2019 MLB Thread

[hockeyfan1]

As Spring Training begins for all major league teams, the talk of MLB is free agency.  Lots of free agents signed and others yet to decide where they’re headed:

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-rumors-white-sox-still-strong-factor-for-machado-red-sox-chris-sale-have-discussed-extension/


Top 50 free agents: (signed & unsigned to date:
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-rumors-white-sox-still-strong-factor-for-machado-red-sox-chris-sale-have-discussed-extension/

[hockeyfan1]

The $300M man.  Manny Machado signs with the San Diego Padres making him the highest paid player in the history of MLB -- 10 yrs/$300M.

Story:
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26031051/manny-machado-san-diego-padres-reach-deal

[IJustLurkHere]

The $300M man.  Manny Machado signs with the San Diego Padres making him the highest paid player in the history of MLB -- 10 yrs/$300M.

Story:
http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26031051/manny-machado-san-diego-padres-reach-deal

Going by that article, this is not the biggest contract in the history of MLB...

[Nik]

Machado won't even be the highest paid player in Southern California.

[bustaheims]

It's the largest free agent contract in terms of total value.

It's important to get the details right.

[Nik]

The Rockies have locked up Arenado to a 8 year extension(with a 3rd year opt-out) at 260 million.

[L K]

Craig Kimbrel being done with the Red Sox is interesting.  I'm going to miss his weird delivery.  It's absurd that he's looking for 100 million though.  It's a drastic overpay

[Arn]

I've a trip to Philadelphia and DC this September. Hoping to catch games in both cities. Wonder if either will be in a playoff race. Hopefully!

[Arn]

Harper signs for Phillie and refuses to take number 34 in honour of Roy Halladay

[hockeyfan1]

Harper signs for Phillie and refuses to take number 34 in honour of Roy Halladay

$330M/13 yrs.  Wowza.  That’s a lot of moolah.  The largest ever signed in league history.

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/bryce-harper-contract-details-breakdown-of-the-salary-bonuses-and-perks-in-his-13-year-deal-with-the-phillies/

[Guilt Trip]

 I know it doesn't tell the whole story but that's a lot of cash for a guy who's hit 30+ homeruns twice and 100 RBI's once.

[bustaheims]

I know it doesn't tell the whole story but that's a lot of cash for a guy who's hit 30+ homeruns twice and 100 RBI's once.

When Harper's at his best, he's one of the top 4 or 5 bats in the game. The issue that injuries and inconsistency have plagued him throughout his career. The Phillies are banking on getting more of him at his best then not. History says that's unlikely, but, if they get that guy one of every 3 seasons - that could be enough to make them champions instead of also-rans.

[L K]

I know it doesn't tell the whole story but that's a lot of cash for a guy who's hit 30+ homeruns twice and 100 RBI's once.

When Harper's at his best, he's one of the top 4 or 5 bats in the game. The issue that injuries and inconsistency have plagued him throughout his career. The Phillies are banking on getting more of him at his best then not. History says that's unlikely, but, if they get that guy one of every 3 seasons - that could be enough to make them champions instead of also-rans.

The "going rate" for WAR is something like 7 million/1.0 WAR.  That calculation might be a little old now but it would necessitate Harper being a 4+ WAR player in the early years of this contract to justify it. He has hit >4.0 WAR in 3 of his 7 seasons so far.   Harper has one ridiculous season in his career and a number of very good seasons  but he's way too inconsistent for me.  Injuries might explain some of that away but the truly elite guys shouldn't have seasons of 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5 WAR under their belt.

[Nik]

The "going rate" for WAR is something like 7 million/1.0 WAR.  That calculation might be a little old now but it would necessitate Harper being a 4+ WAR player in the early years of this contract to justify it. He has hit >4.0 WAR in 3 of his 7 seasons so far.   Harper has one ridiculous season in his career and a number of very good seasons  but he's way too inconsistent for me.  Injuries might explain some of that away but the truly elite guys shouldn't have seasons of 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5 WAR under their belt.

To some extent that reveals some of the problems with WAR though. In those three years you're including a year where he was hurt(although he wasn't playing great) and you're including a very strange situation where Harper's bat produced a lot of value but he had a bizarrely badly rated year in the field.

He's produced at almost exactly a 4 WAR per year rate if you average out his career so I don't think of it as that huge a divide between his value and this deal. If we try to use the NHL as a comparison with McDavid and Kershaw representing the high side of the scale then Harper's per year deal equates to roughly a 9 million NHL deal. For a guy with real MVP potential I think it's a fair deal if too long for my tastes.

[hockeyfan1]

New rule changes coming to MLB, slated to commence this year and the rest to be finalized by the 2020 Major League season

Some of the changes:

- 28 player roster for September for all teams (starting in 2020)
- July 31 trade deadline (no more trades after this date will be permitted)
- the introduction of the 15-day DL rather than the current 10-day DL
- two minute maximum commercial breaks
- five mound visits allowed this year; four in 2020

...and much more.

For details:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2019/03/14/mlb-new-rule-changes-roster-3-batter-minimum/3157226002/

Lots of @mlb rule changes for 2019 and 2020: pic.twitter.com/Bn89KReec0

— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) March 14, 2019