular couch that puts them even lower.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
I think they could probably use a set that looks less like a man cave but what do I know
Rice CubeQuote Reply
👀
berseliusQuote Reply
berselius,
You’ll have to explain this fancy math to me, I was a bio major (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
I see this is from before opening day but it’s strange how the odds for achieving the bye don’t seem to correspond with their positioning
Rice CubeQuote Reply
It’s strange to note that this is the longest win streak since 2016, winning lots of games in a row is hard
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
It’s the average of a bunch of randomized sims, that difference is in the noise. But I choose to believe that the 0.8% difference in playoff odds between the two teams is significant (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
To be honest, this is the best offensive streak I can remember since 2016. Mainly because balls getting into play vs TTO.
Ack recency bias though.
BVSQuote Reply
Says the physics guy. (dying laughing). Us Bio types would never choose to claim 0.8% is significant. Or maybe even 8.0%.
BVSQuote Reply
BVS,
Something something P values #NeverTookStats
Rice CubeQuote Reply
⚾️ Immaculate Grid 119 8/9:
Rarity: 185
🟩🟩🟩
⬜️🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩
Mistakenly put Jared Hughes instead of Phil Hughes on the first try for NYY-MIN, which cost me a shot at perfection.
PerkinsQuote Reply
God bless Mike Morgan.
⚾️ Immaculate Grid 119 9/9:
Rarity: 130
IMMACULATE!
🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩
andcountingQuote Reply
Dang, guess Kershaw hasn’t gotten to 3000 Ks yet
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Rice Cube,
That list is crazy elite.
andcountingQuote Reply
Today’s lineup
https://twitter.com/Cubs/status/1685675832701054977?t=d1mYw8pCHeUyBKmI3qv4Qg&s=19
Just keep winning
Rice CubeQuote Reply
The grapevine suggests the Cubs won’t be trading Bellinger
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/38101236
Rice CubeQuote Reply
At this point I think, as Tom Berenger once said, the Cubs should just win the whole fucking thing just to shut up all these negative Nancies
Rice CubeQuote Reply
It depends on the flavor of physics. I don’t remember how the whole joke goes, but I remember that the last two are that if you’re an astrophysicist, having the same order of magnitude means two vals are equal, and for a cosmologist, having the same sign means two values are equal (dying laughing)
berseliusQuote Reply
Barves
PerkinsQuote Reply
Braves!
PerkinsQuote Reply
Indeed
False
Rice CubeQuote Reply
False again
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Giving up solid contact and offense being slightly lame but plenty of game left to really cement the buy mode
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Atlanta just letting the Brewers stay in it
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Let’s see if the Cubs have a late comeback in them today while Atlanta attempts to stop sucking
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Jordan Hicks —-> TOR
berseliusQuote Reply
Montgomery & Stratton–> Rangers
Texas is all in, can’t wait to see what they do to get Verlander and have an entire rotation of ex-Mets
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Broors lose
Stupid Reds
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Well at least the Brewers lost.
PerkinsQuote Reply
The timing of this trade deadline is rather complicating, as by record and standing the Cubs should buy, but facing a division rival immediately ahead of them the series surrounding the deadline might make buyer’s remorse even more stinging if they don’t at least split
Rice CubeQuote Reply
Yeah I don’t know that the Dodgers will come back today since their starter is throwing batting practice
Rice CubeQuote Reply
This starter for LA is just wearing it (dying laughing)
Rice CubeQuote Reply
New shit plus a link to our FB page where the comments are popcorn material–> http://www.obstructedview.net/the-final-countdown/
Rice CubeQuote Reply