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Ranma · Post #141 » by **Ranma** » Fri Sep 1, 2017 10:19 am

Neddy · Post #142 » by **Neddy** » Fri Sep 1, 2017 5:09 pm

LMAO @ Tigers letting go of Justin Upton and Kate Upton on the same day thing. :lol:

Ranma · Post #143 » by **Ranma** » Wed Sep 6, 2017 2:12 am

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Ranma · Post #144 » by **Ranma** » Thu Sep 14, 2017 3:26 pm

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I thought this was a different video from the one I posted before. Nope. It's the same video but only this time it made an ESPN top 10 highlight reel.

Neddy · Post #145 » by **Neddy** » Fri Sep 15, 2017 2:04 am

Ranma wrote:

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what a dumbassery by the opposing catcher.

Ranma · Post #146 » by **Ranma** » Fri Sep 15, 2017 7:51 am

Neddy wrote:what a dumbassery by the opposing catcher.

I thought Crawford did this again but this is the same exact video that I already posted. My apologies. I thought the first video was a solo inside-the-park HR. :tooth

Ranma · Post #147 » by **Ranma** » Thu Sep 21, 2017 1:10 am

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Ranma · Post #148 » by **Ranma** » Mon Oct 2, 2017 6:55 pm

MLBTradeRumors.com reports John Coppollela has resigned effective immediately from the Atlanta Braves along with special assistant Gordon Blakely due to a breach of MLB rules regarding the international player market. I suspect their violation involved signing Kevin Maitan. If so, I wonder how MLB will penalize them for that, which may include making Maitan available to every MLB team except for the Braves. The investigation is ongoing.

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Quake Griffin · Post #149 » by **Quake Griffin** » Tue Oct 3, 2017 12:07 am

Holy hell.

If Maitan becomes FA, could we do an Otani/Maitan combo?

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Ranma · Post #150 » by **Ranma** » Tue Oct 3, 2017 12:43 am

Quake Griffin wrote:Holy hell.

If Maitan becomes FA, could we do an Otani/Maitan combo?

I'd love to see that, but based on the punishment handed down to the Red Sox in their circumvention violation, the signed international prospects were declared free agents but still subject to the international bonus signing pool while being available to other teams. The first $300,000 to sign each of those prospect did not apply to teams who signed them, which I presume was what the Braves initially signed them to.

However, Maitan signed with the Braves for $4.25 million, which means there could be a similar arrangement if evidence is found of a violation, which seems quite likely at this point given what has transpired in the wake of the investigation. The international bonus restrictions apply to teams, not players, so theoretically Maitan can sign for as much money as possible. In practice, however, he's still limited to getting the $10,062,500 maximum allotted to a team receiving a Competitive Balance Round B pick, but that's for the next J2 signing period starting July 2, 2018.

The most he would get during the current signing period would be from the Yankees or Rangers at around $3.5 million, although the Rangers may be able to offer more since one of their previous committed signings fell through. Unlike Otani, Maitan will unlikely leave money on the table, so it's a matter of whether he and his agent would be willing to wait until the next signing period even though he's been playing in the Braves' minor league system.

Maitan is agile and athletic but lacking in speed. He might be similar to Seager as a prospect who can handle SS but with a much stronger arm and slower foot speed, so he profiles best at 3B. If Maitan doesn't want to wait, he'll probably sign with either the Yankees or Rangers once either or both miss out on Otani. The Dodgers' best chance would be for him to wait until the next signing period, but reports seem to indicate that we're targeting Antonio Cabello. While Cabello won't take up our entire international budget, he would eat a sizable chunk from our $4.75 million in assigned pool money or from the $8,312,500 maximum we could trade up for.

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Ranma · Post #151 » by **Ranma** » Tue Oct 3, 2017 1:50 am

I'm a little concerned about whether or not the Dodgers are even interested in Kevin Maitan at this point. I know they're not dismissing Latin America players but they seemed to shy away from big-name international signings in light of the Hector Olivares, Alex Guerrero, and even Yaisel Sierra signings.

We passed on the Gurriel brothers despite not being limited by the international signing restrictions for either one. Yulieski has been a big contributor for the Astros while Lourdes, Jr. has been off to a slow start dealing with injuries and struggling in the minors. I wanted Tito over Yuli and still believe in him, but the latter has certainly proven his worth more so than his younger brother.

Maitan hasn't exactly set the minor leagues on fire either but he's still a 17-year-old prospect with promising tools and already a consensus top-100 MLB prospect. He'd be a top-5 prospect in the Dodgers' pipeline right now with a good chance to be the organization's best prospect within the next couple of years even if we sign Shohei Otani since Otani will be fast-tracked to the majors in short order.

Quake Griffin · Post #152 » by **Quake Griffin** » Wed Oct 11, 2017 3:07 pm

Dave Dumb Browski fired Farrell out in Boston.

More proof that a fool and his money (in this case, prospects, good manaer, and WS hopes) will soon part ways.
Unbelievable that Boston's ownership can't see he is eroding that franchise from within just like he did the Tigers.

Ranma · Post #153 » by **Ranma** » Wed Oct 11, 2017 8:29 pm

Scott Lauber from ESPN wrote that the Red Sox's lack of positive veteran leadership is a big factor to the aforementioned erosion in the clubhouse Quake referenced. Dombrowski obviously put the roster together but the high-priced David Price has done more to disrupt the franchise than build up cohesion within it.

It just makes me appreciate Chase Utley all the more, which is why I applauded trading for him in the first place. His leadership by example has undoubtedly served Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger well along with the rest of the ballclub. It's to the point where teammates have stated on the record that they don't want to disappoint him and even Andrew Friedman has not been shy that he wants to bring Chase back in some capacity even if his playing days are over.

His on-field contributions may be limited but his overall presence provides such a huge benefit and, even at his advanced age, he still holds his own during the games he does play. Contrast that to what we've been getting from Curtis Granderson and you see a world of difference. Then again, Granderson has been given a lot of unwarranted opportunities to show something.

Ranma · Post #154 » by **Ranma** » Wed Oct 18, 2017 6:19 am

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Neddy · Post #155 » by **Neddy** » Thu Oct 19, 2017 12:57 am

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preposterous idea to abolish AL and NL!

I can go along with 8 regional divisions. Im good with that. less games in season, fine. less traveling by playing more in-division teams, I'm good with that. erasing AL and NL and every team has to play with DH, I am not good with that. a part of fun of interleague games and the WS games is that depending on how each teams are constructed, it can match well against the other league team at their field, or completely fall apart at building a lineup. and Montreal already failed once. it is a hockey town. Portland maybe able to support a team, but it rains alot here and they will have to build a dome. Multomah county will have to raise some serious tax revenue to make that happen and people will not like it. besides, this is not really a baseball state. it is a basketball/soccer in urban, and UO/OSU college football in rural parts state.

Quake Griffin · Post #156 » by **Quake Griffin** » Tue Oct 24, 2017 4:32 pm

I'm interested in Joe Maddon's bench coach (I believe he's a bench coach) Dave Martinez interviewing in Washington for the Nats job. IIRC, he was one of the interviewees for the Dodger position and I believe he was receiving some consideration if not strong consideration for the gig before it seemed to narrow down between Dave and Kepler.

IMO, he will be the best manager of the Nats in the Bryce Harper era. If Rizzo can do anything to fortify their bullpen, he could be the piece that helps them turn around their fortunes.

I dunno how sabermetrically inclined the Nats front office is but I distinctly remember when Dusty got hired, he was sort of bragging about his non-sabermetric methods and that the Royals (who had just won it all) won with a method he always preaches because they were a high contact team that didn't K a lot.

Anywho....just interesting to me. Could be a good fit in Was and that would suck because he would be someone I'd be interested in in the event Dave doesn't work out.

Ranma · Post #157 » by **Ranma** » Tue Oct 24, 2017 4:45 pm

I agree. I was on Dave Martinez early and advocated for him to be the Dodgers' manager before Dave Roberts got the job. I liked him more than Gabe Kapler and still do. Martinez is the best managerial candidate on the market IMO, but I'm not sure the teams with current openings for manager make much sense in terms of getting the most out of his abilities. The Nationals will lose Harper after next season and the Phillies may spend big to try to get back into contention, but is either team even committed to sabermetrics? I have to think Don Mattingly's days in Miami are also numbered under new ownership.

I heard Kapler interviewed with the Nationals but was declined an opportunity for consideration with the Mets before they went with Mickey Callaway.

Quake Griffin · Post #158 » by **Quake Griffin** » Wed Oct 25, 2017 1:24 pm

Ranma wrote:I heard Kapler interviewed with the Nationals but was declined an opportunity for consideration with the Mets before they went with Mickey Callaway.

That is interesting to me.

For some reason I always felt he'd stay in the Dodgers organization...if for no reason other than they'd probably hand him the managerial role if Dave failed.

Ranma · Post #159 » by **Ranma** » Thu Oct 26, 2017 3:16 pm

Kapler is reportedly a finalist for the managerial vacancy in Philadelphia while Girardi will not be retained by the Yankees. I wonder if Girardi will eventually succeed Mattingly in Miami.

Ranma · Post #160 » by **Ranma** » Sun Oct 29, 2017 8:14 pm

Martinez goes to Washington and that's a great hire for them. Dude should have had a job as manager a long time ago. In fact, he's the guy I considered replacing Roberts with.

I was kind of hoping Kapler would be hired by somebody and he may still be Philadelphia's choice, but I'm hearing the Yankees are actually considering Jerry Hairston, Jr. That would be hysterical. I'd love to see him off the Sportsnet LA broadcast and he'd go down in flames in New York. Would it be too much to ask that he'd take Colletti with him as an advisor?

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