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Post by posadafan24 on Jan 24, 2024 17:33:33 GMT -5
Uncle Martin! Where have you been? … Spending a lot of time in my personal shine to Tony Womack from the look of things! Welcome to the board martian |
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Post by rizzuto on Jan 24, 2024 17:50:35 GMT -5
Uncle Martin! Where have you been? … Spending a lot of time in my personal shine to Tony Womack from the look of things! Just a little rookie hazing from our moderator, who was never enamored with Tony Womack. As you accumulate posts, your rating will change from Womack to other more representative tag lines.   |
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Post by kaybli on Jan 24, 2024 17:54:48 GMT -5
Uncle Martin! Where have you been? … Spending a lot of time in my personal shine to Tony Womack from the look of things!
Don't worry, you only need 25 posts to be upgraded.
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Post by inger on Jan 24, 2024 18:23:45 GMT -5
Spending a lot of time in my personal shine to Tony Womack from the look of things!
Don't worry, you only need 25 posts to be upgraded.
Only the “one week wonders” retire as a Womackian” 😂 |
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Post by inger on Jan 24, 2024 18:35:22 GMT -5
Uncle Martin! Where have you been? … Spending a lot of time in my personal shine to Tony Womack from the look of things! At least you didn’t get a Chad Curtis rating… |
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Post by fwclipper51 on Jan 24, 2024 21:25:01 GMT -5
From MLB Rumors Yankees Transactions
Yankees Outright Oscar González, Jeter Downs
By Darragh McDonald | January 24, 2024 at 3:40pm CDT
The Yankees announced that outfielder Oscar González and infielder Jeter Downs were both outrighted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. That indicates that both players passed through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment in the past week. A third player that they club put on waivers, outfielder Bubba Thompson, was claimed by the Twins.
González, 26, debuted with a splash while with the Guardians in 2022. He hit 11 HRs in 91 games and slashed .296/.327/.461 for a wRC+ of 125. He also endeared himself to fans by using the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song as his walk-up music and hitting a series-clinching walk-off HR in the 15th inning of a game in the Wild Card round against the Rays.
But things went off the rails last year, as his poor plate discipline got worse and his production couldn’t stay afloat. His 3.9% walk rate in 2022 was already less than half the league average and that mark fell to 2.8% in 2023. His 19.6% strikeout rate also ticked up to 25.6%. He hit .214/.239/.312 in the majors and spent most of the year on optional assignment.
Poor pitch selection seems to be a clear issue for him, as he has swung at 49.1% of pitches outside the strike zone in his career thus far. That’s the highest rate among MLB hitters with at least 550 plate appearances over the past two seasons. He still managed to hit enough to be useful a couple of years ago but his stock has clearly fallen since. The Guardians put him on waivers earlier in the offseason, with the Yankees making a claim in early December. The fact that he passed through waivers this week means that all 29 other clubs declined to give him a roster spot. Since this is his 1st career outright and he has less than 3 years of service time, he will stick in the organization as non-roster depth.
The 25-year-old Downs is in a similar situation, having just been claimed by the Yankees last month. Fairly or unfairly, he is best known by many fans for going to the Red Sox in the deal that sent Mookie Betts and David Price to the Dodgers. Once a top prospect, he hasn’t been able to hit much since that trade. He has produced a batting line of .200/.309/.365 in the minor leagues over the past three years, leading to a wRC+ of 80. He’s only been given 50 major league plate appearances in that time and hit just .182/.260/.273 in those.
He has gone from the Red Sox to the Nationals and now the Yankees via waivers, but today’s transaction indicates no club was willing to give him a roster spot. Like González, he lacks the necessary service time or previous outright to elect free agency, meaning he will stick in the organization as depth without taking a spot on the 40-man roster.
The Twins Claim Bubba Thompson from the Yankees
By Steve Adams | January 24, 2024 at 3:21pm CDT
The Twins have claimed outfielder Bubba Thompson off waivers from the Yankees, per an announcement from the Yankees. He’d been designated for assignment last week in order to open space on the roster for right-hander Luke Weaver. The Twins had a pair of open spots on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move isn’t necessary. Thompson, 25, is the game’s fastest player by measure of Statcast’s average sprint speed metric (30.4 ft/sec). He’s also one of the sport’s lightest hitters. In 241 career plate appearances at the big league level — all coming with the Rangers, who originally took him in the first round of the 2017 draft — Thompson is a .242/.286/.305 hitter. That modest slash line comes in spite of a hefty .351 average on balls in play and masks (to an extent) a career 29.9% strikeout rate. Thompson’s top-of-the-scale speed is countered by bottom-of-the-scale ratings in terms of average exit velocity (career 84.1 mph) and hard-hit rate (21.9%).
As one might expect for a player with such prodigious wheels, Thompson grades as a sound defender in his limited MLB action. He’s logged 595 innings in the outfield and been credited with a +1 from both Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast’s Outs Above Average. The former high school football star has drawn praise for off-the-chart athleticism dating back to his amateur days, and Baseball America has previously credited him as a plus-plus runner and plus defender in center field while also cautioning that he’s a below-average hitter who lacks consistency from at-bat to at-bat.
It hasn’t yet manifested in game settings, but Thompson draws praise for his above-average raw power. He’s never topped 16 HRs in a single season, however, and he’s only reached double-digit home runs twice in his pro career. He hit 6 HRs in 362 plate appearances in 2023 — all coming in the minors. Thompson is a career .284/.347/.440 hitter in 677 Triple-A plate appearances and a .268/.329/.436 hitter overall in the minors.
Thompson will give the Twins some depth in center field and a strong defensive alternative in the event that perennial injury risk Byron Buxton isn’t able to suit up in the outfield. Knee surgery limited Buxton exclusively to DH work in 2023, though the organization’s hope is that he can return to the outfield in 2024. As it stands, lefties Matt Wallner and Max Kepler are expected to man the corners at Target Field, although Kepler’s name has once again been floated as in trade rumblings throughout the offseason as Minnesota looks to pare back payroll and Kepler enters the final season of his contract.
Thompson still has a pair of minor league option years remaining, so the Twins can freely shuttle him between Triple-A St. Paul and the big league team this coming season — assuming he sticks on the 40-man roster for the remainder of the offseason. If things go well, he can take help to offset the loss of free agent Michael A. Taylor, though Thompson has a long ways to go before proving he has enough bat to stick on a big league roster with any degree of consistency. If the Twins can succeed in coaxing more out of him at the plate, he can be controlled for another 6 seasons.
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Post by Max on Jan 25, 2024 12:58:36 GMT -5
I think that article hits it on the spot. Wandy should be a no brainer. Middleton is okay too. I don't see that signing veterans like Robertson, Octiva or some the others, who are on the current free agent market market. Clipper
If the story I heard about him is true that he chaired a meeting that either diminished or shutout the Yankees postseason shares from some staff that traveled with the Yankees, if I were the Yankees I wouldn't give Robertson or any other player that took part in such a thing the time of day, let alone a contract.
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Post by fwclipper51 on Jan 25, 2024 14:24:31 GMT -5
If the story I heard about him is true that he chaired a meeting that either diminished or shutout the Yankees postseason shares from some staff that traveled with the Yankees, if I were the Yankees I wouldn't give Robertson or any other player that took part in such a thing the time of day, let alone a contract.
Max, This is something that fans shouldn't get involved with. This stuff stays in the clubhouse. The player or individual shares are decided by the team members, not the fans. Over the years of the Yankees history, the team has given shares to a player's wife, whose Yankee husband had left the team, so he wouldn't have give her anything. Other times, it was to players who had played with the team and were sent down to the Minors, batboys and other individuals that they deemed worthy of a share. As for Robertson, he might be worth having around since Holmes has had his pitching moments. Also I would like to see the team resign Wandy. Clipper |
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Post by fwclipper51 on Jan 25, 2024 14:30:58 GMT -5
YANKEES
The Yankees retain 2 offseason adds, lose outfielder to Twins
Updated: Jan. 25, 2024, 8:49 a.m.|Published: Jan. 25, 2024, 7:57 a.m.
By Randy Miller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
The Yankees are keeping 2 of 3 newly acquired position players who were designated for assignment recently to open up 40-man roster spots.
Infielder Jeter Downs and outfielder Oscar Gonzalez have cleared waivers and were outrighted to Triple-A Scranton, but outfielder Bubba Thompson was claimed by the Twins.
In December, the Yankees claimed Downs off waivers from the Nationals and Gonzalez from the Guardians. Thompson’s brief stay in the Yankees organization began on Jan. 4 when he was claimed off waivers from the Reds.
Downs and Gonzalez are expected to receive invites to big-league spring training along with a few other non-roster players. Likely invites include right-handers Nick Burdi and Yerry De Los Santos, left-hander Anthony Misiewicz, infielders Kevin Smith and Josh VanMeter, and outfielder Luis Gonzalez.
Reporting day for Yankees pitchers and catchers is Feb. 14th. Their 1st workout is the 15th.
Downs, 25, spent most of last season in Triple-A. He was 2-for-5 in 6 games with the Nationals. For Triple-A Rochester, Downs mostly played shortstop and hit .236 with 3 HRs and 18 RBIs in 193 plate appearances over 51 games.
Gonzalez, 26, is a right-handed-hitting Dominican who hit .269 over 145 MLB games the last 2 seasons with Cleveland. He had an impressive rookie season in 2022, batting .296 with 11 HRs and 43 RBIs, but slumped to .214 over 54 games last season with 2 HRs and 12 RBIs.
YANKEES NON-ROSTER PLAYERS
PITCHERS
RHP Nick Burdi — 2-2, 9.39 ERA, 48 games in 4 MLB seasons with Pirates (2018-20) and Dodgers (2023).
RHP Yerry De Los Santos — 1-4, 4.14 ERA, 48 games in 2 MLB seasons with Pirates (2022-23).
LHP Oddanier Mosqueda — No MLB experience. 4-4, 5.31 ERA, 48 games with Triple-A Worcester (Red Sox AAA club) in 2023.
RHP Dennis Santana — 8-14, 5.17 ERA, 143 games, 1 start in 6 MLB seasons with Dodgers (2018-2021), Rangers (2021-2022) and Mets (2023).
INFIELDERS
Jeter Downs — .182 hitter, 1 HR, 5 RBIs in 20 MLB games with Red Sox (2022) and Nationals (2023).
Kevin Smith — .173 hitter, 8 HRs, 25 RBIs, with a .516 OPS in 114 MLB games with Blue Jays (2021) and Athletics (2022-2023).
Josh VanMeter — .206 hitter, 19 HRs, 79 RBIs, with a .640 OPS in 300 MLB games with Reds (2019-2020), Diamondbacks (2022-2021) and Pirates (2022).
OUTFIELDERS
Luis Gonzalez — .253 hitter, 4 HRs, 36 RBIs, with a .690 OPS in 107 MLB games with White Sox (2020-21) and Giants (2022).
Oscar Gonzalez — .269 hitter, 13 HRs, 55 RBIs, with a 712 OPS in 145 MLB games with Guardians (2022-2023).
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Post by fwclipper51 on Jan 25, 2024 16:41:07 GMT -5
From MLB Rumors
Blue Jays, Orioles Have Shown Interest In Domingo German
By Anthony Franco | January 25, 2024 at 12:06pm CDT
The Orioles and Blue Jays are among 6 teams that have shown interest in free agent starter Domingo Germán, reports Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post. Sanchez adds that the Mets have also checked in but casts doubt on the chance of the right-hander heading to Queens.
Germán has spent his entire MLB career with the Yankees, who acquired him as a prospect in a 2014 trade with the Marlins. At times, he looked like a key mid-rotation arm in the Bronx, yet his tenure was marred by off-field issues. After working as a depth arm between 2017-18, he tallied a career-high 143 innings over 27 appearances (24 starts) in 2019. Germán was having a productive season, working to a 4.03 ERA with a near-26% strikeout rate.
That September, MLB placed Germán on administrative leave after he reportedly assaulted his girlfriend at a charity event. MLB finished its investigation that offseason and suspended him for the 1st 81 games of the 2020 season. That year wound up being shortened by the pandemic, so MLB reinstated him after he missed the entire 60-game schedule.
Germán returned to the Yankees in 2021. He missed parts of the next 2 seasons battling shoulder issues, combining for a 4.17 ERA over 170 2/3 innings. He held a spot in the New York rotation for the early portion of last year. Germán’s start to the year was middling and he was suspended for 10 games in mid-May after failing a foreign substance inspection.
He carried a 5.10 ERA through his 1st 14 appearances into a late-June start in Oakland. Germán turned in a legendary performance at the Coliseum that night, throwing MLB’s 24th perfect game, the 1st since Félix Hernández’s outing in 2012. Germán followed that up with a 4.61 ERA over 5 starts in July.
On August 2nd, the Yankees announced they were placing Germán on the restricted list, so he could report to an inpatient treatment facility for alcohol abuse. Lindsey Adler of the Wall Street Journal subsequently reported that an apparently intoxicated Germán had argued with teammates and coaches in the New York clubhouse and flipped a couch amidst those confrontations.
That ended Germán’s tenure with the Yankees. He spent the rest of the season on the restricted list. At year’s end, New York placed him on outright waivers. Once he went unclaimed, he elected free agency.
Sanchez writes that Germán has completed the requirements of his inpatient treatment and is seeking a return to the majors in 2024. According to Sanchez, his camp has received 2 formal contract offers (although it isn’t clear if those proposals have come from Baltimore and Toronto specifically). If he lands a major league deal, it’d surely be a cheap 1-year pact.
Of the 2 AL East teams known to have shown interest, Baltimore has the greater need for rotation help. Aside from depth righty Jonathan Heasley, the O’s have yet to add a starting pitcher this offseason. They’re slated to begin the year with Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish, John Means and likely Dean Kremer in the top 4 spots. Cole Irvin and Tyler Wells (each of whom worked out of the bullpen at points last year) would be the best options for the #5 job at present. The starting staff is the weakest point on an otherwise loaded roster coming off a 101-win season.
It’s unlikely Baltimore will come away from the offseason completely empty-handed. Yet they’ve thus far resisted dealing from the top of their vaunted farm system to add starting pitching via trade. While they seemed a candidate to at least play in the middle tiers of the free agent rotation market, the organization again hasn’t shown that kind of appetite for spending.
The O’s signed Craig Kimbrel to a $13MM guarantee to take the 9th inning after losing Félix Bautista to Tommy John surgery. They’ve otherwise sat out MLB free agency this winter. Roster Resource projects their 2024 spending around $81MM. That’s well above last year’s approximate $61MM Opening Day figure but puts them in the league’s bottom 5 in terms of estimated payroll.
Toronto took some early swings at the top of the free agent market. They’ve pivoted to the middle tiers in recent weeks, including a rotation acquisition. The Jays agreed to terms with Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodríguez on a 4-year, $32MM deal last week. He’ll likely compete for the final spot with Alek Manoah, who is trying to bounce back from a dismal 2023 season. With Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, José Berríos and Yusei Kikuchi occupying the top four positions, it’s unlikely they’d give Germán a look in the season-opening rotation. If Rodríguez doesn’t take them out of the market for Germán entirely, they’d probably view him as a long relief option.
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Post by posadafan24 on Jan 25, 2024 20:00:19 GMT -5
From MLB Rumors
Blue Jays, Orioles Have Shown Interest In Domingo German
By Anthony Franco | January 25, 2024 at 12:06pm CDT
The Orioles and Blue Jays are among 6 teams that have shown interest in free agent starter Domingo Germán, reports Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post. Sanchez adds that the Mets have also checked in but casts doubt on the chance of the right-hander heading to Queens.
Germán has spent his entire MLB career with the Yankees, who acquired him as a prospect in a 2014 trade with the Marlins. At times, he looked like a key mid-rotation arm in the Bronx, yet his tenure was marred by off-field issues. After working as a depth arm between 2017-18, he tallied a career-high 143 innings over 27 appearances (24 starts) in 2019. Germán was having a productive season, working to a 4.03 ERA with a near-26% strikeout rate.
That September, MLB placed Germán on administrative leave after he reportedly assaulted his girlfriend at a charity event. MLB finished its investigation that offseason and suspended him for the 1st 81 games of the 2020 season. That year wound up being shortened by the pandemic, so MLB reinstated him after he missed the entire 60-game schedule.
Germán returned to the Yankees in 2021. He missed parts of the next 2 seasons battling shoulder issues, combining for a 4.17 ERA over 170 2/3 innings. He held a spot in the New York rotation for the early portion of last year. Germán’s start to the year was middling and he was suspended for 10 games in mid-May after failing a foreign substance inspection.
He carried a 5.10 ERA through his 1st 14 appearances into a late-June start in Oakland. Germán turned in a legendary performance at the Coliseum that night, throwing MLB’s 24th perfect game, the 1st since Félix Hernández’s outing in 2012. Germán followed that up with a 4.61 ERA over 5 starts in July.
On August 2nd, the Yankees announced they were placing Germán on the restricted list, so he could report to an inpatient treatment facility for alcohol abuse. Lindsey Adler of the Wall Street Journal subsequently reported that an apparently intoxicated Germán had argued with teammates and coaches in the New York clubhouse and flipped a couch amidst those confrontations.
That ended Germán’s tenure with the Yankees. He spent the rest of the season on the restricted list. At year’s end, New York placed him on outright waivers. Once he went unclaimed, he elected free agency.
Sanchez writes that Germán has completed the requirements of his inpatient treatment and is seeking a return to the majors in 2024. According to Sanchez, his camp has received 2 formal contract offers (although it isn’t clear if those proposals have come from Baltimore and Toronto specifically). If he lands a major league deal, it’d surely be a cheap 1-year pact.
Of the 2 AL East teams known to have shown interest, Baltimore has the greater need for rotation help. Aside from depth righty Jonathan Heasley, the O’s have yet to add a starting pitcher this offseason. They’re slated to begin the year with Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish, John Means and likely Dean Kremer in the top 4 spots. Cole Irvin and Tyler Wells (each of whom worked out of the bullpen at points last year) would be the best options for the #5 job at present. The starting staff is the weakest point on an otherwise loaded roster coming off a 101-win season.
It’s unlikely Baltimore will come away from the offseason completely empty-handed. Yet they’ve thus far resisted dealing from the top of their vaunted farm system to add starting pitching via trade. While they seemed a candidate to at least play in the middle tiers of the free agent rotation market, the organization again hasn’t shown that kind of appetite for spending.
The O’s signed Craig Kimbrel to a $13MM guarantee to take the 9th inning after losing Félix Bautista to Tommy John surgery. They’ve otherwise sat out MLB free agency this winter. Roster Resource projects their 2024 spending around $81MM. That’s well above last year’s approximate $61MM Opening Day figure but puts them in the league’s bottom 5 in terms of estimated payroll.
Toronto took some early swings at the top of the free agent market. They’ve pivoted to the middle tiers in recent weeks, including a rotation acquisition. The Jays agreed to terms with Cuban right-hander Yariel Rodríguez on a 4-year, $32MM deal last week. He’ll likely compete for the final spot with Alek Manoah, who is trying to bounce back from a dismal 2023 season. With Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, José Berríos and Yusei Kikuchi occupying the top four positions, it’s unlikely they’d give Germán a look in the season-opening rotation. If Rodríguez doesn’t take them out of the market for Germán entirely, they’d probably view him as a long relief option.
Let them have german . |
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Post by domeplease on Jan 25, 2024 20:14:39 GMT -5
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Post by chiyankee on Jan 25, 2024 21:00:39 GMT -5
Our old friend Robertson is coming back for another season.
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Post by fwclipper51 on Jan 25, 2024 21:01:23 GMT -5
The Texas Rangers have signed former Yankees Closer David Robertson to a 1-year deal. They are rebuilding their 2024 bullpen, missing out on the big name MLB relievers on the MLB Free Agent market.
Clipper
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Post by posadafan24 on Jan 25, 2024 21:36:57 GMT -5
Our old friend Robertson is coming back for another season. Good pick up for texas |
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