MLB Chatter Thread

Rev

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Hell yes he is. Any man who can stare down pitchers in a WS and deliver while having Contemporary Christian walk up music has brass ones.

And yes, I just reminded an atheist that a devout Christian gave him one of the greatest moments of his life.

[/derailthread]
:lol
 

Cotton

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E_D_Guapo

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Hell yes he is. Any man who can stare down pitchers in a WS and deliver while having Contemporary Christian walk up music has brass ones.

And yes, I just reminded an atheist that a devout Christian gave him one of the greatest moments of his life.

[/derailthread]
:lol

Don't mistake my absence of faith for a lack of respect or admiration (not truly an atheist either, BTW). Zobrist is awesome and is absolutely a very devout Christian. I love that guy. My Tim Tebow "hate" (I put it in quotes because hate would be way too strong a word) is also not about his beliefs, I just think the guy is an annoying attention whore and he has always rubbed me the wrong way. This whole baseball career thing just feels like an extension of his need for attention and an ego trip and has rekindled my distaste for him. But it isn't because he is a Christian. I am not nearly that shallow, petty, or miserable of a person. I know your post was pretty much just tongue in cheek, I just wanted to be clear.
 
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D

Deuce

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:lol

Don't mistake my absence of faith for a lack of respect or admiration (not truly an atheist either, BTW). Zobrist is awesome and is absolutely a very devout Christian. I love that guy. My Tim Tebow "hate" (I put it in quotes because hate would be way too strong a word) is also not about his beliefs, I just think the guy is an annoying attention whore and he has always rubbed me the wrong way. This whole baseball career thing just feels like an extension of his need for attention and an ego trip and has rekindled my distaste for him. But it isn't because he is a Christian. I am not nearly that shallow, petty, or miserable of a person. I know your post was pretty much just tongue in cheek, I just wanted to be clear.
:buddy
 

mcnuttz

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Lol, nevermind, get it now. I feel dumb.

Apology not deleted, for posterity and so you can laugh at me.
Haha! You're such a dumbass, Kaddish!
 

1bigfan13

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Lol, nevermind, get it now. I feel dumb.

Apology not deleted, for posterity and so you can laugh at me.
:lol

I knew what he was talking about but I can see how it would appear that his post was directed at yours.


Just a great coincidence.
 

Rev

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MLB trade rumors: Houston Astros targeting Miguel Cabrera

This winter is said to be a big one for Detroit Tigers fans. The Hot Stove has been kicking out rumors left and right, and speculation is rampant. The Astros’ front office is pursuing a big bat this offseason, according to Fox Sports’ Jon Paul Morosi. Houston has narrowed their search down to two players: former Toronto Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion and Tigers star Miguel Cabrera.

In an interview with MLB Network on Tuesday, Tigers general manager Al Avila said that he was not actively shopping any of the Tigers players, but is actively listening on all of them. It appears as though Avila may have a potential match in the Houston Astros.

If Cabrera is going to be moved, a trade with the Astros make sense. They lack an impact player that can propel them into the playoffs, and Cabrera could be just that player. Meanwhile, Detroit needs young, controllable talent, and the Astros are overflowing with that.

The Astros are also willing to gain quite a bit of salary, so that would help with Detroit’s efforts to reduce payroll. We have been over what trading Cabrera means for the Tigers already this week, so let’s explore some of the players the Astros might offer in return for the superstar.

Francis Martes

A player of Cabrera’s caliber commands a king’s ransom in return, and heading the veritable army of prospects that could be extracted from Houston’s system is Francis Martes. A righthander out of the Dominican Republic — he signed with the Miami Marlins back in 2012 for $87,000 — Martes was traded to the Astros a little more than a year later. He has shot up in prospect rankings recently, and is currently rated as the No. 29 overall prospect in the game by MLB.com.

This meteoric rise has been fueled by a combination of electric stuff and good results. While Martes has not immediately pitched well at every level of competition, he has always adjusted and done well. In 2013, his first year in professional ball, he pitched to a respectable 3.04 ERA and 3.23 FIP in the Dominican Summer League.

While these look very good on the surface, his peripherals were less than spectacular, and included a paltry 15.2 percent strikeout rate. Martes pitched to much better numbers the next year in the Gulf Coast League, highlighted by significantly improved strikeout numbers.

This kind of up-and-down pattern has been the way Martes performed every time he has moved up the Astros system. He is able to beat the competition with a fastball that has gone from a weak, high-80s offering when he was signed to a weapon that now peaks at 98 miles per hour. He also features a plus power curve with good depth and plus control. His arsenal is rounded out with a change that should turn out to be fringe-average.

Alex Bregman

The second overall pick of the 2015 MLB draft, Alex Bregman profiled as a quick-to-the-majors prospect that may not carry a lineup, but should hit for high average and likely won’t be a liability in the field. While he would be considered untouchable on the majority of teams, he plays for an organization that is flush with shortstops, including superstar Carlos Correa.

Bregman has dominated at every level of the minors, accumulating a 108 wRC+ (8 percent above league average) or better at every level. He peaked with a 179 wRC+ in 285 plate appearances at Double-A last season, almost double the league average. In his limited exposure at the major league level last year, he posted a 112 wRC+ with eight home runs in 217 plate appearances.

Armed with an unusual swing that allows him to make contact with just about anything, Bregman is more than a one-dimensional contact hitter. He is able make that contact count and will drive balls regularly. While his approach at the plate allows him to do well when he puts bat to ball, Bregman’s plate discipline is certainly nothing to write home about. His defensive abilities are nothing flashy, but he will likely be able to stay at shortstop long-term. However, if a move to the hot corner is in his future, his arm is certainly sufficient for the position.

While he may never be a superstar, Bregman is the type of player that will solidify a roster with consistent production, even if it is not overly flashy.

Derek Fisher

Quality bats are what the Tigers’ pipeline is most deprived of, and Derek Fisher is one of the best in the Astros system. An enigma, Fisher is the most coveted type of prospect: one that is able to combine power and speed.

Playing with the Astros’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates in 2016, Fisher posted good power numbers at both levels of competition. Hitting 16 home runs in his stint with Double-A, he was able to hit a respectable .431 slugging percentage and an isolated power (ISO) of .186. He put his short time in Triple-A to good use, producing at an even higher level. His slugging percentage went up to .505 and his ISO increased to .215.

Speed, another crucial element to his game, has also showed up and yielded favorable results. Stealing bases is not a challenge for Fisher, either. He proved that with back-to-back years logging over 25 swipes, with 31 in 2015 and 28 in 2016. His wheels have also enabled him to hit a remarkable number of triples, something power-only hitters are unable to claim.

This combination of skills prompts many prospect evaluators to project Fisher as a 20/20 player, a player who is able to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases annually, as a big leaguer. The only downsides to Fisher are his strikeout-prone ways and poor defense. Despite his overflowing speed, Fisher’s instincts restrict him to a corner outfield role, and his below-average arm will ensure he has a career in left field.

James Hoyt

The Joe Jimenez of the Astros’ farm system, James Hoyt has had a roundabout track to the majors. Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Braves in 2012, he was shipped to the Astros as a part of the Evan Gattis deal. After having spent several seasons in the minors, Hoyt has really found his groove, overpowering Triple-A competition with ease.

The key to Hoyt’s successes starts and ends with his explosive arsenal. A full and diverse set of offerings — all plus — are what has allowed him to make his unlikely assent from unknown college pitcher to the Astros’ next late-inning weapon. His fastball is where everything begins: it’s a 94-96 mph offering with good running action that he throws on a downhill plane created by his 6’6 frame.

His next weapon is described by Tomahawk Take as a “devastating slider that he uses as an out pitch.” Finally, Hoyt features a splitter. The in-vogue pitch of the ‘80s, the splitter is a pitch that is rarely thrown anymore by major league pitchers. Hoyt, however, uses his splitter well, and uses it to keep hitters off balance.

A pitcher with heavy ground ball tendencies, Hoyt induced a 53.8 percent ground ball rate on all batted balls in a limited sample size in the majors in 2016. That is likely not a fluke, as indicated by a monstrous groundout to flyout rate of 3.18. That’s not to say that his value is rooted exclusively in his ability to get ground balls, though, because that would be untrue.

Hoyt is also a strikeout machine, racking up 93 of them in 55 innings in Triple-A. In other words, Hoyt struck out just shy of half of the batters he faced, totaling to a monolithic 15.22 strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9).

The only real issue with Hoyt is spotty control, but that is somewhat expected in a reliever with such dynamic stuff. Long-term, he figures to be a high-leverage reliever, though maybe not a closer, and with many years of team control on his contract, Hoyt would be a near-perfect fit with the Tigers’ current roster.

Conclusion

Clearly, Houston has a number of pieces the Tigers could acquire in the event of a Cabrera trade. Each of these prospects has potential and would be useful at some level in the Tigers’ system, whether that’s with the major league club, Triple-A, or at a lower level. The biggest takeaway from this is that the Astros minor league system contains several highly ranked prospects, and a trade with Houston would likely be beneficial for the teams on both sides of the deal.
 

E_D_Guapo

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Not sure how to properly post this with the video wrap but it is pretty damn funny. Funny or Die did a mashup of Anchorman if it were written about the Cubs winning the World Series.

[video]http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/075c12d94c/the-anchorman-team-watches-the-cubs-win-the-world-series-mashup?_cc=__d___&_ccid=false[/video]
 

Cotton

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Not sure how to properly post this with the video wrap but it is pretty damn funny. Funny or Die did a mashup of Anchorman if it were written about the Cubs winning the World Series.

[video]http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/075c12d94c/the-anchorman-team-watches-the-cubs-win-the-world-series-mashup?_cc=__d___&_ccid=false[/video]
:lol

That is greatness.
 

E_D_Guapo

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Kris Bryant's individual awards by year:

2013: Golden Spikes Award (College Baseball Player of the Year)
2014: Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year
2015: NL Rookie of the Year
2016: NL MVP (as well as the Hank Aaron Award for the NL)

Kris Bryant--->:flairfigurefour<---Every level of baseball he has ever played
 

Rev

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At least the Astros can win the off-season.
 

Carp

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Rangers will sign Andrew Cashner...I have always been intrigued by this guy. He is a toolsy pitcher that might benefit from being back in his home state.
 

Rev

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Rangers will sign Andrew Cashner...I have always been intrigued by this guy. He is a toolsy pitcher that might benefit from being back in his home state.
Like the signing as well and evidently the Rangers have been eyeing him since 2014. Wont have the pressure he had in San Diego so that should help. He can step right into the 3rd or 4th spot and hopefully give us a very good year.
 

Carp

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Cabrera would be great, but he has 7 years and about 220 mil left on his deal. McCann is pricey too.

Surprised that neither Reed or White are mentioned in trade talks...makes sense to send back a 1B.
 

Carp

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Mike Trout as MVP over Betts and Altuve is ridiculous. He just did not play in that many critical games this year.
 

E_D_Guapo

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Rangers will sign Andrew Cashner...I have always been intrigued by this guy. He is a toolsy pitcher that might benefit from being back in his home state.
Definitely well worth taking a shot on a 1 year $10M deal. Could end up providing outstanding value if he figures something out. I wouldn't bank on it though because he has been trending badly in the wrong direction the past couple of years and also has had trouble staying healthy throughout his career. He isn't very dominant for a guy who throws that hard and his WHIP has been really, really ugly the past two seasons. If they can tweak something and he reverts back to 2013/2014 form though he will be a steal at that price.
 

Carp

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Definitely well worth taking a shot on a 1 year $10M deal. Could end up providing outstanding value if he figures something out. I wouldn't bank on it though because he has been trending badly in the wrong direction the past couple of years and also has had trouble staying healthy throughout his career. He isn't very dominant for a guy who throws that hard and his WHIP has been really, really ugly the past two seasons. If they can tweak something and he reverts back to 2013/2014 form though he will be a steal at that price.
When I see talented players like him I always think they are better suited to go to the bullpen. You can get by in the bullpen with 1 or 2 pitches.
 

E_D_Guapo

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When I see talented players like him I always think they are better suited to go to the bullpen. You can get by in the bullpen with 1 or 2 pitches.
Could be a move he makes in the next couple years to extend his career deep into his 30s. I could see him succeeding in that role.
 

E_D_Guapo

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Mike Trout as MVP over Betts and Altuve is ridiculous. He just did not play in that many critical games this year.
It still does play a big factor but a certain chunk of the voters are no longer automatically disqualifying a guy just because his team doesn't contend for the postseason. I agree with that mindset. I think it still should be a factor but I don't give it as much weight as someone who takes a more traditional approach I guess.

Mike Trout was pretty clearly the best player in the AL this year and deserves the award, IMO. If you take metrics that measure pure production like WAR, OPS+, and Weighted Runs Created, Trout is the best in all of those areas. It comes down to a philosophical approach but I lean more towards giving less weight to the team the guy is on if he is kind of a no doubt best player in his league like Trout is.
 
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