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[Schad]

So, I was pretty baffled that the Rays traded a major prospect in Matt Liberatore for Jose Martinez.

I'm significantly less baffled now, given that Randy Arozarena came back with Martinez. The Rays might be good at this thing.

[The_Hater]

Arguably the craziest AB I’ve ever seen considering the situation. 2 balls called strikes on poor Phillips, a ball with eyes finds the grass and Arozarena falling down in between 2 Dodger errors. So much craziness in 3 minutes.

[Schad]

So that happened.

[ItsDanger]

Longtime baseball fan, baseball doesn't get better than that. Never seen a game finish like that before. Incredible.

[TR50]

I was lucky enough to catch the 7th inning on...my oh my..

[vaff87]

So, I was pretty baffled that the Rays traded a major prospect in Matt Liberatore for Jose Martinez.

I'm significantly less baffled now, given that Randy Arozarena came back with Martinez. The Rays might be good at this thing.

I have been perplexed about that, too. In all my “who the **** is Randy Arozarena?” comments over the past two months. I remember that trade when it happened, but I don’t remember modern day Reggie Jackson being a part of it.

[Schad]

I have been perplexed about that, too. In all my “who the **** is Randy Arozarena?” comments over the past two months. I remember that trade when it happened, but I don’t remember modern day Reggie Jackson being a part of it.

He was the Cards' tenth-ranked prospect in 2019. His biggest negative? A lack of power. He has 16 HRs in 154 PAs as a Ray!

Maybe they got a bit lucky, but given that it's the Rays and the trade was a very weird one unless there was something they saw that we didn't, I'm inclined to think that they were much higher on Arozarena than the consensus.

[vaff87]

I have been perplexed about that, too. In all my “who the **** is Randy Arozarena?” comments over the past two months. I remember that trade when it happened, but I don’t remember modern day Reggie Jackson being a part of it.

He was the Cards' tenth-ranked prospect in 2019. His biggest negative? A lack of power. He has 16 HRs in 154 PAs as a Ray!

Maybe they got a bit lucky, but given that it's the Rays and the trade was a very weird one unless there was something they saw that we didn't, I'm inclined to think that they were much higher on Arozarena than the consensus.

I wonder if with some of these Cuban guys it’s not that easy to scout them? It’s not that easy to scout them before they defect. Then, after they defect, they’ve been through so much it probably takes them a while before they’re really able to show what they can do. So the general “consensus” probably isn’t as informed as it normally would be, and it really takes talented scouts who also have the resources, to truly figure out what they have in a player.

[Metallikid]

Game 4 was definitely one of the more exciting baseball games I've ever seen. The 7 straight half innings with a run was just as crazy as the ending.

[Schad]

I'm kinda torn on that one. Stealing home is, in general, absolutely mental...but maybe 1-1 with two outs and your 8th hitter in an L/L matchup and a lefty on the mound and a big jump it isn't the craziest idea?

[polo007]

Rob Manfred says MLB has 'historic' level of debt - TSN.ca

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred says MLB lost money in 2020.

A lot of it.

In an interview with Barry M. Bloom of Sportico, Manfred claims baseball's 30 teams have amassed $8.3 billion in debt and will post between $2.8 million and $3 million in combined losses with fans unable to attend games for the vast majority of the 2020 season due to COVID-19.

"We are going to be at historic high levels of debt,” Manfred told Sportico. “And it’s going to be difficult for the industry to weather another year where we don’t have fans in the ballpark and have other limitations on how much we can’t play and how we can play.”

The Athletic's Evan Drellich wrote Monday that while an MLB source confirmed a similar figure, losses are difficult to independently verify because the league does not make its underlying financial numbers publicly available.

"The figures never include the money owners make from ancillary revenues, such as their stake in regional sports networks, for those who have one," Drellich adds.

“The economic losses [this season] have been devastating for the industry,” Manfred told Bloom. “You’re seeing the ramifications of that in terms of decisions clubs are making with respect to [laying off] baseball operations and business employees. I mean, you’ve never seen those type of decisions, at least since I’ve been around."

After months of back and forth between the league and the Major League Baseball Players Association, the two sides were not able to come to a deal on the economics of a shortened 2020 campaign. The league mandated a 60-game regular season that began in late July and added two playoffs spots in each league, apparently hoping an expanded postseason would help with the league's economic situation.

Manfred told Sportico he finds it difficult to envision a scenario for 2021 where things are back to normal and expects many conversations with the MLBPA in the future regarding next season.

[Schad]

https://sports.yahoo.com/randy-arozarenas-rise-to-rays-postseason-hero-began-with-this-scouts-glowing-report-011317739.html

Hannah Keyser, helpfully addressing our previous conversation: one of the Rays' long-time scouts was head-over-heels for Arozarena, and the team tried multiple times to acquire him because the scout loved how much hard contact he made (even if much of it was on the ground).

[vaff87]

As good as Anderson was this year, I can’t fathom how you take out Snell when he was on cruise control, for Anderson who had allowed runs in six straight appearances.

[LBJKB24MJ23]

As good as Anderson was this year, I can’t fathom how you take out Snell when he was on cruise control, for Anderson who had allowed runs in six straight appearances.

stats. lol.

[Schad]

I'm pretty dubious that stats support that particular move.

Also, Justin Turner was yanked because he tested positive for COVID...mid-game. Seems about right.

[johanliebert]

As good as Anderson was this year, I can’t fathom how you take out Snell when he was on cruise control, for Anderson who had allowed runs in six straight appearances.

cause cash was instructed to pull him in that situation.

these managers are puppets i said it here early in the season when everyone was killing montoya. the sabermetricians have more autonomy than the FO...ivy league kids empowered by the owners. It's been like that since JP was here you really think Cash wanted to pull his ace in that situation?

These managers do nothing but manage ego's and do as they're told...some guy's don't care and will ignore orders. everything from pitching changes to day to day lineups are handled upstairs

[johanliebert]

I'm pretty dubious that stats support that particular move.

Also, Justin Turner was yanked because he tested positive for COVID...mid-game. Seems about right.

yea we know that but it's still a good question.

Now how do you look at your team and Snell after what occured?

you were one of the people who scoffed at the idea that managers dont make any decisions. I have a friend in NY who works for a minor league team..i've heard first hand stories about how powerless they are.

also heard gregg zaun tell stories about how JP would make lineups changes right before games to gibby.

[LBJKB24MJ23]

Snell was at 73 pitches and the last time he pitched was 10/21. and the Rays were dominating the LAD with him pitching in 4.2 innings with a higher pitch count. last time he threw over 100 was against Houston.

This was game 6, he was never going to be pitching game 7. There is no way Cash pulls this guy if he had full control.

other note: my friend, a dodgers fan, predicted the Dodgers win because Cash would have bad BP management lol he's posting an insta story with a convo at the beginning of the series.

[Schad]

What makes you believe that it wasn't Cash's choice? Yeah, GMs absolutely hire managers who have similar philosophies...the Rays aren't hiring Dusty Baker any time soon. Managers then make the on-field decisions. That is roughly how baseball has worked since Branch Rickey modernized the baseball front office.

The Rays were in Game 6 of the World Series largely because they wrung such an unbelievable performance out of their bullpen. The philosophy wasn't really their problem, but in a Game 6 where Snell is done for the series regardless, I'm not sure Cash would have the backing of the stat dudes.

[vaff87]

If Nick Anderson was pitching like he did in the regular season it would be one thing. But he’s been really bad. Had given up runs in six straight games. How does that not factor into the decision?