MLB Offseason Thread: Damnit Phillies, you had one job

[Mertron]

https://twitter.com/talkinyanks/stat...7ZRogtsRDNV_Sw

[Celeras]

Anyone been keeping tabs on that Insider story investigating the selective use of a new "juiced" ball during the 2022 season? https://www.insider.com/mlb-used-two...-third-2022-12

Interesting stuff. I wonder if something special was going on in August/September Yankee games that could have been a motivating factor?

[Melena]

Anyone been keeping tabs on that Insider story investigating the selective use of a new "juiced" ball during the 2022 season? https://www.insider.com/mlb-used-two...-third-2022-12

Interesting stuff. I wonder if something special was going on in August/September Yankee games that could have been a motivating factor?

https://www.sfgate.com/giants/articl...P-CP-Spotlight

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[Mertron]

for the record, that report lists three balls used: dead balls, juiced balls, and “goldilocks balls” which were in the middle. the twitter threads and graphs that talk about it are all assuming the “Goldilocks” balls are juiced when they aren’t (or they’re doing it on purpose because Yankees)

the goldilocks balls are more batter friendly, but still not “juiced”

https://www.insider.com/mlb-used-two...rd-2022-12?amp

According to Wills' data, MLB deployed this third baseball alongside the dead ball in 2022, with production starting as early as January – six months before Manfred promised a one-ball season. This new third ball's weight centers somewhere between the juiced ball the league phased out last season and the newly announced dead ball: It is, on average, about one-and-a-half grams lighter than the juiced ball and one gram heavier than the dead ball. According to the league's own research, a heavier ball tends to have more pop off the bat, meaning the third ball would likely travel farther than a dead ball hit with equal force.

[Celeras]

Anddddd this is exactly why dropping that story during winter meetings is fucking stupid lol, buried 3x per day https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1601794140945018882

[Krandor]

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/statu...hDZCoRcj3XE3kg

People joke about the Dodgers trying to buy championships but Mets really putting it to the test.

[Xno Kappa]

And yet they still aren’t the best team in their own division.

[Akiyama]

And yet they still aren’t the best team in their own division.

Them and Phily spending a ton.

Meanwhile, the Braves traded for a RP and will probably win the division again lmao

[Melena]

Sean Manea to the Giants. 2 years, 25 mil with a player opt out after the first year.

[archibaldcrane]

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/statu...13432539648007

somehow the Brewers were the 3rd team in the Sean Murphy (OAK) to Atlanta trade

and ended up with an all-star 24 year old catcher with 5 years of team control for the price of one prospect outfielder that was part of the Josh Hader deal

(and got a couple arms too)

I don't get it either, but I'll fucking take it

[Obsidian]

Jays have agreed to a 3-year contract with Chris Bassitt.

[Akiyama]

https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/statu...13432539648007

somehow the Brewers were the 3rd team in the Sean Murphy (OAK) to Atlanta trade

and ended up with an all-star 24 year old catcher with 5 years of team control for the price of one prospect outfielder that was part of the Josh Hader deal

(and got a couple arms too)

I don't get it either, but I'll fucking take it

same. GL with Wild Bill. He's a great talent. If his catching catches up, he'll be a big get.

I'll take Murph tho. Will be nice to have a catcher who can actually throw someone out lol

[Melena]

Anyone able to clue me in on the 5 people the A's got that they will trade in the coming years to avoid paying them? Players the A's got are Manny Pina, Kyle Muller, Freddy Tarnok, Esteury Ruiz, and Royber Salinas.

[archibaldcrane]

same. GL with Wild Bill. He's a great talent. If his catching catches up, he'll be a big get.

I'll take Murph tho. Will be nice to have a catcher who can actually throw someone out lol

Brewers have been a successful org at turning poor defensive catchers into above-average ones (Manny Pina, Omar Narvaez) so hopefully we can continue that trend.

[Akiyama]

offensively he'll def be fine. defense is where he lacks so yeah, wish ya'll nothing but the best. he's a fun guy.

@Melena - Muller was the Braves #1 rated prospect, but was like #7 in line to get in the MLB rotation. he's gonna be pretty good though I think.

Tarnok was #9. OFer I believe? Has hopes too. Salinas apparently struck out ~160+ people in just over 100 innings, so he's got a good arm. Not real sure beyond that. Pina's mediocre at best. Dunno about the other.

[archibaldcrane]

Because now it’s time to come down to Milwaukee’s role in this trade. If you want to know why your life is harder than it should be, you should become familiar with an economic concept called rent-seeking. Rent-seeking is the behavior of middlemen, people or more often companies that insert themselves between the people who produce goods and services and those who consume them, charging additional fees and exploiting regulatory loopholes while providing little or no additional value to the proposition. Examples include: Health insurance companies, Ticketmaster, rideshare and gig economy startups. Think sub-cable company levels of cost-to-usefulness ratio and you’ll be on the right track.

That’s how much the Brewers won this trade.

Milwaukee is one of the few teams that sits in the middle of the Venn diagram of 1) having designs on competing in 2023 and 2) being nearly as hard-up for offense as the A’s. They got a middle-of-the-order bat, at a premium position and under team control from now until the Sun swallows the Earth, plus a live bullpen arm and a hard-throwing Double-A reliever. And all it cost them was a young outfielder they didn’t think they could use. They inserted themselves into a process — Atlanta wants Murphy, Oakland wants rid of Murphy — and came out way ahead while risking little. It feels like it should be against the rules somehow.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/three-te...y-blockbuster/

[Akiyama]

Yeah. It's a great deal for MIL, and what's funny is most Atlanta fans are confused by it and wondering why we gave up 'so much' for 'just Murphy'

as if Murphy isn't Top 3 in the position, elite offensively, and elite defensively. It'll be the first time ATL's had a catcher who can actually throw runners out who are stealing.. in YEARS, lol. Wild Bill offensively could continue to evolve and get better, but Murphy did what he did while playing 81 games in Oakland. I think that's really impressive.

If i graded it tho, I'd def give MIL a solid A+, Atlanta an A for getting what they want without giving up too much all things considered, and Oakland an "I don't know wtf you're doing"

But yeah. Braves fans upset at losing Contreras is normal, but I've been a jaded sports fan for years, so I know business is business at the end of the day. Curious to see how he'll do with his split time with TdA and if he'll enjoy the days off/rest, and hell, if it'll make him play even better.

[Melena]

Correa to the Giants, 13 years 350 million

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[Celeras]

13 years no opt out? Dude just REALLY wanted to get a bigger number than Lindor (10/341) lmao

[Xno Kappa]

Giants finally got someone to take their money!