The chances of it rolling black one time are 50% but the chances of it rolling black for the 23rd time in a row? Completely different story.
Braves sign Brian McCann and Josh Donaldson Atlanta brought back their former star backstop on a one year deal for $2 million dollars. He’s coming off the worst year of his career (82 wRC+) and knee issues played a role in limiting him to just 63 games. Ideally, he’ll be their primary guy against righties, but health will obviously determine how much playing time McCann gets. Even including 2018’s ugliness, McCann is still 11th among catchers in wRC+ against righties at 102, but if you lop off 2018, he jumps to 9th with a 106 mark. Tyler Flowers couldn’t replicate his 2017 success against righties (116 wRC+) with a putrid 49 wRC+, but he continued to smack lefties around with a 203 mark in 88 PA. McCann isn’t a must-sit against southpaws with a 93 mark the last three seasons, but it’s an easy way to give his 35-year old knees a breather. Saving the biggest news for last (since I’m going in chronological order), Donaldson is the first major free agent chip to fall, inking a pillow deal (one-year) for $23 million dollars. I kinda thought he’d go for a three-year deal around $60-65 million as he enters his age-33 season, but he decided to go for the one season in hopes of rebuilding his market value and ideally still getting a three or four year deal next offseason. Shoulder and calf injuries limited him to just 52 games and curbed his production to a 117 wRC+, a seven-year low. However, he looked a lot like his MVP self in a 16-game run with the Cleveland Indians to end the season. Not only were his results strong (3 HR, 149 wRC+) in the 60 PA, but the underlying skills rebounded as well (albeit in a tiny sample). He had equal 17% K and BB rates with 10 apiece, improving his 28% K and 13% BB rates pre-September. His flyball jump seven points to 40% and his hard hit rate was up 13 points to 50%. Both of those bore out in his Statcast data as well with his exit velo jumping from 89.7 before September to 91.2 with Cleveland and his launch angle going from 9.7 to 16.6. With health, it’s hard not to see Donaldson getting back on track as a premium middle of the order bat. He might not get all the way back to his MVP caliber 150s wRC+ counts from 2015, 2016, and 2017, but I like his Steamer projection of 131 with 27 HR in 130 games. That builds in some injury time and leaves room for upside should he return fully healthy and be regain that elite form. I have him 8th among 3B for the upcoming season. This move clouds the outlook of Johan Camargo on the heels of his breakout season, though I doubt they just shuffle him to the bench after a 115 wRC+ and 19 HR as the primary 3B. Roster Resource currently slots him into left field, a spot opened by the pending free agency of Nick Markakis and shuffling of Ronald Acuña Jr. to CF and Ender Inciarte to RF. This would be a major position change for Camargo as he’s played all of one game in LF as a pro player… in fact, it was one whole inning. The 25-year old is a utility infielder by trade so it’s not impossible to imagine him having the wherewithal to handle left, but it’s not a guarantee.
Asked if he was concerned about switching leagues at this point in his career: "Check my numbers against the National League. I think you'll be just fine with that." .308/.385/.554, btw.
If Ozzie can't hit rhp.. We are going to regret not trading him for Realmuto. I'm a little concerned that they are concerned.
Ozzie’s been playing a lot of fortnite this offseason so hopefully that’s improving his ambidextrous hitting.
We saw a whole half of a season where he struggled. Could be they got the map to him, or eye problems etc. But hes also 20 years old and playing his most ever. So it's a time sink to see what we got
I would love for us to make a move on MadBum or someone like him and put pressure on Philly to overpay.
Maybe we should just cut out the middle man and trade Ozzie to whomever the Marlins are going to ship him to in two and half years.
There are a couple guys out there that shouldn't take multiple top prospects. Bumgarner may take one but he's essentially a rental. We need to get creative with a Greinke trade.
do NOT want Grienke. Guy is gonna be 36 at this time next year with that mammoth contract Bumgarner isn't even in his 30s yet. #TeamBum
That's best case scenario imo. Acuña Donaldson Freddie Peralta Mac Camargo Ozzie Ender Greinke/Folty/Gaus/Newk Could be a WS contender with a better pen.
I'd definitely swap Peralta and Donaldson in that lineup. Prior to last season, Peralta's high in homers was 17. I think he'd play well in the 2 or 5 hole.
3 years 95 million left. Huge pass will be 37 years old making 32 million a year, plus we have to pay prospects for him. Their is zero % chance the Dbacks take that PR hit of trading Grienke for Allard. He isn't even a top 6 prospect for us at this point. MLB.com’s Jon Morosi reported last week the Diamondbacks were “confident” they would not need to offset his salary to facilitate a deal.
Depends.. But if he's healthy and near prime, could be both. He's got like 5 seasons with a higher WAR than Freddie's best year. This dude is amazing.
You right. I guess I'm still stuck in the old days as far as lineup construction. I trust AA to make Snit do the right thing with what he's putting together.
Honestly, I had Donaldson penciled in at 4 as well until known idiot Bill shanks started tweeting about it..
The Phillies are really trying to pawn off Carlos Santana. Maybe don’t sign a guy who should be a DH for 3/60 next time. Wait, actually please keep doing that.
not really. inverse relationship between quality of prospect and amount of salary you're willing to take on. dbacks want to clear that deal
Reports are saying they just want to dump the salary. They know they aren't getting prospects and someone to take the money.
Law on Donaldson... It's possible Donaldson is just done, in which case they restore Camargo to third base and carry on, losing nothing but the money and whatever playing time they give the Bringer of Rain. I think it's more likely he's close to his 2017 self, and plays well enough for Atlanta that he gets a multi-year deal next winter and they end up with a draft pick as compensation
Need an Athletic sub and too many charts, etc to copy/paste, but good read on Bumgarner. Spoiler: He just might not be very good anymore.