MLB Offseason 2020-21

[King Kamala]

If you had "Tony La Russa getting rehired by Chicago White Sox 34 years after they fired him" on your WTH 2020? Bingo Card then congratulations!

Hall of Famer La Russa, 76, to manage White Sox

Hall of Famer Tony La Russa, who last managed in the major leagues by guiding the Cardinals to the World Series in 2011, has been hired by the White Sox at age 76.

www.espn.com

 

[Mr. S£im Citrus]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1321878475104526336

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1321900071026413568

"WOWZERS!!!"

 

[Dandy]

Nicholas Castellanos has until midnight tomorrow to exercise his option after one year with the Reds. He signed a 4/$64M last offseason but has opt-outs after each of the first two years. I assume he is waiting until the last possible day for someone to offer more money in a better setting, because to me it is a no-brainer that he opts for basically a 1/$16M deal that he can opt to extend two more years.

 

[alkeiper]

I don’t think teams could openly offer him more money until he actually opts out, otherwise it’s tampering. Not that it would stop anyone.

 

[Dandy]

Good point.

 

[alkeiper]

I'll note that the Cardinals declined Kolton Wong's option at one year, $12.5 million. I suspect free agency is going to drag out this offseason.

 

[MFer]

Tigers hired super villain A.J. Hinch as manager.

 

[Big Beard Booty Daddy]

Mets fan rejoice. Today should be a national holiday here in Queens. The Mets are no longer property of the Wilpons!

 

[alkeiper]

A bizarre vote in the NL MVP race. St. Louis writer Rick Hummel accidently selected Cubs reliever Ryan Tepera instead of Trea Turner from a drop down menu so Tepera ended up with a down ballot MVP vote. Tepera finished 18th.

The Miami Marlins hired Kim Ng as their general manager. Ng is the first female general manager in MLB and I believe in the big 4 US sports as well. She's imminently qualified.

 

[King Kamala]

Yep. The Marlins press release said she was the first female GM in one of the four major North American sports.

 

[Brocklock]

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id...hampionship-architect-theo-epstein-steps-down

I knew this was coming, but I thought he was gonna stay one more year. It still stings. Theo is a great person and even though he made some bad decisions the last few years, I'll always remember the press conference when he came in 2011. Where he said it's gonna be a long process but in five years the fans will be thanking us. Then five years later they win the World Series. I did love that he got a dig at Trump on the way out which btw Fuck The Ricketts Family

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1328784141995962371

If the Cubs trade Rizzo or Baez, I don't think i'll watch them next year. Rizzo especially is one of those guys that shouldn't be traded. I feel like every team has one guy and Rizzo is that guy for the Cubs. He's been such a great person to have for the city and has done so much for Chicago the last 8 years. The Marquee Network being such a clusterfuck has already done damage to the fanbase, that I imagine a lot of fans would straight up not watch the season if Rizzo were to go. He is absolutely beloved here.

 

[King Kamala]

You think Theo is going to Cleveland and try to break a third curse?

 

[Hawk 34]

You think Theo is going to Cleveland and try to break a third curse?

Sounds like he’s angling for a bigger job than that. Namely, commissioner.

 

[Brocklock]

There's even speculation of Theo going to politics. He's hinted at it before. Dude has the look and is still pretty young, only turning 47 next month. Theo as commissioner would rock.

I'd like to see him try to take a third "loser" franchise and get them a World Series though.

 

[Baby Shoes]

There's even speculation of Theo going to politics. He's hinted at it before. Dude has the look and is still pretty young, only turning 47 next month. Theo as commissioner would rock.

I'd like to see him try to take a third "loser" franchise and get them a World Series though.

I think it was Michael Wilbon that said he should stay in Chicago and fix the Bears. I want to see Theo cross sports.

 

[strummer]

Robinson Cano tested positive for a PED and has been suspended for the entire 2021 season

 

[tekcop]

lol mets?

 

[Hawk 34]

Robinson Cano tested positive for a PED and has been suspended for the entire 2021 season

Man it’s kinda nice and refreshing to hear someone tested positive for something other than Covid.

 

[strummer]

Not really. Frees up more money for the the season

Mets save 21 million for the upcoming season

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Shame to see as Cano seemed like a possible HOF selection (and could still be?) down the road. 68.9 career WAR, over .300 batting average lifetime, over 2,600 hits with 2 Gold Gloves and over 300 HR for a second baseman. Pretty comparable if not better than Jeff Kent and people think he's kind of been overlooked.

 

[alkeiper]

Cano on stats alone is an easy Hall of Famer. But these suspensions are going to make it difficult if not impossible for him to garner induction.

 

[Baby Shoes]

Cano on stats alone is an easy Hall of Famer. But these suspensions are going to make it difficult if not impossible for him to garner induction.

Agreed. If better players who did steroids when they didn’t have an explicit ban are being punished, no way this guy who has been told time and time again gets a pass.

The other thing I said to a friend of mine when messaging about this is this may be the end of the line for him. 38 is pretty old for a pro athlete so to sit out for a year at that age and come back almost 40? He may try for a payday but I don’t see his body holding up. Even if he works out, it is hard to replicate going through game level activity for that long.

 

[alkeiper]

Manny Ramirez has gotten 22-28%, I think that's a comp for Cano based on the positive tests. As far as coming back he has two years left after this one, $24 million a season. He has to show up to get that money, regardless of how well he actually performs. So I doubt we have seen the last of Cano.

 

[Brocklock]

Well it looks like the rebuild starts now. Cubs non tender Kyle Schwarber and Albert Almora making them free agents. Almora is expected, but I'm stunned about Schwarber. Guy had 38 homers and a really good OPS in 2019. I think the most he would've made this year was around 8 or 9 million which isn't that much considering how much money the Cubs make. So, I imagine the Ricketts are gonna get extra cheap to make up for the Trump money they've spent this year.

Schwarber isn't a great player, but his power and home run ability should make him an interesting signing for a plethora of teams. He's turned into a pretty solid fielder and has improved his defense as well. Letting him go without getting anything back really angers me and I can see why Theo got the hell out of here a year earlier since Schwarber was one of his favorites.

 

[Krankor]

Non-tendering Schwarber is not wise IMO. They essentially have to spend money to fill either a hole in LF or 3B, depending on where they decide to play Bryant. This team is trending down. The farm system is weak. No quality talent anywhere near ready. They have really failed at trying to sustain this team. Every move they've made has been trying to put a band aid on a leaking ship. Trading Eloy away for generic contract-friendly Quintana was a bad move. The trading of Gleyber for Chapman was also terrible, but at least the ends justified the means so I will give that move a pass. The Ricketts really just want to nickle and dime this team and milk it for money. Hopefully they just cash out and sell the team. Not paying a power hitter just entering the prime of his career is a complete bone head move.

For Schwarber, I think this is a good thing. He can just go find a AL team and not have to wonder if a universal DH will be implemented.

At least the White Sox will have a watchable team the next few years.

 

[HarleyQuinn]

For Schwarber, I think this is a good thing. He can just go find a AL team and not have to wonder if a universal DH will be implemented.

At least the White Sox will have a watchable team the next few years.

This. Schwarber is the perfect type of talent for the DH role. So-So defender if you need him in the field but you primarily want his bat for the power numbers and you won't break the bank trying to sign him either. I think guys like Edgar Martinez and David Ortiz have helped make the 'stigma' of only being a DH less of a factor too.

 

[snuffbox]

But how could we have known that a family at the forefront of birtherism would end up giving so much money to Trump that they'd have to cut payroll for their baseball team?

 

[Brocklock]

I mean all Cubs fans knew it was coming because of that reason (Fanbase seems very left leaning from the circles I post at), but they can still be sad and disappointed at the guy that came back from a big injury to play in The World Series got cut. I'm probably not gonna watch much anymore, which means now there's three things that brought me a lot of joy, I used to watch but can't anymore due to politics.

 

[snuffbox]

You're welcome to join us an hour north. One of baseball history's greatest losers but the owner isn't swamp trash.

 

[Brocklock]

I'm not gonna be a Brewers fan because I can't rewire my brain after the Cubs/Brewers rivalry heating up so much lately. But, that "I'm probably not going to watch" has turned into a "I'm not going to watch". I'm a fairly recent baseball fan and ignored it for the first 26 years of my life, so I can do it again. Len Kasper who's been with the Cubs since 2004 has left the broadcast booth is leaving his spot to call radio games for The White Sox. Len was classy and said he really prefers doing the radio, but it seems really fishy and like there was some meddling going on from the network.

It's all speculation and conspiracy theories, but every time I've heard Len talk in an interview he sounds very liberal and so does the other Cubs announcer Jim DeShaies. Sinclair Broadcasting and The Marquee Network were messing with the Cubs announce team all year doing things like trying to put noted Conservative Mark Grace in the broadcast booth among other people which damaged the easy going chemistry between Len and DeShaies. They also made the announcers wear suits during every broadcast which neither announcer seemed to enjoy.

The guy they are replacing him with is Chris Myers. I know nothing about him or what his political views are yet, but it wouldn't be a surprise if a 61 year old white guy from Florida that primarily calls Nascar races and looks like this

is a conservative.