2018 MLB Thread

[FBallFan123]

holy crap, i thought my son was kidding when he said tim lincecum was heading to the rangers


also, anyone have a clue where arrieta ends up?

Was listening to Buster Olney's podcast this morning...he basically says that after doing some talking, the only team he really sees as an option for giving Arrieta a big contract is the Nationals.

If he goes to another team (like the Phillies, Twins, Brewers) it's likely to be at a discount.

Will be interesting to see what the Nats do in Harper's last year under contract.

 

[MAcFroggy]

Was listening to Buster Olney's podcast this morning...he basically says that after doing some talking, the only team he really sees as an option for giving Arrieta a big contract is the Nationals.

If he goes to another team (like the Phillies, Twins, Brewers) it's likely to be at a discount.

Will be interesting to see what the Nats do in Harper's last year under contract.

Speaking of podcasts, what MLB podcasts is everybody listening to nowadays. Effectively Wild is the best baseball podcast IMO, but I also listen to baseball tonight. Anybody have any podcasts I can add to my rotation during the season.

 

[Zubaz]

Every year I talk myself in to the Mets being a contender while at the same time crapping on them, it's basically that scene from Seinfeld, updated for current players:

"They still have no pitching. Harvey's a question mark. ...You don't recover from those shoulders so fast."

"I'm not worried about their best pitching. They got pitching. ...They got no hitting."

"No hitting? They got hitting! Cespedes, Bruce. ...They got no defense."

"Defense? Please. ...They need speed."

"Speed? They got Reyes. ...They need a bullpen."

"Reed's no good? Familia's no good? ...They got no team leaders."

"They got Wright! ...What they need is a front office."

...

 

[FBallFan123]

Continuing with the Frogs that are now in the MLB Pipeline's top 30 lists for teams, Evan Skoug comes in at #24 for the White Sox.....

http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2018?list=cws

Evan Skoug | Rank: 24 (Preseason: 24)
Team: Kannapolis Intimidators (A) ETA: 2020
Position: C Age: 22 DOB: 10/21/1995
Bats: L Throws: R Height: 5' 11" Weight: 200 lb.
Drafted: 2017, 7th (207) - CWS

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Arm: 45 | Field: 45 | Overall: 45

Skoug could have gone in the first three rounds of the 2014 Draft if he hadn't been intent on attending Texas Christian, where he immediately became the Horned Frogs' cleanup hitter and led them to three College World Series in three years. In 2017, he overcame an early slump and 98 strikeouts (one short of the NCAA record) to share the Big 12 Conference player of the year award after leading the league with 20 homers and 71 RBI. He slid to the seventh round of the Draft, where the White Sox pounced on him with an over-slot $300,000 bonus.

Skoug has impressive bat speed and strength that create plus raw power. He's at his best when he employs a compact left-handed swing, uses the entire field and lets his pop come naturally, but he fell into a rut at the beginning of his Draft year where his stroke got too long and he got too pull-happy while trying to do to much. He struck out in 38 percent of his plate appearances during his brief pro debut, and while fatigue played a part, he'll need to make adjustments to handle more advanced pitching.

Though no one questions Skoug's leadership work ethic, there are concerns about his ability to stay behind the plate. He lacks athleticism and quickness, limiting his effectiveness as a receiver, and might wind up at first base. He compensates for fringy arm strength with a quick release.

2017 Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K SB AVG OBP SLG OPS
AZL WSX (R) 4 17 6 9 1 1 1 3 3 7 0 .529 .600 .882 1.482
SAL KAN (A) 21 65 6 10 0 2 2 7 8 29 0 .154 .263 .308 .571
Minors 25 82 12 19 1 3 3 10 11 36 0 .232 .333 .427 .760

 

[FBallFan123]

Kevin Cron hit his second of the spring...

 

[MTfrog5]

Kevin Cron hit his second of the spring...

I wish he had the luxury of a brought in fence and new baseballs while at TCU. No telling how many home runs he would have had.

 

[FBallFan123]

Moustakas back with the Royals.

It’s a sign of where the market is...the Royals have managed the market well...

 

[FBallFan123]

Every year I talk myself in to the Mets being a contender while at the same time crapping on them, it's basically that scene from Seinfeld, updated for current players:

"They still have no pitching. Harvey's a question mark. ...You don't recover from those shoulders so fast."

"I'm not worried about their best pitching. They got pitching. ...They got no hitting."

"No hitting? They got hitting! Cespedes, Bruce. ...They got no defense."

"Defense? Please. ...They need speed."

"Speed? They got Reyes. ...They need a bullpen."

"Reed's no good? Familia's no good? ...They got no team leaders."

"They got Wright! ...What they need is a front office."

...

I feel like Callaway at least gives that pitching staff their best chance.

And The early reviews of Matt Harvey seem to be good. That’s a positive sign.

 

[FBallFan123]

 

[FBallFan123]

Like Moustakas, Carlos Gonzalez is proving you can go home again.

These two left a lot of money on the table from early deals...

 

[FBallFan123]

Another FA signing....

 

[FBallFan123]

One of the best things about spring baseball is seeing the prospects.

There's a few of them that look great....

 

[FBallFan123]

 

[FBallFan123]

The update many have been waiting for...

 

[FBallFan123]

More Arrieta details...

 

[FBallFan123]

Pretty cool....

 

[FBallFan123]

Someone had to do some digging to find this...

 

[FBallFan123]

 

[FBallFan123]

Arrieta got a couple innings in today for the Phillies, gave up a couple runs and a HR to Miguel Cabrera, but check out some of these videos from his outing....

 

[FBallFan123]

His fastball was up to 95 today, which is a good sign....