July 31 is always the most distracting day for me at work. That all has to do with the invention of Twitter and the MLB Trade Deadline, which ends at 3 p.m. CT today. I figured I'd help out with a running post. If you don't want to wait for an update on the post (I do have work after all), you can check out this Twitter List for monitoring the latest news and rumors.
You can check out the news and rumors from July 30 here.
Obviously I'm going to write all this up, but I'm going to take a moment and let some of the details come in, then take a shower, then have a drink, before I get started.
3:55pm: The Greinke deal was finalized "a couple of seconds" before the deadline.
3:41pm: The Astros are assuming $53m of Greinke's remaining contract, which works out to be around $22m per year.
3:36pm: Updated World Series odds have the Astros at 2:1.
3:30pm: The Astros final haul from Toronto is Biagini, Sanchez, and Cal Stevenson.
3:24pm: Seth Beer and Josh Rojas are the others.
3:23pm: Corbin Martin and J.B. Bukauskas are two known names. Two other "high draft picks from recent years" involved.
3:16pm: Kyle Tucker is not one of those prospects.
3:15pm: Four prospects are headed to Arizona
3:13pm: The Astros have acquired Zack Greinke.
3:09pm: Toronto has apparently also traded Aaron Sanchez to Houston.
3:05pm: The Dodgers and Yankees did not get better.
3:02pm: Rosenthal's sources say Bumgarner and Wheeler are staying with their respective teams.
3:01pm: Wheeler is staying with the Mets...for now.
2:58pm: Yeah, the Angels traded for Stassi.
2:56pm: The Angels are trying to swing a deal for Max Stassi.
2:54pm: The Astros may have acquired [squints] Joe Biagini from Toronto?
2:44pm: The Mets' asking price for Zack Wheeler is "steep." A deal would be a surprise at this point.
2:42pm: Former Astros Great Mark Melancon is headed to Atlanta.
2:29pm: The Mets want to Sell AND Buy, and want to beef up their bullpen.
2:24pm: Jeff Passan says on ESPN that Wheeler is either going to the Astros or Rays.
2:21pm: The Yankees are out on Zack Wheeler
2:13pm: The Dodgers have traded for St. Louis' Jedd Gyorko.
2:11pm: The Tigers are close to sending closer Shane Greene to Atlanta.
2:08pm: Still the Astros, Rays, and Yankees in on Wheeler, but the Mets will hold on to him if they don't get the deal they want.
2:00pm: One hour until the Trade Deadline.
1:48pm: Madison Bumgarner remains available, and the Giants will be listening until the deadline.
1:45pm: The Rays have made an offer to the Mets for Wheeler, but both sides are "not close."
1:43pm: Astros, Rays, and Yankees are talking to the Mets about Wheeler. No word on romance level.
1:41pm: Buster Olney just said on ESPN that the feeling is Bumgarner will stay in San Francisco.
1:36pm: Astros and Rays are in on Zack Wheeler, activity is described as "hot and heavy."
1:34pm: The Nationals also got Hunter Strickland from Seattle - their 3rd bullpen addition of the day.
1:31pm: Arizona wanted Clint Frazier plus three prospects from New York for Robbie Ray.
1:25pm: Oakland has acquired pitcher Tanner Roark from Cincinnati.
1:25pm: Apparently it's Drew Pomeranz going to the Brewers from San Francisco.
1:23pm: The Giants and Brewers have agreed to a deal, but it does not include Madison Bumgarner.
1:20pm: The Rays are in on Zack Wheeler.
1:09pm: The Nationals have also acquired lefty reliever Roenis Elias from Seattle - their 2nd bullpen addition of the day.
1:01pm: Martin Maldonado seems to confirm the trade back to Houston.
12:56pm: With the Trade Deadline just over two hours away, a sense of urgency "has started to pick up."
12:54pm: Talks between the Yankees and Diamondbacks on Robbie Ray are now "dead."
12:52pm: The Nationals have traded for Toronto reliever Daniel Hudson.
12:51pm: The Yankees are "considering" Former Astros Great Ken Giles.
12:28pm: The belief now is that the Mets will hold on to closer Edwin Diaz.
12:18pm: Based on cost, it looks like Zach Wheeler is the Astros preferred option.
12:04pm: Astros pitchers loved throwing to Maldonado.
11:58am: Tony Kemp is going to the Cubs for Maldonado. Good for him!
11:55am: Astros acquire Martin Maldonado from Cubs! Check the County Mountie's write-up here.
11:51am: Both Yankees and Astros in on Bumgarner and Wheeler. My prediction is Yankees get Bumgarner. Astros get Wheeler. I doubt the Mets really want to deal with the Yankees. They're just using them as leverage against the Astros.
11:34am: Sounds like there's not much going on the Robbie Ray front.
10:59am: Astros and Yankees are inquiring on Ray from the Diamondbacks.
10:56am: Zack Wheeler market is heating up!
10:46am: Astros focused on Zach Wheeler and Robbie Ray.
10:43am: Astros are in discussions about reliever help. Ryan Pressley was put on the IL yesterday, retroactive to July 27.
10:32am: Justin Verlander is just like us! Hi Justin!
10:21am: "The Mets are fielding calls from 9 teams on Wheeler." I suspect the Astros are one of those teams.
9:16am: Some news on the Yankees, Giants, and Mets. Hoping this is a sign that reporters are heads down getting information on the next trade. Oh and other teams expect Wheeler to be dealt.
7:40am:
Astros are on Madison Bumgarner's "special" no-trade list. Rival execs
don't think that will be an issue as getting traded won't saddle him
with a qualifying offer. Similar to Justin Verlander a few years ago,
this might be a trade that goes down to the wire. If it actually
happens.
6:18am: Reds are keeping Bauer, not flipping him. That should make a lot of the Astros' faithful happy.
4:03am: GMs expect Zack Wheeler, Robbie Ray, and Mike Minor to be moved today.
Here are the details from the Tyler Bauer to Cincinnati, Yasiel Puig to Cleveland, and Taylor Trammel to San Diego three-team trade.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
Showing posts with label Robbie Ray. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Robbie Ray. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
July 30 Evening Rumor Roundup / Running Post
Wife & Kid are out of town, which means that I can do this. Here's a running update on what has happened, rumor-wise, with the Astros on the evening/night of July 30. This does not replace Hot Links in the morning. This goes backwards, chronologically:
9:05pm: There's apparently a three-team deal with Cleveland, Cincinnati, and San Diego that sends Bauer to the Reds. Marcus Stroman went to the Mets. Tyler Bauer went to the Reds. You can't plan for Dumb People Doing Weird Things.
8:28pm: Matt Boyd "very likely staying" in Detroit.
7:10pm: Syndergaard actually took the mound against the White Sox.
6:44pm: Bauer is "very much in play." Bumgarner remains available. Interest in Robbie Ray has picked up. Jeff Passan: "The trade market is finally beginning to unclog."
6:27pm: Hinch (pre-game):
There's a lot of talk going on, there's a lot of action. I try to encourage our guys to not read too much into it. So many different people have access to so much different information, so stay patient and see what happens...We try to keep our 25 guys inside extremely close, and the Deadline anxiety and the Deadline stress is real.
I get a ton of questions. People see when my office door is open, or is it closed? Am I on the phone? Am I not on the phone? Chances are I'm working on the Indians and trying to set ourselves up to beat these guys. The transactions that may or may not happen, we'll all find out around the same time.
6:13pm: The Astros are "thought to be in the mix" for Bauer and Bumgarner, and any other top SP.
6:08pm: The Indians want Major-League help in any return for Bauer.
5:57pm: The Reds and Indians are trying to line up a Bauer trade, with a Double-A outfielder with a .688 OPS as one of the more intriguing names in the discussion.
5:53pm: The Indians are more likely to trade Trevor Bauer than to keep him.
5:04pm: The Astros, as well as the Braves, Yankees, Brewers, Twins, and Phillies are in on Arizona's Robbie Ray.
4:39pm: For those of you who are interested in catching, interest in Toronto's Justin Smoak is "picking up."
4:31pm: Joel Sherman quotes an anonymous executive who says, of the Mets' ask for Syndergaard:
It is not even worth a second conversation. I'm not even sure it was worth the first. Maybe some other team would say yes to that, but that is hard to believe. Because the Mets are not in the mode of meeting you in the middle of your offer and their ask, it is their ask or nothing.
3:00pm: 24 hours to go until the Trade Deadline.
2:59pm: "The buyers insist the sellers' demands are unrealistic. The sellers insist the buyer's offers are too low."
2:50pm: The Mets are asking for Major-League or Major-League-Ready talent for Syndergaard, even among teams with deep faarm (sic) systems.
2:48pm: Trevor Bauer is being fined, but not suspended, for throwing the ball over the center-field wall.
2:46pm: SI says that Syndergaard would be a "stellar compliment" to Verlander and Cole:
Trading Tucker could send a potential All-Star to New York. Holding onto him could cost the Astros a spot in the World Series.
2:44pm: It's "unlikely" that Pirates reliever Felipe Vazquez will get traded, despite "tons of interest."
2:00pm: Folks, Ken Giles is probably not going to get traded to Houston after receiving a cortisone shot.
1:52pm: The Padres have made what they believe to be a "strong offer" for Noah Syndergaard, but it's still not apparently enough. Because the Mets are stupid. The Padres have been on Syndergaard for quite a while.
1:16pm: "Rivals" are still skeptical on the Giants trading Bumgarner.
1:06pm: Tim Brown: "The stunner would if be if [the Astros] don't end up with one of the top-end available SPs."
12:36pm: Giants and Astros are "engaged" on Madison Bumgarner.
10:12am: Detroit SP Matthew Boyd is "likely to stay put."
9:10am: For some reason, the Astros are interested in Orioles 1B/OF Trey Mancini.
9:05pm: There's apparently a three-team deal with Cleveland, Cincinnati, and San Diego that sends Bauer to the Reds. Marcus Stroman went to the Mets. Tyler Bauer went to the Reds. You can't plan for Dumb People Doing Weird Things.
8:28pm: Matt Boyd "very likely staying" in Detroit.
7:10pm: Syndergaard actually took the mound against the White Sox.
6:44pm: Bauer is "very much in play." Bumgarner remains available. Interest in Robbie Ray has picked up. Jeff Passan: "The trade market is finally beginning to unclog."
6:27pm: Hinch (pre-game):
There's a lot of talk going on, there's a lot of action. I try to encourage our guys to not read too much into it. So many different people have access to so much different information, so stay patient and see what happens...We try to keep our 25 guys inside extremely close, and the Deadline anxiety and the Deadline stress is real.
I get a ton of questions. People see when my office door is open, or is it closed? Am I on the phone? Am I not on the phone? Chances are I'm working on the Indians and trying to set ourselves up to beat these guys. The transactions that may or may not happen, we'll all find out around the same time.
6:13pm: The Astros are "thought to be in the mix" for Bauer and Bumgarner, and any other top SP.
6:08pm: The Indians want Major-League help in any return for Bauer.
5:57pm: The Reds and Indians are trying to line up a Bauer trade, with a Double-A outfielder with a .688 OPS as one of the more intriguing names in the discussion.
5:53pm: The Indians are more likely to trade Trevor Bauer than to keep him.
5:04pm: The Astros, as well as the Braves, Yankees, Brewers, Twins, and Phillies are in on Arizona's Robbie Ray.
4:39pm: For those of you who are interested in catching, interest in Toronto's Justin Smoak is "picking up."
4:31pm: Joel Sherman quotes an anonymous executive who says, of the Mets' ask for Syndergaard:
It is not even worth a second conversation. I'm not even sure it was worth the first. Maybe some other team would say yes to that, but that is hard to believe. Because the Mets are not in the mode of meeting you in the middle of your offer and their ask, it is their ask or nothing.
3:00pm: 24 hours to go until the Trade Deadline.
2:59pm: "The buyers insist the sellers' demands are unrealistic. The sellers insist the buyer's offers are too low."
2:50pm: The Mets are asking for Major-League or Major-League-Ready talent for Syndergaard, even among teams with deep faarm (sic) systems.
2:48pm: Trevor Bauer is being fined, but not suspended, for throwing the ball over the center-field wall.
2:46pm: SI says that Syndergaard would be a "stellar compliment" to Verlander and Cole:
Trading Tucker could send a potential All-Star to New York. Holding onto him could cost the Astros a spot in the World Series.
2:44pm: It's "unlikely" that Pirates reliever Felipe Vazquez will get traded, despite "tons of interest."
2:00pm: Folks, Ken Giles is probably not going to get traded to Houston after receiving a cortisone shot.
1:52pm: The Padres have made what they believe to be a "strong offer" for Noah Syndergaard, but it's still not apparently enough. Because the Mets are stupid. The Padres have been on Syndergaard for quite a while.
1:16pm: "Rivals" are still skeptical on the Giants trading Bumgarner.
1:06pm: Tim Brown: "The stunner would if be if [the Astros] don't end up with one of the top-end available SPs."
12:36pm: Giants and Astros are "engaged" on Madison Bumgarner.
10:12am: Detroit SP Matthew Boyd is "likely to stay put."
9:10am: For some reason, the Astros are interested in Orioles 1B/OF Trey Mancini.
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
Thanks to Flick for taking the Hot Links yesterday morning while I was out pretending I'm not in my late 30s. Seeing Spoon was a bucket list item for me, Cage The Elephant played maybe the best show I've seen in the last 15 years (and turned me from An Appreciator to A Hardcore Fan), and Beck was as phenomenal as I expected him to be. His drummer went hard. Anyway. It was really cool to get to come to Houston this past weekend and hang out with a bunch of you, whether that was at the Disaster of the Lima Time Time Live Show, or the concert last night. You're all pretty solid people, and I appreciate you.
Random Notes
The Astros were off yesterday. Their next off-day is next Monday. This week's schedule:
Tue-Thu: at Cleveland
Fri-Sun: vs. Seattle
Houston has 55 games remaining. 26 of them are against teams above .500:
Cleveland (3)
Oakland (8)
Anaheim (10)
Tampa (3)
Milwaukee (2)
18 of the 26 remaining games against teams above .500 (prior to the games of July 29) are with Oakland and Anaheim, against whom the Astros are a combined 15-5.
Since losing seven in a row between Toronto, Cincinnati, and New York, the Astros are 20-9 with a collective .283/.355/.496 slash line and a 3.83 ERA / 1.23 WHIP with a 3.31 K:BB ratio. They good.
Astros News
*Jake Marisnick lost his appeal, because Joe Torre and MLB are spineless. He will sit tonight and tomorrow, and the Astros will just play a man down.
*Forrest Whitley will start for Fayetteville again tonight.
*The Athletic's Jon Greenberg ($) wrote up a profile of Tri-City manager Ozney Guillen and the future of the modern MLB manager. It's a really good read.
Trade Stuff
The Trade Deadline is tomorrow at 3pm Central.
*Jake Kaplan ($): The Astros tend to hold on to prospects like Kyle Tucker and Forrest Whitley. Is that the right plan this Deadline?
*The Astros and Brewers are in on Arizona's Robbie Ray. The Brewers also acquired Former Astros Great Jordan Lyles.
*The Mets are shopping both Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard. FanGraphs: The Case for Noah Syndergaard.
*As you know, the Mets have acquired Marcos Stroman. Stroman was apparently so upset that he wasn't traded to the Yankees, Red Sox, or Astros that the clubhouse was closed while he vented. Stroman is smart and says he's excited to be a Met.
Between STRO-MAN becoming a Met, and David Price's dog ASTRO going to Boston, I'm starting to think that there's nothing to read into these perfect coincidences. The Mets also traded Jason Vargas to the division rival Phillies, for a 25-year old catcher hitting .195 in his 2nd year at Double-A, but who went to school with Jeff Wilpon's son. Ultimately, the Mets are not smart. On a scale of usefulness, Tampons > Wilpons. The Inestimable David J. Roth: A Working Theory Of What The Mets Are Doing.
*The Red Sox are discussing Mets reliever Edwin Diaz. Mike Petriello: Why Edwin Diaz is still in high demand.
Minor League Stuff
*Round Rock was off yesterday.
*Corpus won in 10 innings, 7-6. Abraham Toro was 3x5 with a double and 2HR/4RBI. J.B. Bukauskas threw 4.2IP, 3H/3ER, 4K:5BB. In his last four starts: 21.2IP, 13H/5ER, 26K:12BB. Erasmo Pinales threw 2IP and allowed 0H/0ER, 6K:2BB.
*Quad Cities lost to Beloit 11-3. Not much of note in this one.
*Fayetteville was off yesterday.
*Tri-City was off yesterday.
Other Stuff
*What happens when a veteran reporter makes a mistake in a post-game interview after just watching her sister die? Plot Twist: People are absolutely terrible.
*15 Days of Fury: How Puerto Rico's Government Collapsed.
*GQ: The Business of Sleep.
*Texas Monthly: It only took a handful of people to wrongly convict Ed Ates of murder. It took an army to free him from prison. Now comes the hard part.
*A College dropout, bed-ridden for 11 years, invented a surgery and cured himself.
*Parents are giving up custody of their kids in order to qualify for need-based scholarships and tuition-assistance. This country is fan...[kisses bunched fingers]...tastic.
*A Musical Selection:
Random Notes
The Astros were off yesterday. Their next off-day is next Monday. This week's schedule:
Tue-Thu: at Cleveland
Fri-Sun: vs. Seattle
Houston has 55 games remaining. 26 of them are against teams above .500:
Cleveland (3)
Oakland (8)
Anaheim (10)
Tampa (3)
Milwaukee (2)
18 of the 26 remaining games against teams above .500 (prior to the games of July 29) are with Oakland and Anaheim, against whom the Astros are a combined 15-5.
Since losing seven in a row between Toronto, Cincinnati, and New York, the Astros are 20-9 with a collective .283/.355/.496 slash line and a 3.83 ERA / 1.23 WHIP with a 3.31 K:BB ratio. They good.
Astros News
*Jake Marisnick lost his appeal, because Joe Torre and MLB are spineless. He will sit tonight and tomorrow, and the Astros will just play a man down.
*Forrest Whitley will start for Fayetteville again tonight.
*The Athletic's Jon Greenberg ($) wrote up a profile of Tri-City manager Ozney Guillen and the future of the modern MLB manager. It's a really good read.
Trade Stuff
The Trade Deadline is tomorrow at 3pm Central.
*Jake Kaplan ($): The Astros tend to hold on to prospects like Kyle Tucker and Forrest Whitley. Is that the right plan this Deadline?
*The Astros and Brewers are in on Arizona's Robbie Ray. The Brewers also acquired Former Astros Great Jordan Lyles.
*The Mets are shopping both Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard. FanGraphs: The Case for Noah Syndergaard.
*As you know, the Mets have acquired Marcos Stroman. Stroman was apparently so upset that he wasn't traded to the Yankees, Red Sox, or Astros that the clubhouse was closed while he vented. Stroman is smart and says he's excited to be a Met.
Between STRO-MAN becoming a Met, and David Price's dog ASTRO going to Boston, I'm starting to think that there's nothing to read into these perfect coincidences. The Mets also traded Jason Vargas to the division rival Phillies, for a 25-year old catcher hitting .195 in his 2nd year at Double-A, but who went to school with Jeff Wilpon's son. Ultimately, the Mets are not smart. On a scale of usefulness, Tampons > Wilpons. The Inestimable David J. Roth: A Working Theory Of What The Mets Are Doing.
*The Red Sox are discussing Mets reliever Edwin Diaz. Mike Petriello: Why Edwin Diaz is still in high demand.
Minor League Stuff
*Round Rock was off yesterday.
*Corpus won in 10 innings, 7-6. Abraham Toro was 3x5 with a double and 2HR/4RBI. J.B. Bukauskas threw 4.2IP, 3H/3ER, 4K:5BB. In his last four starts: 21.2IP, 13H/5ER, 26K:12BB. Erasmo Pinales threw 2IP and allowed 0H/0ER, 6K:2BB.
*Quad Cities lost to Beloit 11-3. Not much of note in this one.
*Fayetteville was off yesterday.
*Tri-City was off yesterday.
Other Stuff
*What happens when a veteran reporter makes a mistake in a post-game interview after just watching her sister die? Plot Twist: People are absolutely terrible.
*15 Days of Fury: How Puerto Rico's Government Collapsed.
*GQ: The Business of Sleep.
*Texas Monthly: It only took a handful of people to wrongly convict Ed Ates of murder. It took an army to free him from prison. Now comes the hard part.
*A College dropout, bed-ridden for 11 years, invented a surgery and cured himself.
*Parents are giving up custody of their kids in order to qualify for need-based scholarships and tuition-assistance. This country is fan...[kisses bunched fingers]...tastic.
*A Musical Selection:
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
Tuesday Morning Hot Links
Late night Hot Links suck to make when you have a nighttime oriented sleep schedule. Game wraps up around 1 a.m. EST (my time zone), then you gotta wait for the beat writers to write up their little articles and what not before I get to do my job because haha I'm not waking up at 5 a.m. like James does bless his soul. So if something doesn't sound right or is spelled wrong, it's because this is late for even me.
For everyone that didn't watch the Astros game due to it being late, you made a good choice. The Angels won their 4th in a row and beat up on Framber Valdez pretty handily as they took the game 9-6.
Notes:
Springer - 3/5, 2 HR, 3 RBI. With these home runs, Springer has moved up to 7th in the Astros all-time home run list.
Kemp - 2/5, RBI
Valdez - 4 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
Albert Pujols tried to run last night.
Full Box:
Recap:
Per Chandler Rome, the Framber Valdez experiment is over.
The Astros will most likely head into tomorrow doing another bullpen day.
Brian Arbour, of The Astros County dot com, wrote a piece addressing the state of the rotation as it stands, and the best moves for it going forward.
A.J. Hinch talked about Josh James' recent success and the improvements that he made to get here.
Kyle Tucker seems to beupping his trade value extending the versatility of his game. ($)
The Crawfish Boxes have taken the time to check out the likelihood and potential of a Roenis Elias deal.
The Astros are for real gauging interest in a possible Robbie Ray deal.
When Diaz and Correa come back, who gets the boot with White?
There are some weird things on TV at 3 a.m. I just went ahead and typed this because I'm living it. It's my life. It's my post.
Alex Bregman and Tony Kemp went out and presented the Houston Fire Department with a brand new truck.
The Athletic's Dallas sportswriter floated the idea that the Astros bent the rules regarding the Yordan Alvarez trade, but then realized what he said and quickly walked it back. Just a typical Monday on Twitter.
Siberian millennials are flooding to this very pretty, very toxic lake so they can take selfies next to it.
Biologists have discovered a jellyfish bigger than a human, which is just the things I like to know before I go into water.
On This Day in Baseball History
In 1990, Steve Lyons dropped his pants on accident during live television.
In 1999, the New York Yankees ownership decided that after seeing the positive response to Trevor Hoffman's "Hell's Bells" warm-up song to select Metallica's "Enter Sandman" for their closer Mariano Rivera.
In 2006, Mariano Rivera became the 4th closer to ever achieve 400 saves.
In 2009, Ryan Howard became the fastest player to ever get to 200 home runs. He played 658 games at this point.
In 2010, Bengie Molina, the notoriously slow catcher, became the 8th player ever to hit for the cycle with the home run being a grand slam.
For everyone that didn't watch the Astros game due to it being late, you made a good choice. The Angels won their 4th in a row and beat up on Framber Valdez pretty handily as they took the game 9-6.
Notes:
Springer - 3/5, 2 HR, 3 RBI. With these home runs, Springer has moved up to 7th in the Astros all-time home run list.
Kemp - 2/5, RBI
Valdez - 4 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
Albert Pujols tried to run last night.
Full Box:
Recap:
Per Chandler Rome, the Framber Valdez experiment is over.
The Astros will most likely head into tomorrow doing another bullpen day.
Brian Arbour, of The Astros County dot com, wrote a piece addressing the state of the rotation as it stands, and the best moves for it going forward.
A.J. Hinch talked about Josh James' recent success and the improvements that he made to get here.
Kyle Tucker seems to be
The Crawfish Boxes have taken the time to check out the likelihood and potential of a Roenis Elias deal.
The Astros are for real gauging interest in a possible Robbie Ray deal.
When Diaz and Correa come back, who gets the boot with White?
There are some weird things on TV at 3 a.m. I just went ahead and typed this because I'm living it. It's my life. It's my post.
Alex Bregman and Tony Kemp went out and presented the Houston Fire Department with a brand new truck.
The Athletic's Dallas sportswriter floated the idea that the Astros bent the rules regarding the Yordan Alvarez trade, but then realized what he said and quickly walked it back. Just a typical Monday on Twitter.
Siberian millennials are flooding to this very pretty, very toxic lake so they can take selfies next to it.
Biologists have discovered a jellyfish bigger than a human, which is just the things I like to know before I go into water.
On This Day in Baseball History
In 1990, Steve Lyons dropped his pants on accident during live television.
In 1999, the New York Yankees ownership decided that after seeing the positive response to Trevor Hoffman's "Hell's Bells" warm-up song to select Metallica's "Enter Sandman" for their closer Mariano Rivera.
In 2006, Mariano Rivera became the 4th closer to ever achieve 400 saves.
In 2009, Ryan Howard became the fastest player to ever get to 200 home runs. He played 658 games at this point.
In 2010, Bengie Molina, the notoriously slow catcher, became the 8th player ever to hit for the cycle with the home run being a grand slam.
Sunday, December 30, 2018
Sunday Morning Hot Links
14 months ago I made a deal with God that, if the Astros could win the World Series, I would not get physically upset about the outcome of a sporting event (save for future Astros' playoff games, and Leeds United, and the USMNT). So, OU....I'm laughing, actually. Everything is fine.
*Wow the rumor mill really picked up today!
*Oh here's something:
Seth Lugo is 29, won't be a free agent until 2023, and is a Very Good Reliever. Seth Lugo has a Very High Spin Rate on his curveball - the highest spin rate on a curve ever tracked. The Astros sorta like all those kinds of things.
But the Mets are a franchise without a direction so it's literally impossible to figure out what they may want. I'm sure the Astros could give up a really good pair of prospects that would transform the Mets and not really dent the Astros' pipeline, because the Wilpons would like to pay $2.13/hour + tips.
*Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo says the Astros and Phillies are "very interested" in Arizona pitcher Robbie Ray. From 2016-2018, Ray has thrown 460IP, 398H/201ER, 601K:212BB, a 3.93 ERA / 1.33 WHIP backed up by a 3.89 FIP and an incredible 11.8 K/9. Walks are something, tho, having just posted a 5.1 BB/9 (70BB in 123.2IP) line in 2018.
*The Astros are apparently still interested in J.T. Realmuto, but the Marlins are still insisting on Forrest Whitley or Kyle Tucker. So the Marlins should be contracted and their former ownership and front office should be thrown in jail for corruption. F Jeter.
*Brian McTaggart went on MLB Network and said the Astros' chances of reacquiring Dallas Keuchel are "slim."
*Jon Morosi went on MLB.com and said that the Astros *could* be involved in a trade forCleveland's Seattle's Edwin Encarnacion.
*SI.com's Emma Baccellieri says that, should Michael Brantley stay healthy, he'll be a good addition. Wow a high-contact, low-K LHB with a bit of power could help a potent, RHB-heavy offense, but only if he's actually on the field? Color me shocked.
*FiveThirtyEight has an interesting chart in which they rank the best (and worst) Sports Teams of 2018. The Astros ranked 2nd. The Red Sox ranked 1st. Recently I said that the Astros "ran into a buzzsaw" in the form of the Red Sox, and that wasn't really true. Alex Bregman damn near won two ALCS games by himself. Joe West and MLB Replays helped make sure the Red Sox won Game 4. I've said it - probably many times before - that the 2018 Red Sox caught every break that the 2017 Astros caught, and maybe more. It's whatever.
*Surprise! The Luxury Tax penalty might be bullcrap and is overexaggerated by owners who want to increase their profit margin.
*A Musical Selection:
*Wow the rumor mill really picked up today!
*Oh here's something:
Hearing that the Astros and Mets have recently been engaged in trade talks. Houston has shown interest in Seth Lugo and New York has been doing some background work on Astros minor leaguers. Unclear if talk has gained traction.— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) December 29, 2018
Seth Lugo is 29, won't be a free agent until 2023, and is a Very Good Reliever. Seth Lugo has a Very High Spin Rate on his curveball - the highest spin rate on a curve ever tracked. The Astros sorta like all those kinds of things.
But the Mets are a franchise without a direction so it's literally impossible to figure out what they may want. I'm sure the Astros could give up a really good pair of prospects that would transform the Mets and not really dent the Astros' pipeline, because the Wilpons would like to pay $2.13/hour + tips.
*Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo says the Astros and Phillies are "very interested" in Arizona pitcher Robbie Ray. From 2016-2018, Ray has thrown 460IP, 398H/201ER, 601K:212BB, a 3.93 ERA / 1.33 WHIP backed up by a 3.89 FIP and an incredible 11.8 K/9. Walks are something, tho, having just posted a 5.1 BB/9 (70BB in 123.2IP) line in 2018.
*The Astros are apparently still interested in J.T. Realmuto, but the Marlins are still insisting on Forrest Whitley or Kyle Tucker. So the Marlins should be contracted and their former ownership and front office should be thrown in jail for corruption. F Jeter.
*Brian McTaggart went on MLB Network and said the Astros' chances of reacquiring Dallas Keuchel are "slim."
*Jon Morosi went on MLB.com and said that the Astros *could* be involved in a trade for
*SI.com's Emma Baccellieri says that, should Michael Brantley stay healthy, he'll be a good addition. Wow a high-contact, low-K LHB with a bit of power could help a potent, RHB-heavy offense, but only if he's actually on the field? Color me shocked.
*FiveThirtyEight has an interesting chart in which they rank the best (and worst) Sports Teams of 2018. The Astros ranked 2nd. The Red Sox ranked 1st. Recently I said that the Astros "ran into a buzzsaw" in the form of the Red Sox, and that wasn't really true. Alex Bregman damn near won two ALCS games by himself. Joe West and MLB Replays helped make sure the Red Sox won Game 4. I've said it - probably many times before - that the 2018 Red Sox caught every break that the 2017 Astros caught, and maybe more. It's whatever.
*Surprise! The Luxury Tax penalty might be bullcrap and is overexaggerated by owners who want to increase their profit margin.
*A Musical Selection:
Monday, December 10, 2018
Monday Morning Hot Links
*The Winter Meetings start today. Will the Astros do something? Maybe! Possibly not!
*Jake Kaplan has ten thoughts on the Astros as the Winter Meetings get underway. Among the names bandied about: Arizona's Robbie Ray, St. Louis' Jose Martinez, Nelson Cruz, Daniel Murphy.
*It doesn't look as though Houston is in on Japanese LHP Yusei Kikuchi.
*The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo reports that the Astros have checked in with the White Sox on Jose Abreu.
*Jon Heyman said the Astros were dangling J.B. Bukauskas and Cionel Perez to Arizona for Paul Goldschmidt.
*Buster Olney has an Insider-Only piece that tells us:
-The Astros have competition looking for a starting catcher in the Dodgers and Mets.
-The Astros were not seriously involved in chasing down Nate Eovaldi, but it seems as though the Astros are more interested in upgrading the rotation via trade (meaning Kluber or Bauer or Syndergaard or Greinke).
*The price tag for Kluber or Tyler Bauer is said to be "very, very high." And why not? Also, I feel that if the Astros acquire Tyler Bauer it will be solely to troll me, personally.
*If you want Robbie Ray - a 27-year old lefty with 601 strikeouts in 460IP and a 3.89 FIP over the last three years, with two years of team control remaining - the price tag is pretty high.
*The Padres are interested in Marwin. Any team with a brain and/or a pulse should be interested in Marwin.
*Alyson Footer writes about the two-day women's inclusion conference hosted by MLB.
*Todd Kalas stays winning.
*Sunday Night Baseball games will be an hour earlier next season.
*If this Irish woman and her husband, a 300-year old Pirate Ghost, can't make it then what hope do the rest of us have?
*A musical selection:
*Jake Kaplan has ten thoughts on the Astros as the Winter Meetings get underway. Among the names bandied about: Arizona's Robbie Ray, St. Louis' Jose Martinez, Nelson Cruz, Daniel Murphy.
*It doesn't look as though Houston is in on Japanese LHP Yusei Kikuchi.
*The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo reports that the Astros have checked in with the White Sox on Jose Abreu.
*Jon Heyman said the Astros were dangling J.B. Bukauskas and Cionel Perez to Arizona for Paul Goldschmidt.
*Buster Olney has an Insider-Only piece that tells us:
-The Astros have competition looking for a starting catcher in the Dodgers and Mets.
-The Astros were not seriously involved in chasing down Nate Eovaldi, but it seems as though the Astros are more interested in upgrading the rotation via trade (meaning Kluber or Bauer or Syndergaard or Greinke).
*The price tag for Kluber or Tyler Bauer is said to be "very, very high." And why not? Also, I feel that if the Astros acquire Tyler Bauer it will be solely to troll me, personally.
*If you want Robbie Ray - a 27-year old lefty with 601 strikeouts in 460IP and a 3.89 FIP over the last three years, with two years of team control remaining - the price tag is pretty high.
*The Padres are interested in Marwin. Any team with a brain and/or a pulse should be interested in Marwin.
*Alyson Footer writes about the two-day women's inclusion conference hosted by MLB.
*Todd Kalas stays winning.
Bloodys and a day of football. Not a bad way to kick off Winter Meetings @MandalayBay pic.twitter.com/IerFq5souQ— Todd Kalas (@RealToddKalas) December 9, 2018
*Sunday Night Baseball games will be an hour earlier next season.
— TORO 🐃 (@TexansTORO1) December 9, 2018*Harold Baines' similarity scores on B-Ref are Hall of Famers Tony Perez (1), Al Kaline (2), Billy Williams (4), and Andre Dawson (5). His election to the Hall of Fame significantly helps Jeff Kent, Carlos Beltran, Dale Murphy, and Edgar Martinez.
*If this Irish woman and her husband, a 300-year old Pirate Ghost, can't make it then what hope do the rest of us have?
*A musical selection:
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