MLB 2014-15: It's Time for the HOT STOVE

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Outlook on David Phelps? Enjoy Garret Jones/Eovaldi, Yanks. Won't do you much.

Marlins have an impressive slurry of starting pitching, if healthy.

Fernandez
Alvarez
Latos
Koehler
Cosart
(Haren)
 
This is wonderful.

But I want to know more about this: "Jason Grilli knows to be careful when he's in a neighborhood filled with "prostitutes and gender-benders"!"
 
Personally, I'm more interested in God's message to Jason Grilli through How to Train Your Dragon.
 
Great article that points out the obvious...Cole Hamels really isn't worth much in terms of a trade.

What Is Fair Trade Value for Phillies Ace Cole Hamels?

Basically, you're getting Jon Lester at a small price reduction. And nobody will want to part with a single top prospect just to save a bit of money. In fact, a lot of teams probably wouldn't even take Hamels on for nothing in return, simply because that contract has too many years left at such a high premium.

Amaro will just look like an idiot holding on to this prize and demanding extortionist sums while the other GMs just laugh...I think Hamels should be held on to and if he's doing well by mid-season, some contender in need of SP is going to bite and then that's when you'll get the most value for your return. As it stands, there just isn't a price benefit to having the guy.

The other possibility is for the Phillies to effectively pay about $4 million per year of so on Hamels' contract in exchange for each top prospect they require. $4 million a year isn't that expensive for someone that could be one of the league's best players very quickly (especially compared to the rates on the Free Agent market). This is what would make the deal palatable to plenty of clubs, but all signs point to the Phillies front office wanting the acquiring team to pay all of that remaining contract. Not going to happen.
 
Well, the Hot Stove has cooled off, but tomorrow we've got the HOF induction announcements. Randy Johnson and John Smoltz seem like no brainers. Maybe the world will be shocked and Bonds, Clemens and Big Mac get in? Doubt it.
 
Well, the Hot Stove has cooled off, but tomorrow we've got the HOF induction announcements. Randy Johnson and John Smoltz seem like no brainers. Maybe the world will be shocked and Bonds, Clemens and Big Mac get in? Doubt it.


Ugh, I think you're forgetting Pedro. My predictions for tomorrow are Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Craig Biggio, and maybe Mike Piazza and John Smoltz. And I really hope that Jeff Bagwell gets in because he is my all time favorite player.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference
 
I think it'd be sad to see him not in.

But so frequently you get these ballots that are jam packed with not only HOFers but legends.
 
Broken Record, I know, but like nbelcik above, I'm super biased, as he's my absolute favorite baseball player ever. Maybe just favorite athlete ever, not sure.
 
Ugh, I think you're forgetting Pedro. My predictions for tomorrow are Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Craig Biggio, and maybe Mike Piazza and John Smoltz. And I really hope that Jeff Bagwell gets in because he is my all time favorite player.

Sure, throw Pedro in the mix too. I don't see Bagwell getting the call, though.
 
I'd say no on Biggio, nothing against the guy. Just not into awards for longevity if there aren't a good number of huge seasons mixed in there.

Piazza, yes. Bagpipes, not sure.
 
What a travesty:

Sosa, who ranked eighth on the all-time home run list with 609, and 27th in RBI (1,667), earned 6.6 percent of the votes, or 36 total. He fell from 12.5 percent in 2013 (71 votes) to 7.2 percent (41 votes) last year.

SosaTexting.jpg
 
Well, the backlog on the main BBWAA ballot is at least clearing up considerably. There's only a handful of players left on it that can make it in before their ten year window expires.

Can Conceivably Make It In Before Expiration Of Eligibility:

Mike Piazza - 69.9%
Jeff Bagwell - 55.7%
Tim Raines - 55.0% (Going to be tough since he only has 2 years left)
Curt Schilling - 39.2% (10% bump this year makes him virtually inevitable)
Mike Mussina - 24.6% (Decent start and the stats are there, but it'll be quite the climb)


Clean But Will Run Out Of Time Soon:

Smith, Martinez, Trammell

Steroid Users And Therefore Have No Chance:

Clemens, Bonds, Sheffield, McGwire, Sosa

Disappointing Start In Voting Means They Have No Shot:

Kent, McGriff, Walker, Garciaparra



Smart ballot for next year would include the five with an actual shot and Ken Griffey Jr.
 
Jeff Kent and Nomar aren't Hall Of Famers. Larry Walker is borderline. I would say Fred McGriff IS a hall of famer, but he won't get in.

I don't see Mike Mussina as a Hall of Famer. He was never the best pitcher of his era. He was never even on the discussion for best pitcher. He was very good, but not quite there, to me.

Schilling is a strange one... His regular season numbers are good but not great, albeit with some great seasons mixed in, but he might be the greatest big game pitcher of all time and that should count for something. If he wasn't such a dick he'd probably have a better shot, which that alone is pretty shitty but also the reality of the voting process.

It's a sheer disgrace that Piazza is still on the outside. He was never linked to anything PED related. Him being kept out is pure wild speculation on the part of the writers, and is just ridiculous.
 
If you look at advanced metrics, Schilling, Mussina and Walker are all obviously worth inductees. Kent somewhat, McGriff not so much.

Schiling actually has the best strikeout to walk ratio since 1900. If that's not a Hall of Famer, I don't know what it is.

Mike Mussina is 24th in career WAR among Pitchers (Schilling is 26th). Every person ahead of him that didn't take steroids is a Hall of Famer (in other words, Clemens is the only non Cooperstown member ahead of him in career value). Also, you don't have to be the best pitcher of your Era, but clearly one of the best. Mussina was in fact that when you look beyond the most basic (and flawed) of metrics.

Mussina and Schilling both amassed more career value than Tom Glavine (28th) and John Smoltz (39th).

Larry Walker is 86th among batters in Career WAR. That's in spite of his career not having been super long due to being very injury prone (and yes, that's with park adjustments - he's was great even without Coors Field).

McGriff is only 260th...the only deserving Hall of Famers in that range are catchers and shortstops with great career peaks, not first basemen. Most of the Hall of Famers in that range are among the biggest mistakes of all inductees.

Jeff Kent is 228th but played at Second Base...very borderline.

Nomar had one of the best shortstop peaks in baseball history and overall has a Top 20 case in terms of shortstops, but there's definitely not enough meat there overall to warrant induction, obviously.





Comparisons By Average JAWS Score For Position:

* JAWS is a combination of career value and 7 year peak value.

Mike Piazza - 51.2 (5th, Average C inductee is 43.1 - 13 HOFers at position)

Jeff Bagwell - 63.9 (6th, Average 1B inductee is 54.2 - 19 HOFers at position)
Fred McGriff - 44.1 (28th, Average 1B inductee is 54.2 - 19 HOFers at position)

Jeff Kent - 45.4 (19th, Average 2B inductee is 57.0 - 19 HOFers at position)

Alan Trammell - 57.5 (11th, Average SS inductee is 54.7 - 21 HOFers at position)
Nomar Garciaparra - 43.6 (24th, Average SS inductee is 54.7 - 21 HOFers at position)

Edgar Martinez - 56.0 (11th, Average 3B inductee is 55.0 - 13 HOFers at position) *Played primarily as a DH

Tim Raines - 55.6 (8th, Average LF inductee is 53.3 - 19 HOFers at position)

Larry Walker - 58.6 (10th, Average RF inductee is 58.1 - 24 HOFers at position)

Curt Schilling - 64.5 (27th, Average SP inductee is 61.8 - 59 HOFers at position)
Mike Mussina - 63.8 (28th, Average SP inductee is 61.8 - 59 HOFers at position)

Lee Smith - 25.4 (15th, Average RP inductee is 34.4 - 5 HOFers at position)



Clearly Worthy: Piazza, Bagwell, Trammell, Martinez, Raines, Walker, Schilling, Mussina
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom