Edman85

I honestly don't know if Toronto actually is in the running for all these guys or that they just leak that they are.

This, or try to get another prospect or two for some spare bonus pool money.

Governors don't unilaterally slash budgets.

So glad the right is trying to score political points here. Congrats. You must be proud.

I will agree with him that he was treated unfairly. Most people convicted of 34 counts of what he was served jail time. He gets a slap on the wrist because he ran for President and the American People were dumb enough to believe his bull****.

If baseball does expand, it will be to the cities/states who shell out the public money to make it happen. Everything else will fit in around that.

Harris nerded out in there pretty good. I thought they did a good job getting him to discuss things other entities haven't gotten out of him.

There was similar rhetoric this time last year about how they wouldn't be doing that kind of stuff, but attrition happened and they ended up doing it. I don't think you plan for bullpen days, but know that in a pinch you can do it over signing an abundance of veteran pitchers. Between Skubal, Webb, Jobe, Olson, Mize, Manning, Hurter, Madden, Montero, and Maeda, chances are you have five starters somewhere in there.

I agree but they have 7ish starters as is, with one due back mid-season from injury and a few prospects on the farm close (Hamm, Melton). From a pure numbers standpoint you can never have enough, but I will say there are plenty, especially when the worst case scenario is buffered by that break glass emergency strategy. You are better off with the bullpen day than throwing out a 40 grade pitcher. The risk with Verlander and Scherzer is they may be Maeda without the humility to accept a role demotion.

If it ain't broke...

I'm 100% out on Santander. Career OBP of .308. That just reeks of somebody who is going to fall off a cliff.

First down arm punt?

Yeah our meeting was finally spiked

Meeting starts Tuesday elsewhere in Maryland. My supervisor says he's okay with me opting out even if others want to make that drive from the airport. I'm assuming the flight gets cancelled.

My grandfather did that for years in the Detroit area. He's been gone for almost 30 years now, otherwise I'd ask if that was the case.

I mean you can. I still wouldn't do it, because he would be first on the chopping block for the next addition.

I have to fly into DC for work on Monday, and... well... if the weather forecast this weekend is what it was four years ago, history would be a whole lot different. Jan 6 wouldn't have happened.

Other teams have more fat on the back of their 40 man they can trim. I don't see the need to jump the line here.

They could, but why give anything up for him?

Serven is probably your third catcher. Doesn't really matter if he is on the 40 or not. I'm not sure Cartaya is an emergency option anyways. He's more a of a stash-and-hope, and I don't think we have the 40 man space to play with to justify that. Yeah, you can lop Englert and Kreidler, but you would need to drop one of them if you sign Bregman or a reliever. They didn't protect Hicks, who is a more viable third catcher option in 2025, imo. The Tigers are 19th in waiver priority, so 18 teams would have to pass anyways. I don't see him getting past the Rockies, Marlins, Blue Jays, Rays, etc. Either way, looks like the Tigers got the right Dodgers catching prospect for Flaherty.

I don't see him getting to us via waivers, and if we are going to add another couple of players, the 40 man roster is getting tight in terms of players you can lop off and not feel pain.

There's no reason to drop Tork now, none, zero, nada. If he was out of options or about to get expensive, yes. Otherwise you are just selling low out of short-sightedness.

Last I checked, and I still think this is true, the Rockies are the only team that has never gone above the draft pool. Keep in mind you get 5% where you pay a tax and do not lose any picks. Most teams are 4.5%-5% over their pool. The Rockies do not pay that tax.

Good stuff

Spenser Watkins was thrown to the trash heap during the 2020 shutdown. He bounced around and ate some innings for the Orioles and A's, and is off to China for this season.